Not everyone may know that the nonprofit Save the Manatee Club was founded in 1981 by singer and songwriter Jimmy Buffett and then-governor of Florida Bob Graham.
Yet, its connection to the musician’s legacy was celebrated on Feb. 1 during “It’s 5 O’Clock Somewhere: A Celebration of Jimmy Buffett’s Music and Lifestyle!” at The Bazaar on Apricot & Lime.
The Sarasota Bay Parrot Head Club, which hosted the event, took the opportunity to present a check of $630 in funds raised from raffles during the Bazaar’s previous Jimmy Buffett event in August. That amount was added to the $1,710 raised that day.
The
biopsies and MRIs.
Ian Swaby
Karen and Jeff Lipnichan came from New Port Richey with their dogs, Lucy and Jack,
Ian Swaby
Kerri Freedman, of Save the Manatee Club, and Bill Brehm, of Sarasota Bay Parrot Head Club
Courtesy image
Gail Jordan and Suellen Kaeb, cochair and chair of Breast Health Sarasota, and Shelley Appleton, co-chair at The Founders Golf Club.
WEEK OF FEB. 6, 2025
BY THE NUMBERS
“I’m fulfilling my father’s mission 100%. He believed that everyone who works deserves a clean, safe, affordable roof over their head.”
One Stop Housing managing partner Mark Vengroff
Read more on page 4A
New Ringling Boulevard roundabout opens
Residents trying to drive to the downtown post office or the Sarasota County Administration Center will now have an easier time.
The roundabout at Ringing Boulevard and Pine Place has opened for traffic after nearly a year of construction.
The city announced the reopening of the roadway last weekend on its social media pages.
The opening of the roundabout was a surprise to many. Although the project was originally sched-
uled to be finished last month, the city of Sarasota reported delays caused by supply chain issues and storm recovery had pushed back the completion date until later this spring.
“Cushion was added to the revised date, and the contractor was able to accelerate the work, including working weekends,” city spokeswoman Jan Thornburg told the Observer.
While the streets are open, some work continues, including a new Breeze bus stop and transit shelter designed to accommo-
date two buses outside of the travel lane.
Construction on the roundabout began April 29, 2024. The Jan. 31 reopening marks the completion of a string of roundabouts along Ringling Boulevard including Palm Avenue, Pineapple Avenue and Orange Avenue. By the end of this year, the county plans to vacate the administration building as Benderson Development begins plans for a multiuse development on the site.
SPAC workshop set for Feb. 11
Tuesday, Feb. 11 will be a big day for proponents of a new Sarasota Performing Arts Center.
At 10 a.m., the Sarasota City Commission will hold a workshop to discuss design refinements and possibly more details on construction costs. Then at 3 p.m., residents and other interested parties may attend a community town hall presented by the Sarasota Performing Arts Foundation at Municipal Auditorium at 801 N. Tamiami Trail.
The workshop will provide an opportunity to learn about the latest design updates by the architects of Renzo Piano Building Workshop and to speak directly with the leadership of Sarasota Performing Arts Foundation and the city.
The workshop will offer insights into the evolving design concepts and vision for the new Sarasota Performing Arts Center including parking, integration into The Bay park, patron access and more. To reserve a seat at the community workshop, visit PerformingArtsFoundation.org. The City Commission workshop will be held at Sarasota City Hall. The meeting may be viewed live at SarasotaFL.gov.
Florida Highwaymen lecture held Feb. 20
A free public lecture on the historical and cultural significance of the Florida Highwaymen will be held in honor of Black History Month at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 20 in the Commission Chambers at Sarasota City Hall. The lecture will be led by Roger Lightle, a longtime Highwaymen art collector who has loaned the pieces for the City Hall display.
The Highwaymen exhibition will continue through February.
The collection of paintings showcases the creativity and influence of the more than two dozen Black artists following World War II. They sold paintings from the trunks of their cars beginning in the 1950s because they were prohibited from traditional showcasing.
The lecture is free and open to the public. Limited space is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Reservations will not be accepted.
Michael Harris
The roundabout at Ringling Boulevard and Pine Place opened on the evening of Jan. 31.
COMMAND CENTER REPORTS FOR DUTY
The new mobile center goes into action after an 18-month wait following its approval.
WARFIELD
ANDREW
STAFF WRITER
Escorted by the Sarasota Police Department Motor Unit, the city’s newest emergency response vehicle rolled up to SPD’s headquarters on Friday, Jan. 31. At nearly $1 million, the department’s new mobile command center has been placed into action after an 18-month wait since its purchase was approved by the Sarasota City Commission.
As media members photographed the new vehicle, the SPD’s old mobile unit stood nearby, striking a stark contrast. At one-fourth the size, the white trailer had to be towed into place by a truck and powered by an
onboard generator. The new mobile command center can be driven to live crime or emergency scenes with space and onboard technology to accommodate multiple operations.
It even has a bathroom.
“My administrative assistant said it the best today. She said we went from the Flintstones to the Jetsons,” said SPD Chief Rex Troche. “This is the next level for this agency. We have been building out our drone program. We’re currently building our real-time operations center. And this is just another piece of the puzzle to have a piece of technology like this within our city for our use, for our citizens, to ensure safety.”
The new mobile command center will enhance SPD’s ability to manage large-scale events, hurricanes and
other emergency situations by providing an on-site hub for extended deployments, ensuring efficient coordination and response.
Funding for the mobile command center includes $800,000 in American Rescue Plan funds approved in 2022 by the Sarasota City Commission. The remainder was paid for through the city’s Law Enforcement Trust Fund.
“This was a dream,” Troche said. “About two years ago, we pitched it, we asked for it, and then a few months later, we got the green light on it. We’ve been waiting for it due to shortages with supplies over the last year or so, but we’re so excited to have it. We are going to utilize it as much as we can.”
The old mobile command center isn’t going anywhere. In addition to serving as an auxiliary unit, it will be deployed for events such as boat races and other large events where, at the very least, it can be used as a relief station for on-duty officers.
Troche called the new unit a “force multiplier,” incorporating multiple technologies to accommodate with the SPD’s burgeoning drone program and coordinate with its realtime operations center, which is still under development.
“The best thing is going to be com-
in real
The vehicle wrap was designed by students at Ringling College of Art and Design.
tors
time. Then on the outside, you’re going to have a drone operator because we have a monitor where they can watch their drone flying over any type of target. We’ll also have dispatchers within the center.”
Mobile Command Center has to be towed to scenes of crimes, emergencies or special events.
Photos by Andrew Warfield
Sarasota Police Chief Rex Troche talks about the advanced features of the new SPD Mobile Command Center. The
ONE LAST STOP
After multiple successful careers, Mark Vengroff finds fulfilling his father’s legacy the most rewarding.
ark Vengroff could still be living in Los Angeles, where he first was CEO of WestStar Group and later CEO Walker Advertising, the nation’s largest legal advertising firm that specializes in the Latino community. All that following a 29-year career in which he rose to CEO of the family business, Vengroff Williams & Associates, while living on Long Island, New York.
The son of a man who owned and sold a number of successful businesses, he could be long retired, liv-
ing a life of leisure anywhere in the world. Since April 2018, though, he’s lived here, fulfilling the legacy of his late father, Harvey, whose mission was to provide affordable, preferably transitional, homes to as many as possible. Instead of an executive suite in a posh office building off Interstate 110 in LA, he sits at a desk in an open office space at One Stop Housing’s headquarters, located inside its own University Row apartments across U.S. 41 from Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport. There, he and his staff operate more than 4,000 affordable rental units in Sarasota, Bradenton, Orlando and Memphis, while planning to build hundreds more.
“I’m fulfilling my father’s mission 100%,” Vengroff, 59, said. “He believed that everyone who works deserves a clean, safe, affordable roof over their head. I didn’t buy off on that mission at first, but then when
Mark Vengroff is finishing what his father started at One Stop Housing.
he knew he was going to have a year to live, I was running the advertising agency. He was practically begging me to get over here, so I came, met with the managers, the tenants, and I just fell in love with the whole thing.”
Harvey Vengroff died in October 2018, leaving to his family its stake in one of the world’s largest debt collection agencies and a company that specialized in buying old motels and converting them into affordable apartments.
He also left one big piece of unfinished business.
Sarasota Station.
Beginning in 2015, Harvey Vengroff labored for three years to get his most ambitious project off the ground, a new construction development of nearly 400 residences on a vacant industrial site behind the Sarasota office of Vengroff Williams, one block north of Fruitville Road on the eastern edge of downtown.
Nine years later, after overcoming multiple obstacles posed by the city, a global pandemic and a dearth of capital, realization of Harvey Vengroff’s vision, albeit reimagined, is as close as it’s ever been. One Stop Housing has recently received full Development Review Committee sign-off for Sarasota Station, now planned as a 202-unit, 100% affordable housing project, being brought to fruition by his son.
Funding was the latest obstacle, one that Vengroff overcame by selling a portion of the property to a private developer who will build 77 luxury townhomes on its portion of the site. That sale netted One Stop Housing nearly $10 million. Also approved by Sarasota County is $15 million in Resilient SRQ federal funding.
“That’s what closed up the capital stack and made it work,” Vengroff said this past week, when he had expectations that Sarasota Station would break ground sometime in the fall.
Then on Tuesday, Vengroff received word of yet another possible delay, what he said are some minuteadditional requirements that may require changes to the site plan.
“This, unfortunately, may either delay the build or could change the scope as originally modeled out and approved by the city,” Vengroff said.
A TRUE ONE-STOP SHOP Selling a significant portion of Vengroff Williams in 2011, a retired Harvey Vengroff boarded his boat in New York and headed south. Rounding the bottom of the state, he turned north and headed toward Sarasota. Once he sailed into Sarasota Bay, Mark Vengroff said he knew he was home. It didn’t take long before he recognized the need for affordable housing, even back then. Harvey Vengroff, always the entrepreneur, founded One Stop Housing on one hand, and on the other, helped create a loosely organized group of venture capitalists who provided seed money to startups. Mark Vengroff would often say his dad was always looking out for the “underdogs.”
Applying his business acumen to the affordable housing, Mark Vengroff has grown One Stop Housing with the addition of former general contractor Gabor Sztuska, the company’s president of housing development and construction. The company has also moved on from its model of acquiring and renovating old motels, Vengroff said, because they had become too expensive. The focus is now on new construction. In additional to Sarasota Station, the company is planning multiple workforce housing developments.
One Stop manages to keep rents low by employing efficient building practices. For example, regardless of the project, all units have the same floor plan from studio to two-bedroom models, with or without a den.
“No matter what the exterior looks like, every apartment is identical,” Vengroff said. “Whether it’s an exterior corridor or interior corridor, whether it’s a hotel conversion or a brand new construction, all of them are the same. Our construction crews come in phases, and they know exactly what to do because they built hundreds of those same exact same units.”
One Stop Housing is also a licensed general contractor, licensed plumber, licensed electrician and licensed roofer. On staff is a full development team that can handle nearly every aspect short of civil engineering.
“Our cost factor is just so far below what everyone else can do,” Vengroff said. Then there is the purchasing
department of four that acquires construction and finish materials in bulk. “That’s all they do,” Vengroff said. “They are just deal making, deal making and deal making.” That efficiency, he added, allows One Stop to use upgraded finishes in all of its units, further economized by the limited the floorpans across all properties.
“I can get 1,100 custom countertops all exactly the same, so it’s super cheap,” Vengroff said. “I’m getting granite top countertops for almost nothing compared to what it would have been. I’m getting really highend, really nice materials for our residents.”
A REWARDING FINAL CAREER
One Stop Housing’s emphasis is on proving residences for what Vengroff calls the “missing middle” of the affordable housing spectrum, those in the 60% to 100% of the area median income, which is artificially inflated in Sarasota County with its large, and generally wealthy, seasonal population.
Commercial developers answerable to investors, he said, can’t provide for that range.
