As soon as Sarasota County opened its sandbag site at Ed Smith Stadium, one of two in the area, on Sept. 24, residents turned out in droves to shovel sand — with some help from staff where needed in preparation for Hurricane Helene.
Some were hoping to mitigate flooding.
“When I found out about this, I said ‘I need to get sandbags,” said Delilah Rosales, who hadn’t known the county offered the service when her home on Fruitville Road flooded during Hurricane Debby.
Others sought to be prepared.
“Just in case this turns into more than we expect, we’re ready,” said Southgate resident Russ Noto.
The road map to college
As a former student at Sarasota High School, Aimee White had ideas of features she wished she could have experienced at Sarasota County Schools’ College Night.
During her first time planning the event, White, who is administrative assistant to student services, had the chance to implement her ideas.
“It was a lot of work. It was a lot of fun. I love to be creative,” she said.
Held Sept. 24, the event brought together over 75 colleges and universities, with technical colleges, eight military organizations and organizations offering scholarships all present at tables lining Robarts Arena.
$1.00
volunteer group will
Ian Swaby
Marty Melendrez ties a sandbag closed.
Ian Swaby
Aimee White, administrative assistant to student services, and Debra Giacolone, executive director of student services
Four for the price of one?
Architects’ proposal breaks up the Sarasota Performing Arts Center into four structures, preserving more park space at The Bay — but it may cost more to build.
WARFIELD
ANDREW
STAFF WRITER
As a capacity crowd gathered in the Grand Foyer of the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall to witness the reveal of a conceptual plan for the Sarasota Performing Arts Center, an approaching storm marched across Sarasota Bay.
By the time the architecture firms selected to design the proposed facility had completed their presentation, the rain had cleared, the sky turned blue and sunlight filled the room.
It was a fitting metaphor for the Sept. 18 community workshop organized by the architects of Renzo Piano Building Workshop of Genoa, Italy and Sarasota’s Sweet Sparkman Architecture and Interiors as they introduced the initial concept to the public. Some of the few who had previewed the design who were initially reticent over how it would be received were basking in the glow of a generally receptive audience some 90 minutes later.
The concept was, after all, unexpected.
Rather than what was generally expected as a refinement of the big box at the northeast corner of the Van Wezel parking lot that had been shown on site plans for The Bay park for years, attendees were introduced to an out-of-the-box concept of a four-building, raised and partially over-water complex along Tamiami
“The Bay park dream is to make it a park — a real park and not another parking lot — to make it green, and that’s what we believe is a proper thing to do.”
Mark Carroll, Renzo Piano
Courtesy images
Renzo Piano Building Workshop’s rendering of covered public plaza and entry to the performing arts center as viewed toward the bay.
Renzo Piano Building Workshop’s rendering of the “cultural promenade,” a shaded walkway along Tamiami Trail at night.
“We look forward to building a project that will last 300 to 500 years. That’s the way we build in Europe.”
Trail. That allows nearly all of the parking lot to be converted to park space during the latter stages of The Bay park’s transformation.
True to Renzo Piano’s philosophy of designing structures that complement rather than overwhelm their environment, the architectural team displayed a complex that includes a 2,500-seat to 2,700-seat main theater, an 800-seat medium theater, a small theater/multipurpose space, and a lobby — all separated into four buildings connected by overhead walkways.
“When I saw the concept for the proposed performing arts center, my reaction was that it was genius,” said Sarasota Mayor Liz Alpert. “It just made so much sense. I loved the idea of the smaller scale, away from the water with view corridors between the buildings.”
To maximize views of the park and Sarasota Bay — and to provide storm surge resilience — the buildings are elevated with public space beneath, the lobby and reception building suspended above the 10th Street Canal.
“When we first arrived here in Sarasota a year and three months ago, it was easily understood that this is a potentially a great project, a cultural project to support bringing people together and bringing them together for many, many years,” said Mark Carroll, Renzo Piano’s partner-in-charge for the SPAC. “We look forward to building a project that will last 300 to 500 years. That’s the way we build in Europe.”
The concept reveal and community workshop is a critical step toward the completion of an implementation agreement between the city and the Sarasota Performing Arts Foundation, which would codify the public-private venture. It would be funded 50-50 between philanthropy and public dollars, the latter derived mostly via a tax increment financing (TIF) district on downtown properties surrounding the 53-acre The Bay park. The TIF revenue is identified as property taxes collected from the improved value of the land benchmarked against fiscal year 2019 assessments.
Both the city and the county collect the TIF funds and, via interlocal agreement, reinvest those funds into and around The Bay park, including a new performing arts facility. Specifically how those funds are spent in the TIF district, however, is subject to discretion of both government entities.
The Sarasota City Commission has scheduled a workshop on Sept. 30 to discuss the design and the implementation agreement. The deadline to enact the agreement is Monday, Oct. 21. That’s when the discussion, which will include a construction cost estimate, will be placed on the commission’s agenda.
For the past two years, the working
number associated with the project has been estimated at $375 million. How breaking the builiding into four structures affects the cost remains to be determined, but conventional wisdom is that it costs more to build four buildings than one.
“Of course, how we fund it is a concern, but with this new plan it can be built in phases if necessary to spread out the cost,” Alpert said. “Before we do anything, the funding and business plan will be worked out to ensure it is feasible. I have no doubt there will be a way to make it work.”
BREAKING THE MOLD
The agenda for last week’s noon workshop session included breakout tables following the formal presentation and ahead of closing remarks. So few remained after the breakouts that the closing segment was canceled for both the noon and the evening session, which was held Robert L. Taylor Community Complex.
Bill Waddill of land planning consultant Kimley-Horn —and one of the primary drivers of The Bay — who emceed both sessions took that as a sign of positive reception.
“When you go to these things there’s always going to be a certain percentage of folks who just aren’t going to be in favor of things, but it was amazing,” Waddill told the Observer. “I’d say it was in the high90s percent of people who were inspired and excited. Certainly people had questions. Some of the big ones were about parking, and so we spent a fair amount of time on that, and certainly they had questions about cost.”
Separating the design into four distinct structures does provide some flexibility relative to the cost.
As Alpert suggested, the SPAC could be developed in phases rather than all at once, similar to the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts in Orlando. There, the 2,731-seat Walt Disney Theater opened in 2014 followed by the 1,770-seat Steinmetz Hall in 2022.
Steinmetz Hall cost $240 million as part of the $613 million Dr. Phillips complex, which includes four theaters, a grand lobby, a multipurpose room and an outdoor arts plaza.
Similar to Dr. Phillips, The Renzo Piano plan for the SPAC includes an outdoor auditorium to accommodate as many as 4,000.
“The people who were present and who were able to listen to the entire presentation, I think they all embraced it,” Sarasota Performing Arts Foundation CEO Tania Castroverde Moskalenko told the Observer.
“There was a fear that this building was going to be smack in the middle of the park, it was going to be a concrete building, it was going to take up all of this park space. What’s brilliant about these architects is that they have brought a complete new set of eyes to the project and have made a much better design than any of us could have imagined.”
THE PROMENADE
Beyond the four buildings, the design concept went a step further to include a feature to bring synergy and connectivity to the entire frontage of The Bay along Tamiami Trail.
The architects proposed a baffled, covered walkway stretching along the highway from the main theater
beneath, offering shade and opportunities to interact with the SPAC without having to purchase a ticket.
“This site here is a treasure. If you look at it today, it’s a parking lot, but with a little bit of imagination, you can see it as the park,” Carroll said.
“The Bay park dream is to make it a park — a real park and not another parking lot — to make it green, and that’s what we believe is a proper thing to do.”
BUT WHAT ABOUT THAT PARKING?
If what is now the parking lot for the Van Wezel is to become a natural green space as planned by the Bay Park Conservancy, what becomes of the 800-space vehicle capacity currently on the site?
Some parking will be underneath the raised SPAC buildings. Otherwise, Renzo Piano architect Ronan Dunphy said much of the parking will be available at a shorter distance from the new SPAC location than many of the current spaces are from the Van Wezel.
north of 10th Street to the Blue Pagoda at Boulevard of the Arts.
That stretch has been identified by the Bay Park Conservancy as the “Cultural District” as part of Phase 2 park development.
In addition to providing shade during the day and lighted security by night, the articulated overhead panels could be topped with photovoltaic cells to supply power to the SPAC, all inspired by the filtered light beneath grand trees.
“What we’re starting to study here is how to re-create that sense of filtered light and how to control light, how to filter it, how to create a pleasant environment for people to walk underneath,” said Renzo Piano architect Kerry Joyce. “One of the main goals of this project is to capture the sun’s energy by integrating photovoltaic panels. We’re talking with our engineers in this early stage, and while these performing arts centers use an incredible amount of energy, we believe that with this scheme we could provide about 90% of the power to this whole complex.”
Rather than a monolith, separating and lifting the structure into four buildings also provides opportunities to maintain vistas, allow light and air to move between the buildings and provide public space
“We did some studies of the average walking speed of various age groups, and we decided to calculate an average walking speed of 3 to 3.5 feet per second,” Dunphy said. “This means that if you’re at the far end of the parking lot, it takes you about 5 minutes and 40 seconds to get from your car to the front door of the theater. So we said we need to stay within the same range for the new parking areas of the new performing arts center.”
In addition to existing parking already available within that 5:40 radius, the plan assumes some additional parking created on the north end of Centennial Park combined with new nearby parking facilities currently under exploration by the city.
“We need to think differently about parking,” Dunphy said. “We don’t want to concentrate all of the parking in one place because we see the problems with trying to exit after an event and with all the people leaving at the same time. By decentralizing the various locations of parking, spreading them out around the site, it creates a better flow.”
“One
of the main goals of this project is to capture the sun’s energy by integrating photovoltaic panels.”
Kerry Joyce
Mark Carroll
Renzo Piano Building Workshop Partnerin-Charge Mark Carroll discusses the proposed layout for the Sarasota Performing Arts Center with attendees of the Sept. 18 concept reveal workshop.
Renzo Piano Building Workshop architect Kerry Joyce speaks at the SPAC preliminary concept reveal workshop.
Renzo Piano Building Workshop’s rendering of the multipurpose room building with views of The Bay park through expansive windows.
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City attorney decision delayed
Commissioner Debbie Trice wants to hold off on naming Robert Fournier’s replacement until she can vet her colleagues’ top choice.
ANDREW WARFIELD STAFF WRITER
If four of the five Sarasota city commissioners had their way, they would have named the next city attorney during their Sept. 16 meeting.
The required supermajority of commissioners appeared ready to name Joseph Polzak to replace City Attorney Robert Fournier when he retires next spring, and John Shamsey and Joseph Mladinich as the chief deputies to replace the also-retiring Michael Connolly.
Commissioner Debbie Trice, though, was not ready to commit.
All five lawyers comprise the same firm — Fournier, Connolly, Shamsey, Mladinich & Polzak — with the remaining attorneys standing ready to step into the roles providing City Commission approval. As a constitutional officer, the city attorney is one of three positions directly hired by the commission in addition to the city auditor and clerk and city manager, the latter also being vacated when Marlon Brown retires on Oct. 15.
As the discussion began, commissioners heard from two local attorneys — Daniel Deleo and Andrew Oppenheim, both of Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick — who pitched their firm for contract legal services as outside counsel to the city. The commission, though, seemed well on its way to hiring Polzak, Shamsey and Mladinich, citing their deep institutional knowledge of city affairs and a desire for a smooth transition.
Commissioner Erik Arroyo placed the item on the agenda in an effort to handle the matter expeditiously to provide a measure of job security for the would-be successors rather than extending the process as they may be fielding other officers.
“You’re at this point where you feel like a lame duck president, if you
will. You don’t know what the future holds,” Arroyo said. “You think that you may have years on this job, or you may have a couple months, and I think we owe them at least the courtesy of giving them some sort of direction as to what the commission is thinking instead of waiting. We started the process with Mr. Brown leaving in a month and then we have another situation with the city attorney leaving immediately after, so I figured this one was easier to tackle them than Mr. Brown.”
Ideally, but not a requirement, the naming of a charter official would carry a unanimous vote. Trice, however, argued that while her colleagues have several years of working with the three, she doesn’t have that advantage, and she has yet to have meetings with them individually to discuss the job. For that reason, she said she is not ready to vote, and wanted the matter to be pushed to the second meeting in October.
Vice Mayor Jen Ahearn-Koch asked Trice directly if she can attempt to meet with the attorneys and conduct any other research prior to the Oct. 7 meeting. Trice responded that she can try but was noncommittal. If successful, she can add the item to the order of the day in advance of the meeting.
Erik Arroyo wants to name the next Sarasota city attorney sooner than later.
