The Real Estate Issue TOP REALTORS | LUXE SALES | CUSTOM LIVING
scenesarasota.com
OCÉANE
A Breathtaking Siesta Key Retreat SURF’S UP! GET YOUR BEACH ON
JUNE 2020 $3.95 U.S.
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Kurt Lucas’s Smile Makeover with Dr. Jill Morris
Meet Dr. Jill Morris
Meet Dr. Burr Bakke
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EXPECT THE EXCEPTIONAL IN GULF COAST REAL ESTATE SIESTA KEY | $7,495,000 | A4455110 Kim Ogilvie | 941-376-1717
SIESTA KEY | $6,995,000 | A4461384 Brian Wood & Lenore Treiman | 941-928-8408
MANASOTA KEY | $4,900,000 | D6111105 Maryann Casey | 941-468-3741
SIESTA KEY | $4,495,000 | A4432570 Kim Ogilvie | 941-376-1717
SIESTA KEY | $3,997,000 | A4447637 Lenore Treiman | 941-356-9642
SIESTA KEY | $3,795,000 | A4461606 Brian Wood & Lenore Treiman | 941-928-8408
MICHAELSAUNDERS.COM | 888.552.5228 | 100 SOUTH WASHINGTON BOULEVARD | SARASOTA, FLORIDA
LOCALLY KNOWN. GLOBALLY CONNECTED. SIESTA KEY | $6,300,000 | A4456224 Ian Addy, PA | 941-961-8850
SIESTA KEY | $6,250,000 | A4451115 Michael Hays | 941-376-1826
SARASOTA | $2,750,000 | A4465292 Rinat Sikdar | 941-993-9292
SARASOTA | $2,600,000 | A4464923 Thomas Arthur | 941-400-7970
SARASOTA | $2,100,000 | A4466306 Ann Martin & Joanna Benante | 941-356-7717
SARASOTA | $1,995,000 | A4446224 Lenore Treiman | 941-356-9642
CONTENTS features
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30 CUSTOM DELIGHTS A look at different style custom homes By Jaqueline Miller
42 LUXURY LIVING Breathtaking Oceane on Siesta Key By Sue Cullen
56 TOP REALTORS Sarasota/Manatee Real Estate professionals
63 SOLD! An Annual Snapshot of High-End Real Estate Sales
ON THE COVER The breathtaking views at Océane on Siesta Key.
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CONTENTS departments
SOCIAL SCENE
18 THE LIST June Events Calendar
PHILANTHROPY
ARTS & CULTURE 86 88
26 Timely Interventions Nancy Bailey’s Passion for The Florida Center for Early Childhood
89
By Sylvia Whitman
ON THE TOWN 22 THE FIND Surf’s Up! Fun in the Sun 72 SPOTLIGHT Weathering the Storms Michael & Drayton Saunders on the changes in real estate during the global pandemic By Gus Mollasis 78 EDUCATION MATTERS Summer Learning in the Age of Covid-19 By Ryan G. Van Cleave
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BEST SEATS Performing Arts Calendar GET INSPIRED Cultural happenings brought to you by the Arts & Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County LITERARY SCENE Three Sunshine-y Reads By Ryan G. Van Cleave LAUGHING MATTERS The One About Covid-19 By Ryan G. Van Cleave
Be Informed Be Entertained Be SCENE scenesarasota.com
BEACH READS
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80 Spoken/ Unspoken By Markella Paradissis-Wagner
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from the publisher
THE CORONAVIRUS HAS AFFECTED SO MANY OF US, TOUCHING OUR LIVES IN WAYS WE COULD NEVER IMAGINE. At Sarasota Scene, we also have not escaped its wrath. Given the number of businesses that have been forced to shut down during the pandemic, many of our clients have suspended their advertising until they are back in full swing. This has greatly affected our business as well. I am sure many of our loyal readers realized that our May issue was smaller than usual. Well, this issue is no different—it is substantially smaller than last June’s Real Estate issue because of advertising put on hold. In order for Sarasota Scene to make up for some of its lost revenue these past few months, I have made the difficult decision not to produce a July issue. It will give us a chance to breathe! Our plan is to bring Sarasota Scene back in August and combine our July issue theme with our August issue theme—Beauty & Boomers—a perfect combo! Both themes are always very popular, so we hope you enjoy this special combo issue. While we are going through these trying times, I have introduced a digital auction platform to help local businesses sell their products and services WITHOUT SPENDING ANY MONEY. This online auction, Suncoast Find (SuncoastFind.com), gives local businesses, service providers, and cultural organizations a bidding platform to attract customers. Each auction is a week-long and features packages from spas, restaurants, golf and tennis clubs, specialty retailers, personal care services and lots more. As we emerge from the challenges we face, for businesses it is important to have ready customers when you reopen. Suncoast Find helps you do just that. The auction provides awesome deals for local consumers, and most importantly, introduces business owners to potential new clients. For the community, Suncoast Find gives you the opportunity to shop from home and help local businesses through this crisis so they can hopefully weather this storm. You, as a consumer, have the power to help local businesses who have invested so much in our community. Our community will remain strong only through their survival. We have seen the community come together to help bridge the financial divide for many of our most important charities and nonprofits. In late April, the 2020 Giving Challenge took place. It was hosted by the Community Foundation of Sarasota County and strengthened by The Patterson Foundation and was an overwhelming success. The Patterson Foundation provided a 1:1 match for unique donations which totaled $7.5 million in additional funds. The 24-hour challenge brought in a record $18.4 million from nearly 59,000 donors to strengthen 686 local nonprofits in an amazing outpouring of generosity by the community. All Faiths Food Bank, Meals on Wheels Plus Manatee, UnidosNow, Mote Marine Laboratory, and Florida Studio Theatre were the top five donation recipients. And it doesn’t end there! All participating nonprofits are eligible for more than $260,00 in prize opportunities when the judging panel, comprised of media partners including myself, votes in categories such as Best Overall Campaign,
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from the publisher Best All Volunteer, Best Turnaround and others. Be on the lookout for news of the winners. Acts of charity and community have happened on all levels and in all areas of our community. The Junior League of Sarasota provided bed linens to the All-Star Children’s Foundation campus while Lakewood Ranch Community Fund donated to local nonprofits supporting relief and recovery. Our arts community has worked hard to stay vibrant and relevant. We have been entertained and enriched by virtual and street level events. Organizations such as Sarasota Opera are providing online performances including Opera Talk on Facebook and Art for Opera, as well as at one point singing to passer byers in front of our Opera House. Sarasota Orchestra is providing memorable online concerts and video messages, while the Sarasota Film Festival took this year’s festival online. Asolo Rep is engaging us with the interactive program Engage on Air on WSLR radio and its Monday Musical Movements online showcases incredible performances from past productions. We remain optimistic with calls for performers for the Venice Theatre Cabaret Festival scheduled July 12 through August 25, as well as 2020/2021 season subscription announcements from more arts organizations including the Van Wezel and Sarasota Ballet.
From special occasions to daily dining, Morton’s Market has got you covered. Stop in for fresh seasonal produce, prime cuts of meat and seafood, and hot-from-the-oven baked goods. Choose from our tempting array of chef-prepared deli and gourmet to-go items, as well as fine wines, exotic cheeses and cut flowers. Think of us for your catered events, holiday menus and gift baskets too.
We have seen innovation and support from our educational institutions allowing students to catchup or get ahead in their studies as well as being hands on in dealing with immediate challenges. Suncoast Science Center/Faulhaber Fab Lab used their 3D printers to produce personal protective gear. Institutions like SCF have Summer Flex Start classes. Osher Lifelong Learning Institute announced a summer program delivered over Zoom. And there are so many others. New initiatives continue to be announced such as Conservation Foundation’s challenge to save Orange Hammock Ranch. What a resilient community we are! I encourage our readers to patronize our wonderful local business. As more services reopen, take advantage of opportunities to bring back some normalcy to your life. We have very generously supported our community organizations through donations, but it is now time to support the local business community through plain old acts of commerce. Be part of the reopening Scene!
Serving the Sarasota area for over 50 years Historic Southside Village 1924 South Osprey Ave. Sarasota ∙ (941) 955-9856 MortonsMarket.com 14
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Publisher H John Knowles Stan Writesel & Baylee
Alan Gravley & Beau
Executive Editor Julie A. Milton Account Executive Alysia De Maio Becky Bailey Art Director Darcy Kelly-Laviolette Marketing & Digital Content Director Jordan Kelly-Laviolette Distribution Mike Straffin Accounting Sally Bailey Contributing Writers Sue Cullen Jacqueline Miller Gus Mollasis Ryan G. Van Cleave Sylvia Whitman Contributing & Social Photographer Nancy Guth
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Contributing Photographers Jordan Kelly-Laviolette Nicole Mausser Matthew Roback 1491 2nd St, Ste. D, Sarasota, FL 34236 941.365.1119 | Fax: 941.954.5067 | scenesarasota.com H John Knowles LLC, dba SCENE Magazine publishes 12 issues a year. Address editorial, advertising and circulation correspondence to the above address. Sufficient return postage and self-addressed, stamped envelope must accompany all manuscripts, artwork and photographs submitted if they are to be returned or acknowledged. Publisher assumes no responsibility for care of return of unsolicited materials. Subscription price: $12.95 per year, $19.95 for two years. All contents copyrighted. Reproduction without permission is prohibited.
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THE LIST PARTY PICS
scenesarasota.com
The LIST JUNE 2020 EVENTS CALENDAR
As we continue with social distancing and group limitation guidelines, event choices are still quite slim this month. But fret not, these are all delightful, educational and inspiring choices. So, grab a snack and a cool drink, hop on your laptop and enjoy. There is one happening that’s not virtual. Savor Sarasota returns! Dine at the participating local restaurants and enjoy special flavors and prices. They need you! Note: During the publishing of this issue, the State of Florida permitted museums and parks to open. Many of the virtual events listed may be canceled so please check all websites for virtual event status.
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June 1 – 14 » Savor Sarasota Restaurant Week Special prix fixe lunch and dinner menus. For participating restaurants: VisitSarasota.com/savor-sarasota/restaurants
1 -28 » Historic Spanish Point "Mondays with McCarthy" Video tour with Executive Director John McCarthy. Free | facebook.com/HistoricSpanishPoint
3 » The Ringling Virtual Gallery Talks Sculptures in the Museum of Art Courtyard Join Curatorial Fellow Kyle Mancuso as he shares new research on the sculptures in the Museum of Art courtyard. Free w/ Membership | ringling.org
Thank You! In this time of unprecedented need, our caring community demonstrated a remarkable outpouring of support during the 2020 Giving Challenge, raising more than $18 million for nearly 700 nonprofit organizations serving Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte, and DeSoto counties. Thanks to your generosity, the 2020 Giving Challenge enhanced and augmented the efforts of our nonprofit community, as the unrestricted funds raised during the Giving Challenge now provide our nonprofit partners flexibility to respond to evolving community needs. Thank you for being the one to make a difference. Visit GivingPartnerChallenge.org for complete results.
The Giving Challenge is hosted by the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, with giving strengthened by The Patterson Foundation.
#GivingChallenge2020
#BeTheOne
#WeAreOne
social SCENE
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(941) 275-4647
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10 » The Ringling Virtual Gallery Talks Eating Our Way Through the Museum From your home, enjoy different depictions of food in the collection. Free w/ Membership | ringling.org
13 » The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature KidSpace on Zoom 10:30 a.m. Free | Facebook.com/bishopsciencefl
15 – August 15 » Conservation Foundation VIRTUAL Summer Photo Contest Showcasing Landscape Photography by locals in a competition on Facebook Free | conservationfoundation.com 20
SARASOTA SCENE | JUNE 2020
THE O A GRA
by Em
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For those ready for what’s next Michelle has been a third-generation local and broker associate since 1982. Some of her awards include: Five Star Professional - 13th year and the Florida REALTORS® Honor Society - 13th year. Her designations of importance are: Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist (CLHMS), Certified Residential Specialist (CRS) and Certified International Property Specialist (CIPS). She also earned the Commitment to Excellence (C2EX) endorsement from the National Association of REALTORS® for agents who are committed to practicing business at the highest standards.
MICHELLE CRABTREE 941.724.4663 Michelle.Crabtree@PremierSIR.com MichelleCrabtree.PremierSothebysRealty.com Sotheby’s International Realty® and the Sotheby’s International Realty logo are registered service marks used with permission. Each office is independently owned and operated. Equal Housing Opportunity. Property information herein is derived from various sources including, but not limited to, county records and multiple listing services, and may include approximations. All information is deemed accurate.