“If I am a developer and I have a lot of capital, maybe I want to play in the game of market rate,” Vengroff said. “If I don’t have a lot of capital but I want really good margins and I don’t mind going through the government
bureaucracy, maybe I am going to play in the field of affordable housing because there are tax credits and other incentives.
“What ends up happening is there’s nothing for this missing middle because everyone’s either going to affordable or they’re going to market rate.”
That leaves wage earners from 80% to 100% AMI — the bulk of service workers, teachers, public safety and others — struggling to find housing locally.
“That’s 75% of our workforce, with the other 25% scattered on either side of the spectrum,” Vengroff said. “We’re doing it for the love of the mission.”
At its core, the mission is to provide a home that allows tenants to save money eventually move up the housing spectrum.
As a career he doesn’t really need, Vengroff said that mission is the most rewarding of all.
“I was supposed to be semiretired, but the need is so great. I realized that let’s just keep growing this thing, and that’s why I do it. I ended up drinking the Kool-Aid and just said this is the right thing to do. We were very fortunate in life. We do extremely well and so what a great way to spend your time and what a wonderful group of people to work with.”
“I’m fulfilling my father’s mission 100%,” Vengroff said. “He believed that everyone who works deserves a clean, safe, affordable roof over their head.”
in Sarasota.
Entrepreneur Harvey Vengroff founded One Stop Housing before he died in 2018. His son, Mark, has taken over the rental company.
Mark Vengroff
Work on The Bay won’t impact future Van Wezel use
ANDREW WARFIELD STAFF WRITER
Plans for Phase 2 of The Bay park and the compatibility of a repurposed Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall took center stage at the Jan. 27 meeting of the city’s Purple Ribbon Committee.
The committee has only five more months before its recommendation of what form the Van Wezel might take should it be replaced by the new Sarasota Performing Arts Center on the opposite corner of the parking lot, with what the Bay Park Conservancy envisions as green space in between, perhaps above surface parking.
The committee’s purview is to make a suggestion or suggestions of what to do with the Van Wezel, but its members consider how it might interact with the latter stages of The Bay — what former Bay Park Conservancy COO Bill Waddill described as the “doughnut hole” between the first phase along Boulevard of the Arts, the Canal District at 10th Street and the Cultural District along North Tamiami Trail — to be critical to their upcoming deliberations.
Questions posed to BPC Founding CEO AG Lafley included:
■ How much parking will be needed on or off site to hold events at a new SPAC, the Van Wezel, Munici-
pal Auditorium and outdoor events in the park, perhaps all at the same time along with upwards of three waterfront restaurants?
■ Where will parking be located?
■ How will or will not installing a resilient shoreline next to the Van Wezel impact flood-proofing needs there?
■ With the new SPAC moving from its placeholder on the master plan to the designed location along Tamiami Trail, what happens to that space?
With 780 parking spaces currently, plus another 200 or so scattered among other lots within The Bay’s boundaries, Lafley said the master plan calls for about 800 spaces on site.
Committee member David Rovine pointed out that at an average of 2.3 people per car with a 2,700-seat primary performance hall, there aren’t enough parking spaces on the grounds even for a single event, let alone simultaneous activity at the other venues.
“We are going to need more parking on the site, given if there’s a new Sarasota Performing Arts Center.
The scale and scope of 2,700 seats in the main hall, 800 in the second hall and 300 (in a multipurpose space) that’s more than twice the number of seats,” Lafley said of the 1,741 seats currently in the Van Wezel. “All of
the usual suspects will be looked at — parking garages on site, parking garages off site. In the Rosemary District, there is plan that includes a (pedestrian) overpass at Ninth Street.”
The point being, not unlike large performing arts centers in urban areas of other cities, parking will be scattered around the immediate vicinity and not all of it on site. That, he said, is a matter for the City Commission to consider.
Although, as usual, the parking conundrum dominated the conversation of The Bay and the SPAC, committee member Marty Hylton pressed Lafley on how plans for a resilient, soft shoreline for the park will impact options to harden the Van Wezel against future flooding events, the venue having canceled the first half of the 2024-25 performance season in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton.
“Our strategy has been soften, make it native and natural, allow it to flood and be resilient,” said Lafley, who has experience in leading the development of the 45-acre Riverfront Park along the Ohio River in Cincinnati. “Those rivers flood regularly, every few years, and they had the seawall approach. We decided to go natural and resilient for a long stretch along the park.”
Meanwhile, Hylton referred to the draft Karins Engineering report the committee received at its Jan. 13 meeting, which included in its $17 million estimate to upgrade certain building systems and protect the structure from future flooding some options for a hardened shoreline along its frontage.
Lafley assured the committee that its long-term plans for The Bay — the current parking lot will be part of the final phase perhaps a decade away — or any of the construction in the interim will not impact whatever becomes of the Van Wezel.
Coordination between the three interests in that portion of The Bay, he said, will be critical in planning Phase 3 and beyond.
New College may run Ringling
Transfer seen as part of larger plan to consolidate campuses along U.S. 41.
JIM DELA DIGITAL CONTENT PRODUCER
n his budget, Gov. Ron Desantis has proposed transferring control of The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art from Florida State University to New College of Florida. Four paragraphs inside DeSantis’ budget bill for 2025 directs FSU to work with New College “in transferring all duties, responsibilities, and state financial obligations of the Ringling including but not limited to, the art museum, the Ca’d’ Zan, circus museums and the Ringling Museum of the Circus, to New College of Florida.”
On its website, The Ringling claims other assets, including Bayfront Gardens, the Art Library and the Historic Asolo Theater.
The transfer would be complete by Aug. 1, the proposed bill says.
In a prepared statement, New College President Richard Corcoran welcomed the plan. “New College is building America’s best liberal arts college, and the addition of the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art strengthens that mission, offering an unparalleled cultural and aca -
demic resource.
“This proposal will move the needle for both institutions to attain greater heights.”
The Ringling, which sits adjacent to the New College campus along U.S. 41, has been administered by FSU since 2000. Included as well is the FSU Center for Performing Arts, which houses the Asolo Repertory Theatre and the FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training.
State Sen. Joe Gruters of Sarasota says the plan makes sense, given DeSantis’ ultimate goal of merging FSU’s operation in Sarasota, and the University of South Florida’s Sarasota-Manatee campus into New College.
“From a logistics and economies of scale and a consolidation standpoint, it does make sense for it to be all be controlled by the same entity,” Gruters told the Observer. “I think it’s in line with the governor’s vision he started a couple years ago, to help New College be a long-term, vibrant university.”
Gruters also said he’s discussed this possibility with the three schools about the plan. “I have talked to stakeholders from University of South Florida, and I’ve talked to stakeholders from New College, and I’ve talked to stakeholders from FSU. And although there’s still work to be done, I think it’s possible.”
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A rendering of plans for the resilient shoreline in The Bay park.
Moratorium madness
‘Overdevelopment’ is not the problem in Manatee, and a moratorium is certainly not the answer.
ll
Awould have taken was one phone call to Sam Staley. Building moratoria, he told us, “are really bad ideas.”
Staley knows this well. He is the director of the DeVoe Moore Center in the College of Social Science and Public Policy at Florida State University. He is widely known nationally and in Florida for his expertise on economic development, land use and regulation, urban policy, economic development, public-private partnerships, growth management, transportation and regulatory reform.
When we informed Staley of Manatee County commissioners Robert McCann and Carol Felts pursuing a building moratorium in their districts, Staley responded: “They are a sledgehammer trying to pound a finishing nail — more likely to destroy the nail than drive it in for its intended purpose.”
Twenty years ago, Staley penned a commentary on moratoria for the Reason Foundation, where he was a senior fellow. The headline and subheadline tell it all.
Headline: “Moratoria on growth signal failure of planning.”
Subheadline: “Moratoria are bold evidence of poor political leadership.”
Staley’s commentary went on to say: “Sound infrastructure planning also isn’t a short-term fix. It’s a long-term process that requires diligence, commitment and professionalism. This is why growth moratoria are unsuited to solving a community’s infrastructure problems.
“Moratoria have to be short to avoid becoming a government ‘taking’ — a seizure of private property requiring compensation to private landowners. They typically span a year or less. That’s not enough time for a long-term planning process to correct past wrongs.
“Moreover, moratoria may add to local problems if they put communities at risk to lawsuits or investment falls dramatically because developers scoot off to more hospitable (and usually greener) pastures.
“When does a growth moratorium make sense? Rarely, and only as a last resort.”
Commissioners McCann and Felts repeatedly make the claim “my constituents want a moratorium.” They don’t really know that to be true. McCann says the 41,700 people who voted for him is proof.
Sure, there are many who say they want a moratorium. But if they thought through the consequences, they probably would ask what McCann and Felts should be asking:
1) Is there really a lack of infrastructure for what exists and to accommodate additional homebuilding?
2) What are the consequences of a moratorium? And, 3) What are options beside a moratorium?
■ #1: Lack of infrastructure.
McCann cites the flooding that occurred after Hurricane Debby, making it sound as if flooding is a constant problem in Lakewood Ranch. Debby was a once-in-500years occurrence. What’s more, we quoted 25- and 30-year residents of Lakewood Ranch who said Debby was the one and only time they have seen floods in Lakewood Ranch.
And, if McCann had ventured to visit with Schroeder-Manatee Ranch CEO Rex Jensen and his staff, he would learn that Lakewood Ranch has gone far beyond what is required with its roads, drainage and sewers. Flooding is not a major issue.
■ #2: The consequences of a moratorium.
First, can anyone think of the upside benefits to a construction moratorium? Sure, residents
One tyrant for another?
There’s a saying about American elections. After the votes are counted, all we have done is swapped one set of tyrants for another. That comes to mind after seeing how the pendulum has swung on the Manatee County Commission. Oh, the poor taxpayers. It’s going to be another long four years. When the 2024 votes were counted, Manatee taxpayers ousted the aggressive, arch-conservative, limited-government, pro-business, sometimes tyrannical Kevin Van Ostenbridge from District 3, and in exchange, chose an unknown populist, Robert McCann from District 5. Granted, it’s early to put McCann in a behavioral box. But after observing his presentations at the past two commission meetings, you get the sense he sees himself as the “I’m pretty smart” Big Shot legislator. It’s like watching on C-Span a puffed-up U.S. senator bloviating at a Senate confirmation hearing. Watch the video of his 20-minute ramblings at the Jan. 28 County Commission meeting (YouTube. com/Watch?V=V6WLSoOqYjc).
Take note of attitude and tone.
This was McCann’s big moment. He was to explain his calling for a residential building moratorium in his district, which encompasses all of the Manatee portion of Lakewood Ranch.
“That’s my district,” McCann began, pounding his stack of papers on his desktop, as a map was projected on the commission monitors. Throughout his remarks, he
repeatedly pounds his papers. It’s either a tick or an attempt to send the Al Haig message that he is in power and the smartest and cleverest person in the room — or, at least on the dais.
“Get comfortable,” he began.
“Bring your boat. We got a guy who can help you park it.” What?
A pause, and then he goes on.
“Everybody knows that I am humble, lovable and gun shy.” (Was that a joke? Not from the look on his face.) “I need to start speaking up.
Don’t get much press, so I’ll start writing my own Substack. Because I want to be twice as good as anybody else who is out there, I think I’ll call it ‘For lack of a fourth.’”
What is McCann talking about?
His glib quips fell flat. No one laughed. Then more …
“I’m going to answer questions today: Why? Can I get support?
What is a moratorium? I’ll get there in a roundabout way. OK, if you don’t want a roundabout, all you gotta do is call Rex Jensen and the red shirts, and they’ll change it to
who have their homes and don’t want any more near them would be thrilled to stop construction. But watch out what you wish for.
They would quickly learn the consequences of a moratorium affect everyone — negatively.
No construction equals loss of jobs (contractors, trades, building suppliers; every place where all those workers and their families spend their weekly earnings).
No residential construction means higher housing prices. Limit supply in the face of growing demand, that’s Econ 101. There already is a shortage of workforce housing; stopping construction would make a bad situation worse.
