Snowbirds returning for the 2024-25 season might notice a new sign out in front of Whitney Plaza. Installed this summer, the fresh signage facing GMD helps to let residents and visitors passing by know what shops are available in the plaza. The blue patterned sign perfectly matches the siding along all of Whitney Plaza.
The new sign also includes a spot for the upcoming LBK North Learning Center, which will be operated by Manatee County. The center will provide for meeting space and adult learning opportunities for Longboat Key residents.
Brenner welcomes new pooch
Lahni was a staple at the Paradise Center for all the years Suzy Brenner was executive director there.
When she resigned, current Executive Director Amy Steinhauser said, “Lahni is going to be a big thing we are going to miss around here. I think a lot of people came to pet Lahni.”
After Lahni, her dog of 10 years, died in July, Brenner said she only lasted a few days before heading to the Humane Society of Sarasota to get a new dog. It was love at first sight when Brenner’s new dog Skyler, an American Pitbull Terrier, spotted her and hopped onto her lap. If you see them out and about, be sure to say hello.
Carter Weinhofer
Petra Rivera
Suzy Brenner with her Skylar at Summer Night Out in Whitney Plaza.
Petra Rivera Richard Cannon will be hosting his first art show starting on Oct. 1 at
Angels By Sea Episcopal Church Gallery.
WEEK OF SEPT. 26, 2024
BY THE NUMBERS
1
$3.2
“Basically, it was like money falling out of the sky.”
Director of Public Works Isaac Brownman on a new funding alternative for the Broadway Roundabout. Read more on page 5
Manatee County to buy Seafood Shack
Manatee County is buying Seafood Shack, Marina, Bar & Grill. The county has agreed to pay $13 million for the waterfront property on approximately 8.9 acres in Cortez, which it plans to develop into a public boating access facility, according to a statement.
Seven separate parcels make up the property, according to county documents, including a single-family home on 0.1 acre and nearly 3 acres of submerged land leased from the state of Florida. A marina
with 124 units — 94 wet slips and 30 yard storage spaces — is included in the purchase, according to the county.
A public boat ramp and/or dry storage facility to accompany the marina are part of the county’s plans for the area, according to a statement from the county.
County commissioners voted unanimously during a Sept. 5 land use meeting to execute a contract on the property. Ownership will enable Manatee County to increase boat
ramp access by making up to 25% more boat trailer parking spaces available countywide, the statement said,. According to a statement from County Commission Chair Mike Rahn, the sale is expected to close in October.
“The county is quickly evaluating how to continue to serve those with existing contracts and upcoming agreements and make every effort to honor those contracts,” Manatee County spokesperson Bill Logan said in an email.
Main Street complete street moves forward
The reimagining of Main Street from Gulfstream Avenue to School Avenue in downtown Sarasota is now officially underway. On Monday, the Sarasota City Commission approved a contract in the amount of $2.27 million with consultant Kimley-Horn to study and provide preliminary design for the complete street project. The deadline for 60% final design is September 2025.
As a complete street, the project emphasis is on multimodal transportation, accommodating pedestrian and bicycle as well as vehicle traffic. It won’t come without some measure of controversy, however, for downtown businesses have expressed concerns over how it might impact parking in the vicinity of their storefronts.
As part of its scope of work, Kimley-Horn will facilitate meetings with stakeholder groups that include land owners, tenants and merchants, and the existing stakeholder group from the prior visioning session. It will also facilitate two public progress meetings at the 30% schematic design and 60% draft design sessions. Any feedback may be incorporated into the 60% final draft design.
FDOT gives more funding for turn lane
At the Sept. 23 regular commission workshop, Director of Public Works Isaac brownman shared some positive news with commissioners. Brownman said that, after meeting with the Florida Department of Transportation, the state agency agreed to fund the projected shortfall the town anticipated for the Country Club Shores turn lane project.
The project to include about 11 separate turn lanes in a 1-mile stretch of Gulf of Mexico Drive was sent out to bid, and the town had recently received the lowest bid of about $2.6 million. This was higher than FDOT’s existing reimbursement agreement of $1.4 million. Brownman said that FDOT will work on a new reimbursement agreement to reflect the new commitment.
Image via Seafood Shack / Facebook
Manatee County commissioners authorized executing a $13 million purchase agreement for the Seafood Shack in Cortez.
Discussions under GMD
The Bay Isles Association recently approached the town of Longboat Key about taking over ownership of the island’s only pedestrian underpass along Gulf of Mexico Drive.
WEINHOFER
CARTER
STAFF WRITER
The conundrum of who owns Longboat Key’s only pedestrian underpass was one of many questions still under discussion by commissioners at their Sept. 23 workshop.
But all involved parties had one idea in common: The pedestrian underpass should stay.
At the recent workshop, Director of Public Works Isaac Brownman led the town’s part of a presentation that gave commissioners an insight into current discussions between the town and the Bay Isles Association, which represents the homeowners of Bay Isles.
The discussions are centered around the pedestrian underpass located near the 2100 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive, a couple hundred feet south of Longboat Key Fire Rescue Station 92.
This underpass has provided safe crossing for pedestrians and cyclists on Longboat Key since its construction in the 1970s. It’s also fairly hidden.
“Unless you look for it, you actually will likely miss it,” Brownman said.
According to the Bay Isles Association’s history review, when Arvida had plans to develop much of Longboat Key in the 1970s, the underpass was constructed in 1978 as a main crossing for the intended interconnected facility on both sides of GMD.
The underpass was built with enough width to fit golf carts to travel between the interconnected facilities. But the plans never fully came to fruition.
The Bay Isles Association found an agreement from July 1990 that stated the association was responsible for maintaining the underpass. But, so far, the association’s outside legal review has not found documents to show that the Bay Isles Association has ownership of it.
President of the Bay Isles Association H. Joseph Reiser said the association has been evaluating its assets, and found the association had invested much in terms of maintenance costs and insurance liability into the underpass, which is skewed toward public use.
Essentially, the association is questioning if it should continue maintaining and being liable for something that is outside of its gates and is heavily used by the public.
The association also brought up a similar situation in late 2023 when speaking to the commission about Bay Isles Parkway, one of the island’s busiest roads under the ownership of Bay Isles.
Anyone in the town can use the underpass under the state-owned GMD. The crossing provides for a safe crossing on GMD, a valuable asset in that area of the road where crosswalks are limited.
“There aren’t too many crossings across Gulf of Mexico Drive that are safe like the tunnel,” Reiser said.
The Bay Isles Association has been
Joseph Reiser, president of the Bay Isles Association, spoke to commissioners about the association’s reasons for abandoning the underpass.
in charge of maintaining the underpass since at least the 1990 agreement. This means regular cleaning and lighting replacements as needed. The association also recently replaced the stormwater pumps and, at the same time, replaced the electrical panel.
According to the association, the underpass also doesn’t flood much because of the effective pump system. After then-Tropical Storm Debby pushed past the area, Reiser said flooding in the underpass was minimal.
When bringing the underpass issue up to the town, Reiser said the town was receptive.
“I think we’re more and more working very effectively as a team and a partnership,” Reiser said.
MORE QUESTIONS REMAIN
The Bay Isles Association’s ideal solution would be to hand over ownership to FDOT, the town or a partnership between the two entities. But that isn’t as easy as it sounds.
Brownman said FDOT isn’t historically interested in the idea of underpasses, but the department has acknowledged that it’s a useful crossing. The department has also noted that it probably wouldn’t support a crosswalk in that section of GMD, according to Brownman.
Another complexity in FDOT taking part in ownership of the underpass is compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Right now, the ramps leading down to the tunnel have grades of up to 19% in some areas. The ADA standard is 8.3%.
Though there’s still some things to figure out, the Bay Isles Association is looking to give up ownership by Dec. 31. That’s because the association is looking at new insurance options with the start of the new year, Reiser said. Insurance and liability is the main reason for wanting to give up ownership, Reiser said. According to Reiser, if a catastrophic event were to happen — like a collapse of the underpass — the association would have difficulty dealing with a situation like that.
But with a timeline of a couple of months, Commissioner-At-Large
BJ Bishop shared some concerns over getting questions adequately answered.
“This is the first opportunity that this commission has had to see any discussion on this issue,” Bishop said. “We have a lot of unanswered questions ... I’m not sure it’s reasonable to expect us to be ready to give you an answer by Jan. 1.”
Reiser claimed the association reached out to FDOT months ago but did not receive any word from the department until only recently. He tried to assure Bishop and the rest of the commissioners that this was something that could be accomplished, and he has seen good progress so far while working with the town.
“We’ve done a tremendous amount of background in a year ... we will be very helpful in getting the town up to speed,” Reiser said. “Having said that, I’m truly impressed how quickly the town has responded recently, and to me, that’s a good sign.”
The association also recently hired an outside company for a structural analysis of the underpass, which will help all parties gain some insight into the longevity of the structure.
Another question remained: How many people use the underpass?
Though neither the association nor the town have conducted actual studies, accounts from commissioners seemed to say the underpass is important for residents.
District 2 Commissioner Penny Gold lives at Seaplace, which is at the western end of the underpass. She said the underpass is an important safe crossing for residents, including those in Seaplace’s 461 units and across the road at Bay Isles.
“And a lot of people use that to walk to either Bay Isles or they walk to Publix ... Bay Isles folks come over for the beach,” Gold said.
Still, all parties — the Bay Isles Association, town staff and commissioners — didn’t think that filling in the underpass was the ideal next step.
By the end of the discussion on Sept. 23, commissioners agreed that town staff should continue working with the Bay Isles Association and FDOT to get more answers and discuss ownership possibilities.
PAST DISCUSSIONS
The last time the Observer reported the underpass in public discussion was in 2012 after a fatal pedestrian crash along GMD in January 2012. This was the first fatality along GMD since April 2005.
The death of Jo Schatterman, 73, started conversations in June 2012 at the time about improving safety along GMD for pedestrians and cyclists.
In July of that year, representatives from FDOT said crosswalks would only be placed in areas that have a significant amount of pedestrian traffic. This continued conversations about pedestrian patterns along GMD and potential refuge islands.
This conversation also highlighted the fact underpasses like the existing one are costly and difficult to install. This is one of the reasons why, now, the town does not want to see the underpass filled in.
Pedestrian Underpass
Photos by Carter Weinhofer
The two lanes of the underpass provide for safe crossing for pedestrians and cyclists.
The Town of Longboat Key and FDOT are discussing potential ownership options for the island’s pedestrian underpass.
Big-ticket projects of FY25
Of the town’s $145.4 million spending outlined in a five-year capital plan, 53% — about $77 million — is expected to come in FY2025.
CARTER WEINHOFER STAFF WRITER
Fiscal year 2025 will be a busy year for Longboat Key’s capital improvement plan.
