It came as a shock to Longboat Key Swan Keeper David Novak when swan Chuck died the morning of Sept. 5.
“He was lethargic at a morning feeding, but swam away,” Novak said. “He was not at the age that he would die.” Novak suspects something in his diet.
Chuck and his mate, Lydia, were parents to the four cygnets born in May, being the first swans to be born on the island in four years.
When Chuck died, Novak made sure Lydia and the cygnets understood the situation because of the vital position a father holds in the cygnets’ development.
Novak is considering purchasing a new swan for the Key. He does not plan to pair a swan with Lydia until the cygnets are adults.
Novak said volunteers have stepped forward to provide veterinary care, and the cygnets will remain together through November, until they are old enough to claim their own territories.
Boat ramp remains closed
The dock at the town’s public boat ramp on Linley Street has been closed since Hurricane Debby caused damage to a large part of the dock. According to the town’s FY 2025 budget, design for a new boat ramp will be funded in upcoming year.
The Manatee County West Coast Inland Navigation District, a special taxing district aimed at improving waterways, approved a $75,148 grant for the town to pursue a new design for the dock.
Streets, Facilities, Parks & Recreation Manager Mark Richardson said repairs to the dock would likely be held until the new designs are finalized.
Traffic solutions take
Courtesy image
Longboat Key swans Chuck and Lydia
Carter Weinhofer
Petra Rivera
Aditya Gupta and Hadley Hall make an oyster garden at the 2024 Youth Ocean Conservation Summit on Sept. 12.
WEEK OF SEPT. 19, 2024
BY THE NUMBERS
“I’m willing to give some time on that, but I need to have some kind of assurance that what needs to be done will be done in a timely way.”
Longboat Key’s magistrate, Milan Brkich, on the St. Regis lighting violations. Read more on page 4
The Sarasota Bay Estuary Program recently began work on two large environmental restoration projects at G.T. Bray Park in Bradenton. The two projects will cost $900,000 and help optimize the benefits of stormwater treatment areas.
The first project site is located on the western part of the park, where invasive plants were removed and 130,000 cubic yards of dirt were excavated to create space for a native wetland project. The wetlands that are in the process of being installed will help stabilize the habitats that
provide shelter for local wildlife.
This first part of the project is estimated to be completed within the month.
In another part of the park, the second project features a large stormwater pond that had been previously overtaken by invasive vegetation. The SBEP’s project helped to clear these invasive plants and then plant $100,000 worth of native vegetation in its place.
The G.T. Bray Park restoration is the third large-scale project that the SBEP completed through the Bipartisan Infra-
structure Law funds. According to a press release from the SBEP, there are seven more projects expected through 2026.
Longboat Key’s Bayfront Park will be the site of a future restoration project for the SBEP, which will include a living shoreline project and installation of concrete “mangrove panels” on part of the park’s seawalls to better promote the growth of marine life like oysters.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony at G.T. Bray park is planned for Sept. 19 for local elected officials and the public.
Fourth Florida Climate Conference
The Climate Adaptation Center recently announced its fourth annual Florida Climate Conference will take place Nov. 14 and 15.
This year’s conference will focus on “Climate and Human Health.” Speakers such as scientists, health care professionals and other community leaders will discuss the effects that climate change has on human health.
“The insights from this conference will empower our community to understand the challenges ahead and take proactive steps before the most significant impacts occur,” a release from the CAC stated.
The two-day event will start at 8:15 a.m. on Nov. 14 and will take place at the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee Campus in the Student Center Ballroom. Tickets are sold in advance on the CAC website. General admission tickets for the two-day event are $109.99.
‘Firehouse Forum’ to begin on LBK
This fall, the Longboat Key Fire Rescue Department will start a new virtual series called the “Firehouse Forum.”
The Longboat Key Fire Rescue Department hopes to continue the forums as a monthly event for the Longboat Key community to interact with the department no matter where residents are.
October is Fire Prevention Month, so the first of the forum series will feature Fire Marshal Jane Herrin on the topic of fire prevention. During the 30-minute forum, Herrin will discuss the importance of smoke detectors and how they work. After the first 15 minutes, Herrin will open the forum for Q&A. The forum will be available virtually through Microsoft Teams. For more information and to sign up for the forum, reach out the Longboat Key Fire Rescue Department at 941-316-1944. Fire Administration Manager and Public Information Officer Tina Adams can also be reached at TAdams@LongboatKey. org.
CIRCLING SAFETY
Two new projects aim to improve safety and the flow of traffic during peak season traffic on Longboat Key.
CARTER WEINHOFER STAFF WRITER
Heading into a new fiscal year, Longboat Key staff are continuing two traffic safety enhancement projects with the long-term vision of a complete streets project on Gulf of Mexico Drive still in mind.
This summer, Public Works officials worked with contractors to install traffic calming circles on Broadway Street as part of a pilot project to test their effectiveness. Another project on the south end of Longboat Key is planned to enter construction this fall and will bring safer turn lanes to the Country Club Shores communities.
NORTH-END CALMING CIRCLES
The Broadway Street intersection with Gulf of Mexico Drive is particularly busy. A popular public beach access point is on one end, and down the opposite side of Broadway Street are popular restaurants Whitney’s, Mar Vista and Shore, along with the Village community.
Traffic safety on Broadway Street was a conversation that began picking up when Town Manager Howard Tipton started with the town in early 2023.
“The residents were wanting different ways to slow the traffic on Broadway as people were heading toward the restaurants, so the traffic circles were a modification of some of the suggestions that were made,” Tipton said.
Director of Public Works Isaac Brownman said the original budget for the project was around $100,000. At the time, the department was still thinking through what the solution would look like.
Typical smaller-scale roundabouts involve striping, roadway adjustments and more involved designs that would have pushed the project toward higher costs. The town moved away from this option, Brownman said. Instead, the town worked with engineers and devoted $20,000 to traffic analysis on the street. This left $80,000 for the project.
In the end, Brownman said the team decided to work with a company called Transportation Solutions and Lighting to install Traffic Logix Flex Curbs.
The three traffic calming circles
are made from specific material that didn’t require cutting into the pavement to install. This also makes it easy to remove the circles in the future for resurfacing projects, or if the circles prove to be ineffective, Brownman said.
For the three circles along Broadway Street, the project cost the town $20,000, which Brownman called a great deal. The contractors finished installation in mid-August.
“So far, we’re happy with them,” Brownman said. “However, we really want to see them perform in peak season, how heavier traffic reacts to them and how they hold up under heavier traffic.”
According to Brownman, the circles in the middle of the road may be too obstructive for larger trucks, and those trucks may need to pass their back wheels over the circles. The material is made to withstand that, though, and the department will wait to see how the circles handle the heavier season traffic.
The three circles were designed as a pilot study to see how they help slow traffic along the busy Broadway Street, or if other options may be better.
“We’re not really contemplating traffic calming circles on other streets right now,” Brownman said.
“Broadway is one of the main collector roads we have in town that collects all the traffic from the village ... and it has two major restaurants at the end.”
At the intersection of Broadway Street and Gulf of Mexico Drive, the town is continuing conversations with the Florida Department of Transportation about a larger roundabout project.
This roundabout has been a topic of discussion for the town since 2011. In 2023, the town was near 90% completion on designs when the FDOT told town staff the designs would need to be redone due to roadway banking issues.
New designs that the town pursued for the roundabout recently came back with an estimated $5.6 million price tag, which was higher than the original design, expected to be closer to $2 million or $2.5 million.
In June, town commissioners directed Brownman to discuss possible funding solutions with the FDOT and to see if a traffic signal study would be worthwhile to contemplate alternatives to a roundabout.
GULF OF MEXICO DRIVE
CURBED MEDIAN
COUNTRY CLUB SHORES TURN LANE
Nearly eight years in the making, a project adding an enhanced left turn lane along Gulf of Mexico Drive to get to Country Club Shores will begin soon.
The purpose of the project is to improve safety for drivers entering the Country Club Shores communities.
“If you’re traveling south on Gulf of Mexico Drive and you need to turn into one of those streets, you have a safe place to refuge out of the traffic queue,” Brownman said. “And to get out of the traffic queue so you’re not contributing to the backups‚ this is all really geared toward peak season.”
The project will widen about a one-mile stretch of Gulf of Mexico Drive. Originally, the town wanted to simply widen the road and stripe a longer left turn lane. This idea was turned down by FDOT, which cited operational and procedural concerns.
This led the town to pursue a more advanced turn lane project, which turned into several individual turn lanes. New designs also included some raised medians and widened bike lanes. The FDOT also added a requirement to mill and repave the new strip of Gulf of Mexico Drive.
Initial design in 2017 cost about $200,000, and since then, there has been an ongoing effort for permitting and design, which is more complicated when adding another agency like the FDOT to the mix.
“When you enter in a different agency, the coordination and priorities and everything, it becomes a challenge to get all the stars aligned,” Tipton said. “But I think we’re there.”