Home prices would rise not only in Lakewood Ranch. They would increase all over. Contracting supply always drives up prices.
What’s more, if McCann thinks there are too many cars on the roads now, what does he think will happen when the employees of Lakewood Ranch businesses can find affordable housing only in Parrish, Duette or Wauchula? They’ll crowd the roads even more.
This defies logic as well: to shut off Manatee County government’s taxpaying money tree. Take a look at the accompanying box summarizing the fiscal impact of Lakewood Ranch. It makes no sense to halt success.
Halting success is also damaging to future success. Capital flows where it is welcome. When politicians impose moratoria and more restrictions and regulations that interfere with a market-driven economy, investors, business owners, corporations and developers go elsewhere. It takes years to wipe away a bad, anti-growth reputation. Just ask the founders of the Argus Foundation in Sarasota County.
Argus came about in 1982 to defeat a referendum in Sarasota County calling for a construction moratorium. Business leaders and owners coalesced and educated voters on the damage a moratorium would cause. Voters rejected
a street light for you.” (Pounds his papers.) “But these roundabouts are now going to go up. We’ve got 16 of them coming up. That’s great.”
No laughs.
Later: “Lakewood Ranch. I don’t know much about that, but looking at the name. After Debby, I found the lake. After Milton, I found the wood. I still can’t find the ranch.” …
“SMR has won many awards for development, but no awards for flooded homes, traffic congestion, bankrupt individuals or ruined dreams.”
And on and on. It was as painful as watching a young comedian bomb on his debut.
More than halfway into his riff, McCann gets around to the subject of moratorium.
“The builders want to build houses. They want to put those houses in before we have roads, before we have stormwater drains, before we even have the river cleaned out.
“Rex Jensen said, ‘I would really like to avoid a moratorium.’ If he is serious about coming to the table and working out what we can do together, I am going to send him an engraved invitation. He knows where the office is; so does Pat Neal; so does Carlos Beruff.
“I’d like to see all of them. I’d like to start this dialogue. They had this dialogue in Palm Beach, and they avoided a moratorium.”
By the end of his lecture, McCann issued another snarky invitation: “I hope Rex Jensen is listening. I would like you to come to my office. I’ll have my aide contact you. And if we can actually get a good dialogue, that would be fantastic. If you want to trade insults, we can do that too.”
We are recounting all of this to illustrate the opening point — trading one tyrant for another and what
Source: Fishkind & Associates
the moratorium. But for 20 years thereafter, Sarasota County had a widespread reputation as one of the worst places in Florida to deal with county government on development issues and business climate.
In that vein, the Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance and Manatee Chamber of Commerce should speak forcefully against any moratoria. While their message may sound self-serving and selfish, surely the other five county commissioners recognize the importance of a vibrant local economy and how population growth fuels a healthy economy.
What’s done is done. Call it poor political leadership in the past. So learn from it. The charge for the new Manatee County Commission is to determine the best path forward and not halt success.
That path is not a moratorium. And it’s not demonizing Lakewood Ranch or the region’s homebuilders.
There are better options. Commissioner George Kruse voiced a few options at the Jan. 28 meeting — full impact fees; a supermajority vote for any comprehensive land changes. Likewise, Pat Neal, CEO/ owner of Neal Communities, is ready to present multiple options that are far from the destructiveness of a moratorium — privatepublic road partnerships, half-cent sales tax and state appropriations.
In spite of the accusation, Manatee County is not suffering from “overdevelopment.” It’s growing, and that’s wonderful. Population growth is essential to the flourishing of prosperity.
What’s more, population growth will not stop. This is Florida, a growth state for 100 years. So prepare for it, commissioners. Your job is like that of the owners of a fastgrowing business whose demand for your products is outstripping your ability to supply them.
Raise the capital you need; charge rational prices for your goods and services and speed up production. Growth is good. Moratoria are bad.
happens when people impressed with themselves get power.
Who is the servant here? Who is serving whom?
McCann repeatedly says he ran a “people-first” campaign. He makes the claim — unsubstantiated with proven data — that the 41,700 people who voted for him all want a building moratorium.
But with his remarks, McCann clearly distinguished and established a we-they confrontation when he said Jensen, Neal and Beruff know where his office is and wants them to come to his office.
And, what is this? “If you want to trade insults, we can do that too.”
What a great way to set the stage. If McCann sees himself as a public servant for the people, he owes everyone equal respect. Jensen, Neal and Beruff are no different than any of the other District 5 voters and constituents.
Rather than immediately cast them as enemies, create confrontation and grandstand on the commission dais with a jerk attitude, McCann could have ingratiated himself with all voters and with Jensen, Neal and Beruff by being a learner. Before dropping his moratorium grenade in early January, McCann could have and should have been the one to go to them.
Be the public servant who goes to constituents to learn and understand their perspectives and possible alternatives; talk to economists and others to understand the potential consequences of a moratorium.
Power always corrupts. Instead, an effective public servant works to collaborate … To bring people together, not tear them apart. An effective public servant is an exemplar of humility.
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MATT WALSH
File photo Commissioner Robert McCann
Floating day dock is coming to The Bay
To make the The Bay park accessible to boaters, the Bay Park Conservancy secures waivers to permit the construction of a floating dock with 18 slips.
ANDREW WARFIELD
hen promoters of The Bay park describe the $200 million, 53-acre cityowned project as “a park for all,” they mean the local boating community as well.
A key component of that inclusion is the addition of a floating day dock in the 10th Street canal separating the parking lot of the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall and the boat launch Centennial Park, which is being incorporated into The Bay.
To achieve that objective as part of Phase 2 development of the park, the Bay Park Conservancy by separate unanimous votes, secured a Government Zone waiver and a major conditional use permit to the 2018-approved site plan for The Bay.
At its Feb. 3 meeting, the City Commission considered the Government Zone waiver that would permit pilings and a seawall at heights that exceed the zoning restrictions. By statute, development in the G Zone must not exceed standards of the nearest residential zone. To build a storm-resistent floating dock, the pilings must be as high as 14.5 feet above the mean high water mark, four feet above the permitted height, and the seawall along the canal up to 6.1 feet as opposed to the zoning code limit of five feet.
The extra height of the piles is needed to help the dock remain intact during 100-year storm events per FEMA specifications.
“The existing regulations are geared more toward what we think of as a standard dock typically tied to a single family home or use, and not a 53-acre park with significant boater presence,” said Danielle Stewart of
project consultant Kimley-Horn.
The applications received unanimous recommendation for approval by the Planning Board on Jan. 8.
“The important aspect of these docks is that they do float so they are able to rise and fall with the storm surge, which is the key reason why the piles being requested are so tall,” said Michael Herrman, coastal engineer at Moffatt & Nichol of Tampa.
“That is to accommodate 100-year storm event and prevent the docks from floating off of those piles. The piles are also designed to be resilient to the lateral forces, the wave forces that come along with those winds and storm surges to keep the docks in place, so that they don’t break away and leave that the canal area.”
The Bay Park Conservancy is approaching completion of its design for Phase 2, which includes installation of a resilient shoreline along the bayfront, the floating day dock to accommodate as many as 18 boats and expansion of the boat launch area on the north side of the canal to include an additional ramp, all in what is called the Canal District. Phase 2 also includes building restorations and new green space along U.S. 41 in the Cultural District.
Plans for later work in the Canal District include locations for three small waterfront restaurants in Centennial Park and future retail possibilities along the south side of the canal. The site plan also shows a pedestrian bridge shown crossing over the mouth of the canal, providing a connection between both sides.
While planning continues, some work is already underway, said Bay Park Conservancy Founding CEO AG Lafley, including dredging the canal. That work yielded far more material than was removed from the Man -
grove Bayou in Phase 1.
“We’re analyzing what we took out of there, but we took more than two times as much debris and pollutants and have had it all hauled away,” Lafley said. “The next piece is to repair, reinforce, rehabilitate and improve the sea wall on the south side (of the canal).”
Commissioner Jen Ahearn-Koch questioned how the day docks will survive severe weather conditions, citing unsuccessful attempts at installing floating docks in Whitaker Gateway Park just four blocks to the north of the canal.
Herrman explained the extra-tall piles and the location of the day dock — inside a somewhat protected canal versus facing the open waters of Sarasota Bay as in Whitaker Gateway Park — will provide extra resiliency.
“We did extensive numerical modeling, computer modeling, of the
wave conditions and the significant difference is the level of protection offered by the orientation of the canal and the location of these docks compared to Whitaker Park, which is more open shoreline,” Hermann said.
Damage could still occur, he added, but the intent of the tall pile design is to prevent the dock from breaking away and drifting out of the canal.
Ahearn-Koch said she would normally oppose variances of such scale, but trusts the judgment of the park planners.
“My concern expressed about the floating docks and their viability and the city’s liability I think are very real,” she said. “However, The Bay up to this point has shown to exceed any expectations, and they’re doing due diligence for sustainability and resiliency. They have dotted all I’s and crossed the T’s.”
The 10th Street Canal within The Bay has been dredged. A floating day dock is planned along the south (left) side of the canal.
Debris is being cleared on the south side of the 10th Street Canal in The Bay park.
Photos by Andrew Warfield
Midnight Pass effects now visible in Little Sarasota Bay
Several months after Hurricane Milton reopened Midnight Pass, experts and boaters keeping a close eye on the pass and the surrounding ecosystem say things are changing for the better.
David Tomasko, executive director of the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program, says people heading out on the water in 2025 will notice a new look to Little Sarasota Bay.
“The water is going to look different,” he said, noting the recent brown color of the water, caused by tannin from naturally occurring decay of mangrove leaves, is being flushed away.
“It doesn’t look as much like iced
tea. It looks a little bit more like, you know, the Gulf of Mexico, right?” he said.
The clearer water will also allow sea grass to increase in some areas, and be lost in others because of the scouring action of the increased water flow. “The water is moving in so quickly, in some areas there’s sea grass loss,” Tomasko observed. “But overall, you would anticipate there to be an increase in sea grass in Little Sarasota Bay.”
Danielle Nutten, a tour boat captain, says she’s noticed the bay has changed color. “It’s like a light greenish color,” she said. “It would clear up at certain times, especially in the winter. But now, it’s just got a different hue to it because the salinity has changed so much.”
A hurricane in the early 1920s opened the inlet that separated Casey Key and Siesta Key. The pass remained open until 1983 when the Army Corps of Engineers, while building the Intracoastal Waterway, deepened Little Sarasota Bay and deposited dredged material at the inlet.
Two property owners used the material to fill in the pass to protect their property from erosion.
Plugging the inlet choked off the exchange of tidal waters and had resulted in poorer water quality in Little Sarasota Bay.
TRACKING THE EBB AND FLOW
Ping Wang, a geologist at the University of South Florida, has been studying Midnight Pass for decades. “My interest is … the morphology, the stability of the inlet,” he explained, “whether it would stay open at a particular location, whether the inlet will get wider and deeper for safe
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navigation, whether the inlet will migrate around and eventually close, and how is that going to interact or impact the surrounding beaches.”
The fact that the flow of water and sand seems to be migrating northward, however, has researchers puzzled.
Wang says in Florida, migrating sand typically flows from north to south.
“Why, in that particular area, is the sand is flowing from south to north? That’s another question I’m trying to answer,” he said.
Nutten says the northward flow is visible during incoming tides. “There’s a demarcation line, you can actually see it,” she said. “It appears to be taking a left turn north when it hits the Intracoastal Waterway.”
WILL THE PASS STAY OPEN?
The pass itself seems like it’s here to stay for the time being, although Tomasko stopped short of describing it as stable.
“I would say persistent but dynamic,” he said. “It will move over time. It will move to the north. It’ll move to the south.”
Wang is optimistic it will stay open on its own, due to the power of the flow of water as it moves into Little Sarasota Bay from the Gulf of Mexico and back out with the changing tides.
