IV Siesta Sand - March 2014 by Brion Palmer

Why the world comes to Sarasota

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A gifted and prolific playwright lives in our midst. Jack Gilhooley has been the recipient of dozens of awards...

“Home is where the heart is..” And their heart is put into everything they do at Mayta’s Peruvian Restaurant to honor their Home country and you...

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BEACH PROJECT Q & A PAGE 30

Meet the New Executive Director of the Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce By Bob Stein I recently had the opportunity to sit down and ask Debra Lynn-Schmitz, new Executive Director of the Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce a few questions. Debra took over the position vacated by Kevin Cooper‘s departure to the Sarasota Chamber of Commerce.

DRIVERS Take Note:

The sign on the corner of Stickney Point Road & Midnight Pass Road was recently changed from: NO TURN ON RED WHEN PEDESTRIANS ARE PRESENT to simply NO TURN ON RED. This was undoubtedly done to prevent accidents at this intersection. But with the seasonal increase in traffic, combined with the newly installed cross walks for pedestrians on Midnight Pass Road, an unintended consequence has resulted from this action. During peak times, cars are backed up to Hwy. 41 and Stickney Point Road. After sitting through two or more lights at this intersection without moving, can we say road rage?

What prompted you to apply for the Executive Director position?

Story continued on page 18.

A Message from the Siesta Key Association By Beverly B. Arias Debra Lynn-Schmitz

So many of us enjoy living here or near Siesta Key and hope to enjoy its bounty of island pleasures for years to come. Let’s just imagine, some years from now, how great it will be to visit our favorite Siesta Beach with its renovated pavilion area and park grounds. We will walk along the newly laid pedestrian esplanade toward our now world-famous

Does Handwriting Matter In The Digital Age?

By Diana Colson

A debate now rages over whether or not to continue teaching cursive handwriting in America’s schools. With focus now on computing, texting, tweeting and the like, maybe all a child needs is to learn how to print. According to ABC NEWS, 41 states no longer require cursive writing to be included in their curriculum. Administrators in these states feel instruction in cursive has gone the way of the dinosaurs, and classroom time would be better spent on teaching keyboard skills. Not so—reports Concordia University Online—a Journal of news and resources for teachers. This journal takes stand that cursive writing should be taught in schools, and it gives a multitude of reasons: cursive develops

I have been interested in an opportunity with the Siesta Key Chamber for many years. I have been an ambassador for the “Best Beach in America” throughout my travels and in Medina. Siesta Key has been a part of my life since I was very young and I’ve often told my husband that if there were ever a chance I would love to serve the Siesta Key Chamber.

fine motor skills because it uses hand muscles in a unique way. Cursive develops a different skill set than the act of writing in print, furthering motor skill development. MRI’s have shown in that writing in cursive activates a different part of the brain, a fact that aids in increasing retention. Cursive is considered to be faster than printing, an important factor in taking accurate notes. Supported by research, Concordia University has concluded that cursive not only reinforces learning, it also helps students with di sa b i l i t i e s, e sp e ci a l l y those with dyslexia. The University takes the position that cursive is an art form all its own, an art form which also connects students to the past.

shore. From afar, we set our eyes on the bluegreen water with happy anticipation as we wonder how the waves will feel on our bare feet. Even on the hottest days, we walk easily on the ever-cool and squeaky white sand of the finest quartz.

New Technology Gives Scammers Big Edge By Robert Frederickson WORK AT HOME! Great opportunity. Be your own boss working from home. Acting experience helpful but not required. Prior criminal experience a plus. Those with a conscience need not apply. Fun, entertaining work convincing folks you have their best interests at heart when actually (and here’s the fun part) nothing could be further from the truth! Unlimited leads, especially in areas like Florida where millions of unsuspecting retirees are ready to hand over their cash. By following a few simple rules, the chances of ever getting caught are virtually nil! Call today and get started on your new career path tomorrow!

Photo Source; AP Story continued on page 33.

KEY SOLUTIONS REAL ESTATE

Story continued on page 12.

While you may never see a job description like this, make no mistake, it reflects a career choice many morally challenged individuals are pursuing in ever increasing numbers.

Pity the poor old-school scammers. They’re still out there, knocking on doors trying to sell you unneeded goods and services. Their stock-in-trade? Cons like the utility department scam that has recently resurfaced locally. In this vintage ruse, you get a card in the mail appearing to be from the water department offering to test your home’s water for free. But if you agree...surprise! You’ll hear you need a whole house purification system they just happen to have available...for several hundred dollars. But in yet another example of economic creative destruction, a new, more dangerous breed of scammers is slowly supplanting these oldschoolers. The traditionalists routinely get caught and convicted, mostly because they’re physically connected to the cons they run. Story continued on page 26.

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LOCAL MAPS & INFORMATION See Page 17

Island Chatter

By Diana Colson

Siesta Key Association February Meeting Notes COMMUNITY REPORTS

COMMITTEE REPORTS

Sheriff McGregor said there had been a rash of condo burglaries, most with unlocked doors. They have a solid suspect. They believe he watches people leave the building before entering, then removes only part of the money and/or jewelry he finds, making the theft less obvious. The suspect always wears the same things: sandals, a white ball cap, and a greenish or gray shirt. You are urged to keep your doors locked. Sheriff McGregor went on to say that the parking situation on Avenida de Mayo is a mess right now. Signs have been installed by the County but are facing every which way. “We don’t have a lot to do with signs,” he said. “We just enforce them.” Parking will not be enforced until the sign situation gets straightened out.

Bob Luckner spoke of the upcoming return of the Snowy Plovers, nesting from February to August along the Gulf Coast. Nesting from March to August are the Black Skimmers, Least Terns, American Oystercatchers, and Wilson’s Plovers. Disturbance of these beach-nesting birds threatens their survival. Each nest is critical. By being a responsible beach-user, you can help beachnesting birds and their young survive. The rules established by the Florida Shorebird Alliance are simple: keep your distance; respect posted areas; never intentionally force birds to fly; keep pets away from nesting areas; keep the beach clean; do not feed wildlife; and spread the word. For more information, visit www. FLShorebirdAlliance.org. or www. MyFWD.com. Violations against wildlife may be reported at 888404-3922. Volunteers are always welcome!

SHERIFF’S REPORT:

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ENVIRONMENT:

OUT DOOR DISPLAY – SKVA:

Michael Shay reported that several businesses have come up with a proposal to try to change the ordinance concerning outdoor display. The proposal would allow each store to obtain a permit to display a fixed amount of items in front of their business. This proposal has not yet been approved.

AVENIDO DE MAYO:

SKA considers it a big disappointment that the parking matter is not yet resolved. (Sheriff McGregor had previously explained the situation.) SKA considers this matter urgent because emergency vehicles need access along that street.

NEW BUSINESS

SATURDAY, MARCH 22:

The Great American Cleanup is scheduled. The County is sponsoring Keep Sarasota Beautiful, and will supply t-shirts, trash bags and gloves. Plans are to clean Siesta Beach starting at the pavilion, going north to access #2, and going south to Point of Rocks.

Cheryl Gaddie spoke of a two MEMBERSHIP: February events: a Craft Fair in the Deet Jonker confirmed that a Village and Valentine’s Stroll. big membership drive is currently going on. Annual Members Breakfast GUEST SPEAKERS: Meeting is Saturday, March 1 at 8 Carolyn Brown, Director of Sarasota AM, St. Boniface Episcopal Church. SIESTA KEY KIWANIS: County Parks and Recreation, and Brad Gaubatz, AIA LEED AO, head INLET MANAGEMENT: Bill Irish said the group was of Capital Projects Sarasota County Peter van Roekens reported that working with All Faiths Food Bank on Public Works, gave an overview Big Pass Marker # 1 has disappeared a gleaning project. If you have more of Siesta Beach Improvements. again. The depth is still at 5 ½ feet. fruit that you need, and want to get The presentation was detailed and The course can be found on: www. that fruit to people—not tree rats— impressive. Groundbreaking for the SarasotaYachtClub.org. contact this worthy organization. You improvements began on January 22, can pick the fruit yourself and they LIDO/BIG PASS: 2014. will pick it up, or they will pick it for The improvements will include van Roekens said that most you. It can also be delivered directly expanded parking, adding 143 new organizations on the Key are opposed to All Faith’s Food Bank. More parking places, and bringing the total to the dredging. However, we are information at www.glean4affb.com to 980 slots. Parking has been made still awaiting the Report promised more efficient and safe. Lighting for February. Story continued on page 31. will be Marine Turtle Compliant. A ramp will lead up to the new east www.siestakeyassociation.com concession and new restroom facility. The completed complex will include this new concession stand, new landscaping throughout, the historic pavilion, west concession stand, and a Public Safety building. There will nnuAl eMber s reAkfAst eeting be access points throughout the park. Questions came from the floor as to why the tennis courts had to be moved. Answer was that more 5615 MIDNIGHT PASS ROAD parking places opened up by moving Guests Tom Harmer, Administrator Sarasota County the tennis courts. The final phase is expected to be completed by November and Commissioner Nora Paterson 1, 2015 at a total cost of $21,500,000. 2014 SKA Members 2 Free Breakfast Tickets (Otherwise $15 each) More information can be found at Join SKA on our website now, space is limited! http://siestabeachinfo.com.

M ’ b M Saturday, March 1 • 8:00AM

St. Boniface Church Community Room

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Watching Your Home While You’re Away

Paul Roat types his -30 Saturday Feb. 15, Paul Roat died in Sarasota Memorial Hospital. He was a writer and critic for this publication, and a friend of mine for more than 30 years. He was one of the few local success stories in journalism, a child who grew up on Anna Maria Island, wanted to be a local news reporter and lived his dream. With the exception of one brief sojourn in Tallahassee (as aide to thenState Representative Jim Lombard), he spent his entire career working for small publications in Sarasota and Manatee Counties. He won his share of awards from the Florida Press Association as a photographer and writer for several pubs. He was never far from his Nikon. When the Sunshine Skyway Bridge collapsed after being struck

By Stan Zimmerman

by a freighter, he was one of the first photographers on the scene. Countless dramas were framed by his viewfinder over the past four decades. Always wise to the mysteries of the f-stop. He was a fully capable reporter too. Understanding the issues, posing the questions, and suffering through endless public meetings to convey the news to his readers. From the tip of Anna Maria to Siesta Key’s Midnight Pass, he was known for his work – his photos, columns, criticism, reviews and always the news. He changed my life. I was a broadcast news reporter, working radio and then TV. He asked me to cover the Tuesday afternoon sessions of the Sarasota County Commission for the Pelican because I was there

anyway. It was deadline day for his weekly newspaper. He left at noon to write his stories, and I filed later by phone – dictating the story while somebody on the other end hammered it out on a typewriter. Suddenly I was a print reporter, thanks to Paul. In the old school. We worked one memorable story together, the indictment and trial of then-Sarasota Sheriff Jim Hardcastle. Every other broadcast outlet and publication in town was calling for his head. Paul and I were not convinced, and jointly produced stories indicating Hardcastle was being framed. The jury wasn’t convinced either, and Hardcastle walked away from the trial a free man. It was another lesson in standing up for what we thought was right, that every person deserves

a fair trial. Papers come and papers go, and we stayed in touch. I saw him last Thanksgiving, deep in conversation with a mutual friend with lung cancer. Little did either know mortality would touch Paul first. His laugh was infectious, and frequent. And yes he had a ponytail every day of his adult life. He participated in the publication of several books, including a twovolume set called The Historical Geography of Southwest Florida Waterways. The books are vital to understanding how drastically the geography and hydrology of the coast from Anna Maria Island to Marco Island changed in the twentieth century. Story continued on page 31.

Longtime Area Newsman of Sarasota Remembered By Bob & Emy Stein Last month we lost one of our talented contributing writers, Paul Roat. The unexpected loss leaves us saddened but thankful for his valuable contributions during the brief time he wrote for Siesta Sand. He was 56 at the time of his passing. His knowledgeable, witty and, at times, irreverent style informed, amused and may even have raised some readers’ eyebrows. Whether he wrote about our snowy plovers, the Sarasota Bay or provided articles on Sarasota history and restaurant highlights, he managed to get a response from our readers. Below are excerpts of Paul’s life kindly provided by Bonner Joy, publisher of The Islander of Anna Maria Island. Journalism professor, and Paul’s long-time friend, George Meyer contributed. Paul was a lifelong resident of the area who served as a valued source of historical perspective during his tenure as frequent writer and editor for two newspapers on Anna Maria Island from the 1970s to the present day. He earned a scholarship to the

University of Florida from thenpublisher of The Islander, Don Moore and began working for him after college. He took pride in his photos taken for The Islander newspaper in August 1993 from a small craft within moments of a three-ship collision that resulted in fire aboard one ship and the release of 30,000 gallons of crude oil into the Tampa shipping channel from another ship. In 1984-87, Roat served as a legislative aide to state Rep. Jim Lombard. In 1989, he became the first staff member for the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program, contributing to the fundraising effort that enabled the program to flourish. He contributed to numerous SBEP publications and was co-editor of the 1992 SBEP “Framework for Action,” and co-writer and editor of the 1995 SBEP management plan, “Sarasota Bay, the Voyage to Paradise Reclaimed.” Mr. Roat’s career included work for Clubhouse magazine, later Sarasota magazine, and the Siesta Key

Pelican Press and was a contributing writer for our paper at the time of his death. He also authored two volumes of “The Insider’s Guide to Sarasota & Bradenton” guide book and various other guide publications over the years. He was editor of The Islander newspaper for 17 years, starting at its launch date in November 1992, and wrote a column titled “Sandscript,” always seeking to improve environmental conditions for Anna Maria Island and beyond. He oversaw several Islander projects, stories and features recognized and

honored by the Florida Press Association. He acquired an extensive collection of work by Floridabased authors and was a founding member of Mystery Florida, a nonprofit group that sponsors an annual gathering of mystery writers and aficionados in Sarasota. “He was a great friend who eagerly shared his love for news, John D. MacDonald’s series of books featuring Travis McGee, and his upbringing in Bradenton Beach. He will be dearly missed and remembered with each night’s flash of green at sunsets on Anna Maria Island,” said Islander publisher Bonner Joy. “He was raised on the waters of Sarasota Bay and he liked to often write from his perspective as a ‘little Roat.’ One such story recalled harvesting sand dollars with his dad and selling them to tourist shops for 3 cents each.” To honor his contributions, we will be republishing some of his favorite columns throughout the year.

941.349.0194 • www.islandvp.com ISLAND VISITOR PUBLISHING, LLC

Siesta Key News Round-Up Tax collector haunts Airbnb

Sarasota County levies a five percent so-called “bed tax” on accommodations booked for less than six months. Thousands of local businesses levy the surcharge on room rates, from big hotels to momand-pop island rentals. The money supports local arts organizations, beach renourishment and other tasks. But websites like airbnb.com skirt the rules, not offering a hotel, motel or house rental. Instead the website allows homeowners to offer their spare bedroom to visitors. Sometimes the spare bedroom rental doesn’t come to the tax collector’s attention. Having used Airbnb in Berlin, Barcelona and Venice (Italy), I can attest to how the website is a portal to easy, cheap and wonderful accommodations. Sarasota County is losing a five percent tax on seasonal rentals via Airbnb and similar websites, so the tax collector is trolling for info. If you happen to be an Airbnb customer

By Stan Zimmerman

or provider, make sure you give the appropriate response. Friends came to visit. Because if my friends from Berlin, Venice and Barcelona wanted to stay with me, I’d love to see them. If you can convince yourself the county needs the money, please ask your guests to pay the Sarasota County Tourist Development Tax.

The big renourishment

Additional organizations are lining up against plans to dredge sand from Big Pass on Siesta Key’s northern tip to renourish Lido Key. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has a 50-year, $22.7 million plan to use the ebb shoal of Big Pass to protect condominiums on Lido to the north from shoreline erosion. The plan faces increasing opposition. The Siesta Key Association, the Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce, and the Siesta Key Village Association all are on record now opposing the plan to dredge Big Pass to protect Lido Key. Organization representatives say they understand Lido needs the sand, but vigorously guard the ebb

shoal, where out-going tides make substantial deposits. Big Pass between Lido and Siesta never has been dredged (a Florida rarity). Siesta residents and merchants fear any molestation of natural forces could erode a beach long considered one of the finest in the Western Hemisphere. Opponents of the dredge are quick to say Lido needs help. But the help should come from somewhere else. A lively public hearing on the acrid controversy may be held this month.

Another renourishment

Lido Beach is not the only area needing more sand. Turtle Beach on southern Siesta Key needs reinforcement too. In 2007 property owners paid for a portion of beach renourishment of more than 900,000 cubic yards of sand that was deposited on Siesta Key from Point o’ Rocks to Midnight Pass. But it didn’t last. Now the county is pushing paperwork forward for an $11 million renewal of the effort. About

SIESTA SAND March 2014 • www.siestasand.net

$5.5 million will come from the Tourist Development Tax. The remainder will come from the state, and an assessment of beachfront property owners. The sand would come from offshore in the Gulf of Mexico, says County Coastal Resources Manger Laird Wreford. He said the sand is eight or nine miles west in the Gulf of Mexico. “There will come a time when it will become extremely challenging to find offshore sand sources,” he told the Sarasota News leader.com magazine.

Future beach parking

OK. You are tired of milling around, looking for Siesta Key public beach parking. And maybe you dropped off your lady-friend to hold a spot and some officer gave her a $25 ticket. And somebody else got the spot! Is help on the way? Sort of. Maybe. Sarasota County is now demolishing, rearranging and hopefully improving the parking scene at Siesta Beach. By the Fourth of July, the county hopes 260 more

spaces are created in the new reorganization. But don’t get excited. The project has multiple phases with multiple confusions. It will take a couple of years to finish the rehabilitation. In the meantime, townies might want to take the bus from the mall we wrote about last month.

More costs to beat e-coli

The rehab at the public beach isn’t the only project in the area. A substantial storm water effort is also in progress. The huge piles of sand you see near Beach Road are part of it. And it’s getting more expensive. “Unforeseen debris” bumped the project cost $130,00 to $.4.6 million. The original estimate for the project was $1.5 million. It all started when a minor stormwater streamlet was identified as a source of e-coli bacteria (probably from pet waste). During excavation of a new stormwater retention pond, the “debris” was discovered. So thank every dog you see on Siesta for the $4.6 million project.

CB’s Opens Second Location

Abel’s Ice Cream a great place to visit!

Before

Phase II

Aledia and Mason Tush, owners of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters purchased 1250 Stickney Point Rd (“old BP Gas Station”) about three years ago. During that time they studied many different options for the property including reselling it to a developer. After thoughtful consideration they decided to retain the property to address their need for expansion and parking. This second location will allow CB’s to increase its retail brands as well as the rental services offered. Partnering with Mike and Sheila Lewis (Siesta Sports Rentals 941346-1797) and Eric Redner and Ty Brady (Parasail Siesta 941-346-8200), CB’s will now offer Parasailing, Jet

Ski Rentals, Kayaks, Paddleboards, Scooters and Bikes in addition to their Boat Rentals and Fishing Charters. Currently in their 38th year of business, CB’s won the Sept. 2012 Sarasota Chamber of Commerce’s Insignia Award for excellence in customer service. Even more recent, Aledia won the Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce’s Business Person of the Year award for 2013. Mason is the chairman for the Sarasota Tarpon Tournament which, in 2013, raised $10,001 for the Suncoast Charities for Children. Community and customer service is important to the owners of CB’s and they hope to be able to better serve with the opening of CB’s Island Outfitters.