Shaping the city’s future
Applications are now being accepted to serve on the Sarasota Downtown Master Plan Update Committee.
Following an hour-long discus-
sion that focused largely on meeting attendance requirements and how to go about enforcing them, frequency of meetings and whether a developer can serve as chair, the Sarasota City Commission had settled on the composition of an ad-hoc committee to help determine the future of downtown.
The issue of a developer serving as chair, should one be named to the
committee, was raised by Commissioner Erik Arroyo, citing perceived if not potential bias in the shaping of the future of downtown.
“We need to stop fearing this conversation about developers and developers’ interests and individuals in the pockets of developers,” cautioned City Manager Marlon Brown.
“I know we’re trying to satisfy certain voices in this community, but we need to stop that. We need to stop vilifying people who are developers.”
Whether or not a developer should be eligible to serve as chair was not included in the motion eventually made by Commissioner Debbie Trice and approved unanimously. The committee will have as many as eight other members, after all, more than enough to dilute any sway a single member — such as a developer — may bring.
The volunteer group of at least seven, but as any as nine, members will be tasked to advise staff on an update of the city’s Downtown Master Plan 2020, which expired four years ago. The plan was crafted under the leadership of famed planner and new urbanism guru Andres Duany, who visited the city in January and was among four subject experts in a speaker series hosted by Architecture Sarasota to recommend an update.
At least one member of the committee will be selected from each of these categories:
■ A downtown resident.
■ A downtown merchant.
■ An owner of downtown commercial property.
■ A representative of social services.
■ A representative of services and
activities for young people who is younger than 40.
■ A person who works downtown.
■ A frequent city resident and patron of downtown businesses.
In addition, commissioners may consider selecting members with experience, background or interest in:
■ Urban design and planning.
■ Sustainability, resiliency and environmental planning.
■ Architecture and/or landscape architecture.
■ Economic development and/or tourism.
■ Historic preservation and/or adaptive re-use.
■ Downtown culture and arts.
Members may satisfy more than one of the criteria, all of which are consistent with the outcome of a commission special meeting held Sept. 9 with one additional caveat suggested by Trice. Should any of the seven primary categories receive only one application, the commission may consider an additional applicant’s experience, background or interest to fill the seat.
As for attendance and enforcement, applicants will be informed the committee’s work could last 18 to 24 months, if not longer. And as is the case with other city advisory committees, enforcement will fall on the department, in this case the Planning Department, that oversees it.
“This isn’t like a lot of our advisory boards. The people applying for this board know that this is going to be a really intense commitment. I believe that they will understand that, want to do this and are all in,” said Mayor Liz Alpert. “I think there’s enough mechanism in the city that they would know that they couldn’t continue and that somebody else would have to be appointed.”
Like the Purple Ribbon Committee, seated to study repurposing of the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, the Downtown Master Plan Update Committee will have a city-appointed facilitator to keep the group on task.
“With seven to nine members, I think there will be enough flexibility, and we’ll have a facilitator and who can alert us if there’s a problem and we need to step in,” Trice said.
WANT TO SERVE?
The purpose of the Downtown Master Plan Update Committee is to provide input through public meetings to a consultant tasked with updating the Downtown Master Plan and submitting formal recommendations to the City Commission for consideration. Candidates must submit an application and resume to the office of the city auditor and clerk by 5 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 17. Application forms are available on the city’s website at SarasotaFL.gov. Once appointed, the committee will meet as necessary with a consultant to be selected by the city to provide input on updates to the Downtown Master Plan. Meetings will be held at City Hall and will be open to public.
ANDREW WARFIELD STAFF WRITER
Andrew Warfield
Applications are now being accepted by the city of Sarasota for its Downtown Master Plan Update Committee.
Opening bid, $1,200
Task force recommends capping charter boat tour operator permits at 124 for county park gulf access.
Charter tour and fishing operators who use Sarasota County public parks will have to bid for access to boat ramps and piers to pick up and drop off passengers.
That is the recommendation of a task force appointed by the Sarasota County Commission to advise on how to resolve unauthorized use public parks by private charter captains, a decades-old situation county officials say has become unamanageable since the start of the pandemic.
On Sept. 11, commissioners voted 4-1, with Neil Rainford opposed while calling the motion shortsighted, to accept the task force report with one modification and instruct staff to craft an ordinance to be considered at a future public hearing. Rather than allowing charter operators to bid for up to four permits per each of three zones — North, Mid-County and South — commissioners decided to limit that to two permits per operator per zone to allow for greater participation.
That means a single operator is eligible for as many as six permits across all three zones.
The task force recommended a starting bid of $1,200 per permit, with excess proceeds to benefit acquisition of additional waterfront properties to support the growing need of water access in the county.
Those permits are good for a period of three years. The final form of the ordinance could be modified following the public hearing, the report characterized by Commissioner Mark Smith as “a good starting point.”
Commissioner Ron Cutsinger called it “something of an experi-
ment” that will likely evolve over time.
“I don’t think there’s any way this is going to stay the way it is,” said Chairman Mike Moran. “There’s going to be have some adjustments. I think the intent of all of this was clear, and I think we’re getting closer to the intent of fixing some of these behaviors.”
On April 23, the commission seated the five-member task force, which met seven times between June 1 and Aug. 1.
In all, 124 permits, or medallions, would be allocated across the three zones, but initially 20 may not be available in the North Zone as Nora Patterson Park, while countyowned, lies within the Sarasota city limit just west of the Siesta Drive bridge.
The park is currently zoned for residential use. Issuing permits for businesses in the park may require a rezoning and other approvals from the city.
The number of permits was determined by a formula factoring use of 50% or the parking spaces available within each park.
The permit program applies sixpassenger uninspected passenger vessels — or “six pack” — fishing charters and tour excursions operated out of the county parks system. The program does not apply to the Centennial Park boat ramps nor Ken Thompson Park at City Island, both of which are owned by the city of Sarasota.
Andrew Warfield
Luke LaGorin and Frank Martinelli tie off one of two Private Custom Charters boats at Nora Patterson Island Park on Siesta Key.
Beyond First Class™
The republic that’s failing
All the talk about ‘threats to democracy’ and ‘destroying democracy’ are totally off the mark. It’s mob-rule democracy that is destroying the republic and destroying Americans’ individual liberty.
Ican’t take it anymore. What follows below and next week in this space are the culmination of a constantly nagging frustration, sadness, anger, despair, disgust and fear — fear for my children and grandchildren — all of which has been building since Barack Obama vowed 16 years ago to transform America.
Through eight years of “you didn’t build that,” apologies for America and telling me I’m a racist; eight years of diabolical, evil lying and efforts to destroy Donald Trump; and nearly four years now of watching — daily — the nation’s ruling elites abuse and destroy the middle class economically, socially and culturally … all of that has reached a crescendo — especially now with the general and presidential elections 42 days away.
The teapot is screeching, its steam billowing. I need to lift the lid before it blows to smithereens.
In this space this week and next, if you are compelled enough to stick with me, I’ll be taking you on a journey — from 200 B.C. to now — that I hope will have the following results:
■ 1) Make you go sit in a quiet place, stare at the sky or the Gulf of Mexico and think deeply about what is happening to this once great nation and about how you and, more importantly, how your children and grandchildren are being affected and will be affected if our decline isn’t reversed.
(First, of course, you must accept and admit the obvious: The United States isn’t ascending, it’s declining — fast. I heard Dr. Casey Means, author of “Good Energy,” say two weeks ago Americans’ life expectancy for our newest generation of children is not rising; it’s falling. It has declined recently by 600 days. Declined by nearly two years.) Think about what that means. We are deteriorating; not just in life expectancy, but seemingly in every way — culturally, economically, physically, socially.
■ 2) Help you see how democracy — rule by mob — unavoidably has brought and continues to bring increasing amounts of cultural, social and economic disintegration.
■ 3) Help you realize that you are not free. Today, all of us are slaves — slaves to the State. Our democratic republic has devolved into Statism and its relatives of fascism, collectivism and rule by authoritarian elites. The State and the “collective,” the democratic mob, have crushed your liberty. If you think you own your property, your house, the lightbulbs you want, your gas
“Interventionism,” Ludwig von Mises
“Human Action,” Ludwig von Mises
“Selected Essays on Political Economy,” Frederic Bastiat
“The Road to Serfdom,” F.A. Hayek
“The God of the Machine,” Isabel Paterson
“The Fountainhead,” Ayn Rand
“Atlas Shrugged,” Ayn Rand
“We the Living,” Ayn Rand
“Anthem,” Ayn Rand
“Letters of Ayn Rand,” Michael S. Berliner
“Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal,” Ayn Rand
“The Virtue of Selfishness,” Ayn Rand
“Democracy: The God That Failed,”
stove — you don’t. The State controls them.
I will show you how we are nothing close to a free-market economy; we are living under destructive, State-controlled economic and cultural fascism.
We have sacrificed every aspect of our lives to the State.
■ 4) Help you see that neither Donald Trump nor Kamala Harris can rescue us, but that a Harris administration and Democratic Congress would take us further than we already are into the depths of communist and fascist rule.
■ 5) Spur you to stand up for our Founding Fathers’ beliefs and vision: That our government’s No. 1 job is not to rule us, not to sacrifice each of us to the collective mob and the State. Our government’s No. 1 job is to protect your INDIVIDUAL rights.
The individual is superior to the collective. That principle must be revived. To do otherwise will sentence your heirs to total slavery and despair — except for a few.
IT BEGINS WITH ROME
Among my list of favorite books is a recent addition: “Empires of Trust: How Rome Built — and America Is Building — a New World,” (2008) by Thomas F. Madden, a history professor at St. Louis University.
Ed Tiesenga, an Oak Brook, Ill., lawyer and longtime Longboat Key snowbird, recommended it.
For a dozen years or more, Tiesenga frequently has commented on my editorial ramblings — mostly favorably because we share the same politico-economic philosophies: for individual liberty and laissez-faire capitalism. Two odd ducks these days.
At lunch months ago, while I lamented the U.S. being on its way to repeating the “Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire,” Tiesenga said I should read “Empires of Trust.” You should, too.
“Empires” factually debunks the common belief that Rome fell because of the moral decay of civil and cultural society — in Rome’s case, the orgies, debauchery, gladiator fights, “drunk on hedonism” and fiscal irresponsibility. Many see the U.S. on a similar track.
But Madden’s historical documentation shows that the fall of Rome “is complicated.” In fact, records show there were three falls of the Roman Empire:
“The first was the fall of the Roman Republic in 27 B.C. … The old republican government was largely abolished in favor of the direct rule of one man — an emperor. … The second fall occurred in A.D. 476 when the last Roman emperor in Italy was deposed and the Germanic barbarians … took over. The third and final fall was the conquest of Constantinople in 1453, when the last remnant of the Roman Empire was conquered by the Turks.”
The factors contributing to each fall were different. Yes, the Romans had their periods of moral decay and fiscal mismanagement; they
Hans-Hermann Hoppe
“Liberty in Peril: Democracy and Power in American History,” Randall Holcombe
“Empires of Trust: How Rome Built
— and America Is Building — a New World
“Dismantling America,” Thomas
also had multiple civil wars. But as Madden emphasizes, when discussing the Roman Empire, you must remember it lasted 2,000 years. A lot happens in 2,000 years.
The United States, by contrast, is only 248 years old. Madden: “The young United States has nothing at all in common with the aged imperial Rome.” Instead, much of the first half of Madden’s book focuses on how the Roman Empire came about and the many striking similarities in culture, national character, core values and moral codes of early Romans and early Americans. What many of us believe to be what it means to be an American actually came to us from the Romans. And when I share some of those traits below, you cannot help but say: “Somehow, we need to go back to that.”
OUR ROOTS: THE ROMANS’ VIRTUOUS CHARACTER
“The earliest Romans were farmers, living in a frontier world in which each family looked after its own interests and well-being,” Madden writes.
That was the exact story of early Americans as well. When you read Madden’s description of the early Romans, in almost every instance where the word “Romans” appears, you can substitute the word “Americans.”
“For early Romans, the family, living in its traditional round hutlike house, was the place to raise children, to make a living and to worship. Hard work and calloused hands were not shameful things, as they were in the sophisticated eastern cultures, but badges of honor for Romans.
“Every family was led by the father, who had final say in everything … The father’s word — not the state’s — was the law in those days.
… Romans believed that the father’s guiding spirit, called a genius, was responsible for watching over the household.