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27 » The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature KidSpace on Zoom 10:30 a.m. Free | Facebook.com/bishopsciencefl
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Timely Interventions
THE FLORIDA CENTER FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD
BY SYLVIA WHITMAN | PHOTO BY NANCY GUTH In 2003, the Family Counseling Center and the Child Development Center merged to form The Florida Center for Early Childhood, and a year later Nancy Bailey joined the board. Her involvement with The Florida Center was all of a piece with her child-centered life. Mother of four, grandmother of six (to date), longtime volunteer, early childhood educator, Bailey says simply, “My passion is child advocacy.” A native Georgian, Bailey majored in English and secondary education in college and taught briefly in Macon, discovering that high school was not her calling. In 1971, she followed her husband, Dan, back to his native Sarasota. Newcomer and young mother, she joined the Junior League, which she says “trained me to be a committed volunteer. There were so many needs beyond our family.” Volunteering at Sarasota Day Nursery, as an educator she found “early childhood much more appealing” than the teen years. Once she launched her quartet of children into the public schools, she earned a Child Development Associate (CDA) credential—a rigorous combination of training and classroom experience—and taught at the First Presbyterian Church of Sarasota Preschool until she retired in June 2002.
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But Bailey’s concern for kids never clocked out. A good friend and fellow Junior League volunteer served on the board of one of The Florida Center’s precursor organizations and gave Bailey a tour. “It made me aware of all they’re doing,” Bailey says. “I saw the infant room, the professional staff, and became an instant supporter.” She found the wraparound services “very impressive”—that a parent/guardian could access everything from academic help to speech and occupational therapy in one place. Early intervention, she knew, heads off problems down the road for children. In 2004, newly amalgamated, The Florida Center invited Bailey to the board. Its mission: provide developmental therapies, mental health services, and early education to children ages 0-8. DEALING WITH THE LONG-TERM DEVASTATION OF ALCOHOL IN UTERO During Bailey’s tenure, The Florida Center initiated services for children with brain differences stemming from prenatal exposure to alcohol—services which developed into the first and only Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) clinic in Florida. The clinic’s roots lay in the crusading of Kathryn Shea, The Florida Center’s CEO, who has announced plans to retire later this year. In 2005, Shea was rising through the
NANCY BAILEY
organization’s clinical and administrative ranks and raising an adopted son with FASD. Although the public has come to realize that alcohol can derail fetal brain development, attendant problems over a lifetime, from heart defects to irrational decision making, remain often misunderstood. Babies may have trouble swallowing. Toddlers may lag in motor skills. School-age kids may act out because of difficulty processing and reacting to information; they get labeled “defiant.” Poor executive functioning makes adults with FASD more likely to lose jobs or land in jail. Like The Florida Center’s other programs, the FASD clinic takes a multidisciplinary team approach, evaluating children—and adults—and making recommendations to community agencies, from schools to prisons. “We see adults sometimes who have had issues all their lives and didn’t realize they have FASD,” says Kristen Theisen, The Florida Center’s chief development officer. “One of our clients was in his 50s.” But most of the clients seen during the six or seven FASD clinic sessions per month are children. One family adopted twins whose biological mother drank heavily before she knew she
was pregnant. Unable to manage the boys’ behavior, their school wanted to Baker Act them—at age 5. Therapy averted psychiatric hospitalization. “It’s a matter of understanding and reframing,” says Theisen. Assessment leads to multifaceted plans for treatment— occupational, speech and language, and social/emotional therapy. “Therapists work with children, so they understand that their actions affect others,” says Theisen. The Florida Center also offers support and training for families and community partners. In April 2019, the center started its first FASD weekly support group. Theisen points to a couple, Pam and Charlie, so devastated by the FASD diagnosis that they couldn’t even read the full report on their adopted son, Ben. Two years later, Pam returned, ready to digest the recommendations. Conflict roiled their household—Ben struggling to make friends, Charlie fighting with Ben, Pam trying to manage Ben’s behavior. Through The Florida Center, the three of them started individual therapy, and Ben began sharing his feelings. Pam and Charlie joined the support group—the first time they had met any other parents dealing with FASD—and Ben enjoyed hanging out with the other kids outside the session. A stronger parent team, Pam and
JUNE 2020 | SARASOTA SCENE
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“
Our organization has grown its focus on mental health to include social-emotional specialists at both of our preschools and mental health therapists at local elementary schools. — KRISTEN THEISEN Charlie recently celebrated a small victory: With the backing of parents and counselors, Ben found a way to overcome his anxiety and sensory sensitivity to star as his school’s mascot. RAMPING UP MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES Nancy Bailey served two terms on The Florida Center’s board. The organization’s focus on ages 0-8 and data-driven interventions resonated with her belief in the transformation power of early childhood education. “The professional staff at the center found their niche and expanded their programs and services. Therapists would come into board meetings and report on positive outcomes. It was a delight to hear.” Even after her stint on the board, Bailey has remained involved in sporadic “friendraisers” and the annual Winter Gala. Donations support services on two campuses in Sarasota and North Port. Starfish Academy preschools operate in both locations, with a combined enrollment of about 110 children from age 6 weeks through pre-K. Onsite developmental therapists work with students during the school day, collaborating with teachers and freeing parents from rushing after work from one appointment to another. These therapists also work with other children facing challenges ranging from stuttering to hearing loss, autism to Down syndrome, learning disabilities to cerebral palsy. Several initiatives involve collaborations. Healthy Families programs reach out to expectant and new parents in four counties. With the YMCA Safe Child Coalition and the 12th Judicial Circuit Court, The Florida Center manages Early Childhood Court to minimize the trauma of separation and foster care for kids under 3. “The goal is to build healthy families one child at a time,” Bailey says. The Florida Center touches 3,000 children and families each year. “Our organization has grown its focus on mental health to
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include social-emotional specialists at both of our preschools and mental health therapists at local elementary schools,” says Theisen. With support from the Community Foundation of Sarasota, the center piloted a program for elementaryschool-based mental health in 2018. After the 2019 Parkland school shooting, the Sarasota County School District asked for more. “We started with therapists in 14 schools and now work in 18, supporting the emotional and behavioral needs of children and serving as a resource for teachers,” Theisen says. ADDRESSING NEEDS IN A CRISIS The Florida Center pivoted quickly during the coronavirus lockdown. Therapists have been keeping in touch with children and families virtually, says Theisen. “It’s kind of cool. It’s forced our staff to go outside of their typical operations. They’ve done a lot of video how-tos and webinars sharing tips for parents and caregivers. For service workers, they’ve talked about how to care for yourself and your own mental health.” Pre-K teachers have made Zoom calls and posted book-reading videos. And the Starfish Academies just reopened to care for children ages 3-5 whose parents work as first responders. Nancy Bailey has also shifted roles. Always active in her church, an “enthusiastic supporter of arts and education” and children aging out of foster care, she has recently become “a major childcare provider” for two of her three granddaughters in Sarasota (ages 2 months and 3 years). On her “official day off,” she takes time to give an interview about The Florida Center—because “it’s very satisfying to have plugged into an agency that makes a difference.”
F O R M O R E IN F O R M AT IO N
on Florida Center for Early Childhood, please visit www.thefloridacenter.org or call 941.371.8820.
asolorep
Driving Safely 20/21 as We Age SEASON I
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n this day and age, maintaining independence often requires a driver’s license. While most older adults are safe drivers, many of the physical changes that occur as we age can affect our safety on the road. Here are some suggestions to help you “drive well” as you age.
The most common care we offer is a Home Health Aide or BILLY ELLIOT THE MUSICAL Certified Nursing Assistant. Services include assistance with bathing, dressing, ambulation, medication reminders, bathroom care, meal preparation, light house keeping and running errands.
• Stay physically fit. Strength to grip the steering wheel and to lift your leg from one pedal to another is necessary for safe driving. Flexibility to turn your head and check your blind spot or to turn your torso to look behind is also required.
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C U S TO M DELIGHT
B y J acqueline Miller
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ew home construction or renovations to your existing home is your chance to personalize your lifestyle to your wants and specific tastes and live in the home of your dreams. After all, it’s not always about the latest trends or hot products. Customization is all about you. Having said this, we know that not all ideas are born without a bit of help. We love looking at beautiful images for the collective spark we need to make it our own. We want to be different, but isn’t it better to inspire our imaginations by looking at lots of different ideas and styles? It’s your hard earned money and you want to get it right! For a peek at different style custom homes, we selected several examples from the incredible portfolio of local builder TJ Nutter of Nutter Custom Construction (941.924.1868 | NutterCustomConstruction.com). From waterfront gems to country club splendor and lots in between, you’re sure to get some great ideas and inspirations for your new build or renovation.
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THE NEW TRADITIONAL Designed by: Mark Sultana of DSDG Architects Built by: Nutter Custom Construction Pure sophistication combined with classic elegance, this beautiful waterfront home combines today’s simple, clean and modern trends with traditional comfort and beauty. Several architectural elements, including a custom designed open staircase visible throughout the home, provide a modern twist to a home that is mostly traditional in style. Stained tongue and groove ceilings in the outdoor living spaces complement the rich wood finishes inside, accentuating the home’s warm and traditional feel, which through pocketing glass sliders on all three levels, seamlessly connect for an inviting and roomy entertainment space. The more contemporary owner’s suite is very romantic, opening to a serene outdoor lounge area. Waterfront building can be complex, so experience and knowledge of local zoning and coastal construction regulations is key to a successful project. JUNE 2020 | SARASOTA SCENE
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KEY WEST REMODEL Built by: Nutter Custom Construction Interior Design by: Kristin Raybon Designs This Key West-style Siesta Key home brings in West Indies elements to create a casual yet sophisticated feel. Rich maple floors and uniquely handcrafted ceiling detail throughout bring in the more sophisticated West Indies feel, while the home’s tropical and playful exterior color and design, and its interior ceiling details and other features, exude the more casual Key West style. The grand living room frames the perfect waterfront picture and you know immediately that you’ve entered a tropical paradise. The light and bright master bedroom is resort worthy, and the louvered accents on the maple painted kitchen cabinetry along with an intricate inlaid marble backsplash complete the look. And of course, nothing says Key West more than showcasing nature, the home’s breathtaking water views, and the beauty of living along the coast. This home checks all those boxes.
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CONTEMPORARY SOUTHERN-STYLE REMODEL Built by: Nutter Custom Construction Interior Design by: Kristin Raybon Designs This beautiful home, on an acre lot with magnificent, stately oaks, combines 21st century style and amenities with Southern charm. Nutter Custom Construction took a Georgian-inspired design with a 1980s floor plan and transformed it into a modern-day open, flowing space melding indoor and outdoor living, while respecting its Southern feel. Homes from the 80s were not designed with outdoor spaces as part of the home. The remodel made outdoor living as much a part of the home as the indoor spaces. A small gazebo was removed, and in its place an outdoor living room, kitchen, and pool/cabana area were built. The home also had the typical 80s cut-up spaces—a small kitchen, inefficient laundry area, and limited storage space. The remodel changed all that, adding about 1,000 square feet to the original 6,000 square feet, and transforming the home into a style that pushes the envelope of contemporary Southern style.
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COASTAL CONTEMPORARY Designed by: Mark Sultana of DSDG Architects Built by: Nutter Custom Construction This masterfully designed and built coastal contemporary is in the prestigious community of Harbor Acres. Its style impresses with its rich architectural detail and clean lines. The owners wanted an exciting and different modern design but at the same time desired a home that was very comfortable for those who live in it. Assignment accomplished! While the residence has many modern design elements, its curved roofline creates unique, gentle spaces inside and out, providing a warm feeling not typically found in modern homes. Minimal maintenance was also important hence the use of stainless steel, aluminum and concrete. The open great room exposed beams complement the hand-scraped Italian white oak flooring leading to a state-of-the-art kitchen equipped with high-end finishes—the perfect balance of sophistication and functionality. The breathtaking master suite features white marble, aquarium glass, and an indoor/outdoor shower with courtyard. The large lanai with covered pergolas overlooks the carefully designed pool and landscape, while a sun shelf with stepping stones spills over to the generously sized pool, which leads to a builtin spa with a trellised rain feature.
