IV Siesta Sand - January 2017 by Brion Palmer

Why the world comes to Sarasota

Every rental property on Siesta Key can now easily offer their valued GUESTS & VISITORS FREE ACCESS to the Siesta Key Fitness Center!

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

CONDO LIGHTING Siesta Key Condo Council Holiday Lighting Winners 2016

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KEN & JD CHESTER

State of Florida announces notice of intent to issue Big Pass dredging permit Siesta Key Association meeting Jan 12, 4:30 PM St. Boniface Church

New residential structure at 6100 Midnight Pass Road By Rachel Brown Hackney www.SarasotaNewsLeader.com

Meet Ken and JD Chester owners of Munchies 4:20 Café

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DR. BEACH Dr. Stephen Leatherman advocates for an intensive environmental study prior to any dredging of Big Pass

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BEACH WEDDING

At the suggestion of Sarasota County Commission Chair Alan Maio, the owner of the property at 6100 Midnight Pass Road on Siesta Key has agreed to move a new structure with eight dwelling units completely landward of the county’s Gulf Beach Setback Line (GBSL). The original plan called for them to be 32.7 feet seaward of that line. After reaching that agreement, the board voted unanimously on Dec. 14 to approve a Coastal Setback Variance for 6100 MPR LLC to allow a pool and deck on the site that still would be seaward of the GBSL. “I think this is pretty much your finest hour,” Commissioner Nancy Detert told Maio. “You have brought together consensus on a very thorny issue that bothered us all. And this way, you’re happy; hopefully, the neighbors are happy. I’m happy.” As for the GBSL, she said, “That is literally our line in the sand.” Attorney William Merrill III of the Icard Merrill firm in Sarasota said his client would have the site plan for the new construction reconfigured to incorporate the changes and then present them to county environmental permitting staff for approval. Continued on page 21

Siesta Key Association moving ahead with legal action Ever since the need to find a source of sand for Lido Key without impacting Siesta Key, the Siesta Key Association has worked diligently to find an appropriate solution. Continued on page 17

Ali & Jonathan’s Beach Wedding on beautiful Siesta Beach

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WHO’S PLAYING

Meet James Albritton

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SAND CASTLES

Benderson Development to conduct studies for Siesta Promenade project By Roger Drouin

“Ghostly” Landings Shopping Center to be sold at auction

|Several parcels in the plaza could be sold Jan. 24 By Roger Drouin

The Landings Shopping Plaza could have a new owner by the end of January. And with that change in ownership, some potential changes could come to the plaza that has been plagued vacant storefronts. Those |The mixed-use project continues to prove controversial by changes could include retrofitted W h a t k i n d o f m i x e d - u s e The neighborhood workshop, retail spaces and new businesses project can rise up at a large, held by Benderson Development, filling them. key parcel of vacant land that on Dec. 19 asked area residents In 2015, a mortgage company was once a mobile home park? what feasibility studies or other filed a foreclosure suit against And what will the impacts be issues they would like to see the owner of the several parcels on bordering properties and studied for Benderson’s planned within the plaza that total about neighbors? That was again the d e v e l o p m e n t . T h o s e i t e m s 93,000-square feet of commercial topic of another public meeting on would then be addressed as space. According to the lis a project proposed by Benderson part of application requirements pendens suit filed in December, Development Co., which owns 24 for a Critical Area Plan that, 2015, the Plaintiff, U.S. Bank, acres at the northwest corner of if ultimately approved by the National Association, as trustee U.S. 41 and Stickney Point Road County Commission, would for Morgan Stanley Capital Inc., and plans to construct a mixed- allow increased density at the site. instituted the foreclosure filing use lifestyle center. Continued on page 40 against owner, Michigan-based

Landings of Sarasota Florida LLC. A total of at least three parcels within the Landings Shopping Center were included in the foreclosure suit. In the latest development, in November, at an online auction, the lender sold the mortgage note on this portion of the plaza, Aaron Kantu, an executive for Ten X, a commercial real estate transaction platform, told Siesta Sand. Now, the property itself is slated for sale at a county online auction on Jan. 24, 2017, according to 12th Judicial Circuit court documents. There will likely be a lot of interest in the property, says Ron Flynn, a commercial realtor with Key Solutions Real Estate. Continued on page 39

Development Projects #1 - Dairy Queen page 2

#2 - Siesta Key Hotel page 3

#3 - Cassia Cay page 9

Five Things to Consider When Buying a Retirement Home in Sarasota Crescent Siesta Key, located on the south end of Crescent beach

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Like many of life’s great events, many dream of the day they’ll buy their retirement home – and they should! They’ve worked hard over the years, built up their equity and saved where they could, all for the chance to spend their days of retirement in their dream location. Unfortunately, some big mistakes can make this idyllic train of thought come to a screeching halt, but not if you know how to avoid them. Here’s what you and your spouse should consider if you’re hoping to purchase a retirement

home in the near future: Make a 5 Year Plan He dreams of a home near the golf course, but she dreams of being close to the sea. Regardless of where you want to live, you’re going to need to have your finances in order to really start looking. First and foremost, make sure that you and your spouse are on the same page when it comes to your future plans. If you’re both dreaming of moving to a particular city, it can be a great idea to visit there a few times first to make sure

you really love the community. Then, think about what kind of house you might want or need in

a few years, whether it be a singlefamily home or condo. Continued on page 40

JANUARY 2017

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New Dairy Queen and other commercial space expected to open in 2017 on Stickney Point Road By Rachel Brown Hackney www.SarasotaNewsLeader.com

Development Project #1 The owner of the property at 2121 and 2131 Stickney Point Road — just east of Siesta Key — hopes to open a new Dairy Queen and two speculative commercial buildings there in 2017, following Deck Deck Boats Boats •• Pontoon Pontoon Boats Boats •• Runabouts Runabouts unanimous County Commission approval of the rezoning of the site, the owner’s agent has told SNL. “We’d like to get started with site and development approval immediately,” James W. Herston of Port Charlotte, president of Herston Engineering Services, said on Nov. 22. After the county permitting process has been concluded, Herston said, the build-out should take six to nine months. On Sept. 15, the county’s www.CBsOutfitters.com • Since 1959 Planning Commission voted 9-0 to recommend the County Open 7 Days 7am-6pm 1249 Stickney Point Rd. Siesta Key Commission approve the project and rezoning. During its regular meeting on Nov. 22 in Sarasota, the County Commission did not seek a presentation on the proposal for the infill development at the intersection of 2121 Stickney Point Road and Couver Drive. Chair Alan Maio noted that he had no cards from members of the public requesting to speak on the topic during a public hearing. When he then asked for a motion, newly installed Commissioner Mike Moran called for approval of an amendment to the county’s Future Land Use Map in the county’s Comprehensive Plan to change the designation of the 0.41-acre site from Medium Density Residential to Community Commercial Center; the motion included approval of the rezoning petition. The Comprehensive Plan amendment was scheduled to take TOPICS: effect 31 days after its adoption, • Save Our Siesta Sand 2 Update the document said, provided no • Christmas Decoration Contest challenge was raised during the period. • Siesta Key Sheriff ’s Office Report Joe Schiess, regional manager for Eager Beaver Car Wash — Main Speaker: Honorable Alan Maio located at 6449 S. Tamiami Trail Sarasota Co. Commissioner, Siesta Key District — told Herston after the vote that he was pleased to know about - State of the County the coming improvements at the - Update on the Army Corps of Engineer’s Dredge Project site. “That corner sure needs a - Question and Answer Session makeover.” The car wash is close to the property.

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Herston explained to Schiess — as he had to the Planning Commission — that the Firestone Complete Auto Care Center adjacent to the project area will remain there. Schiess responded that he and his staff refer “a lot of customers” to the business, so he also was pleased with that news. According to material provided to the Planning and County commissions, the 50-seat Dairy Queen will have a drive-through window. The restaurant is proposed to be the largest of the three new commercial spaces on the property, at 2,500 square feet; the smallest will have 1,800 square feet. Herston told SNL on Nov. 22 that the owner of the property, JC Group USA — whose president is Jerry Cybalski, state corporation records show — already is working with a couple of prospective tenants for the other two commercial units, though Herston said he could not name them. The project also entails new sidewalks along Couver Drive and Stickney Point Road and landscape buffering. The existing parking lot for the Firestone center will be improved in conjunction with the new development, plans show. An aboveground stormwater retention facility and an underground stormwater vault system — beneath part of the parking lot — are other facets of the site plan. A report provided to the County Commission in advance of the Nov. 22 meeting says that county transportation staff expects the new commercial development to generate an extra 448 vehicle trips

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during the day, plus 22 during the afternoon peak drive period. “According to both the short-range and long-range generalized level of service analysis,” the report continues, Stickney Point Road from U.S. 41 to Gateway Avenue “is expected to operate above the adopted level of service with the addition of the development traffic.” Therefore, the document explains, the project “will not create any additional impacts to the transportation network.” That adopted level of service is D, but traffic volume in 2014 and anticipated volumes in 2020 and in 2035 put the level of service at C, the staff report notes. In response to concerns raised by county Transportation Planning Division staff, Herston told SNL, customers will be able to make right turns only from the site onto Couver Drive, which intersects with Stickney Point Road. Because of a special exception granted to part of the property in 1987, the driveway connecting to Couver will be aligned with the Jasper Street intersection on the north side of Couver. A second access to the property already exists on Stickney Point Road. The development area is across Stickney Point Road from the entrance to Sarasota Pavilion. JC Group USA is a division of JC Group, which was established in 1960 as a builder of single-family homes in the Kitchener/Waterloo area of Ontario its website says. The Canadian company has evolved over the years to become a developer of restaurants, professional buildings, commercial and retail plazas and even golf courses, according to its website.

6234 MIDNIGHT PASS RD, #207

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Opponents of potential Siesta hotel project argue against a county Comprehensive Plan amendment that would allow it By Rachel Brown Hackney www.SarasotaNewsLeader.com

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telephone interview. “What we want to do is flesh out the details,” he added, noting that he would be in contact with the SKA about scheduling a presentation to its members in the future.

The beginning of the process

Old Fandangos Restaurant

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the insufficient number of parking spaces at Siesta Public Beach: “‘There’s no way you can ever accommodate all the needs for parking [at the beach].’” Therefore, Ramirez added, “There’s no way you can accommodate all the needs for hotels on Siesta Key.” Volpe and Jeanne Francisco especially voiced frustration with the fact that no specific site had been identified for a potential project. Medred explained that only three CG sites on the Key could be redeveloped for a hotel. Siesta Village has approximately 16 to 17 acres, Medred said; the Wells Fargo parcel on Midnight Pass Road consists of about 2 acres; and the site of the former Fandango Café on Old Stickney Point Road is another possible location. Medred and Bailey also emphasized that only about 1% of the land on Siesta Key is zoned CG. “No one wants a hotel in the Village,” Francisco said. He and Bailey could not disclose a site at this point, Medred replied. “The good news is that at some point, a site will be identified and then you can come in and say, ‘Yay’ or ‘Nay’ based upon that.” “Our client does not have an identified piece of property yet,” Bailey added. “There’s no shortage of rooms on the island, except for maybe a very tiny period [of time each season],” Volpe responded. “There’s too many unanswered questions at this moment,” he continued, for the SKA members “to give our blessing.” Conversely, former SKA Director Bob Waechter talked of the need for redevelopment from an economic standpoint and to rid the island of

Development Project #2 Although only a dozen members of the public showed up for a Dec. 7 neighborhood workshop on the subject, speakers were adamant that they do not want to see a hotel bring more density and intensity to Siesta Key. The focus of the session at St. Boniface Episcopal Church was an application submitted to Sarasota County for a Comprehensive Plan amendment that would change Future Land Use Policy 2.9.1 to allow for property on barrier islands that are zoned Commercial General (CG) to be redeveloped to provide transient accommodations. Robert “Bo” Medred of Genesis Planning & Development in Sarasota and Charles D. Bailey III of the Williams Parker law firm hosted the workshop to discuss the proposal on behalf of their client, Siesta Acquisitions LLC. (According to the Florida Division of Corporations, the manager of that entity is Dr. Gary Kompothecras; he is a chiropractor best known for his “1-800-AskGary” advertising.) Past County Commission candidate and former Siesta Key Association (SKA) president Lourdes Ramirez, current SKA Director Joe Volpe, two SKA members — Jeanne and Bill Francisco — and another Siesta resident, Rosemary Bloch, all voiced concerns that any hotel project ultimately resulting from the Comprehensive Plan could increase the amount of traffic and demands on other island infrastructure. Ramirez told Bailey that she wanted to convey to him what county staff tells her whenever she complains about

what he and Medred both referred to as “blighted” areas, including — as Waechter noted — part of Old Stickney Point Road, especially in the section where Fandango’s operated. Although he arrived just as the workshop was concluding, Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce Chair Mark Smith offered even stronger support for a hotel project. “It’s better for the Key to have hotels than people renting out their houses or rooms in their houses”. The Comprehensive Plan amendment tentatively is scheduled to be on the County Commission’s Jan. 10 Consent Agenda of routine business items, county Planner Brett Harrington explained at the beginning of the workshop. That will enable the board to decide whether to allow its review to go forward;

otherwise, it would have to await the normal spring timeframe established for such amendments to start the approval process. It then would have to go through Planning Commission and County Commission public hearings — as well as state review — before it could be adopted, he added. That typically takes four to six months, Harrington said, “if everything goes smoothly.” Bailey and Medred stressed that only if the amendment won approval could a hotel project be proposed. Then that plan would have to be discussed in a neighborhood workshop and undergo Planning Commission and County Commission public hearings. “It was evident that the stakeholders would like more information,” Bailey said in a

“The only thing we are proposing tonight … is focused on the addition of this language here,” Medred said during his presentation. He was referring to the proposed change to Future Land Use Policy 2.9.1. The sentence, as amended, would say, “The intensity and density of future development on the Barrier Islands of Sarasota shall not exceed that allowed by zoning ordinances and regulations existing as of March 13, 1989, except that with respect to i.) lands zoned CG as of that date being redeveloped to provide transient accommodations, or ii.) lands zoned [Residential Multi-Family] as of that date and consistently so thereafter, a non-conforming duplex whose density exceeds the density restrictions of the zoning regulations and restrictions may be rebuilt within the footprint of the structure, or a non-conforming multi-family structure may be demolished and a duplex rebuilt in its place within the prior footprint of the multi-family structure without violating this policy.” [The proposed new language is underlined.] If a hotel is built on Siesta Key, Bailey pointed out, “it’s not going to be new development popping out of the ground … It’s not going to be a high-rise, and it’s not going to be on the beach… Continued on page 27

Siesta Sand

JANUARY 2017

Abel’s Ice Cream

The Coolest Resolution of the Year It’s a proven fact that less than 8% of the population achieves their New Year’s Resolutions. At Abel’s Ice Cream, they believe it’s time to change that. How, you ask? By making a resolution you’ll LOVE to achieve! As Abel’s owner, Jerry Williams, likes to say “everybody needs an ice cream goal.” For a limited time, you can still enjoy your favorite flavors of the season, including Peppermint Flash, (Refreshing and vibrant peppermint ice cream filled with peppermint candy) and Egg Nog (Sweet and delicious, this is a seasonal favorite!) Or ring in the new year with one of Abel’s perennial favorites, including Stellar Coffee, (Rich coffee ice cream with delicious fudge & mini dark chocolate coffee cups), and Raspberry Truffle, (Raspberry ice cream with raspberry ribbon & dark chocolate raspberry cups). So, come on in for a cup, cone, or specialty treat, and tackle that resolution head-on! And to help you achieve your goals, remember to grab a punch card on your next visit. For every ten ice cream items, you get a single cup or cone for FREE. Abel’s Ice Cream is located at 1886 Stickney Point Road, Sarasota in the South Bridge Plaza. Open Sunday through Thursday from Noon9:30 pm, and Friday and Saturday from Noon-10 pm. Learn more online at www.abelsicecream.com or connect with them on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

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Siesta Key Round-Up By Rachel Brown Hackney www.SarasotaNewsLeader.com crowd would get out of control. “Eventually,” the Members of religious group report adds, “the crowd dispersed and both groups disrupting Drum Circle were separated.”

Members of a religious group from north Florida have been antagonizing participants during recent gatherings of the Drum Circle on Siesta Public Beach. On Nov. 20, for example, men in the group used a bullhorn to address Drum Circle participants. Sgt. Jason Mruczek of the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that incidents have occurred on more than one recent Sunday. Thanks to the assistance of Kaitlyn Perez, community affairs director of the Sheriff’s Office, SNL reviewed two reports filed in connection with the disruptions. The first says that just before 5 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 20, a deputy responded to a call about a disturbance on the beach. Upon his arrival, the report continues, he observed protestors Daniel Maguire, 35, and Mark Asher King, 41, “standing with their sign in the middle of the drum circle. They were there exercising their rights and not doing anything illegal.” However, the report notes, people in the crowd became offended “and began to argue with [the men], forcing them back outside of the circle by making a wall of bodies linked together and slowly walking towards them.” The report says that at one point, Deputy Jason Strom called for a supervisor out of concern that the

According to the report, King told the deputy his home address is on Ashton Road in Sarasota. Maguire provided a Ruskin address and identified his occupation as “Preacher.” An earlier incident occurred on July 17, Sheriff’s Office records show. McGuire approached a deputy just before 7:30 p.m. to say that someone had poured beer on him, according to the report. The suspect was a Sarasota resident, Duane Myron Dennis, 33, the report notes. “According to the victim,” the report says, “he was preaching towards the drum circle” when the incident occurred. McGuire at first wanted to press charges, the deputy wrote, “because Dennis was uncooperative at the time.” When the deputy then spoke with Dennis and informed him of the allegations, the report continues, Dennis “stated that he did not want to speak with me, because I was not a Sergeant,” and that he had “only opened the beer” on McGuire’s head. After the deputy informed Dennis that he was a suspect in a battery case, Dennis agreed to go with the deputy to the pavilion as the deputy proceeded with his investigation, the report adds. While they were at the pavilion, the deputy continued, McGuire decided not to pursue charges, saying he Continued on the next page

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Continued from the previous page

It just took some time More than two years ago, a resident submitted a petition to Sarasota County, seeking the reduction of the speed limit on Upper Elmwood Avenue between U.S. 41 and Crestwood Avenue — in Pine Shores Estates — from 30 mph to 25 mph. By Dec. 9, all of the roads in the subdivision are expected to be posted with that lower speed limit. That was the unanimous decision of the County Commission on Nov. 22 as part of its vote on its Consent Agenda of routine business items. A memo provided to the board in advance of the Nov. 22 meeting said the original petition was submitted by Patricia Estes on Oct. 27, 2014. After the county’s Traffic Advisory Council (TAC) members considered it on March 9, 2015, the memo continued, the TAC members asked staff to expand the boundary of the affected area to incorporate the entire Pine Shores Estates subdivision, “because there are streets with a posted speed limit of 30 mph and other

Most recently, on Oct. 17, the county filed its motion to dismiss Cosentino’s complaint. On Nov. 15, Cosentino’s attorney, Ralf Brookes of Cape Coral, filed a document saying that Cosentino was complying with Florida Rules of Civil Procedure by giving notice “that he does not consent and objects to the referral to a magistrate under Rule 1.490(c).” That rule, according to the document, says, “No reference shall be to a magistrate, either general or special, without the consent of the parties.” The Nov. 15 filing says Cosentino “was not served with any order, via [electronic copy] or mailed paper service copy of any order referring matters [in] this case to [a] Magistrate and was … not aware of any such order until today.” The court file shows no record of any order referring the hearing of the motions to a magistrate. However, such action has become common procedure in the court system.

I RA IT

In the latest action involving Siesta resident Mike Cosentino’s lawsuit against Sarasota County over the vacation of a portion of North Beach Road, Cosentino has let the 12th Judicial Circuit Court know that he opposes having a magistrate hear motions in the case, instead of a judge. No hearing date has been set yet.

PINE SHORES ESTATE MAP

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North Beach Road lawsuit update

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just wanted Dennis to apologize. Dennis agreed to do so, the report notes. In response to a request for comments from county staff regarding the Drum Circle incidents, Deputy Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Director Nicole Rissler wrote in an email that department staff “will continue to monitor the situation and work with the sheriff’s office to assist with the management of the drum circle to ensure public safety in the event of disorderly conduct.”

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streets with a posted speed limit of 25 mph.” The boundary expansion was seen as a way to bring uniformity to the neighborhood speed limits and as a means to “better conform to driver expectations,” as the memo put it. On June 8, 2015, the TAC held a public hearing on the revised petition and then approved it unanimously, the minutes of that meeting say. Only one public speaker addressed the issue beforehand, and that person pointed out that his primary concern was enforcement of the

current speed limit, the Nov. 22 staff memo said. Asked why it took almost 18 months after the June 2015 TAC approval of the uniform speed limit for the matter to go on a County Commission agenda, county spokesman Drew Winchester responded in an email that because of a vacancy in the position of county traffic engineering manager, staff ended up with “[j]ust a large backlog of TAC items that needed to make it to the [County Commission]. Continued on page 13

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REOPEN BEACH ROAD, INC WISHES YOU A HAPPY, HEALTHY AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR

In late 2012 the County hired Taylor Engineering, Inc to design a permanent repair for this section of Beach Road (Reference BCC #12106, 12/10/12). The following quotes come from the Taylor Engineering report: “THIS AREA'S POTENTIAL MAY BE UNLOCKED WITH A WELL-PLANNED AND CONSTRUCTED PROJECT. THE AREA IS A POPULAR GATHERING PLACE FOR LOCALS AND VISITORS ALIKE DURING SUNSET TO ENJOY THE VIEWS ACROSS BIG SARASOTA PASS AND THE GULF OF MEXICO.” 1

SUNSET POINT PIER, 10 BEACH ROAD “NUMEROUS OPPORTUNITIES EXIST FOR THIS PROJECT TO GO BEYOND A STRAIGHT FORWARD SHORE PROTECTION PROJECT AND INCORPORATE AESTHETICALLY PLEASING COMPONENTS INTO THE PROJECT DESIGN TO ESTABLISH AND ENFORCE THE UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SETTING. THE WORLD CLASS VIEWS AND TRANQUIL GULF WATERS MAKE THIS AREA SPECIAL AND DESERVING OF A SPECIAL PROJECT. ” 2 1. KENNETH R. CRAIG, P. E., TAYLOR ENGINEERING, INC. NORTH BEACH ROAD SHORELINE PROTECTION STUDY SIESTA KEY, FL, OCTOBER 2013, PAGE 1. 2. ID. AT 32

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Landings “Holiday Cheer for Kids Fighting Cancer” A Tremendous Success By Karl Maggard / Landings Resident - Photos by Jeff Crotty and Bob Manteiga We are so grateful to our Landings and Siesta Key neighbors and friends for the wonderful outpouring of love and support of our 2016 “Holiday Cheer for Kids Fighting Cancer” campaign. Because of your generosity, we were able to adopt 28 families and 62 children! 18 of these kids were from Hannah House (more on Hannah House later). Thus, we were not only able to provide gifts to all of the Sarasota families and children with cancer supplied to us from the children’s hospital,

but go beyond to help other children. Your generosity allowed us to also provide food for their holidays. Hannah House was identified by Heidi Bodor and Henry Rhodes as a most worthy cause for our support. Located just north of Bradenton in Wachula County, they have been helping abused and homeless women and children for nearly 30 years, including Sarasota families. Hannah House was founded by Lorraine Gillespie, who began helping women

in prisons in the early 1980’s and is still working to support women and children five to six days a week and she is 81 years old. She and her husband have been able to expand their operation to a home with five rooms, that houses 10-15 women and an apartment that now supports 15 women and 33 children from 2 months to 17 years. Each woman has to qualify, by being substance-free and working independently. They pay $300 per month for housing and food. In the past, the children of Hannah

House have had no toys during the holidays. The success of the 2016 Landings program was the result of tremendous effort by several hardworking and generous people. Henry Rhodes, Jim Goldman, Carmen Lawrence, Heidi Bodor, Marykay Crotty and Karl Maggard provided leadership. We can’t thank our Siesta neighbors enough for their great generosity.

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NOTICE:

Lorraine’s Island Beauty & Barber has moved Effective August 20, 2016, Doris Waywell Smith, owner of Lorraine’s Island Beauty & Barber shop moved to the Village. After 40+ years and thousands of customers, Waywell Smith along with Brian will be working out of Salon Capelli, located at 5057 Ocean Blvd. To make an appointment, please call Doris at 941-346-7206 or email her at Waywellsmithdoris@gmail.com

If you are a “millennial” – a member of the age cohort born anywhere from the early 1980s to the late 1990s – then you’re still in the early chapters of your career, so it may be a stretch for you to envision the end of it. But since you do have so many years until you retire, you’ve got the luxury of putting time on your side as you save and plan for retirement. Here are some suggestions for making the best use of that time: • Invest early – and often. Even if you are at the very beginning of your career, make investing a priority. At first, you might only be able to contribute a small amount each month, but something is far better than nothing – and after a year or so, you might be surprised at how much you’ve actually put away. • Take advantage of your employer’s retirement plan. If your employer offers a 401(k) or similar plan, contribute as much as you can afford. At the least, put in enough to earn your employer’s match, if one is offered. Your contributions can lower your taxable income, and your earnings can grow on a

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|Investment Tips for “Millennials”

tax-deferred basis. • Invest more as your earnings increase. As your career advances, and your earnings rise, you’ll want to increase your contributions to your 401(k) or similar plan. And if you ever “max out” on your annual 401(k) contributions (the limits change over time), you can probably still contribute to another tax-advantaged retirement plan, such as a traditional or Roth IRA. Thus far, we’ve only discussed, in general terms, how much and how often you should invest. But it’s obviously just as important to think about the type of investments you own. And at this stage of your life, you need an investment mix that provides you with ample opportunities for growth. Historically, stocks and stock-based vehicles provide greater growth potential than other investments, such as government securities, corporate bonds and certificates of deposit (CDs). Of course, stocks will rise and fall in price, sometimes dramatically. But with decades ahead of you, you do have time to overcome short-term losses. And you may be

able to reduce the effects of market volatility by spreading your dollars among many different stockbased investments, along with a reasonable percentage of bonds and other, more conservative securities. Here’s something else to consider: Many millennials want more from their investments than just good performance – they also want their money to make a difference in the world. This interest in “impact” investing (also known as “socially responsible” investing) has led some of your peers to screen out companies or industries they believe have a negative impact on society in favor of other businesses that are viewed as contributing to a more sustainable world. If this viewpoint resonates with you, then you may want to explore these types of investment opportunities with a financial professional. But most importantly, keep on investing throughout your life. As a millennial, you’ve got plenty of the one asset that can never be replaced: time. Use it wisely.

Joe St.Onge, 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 This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor.