Mike and Sheila Lewis, owners of Siesta Sports Rentals, purchased their business and moved from Cardiff, Wales in 2005. In 2009, Siesta Sports won the Siesta Key Chamber’s Small Business of the Year award. Sheila currently sits on the Siesta Key Chamber Board. Eric Redner and Ty Brady are from New Jersey where they each have their own separate parasail companies. In working with CB’s, they have teamed up to open Parasail Siesta. Parasail Siesta along with CB’s and Siesta Sports will work together continuing to offer Siesta Key and its visitors great service.

CB’s is excited to be opening CB’s Island Outfitters which will allow them to expand more on a “beachy” theme. The new location will have bigger Life is Good, Reef, Sanuk and kids sections. It will be adding beach

supplies (chairs, toys, and sunscreen, masks, umbrellas, and boogie boards), Salt Life, Reef clothing, Vissla apparel, Maui Jim and Hobie sunglasses, Sun Bum sunscreen, Siesta Key T-Shirts, Quiksilver and much more! Although

CB’s Island Outfitters plans to open to the public in early March, the store will still be a work in progress as the finishing touches are put in place.

Abel’s Ice Cream focus is to offer the South Sarasota, Siesta Key, Palmer Ranch residents and tourist a nationally award winning premium ice cream at a competitive price with generous portions. The ice cream they offer is Florida made and is the recipient of 14 national awards issued by the National Ice Cream Retailers Association since 2009. Sarasota’s best Specialty ice cream flavor Spumoni (swirled pistachio, chocolate and cherry ice cream, almonds and a special blend of fruits) was awarded to Abel’s in the July 2012 issue of Sarasota Magazine. Abel’s hot fudge, malted milk shakes and Dreamsicle flavored ice cream will remind you of the product quality from the 1960’s drug store soda fountain era. Other historical menu item favorites include root beer floats, ice cream sodas, banana splits and brownie sundaes. Of the 36 flavors offered including two no sugar added and two frozen yogurts, their three best sellers are: Advertorial

Stellar Coffee Rich coffee ice cream with fudge and mini dark chocolate coffee cups Raspberry Truffle Raspberry ice cream with raspberry ribbon & dark chocolate raspberry cups Coconut Almond Fudge Tropical coconut ice cream with fudge ribbon & whole roasted almonds If you are seeking a place to enjoy great ice cream in a squeaky clean shop, Abel’s is the shop you should visit. The owners Bill and Norma serve fresh filtered water to enjoy with your ice cream. They are located at 1886 Stickney Point Road between New Balance Shoes and Stonewood Grill - 9215700 or visit their web site for directions: www.abelsicecream.com.

CB’s Saltwater Outfitters 1249 Stickney Point Rd., Siesta Key. 941-349-4400 www.cbsoutfitters.com Open 7 Days a week from 7am-6pm

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941.349.0194 • www.islandvp.com ISLAND VISITOR PUBLISHING, LLC

News Up & Down the Trail A little art with your roundabout?

The Sarasota City’s Public Art Committee is taking on an epic project. This month it begins to lay the groundwork for statuary for the center of 22 traffic roundabouts. Three are already built, and 19 are on the project list for U.S. 41 and other roads and streets. The roundabout are designed to replace intersections with signals, and provide a safer place for pedestrians to cross busy streets. But pedestrians are not wanted in the center, only at the crosswalks that “frame” the traffic pattern. Thus the public art committee has an interesting task. The art must be ‘fine art” but not so “arty” that people want their picture taken in front of it. Sarasota already has several of those, the most popular being the sailor’s V-J Day kiss on the bayfront. The city already has three roundabouts, one at Five Points and two on Charles Ringling Boulevard. There is a flag pole at Five Points,

By Stan Zimmerman

but the two on Ringling are barren. Presumably these would be the experimental sites. However more roundabouts will be constructed on an accelerated schedule, and any artwork would be best installed as a finishing touch instead of a retrofit. So the committee will need to back-time any call to artists to include construction and delivery times so it will coincide with construction schedules. The committee initially will look at the physical requirements to plant statuary. How big a base and how to defend the artwork from addled drivers enamored with the piece as well as motorists clueless about roundabouts.

City goes zero discharge After a century of dumping icky stuff in Sarasota Bay, the city is embarked on a project to eliminate any harmful discharges. It’s taken a century, but in about a year the mayor will cut a ribbon to inaugurate a deep-well injection facility. It will receive not only

excess treated wastewater but also brine byproducts from the city’s reverse osmosis drinking water plant. The city’s first sewer was built in 1911 with a $20,000 bond issue approved by a margin of 57-35 (all-male) voters. The following year, another bond issue extended the system by a ten-to-one margin. Over the decades the city not only extended the water and sewer system, but refined and diversified it. A fresh water system became possible in 1966 when the city purchased a well field in eastern Sarasota, guaranteeing the city a source of potable water. It later added a reverse-osmosis plant fed by coastal wells furnishing brackish water that became drinkable using permeable membranes and highpressure pumps. The RO system, however produces brine, which has been discharged into the bay. On the sewer side of the equation, the city continually updated the treatment technology and now reclaims the water and sells it for irrigation and other non-potable

SIESTA SAND March 2014 • www.siestasand.net

uses. Any excess is sent east for agricultural irrigation. However in the summer, when irrigation needs are low, any excess is now discharged into the bay. The deep-well injection project will accept both the brine residue from reverse osmosis, and excess treated wastewater, thus eliminating any discharge into Saraosta Bay – ending a century of pollution. However one major source still remains. Runoff from rains and storms. That is a county responsibility, and the overwhelming majority of that pollutant remains untreated.

Shelter wrangle continues

The Sarasota City and County Commissions continue to spat over creation of a shelter for vagrants and homeless people. The five county commissioners are supporting a consultant’s plan to place the shelter on the north side of the city. However two of five city commissioners are consistently

voting not to put it there; and both want to understand the cost of building and operating the shelter before they will give the consultant’s proposal any credence. The foot dragging caused County Commissioner Joe Barbetta to levy a charge of sabotage. “It’s most unfortunate what took place with two of the [city] commissioners. I can see an apparent plan of action to sabotage this process,” he said. The county has reallocated $2.5 million from an affordable housing fund for construction and operation of the shelter. However another consultant says affordable housing is exactly what is needed to attack the problem of homelessness in the city and county. A team of Harvard and New College students found Sarasota housing was very expensive, with more than half the county’s renters paying half their monthly salary to cover rent. The study was commissioned by the local Salvation Army, which shoulders much of the shelter burden now. Story continued on the next page.

News Up & Down the Trail

By Stan Zimmerman

Story continued from the previous page.

Another report is expected soon from a joint city-county delegation that visited homeless shelters in other locales. Anecdotal reporting from newspapers in those areas indicates after the shelters were built, crime increased in the areas nearby while property values decreased.

Projects run millions over budget

Two major infrastructure projects are soaring wildly over budget, with little hope the costs can be reigned back. One concerns a new sewer lift station near the intersection of U.S. 301 and U.S. 41 in Lukewood Park. The other is a proposed highrise parking garage on State St. downtown. The lift station is going to cost about $7.5 million more than initially expected. With the parking garage it’s about $4.1 million over the budget set aside in 2009. The lift station will handle about one-third of the city’s sewage when completed in 2015; the parking garage will house 399 cars. The lift station hit a snag last year when the contractor walked off the job after attempts to tunnel under Hudson Bayou failed. An engineer reported earlier this year the failure was actually a good thing because the bore was too shallow and headed directly for the base of the Osprey Ave. bridge. A deeper alignment means the entire lift station needs to be lowered eight feet. Needless to say, there is a lawsuit against the original engineering company. The parking garage design was the result of a long and very public process. The building is required under a complex agreement with downtown property developer Pineapple Square. However city commissioners dithered for months over the final design before choosing one requiring an extra story to meet the parking required by the contract. Neither project is financed by bonds, so the city’s finance department is busy juggling accounts to make sure cash flow is sufficient to pay the bills for the two construction projects.

Hotel roulette

For survivors of Florida’s twentyfirst century’s real estate crash, the new hotel craze is either welcome news or a harbinger of doom. “Big

money” is betting better days are here again. Four new hotels are proposed for downtown Sarasota, and the old Quay property is under new ownership armed with the same old plans…for another hotel. That makes five. None of them are flea-pits, an old Florida term for a hole in the center of a hut where long-suffering residents flicked their fleas. No these places have first-class plans, and all are in some stage of official approval. The one at Palm Avenue and Charles Ringing Boulevard is coming out of the ground. They include the Hotel Sarasota at Palm x Coconut; the Vue at U.S. 41 x John Ringling Causeway, a Weston hotel; the Embassy Suite on Second St. x 41; and a Kimpton Hotel at U.S. 301 x Main St. on the parking lot of the historic courthouse. Excluding the Kimpton, 850 new hotel rooms are in the works. Can Sarasota absorb five new highend hotels? Developers think so, and if they are right, hang on to your watch caps, sailors. Another storm of historic real estate proportions is brewing.

People movers

County staffers are pondering a change of location for the downtown bus transfer station. It was put at the western end of the city hall parking lot on Lemon Ave. about ten years ago. Some people, including the Chair of the Downtown Improvement District Ernie Ritz want it gone. He would prefer a mixed-use building on the site. Ritz convinced county commissioners to ask their staff to consider a move to the countyowned parking lot on School Ave. and Ringling Blvd. Staff isn’t hot on the idea because, for one reason, it would require a major overhaul of schedules for all the routes. Meanwhile Ritz’s group is testing low-speed electric vehicles for use as a downtown circulator. Wait five minutes and jump aboard. It would service the Main Street area and parking garages along Palm and Second St. A local firm volunteered a six-seat golf cart for the test, and now a Largo company would like to join the competition. Meanwhile plans are moving ahead for a different circulator to take people from the mainland to Siesta Key. A two-year experiment funded by the state department of

transportation would determine how many people would leave their car at the Westfield Mall parking lot and take a trolley to the beach. Siesta is one of the few major beaches in Florida that offers free parking, so it is no surprise the parking lot is often full. County officials hope a ride-to-the-beach trolley could reduce traffic and parking woes on the island.

Sales • Service • Support

Designer drugs banned

The City and County of Sarasota have banned the possession, distribution, marketing and sale of synthetic materials intended to mimic the effects of marijuana, methamphetamine, cocaine or opium. The material is packed in eye-popping colors, and was legal to sell. The so-called designer drugs go under the generic name of “spice,” but sell under a myriad of names. Each package can sell for $10 to $20, said Lt. Jim Reeser, head of the city’s narcotics squad. Penalties include a fine of up to $250 per package, and prosecution as a second-degree misdemeanor. Officers say while possession is also outlawed, enforcement will focus on the convenience stores, smoke shops and other venders. A 2012 Youth Substance Abuse Survey found 21.7 percent of Sarasota high school students had used synthetic drugs, compared to 13 percent statewide. Unlike other drugs, which must be tested to confirm the substance is illegal, the joint city-county ordinance allows an arrest without any testing. That is because the chemicals used are changing faster than tests can be devised. “You arrest somebody, but they’ve changed the chemical,” said Reeser. Mayor Shannon Snyder urged caution in enforcing the new ordinance. “I really want this thing to work right,” he said. Snyder was concerned a questionable arrest could result in a court challenge finding the new ordinance unconstitutionally vague. One unique provision allows anybody to go to court to enforce the ordinance. The measure is called a “private attorney general,” and allows any person “to sue in county court for damages,” said an attorney for the county.

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SAY I DO, AGAIN “Say I Do Again”, is a vow renewal event held annually on Valentine’s Day on Siesta beach. Magistrate, Ed Wilson leads a non-denominational service Cosponsored by Sarasota County Parks and Recreation, WCTQ, and livethelife.org.

By Trebor Britt

Participants pre-register and pay a five dollar fee. Each participant receives a decorative certificate which includes their name, and how long they’ve been married. They’re also presented with a rose, and ceremonial cupcakes and punch after the event.

Diana Finnegan Sarasota County Parks and Recreation Supervisor said, “Each year registration totals fall between 400 and 500 couples. This year, 421 couples were registered”.

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This couple had been married the longest, more than 70 years.

General Magistrate, Ed Wilson beginning the vow renewal ceremony on Siesta beach as his wife looks on. This is the second consecutive year Judge Wilson conducted the ceremony. Judge Titus led the ceremony for about 25 years before she retired.

This couple had been married the shortest length of time, just a couple weeks.

Left: Daisy and John Franko from Springfield, Ohio attending the “Say I Do Again “ceremony on Siesta beach. Daisy wore this wedding gown when they were married on Valentine’s Day eight years ago in a funeral home. They met in a grief support group after losing both their spouses and wanted to get married in front of the group that supported them. Their wedding and reception was held in the meeting rooms on the second floor of the funeral home. John posted two signs in front of the stairs. One with an up arrow that said “The Beginning”, and another with a down arrow that said, “The End”. This was their sixth consecutive year attending the vow renewal on Siesta beach.

“Marvelous dance... Absolutely perfect music.” - Brooklyn View Presented by Florida Falun Dafa Association

Five Thousand Years of Myths & Legends Come Alive on Stage

ALL-NEW 2014 SHOW WITH LIVE ORCHESTRA

APR 22-23, Van Wezel Hall, Sarasota

Ticket Online: Shenyun.com/sarasota “5,000 years of Chinese music and dance in one night!” Phone: 888-974-3698 | 941-953-3368 - The New York Times “It is so beautiful and so moving in many ways! They are doing an absolutely beautiful and incredible job.” — Vikki Carr, singer & four Grammy Awards winner “I was moved to tears a few times. It was very uplifting. They use their costumes brilliantly with their movement. I’ve never seen anything like that before.” — Carol Miller, former Ballet teacher “It is beyond anything I can put into words. It’s the most amazing, uplifting, spiritual journey... it transcends you to a higher state of consciousness. Amazing!” — Margaux Brooks, executive film producer

“It was absolutely marvelous. It’s a magnificent show – spectacular. The imagination behind it and the creativity is incredible.” — Dr. Irving Guttman, former Artistic Director for Vancouver Opera, Member of the Order of Canada

After Shen Yun performing arts shows on APR 22-23, Shen Yun’s symphony orchestra will return to Sarasota for one concert

October 27 Van Wezel Hall

SIESTA SAND March 2014 • www.siestasand.net

Featured Restaurant

By Sky Rose

|Mayta’s authentic Peruvian cuisine is truly an adventure to be had “Home is where the heart is..” And their heart is put into everything they do at Mayta’s Peruvian Restaurant to honor their Home country and you. They even chose the name of their restaurant, “Mayta’s”, to honor their Peruvian culture. Through the flavors of their traditional cuisine, you will sense the rich history and cultural influence in every bite. Mayta’s is the place to dine if you like Peruvian cuisine, or even if you never tried it. It’s 100% original, “no fusions”. And they’re devoted to cooking for you in the way their families of their beloved country cooked for them. This lovely restaurant which is family-owned by Jorge and Pilar Arata, is kid-friendly and the atmosphere is so warm and welcoming. The owners are incredible and they will absolutely make you feel at home. They have an amazing lunch and dinner menu with a great unique selection of appetizers, ceviches, soup, salads, entrees- like seafood, pasta, steaks, chicken, and wonderful desserts to end your experience beautifully. Your meals are freshly prepared by Pilar who continues to “wow” the customers. The prices on the entire menu are truly very reasonable. From Tuesday - Saturday, between 11:30-2:30pm, they have daily lunch specials beginning at $5.00. Their menu explains the authentic dishes in detail. But do not hesitate to ask any questions, as Jorge and Pilar and their wonderful staff are ready to guide you to the perfect dish to suit your taste. Speaking of their menu, if you walk near their restaurant and take a moment to read it, definitely bring your questions inside, and you will be glad you did. You will immediately feel the warmth, and smell the aroma of the authentic Peruvian dishes being freshly prepared. The ambiance, delicious fresh food, and wonderful service explain why Mayta’s is highly rated on TripAdvisor. Zach, one of Mayta’s biggest fans, and a very regular patron says, “Love this place. I have visited Mayta’s on many occasions and have always left happy. The ceviche is always fresh and delicious, and the lomo saltado is one of my favorites. They have an excellent wine list as well as a new wine cellar. The owner and his wife go above and beyond to make this dining experience one of the best in

Sarasota. Live music on Friday nights with a great ambiance any time. If you like Peruvian cuisine this is the place. It is one of Sarasota’s hidden gems.” I must add that the lobster wontons and ceviche de pescado were incredible and surely a must try. And this customer surely concurs with Zach. Cindi says, “My husband and I love to go out for dinner, and love to locate the new or newer restaurants. We have to say, that out of twelve or thirteen Peruvian Restaurants here in Sarasota, Mayta’s knocks the rest out of the ball park. The food is simply fabulous. The dishes and presentations have been spot on every time we have gone, and we have tried virtually every dish on the menu, including the desserts. Anyone who does not give this precious gem a try is truly losing out on a tastebud extravaganza. Bravo to this couple, for keeping the traditional foods authentic, and not influenced with ‘American tradition’.” But the pleasure does not end with the food. They have a wine cellar filled with delicious wines from Spain, Argentina, Chile, and Italy. Jorge recommends including a nice bottle of Tempranillo with your meal. This delicious red wine is only $15 a bottle. Amongst their amazing collection, I enjoyed a nice glass of their Puni Ferrer Riserva Cabernet 2011. Bring a group for a wine tasting during one of their Happy Hours, Monday Thursday, 5pm-9pm. If you are there on a Friday, continue your fun into the evening and catch the live music with

“Tierra Nuova”. With all the dancing, you will no doubt build your appetite for dessert. The live music is every Friday from 7pm until “you want to go home” as Jorge puts it. Their hours are: Tuesday-Saturday 11:30am-3:00pm, & 5:00pm-10:00pm, Monday & Sunday: 4:30pm-9:00pm. Their location is: 4854 South Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, FL, between Proctor & Landings, located in the Landings Shopping Center next to Publix. Call for reservations, takeout or catering: 941-444-7245. Walk-ins are welcomed. Visit their website: www.maytasrestaurant.com and stay updated by liking their facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ MaytasPeruvianRestaurant/info. Consider nixing Chinese or pizza for your weekend food delivery times, and choose Mayta’s for Peruvian night. They are included on the Ashley’s Food Delivery list, 941-953-3663. Enjoy true authentic Peruvian meals delivered right to your doorstep. You will be filled with delight at the very first bite.

941.349.0194 • www.islandvp.com ISLAND VISITOR PUBLISHING, LLC

Sheriff’s Report

Jan. 21 - Feb. 18, 2014

There were a total of 23 crimes reported on the Key from Jan 21-Feb 18, 2014

1/26/14 Robbery w/ Firearm Felony 8000 Block Midnight Pass Rd:

box originally contained about 100 pieces of jewelry. Only 11 items were missing and the rest ASSAULT 3 THE VILLAGE remained untouched. Five of the 1 pieces removed were one half of 2 BURGLARY 9 a set of earrings. There were no A 22 year old man reported ELSEWHERE signs of forced entry to either ON THE KEY DUI 2 that an unknown black male the front door or the rear slider. 5 in his early to mid-20’s with MOTOR VEHICLE 1 The officer noticed that the rear 1 THEFT 9 a scruffy beard and wearing slider was located directly next 2 a gray hoodie held a silver, 1 ROBBERY 1 to the community pool. The 1 possibly .45 caliber handgun victim stated that she leaves the to his head. He stated he slider open when she is at the observed the subject flee the pool but “watches it constantly”. down the street during the same time scene east towards Midnight Pass Rd. and heard the sound of a vehicle frame.