At the Sept. 9 Longboat Key Town Commission meeting, Brownman told commissioners the project bids came in at $2.6 million. The winner of the bid is local company Superior Asphalt Inc.
After adding the FDOT-required construction engineering inspector, the project is expected to be about $1.3 million higher than FDOT’s current $1.4 million reimbursement agreement.
According to Brownman, the town alerted FDOT several years ago that the project would most likely come in higher than $1.4 million, and now, town staff are planning to ask FDOT to provide additional funding.
The town hopes FDOT will contribute more to the project on the state road, but staff also doesn’t want to wait for a response and let the bids expire after 120 days. As of now, the town is prepared to
fund $400,000 of the total overage and wants the FDOT to fund an additional $900,000.
If the town needed to fund the entire $1.3 million required, Tipton said it would have to come out of reserves, and he would hope that the FDOT would be able to reimburse the town in the following fiscal year. But the goal remains to secure the reimbursement sooner.
District 1 Commissioner Gary Coffin, whose district includes Country Club Shores, emphasized the importance of the project to the nearly 400 residents of Country Club Shores.
“It’s something that’s fixable,” Coffin said. “It’s something we can do, and it’s something that would really help the residents in that area considerably. It’s dangerous pulling out there, and I’ve been there 20 years.”
Vice Mayor Mike Haycock also said at the Sept. 9 commission meeting he believed the FDOT should reimburse the town for the new cost.
“We need to go forward,” Haycock said. “We need to figure out how to do it.”
Brownman said the town’s goal is to get the project underway sooner rather than later, potentially at the end of September or early October.
The project will take about six months to complete. If the project were to begin in October, that would mean it would be complete about March 2025.
According to Brownman’s discussions with contractors, the goal is to minimize traffic disruption along Gulf of Mexico Drive and avoid closing lanes of traffic.
The Country Club Shores turn lane project, along with projects along Broadway Street, all come together in the town’s long-range complete streets vision.
“It’s a safety enhancement, primarily,” Tipton said of the Country Club Shores project. “It’s a part of the complete streets vision, so it will blend in when that ultimately gets done.”
The town’s complete streets vision along Gulf of Mexico Drive will include roadway improvements, potential roundabouts, landscaped medians and improved bike lanes and multiuse paths.
Commissioners and staff previously identified a Planning, Development and Environment Study for the complete streets corridor plan as a key request of the Metropolitan Planning Organization and the FDOT in 2026.
Carter Weinhofer
Three traffic calming circles were installed on Broadway Street in August.
HORNBLOWERLANE
An example from the design plans for the Country Club Shores turn lane project.
The
Will St. Regis see the light?
Magistrate grants St. Regis more time to comply with sea turtle lighting ordinance.
WEINHOFER
The St. Regis Longboat Key was granted a continuance on a special magistrate hearing regarding the property’s multiple sea turtle lighting ordinance violations.
The town’s special magistrate, Milan Brkich, ruled that the St. Regis property owners would have until Oct. 9 — the date of the next magistrate hearing — to meet with town officials and come into compliance. If not, the property might face more “severe” fines, Brkich said.
Members of St. Regis property management and lawyer Brenda Patten represented St. Regis at the Sept. 11 special magistrate hearing, which included testimony from Code Enforcement Officer David Woods and Alexis Krummick, staff biologist with Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium.
“We are not here to be adversaries,”
Patten said. “We’re here to cooperate with the town and to find solutions to these problems.”
Woods was first to the podium and reviewed the timeline of 15 violations the town issued the St. Regis property since May 10. The first citation was $100, the second was $250 and the third and all subsequent citations were $500.
The St. Regis property was able to come into compliance with the lighting codes on June 7, according to Woods.
Then, on July 26, a report by Mote stated that 60 hatchling sea turtles were disoriented near the property as a result of the St. Regis lighting. Of those disoriented, six were found in vegetation on the property, one was found in the lazy river, three were found in a pool and one was found dead.
This initiated further code enforcement investigations, which revealed the property was back out of compliance. Code enforcement continued to write citations for the property, and two more disorientations occurred near the property on July 29 and Aug. 2. Krummick, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission sea turtle permit holder for Longboat Key, said the disorientations were
Courtesy images
St. Regis Longboat Key at night on Aug. 14.
HOW DO DISORIENTATIONS HAPPEN?
According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, sea turtle disorientations occur when hatchlings or adult turtles are confused and taken off course by artificial inland light. For hatchlings, this poses risks like running out of energy needed to reach the ocean, predation and drying up in the sun.
caused by the hatchlings confusing St. Regis’s lights with the moon and the stars, thus directing them away from the ocean.
The sea turtle nesting season concludes on Oct. 31, and Krummick confirmed there are still active nests near the property.
“Based on their proximity to the St. Regis property, they could disorient as well,” Krummick said.
MORE TIME GIVEN
Patten’s presentation followed Woods and Krummick, and she said that the code enforcement process is meant to achieve compliance, not to be a punitive process. She emphasized that the St. Regis management is focused on reaching compliance.
“We respect what Mr. Woods has been doing out there, and Mote Marine and everyone else,” Patten said. “We have taken what they’ve said very seriously. We have great respect, and we’re trying to cooperate. We understand the value of marine life, and it is our goal to completely comply with the town’s turtle lighting standards.”
Also early in her presentation, Patten pointed out what she called errors in the town’s citations, including a typo on the relevant town code — typed 100.3 instead of 100.03 — and the fact that the citations were addressed to S.R. LBK II, LLC but sent to Director of Engineering Chris Jenkins.
But, the town sent a corrected notice of violation on Sept. 4, and the citations eventually reached the right person, which was further proved by the fact that all but one of the violations had been paid.
A central theme in Patten’s presentation was the transitions that have been underway at the St. Regis.
During the first batch of violations — before coming into compliance for a short period in June — the property was overseen by Moss Construction. Later in the summer, when the St. Regis was closer to opening, Marriott — which owns the St. Regis brand — had more control.
This transition, combined with the fact that some condominiums and areas of the resort are still under construction, backed Patten’s argument that the resort is still working toward being fully operational, thus needing more time to come into compliance.
Patten also stated that the FWC inspected the St. Regis’s lights on the night of Sept. 6, and a full report will be available on Sept. 20.
Jenkins, the resort’s director of engineering, testified the resort has made an effort to educate guests about the need to shut off or shield interior lights by placing an information card in every room. The resort is also offering turn-down service, and security patrols to check for visible lights, according to Jenkins.
Overall, Patten said the St. Regis is willing to work with the town to come into compliance if granted more time.
“Our goal is to solve the problems and work together to do it,” Patten said.
Though Brkich said the turtles were “getting the short end of the deal,” he felt inclined to grant the continuance.
“I’m willing to give some time on that, but I need to have some kind of
Patten also claimed that code enforcement officers should use more technical methods for measuring the spectrum of St. Regis’s visible lights. Chapter 100 of the town’s code, though, doesn’t specify a spectrum but rather states that visible lights from the beach must either be turtle-friendly or shielded.
11 for the St. Regis.
assurance that what needs to be done will be done in a timely way,” Brkich said.
Assistant Town Attorney Daniel Lewis pleaded the case that the ongoing citations and warnings were not working, and the resort was already given time to correct the issues after receiving a notice of violation.
“I have a huge objection to that,” Lewis said about the continuance. “Considering that this has been going on since May, they were previously in compliance, they came out of compliance ... and the fact that it’s not only still turtle season but the fact that there are still potential other nests that could be affected by these same lights.”
Brkich still granted the St. Regis a continuance until the next special magistrate hearing scheduled for Oct. 9. He said the resort representatives must meet with town officials to achieve compliance before that date.
If Brkich had not ordered a continuance, he could have found the St. Regis guilty of the violations. This would have given the St. Regis a time frame to come into compliance. Then, if compliance was not met within that time frame, more severe penalties could be enacted.
TIMELINE OF EVENTS AS OF SEPT. 11
MAY 3: A courtesy notice sent to S.R. LBK II LLC.
The property was given seven days to come into compliance before citations would be issued.
MAY 10: First citation issued for $100.
MAY 17: Second citation issued for $250.
MAY 21: Third citation issued for $500. All subsequent fines are $500.
MAY 22: Citation issued.
MAY 23: Citation issued.
JUNE 4: Citation issued.
JUNE 6: Citation issued.
JUNE 7: St. Regis was in compliance with lighting ordinances.
JULY 26: Disorientation reported by Mote. Six turtles were found in vegetation on the property, one turtle in the lazy river, three in the pool and one dead turtle was found.
JULY 29: Disorientation reported by Mote. Of the 60 hatchlings disoriented, two were found dead and one was found alive in the lazy river.
JULY 30: Citation issued.
JULY 31: Citation issued.
AUG. 1: Citation issued.
The St. Regis is photographed on the morning of Sept. 11.
AUG. 2: Citation issued. Disorientation of 28 hatchlings reported.