On Sept. 23, Longboat Key town commissioners approved the FY25 budget in the second public hearing of the budget and millage rate. Town staff noted inflationary pressures attributed to some rising costs across the budget.
The town’s General Fund revenues totaled $23,070,624, which is an increase of $1,946,499 from fiscal year 2024.
Certified property values from July 1 — which factor into the ad valorem revenue — showed an increase from the previous year as well. Property values in Sarasota County were up 8.55% from FY24 at a total of $6.23 billion. In Manatee County, the certified property values were $2.96 billion, which represents a 14.47% increase from the previous year.
Millage rates remained similar from FY24 to FY25, with the final millage approved at 1.9600. Including beach debt millage and facility millage, the total millage for the Bayside District is 2.1519 and the millage for the Gulfside District is 2.6072.
One mill equates to $1 of tax for every $1,000 in assessed value.
Expenditures from the General Fund are projected to exceed revenues in FY25. The total expenditures — including personnel, operating expenses and general fund capital — were estimated at $24,739,014. Expenditures will exceed revenues by $1,688,390, but this amount is covered by a $2 million transfer from the capital projects fund, primarily for a new fire ladder truck.
That’s one of several big-ticket items included in the town’s capital improvement plan. The five-year capital improvement plan includes an estimated $145.4 million worth of
projects. In FY25, the town expects to complete $76,898,307, about 53%, of them. These include the Town Hall hardening project, an interim beach renourishment, the Country Club Shores asbestos cement pipe replacement project and the subaqueous force main replacement. The new budget cycle will go into effect on Oct. 1.
MILLAGE RATES
TOTAL GENERAL FUND REVENUES
$23,070,624
$62,299 IN FY25
$56,480 IN FY24
Carter Weinhofer
The town of Longboat Key will fund a $2.95 million beach nourishment at Gulfside Road in FY25.
RIGHT WAY FOR THE ROUNDABOUT
The regional Metropolitan Planning Organization said it might have enough funds in FY25 or FY27 to cover the remaining $3.2 million needed for the project.
CARTER WEINHOFER STAFF WRITER
After learning the Broadway Roundabout project would be about $3.2 million more than originally expected, town leaders pressed pause on the design. But a recent update in a funding source came as a welcome surprise for Director of Public Works Isaac Brownman.
“Basically, it was like money falling out of the sky,” Brownman told com-
missioners at the Sept. 23 workshop.
The Sarasota/Manatee Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) previously set aside $4.8 million for the town’s roundabout project in its “Transform 2045” Long Range Cost Feasible Plan. These funds were identified for 2030, and the town previously wouldn’t have access to those dollars until then.
But representatives from the MPO recently reached out to Brownman and town staff to say it might have funding sooner.
Due to other projects that will be deferred in fiscal year 2025 and fiscal year 2027, the MPO said it would be willing to give the town the necessary funds in either of those fiscal years ahead of the previous 2030 designation.
For the town to receive funding in the MPO’s FY25 budget, though, the town would need to be under contract for the project by June 30, 2025, before the fiscal year starts on July 1.
To add to the complexity, the project would need to be directed through an agency with the Florida Department of Transportation’s Local Agency Project (LAP) certification. Manatee County has the required LAP certification, and Brownman said preliminary conversations with the county suggested it is willing to help.
Though this is a short timeline to complete design and permitting, Brownman said it’s worth the attempt.
“This is a very good opportunity to pursue,” Brownman assured the commissioners. Brownman also said his staff have re-engaged with the project engineers to get the design phase back on track.
In June, Brownman updated commissioners about the new and higher estimated project cost, which was born from the required redesign. A year earlier, when the town was nearing 90% completion of the original design, FDOT told town staff that it would not approve of the plans because of issues with the roadway banking, or curved slope.
This required the town to engage in a redesign, which required one side of Gulf of Mexico Drive to be lowered while simultaneously raising the other. The changes also require changes to the existing drainage system, all of which led to the increased costs.
The town previously budgeted $600,000 for the project, FDOT committed to $1,685,000 and Manatee County said it would contribute up to $500,000. When new project cost estimates came in between $5.4 million and $6 million, this left the shortfall of about $3.2 million. Brownman said he met with FDOT on Aug. 23, and in that meeting, the department said it would not be able
to provide any more funding for the project citing other priorities and inflationary pressures.
FDOT also turned down the town’s suggestions to look into potential alternatives, such as a traffic signal or interim pedestrian hybrid beacon. The roundabout was already the approved method, according to the department.
THE RIGHT DIRECTION
Paul Hylbert, co-chair of Longboat Key North coalition of homeowners and condo associations, has been a part of the group for about five years. Ever since he joined, the Broadway Roundabout topic has been relevant, he said.
He said he was happy to hear about the potential new funding, and others would be too.
“I think there will be a lot of people extremely pleased that the roundabout could come about in the next year or two,” Hylbert said.
At the Sept. 23 workshop, Hylbert shared with commissioners the consensus among north-end homeowners seems to be in favor of the roundabout.
“I think the consensus of the residents that we kind of represent as LBK North is that we want to have a safer intersection, and the roundabout is a great way to do this,” Hylbert said. “But what I do want to emphasize is that we really must do this right.”
Hylbert also said there are homeowners closer to the project site that raised concerns about the changes to drainage and landscape of the intersection. The new designs for the project require a redesign of the site’s drainage, including removal of vegetation on one side of GMD. Brownman has previously said town staff are working with those property owners to address some of the issues.
At the end of the discussion during the Sept. 23 workshop, Mayor Ken Schneier asked commissioners for a consensus to direct Brownman to move forward and try to obtain the MPO’s funds for FY25 given the short timeline.
Courtesy image
The roundabout at Gulf of Mexico Drive and Broadway Street is intended to improve safety at the intersection.
Carter Weinhofer
Longboat Key North Co-Chair Paul Hylbert spoke at the Sept. 23 workshop saying there seems to be a consensus among northend residents in favor of the roundabout.
Philly-based restaurant set to open new location on LBK
Owner Robin Gupta hopes the restaurant can bring a neighborhood sports bar feel to the island.
CARTER WEINHOFER STAFF WRITER
On a wall near the restaurant’s kitchen, a neon sign reads “Bringing Philly Fun to Paradise.” That’s exactly what owner Robin Gupta wants to achieve with his new Longboat Key restaurant.
“I just felt like this place needed what we have,” Gupta said of Longboat Key.
Gupta began leasing the space at 5610 Gulf of Mexico Drive at the start of August and, alongside his family, has put a lot of work into the upcoming restaurant, which he hopes to open by the first week of October.
The original location, Guppy’s Good Times, is a Conshohockenbased restaurant in the suburbs of Philadelphia. Guppy’s Good Times celebrated 19 years of business this September in the midst of working on the Longboat Key location.
Gupta said when he opened the original Philadelphia restaurant, the spot was similar to a dive bar. He spoke proudly of turning the restaurant into what it is today.
“Over the years, I put a lot of emphasis on our food,” Gupta said.
The menu at the original location is well established in the local community, Gupta said, and ranges from cheesesteaks and burgers to tacos and sushi.
Gupta hopes to bring the same style of food to the Longboat Key location, minus the sushi — there’s not enough space, said Gupta.
But, Gupta was committed to bringing an authentic Philly experience. He was able to find local vendors for all the same brands of ingredients he uses up north, including the “real deal” rolls from Liscio’s.
“We can re-create the exact same
Philly experience with the real deal, awesome Philly cheesesteak,” Gupta said.
Guppy’s drink menu is also well known in Philly, according to Gupta, including the famous Conshi Crush — two flavors of vodka mixed with Tang and Sprite. At the Longboat Key location, Gupta said he wants to create a similar drink but with a different, more local name.
SOMETHING NEW Like Philadelphia, Gupta wants to create a comfortable pub-style environment for Longboat’s locals and tourists.
“We’re more like a neighborhood spot where people can feel comfortable and have some good food,”
Gupta said.
With eight TVs around the restaurant, there will be a variety of sports
to watch. Gupta said this is a draw, especially for Longboat’s residents who have come from all over the country.
“Here, I think we’re going to get a little more of a sports draw. Everyone’s from somewhere else here, so we’ll have all the games on.”
Gupta and his wife, Jana Varcholova, moved to Florida at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
While running the Philadelphia location from afar, Gupta said he was looking for a smaller restaurant opportunity to help his in-laws start.
That’s when the Longboat Key spot opened up, and Gupta decided to take on the location for a second Guppy’s location. He’s opening the location with the help of his family, something different for him but enjoyable so far, he said.
The exterior of the restaurant has
a completely new look from when Gupta started leasing the space.
He commissioned local motherdaughter art duo Stephanie Guevara and Lilian Fox to bring bright colors, Guppy’s logo and a nod to Philadelphia’s famous “LOVE” statue.
This mural was the first outdoor project for the art duo, who can be found at Foxxy Fine Art (@Foxxy. Fine.Art) on Facebook and Instagram.
Recently, Gupta said there have been people stopping by and asking when they’ll be open. He’s excited to open the doors within two weeks and watch some games with the locals.
“I’m excited to get to know the community here,” Gupta said. “I’m proud of our food, and I think people will like that, so I’m looking forward to seeing that.”
Carter Weinhofer
Robin Gupta and his wife, Jana Varcholova, are excited to open Guppy’s Longboat Key.
The republic that’s failing
All the talk about ‘threats to democracy’ and ‘destroying democracy’ are totally off the mark. It’s mob-rule democracy that is destroying the republic and destroying Americans’ individual liberty.
Ican’t take it anymore. What follows below and next week in this space are the culmination of a constantly nagging frustration, sadness, anger, despair, disgust and fear — fear for my children and grandchildren — all of which has been building since Barack Obama vowed 16 years ago to transform America.
Through eight years of “you didn’t build that,” apologies for America and telling me I’m a racist; eight years of diabolical, evil lying and efforts to destroy Donald Trump; and nearly four years now of watching — daily — the nation’s ruling elites abuse and destroy the middle class economically, socially and culturally … all of that has reached a crescendo — especially now with the general and presidential elections 42 days away.
The teapot is screeching, its steam billowing. I need to lift the lid before it blows to smithereens.
In this space this week and next, if you are compelled enough to stick with me, I’ll be taking you on a journey — from 200 B.C. to now — that I hope will have the following results:
■ 1) Make you go sit in a quiet place, stare at the sky or the Gulf of Mexico and think deeply about what is happening to this once great nation and about how you and, more importantly, how your children and grandchildren are being affected and will be affected if our decline isn’t reversed.