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speeding Northbound. The victim stated that he had been walking towards the front entrance on the west side towards his car in the parking lot when the unknown male approached him from behind and put a gun to his head. The suspect told the victim to continue to walk towards his vehicle. Once at the vehicle the victim got in the driver’s seat and the suspect sat in the passenger seat. The suspect then demanded the victim give him his marijuana. When the victim stated that he had no marijuana and offered him the thirty dollars he had, the suspect knocked the money out of his hand and told him he wanted his cell phone. The victim told him the phone had messages from his dead mother on it. The suspect threw the phone on the dashboard and demanded his jewelry. At this time, the victim said no and got out of the car to yell for help and run. The suspect got out of the car and ran westbound. The complex had four cameras at the entrance to the building. Officers watched the complex’s surveillance video. At no time were they able to locate a black male or possible suspect in the video. The camera covered the direction the victim stated the suspect had fled.

1/28/14 Burglary/ Felony 6000 Block Midnight Pass Rd:

A woman reported some of her jewelry stolen from the condominium she was renting. Her unit can be accessed from the beach by easily walking in the open courtyard. It appears the point of entry was the rear sliding glass doors. The doors were off their track and appeared to have been simply pushed up to deactivate the lock. Once entry was gained the bedroom was the only area targeted. The incident is most likely related to another break in

THEFT

PUBLIC BEACH 1

1/31/14 Grand Theft Auto 6000 Block Sabal Drive:

A news reporter for ABC News contacted the sheriff’s office to report the company-owned vehicle he uses was stolen. The reporter was at the location taking exterior footage from the street of the house at the incident location. While filming, a female (later learned to be the defendant) approached the reporter and confronted him about why he was there. The reporter told her he was on a public road. The defendant grabbed the front lens of the reporter’s camera. She then took the camera’s tri-pod, opened the front door of the reporter’s vehicle and placed it inside. She then entered the vehicle and drove it down the road to Old Stickney Point Rd. She abandoned it at a nearby bank parking lot. The camera the reporter had been operating filmed the majority of the incident. The video was placed into Sheriff’s office property. The reporter originally did not wish to pursue charges against the defendant. When questioned, she stated that she felt threatened when the reporter turned around in her driveway and that she “did what she had to do.” She refused to answer any further questions. The reporter later called the officer to say that the news station had decided to pursue theft charges against the defendant.

2/6/14 Burglary/ Felony 900 Block Beach Rd:

A woman reported that she observed some pieces of gold jewelry missing from her jewelry box. The box sits on her dresser in her bedroom. One of the drawers in the box was opened and eleven pieces of jewelry were removed. The

2/9/14 Burglary/ Felony 6000 Block Midnight Pass Rd:

A man stated that when he went out to lunch and tried to pay for it, he noticed all the money in his wallet was missing. The money from his wife’s pocketbook was also missing. The man believes someone entered his rental unit while they were at the beach. The couple is sure they locked the unit while at the beach. The deadbolt was not used, just the doorknob lock. The wallet was on the dresser in the bedroom. The purse was also in the bedroom. The officer noticed no signs of forced entry.

2/16/14 Burglary/ Felony 6000 Bock Midnight Pass Rd:

A woman reported a gold necklace stolen from an ashtray on her dresser. As she was preparing dinner she opened her kitchen window. She noticed that the screen seemed especially clean. Upon further examination, she noticed that the screen was missing and had been completely removed from the frame. She then looked for her jewelry and noticed that her necklace was missing. Her other jewelry was untouched. She knew that her neighbor had been broken into recently so she had been hiding her jewelry. She had only left the necklace out earlier because she had planned on wearing it later that day. The victim believed nothing else had been touched but the officer noticed a few other things had been disturbed. It appears the suspect had been looking in the closet for other hidden valuables. This incident is very similar to others occurring on the Key. The unit is easily accessed from the beach. The unit next door was also burglarized recently.

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Snapshots of Island Visitors Photos by Trebor Britt & Karen Ares

Visiting Grampa on siesta key James (9) and Amanda (11) Ares from Northborough, MA. Photo courtesy of Karen Ares.

VALENTINE STROLL Kayla Vail pouring “Siesta Key University” shop owner Lori Dean a sample of Chardonnay during the annual Valentine Stroll in the village on Siesta Key. Lori provided patrons with a complimentary taste of Merlot or Chardonnay and chocolate kisses. This was her first year to participate as she just purchased the business a few weeks ago. Lori moved here in 1982 and also owns an airplane maintenance and repair shop at Sarasota airport. Photo by Trebor Britt.

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Recognizing Our Volunteers 2013 SKCC Volunteer of the Year Four years ago, Ronda Wiggins sustained a sports injury preventing her from enjoying her normally active lifestyle. A friend suggested she volunteer at the Chamber while she recuperated. Who knew it would lead to her being named 2013 Volunteer of the Year for the Siesta Key Chamber? When asked what the defining criteria was that earned Rhonda this award, Chastanna Niemann, events and office manager answered, “ Having so many great volunteers made it a tough decision, but in the end Rhonda was chosen because she

Ronda Wiggins

volunteers for just about every Chamber function and helps train new volunteers with such a positive attitude. She always goes above and

beyond the job requirements.” Besides volunteering at the Chamber, this Ft. Thomas, Kentucky native plays tennis daily, is a weekend warrior home renovator and enjoys traveling. She and her husband have stayed in lodges at 28 National Parks so far and says her bucket list contains 20 more parks they’d like to visit. So what does Rhonda like most about volunteering? Her cheerful reply says it all. “I love meeting so many nice folks and have made some really close friends through volunteering.” Congratulations Rhonda, on a job well done.

A Message from the Siesta Key Association By Beverly B. Arias

Since 1999

941.951.9900

4441 S. Tamiami Trail • Sarasota, Florida 34231

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Continued from cover story

The contribution of this beach’s natural beauty to our community is rewarded with enhanced facilities, expanded parking, safety and accessibility for everyone. For the past 9 years, Siesta Key Association (SKA) has been involved as the Siesta Beach Improvement Plan developed and, as we can see by the activity along Beach Road, it’s now well underway. With Siesta Key’s growing popularity, improvement and protection are critical if we want to enjoy this island’s natural gifts for many years to come. Much work has been done to keep Siesta Key beautiful and SKA remains a steadfast advocate behind the scenes and in partnership with Sarasota County and other protection agencies and non-profit organizations. The statement on the Historic Marker found at the Siesta Beach Pavilion reflects much of what SKA supports: “In 1983 Sarasota County began a program to restore the sand dunes which had been destroyed by careless use over the previous years. The County’s long range plan for Siesta Beach is to preserve its natural state so future generations may enjoy its native beauty.” Will our work and vision be secure? While we all take great pleasure in our Siesta Key relaxed lifestyle, being care-free does not mean being care-less. With the future of our topranked Siesta Beach at stake, and the potential impact to our livelihoods, property values, and the quality and quantity of beach sand unique to Siesta Beach, we alerted our Siesta

SIESTA SAND March 2014 • www.siestasand.net

Key friends and neighbors to a proposed plan by the City of Sarasota to dredge Big Pass. With focused attention devoted to this important issue, SKA dedicated our meeting as a public forum for the project and a presentation by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE). The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE) presented a preliminary Big Pass Dredge/Lido Beach Renourishment plan providing an opportunity for discussion and input from all with property or business interests on Siesta Key. Based on data provided by the ACOE, many questions are unanswered and we remain focused on significant environmental, coastal waterway and property impacts for our barrier island Siesta Key Association, along with other island associations such as the Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce, the Siesta Key Village Association, the Siesta Key Condominium Council, and Siesta Bay Island Association, has expressed concern and opposition to the Lido Beach renourishment project. On January 9, 2014, the SKA Board of Directors unanimously approved the following statement to be added to our position regarding the City of Sarasota/ACOE Lido Beach renourishment project. “Whereas Big Pass has never been dredged and the shoal provides both protection and natural renourishment of Siesta beaches, the Siesta Key Association, based on documentation currently available to us, states its grave concern and opposition to any form of dredging in Big Pass channel and shoal.”

Visit our website, www. siestakeyassociation.com, to find a summary of the SKA position on the dredge project and three points of recommendation: we urge the City of Sarasota and our Commissioners to seek alternative sand sources for Lido renourishment , to pursue understanding of the project’s potential to diminish natural storm protections or result in Siesta Beach erosion, and a peer review by an independent expert. Siesta Key neighbors and friends are encouraged to learn more about SKA, to review the Lido Beach Renourishment/Big Pass Dredge project and consider our list of project questions presented to the ACOE. Please view postings to our Facebook page and find related news articles. You can email questions or offer support through info@ siestakeyassociation.com. You may also write directly to the Board of County Commissioners at commissioners@scgov.net. Following the 2014 Annual Members Breakfast Meeting on Saturday, March 1st, the next SKA meeting will be Thursday, April 3rd, 2014. SKA monthly meetings are held the FIRST Thursday of each month at 4:30pm, St. Boniface Episcopal Church, Room F. With its focus on maintaining and enhancing the quality of life on the Key, the Siesta Key Association’s representation of island resident interests ultimately benefits everyone who spends time on Siesta Key. SKA’s website is www. siestakeyassociation.com. “Like” us on Facebook!

CG Designs Celebrates Grand Opening Cheryl Gaddie & staff welcomed the many well wishers to the grand opening of their new showroom and design studio located at 5011 Ocean Blvd., Ste. 203.

Cheryl Gaddie of CG Designs and Russell Matthes of Daiquiri Deck Raw Bar (r-l) Tonia Miller, Grace Gerdes, Cheryl Gaddie, Rachel McPherson, Keri Kuhn (Owner and Staff of CG Designs)

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We never used to recommend or discuss chewing gum. In fact we discouraged it because it “pulled out” fillings and crowns, etc. But we’ve learned a few things. First...that gum never “pulls” out acceptable fillings or crowns, only those that really needed to be changed anyhow. And we learned that chewing gum helps to stimulate saliva and moisten the mouth and teeth. As our population grows older we find that many of us have to take medications that dry up the mouth which is leading to increased decay and gum disease. Also many of us are not as dexterous as we once were. And we have gums that are sweetened with Xylitol that inhibits cavity producing microorganisms and neutralizes acids these microorganisms produce. So for many of our patients, young and old, we now actively recommend using gum with Xylitol right after eating and at least twice a day. It’s easier to prevent oral disease than treat it. And it’s far less costly.

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Off Key

By Bob Frederickson

From Seniors on the Make to Job Opportunities for the (very) Young Sign spotted recently on North Honore Avenue:

“Senior Speed Dating.” Hey, when you reach a certain age, I guess time is of the essence!

Homeless Center Controversy...

Recommendations that a new homeless center be built north of downtown hit a sour note with district one Commissioner Willie Shaw – who represents the area – in a textbook example of NIMBY-ism. Perhaps Bird Key would be a better choice? But has commissioner Shaw considered that his district is where most of the homeless want to be?... near the bus station, the library, the bay...not to mention in close proximity to the scores of affluent potential victims…err, “clients” of their ongoing panhandling efforts? For better or worse, the homeless find the amenities of Sarasota as rich and varied as the rest of us.

check for losses related to 2010’s Gulf Oil Spill, which they say severely cut into their business. Ironically (or not), they say members of their wait staff who worked at the restaurant during the spill have already received their checks. Just thinking out loud here, but if we had a Republican administration, would the situation be reversed?

Davidson adopted that same policy for his area chain all the way back in 2005...Just another example of this area being on the cutting edge of societal trends...What’s next? Will the entire nation soon be sitting down for dinner at 5:00 PM?

Job posting of the day...

“Wanted: One Year Old TeacherBradenton, FL. Learning unlimited “Rolling Down is seeking a qualified one year old teacher with a minimum...” Highway 41...” How annoying is it to be out for a Wonder what the benefit package leisurely drive, taking in the sights looks like: free binkies and diapers only to have some impatient lowlife for life? Euphemism of the riding your tail? Decade (Century?): It’s almost as bad as being stuck Postscript... A Note for Friend and Colleague Paul Roat: NBC Sports commentator Bob behind some dawdling tourist at rush Costas calling the Soviet era – as hour when you have some place you Choir practice at O’learys will never portrayed in Russia’s Disneyesque absolutely have to be...ten minutes be the same. Though often off-key, no Olympics opening night ceremony ago... one ever seemed to mind. Give my – “the pivotal experiment....” regards to Bob, Jim and the rest of 25+ million victimsof the Gulag Been There, Done That... the crew. Hope to hear that carefree were unavailable for comment. Breathless media reports recently chorus in the bye-and-bye. heaped all manner of praise on CVS Gulf Oil Spill Update: drugs for announcing they will Until next time, keep on coasting! no longer sell cigarettes and other And remember, don’t worry if you Check in the Mail? stray off-key. We can’t all hit the high The owners of Althea’s Restaurant tobacco products in their stores. notes like Renée Fleming! Well, Davidson Drugs founder John in Venice are still waiting for their

Sarasota History Clamming in Sarasota Bay By Ann A. Shank, former County Historian, Sarasota County History Center For millennia the waters off the southwest coast of Florida have provided food for coastal inhabitants. The settlers of early Sarasota shared that bounty. Clamming, as shown in this photo at Anton Kleinoscheg’s home on Sarasota Bay off Cunliff Lane around 1890, was, with harvesting oysters and catching fish and sea turtles, a common activity for putting food on the table. Since there were no area stores for the purchase of fresh seafood no refrigerators or source of ice to preserve it once acquired, the catch had to be consumed the same day.

SIESTA SAND March 2014 • www.siestasand.net

The hats and long sleeves, skirts, pants and stockings were not only the fashion of the day but also protected the skin from sun and the ubiquitous mosquitoes. Not all newcomers knew how to cook the harvest from the bay. Nellie Lawrie, daughter of one of the Scottish families who arrived in 1885, later recounted their first experience with clams. As a gift from an earlier settler, she put the clams in a pot of water. After cooking about an hour, they were tasted and found to

be tough, so they were cooked some more. They were still too tough to be eaten at noon, so were cooked later in the afternoon for dinner. Those clams never did cook tender.

Meet the Natives By Allan Worms, Ph.D., Wildlife Biologist (retired) The Snowy Plover: Siesta Key’s Rare Beach Gem If you enjoy Siesta Key Beach for walking, sunbathing or other recreation you should know you share it with a great number of shore birds that feed and even nest directly on the beach. This spring we will bring you a series of articles featuring the shorebirds and other wildlife of Siesta Key’s beaches. Look forward to learning about interesting and often very colorful birds that both reside on this island and visit during their migrations. We hope to make it easier for you to see, recognize and understand the ways of herons and egrets, sanderlings and sandpipers, turnstones and gulls, osprey and hawks and much more. One small beautiful resident is the often unseen Snowy Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus). Why unseen? Because this little bird benefits from great protective coloration. It blends into the white sands and shadows of Siesta Key. It may often be seen searching for insects and other organisms along the beach, but when snowy plovers stop to rest they almost seem to disappear into a footprint or behind a small mound of sand. You can find them, however, if you walk along the water’s edge -- mostly between Beach Access 11 and 5 and watch for them foraging for food in the sand. Or often, you will see them when they move out of your path. Small, yes! This little bird is only 6 to 7 inches long with a wingspan of about 13 inches. And unless a hen is gravid (carrying eggs) the snowy plover only weighs about 4 ounces. Rare, yes! While the Snowy Plover has been a resident of Siesta Key and other nearby islands for centuries, they now number only about 200 birds throughout all of Florida. As Jeanne Dubi of the Sarasota Audubon Society says, “Siesta Key beach is home to almost 10% of the entire state’s breeding population of Snowy Plovers” And just a few days ago, during an annual shorebird survey we found 18 snowy plovers on Siesta Key beach during a short walk from Access 11 to Access 5. If you are visiting on Siesta Key or walk regularly on the north end of the beach you will have a good opportunity to see this rare, but pretty little bird as it feeds on the

Nesting season for snowy plovers will begin sometime in March or April -- depending on the weather -- and lasts into the summer. And how do we know? When you see two (2) snowy plovers foraging and moving actively together (boy meets girl) you’ll know. And, if you stay back, but are very observant (and a little lucky) you may see the moment! (They pretty much do it in plain sight.) One of the other delights to be seen on the beach may be some of the many migrating birds that pass from south to north on their long way back to northern nesting areas. Siesta Key offers an opportunity for migrants to stop, feed and rest. Examples of migrants you might see include Herring Gulls, dramatically colored Black-bellied Plovers, and Ruddy Turnstones. Other shorebirds and Florida species you may see on Siesta Key Beach and that we will describe in later editions include osprey, willets, roseate spoonbills, and even reddish egrets you will recognize by their size color and dance. Also, Siesta Key is a stop-over for red knots that are an awesome migrant flying more than 8,000 miles annually from their breeding grounds of the Arctic Circle to the southernmost shores of South America. Many of these migrants are seriously challenged to survive during their long distance flights and find limited opportunities to feed and re-build their strength. Disturbing them on the beach robs them of an important resting and feeding opportunity vital to replenishing flight strength. So please watch and enjoy from a sensible distance. Still, one of the most seriously challenged of our birds is the beautiful little Snowy Plover. Nationally, Snowy Plovers are “critically endangered” and, locally, are listed as threatened by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission. Thus, if you see a Florida Fish and Wildlife sign near a nesting area asking you to keep out, please do so. Watch from a respectful distance because even a slight intrusion can cause beach nesting birds to abandon their nests. And as Ms. Dubi of Sarasota Audubon points out “our nesting birds allow us to use their beaches; it’s our responsibility to help them thrive”.

Photo by Claire Herzog

beach sands between the shore and the first low dunes. Snowy Plovers are adapted to lay their eggs in a shallow bowl-shaped scrape directly on the sand. It may be lined with bits of shell, pebbles, and grass, but its protective colors and some thin grass offers little visual protection. This unfortunate nesting niche means the plover hen and her helpful mate may run a forbidding gauntlet of disruptions by people, dogs, and particularly human development. If the hen is flushed by people she may return to the nest. But if she is flushed by crows or other “natural” predators that’s probably the end of the nest. Unfortunately, one of the most numerous predators are four-legged animals often found to flush and chase birds -- dogs. If you see anyone with a dog on Siesta Key Beach please remind them that it is a “no dogs’ beach”. Gulls, herons, ghost crabs, snakes and dogs all seek snowy plover nests and eggs and, especially the young chicks! A gull flying over an adult snowy plover probably won’t catch it. But if they see a chick a gull will chase and often catch a chick. But among the most efficient predators on the beach are crows! You will often see crows flying over the dunes or resting briefly on the sand. They are always alert for snowy plover nests and, especially, for young chicks. And crows are smart. Frequently they work together to protect their nests and, also, to locate and chase food. On one occasion I saw two crows perched on the masts of catamarans parked on the beach. One crow located a snowy plover nest and flew toward it. The adult snowy plovers chased the crow. Then, while this was going on, the other crow flew down and picked up one egg in its mouth, flew back to the catamaran and swallowed the egg. Then it immediately flew down and picked up a second egg.