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Building or renovating your home is one of the most important investments you will make in your lifetime. Do it right and its quality should create an exceptional resale value. If you have waterfront property, seek the advice of a building professional. There is so much to consider that you can’t possibly know. No one knows this better than builder TJ Nutter who prides himself on projects that come in on time and on budget.
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Handcrafted hardwood furniture built for a lifetime of enjoyment! Custom designs for every room of your home Two showrooms: 3737 Bahia Vista St. Sarasota, FL 34232 941.952.5646
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TRUST. KNOWLEDGE. SERVICE. For over 30 years The Plumbing Place has worked hard to earn the trust of our customers and contractors. And with over 150 years of combined experience, our friendly and knowledgeable staff delivers exceptional customer care.
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Shop our 6,000 sq.ft. Showroom for the Best & Most Extensive Collection Anywhere. JOHN SMITHMAN, OWNER 5678 FRUITVILLE ROAD | SARASOTA, FL 34232 941.378.5678 | THEPLUMBINGPLACE.COM
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l u x u ry li v ing
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JONATHAN ABRAMS & BRIAN LOEBKER PHOTO BY NANCY GUTH
BY SUE CULLEN
S
tanding out amid some of the globe’s most enticing real estate is truly an achievement, but Océane on Siesta Key does just that. The exclusive private enclave of six 4,500 square-foot condos is nestled on one of the island’s last undeveloped stretches of Gulf waterfront. Océane offers discriminating homebuyers a redefined vision of what it means to be at home in today’s world. Situated on a curving stretch of Ocean Boulevard, Océane encompasses 347 feet of waterfront with views of blue-green Gulf waters, spectacular sunsets and sparkling night views of downtown Sarasota and Lido Key. The location offers ready access to the area’s most renowned attractions. It is just a short walk to Siesta Key Village with its laid-back, on-vacation vibe and the white powdered sugar sand beach that is regularly included on National Geographic’s top beach lists. Océane also is less than 10-minutes from the attractions of Sarasota’s vibrant downtown dining, shopping and arts district. Two of the four-bedroom condos are still available, one of each floor plan, and start at $3.99 million. JUNE 2020 | SARASOTA SCENE
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“We are seeing a lot of interest in Océane from families out of state, which I think speaks to the elevated luxury of what we’re offering. Even though it is a condo, residences have the feel of a single family home with a lot of privacy within a fully walled and gated community,” says Jonathan Abrams, who is part of the sales team for Océane along with fellow Michael Saunders agent Brian Loebker. Award-winning architect Mark Sultana of DSDG Architects designed the coastal contemporary residences to maximize direct Gulf views from all major living areas, including the living room, dining room, kitchen and master bedroom. “These are the most expansive views of any condo available, and there are few, if any, condo options on the water where no one can stand between you and your view,” Loebker says. “We’ve learned that a lot of high net worth buyers who thought they only wanted to live downtown are interested in Océane because of its location, exclusivity and design.”
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" Clean and soothing contemporary lines and volume ceilings are warmed by dark cypress tongue and groove accents, Italian cabinetry and luxury finishes. " 46
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The residences are open, airy and light-filled with floor to ceiling Gulf-side windows and sliding window walls in a 12- to 24-foot open span. Clean and soothing contemporary lines and volume ceilings are warmed by dark cypress tongue and groove accents, Italian cabinetry and luxury finishes. A centerpiece fireplace provides a touch of coziness for cooler evenings. All bedrooms have en-suite bathrooms, and the luxurious master suite encompasses a luxury bath with free standing oversize soaking tub, a generous glasswalled shower, and his and her walk-in closets. A 200-square-foot bonus room can be configured as fitness room, media center, den or office.
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Home chefs can enjoy Gulf views while cooking, and the open floor plan allows them to continue socializing with family or guests while attending to comestibles in the gourmet kitchen. Top-shelf appliances make everyday meal prep or creating spectacular holiday feasts a pleasure with a Wolf five-burner gas cooktop, conventional oven and convection microwave, a 48-inch Sub-Zero refrigerator and Miele dishwasher for easy cleanup. East side residences include a walk-in wine cellar.
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Outdoor living is a breeze on waterfront terraces whose glass railings allow unobstructed Gulf views and also feature summer kitchens with built-in grills for entertaining or casual family meals. Balconies grace the front of the residences for the three guest bedrooms, including a private balcony for the master guest bedroom. The community offers a Gulf-side paver sun terrace with a large swimming pool and spa. Private poolside cabanas are available for each homeowner. “The design of how the units live is incredible with the clear width of the water frontage. You can stay at home to watch sailboats and dolphins, walk to the Village for food and a cocktail, and still are close to everything else,” Loebker says. “What this property offers for part or full time luxury living is tough to beat. Sarasota is a premier market, and people are saying now is the time.”
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Océane homebuyers also appreciate the complex’s tech features. Each residence is equipped with a sophisticated monitoring system and smart home technology with customizable controls for security, lighting, window shades and entertainment systems. All units have three-car garages and private, key-controlled elevators to a foyer area for each residence. The building also has a full time property steward. “The demand for truly high-quality real estate has remained strong with affluent buyers despite the global changes we’ve been experiencing for the past few months,” Abrams says. “Our buyers from large Midwestern cities and the Northeast are coming here not just for relief from the taxes there, but because they are now ready to truly call Sarasota home, and Océane provides the lifestyle they’re looking for.” For more information on Océane, call 941-735-4393 or visit oceanesiestakey.com.
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Your out-of-this-world masterpiece here.
Design your own ticket to The Bishop! Get excited for your next visit to The Bishop and explore the limits of your imagination with this interactive ticket. Design and showcase your skills any way you please. www.BishopScience.org
As a reward for your artistry, please come into The Bishop and exchange your artwork for a $2 discount on your general admission! *Up to four (4) admissions. Not valid with any other discounts or special offers. Expires 4/1/2021, home2020
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m e
Homeowners Insurance • Auto Insurance • Renters Insurance • Commercial Property General Liability • Workers Compensation • Commercial Auto • Flood Insurance • Builders Risk Boat • Motorcycle • Recreational Vehicle • Travel • Jewelry • Equine & Pet We are a local Independent Agency and proudly represent many insurance companies. One size never fits all! Whether your goal is to save money or just make sure you are properly covered, we would love the opportunity to make sure you have the right coverage at the best price. We only partner with A-Rated Insurance Companies to give you the best quality and superior service! At Peeples Insurance, we have 2 locations and 12 team members ready to assist you. We are here to help and look forward to the opportunity to serve your family and local business!
Call 941.377.7654 or visit peeplesins.com Contact us today! Jennifer Peeples Agency Owner
The Peeples Insurance Agency jen@peeplesins.com
We have 2 locations to serve you! 8270 Bee Ridge Road
Sarasota, Florida 34241
1808 Cortez Road West
Bradenton, Florida 34207
JUNE 2020 941.377.7654 | peeplesins.com
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Top realtors Buying a home is one of the biggest, if not the biggest, investment of your life. Selling your home for the best price is equally important. There’s so much to consider, and it all starts with selecting the best professional to work with you. In this special profile section, we feature Realtors who were in the “Top 10” in total volume (listings and sales) for the period ending March 31, 2020. Their experience and knowledge make them among the best Realtors in our town.
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TOP REALTOR
SARASOTA & SIESTA KEY Featured PROPERTIES
Villa Lidia in Oyster Bay Estates is a stunning example of architectural master y with impressive indoor and outdoor living spaces of refined living. Lush grounds, a saltwater pool/spa, an elaborate veranda, and a rock wall surrounding property are just a few special features. $2,250,000 | 1818 N Lake Shore Dr., Sarasota | MLS#: A4454495
Brand new by award-winning Allegra Homes. Infused with an atmosphere of sophistication and refinement, this home is 3,500 sq ft, 4/5 BR/4BA with large outdoor living space has a seamless flow and dramatic accents. Located in Paradise Shores, West of Trail. $2,397,000 | 1555 Sandpiper Lane, Sarasota | MLS#: A4436047
Karen Cash GRECO “Karen is without question the finest realtor you could ever deal with. She has sold four properties for us, all within six weeks, and all at prices above our expected price.” —Bruce
Brand new West of Trail from luxury builder Allegra Homes. Uncompromising construction standards, fabulous architectural details, and stunning design elements makes this amenity-rich 3BR/2.5BA home a must-see. The epitome of contemporary coastal living near everything. $1,539,000 | 1959 Hibiscus St., Sarasota | MLS#: A4434816
A Sarasota native and eight-generation Floridian, Karen’s vast experience includes working at a title insurance company, a property appraisers office, and as a Realtor for 34 years. She is known as a dealmaker and a possibility thinker focused on achieving her clients’ goals. Her sincerity and warmth belie a fierce tenacity and keen negotiation skills.
941.504.6927 | grecorealestatefl.com
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TOP REALTOR
VENICE Featured PROPERTIES SOL
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Luxury living at its finest in The Founders Club. Quality construction, incredible interior design elements, open floor plan, 25 ft ceilings, 3 fireplaces plus 2-story guest house. $2,950,000 | 8257 Archers Ct., Sarasota | MLS#: N6109007
SOL
Michelle HUPP
DM
AR C
H2
020
Striking beachfront masterpiece defined by its flawless infusion of sophistication and comfort, this residence rests beautifully along 95 ft. of the Gulf of Mexico on the island of Venice. $3,050,000 | 412 Hunter Dr., Venice | MLS#: N6105563
“Local knowledge, global connections. Michelle Hupp’s exceptional performance as a top achiever is driven by a Midwestern work ethic and a passion for selling lifestyles through real estate.” Beneath Michelle’s friendly smile and relaxed charm are her deep-rooted dedication, knowledge, energy and expertise to deliver exceptional service to all of her clients. Adept at the top tier of the luxury market, she is also known for showcasing waterfront property the best way - on a boat. Her holistic approach to her profession has led to a high level of customer satisfaction and repeat referrals. GRI | Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist with Michael Saunders & Co. 58
Updated intracoastal waterfront on an oversized lot, quality construction, 4 BR/3 BA, open floor plan, high ceilings, beautiful pool, oversized garage, qualit y dock with lif t and thatched roof tiki bar gazebo. $1,350,000 | 925 Bayshore Rd., Nokomis | MLS#: N6108586
941.773.5464 | michellehuppvenice.com
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TOP REALTOR
CASEY KEY Featured PROPERTIES
This custom amenity-rich beauty on sailboat water is in the prestigious Hidden Harbor neighborhood on the north end of Siesta Key. With 5BR and 7200 sq. ft. under air, the home is a must see for the most discerning buyer.
$4,500,000 | 5132 Jungle Plum, Siesta Key | MLS#: A4467489
Stunning views of the Intracoastal and private deeded beach access across the street provides this home with an idyllic island setting. Located mid-key, it’s a short drive south to the walkable city of Venice. Casey Key is a quiet place where building is reserved for single family homes and those seeking the ultimate Florida lifestyle.
$1,895,000 | 2712 Casey Key Road | MLS#: A4448405
Valerie DALL’ ACQUA “To give my clients the best service, I provide something that cannot be bought or measured with money, and that is sincerity and integrity.”
Beautiful Casey Key Gulf to Bay property, perfect for building your dream house! Over 3/4 acre with wide-open views of the Gulf and Bay, and 115 feet of frontage on the Gulf and Bayside. Ideal for avid boaters, deep water dock, lifts, and boathouse. Value is in the land. $2,450,000 | 3298 Casey Key Road | MLS#: A4466866
This former business executive is known for her exceptional business savvy, strategic planning and innovative approach to problem solving. Her local market expertise, especially in high-end waterfront properties, enables her to provide an effective plan of action leading to success for each of her discerning clients.
941.445.7295 | valswaterfronthomes.com
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TOP REALTOR
LAKEWOOD RANCH Featured PROPERTIES
No detail has been overlooked in this magical masterpiece with elegant and refined architectural features. This 7500+ sf home, Bellagio II, former model home by Arthur Rutenberg, sits majestically on over 1/2 acre of tropical paradise with desirable western views. $2,750,000 | 7116 Teal Creek Glen, LWRCC | MLS#: A4449949
Renée PREININGER “Renee’s exceptional professionalism made our transaction super easy. She ensured that everything was seamless and was handled properly. It was the best experience we’ve had and will always use her going forward.”
