May2017

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CIRCUS FOLKLIFE DANCE KIDS

TOMORROW’S

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Extraordinary Florida Living

Attention to Detail Makes the Difference

PERRONE CONSTRUCTION

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Relax and mingle at the bar...

From its inviting old world charm and sophistication to its timeless, artistic cuisine, let the legendary Cafe L’Europe take you on an unforgettable culinary adventure.

Open Daily for Lunch & Dinner 431 St. Armands Circle, Sarasota | 941.388.4415 | cafeleurope.net

ESTABLISHED 1973 REBORN AUGUST 2016

CONTINENTAL CUISINE | FINE WINES | CRAFT COCKTAILS | PIANO MUSIC ALFRESCO DINING | PRIVATE DINING | ON- OR OFF-PREMISE CATERING

CONTENTS features

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40 BEATSVILLE A much-anticipated world premiere comes to Asolo Rep

by Steven J. Smith

44 MOTE’S NEXT-GENERATION SCIENTISTS Young minds bring new innovations to protecting the oceans

by Sue Cullen

48 THE CIRCUS ARTS CONSERVATORY AT THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY SMITHSONIAN FOLKLIFE FESTIVAL

by Ryan G. Van Cleave

52 SARASOTA BALLET EXPANDS ITS EDUCATIONAL REACH A new education director enhances the quality and accessibility of dance for all

by Steven J. Smith

56 USFSM: A GREAT CHOICE FOR LONG-TERM SUCCESS With its first freshman class graduating, USFSM answers the needs of the community

by Ryan G. Van Cleave

60 EXTRAORDINARY

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Southeastern Guide Dogs opens a new Puppy Academy

by Leslie Rowe

ON THE COVER Digital Art: John Revisky Characters: Peyton Eckes and Tyler Eckes

CONTENTS departments

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80 SOCIAL SCENE

INSIDER

ON THE TOWN

ARTS & CULTURE

23 THE LIST

33 THE FIND

78 EDUCATION

80 GET INSPIRED

Events Calendar

Home, beauty and lifestyle products

The Manatee Performing Arts Center: A center for cultural, education and artistic expression

by Ryan G. Van Cleave

Cultural happenings brought to you by the Arts and Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County

PARTY PICS 27 Florida Winefest Banquet on the Block & Suncoast Blood Bank Red Hot Casino Night 28 JFCS Celebrity Chefs Food & Wine Tasting and Golf Challenge & AJC National Legacy of Leadership Award Dinner 31 The Woman’s Exchange Volunteer Luncheon & James Buchanan Fundraiser 32 Sarasota Film Festival Luncheon & Children First Fairytale Ball

91 IN HEALTH Dr. Pooja Khator on cataract surgery options

86 BEST SEATS Performing Arts Calendar

94 REAL TALK 92 BUSINESS: [NEW]S New businesses, good deeds and awards

PHILANTHROPY 36 GIVING POWERS For Peter and Joanne Powers, charity begins at home

38 SCHOOL OF THOUGHT Richard Hershorin, Dr. Laura Hershorin and the Hershorin Schiff Community Day School

People, places and things with Sheryl Vieira

88 LITERARY SCENE Ryan Van Cleave reviews three action-packed books

149 SCENES FROM AN INTERVIEW Gus Mollasis interviews former P&G CEO A.G. Lafley

Be Informed Be Entertained Be SCENE scenesarasota.com

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“THE BRITISH ARE COMING” From ‘across the pond’, The Plumbing Place, Sarasota’s foremost showroom of quality kitchen and bath products, proudly presents Crosswater-London’s premier collection of luxury bathroom products. Featuring groundbreaking designs, exquisite styling, and sophisticated functionality, Crosswater’s distinctive faucets, showers, sinks and tubs are all beautifully finished to create your perfect bathroom. Whether you love the classic British ‘tap’, or sleek, contemporary European designs, find out what our friends across the pond already know – Crosswater’s next generation bathroom designs are truly extraordinary.

“We share a deep passion for our customers and for providing the most innovative bathroom products anywhere.”

– John Smithman, Owner, The Plumbing Place | David Hance, CEO, Crosswater-London

is available exclusively at The Plumbing Place

5678 Fruitville Road, Sarasota

941.378.5678 theplumbingplace.com

Boundless Envelope pushers, barrier breakers, odds defiers. We couldn’t feel more privileged if they were astronauts, but they’re not. They’re our patients.

Rehabilitating from stroke, spinal cord injury and other serious conditions, these individuals have strength and courage and now they’ll have state-of-the-art resources, too.

Sarasota Memorial’s new 74,000-square-foot, 44-bed Rehabilitation Pavilion is high-tech, high-touch, empowering patients to forge their own boundless path to mobility and independence.

REHABILITATION PAVILION

smh.com/boundless

from the executive editor

“Education is not preparation for life; education itself is life.”

– John Dewey

I was six years old when they came to my home and took it away from me. It was my prized gold excellence award that was pinned to my report card showing nothing but A+’s across the yellow card. Good student. Listens attentively. Respectful. Obeys orders. Helps others. Hmmm…interesting way to grade now that I think about it.

Scarlet fever had taken over my little body and I missed school for several weeks.

“We have to give her pin to another student. She’ll just have to earn it back,” the school official told my mother. I was devastated. I sobbed. Now that I think about it, it was probably the best thing that could have happened to me at such an early age. Game on.

I worked hard to catch up to the others when I returned to class. I finished my first grade school year with the excellence award pinned once again on my final report card.

Even back then they realized that you shouldn’t give consolation prizes just to make someone feel better and not bruise their ego. There’s nothing wrong with healthy competition. It is good. What’s wrong with working hard to excel and not settling for less? If you don’t make it this time, maybe you will the next time. I guess my first grade experience taught me just that. I know one thing. I never forgot it and it made me a better student. But I digress.

In preparing for this issue, which focuses on local educational programs, I was thinking that when I moved to Florida 27 years ago, I used to hear that Florida schools were not that good. I never thought much about it since I have no children. That was a worry for others. But as the years went on, I realized that it should be a concern for everyone. How well we educate our children is vitally important for so many socioeconomic reasons and affects our lives on many levels. A report by the Economic Policy Institute says that income is higher in states where the workforce is well educated and consequently more productive. Workers with better earnings contribute more on many important levels. I began to wonder after 27 years, what do new people coming to our state think about Florida’s quality of education? Well, let’s go to the rankings.

Education Week, a national education newspaper (edweek.org), ranks Florida 29th in the nation on education quality giving our great state a grade C. However, the ranking metrics places a large emphasis on private funding levels and not as much as it should on student performance. It seems that in some education ranking reports, more resources for schools do not always correlate with better academic performance, so let’s throw this dismal ranking out.

DID YOU KNOW The roots of the modern American Mother’s Day dates back to the 19th century.

In the early 1860s, Ann Reeves Jarvis of West Virginia helped start “Mothers’ Day Work Clubs” to teach local women how to properly care for their children.

These clubs later became a unifying force in a region of the country still divided over the Civil War. In 1868 Jarvis organized “Mothers’ Friendship Day,” at which mothers gathered with former Union and Confederate soldiers to promote reconciliation.

Following her death in 1905, her daughter, Anna Jarvis, conceived of Mother’s Day as a way of honoring the sacrifices mothers made for their children. She obtained financial backing from Philadelphia department store owner John Wanamaker. The first official Mother’s Day celebration was in 1908.

The analysts at Wallet Hub (wallethub.com) compared the school systems in 50 states by “School-System Quality” and “School-System Safety.” Each category was evaluated using 17 metrics and when calculated, Florida ranked #14 in the nation.

We like this better, but wouldn’t it be great to be in the top 10?

Narrowing it down to the Sarasota and Bradenton area, I liked what I saw on niche.com.

Niche analyzes dozens of public data sets and millions of reviews to produce comprehensive rankings, report cards, and profiles for every K-12 school, college, and

MAY 2017 | SCENE

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Youthful Aging Home Health After working with many individuals and families struggling with the effects of memory decline, health advocate Nicci Kobritz has developed her own progressive model for in-home care. Since memory loss and physical limitations necessitate in-home care, she has added a specialized neurology practice, Center for Brain Health, to her private duty home care business, Youthful Aging Home Health.

In-home care services customized to individual needs.

• Specializing in personal care, skilled nursing, care management and companion support all designed to increase client independence in the home.

• Our caregivers are our greatest asset providing continuity of care.

• Education, guidance and support in improving brain health and memory performance Enabling our clients to be the best they can be for as long as possible.

Youthful Aging Home Health is not limited to individuals with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementias. We are a full service private duty agency.

Center for Brain Health accepts Medicare and other private insurances.

Youthful Aging Home Health

from the executive editor neighborhood in the U.S. For more information on its methodology, please visit the website.

Its rankings showed Sarasota County Schools #4 out of 67 school districts in the state, and Manatee Country Schools at #32 in the state. The website narrows down rankings in Sarasota and Manatee to best public K-12 schools and high schools, as well as private schools, best teachers and more.

U.S. News and World Report recently released new national higher education rankings (usnews.com/education), and lo and behold, it may come as a big surprise to you that our state is ranked #1 in the nation for higher education. Florida received the top ranking because of several factors, including the state’s relatively low tuition rates for colleges and universities. Florida also had a high ranking because more than half of students seeking a two-year degree graduated either on time or within three years.

So 27 years after moving here, it seems that Florida’s education system has made great improvements, but we can always do better. Even though our state has yet to have an excellence award pinned to its report card, let’s compete better to earn that top spot. How do we do that?

Remember when I said earlier that Education Week used a private funding metric as a big measure for its rankings and I chose to discard it because it caused Florida to have a dismal ranking of 29 our of 50 states? While there were results in certain school systems of the country which showed that more resources for schools do not always correlate with better academic performance, the fact is there are many schools that show the opposite. To me, it does seem the quality of education our children receive would be so much better if more people would generously give to our education foundations.

To learn how you can get involved, all you need to do is call either the Education Foundation of Sarasota County or Manatee Education Foundation, or one of our local community foundations – Gulf Coast Community Foundation, Community Foundation of Sarasota County, and Manatee Community Foundation.

Let’s use these K-12 rankings as an inspiration to push for a better, stronger school system. Together, let’s work hard to catch up to the leaders, become #1, and get the excellence pin attached to our report card. GAME ON!

941.925.9532 | youthfulaging.net

Center for Brain Health 941.556.9900 | thecbh.com 5602 Marquesas Circle, Ste 105, Sarasota 34233 14

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julie@scenesarasota.com

WORLD PREMIERE

Dig this!

Book by Tony Nominee GLENN SLATER Music and Lyrics by WENDY WILF Directed by BILL BERRY A Co-Production with Seattle’s 5th Avenue Theatre

941-351-8000 asolorep.org Cast members of Beatsville. Photo by John Revisky.

April 28–May 28

asolorep

Denise Mei & Nicole Mei BROKER ASSOCIATE

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CEO/President Ronald Milton

941.685.3198 | 941.400.0540

DeniseMei@michaelsaunders.com | NicoleMei@michaelsaunders.com

Publisher/Executive Editor Julie A. Milton Account Executive Tiffany Wenzel

3BR/3BA Canal front with 2 boat lifts & recently renovated. A4178722

5146 Sandy Beach Avenue, Sarasota | Siesta Key | $1,200,000

Art Director Michelle Cross Editorial & Sales Assistant Bobbilynn Hollifield Distribution Dick Jackson

4BR/4BA Custom Todd Johnston home with elegant architecture & high end features. A4177313

8838 Bloomfield Boulevard, Sarasota | Silver Oak | $799,000

5BR/3.5BA Estate pool home in gated tennis community. A4154583

5197 Flicker Field Circle, Sarasota | The Landings | $995,000

Contributing Writers Sue Cullen Jacqueline Miller Gus Mollasis Steven J. Smith Ryan G. Van Cleave Sheryl Vieira Photographers Nancy Guth Kelly Kearns John Revisky

SCENE Magazine 443 John Ringling Blvd. Ste. #F | Sarasota, FL 34236 941.365.1119 | Fax: 941.954.5067 | scenesarasota.com

4BR/3BA. Split floor plan home in a tropical setting with picturesque curb appeal. A4174838 1557 Oak Way, Sarasota | The Lakes Estates | $419,900

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SCENE | MAY 2017

RJM Ventures LLC, dba SCENE Magazine of Southwest Florida 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.

Building Unique, Sustainable Homes

“If you can imagine it, we can build it.” – Steve Ellis & Grant Castilow

205 North Orange Avenue, Suite 102, Sarasota | 941.366-7280 | mgbbuilt.com LICENSE: CGC 1510640

AN EXCEPTIONAL, LUXURIOUS NOT-FOR-PROFIT CARE FACILITY

MEDICAL CARE & SUPERVISION

SPECIALIZED REHABILITIATION SERVICES

• Accepts Medicare, Insurance and Private Pay Patients

• Through the innovative “Bounce Back” program, you can Rehab, Recover, Return Home®

• With its 120-bed Skilled Nursing facility, the amenities and services are exceptional

• Interdisciplinary Team of Experienced Professionals

• Personal Physicians

• State-of-the-Art Therapy Equipment

• 24/7 RN, LPN and CNA Staffing

• Evidence-based care & Individualized Treatment

• Licensed Physical, Occupational & Speech Therapists

• Physical, Occupational & Speech Rehabilitative Therapies

• Registered Dietician and Nutritional Management

• Case Management to Maximize Benefits

• Social Services

• AJs Fitness, an onsite, outpatient Center, helps you focus on Flexibility, Strength Training, Balance & Endurance

• Full-Time Activities Director

License # SNF130471051

EOE

CALL OR STOP BY FOR YOUR PERSONAL TOUR 5381 Desoto Road | Sarasota, FL 34235 | 941.355.6111 | www.hawthornevillageofsarasota.com

was voted the World’s Best!

The Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce is an association of businesses organized to encourage a strong local economy through marketing, member services and tourism.

With our Two-Part Make at Home Kit, now you can create the same Office Hours: world famous chowder in your – Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. kitchen.Monday Better than the Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. competition, it’s meaty and Siestakeychamber.com creamy, with two and a half times more clams than941-349-3800 potatoes…

It'’s Clamtastic!

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World-Famous Clam Chowder

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Beach Bazaar

Christopher Michiels Interiors

Everything for the Beach!

Interior Design and Remodeling Services

Beach-Bazaar.com

ChristopherMichielsInteriors.com

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941.348.0457

The Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce proudly represents a variety of locallyowned businesses located on the Key and surrounding area. Siesta Beach is blessed with “the world’s finest, whitest sand ™ ” which is made of 99% quartz.

Come experience a tropical atmosphere filled with charming hideaways, fun attractions and unique shopping and dining. Siesta Key is your path to paradise!

Island Trader Coolest New Boutique In The Village

Siesta Key Winery n Bootleggers Moonshine Co.

IslandTraderSiesta.com

Wine, Beer, Cocktails, Great Eats & Music

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Siesta Key Oyster Bar “SKOB”

Waterside Realty LLC

Great Food & Tons of Island Fun

Specializing in Waterfront Properties

SKOB.com

WatersideRealty.net

941.346.5443

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LIMITED ENGAGEMENT

Anne Frank

A HISTORY FOR TODAY

This exhibit, which has been shown in more than 40 countries, tells the story of Anne Frank against the background of the Holocaust and World War II. Selby Public Library will host the exhibit. All who visit the exhibit will gain a better understanding of the Holocaust, World War II, and the impact these events have on today’s society.

APRIL 17 — MAY 27, 2017 SELBY PUBLIC LIBRARY

“What is done cannot be undone, but one can prevent it from happening again.” —

ANNE FRANK

INTERESTED? Contact Orna Nissan at onissan@jfedsrq.org or 941.552.6305

Klingenstein Jewish Center | 580 McIntosh Road, Sarasota, FL | jfedsrq.org

showered with love.

The golden image

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3 0 s . pa l m av e . , s a r a s o ta , f l 3 4 2 3 6

mymkdesigns.com / (941) 364-8439

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DraMature Spring Fling Bradenton Kiwanis Theater: Manatee PAC 2:00 p.m.

941.748.5875 manateeperformingartscenter.com

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21st Annual Corvettes on the Circle St. Armands Circle Park 9:00 a.m.

150+ Corvettes on display, model years ranging from 1953 to the current 2017 Corvette models.

Open to the public starmandscircleassoc.com/events.cfm

The LIST MAY 2017 EVENTS CALENDAR

PICK YOUR FAVORITES!

Despite the exodus of snowbirds and the thinning crowds, there’s still plenty to keep locals busy in the beautiful month of May with family fun, festivals and fundraisers.

We’re playing golf for good causes, drooling over Corvettes on the Circle, and wearing our Derby bonnets while sipping mint juleps. We’re raising money for charities, honoring our fallen vets, and treating Mom to brunch.

We’re venturing outdoors to enjoy live music, craft shows, and local cuisine. We’re laughing for lemurs and sipping whiskey in Venice. We’re donning our bathing suits for volleyball and 5K beach racing, and winding the month down roaring twenties-style. They used to say summer is our slow season. Not anymore!

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SMART 4th Annual Mint Juleps & Roses SMART Stables 5:00 p.m.

Watch the Run for the Roses and enjoy dinner, a live auction, ladies best hat contest, and music. Benefits Sarasota Manatee Association for Riding Therapy.