“There is a general understanding based on a lot of study, particularly of Florida’s inlets, that if the flow through the inlet is greater than three feet per second, then the inlet tends to be stable.”
Wang says the flow rate at the moment is stronger than that. “My research hypothesis assumption is that the flow through the inlet right now is strong enough to keep it open.”
And Mother Nature may be eventually getting some help from Sarasota County. The West Coast Inland Navigation District recently granted a county request to designate Midnight Pass and its north and south channels as “public channels.” The decision means Sarasota County can spend its share of property tax money collected by the district on projects related to the pass.
The WCIND is a special taxing district made up of Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte and Lee counties, with a mission to “preserve and enhance the commercial, recreational, and ecological values” of area waterways.
WCIND funds are used to maintain and enhance such things as public navigation channels and inlets, boating access facilities, waterfront parks, piers and special structures. The funds could be used for things including dredging and navigational signs on the pass, although no plans for any work have been made, according to the district’s Executive Director Justin McBride. Tomasko said Hurricane Milton’s dredging operation was a godsend. “Frankly, dude, it was done for free. It’s maybe the one good thing that came out of the hurricane season in our local waters.”
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Three months after Hurricane Milton reopened it, experts say signs point to the pass staying open for now.
Michael Harris
A view of Midnight Pass on Oct. 17, 2024, looking from Little Sarasota Bay to the Gulf of Mexico. Hurricane Milton opened the Pass after it was closed in 1983.
Ian Swaby Boats came out in support of keeping Midnight Pass open.
Payne Park Auditorium plans revealed
The Sarasota Players will invest $2.5 million to convert the city-owned building into a modern performance venue.
WARFIELD
ith plans to convert the cityowned Payne Park Auditorium into a dynamic contemporary theater space, The Sarasota Players has revealed its plans for a new 200seat performance venue. The 95-year-old organization, formerly branded The Players Centre for the Performing Arts, has released renderings of a renovation that maintains the structure’s original 1960s aesthetic blended with modern enhancements. Designed by Fleischman Garcia Maslowski Architecture, the adaptive space will allow for a variety of productions and events.
“Our goal is to create a flexible, comfortable space that will accommodate plays, musicals and community events,” said Sarasota Players CEO William Skaggs in a news release. “We are excited to unveil our architectural plans and renderings, which showcase a new lobby, expanded restrooms and so much more.”
On Oct. 18, 2024, the Sarasota City Commission unanimously approved a 30-year lease with The Players. The base term is a rent of $100 per year plus $1 per ticket sold for performances held by Sarasota Players and any other performing arts organizations there. It also left the door open for the organization to explore building a new facility on city-owned property on the northeast corner of South Washington Boulevard and Laurel Street, just a few hundred yards from Payne Park Auditorium. For now, though, The Players is focusing on Payne Park Auditorium.
“Our immediate focus is to get a new theater up and running in Payne
Park Auditorium,” Skaggs told the Observer. “Conversations around ideas for the parcel on Washington are set aside while we focus and complete the renovation.”
Prior attempts by Sarasota Players and its facility construction and management subsidiary, The Stage at Payne Park, to build an addition to the auditorium were abandoned when it became clear the City Commission would not permit expansion in Payne Park. Whether it still plans to pursue a new building was not included in the news release, and Skaggs was unavailable for comment.
Approximately 250 spaces in close proximity to the auditorium will provide ample parking for the theater, according to the news release.
The announcement marks the end of a six-year search for a new home for The Players, which sold its home on U.S. 41 in 2018 for about $9.5 million, with plans to build a new facility in Waterside Place at Lakewood Ranch. While those plans fell through, it has operated since 2021 in converted retail space at The Crossings at Siesta Key shopping center.
Construction is anticipated to begin by fall 2025 with the goal of opening in late 2026, just in time for the start of a new theater season. With an estimated renovation cost of approximately $2.5 million, The Players is launching a fundraising campaign to secure community support for the project.
Courtesy image
A rendering of Payne Park Auditorium by Fleischman Garcia Maslowski Architecture shows modern enhancements while maintaining the 1960sera aesthetic.
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Make A Plan.
Screen time shutdown
Sarasota School Board looks to tighten disciplinary policy for cellphone use on campuses.
IAN SWABY STAFF WRITER
s the school board convened Feb. 4 for a workshop, it’s exploring changing the policy regarding cellphone use in schools.
Superintendent Terry Connor noted a survey of the public on the topic including students, parents, staff and community members, received 8,000 responses, with the majority coming from students.
The survey drew a variety of responses, with about 70% of students saying the current policy was too strict and many parents favoring the current policy.
Board members ultimately came to a consensus to escalate disciplinary actions around violations more quickly, while also educating students on the potential harms of social media.
The current policy requires elementary students to have devices silenced and put away throughout the school day. Middle school students cannot use devices outside of class instruction, while high school students may additionally use devices during transitions and lunch periods.
Violation consequences for elementary and middle school begin with a verbal warning, leading to contact with parents and eventual possible referrals to Teen Court.
Board member Tim Enos called a past situation in the district, when cell phones were taken away, “pretty much a nightmare,” stating that issues with social media must come back to parental education.
Board member Tom Edwards said the correlation of the mental health crisis and the introduction of the smartphones “100 percent parallel.”
He said the current policy was not enforced consistently and falling back on teachers “at a time when teachers don’t have a lot of time.” He suggested violations go straight to confiscation, with education for students on the harms of social media.
Bridget Ziegler has been the only board member to call for a bell-tobell ban, or a total prohibition on cell phone use.
“If I have to be alone on an island, I don’t care,” she said. “I believe what I’ve read. I see it. You can witness it and ... as Mr. Edwards has said, there’s numerous amounts of articles and peer-reviewed studies that show the incredible correlation of the quote, unquote, mental health crisis, which is real, and the addictive nature of them, not just social media, but even just text ... ”
Barker said her sixth grader and eighth grader both have phones currently. She said students may use phones for activities from checking the stock market to homework, with lots of digital learning currently taking place that helps provide data for teachers.
The board came to a consensus that more education was needed in the realm of cell phones.
“I see opportunities for us here,” Connor said. “We’ve got community partners that would be willing to work with us to develop a strong curriculum, that we could be a leader in that space.”
Ian Swaby School Board
Chair Tim Enos talks with board member Liz Barker.
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AT THE READY
Training exercise smooths coordination between Sarasota fire, law enforcement personnel.
Sarasota County first responders staged a mock active shooter event Jan. 30 to be better prepared should the unthinkable happen.
The exercise, held at the former L3 Communications building on Cattlemen Road, involved the Sarasota County Fire Department and Sheriff’s Office in a series of drills designed to be as realistic as possible.
“It’s very beneficial for our responders, especially in this day and age where, unfortunately, active shooter incidents are becoming more of a prevalent kind of call that we respond to,” said Fire Department Battalion Chief Michael Sullivan.
The scenario: An active shooter has injured multiple people inside a building. The Sheriff’s Office is first on the scene and must secure the area before rescue personnel can
come in to treat the injured.
Once deputies swept the building — and dealt with an unexpected second shooter — first responders entered to find volunteers smeared with makeup to simulate injuries lying on the floor. Rescuers were tasked with coordinating with law enforcement, assessing injuries and evacuating the victims.
The training is done twice a year, Sullivan said, and on this day, the scenario was replayed at least six times, to accommodate around 120 fire department personnel working several shifts.
“We hire every 10 weeks, so we have a lot of new personnel that we bring through these drills,” Sullivan explained. The training includes learning protocol and terminology to ensure things go as smoothly as possible.
Sullivan said the training is particularly important to him. “I’ve got kids that go to schools here in Sarasota County. I was born and raised here, so it’s important for me to know that my fire department is going to respond to the call and be able to assess and treat the community and mitigate the issues.”
Experts In Celebrating Life
to Embracing Our Differences
The gift from Hugh and Eliza Culverhouse makes up for a gap in funding as the annual exhibit lost funding from Sarasota County.
OBSERVER STAFF
Embracing Our Differences has received a $100,000 gift from Hugh and Eliza Culverhouse Jr. following changes in Sarasota County’s grant qualifications that left the organization ineligible for funding because of its format as an annual outdoor exhibition that is freely accessible in a public park with no ticketing system.
The donation will support Embracing Our Differences’ educational initiatives, including field trips, professional development workshops, the annual Reading Day program and curriculum development. It will also help fund the 2025 outdoor exhibition at Bayfront Park in Sarasota, which features docentled tours conducted by local high school students. Also benefiting from the contribution is the MakeA-Day Of It! program, which provides an opportunity for thousands of students to visit the exhibition and extend their experience with cultural partners.
“In these challenging times, when our mission of kindness, respect and inclusion is more essential than ever, we face unprecedented obstacles,” said Embracing Our Differences President and CEO Sarah Wertheimer. “This gift is an absolute game-changer, providing us with critical resources to continue our vital work and ensure that kindness, respect and inclusion continue to flourish in our community.”
Hugh Culverhouse Jr. is CEO of Palmer Ranch Holdings, leading the development of the 15,000-acre
“This gift is an absolute game-changer, providing us with critical resources to continue our vital work and ensure that kindness, respect and inclusion continue to flourish in our community.”
Sarah Wertheimer
master-planned community for nearly three decades. He has donated $72 million to various community causes, higher education, mental health and social welfare initiatives. Eliza Culverhouse is a longtime arts advocate who has donated millions to arts programs over the years, including Embracing Our Differences. The Embracing Our Differences exhibition is on display at Bayfront Park in Sarasota through April 13, and will be featured at Poynter Park in St. Petersburg March 1-31. Since its inception in 2004, the nonprofit has attracted approximately 420,000 visitors annually and hosted 15,000 students on school field trips last year. For more information or to contribute, visit EmbracingOurDifferences.org.
JIM DELA
Jim DeLa
A first responder with the Sarasota County Fire Department assesses a volunteer playing a wounded victim in an active shooter training exercise Jan 30.
Courtesy image
Embracing Our Differences President and CEO Sarah Wertheimer and Hugh Culverhouse Jr.
Commerce and community
The Annual Awards Dinner, held for chamber members, celebrated individuals within the Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce.
IAN SWABY STAFF WRITER
The Siesta Key Crystal Classic sand sculpting event in October marked the reemergence of the island shortly after the hurricanes, said Eric Fleming, board chair of the Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce.
Nonetheless, he said the chamber’s Annual Awards Dinner, held Jan. 30 at Sarasota Art Museum, was an opportunity to recognize the progress made.
“Tonight’s a great way to reflect on that, really cheer on the people that worked hard and that made that happen, and made this recovery happen, and also look to the future and acknowledge that there’s still more to do, that there’s still a lot left to rebuild, and coming together and working together as a team to get us back to even better than we were prehurricane,” Fleming said.
The event recognized chamber members, from volunteers to businesses, for their work in the community.
Kathy Elliott, a board member of the chamber who was honored along with her husband, Chris Elliott, for
their role in supporting the chamber with graphic design through Signarama Sarasota, called it “awesome” to be recognized.
“I have a lot of passion about
what’s going on on the Key ... ” she said.
“It’s very fulfilling to be able to know you can make a difference. And we’ve tried to do that.”
Photos by Ian Swaby Phil Trego, a volunteer of more than 30 years, and Brittany Stokes.
Eric Fleming, board chair of Siesta Key Chamber, presents a check to Lora Wey and Dana Dalpra for funds raised during the Siesta Key Crystal Classic.
Commissioner Mark Smith, one of the event’s honorees, offered the opening speech.
VALENTINE’S GIFT GUIDE
BOCA BOUTIQUE
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941-529-1000
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ANNA MARIA OYSTER BAR
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FRIDAY, JAN. 24
SPEAKING
LANGUAGE
400 block of Benjamin Franklin
Boulevard
Dispute: An officer was flagged down by a complainant who spoke limited English but was able to communicate that two men owed him money for a car ride to work. He then led an officer to where the subjects were walking. The officer was able to discern through the language barrier that the subjects had been paying him for rides to work, but that they owed him $40.