AUG. 13: Citation issued.
AUG. 14: Citation issued.
AUG. 15: Citation issued.
AUG. 16: Citation and Notice of Violation issued. The property was given seven days to get into compliance, with a hearing tentative for Sept. 11.
AUG. 26: Notice of Hearing sent to the property to notify of the Special Magistrate hearing on Sept. 11.
SEPT. 4: Corrected Notice of Violation to correct typo of violation (Chapter 100.03, not Chapter 100.3).
SEPT. 11: Pictures taken the morning of the hearing showed the property was still not in compliance.
Carter Weinhofer
The town’s appointed magistrate, Milan Brkich, oversees code enforcement hearings like the one on Sept.
Longboat Key fills police vacancies
The department swore in the three officers, which brought the force back to 19.
On the morning of Sept. 9, Police Chief George Turner swore in the three newest officers to Longboat Key Police Department’s fleet. The new officers filled three positions that opened this summer after three of Longboat’s officers transferred to other departments. With the three latest additions, the fleet is back to 19 full-time employees.
Officer Keith Ericsson comes to the Longboat Key Police Department from the Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department, from which he retired as a sergeant.
Officer Andrew Vandyke, a former U.S. Marine, joined the Longboat Key Police Department from the neighboring Sarasota Police Department.
The other new officer, Officer Dallas Troyer, was previously at the Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office in Colorado. Before his time in Pueblo County, Troyer served in the U.S. Army.
For the application period, Turner said the department had a substantial pool of qualified applicants. Over
the past year-and-a-half, the town and Longboat Key Police Department has successfully ratified new contracts with the Southwest Florida Police Benevolent Association, introduced hybrid and take-home vehicles and received its first accreditation. Turner said in the past that these investments helped recruitment and retention.
The hiring process for new officers at the Longboat Key Police Department includes preliminary application reviews, substantial background checks, an oral interview with internal staff and onboarding through both the town’s human resources department and the police department.
Now, the three new hires are out on patrols with field training officers. Turner expects the three new officers to be on their own in the next month.
Now, the three new hires are out on patrols with field training officers. Turner expects the three new officers to be on their own in the next month.
Officer Dallas Troyer Officer Andrew Vandyke Officer Keith Ericsson
Observer recommends …
This week begins the Observer’s general election recommendations for a few races and the state amendments.
Over the next five weeks, we’ll be devoting much of this page to our recommendations for the Nov. 5 general election.
Our focus will be on a few specific races and ballot questions pertinent to voters in Sarasota and Manatee counties; the statewide constitutional amendments; Florida Supreme Court justices and Second District Court of Appeal judges; and the national elections.
This week’s installment is on the offices of Sarasota County tax collector and Sarasota County Public Hospital Board.
SARASOTA TAX COLLECTOR
Barbara Ford-Coates, Democrat, incumbent; Mike Moran, Republican
Far too often, voters are faced with the dilemma of which of the two candidates is the least worst.
Fortunately for Sarasota County voters, the contest for tax collector is not one of those races. Barbara Ford-Coates and Mike Moran are accomplished individuals and competent candidates.
But let’s cut to the quick. We have a simple litmus test: If the incumbent candidate has been doing a good job, vote for that candidate; keep that person in office.
In this instance, that means reelect Ford-Coates. No questions asked, no doubts about it.
(As an aside, in all of our recommendations over the past three decades, Ford-Coates is the only Democrat the Observer has recommended — and repeatedly. And that’s for a simple reason: She has done and does a great job.)
Indeed, it’s worth reprinting excerpts from our June 27 tax collector recommendations for the Republican primary:
“For many longtime Sarasotans, in particular those who live in the northern part of the county, the idea of challenging incumbent Barbara Ford-Coates for the county tax collector position is close to ludicrous.
“Ford-Coates has been Sarasota County tax collector for 40 years, elected 10 times. And anyone who has experienced the process of registering a vehicle in another state’s Department of Motor Vehicles or in another Florida county is likely to
Ford-Coates Moran
attest his or her customer experience in Sarasota is Best of Class. Ford-Coates’ staff defies the reputation of surly bureaucrats; they’re pleasant, efficient and helpful. And that starts at the top.
“Ford-Coates’ reputation among her peers is tops. Every year since 2011, the Florida Tax Collector Association has bestowed FordCoates and her office with the Excellence in Finance Operations and the Legacy Award. In 2008, the National Association of County Collectors, Treasurers & Finance Officers named her Outstanding Tax Collector in the U.S.
“Timothy Qualls, longtime general counsel for the Florida Tax Collector’s Association, says: ‘Barbara is one of the smartest people I’ve ever met.’”
The accolades and “firsts” go on:
n First tax collector to offer driver license services
n First tax collector boating safety program
n First county to use automated clearing house system
n First tax collector to email tax bill information
n First tax collector to email business tax notices
n Piloted a public-private partnership for car dealers to electronically register customers’ vehicles
In addition to being a leader nationally and statewide among tax collectors, Ford-Coates has held numerous community leadership positions:
n President, Girls Inc. of Sarasota County, 1992
n Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida, 1991-present
n Chair, Manatee Community College Institute of Government Steering Committee, 1990-92
n Florida Constitution Revision Commission, 1998
n Treasurer, League of Women Voters of Sarasota County
n Community Foundation of Sarasota County, Grants Committee 2006
n Chair, Non-Profit Resource Center Advisory Board, 2006
All of that is worth noting because it further buttresses the irrefutable case that Ford-Coates deserves reelection.
Is she perfect? No one is. Then, what is the case, if there is one, against Ford-Coates and for Moran?
Two things against:
n 1) Ford-Coates has been in office 40 years.
But that does not matter if the performance hasn’t waned.
n 2) She is 74. Donald Trump is 78. In Sarasota County, where 40% of the population is over age 65, the number of residents in their 70s who are active, agile and mentally and physically alert is remarkable. Competence matters; age and tenure don’t. Moran, by contrast, is 20 years younger than Ford-Coates. So there is no denying that because of
TAX COLLECTOR’S EXCESS FEES
Florida’s 67 county tax collectors handle property, tourist and business taxes; motor vehicle, vessel and manufactured home titles and registration; drivers’ licenses; disabled parking permits; and hunting and fishing licenses.
The fees charged for these services are set by the Florida Department of Revenue.
At the end of each fiscal year, the tax collectors must complete an annual financial report and return excess fees to all taxing districts and to their Boards of County Commissioners. Those funds then go into the taxing districts’ general funds.
The excess fees — revenues minus operating expenses — are contingent on how efficient the tax collector’s office operates. In the case of Sarasota County, the operating costs per capita are “the lowest of all Florida tax collectors,” according to the Sarasota tax collector’s office.
Here are the Sarasota tax collector’s excess fees sent to Sarasota County and other county taxing districts for the past five fiscal years: Taxing Sarasota Co. Districts
age, Moran is likely to have more stamina than Ford-Coates over the next four years.
You can also make the case that with Moran’s experience as a payroll and insurance company owner in Michigan and his public service — eight years on the County Commission, including terms as chair; a member of the Southwest Florida Water Management Board of Governors; former vice chair of Sarasota County Planning Commission member — on paper, he has the chops to lead the tax collector’s office.
What’s more, his colleagues on these public boards will tell you Moran works hard. A former Sarasota County commissioner told us Moran was always well versed and prepared on whatever subjects and issues came before the board.
But here is the “but” — two “buts” — and they’re big for us:
n 1) Moran is a politician. He says he is “not a career politician.” But he has been heading that way: president of the Sarasota Republic Club; member of the Republican Executive Committee; appointed by Gov. Rick Scott to the SWFMD board; planning commission; two terms as county commissioner. He is embedded in Sarasota County politics.
We don’t need that in the tax collector’s office.
To Ford-Coates’ credit, she has focused her 40 years in office on doing the job, not becoming a public political poohbah.
n 2) Style matters. It especially matters at the local levels of politics, where elected officials often encounter their constituents face to face, unlike the Washington swamp rats who hide in D.C.’s congressional tunnels.
On style, Moran hasn’t earned the tax collector’s job. We addressed this in this space in June. (YourObserver.com/News/2024/Jun/26/ Opinion-For-Sarasota-Tax-Collector/)
While you can give Moran credit for his pursuit of “making government accountable to the taxpayers” and of “as little governmental intrusion as possible,” he has used his County Commission position as a bully. We recounted three highprofile instances of this in our June editorial.
Moran’s pattern has been not to collaborate or engage constituents. Instead, his style has been emblematic of what has happened throughout every level of government. Once in office, rather than act as public servants and engage and discuss issues with affected parties, so many politicians relish and exert their power like monarchical rulers. Their way or be damned.
For 40 years, Sarasota voters have set aside partisanship and overwhelmingly approved of the job that Ford-Coates has done as Sarasota County tax collector. This is no time to change. Ford-Coates has earned her position for another four years.