“Powerful Roman fathers, however, did not mean weak and subservient Roman mothers. Quite the contrary. The Roman wife … was a sturdy and hardworking woman. She was responsible for looking after the young children, going to local markets, taking care of the
Sowell
“The Vision of the Anointed,”
Thomas Sowell
“Wealth, Poverty & Politics,” Thomas Sowell
“Free to Choose,” Milton Friedman
“Economics in One Lesson,” Henry Hazlitt
“Anything That’s Peaceful: The Case for the Free Market”
Leonard Read
“I, Pencil,” Leonard Read
“Our Enemy, the State,” Albert Jay Nock
“Memoirs of a Superfluous Man,” Albert Jay Nock
“The Incredible Bread Machine — A Study of Capitalism, Freedom and the State,” R.W. Grant
house, baking and, of course, spinning wool, sewing and other crafts.
“Roman women would pursue their own interests and could even own property … All in all, they were rugged and independent, much like their husbands.”
For Romans, homeschooling was the norm. Both parents were teachers, paying particular attention to their children’s moral character.
Boys were grounded in the most important Roman traits: dignity, self-control, diligence, goodwill, loyalty, a sense of duty, candor and, above all, courageous manliness. (Sadly, where is that today?)
Religion and worship were also foundational for the Roman family.
Roman families would pray together every morning, asking the spirits “to give them a good, safe and productive day.” Each family worshipped as it saw fit, and “held fast to the idea of maximum personal freedom — an idea born on their family farms.”
This image of the Romans and their cultural traits are identical to those of early Americans — as Madden put it: “a self-sufficient family, hardworking, honest, courageous, friendly and pious.
“The history of American culture begins on the frontier and the family farm, and despite modern affluence, wealth and power, those agrarian values are still held up as quintessentially American. No American today, no matter how rich or cultured, wants to be called ‘an elite.’ Yet, conversely, describing someone as ‘down-to-earth’ is always considered to be quite a compliment.”
Romans also expected their family traits and values to carry over into public life. They regarded the ideal Roman as strong, patriotic, efficient, honest, hardworking and “first and foremost” a man with religious and moral principles.
Madden cites the Greek writer, Polybius, who lived in Rome after 167 B.C., and said of the Romans: “The quality in which the Roman republic is most distinctly superior is in my opinion the nature of its religious convictions.”
Polybius wrote that in spite of many layers of “copyists” and witnesses in Greek government, its public officials “cannot remain honest.” “Whereas elsewhere it is a rare thing to find a man who keeps his hands off public money, and whose record is clean, among the Romans one rarely comes across a man who has been discovered in such conduct.”
Yeah, well, many of our public officials today are nowhere near as virtuous with other people’s money (E.G. the national debt). Nonetheless, the Romans’ characteristics had a profound effect on America’s Founding Fathers. When they were creating the Constitution, they were convinced the stability and strength of the republic required American citizens’ belief in God.
Madden quotes John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson and George Washington affirming that.
Jefferson: “God who gave us life gave us liberty. And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of people that these liberties are a gift from God?”
Washington, in his farewell address: “Reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.”
WHERE DID WE GO WRONG?
For American Baby Boomers and those in the Silent Generation (1928-1945), the descriptions above of early Roman and American life should bring to mind visions of the way it was in the United States up through the mid-1960s.
You can say that for our first 175 years, even though most Americans likely had no idea, the nation’s cultural ethos and values indeed were rooted in the early Roman way of life — that of a self-sufficient, religious nuclear family; hardworking, honest, independent, friendly and pious.
But what happened?
Of course, we know we have
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MATT WALSH
never been perfect, just as the Romans were not. We know the list: Slavery; Civil War; the treatment of Americans Indians; Great Depression; 1960s race riots and Vietnam War strife, George Floyd-BLM. But even so, the overall trajectory of the United States over, say, the first 225 years has been mostly that of a nation on the ascendancy, similar to the way it was for the early Roman Empire. But then …
Always simmering underneath the United States’ increasing prowess and progress, rarely detected except by a few, there was what the Founders feared — and summarily and decisively rejected: democracy. A government whereby decisions are made according to the collective will of the majority.
The Founders totally opposed a democracy of majority rule. As James Madison, father of the Constitution, pointed out in his famous Federalist essay No. 10, once a faction of citizens becomes a majority, “tyranny threatens. … A democratic tyranny may seem a contradiction in terms, but it can be all too real.”
In a letter to a friend in 1798, John Adams said democracy would ultimately evolve into despotism.
And that is exactly what has occurred over the past 248 years. The frog floating at the top of the pot, unaware that the water’s temperature is slowly, slowly rising, ultimately boiling it to death. When the Founders created the Constitution, instead of democracy, they created a republic, which, as Madison envisioned, would delegate power to “a small number of citizens elected by the rest.”
Madison had an idealistic view and pragmatic view of these representatives.
Idealistically, he thought the selection process would produce representatives “whose wisdom may best discern the true interest of their country, and whose patriotism and love of justice, will be least likely to sacrifice it to temporary or partial considerations.” In other words, he envisioned legislators who would not put their political ambitions first. (Ha!)
Pragmatically, he thought that electing few representatives who came from all over the country to legislate in the capital would bring
“a greater variety of parties and interests; you make it less probable that a majority of the whole will have a common motive to invade the rights of other citizens.” In other words, there would be little chance of majority-mob rule by factions, or special interests. (Ha!)
Finally, in their boldest measure to protect individuals from an overpowering government, the Founders adopted the Bill of Rights.
All of it was genius: a government of few representatives; a balance of power with three equal branches; a government with limited powers; and a government whose first and foremost role was to protect the rights of individuals.
The Founders knew a powerful government, a majority-rule democracy, was the biggest threat to individual liberty.
DEMOCRACY: RESULTS ARE IN
Today, Madison undoubtedly would be manically despondent at how his grand vision has turned out. Take the assessment of Hans-Hermann Hoppe, an Austrian economic libertarian and anarcho-capitalist, who authored the 2001 book:
“Democracy: The God That Failed”:
“The results are before our very eyes. The tax load imposed on property owners and producers makes the economic burden even of slaves and serfs seem moderate in comparison. Government debt has risen to breathtaking heights. Gold has been replaced by government manufactured paper money, and its value has continually dwindled.
“Every detail of private life, property, trade and contract is regulated by ever higher mountains of paper laws. In the name of social, public or national security, our caretakers ‘protect’ us from global warming and cooling and the extinction of animals and plants, from husbands and wives, parents and employers, poverty, disease, disaster, ignorance, prejudice, racism, sexism, homophobia and countless other public enemies and dangers.
“The only task a government was ever supposed to assume — of protecting our life and property — our caretakers do not perform. To the contrary, the higher the expenditures on social, public and national security have risen, the more our
U.S. DEBT: DEMOCRACY AT WORK
Here is one result of majority rule: U.S. debt as a percentage of gross domestic product is at its highest point in history. The World Bank says when debt exceeds 77% of GDP, the debt inhibits economic growth. To see the entire chart, each year from 1929 to 2024, go to: balancemoney.com. $ in billions.
private property rights have been eroded, the more our property has been expropriated, confiscated, destroyed and depreciated, and the more we have been deprived of the very foundation of all protection: of personal independence, economic strength and private wealth.”
Hoppe pretty much sums up the state of the U.S.
We were warned. Continuously.
Going back to the 1880s and up to today, scores of authors, historians, journalists and economists warned and showed that what the Founders feared was occurring and has — the rise of the State overtaking individual liberty, the rise of democratic rule subverting individual liberty, the slow boiling frog.
n 1884: Englishman Herbert Spencer, “Man Versus the State”: He warned of “the coming slavery” as governments grew.
n 1926: H.L. Mencken: “[The State] has taken on a vast mass of new duties and responsibilities; it has spread out its powers until they penetrate to every act of the citizen, however secret; it has begun to throw around its operations the high dignity and impeccability of a State religion; its agents become a separate and superior caste, with authority to bind and loose, and their thumbs in every pot.”
n 1935: Albert Jay Nock, “Our
Enemy, the State”: “[T]he rate of America’s approach to [the collapse of social power and rise of rhe State] is being prodigiously accelerated; and there is no evidence of any disposition to retard it, or any intelligent apprehension of the danger which that acceleration betokens.”
• 1945: Isabel Paterson, “The God of the Machine”: “It is not liberty and equality that are incompatible, but liberty and democracy. … Such is the inherent contradiction in the theory of democracy: Personal liberty is wiped out at the very beginning. No matter how often a democracy might be tried, it must shortly collapse into despotism.”
n 1964: Ayn Rand, “The Virtue of Selfishness”: “Instead of being a protector of man’s rights, the government is becoming their most dangerous violator; instead of guarding freedom, the government is establishing slavery; instead of protecting men from the initiators of physical force, the government is initiating physical force and coercion in any manner and issue it pleases; instead of serving as the instrument of objectivity in human relationships, the government is creating a deadly, subterranean reign of uncertainty and fear, by means of non-objective laws whose interpretation is left the arbitrary decisions of random bureaucrats;
instead of protecting men from injury by whim, the government is arrogating itself the power of unlimited whim so that we are fast approaching the stage of the ultimate inversion: The stage where the government is free to do anything it pleases, while the citizens may act only by permission; which is the stage of the darkest periods of human history, the stage of rule by brute force.”
n 2019: Randall Holcombe, “Liberty in Peril: Democracy and Power in American History”: “The principle of liberty suggests that first and foremost, the government’s role is to protect the rights of individuals. The principle of democracy suggests that collective decisions are made according to the will of the majority…The greater the allowable scope of democracy in government, the greater the threat to liberty … Unfortunately, many Americans do not appear to fully understand these dangers as they continue to push the foundations of their government away from liberty and toward democracy.”
And so it continues, unabated — the destruction of liberty and individual rights and the expanding power of the ruling class and majority mob. Holcombe is being diplomatic when he says the more democracy there is “the greater the threat to liberty” and when he says “many Americans do not appear to fully understand.”
It is more than a threat; it is real. And it is overwhelmingly clear the majority of Americans do not understand.
They do not know the difference between a republic and democracy, so they go along, like the brainless frog in the pot. That is why I urged you in the beginning to think deeply of what has been and is happening — and imagine, if these trends continue, what that will mean for your children and grandchildren.
Next week: How democracy leads to the worst being elected; the destructive social and economic consequences of redistribution; which presidential candidate and party will take us faster to the Road to Serfdom; and what you can do to stop the decline.
LETTERS
Dr. Gaby Ghobrial brings to Intercoastal Medical Group at the Cattleridge office a wealth of knowledge and experience in Vascular Surgery.
Incumbent’s rhetoric lacks accuracy
The recent “Letter to the Editor” written by the Sarasota County Tax Collector (Sept. 19 Sarasota Observer) was frankly alarming. Not only was it tone-deaf to public sentiment, but it was also factually incorrect. It is shocking that someone that has been in this office for 49 years can be so misinformed. First, it was uncovered that the Tax Collector was paying an employee $448,367.92, not $400,000. The actual payroll amounts were $17,244.92 per pay period, and there are 26 payroll periods in the year. Following a Public Records Request, the payroll stopped the next payday. What’s even more alarming is Mrs. Ford-Coates’ explanation that the additive pay was for “additional responsibilities during the pandemic.” The problem with this explanation is that the “additive pay” was three years after the pandemic. The most troublesome part of this research is that Mrs. Ford-Coates sent mandatory documents to the Department of Revenue showing the employee’s annual salary was $165,474. Lastly, and most frustrating is this payroll additive is included in the employees Florida Retirement System (FRS) calculation and the residents of Sarasota County will be paying this increased retirement calculation for the life of this employee. These payroll documents are sent to the Department of Revenue so this type of behavior can’t take place. In Florida, government employee’s retirement is calculated on the highest five years of payroll during their career.
Second, the Tax Collector’s explanation to “overcharging our taxpayers” is factually incorrect.
The Tax Collector stated, “…that all fees and commissions this office collects are set and required by Florida law – they are neither decided nor set by me.” This is simply inaccurate. While state fees are mandated from Tallahassee (for example a driver’s licenses and vehicle plates), Mrs. Ford-Coates mandates the fees on local Non-Ad Valorem Assessments. In just one example, Mrs. Ford-Coates was over-charging almost 13 times more than Charlotte County for the same work. Not 13% more, 13 times more.
In this real example, the Sarasota County Tax Collector charges $1,295.61, and the Charlotte County Tax Collector charges a flat fee of $100. It is unacceptable.
Nobody has taken a deep look into the operations of the Sarasota County Tax Collector’s office for almost five decades. It is time for a change.