To get to the bottom of the story, the complainant handed the officer a telephone with dispatch on the line. A translator confirmed the man’s complaint, but there was more. The translator also advised one of the subjects was harassing and terrorizing them, and that he may wish to press charges.
Another officer arrived on the scene and brokered an agreement between the parties with an agreement to pay the complainant $20.
AN UNIMPEACHABLE WITNESS
1:45 p.m., 500 block of South Pineapple Avenue
Disturbance: Two officers were dispatched to the area after a highly reliable witness saw two subjects “about to get physical” in the combatant sense. That witness, SPD Chief Rex Troche, activated the lights of his vehicle and called for officers to respond to the scene.
One officer met with a man who said he was driving southbound on Orange Avenue when his co-combatant was crossing the street in the designated crosswalk. As he drove past, the pedestrian signaled for him to slow down, to which the driver responded with a derogatory hand gesture that involves the raising of a single digit. Taking exception to that reply, the pedestrian proceeded to punch the driver side mirror of the vehicle, not causing any damage.
Because it was determined both parties mutually provoked the situation, there was no probable cause to make an arrest, and both parties were sent on their way.
UNWELCOMED OVERTURES
7:59 p.m., 3900 block of Overlook Bend Terrace
THURSDAY, JAN. 23
LATE NIGHT BAR BRAWL 1:20 a.m., 1500 block of Main Street Fight: Officers arrived at a late night drinking and dining venue to observe a man bleeding from his nose. He stated that while inside the establishment, a friend was pushed by an unknown male.
Not one to accept that demonstration of disrespect, the nosebleed victim explained he responded by picking up and throwing a beverage of nonspecified variety at the perpetrator. That was when the victim said he was battered by a group of individuals, although he was unable to provide a description of them.
The officers spoke with the manager, who corroborated the victim’s tale of woe, adding the melee involved approximately 10 people, including the victim and his friends. No further action was taken.
Harassment: In a case of unrequited passion, the complaint told an officer that, four days earlier, a nearby resident knocked on the door of his villa and invited him, in not so many words, to engage in coital activities. Not inclined to obtain carnal knowledge of the subject, the man diplomatically declined by saying he was on his way to a doctor’s appointment.
Undeterred by the complainant’s rejection, the subject was found waiting for him as he returned home, approached him and attached his open hand to his posterior. The next day, the complainant said the man left a note on his door that read, “What about 7 o’clock tonight?”
The complainant said there have been no threats of violence from the man but he just wanted him to cease and desist. He advised he plans to obtain a restraining order against the man but does not wish to prosecute at this time.
SPORTS
Fast Break
The quote of the week: “We didn’t do ourselves any favors earlier this season when we lost some games that we should’ve won, but as of late, we’re starting to play better basketball,” said Carl Williams, coach of the Booker High boys basketball team prior to the Class 4A-District 11 tournament from Feb. 3-7. “I feel pretty confident in saying that if we don’t have the toughest district in the entire state, it’s one of the toughest.” Booker, which defeated Bayshore at home 89-50 in the quarterfinal game Feb. 3, shares a district with St. Petersburg Gibbs (21-4), the defending 4A state champions.
The Cardinal Mooney girls weightlifting team qualified five athletes for the FHSAA 1A state championships at the 1A-Region 4 meet Jan. 29. Senior Zoe Kirby was crowned regional champion with a total score of 330 in the Olympic 199-pound weight class. Kirby was the runner-up in the Traditional 199-pound class with a score of 290.
Cardinal Mooney junior Isabella Picone qualified in the Traditional and Olympic 129-pound class, senior Annabella Masters in the Traditional 119-pound class, junior Shelly DiLorenzo in the Olympic 119-pound class and junior Cecelia Velotta in the Olympic 139-pound class.
… The Riverview girls soccer team won its second straight 7ADistrict 12 championship when it defeated Venice High 4-1 at home Jan. 30. Junior Olivia Shkorupa notched a hat trick, scoring three goals to give her a team-leading 10 goals. Senior Bailey Springman scored once. The Rams are ranked as the 23rd best team in the state according to Max Preps entering the 7A state championship tournament, which kicked off Feb. 4.
“This year I’ve especially focused on improving my ball handling when under pressure. ”
MOONEY MAKES MAT MAGIC
DYLAN CAMPBELL SPORTS REPORTER
This was not the type of practice Will Schenerlein was used to. The dean of students at Cardinal Mooney High was now the head coach of the school’s new wrestling program, with a boys and girls team.
He found himself this fall in the school’s gym, standing on the brand new red wrestling mats, explaining the rules of the sport to a couple dozen students, the majority of whom had never so much as watched a wrestling match. It was a stark contrast to his time spent coaching wrestling at his alma mater, Parkersburg High, in Parkersburg, West Virginia.
“It’s two opposite ends of the spectrum,” said Schenerlein. “One is, here are the keys to the race car, don’t screw this up and other is more like you’re building the car from the ground up.”
Schenerlein, who was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2019, comes from as pure a wrestling pedigree as one can. Outside of being an outstanding wrestler himself, while at Parkersburg he coached five top 25 nationally ranked teams, three national champions, 26 individual champions, 14 AllAmericans and many more excellent wrestlers.
He won four West Virginia team state championships while at Parkersburg, leaving a legacy of his own in the heartland of wrestling.
So no, teaching entirely new students about wrestling is not what he’s used to. Schenerlein, however, wouldn’t trade it for anything. He’s coached the utmost echelon of high school wrestling.
Now at Cardinal Mooney, he has the chance to shape the lives of his students through a sport that has given so much to him.
The idea of starting a wrestling program at Cardinal Mooney had been percolating around the campus since Schenerlein joined the school.
“The first thing I thought when I got hired here was ‘Why don’t we have a wrestling program?’” said Schenerlein. “I’d never seen a Catholic school without a wrestling team. We’d gotten the ball rolling a couple of years ago, but then COVID-19 hit and obviously, wrestling is the last sport people want to do during a pandemic.”
Schenerlein, who has four children, had a lot on his plate. When students like junior Blake Roulund, one of the few on the team with wrestling experience, started expressing interest, it was hard for Schenerlein to say no.
Schenerlein brought in a coaching staff, including assistant coach Felix Osuna-Cotto, who also is from Parkersburg and wrestled at Schenerlein’s rival high school.
NEW KIDS, SAME SPORT
While Schenerlein was essentially introducing the sport to many of his wrestlers at Cardinal Mooney, his philosophy in coaching hasn’t changed. Whether it’s a perennial
The Cougars new wrestling program kicked off this year with a boys and girls team.
“The first thing I thought when I got hired here was ‘Why don’t we have a wrestling program?’ I’d never seen a Catholic school without a wrestling team.”
— Will Schenerlein
state champion with full Division I scholarship or someone who started the sport just a couple of months prior, Schenerlein still holds his wrestlers to the same level of accountability.
“You expect a certain type of work ethic, regardless of experience,” said Schenerlein. “Wrestling is different from any other sport, not only because it’s one-on-one and very physical, but it’s also mentally and emotionally draining. So the philosophy of teaching someone that they can push through walls or reach down to parts of their competitive spirit that they didn’t know they had doesn’t change.”
On the first day of practice, Schenerlein made a statement to his prospective wrestlers.
“I told them that wrestling is not a sport we’re going to just try,” said Schenerlein. “It’s a physical, tough sport (and) you have to put a lot into it. To be a wrestler, you have to be a little bit different of a breed of person. We had some kids come out and they made it one day and decided that it wasn’t for them. I understand that, and I’m glad they were able to see that and move on.”
Those who have stayed, Schenerlein maintained, have made incredible progress. Sometimes that progress is seen in wins and losses. Other times, it comes just from having an increased awareness on the mat, staying alive for a couple more minutes, getting pinned.
“A lot of their progress has to do with their confidence and mental toughness,” said Schenerlein. “How much are they able to endure? On top of that, understanding that wrestling is always flowing. You take a
shot, you’re thinking about your next move, which is totally different from any other sport. We’ve made a lot of progress in that area.”
The biggest barrier, Schenerlein said, for first-time wrestlers entering the sport isn’t just how physically demanding it is. It’s the fact that success may not come for quite some time. Maintaining that mental discipline and having faith in their coaches is part of what he’s most proud of with his wrestlers in the program’s first year.
“You’re putting yourself through things you’ve never put yourself through before and at the same time you’re getting beaten on a consistent basis — to come back and keep doing it says a lot about your character,” said Schenerlein. “For them to be able to compartmentalize and say ‘I know that I’m getting better and if I keep working and trust my coaches it’s going to happen at some point,’ says a lot about the individual.”
Osuna-Cotto echoed Schenerlein’s sentiments. At the program’s meet with Booker High on Jan. 31, which Cardinal Mooney lost 34-24, he expressed pride in the tenacity of his team and their willingness to continue to battle through adversity.
“No one’s quitting and that was my goal,” said Osuna-Cotto. “I want them to fall in love with the sport and grow with it, because it’s not about the money or fame or anything like that. Who voluntarily comes out here and gets beat up and wants to work hard? There’s no prize necessarily, except for pride. That is the prize.”
THE MOMENT OF REALIZATION
wrestles in the 132-pound class during the Cougars’ meet with Booker on Jan. 30. Although Howard lost by decision, 18-17, he showed great progress in his wrestling, said assistant coach Felix Osuna-Cotto.
Schenerlein described a moment where he saw the light bulb go off in freshman wrestler Skyla Campano’s head while watching a film of one of her matches.
“You could literally see it in her eyes where she went, ‘Oh, I get it,’” said Schenerlein. “As a coach, to see that almost brings tears to your eyes because she’s learning and getting beat up every day, but she keeps coming back time and time again. The feeling of seeing her get it after working so hard this season, you just can’t explain it. It’s why you coach.”
—Paisley Binswanger, Sarasota High girls basketball. SEE PAGE 23A
File image
Riverview High senior Bailey Springman is third on the team in goals scored this season, with eight.
Dylan Campbell Cardinal Mooney sophomore Jayden Howard
Setting Riverview High on the right path
Brazilian jiu jitsu is a humbling sport. The martial art is a mostly ground-based fighting style, centered around grappling and submission holds.
At its core is the concept that experience and skill level can trump size and strength — in a matter of seconds, a smaller, weaker practitioner could have a much larger opponent in a rear naked chokehold, gasping for air. Mark Cristiani understands this. The fact that it is humbling, that there is always a new technique to learn or an opponent more skilled than himself, is the very reason that he practices the sport.
“One of the best ways that I can lead is by being led,” said Cristiani, who was named the new head coach of Riverview High’s football team Jan. 14. “I practice Brazilian Jiu Jitsu because it helps me relate to my players. It gives me insight into what they’re feeling when they’re failing to understand a concept or a task, because I get frustrated with myself when I don’t understand something in jiu jitsu.”
Cristiani is always striving to learn more. It’s why he took this past year off from coaching — he previously was the varsity defensive line coach as well as the strength and conditioning coach for multiple sports, including football — to pursue his doctorate in exercise science and health leadership from Pennsylvania Western University.
Now Cristiani faces the biggest test of his coaching career: to get the Rams, who went 4-6 last season under former head coach Josh Smithers, on the right path. Riverview’s football program, one of the more storied programs in the area, is in a state of flux. In Smithers’ eight-year tenure as head coach, the Rams went 66-33, winning three district titles and a regional title in 2018.
In the era of high school transfers, however, Riverview has struggled to retain players, with star talent leaving for different schools in recent years. Last season, running back DJ Johnson, one of the area’s top talents at the position, transferred to Booker High after starting the year at Riverview.
Cristiani, however, does not take over a program in the midst of a complete rebuild. The Rams have, barring future transfers, returning talent at key positions. The returning senior class features running back Isaiah Belt and quarterback Anthony Miller.