Tickets: $75 941.322.2000 smartriders.org

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4th Annual Relax in the City Charity Event Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall 6:00 p.m.

Black-tie event hosted by Michael Colyar.

Proceeds benefit Children’s Healthy Pantry.

Tickets: $10 - $200 ritc@mail.com

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Venice Seafood & Music Festival Centennial Park, Venice 11:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Food, drink, music, arts and crafts.

Free admission srqseafoodfestival.com

11 – 13

8th Annual Harvey Milk Festival Five Points Park Three-day event with art, theater and music.

Free admission for music fest. See website for ticket information. harveymilkfestival.org

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The Ringling Museum 11:00 a.m.

Admission: Free with museum admission ringling.org

Bayfront Gardens 5:00 p.m.

Enjoy live music, food and beverage, and dancing.

Tickets: $15 | Free for members 941.358.3180 ringling.org

Suncoast Air Center, Venice 6:00 p.m.

Benefits Child Protection Center, Inc. Tickets: $75 941.365.1277 ext. 120 cpcsarasota.org

Family Day Summer Kick-off

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The 6th Annual Great Mother’s Day 5K Race Siesta Key Beach 7:00 a.m.

Registered participants will receive free race pictures, a dry-fit T-shirt, and goodie bag. There will be prizes and awards for top finishers in age categories.

Registration: $20 - $35 Robert.huebert@ greatmothersdayrace.com

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ABA Academy Blue Jean Ball

Ringling by the Bay

2nd Annual Men, Whiskey & Watches – South County

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Laugh for Lemurs Fundraiser McCurdy’s Comedy Theatre 5:30 p.m.

Benefits the Lemur Conservation Foundation’s breeding facility in Myakka City.

Tickets: $25 mccurdyscomedy.com

Lemurs

Farm Bureau Pavilion, 7289 Palmer Blvd., Sarasota 6:30 p.m.

Live music from Kim Betts and the Gamble Creek Band, dancing, dinner, open bar, silent auction, & 50/50 raffle to benefit the ABA Academy.

Tickets: $75 abaacademysarasota.org

SCENE sponsored events!

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5TH ANNUAL TRIBUTE TO VETERANS SERVICE TO COMMUNITY AWARDS LUNCHEON The Francis 12:00 p.m.

Hosted by Jewish Family & Children’s Service of the Suncoast Tickets: $45 941.366.2224 ext. 142 jfcs-cares.org

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SMHF 16TH ANNUAL GOLF TOURNAMENT Laurel Oak Golf Club 9:00 a.m.

Proceeds benefit the Physicians Endowment Fund for Sarasota Memorial Hospital staff education.

Registration: $25+ smhf.org

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DESIGNING DAUGHTERS ANNUAL FASHIONABLE GALA: SHIPWRECKED Mote Marine Aquarium 7:00 p.m.

Proceeds go towards grants given to several charities in the Sarasota/Manatee area.

Tickets: $95 designingdaughterssarasota.com

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EAR RESEARCH FOUNDATION’S HEAR AND NOW: KENTUCKY DERBY FUNDRAISER Michael’s on East 5:30 p.m.

Benefits the Ear Research Foundation.

Tickets: $175 - $5,000 earsinus.com

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6th Annual Fore the Love of Habitat Comedy Night and Golf Tournament McCurdy’s Comedy Theatre | Ritz-Carlton Members Club 5:30 p.m., 5/18 7:30 a.m., 5/19 Cocktail reception at McCurdy’s Comedy Theatre.

Scramble Golf Tournament follows the next morning at Ritz-Carlton Members Club.

Tickets: $45 reception only | $225 reception and golf 941.487.5507 habitatsrq.org/fore-the-love/

20 – 21

Dig the Beach Volleyball Siesta Key Beach 7:30 a.m.

More than 18 teams compete over the two-day tournament.

Registration: $90 - $110 digthebeach.com

20 – 21

St. Armands Seafood & Music Festival St. Armands Circle Park 11:00 a.m.

Food, drink, music. Hosted by Humane Society of Sarasota County.

Free admission seafoodfestivals.com

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HOPE Family Services’ 20th Annual Black & White “Roaring 20s Night” IMG Academy Golf Club 6:00 p.m.

Benefits HOPE Family Services’ shelter and programs Tickets: $150 941.747.8499 hopefamilyservice.org

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Asolo Rep’s Men Who Cook & Brew

Second Chance, Last Opportunity’s anniversary celebration

Mattison’s Bayside at The Van Wezel 6:00 p.m.

Craft beer and brews from local vendors, along with Sarasota and Bradenton’s finest guest chefs who will share their culinary talents and prepare a dinner filled with their favorite recipes.

Tickets: $200 941.351.9010 x4702 asolorep.org/menwhocook

Laurel Oaks Country Club 7:00 p.m.

Dance party commemorating the organization’s 20+ years of service.

Tickets: $20 secondchancelastopportunity.org

SCENE sponsored events!

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27TH ANNUAL COLLABORATION CELEBRATION Michael’s on the Bay 11:30 a.m.

Hosted by Glasser Schoenbaum Human Services Center.

Tickets: $75 941.365.4545 gs-humanservices.org

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2017 DICK VITALE GALA Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota Honoring Brian Kelly, Chris Berman, and Bob Huggins; proceeds benefit pediatric cancer research.

Tickets: $1,000 jimmyv.org

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8TH ANNUAL LUCKY DUCKY RACE FOR PACE Caddys at the Pointe A rubber duck derby benefiting PACE Center for Girls.

Ducks: $5 (1) - $100 (30) LuckyDuckyRaceforPACE.com

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THE 6TH ANNUAL MYAKKA RIVER BLUES FESTIVAL Snook Haven 11:00 a.m.

All-day blues fest honoring Veterans Tickets: $15 - $20 myakkablues.com

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Fogartyville Community Media & Arts Center 7:00 p.m.

Multiple bands will pay tribute to Bob Dylan including Ship of Fools, the Steve Arvey Band and Roy Handcuff Tickets: $10 - $12 fogartyville.org

Phillippi Estate Park 2:00 p.m.

Featuring the Sarasota Concert Band Admission: $5 sarasotaconcertband.org

Bob’s Birthday Bash

Annual Memorial Day Concert

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Memorial Day at Sarasota National Cemetery Patriot’s Plaza, Sarasota National Cemetery 9:45 a.m.

Free admission john.rosentrater@va.gov

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Venice Brew Bash 6 Centennial Park, Venice 3:00 p.m.

60+ craft and imported beers and live music by local band The Jah Movement.

Beer and food vendors. Must be 21 and older to attend.

Tickets: $35 - $45 brewbash.com

Annual Sarasota Memorial Day Parade

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Lakewood Ranch Memorial Day “Tribute to Heroes” Parade Lakewood Ranch Main St. 5:00 p.m. (party) 7:00 p.m. (parade) Floats, bands, clubs and organizations proceed down Lakewood Ranch Main Street, also several contests for kids.

941.462.2357 lwrcac.com/memorial-day-tribute-to-heroes

Main St. and Osprey Ave. 10:00 a.m.

The parade starts at Main Street and Osprey Avenue and continues west beside Main Street to Chaplain J.D. Hamel Park on Gulfstream Ave. There will be a ceremony held at Hamel Park following the parade.

V IS IT S C EN ES A R A S O TA . C O M for the latest party pics & a complete listing of local events

INSPIRE • ENTERTAIN • IMPACT

502 Third Ave W, Bradenton, FL Box Office: (941) 748-5875 ManateePerformingArtsCenter.com 26

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PARTY pics PEOPLE ON THE TOWN

Jan Crudle & Sandy Loevner

FLORIDA WINEFEST 2017 Now in its 27th year, the four-day event series saw more than 2,500 guests, 200+ volunteers, and a multitude of wineries and local chefs showcasing their food and beverage offerings. Approximately 200 dinner guests dined on Lemon Ave. at the Banquet on the Block dinner, followed by dancing at Mattison’s City Grille. The festival series will culminate with a grants award ceremony, an event that has awarded more than $8.3 million to local children’s charities.

Ronald Scott

Jesse & Carrie Murse

Suzanne & Adam Armbruster

SUNCOAST BLOOD BANK RED HOT CASINO NIGHT Nearly 200 guests turned out at the annual fundraising event.

Chaired by Bridget Harry & Donna Jungman, proceeds from the event benefited SunCoast Blood Bank’s efforts to raise funds for a new bloodmobile. Dinner, dancing, and auctions ensued, with Bob Harrigan serving as the Auctioneer.

Nick Feather & Ben Hatcher

Krista Bloomberg & Rob Brameister

Vicki & Dr. Jim Morrish Judy & Jim Young

Juan & Jennifer Villaveces

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PARTY pics PEOPLE ON THE TOWN

Kevin Kobetitsch, Doug Grice, Bart Mathis & Dan Bonora

13TH ANNUAL CELEBRITY CHEFS FOOD & WINE TASTING AND GOLF CHALLENGE JFCS of the Suncoast hosted the event at The Resort at Longboat Key Club. The theme of the evening, “Eat, Drink and Bid” provided 500 guests the opportunity to sample cuisine prepared by 28 local restaurants in addition to wine tastings, a martini bar and bidding on more than 90 unique silent auction items. Chairs were Eve & Marc Kanoff (food & wine) and Lisa Deutsch (golf); proceeds from the event support the organization’s programs and services. JFCS-Cares.org

Eve & Marc Kanoff

Heidi Brown & Steve Seidensticker

Dean Miller, Teri Hansen & Stan Rutstein

AJC’S NATIONAL LEGACY OF LEADERSHIP AWARD DINNER AJC’s Regional President, Anne Virag, and Director, Brian Lipton, presented local philanthropists Marilyn & Irv Naiditch with AJC’s prestigious National Legacy of Leadership Award for their lifelong commitment to helping others on local, national and global levels. The gala dinner, held at Michael’s on East, raised more than $500,000 to support the work of AJC. Co-chairs were local AJC Board Members Gerri Aaron, Ruth and Andy Maass, and Betty Schoenbaum.

John &Chaifetz David Eleanor Maxhem & Mort Siegel

Andy & Ruth Maass, Marilyn & Irv Naiditch, Gerri Aaron & Betty Schoenbaum

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Brian Lipton, Anne Virag & Rabbi Noam Marans

Mort & Bunny Skirboll

Lois Stuhlberg & Mark Pritchett

Casual Ambiance

MEETS

Authentic Italian

5104 Ocean Blvd. | Siesta Key | 941-349-1423 | cafegabbiano.com OPEN DAILY 5PM-10PM. TASTING MENUS AVAILABLE SUNDAY TO THURSDAY.

STEP INTO BALLET

Introduce your child to the magic of dance and discover the beautiful story of Swan Lake.

Ages 4-6 June 12-17

CHILDREN’S SUMMER WORKSHOP

Dance all day and make new friends in a two week exploration of dance music and costume.

Ages 7-10 June 12-23 sarasotaballet.org/education

941.225.6520

SAVE the DATE: May 11, 2017

Please Join us as We Honor our Tenant Partner Agencies who have been with us from the Beginning: Gulfcoast Legal Services Coastal Behavioral Healthcare Community Health Centers of Sarasota County Children’s Health Clinic

For tickets and Sponsorship opportunities, please call: 941-365-4545 or email khodgens@gs-humanservices.org

Collaboration Celebration Luncheon at Selby Gardens Great Room by the Bay

social SCENE

PARTY pics

Myrna Tucker & Lorraine Gawronski

PEOPLE ON THE TOWN

Rebecca Freedman, Barbara Morano & Linda Sue Green

Ann Rein, Judy Lawrence & Ingrid Cochard

Trish Carlson, Carlene Todd, Tom Young, Barbara Bellamente, Susannah Hammersley, Kathy Rhode & Olga Tompkins

JAMES BUCHANAN FUNDRAISER Colonel John and Denise Saputo of Gold Coast Eagle Distributing recently hosted a fundraiser at their Longboat Key home for James Buchanan, son of U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, who is running as a Republican candidate for the Florida House District 71 seat in the 2018 general election. Attending in support of Buchanan’s bid was Florida Governor Rick Scott, who spoke about issues and concerns facing Florida and about his support of Buchanan.

THE WOMAN’S EXCHANGE LUNCHEON The Woman’s Exchange’s annual volunteer luncheon was recently held at Michael’s on East as a token of appreciation for the organization’s 260+ volunteers, board of directors and employees. The event, which was executed in a 1950s theme with entertainment by Debbie Keeton, served as a celebration of the Woman’s Exchange’s 55th anniversary. The luncheon was coordinated by Woman’s Exchange CEO Karen Koblenz and board member Jeff Hart.

Cynthia Biagiotti, Jill Goodwin, Elaine Anzalone, Rose Coose, Lois Frost, Audrey Busse & Jean Lafountain

Denise Mei & Dr. Mahfouz El Shahawy

James & Lea Buchanan with Gov. Rick Scott

Bob Martin, Matt Buchanan & David Verinder

Denise & John Saputo

Dennis & Graci McGillicuddy

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social SCENE

PARTY pics PEOPLE ON THE TOWN

Judy Hamer & Linda Healy

Michael Dunaway

SARASOTA FILM FESTIVAL LUNCHEON The Sarasota Film Festival kicked off its 19th annual celebration of independent cinema with a tribute luncheon at the Sarasota Yacht Club honoring accomplished director Rory Kennedy.

Kennedy’s documentary Take Every Wave: The Life of Laird Hamilton was selected as the Festival’s 2017 Opening Night Film. The U.S. National Committee United Nations Women Impact Award was presented to Rory Kennedy onsite by the Gulf Coast Chapter of U.N. Women.

Mark Bailey, Rory Kennedy & Mark Famiglio

Lola White, Jane Rosan & Coral Pleas

CHILDREN FIRST FAIRYTALE BALL More than 300 guests gathered at Michael’s on East for the Children First Fairytale Ball, cochaired by Donna and David Koffman, Jacqueline and Lacy Ray, Patti and David Wertheimer, and Sarah Wertheimer. The event theme, executed by Affairs in the Air, was whimsical and enchanted, and inspired some guests to arrive wearing fairythemed ensembles. Dining, dancing, and music by the Bay Kings Band gave way to auctions, led

by Michael Klauber. Speeches by Philip Tavill and Carol Butera emphasized the importance of the organization’s mission of protecting children.

David & Donna Koffman, Patti & David Wertheimer, Lacy & Jacqueline Ray

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John & Eleanor Maxheim

Paula Murray & Frank Filipanitis

Bill Mariotti, Dr. Anila Jain, Betty Schoenbaum & Philip Tavill Audrey & Bill Coleman

insider

The FIND

by Jacqueline Miller

FROM FASHION TO HOME AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN, THESE ARE A FEW OF OUR FAVORITE THINGS.

ORGANIC FUSION Custo Blue is part of Andrea Dasha Reich’s newest body of work – The Fusion Series.

Inspired by organic shapes, innate beauty, and the magnificence of nature, Reich uses mixed media of acrylic and oil paint, resin and resin pieces with a kaleidoscope of bold colors and expressive shapes. $7,000 Alfstad& Contemporary | 1419 5th Street, Sarasota | 941-366-6400 | alfstadand.com

MODERN COMFORT Archibald, the iconic chair created by Jean-Marie Massaud, invites you in to mediate and relax. The enveloping design is exalted by the free play of folds that the leather creates across all of the internal part of the backrest, making it pleasantly undulating. Manufactured

by Poltrona Frau, this elegant and refined occasional chair is available with a high or low back, an ottoman, and in several color options.

Exclusively available at Home Resource. Pricing starts at $5260 Home Resource | 741 Central Ave., Sarasota | 941.366.6690 | homeresource.com

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insider BELLISSIMA SPRING BLING Spring’s vivid colors come to life in this beautiful collection by Juleve.

Green: 4.66 carat oval Peridot with round brilliant diamonds in an 18K rose and white gold mounting. $4,699 Teal: 6.06 carat cushion cut Indocolite with round brilliant and baguette diamonds set in an 18k halo mounting. $8,499 Pink: 1.43 carat Pink oval cut sapphire center with round brilliant pink sapphire and round brilliant diamonds in an 18k rose and white gold mounting. $4,499 Blue: 14.76 carat Aquamarine with round brilliant diamonds set in an 18k two-tone white and rose gold mounting. $10,999 Gold & Diamond Source | 3800 Ulmerton Rd., Clearwater | 727.573.9351 | goldanddiamond.com

Made in Italy, this grey leather purse has a front velvet finish with laser artwork, double handle, and silver zipper. Not only is it a statement piece, it lightweight and comfortable to carry. $465 Eleganza Leather | 1477 Main St., Sarasota | 941.955.8855 | eleganzaleatheronline.com

COOL & CHIC Inspired by ancient Chinese and Japanese clothes and culture, international designer Igor Dobranic’s Shanghai top is timeless, comfortable and classy. $215 Dream Weaver Collection | 364 St. Armands, Sarasota | 941.388.1974 | dreamweavercollection.com

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TWO AMAZING WATERFRONT DINING EXPERIENCES

Fresh Sushi, Steak & Chops • Handcrafted Cocktails Private Dining Room Available

Fabulous Sunset Views • Live Music • Fresh Seafood Full Service Tiki Bar

FinsAtSharkys.com • 1600 Harbor Drive S, Venice • SharkysOnThePier.com

philanthropy

Giving Powers

By Steven J. Smith

Although Peter and Joanne Powers have lived in Sarasota for only a short time, they fully embrace the concept that charity begins at home.

