Tuly Martelo received Baby, a pony, as a birthday present from her partner, Rich Obren.
However, after the couple discovered his easygoing temperament, he became a gift for the community.
They obtained Baby’s therapy certification and began volunteering four years ago as “Team Baby,” primarily at the Sarasota and Venice campuses of Senior Friendship Centers.
Martelo said Baby encourages clients at the Adult Day Care centers, many of whom have Alzheimer’s and dementia, to engage outwardly.
The organization’s Adult Day Care centers host therapy animals every third Wednesday of the month at 1 p.m.
Mobile museum makeover
The “museum on wheels” by the Sarasota Children’s Museum is set to debut in spring of next year, by which time it will be fabricated with a layout by Ringling College of Art and Design students. Nonetheless, children got a head start on decorating the 24-foot, solar-powered trailer during the First Rotation Celebration of the museum at Payne Park on Nov. 16. The painting of the trailer was a demonstration of the interactive experiences the museum offers.
At the space-themed event, the numerous attendees could gain a sense of the offerings the trailer will bring in the realm of science, technology, engineering, arts and math.
$1.00
Ian Swaby
Photo courtesy Ryan Lester
Ian Swaby
Baby meets Ermelinda, with Tuly Martelo leading him.
Ian Swaby
Korey Weaver, 6, paints the trailer.
WEEK OF NOV. 21, 2024
BY THE NUMBERS
n
“I am sure the commissioners who had the vision for the Van Wezel over 50 years ago didn’t have all of the answers right at the very beginning of the process.”
Sarasota Mayor Liz Alpert. Read more on page 5
Piccolo announces retirement from SRQ
Come June 30, 2025, Rick Piccolo will complete his 30th year as president and CEO of Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport.
It will also be his last.
Tucked away on Page 167 of the packet for Tuesday’s meeting of the Sarasota Manatee Airport Authority was a notice that national executive search firm Korn Ferry has been selected to search for Piccolo’s replacement. The document also reads that Piccolo will transition into the role of advisor until Dec. 31, 2025, at which time he will retire.
Michael Bell will serve as the lead recruiter. Korn Ferry has been the lead consultant on 29 airport CEO searches in North America, including some of the largest airports in the country, including three Florida airports.
“As I enter my 30th year at the helm of SRQ, I have been blessed to work with so many outstanding professionals and have enjoyed tremendous support from distinguished board members throughout my time here. I look forward to having more time to spend with my family.”
Piccolo has led the airport
through unprecedented growth as commercial passenger service expanded rapidly during and in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, making it among the fastest-growing airports in the country.
Among his crowning achievements will be the December completion of the first five gates of Concourse A, all ground-based boarding gates that have been leased to Allegiant Air.
Legislative delegation meeting held Dec. 16
The 2024 Sarasota County Legislative Delegation meeting will be held at the Sarasota County Administrative Center Commission Chambers at 9 a.m. Monday, Dec. 16. Anyone wishing to make a presentation to the delegation prior to the start of the 2025 state legislative session is invited to submit a presentation request form at the office of Rep. Fiona McFarland by Monday, Dec. 2. Since Hurricane Milton, the Administrative Center has been closed as damages are repaired and meetings have been held at the south county offices in Venice. To receive a form, call McFarland’s office at 941-361-2465 or email Andrew.Parker@MyFloridaHouse.gov. The Administrative Center is at 1660 Ringling Blvd., Sarasota.
Patterson Foundation gives to storm relief
The Patterson Foundation has donated $250,000 to the Center for Disaster Philanthropy’s Atlantic Hurricane Season Recovery Fund. This gift will strengthen CDP’s support for medium- and long-term recovery efforts to those impacted by this year’s hurricane season.
The CDP Atlantic Hurricane Season Recovery Fund is focused on rebuilding homes and livelihoods, meeting the needs of more vulnerable populations, supporting mental health services and addressing other urgent challenges identified by the affected communities that arise as recovery efforts progress.
Since 2013, The Patterson Foundation has given more than $6 million to CDP for operations and recovery efforts in the aftermath of disasters. This latest gift is intended to catalyze additional donations from other funders monitoring the impact of these severe storms on communities in the U.S. and abroad. To learn more about the Center for Disaster Philanthropy and to contribute to its CDP Atlantic Hurricane Season Recovery Fund, visit DisasterPhilanthropy.org. For more information about The Patterson Foundation, visit ThePattersonFoundation.org.
File photo
Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport President and CEO Rick Piccolo will retire next year.
A FLOOD OF EMOTION
St. Armands residents and business owners are experiencing the five stages of grief in the wake of hurricanes.
ANDREW WARFIELD
STAFF WRITER
At Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport, the first impression arriving passengers receive at the bottom of the escalator to baggage claim is a kiosk extolling the virtues of one of Sarasota’s prime attractions, St. Armands Circle.
A large map at the display locates all of the shops, boutiques, restaurants and other businesses that are, under normal circumstances, ready to greet visitors. But circumstances are far from normal after the one-two punch brought by Hurricanes Helene and Milton, evidence of the twice-flooded St. Armands Key still prominent with largely dead landscaping and grass, and several boarded up storefronts.
On a mid-November afternoon when St. Armands Circle would ordinarily be teeming with seasonal residents and vacationers, parking was plentiful and the sidewalks sparsely populated as only a handful of restaurants and stores have reopened.
Some merchants are starting to put finishing touches in their space before bringing in inventory, hoping to capture at least a portion of the season’s revenue. Others have given up altogether.
So have some residents.
“My neighbors on each side of me and across the street, their houses are essentially abandoned, so the neighborhood itself is still hurting,” said St. Armands Residents Association President Chris Goglia, who lives on North Washington Boulevard. “One lady is renting an apartment in St. Petersburg. A family on the other side of me with two young boys who went to school in Sarasota, I’ve heard that they have a rental property in Siesta Key that they’re living in now.”
That stretch of North Washington looks like the storm passed through only days ago. Debris remains piled up beside the road. Downed trees remain where they fell. Landscaping shredded by Category 3 winds is decaying and grass that was covered by seawater is brown and crusty.
Overall, it little resembles the tony enclave St. Armands residents and visitors have come to know, the eclectic collection of vintage singlestory homes — which took the worst damage — intermixed with newer construction raised above flood level thanks to modern building codes.
Just a few blocks away in the business district at St. Armands Circle, dead, twisted plants and dead grass bely the normally lush environs,
although some merchants have planted anew outside their handful of reopened storefronts. Like the rest of the residents and business interests of St. Armands, Goglia said his road to recovery is gradual.
“Every day I do a little bit more, and it’s coming along,” he said.
RESURRECT THE COMPLETE STREET PLAN
In his capacity of residents association leadership, Goglia remains in constant communication with city leadership, most recently sending an email to city commissioners and management about the need to address St. Armands aging infrastructure and chronic water pump failures that have become more evident over the past two years.
The Circle and surrounding neighborhoods have been plagued first by rain-driven flooding from Hurricane Idalia in 2023, and this year’s Tropical Storm Debby, which was downgraded from a hurricane, followed by the storm surge events of Hurricanes Helene and Milton. Although the most robust pumping system is likely ineffective against storm surge, floods from heavy rains have been frequent.
Goglia urged city officials to revisit its complete street concepts for St. Armands, which in part upgrades the utilities infrastructure there.
“St. Armands Circle is a historical, economic and tourism asset of the city of Sarasota. The city’s own website calls St. Armands a ‘jewel of Sarasota,’” he wrote. “But, after two years of flooding events and a direct hit by a CAT 3 hurricane, we know that St. Armands Key has serious stormwater management problems that have finally contributed to gutted homes and shuttered businesses.
“The jewel is tarnished.”
The city owns the stormwater management system at St. Armands, but it is maintained by Sarasota County via interlocal agreement.
Goglia asked the city to place on the agenda of an upcoming meeting the drainage issues, specifically requesting commissioning an independent engineering study to include:
■ Putting cameras into drain pipes to evaluate their condition
■ Evaluating of all pumps, generators and back-flow prevention devices
■ Evaluating the adequacy of the number and location of drains.
“The county’s maintenance appears to be reactive,” Goglia wrote. “We’re asking for a proactive inspection. Are the drain pipes clogged? Do the black-flow preventers allow seawater through?”
Also, Goglia requested the city resurrect the nonfunded St. Armands Key complete streets project, a $45 million-plus endeavor that would address underground and surface upgrades. The project was tabled because of cost and duration, requiring 10 years or more. It is also is currently not in the state funding.