We recommend: Barbara FordCoates
SARASOTA PUBLIC HOSPITAL BOARD
At-Large, Seat 1: Sharon Wetzler DePeters, Republican, incumbent; Alan Jerome Sprintz, Democrat; Ethan Garrett, Suzanne Hatatah, Jennifer Lee Zambrano, Write-ins
At-Large, Seat 2: Dale Anderson, Democrat; Kevin Cooper, Republican
At-Large, Seat 3: George Davis, Democrat; Pam Beitlich, Republican; Curt Erlandson and Emilio Carlesimo, Write-ins Central District, Seat 1: Sarah Lodge, Republican, incumbent; Vicki Lynn Nighswander, Democrat; Barbara Miller Vaughn, Write-in
If you conducted man (woman)on-the-street interviews and asked passersby to name any of the elected Sarasota Public Hospital Board members, likely you would get a blank look 99% of the time.
The job draws attention on rare occasions, far less attention than most elected offices. But it is one of the most important elected offices in the region when you consider the magnitude and scope of what it does.
The hospital board members are the governing body for a $1.6 billion (annual revenues) healthcare enterprise that treats more than 1.5
million people a year; has 900 beds; has more than 570 physicians and more than 10,000 employees (the most of any employer in Sarasota County).
On top of that, this health care system has been on its largest and most successful expansion track in the hospital system’s history over the past five years. In 2021, for instance, amid the chaos from the pandemic, Sarasota Memorial opened its new 110-bed Venice hospital. Demand for that grew so fast, SMH will complete the doubling of its size this year.
Next up: a new hospital in North Port.
SMH’s financial statements detail that $722 million is being invested for the following projects: n $239.2 million to double the Venice facility; $220 million to complete an outpatient cancer center; $71.1 million for a new behavioral health pavilion; $79.7 million for the SMH Research & Education Institute, including a parking garage; $28.2 million for a freestanding emergency care center in Lakewood Ranch.
And just to add to all that, throughout the past four years, Sarasota Memorial Hospital consistently has been awarded and ranked among the best of its peers nationally and in Florida.
We enumerate all of the above to make the unequivocal case (once again) that the incumbent hospital board members running for reelection pass the litmus test: If they’re performing well, reelect them — Sharon Wetzler DePeters and Sarah Lodge. Keep going.
But there also are two open seats with no incumbents. In those races, the choices are clear — we recommended two of those candidates in the August primary: Kevin Cooper, At-Large, Seat 2; and Pam Beitlich, At-Large, Seat 3.
Cooper is a well-regarded civic and business leader in Sarasota.
Currently a vice president at Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium, Cooper previously served as executive director and CEO of the Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce and the Sarasota Chamber of Commerce and has been involved as a board member for numerous not-forprofit organizations in his 20-plus years in Sarasota.
Cooper’s opponent, Democrat Dale P. Anderson is a retired physician. Little known in Sarasota, Anderson has expressed views that hospital board members should be proponents of public health issues, including advocating for expanding Medicare statewide and for improved gun safety.
For At-Large, Seat 3, Beitlich also faces a retired physician, Democrat George Davis, and two unserious write-in candidates, Curt Erlandson and Emilio Carlesimo.
Here is the defining difference between Beitlich and Davis: Beitlich, 66, knows SMH intimately; for Davis, 77, it would be new.
Beitlich recently retired as Sarasota Memorial’s executive director of Women and Children’s Services after a 40-year career there. She oversaw high-risk labor and delivery and mother baby departments — more than 4,500 births at SMH last year. And she oversaw SMH’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, the only Level III unit between St. Petersburg and Fort Myers, for the most critical babies.
Beitlich has a doctorate in healthcare systems leadership, a master’s in nursing and is an advanced practice registered nurse. As she says:
“I understand the clinical side of running a healthcare system, as well as the day-to-day operations.”
With her 40 years at SMH, Beitlich knows well the hospital system’s strengths, weaknesses and needs. Davis, on the other hand, could bring the perspective of a physician who practiced 35 years. But if SMH were your business, whose institutional knowledge and wisdom would you rather have on the board? We’ll take Beitlich’s. We recommend: Sharon Wetzler DePeters, Kevin Cooper, Pam Beitlich and Sarah Lodge
“If we are to build a better world, we must remember that the guiding principle is this — a policy of freedom for the individual is the only truly progressive policy.” Friedrich Hayek “Road to Serfdom,” 1944
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MATT WALSH
TUESDAY, SEPT. 10
LEFT IN A HURRY
3:26 a.m., 1000 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive
Officer Public Service: A Longboat
Key officer was dispatched to a local resort about a civil issue. The officer met with resort staff, who advised that a male guest paid for a room and then invited two female guests the staff members speculated were sex workers. The staffers said the male guest returned to the lobby after a short time in the room and appeared to be intoxicated by his demeanor. He appeared distraught, according to the staffers’ account, and waited in the lobby for an Uber to pick him up and take him home.
The man left the resort, leaving behind all of his items in the room with the women. Staff members insisted the women were “call girls” and also speculated the man left a briefcase with a firearm up in the room. All of these events happened three hours before police were contacted. The officer advised the staff members that this was a civil matter, but said they should call LBKPD if assistance is needed later.
FRIDAY, SEPT. 6
Officer Public Service: Officers were dispatched to investigate a reported suspicious vehicle. The caller stated the vehicle was parked in some bushes and he was unable to see into the vehicle. The responding officers found the vehicle in question in an alley, but it was not all that suspicious. The vehicle was parked legally on private property with sunshades on the windows. Officers ensured the vehicle was not reported stolen and the owner had a valid license, so the case was closed.
LATE-NIGHT FISHING
9:09 p.m., 7100 block of Longboat Drive East
Suspicious Person: A citizen called to report suspicious fishermen who arrived by boat and were fishing from the caller’s dock. Upon arrival, the officer spoke with four men who were fishing from a boat. They said they were aware the dock was private property and said they did not fish from the docks.
SATURDAY, SEPT. 7
SUSPICIOUS NOISES
AROUND THE HOUSE
5:11 a.m., 4300 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive
Suspicious Incident: Dispatch sent an officer to respond when a resident reported hearing loud banging throughout their condo. An officer was nearby and responded quickly, noting that no one was at the residence’s front door or in the area at the time. The caller asked the officer to search the residence and the closets, but nothing appeared out of place to the officer.
THURSDAY, SEPT. 12
RESIDENT INSISTS NO EXCEPTIONS
8:15 p.m., 6600 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive
Noise
Disturbance: After-hours construction noise prompted police response. At the scene, an officer saw two trucks belonging to an electric company and two unknown work trucks getting ready to leave. The officer spoke with the foreman at the scene who said he and his electrical crew arrived a couple of hours previously to assist the other contractors. He said they ran into many problems along the way and his boss told him the job needed to be finished. The foreman also said the resident — the complainant — had come over and harassed the workers for working past 5 p.m. and would not listen when the foreman tried explaining the situation. The officer then spoke with the complainant, who began yelling at the officer about the issue. Though the officer tried explaining the work was necessary to ensure power lines were safe, the complainant insisted the officer should give the crews citations. The officer reiterated that he would not be issuing any citations.
A passion for learning
Plymouth Harbor’s Lynne Woodman says a passion for learning led her to great experiences.
express interest in leading the program and eventually won approval to move forward.
When a telephone technician refused to serve a man suffering from the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s, Lynne Woodman said the news spread like wildfire across the Baby Bell Telephone companies.
At the time, Woodman worked in the crisis management communications department at the Ohio Bell Telephone Co.
She had been passionate about social justice issues since she was a child, and she became infuriated upon hearing that the head of the communications department rejected making a program to educate the company’s employees about AIDS.
Knowing the importance of the issue, Woodman went to the CEO to
Woodman spent many hours researching the AIDS epidemic, how it was spread and prevention tactics. She also interviewed employees who were affected by the epidemic to add a human touch to the program.
“I developed the program and went to the union and asked for 30 guys (to attend a lecture),” Woodman said. “I didn’t care who they were. I just needed 30 guys. I talked about AIDS and how AIDS was spread. I said, ‘We all need to be alert.’ About an hour after the lecture finished, I got a call and they said, ‘I’ve got 130 guys who want to listen to you.’” Woodman said the program became a national model for her company and was adopted by every telephone company in the country.
WORSHIP directory
Now, Woodman lives at Plymouth Harbor Retirement Community and said she still is a “learning junkie.” Woodman’s passion for educating herself and others continues to burn bright, and she calls the AIDS awareness program the best accomplishment in her life.
Along with being accomplished in crisis management communications, Woodman said her passion for learning turned into the second anchor in her life, to go with music. She started playing piano as a child and has been an accomplished pianist since her high school years.
Throughout her life, Woodman approached learning as the key to discovering herself and how she could impact society. Today, she uses it to discover new things about herself.
OPENING HER EYES
Woodman navigated the first 10 years of her life despite being “legally blind.”