(First, of course, you must accept and admit the obvious: The United States isn’t ascending, it’s declining — fast. I heard Dr. Casey Means, author of “Good Energy,” say two weeks ago Americans’ life expectancy for our newest generation of children is not rising; it’s falling. It has declined recently by 600 days. Declined by nearly two years.) Think about what that means. We are deteriorating; not just in life expectancy, but seemingly in every way — culturally, economically, physically, socially.
■ 2) Help you see how democracy — rule by mob — unavoidably has brought and continues to bring increasing amounts of cultural, social and economic disintegration.
■ 3) Help you realize that you are not free. Today, all of us are slaves — slaves to the State. Our democratic republic has devolved into Statism and its relatives of fascism, collectivism and rule by authoritarian elites. The State and the “collective,” the democratic mob, have crushed your liberty. If you think you own your property, your house, the lightbulbs you want, your gas
“Interventionism,” Ludwig von Mises
“Human Action,” Ludwig von Mises
“Selected Essays on Political Economy,” Frederic Bastiat
“The Road to Serfdom,” F.A. Hayek
“The God of the Machine,” Isabel Paterson
“The Fountainhead,” Ayn Rand
“Atlas Shrugged,” Ayn Rand
“We the Living,” Ayn Rand
“Anthem,” Ayn Rand
“Letters of Ayn Rand,” Michael S. Berliner
“Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal,” Ayn Rand
“The Virtue of Selfishness,” Ayn Rand
“Democracy: The God That Failed,”
stove — you don’t. The State controls them.
I will show you how we are nothing close to a free-market economy; we are living under destructive, State-controlled economic and cultural fascism.
We have sacrificed every aspect of our lives to the State.
■ 4) Help you see that neither Donald Trump nor Kamala Harris can rescue us, but that a Harris administration and Democratic Congress would take us further than we already are into the depths of communist and fascist rule.
■ 5) Spur you to stand up for our Founding Fathers’ beliefs and vision: That our government’s No. 1 job is not to rule us, not to sacrifice each of us to the collective mob and the State. Our government’s No. 1 job is to protect your INDIVIDUAL rights.
The individual is superior to the collective. That principle must be revived. To do otherwise will sentence your heirs to total slavery and despair — except for a few.
IT BEGINS WITH ROME
Among my list of favorite books is a recent addition: “Empires of Trust: How Rome Built — and America Is Building — a New World,” (2008) by Thomas F. Madden, a history professor at St. Louis University.
Ed Tiesenga, an Oak Brook, Ill., lawyer and longtime Longboat Key snowbird, recommended it.
For a dozen years or more, Tiesenga frequently has commented on my editorial ramblings — mostly favorably because we share the same politico-economic philosophies: for individual liberty and laissez-faire capitalism. Two odd ducks these days.
At lunch months ago, while I lamented the U.S. being on its way to repeating the “Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire,” Tiesenga said I should read “Empires of Trust.” You should, too.
“Empires” factually debunks the common belief that Rome fell because of the moral decay of civil and cultural society — in Rome’s case, the orgies, debauchery, gladiator fights, “drunk on hedonism” and fiscal irresponsibility. Many see the U.S. on a similar track.
But Madden’s historical documentation shows that the fall of Rome “is complicated.” In fact, records show there were three falls of the Roman Empire:
“The first was the fall of the Roman Republic in 27 B.C. … The old republican government was largely abolished in favor of the direct rule of one man — an emperor. … The second fall occurred in A.D. 476 when the last Roman emperor in Italy was deposed and the Germanic barbarians … took over. The third and final fall was the conquest of Constantinople in 1453, when the last remnant of the Roman Empire was conquered by the Turks.”
The factors contributing to each fall were different. Yes, the Romans had their periods of moral decay and fiscal mismanagement; they
Hans-Hermann Hoppe
“Liberty in Peril: Democracy and Power in American History,” Randall Holcombe
“Empires of Trust: How Rome Built — and America Is Building — a New World
“Dismantling America,” Thomas
also had multiple civil wars. But as Madden emphasizes, when discussing the Roman Empire, you must remember it lasted 2,000 years. A lot happens in 2,000 years.
The United States, by contrast, is only 248 years old. Madden: “The young United States has nothing at all in common with the aged imperial Rome.” Instead, much of the first half of Madden’s book focuses on how the Roman Empire came about and the many striking similarities in culture, national character, core values and moral codes of early Romans and early Americans. What many of us believe to be what it means to be an American actually came to us from the Romans. And when I share some of those traits below, you cannot help but say: “Somehow, we need to go back to that.”
OUR ROOTS: THE ROMANS’ VIRTUOUS CHARACTER
“The earliest Romans were farmers, living in a frontier world in which each family looked after its own interests and well-being,” Madden writes.
That was the exact story of early Americans as well. When you read Madden’s description of the early Romans, in almost every instance where the word “Romans” appears, you can substitute the word “Americans.”
“For early Romans, the family, living in its traditional round hutlike house, was the place to raise children, to make a living and to worship. Hard work and calloused hands were not shameful things, as they were in the sophisticated eastern cultures, but badges of honor for Romans.
“Every family was led by the father, who had final say in everything … The father’s word — not the state’s — was the law in those days. … Romans believed that the father’s guiding spirit, called a genius, was responsible for watching over the household.
“Powerful Roman fathers, however, did not mean weak and subservient Roman mothers. Quite the contrary. The Roman wife … was a sturdy and hardworking woman. She was responsible for looking after the young children, going to local markets, taking care of the
Sowell
“The Vision of the Anointed,” Thomas Sowell
“Wealth, Poverty & Politics,” Thomas Sowell
“Free to Choose,” Milton Friedman
“Economics in One Lesson,” Henry Hazlitt
“Anything That’s Peaceful: The Case for the Free Market”
Leonard Read
“I, Pencil,” Leonard Read
“Our Enemy, the State,” Albert Jay Nock
“Memoirs of a Superfluous Man,” Albert Jay Nock
“The Incredible Bread Machine — A Study of Capitalism, Freedom and the State,” R.W. Grant
house, baking and, of course, spinning wool, sewing and other crafts.
“Roman women would pursue their own interests and could even own property … All in all, they were rugged and independent, much like their husbands.”
For Romans, homeschooling was the norm. Both parents were teachers, paying particular attention to their children’s moral character.
Boys were grounded in the most important Roman traits: dignity, self-control, diligence, goodwill, loyalty, a sense of duty, candor and, above all, courageous manliness.
(Sadly, where is that today?)
Religion and worship were also foundational for the Roman family.
Roman families would pray together every morning, asking the spirits “to give them a good, safe and productive day.” Each family worshipped as it saw fit, and “held fast to the idea of maximum personal freedom — an idea born on their family farms.”
This image of the Romans and their cultural traits are identical to those of early Americans — as Madden put it: “a self-sufficient family, hardworking, honest, courageous, friendly and pious.
“The history of American culture begins on the frontier and the family farm, and despite modern affluence, wealth and power, those agrarian values are still held up as quintessentially American. No American today, no matter how rich or cultured, wants to be called ‘an elite.’ Yet, conversely, describing someone as ‘down-to-earth’ is always considered to be quite a compliment.”
Romans also expected their family traits and values to carry over into public life. They regarded the ideal Roman as strong, patriotic, efficient, honest, hardworking and “first and foremost” a man with religious and moral principles.
Madden cites the Greek writer, Polybius, who lived in Rome after 167 B.C., and said of the Romans: “The quality in which the Roman republic is most distinctly superior is in my opinion the nature of its religious convictions.”
Polybius wrote that in spite of many layers of “copyists” and witnesses in Greek government, its public officials “cannot remain honest.” “Whereas elsewhere it is a rare thing to find a man who keeps his hands off public money, and whose record is clean, among the Romans one rarely comes across a man who has been discovered in such conduct.”
Yeah, well, many of our public officials today are nowhere near as virtuous with other people’s money (E.G. the national debt). Nonetheless, the Romans’ characteristics had a profound effect on America’s Founding Fathers. When they were creating the Constitution, they were convinced the stability and strength of the republic required American citizens’ belief in God.
Madden quotes John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson and George Washington affirming that.
Jefferson: “God who gave us life gave us liberty. And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of people that these liberties are a gift from God?”
Washington, in his farewell address: “Reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.”
WHERE DID WE GO WRONG?
For American Baby Boomers and those in the Silent Generation (1928-1945), the descriptions above of early Roman and American life should bring to mind visions of the way it was in the United States up through the mid-1960s.
You can say that for our first 175 years, even though most Americans likely had no idea, the nation’s cultural ethos and values indeed were rooted in the early Roman way of life — that of a self-sufficient, religious nuclear family; hardworking, honest, independent, friendly and pious.
But what happened? Of course, we know we have
“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
President and Publisher / Emily Walsh, EWalsh@YourObserver.com
Executive Editor and COO / Kat Wingert, KWingert@YourObserver.com
Managing Editor / Michael Harris, MHarris@YourObserver.com
Staff Writers / Petra Rivera, PRivera@ YourObserver.com; Carter Weinhofer, CWeinhofer@YourObserver.com
Digital & Engagement Editor / Kaelyn Adix, KAdix@YourObserver.com
Digital Content Producer / Jim DeLa, JDeLa@YourObserver.com
Advertising Graphic Designers / Luis Trujillo, Taylor Poe, Louise Martin, Shawna Polana
Digital Developer / Jason Camillo, JCamillo@YourObserver.com
Information Technology Manager / Homer Gallego, HGallego@YourObserver. com
Chief Financial Officer / Laura Strickland, LStrickland@YourObserver.com
Controller / Rafael Labrin, RLabrin@ YourObserver.com
Office and Accounting Coordinator / Donna Condon, DCondon@ YourObserver.com
Observer Media Group Inc. is locally owned. Publisher of the Longboat Observer, East County Observer, Sarasota/Siesta Key Observer, West Orange Times & Observer, Southwest Orange Observer, Business Observer, Jacksonville Daily Record, Key Life Magazine, LWR Life Magazine, Baldwin Park Living Magazine and Season Magazine
CEO / Matt Walsh
MWalsh@YourObserver.com
President / Emily Walsh
Chairman Emeritus / David Beliles
Vice President / Lisa Walsh (1995-2023)
1970 Main St. Third Floor Sarasota, FL 34236 941-366-3468
MATT WALSH
never been perfect, just as the Romans were not. We know the list: Slavery; Civil War; the treatment of Americans Indians; Great Depression; 1960s race riots and Vietnam War strife, George Floyd-BLM.
But even so, the overall trajectory of the United States over, say, the first 225 years has been mostly that of a nation on the ascendancy, similar to the way it was for the early Roman Empire. But then … Always simmering underneath the United States’ increasing prowess and progress, rarely detected except by a few, there was what the Founders feared — and summarily and decisively rejected: democracy. A government whereby decisions are made according to the collective will of the majority.