Goglia’s plea was heard and, at
“We know what’s happened with these storms out there and the devastation it has caused to a number of businesses. They’re not millionaires, just mom and pop shops that won’t be opening.”
Kyle Battie, Commissioner
According to a city spokesperson, crews with the Parks and Recreation Department are in the process of removing all the dead vegetation from Circle Park and medians. Those areas will be mulched and annuals will be planted within the next two weeks, and sod will be replaced early next year.
Slowly but surely, St. Armands will be revived.
STAGES OF GRIEF
Until then, Goglia likens the general state of St. Armands residents as matriculating through the five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and, finally, acceptance.
Monday’s City Commission meeting, was addressed by Commissioner Kyle Battie.
“We’re doing the downtown master plan (update), and that being said, I think it behooves us as a commission to do one as well for St. Armands Circle,” Battie said. “That is our economic and tourism engine, and I think we need to have a serious, robust conversation about that. We know what’s happened with these storms out there and the devastation it has caused to businesses. They’re not millionaires, just mom and pop shops that won’t be opening.”
Not all is gloom and doom. Most of the restaurants have reopened while repairs remain underway at others, but the foot traffic of shoppers is lacking where holiday shopping is normally in full swing. Plans for installing the holiday tree in circle park and the annual tree lighting event have not been announced.
“I know for myself, I’m in the acceptance stage,” he said. “This is going to take awhile, and it’s going to cost money, and we’re going to get through it.”
A seasonal resident, Goglia was at his off-season home in Rhode Island when Helene struck, driving here a week earlier than planned to survey the damage to his elevated home. It was built seven years ago of resilient materials, so other than losing a vehicle it was more a matter of cleanup, which he had not yet completed before having to evacuate for Milton.
“I think a lot of residents are angry. They feel that some municipal entity has let them down,” he said. “They don’t know if that’s the city or that’s the county because this is all very confusing, but we have we had over a year of repeated flooding at St. Armands and nothing’s been able to be done about it.”
Many neighbors, he said, are still in the depression stage. Owners of the older single-story, ground-level homes are awaiting availability of contractors to repair their damages. Others who have had recently made renovations, he said, have priority from their contractors, while others languish.
“I’m hearing from some people who are giving up and they’re going to put their property on the market at some point, but I feel that that’s the minority,” Goglia said. “I feel that most people are going to restore, and in some cases they might knock down and rebuild. It depends on their circumstances. There are plenty of people out here who work and are going about their lives. There are still people out here with young children who go to school.
“I think people are starting to get used to the fact that everything doesn’t look as pristine as it has.”
Some merchants have decided to close their stores on St. Armands Circle after two years of flood events.
Photos by Andrew Warfield
Dead plants on St. Armands Circle are a reminder of the storm surge brought by Hurricanes Helene and Milton.
Several homes on St. Armands appear to have been abandoned.
The city has begun removing dead landscaping along St. Armands Circle.
Contractor named for Quay condominium development
Kolter Urban will partner with Moss Construction to build Ritz-Carlton Residences, Sarasota Bay.
OBSERVER STAFF W ith site work nearly complete, developer Kolter Urban has announced its selection of Fort Lauderdale-based Moss Construction as general contractor for The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Sarasota Bay in The Quay.
Previously identified as RitzCarlton Residences II, the 78-unit luxury condominium tower will be built on Blocks 7 and 8 in The Quay. Kolter Urban and Moss Construction teamed up to deliver the first RitzCarlton Residences tower on Block 6 in 2021. Site work began in April and foundations and utilities installation are 90% complete.
“Moss is a leading contractor in Florida and beyond, boasting extensive experience and a successful history of delivering top-tier developments,” said Kolter Urban Regional Vice President Brian Van Slyke in a news release. “We are confident that they are the best partners for The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Sarasota Bay.”
Recent projects delivered by Moss include St. Regis Resort and Residences Longboat Key, Auberge Beach Residences & Spa in Fort Lauderdale, JW Marriott Clearwater Beach, and Wyndham Grand Resort Clearwater Beach.
Designed by architecture firm SB Architects of Coral Gables, RitzCarlton Residences, Sarasota Bay will range from 3,500 to just less than 6,000 square feet, according to the news release. Units will feature 12- and 13-foot ceilings in main living areas and expansive terraces will
The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Sarasota Bay is expected to reach completion in late 2026.
provide panoramic views with builtin outdoor grills. Access-controlled elevators and separate service elevators for deliveries will offer privacy and security.
The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Sarasota Bay is expected to reach completion in late 2026. Premier Sotheby’s International Realty is leading the sales program.
The second Ritz-Carlton Residences tower is the next step in a multiphase development. KolterUrban is currently working through the city’s administrative review process for redevelopment of the adjacent Hyatt Regency Hotel into a mixed-use, two-tower residential, hotel and commercial project.
Courtesy image
Construction of Ritz-
Carlton Residences, Sarasota Bay in The Quay is expected to be completed in late 2026.
Van Wezel flooding highlights repurposing engineering study
Hurricane Milton damage prompts Karins Engineering’s update to the Purple Ribbon Committee to focus on water intrusion mitigation.
ANDREW WARFIELD
looding from Hurricane Milton has supplied added perspective to the Purple Ribbon Committee’s task of making a recommendation to repurpose the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall.
The timing of storm surge flooding from Sarasota Bay from Hurricane Milton that permeated the lower, nonpublic levels of the building and into the Grand Foyer has given Karins Engineering a case study as it continues to prepare its report on the structural stability of the building for a potential variety of future uses.
David Karins updated the committee on his company’s work to assess the viability for long-term use absent any improvements needed for the short-term should a new Sarasota Performing Arts Hall be built, nor what the Van Wezel’s future use should be. However, water intrusion damage that has been estimated at costing $7 million to $10 million to mitigate may cast the long-term investment value into question.
“We can look at it and say, ‘OK, we’re going to spend $80 million to save the building from an event that might happen five times in a millennium, or might happen five times in a decade,’” Karins told the committee. “You just don’t know. Ultimately, we’ll make recommendations, but it will be out of our hands on what’s the best way to go.”
Karins’ comment was only a forinstance. For now, there has been no figure attached to whatever work the Van Wezel might need for future use. That will come in a final report that will be used as the basis for the committee’s recommendation to the City Commission. What is known for certain, though, is the sea-level building just feet from the edge of Sarasota
Bay with significant utility functions located below the water table leave it vulnerable to storm surge.
Preliminary assessments are the building is on solid footing. The roof took only minor damage from the eye of Category 3 hurricane passing overhead, and its dead and active weight load capacities are sufficient for most alternative uses short of a monster truck rally.
Committee member David Rovine asked Karins to describe the scope of his firm’s work, “because part of our mission is to consider alternate uses of the building,” he said. “On the other hand, regardless of what happens with the new theater, this theater has to function as a theater for X amount of years so that Sarasota doesn’t fall out of the routing of all the shows that are critical to come to the theater.”
He asked Karins whether the report will consider protecting the building for three to five years to function as it does today and for however it may, or may not, be repurposed.
“Our primary charge is preserving the building for whatever might be inside of it,” Karins said. “The other part is what’s the functionality of the building? So we’re looking at how does it function for what it does, and the consultants are having a little bit of creative fun saying what could it also be. But that’s really not in the core of what we’ve been hired to do.
“Once we’re done with our work, we’ll tell you this can be done to preserve it for 10 or 50 or however many years you want to.”
That analysis will include longterm recurring costs of maintenance and strategies to protect the Van Wezel from future flood events. Those can include installation of resilient materials, which would be required under FEMA policy should the cost of any retrofitting exceed 50% of the value of the building.
If so, FEMA requires:
n Elevating the structure to above flood level
n Using flood-resistant materials
n Proper flood venting
n Replacing structural elements like bearing walls, tie beams and trusses
n Replacing interior finish elements
like tiling, linoleum, stone or carpet
n Replacing utility and service equipment such as HVAC
“We’re looking at evaluating how the building compares to the current design philosophies and codes for flood,” Karins said. “It is a nonconforming building in that it is not elevated to minimum flood requirements or dry waterproofed to mitigate water getting into the building. And it’s certainly not designed to be wet floodproof, which means you let the water run through the building and it doesn’t hurt anything.”