Incredible views and mesmerizing sunset s will leave you spellbound from this thoughtfully designed custom residence by Anchor Builders. This beautiful 8,663 sq. ft., 6 BR home offers two first floor master suites, 5 car garage, and a 9 ft deep pool making this gem a rare find in one of the most desirable lots in Lakewood Ranch Country Club with lakefront views. $2,725,000 | 7045 Portmarnock Place, LWRCC | MLS#: A4200705
— Jen & Chris Feeney, April 2020
“In her 20-year career in sales, marketing and finance, Renee learned the art of negotiating and the value of relationship building through exceptional communication skills. These attributes have served her well in developing customized innovative marketing solutions for the clients she is honored to represent. Renee is YOUR agent from the beginning of your transaction to the successful closing, embodying the benefits of a boutique real estate firm by offering unparalleled dedication to customer service and professionalism. This is why Renee is consistently ranked in the top 10 in real estate sales year after year.” 60
Totally renovated in 2019, this open floorplan, one story stunner will not disappoint with 5 new bathrooms, new flooring throughout, exceptional new lighting and so much more. Built by Anchor Builders, no expense was spared in this 4BR/4.5 BA home with 3 car garage. Generous outdoor space make this desirable waterfront lot a must see in Lakewood Ranch Country Club. $1,399,999 | 12551 Highfield Circle, LWRCC | MLS#: A4452079
941.400.4235 | sarasotatrustrealty.com
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7116 TEAL CREEK GLEN, LAKEWOOD RANCH COUNTRY CLUB 4 B/5.3 BA/4 CAR GR | $2,750,000 | MLS#: A4449949
7045 PORTMARNOCK PLACE, LAKEWOOD RANCH COUNTRY CLUB 6 B/6.2 BA/5 CAR GR | $2,725,000 | MLS# A4200705
12551 HIGHFIELD CIRCLE, LAKEWOOD RANCH COUNTRY CLUB 4 B/5 BA/ 3 CAR GR | $1,399,000 | MLS#: A4452079
6914 DOMINION LANE, LAKEWOOD RANCH COUNTRY CLUB 4B/3 BA/3 CAR GR | $829,000 | MLS#A4464767
7011 LANCASTER COURT, UNIVERSITY PARK COUNTRY CLUB 3 B/2.5 BA/2 CAR GR | $699,000 | MLS#A4454615
19005 & 19109 GANTON AVE, BRADENTON, THE CONCESSION *ONE ACRE EACH/ADJACENT LOTS | MAY BE PURCHASED AS A DOUBLE LOT OR SEPARATELY $399,000 EACH | MLS# A4456870 & MLS# A4456978
RENÉE DEDIO PREININGER Licensed Realtor Sarasota Trust Realty Company
8131 Lakewood Main St., Suite 201 Lakewood Ranch, FL 941.400.4235 sarasotatrustrealty.com
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SOLD!
So, what does $5 million buy in Sarasota real estate? What are high-end properties going for these days? While the market may be in a state of flux during coronavirus times, one thing is for sure. Our market will rebound like never before. It always does. After all, who doesn’t want to leave overpopulated states and soak up our sunshine! If you’re getting ready to buy or sell, having this statistical and practical knowledge can only help. Here’s the data, the people, and the homes that will give you good insight. (Based on sales reported on MLS for the 12-month period through March 31, 2020.) JUNE 2020 | SARASOTA SCENE
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Six single-family homes sold in Sarasota County for $7 million or more. Here are the top five. (listing agents are noted first; selling agents are noted second under each listing)
3799 Flamingo Ave, Sarasota $10,500,000 JOEL SCHEMMEL, Premier Sotheby’s Int’l Realty CHRISTOPHER COGAN, Cogan Realty
1011 Casey Key Road, Nokomis $8,750,000 DEBORAH BEACHAM, Michael Saunders & Co. NORA JOHNSON & KLAUS LANG, Michael Saunders & Co.
8218 Sanderling Road, Siesta Key $7,500,000 JOEL SCHEMMEL, Premier Sotheby’s Int’l
1011 Casey Key Road, Nokomis 891 Longboat Club Road, Regent Court, Longboat Key
Realty represented both sides of the transaction
891 Longboat Club Road, Regent Court, Longboat Key $7,500,000 ROGER PETTINGEL, Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate IAN ADDY AND GAIL WITTIG, Michael Saunders & Co.
1255 Westway Drive, Sarasota $7,125,00 NON-MEMBER AGENT MARK HUBER, Michael Saunders & Co.
Highest Price New Construction Single Family Home: Sarasota 1238 Sharswood Lane, Spice Bay on Siesta Key $5,700,000 Listed and sold by London Bay Realty Inc.
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1238 Sharswood Lane, Spice Bay on Siesta Key
Eight condos sold in Sarasota for more than $4 million, including new construction. Here are the top five. 990 Blvd. of the Arts, Beau Ciel, Sarasota $5,995,000 KIM OGILVIE, Michael Saunders & Co. JASON GRANDE & TOM CAIL, Re/Max Alliance Goup
6100 Midnight Pass Road, Halcyon, Siesta Key $4,400,000 DAVID LEHRMAN, The Sarasota Real Estate Co. CATHERINE SERESS, Coldwell Banker Residential RE
4750 Ocean Blvd, Oceane, Siesta Key $4,250,000 JONATHAN ABRAMS & BRIAN LOEBKER, Michael Saunders & Co. KELLY MOONEY & BETSY SUBLETT, Coldwell Banker Residential RE
990 Blvd. of the Arts, Beau Ciel, Sarasota
4740 Ocean Blvd., Oceane, Siesta Key $4,100,000 JONATHAN ABRAMS & BRIAN LOEBKER, Michael Saunders & Co. NON-MEMBER AGENT
6100 Midnight Pass Rd., Halcyon, Siesta Key (2 Units) $4,100,000 DAVID LEHRMAN, The Sarasota Real Estate Co. | ELIZABETH ROSE, Premier Sotheby’s Int’l Realty DAVID LEHRMAN | CHERYL GUENTHER, Re/Max Platinum Realty
4740 Ocean Blvd., Oceane, Siesta Key
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Highest Price Homes Sold in Country Club Communities: Sarasota 9230 McDaniel Dr., Founders Club $1,890,000 STEPHEN GIBSON, The Founders Club Realty SHEILA PAVAO, Fine Properties 8260 Roseburn Court, Founders Club $1,725,000 LAUREN HOLT, Coldwell Banker Residential RE ANTHONY CONSTANTINOU, Wagner Realty
9230 McDaniel Dr., Founders Club
Highest Price Homes Sold in Country Club Communities: Manatee 8439 Lindrick Lane, Concession $3,150,000 TINA CIACCIO, Michael Saunders & Co. represented both sides of the transaction 8341 Lindrick Lane, Concession $2,480,000 MARK GRIGOLI, Elite Properties, John Cannon Homes represented both sides of the transaction
8439 Lindrick Lane, Concession 66
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Ten single-family homes sold in Manatee County for more than $3.5 million. Here are the top five.
Highest Price New Construction Single-Family Home: Manatee
6633 Gulf of Mexico Dr., Longboat Key
816 S Bay Blvd., Anna Maria Island
RYAN ACKERMAN, Ackerman
$4,075,000
Group, Coldwell Banker
JASON SATO, Sato Real Estate ROBERTA TENGERDY, Premier Sotheby’s Int’l Realty
$11,400,000
RINAT SIKDAR, Michael Saunders & Co. 6477 Gulfside Dr., Longboat Key $4,475,000 MAUREEN HORN, Michael Saunders & Co.
5060 Gulf of Mexico Dr., Longboat Key
PATRICK SHANNON, Michael Saunders & Co. 807 N Shore Dr., Anna Maria $4,350,000 JASON SATO, Sato Real Estate JUDY KEPECZ-HAYS, Coldwell Banker 5144 Gulf of Mexico Dr., Longboat Key $3,875,000 SUE ANN LEVIN & SACHA ROSENFELD, Coldwell Banker Realty REID MURPHY, Developers Realty 639 Key Royale Dr., Holmes Beach $3,725,000 JUDIE BERGER, Premier Sotheby’s Int’l Realty
6633 Gulf of Mexico Dr., Longboat Key
represented both sides of the transaction
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1710 Gulf Dr N., Bradenton Beach Club
Four condos sold in Manatee for more than $1.5 million. 4995 Gulf of Mexico Dr., Positano, Longboat Key $4,200,000 TOM DELANEY, Michael Saunders & Co. REID MURPHY, Developers Realty Inc. 4995 Gulf of Mexico Dr., Positano, Longboat Key
4995 Gulf of Mexico Dr., Positano, Longboat Key
$2,900,000 LEE RUGH, Michael Saunders & Co. represented both sides of the transaction 100 36th St., Palm Gables, Holmes Beach $1,750,000 MEL & BARBARA NEELY, Island Vacation Properties | Non MFR Realtor 1710 Gulf Dr N., Bradenton Beach Club, Bradenton Beach $1,650,000 HANNAH HILLYARD & GEORGE MYERS, Michael Saunders & Co.
100 36th St., Palm Gables, Holmes Beach
HANNAH HILLYARD, Michael Saunders & Co.
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Office Market Share Report (Ranked by Total Volume from April 1, 2019 – March 31, 2020)
SARASOTA COUNTY TOP 5: 1. Michael Saunders & Co., 1605 Main Street, Downtown Sarasota 2. Premier Sotheby’s International Realty, Downtown Sarasota 3. Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate, Longboat Key 4. Re/Max Alliance Group, Webber St., Sarasota 5. Michael Saunders & Company, Siesta Key
MANATEE COUNTY TOP 5: 1. Fine Properties, Sarasota 2. Michael Saunders & Co., Lakewood Ranch 3. Coldwell Banker Realty, Lakewood Ranch 4. Keller Williams Realty Select, Lakewood Ranch 5. RE/MAX Alliance Group, Bradenton
Agent Market Share (Ranked by Total Volume, Non-Developer)
8439 Lindrick Lane, The Concession Golf Club
SARASOTA COUNTY:
8260 Roseburn Court, Founders Club
2. Joel Schemmel, Premier Sotheby’s Int’l Realty
1. Roger Pettingel, Coldwell Banker 3. Lynn Morris, Michael Saunders & Co. 4. Kat Haynes, Michael Saunders & Co. 5. Ryan Ackerman, Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate 6. Lisa Morris, Premier Sotheby’s Int’l Realty 7. Deborah Beacham, Michael Saunders & Co. 8. Karen Greco, Greco Real Estate 9. Judie Berger, Premier Sotheby’s Int’l Realty 10. Lenore Treiman, Michael Saunders & Co.
MANATEE COUNTY: 1. Jason Sato, Sato Real Estate 2. Jay Travis, Re/Max Alliance Group 3. Darcie Duncan, Duncan Real Estate 4. Holly Pascarella, Keller Williams Realty Select 5. Jim Soda, Premier Sotheby’s Int’l Realty 6. Lynda Melnick, Wagner Realty 7. Tim Lester, Tim Lester Int’l Realty 8. Tina Ciaccio, Michael Saunders & Co. 9. Gregg Bayer, Anna Maria Island Realty 10. Judy Kepecz-Hays, Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate JUNE 2020 | SARASOTA SCENE
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SPOTLIGHT
Michael Saunders and son Drayton Saunders share how their company is dealing with the challenges of buying and selling real estate during a global pandemic. By Gus Mollasis Local real estate is synonymous with her iconic name. It’s been that way since Michael Saunders started from a modest St. Armands office in 1976 and now, nearly 45 years later, her name is proudly displayed on 23 offices on the Gulf Coast. She has weathered every real estate storm and come out on the other side – standing taller, stronger and better than before – while always keeping her legendary real estate entity Michael Saunders & Company in good shape. From two recessions with very high interest rates in the 80s, the savings and loan crisis of the 90s, the dot-com bubble, the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and the housing and banking meltdown of 2008, Michael Saunders’ piercing blue eyes have seen it all. So, when the Covid-19 worldwide pandemic hit, it was a pretty good bet that it would be the virus and not this venerable lady that would blink at the challenges that lie ahead selling real estate on the Gulf Coast of Florida. As I make my way past the masked receptionist at Michael Saunders downtown office, I’m greeted by a masked Michael Saunders and her son Drayton Saunders, the company’s president. As we social distance our way to a big table in the private board room, warm, polite salutations from a distance replace what would surely be during normal times hugs and handshakes on just another Tuesday morning.