MIKE MORAN
CANDIDATE FOR SARASOTA COUNTY TAX COLLECTOR
Ford-Coates refutes Moran’s charges
Here are the facts, some of which I addressed in my Sept. 11 letter published on YourObserver.com and the Sept. 19 edition of the Sarasota and Longboat Observers: During the period following the pandemic, which has come to be known as the “Great Resignation,” we had employees leave to care for family members, pursue other opportunities, move to other
regions, etc. This resulted in turnover at nearly four times our historic rate.
Throughout 2023, one employee worked 75-80 hours per week because of these staffing shortages. This was the equivalent of two jobs, and I paid the employee for the actual time worked.
The employee was paid $346,000 and not $448,000 as Mr. Moran indicated.
The additional work and associated pay was scheduled to stop once the “Great Resignation” ended and my office was fully staffed. That happened to coincide with Mr. Moran’s public record request. Also, as any manager or leader knows, additional pay or overtime pay is a common practice to make up for staffing shortages.
Concerning Mr. Moran’s comment that the Sarasota County tax collector is “overcharging our taxpayers,” Florida Statute 197.3632(2) says: “A local governing board shall enter into a written agreement with the property appraiser and tax collector providing for reimbursement of necessary administrative costs incurred under this section.”
Further, Florida Statute 192.091(2) says: “The tax collectors of the several counties of the state shall be entitled to receive, upon the amount of all real and tangible personal property taxes and special assessments collected and remitted, the following commissions,” which, according to 192.091(2)(b)(2) is the “Actual costs of collection, not to exceed 2%, on the amount of special assessments collected and remitted.”
My office’s actual cost of collection is approximately 1%, which is paid by the non-ad valorem district for the work my office does to collect its taxes. I confirmed with multiple counties that my office’s nonad valorem collection fee is approximately 50% lower than other counties. This is the result of my office costs being 50% lower than the state average and the lowest cost per capita in Florida. Finally, I want to point out that my office’s financial operations are audited each year by an independent, external auditing firm, and I have always received a “clean” audit with no issues or comments. In fact, my office has received the Excellence in Financial Operations Award every year since its inception in 2011. I am proud of how each of my employees is able to maintain efficient operations and provide exceptional customer service while achieving the lowest cost per capita of any Florida tax collector. As always, I invite your readers to contact me with any questions about this office.
BARBARA FORD-COATES SARASOTA COUNTY TAX COLLECTOR
Surgery
Hospital Affiliations: Lakewood Ranch Medical Center; Doctors Hospital; Sarasota Memorial Hospital
Plan a Field Trip Book
FRIDAY, SEPT. 13
SIDESWIPED BY BIKES
10:45 a.m., 900 block Ringling Causeway
Disturbance: As a woman was walking on the John Ringling Causeway, she told an officer that three males passed her while they were riding their bicycles, which startled her. Rather than using the dedicated bike lane, the subjects were riding their bicycles on the walkway, where signs state that riders must dismount their bikes and walk.
The complainant stated that an exchange of words between the males ensued and added that bikes in the walkway are a regular occurrence when she walks the bridge. The officer pledged to conduct extra patrols and notify the traffic unit and officers working the other shifts to do the same.
THURSDAY, SEPT. 12
LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER
10:57 p.m., 1800 block of 29th Street
Family dispute: After her son refused to go to bed when told, an officer was dispatched to resolve the dispute. The complainant stated that when her son returned home late in the evening, with school the next day, an argument broke out between them and other family members after he defied her order.
The son told the officer he could not sleep because other family members were in the bedroom, to which the mother advised that they exit the room. The minor then stated that he wasn’t going to sleep and seemed upset because he was being yelled at and disciplined by his mother. The officer advised that he should listen to his mother, and after some time, he reentered the residence and went to bed.
SATURDAY, SEPT. 14
A LARGE UNPAID TAB
4:06 p.m., 1000 block of Ritz-Carlton Drive
Civil dispute: With a guest having run up a hefty tab since checking in on Aug. 9, a hotel’s director of loss prevention called law enforcement for assistance. He said the male guest had made three payments to the hotel using different credit cards, but when the bill surpassed $15,000, collecting became more challenging. The complainant said the guest,
has personal belongings in the room and medicine that he is required to take on a nightly basis. He said the hotel planned to hold his personal belongings as collateral, but would return his meds to him.
While on the scene, the complainant called the guest and spoke to him regarding the bill, to which he replied he would return to the hotel and pay half of the bill, then pay the rest on Monday. Having struck an accord, they agreed to meet later in the day. The complainant was advised to contact SPD should further assistance be required.
ALCOHOL WAS INVOLVED
6:55 p.m., 1500 block of Ken Thompson Parkway
Disturbance: Two officers responded to what was reported as a suicide threat, only to find two inebriated subjects. The complainant advised her boyfriend was walking in traffic with blatant disregard for his life. Both parties were observed to be “extremely intoxicated” and had been arguing over relationship issues.
The man said he was not suicidal and he had been attempting to cross the street to distance himself from his girlfriend to “cool off.” Both of them agreed that they needed to return home and sober up. The woman’s brother arrived at the scene and transported both to their respective homes.
ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT
STORE
OF
DREAMS
Sarasota Art Museum showcases Galloway’s Furniture Showroom’s past and possible future.
MONICA ROMAN GAGNIER ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
In New York, the Metropolitan Museum has the 15 BC Temple of Dendur honoring the Roman goddess Isis. The Sarasota Art Museum has a temple of its own — Galloway’s Furniture Showroom.
Designed by Victor Lundy, the mid-century modern pavilion is to retail what “Notre Dame is to cathedrals,” the Wall Street Journal recently declared.
With such an endorsement, it’s as if the gods themselves looked down from on high and bestowed their blessing on “Modern Masterpiece: Galloway’s Furniture Showroom by Victor Lundy.” The exhibition runs through Oct. 27 at SAM, a contemporary art museum that is part of Ringling College of Art and Design.
Curated by a team led by Architecture Sarasota President Morris (Marty) Hylton III, the exhibition celebrates Lundy’s bold design and reimagines new uses for the onceiconic circular structure of wood and glass.
Lundy, who turned 101 on Feb. 1, was one of the leaders of the Sarasota School of Architecture, along with Philip Hiss, Paul Rudolph and Ralph Twitchell.
FROM OPTICAL STORE TO EYESORE
There are probably some who have been in Sarasota long enough to remember Galloway’s, which was built in 1959 and closed five years later. But even longtime residents are more familiar with its incarnation as an optical store in the 1980s.
If you’re a newcomer to Sarasota or haven’t been paying attention, you may be surprised to learn this temple of Florida architecture still stands. In fact, if you look out the window of the B. Claire Rusen Gallery, where the Galloway’s Furniture Showroom show is on display, you can see the original building on the grounds of SAM, which is housed in the old Sarasota High School building.
Its sparkling glass is long gone, covered by a stucco facade. The once magnificent building is surrounded by a prosaic chainlink fence and a parking lot used by SAM employees. It’s as if a once-great beauty
has been confined to an institution of some kind and is covered with mummy-like bandages.
If you’re driving past the building, you probably wouldn’t notice it except for a mural that was recently painted on the exterior.
But visitors to the SAM exhibition can get a glimpse of the showroom’s former glory.
Or maybe we should say “morning glory,” because Lundy said his design was inspired by the flower that opens in the morning and closes up at night. According to a full-page ad in the Jan. 25, 1959, edition of The Tampa Tribune, the building’s “laminated arches simulate the stems and the redwood decking the petals of the flowers.”
Other features of the showroom included 290 feet of charcoal glass
IF YOU GO
‘MODERN MASTERPIECE: GALLOWAY’S FURNITURE SHOWROOM BY VICTOR LUNDY’
When: Runs through Oct. 27
Where: Sarasota Art Museum, 1001 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota Tickets: Free with $15 admission.
Info: Visit SarasotaArtMuseum.org.
Courtesy images Architecture Sarasota President Marty Hylton and SAM Executive Director Virginia Shearer.
An artist’s rendering of Galloway’s Furniture Showroom.
Galloway’s Signature chair and ottoman at SAM.
that was 20 feet high to protect the interior from the sun, and a “floating” mezzanine encircling a “trunk” of redwood in the center of the building.
Some of this grandeur is conveyed on one wall of the SAM exhibition with architect Damien Blumetti’s digital reconstruction of the interior of Galloway’s.
USING SARASOTA AS A LAB
Another wall is filled with photographs, news clippings and advertisements for the fabulous furniture showroom. The wall opposing this collage is devoted to the possible future uses of the building that were envisioned by students at Hampton University in Virginia.
The exploration of potential restoration and repurposing of the Galloway’s Furniture Showroom by students at Hampton University, a historically Black college, took place through Architecture Sarasota’s Hub initiative. The Hub encourages research and design institutions to use Sarasota and Florida’s Southern Gulf Coast region as a lab for problem solving.
Of course, in the end, the fate of Victor Lundy’s creation depends on its owner, Ringling College. But the Hampton University student designs are sure to spark a dialogue within the community about the future of the building.
Those kind of conversations have been taking place more frequently under Architecture Sarasota’s auspices. In addition to preserving the annual tradition of Modernism Weekend, Architecture Sarasota has been engaged in lively discussions about the future of downtown and other design and planning issues since Hylton’s arrival in January 2023.
Under his stewardship, Architecture Sarasota polled the community and compiled a comprehensive list of significant buildings in town called “Moderns That Matter.” The list of 100 “places and spaces that give Sarasota its sense of place and character” is organized chronologically across 10 categories.
WHEN DESIGN WAS EVERYTHING
Even though it isn’t a Modern per se, No. 1 on the list is the CaplesRingling Estates Historic District,
including the John and Mable Ringling Museum and the Ca’ d’Zan because of its innovative designs that adapted to Florida’s pre-air conditioning environment. Coming in at No. 91 on the “Moderns That Matter” ranking (remember, it’s listed chronologically, not by popularity or significance) is Galloway’s Furniture Showroom.
Galloway’s was founded in Tampa by entrepreneur Ralph Galloway in 1948 and expanded to seven locations in Florida. In addition to personally inspecting its Signature Group line of modern furniture, Galloway commissioned cuttingedge architects such as Lundy and Mark Hampton to design its showrooms.
Back in its heyday, the furniture on display was made in Florida. No, this was not the era of made-in-China pieces ordered online from Wayfair and delivered to your door without you ever touching the material or sitting in the chair.
Standing as testament to the reallife shopping experience is a Galloway lounge chair and ottoman in the middle of the gallery floor, not far from a scale model of the showroom where it was once sold.
Hylton has extensive experience in both the academic and historic preservation worlds. Before joining Architecture Sarasota, he spent more than a decade at the University of Florida as director of its Historic Preservation Program.
Prior to that role, he served as a strategic initiatives manager at the World Monuments Fund. A native of Kentucky, Hylton earned his bachelor’s degree at the University of Kentucky and a master’s at Columbia University.
WON’T GET FOOLED AGAIN
Hylton’s role in an initiative exploring future uses for Galloway’s Furniture Showroom isn’t the first time he’s been involved in trying to save a historic building in Sarasota. While at the University of Florida, Hylton was part of an effort to preserve Rudolph’s Riverview High School building, constructed in 1958 and demolished in 2009.
A walkthrough of the Galloway’s exhibition with Hylton and Virginia Shearer, SAM’s executive director, makes it abundantly clear that fate
Visitors to the SAM exhibition can get glimpses of the showroom’s former glory. Or maybe we should say “morning glory,” since Lundy said his design was inspired by the flower that opens in the morning and closes at night.
will never befall the landmark building in SAM’s backyard.
“The restoration and repurposing of the pavilion to serve Sarasota Art Museum and the community would be one of the most important projects to preserve and reimagine a Sarasota School resource,” Hylton says.
SAM was formed by 13 founding members in 2004 in concert with Ringling College. However, it didn’t formally open until 2019.
Shearer explains that Ringling College bought the former furniture showroom in 2009 to gain control over the neighboring property to SAM, which has a 99-year lease with the Sarasota County school district.
“It was understood that it could be a beacon, but it was also an exposure. It could be turned into something that didn’t align with the museum or it could be torn down,” she says.
There are a few cultural projects
in the area looking for donors. Sarasota Orchestra’s new Music Center on Fruitville Road, Florida Studio Theatre’s new Mulva Arts Plaza and Venice Theatre’s reconstruction of its Jervey Theatre in the wake of Hurricane Ian are just three of them.
But maybe there’s an architectureminded donor who wants to help make Lundy’s mid-century modern masterpiece a meeting place for the in crowd once again. There’s no plan yet, but the space clearly deserves a more lofty purpose than storage.
Hylton notes there have been innovations in heat-resistant windows since the building’s original construction. If it is renovated with state-of-the-art materials, the glass pavilion could become yet another example of how Sarasota architecture is at the forefront of meeting environmental demands.