Wanting to contribute in a meaningful way to their new community, the couple recently turned to the Gulf Coast Community Foundation at the behest of a contact they met during a local social event.

“We were told they would help us make a good entrée into philanthropic options in town,” Peter said. “Before we knew it, we had (senior vice president for philanthropy) Veronica Brady introducing us to Sarasota.”

That introduction led them to financially support local organizations with which they felt

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a special connection — Asolo Rep, Children First, Reading Recovery, Big Brothers & Big Sisters, Boys & Girls Clubs and All Faiths Food Bank, among others.

“Veronica exposed us to probably dozens of deserving organizations, arranging day visits, tours and talks with the people running things,” Peter said. “The organizations we chose made a good impression on us. We thought they were accomplishing things.”

Peter was born and raised in upstate New York while Joanne grew up in Orlando. The two met in Atlanta in 2000 and have been married almost 13 years. She’s a former elementary school teacher and he headed a plastic bottle and jar manufacturing company called Clearplass

philanthropy Containers, which he later sold to a competitor. Now retired, they moved to Sarasota two years ago after deciding they needed a change of scenery.

“We were looking at various places in Florida and concluded we were never going to make the decision if we didn’t just pick somewhere and move,” Peter said.

“Sarasota turned out to be a great choice for us.”

They obviously turned out to be a great philanthropic choice for Sarasota as well. Joanne said an important goal of the couple’s patronage is keeping updated on the success they bring to organizations they support.

“For example with All Faiths Food Bank, we stay in touch with them and know the kinds of programs they offer to help the community,” she said. “The Campaign Against Summer Hunger is one we particularly contribute to.”

That program was necessitated in part by the fact that food donations for Sarasota County’s tens of thousands of needy kids dwindle in the summer, due to the fact that many donors — who spend just the winter here — head back up north. Thanks to donations from benefactors like Peter and Joanne, almost 50 feeding sites remain open around the county each summer.

Another effort near and dear to the couple is the Reading Recovery program, which

“Gulf Coast had the ability over a very short time to expose us to Sarasota and get us acclimated into the community. They’re about researching and identifying problems even more than giving money away. They’re out there doing their homework to help people like us determine what’s worthwhile.” brings struggling elementary school kids up to speed with their reading skills through short term, intensive oneon-one lessons with trained literacy teachers.

“I was a first grade teacher in a Title I school,” Joanne said.

“Some of the children in my class went through the Reading Recovery program every day and I know it helped them.”

“We pick organizations and programs in which specific results can be achieved,” Peter added. “For example, with Children First we made a donation to them that funded a crib to help a family with a newborn. It’s more satisfying when we see results coming from our philanthropy.”

The couple’s donations to the Boys & Girls Club have helped create a vocational training center that aids kids in selecting a profession, he said.

“For the most part, the organizations we pick are about children and families,” Joanne said. “That’s really important to us, along with the arts, which so often suffer budget cuts. Asolo Rep also brings children in at times during its season to see plays, as does the Van Wezel.”

Both Peter and Joanne recommend Gulf Coast Community Foundation as an ideal resource for anyone moving into the Sarasota area with a desire to give back to the community.

“One of the most important things about GCCF is their initiatives,” Joanne said.

“Veronica Brady in particular has been amazing in giving us information so we can select the causes that are most meaningful to us. They have a wealth of information.”

“If you’re like us, you don’t know the neighborhood,” Peter added. “Gulf Coast had the ability over a very short time to expose us to Sarasota and get us acclimated into the community. They’re about researching and identifying problems even more than giving money away. They’re out there doing their homework to help people like us determine what’s worthwhile.”

F O R M O R E IN F O R M AT IO N

about the Gulf Coast Community Foundation, visit gulfcoastcf.org.

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philanthropy Richard Hershorin & Dr. Laura Hershorin

t h g u o Th f o l o Scho THE HERSHORIN SCHIFF COMMUNITY DAY SCHOOL EVOLVES EDUCATION

By Steven J. Smith

It’s fair to say the relationship Dr. Laura Hershorin has with the Hershorin Schiff Community Day School is very much a family affair, as the two people for whom the school is named — Irving Hershorin and Herbert Schiff — are her paternal and maternal grandfathers.

She chairs the school’s board of trustees and her father, Richard, is also a board member and serves on the facility committee.

According to Richard, his father, Irving, and father-in-law, Herbert, “were the pillars of the school,

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bringing the values of philanthropy and a quest for knowledge to its current foundation.”

Laura Hershorin was a catalyst for the family’s $1 million gift to the school in keeping with her grandfather Schiff’s mantra “to just make the world one grain of sand better than what you found.”

Formerly the Goldie Feldman Academy, the school is located at 1050 S. Tuttle Ave. and was renamed last August. It developed locally out of a

strong desire for an inclusive, progressive, pluralistic Jewish day school that meets the needs of today’s young families.

“The family fund for philanthropy that my grandfather (Schiff) envisioned was coming to fruition last year,” Hershorin said. “The timing was right and we stepped forward to help take the school into the future. And it just so happened that the philosophy and strengths of the school were exactly what my grandfathers

philanthropy represented and loved.”

Today, head of school Dan Ceaser oversees 50 teachers instructing 225 students ranging from early childhood to grade 8. Tuition costs range from $5,000 to $16,000 a year, depending on the grade level. The preschool student/ teacher ratio is 4 to 1, elementary school ratio is 8 to 1 and the middle school ratio is 12 to 1.

Hershorin said the school embraces two important tenets espoused by her grandfathers.

First, it provides a unique educational model that combines a global vision, religious and cultural diversity, project-based learning, small class sizes, service learning and community partnership. Second, by exposing young non-Jews to Judaism, it demystifies the religion and discourages the spread of anti-Semitism.

“My grandfather Hershorin was self-taught,” she said. “He was self-made. He loved learning, took responsibility for his education and was a very well read man.

He represents that aspect of the school. My other grandfather Schiff represents philanthropy.

He believed in supporting the community at large. Not just the Jewish community, but other religious and even secular institutions as well.”

Hershorin added what sets the Hershorin Schiff Community Day School apart from others of its kind is the absence of hierarchy.

“We are living in a world right now that is extremely divisive. We want to be a force for change, for people to get along and to collaborate and figure out their problems. The Hebrew expression is ‘tikkun olam,’ which translates into ‘repair the world.’ That’s what we’re here for.”

“Every teacher knows every student,” she said. “The older students know, love and embrace all of the younger students. Their day starts out with Advisory, which is a social and emotional learning curriculum that is specifically put together to teach the values. As they break out into classes, it’s not uncommon to see mixed grades learning together at an appropriate level.”

Hershorin maintained no one is labeled as “gifted” or “needing remediation.” Kids are simply placed where they need to be in terms of their learning and socialization capabilities.

“For example, Math is held at pretty much the same time for every grade in the school,” she said. “So kids can go where it is that they should be learning.

And as they’re exploring a particular concept, it’s done in a project-based way.”

That starts with a driving question of interest to the

students, who are divided into groups where the question is researched and developed into a project, which can be on any subject from climate change and historic world figures to recycling or battling disease.

The goal is not just to learn about what surrounds a driving question, but how to apply that knowledge to solve it.

“They put together a project that can be presented as a group, so they’re teaching themselves under the teacher’s watchful guidance,” Hershorin said. “They’re taking ownership of what’s happening.

This process encourages them to collaborate, which is a very important skill as you go into the work force. When they make their presentation to the other students, everyone is learning together.”

This activity culminates in Learning On Display nights, which occur throughout the year to provide an opportunity for students to showcase the process of learning for parents and the larger community.

Hershorin hopes the school will become a model for other schools.

“We are living in a world right now that is extremely divisive,” she said. “We want to be a force for change, for people to get along and to collaborate and figure out their problems. The Hebrew expression is ‘tikkun olam,’ which translates into ‘repair the world.’ That’s what we’re here for.”

F O R M O R E IN F O R M AT IO N

about the school, visit its website at CommunityDay.org or call 941-552-2770.

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Connor Russell, Cayman Ilika, Max Crumm, Charlie Johnson & Lauren Marcus

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A UNIQUE

MUSICAL

STYLE MEETS

1959 Greenwich

Village

By Steven J. Smith Photos by John Revisky

A

solo Repertory Theatre’s much-anticipated world premiere of the musical “Beatsville” features a distinctive jazz form called “vocalise,” according to book writer Glenn Slater, who developed the project with his wife,

composer and lyricist Wendy Leigh Wilf.

“Wendy and I met at a musical theater writing workshop,” Slater said. “Soon after that, though, she decided to leave the world of theater and go back to her first love, which is jazz. But she quickly realized she missed the theater and told me she wanted to find a way that combines the two in a way that hadn’t been done before.”

Slater, 49, is a three-time Tony nominee for the international hit musicals “The Little Mermaid,” “Sister Act” and “School of Rock” and is a co-creator of Disney’s worldwide smash “Tangled.” Wilf holds a Masters in Jazz Piano from the Manhattan School of Music, and Slater said she had discovered a certain style in jazz language called “vocalise,” which was popular in the late 1950s and served as their way into “Beatsville.”

“Musicians would take an existing jazz track, such as a saxophone solo,” Slater said.

“Then they’d set lyrics to it, so it would have the freshness, inventiveness and the extemporaneous feel of actual jazz, but have words and carry meaning.”

That style, he added, runs through the couple’s new musical, which is set in Greenwich Village, circa 1959 — a world of subterranean coffee shops, goateed artists, turtle-necked poets and bongo-playing jazzbos. Tragically square busboy Walter Paisley wants nothing more than to be one of the beatniks, but he has no

MAY 2017 | SCENE

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artistic talent whatsoever. When he accidentally kills a cat and hides it in a lump of clay, “Dead Cat” is declared a masterpiece and Walter a genius. More “sculptures” bring more acclaim — but will the world discover Walter’s secret?

Slater said “Beatsville” is based on the 1959 Roger Corman film “A Bucket of Blood.” It satirizes the hipster lifestyle and resonates with our own time.

“It was a lot of fun to draw those parallels,” he said. “We realized we had the perfect ingredients for a musical — a musical style that’s fun and fresh, a historical era that’s so ripe for dance, movement and drama and a story that says so much about our own times.”

Slater added it is “an unbelievably joyful” experience collaborating on this musical with his wife.

“We share a very similar sensibility, so there is almost no friction whatsoever between us,” he said. “We finish each other’s thoughts.”

“Beatsville” has been a work in progress for several years now and is directed by Bill Berry, producing artistic director of Seattle’s 5th Avenue Theatre, which is co-producing the show with Asolo Rep. Berry said the goal is to eventually polish the show to the point that it can make the move to Broadway.

“I think the hardest part of a film to stage musical adaptation is having room for the story to sing,” Berry said. “Glenn and Wendy found a vehicle that allows for that. Working on it here at Asolo Rep has given us an opportunity to find out what’s working and not working and I anticipate we’ll be making changes on it right up through opening night, depending on what we get in audience reaction.”

Berry added there is a maxim in the musical theater world that musicals are not written so much as they’re rewritten. Slater agreed.

“You never finish writing a musical,” Slater said. “You just abandon it.

But you’re never really done. There’s always more work to be done.”

Slater added at this moment in time “Beatsville” has the right cast and creative team around it, including Asolo Producing Artistic Director Michael Donald Edwards, who continues to help shape the show in a positive way.

“Beatsville” plays from April 28-May 28 in Asolo’s Mertz Theatre, located in the FSU Center for the Performing Arts at 5555 North Tamiami Trail in Sarasota. Ticket prices range from $16-$91 depending on date, time and seat location. For more information or to purchase tickets, call 941-351-8000 or visitasolorep.org.

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“Michael has such a worldly and smart theatrical mind,” he said. “He found the show’s weaknesses very quickly and asked all the right questions. He invited us to Asolo Rep as a place to work the piece, do rewrites, find the flaws and make the fixes. It was an invitation we felt we couldn’t turn down. And it’s turned out to be exactly what we hoped it would be.”

M

ote’s Next-Generation SCIENTISTS

BRIGHT MINDS SHED LIGHT ON PROTECTING EARTH’S OCEANS By Sue Cullen

Top left photo shows a once-lush bed of Amphibolis antarctica, an ecologically valuable seagrass, that died and had yet to recover after the 2011 heat wave.

On the right is a thriving bed of seagrass.

Photo by Shark Bay Ecosystem Research Project.

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ONE OF THE KEY PILLARS OF MOTE MARINE LABORATORY’S VISION FOR ITS FUTURE IS SECURING THE NEXT GENERATION OF MARINE SCIENTISTS DEDICATED TO RESPONSIBLE STEWARDSHIP OF THE WORLD’S OCEANS. SUPPORTING THESE YOUNG SCIENTISTS IS A MAJOR GOAL OF MOTE’S 2020 VISION AND STRATEGIC PLAN AND IS KEY TO HELPING PROTECT OCEAN HABITATS AND SUSTAIN FISHERIES OF VITAL IMPORTANCE BOTH WORLDWIDE AND MUCH CLOSER TO HOME. “At Mote, we continue to strengthen our focus on the next generation of world-class scientists who are finding solutions to the grand challenges facing our oceans today,” said Dr. Michael P. Crosby, Mote President and CEO. “Our Mote Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Program is an innovative initiative to recruit, nurture and keep the next generation of the best and brightest minds in marine science, and it is funded entirely through philanthropy.”

ACHIEVING ANOTHER 2020 GOAL Already these bright minds are finding ways to support native fisheries and save the world’s coral reefs from disease and the stresses of climate change. The work of four of these marine scientists highlights the profound worldwide effects possible if they can help Mote achieve another 2020 goal, which is to ensure its science and technology make a positive impact on society and the environment. Three of

these young scientists are in Mote’s postdoctoral research program.

It is no exaggeration to say as the oceans go, so goes the world. Three billion people worldwide rely on seafood as their primary source of protein, according to the World Wildlife Fund, and as populations rise, so will demand. The impact on Florida’s economic health is also substantial. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries data shows the economic impact in Florida of commercial and recreational fishing in the Gulf of Mexico alone to be $25.8 billion in sales, 172,000 jobs, and $11 billion in value added impacts.

SAVING SNOOK Mote postdoctoral scientist Dr. Ryan Schloesser’s main projects aim to make an impact on snook, a key fishery that is under stress. Schloesser’s work is important because snook populations have been drastically reduced by two extreme cold events in 2001 and 2010 and by red tide. Commercial snook fishing is prohibited and recreational fishing is strictly limited. He wants to understand the habitat preferences of juvenile

snook and determine how to restore depleted snook populations responsibly.

“We use passive integrated transponder tags to monitor the habitat use of the juvenile fish we release in Phillippi Creek to determine what are quality habitats for this recreationally and commercially important fish,” he says. “We use the latest technology available to get all the information we can to improve release strategies and develop responsible guidelines.”

Eight arrays set up along Phillippi Creek identify where juvenile fish prefer to spend their time, comparing natural shoreline with mangrove and marsh habitat, clear areas of seawall, and seawall with aquatic plants.

“We are using these juvenile fish as an ecological probe to find what habitat is used most commonly so we can support that,” Schloesser says. “One of the key findings is that vegetation with shoreline, hardened or not, provides the best survival. If people are concerned about the impact of coastal development and wonder what they can do, promoting vegetation along hardened shorelines can help.”

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DR. ERINN MULLER conducting coral research on elkhorn coral in Haulover, St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands.

OCEAN ACIDIFICATION AND CLIMATE CHANGE Another postdoctoral scientist, Dr. Philip Gravinese, is studying the effects of climate change, ocean acidification and low oxygen levels on another crucial Florida fishery– stone crabs. Gravinese’s doctoral work focused on how stone crab larvae are affected by climate change, which elevates ocean temperatures and increases acidification because more atmospheric carbon dioxide is absorbed into seawater.

His work with Mote builds on that by looking at how those stressors impact post-larval and juvenile stone crabs.

“Fishermen are interested because they are seeing changes; less catch and they know temperatures are going up. We should be able to shed some light on what will be impacting future yields,” Gravinese says. “The ultimate goal is to identify the tolerances of the different life stages to these changing variables and find ways that reduce the impact of some of these stressors. That might give stone crabs better chances and the opportunity for stability in the future.”

RESTORING CORAL REEFS

“If we lose coral reefs, we lose the biodiversity of our ocean environment. Reefs protect shorelines and are a great source of new pharmaceuticals to fight antibiotic resistant bacteria, and they impact our economy as well. Reefs are worth $6 billion to Florida’s economy and support 70,000 jobs. We need to take bold steps in research and restoration to be sure we have coral reefs 10 years from now.”

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Dr. Erinn Muller, who was hired as the first Mote Postdoctoral Fellow in 2011, is now a Staff Scientist and Coral Health and Disease Research Program Manager, and has received two National Science Foundation grants that support her work to understand coral health and responses to disease. One five-year grant of more than $575,000 allows Muller to study the effects of major environmental stressors on threatened staghorn coral such as disease, high water temperatures and ocean acidification. She focuses on genetic varieties that may be more resistant to, or more able to recover from, those stressors.

The second grant is aimed at better predicting how corals react to disease exposure and how that will influence the coral community of the future. The study is based on immune response and disease resistance and will quantify how susceptible coral species are to disease by examining their immunity through a series of novel experiments and approaches.