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To those not in the real estate industry, Tuesday is Caravan Day, a day that agents tour other agent’s listings, walk through to see what’s new, and profile a home that may fit a certain client’s needs. Caravan is a fundamental staple in the real estate business. It is how agents network themselves and their properties. A way for agents to connect. For Michael Saunders, caravans have always been a big part of her business. A business she’s built that’s all about connecting and cultivating relationships. And even with the mask on, you can see it in her eyes. No pandemic or virus in the world has a chance to get between Michael Saunders and her company and prevent them from safely connecting with the public. Still doing caravans represent unique challenges because of CDC guidelines. Curious, I ask how they are conducting caravans at this time. “Funny, you should ask,” Michael says smiling. “All sales meetings are now done by Zoom. It was always a huggy, feely meeting. Everyone would get together on Tuesday and we’d share great ideas and new listings. We had speakers. It was a time that they could talk about wants and needs. It was just a good way for the company to feel the commonality of culture and brand, and promote their new listings and really connect.” “So that has been the hardest thing. There are many companies that have different business models and that’s not part of it. But that was our heart and soul. We very quickly had to turn our lens
on the town and find a way to perpetuate that to the best of our abilities considering the time we are in. Every manager has a Zoom account and does their own Tuesday morning meeting. Today was a combined meeting of the Siesta and Palmer Ranch offices and I was the guest. It’s hard to gauge how many people attended but there were four pages of Zoom. They’re muted. Participants can raise their hand and join in the conversation. I told them I missed our meetings, and I didn’t realize how much I missed them until I was looking at all of their faces. It’s that connectivity that no other company is doing. We’re creating cocktail parties and coffee chats in the morning.” Drayton Saunders has been a guest in almost every meeting. “In the last five weeks we have done 700 Zoom meetings as a company,” shares Drayton. “Technology has allowed us in this crisis to stay connected in a very unique environment where you would not have been able to do that two decades ago. Because this is just as much a crisis of mindset as it is in health crisis, and because without knowing every aspect of the health picture, the fear around this particular crisis I think is different. I wasn’t here in 9/11, but once you had protocol for TSA there was some control.” Michael jumps in. “I think this is the absolute first thing that has been global. This is not just the United States. It is a global occurrence. When 9/11 happened or even when the housing crisis happened, I couldn’t get on the phone with our international affiliates and ask what was happening there and how they were dealing with it. But when China began to come out from the virus, I could ask them how they were able to open. So, through our connections and also through technology, we have the ability to Zoom with our colleague in Hong Kong living in tiny apartment because it’s so expensive and he and his wife are home schooling his child. And we’re connected.” “This is really unlike anything we have ever seen. There’s no roadmap for the health part of it. Science doesn’t run on rails. It’s invisible. I just got my report back. I insisted on being tested. It was negative. That means that I was negative last Thursday. That doesn’t mean you can let your guard down.” I then asked Michael and Drayton how they are handling open houses. JUNE 2020 | SARASOTA SCENE
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on the town
“We’re using this time as a leadership team to look at what we invest in. Because we can’t just tweak what we did before, we have to rethink it, retool it and come out stronger and become our better self.” — MICHAEL SAUNDERS “We do virtual open houses,” says Michael. “We had never done a virtual open house in our lives. We’ve always encouraged open houses because the sellers always like it and it’s a good way for buyers to see a desired property in their area on a Sunday afternoon. For agents, it’s a great way to sell that house and also a good way to meet people.” According to Michael, it was the Surgeon General who discouraged open houses even before the Florida Governor announced a stay in place order. The company has followed those guidelines in an effort to find a safe path for everyone. A time of adjustment for sure where the business of selling homes strangely has been relegated, at least for a while, to working from home. The company quickly got everyone to work remotely as Michael frantically ordered thousands of dollars of supplies— disinfectants, masks, booties— fairly early on in anticipation of what was to be. It was everything they need looking forward to the future. “Safety is our number one priority,” she says. Staff has now returned to work according to CDC guidelines and the Michael Saunders & Company offices are open to the public. For Michael and her team, dealing with prior recessions and the tragedy of 9/11 was very different than dealing with this pandemic. For them, the housing crisis was emotional. During that time, the company started its rental division because people were losing their houses. There were heart wrenching stories of people who had overbought, who were over financed, who, according to Michael, “used their houses like a piggy bank, resulting in so many short sales and foreclosures.” Before the pandemic struck, real estate in our market was quite strong. There were buyers and sellers and there still are. For Michael Saunders, the question today is how to make it happen. I’m a storyteller, says Michael, so it’s about agents discussing the situation with the seller. How comfortable is the seller with people coming into the house, no matter what precautions you take? You can suit them up and put them in a mask, but a seller may still say they are uncomfortable. A small percentage of homes have been taken off the market. For those that remained on the market, we 74
SARASOTA SCENE | JUNE 2020
encourage agents to go into those homes and make a personal video. Just a walk through to show and tell people what you like about a particular listing. Was it the neighborhood? The spreading oak trees. People always walking dogs there. Now let’s go into 122 Oak Street and look how gracious the entry is. We wanted this personal touch and agent video, which leads to virtual open houses.” “And while some may be hesitant to buy and sell now, it’s always a good time to connect with clients. Call your database. Call people you know and just ask them how they’re doing. Stay connected because this is what we all need. You’re not necessarily right now going to sell a house. Just stay connected. So that’s what all of our real estate associates did. We have sold things sight unseen. We have sold homes with a three hour face time call with the agent in the house and the buyer in Cincinnati. We have used technology and married it to the professionalism of an agent to make a house come alive for someone.” Michael’s always an optimist and also a pragmatist when it comes to the protocols of real estate and the right way to do things in any market. From the start of the pandemic, potential buyers were physically looking at the properties if the seller and agent agreed and the buyer answered pertinent questions about their travel, especially to hot bed areas. Everyone wore masks and gloves and the agent went early to open all lights and doors, so no one touched anything. Because in Florida real estate is considered an essential business, “there hasn’t been a restriction to physically touring a home,” according to Drayton. While a strange time, Drayton points out it’s a time not without opportunities. “In some ways over the last six weeks, it’s the first time that technology was married with the other really important thing that’s a skill set in this business and that’s empathy,” says Drayton. “Before we never would have put technology in the empathy bucket. It’s just sort of tool to achieve an end. People looked at things online before. They Googled things. Maybe they looked at a 3-D virtual tour. But I really think that technology took the stage in achieving a different
goal, which was helping us empathize with where people were emotionally while still wanting to move forward with their real estate goal. So, I think that merger showed a whole other side to the use of technology. A real ah-ha moment. We had a great speaker recently who framed this well.” “Everybody is approaching this crisis from a different perspective. Some people are more focused on their financial well-being then they would be their health. Some people are more focused on their restriction of their freedoms in terms of wanting to get back to normal, and do things like go to a park, beach, or a movie. And some people are focused on their health. And that third component – health – has been the really important one for us to understand and service because the other two we are used to. Technology has helped us extend that ability to be empathetic to someone’s comfort level. We have shown houses completely virtually or we have shown them as a preamble for someone who says, ‘I don’t want to traipse through ten homes, I only really want to take the opportunity to see the one home in person that I’m focused on.’ In some ways there’s the narrowing of the funnel. We’ve done more virtually then we would have six weeks ago.” For Michael, it has always been the relationship piece that is the most important part of the real estate business. “For agents who have continued to build a relationship and trust, it’s easier for them to work with someone and build that relationship,” says Michael. “Our agents have clients who’ve told them that they’re so tired of their four walls. And that as soon as they can get out, they want to buy something and list their house. They want something with a bigger garden or closer to a park where they can walk. Agents are telling them to walk through and video their house so they
can look at it together and maybe make some of the changes they’ve been thinking about. Paint that bedroom from pink to white and get your house ready to put on the market. All during this we’ve had houses coming on the market.” Then Michael shared some starting numbers. “I believe it was on February 27 we had 250 appointments made through our appointment center. Those are all broker calls. On April 3 we had only 30. It shows how the health part weighed most heavily. But since then we have been steadily building up again with 110 to 117 physical showings. And that is with protocol. If you don’t have a mask you can’t go. We tell potential buyers that the seller requires you to have a mask. It’s just like we require you to be prequalified to see a house.” Drayton jumps in. “There are actually three parties to the protocol. There are the agents on both sides and their comfort level. There is the owner of the home – occupied or not. And then there’s the actual buyer who wants to see it, so you have to really be paying attention to each one of them. Usually it would be about the buyers and sellers and their needs and that’s important, but with the health protocol it actually applies to each one of those parties. And we have to be thinking about that.” “You have some agents who don’t yet feel comfortable touring a home even at a six foot distance. What they will do is go to the home early. They will open it up, stage it and be ready to face time somebody. They’ll have the client go in and they’ll sit in their car telling them that if they have any questions, they can face time and the agent can narrate. It’s testing a lot of boundaries that you would not normally test in a crisis. Everyone wants to know when the market is coming back. In some ways JUNE 2020 | SARASOTA SCENE
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the market is coming back in advance of our emotional comfort level with the crisis. And so, there’s this disconnect with the trend of the market and the trend of where people are emotionally.” Buying and selling real estate is a forever changing business. A business that Michael Saunders and Drayton Saunders know a lot about. And today’s market conditions are much different from the banking crisis of 2008. The two agree. “Back then it was a banking and real estate crisis.” Michael says, “Banking practices allowed people to buy homes that they shouldn’t have bought. No job. No Credit. No savings. No problem.” Drayton adds, “The underlying issue is we had evaluation issues because of the fundamentals of that last boom, the lead up to the crisis. The fundamentals of the value of the home had gotten out of whack due because people were treating their homes like an ATM. The difference today is this is not a real estate related crisis and the overall stock of housing is still low and lower than what demand is of where we were in February when the stock market reached a high. We were dealing with a strong buyer’s market, trending to be a very aggressive start to the year in terms of buying behavior in a low inventory market across almost every price point.” “So where are we today?” Drayton asks. “We’re trying to recover to a normal business pattern, in terms of pace of business. In terms of showings, those are people who are willing to go physically and see a home. We’re halfway from where we were and where we want to be.” 76
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Michael says, “This is an interlude that is really tragic and frightening, but it doesn’t change the habits of buyers and sellers who want to transact business. It has given them pause and it happened all over the world. It moved from China to Italy across Europe to the United States and to Africa and to Brazil. This is so global. And that put everything on pause. And some states reacted differently. In New York real estate is not considered an essential business and you can’t go out and sell real estate. Here it’s considered essential. Yet some buyers and the sellers didn’t feel it was essential to have people come through their house. So, it’s the mindset of the consumer and I believe it will be with us for some time. It’s not something where we’ll be able to say on June 15 or July 15 there’s not another case because we continue to see cases. As a company, just as we did through all these other crises, we had to learn how to react as a company.” How does the lady who has been an active force in Sarasota since 1976 see the public reacting and impacting Sarasota’s real estate market? She believes that all the people in February who were out there looking at real estate and ready to buy still have the money. They still want to buy. And now Florida is even more attractive to those high tax states in the Northeast and Midwest. “We have seen people moving here to establish residency from Illinois, New York, New Jersey because of the very high taxes. You combine that with those same people being in a condominium in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Chicago or in Minneapolis, or in a house where they have lockdowns. They’re saying whoa! Wait a minute! So all the national economists think that this is going to
on the town push people to make earlier decisions and they’re going to go to resort areas and rural areas where they have a different way of life where there can be social distancing and where you can still get out and walk and have clean air. As people continue to feel more comfortable, I think our area will continue to be even more attractive because of our clean air, the outdoors, the sprawl, and the opportunity to live on the water or out east.” “I think every business has to assume until there’s an end you have to operate within that condition” says Drayton. If I were trying to run a business and said I’m just going to hold my breath until it’s over, I’m not going to change any of my habits and that was my attitude 45 days ago, then we wouldn’t have done virtual open houses or adapted to a new normal. Like every business, we’re asking how do we go back to doing business? Because there’s another piece of the puzzle— no one wants a health crisis to turn into an economic crisis.”
Don’t worry, we’ll be back!