The Founders totally opposed a democracy of majority rule. As James Madison, father of the Constitution, pointed out in his famous Federalist essay No. 10, once a faction of citizens becomes a majority, “tyranny threatens. … A democratic tyranny may seem a contradiction in terms, but it can be all too real.”
In a letter to a friend in 1798, John Adams said democracy would ultimately evolve into despotism.
And that is exactly what has occurred over the past 248 years. The frog floating at the top of the pot, unaware that the water’s temperature is slowly, slowly rising, ultimately boiling it to death.
When the Founders created the Constitution, instead of democracy, they created a republic, which, as Madison envisioned, would delegate power to “a small number of citizens elected by the rest.”
Madison had an idealistic view and pragmatic view of these representatives.
Idealistically, he thought the selection process would produce representatives “whose wisdom may best discern the true interest of their country, and whose patriotism and love of justice, will be least likely to sacrifice it to temporary or partial considerations.” In other words, he envisioned legislators who would not put their political ambitions first. (Ha!)
Pragmatically, he thought that electing few representatives who came from all over the country to legislate in the capital would bring
“a greater variety of parties and interests; you make it less probable that a majority of the whole will have a common motive to invade the rights of other citizens.” In other words, there would be little chance of majority-mob rule by factions, or special interests. (Ha!)
Finally, in their boldest measure to protect individuals from an overpowering government, the Founders adopted the Bill of Rights.
All of it was genius: a government of few representatives; a balance of power with three equal branches; a government with limited powers; and a government whose first and foremost role was to protect the rights of individuals.
The Founders knew a powerful government, a majority-rule democracy, was the biggest threat to individual liberty.
DEMOCRACY: RESULTS ARE IN Today, Madison undoubtedly would be manically despondent at how his grand vision has turned out. Take the assessment of Hans-Hermann Hoppe, an Austrian economic libertarian and anarcho-capitalist, who authored the 2001 book:
“Democracy: The God That Failed”:
“The results are before our very eyes. The tax load imposed on property owners and producers makes the economic burden even of slaves and serfs seem moderate in comparison. Government debt has risen to breathtaking heights. Gold has been replaced by government manufactured paper money, and its value has continually dwindled.
“Every detail of private life, property, trade and contract is regulated by ever higher mountains of paper laws. In the name of social, public or national security, our caretakers ‘protect’ us from global warming and cooling and the extinction of animals and plants, from husbands and wives, parents and employers, poverty, disease, disaster, ignorance, prejudice, racism, sexism, homophobia and countless other public enemies and dangers.
“The only task a government was ever supposed to assume — of protecting our life and property — our caretakers do not perform. To the contrary, the higher the expenditures on social, public and national security have risen, the more our
U.S. DEBT: DEMOCRACY AT WORK
Here is one result of majority rule: U.S. debt as a percentage of gross domestic product is at its highest point in history. The World Bank says when debt exceeds 77% of GDP, the debt inhibits economic growth. To see the entire chart, each year from 1929 to 2024, go to: balancemoney.com. $ in billions.
private property rights have been eroded, the more our property has been expropriated, confiscated, destroyed and depreciated, and the more we have been deprived of the very foundation of all protection: of personal independence, economic strength and private wealth.”
Hoppe pretty much sums up the state of the U.S.
We were warned. Continuously.
Going back to the 1880s and up to today, scores of authors, historians, journalists and economists warned and showed that what the Founders feared was occurring and has — the rise of the State overtaking individual liberty, the rise of democratic rule subverting individual liberty, the slow boiling frog.
n 1884: Englishman Herbert Spencer, “Man Versus the State”: He warned of “the coming slavery” as governments grew.
n 1926: H.L. Mencken: “[The State] has taken on a vast mass of new duties and responsibilities; it has spread out its powers until they penetrate to every act of the citizen, however secret; it has begun to throw around its operations the high dignity and impeccability of a State religion; its agents become a separate and superior caste, with authority to bind and loose, and their thumbs in every pot.”
n 1935: Albert Jay Nock, “Our
Enemy, the State”: “[T]he rate of America’s approach to [the collapse of social power and rise of rhe State] is being prodigiously accelerated; and there is no evidence of any disposition to retard it, or any intelligent apprehension of the danger which that acceleration betokens.”
• 1945: Isabel Paterson, “The God of the Machine”: “It is not liberty and equality that are incompatible, but liberty and democracy. … Such is the inherent contradiction in the theory of democracy: Personal liberty is wiped out at the very beginning. No matter how often a democracy might be tried, it must shortly collapse into despotism.”
n 1964: Ayn Rand, “The Virtue of Selfishness”: “Instead of being a protector of man’s rights, the government is becoming their most dangerous violator; instead of guarding freedom, the government is establishing slavery; instead of protecting men from the initiators of physical force, the government is initiating physical force and coercion in any manner and issue it pleases; instead of serving as the instrument of objectivity in human relationships, the government is creating a deadly, subterranean reign of uncertainty and fear, by means of non-objective laws whose interpretation is left the arbitrary decisions of random bureaucrats;
instead of protecting men from injury by whim, the government is arrogating itself the power of unlimited whim so that we are fast approaching the stage of the ultimate inversion: The stage where the government is free to do anything it pleases, while the citizens may act only by permission; which is the stage of the darkest periods of human history, the stage of rule by brute force.”
n 2019: Randall Holcombe, “Liberty in Peril: Democracy and Power in American History”: “The principle of liberty suggests that first and foremost, the government’s role is to protect the rights of individuals. The principle of democracy suggests that collective decisions are made according to the will of the majority…The greater the allowable scope of democracy in government, the greater the threat to liberty … Unfortunately, many Americans do not appear to fully understand these dangers as they continue to push the foundations of their government away from liberty and toward democracy.”
And so it continues, unabated — the destruction of liberty and individual rights and the expanding power of the ruling class and majority mob. Holcombe is being diplomatic when he says the more democracy there is “the greater the threat to liberty” and when he says “many Americans do not appear to fully understand.”
It is more than a threat; it is real. And it is overwhelmingly clear the majority of Americans do not understand.
They do not know the difference between a republic and democracy, so they go along, like the brainless frog in the pot. That is why I urged you in the beginning to think deeply of what has been and is happening — and imagine, if these trends continue, what that will mean for your children and grandchildren.
Next week: How democracy leads to the worst being elected; the destructive social and economic consequences of redistribution; which presidential candidate and party will take us faster to the Road to Serfdom; and what you can do to stop the decline.
FIVE DECADES OF STAYING STYLISH 1974
2024
COPS CORNER
FRIDAY, SEPT. 13
TROUBLE IN PARADISE
12:33
a.m., 2400 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive
Family Disturbance: Dispatch sent Longboat Key officers to a reported family disturbance. When officers arrived, they spoke with the complainant, who said she got into an argument with her boyfriend and asked him to leave the house, but he refused to leave until police arrived. But she stated the boyfriend left before the police got there. After speaking with the woman further, she advised them she did not worry about the boyfriend returning because he does not have access to the building.
UNEXPECTED SERVICE
10:59 p.m., 1600 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive
Suspicious Person: Longboat Key PD responded to a call about a suspicious person. At the scene, the officer met with a resort manager, who said there was a guest who was very upset that staff entered his room to provide the standard turndown service. The officer proceeded to meet with the peeved guest, who said he was extremely upset that staff entered his room while he was sleeping. He said he was not aware of the turndown service and also acknowledged he did not have the privacy light turned on. The officer explained the staff had only entered the room because the privacy light was off, and the guest said he would sleep on the floor in front of the door to prevent staff from entering his room again. He also planned on leaving first thing in the morning. After attempting to mediate the situation, the officer returned to the staff member and advised her that this was not a criminal matter, and the case was closed.
SATURDAY, SEPT. 14
SUSPICIOUS SELFIES
9:06 p.m., 1600 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive
Suspicious Person: A responding officer met with a resort staff member who said there were two individuals on the property acting suspiciously. She said two older teenage boys were walking along the exterior of the property taking selfies and pictures of the exterior.
FRIDAY, SEPT. 13
BUMP IN THE ROAD
6:59 p.m., 2500 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive
Officer Public Service: An officer was asked to respond to a citizen complaint about a pothole in the road, which appeared to be the start of a sinkhole, the caller said. Upon arrival, the officer found the pothole and placed traffic cones around the basketball-sized hole. Public Works was notified as well.
Other staff members asked the two to leave multiple times, but the two continued to walk around the perimeter and take pictures, according to the staff member. She further described the two as wearing jeans, dark hoodies and bandanas covering their faces. Security measures were increased for the night, and the staff member told the officer they would reach out if there were other sightings.
MONDAY, SEPT. 16
KICKED OUT
9:40 a.m., 5500 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive
Trespassing: Officers responded to a trespassing report at a local hotel. Upon arrival, officers spoke with the manager, who said a guest made her uncomfortable. During the exchange with the guest, she said the man became upset with her about the state of the room he was renting. The manager said she would give him a refund, but according to her account, he became irate and raised his voice, which is when she asked him to leave, which he was refusing to do. The officers then went to the man’s room and he said he was in the process of packing up and would be out within the next hour. He was again advised that he needed to leave immediately and was issued a trespass warning by the officers.
FRIDAY,
enjoy the soothing sounds of Sarasota’s most refreshing jazz guitarist. Call 383-4606.
TUESDAY, OCT. 1 POP-UP LIBRARY
10-11:30 a.m. at Town Hall, 501 Bay Isles Road. On the first and third Tuesday of each month in the back parking lot of Town Hall, Sarasota County’s Pop-up Library will be at Longboat Key with books for all ages. Swing by to sign up for a library card and read a book by the beach. Call 861-5475.
RECURRING EVENTS
MONDAYS, WEDNESDAYS AND SATURDAYS LORD’S WAREHOUSE THRIFT STORE
The thrift store will be open 9 a.m. to noon at 6140 Gulf of Mexico Drive. Donations are accepted during business hours. Call 383-4738.
BEST BET
FRIDAY, SEPT. 27
LECTURE BY DR. ASHBY
1:30-2:30 p.m. at The Paradise Center, 546 Bay Isles Road. Dr. Coeurlida Ashby will be leading a free interactive discussion on how to lower your blood pressure naturally. She provides lifestyle medicine consultations at the Medical Suite at the Paradise Center. This will also be available via Zoom. Call 383-6493.
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.
THINKING OUT LOUD
1-2:30 p.m. at The Paradise Center, 546 Bay Isles Road. Retired Lawyer Mike Karp will lead a lively discussion on current topics, such as world affairs, national politics and local issues. Bring questions, thoughts and an open mind. Call 383-6493.