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New Cassia Cay residential concept wins County Commission approval By Rachel Brown Hackney www.SarasotaNewsLeader.com has seen this type of approach in his 30-plus years with the county, he said. “Processing it was a bit of a challenge for staff.” Taylor also told the board that, unless it provided guidance for the same type of initiative to be pursued with a future project, staff would not allow other applicants to follow this pattern. Dan Bailey, an attorney with the Williams Parker firm in Sarasota and a representative of the current owner of the property — Bayonne LLC — explained that his client has contracted to sell the land to Apogee Realty Advisors, based in Naples. Bayonne’s multiple owners had planned to construct the project as detailed in the 2006 concept plan, Bailey continued, “and they still like it. Intervening was a recession. … It caused a 10year gap here.” “In the event there’s some snafu in the closing [on the land],” Bailey pointed out, his clients “don’t want to do someone else’s plan.” He apologized for the complexity of the situation, but he pointed out that Deputy County Attorney Alan Roddy had included language in the application to make it clear that if the County Commission did not approve the new site plan, the petitioner would have to withdraw it. “I would hope you would see your county attorney has fully protected you with this language,” Bailey said. “It is different,” Chair Alan Maio responded. “I thought I’d seen it all.” Maio did ask for clarification that if Bayonne successfully sells the property to Apogee, “the original plan, the entitlements, are extinguished?” “They go away,” Bailey replied, as soon as the new site plan has been submitted to county staff. “That’s in the ordinance Alan [Roddy] put together.” Maio thanked him for the explanation. Although Apogee Realty Advisors plans to purchase the property, the application shows, the developer would be Kevin Daves of Core Development Inc. of Wichita, Kan. Daves was also on the team that developed the Ritz-Carlton project in downtown

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With Sarasota County’s Planning Services Manager having explained the unusual path leading to that point, the County Commission agreed unanimously on Dec. 14 to approve a residential plan with less density on about 13.3 acres fronting Little Sarasota Bay. The project is called Cassia Cay. Instead of the 152 condominium units allowed under a concept the board authorized in 2006, the latest proposal calls for 98. The building heights would be a mix of 45, 56 and 68 feet, with instructure parking, according to the application. The height of the buildings in the 2006 plan would be a maximum of 55 feet, the county staff report showed. In making the Dec. 14 motion to endorse the 2016 concept, Commissioner Charles Hines said, “I just like this version of the plan better. … I think it’s a better product for the area.” In response to a question from Vice Chair Paul Caragiulo, attorney Brenda Patten of the Sarasota firm Berlin, Patten & Ebling — representing the developer — pointed out that someone could submit a site and development plan to county staff for the original 152-unit proposal and then construct it, with “no further approval from the [county] Planning Commission or the Board of County Commissioners. … We’re coming in with an alternate plan that reduces the units to 98, so we’re shrinking the impact of the traffic, everything …” The project site is south of Siesta Key and immediately adjacent to the Holiday Harbor community on Holiday Drive. At the outset of the public hearing, county Planning Manager Tate Taylor explained that the applicant was seeking approval of the new concept plan while maintaining the option of pursuing the 2006 version. “The applicant will decide which one it wants to go forward with.” The Office of the County Attorney “affirmed that this was a lawful process,” Taylor added. Still, this has been the first time he

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Neighbors’ worries In spite of the reduced density, four speakers during the public hearing cited an array of concerns, especially that the project will lead to further traffic congestion along U.S. 41. County Planner Adriana TrujilloVilla pointed out that two of eight stipulations attached to the site plan specifically regard improvements that must be made to ease access to and from U.S. 41: • No. 3: “Prior to or concurrent with development of the subject parcel, the developer shall extend the existing southbound to eastbound left turn lane on U.S. 41 at Lake Pointe Boulevard/ Springfield Drive.” • No. 4. “Prior to or concurrent with development of the subject parcel, the developer

shall construct a northbound to westbound directional left turn lane … at the proposed project driveway and U.S. 41 intersection.” Patten told the county commissioners that she believed the speakers were confusing the proposal before them with a plan for a mixed-use development along U.S. 41, which originally was designed to border the residential community. However, the application for that mixed-use project has been withdrawn, she noted. Ruth Brandwein, who lives in the nearby Pelican Cove community, told the board she had 250 signatures on petitions opposed to Cassia Cay. She pointed out that the property “is the last undeveloped parcel on [Little Sarasota] Bay.” Patten also referenced a concern Pelican Cove residents had raised about the proximity of the

residential structures to the bay. Patten explained that because of setbacks required by the County Code, no building would stand closer to the shoreline than 130 feet. Brandwein further voiced worries about the potential that Native American burial grounds exist on the site, though archaeological surveys by a private firm and the county found none. If any are found during construction, Brandwein pointed out, the project will have to be stopped, and further investigation will have to be conducted every 25 meters as the digging proceeds. Patten told the board, “There are no Indian middens on this site.” She also affirmed that the county’s land development regulations would halt construction if any remains were found.

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Public access signage installed at vacated portion of North Beach Road By Rachel Brown Hackney www.SarasotaNewsLeader.com

Left turn sign at west Columbus intersection of North Beach Road with the new public access signs

It took longer than anticipated, but new Sarasota County signage went up on the morning of Dec. 22 at the intersection of North Beach Road and Columbus Avenue on Siesta Key. The goal is to alert all members of the public that they can access a segment of North Beach Road that the County Commission vacated on May 11, Chief County Engineer Isaac Brownman told SNL. During a telephone interview, Brownman noted that staff not only added signs that say, “Public access” at the south end of the 357-foot vacated road section, but staff members also installed two other signs: A right-turn only sign faces northbound traffic on Beach Road at the Columbus Boulevard intersection; a left-turn only sign faces westbound traffic on Columbus at that intersection. Anyone may walk, bike or even use a golf cart on that portion of the road, Brownman pointed out. During the May 11 public hearing, Charles Bailey III of the Williams Parker firm in Sarasota assured the county commissioners, on behalf of his clients, that if the vacation petition were approved, his clients would make certain that the public continued to be able to use the section of road except to

drive on it with anything other than a low-speed conveyance. The road has been closed to vehicular traffic since 1993 because of repeated storm damage. Siesta Key resident Michael Cosentino filed a lawsuit against the county on June 10, citing a portion of the county’s Comprehensive Plan that said, at that time, “The County shall not vacate road segments on waterfronts along any creek, river, lake, bay or Gulf access point and shall encourage right-of-way use of these areas for coastal beach and bay access.” During a revision of the Comprehensive Plan, completed in October, the board modified that language to give the commissioners more flexibility in road vacation matters. Cosentino has appeared before the board at least once during each set of its meetings since late May, appealing for it to overturn the May 11 vote. Nonetheless, County Attorney Stephen DeMarsh has explained that, by law, rescinding the action is not possible. Asked why it took more than seven months to erect the signage, Brownman explained that he and his staff had been working with Dennis and Wendy Madden, one

of the couples who sought the road vacation. During more than one County Commission meeting, Bailey has talked of the Maddens’ plan to install bollards at either end of the road segment to keep out vehicular traffic. “We couldn’t coordinate all the activity at the same time,” Brownman said. The Maddens do hope to get the bollards up in January, Brownman added. “And then [the portion of North Beach Road] will really look pedestrian-friendly.” Staff also consulted with the Office of the County Attorney, Brownman pointed out, because of concerns the signage would be inappropriate while the litigation was underway. “We did hold off a little bit [because of that],” he said. In response to a question, Denny Madden said he and his wife have submitted the application for the county permit necessary to install the bollards. “It is my understanding it is in the final phases of review,” he added, so they expect to receive the permit shortly. Madden told SNL he also understood that a number of departments — and the commissioners — have been involved in the whole process.

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Keeping busy with Ken and JD Chester By Debbie Flessner If it’s true that “idle hands are the devil’s workshop,” then Ken and JD Chester should never have to worry about getting themselves into trouble. This dynamic father and son team currently own and run no less than eight successful businesses, and though Ken is preparing to phase out his side of the operation, JD is actually looking for ways to expand their Florida holdings. Hard to believe that less than two decades ago, they were both living in New Jersey and working for other people. When JD was a student at Monmouth University and Ken was a pharmaceutical sales and marketing representative for national companies, they had probably not fully envisioned what they were going to create years later in Florida. But when he reached the age of 52, after having helped propel a generic pharmaceutical company he was working for to number one in the marketplace, Ken experienced an epiphany—he needed to make a change. “I just hit the wall and announced my retirement,” Ken said. “I had no intention when I left home to go to work, but I just said, ‘I’m done.’ I went home and told my wife Sara that I had retired and three weeks later, we moved to Sarasota.” After arriving on the Suncoast, Ken settled into a relaxed life of playing golf and catching up on his reading. That lasted all of 30 days. After a life spent constantly on the go, he knew he was not well-suited to a complete retirement, so he began looking around for something he could do. He thought he would give real estate a try. “Every day I kept looking at this vacant lot on Stickney Point Road, and I thought, ‘Someone should develop that,’” Ken said. “I contacted the owner and purchased the lot, which is now the shopping center where the Stonewood Grill and New Balance are.” Though he had no prior development experience, the project was a success. After the shopping center was completed, Ken sold it to an investment group. Shortly afterwards, his son JD decided to move down to Sarasota as well. Before long, he ran into an issue that quite a few young people visiting and living here have called attention to in the past—there are just no late night dining establishments. As is the case with many successful concepts, JD’s business, Munchies 4:20 Cafe, was developed out of necessity. “I was 23 years old and had gone out drinking with a buddy,”

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MONTHLY MEETING Sarasota residents Ken and JD Chester own the Munchies 4:20 Café, as well as a stable of other businesses. JD said. “After I got home, I was hungry, but I couldn’t drive, so I started flipping through the phone book to see what I could find.” What he found at that late time of the night was restaurant after restaurant that had been closed for the evening for hours. JD didn’t have any money of his own to open up a restaurant, but he had some friends who owned Fandango’s, which at that time, was on Old Stickney Point Road. They allowed him to come into their kitchen after the restaurant was closed for the evening and run a late-night food delivery service from there. He called it Munchies 4:20 Café, because he actually prepared and delivered food until 4:20 a.m. Business was so good that JD soon began looking for a small storefront to use and he found it, right on the corner of Gulf Gate Drive and Superior Avenue—an area that is saturated with bars and restaurants of all types. At the time, Munchies had 22 seats. Since then, JD has also taken over the two spaces next to his original location and expanded to include seating for 178 people and a beautiful covered tiki bar area outside. Meanwhile, having sold the shopping center, Ken was again getting restless. He decided to set his sights on another Gulf Gate area business. “I bought a bar called the Boar’s Head Lounge,” he said. “I upgraded everything in it, and put a tiki bar inside it, which made it look very Key West-like. I named it Chester’s Reef.” Capitalizing on Munchies 4:20 Café’s success, JD began looking into additional business opportunities. He figured his late-night restaurant/bar concept would work well in a college setting, so he opened up two establishments in one of the best-known college towns in

Florida, Gainesville. Both Fat Daddy’s and the Rowdy Reptile are located in the Midtown area of town, adjacent to the University of Florida, and are consistently reviewed as two of the top bars in Gainesville. JD said that he frequently makes the two-and-a-half-hour trip from Sarasota to check on and work at his businesses. Sometimes that means that he closes the bar in Gainesville, then drives back to Sarasota to grab a couple of hours of sleep in a back room at Munchies, before opening the doors for the day. “I’m very hands-on with the bars in Gainesville,” he said. “It’s big business up there.” For the Chesters, it’s also big business here in Sarasota. Ken has added Cannon’s Steakhouse and Tavern, which features live music, as well as Cruise Car, a custom golf cart shop. JD introduced Pride of the South, a BBQ restaurant, and Sarasota Performance Auto Repair. Clearly, the two have a knack for running a successful business, but Ken has finally decided it’s time for him to phase himself out of the day-today operations. He is selling the golf cart business and has taken on a partner at Chester’s who has big renovation plans and a name change in store for a new night club. It will be called SRQ Live, and will feature live music five nights a week. JD, like his father for so many years, has no intention of slowing down. A classic car collector himself, he is in the process of obtaining his car dealer’s license and will be opening a dealership of his own in the new year. “I also plan to open up more bars in college towns,” he said. Never one to sit still for very long, Ken has big plans of his own. “I want to travel,” he said. “I have a girlfriend now, so I’m waiting for her to retire.”

Thursday, January 12 • 4:30 PM St. Boniface Church, Parish Hall 5615 Midnight Pass Road

The SKA Board will discuss the

Lido Beach Renourishment Project public is always welcome with questions for our guests.

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Twenty Two U.S. Veterans Commit Suicide Every Day - Silkies Hike: 22 with 22 for the 22 By Trebor Britt Recently, more than 100 active duty, reservist, and veteran soldiers hiked 22km (13.67 miles) carrying 22kg (48.5 lbs) across Siesta Key hoping to prevent the 22 U.S. Veteran suicides every day. They call themselves Irreverent Warriors because the Silkies Hike was built on the premise that camaraderie and humor will save lives. The connections and bonds made during hikes becomes the support network veterans often need to fight the war at home. The Silkies Hike is not about banding together to find the

cure, raising money for the cure, nor hiking for the cure. THE HIKE IS THE CURE.

Irreverent Warriors Mission “We use humor and camaraderie to bring veterans together and heal the mental wounds from combat with therapeutic events and entertainment in order to reduce PTSD and suicide.”

Your Go-To Store on the Island Morton’s Siesta Market is your one-stop shop for easy island living. We offer a large selection of staple groceries, beer and wine, as well as fresh produce, meats and seafood. In keeping with our Morton’s tradition, we also carry a delicious array of prepared foods, perfect for take-out, picnics, parties and more.

Please stop in and say hello! 205 Canal Road, Siesta Key • 941-349-1474 • MortonsMarket.com

Visit our new Siesta Village Liquors just next door!

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Flavors of India Sarasota - Authentic Indian Cuisine Flavors of India Sarasota is located in a strip mall about ¼ mile south of the Stickney Point Bridge. The outside of this restaurant appears unassuming, but when you enter it is anything but. The interior was remodeled when the new owners took over this location last year and it has an amazing ceiling imported from India. You may even think you’re in Indian heaven when you enter and smell the aromas that greet you. That’s because what they serve here is authentic Indian cuisine. The daily luncheons are modestly priced at $8.99 during the week and the selection are more than you’d normally find in an Indian buffet. On the weekends they offer a Maharaja Buffet for $11.99. Menu selections are also available for lunch. Buffet luncheons are served from 11:30 am – 3 pm. The dinner menu starts at 3 pm and lasts until 10 pm. In addition to the traditional Mango Lassi, Masala tea, and Madras coffee, beer and wine are also available for lunch and dinner. From the many positive reviews, it is evident service and kitchen staff are professionally trained and continuously work to provide a quality service experience. As one customer noted, “Fantastic! Greeted by smiles and enthusiasm in this lovely, cozy Indian restaurant.” As for the food, well, just take a glimpse of some of the many comments posted on Yelp and Trip Advisor. ***Reeeeally great flavors. I don’t eat buffets usually but my friend and I were in a pinch for time so I made a compromise.... I’ve now returned 4 times. This is unlike any buffet I have had Indian or otherwise. It goes on and on: chutneys, salsas, salads, a couple vegetarian and several meat curries, rice and Briyani dishes, breads and desserts, with plenty of fresh naan brought to the table - perfectly cooked and not

the chicken tikka masala is sooo good! Open on Sunday’s and has a very friendly staff. We will be returning again very soon. ***This is an excellent Indian restaurant and I’ve eaten at several throughout the US. Authentic and delicious and great service too! ***I highly recommend this restaurant! My family and I just moved here from Texas and we love Indian food so we decided to go there. We started with some samosas and as soon as we opened them steam came out; you can tell that they were just made and they tasted delicious! I split the butter chicken with my mom and that was plenty for the both of us (basmati rice included). The sauce was to die for and the chicken was extremely tender to the point where I didn’t need a knife to cut it. My dad got the chicken vindaloo and I’ve never seen him devour a meal so quickly! He even asked for a second helping of rice. Our waiter was amazing and the atmosphere was relaxing. We have definitely found our hidden gem in paradise!

greasy. Both times everything was very fresh and good quality, super flavorful! It’s only $10 too - ridiculously good - it’s a must try. ***Went for dinner on a Wednesday night and my group had a paneer dish, a lamb dish and a vegetarian dish along with Mango Lassi and paneer naan. All were excellent. The service was very good, our server was very friendly and helpful. The rice was particularly tasty, I’m always impressed when a restaurant manages to master something that is so simple. The lamb vindaloo was VERY spicy, which is exactly how I like it. Delicious food, reasonable prices and great service. Highly recommend this place if you’re in the area.

***I have dined here once and I have to say the food was outstanding. When I dine out I rarely eat Indian as I never feel that the food taste like home (I am Indian). But my experience at Flavors of India was different. The beef fry was so much like the one u get back home. I tried beef, shrimp, Chole Bature and also a goat curry. Every single dish was delicious! Great staff and friendly service!!!

***Just recently discovered via Yelp review. New owners. Food is authentic, fresh, beautifully prepared. They are from Kerala and menu offerings include many North and South

***The best buffet selection I’ve seen in a long time! The food was delicious. They have a great assortment of food from samosas to goat rogen josh! Everything is worth trying! And

Siesta Key Round-Up Now that the traffic engineering manager position, currently held by Robert Fakhri, is staffed, the backlog of items should be coming before the board in a more timely fashion.” The County Commission’s agenda packet for Nov. 22 included only one recent communication staff had received about the matter: In a Sept. 19 email, a couple living on Baywinds Lane wrote that they “thoroughly support the speed reduction ….” Prior to the June 2015 TAC hearing, the Nov. 22 memo explained, staff “investigated four streets for speed analysis” in Pine Shores Estates: Crestwood Avenue, Elmwood Avenue, North Elmwood Avenue and Brentwood Avenue, all of which the memo described as local roads. Two of the streets — Beechwood and Elmwood — already had the 25 mph posted limit, while the other two had a posted limit of 30 mph, the memo added. The average speed on Crestwood was 21 mph; on Elmwood, 22 mph; on North Elmwood, 20 mph; and on Brentwood, 10 mph, the analysis showed. Of the four, the memo noted, Crestwood and Brentwood were tied for the highest annual average daily traffic count: 387. North Elmwood had the lowest count: 181. The 85th percentile speed ranged from 30 mph on Elmwood to 15 mph on Brentwood, the memo added. “[T]he Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) recommends speed limits are set within 5 miles per hour of the 85th percentile speed,”

Indian favorites. Kerala style shrimp curry was outstanding. Lunch buffet is varied and generous! Wait staff informative, welcoming and kind-hearted!!

***7 of us eat dinner at Flavors of India and we all would rate the experience with 5 stars. Every entree was well prepared, with excellent sauces, generous sizes, and good service. It’s been hard to find a 5 star Indian restaurant. While only open 5 months, they have already set a high bar. This place is now a must on all our lists. “Our customers are our guests, and we treat our guests like god,” say co-owners Lijo Lukose and Sijil Mon Thomas, “ ‘Athithi Devo Bhava’ is our motto.” That pretty much sums up why they have such a loyal following. Flavors of India is located at 7119 S Tamiami Trail, Ste. E, Sarasota, FL 34231. (941) 921-9200. Hours of operation are: Mon, Wed, and Thurs - 11:30 am - 9:30 pm. Fri, Sat, Sun - 11:30 am - 10:00 pm. They are closed on Tuesdays. (Advertorial)

Continued from page 5

the memo pointed out. Upon conclusion of the analysis, staff had recommended that the TAC approve the uniform speed limit for the entire neighborhood. And if anyone who is not a Pine Shores Estates resident thinks the subdivision name sounds familiar, that is because its residents have been very vocal in their opposition to facets of the proposed mixeduse Siesta Promenade project. That development is planned at the northwest corner of the intersection of Stickney Point Road and U.S. 41; it would border the neighborhood. One big concern for people living in Pine Shores is the potential for one of their streets to become an access for Siesta Promenade.

Tobacco and the beach During the December meeting of the Siesta Key Association (SKA), it was only fitting that an issue near and dear to the heart of special guest Stephen Leatherman — aka Dr. Beach —also was on the agenda that evening. Kelli Pond, who works with the Tobacco Free Partnership of Sarasota County, addressed the audience briefly regarding that group’s efforts to reduce tobaccorelated diseases and deaths in the community. The organization’s recent initiatives, she explained, have been focused on cutting down on the amount of tobacco litter, especially on Siesta Key Beach. The target is a 50% decrease in that type of trash, she noted. The partnership has been working with Sarasota County’s Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources

Department and the county’s Keep Sarasota County Beautiful program, she said, as well as other groups in the county. SKA Environmental Committee member Bob Luckner pointed out that Siesta Key Beach used to be designated as a no-smoking site. “What happened?” “Pre-emption happened,” she replied. A Dec. 10, 2012 ruling by Judge Maryann Boehm of the 12th Judicial Circuit Court in Sarasota found that “prohibiting the use of tobacco products in non-designated areas of city parks … is unenforceable and in conflict with the state statute known as the ‘Clean Indoor Air Act.’” The purpose of that law, which was passed in 1985 but did not go into effect until 2003, according to the Florida Department of Health, “is to protect people from the health hazards of secondhand tobacco smoke ….” A July 21, 2011 opinion issued by the Florida Attorney General’s Office in a case involving the St. Johns River Water Management District is one example of the opinions Boehm referenced. It says, “In sum: The Regulation of smoking is preempted to the state pursuant to [the Clean Indoor Air Act], and the … District may not adopt a policy prohibiting smoking or tobacco use that is broader than the terms of [that statute].” “What about ‘home rule’?” Siesta resident Mike Cosentino asked Pond during the SKA meeting, referring to the fact that Sarasota County has its own charter. She replied that state law prevails over local ordinances. “Wow,” Cosentino said.

When a woman in the audience asked about citing people for littering the beach with cigarette butts, Pond told her, “That might be a strategy that we can consider,” adding that the partnership members are in the “very early” stages of work on potential action. During an Aug. 23 update to the County Commission regarding issues the board wishes to pursue in the 2017 session of the Legislature, Rob Lewis, the county’s director of community and intergovernmental relations, discussed the issue of smoking on beaches: “We are beginning to test the legislative leadership again.” It is a priority for both the County Commission and the Florida Association of Counties, he said, to make it possible for home rule to prevail regarding efforts to prevent tobacco use on beaches.

Can Siesta be number one again, butt

After Leatherman concluded his formal remarks related to the Lido Renourishment Project, SKA Second Vice President Catherine Luckner asked him on Dec. 1 to talk about his criteria for his Top 10 beaches list. “After 25 years, I’ve decided to start over again, using the same 50 criteria” for the list, Leatherman explained. However, he has added extra credit, he continued, for three initiatives: prohibition of smoking on a beach, a good safety record and an emphasis on non-motorized access — support for more use of bicycles and other ways to reach a beach “without having more blacktop.”

He told the audience, “To me, one of the most disgusting things to do” is to sit down on a beach and put his hands down into the sand, only to touch a cigarette butt. Worse, he said, is watching a small child whose parents’ attention has been diverted pick up butts and eat them, as children “eat everything.” On Miami Beach, he continued, he has at times counted 10 butts per meter. Many foreigners come to that beach, he pointed out, and they “think [of it] as an ashtray, frankly. … These filters last for a long time … and they’re very hard to pick up [during routine cleaning efforts]. … So I’m very much into giving credit to no-smoking beaches …” Leatherman added that in regard to the third criterion for extra credit for Siesta Public Beach: “You need to work on that. This is a small community, a very beautiful place. The more you can do towards [nonmotorized access], the better your ratings will go.” Leatherman ranked Siesta No. 2 on his 2016 list. It was his No. 1 beach in 2011, as noted in signs still standing along roadways leading to the Key. At the outset of his remarks during the meeting, Leatherman made his affection for Siesta Beach clear. “It’s part of the community,” he said. “Without that beach, I don’t know what the community would be like. It certainly wouldn’t be what it is today.” For more information about the Tobacco Prevention Program of the Florida Department of Health in Sarasota County, call 861-2969.

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Alpine Steakhouse recently voted Best Steakhouse 2016 by Sarasota Magazine This year Alpine Steakhouse recently received the prestigious award from Sarasota Magazine naming them the Best Steakhouse 2016. Alpine Steakhouse has been in business over 40 years, a “one-stop shop with an old fashioned Meat Market (with experienced butchers) and a 70 seat Steakhouse all under one roof.” It is located at 4520 S. Tamiami Trail in Sarasota---one block north of Proctor Road at traffic light of Field Road and US 41. Mark and son Matt Rebhan, owners, want to invite everyone to come and enjoy a great meal in this unique restaurant. Here is what they are saying online. “Fantastic steaks and service” This is just what it says on the sign; it is a no frills steak house that served some of the finest steak we as a family have ever eaten. We did not go there on price but the fact that they understood the meat and how to cook it which was high end meat cooked to perfection on a char grill and served simply. Anyone can cook a fancy steak in a sauce and get away with it but to cook a steak and serve it without a sauce and release all the natural flavor by cooking is genius. I have eaten at many high end establishments but my favorite dish is always a steak and all too often it is a disappointment when it comes. I would encourage any visitors to Sarasota to put any preconceptions behind them remember that you can’t judge a book by its cover and go to The Alpine Steakhouse and enjoy steak as it should be, the staff were fantastic the prices amazing and we all came away smitten. Thank you guys for putting our faith back in American cooking as in the last 10 days most has been disappointing. “What an amazing place! It is not fancy or pretentious! ” Just excellent food and great service. We had the NY strips and the filet mignon...all cooked perfectly and melted in your

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Siesta Key Round-Up Condo Council January meeting

The Siesta Key Condo Council will hold a meeting on January 17 at 3:30 PM at the SK Chapel on Gleason Ave on Siesta Key. The main speaker will be Sarasota County Commissioner Alan Maio. Maio will discuss the State of the County, update on the Big Pass dredging project with a followup question and answer session. Other topics to be discussed are the Christmas Decoration Contest and the SK Sheriff’s report.

January SKA meeting date change

Matt Rebhan owner working the Meat counter. Customers can choose a steak from the meat counter for their dinner in the restaurant.

mouth. The twice baked potatoes are amazing as is the homemade clam chowder. We were full but we HAD to try dessert...we had the truffles mint chocolate chip and spumoni with fresh whipped cream. Even the coffee was good... what took us so long? Also want to order from the meat market... wow. One of my new favorite places. From Yelp I have to admit I have lived in Sarasota for over 20 years, and never had eaten at Alpine. Friends suggested it, so we joined them.......for one of the best steaks we have ever had. That was last week, I have sent two others there, and the reviews are the same. Now we are going back tonight, and looking forward to another fine meal. Service awesome as well. Fancy, NO, updated, NO, but we will be coming back. The Rebhans want everyone to know that they offer a complete catering service for business, holiday and events. Hours; MonThu 9am-9pm Fri & Sat 9am9:30pm Sun Closed (941) 922-379. www.alpinesteakhouse.net (Advertorial)

Special note to all members of SKA, the January meeting will be held on Thursday January 12. The normal date is the first Thursday of the month. Bob Stein, 1st Vice President/acting President, made the date change at the Dec 1 meeting. Stein stated, the change was being made to monitor the events of the Lido Beach Renourishment/ Big Pass Dredging Project. The announcement from the state came on December 22, an intent to issue a dredging permit. The January 12 date allows the SKA board to monitor all developments prior to the open meeting. The meeting will be at St. Boniface Church on Siesta Key at 4:30 p.m.

Construction Project The Florida Department of Transportation is enhancing drainage at State Road 758 and San Remo Terrace intersection. Improvements include constructing new stormwater drainage inlets, new drainage pipes underneath Siesta Drive, drainage swale paving, sidewalk enhancements and realign sidewalk. Construction will start January 9 and end in the spring of 2017, weather permitting. Construction crews will be working during the day and at night. Drivers can expect lane closures during the

Continued from page 13

day, please be alert for construction crews. The cost of the project is estimated at $200,000. The contractor is Ajax Paving Industries of Florida, LLC For more information about the improvements, contact: Brian Bollas, Public Information Officer 1-844-359-0844 brian.bollas@dot. state.fl.us

Trying to get the word out As people trickled in for the Dec. 7 neighborhood workshop on a proposal that could lead to a new hotel on the Key, talk turned to how the meeting had been advertised. Robert “Bo” Medred of Genesis Planning & Development in Sarasota said that Allen Parsons, the county’s Planning Division manager, had told him all that was necessary to comply with county guidelines was a legal notice. The ad ran in the Nov. 22 in the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. With a rezoning petition, for example, an applicant is required to send notices to all the property owners within a certain radius of the proposed project — up to 750 feet in some situations, county planning documents have shown. Lourdes Ramirez, a Siesta resident who served as the Siesta Key Association (SKA) president for a number of years, told Medred and Charles Bailey III, a land-use attorney also representing the applicant, that she had posted the notice on her Facebook page. SNL did the same, resulting in more than 2,000 views of the item, thanks to readers sharing it. Still, by our count, only 10 members of the public were present that evening at St. Boniface Episcopal Church. They were joined by two reporters and a total of three representatives of the applicant, which is a corporation owned by Dr. Gary Kompothecras, known for his “1-800-Ask-Gary” advertisements.

A petition drive Speaking of the potential hotel project: Lourdes Ramirez has begun a petition drive in an effort to prevent the adoption of a county Comprehensive Plan amendment that would make transient accommodations possible in districts zoned Commercial

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General on the Key. The website is http://www. ipetitions.com/petition/no-tomassive-mega-hotel-on-siesta-key. In a letter on the site, Ramirez writes, “Say NO to massive mega hotels! Siesta Key has thousands of rooms for rent. Condos, apartments, boutique hotels — all offer nightly rentals. We like the low key (no pun intended) environment of our barrier islands especially within our Village. But a proposed new change to our local comprehensive growth plan will hurt Siesta Key’s charm, increase traffic and create massive buildings in our Village.” She adds, “We don’t mind hotels being built but say NO to any exemptions to our current density and intensity limits for hotels. We urge Sarasota County to stop the nonsense. Don’t turn us into Miami or Ft. Lauderdale! Keep our current regulations intact!” As of Dec. 15, Ramirez had 483 signatures of the 1,000 she was seeking.