941.349.0194 • www.islandvp.com ISLAND VISITOR PUBLISHING, LLC

Massage Experience

End Violence Walk Each year the Gulf Coast Chapter sponsors a walk to bring attention to the issue of violence against women and young girls. The proceeds from that walk are used in programs to prevent this kind of violence and to bring attention to the issue locally, nationally and internationally. Violence takes on many forms, including sex trafficking, which has become a major issue not only worldwide, but here in Florida as well. Statistics reveal that between 18,000 and 50,000 people are trafficked into the United States, many of which are women and young girls. Florida is one of the top three “destination states” for trafficking. UN Women and the committees of UN Women are working diligently to stop this form of violence. Walk chairman, Alyssa Rakovich reported about 100 people participated this year almost doubling last years total. Children, teenagers, young and older adults participated. The Garbage Men provided music.

SIESTA SAND March 2014 • www.siestasand.net

Above: First America Bank sponsored a team of people to participate in this years 4th Annual Walk to End Violence Against Women and Girls, on Siesta beach. Pictured are Nate Ellis, Terri Evans, Kelly Ellis, Liz Gibbs, Dee Papaioannou, Carol Green, Spiros Papaioannou Front - Rachel Morin, and Keith Parr. Left: The Garbage Men Band members, Harrison Paparatto (red shirt), Evan Tucker (gray shirt), Oliver Gary (drummer), and Jack Berry (white shirt) have been together almost 4 years, since the end of 8th grade.

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LIVE MUSIC PAGE 22 ACCOMMODATIONS PAGE 34

VILLAGE MAP pgs 18 - 19 CresCent Beach MAP pg 20 GULF GATE SHOPS pg 25

LOCAL MAPS INSIDE

217 AVENIDA MADERA SIESTA ES STA K KEY EY VVIL VILLAGE, ILLA LAGEE, FL 334342 43442 43 BEACHBITESSIESTA.COM ACHB AC HBIT I TES ESSI SIEES STTA A.C A. .COM O

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

Siesta Key Drum Circle

Every Sunday is a perfect time to come to the Key for some wonderful entertainment. I’m talking about the Siesta Key Drum Circle that takes place each Sunday starting a couple hours

before sunset and lasting until sunset. The gathering meets up just south of the main pavilion - just follow your ears and watch for the swelling crowd. Photos by Trebor Britt.

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New Executive Director of the SK Chamber of Commerce

By Bob Stein

Continued from cover story.

After a long, rewarding career with the Greater Medina Chamber of Commerce in Medina, Ohio I am ready for a new challenge and opportunity and Siesta Key just happened to be looking for a new Executive Director.

I chose the Chamber profession. I have a passion for business success and the importance of a Chamber in community development.

What is your experience in the Chamber of Commerce world? I actually started my career in Chamber work selling memberships for the Sarasota Chamber of Commerce for a few months. I have been with the Greater Medina Chamber of Commerce for 27 years, the past 19 as the Executive Director/CEO. I am a graduate of the Institute for Organization Management sponsored by U.S. Chamber of Commerce and I have been very active in Chamber of Commerce Executives of Ohio and in the American Chamber of Commerce Executives throughout my career.

What single event stands out in your career that confirmed you made the right choice working for a Chamber of Commerce? That is a really hard question after so many years. When I started with the Medina Chamber it was a rural community with a strong manufacturing base. Today it is a growing community with a strong appreciation for all business. It is the cumulative effort of all those years that confirms I made the right choice. Seeing the vision become a reality to create a community where business, residents and visitors want to live and work is so rewarding and gives me a honest feeling of accomplishment.

Did you choose this profession or did it choose you? I think it was both. I believe organization management chose me but

How large was the membership and staff at the Medina Chamber of Commerce in Ohio? The Medina Chamber has 520

members and 2.5 staff in addition to the Executive; about the same size as the Siesta Key Chamber. Are you or were you involved at any national levels in the Chamber of Commerce? Yes, I was on the Board for the American Chamber of Commerce Executives for three years and regularly attended the national conferences to learn about Chamber trends and programs from my peers and experts in the industry. Could you name a few of your major and minor achievements at the Medina Chamber of Commerce? Most of my achievements were the result of bringing the right people to the table to solve problems, find ways to make the community strong and sustainable and create a destination for tourists. I was involved in a number of task forces that addressed transportation and infrastructure. I brought a program to the school districts in our county to create an entrepreneurship program for

high school students. The Chamber was able to purchase its building after many years of successful fiscal management. I helped initiate the Main Street Program in Medina, participated in a number of projects to retain and attract business to the community and helped create an Economic Development Director position with City Hall. I was awarded the Grassroots award for Business Advocacy from the Ohio Chamber of Commerce twice in the past five years. Where did you grow up and go to school? Also do you have any degrees? I grew up in Columbus, Ohio and completed High School in Toledo, Ohio. I graduated from the University of Akron in Ohio with a B.A. in Business and Organization Communication and completed my graduate work with the University of Phoenix with an M.A. in Organization Management. What is your husband’s occupation? My husband, Tim, is retired from construction but maintains a Captain’s

Map B #42

License and continues to skipper, t commission and enjoy sailing.

How would you describe you I love to work and can be a bit overachiever. I appreciate those contribute and participate becau is really about working together. working on a team, collaborating giving others a chance to succe love the outdoors, spending time my husband and friends, expl and traveling. I am a reader and writing and I am really looking for to getting back to riding my bicy year-round!

What would you like to say t businesses and residents of S Key? I am excited and eager to me members, businesses, organiza and leadership. I will have a deal to learn about the vision culture of Siesta Key while sharin experience and leadership skills se the Chamber and the community

Beach Bazaar & Swin Shack........... Map-C #28 Blvd. Beachwear.................................. Map-B #30 Comfort Shoes-Birki & More.........Map-D #64 Foxy Lady Fashions........................... Map-A #40 Gidget’s Coastal Provisions............... Map-B #44 Island Cotton Company.....................Map-C #29 Le Grand Bisou Chic Boutique......... Map-D #11 Lotus Boutique................................... Map-D #66 Siesta T’s............................................... Map-B #30 Sun Glass Outlet..................................Map-C #24 GAS STATION Circle K Store......................................... Map-E #6 GIFTS & SOUVENIRS Beach Bazaar...................................... Map-C #28 Created Gems......................................Map-C #51 Hurricane Rita’s Gifts.........................Map-C #51 Mount-N-Repair.................................. Map-B #48 Sea Pleasures & Treasures...................Map-C #2 Siesta Key Bead Shack....................... Map-A #36 Siesta Key’psakes................................ Map-B #29 Siesta Key Outfitters.........................Map-D #11 HEALTH & FITNESS Indep. Lifestyle Solutions ................ Map-D #10

AccomModations Siesta Beach Resort ........................Map-A #38A ART GALLERY / STUDIO Calle Studios.........................................Map-B #32 ATM / BANKS PNC ATM............................................. Map-C #61 Martin Funding......................................Map-E #1 Sun Trust Bank & ATM.........................Map-E #4 Bakery & Deli A Taste of Germany............................Map-C #53 Heavenly Cupcakes.............................Map-B #50 Meany’s Mini Donuts......................... Map-C #24 BARS & NIGHTCLUBS Blase Café.............................................Map-A #38 Blu Que Island Grill..........................Map-C #57 Daiquiri Deck Raw Bar................Map-B #42-43 Gilligan’s...............................................Map-B #33 Siesta Key Oyster Bar........................ Map-B #45 The Beach Club....................................Map-D #22 The Cottage.......................................... Map-C #58 The Hub-Baja Grill..............................Map-D #59 BOOK STORES Used Book Heaven...............................Map-B #48

www.Nirvanajuicebar.com

COFFEE SHOPS Lelu’s Coffee Lounge...........................Map-B #31 The Local Bean................................... Map-D #62 DRUG & HARDWARE Davidson’s Drugs................................Map-D #65 Village Hardware................................ Map-C #26 FASHION & ACCESSORIES Aqua Beachwear................................ Map-D #12

Juices Fresh Pressed

rder

Prepared To O

• Workout/Energy Drinks • Protein Shakes • Fantastic Smoothees • Wheat Grass

5138 Ocean Blvd., SieSta Key village (at the lOcal Bean) Nirvana Juice Bar Siesta Key

Map D #11

SIESTA SAND March 2014 • www.siestasand.net

Señor Siesta Restaurant continues to impress

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Since their grand opening on June 13, 2013, Señor Siesta continues to receive high praise for their authentic Latin cuisine. Offering homemade dishes from Spain, Portugal, throughout the Americas and Caribbean, some of their specialties include Paella, their award winning Ropa Vieja (slow cooked beef brisket), popular slowroasted Lechon (slow-roasted pork), Arroz con Pollo (classic Spanish chicken and rice pilaf), Gambas al Ajillo (sautéed garlic shrimp), daily seafood features, Latin desserts, made from scratch non-alcoholic tropical drinks, wines from Spain, Chile, and Argentina, beer from Latin America, and Sangria. Tucked in the corner of the Village Plaza, this family owned and operated restaurant offers an intimate setting with friendly service. The big unique flavors are an obvious draw. But don’t take our word. Their reviews speak for themselves. Here are just a few from tripadvisor: This was our first visit to this

very quaint restaurant. The food was excellent. I had lasagna made with plantains and a very delicious dessert. Every item on the menu is homemade. It was impressive. Would highly recommend. Reviewed February 9, 2014 We were looking for a restaurant on Siesta Key open last night and were pleased to find Señor Siesta which we learned just opened recently. We thoroughly enjoyed the food. We opened with the best tasting homemade chicken soup with platanos in it. I had the pastelone and asked for it spicy while my girlfriend asked for hers not spicy--both were excellent. Very imaginative presentation. My brother-in-law who is Spanish--had the Ropa Vieja. He raved about its flavor talking about the rosemary hints and said his rice and plantains Madura were perfect. We highly recommend this place. It is a little difficult to find (right next to cafe

Nirvana Juice Bar..............................Map-D #62 Siesta Key Fitness..............................Map-B #73 Studio Rubylakes................................ Map-B #49

on Siesta Key Map A #40

209 Beach Road Sarasota, FL 34242 941.349.6525

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

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

had “juice” brewed from tamarind and a dish like lasagna but made with plantains. The server (maybe was the owner) was extremely knowledgeable about the food and answered all of our questions and even brought out ingredients to show us like the tamarind and yucca

SASSY HAIR

ICE CREAM/treats Big Olaf Creamery..............................Map-C #52 Ciao Gelato...........................................Map-C #50 SubZero Ice Cream Yogurt............... Map-D #16 Sunni Bunni Frozen Yogurt...............Map-C #53

JEWELRY Created Gems......................................Map-C #51 Michael & Co. Jewelers...................... Map-B #29 Mount -N- Repair Jewelers................ Map-B #48

gabbianos) but very worth it. We’ll definitely be back! Reviewed February 3, 2014 We had a very good dinner here, great service and good food. It’s hard for us to find new foods to try while eating out and this place did not disappoint. For example I

wSw Sa S ywH. sa ai rs s y h a i r . c o m on Siesta Key

209 Beach Road Sarasota, FL 34242 941.349.6525 www.sassyhair.com

Map D #11

root. Very fun experience for foodies like us! Reviewed January 26, 2014 What a hidden gem! Came here during our Christmas vacation and really happy we followed reviewers’ advice and ate here. It is a tiny, family-owned spot in the corner of a strip mall (not the most promising location for a restaurant). My husband and I had the paella and sangria special - very good. The paella was stuffed with seafoodthey did not skimp on the portions! I was very happy to have some good food after eating at various touristy places all week. Highly recommended! Reviewed January 25, 2014 5110 Ocean Blvd., Hours: Tues. – Sun. 5-10PM. 941-349-0818. With season in full swing, reservations are highly recommended. Taste for yourself to find out why this place earns 5-stars consistently.

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

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MAILING - SHIPPING UPS store............................................. Map-A #41 US Post Office..................................... Map-D #65 MARKETS/FOOD STORES 7-11 Store.............................................. Map-B #46 Circle K Store......................................... Map-E #6 Siesta Market........................................Map-C #25

Map C #53

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 Dr. Barry LaClair MD.........................Map-C #56 E.K. Koster DMD................................ Map-D #63 Karen F. Leggett, D.O.........................Map-C #56 Siesta Key Physical Therapy............. Map-D #20 Siesta Smiles Dentistry....................... Map-B #49 MISCELLANEOUS Chamber of Commerce..................... Map-D #67 Roberti Enterprises............................ Map-A #39 Sheriff’s Office...................................... Map-D #9 PROFESSIONAL SERVICEs CG Designs...........................................Map-E #1 Edward Jones Investments............... Map-D #68 Smith Architects.................................. Map-E #74 REAL ESTATE / Rental SERVICES Ascendia Real Estate.......................... Map-D #11 Beachside Resorts Rental.................. Map-D #11 Charles Rutenburg Realty..................Map-C #53 Coldwell Banker Realty..................... Map-D #20 Horizon Realty.................................... Map-B #34 Island Homes.......................................Map-C #51 Key Realty.............................................. Map-E #5 Michael Saunders Realty..................Map-E #72 Re/Max Alliance Group................... Map-D #60 ReMax Tropical Sands....................... Map-D #67 Robasota Rentals & Real Estate..... Map-A #39 Siesta Key Realty.................................. Map-D #9 Waterside Realty.................................Map-C #29 RESTAURANTS Another Broken Egg..................Map-C #54 & 55 Beach Bites..........................................Map-D #16 Blase Café............................................ Map-A #38 Blu Que Island Grill......................... Map-C #57 Bonjour French Cafe...........................Map-C #47 Café Gabbiano.................................... Map-D #71 Daiquiri Deck Raw Bar............... Map-B #42-43 Eat Here Restaurant.....................Map-D #17-18 Flavio’s Brick Oven & Bar.................. Map-B #29 Flavio’s Italiano Ristorante................ Map-B #30 Gilligan’s Island Bar & Grill.............. Map-B #33 Jo To’s Japanese Restaurant...............Map-C #47 LeLu’s Coffee Bar................................ Map-B #31 Lobster Pot.......................................... Map-C #23 Napoli’s Italian Restaurant................Map-C #53 Old Salty Dog Rest. & Pub................... Map-E #2 Señor Siesta........................................Map-D #69 Siesta Key Oyster Bar........................Map-B #45 Solorzano Bros. Pizzeria.................... Map-D #15 Subway Sandwiches........................... Map-B #30 Sun Garden Café................................ Map-D #19 The Cottage..........................................Map-C #58 The Hub - Baja Grill........................... Map-D #59 Village Café........................................Map-D #14

YOUR PASSPORT TO LATIN CUISINE

This season’s FeaTure : Paella

New favorite on Siesta Key and top-rated in Trip Advisor.

Flavorful tapas, entrees, drinks and desserts from Spain and throughout the Americas. 5110 Ocean Blvd, Siesta Key / Tues-Sun 5-10PM / 941-349-0818

SPAS - HAIR & BEAUTY Nails By Iris..........................................Map-C #50 Salon Capelli......................................... Map-D #9 Sassy Hair Salon................................ Map-A #40 Siesta Key Nails...................................Map-D #9 Village Barber....................................... Map-D #9 SPORTS INTEREST/Rentals CaliFlorida............................................ Map-B #32 Robin Hood Rentals.........................Map-D #34 Siesta Village Outfitters......................Map-C #53

Map C #61

941.349.0194 • www.islandvp.com ISLAND VISITOR PUBLISHING, LLC

CRESCENT BEACH SHOP INDEX

Things You Like...................................... C-3 #14 Gifts & Souvenirs Capt. Curt’s Souvenirs.............................B-3 #8 Green Turtle Shells & Gifts................. C-3 #14 The Silversmith ...................................... D-4 #17 Silver City Jewelry.................................. C-3 #14 Health & Beauty Lorraine’s Beauty & Barber.....................B-3 #8 Salon Siesta............................................... D-4 #17 Siesta Key Salon & Spa........................... C-3 #14 The Key Spa & Salon.............................. A-5 #12 Ice Cream & Treats Orange Octopus .......................................B-3 #8 INTERNET / WiFi SERVICES Davidson’s Drugs.................................... C-3 #14 Mail Pack Center..................................... C-3 #14 Liquor Stores Crescent Beach Grocery...........................B-3 #1 Crescent Club............................................B-3 #13

Siesta Spirits............................................. C-4 #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-4 #17 Crescent Beach Grocery..........................B-3 #1 Miscellaneous Moving & Storage....................................B-3 #10 Flowers by Fudgie................................... D-3 #17 Real Estate / RENTALS Homes & Condo Rentals........................ D-3 #17 Moynihan Realty..................................... D-3 #17 Re/Max Tropical Sands............................B-3 #1 Siesta 4-Rent.............................................. C-3 #1 Restaurants

City Pizza Italian Restaurant............... D-3 #17 Clayton’s Siesta Grille...............................B-3 #9 Javier’s Restaurant.................................. C-3 #17 Miguel’s Restaurant............................... C-3 #17 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 Sarasota Wind and Water Adventures.A-5 #12 Siesta Key Bike & Kayak . ......................B-3 #8 Siesta Key Marina..................................... A-4 #5 Siesta Key Parasailing............................... A-4 #5 Siesta Paddle Sports................................ D-4 #17 Siesta Sports Rentals............................... A-3 #2 Siesta Sports Rentals............................. C-3 #14 Waves Boat & Social Club...................... A-5 #12

Boatyard Waterfront Bar & Grill...............A-5 #12 Capt. Curts Crab & Oyster Bar.................B-3 #7

“Home of the Orange Squeeze!”

“A Tropical Department Store“

SHELL & GIFT CITY

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

OPEN 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM DAILY

IN FEATUR

19.95 Reg. To $49.00

SIESTA KEY

Siesta Key’s Largest Seashell & Coral Selection!

Hand Made Ice Cream

Sundaes l Shakes l Smoothies l Coffees Espresso l Cappuccinos

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

1220 Old Stickney Point Rd., Siesta Key In the Captain Curt’s Plaza Map B-3#8

CRESCENT BEACH

THE GREEN TURTLE

er Sale up Ladies Bathing Suits

ATM & Banks Bank of America........................................ A-3 #3 Bars & Nightclubs Capt. Curt’s Backroom Saloon................B-3 #7 Crescent Club........................................... C-3 #13 Sniki Tiki....................................................B-3 #8 Delis & Sandwiches Anna’s Deli & Sandwiches.................. C-3 #14 The Beach Deli @ Crescent Beach Grocery..... ......................................................................B-3 #1 DRUG STORES Davidson’s Drugs..................................... C-3 #14 Fashion & Accessories CB’s Island Outfitters.............................. A-3 #2 CB’s Saltwater Outfitters........................ A-3 #4 Coconuts Fashion......................................B-3 #1 Coconuts / Island Colors..........................B-3 #8 Green Turtle Swimwear......................... C-3 #14 Key Casual Fashions............................... D-4 #17

6525 Midnight Pass Road

MAP B-3#14

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

349-4751

941-346-8080

green TURTLE COUPON

VALUE

With This Coupon

No Purchase Necessary

EXPIRES:7/05/2010 Expires 12/31/14

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

$ off SCOOTER RENTALS Half Days/Full Days/Multi Day Rentals with this Coupon EXPIRES 12/31/14

Bikes • Kayaks • Scooters • Kayak Tours

Map B-3#8

Anna’s Deli 6535 Midnight Pass Rd.

MAP C-3 #14

CB’s Saltwater Outfitters 1249 Stickney Point Rd.

MAP A-3 #4

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

Siesta 4-Rent 6555 Midnight Pass Rd.

MAP C-3 #1

City Pizza 6645 Midnight Pass Rd.