Muller’s work builds upon the game-changing discovery at Mote’s Center for Coral Reef Research and Restoration on Summerland Key that coral can be repopulated more quickly than thought possible by a process of micro-fragmentation and re-skinning. To further that work, the lab is home to about 60 different coral genotypes. “I see how these different strains respond to major stressors that they will continue to be affected by in the future, which are high water temperature, global climate changes, diseases and ocean acidification,” she says. Understanding which genotypes better survive changing conditions will help scientists worldwide restore coral reefs more effectively.

“If we lose coral reefs, we lose the biodiversity of our ocean environment.

Reefs protect shorelines and are a great source of new pharmaceuticals to fight antibiotic resistant bacteria, and they impact our economy as well. Reefs are worth $6 billion to Florida’s economy and support 70,000 jobs,” Muller says.

“We need to take bold steps in research and restoration to be sure we have coral reefs 10 years from now.”

STUDYING COMPLEX RELATIONSHIPS Postdoctoral scientist Dr. Rob Nowicki studies the intricate relationships at play between the living creatures and the environment within an ecosystem. “My focus is what happens when you lose it all, and my research is on what makes a system resilient when bad things happen,” Nowicki says.

“That fits with Mote’s focus on restoring coral because we want to make sure the biological interactions of healthy reefs are there.”

Nowicki currently is setting up a study to determine the impact of “halos” of bare sand separating reefs from seagrass beds where many reef fish spawn. He aims to discover whether these barren stretches present barriers to returning to the reef where many of these fish perform important functions such as eating algae that can

outcompete coral. Nowicki is establishing artificial seagrass corridors across bare patches to determine whether – by offering them shelter from predators – more fish will return to the reef.

“The big picture goal is to get reefs back to how they looked in the 1960s before everything started to look terrible. If we find reef connectivity is important, it means maybe we should choose reefs that are already connected to restore. It adds a restoration tool to our toolkit,” Nowicki says. “Even if not, it’s still important because we’ll know it’s not a factor in deciding where to restore corals.”

One thing is clear. With dedication, devotion and enthusiasm for their work, these young marine scientists are already making significant contributions to their field, to the local area, and to the world.

TOP: A female stone crab, Menippe mercenaria, with an mid-stage egg mass. Photo by Malcom Denemark Florida Today Staff.

MIDDLE: A juvenile snook. Photo

by Mote Marine Laboratory.

BOTTOM: Dr. Ryan Schloesser transports common juvenile snook from the transport vehicle to water-filled buckets before they are released into Phillippi creek.

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T H E C I R CU S A RTS CO N S ER VATO RY AT T H E

50th Anniversary Smithsonian Folklife Festival

By Ryan G. Van Cleave

I

lived in Washington, D.C. when I was working as the Jenny McKean

Moore Writer-in-Washington at George Washington University, and while there, I used to visit the nearly endless attractions like the museums,

theaters, historical sites, and events. Who doesn’t love the National Cherry Blossom Festival, or seeing a Bosch (or Degas, Picasso, Rembrandt, or Seurat!) up close at the National Gallery of Art, or witnessing “Remember the Children: Daniel’s Story” at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum?

Yet, one of my fondest memories of my short time there (alas, it was a one-year opportunity) was attending the Smithsonian Folklife Festival. This summer is the 50th anniversary of the two-week “international exposition of living cultural heritage” that takes place on the National Mall, and imagine my surprise and joy to learn that our very own Circus Arts Conservatory of Sarasota is one of the major partners for this year’s Circus Arts theme.

The Circus Arts Conservatory was founded under a different name in 1997, but the spirit of the organization has stayed the same — preserve and

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promote the circus arts. Its stated mission today is “to engage and educate students using unique and innovative learning programs; to measurably improve the quality of life for individuals in care facilities; and to advance the extraordinary legacy and heritage of the circus.” It’s no wonder that they’re a major player in the Smithsonian Folklife Festival! The Circus Arts Conservatory (CAC) appeared on the Smithsonian’s radar in a big way when co-founder Dolly Jacobs — daughter of famed circus clown Lou Jacobs and former New York fashion model-turned-circus-performer Jean Rockwell Jacobs — won both a Florida Folk Heritage Award in 2012 and then a 2015 Folklife Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Jennifer Mitchell, Managing Director of The Circus Arts Conservatory, says, “That pair of awards for Jacobs spurred a lot of opportunities. It was the first NEA ever given to a circus artist!” She notes that the NEA is affiliated with the Smithsonian largely through the cross-programming they do, and that’s largely how this partnership came to be. They’ve been in the planning stages since November 2015. “A lot of circus entities are coming together for this, but no one is working as closely with the Smithsonian as we are,” she adds. They’ll be bringing their own big top — the main venue for the entire festival — to the National Mall. That’s the very same big top you see January through March at Nathan Benderson Park behind the Mall at UTC. They’ll also be bringing along nearly 80 attendees, which include students from the Sailor Circus and other circus artists from southwest Florida.

The festival takes place from June 29 to July 4, then it’s dark on July 5 before closing with a final four days from July 6 through 9. It’s a world-class opportunity to bring the circus arts to a national stage, reports Mitchell. “The festival averages 100,000 visitors per day, so that’s a million on-site visitors. They’ll also live stream it and have other media coverage. In total, the expectation is that the festival will have five million spectators.”

Why is all of this important? Because it’ll allow a national and international audience as well as

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legislators to see firsthand what the circus arts are about. “We’re one of the oldest forms of entertainment,” Mitchell adds. “Circus goes back to the time of the pharaohs and the pyramids.” But having the circus arts showcased in this festival also powerfully reveals how organizations like the CAC are continuing to keep the circus relevant as well as serving to preserve its storied past. Plus it’s a great way

“If you’re concerned that the closing of the Ringling Brothers circus is the death toll for circuses, don’t be. Yes, the circus industry is changing, but adapting and growing is a healthy option. If Ford motor company stopped making cars tomorrow, there’d still be cars on the road. And similarly, there will continue to be circuses, too. Yet people want a different type of circus — they don’t want to sit and watch but rather they want to engage. That’s what the future of the circus looks like. They’ll be interactive, exciting, and entertaining.”

for the various groups and organizations to network and discover ways to work together.

One of the main things that The Circus Arts Conservatory will show at the festival is the successes of their local and regional programming.

For example, there’s the Education program, which has evolved into a partnership with the University of South Florida, for which teaching artists go into Sarasota and Manatee County schools to teach key academic lessons in science, language arts, and theater — all developed specifically with the New Florida Standards in mind. Circus acts like the trapeze and tightrope walking are a great meld of athletics and performing arts, and it’s fundamentally about science, too. How do you rig a wire? How high does

a performer go in the air? How does one’s weight play into the motion? Where does balance come into play? The Circus Science Machine will be presented at the festival for attendees to see first-hand how a circus themed Rube Goldberg contraption can teach students physics, engineering and science.

One of the things Mitchell loves most about the circus is that it’s still relevant in everyday life. Where else can you impact so many generations at once? It’s one of the few things with which her 92-year-old father and 7-year-old son both connect equally.

If you’re concerned that the closing of the Ringling Brothers circus is the death toll for circuses, don’t be. Yes, the circus industry is changing, she admits, but adapting and growing is a healthy option. “If Ford motor company stopped making cars tomorrow,” explains Mitchell, “there’d still be cars on the road.” And similarly, there will continue to be circuses, too. Yet people want a different type of circus — they don’t want to sit and watch but rather they want to engage. That’s what the future of the circus looks like. They’ll be interactive, exciting, and entertaining.

Check out the Smithsonian Folklife Festival this summer and you’ll see just what she means.

For more information on The Circus Arts Conservatory, please visit CircusArts.org or call 941.355.9335. For more information on the Smithsonian Folklore Festival, please visit festival.si.edu.

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t e l l a B a t o s a r a S

n a p x E 52

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s d nIts Educational Reach

By Steven J. Sm

ith

Sarasota Ballet has “raised the barre� over the last year in its educational efforts by bringing in former dancer Christopher Hird, who trained at the Royal Ballet School in England and toured Europe with internationally acclaimed ballerina, Sylvie Guillem.

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Hird now serves as Sarasota Ballet’s director of education, overseeing all of its programs. Among them are the Margaret Barbieri Conservatory — a full-time, pre-professional program designed to prepare 11- to -18-yearold students for a performing career in classical ballet and the Sarasota Ballet School, which provides professional instruction to students between the ages of 3 and 18.

“Our ballet school now includes adults as well,” Hird said. “I’ve added some extra classes for our adult students to get them engaged with the organization.”

Those classes, he added, include Intro to Ballet, a five-week course designed for beginners or those who are returning to ballet after a break; Adult Open Classes, offering those with some previous ballet experience several levels of technique to choose from and the flexibility to drop in whenever they like; and Weekend Workshops, providing special opportunities for adult students to dance over a long weekend and including a ticket to see the Sarasota Ballet perform.

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“We also have our Dance — The Next Generation program, which is set up for those who are most at risk of dropping out of school to participate in a 10-year, full-scholarship program in dance,” Hird said. “I also oversee all outreach work, which entails going into schools to perform or having school groups come to us for matinees.”

Hird added the main purpose of Sarasota Ballet’s educational programs is to train future dancers for its company as well as to give anyone the opportunity to experience the joy of dance. This includes mastering not only the range of skills needed to perform ballet, building a work ethic that serves students in life outside the classroom. “Our classes help students in their academic work as well, because it gets them to develop time management skills,” Hird said.

He added another aspect of the ballet’s education expansion lies in recruiting new talent at dance competitions.

“We need to continue to build on the quality of the work that we have already,” he said. “I want to increase the quality

“We need to continue to build on the quality of the work that we have already...Our expert faculty will develop you into whatever kind of dancer you want to be, whether it’s aspiring to be a professional or someone who just wants to enjoy dance for the rest of their life.” and accessibility of what we offer. When a school is attached to a professional company, it can often be intimidating to a potential student. For our school, you don’t have to have any experience or dance training.

Our expert faculty will develop you into whatever kind of dancer you want to be, whether it’s aspiring to be a professional or someone who just wants to enjoy dance for the rest of their life.”

To that end, Hird has also brought in guest artists — a member of the Paul Taylor company, former principal dancers with the Martha Graham company and the New York City Ballet and a teacher from the Boston Ballet School, for example — to give students opportunities they might never have had before to listen to and work with some of the best dancers and teachers in the business.

“We have about 350-400 students studying with us now,” he said. “Tuition fees can range up to about $5,000 a year, but if you compare that with schools like the IMG Academy in Bradenton, for example, which charges

$30,000-$40,000, it’s not very much. We also offer scholarships and financial aid to those with merit who are struggling financially. We don’t want a lack of money to be a reason for not coming to us, so we’re always trying to find a way to support anyone who needs our help.”

The Sarasota Ballet will offer two children’s programs this summer — Step Into Ballet, a one-week camp for kids 4-6 years of age from 9 a.m. to noon, June 12-16 and the Children’s Summer Workshop for 7-10-year-olds from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., June 12-23. The Ballet’s International Intensive will run from June 25 to July 29, during which students will have an opportunity to study with guest teachers from Birmingham Royal Ballet, Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures, Elmhurst Ballet School and The Sarasota Ballet. This collaboration of four major dance organizations is the first of its kind in America and offers an unprecedented opportunity for talented young dancers.

“If anybody wants to try ballet with us for the first time, a summer course is the best way of trying that,” Hird said.

For more information on classes and registration fees, call 941-225-6520 or visit sarasotaballet.org.

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USFSM A GREAT CHOICE FOR LONG-TERM SUCCESS

By Ryan G. Van Cleave

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M

I

n the fall of 2013, the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee enrolled its first freshman class of four-year students. Prior to that, USFSM served

primarily as a two-year finishing school, meaning only juniors and seniors attended, mostly coming from State College of Florida and other state colleges.

Dr. Terry A. Osborn, Interim Regional Chancellor, says, “Our decision to add freshmen and sophomores came about after lengthy discussions and feedback from community leaders. It was important for our community to have a university where local students could earn their degree and a place that the community could look to for increasing their highly-skilled workforce in areas of strategic emphasis. Our four-year offerings also keep bright students local — they learn here, they live here, and hopefully they stay right here in our community after graduation. Our transition helped us meet the needs of the community.”

One of the most surprising effects of the transition is how the campus has changed. Before this shift, USFSM was known as a commuter school for working professionals who sought to earn their degree at night, course by course. They’d come to campus for class and then go home. These days, the level of campus life and student engagement is constantly high.

It’s a lot more like other traditional four-year schools — students are having fun at the beach volleyball court, they’re sipping coffee outside the Sudakoff Pavilion, and they’re studying in the newly renovated Student Commons.

FIRST FRESHMAN CLASS

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COY CARTER & SARAH BRADTMUELLER

The students on campus have changed as well. They’re no longer a standard type. “This is another thing that makes our campus great — there is no typical student,” Osborn says. “We have students who join us straight from high school and we have students entering USFSM with credits from dual enrollment. A large portion of our students came to us as transfers from State College of Florida and we also have working professionals and non-traditional students

“We have a terrific blend of all types of students, but what unites them is their thirst for knowledge and their love for this area. Who wouldn’t want to live here while they earn their degree?”

who earn their degrees at night or online. We have a terrific blend of all types of students, but what unites them is their thirst for knowledge and their love for this area. Who wouldn’t want to live here while they earn their degree?”

Part of what made the first four-year class a success was the generosity of donors such as Drs. Richard Wharton and Lou Bertha McKenzie-Wharton, who funded a freshman scholarship to cover all the unmet needs of the first 100 freshmen from local high schools. About that commitment, they say, “When we were asked a little more than four years ago to make a contribution toward providing scholarships to the first freshman class at USF Sarasota-Manatee, we did so because we, as educators, recognized the important relationship between education and such factors as socio-economic success. Perhaps, more importantly, we looked at our contribution toward providing scholarships to the first freshman class at USFSM as an investment in persons who will hopefully make a difference in our society by contributing their talents to what is often called ‘the greater good.’”

Sarah Bradtmueller, a USFSM student who is part of the May 2017 graduating class, is an elementary education major whose goal is to teach at a local ele-

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mentary school, preferably kindergarten through fifth grade, she notes. “The scholarship I received played a significant role in my choosing USFSM. However, I also loved the idea of going to a university and not having to uproot myself. Staying in my hometown has been wonderful, as I’ve been able to save money as well as spend a lot of time with my family.”

She explains that the average 13:1 student-to-faculty ratio at USFSM is wonderful. “It allows relationships to grow between professors and students. It creates a comfort level where you feel ok with asking a professor for help. I also loved that I could walk down the hallway and have professors, the dean, and even the regional chancellor walk past me and address me by name. You just don’t get that at big universities.”

Osborn wants more local students to enjoy similar experiences. “We want to provide access to higher education to our entire area and are excited to see how large that number becomes,” he said. “We would like to have quality growth over time while we ensure that each of our students will be successful. We hope that everyone considers USFSM as an option.” Student demand has already created a good problem for the school — it’s in need of additional space. Osborn explains, “We have plans to add a new academic building, specifically for our STEM programs, but in order to meet the current demands we will need the support of everyone in the community. We hope their desire to keep students in this area will translate to the type of support we need to build that facility.”

That support might be easier to find than one might expect. Why? Walk into any business or organization in this community and ask how many employees graduated from a USF campus. The response might surprise you: 17,000 USF alumni live or work in our area, and that number is growing each year. As USFSM’s first freshman class graduates and enters the workforce, those alumni will put down roots in this area. “That’s what we hope for,” Osborn admits. “We want to keep our most talented students here, so they can become the next wave of business and community leaders. Our transition allows them to do that.”

He adds, “I’d like everyone to encourage young people to consider USFSM for their higher education. Come visit us at an open house. Give us a call. Come walk around our beautiful campus by the bay, or visit our Culinary Innovation Lab in Lakewood Ranch or our laboratory facilities at Mote Marine. Once people hear about our terrific programs and world-class faculty, we know that they will realize how much money they can save by staying local as they fall in love with their university. Our campus is the best place for your long-term success, and we welcome the opportunity to tell you why.”

For more information about the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee, please visit www.usfsm.edu or call 941.359.4200.

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y r a n i d r SOUTHEASTERN GUIDE DOGS NEW PUPPY ACADEMY

by Leslie Rowe

Magic is make-believe and superheroes are the stuff of comic books, but the fresh new Grant and Shirle Herron Puppy Academy mixes in a bit of both. This is no ordinary building, and these are no ordinary puppies.

“This is a magical place,” says Southeastern Guide Dogs CEO Titus Herman of the brand-new facility, which opened April 12, 2017. “This is our school for our tiniest superheroes, a place where our newborns, moms, and growing puppies flourish from birth to kindergarten graduation. Our puppies form the foundation for our guide dogs and service dogs, and we take their early education very seriously.”

Located on the nonprofit’s 33-acre campus in Palmetto, the new Puppy Academy facility is remarkable. But let’s focus on the fun stuff – puppies.

About 250 Labradors, golden retrievers, and a mix called a goldador will pass through these halls each year. What makes these puppies so special, and why did the school build a 15,094-square-foot building to house them?

“We outgrew our old, outdated puppy kennel,” explains Herman. “It was costly to maintain, had no climate controls, and could not accommodate growth.”