“During past recessions we came out of them with some of our greatest growth and best initiatives, says Michael. “We’re using this time as a leadership team to look at what we invest in. Because we can’t just tweak what we did before, we have to rethink it, retool it and come out stronger and become our better self.” “It fills me with gratitude how the community has come together supporting first responders and helping those who have lost jobs. If they’ve had something to give— if it was money or their time—the generosity of those reaching out behind the scenes to help has humbled us all.” Being a mother and son and responsible for heading one of the most successful and iconic real estate companies in the South does not complicate their lives, it clarifies it. Whether conducting business together via a text, an email, a Zoom session, or the old fashion way of sitting across from each other in a board room or at the kitchen table, they will both tell you that they have never worked harder, remained more focused, tried to stay as positive and learned as much as they have in recent days. “A crisis like this has you focused on what’s really important,” says Drayton. Going from here to there eats up a lot of quality time with the motion of doing. It teaches you to slow down. You can do more with less. And it teaches you to focus to be in the moment.” Michael smiles and adds, “Drayton has a four year old. I adore both my grandchildren. More than a few times Drayton and I will exchange food that we have cooked. Recently he made a Bolognese and I made a garbanzo bean dish. We were exchanging the dishes in my driveway. His wife Kara was driving, and his little four-year-old Kinsley was in the back. She calls me Honey. She yells out to me, ‘Honey, I want to come in. But I can’t come into your house until the big germ is gone.” In the end, it is after all, about the relationships that we build and cherish in our lives. And sometimes it just takes a four-year old to remind us what it’s all about as we weather life’s storms.
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838 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, FL
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on the town
Education MATTERS By Ryan G. Van Cleave
SUMMER LEARNING IN THE AGE OF COVID-19
Whether you’ve got k-12 kids around the house (like me!) or you’re just bored out of your gourd thanks to the stay-athome mandate, the what-to-do plan for this summer likely has you concerned. Sure, we can all bingewatch 14 seasons of Supernatural on Netflix, or let the kids act out Lord of the Flies while you sleep in, but that’s not enough, right?
The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature www.bishopscience.org/museum-from-home
• “Tales Under the Tree.” Help the littlest ones learn about science and nature on Saturdays. • Monthly IQuest. Using Google classroom, middle-school kids (grades 6-8) can expect challenging projects and games that inspire out-of-the-box solutions to real-world problems. • “Manatee Minutes of Zen.” Videos of manatees swimming. What more could you want?
Considering that the quality of education took a hit when everything moved online in a flurry in March, there’s probably some making-up to do in terms of the kids. And even we adults could stand to knock some cobwebs out of the cranium. So, what options do we have to beef up the brain between now and the start of fall classes? Thankfully, a lot of local organizations are happy to help the cause!
Bay News 9
www.baynews9.com/fl/tampa/community/project-weather • Project Weather School. Every Wednesday at 1pm, get a free interactive weather lesson from a weather expert. Learn how raindrops are formed, how air pressure creates wind, and why cold fronts trigger a thunderstorm.
Marie Selby Botanical Gardens & Historic Spanish Point
www.selby.org/bringing-selby-gardens-to-you www.historicspanishpoint.org/mondays-with-mccarthy • Science Saturday. Hear from staff botanists, associates, and volunteers to learn about plant inventory and classification, and celebrate plant diversity. (Selby’s living collection has 13,500 plants in 214 families!) • Selby Gardens in Bloom. Learn about pollinators, the prickly pear cactus, and more! • Salvador Dali: Gardens of the Mind exhibition. This exhibition highlights Dali’s use of botanical images alongside actual tropical plants from Selby Gardens. • Daily Facebook and Instagram updates/information/activities at 2pm. • “Mondays with McCarthy.” Join Executive Director John McCarthy on behind-the-scenes tours of Historic Spanish Point that offer information you won’t get on regular tours. 78
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on the town • Hoopla. Download the app and get thousands of eBooks, audiobooks, TV, movies, and graphic novels. (Log on early each day because there’s a daily limit of what can be checked out that’s shared by our entire library system!)) • eCards. Don’t have a library card yet? Easily get a temporary digital one now. • and much more!
ARTSEA WITH MOTE
Van Wezel
www.facebook.com/watch/schooltimevanwezel • Schooltime at the Van Wezel. Enjoy information and behindthe-scenes information/experiences from this education program.
Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium www.mote.org/mote-goes-remote
• Mote Education Online. All the marine science you need for engaging pre-K students to adult learners and teachers. • 24/7 webcams. Check in on the sharks, manatees, and otters. • Mote’s “Two Sea Fans” podcast. Hear fun and educational conversations between Mote scientists and hosts Joe Nickelson and Hayley Rutger.
The Ringling
www.ringling.org/museumfromhome • Virtual Bayfront Garden Tours. See the wildlife, trees, secret garden, and rose garden renovation on YouTube. • Quick Crafts with Kallie! Turmeric tie-dye, bunny stamps, circus costume design, and more. • Digital Performance Picks. Why not bring Asolo performance offerings to your home? • Art Chats. Enjoy brief conversations about artworks between a museum educator and someone beyond the museum world. • Send Digital Art Postcards. Send a freebie art pick-me-up!
Sarasota County Libraries www.suncoast.co.sarasota.fl.us
• Beanstack. Keep track of your reading and complete fun at-home activities. • ONEpass. This partnership between Sarasota County Public Libraries and Sarasota County Schools gives access to a range of digital resources.
Westcoast Black Theatre
www.westcoastblacktheatre.org/performances/ wbtt-on-demand • On-Demand Streaming. Founder & Artistic Director Nate Jacobs brings you songs and stories from your favorite performances.
If Elon Musk and Donald Trump turn out to be wrong and COVID-19 doesn’t magically burn up in the scorching heat of summer, then watch for more virus-related articles here to help us all get through this. In print and in my life, I joke about the virus situation, but let’s be clear—it’s a defense mechanism to keep up the pretense that Cheetos with a side of ranch dressing constitutes “dinner.” We’re all in this together, folks. Until next time—best of luck. And happy learning!
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Spoken / Unspoken By Markella Paradissis-Wagner | Illustration by Darcy Kelly-Laviolette “Spoken/Unspoken” was awarded Gold in Ringling College’s Best of Ringling 2020 for Creative Writing.
I
Cristina
wished I saw her every night. I only saw her when Mama and I drove down those ever-winding country roads to the farmer’s market, and then to the spare parts store for Mama’s work, and then to check on Nana in the retirement home on Fridays. But it might as well have been every night, because I went home and thought about her.
Her.
I first glimpsed her kneeling in the grass by the road, under a rumbling sky. I only saw her for a moment, and I knew the girl saw me too, as the bushes peeled back for a second in the rush of wind as the car passed. Their leaves blushed green and rifled like a deck of playing cards in the warm storm winds. I didn’t think much of it, honestly, until we saw her again. And again. And finally, I said to Mama, “You know we pass that same girl every Friday?” Mama smiled a somehow knowing smile. “Yeah? Cristina, you got a crush?” I shook my head and smiled. “No.” And kept smiling.
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But how could I not? With the girl’s long dark hair curling against the evening sky, her lips parted in surprise—or the beginning of a smile—when she saw our car go by. That night, I lay in bed, thinking. Thinking, what if we met? Mama could drive until one of us got a license. What if we got married? Funny story, how we met. So my Mama and I were driving down this country road… I rolled over, and just before drifting to sleep thought, that was definitely a smile she gave me. I thought about her at the table the next morning, chewing through eggs with the shells still stuck in them; I thought about her while folding Mama’s large underpants and sweaters; I thought about her while shaving my armpits in the shower, barely feeling the burn of the razor on my skin, just as I did not taste the eggshells or register the still damp clothing. I had to see her again. Finally, on the fourth Friday, I asked Mama if she could drop me off at the farmer’s market, and maybe she could run her errands and check on Nana and her meds by herself this time.
Beach reads
“I didn’t know you were so interested in farming.”
The girl saw me. I smiled, and the girl smiled back.
“Well…I’ve always wanted more time there. We drop by it so quickly.”
I walked the rest of the way and the girl grabbed my hand—flutters shot from my chest to my stomach—and tugged me into the bushes. I made to say something, but the words got stuck so I swallowed my spit and leaned in, eyes half-open, half-panicking on the inside. When I saw her reach for my face, I closed my eyes and fell into it—the kiss. Her hands met my cheeks, cool against hot.
“I think Nana would miss you,” Mama said. “I’ll see her next time. Maybe I’ll pick out some fruit for her.” Mama rolled her eyes but pulled over anyway. The car beeped and its red lights flashed. I hopped out and pretended to look at tomatoes until she was far away. Should I buy something for the girl? I patted my pockets. No wallet. But I think Mama fell for my story. Ha-ha. As I continued walking, the smugness of my plan faded. Did the girl even want to meet me? And I way overestimated how far of a walk it would be to my mystery girl. The thought was a cool breeze in this humidity. Mystery girl. Like I’m going to join my princess. Dampness touching my neck, my hair, soaking my armpits, I walked into view. Moment of truth. Well, Princess, what do you think?
She was soft and rough and the kiss felt like 10,000 seconds but was probably only seven, and for those seven seconds I believed in magic, magic in the lightning bugs in the tall grass, the silver streaking the air around us, the safety of this second. When we broke apart, the girl’s brown eyes, like bright lights, were on me. She saw me. We sat and watched the stars, mostly in silence. I tried to settle my mind whirring in all different directions. I can’t believe I’m here and we kissed and now we’re sitting together. What is she thinking? I should have grabbed my wallet from Mama’s purse so I could buy her—Mama. I jumped to my feet. Mama must almost be back to the farmer’s market by now.
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Beach reads “I’ll see you,” I called, but the girl was looking up at the sky.
Mama looked down, shook her head ever so slightly, and her lips moved, but she didn’t smile.
I didn’t make it all the way back to the farmer’s market when Mama’s van pulled up. Mama didn’t say anything, just raised her eyebrows. As we drove, I folded my hands, paranoid that even speaking a single word would make this magic feeling end.
She finally said, “Cristina, I’ll pull over for a few minutes and see if you can score her number.”
When we got home, Mama said, “I was on Facebook at the retirement home—”
If my love life didn’t hang in the balance, Mama’s stressed tone while saying score her number would have been almost comical. “Then, we’ll see Nana. She was asking about you last time, you know.”
“Was it that boring?” “I think I can get her number.” “Ha-ha. I came across a picture of you and Keagan from your birthday last year.”
“Three minutes.”
“Oh god—Mom, delete it.”
“Four.”
“I will.”
“Your Mama used to be something back in the day. I could get that number in three.”
“He broke up with me. Do you know how embarrassing it is to still be seen in pics with him?” “Do you think I should just drop you off by that pretty girl next time?” She chuckled at my stunned expression. “Come on, Cristina. Your crushes, like when you first liked Keagan, have never been subtle. Even when you were little, and you liked that neighbor girl—”
“Oh my gosh.”
“Ok!” I said, giggling. “I would really appreciate it if you did that.”
I measured the week in energy bursts. I’d be sitting on my phone or watching TV with Mama, and I’d imagine when I’d see her next, and a torrent of energy would explode through me. Watching the summer rain roll by, eating roast dinner with Mama, I’d have to hold in my smiles and wiggle in my seat. As I poured Apple Jacks into my bowl on Friday, I wondered if Mama would say anything about this evening’s errands.
She faked a scoff. “I’m not gonna leave my 14-year-old by the side of the road just to meet up with some floozy.”
“Hey, we’re still going tonight, right?” I asked, trying to sound casual. Instead, my voice shot up, airy.
“Mama!” I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to laugh or change the subject. Plus, she kind of already did leave me by the road with some floozy.
“Yes,” Mama said, eyeing me as she put away the dishes. I twiddled my thumbs on the wooden table, a small smile at the corners of my lips.
“This isn’t about avoiding Nana, is it?” Mama asked. “I know she really hurt your feelings when she didn’t want you at Christmas after—after you told her you wanted to ask the girl from P.E. on a date?”
I didn’t intend to do nothing for the day, but that’s exactly how it happened.
“No—that was so long ago. Why would you say that?” My cheeks flared hot and my palms began to sweat. Nana didn’t have any right to block me out. It was so ridiculous I could barely hear the words come out of Mama’s mouth. “Cause you’re gonna miss seeing your elders when you grow up. Kids your age never want to, because they’re old and boring and they ingest food as liquids and pass it out as liquids too—” I burst out laughing. “Jesus.”
I lay in bed on my phone. Cleaned a little. Busy hands for dull hours. I ate a butter, egg, and tomato sandwich, and scrolled on my phone some more. I began to get dressed when Mama knocked on the door and told me it was time to get ready to go. As we pulled up on that fifth Friday, I didn’t see the girl in the usual spot. I flashed Mama a nervous look, but she gave me a thumbs-up. I got out. Three minutes. Tick-tock. The brake lights looked like glowing devil horns in the waning yellow sky. As I came around the side of the car, the girl was there.