Luke Schaufuss in Johan Kobborg’s Napoli Act III
by Frank Atura
Visitors to the Sarasota Art Museum contemplate a digital re-creation of the interior of Galloway’s Furniture Showroom.
Image courtesy of Ryan Lester
Where Your Child Will Thrive
Season 29 | Talent Unveiled
ArtistSeriesConcerts.org 941-306-1202
From Bach to Bluegrass
Kayla Williams, viola with Chris McCarthy, piano
October 15, 5:30 pm performance followed by dinner
Plantation Golf & Country Club
From bluegrass to classical, jazz and gospel, Kayla Williams crosses genres and styles effortlessly. Her performance includes instrumental and vocal music. She will be accompanied by jazz pianist Chris McCarthy, who has been hailed as “one of the most imaginative and impressive voices on the New York jazz scene.”
Yamazalde Trio
Sandy Yamamoto, violin; Matthew Zalkind, cello; Julio Elizalde, piano
November 2, 4:00 pm • Church of the Palms
Sandy Yamamoto has dazzled audiences in concert performances around the globe as a soloist and as a member of the award-winning Miró Quartet. Matthew Zalkind is a top-prize winner in multiple international competitions, and Julio Elizalde is one of the most sought-after recital partners in the country. This program includes music by Haydn, Mendelssohn, and Paul Schoenfeld.
Courtesy image
“The Torch Bearers” runs through Oct. 13 at Venice Theatre’s Raymond Center.
Jamie Lissow is a regular on Fox’s talk show “Gutfeld!” and starred on Netflix’s “Real Rob” alongside “Saturday Night Live” veterans. Runs through Sept. 28.
‘THE FANTASTICKS’
7 p.m. at Manatee Performing Arts Center, 502 Third Ave. W., Bradenton $29 Visit ManateePerformingArtsCenter. com.
You don’t have to try to remember “the kind of September when life was slow and oh so mellow.” Experience firsthand the magic of “The Fantasticks,” the world’s longest running musical, at the Manatee Performing Arts Center. Runs through Sept. 29.
‘THE FOUR C NOTES’
8 p.m. at FST’s Goldstein Cabaret, 1239 N. Palm Ave. $18-$42
DON’T MISS
‘STRUTTIN’ WITH THE STILETTO BRASS’
The all-female Stiletto Brass quintet will be joined by Bradenton virtuoso trumpeter Vince DiMartino for a rollickin’ program featuring“Struttin’ with Some BBQ” by Kenneth Abeling and George Gershwin’s “Summertime” and “Someone to Watch Over Me.”
IF YOU GO
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 27
Where: Holley Hall, 709 N. Tamiami Trail Tickets: $35 and up Info: Visit ThePopsOrchestra.org.
OUR PICK
‘THE TORCH BEARERS’ The Venice Theatre celebrates its 75th anniversary by reviving its first show. Written by George Kelly in 1922, “The Torch Bearers” is a play within a play about a community theater. The Venice Theatre’s “origin story” features an ensemble cast, including Kevin Fewell, Paul Hutchison, Tan Selby, Nancy Denton, Colette Wheeler and other local thespians.
IF YOU GO When: Runs through Oct. 13
Where: Venice Theatre’s Raymond Center, 140 Tampa Ave. W., Venice Tickets: $15-$35
Info: Visit VeniceTheatre.org.
Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.
With “The Four C Notes,” Florida Studio Theatre continues its tradition of presenting Four Seasons tribute shows inspired by “Jersey Boys” and starring performers from the Broadway smash hit’s touring production. Runs through Oct. 13.
SATURDAY
‘PALETTE OF SOUNDS’
6 p.m. at Fogartyville, 525 Kumquat Court Free Visit MosaicMovements.org.
The Creative Nexus series kicks off with “Palette of Sounds,” featuring indigenous musician Lyla June, guitarist David Munoz and reggae band Jah Movement.
SUNDAY
CHAMBER SOIRÉE: BAROQUE BANQUET
4 p.m. at Holley Hall, 709 N. Tamiami Trail
$42-$52 Visit SarasotaOrchestra.org.
Sarasota Orchestra opens its Chamber Soiree season with Bach’s “Brandenburg Concerto No. 3” for strings, Philidor’s “March for Two Pairs of Timpani” and Stravinsky’s Neo-Baroque “Pulcinella.” Among the performers will be the orchestra’s principal timpani player, Yoko Kita.
MONDAY
ENDURING LIGHT: PHOTOGRAPHS BY ROY DECARAVA AND DANNY LYON
10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at The Ringling Museum of Art, 5401 Bay Shore Road $30; free on Mondays Visit Ringling.org.
This exhibition showcases works from two complementary portfolios of the U.S. civil rights movement. The photographs by Roy DeCarava and Danny Lyon are part of a collection recently donated to The Ringling by Richard and Ellen Sandor. Runs through Feb. 9.
Egg-cellent sandwiches
EMMA BURKE JOLLY
CONTRIBUTOR
Freshman year of high school, I watched seniors vote for their class superlatives. The captain of the football team and his girlfriend were crowned cutest couple. That wasn’t something I aspired to, but I thought maybe — just maybe — one day I’d be nominated for something like “Best Eyes.” Still, as long as I wasn’t a contender for “Most Likely to Never Leave Connecticut,” I knew I was a winner.
Fast forward to when the yearbooks came out my senior year. I was shocked to see that I and my 13 gal pals had been named “Best Clique.” We donned T-shirts proclaiming ourselves “The Senior Biddys,” while the cool kids tried to make a mockery of our group.
You know what’s funny about high school? In the end, it doesn’t matter. Nearly 20 years later, I’d be happy to have been voted most resilient, most likely to marry an incredible human and best person to ask about breakfast sandwiches. In honor of National Better Breakfast Month, I’m going to pass along some of my local favorites.
99 BOTTLES TAPROOM & BOTTLE SHOP
1445 Second St., Sarasota; 487-7874; 99Bottles.net
A Toast To: Most likely to get you boozy with a side of bagels at brunch.
Egg-Cellent Choice: 99 Bottles hosts brunch every Friday, Saturday and Sunday. From 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., you can get “real deal NY bagels.” Choose from a bagel with hummus, lettuce, tomato, cucumber and pickled red onion ($9.50) or the bagel BLT ($11.50) with bacon, iceberg lettuce, tomato and aioli. If you’d rather stick to basics, choose
from cinnamon raisin, everything, plain, poppy, pumpernickel, rainbow, sesame or a bialy. Personally, I can’t wait to bite into the egg salad sandwich ($6.50).
Egg-Cellent Choice: I shouldn’t admit this, but the first biscuit I ever had was when I moved down here eight years ago — and I’ve never looked back. Buttermilk — an ingredient of all things flaky and fluffy — led me to Benton’s bacon, baked egg and pimento cheese ($9.95) on a biscuit. Another breakfast sandwich in my rotation? The Benton’s bacon, jam and baked egg ($7.75).
BONANNO’S BAGELS
Food truck locations available online; 724-0798; BonannosBagels.com
A Toast To: Most likely to dish out delicious lox on wheels.
Egg-Cellent Choice: Welcome the newest foodie stop on my never-ending search for the best local flavor. Like this foodie, owner Monique is bringing smiles to people’s faces in honor of her late father through food. For lox lovers, the Fifth Avenue ($10.75) is made with thinly sliced salmon, plain cream cheese, thinly sliced red onions, capers and fresh dill. Nostalgia swept over me when I saw the rainbow bagel ($3.50). I had to order it with the honey walnut schmear ($1.75).
COFFEE CARROUSEL
1644 Main St., Sarasota; 365-2826; Facebook.com/CoffeeCarrousel
A Toast To: Best Sarasota staple
serving a sausage sandwich.
Egg-Cellent Choice: Anytime you drive down Main Street, you are certain to see the signature window paintings of a carrousel and immediately smell the aromas of specials that have been cooking up since 1987. Belly up to the bar and order an egg, meat and cheese on toast ($3.75). If you were me, you’d order the sausage on a croissant for an extra 70 cents.
Check out these breakfast bites found in Sarasota, Siesta Key, Lakewood Ranch and Bradenton.
a croissant with bacon, tomato, sprouts and avocado — perfect for a Starman or woman.
A Toast To: Most likely to create cheese chaos in the most delicious way imaginable.
Egg-Cellent Choice: One bit of advice for this stop on our quest for the best breakfast sandwich: Come hungry! And if you’re thirsty, this Lakewood Ranch eatery showcases a well-stocked bar full of wines, champagne and draft beers. However, it’s the breakfast grilled cheese ($13.59) that will open up your morning eyes. Scrambled eggs with tomato and onion, topped with cheddar jack, Havarti and swiss with a side of ham sausage or bacon is just what the foodie ordered.
(or order by UberEats) an egg and cheese with your choice of bacon, sausage or Taylor ham ($8.99) and turn any lazy Sunday into the ideal rot on the couch day. What could be better than you in your sweats, your cats and whatever Netflix show you are currently bingeing on?
A Toast To: Most wonderful, warm and wildly flavorful breakfast wraps.
JERSEY GIRL BAGELS
5257 University Parkway, Unit No.103, Bradenton; 388-8910; JerseyGirlBagels.net
A Toast To: Tasty, top-notch, tristate area bagels ready to tempt you. Egg-Cellent Choice: I will forever shout out JGB because they continue to wrap me in a home away from home full of gluten, and I never want them to let go. Go pick up
A Toast To: Most creative croissants combos on the Key.
Egg-Cellent Choice: This garden oasis is a must-stop with out-oftown guests or to simply pretend you’re the one on vacation. With names on the menu summoning up decades past, the well-known beach town eatery serves up classic favorites with a serious ’70s vibe. The Ziggy Stardust ($15.95) rocks out with two scrambled eggs on
Egg-Cellent Choice: This food truck is whipping up breakfast and lunch sandwiches with a side of fries right on Cattlemen Road. Choose from 10 breakfast sandwiches (and a breakfast bowl!) from 7-10:30 a.m. While the Carpe Diem wrap is astonishingly addictive, it’s the Mama’s Choice ($10.50) that leaves me wanting more — and a water chaser. It’s packed with bacon, American and hot pepper cheese, avocado, tomato, onion, jalapeños and deli sauce plus truffle sauce.
Courtesy image
Sun Garden Cafe’s Ziggy Stardust ($15.95) sprouts joy on Siesta Key.
Temple Beth Sholom
Sarasota’s Only Conservative Synagogue invites you to our High Holiday services and to join our warm and embracing community.
BRIEFS
Special Offer!
If you or your spouse are 40 OR UNDER, YOUR WHOLE FAMILY CAN JOIN THE SYNAGOGUE FOR JUST $118 this includes High Holiday tickets. Call or email for details 40 OR this
8 a.m. at Payne Park, 2010 Adams Lane, Sarasota NAMIWalks.org/SarasotaAndManatee REGISTER NOW! Start or join a team or participate as an individual!Become a Sponsor!
To promote awareness of mental health and reduce stigma. To raise funds for NAMI’s free, top-rated mental health programs. To build community and let people know they are not alone.
Lia Romeo wins Urbanite’s Modern Works Festival
Following its five-day Modern Works Festival for female playwrights, Urbanite Theatre announced that the winner of its 2024 competition is Lia Romeo, for her play “A Nice Motherly Person.”
Romeo takes home $3,200 to help develop her new work.
Romeo’s play was one of three finalists out of more than 300 works submitted. The other two were “I’m Saving You a Seat” by Sarah Elizabeth Grace and “In the Mouth of the Beast” by Baylee Shlichtman.
“Each of the finalists’ plays was unique in style, contained fantastic writing, and made it nearly impossible to choose a winner,” said Urbanite Producing Artistic Director Summer Wallace in a statement.
“All three of our finalists deserved to take home top honors.”
Sponsored by the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation and Carole & Malcolm Schwartz, Urbanite’s Modern Works Festival drew soldout audiences from Sept. 4-8 for staged readings of the three finalists, talkbacks, parties and a keynote presentation by playwright Lauren Gunderson.
“A Nice Motherly Person” explores the challenges of new motherhood and riffed on characters familiar to fans of Peter Pan.
A recent graduate of the Juilliard playwriting program, Romeo teaches creative writing at Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey. Her plays have been developed at institutions such as the O’Neill, La Jolla Playhouse and the Lark, and have been produced at companies including Laguna Playhouse, Unicorn Theatre, Project Y Theatre and New Jersey Repertory Theatre.
sota is the oldest visual arts organization in Sarasota. It doesn’t charge admission for its juried regional art exhibitions and solo shows that allow artists to sell their works, relying instead on donations and membership fees to fund its operations.