MAP D-3 #17

Miguel’s Restaurant 6631 Midnight Pass Rd.

MAP C-3 #17

Sarasota Wind & Water Adventures 1518 Stickney Point Rd.

MAP C-3 #14

PLACE YOUR AD HERE Island Visitor Publishing 941-349-0194

SIESTA SAND March 2014 • www.siestasand.net

Cooking Seafood just right Water World By Scott Dolan Captain Jim Klopfer

Adventure Charters 941-371-1390 Doc Dojutrek shows off a big Myakka river snook

Scott Dolan, owner of Big Water Fish Market on Siesta Key, shares his top six tips for cooking seafood just right.

4. “A lot of people have a tendency to want to marinate their fish with lemon, which is a big no-no because unless you’re making ceviche [raw fish marinated with lemons], the acid in the lemon will start cooking the fish before it hits the grill. There’s nothing wrong with flavoring with a lemon or grapefruit, but do it at the last minute or even afterwards.”

1. “Don’t overcook. A lot of people are intimidated by fish and want to overcook it. The basic rule is ten minutes per inch of thickness at 400 degrees. That’s pretty much a guideline to stick with. Cook thoroughly, but don’t overdo it.”

5. “Cooking the whole fish is an absolute wonderful way to eat it—it’s my favorite—but if you’re cooking a whole fish you want to make sure the guy at your fish market has scaled, gutted, and cut the gills out of your fish before you bake or grill it.”

2. “You always want to cook the meat until it’s opaque, not translucent. You want it to flake easily with a fork.” 3. “If you’re grilling on an outdoor grill, make sure you talk to your fishmongers about what is going to hold up on a grill and what is not. Find out what will flake and stick to the grill, like grouper or a fish that doesn’t have skin, because in those cases you would want to use tin foil or a grill basket.”

6. “You always want to buy your fish the day you are going to eat it. If you’re running around, you should make the fish market your last stop so you can get it home and refrigerate it immediately.”

Big Water Fish Market 6641 Midnight Pass Road, Siesta Key FL 34242 - 941-554-8101

The Sarasota Power & Sail Squadron is offering a four night Florida approved Boat Safety Course Monday & Wednesday evenings, March 3, 5, 10, 12. Time is 7:00-9:00PM. Anyone born on or after Jan. 1, 1988 must take a boat safety course in order to operate a vessel with

10 horsepower or more. Course includes optional on the water training. Classes held at the Squadron building @ 2814 Hyde Park St., Sarasota. Call 941-927-5879 for information & reservations. www.sarasota-boating.org

March is a great month to fish on Siesta Key. It is the first month of spring, both on the calendar and outside. The list of available species is long; snook, redfish, trout, pompano, cobia, king and Spanish mackerel, sheepshead, flounder, snapper, grouper, jack crevelle, and sharks just to name a few. Big Pass will be very productive this month, particularly when the water is clean. Often times the tide is low in the morning, making the passes a great place to start off a trip and bend some rods. Ladyfish are usually thick, with bluefish, mackerel, and pompano mixed in. Live bait will work, but this is a great situation to cast artificial lures. Fish in the passes are usually actively feeding and can be seen busting baits on the surface. Gold Cotee grubs on a ¼ ounce jig head and (08) Rapala X-Raps are two effective lures. The sheepshead run will peak this month. Just about any structure near either pass will hold these tasty critters. A live shrimp fished on the bottom should result in a fish dinner pretty easily. Speckled trout will be schooled up over deep grass flats throughout the entire area. Incoming tides are best, but as long as the water is moving the fish will bite. A live shrimp under a noisy cork is a proven trout slayer. Jigs, spoons, and plugs will fool many fish, too. Pompano, mackerel, ladyfish, bluefish, jacks, and a stray cobia will also be encountered when fishing over the grass flats. These are large areas, the key to success is to keep moving until fish are located,

|The Rumrunner Located at Turtle Beach Marina in South Siesta Key | 941.349.3119 www.siestakeycharterfishing.com Captain Joe Bonaro offers more than exciting deep sea fishing opportunities aboard “Sarasota’s

Cohan. Regretfully, Ms. Cohan’s credit was omitted in the February, 2014, column entitled FEATURED ARTIST.

fastest charter boat,” the Rumrunner (941/349-3119). The skipper offers special boat and fishing trips for families – and for families with small children – as well as customized day and overnight trips.

Lido Key are a great place to start, they hold a lot of fish. Trolling spoons and plugs is a deadly technique and will fill the cooler in short order. For more sport, look for breaking fish on the surface and cast plugs, spoons, or flies out into the frenzy, a vicious strike should occur immediately!

MARCH 2014 TIDE CHART

February Edition Correction The novel, Triple Destiny, was the sole creation of Diana Colson. However, the screenplay adaptation was co-written by Diana Colson and television writer, Dawn Aldredge

do not spend too much time in one spot if it is not producing. Snook will move out of their winter retreats on their way out to the Gulf to spawn. Any structure with a depth change is a likely place to catch a snook. Docks, bridges, and oyster bars are all very productive, especially those with some current. Plugs and scented soft plastic baits are the top choices, along with a large hand-picked shrimp. Fishing the area bridges at night is a great way to catch a bunch of snook. Free-lined live shrimp, artificial shrimp and plugs work well. Fly fisherman will score using any small white baitfish pattern. Remember, snook season is closed, handle the fish with care and release them unharmed. Surf fishing should be good for a variety of species providing the water is clear and not roiled up. Whiting, silver trout, flounder, pompano, Spanish mackerel, and ladyfish with hit both live shrimp and artificial lures. A jig tipped with a small piece of shrimp works well bounced along the bottom. Mackerel and ladyfish will hit flash lures such as silver spoons and plugs. A live shrimp fished on the bottom with just enough weight to get down is a simple but effective technique and will catch anything that swims. Anglers targeting pompano will do well with live or frozen sand fleas. The beach should come alive this month, provided the winds cooperate. Spanish and king mackerel will invade the area, along with cobia, sharks, and false albacore. The inshore reefs off of

Florida, St. Petersburg, Sarasota, Sarasota Bay

March 2014

N 27° 20' / W 82° 33' Date

Day

1244pm

High Tide 1.5

High Tide

Sunrise

Sunset

Moonrise

Moonset

Phase

713am

1239am

1.8

107pm

128am

1.6

218am

1.4

311am

417am

Low Tide -0.3

706pm

Low Tide 0.2

655am

631pm

653am

710pm

New

1.6

743am

-0.1

755pm

0.0

654am

632pm

736am

813pm

132pm

1.6

811am

0.2

844pm

-0.1

653am

632pm

818am

915pm

200pm

1.7

836am

0.4

937pm

-0.1

652am

633pm

900am

1015pm

1.2

232pm

1.8

901am

0.5

1035pm

-0.1

651am

633pm

943am

1113pm

1.0

309pm

1.8

925am

0.6

1141pm

0.0

650am

634pm

1027am

554am

0.9

353pm

1.7

946am

0.8

649am

635pm

1113am

1208am

449pm

1.6

1257am

0.0

648am

635pm

1200pm

101am

707pm

1.6

315am

-0.1

747am

736pm

149pm

150am

1141am

1.1

838pm

1.6

422am

-0.1

308pm

1.0

746am

736pm

239pm

336am

1159am

1.2

955pm

1.6

515am

-0.1

438pm

0.9

744am

737pm

330pm

419am

1218pm

1.3

1053pm

1.6

558am

-0.1

536pm

0.8

743am

737pm

422pm

459am

1234pm

1.3

1140pm

1.6

633am

-0.1

619pm

0.6

742am

738pm

513pm

537am

1247pm

1.4

703am

0.0

656pm

0.5

741am

739pm

605pm

613am

1220am

1.6

1259pm

1.5

729am

0.1

730pm

0.3

740am

739pm

658pm

649am

1257am

1.6

113pm

1.6

752am

0.2

804pm

0.2

739am

740pm

752pm

724am

133am

1.6

130pm

1.7

814am

0.3

841pm

0.0

738am

740pm

847pm

800am

211am

1.6

153pm

1.8

836am

0.4

921pm

-0.1

737am

741pm

943pm

837am

253am

1.4

222pm

1.9

859am

0.5

1007pm

-0.1

736am

741pm

1040pm

917am

342am

1.3

255pm

2.0

924am

0.6

1100pm

-0.2

734am

742pm

1138pm

1000am

443am

1.1

334pm

2.0

949am

0.7

733am

742pm

609am

1.0

421pm

2.0

1204am

-0.2

1015am

0.8

732am

743pm

1237am

1139am

520pm

1.9

119am

-0.2

731am

743pm

135am

1235pm

642pm

1.8

240am

-0.2

730am

744pm

231am

135pm

1102am

1.2

1124am

1147am

1209pm

1.6

1203am

1.8

1231pm

1256am

1.7

144am

1.6

1st

Full

1047am

821pm

1.8

354am

-0.2

249pm

1.1

729am

744pm

324am

238pm

1.3

950pm

1.8

455am

-0.2

427pm

0.9

728am

745pm

413am

342pm

1.4

1102pm

1.8

545am

-0.2

535pm

0.6

726am

746pm

500am

446pm

626am

0.0

630pm

0.4

725am

746pm

544am

550pm

1.6

701am

0.1

719pm

0.2

724am

747pm

627am

654pm

1253pm

1.8

732am

0.3

804pm

0.0

723am

747pm

708am

756pm

117pm

1.9

758am

0.5

848pm

-0.1

722am

748pm

750am

857pm

3rd

New

941.349.0194 • www.islandvp.com ISLAND VISITOR PUBLISHING, LLC

Who’s Playing Tonight

By Mike Sales

|An interview with Matt Gerhardt Talented, laid-back and personable; Matt Gerhardt is the quintessential island musician, living it up in paradise. Before I ever saw him play and put the face with the name that was a fixture on marquees from downtown to Siesta Key, Matt was just another local, jogging past the porch where I play everyday. Though one of the youngest fulltime musicians I’ve met on the scene, its evident why he’s in demand to play as much as he is, and refreshing to find it hasn’t gone to his head in the slightest…these days he waves as he jogs by. I interviewed Matt on the porch at The Hub, one afternoon between gigs… WPT: Where are you originally from? Matt: Sarasota WPT: Oh, you grew up here, so you’re a genuine local? Matt: Yes WPT: When did you start playing guitar and singing? Matt: I started playing guitar at 18, I played composition jazz piano

from the age of 4 on up until 14 and I’ve been singing all my life. WPT: How old are you now? Matt: I’m 28. WPT: When did you start playing professionally? Matt: At the age of 20. WPT: Where was your first gig? Matt: I think it was “Latitudes”, a little coffee place up on Stickney Point. WPT: What kind of music did you play? Matt: It was a 2-hour gig. I played mostly originals and threw in a couple of covers. WPT: When did you start writing? Matt: I started writing right when I first started playing guitar. WPT: Who are your influences? Matt: There’s a lot…Sublime, Jack Johnson, Led Zeppelin, Jimmy Hendrix…a lot. WPT: Do you include originals in your shows? Matt: Yes WPT: Do you have your own songs available on cd’s and iTunes? Matt: Yes

Performing Live Weekly Monday through Friday • Noon - 3:00 PM

BluQue Island Grill 149 Avenida Messina ~ Siesta Key

WPT: How many cd’s have you released? Matt: Just one, entitled, “Matt Gerhardt and Undertow” WPT: So undertow is your band? Matt: Was. WPT: Well, that leads me to my next question; are you totally solo now or do you play band gigs? Matt: I play band gigs every once in awhile to mix things up. WPT: How many gigs do you play per week? Matt: 4 or 5 WPT: That’s a pretty comfortable schedule, and you live on Siesta Key? Matt: Yes WPT: What can people expect hear when they come to see you play? Matt: A little bit of everything. A little bit of this, a little bit of that…I mostly stick to modern acoustic rock and classic rock, but it changes from venue to venue, depending on what the audience responds to. WPT: How many songs do you know? Matt: I have no clue. If I had to guess, I say 250-300. WPT: If you’re like me, it rotates. Some songs cycle in and out and some stay in the set indefinitely. Matt: Sometimes I get really hooked on a song and play it over and over until I get sick of it, but then six months down the road, I’ll think, “hey, I forgot about this one” and pick it up again. WPT: People will sometimes request songs that have been off the playlist for years and I’ll say, “hmm, once upon a time I could have played that, lets see how far I can get through it.” Matt: Exactly

WPT: What’s your favorite thing about being a fulltime professional musician? Matt: I’ve been doing this for eight years now and its something I always want to do, but not as my primary source of income anymore. I want to keep playing twice, maybe three times per week, when I get another job lined up. WPT: What career do you plan to transition into? Matt: Eventually the health industry, you know, personal training and nutrition. I really want to get into the nutrition side of things and help people create healthy meal plans for themselves. WPT: What are your career goals in the music business? Matt: I mostly want to get back into releasing videos on YouTube and start writing more originals, kind of get back into the fun side of it. A little bit less work and a little more fun. WPT: So basically, you want to move off of covers and focus on originals full time? Matt: I enjoy doing covers. A lot of the videos I do are covers, but I like to do abstract covers and put my spin on them. WPT: What’s the coolest thing that’s happened in your career? Matt: I played at Jannus Live with “Three Legged Fox”. Those guys are incredible. They’re fantastic on their cd, and yet so much better live. They’re really nice people and the venue is just…insane…it was a great show. WPT: Jannus Live, of course, is a venue in St Petersburg, FL known for booking national acts in a club setting. What is it like to play in a facility experienced at catering to major label artists?

LIVE MUSIC SCHEDULE

SIESTA SAND March 2014 • www.siestasand.net

Matt Gerhardt Matt: They have the area called, “The Green Room”, and you get passes to it for you and your band and they give you extra for friends. We had a few friends come up and… it was a good time. WPT: Which local musicians do you go see? Matt: We’ve been friends for so long and play together so often that Ben Hammond definitely tops the list. I go see Dana Lawrence & Kettle of Fish, Mike Tozier, Cort Farris and Kara Nally…we have a great music scene and everyone’s pretty close. WPT: What’s your message to your audience? Matt: I love you and thank you for allowing me to do what I do. Matt Gerhardt plays weekly on Siesta Key. See Siesta Sand Calendar for scheduling and for music and video, visit http:// www.reverbnation.com/ mattgerhardtandundertow The Hub Baja Grill, is located at 5148 Ocean Blvd Siesta Key and features live music daily. Mike Sales is a local singer/ songwriter. For more information visit mikesalessings.com

Island Humor [ A woman calls her priest in a frantic voice and says, “Father, I inherited two parrots and every time they see someone they blurt out, ‘Hey, wanna have some fun?’ It’s really quite embarrassing and I don’t know what to do.” “Well,” says the priest, “why not bring them down to the rectory. I have a parrot myself that I’ve taught to pray. In fact, he prays continuously and he even says the rosary every day. Why not bring your parrots here and I am sure my parrot can help them overcome this problem.” Upon hearing that the woman calmed down and brought the parrots to the rectory the next day. As soon as the woman’s parrots spotted the other parrot they blurt out, “Hey, wanna have some fun?” At which point the priest’s parrot replied, “Hallelujah! My prayers have finally been answered. [ Walking into the pub, Sean said to the bartender, “Pour me a stiff one, Jaime. I just had another tiff with the little woman.” “Oh yeah,” said Jaime. “And how did this one end?” “Well I’ll tell ya now when it was over,” Sean replied, “herself came to me on her hands and knees, she

did.” “You don’t say? Now that`s a switch! What did she say?” She said, “Come out from under that bed, you gutless weasel! [ Mick and Paddy were walking in Covent Garden in London. It was their first week in the capital and they were a bit naïve. ‘Lord above Paddy, this is a great city,’ says Mick. ‘Why’s that Mick?’ responds Paddy. ‘Well, to be sure,’ explains Mick, ‘where else in the world would a complete stranger come up to you, make idle chat, invite you to dinner and then offer you to spend the night at their house?’ ‘Begorrah, ‘ splutters Paddy, ‘did that happen to you?’ ‘No,’ says Mick, ‘but it happens to my beautiful sister all the time. [ An Englishman, a Scotsman and an Irishman each order a Guiness in a pub. Upon being served, each finds a fly in their beer. Repulsed, the Englishman sends his back. The Scotsman gently flicks the fly out of his mug and begins drinking. The Irishman, carefully

ont Bar & Grill fr er at W d ar y at Bo d.,just over the R t in o P ey n ck ti 1500 S , ridge, off island Stickney Point B e Shopping Villag in the Boatyard

[ The Boston taxi driver backed into the stationary fruit stall and within seconds he had a cop beside him. “Name?” “Brendan O’Connor.” “Same as mine. Where are you from?” “County Cork.” “Same as me......” The policeman paused with his pen in the air. “Hold on a moment and I’ll come back and talk about the old county. I want to say something to this fella that ran into the back of your cab.”

Irish Flag

IN GULF GATE...

Recipe Source: www.goodcocktails.com

MLB/College Packages FULL BAR

6500 Gateway Ave • 941.554.8905

Village SHOPS

[ Paddy was tooling along the road one fine day when the local policeman, a friend of his, pulled him over. “What’s wrong, Seamus?” Paddy asked. “Well didn’t ya know, Paddy, that your wife fell out of the car about five miles back?” said Seamus. “Ah, praise the Almighty!” Paddy replied with relief. “I thought I’d gone deaf!”

nth...

Mo Bartender of The

Name of Bartender: Jane Hometown: Green Bay, Wisconsin

HOTTEST BAR

Captain Curt’s

lifts the fly up by its wings and roars, “Spit it out! Spit it out!”

Ingredients: 1/2 oz. Crème de Menthe (Green) 1/2 oz. Irish Cream 1/2 oz. Grand Marnier® Orange Liqueur Garnish: No Garnish Instructions: Pour in layers the green crème de menthe then the Irish cream and finally the Grand Marnier.

Q: How long have you been bartending? A: 20 years. Q: What was the strangest or funniest thing you experienced at work? A: A man was drinking a beer on the railing overlooking the water when other patrons began to yell, “Look, it’s a manatee”. He immediately began taking pictures, then his hat fell off his head into the water. He almost fell in trying to get it. Q: What do you do in your spare time? A: I enjoy spending time with family and friends, biking, going to the beach and sports. Q: How would you describe yourself? A: Hard working, friendly and optimistic. Q: How would you describe The Boatyard Waterfront Bar & Grill? A: A really fun place with great food and the most amazing waterfront dining view in Sarasota.