Wendell Jacobsen

SKVA’s last meeting On the evening of Dec. 7, longtime members of the Siesta Key Village Association (SKVA) marked their final meeting during an informal party at the Daiquiri Deck Raw Bar. The directors presented President Wendall Jacobsen a plaque and thanked everyone for all their efforts on behalf of the SKVA. Members also spent a bit of time recounting the organization’s accomplishments through the years. Arguably, the greatest achievement of the SKVA was Continued on the next page

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the beautification of Siesta Village, which was completed officially in early 2009. Past SKVA President Mark Smith of Smith Architects probably never will receive sufficient recognition for all the time and effort he put into persuading county leaders that the undertaking was a necessity. During a brief interview, Smith said simply, “We have accomplished a lot over the years.” With the SKVA being absorbed by the Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce at the end of this year, Smith added that initiatives launched by the SKVA will be spread around the island. Jacobsen vowed to be involved in that process. He smiled when this reporter suggested he probably would not miss the early-morning monthly sessions of the SKVA, but he was adamant about continuing to work on projects that draw people to the island. Among the attendees at the party was Anne Johnson, who served as editor of the Pelican Press for 25 years. She also was an SKVA board member for many, many years before stepping down from that position a couple of years ago. Johnson is one of those people who always volunteered to help with events the organization sponsored, such as the Light Up the Village holiday season kickoff and the Easter Egg Hunt. Another person at the party who was very active in the organization for a number of years was Troy Syprett, a co-owner of the Daiquiri Deck Raw Bar restaurants. Syprett handled governmental affairs issues for the SKVA. Often through the years, SKVA board members worked to recruit newcomers who might prove as dedicated as they were in planning and carrying out the numerous events the organization sponsored. The fact that so many of the same people continued to handle the behind-the-scenes responsibilities was one reason the SKVA leadership finally decided to let the Siesta Chamber take over the organization. The party was a good way to salute all those who have contributed so much to Siesta Village. Along with Jacobsen, general manager of Beach Bazaar, and Smith, those who served as the

last group of officers and directors were Roz Hyman, the longtime treasurer; Helene Hyland of Coldwell Banker, who was the secretary for many years; Russell Matthes, co-owner of the Daiquiri Deck restaurants; Kay Kouvatsos, co-owner of Village Café; Bob Stein of Island Visitor Publishing/Siesta Sand newspaper; Glen Cappetta, owner of Sun Ride Pedicab; and Stephanie Brown, general manager of the Siesta Key Oyster Bar.

New businesses on the Key There will be four new businesses opening up in the Village. The Donut Experiment began life in 2012 as Anna Maria Donuts in Anna Maria, FL. The original mad scientists are the husbandand-wife team of Shawn and Cecilia Wampole. Hailing from the Philadelphia area of Pennsylvania, the couple was surprised to find that there was not a donut shop on Anna Maria Island when they vacationed there. What originally started out as a joke about opening a donut shop, eventually led to, after some number crunching and careful planning, the couple quitting their jobs, selling their house and moving to Florida. Shawn and Cecilia always liked boutique-style donut shops and wanted their shop to be more of an experience. So they decided to create a shop where the donuts were made right in front of the customers, and the customers were able to decide what they wanted on their donuts. Much to the couple’s surprise and pleasure, both the residents and visitors of Anna Maria Island embraced their concept and helped them to become one of the most popular restaurants on AMI. The Siesta Key location will be at 217 Avenida Madera next to Solorzano’s Pizzaria. The owner of the SK location is Ron Spielman. The restaurant is expected to open in early January. Sandal Factory is expected to open mid-January in the former 7 Eleven Store next to SKOB on Ocean Blvd. The new store will be 3000 square ft. carrying comfort sandals, swimwear, surf lines, and beach accessories. According to their website the original store opened

in 1996 in the Florida Keys. With the opening of the Village location the Sandal Factory will operate nine stores throughout FL. Marley Vibes Positive Vibrations is located in the former Sweet Shop at 5055 Ocean Blvd. According to their website Marley Vibes is your one-stop shop dedicated to providing huge selections of unique clothing and gifts. A Rastareggae-hippy-tiedye and beach theme, sharing a message of unity, peace, equality, positivity and one love! “We don’t only sell 100% quality items but ensure that our designs bring positivity to others. Just like the songs of a well-known reggae musician who hailed from Jamaica, Bob Marley.“ “To remember and promote the wise and profound works of the late Bob Marley, we carry full line of Bob Marley clothing, bags and accessories at a very reasonable price. Our products help to educate the youth, inspire and encourage them to know themselves and love themselves and connect to the healing heart beat rhythm and vibration of reggae music. All these were made exclusively only to our valued customers.” The store is expected to be open in the early January. The sign on the window says Made in Rome Organic Gelato. The new parlor will be located in the former Panini Place restaurant at 5204 Ocean located next to Sunny Bunny. Siesta Sand reached out to management while the store was being remodeled but were unable to connect with them.

Siesta Key Chamber news The 2017 Siesta Key Chamber Visitors & Local Resource Guide arrived Dec 16. The general public can pick up a copy at the chamber office located in the Davidson Plaza on Ocean Blvd in the Village. Also, the new window clings and stickers for 2017 Membership with the Chamber Logo are in as well. The chamber welcomes new member Cerulean SRQ – Property Management and Concierge Service Located on Siesta Key– Denny Fraser – Owner.

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Angelo’s has expanded

Angelo DiFiore serves love. Okay he also serves a mean tableside offering of a variety of Italian specialties but really does it with a big heart. Since his April opening Angelo has made everyone an extended family with attention to detail in everything from presentation to trimming the roses given to each of the ladies who dine here for dinner. Guests come for the tableside service from Angelo himself or manager Jessica Masen and Andre Pisano. Angelo’s signature dish is the pasta in the Pasta Wheel where tableside service of a variety of pastas are mixed with the enormous Parmesan wheel of cheese which adds to the flavor and show. An exciting new concept at Angelo’s is the expansion of the dining room to the next door property to include Angelo’s Wine Club. For a $100 membership fee guests can have preferential reservations in the new room to enjoy a prix fixe 4 to 5 course menu served nightly, live music and enjoy great discounts on wine purchases through the club. It’s a great addition to the ristorante and a new room to enjoy private parties and special events as well. Angelo’s has it all going for him and for those of you who have dined there you know what we mean when we say it is special. Come, feel the love, fun and enjoy an evening of fabulous dining Italian-style.

6115 S. Tamiami Trail, 941-312-4747, www. angelosrestaurantsarasota.com Open from 4 to 9:30 Mon-Thurs and Fri & Sat until 10 PM. (Advertorial)

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‘Dr. Beach’ advocates for an intensive environmental study prior to any dredging of Big Pass By Rachel Brown Hackney www.SarasotaNewsLeader.com The environmental scientist from Miami known worldwide as “Dr. Beach” told about 110 people at the Dec. 1 Siesta Key Association (SKA) meeting that South Lido Key residents “definitely need sand … but you can’t sacrifice what you’ve got for another area.” Dr. Stephen Leatherman, a professor and director of the Laboratory for Coastal Research at Florida International University — known for his Top 10 U.S. beaches lists — was addressing the proposal for the dredging of 1.2 million cubic yards of sand from Big Sarasota Pass to renourish about 1.6 miles of South Lido. “I think you ought to have an Environmental Impact Statement [EIS] done,” Leatherman said, earning a round of applause. “I think we need to really study this very carefully and leave no stone unturned. If it takes more time [to undertake the EIS], so be it.” Leatherman’s comments came just two days after the Sarasota County Commission received a letter from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), turning down the board’s Aug. 23 request to pursue an EIS on the Lido project. In July, the SKA formally asked the County Commission to seek the EIS. “I think we have to do no harm,” Leatherman said in an allusion to the Hippocratic Oath that physicians take. “We can’t rob Peter to pay Paul,” he added of removing sand from Big Pass to renourish Lido. He did acknowledge the Lido shoreline erosion, nonetheless. “Once the [USACE] gets rolling on a project,” Leatherman pointed out, “it could go on for 50 years.” Although the permit the City of Sarasota and the USACE have applied for from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) would be for 15 years, Brandon Burch, manager of the Lido project for the USACE, reiterated in Sarasota what his predecessor, Milan Mora, told community residents in September 2013: The Lido Renourishment Project has been planned for a

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Dr. Stephen Leatherman

once that he was not appearing at the SKA meeting because he had been hired as a consultant on the Lido project. “I’m not actually working on this for anyone.”

‘Models aren’t perfect’

50-year period. Burch was one of the speakers who welcomed the public to an FDEP open house on the project on Nov. 30. “As these Corps projects go,” Leatherman continued at the SKA meeting, “you can’t change them around, really. … They are set in stone.” He added, “I’d be very worried about dredging large, deeper channels, unless you want to go the whole way, like New Jersey, and put jetties in and play that game. … Once you go down that path, you’re going to have a whole different system here.” The most recent material the USACE submitted to FDEP, in late August — in response to questions from state staff — says the two primary borrow areas targeted for the initial renourishment project are B and C. B “is a southern extension of the existing [Big Pass] channel offshore of Siesta Key,” while C is “within the ephemeral channel” of the pass. “I guess you could take a little bit of sand and see what happens,” Leatherman said — perhaps just a few hundred thousand cubic yards from the pass’ ebb shoal. “Then if nothing bad happens over a period of years,” he continued, the USACE could take a little bit more for Lido. When former SKA Director Bob Waechter asked Leatherman whether he considered 1.2 million cubic yards of sand a small amount of sand, Leatherman replied that he did not. Leatherman did stress more than

SKA First Vice President Bob Stein asked Leatherman to explain what an EIS is, for those in the audience who might not be familiar with such a study. With an EIS, Beach replied, “you have to consider all the situations, not just the [dredging of the] sand itself.” The research would include a focus on ecological factors, such as fauna, flora and fishes, he added. “It’s a complete analysis done in an area.” In response to an audience member’s question about whether he would feel comfortable seeing the Lido project go forward if an EIS showed that it would have no negative impacts, Leatherman said, “Every place is a little bit different. … Models aren’t perfect.” Even if the EIS indicated no problems would be expected, he continued, he still would consider the first dredging of sand as an experiment. “Coastal engineering … sometimes is more art than a science,” he added. Beaches seem simple, he noted, but they are not. Leatherman told the audience that when he was a professor years ago at the University of Maryland, he offered a class on beaches and wave energy. About 250 students signed up for it the first year, he continued. “It was full of football players,” who thought a course about beaches would have to be easy, Leatherman said. “After the first midterm, they were all gone.” The science of currents and wave action, he noted, is “not like the physics of gravitation.” With wave energy, he stressed, all one can do is deal with approximations. “We don’t know exactly how that all works.” Referring to the math involved in the modeling, he added, “These equations aren’t perfect, and so we make assumptions.” Continued on page 27

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Army Corps of Engineers tells County Commission an Environmental Impact Statement not warranted for Lido Renourishment Project By Rachel Brown Hackney www.SarasotaNewsLeader.com The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has informed the Sarasota County Commission that it do e s n o t b e l i e v e a n Environmental Impact Statement is warranted on its joint project with the City of Sarasota to dredge Big Sarasota Pass to renourish South Lido Key. In a letter to Commission Chair Alan Maio, dated Nov. 29, Gina Paduano Ralph, chief of the USACE’s Environmental Branch at the Jacksonville District Office, wrote, “A previous [National Environmental Policy Act] analysis addressed the effects on the beach placement area through the use of an EA [Environmental Assessment]. The Corps’ analysis to date, and their administrative record, indicate that the use of the [Big Sarasota Pass] ebb shoal [as a sand source] would not have a significant impact on the quality of the human environment; therefore, the project can be evaluated in an EA.” She added, “There has been significant public comment concerning the modeling results [used in preparation of the proposal], and general opposition to the construction of the project.” Members of the public are concerned about the potential for the natural downdrift flow of sand to Siesta Key to be disrupted, leading to negative impacts on the beach, she acknowledged. “However, Federal and state agencies with jurisdiction over, and expertise concerning, resources in the project area have reviewed the modeling results, including several peer reviews of them,” she wrote, “and they have not expressed significant concerns about these modeling results or the project in general.” Ralph also pointed out, “Vigorous opposition to the Federal action does not amount to the existence of a substantial dispute or scientific controversy about the effects of the action. The Corps and resource agencies remain confident in their scientific analysis of impacts.” However, in discussing a peer review of the project undertaken by Atkins at the behest of the

County Commission, Charles Mopps, senior project manager for Atkins, told the board on March 23 that newer technology is available to undertake much more precise modeling than the USACE and its consultants had used. Although employing the Delft3D model developed by the Dutch would be beyond standard practice, Mopps said, such an initiative would be preferable because of “how [truthfully] that model could potentially predict [results].” Ralph does conclude in her letter that, if upon preparation of the EA — which is required as part of the state permitting process for the project — the USACE determines that the dredging of the pass “would have a significant impact on the quality of the human environment,” it will proceed to prepare an EIS. Before the County Commission held its last meeting of 2016 — on Dec. 14 — both the Siesta Key Association (SKA) and the Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce wrote to the board members, urging them to continue to press for an EIS. However, no commissioner brought up the matter that week. Earlier, SKA Second Vice President Catherine Luckner had called the USACE’s Nov. 29 letter “harsh.” On Aug. 23, the County Commission voted unanimously to request that the USACE undertake the EIS because of the board members’ concerns about the potential negative impacts on Big Pass as well as Siesta Key. The SKA had sent a letter to the board on July 14, requesting the board take such action. Other nonprofit organizations on Siesta Key — including Save Our Siesta Sand 2 (SOSS2) — earlier had sought an EIS. During the County Commission’s Aug. 23 meeting, Maio told his colleagues and the public, “The biggest concern to me was there was never a ‘Plan B’ for a smaller taking of sand” from Big Pass. Commissioner Christine Robinson added that she could not “turn a blind eye to the … possible ramifications” that the dredging

SKA legal action Continued from cover story It has been our goal that no harm come to Siesta Key or Lido Key, that any project is designed to protect and ensure natural resources remain for the all who live here. SKA proposed environmentally sound alternatives for Lido Key which minimized risk to all our coastal homes. Our work is well documented within the FDEP Dredge Permit files. Today, 12/23/2016, we received the FDEP Notice of Intent (NOI) to issue a Dredge Permit. This potential Permit is the first of several required prior to an application by ACOE to Congress for any funding of the project. The Sarasota County Commissioners (BCC) requested City of Sarasota and ACOE develop an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), asking FDEP to delay permit approval until completed. SKA requested this action after the BCC received the summary report from Atkins Engineering which questioned ACOE Project design. The ACOE response to the BCC occurred 3 months later with perplexing comments. They denied the BCC request for an EIS. They stated Big Pass was a “man made inlet” and “no significant conflicts or controversy” exist regarding the project. These statements are dismissive of citizen input along with historic and naturally unique coastal environment. SKA is working with our legal team of Hopping, Green & Sams, PA, Tallahassee, FL to ensure our coastal community is protected. Our goal is to have an EIS completed. Sarasota Big Pass has never been dredged. It is not manmade. There are navigational maps dating back to the 1800’s showing the Pass. While ‘man’ does impact our coastal region, our coastal inlet remains, naturally. SKA needs your help now. We need your Membership to help fund our legal action and your donations will make a difference. Please become our Member. To join online, www. SiestaKeyAssociation.com • 941-364-4880 for assistance or questions. With 68 years of Service for Siesta Key - Thank You.

h e g d a b

of the pass could leave Siesta Key is as bad a situation as South Lido.

Continuing worries In the last group of documents it submitted to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP), the USACE said it planned to remove 1.2 million cubic yards of sand from the pass for the initial renourishment of South Lido’s critically eroded beach. However, the document also explained that the USACE expected to lose a certain percentage of that sand through the dredging process, leaving about 950,000 cubic yards to be placed on South Lido. The SKA and SOSS2 also have called attention to the potential for the dredging to destroy wildlife and aquatic life in the pass. Additionally, on Aug. 19, Ann Harvey Holbrook, staff attorney for Save the Manatee Club, wrote FDEP, pointing out that the Florida Administrative Code says, “No project may be permitted which would impair the growth and reproduction of resident species, including species and communities based on seagrass ecosystems.” “Benthic” refers to the lowest level of a body of water, including the sediment surface and some subsurface layers. Organisms living in that zone — including crustaceans — are called the “benthos”; they

are an important part of the food chain, research shows. The $19-million project calls for periodic renourishments of South Lido over a 50-year period; the FDEP permit would be for 15 years. City of Sarasota Engineer Alexandrea DavisShaw has explained that the pass would be monitored intensively after the initial dredging, in an effort to prevent adverse effects. Further, she has said, more sand would not be removed from the pass if the borrow areas had not replenished themselves naturally after a dredging. FDEP staff announced in late September that it would issue a notice by Dec. 27 about its intent to issue or deny the permit the city and the USACE need to pursue the project. No federal funding has been authorized for the undertaking, but Susan J. Jackson, a USACE spokeswoman in the Jacksonville District Office, has told the News Leader that the agency would be more likely to receive the funding after it had a permit in hand. In the meantime, Lido Key residents voiced more alarm during the summer after first Tropical Storm Colin and thenTropical Storm Matthew wreaked further damage on the Lido shoreline

The USACE response In her Nov. 29 response to the County Commission, Ralph provided an updated description of the proposed project, noting that it includes creating an 80foot beach berm with the new sand, along with “an additional advanced nourishment section averaging 96-feet wide, for a total of 176 feet, over 1.56 miles of shoreline with a groin field at the southern limits of the project.” The original proposal called for three groins, but when the USACE submitted its permit application to FDEP in March 2015, it had eliminated one of the structures. Ralph added that the plan is to renourish the beach “at 5-year intervals for 50 years of Federal participation.” However, DavisShaw told the County Commission during a March public hearing that she expected the intervals to be as long as seven to 10 years. In explaining the need for the project, Ralph pointed out that the county’s coastline consists of barrier islands “separated from the mainland by shallow tidal lagoons. Problems in this area “consist of beach erosion and shoreline recession resulting in property damage to coastal development on Lido Key.”

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Sheriff’s Report The manager of a south Siesta bar and restaurant reported there was a customer acting inappropriately with customers and staff members. The staff attempted to ignore the suspect and the man began to leave the establishment while carrying a beer. The manager and another staff member informed the suspect he was not allowed to carry an open container outside. The suspect ignored the advice. The manager eventually took the beer from the suspect, who became angry and punched him in the face with a closed fist. The manager and staff detained the suspect until the Sheriff’s Office arrived. The manager wished to press charges but did not want the suspect to go to jail. He wanted him to never return to the restaurant. A trespassing form was completed and the man was arrested with simple battery for intentionally striking the manager in the face.

11/25/16 Grand Theft 5200 Block Ocean Blvd. A woman reported a theft had occurred a couple of day’s prior. On 11/23, she went to a Village restaurant. She walked up to the bar to order a drink and placed her cell phone on the counter. When she turned around a few minutes later, the phone was gone. The victim never saw anyone standing next to her and there were no witnesses. She tried to “ping” her phone to find it, but was unsuccessful since the phone was turned off. The iPhone 6 was

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Two patrons were thrown out of a Village bar during the “Turkey Trot.” According to the bouncers, both subjects were involved in a physical altercation inside the business, resulting in their removal. According to the victim, he was involved in a fight with an unknown male, which resulted in a laceration to his nose. He did not wish to pursue charges and signed a waiver of prosecution. According to the suspect, he admitted to punching the victim in the face but could not give a reason why.

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valued at $500. The phone case also contained her driver’s license. 11/28/16 Theft 5100 Block Ocean Blvd. A woman visiting a village bar placed her purse under a motorcycle helmet which was located on the bar ledge, while she sat close to it. She began to interact with two females unknown to her. She stated that the females attempted to get her to dance all night in what she later believed to be an effort to distract and distance her from her purse. During the duration of her stay at the bar, she did not observe anything suspicious. When she went to leave, she realized her purse was gone. Video footage was obtained showing the suspect women moving the helmet to expose the purse. One of the women is later seen entering the main bar through the rear door, leaning against the bar, finally obtaining the purse and exiting through the rear door. A receipt was obtained, which, based on video footage and employee observations belonged to a friend of the suspect female. 12/1/16 Petit Theft 900 Block Beach Rd A man reported an unknown suspect stole his wallet and its contents. He had left it unsecured and unattended under his beach towel at the Public Beach. His wallet contained a visa-prepaid card with a $40 balance and a Florida ID.

12/1/16 Burglary Vehicle 100 Block Beach Rd An unknown subject entered a man’s vehicle and removed several items. They included; a radio ($150), drill ($40), and cash ($70). The man advised he was at the incident location to conduct maintenance and usually takes the items with him but knew he would be done quickly so he left them in the vehicle. No forced entry was detected, as the truck was unlocked with the windows down and the keys in the ignition. 12/3/16 Petit Theft 300 Block Canal Rd. A woman reported that her light green ladies Schwinn bicycle with a basket on the front, valued at $200, had been stolen from in front of her home. An unknown suspect stole the bike, which was leaning on a tree in the front yard. 12/4/16 Burglary- Residential 400 Block Beach Rd. A woman reported that sometime between 8/1/1610/15/16, someone entered her downstairs apartment. The apartment was locked and inspected after it was last rented and all its property was present. Entry was made by prying open a side door lock. The stolen items were taken from the interior. The items taken included; a paddleboard ($1000), paddleboard bag ($200), futon couch ($1000), coffee table ($200), chair ($500), area rug ($500) and a beach chair ($135). There are no suspects.

Eating Healthy in 2017, Made Easy The New Year is always a great opportunity to create a fresh start. Many people hold true to their promises throughout the year. Some of us however, slide off the path after a couple months (if not weeks or even days). Exercise and weight loss are two of the most common new years’ goals. Come January 1st, going to the gym and eating healthier are top priority on many people’s agenda. Usually by the end of January, they have already given up in total frustration. Get Real! Perhaps one of the biggest reasons many people fail to accomplish their resolutions is because they have unrealistic expectations. It’s quite easy to feel overwhelmed on your journey if your destination is daunting, don’t you think? Create Small, Realistic Goals A great place to start is with creating a goal that you can break down into smaller baby steps. Let’s look at healthier eating as an example. Say you want to start preparing your own meals made from nutrient-dense foods. If you have never experimented with foods this way before, do you expect to be the next worldrenowned healthy cuisine chef? The same concept can apply if you plan on incorporating more veggies, fruits, nuts, seeds, and fresh squeezed juices in your diet. If you don’t own a juicer and have never made your own meals from scratch, this could prove to be a messy nightmare in the kitchen.

We’re Here to Help You Eat Healthier in 2017 Fortunately, we have you covered! All items offered at Nutritious You are organic, gluten free, raw, vegan, and free of preservatives, and artificial colors and flavors. Everything on our menu is made from scratch and prepared fresh. So, if your new year’s resolution is to eat healthier in 2017, we can help make that happen. Stop in and let us take care of that first step toward reaching your ultimate goal. May every small step on your journey lead you to your ultimate goal. Happy New Year from Nutritious You! Nutritious You - 941-203-5203 Handcrafted With Love Visit us at: 6583 Midnight Pass Road www.NutritiousYou.com info@NutritiousYou.com (Advertorial)

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Cha Cha Cha Changes! |Changes in skincare products and skin routines My facials can help you bring your skin to its maximum potential. You will not only leave with a brighter, healthier complexion but I’ll provide you with tools and products to maintain your glowing appearance at home. It’s a good way to get over that first hurdle of change. Included in any of my facials is the Pevonia Botanica product line that I use exclusively. Two products Pevonia carries are Youth Renew Tinted cream SPF 30 which evens out and protects your face from the sun’s harmful rays; blending uneven skin tones to an even, beautiful base utilizing antiaging enzymes and brighteners and LipRenew Plump and Deage Volumizer which instantly plumps, moisturizes and nourishes lips. I highly recommend both products. Another product I use to bring out your inner glow, is what I consider the best in anti-aging facials. It’s a Non-Surgical Facelift Facial. It is a machine based treatment that’s painless and actually induces relaxation during the treatment. It leaves you looking vibrant, youthful and dewy-complexioned. This very luxurious, pampering, results-driven facial actually lifts, tones and tightens the muscles of the face. The collagen is stimulated and the results are immediately visible. Results are seen after one treatment but the greatest effects are seen after just one session. If you’ve received facial injections, this treatment will help maintain your lift in-between. This non-surgical facelift machine works using a radio frequency discovered by Dr. Ray Baker, who owns the company that manufactures the machine. He originally invented the machine to help people with Bells Palsy maintain balance in their facial muscles. Years later he realized how many others would love the anti-aging benefits. Pampering my clients with extraordinary facials is one way I offer them the opportunity for more consistency in maintaining healthy, vibrant skin year-round. Younger looking skin and healthy all-year-long skin care routines can be that easy first step to start off the

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Welcome To 2017! Happy New Year to everyone reading this and thank you for helping make 2016 a great year for Massage Experience, Siesta Key. Here we are again, with a New Year just beginning, and you’ve probably made that same New Year’s resolution again: New Year - New You, right? Maybe that’s just becoming a worn-out cliché for us. Sure, it makes us feel good while we’re saying it; then, somehow, shortly after that phrase is uttered it manages to vanish from our psyche. Most of us strive to better ourselves in one way or another, and we truly have the best of intentions. Unfortunately, we tend to hang on to old habits simply because that is our internal programming. Our brains are seemingly hardwired or on autopilot and unless we experience enough pain or just get fed up enough, we tend to stay stuck in the same old routine. Why not let this be the year you finally take action toward becoming your new self? Small changes are easier to tackle and will give you a much needed boost when success is achieved propelling you to take that next step. Since our skin is constantly changing already, this may be a great starting point. Many things affect the skin’s need to protect itself such as the weather, different stresses and modifications in diet or our body’s internal environment i.e. (emotions; illness or health). It’s important to recognize early signs of stress on the skin so you can proactively maintain a healthy complexion. An adjustment in the type of product you use on a regular basis is one way to adapt to climate fluctuations and its effects on your skin’s appearance. For example; you’d typically use a heavier moisturizer in the winter when the temperature is colder and the need for more moisture is essential. In addition, you may also need to exfoliate a bit more in the winter as we tend to be indoors more, being exposed to the drying effects of the indoor heating systems.

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sarasota@merlenormanstudio.com Merle Norman Cosmetic Studios have been independently owned and operated since 1931

JANUARY 2017 Pevonia’s YouthRenew™ Tinted Cream SPF 30 conceals, moisturizes, protects, provides optimum luminosity, and evens out skin tone for a flawless look

New Year toward the new you. Massage Experience, Siesta Key is conveniently located in the Davidson Plaza in the Village and is open 6-days-a-week year round, and 7-days-a-week in season. Appointments may be made on-line at www.MassageExperienceSK. com or by calling 941-349-4833 (MA00017596/ MM0006727) (Advertorial)

Connie Lewis, BS, LMT, Aesthetician and owner established Massage Experience, Siesta Key in June of 1996. She attended the Bancroft School of Massage Therapy in Worcester, Massachusetts in January of 1994, then moved to Sarasota Florida to continue her career in massage therapy. “My personal philosophy when massaging a client for the first time, or the hundred and first time, is to let my hands ‘tell me what to do.’ After so many years of practice I have a sixth sense about pressure and what the client may need from me during the session. I listen with my hands and utilize my years of practice and personal experience to give the client the perfect session for them.”

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By Robert Frederickson

|From Trump’s Key Sweep to Media’s Big Sleep

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Fake Sales?

“Run Susan Run!”

First it was fake news. Now with the recent holiday shopping season we’ve been hearing about fake ‘sales.’ California’s AG has taken legal action against Sears, J.C. Penney, Kohl’s and Macy’s for the retail equivalent of those fake news items that popped up during the presidential race with headlines like “Hillary’s Sex Trade Connection,” and “Trump/Putin Bromance Heats Up...” Retail whistle blowers have alleged that it’s routine for fake ‘regular’ prices to be placed above racks of clothing and other merchandise with the ‘real’ regular price now advertised as the ‘sale’ price. As Claude Rains would say, “I’m shocked!”