A first-generation Cuban American mostly raised in Puerto Rico, Reynardus de Villanueva is an ardent advocate for expanding access to the arts, education and social services for underserved communities.
“We are excited to welcome Clara to our board,” says Ramsey Frangie, Art Center Sarasota board president. “Her dedication to community arts advocacy, coupled with her extensive nonprofit experience, will be instrumental in advancing Art Center Sarasota’s mission and ensuring its continued impact on Sarasota’s vibrant cultural landscape.”
Reynardus de Villanueva is the board chair for CreArte Latino Cultural Center, serves as an advisory board member for the Sarasota Ballet and is a volunteer with the Child Protection Center.
She is pursuing an MBA and a graduate degree in nonprofit management, both from USF, and has been recognized with several leadership awards.
Reynardus de Villanueva joins board at Art Center
Sarasota
Clara Reynardus de Villanueva, director of development for the University of South Florida Foundation’s Sarasota-Manatee campus, has been named to Art Center Sarasota’s board of directors.
Founded in 1926, Art Center Sara-
“I’m honored to join the board of Art Center Sarasota, an organization integral to our community’s cultural development,” said Reynardus de Villanueva in a statement. “I look forward to collaborating with a talented team to help the center maintain its leadership in the arts, inspire creativity, and support artists from all backgrounds.”
Image courtesy of Matthew Holler Clara Reynardus de Villanueva has been appointed to the board of Art Center Sarasota.
YOUR NEIGHBORS
As renovations draw to a close, The Bay prepares to celebrate its second anniversary.
Two years, a month of events
IAN SWABY STAFF WRITER
There was still event planning behind the scenes, even as many parts of The Bay were closed to the public for its “Summer Tune-Up at The Bay” projects.
“It was kind of good to get a break, but we really didn’t get a break,” said Director of Park Guest Experience Diana Shaheen.
With the final project set for completion by Oct. 1, which marks the month of the park’s opening, The Bay has plans to recognize its anniversary with a variety of events.
From Oct. 1 to 31, it will be hosting its Two Terrific Years at The Bay Second Anniversary Community Celebration.
“Unlike previous years, we’re actually doing a month-long celebration of all different types of activities and events to allow everybody the opportunity to come and try at least one event in the park during the month, and it’s celebrating the best of The Bay,” Shaheen said.
This year’s lineup includes offerings such as Average White Band on its final concert tour and a spooky new path for kids to explore at Boo! at The Bay, and — with the exception of food and drink offerings — it’s all free to the public.
RENOVATIONS TAKE PLACE
Since the park opened in 2022, Sha-
heen said, some 570,000 people have visited.
However, with The Oval stage and the Sarasota Garden Club facility out of service amid the renovations, there had been a lack of free concerts and Cinema at The Bay screenings throughout the summer.
As of June 17, The Bay has been working on the tune-up projects, which total about $1 million and have included several enhancements to the park facilities.
The garden club building, a 1960 mid-century modern structure, received new windows thanks to a grant by PGT Innovations, as well as a new floor, paint and HVAC system.
The tune-up also included numerous other renovations to the park facilities such as installation of premium artificial turf in the Ibis Playground and The Oval and replacement of wood in park structures.
The only outstanding project is the installation of steps in The Oval, an amphitheater-like area, to allow visitors to move more easily between the artificial turf at the bottom and the park amenities at the top.
FAN-FAVORITE EVENTS RETURN
This year’s lineup brings back a variety of the events that were a hit last year, Shaheen said.
Among the ones she calls a fanfavorite is Boo! at The Bay, held Oct. 25.
“We just keep making it better every year,” Shaheen said, noting
SUMMER TUNE-UP AT THE BAY
Estimated Total Cost: $1
million Time frame: June 17 to Oct. 1
■ Annual golf-course quality
lawn maintenance
■ Refresh of Garden Club building
■ Replacement of coquina shell material in the playground with premium artificial turf
■ Replacement of grass in The Oval with premium artificial turf
■ Replacement of coquina shell in the path on the south edge of the common ground lawn with shelled concrete
■ Replacement of wood in various park structures with more durable and resilient wood
■ New paths
■ New bike rack by The Nest Concession
■ New steps in The Oval Visit: TheBaySarasota.org.
expanded offerings include partnerships with nonprofits.
This year, Gulf Coast Community Foundation will staff trick-or-treat stations on a decorated mangrove bayou trail, Sarasota Performing Arts Foundation will lead kids in decorating pumpkins and Art Center Sarasota will offer a photo opportunity.
A sensory-friendly option returns from last year, but this time through a partnership with Face Autism that Shaheen said will make the garden club facility “come alive.”
Another favorite is the outdoor food festival Taste of The Bay Presented by Sarasota-Manatee Originals on Oct. 20.
The event will feature 20 popular local restaurants, an increase over last year’s 17, with many returning from last year. Shaheen said a betterorganized ticketing process will also
be used.
However, there are still other major events as well.
Kickstarting the celebration’s signature events on Oct. 6 is Parktoberfest, which features The Deleon Family Band returning and involves activities including a stein hoisting contest (with the chance for the winner to claim a mug).
The event coincides with GermanAmerican Day on Oct. 6, although Shaheen said the timing wasn’t planned.
Park-toberfest is followed on Oct. 12 by Barktoberfest, part of the new Bow Wow! at The Bay series hosted by Top Dog Training.
The event will bring together local pet-oriented businesses and will host a costume contest for dogs and their owners.
Yet one event that can’t be overlooked is the Two Terrific Years at The Bay Anniversary Community Celebration Party held at The Nest at The Bay Park on Oct. 16.
“We’re celebrating everything two,” Shaheen said. “So twins and 2-year-olds and couples, and I’ve got some sweet treats from the breakfast company again this year, double chocolate brownies.”
NEW CONCERTS
You may recognize some of the names in this year’s concert lineup.
Shaheen describes as the event on Oct. 18 as “one concert with two great groups.”
Headlining the concert is Scottish funk and R&B band Average White Band, who are making their farewell tour.
The band is known for its soul and disco hits in the 1970s and ’80s, most notably the single that topped U.S. charts in 1975, “Pick up the Pieces.”
Opening their act is Sistas in the Name of Soul of West Coast Black Theatre Troupe in Sarasota.
The following night, Oct. 19, the park hosts The Breakers, considered the country’s premier Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers tribute band.
Although Shaheen says it’s convenient, not intentional, Petty’s 74th birthday would have been the day immediately following the concert, Oct. 20.
NEW RECURRING EVENTS
With the park’s facilities open again, The Bay is also debuting some new events that will extend past the month of October.
Starting Oct. 11, it will be partnering with Art Center Sarasota for a plein air painting (painting outdoors in natural light) series held the second Friday of the month.
Architecture Sarasota will begin offering tours of the park area and its multiple historic buildings that include the Sarasota Garden Club, the Blue Pagoda, the Chidsey Building and the Sarasota Municipal Auditorium.
On Oct. 19. Marty Hylton, president and CEO of Architecture Sarasota, will personally host the first Moderns that Matter: The Bay Architecture Tour.
There’s still more to come next year in the park, with work on Phase 2 underway.
Construction is taking place north of 10th Street currently, and work will begin on the Cultural District in the new year, Shaheen said. However, in the meantime, the public can enjoy the anniversary celebrations, with the park fully open once again.
“It’s exciting, and we’re excited that people in the community love the park, and they love it for all different reasons. It’s one park for all and it’s meant to be used.”
Courtesy images
A couple dances at the Multi Cultural Festival held by The Bay.
The Breakers, the country’s leading Tom Petty tribute band, will perform Oct. 19.
A staff member at 1592 Wood Fired
Kitchen & Cocktails prepares meat skewers at Taste of The Bay.
YOUR CALENDAR
1-3 p.m. at Unitarian Universalists of Sarasota, 3975 Fruitville Road. Free. Held in celebration of Let Freedom Read day and Banned Books Week, this event features speakers Liz Barker, Jennifer Jenkins and Martha Bird. Children’s activities and childcare are provided on-site by SEE Alliance and UUSRQ. Visit UUSRQ.org.
’70S NIGHT ON THE ROOFTOP AT SAGE
6-10 p.m. at Sage, 1216 First St. $25. Following its ’90s and ’80s-themed nights, Sage takes attendees back to the disco era, with plenty of room for dancing. Tickets include a featured Grey Goose specialty cocktail at the rooftop bar. Visit EventBrite.com.
MONDAY, SEPT. 30
CHEF WARREN — CUBAN FOOD
2-3:30 p.m. at Fruitville Library, 100 Apex Road. Free. Join award-winning cookbook author Chef Warren as he cooks traditional Cuban cuisine, sharing hints and tips. Visit SCGovLibrary.LibraryMarket.com.
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 2
WINE DOWN WEDNESDAYS
The Nest, 1055 Boulevard of the Arts. Every Wednesday, enjoy $2 off alcoholic beverages from The Nest Café. Visit TheBaySarasota.org.
FIFTH ANNUAL HAUNTED MINI GOLF
2801 Newtown Blvd., 2:30-4:30 p.m. Free. Kids ages 5 and up. Enjoy rounds on a haunted mini golf course at the library. Visit SCGovLibrary.LibraryMarket.com.
BEST BET
SUNDAY, SEPT. 29
‘HEROES AND HOSTAGES: A JOURNEY OF COURAGE AND SACRIFICE’ (SARASOTA JEWISH THEATRE) 3 p.m. at The Sarasota Players, 3501 S. Tamiami Trail, Suite 1130. $75. Sarasota Jewish Theatre presents this program commemorating the Oct. 7 terrorist attack in Israel. It features speakers, music, dance and videos. Visit Tickets. ThePlayers.org.
THURSDAY, OCT. 3
CINEMA AT THE BAY: WEST SIDE STORY
7-9:30 p.m. at The Oval, 1055 Boulevard of the Arts. Free. Shown in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, this classic musical centers on a modern-day Romeo and Juliet with New York street gangs and narrowly was chosen through a social vote. Visit TheBaySarasota.org.
CREATION STATION ADULT LAB: SEW A LINED DRAWSTRING CANDY BAG
1-2:30 p.m. at Selby Library, 1331 First St. Free. Prepare for Halloween by sewing a lined drawstring bag with spooky fabrics. Sew a lined drawstring bag with slightly spooky fabrics that you may use to hand out candy from or give to a trickor-treater you know. Visit SCGovLibrary.LibraryMarket.com.
Courtesy image
The program will feature Ashira Zehavi’s “Heroes of Israel” performed by Cantor Riselle Bain.
East and west
Numerous pro and college football team names were
Yet everyone still found a common goal at the Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance event, which was held Sept. 19 at Robarts Arena.
Jordan Sebastiano of Servpro said he enjoyed the fit-for-family atmosphere, as people from different businesses mingled before the doors opened to the public.
The expo brought together more than 65 businesses and has consistently drawn 300 to 400 attendees annually, said Brittany Lamont, president and CEO of the Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance.
Although the expo is now in its 15th year, it featured an “East Meets West” theme until 2023, when the tailgate concept was introduced.
Lamont said after participating businesses embraced the theme last year, businesses were eager to bring it back for a second time.
Business owners said they were pleased with the engagement, as attendees traveled the room, filling out “bingo” cards for a chance to win Southwest Airlines tickets, enjoying activities and trying food samples.
“It was amazing to see it,” said Cindy Garren, a teacher with Kid Potential. “We didn’t expect to have as many people as we saw here, and we had a lot of activity come by our table ... and we had a lot of people that were really interested in knowing what we offer.”
— IAN SWABY
Photos by Ian Swaby Linda Jacobs, Molly Lawley and Holly Haas of Serbin Print Marketing & Publishing brought plenty of gear, including the Serbin sign behind Lawley.
The event brought together individuals like David Otterness of Willis Smith Construction, Joshua Day of Fifth Third Bank, Zoë Kasper of Sunshine Movers Sarasota, Anthony Ward of PCS Florida, Angelica Ferreira of Fifth Third Bank, Madeline Mangas of State College of Florida, Philip Cecil of Ameriprise Financial Services and Kristie Calandro of Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance.
Six-month old Sunday Martin and her father, Devin Martin, dressed up as part of a team for DecoCrete
Imprints of faith
Church of the Redeemer received a donation from Hugh Culverhouse Jr. of 24 works by Japanese artist Sadao Watanabe
IAN SWABY STAFF WRITER
Church of the Redeemer isn’t anti-museum, emphasizes the Rev. Charleston Wilson. However, he said, the church believes sacred art is meant for the soul, as did Japanese printmaker Sadao Watanabe (1913-1996).