Karins described Milton as the perfect storm to imperil the Van Wezel in that the wind came from the north, elevating the storm surge in Sarasota Bay to six-and-a-half feet.
The sun-driven three-foot waves on top of that moved thousand-pound boulders into the Van Wezel parking lot and pushed water into a ramp down to kitchen doors where it penetrated the building.
The intrusion, Van Wezel Executive Director Mary Bensel told the committee earlier in the meeting, did
not enter the Grand Foyer through the multiple glass doors that overlook the bay.
The path, wind direction and storm surge of Milton was unique to Sarasota, something that may never happen again or could happen next year.
Helene was an example of a stillwater flood, the effect of storm surge plus astronomical tide that raises the water level gradually. Because of the wind direction and speed, Milton exacerbated the storm surge with a wave flood.
“The main issue with Milton was that the breakwater wasn’t stout enough to absorb the wave energy,” Karins said. “One thing that we’re working on a recommendation for is looking at putting in a more substantial energy absorption device. If we’re going to be designing mitigation for still-water floods, we have to get rid of the waves, and that’s going to be a pretty heavy lift.”
Courtesy image
Flooding from Hurricane Milton entered the Van Wezel through these doors to the kitchen.
SPAC pact deadline extended
City Commission grants request from the Sarasota Performing Arts Foundation to extend the implementation agreement deadline for a new theater complex.
ANDREW WARFIELD
STAFF WRITER
For the second time, the deadline for City Commission consideration of an implementation agreement regarding the proposed Sarasota Performing Arts Center has been extended.
At Monday’s commission meeting, the Sarasota Performing Arts Foundation won 4-1 approval, with Commissioner Jen Ahearn-Koch opposed, to extend the deadline to no later than March 31, 2025. This second amendment of the mutual partnership agreement between the city and the foundation extends that deadline from Nov. 30, 2024.
The city and the foundation entered into a partnership agreement in April 2022 that deadlined an implementation agreement one year later. The first amendment to that agreement executed in April 2023 extended the deadline to the end of this month. However, lingering questions of the commission that could not be addressed because a scheduled workshop was canceled as a result of Hurricane Milton was a key factor in the foundation requesting the second extension.
“An extension will allow us to
strengthen the implementation agreement by answering additional questions from the commission,” said SPAF CEO Tonia Castroverde Moskalenko. In addition, it will provide an opportunity to meet with new Commissioner Kathy Kelley Ohlrich, who has not been a party to prior discussions.
“We request a workshop with the commission so that we can take a deeper dive in the questions that you have and update the commission on changes to the design concept based on the feedback that we have received from the community since our town hall meetings,” Castroverde Moskalenko said.
Those community meetings provided the public its first look at a preliminary design concept with architects from the Genoa, Italybased firm Renzo Piano Building Workshop. SPAF Board Chairman Jim Travers added the protracted negotiations between Renzo Piano and the city compressed the time frame to produce a refined document for commission consideration.
“Obviously, there were some things out of our control since the time we did the extension in 2023,” Travers said. “The architect wasn’t selected at that point, and it did take longer to negotiate that contract. That was just something else that was out of our control that affected the timeline, let alone the hurricanes. With the depth of the information and the importance this project is to
the city, we want to make sure that we inform each of the commissioners and the public.”
Some commissioners suggested that if it takes longer than the end of next March to bring a complete agreement to the city, so be it.
Vice Mayor Debbie Trice was joined by Ahearn-Koch and Ohlrich in their demand for more detailed financial figures with regard to operations and maintenance. Trice challenged whether the foundation will be able to double its contribution to balance the books, up from the $2 million it currently provides to offset losses by the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall to the projected $4 million for the new facility.
As for capital costs, the partnership agreement calls for equivalent cost-sharing with the city and county, balancing philanthropy with revenue generated by the tax increment financing district on the improved value of real estate in the immediate downtown area.
Because it is within The Bay park, a new performing arts center is eligible to share in that revenue for capital investment.
Castroverde Moskalenko said further delay in securing the implementation agreement impacts the SPAF’S campaign to raise capital for construction and for establishing a foundation to help defray ongoing fiscal gaps.
Trice asked if the SPAF would be amenable to include a proof of con-
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cept with its implementation agreement proposal.
“The amount of money we both have spent to this point, and that we would spend up until the time of construction beginning, we will have spent two digits of millions of dollars by then,” Trice said. “I don’t want to end up saying this isn’t going to work. Let’s stop $20 million, $30 million down the road, because we can’t sustain the building once it’s built.”
Travers said that’s possible, but it will be up to the SPAF board. City Attorney Robert Fournier said if that is to be included, it would have to be separate submission from the implementation agreement itself.
With three commissioners pressing for more fiscal certainty, Mayor Liz Alpert capitulated that while questions remain, some can’t be answered at the time of an implementation agreement.
“At this point in the process, the architects estimate that they’re going to need two-and-a-half years to come up with their final design. How do you know what the maintenance is going to be and what the actual cost is going to be until you have a final design?” Alpert said. “I am sure the commissioners who had the vision for the Van Wezel over 50 years ago didn’t have all of the answers right at the very beginning of the process, so I think we need to take that into consideration.”
Courtesy image
A massing model presented by Renzo Piano Building Workshop shows the four Sarasota Performing Arts Center buildings along North Tamiami Trail.
Florida always comes back
Population
Day by day, it’s looking more like home.
Sure, there is still a long way to go. A few weeks ago, a resident of Fort Myers Beach told us he was just finishing up final repairs on his home — two years after Hurricane Ian pretty much obliterated the island.
And there are still plenty of raw emotions and challenges that thousands of residents from Manatee and Sarasota counties are working through.
Many homeowners in the Buttonwood Harbor neighborhood on Longboat Key saw their 57-yearold, ground-level homes washed out during Hurricane Helene. One homeowner told us his flood insurance won’t come close to covering the damage. After assessing what it would take to restore their home, he and his wife determined the home is totaled. They plan to sell the lot and move to the mainland. The evacuations have them worn out.
Up the road, at the Spanish Main Yacht Club development of singlefamily villas, there is a similar challenge. Helene destroyed many of the interiors of the 56-year-old units. In the weeks after Helene and Milton, residents have been debating whether to rebuild or sell their entire complex. It’s an emotional issue.
Indeed, the travails of recovery are everywhere. And no one really knows how long this will take in Sarasota and Manatee counties to feel like we did pre-storms. Hurricane scars last a lifetime. Anyone here 30 years from now still will remember vividly Debby, Helene and Milton of 2024.
But count on this: We’ll be back. We’ll recover. And we’ll be more resilient structurally than we were before the storms.
Here is one measure: Not surprisingly, in the years that followed Hurricane Andrew in 1992 in Miami-Dade, Hurricane Charley in 2004 in Charlotte County and Hurricane Ian in 2022 in Lee County, the counties’ populations declined. But in the second year after the hurricanes, population totals rose to higher levels than what they were at the time of the hurricanes.
People have short memories, and the allure of Florida vis-à-vis other places remained compelling in spite of the threat of hurricanes.
What’s more, we adjust — to be better prepared for the next one. While the damage to so many was devastating, at the same time, you can say the structural resilience actually was impressive.
After Hurricanes Andrew and Charley, blue tarps covered the roofs of blocks of neighborhoods for months. Today, perhaps you see one here, maybe another there. Most high-rises hardly appear damaged from the outside. They were most vulnerable in the gradelevel garages where Helene and Milton’s surges destroyed hundreds of cars that were not moved to the mainland or shorted the electricity in elevators.
All things considered the lack of homes lifted off their foundations and seen floating down streets — as happened on Fort Myers Beach — is a testament to Florida’s building codes.
When we asked an insurance CEO with offices along the Gulf Coast where the worst damage was, he said Palmetto. The reason: old wood and stucco structures built in the
1960s that haven’t been updated.
Asked what lesson is likely to come from these storms, Joshua McCarthy, Shepherd Insurance’s Florida manager, said, “The interest level for flood insurance is through the roof.”
Homeowners found out the National Flood Insurance Program’s coverages are inadequate. “They didn’t realize they didn’t have lossof-use coverage to put them up in hotels or take care of those addi-
HOW FLORIDA BOUNCES BACK
No surprise: Population typically dips slightly the year after a hurricane, and then restarts its decades-long upward trajectory.
tional expenses,” he said.
“The positive is people are going to give flood insurance more attention, and they’re going to be more willing to purchase it even if it is not required by their lender,” McCarthy said.