The old puppy kennel served the school well for over three decades, but its age, size, and condition were not conducive to the quality of work happening here. “Our guide dogs and service dogs are like Olympic athletes,” Herman says. “We’ve developed a datadriven genetics and reproduction program to create elite dogs, bred with specific characteristics for a specific purpose. We’re creating healthier dogs, with excellent hips and elbows, strong hearts, high intelligence, and eager-to-please, willing-to-work temperaments. Their socialization and early education begins when they are literally three days old.”

And it all starts here in the Puppy Academy, named for lead donor Shirle Herron and her late husband, Grant. Let’s take a tour,

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but rather than focus on gleaming tiles in a soothing waterfall pattern, light wood tones, natural lighting from 28 Solatube skylights, hurricane-ready walls to withstand up to 150 mile-an-hour winds, commercial washers and dryers for all those puppy bath towels, and ohso-much more, we’ll look at the facility based on what’s really important: the chronology of a Southeastern Guide Dogs puppy.

First things first. The new Puppy Academy houses the Genetics and Reproduction Department and its innovative technology such as SpermVision® for semen viability testing. The magic happens here, too, with natural breeding and artificial insemination.

The quiet breeder boarding area welcomes male and female breeders to 14 individual runs with indoor/outdoor access. This is where they’ll arrive and stay for “dates” before returning home to volunteer breeder hosts.

Mommy and baby. In the whelping and neonatal care areas, 12 whelping bays with indoor/outdoor access offer privacy and serenity for puppies’ birth and moms’

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wellbeing. Moms and litters stay here together until weaning at six to seven weeks, when moms return to their hosts’ homes.

Preschool play with purpose. Daysold puppies receive handling and stimulation here in the preschool area, and puppies up to six weeks receive multisensory activities — and plenty of playtime — in sunlit indoor and outdoor classrooms. Staff and volunteers use these spaces to expose puppies to people, sights, sounds, textures, motion, and more.

Puppy kindergarten adventures.

Puppies six to ten weeks old stay in 18 individual runs with access to the kindergarten classroom, where staff, volunteers, and the public conduct daily enrichment activities in the Puppy Kindergarten Adventure program. Weather permitting, kindergarten also takes place in an enclosed outdoor classroom, an interior courtyard with blue skies above. In the kindergarten complex, siblings live, learn, and play together, with plenty of time for naps in between.

Making a splash. An outdoor splash park, funded solely by volunteer puppy raisers, offers puppies a multisensory water experience — and fun! Puppies love to frolic here, and visitors enjoy seeing the silliness only found in puppy play.

Kindergarten graduation. The school’s Puppy Raising Services Department, housed in the Academy, matches ten-week-old puppies with volunteer puppy raisers for their next phase of training. A special “graduation” room serves as a private space to introduce puppies to their new families, sign contracts, and say goodbyes.

The doctor is in. Here in the Academy clinic, puppies receive vaccinations and other minor procedures; moms receive X-rays prior to whelping; and Genetics and Reproduction staff perform lab work and reproductive procedures such as insemination and cryopreservation. Two campus veterinarians oversee the health of all campus dogs from the school’s on-site Veterinary Center as well as in this new puppy clinic. Locating this clinic within the Academy means that puppies don’t have to be transported to another building for checkups and preventative care.

Something for everyone. The Southeastern Guide Dogs campus Gift Shop occupies a front corner of the new Puppy Academy, where visitors stop in for a gift for themselves, two for the dog, and three for the grandkids. Pet-friendly toys, stuffed animals, tee shirts, hats, dog treats, and plenty of other merchandise makes for a fruitful shopping stop.

For this growing nonprofit, the new Puppy Academy is part of a multi-year, multi-building capital improvement program taking the campus into the future. “Our Puppy Academy is a one-of-a-kind facility built with a heavy emphasis on ‘frugal quality’ — a building that reflects our commitment to both superb stewardship and exceptional quality,” Herman explains. “In an environment enhanced by warm sunlight, privacy, and serenity, our staff and volunteers perform cuttingedge work, while future superheroes learn and grow into their very special destinies.”

And what destinies they are. Guide dogs for people with visual impairments, service dogs for veterans who bear invisible scars of PTSD, facility therapy dogs offering comfort in veterans’ healthcare facilities; they all begin their journeys here at the new Southeastern Guide Dogs Puppy Academy. Because superheroes must start somewhere, and in this case, they start right here in our own backyard.

Now that is magical!

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In 1989 I purchased “Eco-Conscious Dry Cleaning”

Carlson Cleaners.

At 23 years old I worked

tirelessly as any young

ENTREPRENEUR

would do to grow their business.

I have learned the ins & outs

of running a smooth operation.

I think you will see this in our

QUALITY & SERVICE. Sincerely,

Don Carlson Sr. 3115 Southgate Circle Sarasota, Fl. 34239

(941) 275-4647

5193 Clark Road Sarasota, Fl. 34233

Family businesses play a vital role in the success of our economy. Whether single or multi-generational, they are an essential element of a strong foundation and build wealth that can transform a city. SCENE proudly features some local family enterprises, which contribute to truer and richer sustainability, and are committed to excellent customer service, quality and care.

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Animal Health Center Dr. David Watkins & Dr. Morgan Watkins Tiefenthal

Living up to their motto, “a family practice for your family’s pets,” two generations of veterinarians at Animal Health Center are practitioners devoted to gentle, quality care with a highly personal touch. Dr. David Watkins, who has 37 years of experience as a veterinarian in Sarasota, started the practice in 1989 and his daughter, Dr. Morgan Watkins Tiefenthal, joined him in 2015 to continue the family legacy.

“In addition to being a family practice, we are also a neighborhood practice,” Dr. David says. “Unlike many practices that are now corporately owned, our family owns this practice, lives in the neighborhoods that it serves, and the dollars spent at our business go back into other local businesses that keep Sarasota thriving year-round." Animal Health Center (ahc-sarasota.com | 941.925.7387) provides wellness care, vaccinations, dentistry, general surgery, and is equipped with digital radiology and in-house laboratory testing.

Both veterinarians are active professionally and in the community. Dr. David is past president of the Southwest Florida Veterinary Medical Association (SFVMA), a Florida Veterinary

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Medical Association gold star award recipient, and served as a board member for many organizations such as the Humane Society, Pelican Man Bird Sanctuary, and Sarasota Science Fair review board. Dr. Morgan is an incoming SFVMA board member, serves on the Sarasota Bay Watch board, and is a Junior League member. “We want everyone to feel like part of our family. When owners call, they hear the familiar voice of someone who knows their pet and is eager to help,” Dr. Morgan says. “Sarasota is a great community, and we are honored to take care of its pets.”

Seated: Lucy & John Murse Standing: Matthew & Jesse Murse

Rugs As Art has been a destination store in Sarasota's retail scene for 31 years offering a wide array of globally sourced rugs, furniture, artwork, home furnishings and accessories. Founded in 1986 by John and Lucy Murse, and now joined by their sons Matthew and

Rugs As Art "We offer rugs from all around the world with every style and quality represented. From hand knotted, hand tufted and machine made to our custom design department offering specialty production rugs made to an individual’s desire," says John Murse. "We have the presentation of a national chain, but we are a family business and we treat our customers like family. Anyone can knock on the owner’s door." In addition to a wide range of affordable price points, Rugs As Art (941-921-1900 | rugsasart.com) cleans, repairs and appraises rugs.

Jesse, Rugs As Art has grown to become one of the largest and widely acclaimed rug stores in the U.S., earning national recognition three times as the Best Rug Store in America by AmericasMart, Atlanta, and the Oriental Rug Importers Association.

Unique furnishings, accessories and art complete this one of a kind shopping experience. “It’s an eclectic mix. My mother has a traditional eye, and I have a more contemporary eye," says Jesse Murse. “Our selection is second to none and our pricing structure cannot be beat.

We truly are a place where everyone can afford the best."

Over the years, Rugs As Art and the Murse family have generously supported the local community from schools and little league teams to the arts, veterans, animal welfare, children's charities and Special Olympics.

“We love Sarasota and are happy to call this home,” says John Murse.

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Deb Bohannon, Jack Collins, Jr., Barbara Collins & Chris Collins

It’s hard to miss the huge white building with its westward-running greyhound against the red stripe on the wall on University Parkway.

Since 1929, the Sarasota Kennel Club (941.355.7744 | sarasotakennelclub.com) has been a part of the Sarasota landscape, and since 1944 — when it was purchased for back taxes of $5,005 by a policeman, motorcycle stunt man, and circus owner named Jerry Collins — the Collins family name has gone hand-in-hand with it.

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Sarasota Kennel Club Today, third-generation member Jack Collins Junior, who’s been helping with the day-to-day operations since 1986, runs it. When his father passed away a few years back, Jack was ready to carry on the family legacy, along with the help of his brother Chris and sister Debbie.

While of course there is live dog racing, much of Sarasota Kennel Club’s success comes from revenue from One-Eyed Jack’s, its state-of-the-art poker room. With 35 poker tables and plasma TVs everywhere, it’s a great smoke-free environment to try out the live action cash games and the single or multi-table tournaments. Jack says, “We’ve got 18-year-old people playing against 80-year-old people. We’ve got inexpensive options as well as no-limit games. There’s something for everyone.”

I was born and raised here,” says Jack, “and so was my dad. The Collins family has been here nearly a century. We’re a part of this unique, beautiful community and we love it. It’s got a terrific atmosphere, the people are great, the weather is first-rate, and the beaches can’t be beat.

And during season, we have over 300 employees who are like family working here, so we get a chance to know so many of the great people who call this area their home.”

Kevin, Loyd & Troy Robbins

Three generations of the Robbins family have served clients’ residential and commercial real estate needs since 1971, making Harry E. Robbins Associates Sarasota County’s longest established real estate firm under the same family ownership. The company was founded in 1971 by Harry Robbins and his wife, Lois, who came to Sarasota in 1952. In 1973, their son, Loyd, joined them and began developing a successful commercial business, and in 2002 and 2006 respectively, Loyd’s sons Kevin and Troy came on board.

Harry E. Robbins Associates Today, built on a foundation of taking an ethical approach to finding solutions that meet clients’ needs, Harry E. Robbins Associates (941924-8346 | robbinscommercial.com) has grown residential sales into a robust referral-driven division. On the commercial side, the company provides a comprehensive suite of services from Jacksonville to Naples, including sales, leasing and commercial association management. With an extensive background in properties ranging from office condominiums to business and industrial parks and shopping centers, clients benefit from savvy advice grounded in their best interests.

Giving back professionally and to the community is an important value for the Robbins family. Loyd has served as past president of the Board of Realtors, Kevin took over Loyd’s position on the Mission of Hope Haiti board, and Troy is an assistant boys varsity basketball coach for Riverview High School. “What sets us apart is our approach. Clients give us an opportunity to serve and to solve their problems. We listen to their problems and needs, educate them about the market, and find solutions to match their needs,” Loyd says. “It is an approach my parents instilled in me and that has been passed on to the next generation.”

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on the town

Scenes from AN INTERVIEW A.G. Lafley

by Gus Mollasis

LIVING A “PRODUCTIVE” LIFE He’s a small-town boy who has done a lot of good in his life. And while his mother never washed his mouth out with soap, A. G. Lafley would develop quite a taste for soap over the years, helping to sell and market it, that is, as he climbed to the top of Proctor and Gamble (P&G) to become CEO not once, but twice. Under his guidance, the iconic company flourished, as his team developed brands like Febreze® and Swiffer®, which helped make the air a little fresher and life a little easier for millions of people in homes throughout the world. Instilled with a strong work ethic, this Harvard Business graduate learned the importance of listening, and has lived by the mantra to

always put the customer first, both of which he’s never forgotten. The result is a life well-lived - a life in which he’s made a positive difference in many lives.

Regarding his failures as a gift, he’s parlayed them into learning valuable lessons that have made him better. “Playing to win” is a choice that he says we all

have and something he’s mastered in his life. Now retired in Sarasota, he’s naturally involved in trying to make his community a better place by giving something back to his new home. As I sat down with A.G. Lafley, I couldn’t wait to get a look at some winning scenes from an interview of his life.

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on the town Where were you born?

What was your first job?

I was born in Keene, New Hampshire that was then a very small town, but I grew up in small, semi-rural town called Burnt Hills, New York.

Delivering newspapers. After that I was a stock boy at the local grocery store. My father worked for GE. After 10 years of growing up in this world that doesn’t exist anymore, we moved to Chicago. I always wanted to be independent so at 16, I loaded freight cars during the 10:30 p.m. to 7 a.m. shift. I wasn’t the kind of kid that was going to sit around.

After that, we moved every three or four years because of my dad’s job with GE.

What is your greatest childhood memory?

As soon as the newspapers were delivered, we had breakfast and the four of us kids were out the back door.

If you wanted lunch, you came home. If you didn’t want lunch, my mother needed to know where you were having lunch, and you had to be home by dinner because my dad would be home by six and we would have dinner as a family. It was a time that cars, garages and houses were unlocked. It seems like a long time ago. I think there are few places still like that, but not enough. I only had one decision I had to make. Was I going to walk or run to where I was going, or was I going to jump on my bike?

Simple things. Back then if you wanted to play baseball, you showed up at the playground and you picked sides in pick-up games in which the oldest kids ran the show.

I remember showing up when I was seven years old and I didn’t care if I was put in right field. I just wanted to play. I knew if I played well, then they would move me to second base or left field. As I kid I was a bit of trailblazer and all the rules were established for me. (Laughs) I had a fabulous childhood.

So your father worked for Jack Welch?

My father worked for Mr. Welch and I actually worked with Mr. Welch and it was a riot. This is diversion, but I’ll come back. The day after I was elected and appointed chief executive of P&G, I get a phone call late in the evening at the office. I’m working late. I’m drinking through a fire hose, running like crazy trying to figure out the job, and my associate turns to me and says, “There’s some guy on the phone and he says he is Jack Welch.” I said to her, ‘Does he have a gravelly voice kind of like this?’ She said, “Yeah.” I told her to put him through. I pick up the phone and he doesn’t say hi, hello or how are you. He says, “Are you Al Lafley’s kid?” I said, ‘I am.’ He says, “Your father was the only honest son of a bitch in corporate when I was running the plastics business.” What do you say? So I said, ‘Thank you.’ (Laughs) Then he said, “Get your ass into

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on the town New York as soon as you can. I got to talk to you.” That’s how I met Jack Welch. And then we worked together when I retired the first time from P&G in 2010 and when I joined Clayton, Dubilier and Rice, which is a private equity firm. Jack and I were kind of senior advisors. He is a great man.

Were you always interested in business?

I wasn’t. When we went to Chicago, my parents put me in this Dominican All Boys School to help me focus on academics.

Then I went to a small liberal arts college in upstate New York, Hamilton College, because I thought I could play basketball. Not a good reason to pick, but it was a good school academically.

My freshman year I majored in math; my sophomore year I majored in English Literature; my third year I went to France and majored in French and French History; my senior year I realized I had to graduate and graduated in history. I considered law school, but instead I went into the PhD program at the University of Virginia. I won this thing called the Presidential Fellowship.

My whole education was paid for and I was able to study Medieval and Renaissance history at the University of Virginia, which was my interest. In November or the first semester, the first draft of the Vietnam War was held and I won the lottery. I got a 69, which meant that I had to report for active duty in March.

I enlisted in the Navy in which I spent five years and three months. I started in Snowden’s Naval Security Group (Lt. Col. Benjamin Snowden). We are in the middle of the Vietnam War and I spent 47 weeks learning Modern Hebrew. I went through Supply Corps School and they sent me to Japan, where I spent three years running sort of all of the PX and club services for a big air base there. The aircraft that were on the carriers in the Gulf of Tonkin came in and out of our air base.

What was your great lesson from your Vietnam experience?

My great lesson is two-fold. They give both men and women a lot of responsibility at an early age and I like that. And the other thing is that at least with the Navy, it’s a relatively small unit. It’s a ship’s crew, or an air base support team, or an air group. So you have friends for life. I don’t see them all the time. You shared the same experiences. I never saw combat, just support, but we served people who went into combat.

What was your big break?

A couple of things. I was very lucky to end up with one serendipitous decision at a time, involved with something that was a good fit with my values and aspirations, and something I enjoyed and learned and grew from. Whether it was going to that all boys’ school – or whatever – I had the attitude that okay, I’ll give it a shot. It was totally different to what I was used to, going from t-shirts to a more formal jacket and tie environment.

The guy that got the best grade in the class is sitting right there.

Everybody else is sitting in alphabetical order. They post all your test and SAT scores and how many push-ups you can do. It’s intended to be totally transparent and based on merit. Would I have rather had 300 when the Vietnam lottery took place? Yes. Not because I didn’t want to serve my country, but because I

Finish the following sentences: My best quality is… I’m a great listener and I’m objective.

I wish I could be more like… Mahatma Gandhi.

A good business always… Puts the customer first.

A good product is one that… Delivers on its function so it

does what it says it is going to do. High quality, high service and a fair price. A good value.

The key to success in business is… Serving the customer

better than anyone else can serve the customer so the customer keeps coming back and buying the product and services.

A great leader will always… Listen.

was interested in getting my PhD. The Navy changed that and when that ended it was kind of interesting. I was married by then and my first son was born. I’ll never forget this decision. I was 28 years old. That’s when I applied to business school at Harvard. I had business-like jobs in the Navy and thought to myself I can do that. I also applied to law school. But I thought law school is three years. What do you do if you’re not Perry Mason and you’re a lawyer?