Belt averaged over 75 yards per game on the ground last season and Miller, although only 5-foot-10, is a true dual threat athlete. Miller, who runs an 11.84 100-meter dash and holds Riverview’s alltime school record in the javelin, recorded 18 touchdowns last year, with 11 in the air, five on the ground and two as a receiver.
Cristiani praised the work ethic of the players in the program, stating that as one of the reasons he put his name in for the job. In taking over as head coach, however, Cristiani said this would be a reset for the program.
“The players should expect nothing and earn everything,” Cristiani said. “If you look around at the prevalence of people transferring, I believe that everybody has to compete for their jobs at all times. I would be remiss to think that I’m not competing to continue to be the head coach. We’re in the production business and things get evaluated consistently.”
With that evaluation, however, comes respect. Parents can expect Cristiani to develop relationships with his players, often forged through the time they spend in the weight room, as he plans to continue on as the strength and conditioning coach.
His day starts, he said, with 55
Out-of-Door Academy: Jazz Under the Stars
Tuesday, February 11th @ 6 pm
RING SARASOTA Friday, March 14th @ 6 pm
varsity and junior varsity level football players in the weight room.
“What parents can expect is an open line of communication, and for myself and the rest of the staff, to hold their kids accountable,” said Cristiani. “It feeds into my primary concern, which is developing young men and women into being good members of the community. You’re going to play life a lot longer than football. Hopefully, we can use football as a vehicle to teach you life lessons by exposing you to some hard situations and difficult circumstances and having persevere through them.”
Cristiani said he’d much rather coach out of love than fear. He
wants his players to be able to come to him about any life situation and feel comfortable and cared for. It’s a style of leadership that has grown throughout his career, but was forged by his time in the military.
Cristiani is a Special Forces veteran, having served three combat tours with the U.S. Army’s elite 75th Ranger Regiment, participating in more than 100 special operations missions.
“After playing college football, I was in a unit that was a very humbling experience because I was around these tremendous human beings, physically, emotionally and mentally,” said Cristiani. “I got to attend some of the premier
leadership schools in the military and it redefined what I considered to be the standards and expectations of myself. Those are lessons that I carry with me, but at the same time, I’m very aware that the young men and women that I teach are not in the military and did not sign up for that lifestyle.”
His experience in the military, Cristiani said, taught him patience. It taught him how to deal with different kinds of people, to work together through difficult situations.
His time teaching English at Venice granted him perspective on what it was like to work with adolescents and not soldiers.
“The biggest event that opened my eyes was in my first year as a teacher,” said Cristiani. “I’d just left the military, and there was a student who was late to class a couple of days in a row and then didn’t show up for a week. When he returned, I jumped all over him, until he told me that he’d gotten kicked out of his house the week before. He’d been sleeping on top of the pavilion and hadn’t had anything to eat.”
That interaction, Cristiani said, increased his understanding of what was truly important and essential to his students. In the hierarchy of needs, football does not come first.
“Life’s a little bit bigger than football,” Cristiani said. “It’s a little bit bigger than just winning games.”
The stage is set
Sights + Sounds is an outdoor showcase of the best instrumental, visual and performing arts the Sarasota region has to offer. Come out for dinner at the town center and stay to enjoy the show!
Check out all of the events happening around The Ranch!
SARASOTA CONTEMPORARY DANCE Friday, April 18th @ 6 pm
Dylan Campbell is the sports reporter for the Sarasota/ Siesta Key Observer Contact him at DCampbell@ Your Observer.com.
File photo
Riverview High defensive line and strength coach Mark Cristiani has been appointed as the football team’s head coach.
Paisley Binswanger
Paisley Binswanger is a junior point guard for the Sarasota girls basketball team (9-13). This season, Binswanger led the Sailors in scoring and rebounding, averaging 19.2 points and 9.8 rebounds per game. Binswanger reached the career 1,000-point mark on Dec. 17, during Sarasota’s 64-41 loss to Port Charlotte High. The Sailors will lean on Binswanger when they square off with Riverview (19-4) in the semifinals of the Class 7A-District 12 tournament at Riverview on Feb. 6.
When did you start playing basketball and why?
I started playing basketball seriously in sixth grade. I played soccer for a long time, but I think my parents got tired of sitting in the heat. My mom, Ali, played basketball at Florida State University. She’s my inspiration.
What’s the appeal?
I like the pacing of it. It moves faster than sports like softball or soccer. Plus all the little things — how the ball feels in my hands, what it’s like to shoot it, just everything about it.
What’s your best skill on the court?
Probably my IQ. My ability to make the right reads and find my teammates in open space while also picking and choosing scoring opportunities for myself. I’ve been told by every coach I’ve had that I have a high basketball IQ. I think it comes from how much I care about the game.
Do you have a player that you emulate or model your game after?
I like watching Hailey Van Lith (Texas Christian University
If you would like to make a recommendation for the Sarasota Observer’s Athlete of the Week feature, send it to Dylan Campbell at DCampbell@ YourObserver.com.
guard). She’s about my size, so seeing someone my height (5-foot-8) play at such a high level on that big of a stage is pretty cool.
What are you working on to improve?
This year, I’ve especially focused on improving my ball handling when under pressure. Every team we’ve played so far has tried to take me out of the game — doubling me and face guarding — so I’ve had to focus on inserting myself back into the offense. There’s definitely a mental toughness aspect of it that I’ve had to work on as well.
What’s your favorite basketball memory?
Recently, it’s when I hit 1,000 points. I knew that going into the game I was 19 points away, so the goal was to get at least 19. I remember being frustrated because we were losing by a lot, but it still felt special, the way that all of my teammates had supported me through it. Not a lot of people get to experience that.
What’s your favorite food?
My dad cooks great ribs.
Do you have a favorite school subject?
Probably math, which is kind of nerdy, but I like how there’s an answer for everything.
s the best advice that you’ve received? “You can’t ride two horses with one butt.” My mom says it to me all the time, and its true. Sometimes you have to make decisions in life and set your priorities straight.
REACHING FOR THE SPACE STATION
Students had the chance to ask questions to astronaut Sunita Williams, one of two astronauts currently stuck on the space station, via ham radio.
n event at Pine View School on Jan. 28 showed just how far the dreams of students could reach: all the way to the International Space Station. That distance was a total of about 248 miles above Earth, with the sta tion orbiting at 17,500 mph and tracked with a special moving radio antenna fixed to the school’s roof.
Yet the voice of Sunita Williams, space station commander of Expedition 72, came into the auditorium, clear for most of the duration of the call.
Marie Rosander, a sixth grade Earth and space science teacher, credited two students, Connor Craig and Paula Cuellar, with making the event possible when they approached her last year asking her to fund the NASA space club.
“I thought it was truly remarkable that we could actually talk to Suni up in space, and it’s something that I’ll never forget,” Cuellar said.
Sponsored by STEMania and part of the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station program, the event brought together the space club and the Pine View, Tamiami and Fort Myers amateur radio clubs.
Also present was a special guest, none other than Sunita Williams’ mother, Bonnie Pandya.
MAKING CONTACT
It was “a little difficult” to deal with her daughter still being in space after nearly eight months, said Pandya, a Nokomis resident.
What was initially an eight-day mission stretched into eight months, as Williams and her partner, Butch Wilmore, were unable to return due to safety issues with the Boeing Starliner spacecraft that was to transport them home.
Pandya said although she often feels concerned, her daughter offers reassurances that the situation is OK.
“I miss her,” Pandya said. “I love my daughter so much, and I’m just happy when I see her outreach to everybody.”
On Thursday, Williams surpassed her previous record for the longest spacewalk by a woman, with a walk of 62 hours and six minutes.
She has flown aboard the space shuttle Discovery, the Russian Soyuz
spacecraft and the Boeing Starliner.
With the astronauts’ return now set for late March or April of this year, they have devoted their time to performing science experiments and maintenance tasks — and sometimes speaking with students.
“It’s fantastic, and she’s an inspirator,” Pandya said. “She really loves kids, and she does everything to include them in different programs, and I’m really proud of her for that.”
Yet communicating with the space station is a precise operation.
Cuellar recounted, “It was a little nerve-wracking, because we didn’t know if we would get the contact with Suni or not, and once it happened, once we got contact, and everything was fine… then I was really happy that it could happen.”
When Williams’ voice emerged via ham radio at 11:21, students launched directly into the questions they had prepared in advance to fit the 11-minute time frame.
Cuellar said she learned a lot that day about the differences between space and the Earth, including that some things are more difficult in space.
“As soon as you get to space, it starts to have an effect on you,” Williams told students. “Things are a little bit weird because your balance is not quite there, and in a small spacecraft, it’s OK. But when you get into the International Space Station, wow, you can tumble all over the place ... ”
She went on to explain things about space from the experience of a rocket launch, which she called “pretty amazing” and “like the best roller coaster ride you’ve ever been on,” to her favorite food on the space station (the lasagna, which has a lot of pesto).
Her best moment, she said, was witnessing the glowing aurora borealis on her first space walk.
“It was just mind blowing that we have that energy in our universe, and we really don’t even know how to think about it or tap into it. It just puts everything in perspective,” she said.
She also noted another way in which being in space changes someone’s perspective.
“We look at our planet and we know that’s the only place that we know of that we can be living, so you’re really changing your perspective about how humanity should be working together, and how today’s exploration really brings people together,” she said.
She also had some advice for aspiring astronauts.
“Ask as many questions as possible,” she said. “Don’t ever be satisfied with, ‘I don’t know’ ... I think if you want to be an astronaut, you just have to be curious and you have to be ready to explore.”
A PRECISE OPERATION
Stephen Phillips, of the Tamiami Amateur Radio Club, said the call, the first space call he had conducted in his 50 years of experience, wasn’t a responsibility he took lightly.
“We worked very hard to make this a success, and we’re very, very pleased with how well it went,” he said.
The club serves as guidance for the Pine View School Amateur Radio Club, which teaches students the fundamentals they need to achieve a ham radio technician license. For the event, it partnered with the Fort Myers club for the use of its equipment.
Thanks to a grant from American Radio Relay League , the school will also be receiving its own permanent radio station, W4PVS.
IAN SWABY STAFF WRITER
Sunita Williams floats on the International Space Station.
Daniel Blashill, Roger Mcentarfer, Paul Nienaker and Stephen Phillips connect with Sunita Williams.
Paula Cuellar, Ariana Vishnevsky and Sanjay Velagapodi wait in line to ask questions.
Photos by Ian Swaby
Crowd dances to same beat
t
color as a bomba group, followed by leaders of two Mardi Gras Indian tribes, took to the stage Jan. 31 at The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art. UnidosNow co-founder CJ Czaia said being able to host NocheUnidos at the museum, which celebrated Hispanic heritage, was “big time” for the organization.
He said the organization was founded to “inspire young people to understand we have a great country and we can participate, but we need to educate ourselves, and we need to be active.”
“The longer we are here, the more we raise, the more we end up getting involved in the community, the more of a strong foothold we have, partnerships we build, so we can give back and help,” he said. The event began with music by
Bomba Yemayá, one of the leading groups performing the Afro-Puerto Rican genre of bomba, and continued with The 79rs Gang from New Orleans, led by the Big Chiefs of Mardi Gras Indian tribes, 7th Ward Creole Hunters and the 9th Ward Hunters.
Martin Alvarez, 13, said he was glad to be present for an event supporting the organization, which he said helped him in ways that include gaining scholarships.
“When I came here, I had a bit of help from my parents, but I didn’t really know what to do, and it’s helped me understand some careers better than I did before, and also investigate things for my future, as well visit campuses in Sarasota County and outside, and just to know what they offer, and it’s been really good,” he said.
— IAN SWABY
Photos by Ian Swaby
Maria Cruz dances in the performance by Bomba Yemayá.
Moses Cummings, ABC’s “The View” co-host Sunny Hostin, Gabriel Hostin, Debra Thomas and Dewayne Martin.
Monika and Arthur White dance in the courtyard.
Romeo Bougere III takes the stage alongside his father, Big Chief Romeo Bougere, of the 9th Ward Hunters Mardi Gras Indian tribe.