Another positive: It appears Florida is going to avoid another statewide insurance crisis, as was experienced for the three years after Hurricane Irma in 2017.
Although total wind and flood losses are estimated around $50 billion — a top three in losses — insurers appear to have the capital and reinsurance to cover the claims and not go bankrupt.
“The amount of flood damage versus wind is in (the property insurers’) favor,” McCarthy said. “We haven’t had one of the property carriers express any concern. In fact, we’ve heard the opposite: ‘We’re going to be OK.’”
President and Publisher / Emily Walsh, EWalsh@YourObserver.com
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Staff Writers / Ian Swaby, ISwaby@ YourObserver.com; Andrew Warfield, AWarfield@YourObserver.com
It appears the insurance reforms the Legislature adopted two years ago are having positive effects as well. Minor roof repairs are not being turned into total replacements, and, McCarthy said, “We’ve seen a big drop in lawsuits.”
Altogether, we are Florida strong.
Price gouging: Much ado about nothing
As Floridians rebuild and recover from Hurricanes Helene and Milton, the issue of price gouging always captivates politicians and the media. Headlines after both storms declare hundreds of incidents reported to state officials in Florida and across the Southeast. Florida law defines price gouging as an “unconscionable” price hike during a declared state of emergency and for what it deems essential goods, including food, water, gasoline and transportation. The attorney general’s office says it investigates every claim, most of which come through a dedicated hotline “activated” in the run-up to each storm where consumers provide tips. Businesses can be slapped with a misdemeanor and fines of up to $1,000 per act and $25,000 in a single day.
Vice
President Kamala Harris
brought the issue into her core economic message to voters in the final days before the presidential election. In addition to stern warnings to businesses before the hurricanes, she increasingly mingled the term with rhetoric about corporate greed and inflation.
The idea of charging high prices to desperate consumers evokes anger in many, but most economists warn against price controls even in the face of potentially large hikes after a disaster. While not unanimous, the prevailing view is that government price controls create new problems while trying to solve what is really no problem at all. Shortages of essential items such as gasoline are made worse, not to mention longer, by reducing the incentive of sellers to rush the product to affected areas.
A reporter in an October National Public Radio report noted, “It can be tricky to draw the line between illegal price gouging and just the normal forces of supply and demand.”
Most economists would respond that they are one and the same. The supply and demand curves indelibly associated with economics explain this intuition quite elegantly, making the example of price gouging in the wake of a hurricane a mainstay of economics textbooks. Higher prices increase incentives to supply goods and end the shortage faster. But economists remain frustrated that their broad agreement fails to make an impact in politics or popular opinion. Florida and more than 30 other states have laws against price gouging. And at least in the
vice president’s estimation, the recent hurricanes made the term a useful attack for any price increases she may not like. We often spend so much time debating the idea of price gouging that we forget to ask what the fuss is about. States no doubt receive tips revealing some amount of consumer exploitation and other unsavory business practices. Considering how much we hear from politicians and media about the practice during emergencies and their recoveries, we hear little about the hundreds of misdemeanor investigations after storms have passed. What few specifics on consumer complaints we do hear look little like the textbook case we debate.
In the wake of Helene, media outlets reviewed limited samples of the complaints, most that took place in the areas hardest hit by stormsurge flooding. Turns out most were related to fuel and occurred before the disaster rather than after.
Maybe there were complaints of gas stations selling at high prices, but none has been reported by the state or the media. Instead, complaints focused on stations being out of fuel — up to 75% of gas stations in these areas were sold out of gasoline before Milton hit.
Examples of actual allegations included a seller only leaving his premium pump on before storms and another of a 10-cent price increase. As a whole, consumer complaints appear more the product of chaos, frustration and most importantly many gas stations entirely sold out.
In early October, Florida Attorney
General Ashley Moody reported a “rapid response team” investigating 160 consumer complaints. As of late October, the office’s website remained emblazoned with a red banner reading “STATE OF EMERGENCY IN EFFECT. REPORT POSSIBLE PRICE GOUGING.”
There is no evidence that the resources put into hotlines and investigations during the most serious of emergencies ensnare anything more than angry consumers looking for sellers with any stock. In effect, the current system is taking in mostly reports of too little price gouging, leading to shortages, than too much of it.
So while politicians love to talk about price gouging to rile up voters, there is scant evidence of anything like price gouging. One of us was here in Sarasota through both Helene and Milton and did not witness any gouging — places that ran out of things charged normal prices once they got resupplied.
The government waste and media overhype might be cause for amusement were they not occupying significant resources and far more than their share of public attention when everything and everyone is stretched to the limit.
From local officials all the way up the chain to the vice president, one struggles to find benefits from state anti-price gouging laws like Florida’s other than false badges of honor sought by those enforcing the law.
Adrian Moore, a Sarasota resident, is vice president and Max Gulker is senior policy analyst at the Reason Foundation.
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MATT WALSH
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Calle de Costa Rica on Siesta Key — one day and one month after Milton.
ADRIAN MOORE AND MAX GULKER
Sarasota’s labor market may see big shortages
Market analyst says aging population is not being replaced.
JIM DELA DIGITAL CONTENT PRODUCER
The labor market in Sarasota County is OK for the moment, but the forecast has clouds on the horizon, a labor analyst says.
“We are accelerating our older age population, and we are not replacing it with a younger population, both here in Sarasota, Sarasota County, and across the nation,” Christopher Laney said.
At a luncheon hosted by the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce, Laney, a vice president of Lightcast, a labor market analytics firm, said the area’s fastest growing industries — construction, health care and food service — are some of the areas his company expects to experience labor shortages nationwide in the next five years.
A large part of the problem is Sarasota’s aging population, he said, and pointed to the fact that a large number of people in the workforce here are nearing retirement. With the average age of retirement in the U.S. at 61, there are 249,000 residents in Sarasota over the age of 55.
At the same time, there are only 59,000 millennials living in Sarasota County, well below the national average. Laney said the national average number of millennials for an area this size is over 95,000. By 2030, he said the percentage of the population between 20 and 39 years of age is expected to rise only 13%, while those 40-54 will rise 18%, and those 75 and older will grow by 20%.
With fewer young people available to provide services to the older population who are still consuming services, the challenge of filling those jobs will accelerate.
The explosive growth of the area only compounds the problem. “First and foremost, let’s talk about pop-
ulation,” he explained. “Sarasota continues to outpace the state and national average. You guys feel it on the roads. You feel it in housing. You grew by 10% over the last five years. You’re expected to grow by another 9% over the next five years.”
From 2018 to 2023, the number of jobs in Sarasota County increased by 9.1%, nearly twice the national average. And that trend is expected to continue.
“So if you’re feeling the workforce shortages now within your organization, we’re going to add 7,000 more jobs projected between now and 2028,” Laney said, “so this is something that we continuously monitor, especially coming out of a pretty interesting political season.”
EDUCATIONAL GOALS AT ODDS WITH JOB MARKETS
Laney says labor shortages may exist because of the high value placed on higher education.
“Right now, 49% of our population is carrying an associate’s degree or higher … that is a good thing,” he said.
But it’s detouring younger people from the workforce areas where they’re sorely needed. “One of the challenges that we are seeing in the labor market is ... a lot of the jobs that we really need to keep our society running are the jobs that do not require a college degree.”
He quickly said he’s not discounting the value of higher education. “We know it’s important for certain jobs to continuously still have those educational requirements on them,” he said, “but when we look at the top 10 jobs most in demand in America right now, only one of those jobs requires a college degree. The other nine do not.”
In a chart he displayed listing the top projected jobs in Sarasota that earn at least $20 an hour, the top 20 did not require a four-year degree. They included:
■ Respiratory therapists (AA degree)
■ Roofers (no formal education credentials)
■ Diagnostic medical Sonographers (AA degree)
■ Floor layers (no formal education credentials)
■ Sheet metal workers (High school diploma or equivalent)
■ Dental hygienists (AA degree)
■ Medical Equipment Preparers (High school diploma or equivalent)
■ Physical Therapist assistants (AA degree)
■ Heating, Air conditioning and refrigeration mechanics (postsecondary nondegree award)
■ Tile and stone setters (no formal education credentials)
■ Industrial machinery mechanics (High school diploma or equivalent)
■ Plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters (High school diploma or equivalent)
■ Real estate brokers (High school diploma or equivalent)
DEPORTATION EFFORTS AND THE WORKFORCE
Laney was asked about the effects of possible mass deportations of immigrants once the Trump administration is sworn in in January.