“You’re not thinking of pretty girls now, are ya?”
I jumped a little. The girl’s throat moved like she had something to say but choked it back. The wind tousled the girl’s hair and blew cool air up my sleeves. I held them down. “Hey.”
We laughed until it was quiet again, and I asked, “Mama, what if this was the beginning to a real love story? We’ll tell this story at our wedding.”
The girl made towards me—stopped. As I stepped forward, the girl led me back around the side of the van, blocking the houses across the road.
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Beach reads There was a tremble in the girl’s hands, but she held my face again (was that splotch of pink on her cheek there before, or is it just hot outside? Is she blushing?), and as the girl kissed me, my whole world went warm. The girl tugged me closer by my shirt. Hell yeah. “My Mama can drive us to see each other in the van,” I heard myself saying when we parted. The girl looked doubtfully at the van, so I quickly added, “She’s cool. She drove me to see my ex and didn’t make it too weird with him—” Stop talking.
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The girl looked at me now, but those brown eyes were hotter. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to bring up an ex. It’s over with him.” “Him?” A pause. “I can’t be with someone who doesn’t know who they are. I never should have kissed you.” The breath was no longer in my chest. I’m not sure if it went out before or after the girl had spoken again. It didn’t matter. She had sneered when she said it. Hot tears. I froze them back. “Okay,” I said, voice wavering. The girl stepped away as I opened the passenger door. I couldn’t look at Mama. But her smile was fading. We drove together down the ever-winding country road as the sky turned dark, like every night this summer, and Mama reached over and squeezed my hand. Lee II knew the things that should be done, the things that shouldn’t be done, and the things no one speaks about. The last one was more hazily defined but stood true in my mind anyway. Don’t let your weekly chores—dusting, taking out trash—build up and never skip a daily chore—feeding the horses out back, washing dishes. Sunday family dinners are not missed, don’t disrespect Ma, especially not Pa, and don’t…Don’t. Was that last one—(Don’t.) I sighed. I saw the girl in the car in the night, wondered where she was going. Probably a boyfriend, ugh. Most nights, I pushed the thought of her away and remembered why I was out here. To be alone. To watch the stars. The way they shone out here just after sunset was better than anything that little green house had to offer. I didn’t understand why my skin scrawled when I was inside the house. It knows. It knows that I’m—different. Is different the right word? Ma and Pa watched from the windows. I could feel their stares glued to my back like googly eyes. My mind went outside when washing dishes with Ma, neither of us speaking, and watching TV with Pa and his beer and his beer belly. Ma and Pa mandated family dinners, but I felt like I was watching them eat as opposed to eating with them.
Your support impacts a student’s future. Contact Cassandra Holmes 941-752-5390 or HolmesC@SCF.edu
Sometimes I wonder if I’m in the wrong place, or if I’m the one who’s wrong. That was also the curse of sitting out here with the stars. To be alone meant to be alone with my thoughts. Shit.
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Beach reads Most days, Pa showed me how to work the farm, always asking if me if I’d take over it one day. I never responded. There was no way in hell’s hell I’d take over the stinking place. Ma told me to read the Bible before I went to sleep. But no one really did. Most nights, Pa stumbled to bed and Ma stayed up cleaning counters and looking at bills. My mind went outside when Pa’s breath was too strong or Ma’s silence became too heavy. I was fed and clothed, but the air inside was unbreathable. Outside, there was no Ma or Pa, no beer or bills, and no spoken or unspoken rules. There was the girl that drove by every week. I didn’t even mean to—or maybe I did—but I met the car girl’s eyes and made some sort of face. What my face did, I was not sure. I tried to smile, then remembered the unspoken rule and tried not to smile, quirking my eyebrows, but it was too late: the girl in the car whizzed by in the oncoming night. She had seen it. (She had seen me.) Outside, under the stars and next to the messy green scribble of bushes, I sat with feelings that I wouldn’t allow myself to think of during the day. I’m a puzzle, but the pieces are scattered. Feelings that made it seem like I had a target on my back. (They can’t know my thoughts.) Maybe the car girl didn’t know if she’d ever kiss anyone either, if it would even be right to kiss someone. (My parents never told me not to kiss girls.) Or maybe the girl didn’t even see the smile I gave her or thought nothing of it. I turned my head towards the stars, sprawled across the sky like another language. I wished I could read it. Maybe it would give me answers, or maybe the little lights in the sky would spell out, ha-ha, screw you. But it was pointless—the girl had seen me and I knew she’d show up. I liked the girl and I knew the girl liked me. Curled in bed at night, I wanted to know what her lips tasted like—what she tasted like—and I never knew how badly I wanted to run away but also stay put like a mountain. Was every day passing as long for her as it was for me? They go by in every excruciating detail from the cracked, pink paint on Ma’s plates to the creak of the floorboards under Pa’s feet at night, the kind that keep me awake. When the girl did show up that Friday, we didn’t speak. My parents could be at the window any second from now with watchful eyes. Hide. I grabbed the girl from the car’s hand and led her behind the bushes. I peeked around the leaves at the window—it was still empty. Whew. The girl was leaning in (oh no) but I leaned in the rest of the way anyway. My hands caressed the girl’s face and then ran through her hair (soft). Heat rose in my cheeks. But I couldn’t breathe. Tension seeped through my muscles and my heartbeat was way too fast. When the kiss ended (finally) I felt a roll of nausea in my belly. Then the stars were above us again and the cicadas were screaming in my ears. 84
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“What do you like to do out here?” the car girl asked. She swung her hands, intertwined them, then broke them apart and swung them again. “I like to watch the stars,” I said. The girl sat down near those ruffling bushes. I did not want her to sit but was glad she did, and slid through the grass next to her. In the week that followed, I walked around home feeling like I had a bomb strapped to my chest counting down to Friday. They knew. Ma and Pa could have seen us from the window. The little green house might have told them. Maybe they had always known. My father had cleared the haze on my definition of unspoken, stinging and smart. I felt the ache of his explanation in my cheek as I did my weekly chores. The air in the house became suffocating. The beer and the silence turned into yelling and smashed plates. They’d never told me not to kiss girls. The night of the kiss, that evening—could not happen again. Locked in my bedroom, trying to fall asleep, I wished there was something inside me that I could rip out and that losing it would make me different. I wished I could be up there in the night sky, away from the house—my stomach turned—and away from myself and this girl. I’m screaming into a void, but no one good will hear me. But my parents will, and they’ll shut me into the void with this piece of myself and tell me they’re proud I’m making the right choice. But it’s not a choice. But I like girls and I like you. My thoughts blended together, consuming me. Why can’t I be someone else why won’t these feelings go away— On Friday, I sat outside like usual, but my gaze kept slipping from the stars to the road. Waiting. Waiting. I folded and refolded my legs. I ran my fingers through the dirt and then sat on my hands. (Why can’t I be someone else?) I sighed and pushed myself up from my spot by the bushes. Might as well wait by the road if I can’t focus on anything but this…situation. And it was a good night for staring at the sky, too. The purple clouds spread like a bruise across the sky. Lighting flashed, almost completely hidden within their bloated formations. My hand touched my face absentmindedly as the van rolled up, then stopped. God.
Beach reads But there was the girl. She jumped a bit when she saw me. I knew I must’ve looked like a vampire standing there in the road, bags carved under my eyes. Barely aware I was doing so, I walked her back around the other side of the van, making sure Ma and Pa couldn’t see anything from the house this time. But this girl saw me. This girl understood. This girl knew. The fear and unrest in my belly disappeared for a moment. I cupped the girl’s face, and when our lips met, electricity shot from my chest to my stomach. (Is this what it’s like—) I grabbed the girl’s shirt and pulled her closer. The corners of my lips curled a bit into a smile as a thrill went through my whole body. The sky wasn’t purple, it was gold. This was better than the stars. What if I could know joy like this all the time— No. I pulled away and let go of the girl’s shirt, gasping. No, there was no way. I knew what had to happen. The girl smiled. Please don’t smile. I said, “We can’t—” The car girl said, “My Mama can drive us to see each other in the van.” I frowned and looked at the van. Think of something, anything to end this clean and now. “She’s cool. She drove me to see my ex and didn’t make it too weird with him. Sorry, I didn’t mean to bring up an ex. It’s over with him.” “Him?” I paused and took a breath. “I can’t be with someone who doesn’t know who they are. I never should have kissed you.” The girl’s face hollowed like a rotting pumpkin. I realized what I had said. Words weren’t just slapped together like trash on the street; even if the intent was jumbled, they meant something. I knew that, and so did the girl. “Okay,” the girl said, voice quivering. I meant what I said; I didn’t mean it. Silent, I took a step back, watching the girl get into the van. Was she crying? I hoped not. The van drove away. The girl could drive away from this. Tears welled in my eyes as the van turned up dirt farther down the street. I looked at the sky and wondered where under these stars the girl would end up tonight.
about the author Markella Paradissis-Wagner Markella Paradissis-Wagner is a fiction writer who creates stories to connect with others. She’s also an accomplished freelance writer and editor. She is studying creative writing at the Ringling College of Art and Design, where “Spoken/Unspoken” recently won a Gold Juror’s Award in the Best of Ringling Annual Juried Student Exhibition. Markella grew up in Florida and fell in love with the Sunshine State’s stormy weather. mwagner797.wixsite.com/writer
I didn’t mean it.
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Best SEATS PERFORMING ARTS CALENDAR WHILE THERE AREN’T ANY THEATER SEATS TO BE HAD RIGHT NOW, TAKE A COMFORTABLE SEAT AT HOME AND ENJOY THE VIRTUAL PERFORMANCES AND CLASSES PRESENTED BY SEVERAL ORGANIZATIONS.
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941.351.8000 / asolorep.org Engage: On Air Radio content hosted by Associate Artistic Director, Celine Rosenthal. The program features weekly guests including Asolo Rep staff and the world class artists they work with. Listeners can find Asolo Rep’s Engage at 96.5 LPFM, Wednesdays at 6 p.m. or online. Live stream link: wslr.org/wslr-popup-player/ June 3 – 24
THE CIRCUS ARTS CONSERVATORY 941.355.9805 / circusarts.org CAC Connects New online platform designed to bring Performance, Training, Education & Outreach into the community in a new, innovative way. CAC’s coaches are putting on live online classes & pre-recorded training sessions to keep your body moving and your brain socializing. Link for more information: circusarts.org
FLORIDA STUDIO THEATRE 941.366.9000 / floridastudiotheatre.org FST School Online Whether your interest is to explore personal creativity and confidence or serious theatrical training, discover an artistic home for yourself, your child, or your business with FST’s teaching staff of trained theater professionals. June 8 – August 3 2020 Summer Theatre Camps Online For students ages 4-17 June 1 – July 31 Link for more information: floridastudiotheatre.org/fst-schoolyouth-ages-4-17
KEY CHORALE 941.921.4845 / keychorale.org Come Together Choir: Online Choral Rehearsal Key Chorale’s online choral experience allows you to keep singing throughout this crisis. New rehearsals will premier each Thursday at 2 PM and then be available afterwards on Key Chorale’s YouTube channel to watch again. June 4 – 25
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THE PLAYERS CENTRE FOR PERFORMING ARTS 941.365.2494 / theplayers.org Kitchen Karaoke Every Friday at 4, “Party with The Players” staff from home through KITCHEN KARAOKE on Facebook Live. June 5 – 26 Link for more information: facebook.com/PlayersCentre/
THE RINGLING 941.359.5700 / ringling.org Performance Picks Digital performance offerings available to you at home. Providing a wide array of performances, artist talks and virtual exhibitions from current programs and archives. Link for more information: ringling.org/digital-performance-picks
THE SARASOTA BALLET 941.359.0099 / sarasotaballet.org Summer Fun at the Ballet Each weekly camp has a special theme and students will enjoy classes in ballet and creative movement as well as fun activities such as craft, art and dress up. All children are welcome, and camps do not require any previous experience. June 1 – 26
941.953.4252 / sarasotaorchestra.org Music that Moves Us Campaign of ‘social distancing’ friendly engagement with video vignettes from Sarasota Orchestra musicians. June 2 – 30
SARASOTA OPERA 941.328.1300 / sarasotaopera.org Sarasota Opera Online From living room and driveway performances to historic anecdotes, creative efforts keep virtual audiences entertained. Link for more information: sarasotaopera.org Sarasota Youth Opera Summer Camp will be held online and will include a variety of programming to engage young people in the magic of opera. All skill levels are welcome, and no audition is required. Interactive and participatory YouTube and Zoom sessions in singing, acting, props, wigs, make-up, and costumes will be led by professional singers, artists, directors, musicians, and technicians. June 8 – 19 To register: form.jotform.com/201145391019144To For More Information: youthopera@sarasotaopera.org
VENICE THEATRE 941.488.1115 / venicetheatre.org Venice Theatre Story Time Kelly and Terrance the Technical Theatre Toucan bring you greetings from VT and a new story via Zoom. Every Wednesday at 8PM. June 3 – 24 Online Classes for All Ages Zoom classes for kindergarteners through adults. Classes for youth include Storybook Time with Kelly, Creative Drama with Luke, Performance Art with Brad, and Adult classes include Musical Theatre History, Dance, Building Your Audition Book, Original Monologue Writing, and more. June 8 – July 31
WESTCOAST BLACK THEATRE TROUPE 941) 366-1505 / westcoastblacktheatre.org Rockin’ Down Fairytale Lane Online See the show via your Computer, Tablet, Smart Phone or Smart TV. Once you purchase your ticket, you will receive an email confirmation with
For a full list of this season’s performing arts events, view our
Arts & Culture Guide. SCENESARASOTA.COM
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GET Inspired VIRTUAL CULTURAL HAPPENINGS BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE ARTS AND CULTURAL ALLIANCE OF SARASOTA COUNTY
Note: During the publishing of this issue, the State of Florida permitted museums and parks to open. Many of the virtual events listed may be canceled so please check all websites for virtual event status.