1200 Old Stickney Point Rd, Siesta Key FL 34242

Siesta Key Bike & Kayak Fun for your vacation with Bike & Kayak Rental. Tours, Delivery & Pick-up. 346-0891

Lorraine’s Island Hair Design Full Service salon. Open Monday thru Saturday. 346-7206

Home of the Orange Squeeze! Featuring hand-mixed ice cream, coffees, shakes, malts, sundaes, & smoothies. Open Til 9:30pm 941-346-8080

Coconut Fashions The best in service, quality, & design. Beachwear & accessories for the whole family. 349-4498

941.349.0194 • www.islandvp.com ISLAND VISITOR PUBLISHING, LLC

Arts on the Horizon Mar 1, 4pm to 9pm - Family Night - The Science of Art - South Florida Museum. The first Saturday of most months, Family Night offers something creative and fun for the whole family. On Family Night the museum is open until 8:00 p.m. Half price after 4:00 pm. A Space show in the Bishop Planetarium usually included. www.southfloridamuseum.org/ Located at: 201 Tenth St. W., Bradenton, FL, 34205 March 1, 7:30 pm - A young girl dreams of playing music in front of an audience … A young man aspires to perform with a professional orchestra … And on one extraordinary night, the Sarasota Orchestra makes dreams come true! Ready for this “Thrill of a Lifetime” as the Youth Philharmonic, led by Robert Lambert, performs side-by-side with the professional musicians of the Sarasota Orchestra. The professional Sarasota Orchestra perform with the student winners of the Edward and Ida Wilkof Young Artists Concerto Competition. http://www.sarasotaorchestra. org/index.php/concerts/side-byside-thrill-of-a-lifetime March 1, 2 - 10am to 5pm. The 2nd Annual Sarasota Wildlife Art Festival and Wildlife Symposium at Ken Thompson Park on City Island. Includes fine art, over 100 local and national wildlife artists; paintings, sculptors, photography, jewelry and fine crafts. The park is adjacent to Save Our Seabirds and Mote Marine. $5 for adults, 12 and under free. Proceeds benefit The Rotary Club of Sarasota & Save our Seabirds. sarasotawildlifefest.com March 1, 4, 6, 12, 15 at 8pm. March 9, 23 at 1:30pm - The Flying Dutchman by Richard Wagner at the Sarasota Opera House. Legends of the sea come to life in this tale of a cursed sea captain forced to wander the world, ultimately finding redemption in the selfless gift of a woman’s love. The Flying Dutchman will captivate audiences as they voyage through this mystical world. $19 - $120 www.sarasotaopera.org March 3, 2014 at 7pm - Thicker Than Water: Exploring the American Family” at Asolo Rep’s Cook Theatre. The Asolo Rep hosts an evening of live performance & interactive discussion. An entertaining and interactive evening of live theatre and discussion about family. The event will be held at the Asolo Rep’s Cook Theatre. $15 for adults and $10 for students. www. asolorep.org located at 5555 N. Tamiami trail, 34243 March 5, 8pm - The American Music Concert at the Sarasota Opera House! Sarasota Opera will explore the past and present of American opera and vocal music. This concert will be performed by Sarasota Opera’s Studio Artists with piano accompaniment. Maestro Kristen Kemp will serve as music director and pianist for this concert. $10 to $30 www.sarasotaopera.org March 7, 8, 9 – Sarasota Orchestra at the Van Wezel One concert with three stories told through music. In the first chapter, immerse yourself in a whirlwind of melodies representing rural Chinese culture. Turn the page and plunge into an exciting rendezvous with Ravel’s Piano Concerto. Jean-Philippe Collard is the premier interpreter of French piano music. You’ll be captivated by Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade, a symphonic poem steeped in wild tales and thrilling turns.

Snapshots of Island Visitors

By Jaye Clements

March 7, 7pm - Jerry Seinfeld at the Van Wezel. March 7-13 - Paint Out! Sarasota Adults, teens, professional and amateur painters are invited to participate in Paint Out! Sarasota. $30 and $5 for teens. The “Paint Out!” is a week of outdoor painting promoting open-air art. Artists will have an opportunity to sell their work. http://artsarasota.org/ paintout!sarasota A one day exhibition will be held March 13 in the Sam and Sally Shapiro Sculpture Garden at the Art Center Sarasota. 707 N Tamiami Trail, 34236 March 7, 15 at 1:30pm & March 21 at 8pm. The Barber of Seville by Gioachino Rossini at the Sarasota Opera House. Determined to win the heart of the beautiful Rosina with charm and wit, rather than money, Count Almaviva enlists the help of Figaro, the barber of Seville, to steal her away from her guardian, Dr. Bartolo. The Barber of Seville is one of the most beloved comedic works in the operatic repertory. $19 - $120 www.sarasotaopera.org March 8, 7pm. The 7th Annual Chillounge Night takes place at Westfield Southgate, Sarasota. Boasting the ultimate outdoor lounge party with live music and comfortable furniture. Must be 21 or older. $20 in advance & $25 at the gate. Proceeds benefit Girls Inc. March 8, 11am to 4pm. Annual Citywide Art Slam. The 4th annual event in downtown Bradenton features dozens of artists, musicians and performers, art installations, and interactive art experiences. The event will feature making and exhibiting giant handmade paper Mache puppets. It is a free event for the whole family. There will be “Puppets at the Park”, free puppet making, two puppet stages for DIY shows and more throughout the day! There’s something for everyone’s creative ability. Mark your calendar and be sure to join in on the fun! Village of the Arts! 11th Ave W & 12th St W Bradenton, 34205 March 13, 12:00pm to 1pm. Brown Bag Concert, at Phillippi Estate. The Brown Bag Concerts are held every Thursday at noon at Phillippi Estate Park. Bring your lunch and a lawn chair. 941-861-5000 March 13, 14 5:30pm to 7:30pm - Sarasota Orchestra presents Mozart Madness 1 at Holley Hall at Symphony Center hosted by the Sarasota Orchestra. Enjoy complimentary hors d’oeuvres at 4:30 pm. Holley Hall at Symphony Center 709 N. Tamiami Trail, 34236 Sarasota Orchestra at (941) 953-3434. March 14 at 12pm Concert at Noon: Studio and Apprentice Artists - Sarasota Opera House in the Lobby $5. 61 N. Pineapple Avenue, 34236

March 23, 3:30 pm - Eclectic Cantorial Concert at Temple Sinai. Chazzan Cliff Abramson will present a program of liturgical music, operatic arias and songs in several languages including Italian and Ladino. There will be pianists, vocalists, cellists, violinists, clarinetists and mandolin players to create musical fare for all to enjoy. Stay for dinner! Meal and concert is $30 per person, concert only is $15. Register online at templesinaisarasota.org or call 941-924-1802 for reservations. Temple Sinai, 4631 S. Lockwood Ridge Road, enter off Proctor between Beneva and Swift.

March 22, 23 - 11 am to 10 pm. The 11th annual Sarasota Folk & Acoustic Music Festival takes place at Oscar Scherer State Park on US 41S in Osprey. There will be lots of musicians, delicious food, vendors, workshops, jams, family music & fun for the whole family! www.sarasotafolkfestival.org/ March 23, Noon - 8 pm. It’s the 19th Annual Giving Hunger The Blues Fest. It’s an all-day family and charity block party with entertainment and fun for all ages. Enjoy live bands on two stages, one will showcase youth bands under the age of 18. Martial Arts & dance demos, games & activities for children, delicious food and more. $5 (children 12 & under free). Each $5 donation provides 8 meals to the hungry in Sarasota. Located on Hillview Street between US41 & Osprey. Free parking at Sarasota Memorial Hospital (parking garage).

March 23 at 8pm - The Verdi Concert at Sarasota Opera House The Verdi Concert is your chance to experience a mix of Verdi’s well known, not so well known, and hidden musical gems. Featuring Sarasota Opera soloists, orchestra, and chorus. $25 - $100 March 28 –6pm to 11pm - The 2nd Annual Wine Walk to Ca’ d’Zan Stroll The Ringling estate, taste fine wine and delight in delicious food and entertainment inspired by the world’s finest wine regions. Ticket includes a commemorative wine glass, bag and an opportunity to bid in a silent auction for incredible items including a 5 day trip for two to Italy (airfare & lodging included). $125. VIP $185.

March 16, 3pm & 7pm Bill Cosby at the Van Wezel March 18 at 8pm - Artists Choice Concert A Sarasota Opera tradition! Principal and Studio Artists will perform their choice of the best of opera, Broadway, and everything in

March 29 to 30, 10am to 4:30pm. The 5th annual Downtown Sarasota Spring Fest Arts & Crafts Show called “Art in the Park” takes place at Main Street and Pineapple Street at Five Points Park. Free.

March 15, 16 - 10am to 4:30 pm Lido Beach Springfest Arts & Crafts Show. Enjoy a day along the shore viewing creative art and crafts. Free.

March 22, 23 - 10am to 5pm. 12th Annual Downtown Sarasota Art & Craft Festival. Contemporary crafts from more than 100 of the nation’s most talented artisans. A variety of jewelry, pottery, ceramics, photography, painting. Main Street from Lemon Avenue to Selby Five Points Park.

M a r ch 2 9 , 1 0 a m t o 1 1 pm . Winterfest at the Premier Sports Campus. A day of live music and family fun, will feature a music lineup that will include Gary Sinise and the Lt. Dan Band, Kansas, the Atlanta Rhythm Section, Rick Derringer, Jeff Cook and the Allstar Goodtime Band, Marty Balin, Ty Herndon, Billy Dean, Les Sabler, Bertie Higgins and Hotel California. Also there will be a Kid Zone featuring games and activities plus food and drink vendors as well as arts and crafts booths. $25 in advance and $40 at the door (cash only). Children 5 and under are free. 5895 Post Blvd, Lakewood Ranch.

March 15, 16 - 10 am to 5 pm. - 10 am to 4 pm. The 14th Annual Art at the Ranch features award winning artists along with food and more. Main Street at Lakewood Ranch. Free.

Photos by Jaye Clements - Sarasota Photography

between on the Sarasota Opera main stage. This concert will be performed with piano accompaniment. $15 - $40

SIESTA SAND March 2014 • www.siestasand.net

1: Randy & his daughter Jessica from MI. 2: Taylor from SRQ waiting for delightful French Cuisine at Miguel’s. 3: Emily & Shannon from Sarasota enjoying lunch at Daiquiri Deck. 4: Robbie, James, & Jennifer from SRQ checking out some of the great SK bars.

Southeastern Guide Dogs Sarasota Walkathon will take place on Saturday, March 29th from 8:30am till noon at Payne Park (2050 Adams Lane). Enjoy food carts, games, entertainment & shopping. Southeastern is the only Walkathon that encourages you to bring the family pet. Visit: www.guidedogswalkathon.org to sign up and put together a team of friends and family to fundraise

|Discover Gulf Gate... With our map, located below, you’ll be able to navigate your way to our featured shops with ease. Oh Mamma Mia! (GG-4) Offers a truly unique dining experience with dinner shows by Chef Giuseppe Urbano. Enjoy the family ambiance as you watch him prepare an authentic Italian regional dish with fresh ingredients just for you. Fine dining, great atmosphere at casual dining prices. Reservations highly recommended. Gulf Gate Golf Course – Conveniently located just a stones throw from the Gulf Gate Shops, this 27 hole Executive Course offers men’s and women’s rental clubs. You can start your day with a round of golf, enjoy a bite to eat at the many wonderful restaurants or simply relax with a pint of ale at the pub before you head out to explore the many fine shops. Moments In Time Photography (G-28) specializes in several different photography services including Siesta Key Beach portraits starting at just $49 and wedding beginning at $495. Check out their website: www.sarasotaphotos. com or visit their store to see why they have been the photographer of choice for over a decade and a half.

Piccolos Italian Market & Deli (G-20) 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. Scandinavian Gifts (GG-37) has an extensive selection of gifts and Scandinavian foods. The specialties here include candles, Ekelund table

linens, Flensted mobiles, imported glassware, Swedish Klippan textiles and so much more. The baked goods and groceries include imported candies, salty licorice, as well as cheeses, breads, seafood and vegetables from Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark. 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 mouthwatering 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…

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day Monday, March 17th at West End Pub Located in Gulf Gate, 6500 Gateway Ave., 941-554-8905. Live music starting at 5PM Photos taken at last years celebration.

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M5 M4 M3 M2 M1 Iberia Bank

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941.349.0194 • www.islandvp.com ISLAND VISITOR PUBLISHING, LLC

New Technology Gives Scammers Big Edge

Snapshots of Island Visitors Photos by Jaye Clements - Sarasota Photography

By Robert Frederickson Continued from cover story.

Top Left: Patty & Merle from Michigan. Top Right: Andy & Delia from Delray Beach, Florida. Bottom Left: Christina & Raean from Indiana. Bottom Right: Julia & Derek with their daughters Leah and Hadley (10mo.) from South Dakota.

Beach Reads By Terri Schlichenmeyer “The Last Time I Died” by Joe Nelms One minute at a time. That’s how you get through a rough patch in your life. You breathe, then take another breath. Watch the clock tick in a circle. And then you do it again because, though it sounds trite, time really is your friend. Or, as in the new novel, “The Last Time I Died” by Joe Nelms, time is what gets you to despair in the first place. Lisa hadn’t wanted a divorce. Christian Franco had to at least admit that. She had, in fact, begged him to go to therapy, to do something to get over his past so they could move forward together. But when a man witnessed his father killing his mother thirty years ago, when the man was just an eightyear-old… well, what was there to say to a therapist that hadn’t already been said? And the truth was, Christian couldn’t remember anything before that night. Not a thing. His first memories were of being in foster care, of the psychologist who raped him, of knowing that he was a burden to Foster Mother. Why dredge that stuff up? And so, with Lisa out of his life and his house, Christian spent his nights getting drunk and picking fights with random strangers in local bars, hoping that either alcohol or a thorough

beating might feel good. A nice butt-kicking was what he lived for. Until he died for it. Those first minutes in the hospital were odd: everything was black, then white, and his memories “whooshed” backward until an eight-year-old Christian saw his mother’s bagged corpse, and began to re-live his father’s hand-cuffed departure from their brownstone. And then he was revived. Angry, and filled with more questions than answers, Christian knew he had to die again. But repeated suicide attempts would raise red flags and he knew he was playing with a sick kind of fire. He couldn’t take the chance that he would die and not come back. He needed someone – a rogue doctor, maybe? - to kill him again and again until the memories all returned. But there was one thing he never considered: what if remembering was worse than death? Reading “The Last Time I Died” is a lesson in patience. It’s scattered (on purpose, as it turns out) and initially somewhat hard to follow, filled with frustration, drollness, and words that may send you scrambling for the dictionary. And yet – you just can’t look away. Once you get past the first few

pages, in fact, author Joe Nelms’s got you. He’ll let you believe that his main character, Christian, is an unredeemable (though wounded) first-class jerk. Christian is downright unlikeable, actually, but there’s something about this story that makes us stick around, knowing we’ll get a pay-off – and we do. Fans of darkness and desperation will eat this book up, as will anyone who cherishes a story with hints of the iconoclastic. If that’s you, then I know “The Last Time I Died” is a book you won’t mind spending a few hours with.

Beach Reads Bio: The Bookworm is Terri Schlichenmeyer. Terri has been reading since she was 3 years old and she never goes anywhere without a book. She lives on a hill in Wisconsin with two dogs and 12,000 books.

SIESTA SAND March 2014 • www.siestasand.net

That’s not the case with the new kids on the block. They don’t even need to be on the same block, in the same town, state, nation or even on the same continent to ply their trade. They can be anywhere. And that’s what worries fraud investigators like Detective G. Steve McDowell of the Sarasota Police Department. “The trend is away from people coming to your door with some kind of roofing or construction fraud,” said McDowell in a recent interview. “That kind of scam is still out there, but it’s not as widespread. It’s much easier for people to do scams online or over the phone. You can sit in the comfort of your own residence and reach a much wider audience.” And do so anonymously. “Right now we’re seeing more use of voice over IP and internet phones,” he explained. “A big provider is Google. They offer a service where all you need to get an account is a computer line. You don’t have to give your name or any personal information. You can do everything anonymously – create email accounts, setup voice-over-IP and it’s pretty much untraceable.” “Or you can just go to the store and buy a ‘tracphone’ that comes with free minutes,” he continued. “You don’t even have to give your real name. There’s a lot of ways that you can get a phone number that’s untraceable to you.” There are also programs available that let scammers mask or change the caller ID listing that appears on your phone when they call, so you think you’re speaking with a legitimate business or organization you’ve dealt with before. Once they’ve got you on the line, cloaked by an untraceable connection, the scammers are halfway home. Think of it as a burglar making it into your home. Now all they need is to get the goods and make their getaway. Technology gives them a big edge here too. “Another trend we’re seeing is services like MoneyPak by Green Dot, where instead of getting a prepaid debit card you go down to the local Walgreens and buy a MoneyPak and load it with however much money you want. If you give out the card’s number to someone

on line or on the phone, it’s just like handing them cash...” So an updated version of the utility scam described above becomes all but untraceable. McDowell recounted a recurring scenario that has crossed his desk recently: “A business or resident gets a call from someone claiming to be with FPL. They’re told their power will be disconnected by 5:00 PM unless their overdue bill is paid by the end of the day. They’re instructed to go to Walgreens and buy a MoneyPak in the overdue amount and call back with the card number.” Once the scammer has the number, they’ve got the goods and poof! They’re gone. So what can you do to protect yourself? You can’t possibly keep up with every scam that’s out there, much less the scores of new ones that pop-up every day. Instead, experts say, concentrate on the fraudsters’ process. And always be skeptical, just as you would if approached on the street. Often, when we’re at home we feel safe... in control. But in today’s world, that can be an expensive luxury. Remember, the person you’re communicating with – either online or by phone – isn’t necessarily who they say they are. For all their high tech cloaking devices, there’s one essential ingredient these folks need to pull off their fraud. And it’s something you must provide: Trust. But trust should be earned, not given freely. Any legitimate player will understand the reasonableness of taking ten or fifteen minutes to make a call in order to check things out. If, not, then that’s perhaps the biggest red flag you’re dealing with a scam. If the caller says they’re from FPL, get your latest FPL statement and call the customer service number to confirm the caller’s story. Or call the non-emergency number at the Sarasota Police Department or Sheriff’s office. As President Reagan famously commented at the signing of the INF treaty with the former Soviet Union in 1987: “Trust...but verify.”

Snapshots of Island Visitors

WAKE & SHAKE

Photos by Jaye Clements - Sarasota Photography

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Top Left: McKenzie age 13, Allie age 15, Abbie age 10, & Chloe age 7. Top Right: Chris & Ann from North Dakota. Bottom Left: Jordan & Jane from Ontario, Canada. Bottom Right: Mary Kay and her husband Andy from WV - these frequent snowbirds have been coming to SK for 3 yrs. “We love it here! It’s very relaxing, beautiful weather & the people here are very friendly.”

Soulful Advice

From Donnarose

Q: Dear Donnarose, I’ve been trying to connect with my angels and Spirit guides. How can I tell if the messages I’m receiving are actually from them, as opposed to the “bad” spirits who can also feed us information? Thank you. ~Nan A: ~“You’ll know it’s your angels whispering in your ear, when you look straight ahead and your path seems more clear.”– Donnarose Melvin If the information you’re getting is in alignment with love, and for the benefit of all involved, you can bet that’s your angels and guides communicating with you. It will resonate with you, and you will be more at ease and feel a sense of peace. When it’s a negative energy lurking, you will feel the opposite of the latter. You will feel it in your gut. And when that happens, dismiss it immediately, and right there and then say thank you to Archangel Michael for clearing your body and space of all negative energies, for protecting you with his protective shield, and for keeping you safe. Then visualize his lovely blue light surrounding you, which will only allow love energy to reach you. Maintaining this protection and staying in the light by thinking only love-based thoughts about yourself, will more often than not prevent negative energies from entering your space. Remember to stay on the side of love, and enjoy your connection with your angels and guides! ~♥ Q: Dear Donnarose, I’ve seen you write something about helping others to heal by thinking positively about them. Can you elaborate on this a little more, as I’d like to try to help my sister who is ill? Thank you. ~Deena

WORD LIST:

A: “Ridding your thoughts of worry and fear, can only benefit those you hold dear.” – Donnarose Melvin Sure, I’d be glad to Deena. The thing is many tell me they are worried sick about someone who’s ill, and are fearful the worse is going to happen. We’re used to thinking that worrying about someone means we care. However, any lower energy thoughts about someone such as worry will only weaken that person’s energy/vibrational frequency. It’s like pouring toxins through that person’s body. Yes, that’s how powerful we are. What any person suffering greatly needs is positive love-based energy sent their way in the form of thoughts and action. Sure we may shed tears because we’re human and really care. But then we need to see that person in the light, and only fuel them with thoughts of love, laughter and good health. It’s the same concept of the prayer chains we hear about that produce miracle after miracle. Only sometimes it may be a one-person effort. But that’s ok, because there’s a ton of Divine support that will assist you. And finally, it’s key that you remain in a state of gratitude, and trust that whatever the outcome is will truly be for that person’s Highest good. Peace to you Deena. ~♥ Donnarose Melvin is a professional psychic, medium and energy healer, whose pleasure is to assist clients worldwide. She incorporates knowledge from her degree in psychology, along with her clairvoyant, clairaudient, clairsentient and empathic gifts to guide her clients towards peace and success. Please send your questions to GoWithYourSoul@gmail.com or private message her via facebook: Go With Your Soul. Donnarose will select questions each month to share with you. She regrets that unpublished questions cannot be answered individually.