Her future success was in doubt as she struggled through her school classes in Akron, Ohio.
With her parents, Robert and Frances Stinaff, opposed to modern medicine, her ability to keep up with her classmates wasn’t likely. Eventually, the school sent home a letter telling her parents to take their daughter to a qualified ophthalmologist or they would seek legal action.
“My mother broke down and took me to an ophthalmologist,” Woodman said. “He put the frames with the black lenses on me and put the chart up on the wall. When he took the black lenses out, I still remember my scream.
“I started seeing these visual images in my brain, and I didn’t understand them. I wanted to discover more. Since then, my life has all been about what can I learn.”
After that appointment, the ophthalmologist urged the Stinaffs to get glasses for Woodman. Through corrective surgery, she was able to process those new visual images she saw through glasses.
Woodman said that is where her journey as a “learning junkie” began.
MUSIC TO HER EARS
Music has been a key factor in Woodman’s life since her childhood. Originally from Ohio, she started playing piano when she was 4 years old. Her greatest musical accomplishment took place in high school when she played with the Cleveland Orchestra Chorus on a whim.
Her high school music teacher sang for the chorus and wanted to inspire Woodman by having her attend a session by the talented performers. So, one day she decided to “smuggle” Woodman into a rehearsal.
That day, the conductor walked up to his stand and announced that the accompanist had fallen ill. Immediately, her music teacher stood up and suggested Woodman, who was hid-
ing in a corner of the room, would take over on the piano.
“The conductor said, ‘Come on up and play,’” said Woodman. “He looked at this 17-year-old kid and didn’t bat an eye. So, I sat down at the piano and we launched into the song. The first page turn was difficult. So I’m playing, and a hand reaches over and turns the page. I couldn’t believe it. Robert Shaw, the greatest choral conductor of the 20th century, was turning pages for me. That might have been the best musical experience of my life.”
ON AIR
Woodman started as a piano accompanist in high school and then majored in music at Ohio Wesleyan University.
During her 20s, her father was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. She realized she wasn’t being paid enough as an accompanist to visit him regularly, so she started looking for another career. It led her to explore her love for words and to minor in communications.
Woodman’s curiosity led her to become a local television reporter for WLWT in Cincinnati. Her favorite assignment was taking paramedic classes while on the air. Her weekly segment would educate viewers about the steps it took to become a paramedic.
She said the news van she drove looked identical to the police vans at the time, so it led to her being frequently stopped by residents who were looking for help with minor medical emergencies. That included delivering two babies on the side of the road.
LEARNING NEVER AGES
At 81 years old, Woodman continues to learn about herself and the world around her. She continues with her passion for music and words. She is currently rehearsing to perform in a recital in January at Plymouth Harbor. She also helps with communication efforts in the community, such as writing emails, speeches for staff members and delivering hurricane news.
Recently, Woodman attended a series at Plymouth Harbor titled “Acting Our Age.” Led by the Playworks Group performing arts company, the course dives into understanding one’s self in their elderly years through the reflection of their past. They plan to perform their stories for the public on Oct. 27. Woodman said that the program changed her view on love.
“I have learned more about who I am and what matters to me than I ever have in my entire life,” said Woodman. “I would have loved to know this when I was 35, but I don’t think I had the maturity to understand it. Now I do, so I just embrace it and go forward.”
“I would have loved to know this when I was 35, but I don’t think I had the maturity to understand it. Now I do, so I just embrace it and go forward.”
Lynne Woodman
PETRA RIVERA STAFF WRITER
Petra Rivera
Plymouth Harbor resident Lynne Woodman shared how her love for learning led her through her life’s accomplishments.
ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT
ROOF RAISING THE
Venice Theatre celebrates its 75th anniversary as it seeks to repair Hurricane Ian damage.
MONICA ROMAN GAGNIER
ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
During the early and mid-20th century, a movement swept the country. This was before the crazes for Elvis, coonskin caps and Hula-Hoops. Even before TikTok, Americans were subject to fads and manias. Seventyfive years ago, it seems every town wanted its own community theater.
Exactly when and why the Little Theatre Movement started is a subject of extensive debate and scholarship. But the local theater push appears to have been inspired by the European model. It also developed as a form of pushback against the rise of cinema, which was supplanting live theater in the U.S., and later, TV. It was this desire to have live local theater that led to the founding of the Venice Theatre 75 years ago, according to Benny Sato Ambush, the theater’s artistic director.
The first meeting of the theater’s organizers was on Nov. 23, 1950.
Founders Muriel Olds-Dundas and Sonia Terry took out an ad in The Venice Gondolier that read, “Active memberships, which will cost $5, will be available to those who want to act, usher, take tickets, clean out the place or whatnot.” Participants were incentivized to attend with the promise of a picnic lunch.
Flash forward to present day.
Today, the Venice Theatre is considered the second-largest community theater among the more than 10,000 such institutions in the U.S.
Its first production was George Kelly’s “The Torch Bearers,” a 1922 character-driven comedy about a community staging a play. To celebrate its diamond anniversary, in the
2024-25 season, Venice Theatre has revived the play within a play. “It’s our origin story,” Ambush says.
The new version of “The Torch Bearers” runs at the Venice Theatre’s Raymond Center from Sept. 20-Oct.
13. Normally, a big anniversary is cause for rejoicing and unabashed fundraising for a nonprofit cultural institution. That’s certainly the case with the Venice Theatre. However, the fundraising part took on a new urgency after the theater missed out on a $6 million federal grant earlier this year.
GOVERNMENT SUPPORT THINS
The Sarasota County Commission essentially snubbed the Venice Theatre in May when it decided how to spend more than $200 million in federal funds to help communities recover from Hurricane Ian and prepare for future storms.
The theater was counting on some of that funding to help rebuild its mainstage Jervey Theatre. The Jervey’s fly tower for storing stage equipment and its back wall were destroyed by Hurricane Ian in September 2022.
To add insult to injury, in June, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis unexpectedly vetoed $32 million in arts grants for fiscal year 2025. The previous year, the state cultural grants program delivered $70,500 to the Venice Theatre.
All told, the cost of rebuilding the 432-seat Jervey Theatre is $25 million, of which $9 million has been raised, including a $1 million donation from Jim and Donna Boldt. That still leaves a $16 million gap.
In the face of such a massive shortfall, Ambush is remarkably upbeat. Clearly, the theater’s trouper men-
tality is deeply ingrained in Ambush, a veteran arts educator and administrator who holds an MFA from the University of California at San Diego and a BA in theater and literature from Brown University.
Commenting on the theater’s ongoing recovery from Hurricane Ian, Ambush says, “Our community has responded beautifully. Many small donors have come through. The need is for a big one.”
LIFE HAD OTHER PLANS
Ambush first came to Venice in 2010 as an adjudicator for WorldFest, an event featuring theater companies from around the globe sponsored by the American Association of Community Theatre hosted by the Venice Theatre.
After serving as a WorldFest adjudicator (theater-speak for judge) again in 2014, Ambush returned to Venice full time in July 2021 as artistic director. He originally thought he would be staying for a year to help the company get back on its feet after Covid.
“They invited me to come down for a year only,” Ambush said in a telephone interview. “They asked me to help them plan the next 25 years and upgrade the acting quality.”
Ambush was recruited by Producing Executive Director Murray Chase to replace Alan Kollar, who died in August 2020. Shortly after Ambush helped the Venice Theatre reopen in 2022, Hurricane Ian struck and destroyed much of the structure that once was the winter home of the Kentucky Military Institute.
“There was no rebar,” Ambush says, referring to steel rods that reinforce concrete structures. “It was just cinder blocks and mortar. It just crumbled. Once it crumbled,
all that rain and wind came inside.
There was a great deal of damage to the roof.”
Ian’s arrival extended Ambush’s run at the Venice Theatre as Chase turned his attention to fundraising and Kristopher Geddie was named executive director in August 2023. Geddie was previously director of diversity at Venice Theatre.
Following the destruction inflicted by Ian, the Venice Theatre was able to transform its arts and education building, which was undergoing renovations, into the Raymond Center, which has 130 seats. It also performs in its existing black-box Pinkerton Theatre, which has 90 seats.
Concerts have been taking place in the Venice Performing Arts Center and the Venice Community Center and will continue to do so until the Jervey is rebuilt, Ambush says.
THE SHOW MUST GO ON
But until that day, the Venice Theatre has 300 fewer tickets to sell to its plays. That creates a deeper financial hole as production costs are spread over fewer seats than before. Still, the show must go on, and it will with great fanfare during the Venice Theatre’s 75th season.
The diamond anniversary season schedule has a total of 15 productions, Ambush says. Besides “The Torch Bearers,” other upcoming revivals from the theater’s long history are “Agnes of God,” “My Fair Lady” and “Alice in Wonderland.”
The 75th season also features Venice Theatre’s traditional annual productions of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol,” its Pinky’s Players shows for thespians with mental
Venice Theatre has revived its first show, “The Torch Bearers,” to open its 75th anniversary season.