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. It will make you sweat, encourage your body to burn calories, and make you stronger and more
flexible. This class is for all levels. Cost is $15. Walk-ins welcome. Call 383-6493.
YOGA From 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. at The Paradise Center, 546 Bay Isles Road. Debby Debile of Feel Good Yoga & Massage leads a gentle yoga class that can be done on a mat or in a chair. Cost is $15; free for members. 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.
ROTARY CLUB
Meets at 5 p.m. on first and third Tuesdays in All Angels Parish Hall, 563 Bay Isles Road. To learn more, call Nancy Rozance at 203-6054066 or email Info@LongboatKeyRotary.org.
Courtesy image Dr. Coeurlida Ashby speaks at the Paradise Center.
A new chapter
Based on members’ feedback, the Paradise Center plans to launch a grassroots campaign to raise around $2.5 million to purchase the building from the Tidewell Foundation.
PETRA RIVERA STAFF WRITER
Last December, the Paradise Center’s location was put in limbo when the Tidewell Foundation building, which houses the center, was put up for sale.
“There are several community members who have raised concerns about making sure that the Paradise Center stays where it is and doesn’t go away,” said Executive Director Amy Steinhauser. “It’s not just our members. The community understands that providing a year-round activity hub here is a pretty essential service.”
Steinhauser plans on starting a capital campaign to buy the building from the Tidewell Foundation. Since members have expressed the importance of its accessibility on the Key, this urged the Paradise Center to stay at its prime location and expand its space for more activities and medical services to the community.
With the strong relationship the center has built with the Tidewell Foundation, Steinhauser is hoping to negotiate the $3.1 million price down to $2.5 million. Due to zoning restrictions, the center’s possible competition would be a company with the desire to establish itself on the island, but she is counting on its strong community foundation to prevent this from happening.
Through a grassroots fundraising effort, Steinhauser and the board of directors have started meeting with representatives of local foundations and private donors to raise money for the campaign. She hopes new residents will also want to donate as well.
A NEW CHAPTER
Along with solidifying its location, the center is also changing its membership system. Previously, a Paradise Center membership was $500 for unlimited free classes. Starting in 2025, a base membership will be $50, with perks, such as access to online pre-recorded classes, but will not include free ongoing programs.
Steinhauser expects local businesses will continue to extend members exclusive benefits, which has included a free glass of wine or beer at Lazy Lobster, 10% off for new clients and $15 off every purchase at Design 2000 Salon and a compli -
mentary dessert with every $15 purchase at La Norma.
The drop-in class fee will be raised from $15 to $20 in January. To attend classes, people can pay the drop-in fee or purchase a “Paradise Pass,” which is $500 for 50 classes. This makes classes $10 each. As this progresses, a range of Paradise Passes will be available for different prices, such as a pass for $300 for 20 classes.
“This will be a way we can ensure our instructors are all being supported by the actual people who are taking the classes,” said Steinhauser.
“It should put us in a much stronger position to be able to continue to offer more programs.”
Steinhauser said their main goal going into the new season is to grow their membership base. She hopes the Paradise Center will become a place where everyone with various backgrounds and interests can find a home.
To make classes accessible to as many people as possible, the center’s new programs prioritize accommodating all skill levels and a wide variety of activities. The new additions include chair yoga, Pilates, nonimpact aerobics, do-it-yourself art classes and bridge.
The team also transformed the two front rooms into a treatment room for massage therapy and reiki, as well as a community room. In the community room, Steinhauser is asking for furniture donations to make the space more inviting for people to
visit before and after classes.
Recently, the center hired Christine Rothberg, former marketing director for the Longboat Key Chamber of Commerce, as its new marketing director. She will write the “Paradise Press” newsletter and work with a local marketing and design company, Madison Avenue Media, to run social media and marketing tasks.
Steinhauser said that the Paradise Press will now be sent directly to members’ mailboxes instead of being in the Longboat Observer
“My main focus is for everyone on the island to be able to create strong community ties and combat isolation because it’s really easy to become lonely out here,” said Steinhauser. “I would love to see the Paradise Center be the cornerstone of connection and wellness for Longboat Key.”
WORSHIP directory
Debbie Lemieux helps Christine Rothberg make a suncatcher at the Paradise Center.
The team transformed the two front rooms into a treatment room for massage therapy and reiki.
Photos by Petra Rivera
The drop-in class fee will be raised from $15 to $20 in January.
Program Manager Debby Debile, Dr. Coeurlida Ashby and Executive Director Amy Steinhauser at the Medical Suite at the Paradise Center.
ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT
STORE
OF
DREAMS
Sarasota Art Museum showcases Galloway’s Furniture Showroom’s past and possible future.
MONICA ROMAN GAGNIER ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
In New York, the Metropolitan Museum has the 15 BC Temple of Dendur honoring the Roman goddess Isis. The Sarasota Art Museum has a temple of its own — Galloway’s Furniture Showroom.
Designed by Victor Lundy, the mid-century modern pavilion is to retail what “Notre Dame is to cathedrals,” the Wall Street Journal recently declared. With such an endorsement, it’s as if the gods themselves looked down from on high and bestowed their blessing on “Modern Masterpiece: Galloway’s Furniture Showroom by Victor Lundy.” The exhibition runs through Oct. 27 at SAM, a contemporary art museum that is part of Ringling College of Art and Design.
Curated by a team led by Architecture Sarasota President Morris (Marty) Hylton III, the exhibition celebrates Lundy’s bold design and reimagines new uses for the onceiconic circular structure of wood and glass.
Lundy, who turned 101 on Feb. 1, was one of the leaders of the Sarasota School of Architecture, along with Philip Hiss, Paul Rudolph and Ralph Twitchell.
FROM OPTICAL STORE TO EYESORE
There are probably some who have been in Sarasota long enough to remember Galloway’s, which was built in 1959 and closed five years later. But even longtime residents are more familiar with its incarnation as an optical store in the 1980s.
If you’re a newcomer to Sarasota or haven’t been paying attention, you may be surprised to learn this temple of Florida architecture still stands. In fact, if you look out the window of the B. Claire Rusen Gallery, where the Galloway’s Furniture Showroom show is on display, you can see the original building on the grounds of SAM, which is housed in the old Sarasota High School building. Its sparkling glass is long gone, covered by a stucco facade. The once magnificent building is surrounded by a prosaic chainlink fence and a parking lot used by SAM employees. It’s as if a once-great beauty
has been confined to an institution of some kind and is covered with mummy-like bandages.
If you’re driving past the building, you probably wouldn’t notice it except for a mural that was recently painted on the exterior.
But visitors to the SAM exhibition can get a glimpse of the showroom’s former glory.
Or maybe we should say “morning glory,” because Lundy said his design was inspired by the flower that opens in the morning and closes up at night. According to a full-page ad in the Jan. 25, 1959, edition of The Tampa Tribune, the building’s “laminated arches simulate the stems and the redwood decking the petals of the flowers.”
IF YOU GO ‘MODERN MASTERPIECE: GALLOWAY’S FURNITURE SHOWROOM BY VICTOR LUNDY’
When: Runs through Oct. 27
Where: Sarasota Art Museum, 1001 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota Tickets: Free with $15 admission.
Info: Visit SarasotaArtMuseum.org.
Courtesy images Architecture Sarasota President Marty Hylton and SAM Executive Director Virginia Shearer.
An artist’s rendering of Galloway’s Furniture Showroom.
Galloway’s Signature chair and ottoman at SAM.
Other features of the showroom included 290 feet of charcoal glass that was 20 feet high to protect the interior from the sun, and a “floating” mezzanine encircling a “trunk” of redwood in the center of the building.
Some of this grandeur is conveyed on one wall of the SAM exhibition with architect Damien Blumetti’s digital reconstruction of the interior of Galloway’s.
USING SARASOTA AS A LAB
Another wall is filled with photographs, news clippings and advertisements for the fabulous furniture showroom. The wall opposing this collage is devoted to the possible future uses of the building that were envisioned by students at Hampton University in Virginia.
The exploration of potential restoration and repurposing of the Galloway’s Furniture Showroom by students at Hampton University, a historically Black college, took place through Architecture Sarasota’s Hub initiative. The Hub encourages research and design institutions to use Sarasota and Florida’s Southern Gulf Coast region as a lab for problem solving.
Of course, in the end, the fate of Victor Lundy’s creation depends on its owner, Ringling College. But the Hampton University student designs are sure to spark a dialogue within the community about the future of the building.
Those kind of conversations have been taking place more frequently under Architecture Sarasota’s auspices. In addition to preserving the annual tradition of Modernism Weekend, Architecture Sarasota has been engaged in lively discussions about the future of downtown and other design and planning issues since Hylton’s arrival in January 2023.
Under his stewardship, Architecture Sarasota polled the community and compiled a comprehensive list of significant buildings in town called “Moderns That Matter.” The list of 100 “places and spaces that give Sarasota its sense of place and character” is organized chronologically across 10 categories.
WHEN DESIGN WAS EVERYTHING
Even though it isn’t a Modern per se, No. 1 on the list is the CaplesRingling Estates Historic District, including the John and Mable Ringling Museum and the Ca’ d’Zan because of its innovative designs that adapted to Florida’s pre-air conditioning environment.
Coming in at No. 91 on the “Moderns That Matter” ranking (remember, it’s listed chronologically, not by popularity or significance) is Galloway’s Furniture Showroom.
Galloway’s was founded in Tampa by entrepreneur Ralph Galloway in 1948 and expanded to seven locations in Florida. In addition to personally inspecting its Signature Group line of modern furniture, Galloway commissioned cutting-edge architects such as Lundy and Mark Hampton to design its showrooms.
Back in its heyday, the furniture on display was made in Florida. No, this was not the era of made-in-China pieces ordered online from Wayfair and delivered to your door without you ever touching the material or sitting in the chair.
Standing as testament to the reallife shopping experience is a Galloway lounge chair and ottoman in the middle of the gallery floor, not far from a scale model of the showroom where it was once sold.
Hylton has extensive experience in both the academic and historic preservation worlds. Before joining Architecture Sarasota, he spent more than a decade at the University of Florida as director of its Historic Preservation Program.
Prior to that role, he served as a strategic initiatives manager at the World Monuments Fund. A native of Kentucky, Hylton earned his bachelor’s degree at the University of Kentucky and a master’s at Columbia University.
WON’T GET FOOLED AGAIN
Hylton’s role in an initiative exploring future uses for Galloway’s Furniture Showroom isn’t the first time he’s been involved in trying to save a historic building in Sarasota. While at the University of Florida, Hylton was part of an effort to preserve Rudolph’s Riverview High School building, constructed in 1958 and demolished in 2009.