COMING SOON TO LAKEWOOD RANCH: Vibrant Senior Living!
Emerson Lakes Is Now Accepting Reservations.
Our first phase of construction is now underway. It includes the beautiful Coral Ridge Clubhouse and three residence buildings: Sandhill Point, anticipated to open in the fall of 2026, followed by Laguna Springs and Mangrove Run, opening in the first half of 2027.
At Emerson Lakes, Every Day Is a Holiday
Here are just a few resort-style amenities you can expect:
• Multiple dining venues
• Outdoor pool with a walk-up bar
• State-of-the-art fitness center
• Pickleball and bocce ball courts
• Outdoor fitness center with meditation garden
• Fire pits
A Financial Structure You Can Count On
Our community’s smart financial structure will provide peace of mind and security by streamlining most bills into an easy monthly payment. Your Monthly Service Package covers:
• Utilities, maintenance, and property taxes
• Cable TV, internet, and landline phone
• Use of fitness center, pool, and dozens of other amenities
A New Community With Decades of History
When you start a life at Emerson Lakes, you’ll be part of a community you can trust. The Erickson Senior Living network of managed communities has provided quality care for seniors like you across the nation for more than 40 years. Our track record is one you can count on.
Have photos of your four-legged family members? We want to see them! Share them at YourObserver.com/Contests/Pet-Pics to be published
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We are looking for an experienced candidate to sell our complete media offerings including print, digital and niche publications to local businesses in the Sarasota/Manatee markets. Top candidates will have a proven track record of overcoming
Reserve your ringside VIP table on Saturdays - 10:30am - 3:00pm
• gourmet brunch
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• VIP parking
• courtesty shuttles and the best views of show jumping featuring Olympic riders!
Join us for Sundays at TerraNova beginning with a non-denominational Christian service at 7:30am, followed by the $25,000 TerraNova Prix at 9am, and Family Breakfast (9am - 11am). Breakfast tickets on sale at the door. $30/adults, $15/kids. 3 & under free!
A spectacle of Scotland
In 1885, a group of Scots arrived on the shores of Sarasota.
Although they were met with drought and wilderness instead of the town they were promised, with many leaving in disappointment, the remaining Scots helped establish the town of Sarasota.
Bob Fair, president of Suncoast Scots, said this history is why the Suncoast Scottish Highland Games & Celtic Festival, held Feb. 1, resonates with the public.
He noted the large turnout at the event, which included piping and drumming, Highland games, such as the caber toss and stone put, and a Highland dance competition.
“My ancestors have Scottish roots, and it’s just an honor for me to be able to pick this instrument up in my life and play it,” said Fair, who plays the bagpipes with Lion
Rampant Pipe & Drum.
It was the second year Suncoast Scots, a nonprofit devoted to preserving Scottish culture, has hosted the event.
“Two years ago, I personally put 100 dollars in a checking account to start it, and here look at this today. So I am so pleased and happy that we’ve been able to do this,” Fair said.
The festival drew competitors and musicians from far and wide, such as Ethan Albrecht-Carrie, a participant in the Highland games from Orlando.
“It’s a small community, so, wherever the game is, we show up,” he said. “It’s as much for each other as it is for the fans, which have a great time. It’s a really nice family.”
— IAN SWABY
John Gale and Mary Mullen walk in the opening ceremony.
Photos by Ian Swaby
Senior Drum Major Steve McClure marches in the opening ceremony.
Becky Wissink helps Julianne Durante take hold of the caber.
Baker Zovath, 4, had his face painted based on the film “Braveheart.”
Bryan Klopfenstein of Drunken Shrubbery plays the fiddle.
A Century of Care, A Future of Hope
In 1925, the people of Sarasota County came together to open a new hospital — their only hospital. With just 32 beds, it was named simply Sarasota Hospital.
One hundred years later, we have grown into something extraordinary: a healthcare system with two full-service hospitals, a Level II Trauma Center, a renowned cancer institute, comprehensive rehabilitation services, a dedicated behavioral health pavilion, and a vast network of outpatient and physician services. Today, Sarasota Memorial Health Care System stands as an award-winning symbol of excellence, recognized nationwide and respected worldwide.
While our name and reach have expanded, our mission remains steadfast. The promise endures: to safeguard our community’s health, to be there for our neighbors in times of need, and to carry forward the trust that has defined us for a century.
Because at our core, we are still a community hospital. And some things will never change.
Love is on the menu... Celebrate Valentine’s Day at
Enjoy a 3-course meal by our executive chef and decadent desserts by celebrity pastry chef, Stephanie Boswell Feb. 14th and Feb. 15th
611 Central Ave. Sarasota, FL 34236
941-306-2356
Celebration of achievement
MICHAEL HARRIS MANAGING EDITOR
As Rodrick Dixon belted out “The Impossible Dream” on Thursday in his unique and powerful tenor voice, members of the local Gamma Xi Boule Fraternity and Foundation can take solace the fraternity helps students in Sarasota and Manatee counties.
Dixon was a guest of the foundation’s 30th anniversary celebration at the Sarasota Opera House that included a speech by former U.S. Rep., U.S. ambassador, mayor of Atlanta and civil rights activist Andrew Young and a personal message sent by Maryland Gov. Wes Moore.
“I really like Sarasota. I’ve been here several times,” said Young, who turns 93 in March. “I tell you what: We have built Atlanta on tax municipal bonds. We have guys who donated to that and then retired here to Sarasota. Of course, I’m still working my (butt) off, but I enjoy it. You die when you retire.”
The scholarships awarded to local students are also built on donations and, from meager beginnings roughly 20 years ago, now help at least four students receive $4,000 scholarships each year, according to Gamma Xi Boule’s Sire Archon Vincent Foderingham.
“It really started in its infancy with little small contributions from member dues, and we may have given one scholarship around $500 or so, but now that’s grown significantly since,” Foderingham said.
“The funding mechanism has been in place since 2004, but we really stepped up efforts since 2014.”
The foundation also helps funding for internships, many of which are in Sarasota, including Mote Marine
Laboratory & Aquarium and the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office. In 2014, the foundation teamed up with Career Source Suncoast, the school boards of the two counties and the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office to sponsor programs for teenage students. It has grown even further since then.
“We have the paid internship program with local employers,” Foderingham said. “But we have a speaker series at two high schools (Booker and Southeast) and a summer education program with Kettering University.”
The fraternity’s flagship event occurs every other year with the Valentines at The Ritz, held at The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota. The next one is slated for 2026, but there are other ways to get involved in the foundation through its website GammaXiFoundation.org.
Michael Harris
Vincent Foderingham, sire archon of the Gamma Xi Boule Fraternity of Sarasota and Manatee Counties, speaks during the fraternity’s 30th anniversary celebration on Jan. 30.
A design in history
St. Paul Lutheran Church held a rededication of its Victor Lundydesigned education building.
ccording to Christopher Wilson, the scholar in residence
“Plexr® Plasma-based
-
102nd birthday, and also recognizing the church’s 70th anniversary.
Designed by Lundy is the fellowship hall (the original sanctuary) built in 1959, the education building created in 1962 and the current sanctuary, built in 1969.
Pastor Ashley Nicolls told the Observer in 2024 that when the congregation was consulted on whether it wanted to undertake a restoration of the education building, which was experiencing leaks and decay to some posts, the answer was “a resounding yes.”
She said the total cost, which was aided by a matching grant from the state obtained through the Sarasota Alliance for Historic Preservation, was about $756,000.
The dedication also recognized the
Photos by Ian Swaby
Sarasota School of Architecture member Carl Abbott and Pastor Ashley Nicolls
Medical Director
Dr. Sam Uzabel
its doors and those who will pass through these doors for hopefully the next 70 years.”
Known for his use of modernist architecture, Lundy, who died last year on Nov. 4, is considered one of the leading members of the Sarasota School of Architecture.
During his time in Sarasota, from 1954 to about 1960, he contributed buildings, including the Blue Pagoda originally intended for the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce, with his most prominent work nationally being the U.S. Tax Court Building in Washington, D.C.
Nicolls says the distinctiveness of his work and his distinctive, curving ceiling beams has led to many Lundy buildings being demolished over time.
“We’re the first people to take out Lundy beams and try to re-create it rather than just tearing it down, which a lot of Lundy’s buildings have had happen, so that was a bigger cost than they expected, a lot more time and a lot more specifics of how to do it,” Nicolls said previously.
Wilson complimented the renovated building.
“I’m not necessarily a preservationist myself, I’m an architectural historian, but that building looks like it did in 1962,” he said. “It’s fantastic, and for me, it’s about the building, but of course, it’s about the community, this whole three-building campus here that people love, and they love it because of the architecture, I think. I like to think that.”
Carl Abbott, 88, who is considered the last member of the Sarasota School of Architecture, served as Lundy’s “eyes on the ground” during the design of the building, and recalls Lundy as someone who would push him to have staff get the building correct, but also “a very nice guy, nice person.”
“I know he really cared about what he did,” he said. “He clearly was an artist, and he cared for his buildings as though they were children, I think, and he really wanted to get the maximum for that building,” he said.
However, Abbott said later on, when air conditioning ducts were added to the fellowship hall and education building, blocking the view of part of the beams, Lundy became discouraged that his artistic vision wasn’t being realized, and he
declined to return to the location.
Abbott said the ducts could have been installed in the floors, which would normally be cheaper. Nicolls said the congregation had looked into installing the air conditioning according to Lundy’s vision, but it was cost-prohibitive.
“I actually wouldn’t be surprised if that is true, that he didn’t want to come back to see it again,” Pastor Nicolls told the Observer, stating she understood his feelings.
She said she had heard different stories of whether Lundy was consulted about the changes. Abbott said Lundy was not, while Nicolls said some people associated with architecture have said Lundy was not, while some church members have said he was.
However, Nicolls said she is glad for the chance to “enjoy his masterpieces, and take them for the best they are, knowing that our congregation did the best they could, too.”
“Those are things that we as a congregation would love to revisit, to bring it back to more of his original design and vision, if there were the resources, financial resources, to do it,” she said.
Church member Mike Scherr said he was glad to see the project com pleted.
“It’s something that has to have been done, and we’re glad we can finally get to it and then finally get it done,” he said. “Even with the grant, it was a lot, but I’m pretty happy about it, and I’m sure everybody is, and it’s great for the community, it’s great for our school and great for our campus.”
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Lundy beams are visible in the church’s fellowship hall.
IT’S READ EVERYWHERE
Headed on a trip? Snap a photo of you on vacation holding your Observer, then submit your photo online at YourObserver.com/ ItsReadEverywhere. Stay tuned for this year’s prize, and happy travels!
CZECHING IN: Robert and Leslie Callender took a copy of the Sarasota Observer to Prague in Czech Republic.
Step inside to bayfront residences unequaled in Sarasota, perhaps because they open to a panorama of the city’s entire skyline. Here is a stage for expansive living — a breathtaking esplanade, pool terrace, and even, a berth for your boat. This is that once-and-forever moment. Add your name to our early interest list.
Abraham Lincoln revisited as teacher of valuable leadership lessons
A New Jersey college professor and Abe Lincoln aficionado, at a Southwest Florida event, details why one of the most famous Americans ever is also an underappreciated leadership expert.
By Mark Gordon
It’s hard to overlook Abraham Lincoln.
For starters, the 16th U.S. president signed the Emancipation Proclamation on Jan. 1, 1863, ending slavery in the country. It’s also well known that Lincoln was physically hard to miss, standing six-foot-four, the tallest of the 46 U.S. presidents. And, of course, he was so celebrated for telling the truth that his famous nickname, Honest Abe, lives on 159 years after he was assassinated.
What is sometimes overlooked with Lincoln—despite the 16,000 books written about him—is the set of soft skills he learned, and then exhibited, about leadership throughout his life. This is the message Louis Masur, a Lincoln expert and Distinguished Professor of American Studies and History at Rutgers University in New Jersey, shared in Southwest Florida in 2024.