Speaking of Chapman, The Herald Tribune reports she has decided to seek another term on the city commission, reportedly to maintain the “institutional memory’ of the board. Indeed, it would be a shame to forget about the spiraling costs of such epic city misadventures as the lift station 87 fiasco, or the all but incoherent approach to dealing with the homeless within the city, or the loss of events downtown to Venice (Chalk Festival), Lakewood Ranch (Thunder By the Bay) or downtown Bradenton (anything having to do with live music, like the recent successful Blues Festival along the Manatee River). Remember when Sarasota had a world class Blues Festival of its own headlined by Grammy winning acts like Solomon Burke, Buddy Guy, Trombone Shorty and Gregg Allman? And when there were places downtown like the Depot where you could hear live music under the stars? Barbara Strauss...we need you now more than ever!

“They Tell Me This Town Ain’t Got No Heart (just gotta poke around...)” Sarasota’s Downtown Improvement District is looking to install gateway signs at three of the main entrances to downtown. Estimated cost: $100,000-$150,000. They’re intended to let drivers know they’re entering the ‘heart’ of the city. But it seems a bit redundant to me. I mean all you have to do to know you’ve reached the heart of downtown is keep an eye out for the ever increasing throngs of homeless folks milling about.

Speaking of Signs...

4420 S. Tamiami Trail Sarasota, FL 34231 941.260.8905

The opening of the new Cask and Ale bar downtown was delayed when Sarasota inspectors noticed a sign had been displayed at the Main Street location without a proper permit being pulled. It was yet another stumbling block for what has become a somewhat controversial project. During the initial approval process, some, including commissioner Susan Chapman, expressed concern about whether businesses like the Cask and Ale would bring too much noise to Main Street, since as we all know, people move to downtowns for the bucolic charm they offer and the prospect of a good night’s sleep.

Herald Tribune Offices Moving Employees of the Herald Tribune will be moving after the first of the year to the Sun Trust Building just to the east of their current location at 1714 Main Street. The current location built in 2006 was not purchased by GateHouse Media when the paper was purchased from Halifax Media two years ago. No word on new tenants for the glass-shrouded tribute to the Sarasota School of Architecture designed by Miami’s Aquitectonica.

Protecting Porch Pirates’ Privacy WFLA ran a story on December 13th about Porch Pirates stealing packages off the stoops of homes this holiday season. The station even ran footage of one thief at work, captured by a victim’s home surveillance camera. As the video rolled, anchor Stacie Scheibel asked viewers to call the St. Petersburg Police Department

if they recognized the individual shown in the footage. The problem? Well, some genius decided to blur out the face of the thief as he or she went about ripping off the St. Petersburg homeowner. Wouldn’t want to invade this reprobate’s privacy now, would we? (I only wish this had happened in Polk County so we could be entertained by what would most certainly be a colorful reaction from Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd).

That Sinking Feeling... Sarasota’s Dolphin Towers stood vacant for almost five years after structural issues left it unsafe. Residents had to move out while repairs were made, leading to a major financial hit for those affected. Now residents of one of St. Petersburg’s premiere condos are experiencing a sinking feeling of their own. Their 20 story Plaza Harbour Island condo has been settling, causing cracks and other issues, according to the Tampa Bay Times. No one has been forced to move out, but disclosure rules and litigation have apparently impacted the sale of units, some of which originally sold for as much as $2 million. Most recent deals have been all cash, The Times reports, likely a result of the difficulty borrowers face getting approval for a mortgage in the face of pending litigation.

Visit Florida Chief Sacked over Sexy Beaches Video It seemed like a good idea at the time: Make a sexy video to promote Florida’s sexy beaches starring sexy Miami rapper Pitbull. The problem? In an obvious end-round of Florida’s sunshine laws Visit Florida’s top brass agreed to keep terms of Pitbull’s contract secret. But when the superstar crooner posted details of his agreement with the state’s official tourism agency online last week, it was revealed he was paid $1 million. The blowback was swift and harsh, from the Governor’s office on down and Visit Florida CEO Will Seccombe and two of his top lieutenants resigned in the aftermath. But on the bright side, they’ll have plenty of time to spend at the beach now.

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6100 Midnight Pass Rd Afterward, the proposal will come back to the board for a final vote, according to the motion put forward by Commissioner Mike Moran. The board’s next regular meeting will be on Jan. 10, 2017 in Sarasota. Commissioners were not certain the issue would be handled in early January, but Maio indicated his hopefulness that that would be the case. Commissioner Charles Hines earlier had suggested that something could be built on the 1.55-acre property other than the site plan Merrill had presented. The GBSL was established in 1978, with construction prohibited seaward of it “to protect the public interests and your investment,” Weiqi Lin, a member of the county’s Environmental Permitting staff, told the board members during their Dec. 14 regular meeting in Sarasota. The GBSL, Lin pointed out, is the “100-year storm erosion line.” His understanding of the GBSL, Hines told Merrill, is that its purpose “is to give an indication of where we don’t want to keep making mistakes like we did in the past.” Yet, Merrill had said early in his presentation that if the board did not allow construction of the new structure landward of the GBSL, that would be an unreasonable hardship on his client. The manager of 6100 MPR LLC is David Lehrman of Sarasota, state Division of Corporation records show. He is a Realtor and founder of the Sarasota Real Estate Co. The limited liability corporation purchased the 46,819-square-foot parcel on the Gulf of Mexico for $4.7 million in February, according to the Sarasota County Property Appraiser’s Office. Three structures already exist on the property: a slab-on-grade building dating to 1930 and two other singlefamily dwellings: one dating to 1980; the other, to 1990, the Property Appraiser’s Office records show. The 1990 house has 1,119 square feet of living area, while the 1980 dwelling has 1,142 square feet. The 1930 structure encompasses 2,032 square feet of living space. The proposal called for the two newer structures to be demolished and replaced with a building designed to be three stories over a parking area, Lin told the board. “I hate discussing square footage and telling somebody what they should and shouldn’t build on their land,” Hines told Merrill. But in this situation, Hines asked early in the discussion, “Can they build something less and bring it back [behind the GBSL]?” Hines added, “Here, it seems like [the client is saying], ‘This is what we want to build. This is what we can sell. … But if

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Continued from cover story

we can’t build this, it’s unreasonable.’” “I’ve not said this is the only reasonable use,” Merrill replied in regard to the original proposal. “I’m not going to draw your plan for you,” Maio told Merrill. “But something more palatable, at least for this commissioner, would have been something smaller — your preference,” further landward of the GBSL. Perhaps the pool could be moved, too, Maio suggested. After seven people offered public comments — all in opposition to the project as proposed — Merrill returned to the podium. “I have gone back to my client,” he said. “We talked about this before the hearing. What we would be willing to do,” he continued, is pull the entire new construction landward of the GBSL, but leave the pool and deck in the plan. Lin told the board the proposal called for the pool to be 430 square feet; the deck, 2,500 square feet. They were designed to be situated between the new structure and the 1930 house, Lin added. That original dwelling will remain on the site, but it no longer will be occupied, Merrill said. Instead, it will be used as common space for the residents of the eight new condos. A letter from the Siesta Key Association was among 86 communications staff received, Lin said, with 84 of them opposing the plan as originally put forward.

Making his argument The original proposal called for 4,001 square feet of the total habitable area of the new structure to be seaward of the GBSL, Merrill pointed out. In comparison, he said, the Peppertree Bay Vacation Rentals condominium complex adjacent to the parcel has 24,000 square feet of habitable space seaward of the GBSL. The pool was planned to be constructed 72.7 feet landward of the GBSL, Lin explained. “This area is one of the most developed areas on Siesta Key,” Lin noted. The Horizons West condominiums stand to the south of the parcel, while the Island House Beach Resort is to the south of Horizons West. Merrill explained to the commissioners that the 1.55-acre parcel is zoned Residential Multi-Family 2, which entitles it to 13 dwelling units. Because of county-mandated front and side yard setbacks, he added, only 0.2 acres could be used for construction, and only 20% of it is landward of the GBSL. In the 1.4-mile stretch from Siesta

Public Beach to Seaside Drive, he pointed out, it also is the only piece of property that does not extend from Midnight Pass Road to the Gulf of Mexico. It has an easement on Coquille Street to reach Midnight Pass Road, he added.

Commission questions The very first question Merrill took from the board was posed by Detert, who asked how long the limited liability corporation had owned the parcel. After Merrill told her the firm purchased the property in February, she replied. “OK, less than a year. And when they bought it, it [looked] the way it looks?”

“For the most part,” Merrill responded. “In light of the unique characteristics of this parcel,” Merrill said, “it would be [an] unreasonable and unjust hardship on the land to deny this variance.” Hines asked whether specific language in cases decided in the judicial system, or a segment of the Sarasota County Code, required the board to consider the circumstances of the surrounding structures, even though they were built before the GBSL was established. Merrill finally conceded, “There’s nothing in your code that says you can’t look at old buildings, old projects, [in making a determination about a reasonable hardship].”

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News Up & Down the Trail By Rachel Brown Hackney SarasotaNewsLeader.com Downtown gateway signs in the works Downtown could be getting a touch of simple hospitality. Three of the main entrances to downtown Sarasota are slated for new gateway signs soon — announcing to motorists, including tourists, they are entering the heart of the city. The Downtown Improvement District (DID) is pursuing a project to install the signs at the three intersections on the perimeter of downtown. The banner signs will span about 60 feet across from sidewalk to sidewalk and read downtown Sarasota with letters standing about 3.5 feet tall, in caps. Last month, the district recommended setting aside between $150,000 to $200,000 to install the signs at U.S. 41 and Main Street, U.S. 301 and Main Street, and Fruitville Road and Lemon Avenue. The signs are estimated to cost about $50,000 each, and the city will create a request for proposals to identify a possible contractor after the New Year.

City approves mixed-use Quay Sarasota The most ambitious development in Sarasota — and perhaps the most ambitious waterfront project in Florida — won final city approval last month, after years of planning. The potential $1 billion Quay Sarasota project will combine commercial, residential and office buildings on the longvacant property and transform the downtown bayfront over the next decade. Design and permitting work on the infrastructure, such as water, sewer and road facilities, and initial phases of the project is expected to begin after the New Year. The approval, on Dec. 5, set into motion a series of initial design and permitting efforts for water for infrastructure that will serve the overall project, and for the first residential building and waterfront public space on the property. The new general development agreement also requires GreenPointe Communities to begin permitting with the Florida Department of Transportation within the month on the longplanned two-lane roundabout at U.S. 41 and Fruitville Road that will serve as the main gateway to the bayfront project. The development agreement approved last month provides an overall layout for the site and allows for up to 695 condominiums, 175 hotel rooms, 189,050 square feet of retail space and nearly 39,000 square feet of office space in buildings up to 18 stories high. City Commissioner Susan Chapman cast the lone vote against it, calling it “an extreme amount” of density and intensity.

County invests in film incentive program Continued interest in Sarasota from film and documentary makers is likely now that county commissioners voted 4-to-1 to

replenish a financial incentives program that will attract more film-makers to the area. During the county board’s meeting Nov. 22, commissioners agreed to place $213,000 into the program account. Over the last six years, nearly $400,000 has been used to fund a variety of productions in the area leaving the account depleted. The county has paid out more than $393,000 from the fund for a variety of productions, the most notable being the 2012 “Spring Breakers” starring James Franco, which received $8,716.60. “Free Ride,” a 2013 crime drama starring Anna Paquin, received $36,400, which is the largest amount paid out of the fund to date. County Commissioner Nancy Detert spearheaded the movement during her time as a state representative. She hopes the additional finances will help the program to grow and draw the film industry to the Suncoast.

County considering joining Airbnb lawsuit Sarasota County could be joining a lawsuit against the popular home-sharing app Airbnb over a disagreement regarding local tourism development dollars. Hotels and vacation rentals in Sarasota County helped combine for $20 million in tourism development revenue last year, but listings on the popular website are proving more difficult to regulate under state law. Dozens of listings are posted throughout Sarasota County, but not all are paying local taxes associated with rentals, according to a report in ABC 7 Suncoast news. Earlier this year, Airbnb told the tax collector’s office they would help gather those tourism development dollars from their renters, but now wish to avoid one aspect of state law. The company does not want to give Sarasota County tax collector the names and address of the hosts, which is required by Florida law. “They did not want to give us the names and address of the hosts, and Florida law requires that we have that information, that we track that,” says Sarasota County assistant tax collector Sherri Smith. Now the county is considering a joint effort to sue the web-based company with other nearby counties.

PGT evolves, changes name Sarasota County’s largest manufacturer and second largest employer is changing with the times. Good times, that is. PGT Innovations is the new legal name for what formerly was PGT Inc., the parent company of a family of brands: CGI, PGT Custom Windows & Doors, and WinDoor. “Innovation is at the heart of what we do. It’s how we determine which companies to foster, how we decide which products to develop and how we keep growing,” Jeff Jackson, president of PGT Innovations, said in a press release (see below).

“Bringing together these brands allows us to stay at the forefront of innovation and bring cuttingedge new products to market that have never been seen before.” PGT Innovations makes impactresistant doors and windows at its plant in North Venice. With nearly 2,000 employees, it’s the largest headquarters company and second-largest employer in Sarasota County, according to the Sarasota County Economic Development Corp. According to a news report in the Tampa Bay Business Journal, since the market turnaround and housing recovery began in 2011, PGT has seen compounded annual growth of more than 20 percent in sales, 29 percent in gross profit and 43 percent in adjusted earnings before taxes, interest, depreciation and amortization, the company said in a third quarter 2016 earnings report. Fiscal 2016 sales are expected to be between $458 and $460 million, compared to $168 million in sales five years ago. The company plans to showcase new products that it says will “reimagine the future of glass windows and doors” when it officially unveils its new name at the 2017 NAHB International Builders show on January 10-12, in Orlando.

Incumbent, and challengers file for city race Four candidates — three challengers and one incumbent — have filed thus far, as of press time, for the city of Sarasota’s City Commission 2017 race. Small business owner Martin Hyde was the first candidate to have filed for the March election. Hyde, a 17-year resident of Sarasota, has been a frequent critic of several recent City Commission decisions. Tahiti Park Neighborhood Association President Jennifer Ahearn-Koch filed paperwork at the end of November to run in next year’s City Commission election, becoming the second candidate to officially enter the race for two at-large seats on the commission. Ahearn-Koch has been an outspoken neighborhood leader, and she served on the executive board of the Coalition of City Neighborhood Associations (CCNA) and the steering committee of the resident activist group STOP. Her experience includes six years on the city’s Planning Board, in addition. Commissioners Suzanne Atwell and Susan Chapman currently hold the two at-large seats. Chapman filed on Nov. 30 as the only incumbent to seek re-election to the board. The board’s other at-large incumbent, Commissioner Suzanne Atwell, announced this week that she had chosen not to seek another term. Atwell originally was elected in 2009. Later in December, a fourth candidate emerged in the City Commission race, as attorney Hagen Brody filed paperwork at City Hall for the March election. The deadline to file for the citywide race is January 13. The election is scheduled for March 14, and a run-off — if two

candidates do not win a majority — will be held May 9.

Legacy Trail effort gets a spark The early phases of the effort to extend the Legacy Trail got a boost last month. The Gulf Coast Community Foundation has given $50,000 to support an extension of the multiuse trail way from Palmer Ranch to Payne Park. The Gulf Coast Community Foundation gave the donation to the Trust for Public Land, a national nonprofit organization that is negotiating on behalf of Sarasota County to obtain about 8 miles of railroad corridors to support the trail extension. That brings the total amount raised for surveys, appraisals, environmental assessments, and other expenses needed to advance the proposed acquisition of rail corridor to about $240,000. The $50,000 philanthropic gift was seen by supporters of the project as a small, albeit symbolic spark, for a project that could cost $20 million overall. The donation could also be an indicator of local fundraising promise for the initiative to extend the trail. Extending The Legacy Trail into downtown Sarasota is a priority of the Sarasota County Commission.

Sarasota County dedicated additional dog-friendly parks Some Sarasota County parks got more dog friendly. On Dec. 13, the Sarasota County Commission approved a resolution designating 71 Sarasota County parks and preserves in north and south county as “dog-friendly.” These are sites where dogs are welcome, but must be leashed at all times. Designation of sites is necessary as Sarasota County Code prohibits dogs, cats, and other pets in county-owned parks but allows for areas to be specifically designated for activities involving animals such as dogs. The need for additional dog parks and dog-friendly parks was identified in the county’s 2016 Parks, Preserves and Recreation Strategic Master Plan. The initial sites designated as dog-friendly in 2012 have been popular and are regularly used by park visitors with their dogs. The new dog-friendly designations will take effect Jan. 1, 2017. In addition to dog-friendly parks, Sarasota County operates and maintains five dog (or paw) parks. Dog parks are places where dogs can safely be offleash in a fenced area specifically designed for such use, often with associated amenities.

Sarasota’s graduation rates improve The 2015–16 graduation rate for Sarasota County high schools rose to 85.4 percent, more than six percentage points from the

district’s 2014–15 graduation rate of 79 percent. The district’s graduation rate was more than four percentage points higher than the state average of 81 percent. Every traditional public high school in the district improved its graduation rate from the previous year. The most dramatic increase was for Venice High School, which improved its graduation rate by 13 percentage points over 2014–15. The rates for all Florida school districts were released December 16 by the Florida Department of Education. The most dramatic improvement was at Venice High School, which jumped from 80 percent two years ago to 93 percent at the end of the last calendar year. Imagine School at North Port graduated 79 percent of its students, up nine points from two years ago. Pine View School in Osprey led the way at 99 percent, up by a single digit. The schools with the leading graduation rates included: Suncoast Polytechnical High, Pine View School, and Sarasota Military Academy.

Pollo Tropical signs lease Pollo Tropical restaurant has signed a 20-year lease to replace the former Square 1 Burgers building on South Tamiami Trail. The fast-casual chain plans to open a 3,600-square-foot restaurant at 1737 S. Tamiami Trail, which is across U.S. 41 from Sarasota Memorial Hospital. Pollo Operations plans to spend $975,000 on the new 90-seat restaurant, which will include a drive-thru, according to a development application paperwork.

425-home development approved On Nov. 22, Sarasota County commissioners approved plans to redevelop Sunrise Golf Club, which has been abandoned for more than a decade. The approval clears the way for a 425-home development near Palmer Ranch. Canadian developer Mattamy Homes is planning to build the homes on the 115-acre course and surrounding parcels, for which the developer paid a combined $14.3 million in March, 2016. Mattamy is partnering with Sarasota-based Vanguard Land Ventures on the development, which will include three unnamed neighborhoods southeast of Clark Road and I-75 with an entrance on Honore Avenue. The approval hinged on an agreement with the surrounding neighborhood. The homeowners associations representing Sunrise Golf Club Estates and other neighborhoods signed an easement and contract with Vanguard earlier this year, allowing the partnership to redevelop the abandoned course. The covenant, which was originally drafted with Connelly’s firm, Civix, requires construction of a linear park within the buffer surrounding the property.

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VILLAGE MAP pgs 24 - 25

ACCOMMODATIONS PAGE 46

GULF GATE SHOPS pgs 28 - 29

CRESCENT BEACH MAP pg 26

LOCAL MAPS INSIDE

LIVE MUSIC PAGE 30

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Siesta Key Drum Circle Before You Leave...

If you have any non-perishable food items that have not been opened, the Siesta Key Chamber, located at 5114 Ocean Blvd, in the Village at the Davidson Plaza along with St. Michael’s Parish, located at 5394 Midnight Pass Road will gladly take these items and pass them on to the less fortunate in the Sarasota area. Chamber hours for items to be dropped off are as follows: Monday – Friday: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Saturday: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. For instructions on after hour drop-offs, please contact the Chamber office at 941-349-3800. St. Michael’s hours for items to be dropped off are as follows: Monday – Thursday: 8 a.m. – Noon and again from 1 p.m. – 4 p.m. Friday: 8 a.m. – Noon.

If you are dropping off items after hours, please leave any items at the front door of the parish office. For any additional questions, please contact the office at 941-349-4174.

Every Sunday is a perfect time to come to the Key to reconnect with Mother Nature and to enjoy some wonderful entertainment. I’m talking about the Siesta Key Drum Circle that takes place each Sunday starting about an hour before sunset and lasting until about 10 p.m. The gathering meets up just south of the main pavilion - just follow your ears and watch for the swelling crowd. Please note the following rules of etiquette that need to be observed at the Drum Circle so that all can enjoy the experience: the inside of the drum circle is

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

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

Siesta Sand

JANUARY 2017

941.349.0194

www.siestasand.net

Sarasota Garden Cl

SARASOTA GARDEN CLU

Many visitors and locals taking advantage of the perfect setting for a Christmas photo to send back home. The shell decorated Christmas tree was erected in time for all to enjoy, courtesy of Mike Cosentino

NOTICE: Looking for the Village Barber? For those that have enjoyed the cuts and comradery at The Village Barber over the years, you can still continue to see Scott at his new location. In July 2015 Scott Reich announced moving out of the Village and off the Key. Reich and his stepfather Pete Sparks had been servicing patrons in the Village for the past 20 years. The Siesta Center was sold and the new ownership of the Ocean Blvd building wasn’t quite meeting up to expectations he and Sparks had of the new landlord. Sparks announced his retirement and Reich announced a move to The Shop SRQ at 6625 Gateway Ave. in Gulf Gate. You can reach Scott Reich at 941-346-0222. His hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tues – Fri, and Sat from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. www.SiestaKeyBarbershop.com

The history of the Sarasota Garden Club began on May 6, 1927 with Mrs. John Ringling. Membership was organized in Circles with the first Founders Circle President being Mrs. John Ringling. On November 14, 1933 the Federated Circles of the Garden Club of Sarasota joined the Florida Federation of Garden Clubs and National Council of State Garden Clubs. Many more circles were formed and in 1947 the name changed to the Sarasota Garden Club and became incorporated in 1955 . Over the years, the Circles waned and in 2008 the members voted to reorganize the Club into a non-Circle Club run by a 19 member Board of Directors. After many years of planning and saving, the Garden center was built in 1959 on land leased from the City

S I M P LY R AWSO M E ! St Armands

St Armands 325John JohnRingling RinglingBlvd Blvd 325 Sarasota, Sarasota, FL FL 34236 34236 941-388-3325 941-388-3325

Map B #42

Siesta Key

Island of Venice 5250 Ocean Blvd 300 West Venice Ave Venice, FL Sarasota, FL34285 34242 941-488-0649 941-349-8697

Island of Venice Siesta Key 300 WestOcean VeniceBlvd Ave 5250 Sarasota, 34242 Venice, FLFL34285 941-349-8697 941-488-0649

Delicious Daiquiris, Seafood and So Much More! Find current specials and promotions at DaiquiriDeck.com

Find current specials and promotions at DaiquiriDeck.com

Map C #61

ACCOMMODATIONS Siesta Beach Resort ...................... Map-A #38A ANTIQUES Relics on the Key .............................. Map-D #9 ART GALLERY / STUDIO Calle Studios....................................... Map-B #32 The Gallery on Siesta Key.................Map-D #11 ATM / BANKS PNC ATM............................................ Map-C #61 Martin Funding.................................... Map-E #1 Sun Trust Bank & ATM....................... Map-E #4 BARS & NIGHTCLUBS Blaśe Bistro..........................................Map-A #38 Daiquiri Deck Raw Bar...............Map-B #42-43 Gilligan’s............................................ Map-B #33 Siesta Key Oyster Bar....................... Map-B #45 The Beach Club...................................Map-D #22 The Cottage......................................... Map-C #58 The Hub-Baja Grill.............................Map-D #59 COFFEE SHOPS Lelu’s Coffee Lounge....................... Map-B #31 The Local Bean.................................. Map-D #62 DRUGSTORE Davidson’s Drugs............................. Map-D #65 FASHION & ACCESSORIES Beach Bazaar’s & Swin Shack.........Map-C #28 Blvd. Beachwear................................. Map-B #30 Comfort Shoes-Birki & More........ Map-D #64 Everything But Water........................Map-D #12 Foxy Lady Fashions...........................Map-A #40 Gidget’s Coastal Provisions............ Map-B #44 Island Boutique.................................. Map-B #50 Island Cotton Company.................... Map-C #29 Island Style.......................................... Map-C #53 Lotus Boutique...................................Map-D #66 Siesta Key Mermaids...........................Map-D #9 Siesta T’s.............................................. Map-B #30 The Sandal Factory............................ Map-B #46 GAS STATION Circle K Store........................................ Map-E #6 GIFTS & SOUVENIRS Beach Bazaar......................................Map-C #28 Island Trader....................................... Map-C #51 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 Kids........................................... Map-B #36 HEALTH & FITNESS Indep. Lifestyle Solutions ................Map-D #10 Siesta Key Fitness............................. Map-B #73 ICE CREAM/TREATS Big Olaf Creamery............................. Map-C #52 Ciao Gelato.......................................... Map-C #50 Made in Rome Gelato........................ Map-C #53 Meany’s Mini Donuts........................ Map-C #24 SubZero Ice Cream/Yogurt..............Map-D #16 Sunni Bunni Frozen Yogurt.............. Map-C #53 The Donut Experiment......................Map-D #16 INTERNET / WiFi SERVICES Davidson Drugs............................... Map-D #65 Internet Cafe.........................................Map-D #9 Lelu Coffee Lounge.......................... Map-B #31 The Local Bean.................................. Map-D #62 JEWELRY Created Gems..................................... Map-C #51 Michael & Co. Jewelers..................... Map-B #29 Mount -N- Repair Jewelers.............. Map-D #9 LIQUOR STORES / FINE WINES Gabbiano’s Wine Club.................... Map-D #70 Gilligan’s............................................ Map-B #33 Siesta Key Wines...............................Map-C #61 Siesta Village Liquors .....................Map-C #26 The Beach Club...................................Map-D #22

of Sarasota referred to as the Civic Center (Cultural District). It was built in a mid-century modern style architecture which remains today with Florida friendly horticulture. In 1962 the Garden Shed, built in Japanese style, was added and named “The Selby Garden House” in honor of Mrs. Marie Selby, the donor. The Japanese Lantern, given to the Club in 1939, was lost in the Tuttle’s Puddle and was rededicated in December 2014 after being found submerged in the pond. In 1993 a library addition was built and named in honor of major donors, Charles and Julia Sounders. In 2009 the building was placed on the city’s historic register. The newsletter for the Sarasota Garden Club is called “Blooming Chatter.” The logo for the club was

adopted in 198 1982 adopted “Sulphur”. In 1995 and 1 was formed by the SGC. It has with a grant rec of a handicapp pathway thro 2009 the Butt named after Ca LaBrie who co to work in th located on the In 2012 the pr “Sarasota Bot make the garde to the public fr Over the year Club has under of Civic Beau been involved

www.siestasand.net

941.349.0194

JANUARY 2017

Island Visitor Publishing, LLC

lub Celebrates 90th Anniversary

Letter to the Editor

UB - 1131 BLVD OF THE ARTS, SARASOTA, FL 34236

Treasureboat/Ocean Blvd Crosswalk concern

82 and includes the Club butterfly the

1996, a Butterfly Club y seven members of been very successful ceived for the creation ped Memorial Brick ough the garden. In terfly Garden was atherine and Richard ontinue to this day he Butterfly Garden grounds. roperty was renamed tanical Gardens” to ens more welcoming ree of charge. rs the Sarasota Garden rtaken many projects utification and has with the community

in awareness of environmental concerns. The Club has promoted knowledge of floral arts, gardening, conservation and preservation of our fragile ecology. Other projects have been working with Habitat for Humanity, Children with Autism, Independent and Assisted Living and their related components, Mable Ringling Secret Garden, Community Gardens, Annual Flower Show and consultation with various aspects of the community. 2017 will mark the 90th Anniversary of the Sarasota Garden Club which will be celebrated every month with a historic moment until November 17, 2017 when the Club will have a celebration November 17th and 18th.

Number of Members: Currently there are 178 members. The number of visitors and others who use the building or visit is approximately 20,000 annually. Who Are Your Board Members and/or Leadership: The Board is made up of 18 members: President: CJ Danna First Vice President: Janet Leonberger Second Vice President: John Chrzczonowski Third Vice President: Kay Weber Secretary: Dianne Beaver Assistant Secretary: Carol Dornbush Treasurer: Penny Thomas Assistant Treasurer: Janet Allgair

Along with ten Standing Committee Chairs Mission Statement: “Preserving our gardens and historic landmarks while promoting the environment, conservation and civic beautification through education and programs.” Hopes For The Future Of Our Bayfront: The Sarasota Garden Club would like to see an increase in the green space for all to enjoy and be the cornerstone of the green space as one enters the cultural district. Planned green space is forever and for everyone.