“The Hispanic population is definitely outpacing much of areas around the country, which is a key demographic group when we talk about the labor market,” he observed.
“In a competitive landscape, it is really important that we don’t want more people coming into the country, because I don’t want to compete for those jobs. Well, when you have a massive labor shortage, we need everybody we can get to do those jobs,” he said.
“Right now in the state of Florida, 48% of all individuals working in home health aides are foreign born today. Right now, you have about 2 million individuals that are undocumented in the state of Florida, that about 60, 65% of them are working in some of those key occupations group in the food service industry, construction industry.
“So when we start to think about the importance of immigration to our economy, it’s going to be pretty significant in terms of labor shortages, and it is something that we have not shed light or shied away from … because we’re just looking
at the data.”
He said there’s still a conversation to be had around immigration and the value to the labor force.
“I think it’s just so polarizing. It’s a difficult conversation to have,” he said.
“I don’t believe, and most of our economists do not believe that we will see mass deportations. We will see elements of some deportation to meet the needs of that base to say we’re doing it, but we don’t anticipate it to be as broad as the rhetoric was.”
LOCAL STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES
While Laney is based in Boise, Idaho, he knows Sarasota County well. He was the Workforce Education Director for CareerSource Suncoast from 2016-2020, where he presented workforce data that aligned education and workforce programming.
Laney says Sarasota has some things going for it. “One thing, you have a pipeline of talent. This community is so fortunate to have such great institutions, whether it’s universities, colleges and or technical colleges,” he said.
“So there’s a pipeline of talent to meet a lot of the needs that we have shortages in. So that’s a positive. So one of the areas that’s going to be really important is how to retain those talents from institutions.
An area to work on, he said was create new industry. “You’ve got to continuously diversify the industries here, not to focus just on hospitality, retail, construction,” he cautioned.
“I have seen an unfortunate downturn in some manufacturing here. I would like to see that increase more. There has been an increase in jobs and biotech, but not enough to change the data.
“I know there’s been a focus on a sports tourism area as well. I would be curious to see how that, over the course of the next five years, how that continues to grow as a key industry.”
Jim Dela
Christopher Laney says the labor market in Sarasota County is OK for the moment, but the forecast has clouds on the horizon.
Circus Arts Conservatory co-founders step down
Pedro Reis and Dolly Jacobs are succeeded by 16-year veteran Jennifer Mitchell, who has been named president and CEO.
edro Reis and Dolly Jacobs, cofounders of the Circus Arts Conservatory, are stepping down from the helm of the Sarasota nonprofit they founded to preserve and advance circus arts worldwide.
The husband-and-wife team will be succeeded by Jennifer Mitchell, who has been named president and CEO by the CAC board in a leadership transition that has been long in the making.
creation of the conservatory in 2013.
Mitchell was previously CAC executive vice president and chief operating officer, a position she held for more than a decade. She joined the circus arts organization in 2008, when it was known as Circus Sarasota, as marketing and public relations coordinator.
Although Reis and Jacobs are relinquishing their management titles, they will continue to provide guidance and support to the CAC. Both are former circus performers. Reis is a native of South Africa and helped bring the glamour of European-style circus to Sarasota.
Jacobs is a former aerialist and the daughter of famed clown Lou Jacobs, a longtime performer with the Ringling Bros. & Barnum and Bailey Circus. Her mother, Jean Rockwell Jacobs, was a fashion model who became a circus artist.
Dolly Jacobs was a featured performer with both Ringling Bros., which made its winter home in Sarasota, and the Big Apple Circus in New York City.
Together, Reis and Jacobs have created a vibrant organization dedicated to keeping circus arts alive.
In a statement, the CAC credited Mitchell with the 2011 acquisition of the Sailor Circus, which led to the
During Mitchell’s tenure as COO, the CAC participated in a circus program at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in 2017 and completed a $5 million campaign to renovate and add air conditioning to the Sailor Circus Arena. Mitchell also served as the lead strategist in developing circus magnet programs at Sarasota High School and Booker Middle School.
“Our board knows that, in Jennifer, there is a deep knowledge of our mission and clear passion for our work in the circus arts,” said CAC board Chair Shari Ashman in a statement.
“She is a highly effective leader with proven ability to consistently position CAC for success as a rapidly evolving organization.”
Added Reis, “Jennifer is very highly regarded in the circus arts world and local communities, and her passion and knowledge of the CAC’s business model, educational programming and community outreach is unsurpassed.” Mitchell’s connection to the CAC is more than professional. Her daughter, Emma Clarke, trained for more than a decade with the Sailor Circus Academy. Clarke is performing professionally this year with Wonderland, the holiday circus formed by Nik Wallenda and the CAC in 2023. Its “Illuminate” performances will be held from Nov. 29 through Jan. 5. at the big top near the UTC mall.
Courtesy image Circus Arts Conservatory founders Pedro Reis and Dolly Jacobs are stepping down from their management roles.
Transfer rights for homes?
Development rights transfer wins unanimous Planning Board recommendation.
ANDREW WARFIELD
With its unanimous vote, the Sarasota Planning Board is all in with the city’s plan to offer a transfer of development rights program for owners of downtown historic buildings and noncontributing structures in historic districts.
The proposal is a privately initiated plan developed by the Sarasota
Alliance for Historic Preservation with the help of planning consultant Kimley-Horn.
On Nov. 13, the Planning Board recommended approval of an ordinance to allow owners of such properties to sell height and density rights to owners of non-historic buildings or sites within the downtown zone districts. Once sold, those rights are removed from the sending structure in perpetuity. The ordinance will next be considered by the City Commission.
The Planning Board took an extra step, though, to request the commission to explore developing a program to owners of single-family homes in historic residential neighborhoods
surrounding the downtown. Also, in a separate vote, members asked the City Commission to consider extending the two-story transfer limit to four stories in situations that provide enough density to warrant the height.
The rub with single-family homes, members unanimously agreed, is the trend of owners and investors buying homes in neighborhoods such as Gillespie Park, Laurel Park, Arlington Park and others, then replacing them with new single-family or even multifamily structures that are out of scale and inconsistent with the surrounding character.
Some kind of incentive for those homeowners to not sell for rede -
velopment‚ whatever development rights can be concocted for those properties‚ may help preserve the vintage neighborhoods. As with the commercial TDR, the rights are worth whatever a buyer is willing to pay for them.
Back to the downtown commercial districts, the TDR creates three zones: sending zones, receiving zones and hybrid sending and receiving zones. Owners of historic and noncontributing commercial properties may opt to sell height and density permitted within their zone district to owners of properties in a receiving zone, or properties in a sending and receiving zone.
The idea is to maintain the scale, for example, of Main Street while allowing building owners to monetize their permitted height and density without actually building it. With the accompanying deed restriction, neighbors of the current or future owner of such a property may replace a building with a larger structure. Should the building be damaged or destroyed by fire or storm, it may only be replaced with one of similar size.
Sending site owners can sell all or part of their development rights, or sell them in pieces to multiple parties. Board member Shane Lamay said the program can be effective in the downtown business areas, but protection should also be considered for the neighborhoods.
“This is really well done, and it will definitely go a long way in making a better city,” Lamay said. “But the single-family neighborhoods ... they’re building lot line to lot line, and these houses are uncharacteristic of the rest of the neighborhood vernacular. This could be a tool that the city could use to fight that, but it won’t work the way it’s written because those lots just don’t have that much to give and so they’re not that valuable in terms the transferable development rights that they can offer.”
In a single-family neighborhood, a buyer could in theory acquire development rights of multiple singlefamily homes for use in a receiving zone project under such a program if it were exist. Lamay suggested a multiplier to magnify the value of a single-family TDR to enhance its
worth to a potential development rights buyer.
Otherwise, with a two-story limit on single-family homes in residential zone districts, the only unused development right would be the equivalent square footage of a second story where one does not currently exist.
A POSSIBLE HEIGHT EXPANSION?
After the planning board unanimously approved recommending the TDR ordinance for City Commission approval, Chairman Michael Halflants motioned the commission consider permitting maximum available height transfer from two stories to four. That would create a variable height aesthetic between the 18-story wall of buildings in the Downtown Bayfront and the 10-story maximum Downtown Core height.
“I think it would be worth considering,” said Planning Director Steve Cover.