Masur was a keynote speaker for a Sanibel Captiva Trust Co. Speaker Series event. His talk, “Lessons of Abe Lincoln: How Effective Leadership Can Change the World,” was given at the Tribby Arts Center at Shell Point in Fort Myers. In a virtual interview, Masur remarked, Lincoln “saved the union and freed the slaves, but what made him such an incredible leader during such a divisive and partisan time?”
Masur, who has researched, taught, and spoken about other historical figures, says Lincoln remains his No. 1 educational and leadership muse. Masur has distilled Lincoln’s leadership into a few powerful lessons:
Education: Lincoln’s dedication to selfeducation was critical to his success. Despite his father’s disapproval of reading, Lincoln’s “love of learning” played a pivotal role in his ability to lead. When Lincoln became president in 1861, he had no formal military experience, except for volunteering in the Black Hawk War. To prepare, he read military strategy books from the Library of Congress, immersing himself in the details of military tactics.
Diplomacy: Masur points to Lincoln’s letter to General George Meade after the Battle of Gettysburg as an example of his restraint. Lincoln wrote a letter to express disappointment that Meade didn’t pursue Confederate General Robert E. Lee after the Union victory. However, Lincoln ultimately chose not to send the letter, recognizing that chastising his general would be counterproductive.
Empathy: Lincoln’s empathy and ability to step outside himself were hallmarks of his leadership. Masur tells a story of Lincoln writing a condolence letter to the daughter of a friend who had died in combat. In the letter, Lincoln wrote, “You are sure to be happy again,” sharing his own experience with grief. This ability to connect with others helped him lead with compassion.
Principle over power: Lincoln’s commitment to principles is another lesson Masur highlights. During the 1864 presidential election, Lincoln refused to postpone the vote, even though he risked losing. He believed that “We cannot have free government without elections.” This resolve to uphold democratic principles, even in times of war, defined his legacy.
Masur’s insights emphasize that Lincoln’s leadership was as much about character as it was about strategy. “I just never tire of reading about him and thinking about him,” Masur says.
Join us for an engaging speaker series featuring two of the nation’s leading historians. Dive deep into American history as our expert speakers bring the past to life with captivating stories and fresh perspectives.
The Mind of Abraham Lincoln
Reprinted from the Business Observer
A condominium in BLVD of Sarasota sells for $4 million
ADAM HUGHES RESEARCH EDITOR
Acondominium in BLVD of Sarasota tops the week’s sales. Peter and Judith Wasserman sold their Unit 1102 condominium at 540 N. Tamiami Trail to Ronald and Odile Sarti, trustees, of Sarasota, for $4 million. Built in 2020, it has three bedrooms, three-anda-half baths and 3,962 square feet of living area. It sold for $2.96 million in 2021.
SARASOTA
BAYPOINT PARK
Dyer Seymour Wadsworth and Beverly Wadsworth, of Sarasota, sold two properties at 1050 Bay Point Place to Mark Miller and Juliette Palarea, of Sarasota, for $3.3 million. The first property was built in 1925 and has five bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths, a pool and 3,683 square feet of living area. The second property was built in 1925 and has one bedroom, one bath and 247 square feet of living area. They sold for $1,584,000 in 2017.
GRANADA
Mission Property Partners LLC sold the home at 1521 Bay Road to Adam and Barbara Miller, of Sarasota, for $2,825,000. Built in 2024, it has three bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 2,854 square feet of living area.
RIDGEWOOD
Isabel Norton, trustee, of McCaysville, Georgia, sold two properties at 2383 Fiesta Drive to Fletcher and Laura Rush, of Sarasota, for $2,175,000. The first property was built in 1999 and has four bedrooms, four-and-a-half baths, a pool and 4,173 square feet of living area. The second property was built in 1999 and has one bedroom, one bath and 310 square feet of living area. They sold for $1.1 million in 2012.
FLOYD AND CAMERON
Martin and Connie Schlam, of Paducah, Kentucky, sold their home at 1862 Prospect St. to Kevin and Cassidy Lyons, of Sarasota, for $1,875,000. Built in 1928, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,439 square feet of living area. It sold for $345,000 in 2009.
THE STRAND OF SARASOTA
Christopher James Sesslar, trustee, of Waynesville, Ohio, sold the Units A507 and A508 condominiums at 1709 N. Tamiami Trail to Donald Leslie Salvage and Evelyn Louise Salvage, of Las Vegas, for $1.15 million. Built in 2022, it has two bedrooms, three baths and 1,739 square feet of living area.
GOLFVIEW
Steve Barnhardt, of North Port, sold his home at 2600 Colorado St. to Kristin Brianna Orozco Manninen, of Sarasota, for $730,000. Built in 1980, it has five bedrooms, three baths and 2,762 square feet of living area. It sold for $109,500 in 2000.
GREENBRIAR HOMES
Stephen Fisher, trustee, of Sarasota,
sold the home at 2820 Novus St. to Reuben Miller, of Sarasota, for $606,400. Built in 1959, it has four bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,188 square feet of living area. It sold for $212,000 in 2020.
WESLO WILLOWS
HOF Series 2302 LLC sold the home at 2424 Whippoorwill Circle to JMA 2000 LLC for $600,000. Built in 1973, it has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths and 2,080 square feet of living area. It sold for $330,000 in 2020.
ALFRED PARK
Christine Schaaff, trustee, of Dunedin, sold the home at 2542 Hillview St. to Gary’s Roofing LLC and Natasha Lewicki, of Sarasota, for $555,000. Built in 1957, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,378 square feet of living area. It sold for $33,200 in 1977.
BELLEVUE TERRACE
James and Stephanie Nehman, of Dunedin, sold their home at 719 Wood Lane to Antoinette Atherton Smith and David Smith and Sandra Atherton, of Sarasota, for $500,000. Built in 1973, it has four bedrooms, two baths and 1,864 square feet of living area. It sold for $100,000 in 2013.
SIESTA KEY
DOLPHIN BAY
Robert Hough, of Siesta Key, sold his Unit 301 condominium at 1240 Dolphin Bay Way to Jean Wooster, trustee, of Atlanta, for $1.47 million. Built in 1998, it has three bedrooms, three baths and 2,200 square feet of living area. It sold for $865,000 in 2020.
SOMERSET CAY
Kevin Lynch and Janella Matter, of Southlake, Texas, sold their Unit 53 condominium at 9122 Midnight Pass Road to Mary Elizabeth Heroux, of Sarasota, for $1.3 million. Built in 2002, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 2,237 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.37 million in 2021.
SANDY TOES TOWNHOUSES
Safe IRA Homes LLC sold the Unit 3 condominium at 6796 Sarasea Circle to Lennartz Beach House LLC for $1.2 million. Built in 1981,
TOP BUILDING PERMITS
it has three bedrooms, three baths and 1,890 square feet of living area. It sold for $900,100 in 2023.
SIESTA TOWERS
Julie and Kevin Mechigian, trustees, of Highland, Michigan, sold the Unit 2F condominium at 4822 Ocean Blvd. to Clarney Holdings LLC for $850,000. Built in 1973, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,435 square feet of living area. It sold for $475,000 in 2021.
ONLINE
See more transactions at YourObserver.com
Other top sales by area
SIESTA KEY: $3,025,000
Siesta’s Bayside
Ronald and Odile Sarti, trustees, of Sarasota, sold the home at 850 Siesta Key Circle to Joseph Voss and Wendy Voss, trustees, of Sarasota, for $3,025,000. Built in 2005, it has five bedrooms, five baths, a pool and 4,299 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.55 million in 2009.
PALMER RANCH: $800,000
The Hamptons
Joe and Shirley Bonello, of Flat Rock, Michigan, sold their home at 4977 Gardiners Bay Circle to Bryon Weintraub and Susan Weintraub, trustees, of Sarasota, for $800,000. Built in 2000, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,430 square feet of living area. It sold for $386,000 in 2007.
OSPREY: $2.1 MILLION
Oaks II
Timothy and Leslie Hazlett, trustees, of Cary, North Carolina, sold the home at 627 Eagle Watch Lane to Beat Roy Lehmann and Ingrit Lehmann, of Osprey, for $2.1 million. Built in 1989, it has four bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 3,606 square feet of living area. It sold for $620,000 in 2010.
NOKOMIS: $880,000
Mission Valley Estates 1541 Mackintosh Blvd LLC sold the home at 1541 Mackintosh Blvd. to Jeremy David Mumford and Shaina Ross Mumford and Madalena and David Mumford, of Nokomis, for $880,000. Built in 1974, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,257 square feet of living area. It sold for $864,000 in 2024.
Courtesy image
The Unit 1102 condominium at 540 N. Tamiami Trail was built in 2020 and has three bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths and 3,962 square feet of living area.
YOUR CALENDAR
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7
HEART & SOUL ON PALM
7 to 10 p.m. at Palm Ave. Free. Enjoy light bites, live music, and more, amid live music by K-Luv and the United Funk Foundation, in this Fresh Fridays event celebrating Valentine’s Day. Visit DowntownSarasotaDID.com/Fresh-Fridays.
CHAIR YOGA WITH MANCHING
10:15 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. at Betty J. Johnson North Sarasota Library, 2801 Newtown Blvd. Free. This class is designed for those of all ages and fitness levels and suited to those who are new to yoga, living with limited mobility or recovering from an injury. It is taught by certified yoga instructor Manching Tom. Visit SCGovLibrary.LibraryMarket.com.
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 8
SUPER SONIC YOGA
11 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Sarasota Municipal Auditorium, 801 N. Tamiami Trail. Free. This yoga event includes the workshops “Vinyasa Flow with Inspirational Talk plus Q&A;” from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. followed by Chill Flow with Inspirational Talk plus Q&A; from 2-4 p.m., and the main event, Evening Super Sonic Yoga, from 6-9 p.m. Visit SRQAuditorium.com.
GET ON THE ROAD TO A NEW YOU: INTERACTIVE SEMINARTHE BAY SARASOTA
1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Sarasota Garden Club, 1130 Boulevard of the Arts. Free. Mirabai Holland offers this interactive seminar showing you how to make lifestyle changes and create a long-term wellness plan and short-term goals. Holland has collaborated with leading physicians and has trained professionals. Visit TheBaySarasota.org.
MONDAY, FEB. 10
A MATTER OF BALANCE
2 to 4 p.m. at Selby Library, 1331 First St. Free. This award-winning evidence-based fall prevention program emphasizes practical strategies to reduce fall risk. Visit SCGovLibrary.LibraryMarket.com.
TUESDAY, FEB. 11
ONE DAY IN HARLEM WITH CHERYL COLEMAN
6 to 7 p.m. at Selby Library, 1331
BEST BET
FRIDAY, FEB. 7 TO
SATURDAY, FEB. 8
SHELL SHOW
10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Robarts Arena, 2896 Ringling Blvd. Adults $5 Students 12-18 $3 Children 12 and under free with paid adult. In this show by the Sarasota Shell Club, find shell arts and crafts, scientific and artistic displays, exotic and rare shells, shell-related prizes, educational programs and more. Visit SarasotaShellClub.com.
First St. Free. This free concert explores Black art and literature during the Harlem Renaissance, with music performed by Cheryl Coleman. Visit SCGovLibrary.LibraryMarket. com.
WEDNESDAY, FEB. 12
THE SARASOTA MUSIC ARCHIVE PRESENTS THE JOHN GOODMAN PERFORMANCE AND LECTURE SERIES
10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Free. This lecture by opera singer Joy McIntyre is titled “Cavalleria Rusticana and Pagliacci–A Matched Pair.” Visit SCGovLibrary.LibraryMarket.com.
THURSDAY, FEB. 13
Spanish Conversation Group 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Gulf Gate Library, 7112 Curtiss Ave. Free. Hold conversations in Spanish in this group for adults and seniors. Visit SCGovLibrary.LibraryMarket.com.
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