Business school seemed a lot more interesting to me and I wanted to get on with life.

It’s a series of choices that worked out. I can’t tell you it was any life plan. When I was nine or ten years old and jumped on my Schwinn bike there was no plan.

What accomplishment are you most proud of in your career?

I think the things that always got me most excited were to be part of the team that created, designed, and developed a new product and especially one that was really successful. I was on the team, and this sounds so mundane, that worked on

liquid Tide® detergent. There were other liquid detergents out there, but they actually didn’t clean that well. The challenge was putting all this chemistry into liquid. I spent a lot of time on some of the hair care products that we did. With Pantene, we actually put conditioner and treatment in a shampoo and had them stay together to work on your hair. I was part of the Febreze® and Swiffer® teams. That excited me the most. The other thing that I can’t help but feel good about is that I was the “Accidental CEO.” The only reason I was elected was because we were failing in 2000. We had lost half of our market value and our stock price dropped in half.

For the next seven years or so, we more than doubled the sales of the company and tripled profits. All of our established brands were growing again and then we made some acquisitions that turned out to be pretty good, one of which was Gillette®.

It was a great seven or eight years and a huge team effort that was a lot of fun. We were running so fast.

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I do think that we are iconic in the sense that our brands and products are part of everyday Americana lives and now lives around the world. Ninetynine percent of US homes have one or more P&G products. A lot of people don’t know it is P&G. They know Crest® or Pampers®. We weren’t saving lives and we weren’t curing cancer, but we were creating and manufacturing these everyday household products that make your life a little bit better. So I got a kick out of that. And I got a kick out of working with 10,000 scientists and chemists. People don’t think of that, but somebody has to create all that.

The greatest challenge to P&G, GE or General Motors is their sheer size – the scale and global scope of these companies. When I joined P&G, it was probably $5 billion in sales in the mid 70’s with 80 or 90% of products sold in the United States. Today, it’s $65 or $70 billion in sales and they’re probably selling products in over 100 countries. P&G’s China business is bigger than the entire business when I joined the company.

What is the first thing that comes to your mind when I say the “consumer is boss?”

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Proctor and Gamble. What does that brand mean to you?

What are some of the greatest challenge you encountered in your stints at P&G?

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on the town

For most companies it’s the customer.

If you’re business to business, it’s the customer. For a lot of retail companies where we shop, it’s the customer. We always distinguish between the consumer who buys and uses our product and our customer – the retailer or distributor who sells it to you – because we don’t sell anything directly. What comes to my mind, and I’m going to paraphrase, is Peter Drucker, an important mentor to me. I cold-called him when he was 87 years old. I read half of his books when I was in Asia and I went out to see him three to four times a year. His simple view of the world was no consumer, no customer. The purpose of a business is to create a customer and serve that customer better than anyone else can.

on the town Hopefully keeping them coming back and buying your product for life. The companies that are successful think about their customers. Apple had a very successful run because they made products that we love and wanted.

What is your definition of success in life?

Right now for me, a guy that’s about to turn 70, it’s health, happiness, friends and being able to do what you like to do with people you like a lot.

As you have written, do you really regard failures as a gift?

I’ve written several articles for the Harvard Business Review and what I’ve often heard feedback about is the one: “I Think of My Failures as a Gift.” I’ve always felt that I’ve learned ten times as much from a mistake I made, from a setback I had, from a failure than I ever did from a success. People say study the successes of great people. Okay. Sure there are lessons, principles and concepts to be learned. But I just found that these gut-wrenching, emotional and personal stakes that you have in something that turns into a failure or mistake adds a whole different dimension. And I viewed it as a gift. There are a lot of things that you fail a lot of times at before you get it right. I took up tennis at 63 and I’m not a very good tennis player but I’m bound and determined that I’m going to play two to three times a week.

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Tell me about another concept you’ve written about – “Playing to Win.” It’s interesting because “winning” or “playing to win” takes on prerogative sense for some people and we purposely chose that collection of words for that book because we feel what’s the choice?

Playing to play? Playing to lose? Playing to tie? Or playing to win? And you know my view is playing to win. So in business you have to think what is winning? I think winning is when the customer wins. The business product and service provider wins. The shareowner and shareholder wins. The employees win. So playing to win for us meant it’s a win, win, win, win situation. It’s not win-lose. It’s not management wins and the shareholders lose. It’s not pitted against each other. We

374 St Armands Circle - 941.388.1964 - www.ohmygauze.com MAY 2017 | SCENE

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on the town Three generations of Lafleys: Patrick, A.G., Alan & Alex

believe that if you just make five choices they make a difference.

And the first choice is what is winning? What is the goal? If you don’t know what the goal is, any direction will do.

How did you discover Sarasota?

My grandmother used to drive her ‘52 Chevy down from New Hampshire in the late 50’s with her cousin to watch the Boston Red Sox play during spring training at Payne Park. She was a huge Ted Williams fan. That’s when I found out and first became aware of Sarasota from looking at all these pictures. As a youth, I was both a Red Sox and Cincinnati Reds fan from living in all these places. The first time I moved here was in 2004.

Tell me about your community involvement and how you plan to help shape Sarasota’s future?

One of the things that I truly believe in is that when you choose to live in a community, you should choose to give back to the community that you live and or work in, which we did a lot in Cincinnati. My wife Diana and I are still thinking through on how we are going to get involved and give back to Sarasota.

We’re in the process of building our own foundation. I definitely believe in what Warren Buffet, who was our biggest shareholder for a long time, believed, and what Bill Gates also believes and that is if you’re fortunate in life, you give back during your life and at the end of your life. We’ve been dabbling at what we were going to get involved in from various arts organizations to an array of social causes. And that’s how I got involved with the Sarasota 20/20 Bayfront project. They called me and asked me to do the planning board. And I said that I would give it a try. I didn’t know a lot about it. It was nine volunteers, all citizens, not representing any interest or stakeholders. About a two-year assignment working with private and professional planners, and getting the city a master plan for civic space in which the city owns all the land. I had done a major private-public partnership in Cincinnati and had good experience there. It’s now in its 14th year of operation. So I’ve seen it happen and work well. I’m not interested in development. I don’t invest in development or in real estate. I’m not an architect. I’m looking for the greater good of the community and finding that right thing that needs to be there on that land. I read lot of comments from people on the Bayfront 20/20 master plan and it sounds like people want some combination of bay and waterfront activity, park and recreation activity and arts and culture. Mixed use. And they want it to be open to everybody, which makes it a true civic space. What we’ve done in Cincinnati is that it’s open and nothing is ticketed.

When there is an event, you pay for parking and your food and drink. And that’s how you get a great mix for the community.

Hopefully many years from now, what do you hope people think about when they remember you?

This is going to sound simple and clichéd, but I would hope people would say that he made a difference with his wife Diana and with his family; that he made a difference with vocations and avocations; and, that life was just a little bit better for those he touched as result of him being there. If I can accomplish that, then there will be a smile on my face when the end of the world comes.

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on the town

Education MATTERS

By Ryan G. Van Cleave

THE MANATEE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER REACHES OUT TO THE COMMUNITY

When The Manatee Players, Inc. was formed in late 1947, it was little more than a community theater group made up of members of the Bradenton Junior Women’s Club.

These days, it’s governed by a Board of Directors and is a year-round, professionally-staffed corporation of 10 full-time employees, numerous part-timers, and well more than 75 contracted directors, musicians, and designers.

Their website is clear about their ambitious mission: “We are committed to being the community’s premier theater and the region’s center for cultural, education, and artistic expression. Our team works tirelessly to ensure that we deliver engaging excellence for all ages, through the talent we present, the services we offer, and the experiences we create. Our goal is not just to entertain you... we want to inspire you.”

Part of being a center for cultural and artistic expression means that they have a commitment to education through various programs. One of the most successful of these is DraMature, a senior acting troupe now in its sixth year of operation. About 30 seniors — snowbirds and locals alike — participate in the improv events and actual full performances that go on throughout the year. Next year, they’re planning to tackle a special senior edition of “Guys and Dolls,” which promises to be a can’t-miss affair.

Christine Marie Elan has been an active DraMature member since moving to Bradenton from New York in 2013. “After touring the construction site of the new theater in a hard hat, I was hooked on the vision. I immediately signed up to be a front-of-house volunteer, which I have been dedicated to ever since,” she says, which means she, among other things, sells a lot of raffle tickets to help generate funds for the theater. One of the things she likes most about being so involved is the unexpected friendships that form. She notes that she now has a 96-year-old friend who was a former Broadway actress who “has witnessed a historical age we can only read about.”

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When asked to share a favorite experience, Elan has many possible answers. “The CEO and myself standing barefoot atop the credenza in the lobby, mounting a tapestry over the television monitor. Or a teen thanking me — well after midnight — for all I’d done for a celebration that evening.” But the one she latches onto most is this: “I’d been selling raffle

600

youths are impacted each year through all of the currently available programming.

tickets for a beautiful necklace donated by Jess Jewelers. A small boy came to me with a dollar for a ticket. I asked him what he wanted to do if he won the prize. His response was ‘I want to give it to my mommy as a s’prise.’ So adorable! So sweet! I was tempted to rig the drawing in his favor!”

(She didn’t do so, though, she promises.)

Director of Marketing and Outreach Brian Craft has been with the organization for 2 ½ years after getting his BFA in musical theater and then working in the marketing department for a New York fashion firm. He says that he’s constantly re-invigorated by all the energy and excitement

on the town

“We are committed to being the community’s premier theater and the region’s center for cultural, education, and artistic expression. Our team works tirelessly to ensure that we deliver engaging excellence for all ages, through the talent we present, the services we offer, and the experiences we create. Our goal is not just to entertain you... we want to inspire you.” of the day-to-day operations. He notes how things that happen here — such as sharing costumes and props with other area theaters — simply doesn’t happen as often in New York. “It’s such a great community here,” Craft explains.

“We’re so fortunate. People are willing to go above and beyond to support and sustain the arts in our community.”

One of the most recent bits of great news is how they acquired land right across the street. It’s going to provide much-needed parking. It also came with eight housing units, which means that guest artists, touring professionals, and even students in their new intern program can live there. Craft says, “Having on-site accommodations like that is a huge plus.” He’s quick to circle back on the idea of interns — something new for The Manatee Performing Arts

Dear Edwina (Summer Camp)

Center. It’s a fairly recent addition designed to bridge the gap between college and the professional world. The hope is to expand that program such that interns can participate in nearly every aspect of the theater to give them crucial hands-on experiences that will prepare them for their own careers.

But it’s not just seniors and interns who are enjoying the benefits of The Manatee Performing Arts Center’s education and outreach efforts. The Youth Conservatory Camps are a huge hit. What kid wouldn’t want to be a part of “High School Musical Jr.” or “Shrek: The Musical”? “Seeing them work with pro actors on stage,” Craft says, “is fun to watch. The kids really step up their game. They admire the professional actors and they can learn and grow from these experiences. To see the conservatory students go from being timid and shy on their first day of a summer camp to soaring in their final performance on a professional caliber stage with full lighting and production values? It’s truly incredible.”

The Manatee Performing Arts Center is hugely committed to educating young

people. Craft explains that “if we want to build and grow our theater base of both audience members and performers, we need to provide effective education.

We need to give them the platform to develop in this safe environment.”

Through all of their programming, they impact over 600 youth per year, and they hope to grow that number through new after-school events such as dance and drama classes.

At the moment, Craft is a one-person marketing department, so it’s admittedly a challenge for him to offer the same level of publicity and attention to all the various programs and events. But it’s a blessing, too, he says, to have so many things worth sharing. “We’ve become an artistic hub for the community, and to be part of it all is incredibly exciting.”

F O R M O R E IN F O R M ATI O N

on The Manatee Performing Arts Center, please visit ManateePerformingArtsCenter.com or call 941.749.1111.

MAY 2017 | SCENE

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arts&culture

Mark Troy during the filming of the locally produced feature Catching Junior Tate. Photo by Bret Ballenger.

GET Inspired CULTURAL HAPPENINGS BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE ARTS AND CULTURAL ALLIANCE OF SARASOTA COUNTY

Mark Troy is a true pioneer in our region’s burgeoning film industry.

He moved to Sarasota from San Diego in 2001 as a financial service professional, but in 2008 he chose an unlikely path – film acting. Mark auditioned for many local productions, earned leading roles in both web series and feature films, and ultimately won best actor awards.

To give back to the community that gave him his start, Mark established ManaSota Films in 2012 as a support group for local actors and filmmakers. The group has grown to 1,400 members and still meets monthly. Mark also created a unique international film festival in 2016 called the Single-Take Challenge for one-take films.

Judges include prestigious Sundance and South By Southwest Festival award-winning filmmakers. Mark is currently in pre-production on a new film called “Listening,” which will be out later this year.

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Actor MARK TROY We asked this film devotee about digital arts in our community and what inspires and impresses him: “I am so inspired and impressed by the high quality work being done locally in digital arts. My goal with ManaSota Films has always been to stimulate filmmakers to produce their absolute best work. I am very proud of the large amount of collaboration happening now because of ManaSota Films. With so much local support of the arts, it is my hope that the community embraces the digital arts in the same way it supports the performing arts. Some local indie filmmaker will undoubtedly produce something that garners national or international attention, and it would be wonderful to have the support of the community when it does!”

arts&culture

Inspiring EVENTS PEOPLE, EVENTS & PLACES SHAPING OUR RICH CULTURAL LANDSCAPE

Ringling College 2017 Senior Thesis Exhibitions ALL CAMPUS GALLERIES RECEPTION: MAY 9, 5–8 PM EXHIBIT: MAY 1 – MAY 11 Ringling College seniors present their final projects in the annual Senior Thesis Exhibitions. View work in all media by graduating artists and designers in the campus galleries. Exhibitions are free and open to the public. Catered receptions with live Reggae music will take place in the campus galleries.

Ringling College of Art and Design 2700 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota 941.359.7562 ringling.edu/galleries

Arts and Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County presents Seen Along the Way Exhibit by Isabel Becker OPENING RECEPTION WITH ARTIST: MAY 3, 5 – 6:30 PM EXHIBIT: THROUGH MAY 31.

Becker’s fabric art was inspired by the cloth illustrations of a children’s book. While decorating a room for her grandchildren and as a sewer, the idea of sewing a picture appealed to her, and since that time, she has been at a sewing machine. When she began, she used commercial cotton fabric, but now her camera is her constant companion. She has the ability to transfer her photos to cotton fabrics for use in her pictures.

Arts and Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County Center for Arts and Humanity 1226 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota 941.365.5118 sarasotaarts.org

Dabbert Gallery presents Expressions of Spring Exhibit OPENING RECEPTION: MAY 5, 6 – 8:30 PM EXHIBIT: MAY 5 – MAY 29 TUES – SAT, 11 AM – 5 PM This exhibit features artists whose boundless creative energy putting paint to canvas expresses the poetic renewal of spring’s promises. The events are always free and the Gallery’s famous Sarasota Citrus Champagne Punch will be served. Events also include live music.

Dabbert Gallery 76 S Palm Avenue, Sarasota 941.955.1315 dabbertgallery.com

Island Gallery West presents Island Dreams Exhibition of Acrylic Paintings by Marlane Wurzbach EXHIBIT: MAY 1 — MAY 31 MON — SAT, 10 AM — 5 PM Marlane Wurzbach’s bold and colorful original acrylic paintings will be featured in a month-long exhibit entitled Island Dreams at Island Gallery West. Ms. Wurzbach is a longtime member of the gallery where she shows paintings that focus on the natural beauty surrounding us on Florida’s Gulf Coast.

Island Gallery West 5368 Gulf Dr., Holmes Beach on Anna Maria Island 941-778-6648 islandgallerywest.com

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arts&culture

The Venice Art Center presents South Sarasota County Schools Public Show EXHIBIT: MAY 9 – MAY 26 In partnership with the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, Sarasota County Public Schools and the Education Foundation of Sarasota County, the Venice Art Center will feature 19 South County Schools K-12 in an outstanding and wildly creative all-media exhibit.

Venice Art Center 390 Nokomis Ave. S., Venice 941.485.7139 VeniceArtCenter.com

Women Contemporary Artists Spring Exhibit THROUGH MAY 11 The juried member’s exhibit showcases the work of the members, which includes painters, sculptors, printmakers, college artists and more.

Longboat Key Center for the Arts 6860 Longboat Dr. South, Longboat Key womencontemporaryartists.com

The Ringling presents Family Day: Summer Kick-Off! MAY 13, 11 AM – 2 PM A fun-filled family day celebrating the beginning of summer, the event features activity stations and a special summer-themed family activity booklet to use in the galleries. Free with Museum Admission.

The Ringling 5401 Bay Shore Road Sarasota, FL 34243 ringling.org

Selby Gardens presents Chagall Nights: Perlman Music Program/Suncoast CONCERT: MAY 17, 6 - 9 PM As part of the ongoing Marc Chagall exhibition at Selby Gardens, there is an intention for visitors to experience the grounds using all of their five senses. A variety of cultural performances will add to the sensory experience throughout the six month exhibition. Performances will include full access to the Gardens, hors d’oeuvres and complimentary craft cocktail, wine or beer. On May 17, alumni from Perlman Music Program/ Suncoast will entertain with a select performance at Michael’s on the Bay at Selby Gardens.