IF YOU GO
‘THE TORCH BEARERS’ When: Sept. 20-Oct. 13 Where: Venice Theatre’s Raymond Center, 140 Tampa Ave. W., Venice Tickets: $15-$35
Info: Visit VeniceTheatre.org.
“Our community has responded beautifully. Many small donors have come through. The need is for a big one.”
Benny Sato Ambush, Venice Theatre’s artistic director
Courtesy images
Venice Theatre’s first show, a 1950 production of “The Torch Bearers.”
FROM PAGE 11
and physical disabilities and its Silver Foxes offerings by senior players.
For those who want something new, the Venice Theatre is producing three musicals, including “9 to 5,” based on the 1980 film about frustrated clerical staffers who want to get back at their boss. The film’s theme was written and recorded by Dolly Parton.
The other musicals are “The Lightning Thief,” about a youth who learns he has supernatural abilities, and “Don’t Touch That Dial,” which uses TV theme songs to encourage audience participation in a trivia contest.
Also making their debut this season are “The Learned Ladies,” a husband-hunting comedy written by the 17th-century French playwright Moliere, and “Syncopation,” which follows a meatpacker’s effort to find a suitable partner to help him launch a career as a ballroom dancer.
WorldFest is on hold until the Jervey is rebuilt, Ambush says, but other programs central to its mission are ongoing. “Our extensive educational and community engagement programs have continued without a hitch,” he adds. “Those programs will grow once we get back to our
plan of renovating our arts and education center.”
SPREADING THE WORD
In addition to looking for big donors to help rebuild the Jervey, Ambush and his team have to spend a lot of time educating the public about why they need so much money.
Some patrons and donors have the misconception that insurance covers all the costs of rebuilding after a storm. Also helping drive up costs are inflation and the need for repairs to satisfy modern building codes, Ambush notes.
The Jervey Theatre roof, installed for $225,000 in 2016, costs $861,000 to replace today.
One silver lining is that an architectural and construction team was in place to renovate the arts center when Ian struck. That helped the theater pivot to fashioning the Raymond Center and beginning repairs.
As the hunt for big checks continues, does Ambush have a message for the community on the occasion of the Venice Theatre’s 75th anniversary? Yes, he does.
“We appreciate all the love and support we’ve gotten from our volunteers,” he says. “And we wouldn’t be here after 75 years without our audiences. Thank you!”
Courtesy photo
Hurricane Ian destroyed the Venice Theatre main stage, the 432-seat Jervey Theatre, in September 2022.
ROOF
THIS WEEK
OUR PICK
APRIL MACIE
April Macie taps into her rough-andtumble upbringing to deliver explicit material, running the gamut from dysfunctional family drama to a history lesson on the first vibrator. Macie makes her way to the McCurdy’s stage fresh from appearances in Las Vegas. Come learn why her latest album is called “Shame.” Runs through Sept. 22.
7:30 p.m. at The Sarasota Players, 3501 S. Tamiami Trail, Suite 1130
$13-$30 Visit ThePlayers.org.
The Sarasota Players presents “Seussical,” a musical based on the many children’s books by Dr. Seuss. Runs through Sept. 22.
SATURDAY
SARASOTA OPERA
FOOD & WINE FESTIVAL
1 p.m. at Sarasota Opera House, 63 N. Pineapple Ave.
$85 Visit SarasotaOpera.org.
Come out and sample bites from area restaurants such as Jack Dusty, Mattison’s, Michael’s On East, Rose & Ivy and Selva Grill to support Sarasota Youth Opera, which will perform at 2 p.m. There will also be raffle drawings.
SUNDAY
SEPTEMBER SERENADE
4 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church, 2050 Oak St.
$43-$63
Visit ArtistSeriesConcerts.org.
Sponsored by Artist Series Concerts, “September Serenade” features violist Milena Pajaro-van de Stadt, clarinetist Bharat Chandra and pianist Natalie Nedvetsky playing trios by Mozart, Bruch and Robert Schumann, and an arrangement of Prokofiev’s “Romeo and Juliet” for viola and piano.
BIG NIGHT OUT
8 p.m. at Fogartyville, 525 Kumquat Court
$10-$18
Visit WSLR.org.
Celebrate Sunday Funday with Big Night Out, a seven-piece tropicalstyle dance band with a powerful horn section, grooving conga and Joni Adno’s commanding vocals.
MONDAY
‘NIGHT, REFLECTED’
7:30 p.m. First Congregational Church, 1031 S. Euclid Ave. $30 Visit ENSRQ.org.
EnsembleNewSRQ, the contemporary classic ensemble led by George Nickson and Samantha Bennett, returns to the Sarasota Opera House for the first show of its ninth season. The program, “Night, Reflected,” contemplates the cosmos with chamber music works.
TUESDAY
‘SHREK THE MUSICAL’
7:30 p.m. at Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 N. Tamiami Trail $45-$95 Visit VanWezel.org.
With music by Jeanine Tesori and book and lyrics by David LindsayAbaire, “Shrek the Musical” invites you to “fall in love all ogre again.” The green monster, who became a sensation in the 2001 DreamWorks Animation film, clearly has “legs,” as they say in the theater world. The unlikely hero gets an assist in his odyssey from a sarcastic donkey and a rebellious princess. Runs through Sept. 25.
DON’T MISS
FRIDAY FEST: K-LUV & THE UNITED FUNK FOUNDATION
When: 5 p.m. Friday, Sept. 20
Where: Van Wezel Lawn, 777 N. Tamiami Trail Tickets: Free Info: Visit VanWezel.org.
Say goodbye to summer by partying on the lawn of the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall with K-Luv & the United Funk Foundation as Friday Fest returns after its hot-weather hiatus.
Strike up the Stiletto Brass!
Bradenton trumpeter Vince DiMartino joins the all-female band for a Sarasota performance.
MONICA ROMAN GAGNIER
+ ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
When some people see the word “stiletto,” they imagine knives. Trumpeter Amy Gilreath thinks of high-heeled shoes. That’s why she chose the name Stiletto Brass when she and tuba player Velvet Brown formed the all-female quintet back in 2010.
It’s not just a marketing shtick. Members of Stiletto Brass really do enjoy shoe shopping together in the spare time. They also like to kick up their heels, mostly on stage.
Sarasota music fans will get to see Stiletto Brass strut their stuff on Friday, Sept. 27, when they play at Holley Hall under the auspices of The Pops Orchestra.
The Stiletto Brass last performed in Sarasota as the featured guest at the Pops Orchestra’s “Jersey Boys, California Girls” concert in February 2018. When Pops conductor Robyn Bell heard that Stiletto Brass was planning to tour Florida again, “I jumped at the chance for the Pops to host them,” she says.
Adds Bell, “We are thrilled to bring this recital to our Cultural Coast, with the support of Pops board member Amy Schachter, for all to enjoy. Audience members will be amazed at the power, sound and versatility of this brass quintet. They are show-stoppers.”
Talk about a ringing endorsement. The Stiletto Brass definitely has some big shoes to fill. Make that tall shoes. After all, they do wear red high heels for their performances.
All members of the Stiletto Brass — Gilreath, trumpeter Susan Rider, horn player Stacie Mickens, tuba player Brown and trombonist Natalie Mannix — have “day jobs,” mostly as
music professors. But their colleges — the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana for Gilreath and Penn State for Brown — let them take some time off for professional development, experiences that they pass along to their students when they return to the classroom.
Given the packed schedule of the band’s members, Stiletto Brass sometimes performs with guest players. In Sarasota, Megan Boutin will play trombone while Chicago musician and teacher Bethany Vaughan will serve as the band’s second trumpeter.
For members of Stiletto Brass, it wasn’t always an easy decision to play a brass instrument when they were growing up.
In a telephone interview, Gilreath said, “Velvet Brown, our tuba player, and myself came through the public school system when young ladies didn’t play brass instruments. It’s been kind of a hard road.”
One inspiration was Marie Speziale, the first female trumpet player to play in a major orchestra. Speziale retired from the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra in November 1996. Today, Gilreath calls Speziale a “dear friend of mine and Velvet’s.”
For their Sarasota recital, Stiletto Brass will play a program called “Struttin’ with the Stiletto Brass.” It will feature selections in tune with the “struttin’” theme. These include a piece by trumpeter and composer Jens Lindemann about dodging taxi cabs in London called “When a Body Meets a Body,” “Central Park in the Morning” by David Chesky and “Struttin’ with Some BBQ” by composer Kenneth Abeling.
Other selections include an arrangement of George Gershwin’s “Summertime” and Gershwin’s “Someone to Watch Over Me.”
Rounding out the program will be a piece called “Scarpa” (shoe in Italian) that was commissioned for Stiletto Brass.
Adding some masculine energy to the show is the celebrated trumpet player Vince DiMartino, who was once Gilreath’s music teacher and now is a friend and collaborator.