There should be pedestrian controlled crosswalk signals at the frequently used Treasureboat / Ocean Blvd crosswalk at the north entrance to SK Village. As a 33 year resident of Sandy Hook and using the crosswalk daily, both Southbound and Northbound, drivers dangerously exceed the posted speed limits and because of speeding do not and cannot observe pedestrians waiting to use the crosswalk. Southbound speeders enter the crosswalk at high speeds coming from the straightaway and Northbound drivers are already speeding as they accelerate on exiting the Village. It is nearly impossible to use this crosswalk safely especially when the numerous southbound line of speeders has been held up by the north bridge openings. It is only a matter of time before someone is badly injured or killed at this crosswalk. The many who use this crosswalk need to signal our safe crossing. Judy Wolff

• segway rentals • PaDDleBOarDs • scOOter cars • kayak tOurs/rentals • Bikes • scOOters Map B #34 • Beach gear 5255 Ocean Blvd • Siesta Key Village www.robinhoodrentals.net

941-554-4242

MAILING - SHIPPING UPS store.............................................Map-A #41 US Post Office.....................................Map-D #65 MARKETS/FOOD STORES Circle K Store........................................ Map-E #6 Morton’s 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 Siesta Medical Center...................... Map-D #63 Siesta Key Physical Therapy.............Map-D #20 Siesta Dental...................................... Map-B #49 MISCELLANEOUS Chamber of Commerce.....................Map-D #67 Roberti Enterprises............................Map-A #39 Tarot Card Reading & Gifts.............. Map-B #50 PROFESSIONAL SERVICES Edward Jones Investments............. Map-D #68 Smith Architects....................................Map-E 74 REAL ESTATE / RENTAL SERVICES Ascendia Real Estate..........................Map-D #11 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 Waterfront 7 Realty............................ Map-C #56 Waterside Realty................................ Map-C #29 RESTAURANTS / CAFÉS Another Broken Egg.................Map-C #54 & 55 Blasé Bistro..........................................Map-A #38 Blasé Pizza & Craft Beer.....................Map-A#37 Bonjour French Cafe.......................... Map-C #47 Café Gabbiano.................................. Map-D #71 Cevi-Chela...........................................Map-D #69 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 Siesta Key Deli....................................Map-A #37 Siesta Key Oyster Bar....................... Map-B #45 Solorzano Bros. Pizzeria................. Map-D #15 Subway Sandwiches.......................... Map-B #30 Sun Garden Café................................Map-D #19 The Cottage......................................... Map-C #58 The Hub - Baja Grill...........................Map-D #59 Village Café....................................... Map-D #14 SPAS - HAIR & BEAUTY LaPlaya Spa......................................... Map-C #50 Salon Capelli.........................................Map-D #9 Sassy Hair Salon.................................Map-A #40 Siesta Key Nails.................................. Map-D #9 SPORTS INTEREST/RENTALS CaliFlorida........................................... Map-B #32 Robin Hood Rentals......................... Map-B #34 Siesta Village Outfitters..................... Map-C #53

Map D #64

Bringing you quality and comfort for more than 30 years!

Birkenstock & More 5128 Ocean Blvd. Siesta Village

941-346-7425 www.rickscomfortshoes.com

Map D #11

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

941-346-8000

WHAT BETTER WAY TO START YOUR DAY IN PARADISE?

Map D #62

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

Siesta Sand

JANUARY 2017

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

941.349.0194

CRESCENT BEACH SHOP INDEX

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

Crescent Club............................................B-3 #13 Siesta Spirits............................................. C-3 #17 MAILING & SHIPPING Mail Pack Center..................................... C-3 #14 US Post Office Sub Station..................... C-3 #14 MARKETS 7-11 Store.................................................. C-3 #16 Big Water Fish Market.......................... C-3 #17 Crescent Beach Grocery...........................B-3 #1 MISCELLANEOUS Moving & Storage....................................B-3 #10 Flowers by Fudgie................................... D-3 #17 REAL ESTATE / RENTALS Homes & Condo Rentals........................ D-3 #17 Re/Max Tropical Sands............................B-3 #1 Siesta 4-Rent............................................ C-3 #14 RESTAURANTS / CAFES A Taste of Germany................................ C-3#14

“Home of the Orange Squeeze!”

www.siestasand.net

Big Water Fish Market................................C-3 #17 Boatyard Waterfront Bar & Grill...............A-5 #12 Capt. Curts Crab & Oyster Bar.................B-3 #7

City Pizza Italian Restaurant................. D-3 #17 Clayton’s Siesta Grille...............................B-3 #9 Toasted Mango Cafe............................... C-3 #17 Miguel’s Restaurant................................ C-3 #17 Munchies.................................................. C-3 #17 WATER SPORTS - FISHING - RENTALS A to Z Beach & Bike Rentals.................. A-5 #12 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 Sports Rentals............................... A-3 #2 Siesta Sports Rentals............................. C-3 #14 Waves Boat & Social Club...................... A-5 #12

“A Tropical Department Store“

SHELL & GIFT CITY

Bathing Suits $

Siesta Key’s Most Friendly & Unique Shopping Spot! SOUTHBRIDGE MALL

OPEN 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM DAILY

IN FEATUR

Homemade Ice Cream

Map B-3#8

941-346-0202

19.95 Reg. To $49.00

SIESTA KEY

Siesta Key’s Largest Seashell & Coral Selection!

Sundaes l Shakes l Smoothies l Coffees Espresso l Cappuccinos

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

CRESCENT BEACH

er Sale up Ladies

THE GREEN TURTLE

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

6525 Midnight Pass Road

MAP B-3#14

green TURTLE COUPON

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

349-4751

VALUE

With This Coupon

No Purchase Necessary

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

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 New 50cc Scooters

HOuRly • Daily • Weekly

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

KAYAK TOURS ONLY 45/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

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

Bikes • Kayaks • Scooters • Kayak Tours

welcome!

Willkommen

GERMAN BAKERY & CAFE

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

Rum Cakes Breakfast Lunch German Beers and Brats

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

Map C-3 #14

Map B-3#8

A Taste of Germany 6575 Midnight Pass Rd.

MAP C-3 #14

Anna’s Deli 6535 Midnight Pass Rd.

MAP C-3 #14

Big Water Fish Market 6641 Midnight Pass Road

Boatyard Waterfront Bar & Grill 1500 Stickney Point Rd.

MAP A-5 #12

CB’s Saltwater Outfitters 1249 Stickney Point Rd.

MAP A-3 #4

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

Crescent Beach Grocery 1211 Old Stickney Pt. Rd.

MAP B-3 #1

Nutritious You 6583 Midnight Pass Rd.

MAP C-3 #14

Siesta 4-Rent 6555 Midnight Pass Rd.

MAP C-4 #17

MAP C-3 #14

www.siestasand.net

941.349.0194

JANUARY 2017

Island Visitor Publishing, LLC

Siesta Key Condo Council Holiday Lighting Winners 2016

Photos by Trebor Britt

Each year our island welcomes returning snowbirds and visitors for the holiday with a beautiful display of lights. And each year, the Siesta Key Condominium Council holds a Holiday Lighting Contest to acknowledge the tremendous amount of work involved in turning our island into a holiday wonderland for all to enjoy. Twenty-two associations participated in the contest this year. Congratulations to all participants and thank you for making our island glow.

And the winners are:

Siesta Dunes

Category 1 (101 or More Units) 1st Place: Siesta Dunes 2nd Place: Whispering Sands 3rd Place: Peppertree Bay Honorable Mention: Excelsior Beach to Bay

Crescent Arms

Category 2 (51 to 100 Units) 1st Place: Crescent Arms 2nd Place: Island House Beach Resort 3rd Place: Anchorage Honorable Mention: La Siesta

Sandpiper Beach Club

Category 1 (50 or Fewer Units) 1st Place: Sandpiper Beach Club 2nd Place: Boca Siesta 3rd Place: Tivoli by the Sea Honorable Mention: Marina del Sol Thanks to Kathryn Cunningham / SK Condominium Council for compiling the winner’s list.

Potential Siesta hotel

Dr. Beach

Continued from page 3

In emphasizing that point, Leatherman related an anecdote about his having been hired as a consultant to the Town of Kiawah Island, S.C., about 10 years ago. Kiawah Island lies south of Folly Beach County Park, which is one of the few state parks in the Charleston area, he told the audience. “The beach [at the park] was getting very narrow,” more than a decade ago, he said, so the USACE and the State of South Carolina decided that to renourish it, they should dredge a very deep channel in an area built up by sand that had eroded from the park. After all, he continued, they figured that would be the best quality of sand for the renourishment. A few years after the dredging, a big shoal that was known as Bird Key — a well-known bird-nesting area between Folly Beach and Kiawah Island — just disappeared.

It will necessarily be a boutique hotel… that will be replacing some pretty intense existing development.” Medred also stressed that putting a hotel in a CG zone on the island would necessitate approval of a special exception.

Pushing back Ramirez pointed out that the Comprehensive Plan allows for transient accommodations to have up to 26 units per acre on the island — without a kitchen — and height up to 85 feet, through the County Commission’s granting of a special exception. (In response to a question, Zoning Administrator Donna Thompson said that

35 feet is the maximum height allowed in a CG zone, without a special exception.) If Medred and Bailey checked with firms on the Key, Ramirez said, they would learn that the island has “tons of condos that you can rent by the night.” “What you’re telling me is that we should get behind this [amendment] to allow you to increase the density,” Volpe said. “Right now, if there is an emergency during peak season, you would have a hell of a time getting an ambulance off the island.” Medred explained that in comparing residential density to hotel density, a hotel means a “fraction of the trips” for vehicles compared to those generated by a bar, for example.

Continued from page 16

Additionally, he said, at the north end of Kiawah Island, where the world-famous Ocean Course golf course is located, “they were losing the 18th green. This is serious business.” He worked with the people on Kiawah Island to use available sand to reconnect the 18th green to the rest of the island. “This is a case where there was modeling done [by the USACE],” he pointed out. Leatherman asked the audience members to think about what happens when someone digs holes in a beach in a tidal zone. “[The holes] fill in … There is an equilibrium to things.” He further explained that in renourishing a beach where the goal is to make it wide and flat - as proposed on Lido - “about 90% of the sand is underwater, just like an iceberg.”

Siesta Sand

JANUARY 2017

941.349.0194

www.siestasand.net

DISCOVER GULF GATE’S SHOPPING VILLAGE

GATEWAY AVENUE SHOPS G-2 THE SHOP SRQ G-3 KOEN JEWELERS G-4 SARASOTA BREWING COMPANY G-5 PRIMROSE G-6 HOUSE OF MAPS G-8 THE MODERN SEWIST G-9 BOOST MOBILE G-10 KELLY’S COMPLETE PET GROOMING G-11 G.G.BARBER SHOP G-12 MOSS BROS & SONS G-15 VIZEN JAPANESE CUISINE G-16 INSIDE OUT/NUTRITION & FITNESS G-17 DOLCE ITALIA G-18 RICO’S PIZZERIA G-21 HAIR OF THE DOG SALOON G-22 CHESTER’S REEF G-23 CAR CARE CONNECTION G-24 IL PANIFICIO G-25 OFF THE HOOK G-26 ATTORNEY G-27 EVAN’S HAIR STUDIO G-28 MOMENTS IN TIME PHOTOGRAPHY G-30 ESTATE SALES OUTLET G-31 WORD OF MOUTH RESTAURANT G-32 MOLLY MALONE’S IRISH PUB G-33 SAL’S PIZZERIA & PASTA HOUSE G-34 NONTANDO GIFTS FROM AFRICA G-35 G8WAY GIFTS G-36 HOOKAH BAR G-37 BLIND DEZIGN G-38 KAZU’S 2.0 G-39 CONSIGNMENT CONNECTION G-39 JANE FIDALGO ART STUDIO (UPPER) G-40 KIYOSHI’S SHUSI

G-41 G-42 G-43 G-44 G-45 G-46 G-47 G-48 G-49 G-50

AIKO’S ALTERATIONS DETAILS SALON HEAVENLY CUPCAKES JUST A BASKET CASE THE CLEVER CUP COFFEE SHOP LUCKY LOCKS PET STUDIO SUNCOAST LASER (6518) PICCOLO’S ITALIAN MARKET & DELI GULF GATE FRAME CENTER WEST END PUB

GULF GATE DRIVE SHOPS GG-1 JIM’S SMALL BATCH BAKERY GG-3 OH MAMMA MIA’S ITALIAN GG-5 C.R.O.P. GG-6 GS DISCOUNT BEVERAGES GG-7 ORIENTAL FOOT MASSAGE & SPA GG-8 CHANCELLOR INS. & TRAVEL CTR. GG-9 FLORIST GG-10 EVOLUTION 420 GG-11 KENNETH KANDEFER CPA GG-12 SANTA MARIA REALTY GG-15 KINKY KITTY GG-16 THAI-JAPANESE RESTAURANT/SUSUHI GG-17 TASTEFULLY BRITISH GG-18 JURACI’S PLACE GG-19 VACUUM DOCTOR GG-20 TOP DOG PETS GG-21 GATEWAY MEDIA PRINT & DESIGN GG-22 CHIROPRACTOR GG-23 TASTE OF HONG KONG GG-24 TANGERINE SALON GG-25 PERSONAL TANNING GG-26 ORIENTAL FOOD & GIFTS GG-27 UPTECH COMPUTER GG-28 GULF GATE MEDICAL CTR. 1

GG-29 FASHION FOCUS HAIR ACADEMY GG-30 GROOMING LOUNGE BARBER SPA GG-31 COBBLER & CLEANER GG-32 ANN’S FRAMING GALLERY GG-33 BOHO COTTAGE MARKET GG-34 JEFFREY JEWELRY DESIGNER GG-35 GULF GATE PACK AND SHIP GG-36 HEARING AIDS GG-37 SCANDINAVIAN GIFTS GG-38 VEG VEGETARIAN & SEAFOOD GG-39 SEASCAPE AQUARIUM & PET CTR. GG-40 M’ORELLI ITALINA SHOES GG-41 SALON PLATINUM GG-42 THE WINE TO BUY.COM GG-43 GIFFORD & ASSOC GG-44 ELAINE’S FASHION NAILS GG-45 GULF GATE PHARMACY GG-46 WELDON’S JEWLRY & ANTIQUES GG-47 A TASTE OF EUROPE GOURMET SHOP GG-48 SIESTA KEY ASIAN MASSAGE GG-49 GERMAN BAKERY GG-50 COMPREHENSIVE DENTISTRY GG-51 ONE MINUTE KEY SHOP GG-52 A NU U SALON GG-53 CHOCOLATE BARK CO. GG-54 UNIFORM WORLD M-1 M-2 M-4 M-5 M-6

M-8 ROCKETMAN M-9 JAMAICAN AFFAIR M-10 HURRICANE MIKES SALOON M-11 TOMMY KNOCKERS M-12 MR. BEERY’S M-13 HAM HEAVEN & DEVIL DOGS M-14 444 RADIO M-15 EXCLUSIVELY YOURS HAIR SALON M-16 USCHI’S EUROPEAN SKIN CARE M-17 REFRESHED FURNITURE M-18 OOH-LA-LA FRENCH BAKERY M-19 ST. VINCENT DE PAUL THRIFT STORE M-20 SARASOTA KUNG FU M-21 PEARL CREAM SKIN REJUVENATION M-22 ANOTHER IMAGE HAIR SALON

S-26 S-27 S-28 S-30 S-31 S-32 S-33 S-34 S-35 S-36 S-37 S-38 S-39 S-40 S-41 S-42 S-43

SUPERIOR AVENUE SHOPS S-1 MUNCHIE’S 420 CAFE S-4 KIMMIE B SALON S-6 ROYAL MAIDS (UPPER) S-7 SARASOTA MOPEDS & SCOOTERS S-9 PIEROGI INN POLISH DELI S-11 ORLANDO’S GOURMET EXPRESS S-11 CANOPY ROAD MARKET S-12 PRZYBYLA LAW, PA S-13 SARASOTA TROPHY & AWARDS S-14 5000 RECORDING STUDIO S-15 GULF GATE MOOSE LODGE S-16 TONY’S CHICAGO BEEF CO S-18 ABLE & WILLING S-19 WILD GINGER APOTHECARY

MALL DRIVE SHOPS MY WAY ALTERATIONS TURQUOISE SKY THE THIRSTY TURTLE ROBERT’S REALTY INC COWORX

S-21 S-22 S-23 S-24 S-25

S-44 S-45 S-46 S-47 S-48 S-49 S-50 S-51 S-54 S-55 S-56 S-57 S-58 S-59

WILD GINGER LIFESTYLE HIS & HERS BARE BEAUTY KAREN’S PET PALACE HOOKAH LOUNGE DOLLHOUSE BEAUTY LOUNGE SALON UTOPIA OPA! OPA! SCHNITZEL KITCHEN BOB’S CLEANERS MONK’S STEAMER BAR SOLORZANO’S PIZZA COIN LAUNDRY ST. BONIFACE THRIFT SHOP PRIDE OF THE SOUTH BBQ POKI JOE’S CATERING ADRIATICO TATTOO PASTA LA PIZZA, BABY! MISS JODI’S SCHOOL OF DANCE ZEST OF SARASOTA CATERING FRAME IT UP GALLERY BADDA BING NIGHTCLUB & BAR FRANK BECK UPHOLSTERY PAWSH FORMS IN SCULPTURE SARASOTA CATERING CO. SUPERIOR HAIR STUDIO & SPA SARASOTA CATERING CO. CANNON’S STEAKHOUSE & TAVERN MADD HATTER STRINGER MANAGEMENT SOLORZANO’S RISTORANTE THE SUPERIOR WORD THESE QUIET SOUNDS RAMATE CONSTRUCTION CO. SHANER’S PIZZA

M-10 GULF GATE Hooters

Sun Trust

Publix

Michaels

D Beall’s Outlet

Mike’s Bud Select Brew $1.50/Pints • BEST Bloody Mary’s in Sarasota • Pool Table-

(BOX STORES AND SO MUCH MORE)

Bed Bath & Beyond

Books-AMillion

Ross

Dress for Less

Golden Tee Megatouch

FREE Pool ALL DAY

• 12 TV’s with MLB and NFL ticket sports package • All Florida lottery games • Smokers Welcome!

2639 Mall Drive

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

Iberia Bank Panera Bread

猀洀漀欀攀ⴀ昀爀攀攀 ⨀ 昀爀椀攀渀搀氀礀欀渀漀眀氀攀搀最攀愀戀氀攀猀琀愀昀昀㤀㐀㄀ⴀ㌀㐀㌀ⴀ㈀㠀㔀㐀 ⨀ ㈀㘀㐀㔀洀愀氀氀搀爀椀瘀攀 ⠀最甀氀昀最愀琀攀⤀

洀爀戀攀攀爀礀猀猀爀焀⸀挀漀洀

G6 G5 G4 G3

S7 S6 S5 S4 S3 S2 S1

Gulf Gulf Gate Gate Drive Drive

•Organic, Fair Trade Coffee •Specialty Espresso Drinks •Delicious Bakery Items •Free Wiﬁ •Gifts, Jewelry and More

XNLV13200

㌀吀愀瀀猀

䄀洀攀爀椀挀愀渀䴀椀挀爀漀䈀爀攀眀猀 ☀ 匀瀀攀挀椀愀氀琀礀䤀洀瀀漀爀琀䈀攀攀爀猀

G8 G7

S29 S28 S27 S26 S25 S24 S23 S22 S21 S20 S19 S18 S17 S16 S15 S14 S13 S12 S11 S10 S9 S8

Great coffee & first class service!

6530 Gateway Ave

2176 Gulf Gate Dr | 941-388-7819 | bohocottagemarket.com

M-12

G10 G9

Gulf Gulf Gate Gate Drive Drive

GG-33 Where cottage meets tropical with a mix of hand-picked, clever gifts! Exclusive retailer of Coton Colors Happy Everything line. BEST GIFT EVER! Mention this ad & get $5 off a $25 gift purchase & Free Gift Wrapping!

G12 G11

G24

G14 G13

S30

Lo Ho ng rn

G16 G15

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

One mi.from Siesta South Bridge (behind Publix)

Ba Am nk o eri f ca

Sunday thru Wednesday

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

G23 G22 G21 G20 G19 G18 G17

Superior Avenue

Marshall’s

• 9 AM - 7 PM EVERY DAY

Mall Mall Drive Drive

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

Gateway Avenue

All packaged liquor sold until 2 AM

Open Daily from 9 AM ‘til 2:30 AM

Stein Mart

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

M5 M4 M3 M2 M1

S-19/21

941-806-5909

G-45

theclevercup.com

NATURAL + ORGANIC PRODUCTS HEALTH + WELLNESS CLASSES YOGA + MOVEMENT STUDIO

6557 SUPERIOR AVENUE • SARASOTA, FL • 34231

941.312.5630 • WILDGINGERAPOTHECARY.COM

S-57

www.siestasand.net

941.349.0194

JANUARY 2017

Island Visitor Publishing, LLC

DISCOVER GULF GATE’S SHOPPING VILLAGE

Begin Your New Year with a Healthy Focus Events offered at Wild Ginger Apothecary 6557 Superior Ave. / 941-312-5630

JAN Yin + Thai Yoga Series 2 Jan 2, 2017 - Jan 9, 2017 JAN Social Media intensive at Wild Ginger 8 Apothecary - Sun 10 AM JAN Practical Proven Ways to be Successful 10 in the New Year - Tue 6 PM JAN Resolutions out. Revolutions in. A New 14 Year Workshop - Jan 14, 2017 - Jan 15, 2017 JAN Sacred Mala Making Workshop 21 Sat 10 AM JAN Heal Your Gut, Heal Your Brain 28 Sat 10 AM JAN Advanced Sacrad Mala Workshop 30 Mon 6 PM View detail on www.facebook.com/wildgingerapothecary/events

Sarasota Pavilion is a popular shopping destination for numerous locals and visitors alike. Its prime location is close enough to the island for frequent trips with a nice selection of chain stores set in one convenient location. But what truly lends to the uniqueness of this district is the host of small, locally owned, specialty shops, boutiques, restaurants and neighborhood bars bordering this pavilion. It makes for a fun and rewarding shopping experience. Over 150 businesses make up

G-4

this district. This section helps highlight what you’ll find within this walkable Gulf Gate shopping Village. With our map, located on the previous page, 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. Chef Urbano is offering an early dinner special from 3:30 – 5:30 pm. Buy one entrée and receive the second entrée of equal or lesser value for half the price. 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. The Shop SRQ (G-2) offers flat-tops, 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. At the original Word of Mouth Restaurant (G-31), every seemingly insignificant detail receives special attention from the warm, inviting decor to each specially crafted variety of freshly baked muffins to the signature menu items. This small diner is where the locals come to eat breakfast and lunch. Each staff member works hard to make sure you receive the best service and quality food so you’ll want to return often. Take a look at their mouth-watering menu at www.originalwordofmouth.com. Hours: Mon-Sun.: 8AM-2PM. 6604 Gateway Ave., Sarasota, 34231, 941-925-2400. Pride of the South (S-34) has been awarded Top Barbeque in Sarasota for 2016 by Trip Advisor and Yelp. It has been awarded for the best Southern Hospitality. Pride of the South has a brisket BLT, hands down, one of the

SRQ

best sandwiches you ever tasted. The smoked chicken wings are unbelievable. Backed up with the pulled pork sandwiches, the smoked bologna, the smoked Turkey, the collard greens, fried corn on the cob, fried okra, fried green tomatoes and one of the best mac ‘n cheese you ever tasted. We do catering with no limit to the size of the group. Come in and follow your nose to 6616 Superior Ave, Sarasota, FL 34231. Call (941)9260099. See you soon.

G-31

Eat Where The Locals Eat! Original Word of Mouth 6604 Gateway Ave. Sarasota, FL 34231

941-925-2400

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

THESHOPSRQINC.

G-2

Flat-Tops, Fades, Tapers, Blowouts and Razor Cuts

“Straight Razor Shaves”

Combined 25+ Years Experience

941.626.4894 / 941.536.1656

Tonsorial Artistry by

www.TheShopSRQ.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.

PICCOLO

Italian Market & Deli GG-4

Hot or Cold & Vegetarian Sandwiches

Authentic New York Italian Market & Deli We carry a full line of Imported Cheeses, Boars Head Luncheon Meats, Pasta, Olive Oil, Assorted Imported Olives, Khorasan Wheat (ancient & organic grain), and more. GG-46 G-47 Specialty Italian gourmet items without the gourmet price

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

941-923-2202

www.PiccoloMarket.com

S-16 S-34

Catering Available

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

941.926.0099

COUPON

FREE SIDE With the purchase of ANY entreé

Siesta Sand

JANUARY 2017

941.349.0194

Who’s Playing Tonight

www.siestasand.net

By Mike Sales

|An interview with James Albritton If you enjoy live music and feel a little adventurous, you can get a lot of entertainment at one of Siesta Key’s weekly open mic nights. Siesta Key Oyster Bar’s Nick LeValley hosts an open mic every Tuesday and Matt Gerhardt hosts his Thursday night at the Lelu Coffee Lounge. The wide range of talent that runs the gamut from cheering someone who has the guts to even get up there, to that rare treat when someone truly brilliant blows you away with mastery that leaves you thinking they must have come from somewhere else…at least that’s how I felt the first time I heard James Albritton, at an open mic, fronting a one-off band, shredding solos on his blue fender strat and owning the high notes of “You Shook Me All Night Long” in such a way that would likely make even Brian Johnson proud. As it turns out, James lives right here, and can be heard weekly, showcasing an immense catalogue of covers perfected in his signature style of powerful vocals and fluent guitar skills. WPT: Where are you from? James: I was born and raised in Venice, FL and I still make Sarasota County my home. WPT: What instruments do you play? James: I started with drums when I was 12. I work in a music store, so I can play a number of instruments fairly well, like bass, drums and a little ukulele…I can trick people into thinking I can play banjo, but I’m primarily a guitar player and singer…I didn’t actually start singing out until I was 22.

CLUB

BLASE CAFÉ

In the Village

have TheHydramatic.com, we have it for Instagram, Facebook it was such a short-lived product that no one else ever used it. WPT: When will your website be live? James: Very soon, our IT guy is on it. WPT: How did Hydramatic come to play the Gator Club? James: About 2 ½ years ago, a buddy of mine, Jake Heady, brought us in on his original band project. It started as a 7-piece, practicing at my house, but Jake moved back up north and the money wasn’t enough to justify the other 2 guys driving down from St. Pete, so it dropped down to the 4 of us, who make up the band now. I was playing solo at the time on Mondays, but not really feeling it, so I invited the band to come play and split my solo pay. They came down, some of them from Tampa, for what was essentially just gas money and it was a true collaboration. Everyone had a say about which songs to do and how we worked out arrangements. We came up with our own approach to songs together and it really blew up pretty quick into a happening night…people started coming to hear the band and the club bumped us up to band pay. WPT: What band members do you have? James: I play guitar and sing, Damon Owens plays drums, Andrew Glasgow, who’s R & B and Jazz trained plays bass and also is a really good guitar player and Justin Green who is also jazz trained, plays sax. WPT: What different genres do you play?