Marie Selby Botanical Gardens 900 S. Palm Ave, Sarasota 941.366.5731

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arts&culture

Alfstad& Contemporary presents Andrea Dasha Reich: Off the Wall EXHIBIT: THROUGH MAY 28 TUES – SAT 11 AM – 5 PM Winding down Alfstad& Contemporary’s fourth season is a solo exhibition, Off the Wall, by contemporary abstract artist Andrea Dasha Reich. Calling on a background in fashion and textile design, her newest work showcases latex art as tapestry and ArtWear and unveils her most recent additions to her acclaimed Fusion Series. Dedicated to staying true to her signature style, the artist has taken the core qualities of her previous work and transformed it into something fresh, expressive and equally beautiful.

Fogartyville presents Kevin So in Concert MAY 19, 8 PM Kevin So is one of the most exciting and powerful singers and songwriters to emerge from the Boston music scene. Making a name for himself as a boundary-stretching singer and songwriter, So’s original blend of pop, R+B, and hip hop has garnered the attention and praise from Billy Bragg, Martin Sexton, Mary Lou Lord, Richie Havens, David Wilcox, and Keb Mo. The Boston Globe described So as “Riveting...impeccable.” Fans all over the world have caught on to So’s lyrical truths and his knack for engaging people through his music, intense storytelling, and foot-stomping performances.

Fogartyville Community Media and Arts Center 525 Kumquat Court, Sarasota fogartyville.org selby.org

Art Center Sarasota presents Cycle 5 OPENING RECEPTION, FREE TO THE PUBLIC: MAY 25, 5 – 7 PM EXHIBITS: MAY 25 – JUNE 30 Art Center Sarasota’s 20162017 exhibition season, termed Common Ground, continues with four new exhibits. The Third Entity in Gallery One is a collaborative show exhibiting works in surrealism

by Amy Ernst and Amy Ragus.

MASHterpieces IV, in Gallery Two, is a benefit exhibit partnering with Goodwill Manasota. Parallel Realities, in Gallery Three, is a group show featuring regional artists Nathan Freda, Sooky Kim, Yanuary Narravo and Cheryl Webber (Jujmo).

Unlimited Potential in Gallery Four is a members-only, allmedia, all-subject juried exhibition.

Art Center Sarasota 707 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota artsarasota.org

Alfstad& Contemporary presents Marsha Owett: Fifty Shades of Red EXHIBIT: Through May 28 TUES – SAT 11 AM – 5 PM Alfstad& Contemporary will present Fifty Shades Of Red, the second solo exhibition of New York-based artist Marsha Owett. Sex and photography are combined to manipulate perception. Desire to capture or prolong a moment can blur some details as it brings others into heightened focus. In Marsha Owett’s latest body of work, Fifty Shades of Red, we’re never quite sure what we’re looking at, but we can’t help but feel it.

Alfstad& Contemporary 1419 5th Street, Sarasota alfstadand.com

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SAINT STEPHEN’S FALCONS SOAR

Faith and spiritual education at SSES revolves around inclusion, understanding, compassion, personal character and ethics. We are proud of the diversity of religious faiths represented and all families and children are welcomed. This diversity is a strength.

Saint Stephen’s students hail from as far north as St. Petersburg and Apollo Beach, and as far south as Osprey. School vans and buses make travel convenient.

As one of the most respected independent college preparatory schools in the nation, Saint Stephen’s Episcopal School provides a world-class education at every level. From pre-kindergarten through grade 12, students are nurtured in small classes, encouraged and supported by outstanding faculty who help them navigate a curriculum that balances academic rigor and character development.

SSES delivers a wide variety of customized curricular and extracurricular experiences, and instills each student with a love of learning in an environment where independence, self-worth, physical health and spiritual awareness are valued. Rich academic offerings go hand-in-hand with a strong college counseling program, allowing every student an opportunity to pursue higher education.

SSES 710 9:1 53 100 21

37 18 92 14 20

BY THE NUMBERS...

Total enrollment (Pre-K3 through grade 12) Student/Teacher ratio Percentage of faculty with master’s/doctorate degrees Percentage of SSES graduates who attend college annually Universities ranked among the top 25 by U.S. News and World Report that SSES grads have matriculated to since 2011, including all eight Ivy League schools

With an emphasis on creating a safe and welcoming environment, Saint Stephen’s is located on a scenic 35-acre gated campus, which features a state-of-the-art athletic complex that hosts sporting events including football, soccer, track and field, lacrosse, baseball, softball and tennis. For convenience, kindergarten and first grade classes are also offered in Lakewood Ranch.

Saint Stephen’s strives to maintain an appropriate yet affordable tuition structure and offers different payment plans in order to provide flexibility for families as they budget. Applicants are encouraged to explore a variety of tuition assistance options. SSES makes available more than $1 million in financial aid annually to qualified students.

Arrange a tour today and learn more about what makes Saint Stephen’s a special learning environment that challenges, prepares, and encourages students of all ages to explore and achieve.

National Merit Scholar finalists at SSES since 2005 Advanced Placement classes offered Percentage of SSES students since 2010 who have scored 3, 4 or 5 on AP exams State championships won by SSES sports teams Nationalities represented in our student body

SAINT STEPHEN’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL

315 41st St. W., Bradenton, FL 34209 941.746.2121 saintstephens.org

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arts&culture

Best SEATS PERFORMING ARTS CALENDAR Artist Series Concerts of Sarasota 941.306.1200 / artistseriesconcerts.org Hot ‘n’ Cole: A Cole Porter Celebration! – Pops VII May 14

Asolo Repertory Theatre 941.351.8000 / asolorep.org Beatsville Through May 27

Diversity: The Voices of Sarasota 888.550.6279 / diversitysarasota.org Spring Concert: Echoes of Africa May 7

Florida Studio Theatre 941.366.9000 / floridastudiotheatre.org Rich Girl Through May 26 Older Than Dirt Through June 4 The Dragon vs. the Hiccups and Other Winning Plays May 6 & 13 New Stage Reading Series: Honor Killing May 7 New Stage Reading Series: Sofonisba May 14

Fogartyville Community Media & Arts Center 941.545.5635 / fogartyville.org Tribute to Bob Dylan Concert May 21

Jazz Club of Sarasota 941.366.1552 / jazzclubsarasota.org Jazz on the Water – David Pruyn May 7

Key Chorale 941.921.4845 / keychorale.org Tomorrow’s Voices Today Concert May 5

Lemon Bay Playhouse 941.475.6756 / lemonbayplayhouse.com I Ought to be in Pictures Through May 14

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Maria Wirries Hot ‘n’ Cole

Boeing Boeing

Manatee Performing Arts Center 941.748.5875 / manateeperformingartscenter.com The Full Monty Through May 7 The Sarasota Ballet Company: The Diary of Anne Frank May 13-21 Independent Jones May 27

McCurdy’s Comedy Theatre 941.925.3869 / mccurdyscomedy.com Dean Napolitano May 3-4, 7 Chris Kattan May 5-6 Helen Keaney May 10-11, 14 Rob Schneider May 12-13 Dwight Slade May 17, 19-21 Ken Miller May 24-28 Rob Little May 31-June 4

New Music New College 941.487.4888 / newmusicnewcollege.org Electronic Music Class Concert: The Final Projects May 17

Perlman Music Program 941.955.4942 / perlmanmusicprogramsuncoast.org PMP Alumni at Selby Gardens May 17-18, 20-21

The Players Centre For Performing Arts 941.365.2494 / theplayers.org Boeing Boeing Through May 14 Disney’s The Lion King Jr. May 20 – 21

The Ringling 941.359.5700 / ringling.org Perlman Music Program May 18

arts&culture Frankie Valli

Sarasota Ballet

Sarasota Orchestra

941.359.0099 / sarasotaballet.org Conservatory Spring Concert May 5 Dance – The Next Generation: End-of-Year Performance May 6 The Sarasota Ballet School – Aladdin May 6

941.953.3434 / sarasotaorchestra.org Outdoor Pops: Hits and Home Runs May 12-13

Sarasota Contemporary Dance Company 941.345.5755 / SarasotaContemporaryDance.org Evolving Revolving May 11-14

Sarasota Festival of Vocal Arts 941.351.1007 / sfva.us Vocal Chamber Music and Opera Favorites May 19 Celebrating America through Song May 20

Sarasota Concert Band 941.650.1177 / sarasotaconcertband.org Honor Band Concert May 7 Memorial Day Concert May 29

Sarasota Opera 941.328.1300 / sarasotaopera.org The Diane Partington Studio of Classical Ballet: Cinderella May 20 Un ballo maschera - Opera Film May 21 The Sarasota Academy of the Arts: 42nd Street May 25 Jewels - Ballet Film May 28

“I’m so excited to play with the Sarasota Orchestra in May. It’s going to be a great night” – soloist Clark Beckham Theatre Odyssey 941.799.7224 / TheatreOdyssey.org Ten-Minute Play Festival May 4-7

Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall 941.955.7676 | vanwezel.org Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons May 20 Idina Menzel May 27

Venice Theatre 941.488.1115 / venicestage.com Fences May 4-21 Once on this Island, A Musical May 16-21

Venice Performing Arts Center 941.480.3191 / veniceperformingartscenter.com Hannah Jae: Run With It May 20

Michelle Crabtree Broker Associate, realtor® CLHMS, CRS, CIPS, GRI, ABR A third-generation local and broker associate since 1982, Michelle is dedicated to serving your needs in Sarasota, Bradenton and Lakewood Ranch.

• 2017 Five-Star Real Estate Agent “Best in Client Satisfaction” –ten years • 2016 Florida realtor® Honor Society –nine years • Women’s Council of realtors® 2013 “Entrepreneur of the Year” and 2009 “Businesswoman of the Year” • 2013 and 2007 SAR “Meritorious Service Award” • 2010 Director, Sarasota Association of realtors® (SAR) – three-year term • 2008 WCR Sarasota Chapter President • 2005 WCR Sarasota “realtor® of the Year”

c 941.724.4663 michelle.crabtree@sothebysrealty.com

crabtreehomes.com

Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe 941.366.1505 / westcoastblacktheatre.org Dearly Departed Through May 27

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.

MAY 2017 | SCENE

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arts&culture

LITERARYScene

By Ryan G. Van Cleave

SATURDAY, MAY 20, 2017 4:30 - 7:30 P.M. Hosted by Morton’s Gourmet Market at our Osprey store Sample over 30 top zinfandels Nosh on zin-friendly culinary sensations $25 in advance / $30 at the door Group discounts available Tickets available at Morton’s or by calling 941-955-9856

Proceeds to benefit

1924 SOUTH OSPREY AVE. ∙ SARASOTA

MORTONSMARKET.COM

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RYAN G. VAN CLEAVE REVIEWS THREE ACTION-PACKED BOOKS

GRINGO: MY LIFE ON THE EDGE AS AN INTERNATIONAL FUGITIVE

by Dan “Tito” Davis (with Peter Conti) Dan “Tito” Davis led a life that’s hard to believe. Coming from small-town South Dakota, he didn’t expect to find himself making White Crosses (speed) in Las Vegas, which earned him $200,000 a week. He graduated to selling cocaine, which landed him in jail for five years.

When he got out, Davis moved to marijuana, a safer product to sell that still raked in $50,000 per week. But when a friend got busted and tried to frame Davis for a crime he didn’t commit, Davis went on the run to avoid a 30-year prison sentence.

This book details his time as a criminal, but focuses on his life on the run: living on the periphery of major drug cartels in Colombia and Mexico, hiding in the underground hideouts for the Medillin cartel, sneaking into Germany, being interrogated in Cuba, and building a Venezuelan resort during the rule of anti-American President Hugo Chavez. It’s an exciting read all the way up to when he was black-bagged (kidnapped by covert US troops since there was no extradition treaty in place) in Venezuela in 2007, and he ended up serving 105 months in jail.

These days, Davis lives in Key West, and thanks to well-published author Peter Conti’s help, the story of Davis’ crazy life is urgent and gripping. If you liked the movie The Fugitive or US Marshals, you’ll probably get a real kick out this book. Where else are you going to learn about a hit woman who moonlights as a tutor or a Bandito named Fonzie?

Rating:

GringoBook.com

arts&culture

THE AMERICAN PLAN

by David H. Weisberg David Weisberg’s first novel — the first in a trilogy that explores the rise and fall of Sun Belt America — is a post-Korean War tale that’s part social commentary and part conspiracy thriller. This book tells the tale of Philip Narby, a war-wounded deserter with a hazy past who ends up in pre-revolutionary Cuba, then crosses the water back into the US to settle in the strange world of south Florida. From mangrove fields to Miami Beach dive bars, this book includes it all with the rich detail that our tropical paradise deserves.

Narby is convinced that he’s supposed to play a key role in the Cold War that’s emerging in Cuba and Latin America.

Throw in some betrayal along with his isolation and paranoia, and you’ve got enough secrets and problems to keep the pages turning. Political, sexual, racial, and financial issues all come into play in this book that wants to explore one of the biggest topics of all — the American Dream.

Weisberg explains that “the inspiration to write The American Plan came from three places: first, a lifelong compulsion to write fiction in an aesthetically satisfying way; second, the desire to tell a story that was both close to my own experience and yet much broader, touching on defining historical trends; and thirdly, my love of literature, especially 20th century modernism.”

Some parts of this book zip right along and other parts are far more paced and introspective, as 20th century modernist writers favored. If you’re willing to play along, you might enjoy this ambitious book that’s as much historical fiction as it is a tale of psychological suspense.

Rating:

DavidHWeisberg.com

See what’s blooming at Rue...

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arts&culture SOME KIND OF HERO

by Suzanne Brockmann

LIST YOUR PROPERTY WITH ME AND YOUR FORECLOSURE DEFENSE IS FREE!* At Solutions Realty, we work in conjunction with a Board Certified Real Estate Attorney to defend your foreclosure and negotiate your short sale approval.

Our Company has a proven track record of success in listing and selling underwater property. We have helped many homeowners solve their real estate problems through a short sale. Call today to see if we can help you too. *Call today to learn more about our programs

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Brockmann’s latest book in the Troubleshooters series is a highenergy thriller that still meets the requirements of the romance genre. Hot military type? Check (it’s a tough-as-nails Navy SEAL lieutenant named Peter “Grunge” Greene). Tragic backstory? Check (his life is upended when his ex-wife dies in a car crash, so he has sole custody of Maddie, their fifteen-year-old daughter). Problems?

Check (Being a SEAL does not properly train you to parent a teen on your own). And things get worse when Maddie goes AWOL. Mix in a love interest (Shayla Whitman, a romance writer!), and you’ve got the makings for another novel that furthers Brockmann’s reputation as the reigning queen of military romance.

Brockmann has been in this business for 25 years, and reports that “Some Kind of Hero, with its romance author heroine, is my love letter to the genre, twenty-five years in the making.”

Some Kind of Hero is one of those zip-fast-paced, larger-than-life adventure stories with more than a pinch of Nicholas Sparks/Nora Roberts/Diana Gabaldon/Jennifer Crusie. If those writers make stories that send you out in need of Kleenex, this one might well please you, too.

Rating:

SuzanneBrockmann.com

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insider

InHEALTH

By Dr. Pooja Khator

ADVANCED LENSES Pooja Khator, MD, a glaucoma specialist and cataract surgeon, is certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology. She joined Coastal Eye Institute in 2006.

Cataracts, or clouding of the lens of the eyes, are common as we age. Fortunately, cataract surgery is quite effective and, in fact, one of the most common surgeries performed in the United States.

When ophthalmologists perform cataract surgery, they remove the eye’s old lens and replace it with an intraocular lens (IOL).

Originally, a standard intraocular lens, which can certainly help patients see better but cannot correct astigmatism or presbyopia (the ability to see close up), was the only option for such a replacement. Advances in lens technology, however, have expanded our arsenal, and we now have lens options to help improve astigmatism and reading vision after surgery.

Astigmatism is a common vision condition that happens when a person’s cornea is not symmetrical. A normal cornea is round like a baseball. With astigmatism, the cornea curves more like a football. With the toric intraocular lens, regular astigmatism can be corrected, allowing for crisp distance vision without glasses.

are you over age 40?

If you are over the age of 40, chances are you have experienced loss of intermediate vision, making you wish you had longer arms to read your phone screen, the labels of cans on a shelf, or a recipe in a cookbook.

Another premium lens option is the multifocal intraocular lens. By separating the light entering the eye into zones for distance and for near vision, it can allow correction for driving and for reading at the same time. Many multifocal lenses come in several reading powers, allowing surgeons the ability to tailor the lens to fit specific visual needs. Not all patients are good candidates for this type of lens, however, and a full eye examination to exclude the presence of glaucoma or macular degeneration is necessary.

The latest arrival to eye surgery is the Technis Symfony lens. The Symfony allows correction for distance and intermediate vision. These days, much of our world is in the intermediate range of vision. If you are over the age of 40, chances are you have experienced loss of intermediate vision, making you wish you had longer arms to read your phone screen, the labels of cans on a shelf, or a recipe in a cookbook.

The Symfony lens is potentially an excellent choice for those who do a lot of computer work or spend a lot of time reading on smaller devices, such as an iPad. Furthermore, the Symfony lens comes in options that correct astigmatism at the same time, as well as being a good choice for patients with mild glaucoma and macular degeneration who may not be good candidates for a multifocal lens.