A walkthrough of the Galloway’s
Visitors to the SAM exhibition can get glimpses of the showroom’s former glory. Or maybe we should say “morning glory,” since Lundy said his design was inspired by the flower that opens in the morning and closes at night.
exhibition with Hylton and Virginia Shearer, SAM’s executive director, makes it abundantly clear that fate will never befall the landmark building in SAM’s backyard.
“The restoration and repurposing of the pavilion to serve Sarasota Art Museum and the community would be one of the most important projects to preserve and reimagine a Sarasota School resource,” Hylton says.
SAM was formed by 13 founding members in 2004 in concert with Ringling College. However, it didn’t formally open until 2019.
Shearer explains that Ringling College bought the former furniture showroom in 2009 to gain control over the neighboring property to SAM, which has a 99-year lease with the Sarasota County school district.
“It was understood that it could be a beacon, but it was also an exposure. It could be turned into something that didn’t align with the museum
or it could be torn down,” she says. There are a few cultural projects in the area looking for donors. Sarasota Orchestra’s new Music Center on Fruitville Road, Florida Studio Theatre’s new Mulva Arts Plaza and Venice Theatre’s reconstruction of its Jervey Theatre in the wake of Hurricane Ian are just three of them. But maybe there’s an architectureminded donor who wants to help make Lundy’s mid-century modern masterpiece a meeting place for the in crowd once again. There’s no plan yet, but the space clearly deserves a more lofty purpose than storage.
Hylton notes there have been innovations in heat-resistant windows since the building’s original construction. If it is renovated with state-of-the-art materials, the glass pavilion could become yet another example of how Sarasota architecture is at the forefront of meeting environmental demands.
Visitors to the Sarasota Art Museum contemplate a digital re-creation of the interior of Galloway’s Furniture Showroom.
Jamie Lissow is a regular on Fox’s talk show “Gutfeld!” and starred on Netflix’s “Real Rob” alongside “Saturday Night Live” veterans. Runs through Sept. 28.
‘THE FANTASTICKS’
7 p.m. at Manatee Performing Arts Center, 502 Third Ave. W., Bradenton $29 Visit ManateePerformingArtsCenter. com.
You don’t have to try to remember “the kind of September when life was slow and oh so mellow.” Experience firsthand the magic of “The Fantasticks,” the world’s longest running musical, at the Manatee Performing Arts Center. Runs through Sept. 29.
‘THE FOUR C NOTES’
8 p.m. at FST’s Goldstein Cabaret, 1239 N. Palm Ave.
$18-$42
DON’T MISS
‘STRUTTIN’ WITH THE STILETTO BRASS’
The all-female Stiletto Brass quintet will be joined by Bradenton virtuoso trumpeter Vince DiMartino for a rollickin’ program featuring“Struttin’ with Some BBQ” by Kenneth Abeling and George Gershwin’s “Summertime” and “Someone to Watch Over Me.”
IF YOU GO
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 27
Where: Holley Hall, 709 N. Tamiami Trail
Tickets: $35 and up
Info: Visit ThePopsOrchestra.org.
OUR PICK
‘THE TORCH BEARERS’
The Venice Theatre celebrates its 75th anniversary by reviving its first show. Written by George Kelly in 1922, “The Torch Bearers” is a play within a play about a community theater. The Venice Theatre’s “origin story” features an ensemble cast, including Kevin Fewell, Paul Hutchison, Tan Selby, Nancy Denton, Colette Wheeler and other local thespians.
IF YOU GO
When: Runs through Oct. 13
Where: Venice Theatre’s Raymond Center, 140 Tampa Ave. W., Venice
Tickets: $15-$35
Info: Visit VeniceTheatre.org.
Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.
With “The Four C Notes,” Florida Studio Theatre continues its tradition of presenting Four Seasons tribute shows inspired by “Jersey Boys” and starring performers from the Broadway smash hit’s touring production. Runs through Oct. 13.
SATURDAY
‘PALETTE OF SOUNDS’
6 p.m. at Fogartyville, 525 Kumquat Court Free Visit MosaicMovements.org.
The Creative Nexus series kicks off with “Palette of Sounds,” featuring indigenous musician Lyla June, guitarist David Munoz and reggae band Jah Movement.
SUNDAY
CHAMBER SOIRÉE: BAROQUE BANQUET
4 p.m. at Holley Hall, 709 N. Tamiami Trail
$42-$52 Visit SarasotaOrchestra.org.
Sarasota Orchestra opens its Chamber Soiree season with Bach’s “Brandenburg Concerto No. 3” for strings, Philidor’s “March for Two Pairs of Timpani” and Stravinsky’s Neo-Baroque “Pulcinella.” Among the performers will be the orchestra’s principal timpani player, Yoko Kita.
MONDAY
ENDURING LIGHT: PHOTOGRAPHS BY ROY
DECARAVA AND DANNY LYON
10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at The Ringling Museum of Art, 5401 Bay Shore Road
$30; free on Mondays Visit Ringling.org.
This exhibition showcases works from two complementary portfolios of the U.S. civil rights movement. The photographs by Roy DeCarava and Danny Lyon are part of a collection recently donated to The Ringling by Richard and Ellen Sandor. Runs through Feb. 9.
Temple Beth Sholom
Courtesy image
“The Torch Bearers” runs through Oct. 13 at Venice Theatre’s Raymond Center.
Egg-cellent sandwiches
EMMA BURKE JOLLY CONTRIBUTOR
Freshman year of high school, I watched seniors vote for their class superlatives. The captain of the football team and his girlfriend were crowned cutest couple. That wasn’t something I aspired to, but I thought maybe — just maybe — one day I’d be nominated for something like “Best Eyes.” Still, as long as I wasn’t a contender for “Most Likely to Never Leave Connecticut,” I knew I was a winner.
Fast forward to when the yearbooks came out my senior year. I was shocked to see that I and my 13 gal pals had been named “Best Clique.” We donned T-shirts proclaiming ourselves “The Senior Biddys,” while the cool kids tried to make a mockery of our group.
You know what’s funny about high school? In the end, it doesn’t matter. Nearly 20 years later, I’d be happy to have been voted most resilient, most likely to marry an incredible human and best person to ask about breakfast sandwiches.
In honor of National Better Breakfast Month, I’m going to pass along some of my local favorites.
99 BOTTLES TAPROOM & BOTTLE SHOP
1445 Second St., Sarasota; 487-7874; 99Bottles.net
A Toast To: Most likely to get you boozy with a side of bagels at brunch.
Egg-Cellent Choice: 99 Bottles hosts brunch every Friday, Saturday and Sunday. From 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., you can get “real deal NY bagels.” Choose from a bagel with hummus, lettuce, tomato, cucumber and pickled red onion ($9.50) or the bagel BLT ($11.50) with bacon, iceberg lettuce, tomato and aioli. If you’d rather stick to basics, choose
from cinnamon raisin, everything, plain, poppy, pumpernickel, rainbow, sesame or a bialy. Personally, I can’t wait to bite into the egg salad sandwich ($6.50).
Egg-Cellent Choice: I shouldn’t admit this, but the first biscuit I ever had was when I moved down here eight years ago — and I’ve never looked back. Buttermilk — an ingredient of all things flaky and fluffy — led me to Benton’s bacon, baked egg and pimento cheese ($9.95) on a biscuit. Another breakfast sandwich in my rotation? The Benton’s bacon, jam and baked egg ($7.75).
BONANNO’S BAGELS
Food truck locations available online; 724-0798; BonannosBagels.com
A Toast To: Most likely to dish out delicious lox on wheels.
Egg-Cellent Choice: Welcome the newest foodie stop on my never-ending search for the best local flavor. Like this foodie, owner Monique is bringing smiles to people’s faces in honor of her late father through food. For lox lovers, the Fifth Avenue ($10.75) is made with thinly sliced salmon, plain cream cheese, thinly sliced red onions, capers and fresh dill. Nostalgia swept over me when I saw the rainbow bagel ($3.50). I had to order it with the honey walnut schmear ($1.75).
COFFEE CARROUSEL
1644 Main St., Sarasota; 365-2826; Facebook.com/CoffeeCarrousel
A Toast To: Best Sarasota staple
serving a sausage sandwich.
Egg-Cellent Choice: Anytime you drive down Main Street, you are certain to see the signature window paintings of a carrousel and immediately smell the aromas of specials that have been cooking up since 1987. Belly up to the bar and order an egg, meat and cheese on toast ($3.75). If you were me, you’d order the sausage on a croissant for an extra 70 cents.
JERSEY GIRL BAGELS
5257 University Parkway, Unit No.103, Bradenton; 388-8910; JerseyGirlBagels.net
A Toast To: Tasty, top-notch, tristate area bagels ready to tempt you.
Egg-Cellent Choice: I will forever shout out JGB because they continue to wrap me in a home away from home full of gluten, and I never want them to let go. Go pick up
Check out these breakfast bites found in Sarasota, Siesta Key, Lakewood Ranch and Bradenton.
a croissant with bacon, tomato, sprouts and avocado — perfect for a Starman or woman.
A Toast To: Most likely to create cheese chaos in the most delicious way imaginable.
Egg-Cellent Choice: One bit of advice for this stop on our quest for the best breakfast sandwich: Come hungry! And if you’re thirsty, this Lakewood Ranch eatery showcases a well-stocked bar full of wines, champagne and draft beers. However, it’s the breakfast grilled cheese ($13.59) that will open up your morning eyes. Scrambled eggs with tomato and onion, topped with cheddar jack, Havarti and swiss with a side of ham sausage or bacon is just what the foodie ordered.
(or order by UberEats) an egg and cheese with your choice of bacon, sausage or Taylor ham ($8.99) and turn any lazy Sunday into the ideal rot on the couch day. What could be better than you in your sweats, your cats and whatever Netflix show you are currently bingeing on?
A Toast To: Most creative croissants combos on the Key. Egg-Cellent Choice: This garden oasis is a must-stop with out-oftown guests or to simply pretend you’re the one on vacation. With names on the menu summoning up decades past, the well-known beach town eatery serves up classic favorites with a serious ’70s vibe. The Ziggy Stardust ($15.95) rocks out with two scrambled eggs on
A Toast To: Most wonderful, warm and wildly flavorful breakfast wraps.
Egg-Cellent Choice: This food truck is whipping up breakfast and lunch sandwiches with a side of fries right on Cattlemen Road. Choose from 10 breakfast sandwiches (and a breakfast bowl!) from 7-10:30 a.m. While the Carpe Diem wrap is astonishingly addictive, it’s the Mama’s Choice ($10.50) that leaves me wanting more — and a water chaser. It’s packed with bacon, American and hot pepper cheese, avocado, tomato, onion, jalapeños and deli sauce plus truffle sauce.
Courtesy image
Sun Garden Cafe’s Ziggy Stardust ($15.95) sprouts joy on Siesta Key.