He said that is why the church was excited to receive a donation of 24 of Watanabe’s works from member and attorney Hugh Culverhouse Jr., as the church announced Sept. 13.
“We’re over the moon about it,” Wilson said. “He’s a really collectible artist, and (his) story is just beautiful, and it fires on so many cylinders
for us.”
Yet, these works are a departure from conventional Christian artwork; Watanabe’s stencil prints depict biblical scenes in mingei, or the Japanese folk art style, and in the context of Japanese culture.
Works by Watanabe hang in the permanent collection of the Vatican Museum, and according to Church of the Redeemer, have been exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and the British Museum in London.
THE COLLECTION
Wilson said the church’s collection of Watanabe’s works, which features both original paintings and prints created by the artist, may be the largest in the world, surpassing the Vatican’s.
The public will be able to experience the artwork with the planned transformation of a hallway in the church’s Robinson Center into a per-
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Thursday, October 10, 4:30-5:30pm
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Tuesday, October 15, 4:30-5:30pm
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Wednesday, October 16, 4:30-5:30pm
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Ian Swaby
The Rev. Charleston Wilson holds a print depicting Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well.
manent gallery.
“I don’t know if we’re going to get all 24 there, but we’re going to try,” Wilson said.
He said in addition to the paintings themselves, the story and context behind them is significant as well. Watanabe’s father died when he was just 10 years old, after which point he began working in a factory dyeing clothes. After a neighbor invited him to church, he was baptized at age 17.
He attributed his recovery from tuberculosis at a young age to the grace of God, and resolved thereafter to devote his life to sharing his faith.
His prints, which he created with dye on handmade mulberry paper, made him one of Japan’s most successful artists of the latter half of the 20th century.
His works translate biblical scenes into Japanese context. For example, one of his prints portrays Jesus and his disciples seated around a table of sushi and sake during the Last Supper.
“I think it’s always important for us to remember that God is for everyone, that the Gospel is meant to reach the ends of the earth, and that includes every race, nation and culture under the sun,” Wilson said. “It gives us also the ability to recognize that everybody is precious in the sight of God, every race and nation and culture. Every human being is made in the image of God, and so when we see art in a different idiom, it renews that sense of appreciation.”
Wilson said the gallery will do justice to the medium, with lighting that brings out the wrinkled texture of the paper.
“One of the challenges in displaying this art is really getting the framing so you can appreciate the texture,” Wilson said. “You’ve got to frame it in such a way that the viewer feels like he or she has touched it.”
The church has a long tradition of members and friends donating artwork, which extends back at least 75 years, Wilson said. For instance, a painting by Peter Paul Rubens, depicting the The Holy Family, hangs in the church’s sanctuary.
The painting was left to the church by the mother of Arthur Everett Austin Jr., who was the first curator of the Ringling Museum. Its counterparts can be found at
ABOUT THE GALLERY
The gallery is targeting an opening date at by the end of the year. Once open, it is planned to be available for free viewing by appointment on weekdays, as well as during church events. Visit RedeemerSarasota.org.
the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, and at Windsor Castle, Wilson said.
Another work found in the sanctuary is a small-scale reproduction of “Ex Nihilo,” the sculpture by Frederick Hart overhanging the entrance to Washington National Cathedral.
Wilson is glad to see these new works joining its collection.
“(Watanabe) is on record as saying he wanted his art to hang in places where people routinely met, where ordinary people went, and with frequency,” Wilson said. “So what better place than a church, where people come on a frequent basis, for his art to hang?”
Courtesy images
Siesta’s Bayside home tops sales at $3.54 million
ADAM HUGHES RESEARCH EDITOR
Ahome in Siesta’s Bayside tops all transactions in this week’s real estate. Dockside Homes LLC sold the home at 722 Siesta Key Circle to Olga Buckhannon, of Sarasota, for $3.54 million. Built in 2023, it has four bedrooms, fourand-a-half baths, a pool and 3,473 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.16 million in 2022.
SARASOTA LA LINDA TERRACE
Douglas White and Lynn Orr, of Sarasota, sold their home at 2181 Hillview St. to Philip Bronstein and Jody Brott, trustees, of Chicago, for $1.37 million. Built in 2020, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,924 square feet of living area. It sold for $990,000 in 2021.
ESPLANADE BY SIESTA KEY
Peter Capodice, trustee, and Margaret Capodice sold the home at 2454 Vaccaro Drive to John and Jeanne DeCosta, of Bedford, Massachusetts, for $1,249,500. Built in 2013, it has three bedrooms, three baths and 2,270 square feet of living area. It sold for $501,800 in 2013.
HARBOR HOUSE WEST
KE-DA 2017 Exchange LLC sold the Unit 34 condominium at 226 Golden Gate Point to Brett and Sandra McDowell, of Puerto Rico, for $1 million. Built in 1968, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,396 square feet of living area. It sold for $575,000 in 2021.
NICHOLS
Christine Hartshorn sold her home at 1710 Hillview St. to Donna Pickup, trustee, of Sarasota, for $800,000. Built in 1951, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,533 square feet of living area. It sold for $63,000 in 1987.
BURNS COURT
Nancy Hersh, of Sarasota, sold her home at 410 Burns Court to Samuel Blalack and Heather Bass, of Marco Island, for $790,000. Built in 1926, it has two bedrooms, one bath and 791 square feet of living area. It sold for $145,000 in 1996.
SOUTH GATE
George and Catherine Axiotis, of St. Petersburg, sold their home at 2560 Sunnyside St. to Valerie Falahee, trustee, and Lauren Falahee, of Sarasota, for $695,000. Built in 1960, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,388 square feet of living area. It sold for $348,500 in 2018.
THE LANDINGS CARRIAGEHOUSE
Amy Pedler, of Sarasota, sold her Unit 23 condominium at 4847 N. Kestral Park Way to Michael and Susan Shroder, of Sarasota, for $687,000. Built in 1982, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,770 square feet of living area. It sold for $320,000 in 2014.
GULF GATE EAST
Patrick and Ana Murphy, of Sarasota, sold their home at 4154 Kingston Way to Paul and Allison Halucka, of Sarasota, for $670,000. Built in 1984, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 1,997 square feet of living area. It sold for $180,000 in 2000.
SIESTA KEY PEPPERTREE BAY
Anne Klutkowski, of Rahway, New Jersey, sold the Unit 111-BA condominium at 1023 W. Peppertree Drive to Shawn and Connie Lyon, of Findlay, Ohio, for $1.1 million. Built in 1974, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 975 square feet of living area. It sold for $59,000 in 1974.
ISLAND REEF
Mark and Cornelia O’Connor, of Pittsford, New York, sold their Unit 404-H condominium at 8779
Midnight Pass Road to Robert John Kowalski and Kristen Holly Kowalski, of Sarasota, for $735,000. Built in 1980, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,303 square feet of living area. It sold for $425,000 in 2004.
MIDNIGHT COVE II
1400 Cove II 611 LLC sold the Unit 611 condominium at 1400 Cove II Place to Kelly and Tiffanee Heldreth, of Valrico, for $625,000. Built in 1979, it has two bedrooms, one-and-a-half baths and 1,010 square feet of living area. It sold for $445,000 in 2018.
Other
SARASOTA: $1.51 MILLION
Harbor Acres
Kevin and Roisin Barry sold their home at 1516 S. Orange Ave. to RJJM LLC for $1.51 million. Built in 1948, it has three bedrooms, three baths and 1,726 square feet of living area. It sold for $1,351,000 in 2022.
PALMER RANCH: $1.1 MILLION
Prestancia
Natalie Strazzera, of Clinton, Washington, and Christina Strazzera Kruse, of Sarasota, trustees, sold the home at 3805 Boca Pointe Drive to Patrick Plynaar and Sanja Plynaar, trustees, of Sarasota, for $1.1 million. Built in 1996, it has four bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths, a pool and 4,062 square feet of living area. It sold for $100,000 in 1994.
Ian Swaby
The home at 722 Siesta Key Circle has four bedrooms, four-and-ahalf baths, a pool and 3,473 square feet of living area.
OSPREY: $512,500
Bay Oaks Estates
Kelly Perdew, of Osprey, sold the home at 515 Oak Bay Drive to Norman and Carole Klingerman, of Sarasota, for $512,500. Built in 1995, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,977 square feet of living area. It sold for $361,700 in 2005.
NOKOMIS: $780,000
Mission Valley Estates Charles and Christine Pitts, of Nokomis, sold their home at 951 Shire St. to Sarasota Strategic Holdings LLC for $780,000. Built in 1973, it has five bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 4,119 square feet of living area. It sold for $500,000 in 2012.
Source: Sarasota County, city of Sarasota
WELCOMES
Joseph Narvaez, MD
Internal Medicine
Dr Joseph Narvaez brings to I Intercoastal Medical Group at the Palmer Ranch I office a wealth of knowledge and experience in Internal Medicine.
University of Tampa, Tampa, FL
Uniformed Services University of Health Science, Bethesda, MD
Madigan Army Medical Center, Tacoma, WA
Board
Cultivating support
This November, the annual Sarasota Int’l Chalk Festival is planned to host the United States’ first delegation of floral carpet artists.
Yet it’s also a challenging time for the event.
In July, the Sarasota County Commission cut about $40,000 in funding, while Chalk Festival Executive Director Denise Kowal says the city has raised fees to nearly three times the levels of the past.
Nonetheless, at Unwind Massage & Wellness Studio, the sight of flowers was already emerging the evening of Sept. 20.
The business hosted the Flower Power Patron Party, which invited the public for floral arrangements, face painting, light bites, drinks and live music provided by local residents and businesses.
Attendees had the chance to learn about the festival’s Grow the Heart program, which provides free tickets to students and families in need.
Welch, like Kowal, was impressed with the turnout as waves of people crowded the studio space. She said while she always wants to support the festival, the theme of flowers was “ridiculously cool.”
IAN SWABY
Ringling College graduate Joshua Hardinger demonstrated his artistic makeup for attendees, including Allie Roman, above.
Jeremy Rice of Dive Wine and Spirits helps serve up drinks.
Photos by Ian Swaby
Rachel McGrew, Joshua Hardinger, Ana Molinari, Chalk Festival Executive Director Denise Kowal and Glory Rodriguez gather together.
SPORTS
Fast Break
“We’re not getting big-headed now because we know what the rest of the season has in store for us, but the Booker game did give us some confidence.” — Isaiah Belt, Riverview High junior running back. SEE PAGE 31
Cardinal Mooney High football ran for 451 yards and five touchdowns as a team in the Cougars’ 49-28 home win against Bishop Verot High on Sept. 20. Sophomore running back Connail Jackson had 25 carries for 224 rushing yards and a touchdown. Through five games, Jackson has 653 rushing yards and nine touchdowns. Cardinal Mooney is 5-0 and will play Lakewood High (2-3) on the road at 7 p.m. Sept. 27. ... Sarasota High football junior tight end Scotty Wells had seven catches for 185 yards and four touchdowns in the Sailors’ 47-23 win over Ida Baker High on Sept. 20. The Sailors are 3-2 and will play Riverview High (2-3) on the road at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 27.
... Cardinal Mooney High volleyball senior Izzy Russell had eight kills, 14 digs and seven serve receives in the Cougars’ 3-0 home win over Venice High on Sept. 19. Sarasota High volleyball sophomore Liza Collier had 11 kills, two aces and 10 digs in the Sailors’ 3-1 win over The Out-of-Door Academy on Sept. 19. Cardinal Mooney (12-3) and will host Sarasota (84) at 7 p.m. Sept. 27.
... Former Cardinal Mooney High football star defensive back Teddy Foster, a freshman at the University of Florida, recorded his first career tackle in the Gators’ 45-28 win over Mississippi State University on Sept. 21. Foster finished the game with two tackles on 11 snaps.
... Cardinal Mooney High boys golf senior Nico Bencomo is ranked 11th in the Florida High School Athletic Association, in all classifications, and fifth in Class 1A by iWanamaker. The Cougars are ranked 33rd overall and 11th in Class 1A as a team.
Against SSAA champ, Blazers show promise
RYAN KOHN SPORTS EDITOR
Sarasota Christian School had all the momentum, until it didn’t.
The Blazers, trailing The Out-of-Door Academy 36-31 in the fourth quarter Friday night, stopped the Thunder on a 4-yard, fourth down attempt from ODA’s 37-yard line. The Blazers sideline lit up like fireworks following the stop. Sarasota Christian’s offense got right to work and marched into the red zone thanks to a dominant passing game led by junior quarterback Ben Milliken. It appeared as though Sarasota Christian, in its first year of 11-on-11 football, was on the verge of upsetting a defending Sunshine State Athletic Association state champion. But the Blazers’ flames of hope would be doused.