James: We play a wide variety of genres from different decades, but come at them from a soul, R&B lens, and ask the question, “If Wilson Pickett fronted Led Zeppelin; what would that sound like?” WPT: What can people expect when they go see you play? James: We play for ourselves as much as the audience. The audience can tell if a band is bored and phoning it in up there, so we just have a good time, jam off each other and really connect with the audience. WPT: You’re playing downtown Sarasota, what demographic do you primarily draw? James: All of them really…we get the Mattison’s jazz patrons after the rush but we’re drawing equally from the Ringling/New College crowd. It’s a cross-section of intergenerational mingling all jiving to the same music; it’s kind of cool. WPT: What’s next up for Hydramatic? James: We’re touring around the country and working on an album with Kim Logan. She’s a singer, songwriter and performer working around Nashville, Boston and New York, recording her next album under the name, Kim Logan and The Hydramatic. We do our own thing, but we also back up someone else. We’ve done it two or three times now. WPT: What makes Hydramatic such a draw to work as a back-up band? James: We are truly a unit. We have our own sound and the same members have been playing together for two years now. We only book gigs under our name if everyone can

make the gig. We never use subs, and are consistent so people who hire us as a band or to back them up are guaranteed to get our signature sound. WPT: Where do you see your career going from here? James: I play every week with Hydramatic and I’m on call to play with other bands around Sarasota County. I work at Troll music 40 hours a week and rehearse with my band, and we’re getting set to head back on tour. I truly enjoy everything I’m doing. People comment that I could play full-time, which is true, but I have a lot of practical experience that goes to work with me at the music store everyday. I get to share that every time a fellow musician is looking to shape their sound in a different way or when a child comes in to buy their first instrument. I wouldn’t trade any of it…who else would be there? You can find out more about James Albritton and The Hydramatic on Facebook or by logging onto TheHydramatic.com Siesta Key Oyster Bar (SKOB) is located at 5238 Ocean Blvd., in the Siesta Key Village and features live music daily. Lelu Coffee Lounge is located at 5251 Ocean Blvd., in the Village and features live music and events weekly. Mike Sales is a local singer/ songwriter for more info log onto mikesalessings.com

LIVE MUSIC SCHEDULE MONDAY

In the Village 941‐349‐9822

DAIQUIRI DECK RAW BAR

WPT: When did you first start playing live? James: 3 weeks after I turned 21. I was working at a music store, and this guy picked me up to be his drummer for a piano drum duo, doing Ray Charles stuff and we spent one of the sets walking around playing dobros. It turned into my first solo gig when the other guy couldn’t make it one night and the owner, who knew me, told me to go get my guitar and play by myself. I didn’t have nearly enough material that night, but he said I could come back the following week if I had enough material, so I went home and learned like 40 songs in a week! WPT: Do you primarily play solo or bands gigs? James: I’ve always done both. I prefer to collaborate, but I still do solo gigs. WPT: Where do you primarily play? James: My current residency gig is with my band, Hydramatic, at the Gator Club, every Monday night 9:30pm-12:30am on Main St. in Downtown Sarasota, across the street from Mattison’s City Grille. WPT: Where did the name Hydramatic come from? James: I have a 1963 Pontiac Catalina 4-door. The Hydramatic, with that spelling was the name of the 3-speed transmission that Pontiac tried for 2 years that wasn’t a big success for them, so they changed the design and renamed it the “Hydromatic”, which they still use today. Anyway, I liked the name a lot and it wasn’t taken by anyone. We

Scott Curts (3‐7pm)

941‐349‐8697

TUESDAY

Live Music 6‐10pm Billy Lyon (3‐7pm)

WEDNESDAY Live Music 6‐10pm

Noel Harris (3‐7pm)

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

Live Music 6‐10pm

Live Music (6‐10pm)

Live Music 6‐10pm

Live Music 6 ‐10pm

Kevin Thompson (3‐7pm) DJ Crawford (10pm)

Spark Notes (3‐7pm) DJ TJ (10pm)

Miles Bosworth (3‐7pm) DJ Crawford (10pm)

Matt Gerhardt (3‐7pm) K. Conn (9pm)

RPM 6‐10pm DJ 10pm – 2am

Live Music 6‐10pm DJ 10pm – 2am

Acoustic Pete 1‐5pm Live Music 6‐10pm DJ 10pm – 2am

Road Block 2‐6pm Live Music 6‐10pm DJ 10pm – 2am

Rodney Shenk 6‐10pm

RPM 6‐10pm

Patrick 6‐10pm DJ 10pm – 2am

Al Donadi 7‐11pm

Open mic night 7‐11pm

Kettle of Fish 7‐11pm

Baby 9pm‐midnight

DJ Coz or Kensi 10pm – 2am

DJ Coz 9pm‐2am

THE COTTAGE

Live Music 6‐9pm

Live Music 7‐10pm

Live Music 6‐9pm

THE HUB‐BAJA GRILL

Live Music Noon – 3pm 3:30 – 6:30pm 7‐10pm

Live Music Noon – 3 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 – 3 3:30 – 6:30pm 7‐10pm

Karaoke 9pm – 1am

Scott Peace 6‐10pm

Jordy Christo 6‐10pm

Scott Peace 6‐10pm

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

In the Village 941‐349‐6800

BACKROOM SALOON @ CAPT. CURTS Crescent Beach Shops

941‐349‐3885 SNIKI TIKI @ CAPT CURTS

Crescent Beach Shops

941‐349‐3885 Turtle Beach Grill Southern end of SK 941‐349‐3839 BOATYARD BAR & GRILL ‐ 941‐921‐6200

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

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

FANDANGO 1812 s. Osprey Ave, 941‐954‐5400

RPM 6‐10pm

Sunny Jim 6‐10pm

Nick Levalley/ Paul Duffy 6‐10pm

Acoustic Open Mic w/ Nally & Egglefield 6‐10pm Berry Oakley’s Skylab 7‐11pm

Karaoke 9pm ‐1am Chris Otto 6‐10pm

Whiteleather 2‐6pm LIVE BAND 8pm – 12am Live Band 8 – 11pm DJ 11‐2am

Eddie James Jazz Band 6‐10pm Dana & Co 2‐6pm Mike Tozier 8pm – 12am Live Band 8 –11pm DJ 11pm‐2am

TBA – 2 pm Tozier – 5pm Chris Otto ‐ 10pm Democracy (Reggae) 10pm‐2am

LIVE MUSIC 3‐6pm

Sandy Grecco Acoustic (5‐8PM)

Bob Gates Jazz Band (5‐8PM)

RPM 5‐8PM

Andres Collin 5‐9pm

Larry Williams & Chris Otto 5‐9pm

(Reggae Music)

Democracy 4‐8pm

Live Music 3‐6PM

Live Music 4‐8pm

Live Music 3‐7pm

Live Jazz 7‐10PM

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

www.siestasand.net

941.349.0194

JANUARY 2017

Island Humor [ Two boys were walking home from Sunday school after hearing a strong preaching on the devil. One said to the other, “What do you think about this Satan stuff? The other boy replied, “Well, you know how Santa Claus turned out. It’s probably just your Dad.” [ Attending a wedding for the first time, a little girl whispered to her mother, “Why is the bride dressed in white?’’ The mother replied, ‘Because white is the color of happiness, and today is the happiest day of her life.’ The child thought about this for a moment then said, ‘So why is the groom wearing black?’ [ Little Tommy was having trouble in math, so his mother enrolled him a Catholic school, thinking the discipline would help him. When Tommy came home with an A on his first report card, his mother was thrilled. “Tommy, how did you do it?” “Well’ he replied, “When I got to school and saw the guy nailed to the plus sign, I knew they were serious about math.”

[ A priest was walking down a street in his little town when he came across a woman of ill repute. He stopped and told her in no uncertain terms that she had chosen the wrong path. “You’re telling me, Father,” she answered. “I’ve been on this street for more than an hour and you’re the first man I’ve seen.” [ We told a girl that her eyebrows were drawn too high. She looked surprised. [ One day while cleaning her son’s room she found his iPad open to a bondage website. “What do you think we should do?” she asked her husband. “Well, “ he replied, “I don’t think we should spank him.” [ A man and woman were in bed together when they both heard a key turn in the apartment door. “It’s my husband,” the woman said. “Quick, jump out the window.” “Are you crazy?” the man said. “We’re on the 13th floor.” “This is no time to be superstitious,” she said.

[ How does a man demonstrate he knows how to plan for the future? He buys two cases of beer instead of one. [ Daddy, where did I come from?” a little girl asked her father. It was a moment for which her parents had carefully prepared. They led her into the living room, brought out several books and explained everything they thought she should know about sexual attraction, affection, love and reproduction. Then they sat back and smiled contentedly. “Does that answer your question? The mother asked. “Not really,” the little girl replied. My new classmate Sophie said she was from England, I want to know where I came from.”

Island Visitor Publishing, LLC

h...

Mont Bartender of The aw Bar Daiquiri Deck R . 5250 Ocean Blvd 242 Siesta Key, FL 3 eck.com www.DaiquiriD 941-349-8697

[ Two Arkansas public school teachers were chatting in the break room. One said, “Did you know we rank 49th in math education?”. The second replied, ”So who is 40 10th?” [ You can tell a lot about a woman’s mood just by her hands. For example, if she’s holding a bat, she’s probably angry.

Name of Bartender: Parker Liston Hometown: Sarasota, Florida

HOTTEST BAR IN GULF GATE... MLB/College Packages FULL BAR

Q: How long have you been bartending? A: 6 Months. Q: What was the strangest or funniest thing you experienced at work? A: On a busy a day in the middle of season, I watched a woman hand over her baby to one of our larger security guards with no hesitation, so she could order a drink at the bar.. which is 21+. I will never forget the look on his face! Q: What do you do in your spare time? A: I’m a big Tampa Bay Buccaneers fan so I go to a lot of games, ride my bike around town, relax/play video games, and go to the beach. Q: How would you describe yourself? A: local, laid back guy who’s easy to get along with.

Q: How would you describe where you work? A: During the day we have a relaxed, friendly, beach-casual atmosphere. When the sun goes down, we have a DJ and the bar area turns into a dance floor.

6500 Gateway Ave • 941.554.8905

Q: When’s the best time to see you? A: Happy Hour! (3-7) especially on the weekends.

Karaoke Thursday, Friday & Saturday

Siesta Sand

JANUARY 2017

941.349.0194

WEEKLY BEACH CLASSES: • FREE YOGA Mon-Wed.-Fri.-Sat. 9am. Classes held between blue and green lifeguard station. Call 941320-6693 to register or go to website for more info. www.yogaonsiestabeach.com/about • NIA Tues. & Thurs., 9a.m., Siesta Public Beach (yellow lifeguard chair). Contact Kathy Oravec at 941-724-9719 for more info or check website: www.nianow.com/kathy-oravec • SIESTA KEY BEACH HOOP JAMS – (6:30pm) Every Tuesday one hour before Sunset on Siesta Key beach we gather for a community Hoop Jam. (Between the red lifeguard stand and the pavilion; around where the Sunday drum circle happens.) Register at: www.outwardspiral.net • YOGA AT TURTLE BEACH: January and February 2017 – Tuesdays, 8:30-9:30 am. . (No class on February 7). For more information about registration, please e-mail Julie at: julie@chesapeakeyoga.com for more information. WEEKLY 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. WEEKLY FARMER’S MARKET • Every Sunday from 8am – 1pm in Davidson’s Plaza in the Village. 5124 Ocean Blvd. Produce, Plants & Flowers, Music, Art, Organic Skincare, Italian Olive Oil, and Freshly Prepared Foods. Listen to live music while you shop. On The Beach… • JANUARY 1 (SUN) 7-11AM: NEW YEAR’S FUN RUN: Manasota Track Club get together. Join your MTC family with a New Year’s Day fun run (walk, stumble, whatever)

What’s Happening and potluck at the beach. Meet at the pavilion, then head to the beach. Members only event.

• JANUARY 8 (SUN): 4RD ANNUAL ANDREW MONROE MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP 5K WALK/ RUN: 8:15am timed Run, 8:20 - 1 mile fun walk. This event was established to honor the life of Andrew Monroe. Proceeds benefit senior soccer players at Riverview High School in Sarasota. Senior, girls and boys, soccer players have the opportunity to receive scholarships through an essay process. Deadline for reduced rate: December 22, 2016. For more information or to sign-up for the race, go to: www.andrewmonroe.com Around the island… • FREE FALL EXERCISE CLASSES: Every Thursday mornings at 9 a.m. Focus will be on stretching, strengthening, toning, posture, and balance specifically for seniors. All levels are welcome. Space is limited. Call 941-870-5811 to reserve your spot. Classes will be held at Siesta Key Sports and Physical Therapy, 5147 Ocean Blvd, in the Village, next to Coldwell Banker and across from The Hub. And Beyond… • JANUARY 15 (SUN) 9AM-3PM: 9TH ANNUAL TEMPLE SINAI SARASOTA JEWISH FOOD FESTIVAL: Free admission. For more information go to their website at: www.jewishfoodsrq.com. • PHILLIPI ESTATE PARK: LOCATED AT: 5500 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, FL 34231. January is the perfect time to get fit. Come on over to Phillippi Estate Park and get back in shape after all the holiday treats. This 60-acre park has walking trails along the shores of Phillippi Creek, one can bike around the park’s asphalt drives and there’s plenty of space to kick a soccer ball or put up a badminton net.

Blooming this month PENTAS (Pentas lanceolata)

The Phillippi Farmhouse Market will have an abundance of local fruits and vegetables as winter is the prime growing season in Southwest Florida. From Arugula to zucchini there’s fresh vegetables and Sarasota’s famous strawberries and all manner of citrus. Please support local agriculture! Phillippi Farmhouse Market is open from 9 am until 2 pm and, in addition to local farmers, there are artisans with handmade crafts and lots of great food choices for breakfast and/or lunch. Always live music, sometimes the Humane Society is present with adorable, adoptable dogs and cats and a Welcome Tent with friendly volunteers from Friends of Sarasota County Parks dispensing information, flyers and brochures about what’s happening in the Sarasota area. Of course, the Park’s centerpiece – the Edson Keith Mansion – will be open each Wednesday at 10 a.m. for a FREE tour of the one hundred year old Italian Renaissance Mansion. Be on the porch a few minutes before 10 a.m. as the well-versed docent will start the tour promptly at 10 a.m. Tour lasts approximately 30 – 45 minutes and gives the history of the two families who lived in the house before Sarasota County took it over. The docents will also talk about the history of the area and the early days of the community. • ON SATURDAY, JANUARY 28 AND SUNDAY JANUARY 29, the park welcomes back Winterfest in the Park. This annual arts and crafts show will take place in the front field of Phillippi from 10 am until 4 pm both days. Admission is FREE and bring the kids to enjoy the wildlife exhibit of owls and other native birds. Well-behaved dogs on leash are always welcome. For more information, please call 941-316-1309. We make every effort to ensure the accuracy of this information. However, please be sure to always call ahead to confirm dates, times, location, and other information.

Places of Worship Island Churches: • Siesta Key Presbyterian Chapel - 4615 Gleason Ave, Siesta Key, 941-349-1166 www.siestakeychapel.org

Pentas bloom with large clusters of starry blooms that attract butterflies by the dozens as well as hummingbirds. The plant grows well in containers and in the ground -- and it can even make a good houseplant if you have enough light. It does best in full sun and moist, well-drained soil. Pentas are great plants for container gardens and also work well in mass plantings in garden beds. Be sure to leave ample space for them to grow if planting in beds. It’s okay to place pentas in closer quarters when creating container gardens because most pentas grow about 15 inches wide and 2 to 3 feet tall. By pinching back the early growth it will encourage bushier plants. At first planting, water the plants regularly and then only as necessary. Fertilize every six weeks or so to improve growth.

• St. Michael’s Catholic Church 5394 Midnight Pass Rd, Siesta Key, 941-349-4174 www.stmichaelssiesta.com • St. Boniface Episcopal Church 5615 Midnight Pass Rd, Siesta Key, 941-349-5616 www.bonifacechurch.org Off- Island: •Temple Sinai, a Reform Congregation (The closest Jewish congregation to the Key for visitors)

Submitted by Sarasota Garden Club, 1131 Blvd. of the Arts, Sarasota, FL 34236 941-955-0875.

www.siestasand.net

4631 S. Lockwood Ridge Rd, Sarasota, 941-924-1802 www.templesinai-sarasota.org • St. Andrew United Church of Christ (Protestant) (In the Gulf Gate area, near Beneva and Gulf Gate Drive) 6908 Beneva Road, Sarasota, 941.922.7595 www.uccstandrew.org • The Superior Word Rev. Charlie Garrett Service starts Sunday mornings at 10am. Bring a friend and share in God’s word. 6512 Superior Avenue, Sarasota, FL 34231 • First Christian Church 7601 Clark Road, Sarasota, FL 34241. 941-922-4434 www.fccsarasota.com

“The show was absolutely fantastic. It was my dream to be able to see it. It [Shen Yun] gives people inspiration... Everybody should come see it.”

Must See at Least Once in Your Lifetime

— Helen Meyers, a jewelry designer, attended 2016 Venice performance ALL-NEW 2017 SHOW WITH LIVE ORCHESTRA

“Superb!

“I expected a lot, but it was even greater than that... This was wonderful—just in every way. It was so artistic. Everything was exactly as it should have been. It was perfection. It made me cry... I would urge everyone who hasn’t ever seen this to come as soon as possible because they’ve never seen anything like it before.” — Dale Rieth, former Venice city manager

Every performance was stunning.” — WNYC

“The conductor is fabulous, the orchestra was fabulous—so, so wonderful... the composers, the people that did some of the work to bring this music together, mixed with the [dance] perfectly... the music, the conductor is the best I’ve ever heard.” — Rick Crompton, musical conductor

Venice FEB 10-12

Venice Performing Arts Center

St. Petersburg JAN 27-28 The Mahaffey Theater

Tickets: Shenyun.com/FL | 888.974.3698

“It was magnificent. The choreography was so wonderful. I will recommend this highly. I’ve wanted to come for years. We were just able to come this time, and we’re so happy.” — Anne Riccio, a retiree in Venice

“The dancers are some of the most phenomenal, especially the male dancers are absolutely amazing... it resonates through you, no matter you are 5 or 65, it was just an amazing show.” — Jessica Black, Miss USA 2010

“It’s fabulous, it’s spectacular, it’s beyond words. I felt elated. I felt like crying, it was so emotional... it’s everything we need.” — Sharon Miller, a retiree, attended 2016 Lakeland performance

www.siestasand.net

941.349.0194

Arts on the Horizon

JANUARY 2017

By Rodger Skidmore

Island Visitor Publishing, LLC

Snapshots of Island Visitors

Photos by Jaye Clements - Sarasota Photography

Transition

Noun: the process or a period of changing from one state or condition to another. synonums: change, passage, move, transformation, metamorphosis, alteration, etc. Painting material and a painting are things that are static, they are not things in transition. While they are the “before” and the “after”, they are certainly not the inspirational part, that is “the during”. As it is said, Life is a journey, not a destination. Go to the Ringling, the Louvre, the Tate or the Prado and you will see great paintings - go to Art and Frame of Sarasota or Home Depot and you may find great paint - but at none of those places will you find much about the metamorphosis from one to the other. In Sarasota, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., on the first Saturday of each month, from January through April, one (and all) will be able to visit with local artists to discuss how they focus on what they do. You will be able to, in their individual studios, ask them about “their” process; and that will surely be different from artist to artist. That is to say, from Jorge Blanco to Bill Buchman to Duncan Chamberlain to Elena De La Ville to Jack Dowd to Tim Jaeger to Joseph Malacon to Tom Stephens to Vicky Randell and to Dasha Reich. These are very serious mature artists who have been around the block, and who will be able to communicate the hows and whys of their art. These internationally recognized artists live here amongst us - we should not only know who these treasures are, but why they are valued for their work. And now, through the Open Studio Series of Sarasota Visual Artists Studios we can visit with them. With ten artists to choose from, over four 1st Saturdays, you will be able to do survey skimming or in-depth repeated visits to gain an insight to their insights. Dasha Reich, one of these artists, will have an exhibition at Art Center Sarasota (707 N. Tamiami Trail) from February 2nd through March 10th. Ms. Reich started with scenic pencil drawings around the age of 14 and then, after moving to the US, switched to fabric design (Liz Claiborne, among others). Speaking of transition, her current work became more and more three dimensional as she interlaced layers of resin with pure pigments. At the Art Center there will be a number of her resin pieces but also more experimental work where, instead of going deeper within layers, the art bursts forth in the opposite direction. Why did she change direction, use different masking techniques (and what did that lead to), why do the colors shift as they do? Why, why, why and how, how, how? Ask her, in her studio, on one of these upcoming first Saturdays. Find more information on these artists and the location of their studios at Sarasotavisualart.com.

Where the Sky Monkeys live Some (not me) say the Metropolitan Museum of Art is a stuffy place stuffed full of stuffy stuff. That statement is a tad strong, but even I must admit that some of what is on display there is just a bit … “stuffy”. However, that is not a word one can use relative to the Marietta Museum of Art and Whimsy or the art on display there. And certainly not to characterize the founder, owner and curator, Marietta Lee. Playful, happy and fanciful are more in keeping with her demeanor and everything within and around the museum. For starters, the building itself is a pink and turquoise architectural statement in the Mediterranean style. For years it housed a design center for high couture wearable art and then became a Buddhist meditation facility. Attributes of both those endeavors seem to have carried forward to today’s contents: exotic art with a relaxing air. The entrance area is quite open and both it and the volunteer staff are very welcoming. Display rooms go off in both directions and contain a super-abundance of friendly images. Cats? Yes, there are cats. And dogs, and

fairies, and laughing fish, and every kind of painting or ceramic thing that will bring a smile to your face. How to describe an entire museum’s collection? Impossible. How to describe one painting? That too can be difficult. How about a painting of a crazy man? Talk about the color, strangely formed face, the wild gleam in his eyes? Or simply say that he is pale and made of seashells with rows of marbles just beyond his reach? Yes, this is a portrait of a man, by Carl Mayle, who has obviously lost all his marbles. Next move out to the patio where the Sky Monkeys live. And the larger-than-life pink ballerina who dances for all the creatures hiding in the bushes. Seeing all this can be quite exhilarating, rather than tiring, but why not take a break in the lovely enclosed gazebo, and have a coffee or soft drink in a relaxing environment. In February the director of the Backus museum will be giving a lecture on those famous Florida artists, the Highwaymen. Oh! Forgot to mention that there is an entire whimsical sculpture garden on the next block north filled with giraffes, sea horses and the obligatory flamingos. Same owner, the suggested donation covers both, and the same whimsical charm pervades this addition to the museum. Visit the museum and garden from noon till 4 p.m., Thursdays thru Saturdays until May 27th at 2121 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota.

Aaron, Kaiden age 21 months, KC age 11, and Kristine from CA

Caleb, Ashley, and Brooks age 5 from OH

Christmas is over You may want to put away your Christmas CDs for another 11 months, but please keep the holiday spirit and your love of spirited music. The first place to go for some good vibes is Jazz at First Church. The Tommy Goodman Trio (with a guest artist) plays there one Sunday each month. Tommy has been playing at the Burns Court Cafe but moves on to the chapel at First Church each year during “the season”. He and his sidemen (Tommy on piano, Dominic Mancini on bass, Johnny Moore on drums) play two sets; one at 4:00 p.m. and the second at 5:30 p.m. If you’re going out for dinner there is nothing like setting the scene with some good melodies before going on to some early bird specials. While all the trio’s sessions are recommended you may wish to know that Steve Martinucci will be joining them on guitar on January 8th, Davy Jones on trumpet on February 8th, Dave Morgan on vibes on March 12th and Bill Carmichael on sax and clarinet on April 9th. While Jazz at First Church is an institution, their Fine Arts Series, held in the sanctuary, is also a musical favorite. Lang Lang, Diana Krall, and Billy Joel are Steinway artists. As were Cole Porter, Sergi Rachmaninoff and Arthur Rubinstein. The latter are dead and the former aren’t coming to First Church either, but another Steinway artist is. Andrew Lapp (Steinway artist since 2013) will be playing at 7:00 p.m. on January 15th. His sacred and gospel interpretations have been featured nationally. First Church is located at 104 S. Pineapple Avenue. More at firstsrq.com/ music/fine-arts-series/.

Mary Sue age 4 and Brenda from Sarasota

Drake, Rue, Deanna, and Kennedy

Siesta Sand

JANUARY 2017

Beach Wedding

941.349.0194

www.siestasand.net

By Emy Stein

Ali & Jonathan It took 6 months before they finally met. December 9, 2016 turned out to be an unusually cool day for a Siesta beach wedding, but that didn’t deter over 100 family members and friends from gathering to witness the beautiful union of island residents, Ali Marie Ponce and Jonathan Mammana. The island couple met through mutual friends who, according to Ali, “They were trying to set us up for six months.” When the two finally made the connection, they hit it off so well, they became inseparable. For Jonathan, just one look was all it took for him to know his single days were numbered. They spent their second date at Gilligan’s in the Village smiling and kissing like teenagers; both head-over-heels in love. Ali fondly recalls how, after their second date, Jonathan told her mom that he was marrying her daughter. “Jon’s smile is as big as his heart,” says Ali; so it left little doubt in her mind that he was the one. For their nuptials, both bride and groom wanted to include an officiant that was very familiar with them so Jonathan’s sister became a legally-ordained Ceremonial Minister for just this special occasion. She delivered a touching oration, sprinkled with just enough humor. The dinner and reception took place at the Sunset Beach Resort, steps from the beach location of their

Photos by Trebor Britt

wedding, and the place where family and close friends stayed to extend the celebration another five days. A honeymoon is in the works for either Saint Barths or the Bahamas. In the meantime, Ali will continue working as a massage therapist and esthetician at Siesta Key Massage & Therapy Center, in the Village and Jonathan will return to his work in construction. We wish the newlyweds many more years of blissful happiness and fun adventures.

Snow Sighting on Siesta Beach

The Big Water Fish Market…

where it’s a seafood festival every day! Start your year off with a great seafood sandwich at BWFM!! Monday - Grouper BLT Tuesday - Soft Shell Crab Sandwich Wednesday - Grouper Reuben Thursday - Lobster Roll Day! Friday - Aaron’s Triple Decker Sea Club Sandwich Saturday - Shrimp Po’ Boy Sunday - Pompano Cubano

Open for lunch and dinner www.bigwaterfishmarket.com • 941-554-8101

HAPPY 2017!!!

By Trebor Britt

A light snow fell on spectacular Siesta Beach as more than 600 participants of all ages prepared for this year’s 40th Annual Sandy Claws Beach Run. Runners were excited to pick up the always popular, newly designed, long-sleeve 2016 Beach Run T-Shirt, but the artificial snow machine was a definite highlight of the event. Awards were presented to runners in multiple age categories and for the second consecutive year, a cash prize was presented to the largest team participant. This year’s largest team Children and adults were thrilled to see it snowing in the sponsor area of winner (nearly 60), was the Bay Haven Siesta Beach before the 40th Annual Sandy Claws Beach Run. Though artificial, Track Club. the snow looked and felt like the real stuff from northern parts of the U.S. The run, presented by Sarasota County Parks and Recreation and Natural Resources is also a sanctioned run of the Manasota Track Club. Participants could compete in a 5K timed run or, for the less serious, enjoy a casual 1 mile fun/run. This year’s beach run sponsors included: Heidi K. Anderson, MD, presenting sponsor, Applebee’s, Chickfil-A, Dance Trance, Florida Underwater Sports, Harbor View Mobile Home Park, New Balance of Sarasota, OptiHealth Chiropractic, Sarasota Health and Hundreds of festively dressed runners of all ages, Fitness, Studio South Fitness, and TUbeginning the 1 mile fun run on incredible Siesta Beach Perform.

www.siestasand.net

941.349.0194

JANUARY 2017

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

Island Visitor Publishing, LLC

Notes from the Island Fishmonger By Scott Dolan, Big Water Fish Market

Sea To Bread With the holiday season coming to an end and tourist season right around the corner, I always start to prepare for our expected guests. Having a restaurant on the beach (especially in Florida during the winter and spring months) you have to be on top of your game. Imagine having hundreds of people coming to your house for lunch and dinner every night for the next six months. While mentally preparing for the onslaught, I try to think like I’m the one on vacation in order to feel the vacationer’s mindset. It’s not that hard to do as we do live in paradise as they say… ”they” being the vacationers. When I think seaside vacation I think Lobster Rolls, Fish Tacos, Shrimp Po’ Boys, and Crab Cakes. This got me thinking……about sandwiches. Actually, I think about sandwiches often. After all, I have made a living off of eating and selling them for 25 years so nobody respects a true deli sandwich more than I do. I know when sandwiches are offered that deli meats, meatballs or even a BLT come to mind but realize this - once you put anything food related including seafood in-between 2 slices of bread, you’ve got a sandwich. And as the Blues Brothers once joked…if you jam 2 pieces of bread together then you’ve got a jam sandwich. Then I realized all of the above-mentioned seaside vacation favorites are seafood sandwiches. Man, do I like sandwiches! And Seafood! Starting to see where I’m going with this? Sandwiches are just simply fun food. You can stick to the classics with protein, lettuce, tomato, and mayo or you can get as creative as you want with your ingredients when making your own. These days I see cucumbers, bean sprouts, avocados and even onion rings piled high on bread. The Primanti Brothers from Pittsburgh showed us the way when they first started putting French Fries and Coleslaw on top of their already overstuffed deli sandwiches. That’s more of a man’s man sandwich than a shrimp salad sandwich or a fish taco but that’s the thing about sandwiches, it’s your bread & it’s your ingredients. A must try is Big Water Fish Market’s triple decker Sea Club sandwich named after the Sea Club V resort. Ingredients include fresh grilled Grouper, fresh Gulf Shrimp, lettuce, tomatoes, bacon, avocados, spicy pickles and a refreshing tartar sauce layered on 3 slices of toasted bread. It’s

Lobster roll at BWFM

Jacks provide great sport for Siesta Key anglers in January

January fishing in Sarasota is all about the weather, pure and simple. Angling success is determined by the ability to adapt to the existing weather conditions. Tides will often times be very low in the morning. Couple that with a northeast wind and the flats will not have very much water on them. Water temperatures will be at their annual low. It is time to change tactics! I spend a lot of my time fishing the area around Siesta Key in the winter. Both passes and the surrounding flats will be productive under ideal conditions. Weekly fronts will stir up the Gulf, bringing cold, dirty water in through the passes and up onto the nearby flats. However, the area down south stays protected, and this will result in better fishing. Extreme low tides will force the fish off of the flats and into the channel. This actually makes locating them easier. 1/4 ounce Bass Assassin jigs in New Penny and Glow are very productive, as is a shrimp free lined with a small split shot. Speckled trout, ladyfish, jack crevelle, and pompano will be the primary catches, but sheepshead, grouper, flounder, and bluefish will also be found in the deep water. As the tide rises and the day warms up, fish will move out of the deep channel and up onto the flats to feed. A late Afternoon high tide can offer great fishing for speckled

trout, with jigs and live shrimp under a popping cork producing a lot of action. The flats south of Spanish Point are very productive, but any flat in four to six feet of water with grass will hold fish, keep moving until you find them. Creeks and residential canals are great spots to fish this month. Besides offering protection from harsh winds, they provide cover for bait, which attracts fish, and the water is normally a few degrees warmer. A large hand picked shrimp is a great bait for redfish, snook, sheepshead, drum, and jacks. Deeper water is the key, find a dock or area in a creek with a little more depth and there should be fish there. A few pieces of shrimp tossed out as chum can help get the bite going. Rapala X-Raps are a terrific artificial bait to use in creeks. They are deadly on snook and jacks, and a lot of water can be covered quickly. Go with smaller lures this time of year to imitate the bait that is present. Surf casters will do well off of the Siesta Key beaches during periods of light winds when the water is clear. Small pieces of live or frozen shrimp fished on a small hook with a bit of weight will catch plenty of whiting, along with trout, flounder, pompano, and other species. Jigs and silver spoons are effective artificial baits to use, especially when surface activity is seen, this indicates feeding fish.