Your ophthalmologist can conduct certain tests to make sure you are a good candidate for a premium intraocular lens and help educate you about the benefits of these lenses following cataract surgery.

These lenses take some time to get used to, so it is important to understand exactly how they work and their limitations. Although a premium intraocular lens can reduce your dependence on eyeglasses, it does not completely eliminate the need for glasses in all situations.

Coastal Eye Institute has served this community since 1964, focusing solely on comprehensive eye care and providing everything from routine check-ups to diagnosis, correction and management of complex medical eye conditions.

Coastal Eye Institute has four offices to serve you. For an appointment visit CoastalEye.com or call 941.748.1818.

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insider

Business: [New]s NEW BUSINESSES, EXPANSIONS & RELOCATIONS

FITLIFE FOODS

ZEMIL JEWELERS

Tampa-based Fitlife Foods has opened its fourteenth store in Florida in Sarasota on University Parkway. Fitlife sells made from scratch meals (sixty-five menu items) providing an easy and convenient way for meal prep for people wanting different healthy benefits. Popular meal options include Chicken Enchiladas, BBQ Beef with Mac ‘N Cheese and gluten free Chicken Pizza Supreme.

Meals can either be picked up or delivered to your door.

5275 University Parkway, Bradenton | 941.444.2720 | eatfitlifefoods.com

Zemil Jewelers, a full service fine jewelry store, has opened in Downtown Sarasota. Zemil offers on site jewelry repairs, appraisals, and confidential estate purchasing. Along with their own custom fine jewelry designs, the store will represent designs from Denny Wong, Steven Douglas, and Raymond Mazza.

1484 Main Street, Sarasota | 941.312.5386

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AESTHETIC EYE & SURGICAL ARTS Paul Brannan, MD has opened a new practice – Aesthetic Eye & Surgical

Arts. Board-certified, Dr. Brannan is a specialist in eyelid and plastic surgery. Services include reconstructive and corrective surgeries on the eyelids, orbits and face; treatment conditions affecting the eyes, eyelids and eye socket; skin cancer surgery and repair, and Botox/Xeomin injections. 5210 Clark Rd., Ste 106, Sarasota | 941.921.0400 | sarasotaeyelidspecialist.com

DESOTO SQUARE MALL Everything old is eventually becoming new again as evidenced by the recent sale of one of the oldest malls in our area. While the sale was announced last December, the sale price of $25.5 million was not divulged until March. DeSoto Mall, which opened in 1973, was purchased by Brooklyn, New York-based DeSoto Owners LLC, a company that is not a major shopping mall company. Plans are to invest millions of dollars and to turn the shopping center into a family-focused retail center during an aggressive 10-month revitalization plan. desotosquare.com

insider HARRY ROA JEWELRY DESIGN STUDIO & GALLERY Award-winning artisan jeweler Harry Roa has moved his jewelry design studio and gallery to a new Main Street location. Roa’s designs combine his love for architecture and jewelry. He specializes in the lost wax process and fabricates only with precious metals he designs and completes using high quality gemstones. 1461 Main Street, Sarasota | 941.266.5146 | oceanlilystudio.com

News, Grants, Appointments & Accolades

1

SCF NURSING PROGRAM GOES INTERNATIONAL The RN-BSN nursing program at State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota (SCF) has begun a study abroad program for students who are registered nurses working to get their Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Each year the nursing program will teach two classes in Nicaragua while the nurses work with doctors and medical students to provide health care to villagers in rural areas. scf.edu

2

RINGLING COLLEGE OPENS COMMERCIAL AND ACADEMIC SOUNDSTAGE Ringling College of Art and Design and Semkhor Productions opened Studio A of Ringling Studios, a mixed commercial/ academic soundstage and production support facility used by directors and producers for commercial media productions. Studio A is the first building completed as part of the entire Ringling Studios Soundstage and Post Production Complex, and will be put to use immediately, onboarding three shows from PBS Tampa affiliate television station WEDU. ringling.edu

3

$200,000 RAISED TO ENSURE TEACHER EXCELLENCE IN SARASOTA COUNTY Jennifer Vigne, President of the Education Foundation of Sarasota County, announced that the organization received enough donations to meet its $150,000 fundraising goal

to establish The Lori White Endowment Fund, which will provide unique professional development opportunities for teachers. This accomplishment triggered a $50,000 capping grant from the Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation. Donations can still be made to the Lori White Endowment Fund online by visiting EdFoundationsrq.org.

4

NEW BOARD MEMBERS AT GULF COAST COMMUNITY FOUNDATION Gulf Coast Community Foundation’s Board of Directors recently elected Anne Essner, Tracy Knight, and Susan Sofia as members of the Board. Each was elected to a three-year term that began in March. The other members of the Gulf Coast Board are Judy Cahn, Lisa Carlton, Scott Collins, Janis Fawn, James Gallogly, Pauline Joerger, Ben Hanan, Phil Humann, Jay McHargue, Anand Pallegar, Mark Pritchett, Michael Saunders, Joe Stephan, Bayne Stevenson, and Tommy Taylor. gulfcoastcf.org

5

JHCF BREAKS GROUND ON THE KRETZMER CENTER AT AVIVA The Jewish Housing Council Foundation broke ground on a new multi-purpose community room for Aviva, A Campus for Senior Life, to be used for Aviva educational and entertainment events and for use by the community. The room is named for local philanthropist Ernest Kretzmer, who was the project’s lead donor. avivaseniorlife.org

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on the town

Real TALK SHERYL VIEIRA SHARES THOUGHTS ON THE COMMUNITY, GOOD DEEDS AND IMPORTANT THINGS, BIG AND SMALL.

“Nothing can cure the soul but the senses, just as nothing can cure the senses but the soul.”

– Oscar Wilde

How often do you ponder which of your five senses is your favorite? Hard to truly determine and say which is your most favorite. Listening to and hearing music is such a part of my life yet so is tasting great food.

For Kevin Stalker, perhaps it’s his hearing.

He might not have been adopted by one of his instructors, who became an incredible mother and mentor to him, had he not listened to and heard all that was said while growing up in the Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota County.

Maybe for our “Maytag Man,” Lee Thacker, touch is his most endearing sense. After all, he always touches people’s lives and has had an astounding impact on many as a board member, co-worker, loyal friend, husband, father and grandfather.

A ROUND OF APPLAUSE AT THE CONCESSION What do you get when two-time Heisman Trophy winner Archie Griffin, professional athletes and sports fans across the nation join forces at The Concession Golf Club? A successful 7th Annual Archie Griffin Celebrity Golf Classic that raised nearly $130,000 for the Boys &

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Girls Clubs of Sarasota County to provide high-quality educational and recreational services to more than 5,000 local youth, empowering them to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens. To date, The Concession Charities has raised nearly $650,000 through this event!

Kicking things off, the Pairings Party featured a cocktail hour before dinner with a silent and live auction, as well as celebrity pairings for the next day’s golf tournament. Bruce Cassidy, Sr., owner of The Concession Golf Club, and Archie Griffin welcomed guests. Local celebrity and comedian Les McCurdy kept guests laughing throughout the live auction.

Also in attendance were professional athletes Mike Alstott, Leroy Hoard, Isaac Curtis, Will Allen, Cedric Saunders, Robert Smith, Keith Byars and Tampa Bay Buccaneers Quarterback Jameis Winston. But the toughest athlete of life in attendance was Duquesne University Junior Kevin Stalker.

He grew up in the local Boys & Girls Club of Sarasota County and was later adopted by one of his instructors. His roots with the club have made him quite a successful young man. He now speaks on behalf of Boys & Girls Clubs and mentors children once like him. His powerful, humble determination and passion are profound. He possesses a warrior spirit and is clearly driven by a much bigger purpose.

on the town The winning team of the golf tournament included Keith Byars, Hampton Ballard, Bruce Cassidy, Sr., Bryan Snyder and Chuck Whirlow. Interested in their 2018 event? Save the date – March 5-6, 2018. They’re hoping Jameis Winston will join them again and are hoping for a return of Tim Tebow and others. Kudos to all! We’re still clapping!

THE MAYTAG MAN! And in keeping with the great work of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA), did you know that Sarasota has their very own Maytag Man? Perhaps you’ve been lucky enough to meet Lee Thacker, Jr., whom I would describe as the perfect man with legendary decades of long community service, and a never-ending commitment to the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

Maytag® even chose him as one of only 25 nominees in the country to be a “Maytag Dependable Leader”, honoring him “in recognition of his demonstrated commitment to dependability and dedication to keeping youth on the path to achieve great futures.” Lee is a Duke alumnus, proud father of two, grandfather of five and husband to Suzanne Thacker.

Congratulations are also in order as Lee just celebrated his 20th work anniversary at Caldwell Trust.

Milestones are reached, but aren’t always celebrated. I couldn’t let this one pass by!

Thee Leee Thackahh, as I refer to him with a smile on my face and untethered enthusiasm, has been a BGCA board volunteer in Columbia, SC, Orlando and Atlanta.

Since his arrival in Venice, he has chaired the Florida Area Council, was honored

with the BGCA Medallion Award and Council Pacesetter of the Year awards, served as board president, chaired key committees, was named “Dream Maker” in 2010 and subsequently received the Maytag® Award. He is currently a director of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota County where he, along with others, was instrumental in bringing the Robert and Joan Lee Boys & Girls Club to Venice. He has also served on the board of Venice Theatre, where he was treasurer and past president. His friendship and mentorship over the years has touched many.

Lee is the absolute epitome of a loyal friend, an insightful leader, a strong ally and an extremely intelligent, oh-sostrategic executive. Quiet and unassuming, we believe he would have been quite the opposite if his alma mater

(Duke) made it to the NCAA Final Four which he and his lovely bride personally experienced in Phoenix, Arizona! Nothin’ but net, baby, and congratulations Thee Leee Thackahhh!

SAVORY, SUCCULENT AND SUSTAINABLE SWALLOWTAIL FARM-TO-TABLE DINNER Feeling the need for some fresh air and a way to reconnect?

Just three hours north you can experience a tranquil, delicious, unique four-course farm-to-table dinner at Swallowtail Farm in Alachua. All that is required is to be an adventurous eater. Other than that, pack your things, jump in your car and go!

Gainesville-area celebrity chefs, highlighting their local food culture, artfully prepare food from Swallowtail Farm and surrounding local farms. You’ll also enjoy a tour of the farm, learn about the owners and their partners, and the courses that are carefully prepared and enjoyed. Their mission is make the farm better through the support of their community. They have quite a few people who support them faithfully through the grit of their labor. According to the Swallowtail Farm website, “The dinners enable you to uplift the farm with a wine glass in place of a spade.”

My host was kind enough to purchase this special treat as a holiday gift for me. He was thoughtful enough to call ahead and inquired about where to stay. Lo and behold, the owners of the farm have a private cottage they rent out, and it happened to be available.

As we walked from the guest cottage through the woods, we crossed a running stream with a small, arched wood bridge.

I felt like I was in the “The Bridges of Madison County.” We dodged a few cow patties on the way to the event registration and already had smiles on our faces.

Roosters digging, dogs and pigs playing, buzzing bees and mooing cows were there to greet us.

We immediately indulged ourselves in the various beverages being offered. Large glass pitchers filled with rose water and rose petals, strawberry

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Liliya Kent

Official Distributor USA O’Blanc Official Showroom

P arker R obinson 1521 Main Street, Sarasota | 941.366.3343

Erik A. Kent Interior Design Allied A.S.I.D.

on the town limequat-ade, and black tea were displayed on the makeshift bar covered in a shabby-chic tablecloth. Swamp Head Brewery provided a Wild Night brew of honey and cream ale, Big Nose India Pale Ale, and Midnight Oil of Oatmeal Coffee Stout. Wines poured that evening were from Montinore Estate, which only produces certified organic/biodynamic wines. Selections included a Borealis white table wine, a Pinot Gris and a Pinot Noir.

As we settled in and took in the beautiful views and the rolling hills, we noticed the local, organically-grown blooms placed in mason jars set on the family-style wooden harvest tables.

Noah Shitama, co-founder of the farm, gave us a tour of the property and explained the various programs and pursuits of providing their community with clean, nutritious, healthy food.

He explained how they have crafted the farm as a model of sustainability and stewardship, with a focus on conservation of resources and nature-produced fertility. No synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides or chemicals ever touch their fields or their food. Their supporters are happy, as are their healthy animals. They believe the animal element is essential to a healthy farm organism and they vow to treat their creatures with dignity, love and respect. Yup, I’m in the right place.

The farm-to-table dinners also feature ingredients cultivated on nearby farms. Chef Justin Langer prepared a menu of veggie crudité with a yogurt and herb tahini for dipping along with burnt scallion and garlic chive pesto. Our second course was a green soup of broccolini, Tuscan kale, green garlic, and coconut milk. Our main course was Asian-style roast pork, purple sweet potatoes, collards, chard, and bok choy. For our yummy ending, we had compressed drunken strawberries with whipped cream, an oat crumble, and sweet coconut milk. The vegetables and pork were from Swallowtail, the milk and yogurt from the Swallowtail Creamery, the vegan pasta from Vine, the fresh roasted coffee from Flagship Roasters, the olive oil from Saporito Oil, Vinegar and Spice, and the fresh, soft bread was brought in from Big Cypress Bakery. I had brought a red sweater poncho in case it got a bit cool at night as the sun set and the full moon rose, but when they placed bread baskets that resembled miniature picnic baskets with the bread it in on the tables, I had to put my red poncho on and pose like Little Red Riding Hood holding her basket as she stood in the vast forest. All night long we took in background music performed by Long Over Duo. It’s a one-night-only seasonal dinner prepared with great love and respect. We surely tasted it, heard it, saw it and felt it. We were long overdue.

“The Greatest Gift of the Garden is the Restoration of the Five Senses” – Hanna Rion

A CALIENTE NOCHE AT MOTE! A Hot Havana Night was enjoyed by over 400 guests at the sold-out 9th annual Party on the Pass fundraiser for Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium.

Thanks to major sponsors PNC Wealth Management and the Sarasota-Manatee Originals, guests grazed on an assortment of ceviche, spring rolls, sushi, shack shrimp and grits, andouille sausage, ground beef sliders, flank steak and a chocolate fountain to dip your strawberries and house-made profiteroles in!

Siesta Key Rum even came up with a signature drink for all to sip on which was aptly name Mote-jitos. But most importantly, because of these sponsors and many others, Mote’s animal hospitals can continue to treat and care for the animals that come to Mote in critical condition, with problems ranging from entanglement in fishing gear, ingesting plastic bags and debris, and injuries from boat strikes to fibro

papilloma tumors and other life-threatening conditions.

Mote has treated more than 615 sea turtles and 71 dolphins and small whales. They are dedicated in their efforts to rescue, rehabilitate and release back to the wild these protected species of marine life. In the process, they learn about the animals’ biology, health and disease processes, and life history in the wild. Their science is leading the way to curing many diseases and we’re blessed to have such a facility in our backyard.

Sea’n in the crowd were Michael and Sandy Albano, Mote Board of Trustees Chairman Lowe Morrison and daughter Ashley Morrison, Judy Graham, Gordon and Jennifer Abbott, Tom Waters, Scott Collins, Marge and Vinnie Maisto, Tommy and Norm Vanbirch, Sonya Kristie, Erin Kabinoff, Stacy Alexander and Sofie Wachtmeister.

MAY 2017 | SCENE

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on the town ONCE UPON A TIME A sprinkle of pixie dust through cascading twinkle lights greeted the crowd of more than 300 for Children First’s Annual Fairytale Ball at Michael’s on East. Co-chairs for the event were Donna and David Koffman, Jacqueline and Lacy Ray, Patti and David Wertheimer, and Sarah Wertheimer. Affairs in the Air created large trees out of the three main pillars in the ballroom. Lighting from Sights and Sounds set the ambiance with forest silhouettes and colored lighting. You could almost hear the twigs snap as you danced through the enchanted forest full of fairies, butterflies, oversized mushrooms, and other mystical elements. Some guests, like Lisa Kates and Richard LaBrie, celebrated the theme with fairy-inspired outfits. The Bay Kings Band kicked things off with a Peter Pan tribute singing “Lost Boy” as guests were seated. Carol Butera, Children First Vice President of Development, welcomed attendees and Michael Klauber led the mobile “paddle raise” where donations reached record highs for the organization. Philip Tavill, President and CEO, spoke about the benefits of the Children First program for vulnerable children and their parents.

When one of your senses is lacking, they say your other senses are heightened. When you stop and think about it, it’s amazing how our senses come into play in all of our life experiences, including the ones I’ve written about here! We certainly heard how important the programs are at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota County. We are thankful to Lee Thacker for touching lives and for being such a special kind and caring, soul. We tasted the food from our good earth. We saw lots of good being done at Mote through the hospital care and attention they give to our stranded, hurt marine life, and we could smell the woods where critters live in the makeshift forest at Children First’s Fairytale Ball.

Listen intently. Give fully. Grow a garden. Help others out.

Play in the dirt. And always appreciate your senses and that includes your sense of humor!

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SCENE | MAY 2017

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SarasotaBay Club Luxury Retirement Living On Sarasota Bay Come For A Visit and Be Inspired – Call Linda Ware or Dana Moe (941) 552-3284 (941) 366-7667 • SarasotaBayClub.com • 1301 North Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, Florida