Facing a third down and goal with 3:24 to go, Milliken received a shotgun snap and prepared to roll to his right but looked downfield before securing the ball. Milliken dropped the snap and the ODA defense recovered. The Thunder would run out the remaining time to secure the 36-31 win.
Though the final result was heartbreaking for Sarasota Christian (3-3), the game served as a measuring stick for where the program stands as it transitions from two years of 8-on8 football. In taking ODA to its limit, it appears the Blazers have the talent necessary for themselves to compete in the postseason.
The biggest difference between 11-on-11 football and 8-on-8 football comes in the trenches, and it showed against ODA. While ODA has big bodies and prefers to run the football, the Blazers’ offense features air raid-style passing and tempo, scheming receivers open with quick passes and giving them space to make plays. Those are things the program perfected while playing 8-on-8.
Blazers Head Coach Jacob Spenn said he was disappointed in Friday night’s result but proud of the way
SHARING THE LOVE
The Sarasota Christian School football team’s offense runs an air-raid style attack, and it gets many different weapons involved.
Here’s a look at how balanced the passing offense has been through six games.
Junior Travis Miller: 33 catches, 447 yards, six touchdowns
In its first season of 11-on-11 football, Sarasota Christian School took defending SSAA Class 4A champion The Out-of-Door Academy to its limit.
Junior Colton Loftus: 27 catches, 344 yards, two touchdowns
Senior Randall Collins: 19 catches, 216 yards, one touchdown
Sophomore Dan Jacinto: nine catches, 38 yards
Sophomore Jack Keenan: two catches, 36 yards, two touchdowns
Sophomore Noah Spenn: seven catches, 34 yards, three touchdowns
his team performed overall, particularly his offense and the way the passing attack operated.
“I thought we had that one won, to be honest,” Spenn said. “But that’s the way it goes.
“When people asked me (before the season), I said we were going to be competitive in every game. And I think this counts as competitive.”
Milliken finished the game completing 32 of 51 passes for 336 yards and four touchdowns. Two of Milliken’s touchdown passes went to junior Travis Miller, one went to junior Colton Loftus and one went to junior Justin Brock. Five Blazers — Miller, Loftus and Brock, plus senior Randall Collins and sophomore Noah Spenn — had at least three catches. It is a breadth of weapons that is hard to match at the SSAA level, and it shows in the team’s results: Sarasota Christian’s offense is now averaging 30.2 points per game.
If there’s an area where the Blazers
can’t match the SSAA’s top programs yet, it is size. Jacob Spenn said ODA’s interior linemen, many of whom play both offense and defense, had “about 150 pounds” combined on Sarasota Christian’s interior linemen. As a result, the Blazers could not stop ODA’s rushing attack; Thunder junior Allen Clark finished with 236 rushing yards and three touchdowns. The previous week, Cambridge Christian junior Lucas Leiton ran for 182 yards and three touchdowns on Sarasota Christian, though the Blazers would win the game 42-32.
Fortifying its run defense is a priority for Sarasota Christian, whether that happens this year or next year.
So is cutting back on turnovers.
For example, ODA’s ball-hawking defense had three interceptions. Prior to Friday, ODA had allowed just one touchdown all season.
In 2024, Spenn and the Blazers wanted to compete with every team they played, and they have proven themselves capable of doing so. Anything else that happens this season is a bonus — one Sarasota Christian may receive. If the Blazers can continue to outscore teams, they can compete. In the team’s first two losses, to Old Plank Christian Academy (2-3) and to Southwest Florida Christian (4-1), the Blazers scored just 10 and 6 points, respectively. But when the passing attack is in sync, like it has in its wins and the ODA loss, it is difficult to stop.
“That’s how football is supposed to be played, right?” Spenn said.
“You watch (the NFL) on Sundays, you don’t see all this grinding it out and turning people into meat. So that (a spread passing attack) is how we like to do it.”
The Blazers will try to start another winning streak on the road Oct. 10 against Gateway Charter (0-6) before finishing its regular-season slate with three home games: Keswick Christian (5-1) on Oct. 11, Saint Stephen’s Episcopal (0-4) on Oct. 18 and Seffner Christian (4-1) on Oct. 25. All games begin at 7 p.m.
Courtesy image
Cardinal Mooney High sophomore running back Connail Jackson.
Sarasota Christian junior receiver Justin Brock turns upfield against ODA.
Photos by Ryan Kohn
Sarasota Christian quarterback Ben Milliken fires a pass against ODA. Milliken threw four touchdowns in the game.
Sports editor says goodbye to Sarasota
Stories from the beat will stick with Ryan Kohn along his journey.
The Baltimore Orioles were my first sports love. Even though my family lived in a suburb of Washington, D.C., and pulled for the district’s sports teams, there was no Washington baseball team when I was born in 1994; the Nationals would not arrive until 2005. By then, it was far too late for me. This baseball kid had long ago allowed the next-closest team, the Orioles, into his heart.
Then I grew up, learned to write, learned to love to write, and eventually went to journalism school at the University of Missouri. All the while, I kept my O’s fandom running hot, even though most of those years were filled with misery on the field. After I graduated in 2016, I started looking for sports reporting jobs, and one immediately caught my eye: the Sarasota Observer For the beaches? For the weather? No, for the Orioles, who call the city and Ed Smith Stadium their spring training home.
The first time I attended a spring training game as a credentialed media member in 2017, I was too nervous to function. During the team’s designated open locker room period, I walked in feeling like an imposter, stood around for five minutes pretending to check my phone, then walked out. During the game, I sat in the back row of the press box and didn’t talk to anyone. I ended up writing about the team’s Youth Baseball Day promotion. But I would go back, a few times each spring, and each time I felt more comfortable. Eventually I got over my imposter syndrome and covered not just the O’s, but the Atlanta Braves’ opening of CoolToday Park in North Port, too.
Those spring training experiences meant a lot to me, even though I put away my fandom while on the job. They connected me to the team I grew up watching, but they also connected me to my new city. Seeing waves of orange and black in the stands, and hearing a roaring “O” during the national anthem, helped me feel like I was where I was supposed to be.
Along the way, I learned a lot about journalism, and I tried to tell stories people care about. It was made easy by the great athletes (and personalities) that make Sarasota such a unique place. It made for a great eight years, but all great things come to an end. I’m leaving my Gulf Coast hometown to get closer to my real one.
I have accepted a non-journalism job in Richmond, Virginia. The high school football games held Sept. 20 will be the last games I cover. My new job will not be as publicfacing, but it will involve a lot of the same tenets that the Observer holds high. Namely, a dedication to its hyperlocal communities, telling the stories of each one in the truest way possible.
I have learned how to do that only because of the kindness I have received from the Sarasota sports community along the way. There are too many individual athletes and coaches to name, but I thank all of you for taking time out of your days to talk to me for stories. Athletic directors, thank you for connecting me with your programs and for let-
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BUILDING CHAMPIONS
Boys & Girls Clubs Are Shaping Sarasota and DeSoto’s Future All-Stars
A great community is like a championship team, where every individual plays their part and is dedicated to the success and well-being of both the unit and its members. Just as teammates support each other and work toward a common goal, a strong community thrives when its people are united and committed to lifting one another up.
For more than 50 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota and DeSoto Counties has been building our community’s future championship team. Thousands
ting me romp up and down the sidelines at your sporting events to get in the best position for action photos. (And for answering my annoying questions whenever I called.)
To Sarasota parents, thanks for letting me know what you thought of my stories, even when you disagreed with something I said in a column. What are sports without debate? As long as you actually read the story — not everyone did — I thank you for expressing your feelings in a (usually) respectful way.
Outside of the high school ranks, thank you to all of the communication and PR professionals at area organizations for alerting me whenever you had a good story idea come across your desk. I was a oneperson sports department at the
of kids and teens, ages 6 to 18, rely on the Club to access essential resources that help them reach their full potential. It’s more than just an organization— its where local youth transform into something extraordinary.
All summer long the “team” at Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota and DeSoto Counties has been training to ensure this new academic year is a slam dunk. With their academic coaches and wellness professionals, Club members sharpened their math skills, boosted their science knowledge, and reached their wellness goals like champions.
Guided by their leadership coach, they also learned to speak up and lead with confidence, just like a captain on the field. As a result, 100% of Club members either maintained or improved their academic performance during the summer.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota and DeSoto Counties fuels the brains, muscles and hearts of children in our community. The children that will grow to be vital contributors to the continued success of Sarasota and DeSoto Counties.
Your support will ensure thousands of
Observer, so that type of assistance was always appreciated.
Lastly, thank you for reading, no matter who you are. To serve the sports community, I tried to write as many types of stories about as many niche sports subjects as I could. Sometimes that ethos resulted in things like the story of Todd Kerkering, the city’s emergency manager, who went viral after watching his son Orion Kerkering make his Philadelphia Phillies debut and getting emotional in the stands. At other times, I wrote about legendary Riverview High football coach John Sprague, who was remembered as boisterous and caring by friends and former players after he died in November 2023. I even got to cover big-time events. I saw some of Earth’s best athletes compete at the World Rowing Championships at Nathan Benderson Park. I interviewed local Olympians like skateboarder Jake Ilardi, rifle shooter Mary Tucker, rower Clark Dean and swimmer Emma Weyant. I covered the Dick Vitale Gala every year at The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota, and it never stopped being inspiring.
This is a vibrant sports community, one that is growing, and I’ll cherish my time spent in it. Now, when I think of the Orioles, I’ll think of Sarasota as well as Baltimore. I have no doubt that great stories will continue to be written on athletic fields here long after I’m gone, and I can’t wait to take them in — only this time, as a spectator from afar.
Ryan Kohn is the sports editor for the Sarasota/Siesta Key Observer. Contact him at RKohn@ YourObserver.com.
Club members have whatever it takes to succeed.
Please help us empower our Club members. From athletes to mathletes, help us help them achieve their full potential this 2024-2025 back-toschool season.
HERE ARE FIVE WAYS TO BE AN MVP FOR LOCAL YOUTH.
Season Ticket Holder - $2500
Supports one Club member for the entire year including both school-year and summer seasons.
Brain Booster - $1000
Enhances academic training for the youth with daily homework help and instruction.
Mindful MVP - $500
Promotes positive mental wellness with free access to embedded mental health professionals.
Leadership All-Star - $250
Levels up our community’s future leaders through the development of positive character and leadership skills.
Active Advocate - $100
Champions physical fitness through guidance on nutrition, daily activity, and the importance of play.
All Season Ticket Holders will have their gift doubled thanks to a matching challenge by a generous local couple! Learn more or make a gift at bgcsdc.org
Photos by Ryan Kohn
Ryan Kohn is leaving the Sarasota Observer sports beat after eight years.
Isaiah Belt is a junior running back on the Riverview High football team. Belt had 24 carries for 109 yards and a touchdown in the Rams’ 41-30 home win over Booker High on Sept. 20. The Rams are 2-3 and will host Sarasota High (3-2) at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 27.
When did you start playing football?
I started when I was 7 years old. I grew up in Georgia and watched the Atlanta Falcons. I moved to Sarasota before my freshman year of high school.
What is the appeal to you?
I just love the game itself. Being able to go out there and have fun with your brothers, your people, is great. You create bonds, and you learn to trust your team.
What is your best skill?
I don’t know if I have one best ability. I think I do the little things well. I make the cuts that you are supposed to make, and I trust my blockers.
What have you been working to improve?
My speed. Looking at college football, all those running backs have explosive speed, and that’s where I want to be.
What is your favorite memory?
The game against Palmetto High last year. It was the first time we saw what we were going to look like as a team. Everyone was happy after that one. (Riverview won 52-42.)
What changed for your team against Booker High?
I think we just executed. Earlier in the season, we struggled with that. We practiced well, but we had to go out and do it (in games). We’re not getting big-headed now, because we know
of the
us, but the Booker game did give us some confidence.
What is your favorite food? Steak, well-done.
What is your favorite school subject?
U.S. History. I like knowing what got our country to where we are today.
What are your hobbies?
I’ve been playing the piano for three years now. I also like to play College Football 25.
What is the best advice you have received? Stay focused. It’s easy to get distracted with everything going on in the world, but you have to stay focused on the game.
Finish this sentence:
“Isaiah Belt is ... ” ... Everywhere. Sometimes I’m funny. Sometimes I’m serious. I’m all over the place.
NATURE’S BEAUTY WITH
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MUSICAL ARRANGEMENTS by Dana Edwards, edited by Jeff Chen
By Luis Campos
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