artuptown.com | 941.955.5409 Facebook: @ArtUptownGallery Color & Clay : A Duet, a collaborative installation by ceramist Joan Libby Hawk and painter Jana Millstone View Exhibition: artuptown.com
ARTS AND CULTURAL ALLIANCE OF SARASOTA COUNTY sarasotaarts.org | 941.365.5118 Applications for Exhibits at the Alliance Deadline: June 19, 2020 sarasotaarts.org/allianceexhibits
DABBERT GALLERY dabbertgallery.com | 941.955.1315 The Science of Art View Virtual Exhibition: dabbertgallery.com/events Gallery open by appointment June & July, 2020
THE RINGLING ringling.org | 941.359.5700 Between Art and Quarantine posts from The Ringling Collection View Exhibition: www.facebook.com/theringling Museum From Home View Exhibition: ringling.org/museumfromhome Kids/Family Activities: View Exhibition: ringling.org/learnfromhome EMuseum View Exhibition: emuseum.ringling.org/emuseum/collections
STATE OF THE ARTS GALLERY sarasotafineart.com | 941.468.6914 2020 – Rebound Tuesday – Thursday: 11am – 4pm Through October 1
Have an upcoming visual art event? Send your event details to COMMUNICATIONS@SARASOTAARTS.ORG
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arts&culture
LITERARY Scene By Ryan G. Van Cleave
3 SUNSHINE-Y READS Last month, I offered a host of books to help you through your various stay-at-home situations. When making the selections each month, I tend to lean into the areas you often tell me you want, with mysteries, thrillers, and adventure being among the most popular requests. Normally, I try to meet your literary needs. But since we’ve all got a bit more strife in our lives right now, I’m offering three selections below that might just offer a bit of welcome sunshine—literally or metaphorically. See what you think!
UNDER PAR: CELEBRATING LIFE’S GREAT MOMENTS ON AND OFF THE GOLF COURSE BY PHIL CALLAWAY
My dad’s always looking for good books on golf, so my FORE! radar is regularly in operation. When I saw that humorist, golf writer, and bestselling author Phil Callaway was hitting the links, so to speak, with stories of faith, friendship, family, and failure on the fairway, I knew I had to check it out. Indeed, what’s offered here are “principles that can help us get our lives back on course, focus on stuff that matters, and celebrate the golfer’s favorite four letter word—hope—even on cloudy days.” The thirty-six selections are all appropriately short, but still packed with as much punch as you’d need to properly wedge a good shot out of the deepest bunker on a nasty par 5. And for those who are serious about golf, each chapter ends with tips ranging from how to hit a fade to how to save $87,000 over the course of your own golfing career (no joke!). A few of my favorite selections? #19 Dogs and Cats and Golf. #32 Easter Visits the Masters. #35 The Greatest Gimme Ever. Grab your metaphorical clubs, folks. It’s tee time with Phil, and you won’t be disappointed.
RYAN’S RATING: WWW.PHILCALLAWAY.COM
EINSTEIN, MICHAEL JACKSON & ME: A SEARCH FOR SOUL IN THE POWER PITS OF ROCK AND ROLL BY HOWARD BLOOM
You might not know who Howard Bloom is, but you’ve sure heard FROM him. Why? This selfprofessed “science nerd” founded the biggest PR firm in the music industry, and through that helped create or expand the careers of household names in music—AC/DC, Prince, Bob Marley, Billy Joel, Paul Simon, Bette Midler, KISS, Aerosmith, ZZ Top, Queen, Ozzy Osbourne, Michael Jackson, and a hundred more. Einstein, Michael Jackson & Me is Bloom’s attempt to explore the “the dark underbelly of science and fame where new myths and movements are made.” What you get is a series of often-previously-unheard music stories paired with philosophy, science, and much more. As Bloom writes about his business: “What you’re selling in the music business isn’t an inanimate ‘product’ like a cornflake. In the music business, you are not selling pieces of plastic, streaming, or downloads. You are not branding, marketing,
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or selling ‘image,’ You are selling soul. You are selling raw human emotion. You are selling a sense of self-validation. You are selling a chance to make contact with normally hidden parts of yourself. And you are selling the right to feel that even in your weirdness you are not alone. You are selling a salt crystal for the human spirit. You are selling honesty of a very strange kind—honesty that comes from centers that don’t have normal voices in the human mind. You are selling the gods inside.” In some ways, this book is a love letter to Michael Jackson. In other ways, it’s a meditation on what makes music music. The way in which he examines, appreciates, and explains the world of music resonates with a passion that is hard to ignore.
RYAN’S RATING: WWW.HOWARDBLOOM.NET
PUSSWEEK: A CAT’S GUIDE TO FELINE EMPOWERMENT BY BEXY MCFLY
Unless you waste as much time online as I do each week, you might not know about the magazine series Pussweek, which is jokingly written “by cats, for cats.” This new book by those same folks, Pussweek: A Cat’s Guide to Feline Empowerment, takes things a step further in a fun way that reminds me of SNL mashed up with the fashion and celebrity mags you find at supermarket register racks. Me-wow, right? The book starts strong with a NOTICE TO HUMANS that admits “respect from a cat is pretty much the holy grail, so don’t get your hopes up.” But that’s followed by a NOTICE TO CATS that says, “Now that we’ve got the cat-splaining for dummies out of the way, let’s cut the crap. If you’re reading this, you’re not only a good cat and a pretty cat, you’re also a smart cat.” The rest is equally fun, with “articles” such as “Top 20 Things to Push Off a Table,” “Trim’s Extreme Sports,” and “Exposing the Nip.” And one look at the masthead fills me with confidence that they’ve got the team to handle this—witness Benji the Castrologer & Clawvoyant, and Simpson the Purrblic Relations cat!
While the social media world might be engaged in cat shaming, this book turns the tables and lets cats tell their own stories, from scandalous pawparazzi pics to revealing litter quizzes. This is what feline empowerment is all about. So, cat friends and fans—go ahead and paw up a copy right meow for yourself or that crazy cat friend in your life. You’ll finally have the answer to that eternal question: “What the #$!@$# is my cat thinking?”
RYAN’S RATING: WWW.PUSSWEEK.CAT 90
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Laughing MATTERS THE ONE ABOUT COVID-19 By Ryan G. Van Cleave | Illustrations by Darcy Kelly-Laviolette
D
uring Zoom chat with a buddy last week, I made the mistake of saying that after teaching a humor writing class at Ringling College this semester, I felt pretty much able to make the hah-hahs happen with any subject I chose.
Okay…it’s just us humor-loving folk here now? You promise? Then let’s get jiggy pandemicky with it. Err, maybe that’s pundemicky? We’ll see! I’m inclined to start with a straight-up coronavirus joke, but I worry it’ll take two weeks to see if you get it.
Without missing a beat, he said, “COVID.” See what I did there? I mumbled. I fumbled. I thrumbled. Then he said The Magic Words. The Ultimate Kicker. The Can’tIgnore-It-Phrase all red-blooded Americans have to respond to in the affirmative. No, it’s not “I triple dog dare you!” but rather this stunner: “Dude, I’ll give you five bucks if you do a full column next month on the virus.” Naturally, I told him to go shuck some corn. What did he think I was, some Fiverr.com flunky? When he upped it to a ten spot, what choice did I have? Thus, the theme of this month’s humor column is… wait for it…COVID-19, a.k.a. the novel coronavirus, which is the absolute unfunniest thing in the world right now, and, pretty much, ever. WARNING: The rest of this column will indeed be about COVID-19. If that’s not your virus-ridden cup of tea right now, please move along to any of the other fine non-virus-bringingupping articles and advertisements in this periodical. There are plenty of things that are well-Lysoled and appropriately sanitized, I assure you.
I’ll risk further harm to your previously high opinion of me by sharing fourteen virusy whacks on the funny bone. 1. Why doesn’t Wolfgang Puck find coronavirus jokes funny? They’re in such poor taste. 2. All I needed to solve my FOMO problem was a little worldwide pandemic. 3. If wearing pajamas all day is wrong, I don’t wanna be right. 4. Best Buy just lowered the price of a 90” widescreen TV by 30% the same day I realized Netflix had 14 seasons of Supernatural. Coincidence? I think not. 5. Self isolation with my dog: OMG THIS IS SO SO GREAT I AM SO EXCITED TO HAVE ALL OF THESE PEOPLE AROUND. I AM SO HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY! Self isolation with my goldfish: ………….. Self isolation with my cat: What the hell are YOU still doing here? 6. My poet friend says to me, “What rhymes with coronavirus?” And I tell him, “No, it doesn’t!” 7. When I was in college, I got the freshmen fifteen. Now after staying home for the past month, I discovered the COVID 19! 8. My cousin’s job has been deemed “essential,” so he wears a Kevin White jersey every day when he goes in to work. Why? Because it’s the only way to ensure NOT catching the coronavirus. (Sorry, Chicago Bears fans!)
I’ll wait.
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9. Vacuum + cat + spilled bag of Cheetos? Sports have not been cancelled, my friends. 10. Nothing says “I love you” like diamond earrings a Lexus a Caribbean cruise a multi-pack of Charmin. 11. Self-isolation To-Do Plan: get ripped or get fat. Hmmm. Let me flip a coin. 12. “My girlfriend didn’t break up with me. She’s just really into social distancing.” 13. I can never remember, is it “starve a cold and feed a virus” or “cough one time and stay home for six weeks while eating saltines by the sleeve and binge-watching Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman”? 14. While talking to my sick pal on the phone, I said, “Hey, your coughing sounds better!” He told me: “Thanks! I’ve had a lot of practice.” Thankfully, people who know something about something—read this as “shouty people on Twitter”— say the coronavirus pandemic is slowly going away for good. For all our sakes, I sure hope so. I’ve pretty much coughed up (pun intended!) all the virus jokes I’ve got at this point, so if I’m forced into doing round 2 of the Great Virus Laugh-off (all it takes is $20—anyone game?), I’ll be spending a lot of time in my office, banging my funny bone against the wall, trying to urge it into overdrive. Here’s hoping next month’s humor is instead about something both wholesome and funny, like labradoodle wrestling, mistakenly using Sharpies on a whiteboard, or “gluten-free veganic sprouted ancient maize flakes” (totally a true thing—I saw them at Whole Foods before the world pandemicked!).
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Do you agree that saying “2020 went viral” is funnier than intended? Did you decide that after 10 minutes of homeschooling your own kid that all teachers should be paid $800,000 a year? Are you confused what people are complaining about regarding a “quarantine lifestyle” because it’s pretty much your normal life? If so, go ahead and zip me a note about your experiences and opinions ASAP at Y2KHysteriaWasAmateurHour@ SarasotaScene.com because Lord knows I’ll be around to answer you since I have nowhere to go. Though let’s be clear about something—in this emailing scenario mentioned above, pants are 97% optional.
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