Board member Dan Clermont said the four-story limit could be a valuable tool to preserve a historic building of considerable size with enough development rights height and density to permit a transfer of that volume. And besides, he added, from the street level there isn’t any real discernible difference between a 10-story building and a 14-story building.
“I think it’s a price worth paying if it’s going to save a large historic site,” Clermont said. “I really believe that once a building gets to a certain height you really don’t notice it as much. There’s a big difference between a three- and an eight-story building, but when you’re walking around and there’s a 10-story and a 14-story, you don’t really notice that as much. And I do like the idea of undulating heights instead of all at 10 and all at 18 (stories).”
Member Dan DeLeo said he wasn’t opposed to the idea, but it wasn’t a consideration of the Sarasota Alliance for Historic Preservation when crafting the ordinance, and that the additional two stories concept can be revisited should circumstances warrant.
Halflants’ motion to recommend researching the idea was approved 3-2, with DeLeo and Terrill Salem opposed.
Andrew Warfield
The former S.H. Kress store in downtown Sarasota is an example of a property that would be eligible to transfer its by-right developable height and density to a developer of a receiving site.
A SENIOR PET MONTH
Seniors for Seniors
not
Sarasota County is transitioning to automated garbage collection in March 2025. Residents living in unincorporated Sarasota County may select their preferred size garbage cart between Nov. 11-Dec. 31. For more information including
SATURDAY, NOV. 9
FURY OF A WOMAN SCORNED
1:30 a.m., Highland Street
Criminal mischief: An early morning disturbance between a man and woman resulted in a damaged air conditioning unit, broken glass in the front door of a home and damage to a vehicle in the driveway that did not belong to the either party.
The complainant told officers he was awakened from a peaceful slumber by knocking on his bedroom door by a woman whom he had dated for 12 years. He advised that the pair have a child in common. Once he realized who it was, the complainant said he told her he did not wish to engage in a spirited debate, at which time she began to grab bricks from around the mailbox and throw them at the door and the air conditioning unit.
Damage to the home is estimated at $2,000.
After the glass was broken, she grabbed more bricks and began to strike the vehicle with them, damaging the driver side mirror and door, also leaving scrapes on several windows. That damage is also estimated at about $2,000.
After the car was damaged, both the resident and vehicle owner, who arrived as the tantrum was underway, witnessed the subject drive away in a white Corvette.
Officers located the woman at her registered address where the Corvette was parked. She was placed under arrest and booked at Sarasota County Jail.
THURSDAY, NOV. 7
WADDA YOU LOOKIN’ AT?
11:30 a.m., 100 block of North Lemon Avenue
Dispute: Responding to reports of an altercation between two males, an officer spoke with the complainant who appeared to be intoxicated, a suspicion confirmed by the heavy odor of alcohol. He said he was sitting at the terminal waiting for a bus when an unknown male was staring at him “for no reason.” The subject left the area on a bicycle before the officer arrived on scene.
The man said he informed the subject three times to not stare at him, and when he failed to comply with the request the complainant became upset and, lacking any evidence to suggest the veracity of his claim, called him a “homosexual.”
That’s when the subject walked up to the complainant, he said, and punched him in the face. There was no evidence of the punch and the man refused medical attention.
Another officer spoke with a witness who confirmed the complainant told the man to stop staring and then addressed him with a racial epithet in addition to uttering the sexual orientation slur. He also
advised the subject never struck the complainant, even after threatening to do so, before leaving on his bike. Officers viewed video footage of the unpleasant encounter, which showed no physical altercation took place. No further action was taken.
FRIDAY, NOV. 8
TRUCK VS. TREE
4:42 p.m., 1700 block of Prospect Street
Property damage: A moving tractor trailer took out a large tree branch and a mailbox while leaving after moving in a customer into a nearby home. The truck was leaving the area when the top of the cab hooked a large branch, breaking off part of the tree and knocking over a cast iron mailbox.
The homeowner had already contacted her landscaper, who had efficiently removed the tree having stacked pieces of the limb in front of her home. The driver of the truck provided the name and phone number of the Maryland-based moving company, as well as its insurance company contact information. A case number was provided to both parties and no further action was taken.
Kelly’s legendary Roast Beef Sandwiches and Fresh New England Seafood.
SPORTS
Fast Break
Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School’s football team continues to roll towards their second straight state championship, with 16 straight wins dating back to last season. The Cougars have benefited from emerging young talent — quarterback Devin Mignery and running back Connail Jackson are both full-time starters for the first time in their careers.
... Riverview High freshman phenom Madison Muller showed out at the FHSAA Cross-Country 4A State Finals on Nov. 16 in Tallahassee, finishing second in the girls 5,000-meter run with a blistering time of 17:54.20. Her teammate Noelle Tenaglia finished 17th with a time of 19:57.70.
... The Sarasota High Girls crosscountry team finished fourth in the girls 5K run of the cross-sountry 4A state finals. Indy Grajalez finished ninth overall thanks to a school-record time of 18:22.90. Marley Bowen finished 34th with a time of 19:17.60, and Alexa Daverio finished 36th with a time of 19:19.70.
... The Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School football team defeated Somerset Academy 55-27 in the regional quarterfinals of the 2A FHSAA State Championship tournament on Nov. 15. Sophomore running back Connail Jackson had five rushing touchdowns and junior quarterback Devin Mignery threw a 75-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Kymistrii Young. The Cougars next play at home against West Palm Beach King’s Academy (8-3) at home at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 22.
... The Booker High Tornadoes routed Hardee 58-6 in the regional quarterfinals of the 3A FHSAA State Championship tournament on Nov. 15. On the season, quarterback Ryan Downes has thrown 29 touchdown passes to zero interceptions. Booker will face off against Brooksville Nature Coast Tech (6-5) at home at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 22.
... The Riverview High Girls soccer team defeated Cardinal Mooney 1-0 on November 13 to improve their record to 3-0. Senior Bailey Springman scored the Rams’ only goal. Riverview next faces off against Parrish Community High School (1-0-1) at 7 p.m. on Nov. 19.
Junior quarterback Devin Mignery is all smiles during Cardinal Mooney’s 55-27 win over Somerset Acad emy Canyons High School in the regional quarterfinals of the 2A FHSAA Football State Championship tournament.
“I’ve definitely worked on my athleticism a lot. That was the huge thing ...”
Cardinal Mooney starts its journey toward second title
The Cougars are one step closer to a second straight state title after downing Somerset Academy in the Class 2A Regional Quarterfinals.
DYLAN CAMPBELL SPORTS REPORTER
It wasn’t a packed house at Cardinal Mooney High School’s football field this past Friday night. Perhaps it was because of the cold — the temperature quickly dropped into the low 60s after the sun went down.
Maybe members of the student body had other things going on, for basketball and winter sports have just gotten underway. Or maybe it was because they knew what was going to happen.
The crowd in the stands, bundled in blankets and sweatshirts, knew to a degree they weren’t needed — Cardinal Mooney has won every game it has played this season by at least 20 points.
The Cougars’ 55-27 victory in the 2A regional quarterfinal over Somerset Academy Canyons was nothing new for the program or the fans.
Since winning their first state championship in 51 years in 2023, the Cougars have logged 16 wins in a row. What the victory was, however, was yet another sign for their opponents: that the freight train that is Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School football isn’t slowing down, at least not anytime soon.
The Cardinal Mooney Cougars are a program that has been built upon the backs of their young players. Stepping into full-time starting roles this year are junior quarterback Devin Mignery and sophomore running back Connail Jackson, two of the driving forces on an offense that averages 265.5 rushing yards per game.
Mignery, a 6-foot, dual-threat quarterback, got a taste of the starting role last year, when he filled in for then-injured starter Michael Valentino. Although Valentino eventually returned, the Cougars dropped only one regular season game with Mignery under center, providing valuable time for the young quarterback to grow and develop.
“Devon is the ultimate leader. He’s exactly what you want in the quarterback. He’s one of the strongest guys in the weight room. He’s in some of the best shape on the team. You know, he comes to school at seven o’clock every morning and meets with our offensive coordinator. He loves the game. He loves the posi-
oftentimes to Young, a 6-foot-3 junior receiver who leads the team in touchdown receptions with nine.
“When you have as many threats as we do, you know, you have to spread the ball around. I think we’ve got one of the best running backs in the state. We have, you know, some of the best receivers in the state. We do everything we can to get those guys the ball on the perimeter,” Mignery said. “And then in terms of offensive line we’ve got the best left tackle in the nation and some really good linemen next to him, so we can run the ball as well. It opens up a lot of pathways where we can attack defenses.”