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

GUIDED SNORKELING • SCUBA TOURS

Sarasota, Florida Florida Sarasota,

941-924-3483 www.OceanProDive.com www.OceanProDive.com

2.00 OFF

WITH THIS AD CALL FOR DETAILS!

a Friday sandwich special that you won’t want to miss out on in 2017.

Here are my top Classic Seafood Sandwiches: 1. The Grouper Sandwich – The Florida Jackpot 2. Lobster Roll – Always expensive but worth it with every bite 3. Fried Oyster or Shrimp Po’ Boy – If done right they’re one of the best sandwiches in the south 4. Soft Shell Crab or Crab Cake Sandwich – Fun, Sun & Crab on a Bun! 5. Bagel ‘n Lox – If only everyday could start with a NY style bagel ‘n lox and a good cup of French Roast And see the advertisement on the facing page for Siesta Key’s Big Water Fish Market’s daily creative sandwich specials. Live well…..Eat Fish and Best Wishes for a Happy and Prosperous 2017 For us All! Scott Dolan Big Water Fish Market 6641 Midnight Pass Rd, Siesta Key 941-554-8101 www.BigWaterFishMarket.com

A Happy boy!! Remington Burkhart (5), fishing with his Grandpa, caught the snook by himself in Sarasota Bay. Photo submitted by Aledia Tush of CB’s Outfitters.

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

January 2017

N 27° 20' / W 82° 33' Date

Day

12:52a

High Tide 1.9

3:24p

High Tide 1.2

1:40a

1.8

3:58p

2:34a

1.6

4:35p

3:39a

1.5

5:00a

6:43a

Low Tide

Sunrise

Sunset

Moonrise

Moonset

8:21p

Low Tide 0.8

7:22a

5:47p

9:41a

9:07p

-0.4

9:24p

0.7

7:22a

5:48p

10:23a

10:04p

-0.3

10:38p

0.6

7:22a

5:49p

11:02a

11:02p

7:22a

5:49p

11:42a

0.2

7:22a

5:50p

12:21p

12:01a

0.4

7:22a

5:51p

1:03p

1:02a

9:17a

-0.5

1.2

9:56a

1.3

10:38a

5:17p

1.4

11:23a

-0.1

1.2

6:01p

1.5

12:02a

0.5

12:10p

1.1

6:47p

1.6

1:29a

0.3

12:59p

8:36a

1.0

7:35p

1.7

2:50a

0.0

1:49p

0.6

7:23a

5:51p

1:47p

2:04a

10:16a

1.0

8:24p

1.9

4:00a

-0.3

2:40p

0.7

7:23a

5:52p

2:35p

3:08a

11:34a

1.0

9:13p

2.0

5:00a

-0.6

3:30p

0.8

7:23a

5:53p

3:27p

4:12a

12:34p

1.1

10:01p

2.1

5:53a

-0.7

4:19p

0.9

7:23a

5:54p

4:24p

5:17a

1:21p

1.1

10:49p

2.1

6:41a

-0.8

5:08p

0.9

7:23a

5:55p

5:25p

6:19a

1:58p

1.1

11:36p

2.1

7:25a

-0.8

5:59p

0.8

7:23a

5:55p

6:27p

7:17a

2:29p

1.1

8:05a

-0.7

6:51p

0.8

7:23a

5:56p

7:30p

8:10a

12:22a

2.0

2:56p

1.1

8:43a

-0.6

7:45p

0.7

7:23a

5:57p

8:30p

8:58a

1:09a

1.8

3:22p

1.2

9:19a

-0.5

8:44p

0.6

7:23a

5:58p

9:29p

9:41a

1:58a

1.6

3:51p

1.2

9:54a

-0.3

9:47p

0.6

7:22a

5:59p

10:25p

10:20a

2:52a

1.4

4:23p

1.3

10:29a

-0.1

10:57p

0.5

7:22a

5:59p

11:19p

10:57a

3:54a

1.2

4:59p

1.4

11:05a

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Phase

3rd

New

Siesta Sand

JANUARY 2017

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Snapshots of Island Visitors

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1. Caitlin and Cameron from OH 2. Stella age 6, Alice, Mabel age 1 ½ , Emmett age 4, and Charles age 7 3. Kaley age 11, Nicholas age 5, and Erin age 5 – from Punta Gorda 4. Bruno age 2 ½, Natasha, Patrick, and Sasha age 5 from OH 5. Steven, Kennedy age 2, and Julia from Toronto, Canada 6. Rosemary and Rick from MD 7. Delicia age 5, Anna, Makia age 3, and Maria from PA 8. Alex and Caitlin from MN 9. Ali and Bria from Sarasota 10. Tracy and Tamie from Iowa 11. Quinn age 9, Zoe age 9, and Carol from RI

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DearDonnarose

A: “The relief from forgiving others in itself won’t last, unless you include yourself, and those in lifetime’s passed.” - Donnarose Melvin Well, with the Ancestral Energy Clearing work I do, stomach issues arise frequently. And with emotional meanings being attached to each body part, it makes it easier to pinpoint what to clear or release. Louise Hay actually has a great book on this topic called, “You Can Heal Your Life”. I highly recommend it. Some examples of emotional meanings attached to the stomach area are: abandonment and/or fear of, dread, fear of the new, stubbornness, guilt, having to earn your value, etc. But the key is who and what caused you to feel all of this. Then the next step is to make peace with it all. Meaning, make peace by releasing the “stuck” energy attached to the narrative you’ve been going over in your head for many years. To help with this, here’s a little forgiveness type prayer as we like to call it, which includes the intention of peace. “Infinite Source (or put whatever word you prefer here), all that You are, for PM, all her family, their ancestors, and all their relationships, throughout all time, space, dimension, past, present and future: For all hurts and wrongs, for all fear, unbending stubbornness, abandonment, refusal to stomach a person or situation you fear or don’t want to tolerate; For all the times you felt guilty, didn’t let things go, gave your power away to another, didn’t feel you deserved goodness, had to earn your value into your family, and didn’t listen to your gut, please help you all forgive each other, forgive yourselves, forgive all people and all people forgive you, please and thank you. For the Highest good, please lift all emotional and physical burdens; Transform them into your love, and allow your love to flow back into them, filling and giving them all complete peace, now and forever, please and thank you.” Now test it out and see how your stomach feels when thinking of the past. As my quote above mentions, by forgiving all involved from all lifetimes, the relief you’ll most likely experience, can finally cease being temporary. ~ ♥

Q: Dear Donnarose, I’ve been on a spiritual

journey and have grown so much in the past year. But I’m noticing more and more, that the people around me are not on the same page. When I try to give them advice or guide them, I sense resistance. How do you deal with that? ~ Blessings, AH A: “Live by example, not explanation.” ~ Donnarose Melvin As lightworkers, it’s our job to shine our light brighter so that those in the dark can see. However, due to free will, the timing of each individual’s decision to come towards the light varies. The key is to work on letting yourself be okay with their timing. It took me many years to enter the space my sister held for me. When she kept putting spiritual books in my view, it made me resist more. But once she let go, I suddenly found myself being more attracted to the light, and went up from there. Our soul knows when we’re ready. So trust me when I say, that when it’s time for those around you to get closer to the light, Spirit will orchestrate every single detail. Some day I’ll write more about it. But in the meantime, enjoy continuing your spiritual journey. And like my quote says, live by example, not by explanation. What will start to happen is what happened to me. Once my sister pulled back verbalizing what she thought was best for me, I stopped resisting, and instead started observing her actions. I started noticing her peaceful way of being, and liked the way her energy felt. And that’s when I started to follow in her footsteps, but with my own “Spirit team” instead. That was the Divine plan I later realized. So, instead of giving unsought advice, enjoy holding space for them, and continue living by example. And those who will need guidance will ask for it. And the others will continue to observe you. And when it’s their time to get closer to the Light, their angels and guides will make it be known. And you will feel the joy as I have watching those around you, one by one, enter on their path of Light.~♥ Donnarose Melvin is a professional intuitive medium, and also does powerful distant energy clearings. Her knowledge from her BA degree in Psychology, along with her natural intuitive gifts, have helped thousands achieve increased peace and success. Please send your questions to: Donnarose1010@gmail.com or Facebook private msg her at Donnarose. She will select questions each month to share with you. Donnarose regrets that unpublished questions cannot be answered individually. If you’d like an energy clearing, or an intuitive reading, please contact Donnarose at the email address above. * E-Gift Certificates are available!

MarinerWord Search New YearSEARCH 2017 WORD MarinerWord Search WORD LIST BABY NEW YEAR BALLOONS CELEBRATION WORD LIST CLOCK BABY NEW YEAR CONFETTI BALLOONS COUNT DOWN CELEBRATION DANCING CLOCK EVE CONFETTI FAMILY COUNT DOWN FIREWORKS DANCING FRIENDS EVE GAMES FAMILY GLITTER FIREWORKS HAPPY HATS FRIENDS HOLIDAY GAMES JANUARY GLITTER KISS HAPPY LATE HATSNIGHT LAUGHTER HOLIDAY MEMORIES JANUARY MIDNIGHT KISS MUSIC LATE NIGHT NEW CALENDAR LAUGHTER NEW YEAR MEMORIES NOISEMAKERS MIDNIGHT PARTY MUSIC REJOICE NEW CALENDAR RESOLUTIONS NEW YEAR SINGING NOISEMAKERS SPACE NEEDLE PARTY SPARKLERS REJOICE STREAMERS RESOLUTIONS SINGINGon Page 21 Answers SPACE NEEDLE

Wake & Shake

~Happy Anniversary Dear Donnarose! Wow! Jan 1st is the beginning of my 5th year with this column! I am beyond grateful to all of you who have supported my column since day one, and to Emy & Bob for having me on board. ~Blessings, and to all, a very Happy & Healthy 2017! ~Donnarose~♥ Q: Dear Donnarose, apparently I’m still weighing myself down with things that happened in my past, as when I think of certain events, my stomach still feels very tense. Please advise. ~Grateful always, PM

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Siesta Key REAL ESTATE & HOME SECTION ACCOMMODATIONS PAGE 46 SAND CASTLES PAGE 42

HOUSE HUNTING PAGE 43 HIGH & LOW OF SOLD PROPERTIES PAGE 38

The Highs and Lows of Properties Sold on Siesta Key

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

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

HIGHEST PRICED SINGLE-FAMILY PROPERTY: 7610 Sanderling Rd: Sold For $2,989,000 This breathtaking gulf-front estate property, located in the exclusive Sanderling Club on Siesta Key, presents a rare opportunity for the discerning buyer. At just under one acres, with 200 feet on the Gulf of Mexico, the expansive water views and tropical surroundings provide the ideal setting to create a magnificent waterfront residence. The home’s current owners have worked extensively

with renowned architect Guy Peterson to design a stunning, modern home in perfect juxtaposition to the lush foliage and endless sea and sky. Preliminary plans are available to the buyers if they choose to make this elegant estate home a reality. The existing cottage features 3 BR/3BA and is joined by a 2 BR guesthouse across a heated pool and terrace. The spacious living room has 9’ ceilings, a wood-burning fireplace and wood floors. The guesthouse features a game room with kitchen, pool table and bar. The two car garage contains a workshop and ample storage. A hardened shore, with a romantic walkover for watching sunsets and launching kayaks, provides added protection for the crystal sand beach on this wonderful property. The Sanderling Club is the only gated gulf-front community on Siesta Key, offering estate-sized home sites, a historic clubhouse and beach cabanas designed by Paul Rudolph, 3 tennis courts (one Har-tru), a playground and a 15 boat marina with direct bay access, all for the exclusive use of its Members only. The sale of this property came to $779.20 a square foot. Courtesy of Sotheby’s International Realty

HIGHEST PRICED CONDO: 5300 Ocean Blvd, #501: Sold For $799,000 Enjoy breathtaking views of the Gulf of Mexico and the white powder sands of Siesta Key beach from your open balcony in this immaculate property. This bright and pristine two bedroom, two bathroom condo is the perfect slice of paradise. This end unit has panoramic views of the Gulf and Siesta Key Village along with southern views of the beach. The owner’s suite includes a large walk in closet and private terrace. There are gorgeous views from every room. This condo has hurricane impact windows and shutters and has been freshly painted and staged. The building has on site management and a brand new lobby under construction. Wonderful outdoor pool area leading out to the beach and this location is right in the heart of Siesta Key Village. The sale on this unit came out to $552.56 a square foot. Courtesy of Sotheby’s International Realty

which features generous cabinetry, stainless appliances and granite countertops. From the family room, French doors lead to the private, screened lanai area, wonderful for outdoor dining, with a large heated pool surrounded by pavers and plenty of play space in the back yard. Upstairs, the spacious master suite enjoys a private, open-air deck plus two additional bedrooms, bath and bonus room. You’ll discover remodeled bathrooms, hardwood and ceramic tile floors throughout, as well as, decorative crown moldings and trim work. The mature landscaping offers incredible privacy and the feeling of Old Florida. The home features a state-of-theart solar system with a system for the pool pumps, one for the water heater and another for the rest of the home. This results in an average electric bill of only $38 per month, a cost savings that is rare to find. Close to both bridges on Siesta Key with easy access to the mainland for shopping, dining and activities and only 15 minutes by car to Sarasota’s urban downtown. The sale of this property came out to $293.73 a square foot. Courtesy of Michael Saunders

LOWEST PRICED CONDO: Midnight Pass Rd, #712: Sold For $287,000 Location, Location! Across the street from Beautiful Siesta Key Beach!! Sold Turnkey furnished, this two bedroom, two bathroom condo is move in ready! Features include an open floor plan and recently installed living room flooring. For your convenience there is a washer & dryer inside this condo and assigned covered parking. Amenities include a heated pool, dock slips, on a first come - first serve basis, a community room and kitchen. Perfect for a part-time, full time residence or an investor. White Sands Village has a two week minimum rental policy. Rental incomes gross up to $3900/month in season and there is on-site rental office. Enjoy the nearby Siesta Key Village. The sale came out to $283.60 a square foot. Courtesy of Michael Saunders

LOWEST PRICED SINGLE-FAMILY PROPERTY: 5352 Siesta Ct: Sold For $665,000 This beautifully updated home is located in one of the best communities on the island of Siesta Key, just 8/10 mile to the famous, powdery white sands of Siesta Beach. Tucked away on a quiet culde-sac with lush, tropical landscaping, this home is move-in-ready, offering vaulted ceilings, a first floor office, three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, plus a bonus room. The family room, with a fabulous wood-burning fireplace and spacious wet-bar area for easy gathering, flows seamlessly to the kitchen,

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“Ghostly” Landings Shopping Center Due to the plaza’s location close to The Landings, Siesta Key, and other residential areas, and the high-visibility location on the South Trail, the property offers significant potential, said Flynn, who is not involved with the sale but often shops at the plaza. Other pluses of the plaza include plentiful parking and convenient ingress and egress from U.S. 41. But “it has to sell at the right price,” adds Flynn. “And it just might, since it is going for sale through auction.” A new owner will want to purchase the commercial property at a realistic offering because of the costs associated with foreclosure properties, such as legal fees, and likely investment in retrofitting the property, such as re-doing the interior spaces, to enhance the plaza, Flynn said. An auction sale would likely result in a lower sale price, than a traditional sale on the commercial market. In addition, a lower price could also allow a new owner to consider the option of renting the retail spaces at a lower rate that could be viewed to retailers as more competitive with

other, nearby commercial rents. A large portion of the plaza could change ownership, but several parcels are not impacted by the foreclosure suit or the pending auction. The free-standing buildings near the shopping center — including Sweet Tomatoes and Olive Garden — are separately owned and were not impacted by the foreclosure proceedings. In addition, the parcel that houses the Publix grocery space, 4840 S. Tamiami Trail, is also separately owned, by Publix Super Markets Inc., and thus was not impacted by the proceedings. The shopping center is located on U.S. 41 just outside The Landings, and neither the plaza nor its owner Landing of Sarasota Florida LLC is affiliated with The Landings or LMA in any way.

A “Ghostly” plaza Beginning several years ago, several spaces within the plaza became vacant. In 2015, the 30,171-square-foot anchor Office Depot shut its doors in the 28-yearold shopping center. Bill Whitman, president of

Island Visitor Publishing, LLC

Continued from cover story

The Landings Homeowners Association, Inc., says he saw empty storefronts and heard about other problems at the plaza about three years ago, and saw a “drastic” rise in vacancies about a year-and-a-half ago. “It’s ghostly,” he says of the plaza now. “We would like to see a new owner come in, and clean it up,” Whitman said. “We would all like to see the Landings Plaza thrive.” Whitman says many Landings residents, both seasonal and yearround, have been loyal shoppers, but are saddened by the rise in vacancies, and an upgraded space could bring an uptick in customers again. Whitman said perhaps another restaurant, to compliment

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Gecko’s, would be a nice addition to the plaza. Flynn, the commercial realtor, said those involved in any transaction would likely research potential businesses that could fill the empty spaces in the plaza and fill a demand. Flynn said a luxury dealership, such as luxury cars or a boat dealership could fit. Other potential local retailers looking for a specific square footage could be interested in the Landings Plaza. Successful stores downtown, or in nearby storefronts, that have outgrown their retail spaces, for example, could also be interested in the Landings Plaza, Flynn noted, especially once the space is retrofitted.

Text KW2QX474R to 87778 Visit http://app.kw.com/KW2QX474R

or scan the QR code below

941.914.0667 22 S. Links Ave. Sarasota, FL. 34236

Paradise Awaits...

E IC ED! R P UC D RE

1122 Horizon View Drive, Sarasota, FL

322 Island Circle Sarasota, FL

Deeded Beach Access!!! Your feet will be in the Gulf of Mexico in 60 seconds. This immaculate pool home features large rooms and volume ceilings. Lovely oak Floors and stylish tile will dazzle you. 3 BR, 3.5 BA with LL bonus area for generational living. A truly unique find!

Beaches, boating and bistros! Live the island lifestyle in this spacious 4 BR, 4 BA house located on desirable Palm Island. Recently renovated with new kitchen, new master BR and master BA. Lounge in the heated pool and spa. Perfect home or investment property .

997,000

959,000

E IC ED! R P UC D RE

389 Island Circle, Sarasota, FL

Single Family Home, 4 BR, 4.5 BA, Private Pool, Corner Lot, 1 Car Attached Garage, Located on Palm Island on Siesta Key, A Short Walk To The Beach, Wood and Marble Flooring Throughout, Low Maintenance Yard, Private and Secluded

779,000

418 Island Circle, Sarasota, FL

Single Family Home, 3 BR, 2.5 BA Key West Style Grand Canal home on Siesta Key. Built in 2005. Huge lower level bonus area, pool shower, 4-car garage. Open floor plan. Custom touches, must see!

1,415,000

LE ! SA DING N PE

6151 Hollywood Blvd., Sarasota, FL

Front building consists of two 1 BR, 1 BA units. Rear building is a 3 BR, 2 BA unit. Close to beach and shopping. Walking distance to shopping. Upside potential.

425,000

5206 Winding Way, Sarasota, FL 5350 Calle Florida, Sarasota, FL Great Siesta Key home just a short walk to the sugary sands of Siesta Key Beach. Full remodeled with new stucco, paint and custom woodwork on the exterior. Brand new A/C unit, new stainless steel appliances. Bonus glassed-in Florida room is a pure joy for relaxation.

439,900

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

ddm1@comcast.net

Currently the lowest priced duplex close to the beach. 2 BR, 1 BA on each side. Possibilities abound on this property with room for a pool and low maintenance landscaping,. Rent out one side and use the other, or rent both sides for a great return on your investment.

500,000

Service. Integrity. Results.

Siesta Sand

JANUARY 2017

Siesta Promenade project The public workshop was designed so Benderson Development and Sarasota County could collect public input about what would be included in the scope of work for the mixed-use project that’s expected to break ground as soon as spring or summer of 2017. More than a 100 people attended the workshop. At the workshop, residents said they wanted to see the impacts of construction trucks on nearby infrastructure, a review into any potential protected wildlife species on the site, and the details of buffering between the project and neighborhood. But the key discussion points were traffic and density. “If you’re not willing to reduce density, you’re going to have a fight,” said resident Dave Driscoll. “I think it is just going to be unbearable,” a Siesta condo resident said, of concerns about traffic in Siesta’s gateway area that will follow more development. Sura Kochman, a resident and organizer for the nearby Pine Shores Neighborhood Alliance, asked that several intersections be added to the traffic study. John Huber, who lives off of Midnight Pass Road, said it is important that many more traffic studies are conducted during peak season. Although no speakers voiced support for currently-proposed plans, not all were downright opposed to development on the site. “The plus [to this project] is that anything would look better than what is there,” one resident said.

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Continued from cover story

“The minus is there are times now that [U.S.] 41 is backed up or [Stickney Point] is backed up for two miles” going onto the Key. Todd Mathes, Benderson’s director of development, said the company plans to try to build a project in line with what the site and surrounding neighborhoods can handle. Most recently, in October, Benderson Development again modified plans for its large scale, mixed-use Siesta Promenade project. That alternative plan comprised of fewer overall residential units, shorter buildings bordering the adjacent residential neighborhood, and two smaller hotels instead of one, taller hotel. The plan shrunk overall residential units from 586 to about 400, Todd Mathes, director of development at Benderson, told Siesta Sand in September. At the Dec. 19 workshop, Mathes emphasized that the meeting was held to discuss the parameters of a study the developer must conduct before the county can grant a density increase for the Siesta Promenade property. “Tonight is for us to hear from you,” Mathes said. Mathes said the developer needs to complete a scope of work outline, detailing studies that will look into the project’s impact on things such as traffic and county utilities, and present that to the county, before further refining it’s specific plans. The 24-acre property that was originally home to a mobile home park was slated, more than a decade ago, for initial redevelopment as “Siesta Point,” but that proposal

Bay Island Section of Siesta Key

fell victim to the Great Recession. Benderson is expected to seek an exception from the county to build a maximum of 25-residential units per acre, which is nearly double the 13 units allowed at the site.

More worries about Siesta Promenade The Bay Island Siesta Association has joined the Siesta Key Association (SKA) in writing to the County Commission to express concerns about the potential for Siesta Promenade to produce significantly more traffic problems for the island. Writing on Nov. 7, Bay Island Siesta Association President Gary Q. Yee pointed out that his organization represents “290 property owners on Bay Island and that portion of Siesta Key that lies within the city limits of Sarasota.” He added, “Our members

Buying a Retirement Home Get the Right Financing As you age, your financial will picture change and it might not be feasible to put a larger down payment on house when it comes time to buy your retirement home. The last thing you want is to become house rich and cash poor, because you likely won’t have the financial freedom you think you will. Meet with a financial advisor to explore your options because, in some cases, it can be better to have a small mortgage than no mortgage at all. The Pros & Cons of Different Communities There are several options out there for those over the age of 55. You can find a nice single-family home, opt for a maintenance-free condo, and even settle down in an active adult community or continuing-care retirement complex (CCRC). On one hand, active Adult and CCRC communities are great because they’re tailored to your lifestyle and evolving needs, but those extra services come at a premium. On the other, a single-family home or condo might cost less, but you

access our neighborhood via the second Gateway to Siesta Key, Siesta Drive. As you are aware our Gateway (Siesta Drive) has seen a tremendous increase in traffic and experienced gridlock at times especially with the Siesta Key Bridge raising and lowering. What was once a seasonal issue has grown to be an almost [year-round] challenge to get to and leave our neighborhood safely.” Yet, if Siesta Promenade is built as proposed, Yee continued, Bay Island residents expect Siesta Drive will see even more traffic, as people avoid Stickney Point Road. He pointed out that Siesta has only two means of vehicular access: Siesta Drive and Stickney Point Road. He then asked whether the commissioners “have taken the increased traffic across the Siesta Drive Gateway into consideration in their discussions with Benderson

on the Siesta Promenade project.” In concluding his letter, Yee wrote, “I can appreciate the commissioners’ role of balancing growth and livability in what has become a major tourist destination and also a great community [in which to reside]. I trust the commissioners will make the right decisions for our community.” In its letter earlier this fall, the SKA asked the County Commission for a comprehensive access management plan related to Siesta Promenade, if the County Commission agrees to allow the project to go forward as proposed. That plan, the SKA directors said in their Oct. 6 letter, should include provisions to ensure Siesta Key residents and property owners have access to the barrier island without having to contend with an overburdened Stickney Point Rd.