DiMartino and his wife, Patti, moved to the Sarasota area three years ago so Patti could pursue treatment for a rare type of cancer at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa.
They still maintain a house in Kentucky, where DiMartino is the spokesman for Pickett Brass and Blackburn Trumpets in Lexington.
A native of Long Island, DiMartino says he has been playing music for as long as he can remember. “I’ve loved music forever,” he said in a telephone interview. “I played in the marching band, the concert band, the jazz band. I would volunteer to play ‘Taps’ at funerals.”
DiMartino’s list of credits spans the academic, classical and popular
music worlds. He began teaching at the University of Kentucky when he was just 23 and has been an artistfaculty member of the Skidmore Jazz Institute since its inception in 1988.
Classical music fans will be familiar with DiMartino’s work as a soloist with such symphony orchestras as Buffalo, New York, Sante Fe, New Mexico, Orlando, Rochester, New York, and Cincinnati.
Cincinnati was where DiMartino met Speziale. “She is one of the greatest people I know,” he says. “She’s from Tampa. She took me to West Tampa Sandwich Shop for the first time. It’s got the best Cuban anywhere.”
Despite his affiliation with many elite organizations, DiMartino believes in getting involved in music at the local level. Since arriving in Florida three years ago, he’s played at Latin Quarters on Beneva Road and with the Lakewood Ranch Woodwind Ensemble. “The most important thing you can do is play in your community,” DiMartino says.
IF YOU GO ‘STRUTTIN’ WITH THE STILETTO BRASS’ When: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 27
Where: Holley Hall, 709 N. Tamiami Trail. Tickets: $35 and up Info: Visit ThePops Orchestra.org.
Stiletto Brass consists of (from left) Susan Rider on trumpet, Stacie Mickens on horn, Velvet Brown on tuba, Natalie Mannix on trombone and Amy Gilreath on trumpet.
Courtesy images Trumpet virtuoso Vince DiMartino
Sept. 7 at Michael’s On East Benefiting Girls Inc., Sarasota
Girls Inc., Sarasota, held its seventh annual Totally Tailgate at Michael’s On East on Saturday, Sept. 7. Attended by about 225 guests, the event was a true FUNraiser — complete with tailgate fare, competitive cornhole, a beer garden with local brews, live music, a quarterback toss and multiple screens. Even for guests who didn’t know the difference between a Fiesta Bowl and a Siesta Bowl, event planners made sure every detail was perfect to ensure a true tailgate experience. Event chairs were Renee Phinney and Glen Rieth, Melissa and Scott Perrin and Danny and Fondren Watts.
With 53 chance-drawing donors contributing exciting gift bags, there was a constant stream of guests who had to decide which bag to place their ticket in for the best shot at winning. Guests donned T-shirts emblazoned with their favorite team names. An informal count declares the University of Florida the winner with the biggest fan base, while FSU and USF vied for second place. Also spotted: Florida Atlantic, University of Miami and College of the Holy Cross.
— JANET COMBS
Suzanne Meister volunteers with her friend, Cynthia Sweeney, operations manager at Girls Inc.
Photos by Janet Combs Greg and Daria Ferreira
Kay Mathers, Gilda Dennis, Jen Maglio, Scott Dennis and Altom Maglio
YOUR NEIGHBORS
THE FUTURE OF
OCEAN CONSERVATION
The annual Youth Ocean Conservation Summit hosts students from around the
PETRA RIVERA STAFF WRITER
Apassion for the ocean came naturally to Sean Russell because of his native Floridian roots.
“He has been coming to Mote since he could crawl,” said his father, Dan
Inspired by his time visiting Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium during his childhood, Sean Russell interned for the Sarasota Dolphin Research Program at the aquarium starting in high school. In his time there, he noticed how important it was to start learning about ocean conservation from a young age for his generation to make an impact.
In 2011, he launched the annual Youth Ocean Conservation Summit to develop a community of youth interested in educating and impacting the ocean conservation field in their local communities.
After moving to Tennessee with his family after Hurricane Ian, Sean Russell comes back every year to Mote to lead the Youth Ocean Conservation Summit.
On Sept. 12, middle school and high school students from around Florida and the country attended the summit to learn about the current threats facing marine ecosystems.
With the theme of “Seas the Future,” participants engaged in multiple workshops covering recent problems in the field of ocean conservation, such as water policy, protection of mangroves and wetlands and marine debris issues.
Local high school students Brice Claypoole and Megan Barry held the keynote presentation leading into the morning workshops. Participants learned about ocean threats through interactive activities, such
as building oyster gardens.
In the afternoon, participants chose between three tracks for breakout sessions that are based on Mote’s partnerships, such as Suncoast Waterkeepers, Right to Clean Water Act and NOAA Marine Debris Program. The sessions included a track on water quality and water policy, a track on mangrove restoration and coastal resilience and a track on sustainable fisheries and marine debris.
“Today has been very rewarding for me,” said ninth grader Sophia Haakman from Pine View School in Osprey. “Conservation is not necessarily a topic I am interested in, but I was shocked by some of the things I learned today. Some things that I thought were just common sense are affecting our oceans in terrible ways, like the fact that in Florida, we don’t have the right to clean water. So, it makes me more motivated to participate in more groups that are impacting ocean conservation.”
Children leaders in ocean conservation attended the summit to educate about their specific mission, such as Anya Gupta, 12, from Boca Raton, Cash Daniels, 13, from
Tennessee and Lidea Clever, 9, from Georgia. All three children have written children’s books about ocean conservation and have won awards for their impacts in the field.
“I really like getting to educate people about these issues so that when they are older, they can help protect our oceans,” said Clever.
To end the summit, Sean Russell led the children in a conservation project action planning session.
Through this conclusion, he posed questions that would inspire them to develop their own conservation projects for their communities based on the connections they made and everything they learned throughout the summit.
“It’s really important that we don’t just focus on those issues and challenges, but that we pivot and shift to the tangible steps that you can take to bring about change when it comes to those issues,” said Sean Russell. “It’s pretty rare to be able to get together youth who want to make a difference, so it is great to be able to work with them and get them started young. If not them, then who is going to take care of our oceans?”
“I really like getting to educate people about these issues so that when they are older, they can help protect
Sean Russell, Cash Daniels and Lidea Clever at the 2024 Youth Ocean Conservation Summit.
Caitlyn Cooke, Elaina Wheaton and Hadley Hall at the 2024 Youth Ocean Conservation Summit.
Eighth grader
Anya Gupta traveled from Boca Raton to talk about her newest children’s book about ocean conservation.
Photos by Petra Rivera
Local high school volunteers helped lead the 2024 Youth Ocean Conservation Summit at Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium.
our oceans.”
Lidea Clever, 9
2067 HARBOUR
2067
Sarasota artist Debbie Lemieux didn’t know what to do when she inherited an abundance of jewelry and crystals from her mother-in-law. Soon, her creativity sparked an idea.
“I had always loved hanging sun catchers from windows and repurposing old jewelry,” said Lemieux. “They shine rainbows all over the room, so I thought it was the perfect, inexpensive way to honor the jewelry I had and artistically experiment with different pieces.”
This year, Lemieux started creating her own sun catchers. Going beyond antique jewelry, Lemieux started using anything she could find to make these sun catchers, including keys, beads and medallions.
With all the materials provided, Lemieux led Longboaters in making their own sun catchers Sept. 11 as the second part of her “Do-ItYourself” art series at the Paradise Center. In the first class on Aug. 26, the group colorized photographs with pan-pastels to create art prints.
The three attendees of the Sept. 11 class used driftwood as the base for the sun catcher and hung strings with a mix of beads,
crystals, medallions and keys that Lemieux collected. Sallie West joined her close friend, Donna Powell, who lives on Longboat Key, in the class. She said this was the perfect activity for bonding with a friend and expressing creativity. Lemieux is excited to offer more creative classes at the Paradise Center, such as flower arranging and paper making.
“I love being able to share the techniques I learn with other people,” said Lemieux.
— PETRA RIVERA
Photos by Petra Rivera Donna Powell planned out the items used for her sun catcher before making it at the Paradise Center.
Debbie Lemieux taught herself to make sun catchers out of old jewelry and trinkets.
YOUR CALENDAR
FESTIVAL
10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at St. Armands Circle Park, 1 St. Armands Circle. Free. For two days, festival-goers will enjoy works from crafters around Florida and the newest names in the contemporary craft scene. They will display unique jewelry, pottery, plant holders, soaps and more. An expansive green market will also be included to purchase plants such as orchids and food including dips and sauces. Call 561-746-6615.
SATURDAY, SEPT. 21
MUSIC BY AKIEM ESDAILE
6-9 p.m. at Whitney’s, 6990 Gulf of Mexico Drive. Akiem Esdaile will bring you into a new generation of Jazz guitars. While at Whitney’s, enjoy the soothing sounds of Sarasota’s most refreshing jazz guitarist. Call 383-4606.