A DESTINATION FOR TALENT
Since winning the class 1S FHSAA Football State Championship last season, the Cougars have become a destination for transfer players in the Sarasota football scene.
THE ROAD AHEAD
Cardinal Mooney faces a tough test when it squares off against King’s Academy in the Regional Semifinals.
Where: Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School
Mooney’s offense to be as dynamic as it is. Lining up in the shotgun next to Jackson, Mignery forces defenses to worry about both him and Jackson running out of the backfield, opening holes on the perimeter and downfield for his receivers.
That versatility — combined with a stalwart offensive line — provides Mignery with the opportunity to run his favorite play, the speed option, which he did again and again on Fri-
“It’s definitely one of our go-to’s. If we can block up the outside and get 34 (Jackson) up the rail on the perimeter then it’s him one-on-one with the safety and I’m taking him every
Within an offense that averages 47.3 points a game, however, Mignery is perhaps more Robin than Batman — that role goes to Jackson, who ran for five scores on Friday’s victory
At 5-foot-11, 180 pounds, Jackson is lean and lithe, but as the Cougars’ number one option he doesn’t shy away from contact. More than just a speed back, two of Jackson’s rushing touchdowns against Somerset came from up the middle from inside the
A run-heavy offense, the Cougars average just under 13 pass attempts per game compared to 33 rushing attempts per game. When they do pass, however, they like to go deep,
Joining Cardinal Mooney this year are impact players such as junior defensive end Elijah Golden, a fourstar recruit from IMG Academy, who leads the team in sacks with eight. Colton Davis, a 5-foot-10 cornerback with offers from Pitt and South Carolina, transferred in this season along with senior running back Marcus Galloway, who came from Braden River. Brothers Chase, a senior, and Max Polivchak, a junior, have shored up the offensive line since transferring from The Out-of-Door Academy this past summer.
Despite the harboring multiple transfers, however, the Cougars have maintained excellent team chemistry, in large part due to how hard they practice.
Their team motto — TNT — exemplifies what the Cougars strive for in their quest for a second straight state title, says junior wide receiver/ running back/kick returner Mason Jordan.
“TNT stands for teammate, no doubt and toughness, and that’s truly what makes up our squad. It’s a bunch of teammates, playing for the guy next to you and picking each other up when we’re down,” said Jordan. “No doubt is about just working hard and going to bed at night knowing that you gave everything you had. And toughness, well, that’s just about having grit.”
When: Nov. 22, 7:30 p.m. A win against King’s Academy would put the Cougars just two victories away from advancing to another state title game.
— Johnny Lackaff, sophomore guard, Sarasota High basketball SEE PAGE 17
Cardinal Mooney junior Mason Jordan wears many hats for the Cougars including slot receiver, running back, kick returner and special teams gunner.
Photos by Dylan Campbell
Cardinal Mooney head coach Jared Clark led the Cougars to their first state title in 51 years in the 2023-24 season.
Booker High Tornadoes are rolling toward another deep playoff run
Under head coach
Scottie Littles Booker High football has transformed into a contender.
Talent is not an issue for the Booker High Tornadoes. With a roster full of Division 1 recruits, they have the ability to go toe to toe with any team in their class. But it wasn’t always this way. When head coach Scottie Littles took over the program, Booker had just logged three straight eight-loss seasons. There were only 20 players on the roster. Things looked bleak, but soon Booker’s fortune started to turn.
In Littles’ first year, Booker went 6-5. Last season, the Tornadoes posted a 9-5 record and surprised everyone when they won their region, advancing to a final four in the state championship tournament.
This year, thanks in part to an influx of impact local transfers, they’re 8-3 and primed for another shot at a deep playoff run.
It turns out transfer talent can get you a lot of things. It can get you senior quarterback Ryan Downes, a Cornell commit who transferred from Venice High school this year. He’s thrown 29 touchdowns to zero interceptions this season. It can get you running backs like D.J. Johnson, who transferred from Riverview High in September, a Division 1 recruit who leads the team in rushing yards and touchdowns. It can get you players like two-way all-star Dylan Wester, who fields multiple Division I offers and Chauncey Kennon, a four-star cornerback who sees time on both sides of the ball.
Transfer talent, however, can also bring scrutiny and outside noise. This fall, FHSAA lifted a suspension on Littles after finding him guilty of violating the association’s recruiting rules. Many of Booker’s troubles
this season — early season losses to Tampa Berkley Prep and Riverview due to undisciplined, disorganized play — stemmed from a lack of cohesion within the locker room.
On a crowded roster, every player is competing for a chance to show what they’ve got.
“People think that having good players makes it easier to coach, but I have to get those good players to play good consistently, you know?
It’s a lot of work to get that really talented kid to be the best version of himself,” said Littles, who is also the athletic director. “And then once you get him to be the best version of him, how’s that going to mesh with the best version of the next player and the player after that? Football is the ultimate team
sport. It’s the ultimate equalizer. You can’t cheat it and think you’re going to be successful.”
Those losses, however, brought Booker together. Within Booker’s recent success, a culture had been built — one that wouldn’t balk at the introduction of new faces or cave to the outside noise.
When Booker had entered the regional tournament last year as a seven seed, the team wasn’t expected to last past the first round. When it won its region, however, and made it to the final four of the state championship tournament before losing to eventual state champion Cocoa High School, it set a precedent, a standard, an expectation that Littles had been preaching since the day he arrived on campus.
LED WITH LOVE
When Scottie Littles took over the Booker High football program, there wasn’t much to be found. The roster consisted of 20 players and had just gone through three straight eight-loss seasons. Booker’s turnaround — which in part is credited to an influx of transfer players — has been made possible by Littles’ approach to coaching. “I truly invest in the holistic approach of the student athlete. It’s a relationship. It’s so much bigger than they’re just here to get a job done or get a scholarship,” said Littles. “It allows us to have those honest conversations. People say it all the time, but it’s true: the kids don’t care what you know until they know that you care.”
“I was telling everybody that we’re going to win the region, we’re going to compete for state titles, we’re going to be one of those teams year in and year out that has a chance at the end of the season. And it was all talk until last year, when we went out and did it — we have ninth and tenth graders and all they know are the playoffs,” said Little. “It’s just changed the mindset of our program to where now it’s expected to win, it’s expected to be successful, it’s expected to play in big games.” And play in big games they have. Since dropping consecutive games to Riverview and Sebring High School, the Tornadoes have rattled off five straight wins, including a dominant 58-6 victory over Hardee High School in the regional quarterfinals of the Class 3A FHSAA State Championship tournament. The offense, filled with a seemingly disparate group of skill position players, has gelled. It’s a unit, led by the cerebral Downes, that is averag-
ing roughly 52 points a game.
The passing and rushing attacks have both flourished. Junior Tyron Wortham, who has multiple Division I offers Littles said, averaged over 100 receiving yards per game in the regular season, pacing the team with 1,040 yards and 14 touchdown receptions on the year. Freshman Tyree Mannings Jr. wasn’t far behind, with 765 yards and seven touchdown catches in the regular season.
Transfers Wester and Kennon — who leads the team in passes defended — also provide options for Downes to go to.
Senior running backs Johnson and Rashawn Peterson have gashed opposing defenses, rushing for a combined 20 touchdowns in the regular season.
What Littles is most proud of, however, is how his team has rallied together to play for something larger than themselves.
When players are not worried about their stats, how many targets or carries they get in a game, but instead just focused on the next play at hand, is when it all comes together for the Booker Tornadoes. Because for Booker, Littles says, it’s not about beating their next opponent. It’s about beating themselves in the constant battle for perfection. If they can do that, then the sky’s the limit for the Tornadoes. “I mean, why not Booker? Why not us? We’ve got the talent, we’ve got the staff,” said Littles. “It’s really going to come down to us. Can we focus, be disciplined and lock in? If we can do that, I really like our chances.”
Dylan Campbell is the sports reporter for the East County Observer. Contact him at DCampbell@ YourObserver.com.
File photo Booker High senior quarterback Ryan Downes launches a pass against Carrollwood Day.
Johnny Lackaff
Johnny Lackaff is a sophomore guard on the Sarasota High basketball team. Last year, he proved integral to the Sailors winning their first district title since 2005, leading the team in points per game with 13. The Sailors open their season against IMG Academy on Nov. 19.