WORD SEARCH

Answers on page 32

941.349.0194 • www.islandvp.com ISLAND VISITOR PUBLISHING, LLC

ABC Rentals’ New Store Location Sarasota, FL – Locally owned and operated for almost 12 years, ABC Rentals has relocated their store to the Colonnade Plaza on Bee Ridge Road in Sarasota, after many years of being on Tamiami Trail. ABC is still the same rental business that the locals and guests alike have come to know and love over the years, but with a more sophisticated style and flair. With a wide selection of clothes for women of all sizes, ABC has Designer Clothing without the Designer Prices! From The Owner - “Entering our 12th year, I feel so fortunate to have been able to grow ABC Rentals into what is today. I began this journey working alone, with a 10X10 warehouse, a dozen cribs, and a dream. I am so grateful to our customers, accounts, and of course, my staff, who have helped make my dream possible. I am excited as I look forward to the next dozen years as we continue to evolve and expand ABC Rentals!” About ABC Rentals - ABC Rentals started business in 2002 renting baby and beach items to

locals with family visiting from out of town, vacationers, or to resorts for their guests. Over the years, the business has expanded to include a variety of over 70 rental items, and two retail stores have opened: one on Anna Maria Island in Holmes Beach and one in Sarasota. ABC is a one-stop shop for locals and guests

Independent computer store continues to flourish after 25 years

alike. For more information, please visit www.abcbabyrental.com ABC Rentals 2300 Bee Ridge Rd Suite 204 Sarasota, FL 34239 Office: (941) 929-1850 Fax: (941) 929-1870 info@abcbabyrental.com

In an age where customer service has taken a back seat due to business practices that favor automated voice messaging systems or offer subpar service due to cutbacks, it’s refreshing to come across a business that’s built their reputation on a customer-focused approach. Co-owners Amelia and Doug Manning have developed a strong customer base since opening Discount Computers, Inc. 25 years ago doing just that, answering questions and providing exceptional customer service. That’s quite an accomplishment considering the big box computer stores that have come and gone. When you get third- and fourthtime buyers, you know they are doing something right. And that something right includes perks such as their FREE and unlimited “Lifetime” education and offering their customers a warranty that is done in store for all their desktop computers. You can call or stop in knowing one of the owners, or one

of their expert staff, will be on hand to trouble shoot any problems you may encounter. At Discount Computers, Inc., they know that the IT market grows rapidly and is always evolving, so they constantly strive to improve and stay up-to-date with the latest trends and information. Being in the business this long, they share a combined deep database of knowledge with their customers. Their mantra of “Your Local Computer Store” with excellent Customer Service, Shop Local and Go Green helps them focus on what is important. Whether it’s from old to new, or start to finish and everything in between, Discount Computers Inc. continues to keep each buyer covered providing that customercentered, small business feel that keeps patrons coming back for more. Discount Computers, Inc., 6524 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, 941-925-2215

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Classifieds

Place your service ad here for $6.00 for 15 words and $.10 for each additional word. Copy must be submitted with payment on or before the 15th of the month prior to publication

ACCOMMODATIONS: • Jeanette Properties - long term vacation rentals. 941-927-7222 • Best Western Plus Siesta Key – AAA -3 Diamond Property, Free shuttle service to and from Siesta Key 941-9244900, 6600 S. Tamiami Trl., Sarasota • Siesta 4 Rent - Vacation Rentals, from studios to 5 bedrooms. Serving Siesta Key since 1997, 941-349-5500 • Robasota Real Estate – Annual and Seasonal Rentals, 941-926-1800, ext. 102 HEALTH: • A Bridge for Independence provides in home companion services including companionship, transportation, light housekeeping, medication reminders and meal preparation and planning. Call us at 866-279-4390, Fl License #230517 • Senior Home Companions – companionship and In-Home care.

daily living needs, hourly, overnight, 24-hour care, 941-924-0494 • Massage Heights -1-hour massage $49.99, custom facial $59.99 – intro offers, 4948 S. Tamiami Trl, 941-9271030 (See Display ad in this paper) • Massage Experience Siesta Key Open 7-day a week. 5138A Ocean Blvd, Siesta Key, 941-349-4833 HOME IMPROVEMENT: • Curtis Clark & Assoc. provides professional home improvement services. Serving Manatee and Sarasota counties for over 20 years, they strive to make your home remodeling project a pleasant experience from start to finish. Their team will keep you informed of how the job is progressing and the company owner will be on the job daily to ensure that it is finished on time, on budget, and to specifications agreed upon. 941-713-7433.

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• Palmer Ranch Homewatchers® act as caretakers / property managers for your home in your absence. On each visit, complete exterior and interior checks are made, toilets/drains are cleaned/flushed, mail/papers are brought inside, A/C units/smoke alarms are checked and garage-stored autos are maintained. We ensure your vendors are doing their job and make your home look occupied while you are away, giving you the peace of mind that your home is being well cared for. Prices start at $20 per visit. Additional services are available upon request. 941-993-6613 TRANSPORTATION: • Siesta Key Free Rides – Siesta Key Free island shuttle for beach, village, condo and tours – tips only. Electric vehicles. Call 941-952-8294 • Sun Ride Pedicab – Eco-friendly

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Services

Pedicabs. Siesta Key Tours and rides – tips only, 941-343-3400 • Surfside Free Ride – Provides free Taxi service all over Siesta Key and short distances off the north & south bridge on the mainland from 10am to 2am 7 days a week, tips only, 941-9618238 • Unique Car Transportation – airport transportation to Sarasota or Tampa airports, 813-927-5045 SPORT RENTALS: • Robin Hood Rentals – for all your Siesta Key rental needs with a wide variety segways, bikes, kayaks, scooters and more, free pickup and delivery anywhere on the key. 5255 Ocean Blvd Siesta Key Village. 941554-4242 • Siesta Key Bike & Kayak – Located on Siesta Key in Capt Curts Village serving Siesta Key, Lido Beach and

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Sarasota. We offer bikes, kayak rentals, kayak eco tours, paddleboards and scooters. 1224 Old Sickney Pt Rd. 941-346-0891 • Siesta Sports Rentals – Located on Siesta Key, bike, kayak, kayak tours, scooter, children strollers and car seats. Delivery and pickup available, 6551 Midnight Pass Rd, 941-346-1797 BEACH & BABY EQUIPMENT RENTALS: • ABC Rentals – We are family owned and operated baby and equipment rental and retail store. We provide top quality baby equipment such as cribs, highchairs, strollers and car seats. Beach rental equipment includes umbrellas, beach hammocks, cabanas and beach chairs. View our complete inventory on line www.abcbabyrental. com 2300 Bee Ridge Rd Ste. 204 Sarasota 941-929-1850

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Siesta Key Beach Improvements: Questions & Answers Will the beach remain open during construction? Yes. The beach will be open during the entire construction process. However, there may be changes to the parking entrance and accessibility to certain amenities for short durations of time. We will constantly update this website with all pertinent details.

LEGEND 1 BEACH OVERLOOK 2 EXISTING OVERLOOK 3 15’ PEDESTRIAN ESPLANADE 4 VEHICULAR DROP-OFF 5 HANDICAP ACCESS MAT

Will any parking be closed during the construction? We will always have at least 820 parking spaces available during construction. The good news is that the improvements project includes the addition of at least 150 parking spaces upon completion.

6 RENOVATED REST ROOMS 7 HISTORIC PAVILION 8 NEW CONCESSION / RETAIL FACILITY 9 CONCESSION COMMISSARY / FIRST AID 10 PUBLIC SAFETY BUILDING 11 SERVICE AREA

When is the project scheduled to be completed? Construction began in January of 2014 and is scheduled for completion in December of 2015 – a total of two years. Will the park/beach be closed during construction? The park and access to the beach will remain open to the public during the course of the project. The project will be done in four phases starting with Phase 1 in eastern most section of the park. As the contractor moves to each successive phase, the previous phase area will be opened. For public safety reasons certain areas of the park will be temporarily closed while they are under construction; however this will not prohibit the public from accessing the park or the beach from any of the access points in a 29 non-construction area. Will special events (weddings, running races, etc.) continue to be held at Siesta during the project? Yes. While some areas of the park may be temporarily closed for public safety reasons, access to the park and the beach will be available. Staff will work closely with event organizers to coordinate large-scale events. What is the cost of the project? The total amount budgeted for the project is $21.5 million. Cost of construction is $16.5 million. Design, permitting, engineering and other costs total about $5 million.

12 ENTRY COURT 13 RENOVATED PAVILION (25’ x 25’) 14 NEW BEACH CONCESSION FACILITY 15 NEW REST ROOMS 16 OBSERVATION DECK 17 ADA ACCESS RAMP / NATURE TRAIL 18 PICNIC AREA 19 PLAYGROUND

This building currently under construction on Beach Road near Midnight Pass is the future site of the Sarasota County Maintenance Building, #26 on the map below.

21 OPEN SPACE 22 RENOVATED PICNIC SHELTER (25’ x 40’) 23 PICNIC AREA WITH 2-POLE SHELTERS / GRILLS 24 TRANSIT STOP 25 TENNIS COURTS 26 MAINTENANCE FACILITY (26’ x 46’) 27 TRASH COMPACTOR (8’ x 24’)

2 3

25 6

10 11 3 8 9

4 13

26 27

24 30

4 18 20 23 14 15 19 22 16 23 17

28 LANDSCAPE BUFFER 29 GATEWAY FEATURE 30 SHADED ESPLANADE SEATING

Will the planned improvements prevent stormwater from 28 5 discharging into the Gulf of Mexico? Improvements to the stormwater system are aimed at improving water quality and eliminating the existing cross-beach discharge into the Gulf of Mexico. The plan includes a state-of-the-art water treatment system for the stormwater runoff before it is Will added parking spaces create more traffic problems on discharged in the Gulf of Mexico via an underground pipe that Beach Road or inside the park parking lot? will end about 2,000 feet from shore. Traffic issues on Beach Road or inside the park have been linked to difficulty entering and exiting the park and the Will there be fewer trees? inability to find available parking. The newly configured No, there are considerably more trees planned for the park, entrances and exits for the parking lot are anticipated to better especially in the parking lot. While the trees are intended distribute vehicles both along Beach Road and inside the park, to provide shade and improve aesthetics within the park thus reducing traffic problems in these areas. environment, a considerable portion of the planned landscaping is required by County Land Development Regulations. What ADA features are included in the project? A majority of the park improvements including the How will the renovated beach park be maintained? esplanade, ramps, restrooms, concessions and access to the By providing updated and modern facilities, there will be a open beach will be designed to meet ADA standards. desire from the public and visitors alike to keep the beach and the associated facilities in top condition. Currently, there are What is happening to the historic pavilion? fees to reserve pavilions or open space areas for special events. The pavilion will be refurbished in order to maintain many With an anticipated increase in use and fees for these reserved of its historic features. areas, the business model would allow Siesta Beach to be selfsustaining. What is happening to the existing public safety building? The existing public safety building will be demolished and replaced with a new modern and efficient safety/concession building oriented perpendicular to the beach. 21

What will the new features of the park include? The new park will have: • Multipurpose overlook/shelter structure on the west side of the park for events such as weddings • A 15-foot-wide pedestrian esplanade running the length of the park • Renovated and expanded restrooms in the existing restroom/ concession building • A restored historic pavilion • A new public safety/concession building • New restroom and concession buildings on the east side of the park • Overlook deck area for seating and viewing of the beach, picnic and playground areas • New picnic and playground areas on the east side of the park within existing vegetation • An open space lawn on the east side of the park with new multi-purpose shelter • A relocated and new maintenance facility • Streetscape improvements along Beach Road • An internal transit or large vehicle stop and parking area • ADA access to Siesta Beach from the historic pavilion • Improved traffic circulation and parking with multiple twoway entrances and exits • Improved landscaping throughout the park • Expanded parking capacity. What is happening to the existing Australian Pines? Much of the exotic and nuisance vegetation in the park will be removed. There may be opportunities particularly around Why is this project being done? Many of the existing structures and features of the park have the picnic and playground area for trimming or phased removal exceeded their service life. These improvements will provide an while planting native trees and plants that will provide shade. updated facility that is designed to meet the needs of residents This would take place over a longer period of time to give new and visitors. This Siesta Beach Improvement Project is a voter- trees a chance to fill out. approved Surtax III Project. Will the tennis courts be removed? How will multiple entrances/exits impact traffic on Beach No, the tennis courts will not be removed. They will be Road? relocated inside the park. Traffic studies have indicated that multiple entrance and exit points will distribute traffic more efficiently along Beach Road How will the County protect the more natural areas that and inside the park. provide habitats to various animals? Sarasota County values wildlife and natural areas as a public Can a traffic light be installed at Beach Road and Beach Way resource. Wildlife will be protected to the greatest practical Drive? extent possible during construction. Non-native habitats have Multiple traffic studies were completed to investigate the extremely limited value to wildlife and are therefore less appropriateness of installing a signal at this intersection. Each desirable for preservation. Native landscaping will be utilized study has failed to demonstrate that this intersection meets throughout the park to encourage sustainability. transportation criteria to install a traffic light at this intersection. Beach Flags: Indicate surf & beach conditions

Siesta Key Public Beach Lifeguards on duty

20 PICNIC SHELTERS

SIESTA SAND March 2014 • www.siestasand.net

Pavilion Renderings

Snapshots of Island Visitors

Photos by Jaye Clements - Sarasota Photography

Top: Diana from Punta Groda, Laura & Jessica from MI. Middle: Tina & Bret with their kids Cooper and Nora from Pittsburg. Bottom: Bonnie & John from Toronto were taking a stroll along Beach Rd. looking for next year’s rental.

Island Chatter

By Diana Colson

Continued from page 2.

FIRE-RESCUE EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES:

Dr. Bob Luckner serves on the advisory board of this organization. This new Emergency Operations Center will be completed by March 2015. The new Facility will be able to withstand Category 5 hurricane winds with fully duplicated utilities and communication networks, ensuring that government services will continue during significant events. The new EOC/911 facility will provide a 12% reduction in response time. The preliminary cost estimate is $ 18.5 million, with money coming out of Penny Tax. Groundbreaking was 12/9/13. There will be one location on Siesta Key – at the Stickney Point and Midnight Pass Light. The facility is a joint effort with Manatee and Sarasota County, and towers will

be jointly shared. Bob Luckner also reported that budgeting is in place for construction of four new/replacement fire stations: Twin Lakes, University/ I75, Sarasota Square Mall (#14), Bee Ridge (#12).Cost is $8 million, with 50% coming from existing reserves and 50% future (borrowing) from impact fees and budget under runs. This advisory board has started collecting data on Homeless use of Emergency Services. Currently there is $460,000 per year in un-reimbursed transport costs. Most homeless don’t have Medicaid, and—although homeless account for only 2% of county total responses—90% of homeless calls result in transport to the hospital. Please contact Bob Luckner with suggestions or feedback. Robert. Luckner@sarasotaadvisory.net or 941-224-6951.

Paul Roat types his -30By Stan Zimmerman Continued from page 3.

Paul provided the steady local hand at the rudder of those important reference books. Paul grew up on Anna Maria Island, son of the local postmaster. He knew the local waters, and the local smugglers who knew their secrets were safe with Paul. I can testify to that, Paul evaded several interview attempts by me while writing my “History of Smuggling in Florida.” He took their secrets, and the affection of a great number of people to the grave with him.

It is impossible to imagine a local news environment here without Paul Roat and his camera, his laugh and his byline. I believe we met in the mid-1970s at a meeting of the Sarasota-Manatee Press Club, called the “After -30- Club.” Not because we were too old to be trusted, but to reflect the now-lost tradition of newspaper reporters to signal the end of their story by typing “-30-“at the bottom. It’s my sad honor to file -30- on the life of Paul Roat.