RECURRING EVENTS
MONDAYS
STRETCH AND STRENGTHEN
From 10-11 a.m. at The Paradise Center, 546 Bay Isles Road. This class is mostly seated and great for all fitness levels. Focus is on strength training and flexibility for balance. Suzy Brenner leads the class. Fee is $15. Walk-ins welcome. Call 3836493.
TUESDAYS PILATES SCULPT
From 9-9:50 a.m. at The Paradise Center, 546 Bay Isles Road. Pilates Sculpt is a combination class mixing traditional Pilates exercises into a fun, challenging workout to upbeat music. Cost is $15. Walk-ins welcome. Call 383-6493.
MAHJONG
From 1-3 p.m. at The Paradise Center, 546 Bay Isles Road. Fun time for experienced players. To check availability at the tables, email Amy@ TheParadiseCenter.org.
TUESDAYS AND FRIDAYS LONGBOAT LIBRARY
From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Tuesday and Friday, 555 Bay Isles Road. Call 3832011.
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 25 SOUND BATH
2-3 p.m. at The Paradise Center, 546 Bay Isles Road. Amy Steinhauser will lead a fully immersive experience using singing bowls, a gong, chimes and more. Suitable for all ages, her sound baths will relax you with healing frequencies that balance your body and mind. Space is limited, so advance registration is required. Members pay $25; nonmembers pay $40. Call 383-6493.
WEDNESDAYS BEGINNER TAI CHI
From 10-11 a.m. at The Paradise Center, 546 Bay Isles Road. Class is outdoors, weather permitting. Cost is $15. Walk-ins welcome. Call 3836493.
THURSDAYS
ZUMBA & TONING
9:45-10:30 a.m. at The Paradise Center, 546 Bay Isles Road. Taught by Reena Malik, this class begins with 30 minutes of zumba and finishes with mat Pilates for flexibility and strengthening core muscles. Come for 30 or 60 minutes. Free for members; $15 for nonmembers.
Courtesy image
Amy Steinhauser taps and circles each singing bowl with her mallet to provide a mix of different frequencies.
WILD FLORIDA
A filtration system at work
By removing impurities, filtration by wetlands improves downstream water quality.
fter a short closure because of flooding associated with Hurricane Debby, Myakka River State Park reopened to the public.
As is typical during the rainy season, Myakka’s many wetlands continue to act as holding areas for large quantities of surface water. With countless wading birds and American alligators greatly enjoying their expanded wetland habitats, it’s an especially magical time to visit the park.
In addition to containing water and supporting biodiversity, wetlands provide another important function. By slowing down the flow of floodwaters, they filter out impurities.
Especially during heavy rain events, many pollutants, such as soil particles, fertilizers and pesticides, are washed from developed areas and carried overland in watersheds to water bodies. Importantly, floodwaters contained by wetlands get filtered as nutrients are stored and absorbed by plants or microorganisms, while sediment has time to settle. Wetlands are therefore often referred to as “nature’s kidneys.”
As part of the Myakka River watershed, Myakka’s wetlands hold back floodwaters, slowing the rate that water reenters the river channel, where it then flows into Charlotte Harbor. Without Myakka’s wetlands, large amounts of impurities would be released directly into the river.
Filtration services by Myakka’s wetlands therefore help keep Florida waters healthy for plants and wildlife, and fishable and swimmable for us. Unfortunately, more than half of the original wetlands area in Florida
has been drained, dredged or filled for development. Like most Florida state parks, wetlands at Myakka were impaired prior to acquisition. Recognition of the value and importance of wetland ecosystems led to the creation of laws, regulations, and plans to restore and protect wetlands. Indeed, at Myakka, maintaining wetlands health and restoring ones impacted by historic ditching is a priority.
There is a limit to how much can be added to a wetland before the natural plant and chemical filtration processes are overloaded and break down. To help protect our natural and human communities, we can avoid over-taxing our wetlands by limiting the use of pollutants (especially fertilizers and pesticides) in areas where they can potentially enter our waterways. We can support efforts to expand wetlands protections.
Friends of Myakka River exists to support Myakka River State Park and the Wild and Scenic Myakka River. Together, we’re protecting and sharing Myakka’s Magic, to the benefit of future generations, and our own. Follow us @FriendsOfMyakkaRiver.
Miri Hardy
Wetlands provide essential wildlife habitat, buffers for excess rain and filter impurities that would otherwise degrade our waterways.
2251
3500
Location,
Shawn Leven
PETRA
RIVERA STAFF WRITER
As a dedicated tennis player, Longboat resident Shawn Leven once said she would never play pickleball. Her mind was changed two years ago when she moved to Longboat and noticed the sport’s rise in popularity and its social impact. Now, pickleball has become her favorite sport and a key to making friends wherever she goes.
Leven started Friends of Pickleball in March for the players at Bayfront Park on the island. Leven is pursuing 501(c)(3) nonprofit status and said the group’s goal will be to improve courts and make pickleball more accessible on Longboat Key.
What made you pick up a paddle?
I started playing tennis when I was young but sustained a shoulder injury. After my injury, I didn’t go back to tennis. I actually had triplets and spent the next 20 years going to their sports activities. My dad (Bradley Greenberg) started playing pickleball when the boys were 5 years old. He would always try to play me, but I was like, “Tennis is king.” So, I didn’t pay much attention to it. When I lived in Atlanta around two-and-a-half years ago, he finally convinced me to play, and since then, it expanded my social life.
What benefits do you get from playing pickleball?
The biggest benefit for me has been meeting people and developing friendships on and off the court. It’s like a pickup game of basketball. You don’t have to show up with a partner or at a designated time. You literally show up with your paddle and you can join.
How competitive are you? When I play socially, I have to tone down my natural competitive spirit, but we did form a team here at Bayfront Park. That is where I can put on my game face, but I still try to be fair and friendly.
Name one thing you do that wins matches.
The most important thing for me is men-
If you would like to make a recommendation for the Longboat Observer’s Athlete of the Week feature, send it to Petra Rivera at PRivera@ YourObserver.com.
tal strength and confidence. I feed off positive enforcement from my partner, and I like to do the same for them. Keeping things energetically positive is the most important thing. The energy with your partner brings home a win.
Who has most influenced your game?
The elders who play at Bayfront inspire and influence me the most. I hope that at their age, I am physically and mentally able to play like them.
What is the funniest thing or most embarrassing moment you’ve had playing?
My partner, Sheila Loccisano, started disco hour. During open play, she will play the hippest disco music, and we just sing and dance while attempting to play. It just is just fun and helps us grow closer.
Why do you like playing pickleball?
In addition to making new friends, I can play with people of all ages, from 5 to 105. I love playing with my three sons. There isn’t another sport where I feel competitive with youngsters and then have people who are 80 kick my butt. It’s also designed with more equality between men’s and women’s skill levels in pickleball than you would (have) in other sports.
Tracey Stetler
Steven Moore
Patrick DiPinto
Rene DiPinto
Nicholle DiPinto McKiernan
John Schafer
Janette Schafer
Park Residences condo of Lido tops sales at $2.85 million
ADAM
condominium in Park Residences of Lido Key topped all transactions in this week’s real estate. Donald Black and Shari Knauer Black, of Sarasota, sold their Unit W302 condominium at 129 Taft Drive to Jeffrey Boyd and Sarah O’Brien, trustees, of Sarasota, for $2.85 million. Built in 2016, it has three bedrooms, three baths and 2,265 square feet of living area. It sold for $1,599,000 in 2016.
RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS SEPT. 2-6
PARK RESIDENCES OF LIDO KEY
Stenton Consulting LLC sold the Unit E205 condominium at 159 Taft Drive to Robert Hansen, of Sarasota, for $2,525,000. Built in 2016, it has three bedrooms, three baths and 2,228 square feet of living area. It sold for $1,487,700 in 2016.
COUNTRY CLUB SHORES
Christine Christian, of Bradenton, sold her home at 549 Halyard Lane to Brent and Monica Dunham, of Bradenton, for $2.05 million. Built in 1965, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,594 square feet of living area.
BANYAN BAY CLUB Michael and Dolores Convey, of Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, sold
their Unit 412 condominium at 5260 Gulf of Mexico Drive to Jahan and Avanya Manasseh, of Westminster, Massachusetts, for $630,000. Built in 1974, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,453 square feet of living area. It sold for $228,800 in 1999.
SPANISH MAIN YACHT CLUB
Charles and Debra Sauers, of Longboat Key, sold their Unit 112 condominium at 626 Spanish Drive S. to Cynthia Kaser, of Carmel, Indiana, for $352,800. Built in 1969, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,399 square feet of living area. It sold for $350,000 in June.
Images courtesy of Dana Westmark
Donald Black and Shari Knauer Black, of Sarasota, sold their Unit W302 condominium at 129 Taft Drive to Jeffrey Boyd and Sarah O’Brien, trustees, of Sarasota, for $2.85 million.