Lia Romeo wins
Urbanite’s Modern Works Festival
Following its five-day Modern Works Festival for female playwrights, Urbanite Theatre announced that the winner of its 2024 competition is Lia Romeo, for her play “A Nice Motherly Person.”
Romeo takes home $3,200 to help develop her new work.
Romeo’s play was one of three finalists out of more than 300 works submitted. The other two were “I’m Saving You a Seat” by Sarah Elizabeth Grace and “In the Mouth of the Beast” by Baylee Shlichtman.
“Each of the finalists’ plays was unique in style, contained fantastic writing, and made it nearly impossible to choose a winner,” said Urbanite Producing Artistic Director Summer Wallace in a statement. “All three of our finalists deserved to take home top honors.”
Sponsored by the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation and Carole & Malcolm Schwartz, Urbanite’s Modern Works Festival drew soldout audiences from Sept. 4-8 for staged readings of the three finalists, talkbacks, parties and a keynote presentation by playwright Lauren Gunderson.
“A Nice Motherly Person” explores the challenges of new motherhood and riffed on characters familiar to fans of Peter Pan.
A recent graduate of the Juilliard playwriting program, Romeo teaches creative writing at Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey. Her plays have been developed at institutions such as the O’Neill, La Jolla Playhouse and the Lark, and have been produced at companies including Laguna Playhouse, Unicorn Theatre, Project Y Theatre and New Jersey Repertory Theatre.
Reynardus de Villanueva joins board at Art Center Sarasota Clara Reynardus de Villanueva, director of development for the University of South Florida Foundation’s Sarasota-Manatee campus, has been named to Art Center Sarasota’s board of directors. Founded in 1926, Art Center Sara-
Image courtesy of Matthew Holler
Clara Reynardus de Villanueva has been appointed to the board of Art Center Sarasota.
sota is the oldest visual arts organization in Sarasota. It doesn’t charge admission for its juried regional art exhibitions and solo shows that allow artists to sell their works, relying instead on donations and membership fees to fund its operations.
A first-generation Cuban American mostly raised in Puerto Rico, Reynardus de Villanueva is an ardent advocate for expanding access to the arts, education and social services for underserved communities.
“We are excited to welcome Clara to our board,” says Ramsey Frangie, Art Center Sarasota board president. “Her dedication to community arts advocacy, coupled with her extensive nonprofit experience, will be instrumental in advancing Art Center Sarasota’s mission and ensuring its continued impact on Sarasota’s vibrant cultural landscape.”
Reynardus de Villanueva is the board chair for CreArte Latino Cultural Center, serves as an advisory board member for the Sarasota Ballet and is a volunteer with the Child Protection Center.
She is pursuing an MBA and a graduate degree in nonprofit management, both from USF, and has been recognized with several leadership awards.
“I’m honored to join the board of Art Center Sarasota, an organization integral to our community’s cultural development,” said Reynardus de Villanueva in a statement. “I look forward to collaborating with a talented team to help the center maintain its leadership in the arts, inspire creativity, and support artists from all backgrounds.”
BRIEFS
Connecting with your primary care & cardiologist doctor when you need them most is crucial.
At Gulfshore Personalized Care, it’s possible to take care of your primary care and cardiology needs all with the same doctor.
Thomas Arne Jr., DO, FACC, proudly offers patient-centered care through concierge services, such as same-day office visits, direct access to Dr. Arne, and a friendly staff always willing to help.
Call us to schedule your no-obligation meet & greet with Dr. Arne today.
From Bach to Bluegrass
Kayla Williams, viola with Chris McCarthy, piano
October 15, 5:30 pm performance followed by dinner Plantation Golf & Country Club
From bluegrass to classical, jazz and gospel, Kayla Williams crosses genres and styles effortlessly. Her performance includes instrumental and vocal music. She will be accompanied by jazz pianist Chris McCarthy, who has been hailed as “one of the most imaginative and impressive voices on the New York jazz scene.”
Yamazalde Trio Sandy
Luke Schaufuss in Johan Kobborg’s Napoli Act III
by Frank Atura
YOUR NEIGHBORS
From the stage to the gallery
Former Asolo set designer Richard Cannon plans to bring his realistic drawings to the island at the All Angels Gallery starting Oct. 1.
PETRA RIVERA STAFF WRITER
Though playing Jamie in his high school production of “My Fair Lady” was his introduction to theater, set designer Richard Cannon has always had an affinity for his sketchbook and a hammer.
After more than 30 years of crafting award-winning production sets for the Florida State University Asolo Conservatory, Cannon has decided to put down his hammer and pick up his pencil in retirement.
Cannon will be hosting his first art show at All Angels By Sea Episcopal Church Gallery starting Oct. 1 through the end of November.
DRILLING DOWN THE DETAILS
Even with his teenage passion for theater, Cannon originally attended DePaul University, intending to become a doctor. After enrolling in a speech class to fulfill one of his degree requirements, he was reminded of his love for performance and bringing stories on the stage to life. This inspired him to get a master’s degree in design and production at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts.
“That’s where I actually fell in love with drawing because of a drawing teacher there,” said Cannon. “He put us through the wringer like a drill sergeant. His big thing was no ambiguous lines. Every line had to have a full life.”
The emphasis on detail in his studies created Cannon’s execution of realistic sets at every theater he
worked. For each new show, he would study the script for days to define the necessary parts for the model. After speaking with the director, he used his creativity to add extra aspects that would bring the set to life.
BRINGING SETS TO LIFE
Cannon’s career took him around the U.S., building sets for a span of performances such as dinner theaters, circuses, colleges, operas and professional theaters. Cannon moved to Sarasota to work for the Players Centre for Performing Arts in 1982. Before starting at the Asolo Student Conservatory in 1987, he also designed sets for the Ringling Bros. Circus.
The Asolo Student Conservatory was home to Cannon’s sets for the next 30 years until his final show, “Northside Hollow,” at the Urbanite Theatre in 2018. He loved crafting the students’ vision into real life and seeing their reactions when they saw the sets.
“Northside Hallow” was one of Cannon’s favorite sets he built. He turned the theater into a coal mine where guests walked through a tunnel with helmets, ducking under wires to get to their seats. This set design won a “Handy” award by theater critic Jay Handelman.
CANNON’S CURTAIN CALL
Though he doesn’t design sets any more, he still works at the scene shop at the Asolo Repertory Theatre. Cannon has lived at Plymouth Harbor with his wife for two years. He now pours his time in the art and carpentry committees at the retirement community. His penchant for details stuck with
IF YOU GO Cannon’s art will be available starting Oct. 1 through the end of November. All Angels Gallery, 563 Bay Isles Road, is available to browse from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and at 11:30 a.m. Sundays. You can meet Cannon to discuss his art at “Meet the Artist” on Nov. 3 after Sunday services. Call 383-8161 for more information.
him as he started experimenting with drawing in his free time. Cannon gets inspiration for his realistic drawings from nature and his surroundings, drawing his cat, friends’ pets and the greenery and outdoor spaces at Plymouth Harbor.
“I’ve always loved pen and ink,” said Cannon. “I like the black and white against each other and the contrast where you can make an image vibrate and shimmer by just putting a lot of air into it.”
All Angels Gallery Coordinator Carol Doenecke is one of his colleagues on the hanging committee which coordinates what art is hung at Plymouth Harbor. After getting to know Cannon, she encouraged him to create art for the bimonthly gallery on Bay Isles Road.
Besides doing a small show at Plymouth Harbor, this will be the first time Cannon will be selling his art.
He is excited to see how people will react and connect with his art. Cannon hopes that its careful detail will draw emotion and bring joy to each person who views his gallery.
Petra Rivera
Richard Cannon was a set designer at Florida State University Asolo Conservatory for more than 30 years.
Venice Home Show Show
Kiwanians’ questions
At their first bimonthly meeting of the season Sept. 19, Longboat Key Kiwanis Club members expressed how seeing more police cars along Gulf of Mexico Drive has made them feel safer.
Longboat Key Police Chief George Turner was the guest speaker at the meeting, which took place at the Lazy Lobster.
Memorial Presents
Turner informed Kiwanians the police department filled its three vacancies after having 16 officers in July. Now, the department is fully staffed, which allows him to assign three officers along the island at all times to ensure safety.
Turner also shared with the club about the take-home car program.
“We were one of the few departments in the whole state of Florida that didn’t have take-home cars,” said Turner. “It was very hard for us to recruit because people come in, and driving your own car back and forth every day is very expensive.”
Turner said the club is a great
way to communicate with the public and gauge any concerns they might have for the department.
Longboat Key Commissioner Gary Coffin also attended the meeting to mention three commissioner positions will be open on election day. He encouraged residents to apply to make their own impact on Longboat Key. In other Kiwanis Club news, the club plans to elect a new president within the next month. President Chris Sachs is stepping down after his one-year term.
— PETRA RIVERA
Insight & Innovation: A New Day In Cancer Treatment
The world of cancer care is ever evolving, which means that the treatment offered by the physicians and surgeons of the Brian D. Jellison Cancer Institute is always evolving too. During this free lecture series, hear directly from the doctors about how new therapies and advanced technologies are shaping the future of cancer care. A brief Q&A follows each presentation.
Thursday, October 10, 4:30-5:30pm
} Peter S. Vosler, MD, PhD, FACS – Head and Neck Surgical Oncologist
} Wesley McIlwain, MD, FACS – Head and Neck Surgical Oncologist
Advanced Head and Neck Cancer Care at Sarasota Memorial Hospital
Tuesday, October 15, 4:30-5:30pm
} Richard H. Brown, MD – Medical Oncologist and Hematologist: Oncology 101 - Understanding Systemic Treatment and Future Directions
Wednesday, October 16, 4:30-5:30pm
} Jennifer S. Holl, MD – Colon and Rectal Surgeon: Colorectal Cancer Care in 2024 - Screening, Risk
What Can You Do?
Wednesday, October 23, 4:30-5:30pm
} M. Blair Marshall, MD, FACS – Thoracic Surgical Oncologist: Surgery
} Omar Sheriff, MD – Pulmonologist: Lung
Omar Sheriff, MD
Peter S. Vosler, MD, PhD, FACS
Wesley McIlwain, MD, FACS
Richard H. Brown, MD
Jennifer S. Holl, MD
M. Blair Marshall, MD, FACS
Chris Sachs, Police Chief George Turner and Michael Garey at the Kiwanis Club meeting.
Photos by Petra Rivera
Andrew Vac listens to Police Chief George Turner.
Beyond First Class™
Wining and dining at Whitney Plaza
Crammed into local boutique
Driftwood Beach Home and Garden, eight ladies from Longboat Harbor Condominiums heard there was a 40% off sale on their favorite dresses.