Continued from cover story

could be compromising on the array of senior-focused activities. There’s no one-size-fits-all place to live when it comes to your golden years, so do some research and ask your friends how they feel about where they live to determine what’s right for you. Don’t Forget About Your Friends & Family Whether you’re moving across the nation, state, or town, don’t lose sight of how important your immediate social network is to your lifestyle. If you want to live in Sarasota but your kids are in California, maybe a part-time residence would be a better option. When shopping for a house or condo, factor amenities into your plan and if you’re a social butterfly, find out if there are any clubs you can get involved with nearby. Consider Changes to Mobility It’s difficult to know when your mobility is going to change, which is why it’s a good idea to buy a home somewhere within walking or transit distance to stores, activities, and care facilities. A home is a long-term investment, and while you might not need this

care right now, you could in 5 or 10 years’ time. If all of a sudden you weren’t able to drive anymore, would you still be able to access your favorite places? Ready to call Sarasota home? The increasing inventory levels are giving buyers more options when considering a purchase. With prices still well off the peak, this is a great time to find a retirement home. About Key Solutions Real Estate Located on Sarasota’s beautiful Siesta Key, Key Solutions Real Estate is a full-service real estate company. We offer expertise in

every aspect of Sarasota real estate, from buying and selling to rentals and property management. Key Solutions has the advantages of any large, national company, yet our philosophy is to give you an intimate and unique perspective on real estate, because you deserve no less. Specializing in Sarasota and the Barrier Islands, let us show you how easy it is to start living the Sarasota lifestyle. Contact Us Today - (941)8941255 or search all the homes and condos for sale at www. KeySolutionsRealEstate.com (advertorial)

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Sand Castles

www.siestasand.net

Modern Style on Crescent Beach By Roger Drouin On the south end of Crescent beach, the Crescent Siesta Key is a boutique luxury condominium community in the cosmopolitan contemporary architectural style, featuring lush landscaping and two pools, including one on the beach with a spa. Owner Stacy Durbin compares the building’s crisp architectural style to the post-war Miami Modern movement — also known as MiMo — and she says such architecture is “about the design, featuring angles, wings, glass, and some curved elements.” “I love that the style is carried throughout the interior,” added Durbin. Inside, the units feature open floorplans and high ceilings and wide transom windows, allowing an “abundance of natural lighting,” Durbin says. “The community architecture is definitely contemporary,” added Realtor Bob Ruiz, of Key Solutions Real Estate. Built in 2006, the 26-unit condominium is one of the newer maintenance-free communities on the Key. There are oversized two-bedroom and three-bedroom units in the community, Ruiz said. They feature spacious master suites and high ceilings. The kitchens with islands are centerally located, Ruiz added. “Along with the volume ceilings, this creates a very open floorplan,” Ruiz said. The units all have balcony lanais and many have outdoor kitchens. The property has under-building parking and two sets of elevators; each unit includes a storage facility, as well. Additional amenities include: a fitness center and well-appointed community social room with an attached patio. “I love that The Crescent has a private, barefoot luxury feel,” says Durbin, who lives fulltime in Fort Collins, Colorado with her husband. The couple typically spends four to six visits a year at their unit, but they plan to move seasonally to Crescent once their two youngest children graduate high school. The community is located across the street from Captain Curt’s Crab & Oyster Bar and conveniently located to restaurants, shops, and a grocery store. Other popular, smaller rental condominium complexes are located in this area, Ruiz noted, as well as the Siesta Key Hyatt. “I recommend my friends to explore the Point of Rocks,” adds Durbin. “It’s peaceful to fish there in the morning and to snorkel later in the day. The limestone ledges make surprisingly beautiful formations.” “I selected this community because of the small size of the complex and the location of the building,” Durbin says. We prefer this end of the beach and like the proximity to the South Bridge.” Crescent has an onsite manager. “Our professional manger is dedicated to providing the owners a carefree experience when they are here,” Durbin says. “He continually maintains and upgrades the property. I love to come home to a stress free environment.” The community also has a rental program. During season (January-April) there is a one-month minimum for rentals and then the minimum rental converts to weekly for the remainder of the year. Slightly more than half of

the units, Ruiz said, are available for rent, although there is a combination of owner-use mixed in with the rentals.

Recent listings: • One current listing is a two bedroom unit listed by Todd Nahrwold, of Key Solutions Real Estate Group. The 1,650-square-foot corner unit is listed for $1,294,000, or $785 a square foot. According to listing information on MLS, this highly sought after unit has a history of producing $64,000 in annual rental income. The furnished unit features ceramic and wood flooring throughout, and a large lanai with an outdoor kitchen. • A three-bedroom, three-bathroom unit with 2,143 square feet is listed for $2.64 million, and was recently reduced. The listing price comes to $1,236 a square foot. It comes furnished and features bamboo and tile floors throughout and custom upgrades, according to listing information on MLS. A Poggenpohl chef’s kitchen includes custom cabinetry and granite countertops. Glass sliders lead to a covered 10’ x 17’ lanai with full beach views and an outdoor kitchen. The lanai faces the courtyard pool. The master’s suite has an upscale master bath, full Gulf views and sliders that lead to the lanai. The guest suite has a private bath, and there is a Murphy bed in the 3rd bedroom/office. • A three-bedroom, and two-and-a-half bath unit with 1,991 square feet is listed for $1.49 million, or $753 a square foot. According to the MLS listing, the original owners have rarely used this nearly-new condition unit, and it has never been leased.

One current listing at Crescent is a two bedroom unit listed by Todd Nahrwold, of Key Solutions Real Estate Group.

Making Things Happen on Siesta Key...BOB and SHERI RUIZ T C A R T

ON ER C

UND

The Pointe on Midnight Pass

JUST

SO T S JU

SOLD

Harbour Towne Yacht Club

Peppertree Bay

Somerset Cove

Lovely 1/1 on the 9th floor with incredible water views. Enjoy sunrises and sunsets. Turnkey furnished with every amenity.

Ideally located near Siesta Beach and ICW. Large 2/2 end unit with garage and boat dock. Storage and in-unit laundry. Tastefully turnkey furnished MLS #A4128627

Direct bay views from this fabulous 2/2 in sought-after Peppertree community. Tastefully, turnkey furnished. Private garage. MLS#A4149092

Fabulous 4/3.5 home minutes to Beach and Village. 2 car garage, elevator, deeded boat dock with 10k lift. Gated enclave of just 11 homes with community pool.

MLS #A4169754 $359,000

$449,000

$590,000

MLS#A4145095 $779,000

Your Resident Siesta Key Realtors

Gulf & Bay Bayside

Great beach home, vacation or rental property.Deeded beach access just across the street. 3/2 end unit and 2/2 with water view. Both beautifully renovated and furnished with attached garage MLS #A4142552 $650,000 MLS #A4153479 $549,000

Harbour Towne Yacht Club

Beautifully renovated and turnkey furnished 3/3 with deeded 40’ dock and 10k lift. Garage and abundant storage. Just across the street from Siesta Beach MLS #A4167104 Just Reduced For Value Sale $699,000

The Pointe on Midnight Pass Incomparable views of the Bay from this fabulously renovated and furnished 2/2. Tile throughout, granite, stainless, built-ins and great lighting features. Clubhouse, fitness, boat docks, kayak, etc. MLS #A4165199 $480,000

Bob Ruiz 941-544-3299 RobertRuizRR@aol.com Sheri Ruiz 941-400-4186 Sheri Lasley@aol.com www.SiestaKeyNow.com

Key Solutions Real Estate Group

www.siestasand.net

941.349.0194

JANUARY 2017

Island Visitor Publishing, LLC

House Hunting Siesta Key to Longboat Key • TUSCAN INSPIRED MASTERPIECE ON PALM ISLAND: $779,000. 389 Island Circle, Siesta Key, FL. MLS# A4110340. 4,134 sq. ft. single family home. 4 bedrooms, 4 ½ baths, roof top pool, private spacious in-law/ guest apartment with separate entrance. Dan Miller, Re/Max Tropical Sands. 941-376-7442 • KEY WEST STYLE GRAND CANAL HOME ON SIESTA KEY: $1,415,000. 418 Island Circle, Siesta Key, FL. MLS#A3990080. 3BD/3BA. Lushly landscaped tropical lot with Tiki Bar in the pool/spa area. Dan Miller, Re/Max Tropical Sands. 941-376-7442 • HOME ON CANOPIED ROAD: $439,900. 5206 Winding Way, Siesta Key, FL. MLS# A4163466. Fully remodeled home just a short walk to the sugary sands of Siesta Key beach. Single family home located in a canopied neighborhood with new stucco paint and custom woodwork on exterior. New A/C unit and stainless steel appliances. Dan Miller, Re/Max Tropical Sands. 941-376-7442

Saunders & Company Licensed Real Estate Broker. 941-350-0451 (Judy) or 941-266-4873 (Tara) • 1445 GULF OF MEXICO, #401, THE PLAYERS CLUB, $949,000: MLS A4123420. Longboat Key Gulf front Penthouse, 3bd/3Bth on the beach in the Players Club. Judy Greene/Tara Lamb, Michael Saunders & Company Licensed Real Estate Broker, 941-350-0451 (Judy) or 941-266-4873 (Tara) • 5420 EAGLES POINT CIR #401, THE LANDINGS $599,000: MLS #A4163181. 3Bd/2.5Bth Updated Penthouse Condo Intracoastal View Judy Greene/Tara Lamb, Michael Saunders & Company Licensed Real Estate Broker. 941-350-0451 (Judy) or 941-266-4873 (Tara) • 5430 EAGLES POINT CIR #203, THE LANDINGS $899,0000: MLS #4162162. 3 BD plus Den / 4.5 BA with private garage. Spacious floor plan. Judy Greene/Tara Lamb, Michael Saunders & Company Licensed Real Estate Broker. 941350-0451 (Judy) or 941-266-4873 (Tara)

• DEEDED BEACH ACCESS: $997,000. 1122 Horizon View Drive, Siesta Key, FL. MLS# A4163952. This immaculate pool home features large rooms and volume ceilings. Lovely oak floors and stylish tile will dazzle you. 3BD/3/5BA with LL bonus area for general living. Dan Miller, Re/Max Tropical Sands. 941-376-7442

• 1695 STARLING DR, LANDINGS VILLA $525,000: MLS #A4163378. 3BD/2.5BA Villa at Eagles Point- spacious and brightmaster downstairs/2 beds and a loft up. Judy Greene/Tara Lamb, Michael Saunders & Company Licensed Real Estate Broker, 941350-0451 (Judy) or 941-266-4873 (Tara)

• RECENTLY RENOVATED PALM ISLAND HOME: $959,000. 322 Island Circle, Siesta Key, FL. MLS# A4170620. Spacious 4 BR, 4 BA house. Recently renovated with new kitchen, new master BR and master BA. Lounge in the heated pool and spa. Dan Miller, Re/Max Tropical Sands. 941-376-7442

• 6234 MIDNIGHT PASS ROAD, #207, SIESTA DUNES, $868,500: MLS #A4165035. 2BD/2BA completely updated/model perfect/great rental history. Judy Greene/Tara Lamb, Michael Saunders & Company Licensed Real Estate Broker, 941-350-0451 (Judy) or 941-266-4873 (Tara)

• LOWEST PRICED DUPLEX CLOSE TO THE BEACH: $500,000. 5350 Calle Florida, Siesta Key, FL. MLS# A4169144. 2 BR, 1 BA on each side. Possibilities abound on this property with room for a pool and low maintenance landscaping. Dan Miller, Re/Max Tropical Sands. 941-376-7442

• 1350 SIESTA BAYSIDE Great vacation home or investment property. Deeded beach access just across the street. Beautifully furnished 3/2 with garage. MLS#A4172526, $590.000. Key Solutions Real Estate Group, Sheri & Bob Ruiz. Bob: 941-544-3299 or Sheri: 941-400-4186.

• 4696 PINE HARRIER DR, THE LANDINGS, $645,000: MLS #A4162558. Family home with 3Bd/2.5 BA, Caged Lanai and Pool. Judy Greene/Tara Lamb, Michael

• PEPPERTREE BAY Direct bay views from this fabulous 2/2 in sought-after Peppertree community. Tastefully, turnkey furnished. Private garage. MLS#

A4149092, $610,000. Key Solutions Real Estate Group, Sheri & Bob Ruiz. Bob: 941-544-3299 or Sheri: 941-400-4186. • 1372 SIESTA BAYSIDE Intercoastal views and Siesta beach access. Beautifully renovated 2 bedroom 2 bath vacation or investment property with garage. Turnkey furnished. MLS# A4153479, $549,000. Key Solutions Real Estate Group Sheri and Bob Ruiz. Bob: 941-544-3299 or Sheri: 941-400-4186. • THE POINTE - Wake to incredible sunrises over the Bay from this fabulously renovated and beautifully furnished 2/2. Tile throughout, granite, stainless, built-ins and great lighting features. MLS# A4165199, $480,000. Key Solutions Real Estate Group, Sheri & Bob Ruiz. Bob: 941-544-3299 or Sheri: 941-400-4186. • HARBOUR TOWNE YACHT CLUB - Minutes walk to Siesta Beach with deeded 40’ boat dock with 10k lift. 3/3 on 2 floors with

garage and abundant storage. Beautifully renovated. MLS# A4157104, $699,000. Key Solutions Real Estate Group, Sheri & Bob Ruiz. Bob: 941-544-3299 or Sheri: 941-400-4186 • TURNKEY FURNISHED CONDO - Across the street from the beach, this 2 BD/2 BA has lots of renovations. The Key West style gated property can be a fabulous vacation residence or excellent investment property. 1372 Siesta Bayside Dr. #1372-C, Siesta Key, $575,000 MLS #A4153479 Key Solutions Real Estate, (941)894-1255 • TURNKEY FURNISHED TOWNHOME - This 3BD/2BA townhome, is totally updated. The gated waterfront community features fabulous recreational facilities, a private boat slip, garage, and is just a short walk to the beach. 1267 Dockside PL #214, Siesta Key, $705,000 MLS #A4155386 Key Solutions Real Estate, (941)894-1255 • SIESTA KEY GEM - This 3 BD/2 BA home in the heart of charming

Siesta Village features a split floor plan with a loft and cathedral ceilings. House has a large yard (.39 of an acre) perfect for entertaining and relaxing poolside. For investment opportunity, home can rent for $4000-5000 per month. 4868 Featherbed Ln, Siesta Key, $699,999 MLS#A4164700 Key Solutions Real Estate, (941)894-1255 • SPECTACULAR BAYFRONT TOWNHOME - This 2,326 square foot 3 bed, 3 bath Condo with Gourmet kitchen and lots of upgrades has an attached garage, deeded 25’ boat slip with new lift, and is just a short walk to Siesta Key Beach. 1333 Dockside PL # 223, Siesta Key, $979,000 MLS # A4157478 Key Solutions Real Estate, (941)894-1255 • BUILD YOUR DREAM CUSTOM HOME WEST OF THE TRAIL in one of the most desirable neighborhoods in Sarasota. The over-sized lot allows flexibility of construction. 16,436 SqFt. $359,000. Maria Rocha 941-275-6266 Keller Williams On The Water.

January 19, 2017 WE’RE HAVING A

THURSDAY MICHAEL’S JANUARY 19, 2017

11am – 2pm $65 member $70 non member DEBORAH GRIGAITIS & TERRY DAMM, CHAIRS Fashions provided by:

ON EAST

KEYNOTE SPEAKER: SARASOTA’S OWN CONTEMPORARY DESIGNER CAMI BETH FROM CAMILYN BETH “DRESS BY DECADES” WWW.CAMILYNBETH.COM

FOR TICKETS & INFORMATION 941.955.0875 SARASOTAGARDENCLUB.ORG

Siesta Sand

JANUARY 2017

ACCOMMODATIONS / VACATION RENTALS • Best Western Plus Siesta Key – AAA -3 Diamond Property, Free shuttle service to and from Siesta Key 941-924-4900, 6600 S. Tamiami Trl., Sarasota • Siesta 4 Rent - Vacation Rentals, from studios to 5 bedrooms. Serving Siesta Key since 1997, 941-349-5500 • Siesta Key Realty Rentals, Reservations, and Property Management. Homes and Condos, 1-3 Bedrooms. Serving Siesta Key since 1992. Siestakeyrealtyrentals.com, 941-349-8900.

ANTIQUES

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Classifieds / Here’s My Card CLEANING SERVICES

www.relicsonthekey.com relicsonthekey@gmail.com (941) 346-3600 Phone 5049 Ocean Blvd Like us on (941) 346-7600 Fax Relicsonthekey Siesta Key Village

BEACH & BABY EQUIPMENT RENTALS

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We don’t cut corners, we dust them.

A family owned business with 16 years of experience.

• High quality services • Competitive rates • Great references • Always the same crew www.SarasotaHouseCleaningService.com

941-929-1850

5700 Midnight Pass Road, Siesta Key www.abcbabyrental.com

BOATING RENTALS / FISHING CHARTERS

Environmentally Conscious Laundry and Dry Cleaning Service

Free Pick Up & Delivery Service

GreenMagicCleaning@gmail.com Call for a FREE estimate today!

(941) 780-4248

Call

The

Digital Handyman Computer Support Specialist

In-Home and Remote Support Software Installation and Training Virus Recovery and Security Home and Office Networking

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ExEcutivE Shirt SErvicE • houSEhold itEmS • SamE day SErvicE availablE

DENTIST

COMPUTER SUPPORT

Steve Lombardo

SARASOTA’S BEST BABY RENTAL CENTER SELF SERVICE NOW AVAILABLE Order online or by phone Available 24/7 CLEAN • SAFE • RELIABLE

DRY CLEANERS

Green Magic Cleaning Service

Vintage, Antique, Mid-Century

Relics on the Key

www.siestasand.net

Scott G. Ames

www.scottamesdmd.com

D.M.D.

General & Cosmetic Dentistry

941-923-1910

The Office Park, Suite 101-B 2477 Stickney Pt. Rd. Sarasota, FL 34231

ENTERTAINMENT

Tom The Tech Guy

Computer Repair, Smartphone and Wireless Configuration and Setup, Printer and TV Installation and Much More!

Thomas J. Smith

941-526-9105

tommy8223@yahoo.com

Having Fun Fishing in The Sun

941-400-2452

Tony Fudoli Sr. CAPTAIN tntfreedomfishing@yahoo.com

Veteran Owned Business

Sarasota and Surround Areas

PATIO, WICKER, & CAS FURNITUR ALL ON SALE AT HUG

CONTRACTORS

New LookReasonable Prices! Shower & Bathtub Walls

Cleaned - Regrouted - Caulked - Sealed

Shower & Bath Makeovers

• CB’s Saltwater Outfitters – CB’s Saltwater Outfitters is an Free Estimates ORVIS Endorsed Outfitter Fishing Charter Service serving Siesta Key as well as Longboat Key, Lido Key, Sarasota and Venice. Call John Our veteran guides offer exciting Fishing Adventures for Sarasota resident since 1974 anglers of all ages from novice to the expert. See our website: www.showerandbathsarasota.com www.CBsOutfitters.com or stop in their store for additional info. 1240 Stickney Point Rd, Siesta Key. (941)349-4400. • Hawk’s Nest Construction Inc. is a certified Class A general contractor licensed in all phases of construction. Owner, Mark Hawkins Sr. personally oversees every aspect of your project from start to finish, using only the best and most reliable licensed artisan and craftsmen. His passion is delighting his clients by turning their home-improvement dreams into a beautiful reality. Call 941-650-9499 or visit their website: www.hawksnestconstruction.com.

941.377.2940

FURNITURE PATIO FURNITURE DIRECT Bring in this ad to get

20%

off your TOTAL PURCHASE

*Expires January 31 2017, not valid on BBQ grills and accessories*

PATIO OUTLET LOCATION: 7261 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, FL 34231 HOURS: Open 10am-6pm daily Sun 12pm-5pm | Closed Wednesday

HOUSE WATCH

941-896-6400 www.kathleend.net

(941) 961-4309

CANDY & SWEETS

www.SuncoastHomeConcierge.com

House Watch Sarasota Licensed and Insured

Affordable and Dependable Service Solutions For Your Home While You Are Away LANDINGS RESIDENT OWNED AND OPERATED

www.qualitycountscleaning.com Bring In This Ad And Receive

20% OFF

Your Total Purchase

941.312.4118 candytimesarasota@gmail.com 2067 Siesta Drive • Sarasota, FL 34239

CARDS & GIFTS

Start The New Year Off Right

OFF

Bring In This Ad And Receive TOTAL PURCHASE Expires 01/31/17

Ellen’s For All Your Hallmark Needs

941-365-1444

3800 S. Tamiami Trl., Sarasota, FL 34239 (in the Paradise Plaza)

941.756.1082 Carpet, Tile and Upholstery Cleaning • Free Estimates • Satisfaction Guaranteed • Stain Specialists • Chamber of Commerce Members

Serving Manatee and Sarasota Counties Locally Owned and Operated

• Wilson Windows is a State Certified General Contractor specializing in glass porch enclosures and window replacement. They offer only top quality products installed by professionally trained technicians. All projects are engineered and permitted to meet the new state building codes related to impact, water infiltration and high velocity windload calculations. Their services include window repair, new custom screens, glass cut to size, and hard to find window parts inventory at both locations. Fully insured and their work is guaranteed. 941-921-1113, www. wilson-window.com.

R. BRuce Whittinghill, llc (941) 955-1864

Call or e-mail sarasotabruce1@housewatchsrq.com housewatchsrq.com for quotes and references Serving SaraSota and Surrounding areaS Since 1979

MEDICAL

Dermatology Skin CanCer laSer, Botox anD Hair/nail DiSorDerS 1952 Field Road Sarasota, Florida 34231

J Morgan O’Donoghue, MD.

www.dermatologyexperts.com

Nathaniel Swartz, PA-C

Amy Fenenga PA-C

941.926.7546

www.siestasand.net

941.349.0194

JANUARY 2017

Classifieds / Here’s My Card MEDICAL

Island Visitor Publishing, LLC

TRANSPORTATION

Deep tissue massage is our specialty

941-928-9200

Pierre Nedelcovych, M.D.

DRIVER TIPS ONLY

www.sarasotamedcenter.com info@sarasotamedcenter.com

A Healer’s Touch

3800 Tamiami Trail

(Corner of Bay Street & Hwy 41/Paradise Plaza by Silverberg Jewelry)

• Massage Experience Siesta Key Open 7-day a week. 5138A Ocean Blvd, Siesta Key, 941-349-4833. (MA17596/MM6727).

MISCELLANEOUS SERVICES

Restaurants and Accommodations Operating 10AM to 2AM Daily

www.JonnysOriginalFreeRide.com

FAAFP FAAUCM

US 41 Office 941-927-1234 • Siesta Key Office 941-312-6708

SERVICING

Siesta Key Beach Siesta Village Turtle Beach

MA34776

For First Massage

Family Practitioners • Pediatrics-Geratrics • Urgent Care

15-20 MINUTE RESPONSE TIME (Based upon traffic)

941.920.0010

65/hr.

CONTINUED

RIDE THE KEY FREE

SPAS / HAIR & BEAUTY

CONTINUED

• Jonny’s Original Free Ride – The Original Ride the Key Free service on Siesta to anywhere, everyday from 10 AM – 2 AM. Driver tips only. Call 941-928-9200. • Dollar Limo – holds up to 10 people and is cheaper than a D.U.I or taxi. Call 941-735-4732

COUPON Presidential Airport Transportation $

10 Off Coupon

Present this coupon with payment upon arrival

Welcome Back Snowbirds!

PRESIDENTIAL Sarasota Florida

pressrq.com

Olde Fashion Barber Shop

PART TIME JOBS

ther”

“Hot La

941-312-6001

South Gate Barber Shop (Across from Southgate Mall)

Walk-Ins Welcome

Monday-Friday 9 AM-6 PM; Saturday 9 AM-4PM

www.SouthgateBarbers.com

• For 100 years, we have provided the most comprehensive property management services in both the commercial and residential industries. Your investment is our priority. Experience the difference. Call today for a free rental price analysis. 941-952-3168. McMullenProperties.com

REAL ESTATE AGENTS

HELENE M. HYLAND REALTOR®

WANTED TO BUY SPORTS RENTALS / ACCESSORIES • 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. 941-554-4242

(941) 685-2274 Cell (941) 349-4411 Office (800) 237-9403 Toll Free (941) 349-8090 Fax HeleneHyland@comcast.net

IN-STORE

COUPONS AVAILABLE!

5145 Ocean Blvd. Sarasota, FL 34242 www.SheSellsSiestaKeySarasota.com

Officially licensed accessories from the NFL, MLB, NCAA and NHL Mon. - Fri. 10 - 5 Sat. 10 - 4

www.skyboxstore.com

Piro & Associates REALTORS®

2163 Siesta Drive Sarasota, FL 34239 941-923-0635

• 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

Expert in 1031 Exchange

Office: (941) 923-3900 Cell: (941) 356-8699 Fax: (941) 924-0086 mail: piroassociates@comcast.net Website: www.pirorealty.com

Friendliest Ride In Town

2081 Siesta Drive, Sarasota, FL 34239

PROPERTY MANAGEMENT

Owned and Operated by NRT, LLC

Transportation for everyone on the Sun Coast

Tapers • Flattops • Fades • Styling • Razor Cuts • Shaves

• Part time Book Keeper/Receptionist 20-25 hours per week. Processing and paying A/P & A/R invoices. Perform secretarial duties and answer phones. Microsoft word and excel experience required. Please call Davidson Drugs at 941-365-1515 and ask for Deborah.

941-343-2277

James J. Piro, MAI, CCIM Licensed Real Estate Broker

• Siesta Sports Rentals – Located on Siesta Key, bike, kayak, kayak tours, scooter, children strollers and car seats. Delivery and pickup available, 6551 Midnight Pass Rd, 941-346-1797

SENIOR SERVICES

7719 Holiday Drive, Sarasota, FL 34231 SARASOTA

Siesta Beach Realty FLORIDA Steven Whitmore, Broker

• 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

941-993-5722

SPECIAL OFFER : List Your Home With Me For 4%!

• Making things happen on Siesta Key with Real Estate agents Bob and Sheri Ruiz from Key Solutions Real Estate Group. If you are looking to buy or sell on the Key contact us. Bob Ruiz 941-544-3299 RobertRuizRR@aol.com, Sheri Ruiz 941-400-4186 SheriLasley@aol.com

TRANSPORTATIONAnswers from

Airport Rides From Sarasota To:

Page 14

941.735.4732 New Year 2017

Picked up from Airport:

SRQ

$ 30

$ 40

TPA/St. Pete

$105

$125

Punta Gorda

$ 70

$ 80

Miami

$250

$300

Orlando

$200

$220

Prices Include Tolls, Fuel & Parking For Airport Pickups your Chauffeur will have a sign with your name on it.

• Your Siesta Dunes and Landings Preferred Partners in Real Estate, Judy Greene 941-350-0451 and Tara Lamb 941-266-4873 • Sun Ride Pedicab – Eco-friendly Pedicabs. Siesta Key Tours with Michael Sanders & Company 5100 Ocean Blvd Siesta Key and rides – tips only, 941-343-3400 34242 JudyGreene@MichaelSanders.com • Siesta Key Free Rides – Siesta Key Free island shuttle for beach, village, condo and tours – tips only. Electric vehicles. Call 941952-8294

TO ADVERTISE CALL 941-349-0194

AY WE PH! S CA

WANTED:

All Motor Homes, 5th Wheels and Travel Trailers Any Condition! Cash Paid On The Spot!

CALL NOW FOR FAST, EASY SALE

954-789-7530

IMPORTANT NUMBERS Emergency (General)................................................. 911 Emergency Animal Clinic.........................941-929-1818 Fishing & Hunting Licenses.....................941-362-9888 FPL – Florida Power & Light....................941-917-0708 FPL – Outage Report............................. 1-800-468-8243 Marriage License Bureau..........................941-362-4066 Poison Info Center................................. 1-800-282-3171 Sarasota / Bradenton Intl. Airport................................ ......................................................................941-359-2770 Sarasota County Area Transit (SCAT).......................... ......................................................................941-316-1234 Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce................................ ......................................................................941-349-3800 Sheriff / non-emergency..........................941- 861-1601 Waste Management...................................941-924-1254

MarinerWord Answers to the Search WORD SEARCHwww.TheMariner.com found on page 37

Use my 30 years of experience to help you with your property.

Visit our website at: SiestaBeachRealty.com Call or email me stevenwhitmore@verizon.com

RV4CASH

Siesta Sand

JANUARY 2017

941.349.0194

Accommodations Locator Map

See our maps of the island online at www.siestasand.net/maps

www.siestasand.net

941.349.0194

JANUARY 2017

Island Visitor Publishing, LLC

24/7 Emergency Dentistry Call for your appointment now! (941) 375-4005

$150

One Tooth Extraction

(D7210) Uninsured patients only. During regular business hours. Not valid with any other offers. Wisdom teeth are extra. After hours and weekends are extra.* Expires 1-31-2017. Code 026

FREE

Oral Sedation

(D9248) Will need driver. During regular business hours. After hours and weekends are extra. Uninsured patients only. Not valid with any other offers.* Expires 1-31-2017. Code 026

EmergencyDentistry.com

Siesta Sand

JANUARY 2017

Island Girl

Katie

941.349.0194

This month’s Island Girl is Katie of Clermont, near Orlando. A graduate of Florida State University, she earned her Doctor of Pharmacy degree at LECOM. About her life Katie said, “I’ve worked so hard to get to this point in my life and I am so grateful to be able to wake up and say “I love my job” and mean it 100%. Every day I get to look forward to meeting new people, researching information about a drug or condition, giving a seasonal flu shot, counseling patients on their medications and healthy lifestyle choices, and I am thrilled to be doing what I love to do every day.” When she’s not working, you’ll find her working out almost every day and teaching cycling classes at her local gym. Katie loves Siesta Key’s beautiful beach, laid back atmosphere, breathtaking sunsets, delicious fresh seafood, and interacting at her favorite drum circle on Sunday nights. If you would like to be considered for our next Island Girl, contact us at islandvp@verizon.net (You must be at least 18 years old to participate)