Featured Artist

By Diana Colson

|The Dramatic World Of Jack Gilhooley A gifted and prolific playwright lives in our midst. Jack Gilhooley has been the recipient of dozens of grants, awards, staged productions and readings of his work not only in the United States but also in Scotland, Ireland, Canada and Australia. In February of 2014, there was a reading of his newest play, Lucia & Sam & Jim & Nora (& Harriet, Too) at Art Center, Sarasota. It was a fascinating tale based on the real-life story of Lucia Joyce, a young dancer of enormous promise who lived in the world of the Paris ballet in the 1920s. Her father was the great Irish writer, James Joyce, and his iconic status indelibly impacted his adored but deeply disturbed daughter, who had fallen obsessively in love with young Samuel Beckett. I sat in that crowded audience at Art Center, Sarasota, and found the play to be utterly compelling. Lucia & Sam & Jim & Nora (& Harriet, Too) is only the most recent of Jack Gilhooley’s endeavors. He has been known to develop several plays in a single year, most of them based on historic events. In 2011, Gilhooley co-authored Triangle (with historian, Daniel Czitrom), and it played to sold-out houses at 59E59 Theatre in NYC. The story told of corruption behind the infamous Triangle Shirtwaist fire in 1911. “The characters are striking, tough and larger than life. The play deeply affected me,” said famed actor Ed Asner. Another of Jack’s recent plays, The Warrior, addressed the issue of women serving in the military. It was first work-shopped at Culture Project in NYC as part of their antiwar Impact Festival in 2006. Selected from over 500 entries, The Warrior went on to Sarasota’s Backlot Theatre before going on to Theatre of The First Amendment in Virginia, where it was a winner in their First Light Festival. The Warrior was part of the Alternative Roots Festival in Baltimore in 2007, and then presented at the D.C. Fringe and the NYC International Fringe in 2008. It was the featured play at NYC’s Visions of War in 2009. Jack received two Fulbright residencies. His first was in 199394, when he served as lecturer/ playwright at Universidad de Salamanca, Spain. His second Fulbright came in 2006 at National University of Ireland, where he developed his Joycean dark comedy, Ex-Isles, which was produced in County Limerick in 2008. No stranger to Ireland, Gilhooley’s Shooters had premiered at Dublin’s PurpleHeart Theatre in 2005, drawing rave reviews from Ireland’s leading critics. The Time Trial was originally produced in workshop at the New York Shakespeare Festival by Joseph Papp with Tommy Lee Jones. It went on to be optioned in London and recently ran in Chicago. Papp called Gilhooley “another exceptional talent.” Of The Time Trial, he had this to say: “The predicament of a gang of small town, Southern outcasts struck me as profoundly human. Speaking in a language as brutal and quick-witted as any New York Street persons’, they spend the day drinking and watching cars circle a race track. In many ways the play became a powerful account of lives going in circles: of drugs, sex, and ‘speech’ going nowhere. For these people, small-town America has become a raw, bloody place with no way of fitting in or getting out, a kind of destructive maze containing nothing of value.” The list of Jack Gilhooley’s achievements is long. Honors decorate his bio like ribbons on a general’s coat. His plays have been developed at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center

Top Above: Jack Gilhooley receives the Ageless Creativity Award, LBK Just Above: Co-Authors of “Triangle” Dan Czitron and Jack Gilhooley. Left: Co- Authors of “The Split” Jack Gilhooley and Jo Morello, Manatee Players at Riverfront Theatre

(1977), Aspen Playwrights Festival (1984), Sundance Playwrights Lab (1983), Avignon Festival (1984), Mt. Sequoyah New Play Retreat (1991) and North Carolina Playwrights Festival (1992). He’s twice been commissioned by Actors Theatre of Louisville (1979 & ’80) and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (Earplay and American Playhouse). Previous awards include grants from PEN (1985), the Carnegie Fund (1987), Shubert Fellowship (1973), and five production subsidies from the Ford Foundation. He’s been guest artist/ fellow at the MacDowell Colony, Yaddo, the Djerassi Foundation, the Millay Colony, the Albee Foundation and the Dorset Colony. He’s published by Samuel French, New American Library, Smith & Kraus, Palmetto Press, Meriwether Publishing and Broadway Play Publishing. As the recipient of NEA International and Canada Council grants in 1978 and 1995, Jack was guest playwright at The Centaur, Quebec’s leading English-language theatre. In 1989, Jack was selected as an international fellow at Hawthornden Castle, Scotland, and the Tyrone Gutherie Centre, Ireland. He had a return engagement at Hawthornden Castle in 2002. The Machine—Jack’s play about the Pendergast political juggernaut in Kansas City —won Utah State

University’s national “Playfest” in 1995. It subsequently received rehearsed readings with Ed Asner as “Boss Tom” in 1995 at the Mark Taper Forum in L.A., and again in 1996 at Asolo Theatre in Sarasota. Jack won the 1995 Best Florida Play award when Hi-Rollers was produced by Valencia Character Company in Orlando. His play, Dancin’ to Calliope, won a Festival of Southern Theatre award in 1989, and ran in Miami in 1993. In the 1990s —besides winning Florida state grants—Jack was awarded a NY Foundation for the Arts Fellowship for Connemara Dreaming, a play which was also selected for the Carnegie Mellon Showcase of New Drama. Frank Gagliano, the producing director at Carnegie Mellon, said: “In this contemporary family play of humor, rage, sorrow and compassion, Gilhooley achieves some of the lyrical eloquence of the great Irish writers who sang of the pain of families.” Connemara Dreaming also won the Lexington, Kentucky, Actors Guild Best Play Award. Raised in Manhattan and Philadelphia, Jack attended Syracuse University (BA in Drama), Villanova (MA in Theatre), and the University of Pennsylvania (MA in American Civilization). He is married to the talented Jo Morello, a gifted and productive playwright who deserves a separate article all her own. These two fiercely independent writers have occasionally collaborated, as they did in The Split, which won the West Central Florida Playwright’s Best Play Award and was also produced by Manatee Players as a winner of its New Play Contest.

941.349.0194 • www.islandvp.com ISLAND VISITOR PUBLISHING, LLC

Loveland Center For Adults With Developmental Disabilities By Diana Colson

Places of Worship

Island Churches:

• Siesta Key Presbyterian Chapel 4615 Gleason Ave, Siesta Key, 941349-1166 www.siestakeychapel.org • St. Michael’s Catholic Church 5394 Midnight Pass Rd, Siesta Key, 941-349-4174 www.stmichaelssiesta.com • St. Boniface Episcopal Church 5615 Midnight Pass Rd, Siesta Key, 941-349-5616 www.bonifacechurch.org

Off- Island: A most extraordinary facility exists in our community, a place called Loveland Center. It was first established in 1962 by a group of parents who sought to provide a productive and safe place for their adult children with developmental disabilities. Today, Loveland Center serves adults with a wide range of such disabilities, offering individualized services which empower these students to make informed decisions so that they can become more selfsufficient and interconnected within the community. Located in Venice, Florida, the campus serves adults from both Sarasota and Charlotte Counties. Over 120 individuals are enrolled in Loveland’s various programs today, all 18 years of age or older. The average age is 45 with the oldest student being 84. Loveland is supported in part by government funding, United Way, grants, special events and individual donations. Loveland’s mission is to help adults with developmental disabilities live their lives to the fullest, and its vision is to become a leading innovator in providing services to these adults. Loveland Center offers Adult Day Training in a college campus-like setting, where students choose from a variety of classes. It also offers Supported Employment to support those students able to participate in part-time employment and/or volunteering. Besides training and guidance programs, the Center also offers supported living and group home services. Through the many programs offered at Loveland, students are able to realize their maximum potential. Students emerge feeling needed and successful. I love the words of Bob Dawson, a Loveland student who has for nine years not only earned a paycheck at GOODWILL but also served as a volunteer in his spare time: “Everybody likes me over there. They do. They like me the best over there!” When asked how that made him feel, Bob nodded and grinned: “Good!” he said. Due to many factors, individuals with developmental disabilities now often out-live their parents. These people need to be provided for properly after their parents are gone. As a proactive measure, Loveland Center has designed the Loveland Village, a planned residential community tailored specifically

•Temple Sinai, a Reform Congregation (The closest Jewish congregation to the Key for visitors) 4631 S. Lockwood Ridge Rd, Sarasota, 941-924-1802 www.templesinai-sarasota.org • St. Andrew United Church of Christ (Protestant) (In the Gulf Gate area, near Beneva and Gulf Gate Drive) 6908 Beneva Road, Sarasota, 941.922.7595 www.uccstandrew.org for adults with developmental disabilities so that they can become independent. Long a champion for the rights of adults with developmental disabilities, Florida State Senator Nancy Detert worked diligently in the 2013 Legislative Session to move this project forward. In November of 2013, Loveland Center submitted a request for funding to the Florida Housing Finance Corporation for a total amount of $4.775 million in combined grant, forgivable and nonforgivable loan money. According to Senator Detert, “This is the perfect use of government funding as this is a one-time capital outlay, where the result is that people will live independently. This is a hand up; not a hand out.” To secure these Florida Housing Finance Corporation Funds, Loveland Center has announced its $12.7 million capital campaign led by Dr. Jim Woods. Their logo: “Loveland Village: Building a Home Where the Heart Is.” This proposed Village will have 3 apartment buildings, with 42 units ranging from 1-4 bedrooms, a clubhouse for residential and community activities, an additional student service building for the Loveland campus, and a maintenance building. Loveland Village is dedicated to providing adults with developmental disabilities a unique housing option that allows them to maximize their abilities and maintain their independence while living amongst their peers and supports. In the words of Carl Penxa, Loveland Center’s President/CEO: “We are so grateful for all Senator Detert has done over the years to bring the dream of the Loveland Village closer and closer to reality for people with developmental disabilities.” As fundraising gets underway, Loveland’s services, programs and

passionate staff members continue to focus on providing opportunities and experiences for students helping them to acquire the skills necessary to live their lives to the fullest. The goal of Loveland’s specialized training is that their adult students become functioning citizens. It is essential that instruction be tailored to meet each student’s needs. Instruction might be given in something as simple as learning the letters in a student’s name, or it might be as complicated as mastering the computer. The Adult Day Training Program (ADT) offers a solid framework for preparing adults with developmental disabilities for life in the community. The ADT is offered from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. The program has six core classes and countless electives from which each student can choose. Students register for classes and set goals they would like to achieve for the semester so that instruction is built upon the desires of the students themselves. The ADT program also offers additional programs for students who need extra help or attention. Staff and students work together to help create and foster relationships with local businesses, organizations, and community members. The goal is that more students become involved in the community, either through part-time jobs or volunteer opportunities. Job coaches from Loveland handle the actual training of students, preparing them for success as they work in the local community. Make an appointment to tour the facility and see for yourself what amazing things are being accomplished. Loveland Center is located at 157 South Havana Rd., Venice, FL 34292. Phone: 941-4930016. www.lovelandcenter.org. To make a donation to Loveland Center please contact Aimee Holmes at 941493-0016 ext. 307.

• The Superior Word Rev. Charlie Garrett Service starts Sunday mornings at 10am. Bring a friend and share in God’s word. 6512 Superior Avenue Sarasota, Florida 34242 • First Christian Church 7601 Clark Road, Sarasota, FL 34241. 941-922-4434 www.fccsarasota.com

Church News:

SIESTA KEY CHAPEL Celebrating the Spirit- BodyMind: Exercise Program - Group exercise with certified personal trainer Ashleigh Willhite. Yoga classes are led by Helen Kesler. Cost: $5 - $10 per class. Exercise class - Mon- Wed- Fri 9:30- 10:30 am Yoga class - Monday 6:00 – 7:30 pm, Tuesday and Thursday 9:3011:00am, Friday 5:30-7:00 pm Chair yoga - Thur. 11:00- 12:00 noon

Blooming this month

Plumbago (Plumbago auriculata ) Common name(s): plumbago, cape plumbago, sky flower. The Azureblue flowers are produced throughout the year. This sprawling, mounding, somewhat vine-like, evergreen shrub is quite outstanding because it is covered most of the year with clusters of pale blue, phlox-like flowers. This native of South Africa has become almost naturalized in the peninsula area of Florida. There are both blue and white forms of Plumbago. It is excellent as a foundation planting, or when used in planters. It will cascade down a retaining wall, showing off the unusual blue flowers. It has also been

sheared into a hedge, but most of the flowers are removed at each pruning. A favorite of butterflies. (Source: The Florida Botanical Gardens)

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Food and Wine Pairings

By Mary Catherine Rooney

Casale del Giglio offers new wines from Italy! Many people talk about a wine as being made in either the old or new tradition, but some wines are a delicate balance of the two. One excellent example comes from Italy’s Casale del Giglio. The vineyards of Casale del Giglio in the Agro Pontino Valley, about 30 miles south of Rome, are an anomaly of old and new traditions in Italy. While almost every region in Italy grows and cultivates grapes for wine, up until 1985 no wine grapes were cultivated in the Agro Pontino Valley where the Estate of Giglio was founded in 1967 by Dr. Bernardino Santarelli. With the back drop of ancient hillsides and temples dedicated to gods and goddesses, Dr. Santarelli and his son began a massive scientific investigation into what would be the perfect grapes for wine making in the Agro Pontino Valley. The research and scientific experiments undertaken were foreign in a country that has been making wine for thousands of years. Today Casale del Giglio offers seventeen products, including

six whites, six reds, one rose, one dessert, and three grappas. One of their most distinctive wines that encompasses the blend of old and new is the Satrico, a white blend of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Trebbiano Giallo. This wine is named for the pre-Roman city of Satricum where the site of a temple to goddess Mater Matuta still remains and can be seen from the vineyards of Casale del Giglio.

This wine is an elegant blend that is fruity, crisp and lightly aromatic with a lengthy finish. Satrico goes great with fish and is the perfect aperitif. Casale del Giglio’s Merlot is a winner of the prestigious Italian wine award Gambero Rosso. This wine is 100% merlot and is a deep ruby red with aromas of small red berried fruits and cherry. The feel is smooth and well-rounded with herbal notes. Try this wine with pork dishes and pastas with tomato sauce. The Petite Verdot of Casale del Giglio is 100% Petite Verdot, a rarity given that it is traditionally used in blends throughout Bordeaux, where the grape originated. This is a deep crimson wine that is full of red berry fruit, cherry, myrtle and juniper. The wine is elegant and full-bodied which presents a spicy, white peppery finish. Try this wine with lamb or pizza. The wines of Casale del Giglio offer a delicate balance between old world traditions and new world techniques. Find these wines and more from Casale del Giglio at Siesta Key Wines located in the Siesta Key Village.

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Does Handwriting Matter In The Digital Age? By Diana Colson Continued from cover story.

To quote from 5 Reasons Cursive Writing Should be Taught in School, if cursive is left out of the curriculum, “not only will students miss out on a part of history, they may very well miss out on reading important letters and cards from their grandparents or great-grandparents. The older generation still writes in cursive on a daily basis. Kids often rely on their parent to translate these letters and cards for them because they cannot read the cursive writing. 40 years from now, when these grandparents have passed on, kids may want to look back on those letters, and they should be able to do so.” And then there are all those historical papers so carefully written in elegant script, documents such as the Constitution of the United States and the writings of Abraham Lincoln. Idaho State Rep. Linden Batemen believes that if students do not learn cursive, they will have issues in the future interpreting historical documents. Furthermore, Batemen says: “Modern research indicates that more areas of the human brain are engaged when children use cursive handwriting than when they keyboard. We’re not thinking this through. It’s beyond belief to me that states have allowed cursive to slip from the standards.” Many parents join Batemen in her concern. A July, 2013, Harris poll found that 89 % of adults and 89% of children, ages 8 to 18, think it “necessary to practice reading and writing in cursive.” Opponents argue that it’s time to let cursive just fade away. In a New York Times opinion piece, Morgan Polikoff, an assistant education professor at the University of Southern California’s Rossier School of Education, had this to say: “As we have done with the abacus and the slide rule, it is time to retire the teaching of cursive. The writing is on the wall.” Others find that position absurd and feel cursive absolutely should be taught. In a recent Facebook debate, one parent argued: “Sure—we live in a digital age, but why should that matter? Or—if it matters—why teach how to read? In today’s world all literature and textbook materials

could simply be presented as audio files.” That position may be extreme, but it certainly makes a point. The recent focus on cursive writing is a side effect of states signing on to teach the Common Core standards adopted by 45 states. These standards do not include the curly looped handwriting style taught for generations to kids, age 7 – 8, in penmanship classes. 7 of these Common Core states refuse to give up cursive: California, Kansas, Indiana, Idaho, Massachusetts, North Carolina and Utah. They all want to make sure that cursive writing stays in the curriculum What is Sarasota’s take on this issue? John Zoretich, Executive Director of Elementary Education has this to say: “Cursive writing does not appear in the Common Core Standards but there is an effort by some Florida citizens to have cursive writing adopted in our state’s rendition of Common Core.” Sue Mexler, Director of Curriculum, assured me that all Sarasota children are currently introduced to cursive in the 3rd Grade, and expected to achieve mastery by the end of 5th grade. Pending upcoming legislative approval, Florida is expected to put cursive back into the curriculum, and the program name changed to Florida Standards. Cursive will continue to be taught in Sarasota elementary schools. In the rest of the country, however, the debate goes on. In the digital age, is mandatory instruction in cursive a step backward, or is it a cultural tradition worth keeping? “People are just viewed as more intelligent when they can write cursive,” says handwriting expert Sheila Lowe, president of the American Handwriting Analysis Foundation. As for the belief that instruction in cursive steals valuable classroom time from core subjects such as science and math, Lowe points out that the inclusion of handwriting in the primary school curriculum requires only 15 minutes of each school day. In the words of Wall Street Journal columnist, Gwendolyn Bounds: “Far more than just a tool for

communication, the act of writing by hand appears to be an important building block for learning. We know about new research showing how handwriting helps with learning letters and shapes, can improve idea composition and expression, and may even aid fine motor skill development. Ironically, it may be modern technology that gives a boost to handwriting’s resurgence. For anyone whose kids balk at or have trouble with traditional handwriting instruction, the arrival of new educational games for the iPhone, iPod, iPad and other touch screen devices may come as a welcome teaching aid. Kids learning to write on these devices think it’s a game.” Sandra Wilde, a professor of childhood education at Hunter College in New York, takes the opposite position, saying that cursive writing is not an essential skill in the digital era. “A hundred years ago, you needed to have good penmanship to get a good job,” said Wilde. “Today you need to know how to use technology. Cursive has fallen by the wayside with the realization that kids just don’t need to have good handwriting anymore.” Indiana University neuroscientist Karin Harman James has studied the effect of printing and writing by hand as well as keyboarding in the development of children’s brains, using imaging technology to document how significant changes occur in the brain. The research led her to believe that teaching young children how to write by hand is critical to how they eventually learn to read. The inability to read cursive can be construed as a form of being illiterate. In the George Zimmerman murder trial, Rachel Jeantel— a childhood friend of Treyvon Martin—was forced to admit in court that she could not read a letter she had sent to the Martin family about the events of the night their son had died. That letter was composed by her but had been dictated to a friend. In court, Jeantel was unable to read it because “I don’t read cursive.” As reported in the news, that humiliating admission sent a shocked hush through the courtroom.

Siesta Key Real Estate Trends

Price Range of Homes Sold

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*Statistics provided by MFR MLS

Siesta Key home prices continued to climb as the median price for single family homes and condos were up double digits from this time last year. Home prices were almost up double digits ending at a 9.8% increase for the year. There is usually a mild drop off in sales during January, followed by an increase in the following several months.

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Pet Talk

By Dr. Anne Chauvet

1. Pet allergies â&#x20AC;&#x201C; food and environmental. How to recognize, treat and prevent allergies?

2. My newly adopted rescue cat sprays all over the house. Will he stop? What can I do to prevent it?

Environment and food play a critical role in case of pet allergies. Dogs can be allergic to fleas as we know, but they can also develop allergic reactions to carpets, mold, roaches and much more. If you have a very itchy dog with no trace of fleas, allergies should be on your mind. Food allergies can be easily noted with vomiting, diarrhea or malformed stools. If your dog suffers from belly rashes, it may be allergic to the carpet. Raw feet can indicate grass allergies. Ask your veterinarian to check your dog if you see any signs of itchiness, redness, heat rash and discomfort on the skin and/or ears; or if you note problems with the digestive system.

Spraying is territorial. Cats often spray in an attempt to figure out the hierarchy in the house, which may stop over time. There are products like Feliway, which will help manage this behavior. You can try confining the cat temporarily to a small space with litter box or get multiple litter boxes (one in each room) to encourage the cat to use them instead of plants and furniture. Also, we recommend that you use a pet repellent product on the areas that have been sprayed or are precious (sofas). You can find these at most pet stores. Also, a spray bottle with water may become your best trainer - use it every time the cat comes close to an area it has sprayed or acts as if it wants to spray. If the issue continues, your best option is to contact a behaviorist.

Dr. Chauvet earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon, Canada, completed a small animal medicine/surgery internship at the University of Illinois in Urbana and finished her residency in neurology/neurosurgery at the University of California, Davis. She has been trained in small animal rehabilitation by the Canine Rehabilitation Institute of Wellington, Florida and is known internationally for her specialized work in the relatively rare field of veterinary neurology speaking to, training, and consulting with veterinary practices and organizations globally. If you have a question about your pet, please email your question to criticalvetcare@gmail.com Each month, Dr. Chauvet will choose a few questions to share with readers.

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Lauren Bates, Sarasota Native “I have lived here my whole life... Some of my best memories were made right on Siesta Key. I would be on the beach every day if I could!” I live an active lifestyle. I love being outdoors, anything from hiking to paddleboarding. I also like exploring my hometown, trying new restaurants & pubs.” I am a full-time wedding photographer. It is my passion. I love, love. It’s such an amazing experience to be part of such a special day & capture each couples unique love story. I am lucky to do what I love. www.LaurenBatesPhotography.com “I attended FSU & the Noles killed it this year!”

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