They had just finished catching up with Irina Bronstein at Design 2000 Salon over a slice of pizza from Ventura’s Italian Kitchen and Wine Bar. Owner Heather Rippy handed each of them a glass of prosecco while they browsed the colorful dresses and unique trinkets from local vendors.
Resident Joyce Hecklau found her new favorite dress on the racks. Just as she has every month this summer, Hecklau gathered her friend group from the condominium on Sept. 19 to support the small businesses of Whitney Plaza at Summer Night Out.
“Us ladies will start the night with some shopping and catching up with our friends at Whitney,” said Hecklau. “Then, we meet the guys over at Ventura’s for dinner.
“This has been our favorite summer tradition this year to get everyone together and just go out around the island when there isn’t a lot going on.”
Design 2000 Salon and Driftwood Beach Home and Garden started the event in summer 2023 to provide an organic way for Longboaters to support their local businesses and meet their neighbors. This year, other businesses in the plaza joined the event by providing free samples and staying after hours.
The tour of Whitney Plaza began at Donuts By Design to try Gary Hagen’s various sweet treats and food items. Then, residents head next door to Design 2000 and finished off with shopping at Driftwood. Ventura’s invited people to continue mingling after the event with its extended happy hour specials.
“We got to meet some new people today and say hi to our old friends, as well,” said Irina Bronstein from Design 2000. “That is what I love about this event. Most people never know who they are going to run into. Usually, it’s someone you know or someone who you really click with and end up becoming really good friends.”
— PETRA RIVERA
BUILDING CHAMPIONS
of kids and teens, ages 6 to 18, rely on the Club to access essential resources that help them reach their full potential. It’s more than just an organization— its where local youth transform into something extraordinary.
All summer long the “team” at Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota and DeSoto Counties has been training to ensure this new academic year is a slam dunk. With their academic coaches and wellness professionals, Club members sharpened their math skills, boosted their science knowledge, and reached their wellness goals like champions.
Guided by their leadership coach, they also learned to speak up and lead with confidence, just like a captain on the field. As a result, 100% of Club members either maintained or improved their academic performance during the summer.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota and DeSoto Counties fuels the brains, muscles and hearts of children in our community. The children that will grow to be vital contributors to the continued success of Sarasota and DeSoto Counties.
Your support will ensure thousands of
Club members have whatever it takes to succeed.
Please help us empower our Club members. From athletes to mathletes, help us help them achieve their full potential this 2024-2025 back-toschool season.
HERE ARE FIVE WAYS TO BE AN MVP FOR LOCAL YOUTH.
Season Ticket Holder - $2500
Supports one Club member for the entire year including both school-year and summer seasons.
Brain Booster - $1000
Enhances academic training for the youth with daily homework help and instruction.
Mindful MVP - $500
Promotes positive mental wellness with free access to embedded mental health professionals.
Leadership All-Star - $250
Levels up our community’s future leaders through the development of positive character and leadership skills.
Active Advocate - $100
Champions physical fitness through guidance on nutrition, daily activity, and the importance of play.
All Season Ticket Holders will have their gift doubled thanks to a matching challenge by a generous local couple! Learn more or make a gift at bgcsdc.org
Nancy Cooper, Pam O’Halloran-Blevins, Christina Filkins, Joyce Hecklau, Connie DiMaggio, Karen Pashkow, Tina Licciardi and Darlene Sedlock from Longboat Harbour Condominiums come to Summer Night Out every month.
Patti Meeder and Heather Rippy at Driftwood Beach Home and Garden at Summer Night Out.
Photos by Petra Rivera
Tia Chowanski-Doty eating pizza at Design 2000 at Summer Night Out.
Penny and Rick Sellers at Design 2000 at Summer Night Out.
2251
3500
Location,
Home on Lighthouse Point tops sales at $10.15 million
ADAM HUGHES RESEARCH EDITOR
Ahome in Lighthouse Point tops all transactions in this week’s real estate. Justine Skestos, of Columbus, Ohio, sold her home at 60 Lighthouse Point Drive to Hershel Fred Newman, of Germantown, Tennessee, for $10.15 million. Built in 2000, it has four bedrooms, four-anda-half baths, a pool and 7,170 square feet of living area. It sold for $4.2 million in 2001.
VIZCAYA AT LONGBOAT KEY
Gordon and Mary Jo White, of Longboat Key, sold their Unit 1C2 condominium at 2333 Gulf of Mexico Drive to Norman Tasman, trustee, of Longboat Key, for $7,176,000. Built in 1997, it has four bedrooms, four-and-a-half baths and 3,895 square feet of living area. It sold for $4.1 million in 2022.
BAY ISLES
Patrice Greene, of Evans, Georgia, sold the home at 3281 Bayou Road to Linda Hartnett, trustee, of Longboat Key, for $1,349,000. Built in 1993, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,345 square feet of living area. It sold for $935,000 in 2004.
THE PRIVATEER NORTH
Frederick Maibach Jr., trustee, of Lake Placid, sold the Unit 1001 condominium at 1050 Longboat Club Road to Kevin and Kristina Rose, of Belvidere, Illinois, for $987,500. Built in 1974, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,409 square feet of living area. It sold for $610,000 in 2015.
LIDO REGENCY
Michael and Jill Zavolta, trustees, of Sarasota, sold the Unit 6-C condominium at 1700 Benjamin Franklin Drive to John and Nicole Connelly, of E. Amherst, New York, for $800,000. Built in 1968, it has one bedroom, one-and-a-half baths
and 1,059 square feet of living area. It sold for $480,000 in 2019.
ISLANDER CLUB OF LONGBOAT
Suzanne Shaps, trustee, of Hopkinton, Massachusetts, sold the Unit 64-S condominium at 2295 Gulf of Mexico Drive to Jeffrey and Pamela Konis, of Longboat Key, for $625,000. Built in 1970, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,235 square feet of living area. It sold for $175,000 in 1999.
BAYPORT BEACH AND TENNIS CLUB
Thomas and Jane Churchill, trustees, of Manomet, Massachusetts, sold the Unit 829 condominium at 829 Bayport Way to Jonathan David Seigle and Cindy Seigle, of
Longboat Key, for $545,000. Built in 1983, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,601 square feet of living area. It sold for $450,000 in 2020.
ST. JUDES APARTMENTS
Timothy and Lisa Burton, of Mulberry, sold their Unit 19 condominium at 729 Saint Judes Drive S. to Orange Palm LLC for $330,000. Built in 1966, it has one bedroom, one bath and 630 square feet. It sold for $189,000 in 2020.
ONLINE
See more transactions at YourObserver.com
Image courtesy of Candy Swick
Justine Skestos, of Columbus, Ohio, sold her home at 60 Lighthouse Point Drive to Hershel Fred Newman, of Germantown, Tennessee, for $10.15 million.
The home at 60 Lighthouse Point Drive has four bedrooms and four-and-a-half baths.
Behind the name: Joan M. Durante Park
Joan and Jim Durante were active Longboaters who wanted to give the island a haven for reflecting and connecting with nature.
PETRA RIVERA STAFF WRITER
Joan M. Durante was known for her passion for nature. Her Sanctuary Condominium balcony was always full of herbs and flowers.
She was heavily involved in the landscape committee at the condominium grounds, and advocated to keep all the native vegetation in its pristine state.
Joan’s love of keeping Longboat Key plant life “preserved” is the reason her legacy lives on with name of Joan Durante Park.
The park, located at 5550 Gulf of Mexico Drive, is a 32-acre haven where people go to bird watch, take walks, ride bikes and absorb the nature of Longboat.
Joan moved to Longboat Key with her husband, James “Jim” Durante, a lawyer from New York who loved to give his two cents on Longboat. He wrote a guest legal column for the Longboat Observer and was known to voice his opinions at meetings around the island.
Longboat Key Historical Society President Michael Drake knew the Durantes when he managed the Sanctuary Condominiums in the 1980s. The couple was among the original owners.
Drake got to know the Durantes because Jim always left the door open when he smoked cigars. His neighbors often called Drake to complain about Jim’s smoking.
“He was very reserved,” said Drake. “He stuck to himself and was just a really nice guy. What really stood out to me about Jim was how much he adored his wife.”
Joan became ill and died in the early 1990s. Wanting to honor his late wife, Jim approached the town with $750,000 to develop a park in her name in 1994. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service also funded a grant that year to create a wetland and coastal hammock forest on the island.
Because 5550 Gulf of Mexico Drive was just cleared of cabins and the invasive vegetation of Austra-
lian pine and Brazilian peppers, the 32-acre plot of land was the perfect place to make Joan’s dream come true.
Jim died in 2007, but the park lives on boasting native birds, trails and views of Sarasota Bay.
Just as Joan’s advocation for the native species at her condominium, the park is home to native vegetation and desirable trees for Longboat, such as live oaks, red cedar, sabal palms, banyon, mango, green buttonwood, mahoe and mangroves.
The park has won several awards, such as the “1998 Outstanding Ecosystem Restoration Award” from the Florida Urban Forestry Council, the “Public Landscape Award” from the Keep Manatee Beautiful organization and the “Image Manatee Beautification Award” from the Manatee
County Chamber of Commerce.
Drake said the Joan M. Durante Park is a wonderful amenity for Longboaters and visitors who value connecting with nature.
“It is a sanctuary,” said Drake. “It’s a beautiful place to walk, reflect on life and get out in the sun. I think it’s pretty cool that it will be a part of Longboat and remember the Durantes’ memory forever.”
The park, located on 5550 Gulf of Mexico Drive, is a haven where people go to bird watch, take walks, ride bikes and absorb the nature of Longboat.
One of the observation decks at Joan M. Durante Park is now made of composite material.
Photos by Carter Weinhofer
Joan M. Durante Park is home to many birds and wildlife.
Rene DiPinto
Tracey Stetler
Steven Moore
Patrick DiPinto
Nicholle DiPinto McKiernan
John Schafer
Janette Schafer
NATURE’S BEAUTY WITH
Submit your photos at YourObserver.com/contests. All submissions will be entered for the 2024-25. Weather and Nature photo contest. In February 2025, you will vote for your favorite photo, and the submission with the most votes will win a $500 gift card.
FORECAST
SATURDAY, SEPT. 28 High:86
Sept. 30 7:23a 7:17p
Oct. 1 7:23a 7:16p Wednesday, Oct. 2 7:24a 7:14p
MOON PHASES
TIDES
“RERG HNMJVN NMPRIRUUGRUU KRZFNRU BGHM HNR CROHNU MD CRUOZBK, HNRKR’U ZIUM Z OKBCR ZGC ARZJHX BG BH, ZU TRII.” ZGHNMGX PZFYBR “DR M PXMI YMPB RDFZU