When did you start playing basketball and why?
Probably around second or third grade. I really started enjoying it and started loving it probably in sixth grade. When COVID hit, I was stuck at home, and had a hoop in the driveway. I fell in love with it there, and just my parents helped me, my coaches, friends all helped me and supported me and just built that love.
What is the appeal to you?
I love the team aspect, that it’s not so focused on just you. I just love that aspect of going into battle with your teammates that you love.
What’s your best skill on the court?
I can shoot the ball.
Do you have a player that you emulate?
I would say that I definitely lookup toward my dad, but right now, I love the guy that the Houston Rockets just drafted, Reed Sheppard. He can shoot and plays really good defense as well.
What’s your favorite basketball memory?
Well, I’d like to go back to last year. We had a great season and won the district championship over North Port. Man that was so fun. All the guys were bought into it and supportive of each other.
What have you been working on to improve? I’ve definitely worked on my athleti-
If you would like to make a recommendation for the Sarasota Observer’s Athlete of the Week feature, send it to Dylan Campbell at DCampbell@ YourObserver.com.
cism a lot. That was the huge thing.
I’ve been in the weight room three, four days a week this past year.
What’s your favorite food? Man, I’m telling you, the birthday is always going to be DaRuMa Steakhouse. I love the Japanese style.
What’s your favorite television show?
I’d say “Untold: Swamp Kings” on Netflix.
What’s your favorite school subject?
I’ve always been pretty good at math, but this year I have a great health-science teacher, so probably that.
What are your hobbies? I love hanging out with the family and watching my little brother play sports. I used to be a big video games guy, but not so much anymore.
What’s the best advice that you’ve received?
I just go back to what my mom and dad always say about competitiveness: You’re not given anything.
You’ve got to work for it. My teammates and I will show up to the gym at 6 a.m. to get some shots up and a lift in. That’s really helped me to get where I am today and to hopefully keep pushing forward in my career.
Finish this sentence: “Johnny Lackaff is ...” A stud.
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Young stars in the spotlight
Much of Sarasota’s talent in the realm of arts and entertainment involves young or rising performers found in the local area.
However, it had not been showcased in an event until now, said Jeffery Kin, executive director of Sarasota Rising, during Sarasota Rising: A Celebration of Youth on Nov. 17.
The grand finale of the organization’s inaugural Living Arts Festival, the event brought together organizations as varied as The Sarasota Ballet, Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe and Sarasota Contemporary Dance as it packed the auditorium of the Circus Arts Conservatory.
Offering musical accompaniment were performers from organizations including Sarasota Rising Orchestra, Riverview High School, Sarasota Young Voices, Sarasota Music Conservatory, Sarasota Youth Opera, Key Chorale and Venice Symphony Youth Orchestra.
“It was magical. I just think it was so much fun,” said Evelyn Lyman, 21, of Sarasota Cuban Ballet School. “The audience was wonderful, and all of the other performers were just amazing, and it was so wonderful to be able to collaborate with everybody and appreciate the diversity and hard work of all the performers.”
Recognition for the show’s best performance went to Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe.
“When you consider the level of talent that was here, it was just a really great surprise,” said Jim Weaver, the organization’s education director. “It’s just very, very humbling.”
— IAN SWABY
The cast of “Grease,” with Rise Above Performing Arts, performs “Tell Me More,” with Lara Cramer-Ekeberg, as Sandy, at the microphone.
Alice Hafner performs in the lyra to “Alice’s Theme” from “Alice in Wonderland.”
The event welcomed various musical performers.
Zaylie Ellis, 18, walks the tightrope.
Evelyn Lyman, 21 and Brian Guerrero, 24, from Sarasota Cuban Ballet School perform a scene from “The Nutcracker.”
Performers from Sarasota Ballet offer a final bow.
Keegan Belvin, 11, performs with Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe.
Photos by Ian Swaby
Storms don’t stop sand sculpting
Despite the impact of multiple hurricanes to Siesta Key, the Siesta Key Crystal Classic sand sculpting festival went on as scheduled.
In fact, sculptor Dean Arscott, a 2008 Ringling College of Art and Design graduate, was having an excellent time over the weekend.
It wasn’t just because he managed to win the first place award in both the sculptor’s and people’s choice categories, among a group of international artists.
“We’ve had gorgeous weather this year,” he said. “Didn’t have to deal with any rain. We had like a tiny, tiny little sprinkle the first morning, but that was virtually nothing, so it’s been as perfect as a sand sculpting event can be.”
The signature event of the Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce, the festival features professional sand sculpting, sand sculpting demos and lessons, an amateur competition and a professional speed-sculpting competition known as Quick Sand.
It is a major tourism and economic boost during the island’s shoulder season, said the Chamber’s Nancy-jo Manney, and for the fifth year in a row, the majority of the proceeds will go to Ringling College of Art and Design.
“We are very happy that, in spite of the hurricane, we are attracting a significant audience,” Manney said on Sunday, noting that numbers were “excellent” over the weekend.
WINNING SCULPTURES AT 2024 SIESTA KEY CRYSTAL CLASSIC
SCULPTOR’S CHOICE, SOLO “Neanderthal + Narwhal” by Dean Arscott
SCULPTOR’S CHOICE, DOUBLES “Patience” by Wilfred Stijger and Edith van de Wetering
PEOPLE’S CHOICE, SOLO
1st Place: “Neanderthal + Narwhal” by Dean Arscott
2nd Place: “The Future Awakens” by Maxim Gazendam 3rd Place: “Ready to Fly” by Agnese Rudzite-Krillova
PEOPLE’S CHOICE, DOUBLES
1st Place: “Be the Change” by Joaquin Cortez and Craig Mutch
2nd Place: “Patience” by Wilfred Stijger and Edith van de Wetering
3rd Place: “AI ... ” by Matthew Deibert and Ian Deibert
Isabelle Gasse finishes off “To Be Fold.”
“AI ...” by Matthew Deibert and Ian Deibert depict an artificial intelligence.
Joaquin Cortez and Craig Mutch won first place in the people’s choice awards, doubles, for “Be the Change.”
Photos by Ian Swaby
Artists gather atop the centerpiece sculpture.
No place like home
After exploring other options, Tyler Kirby decided to continue running Simon’s Coffee House, the restaurant founded by his father.
SWABY STAFF WRITER
Tyler Kirby started working at Simon’s Coffee House the day he graduated Sarasota Military Academy in 2007, quickly rising through the ranks to become head chef.
At some point, however, he still felt he wanted more than the coffee shop, which his father, Simon Kirby, founded in 1991.
Nonetheless, after a two-year search, he and his wife, Maya, say they’ve found where they were meant to be all along.
“From 17 ’til 30, all I knew was these four walls,” Tyler said. “And it’s hard to know what you have until you don’t have it anymore, and I didn’t know what was out there.”
Kirby describes himself as “fanatical about food.”
And, after working at the coffee house so long, he sought a different challenge.
“My parents had also separated pretty recently around that time, and we were kind of just lost. So I ended up leaving,” he said.
It was also around that time that Kirby’s parents sold the business to Jerry and Jill Williams.
Over the span of about two years, Kirby worked in roles that included positions at restaurants such as Florence and the Spice Boys and, most recently, PigFish at Calusa Brewing.
However, he found himself wanting to have more ownership and control in his management roles.
It came to the point that he and Maya began considering starting life
IF YOU GO
SIMON’S COFFEE HOUSE
5900 S. Tamiami Trail
anew in Portland, Oregon, a location that had impressed them while visiting for a wedding.
Yet, he had to ask a certain question first. He gave his father a call to find out whether a deal could be worked out with the coffee house.
It turned out the Williamses were thrilled to return ownership to the Kirby family, with Tyler returning on Nov. 1, and Simon serving as landlord.
Tyler said he doesn’t think the shop, which was built from the ground up and represents the legacy of his family, can be emulated.
The family, who owned restaurants in England, had come to Florida to seek sunshine and pursue the American Dream, when Simon Kirby founded it.
At that time, the plaza was largely dilapidated, Tyler said, but the shop grew from one unit, into three, becoming a community staple of plant-based eating in Sarasota.
In its laid-back atmosphere, it serves full breakfast and lunch, with juice, coffee, craft beer and wine.
He is also pursuing more ethical sourcing of food, now using 100% free-range eggs and chicken while growing the inclusion of locally made products.
“All the employees are so thankful to see us come back, to be the owners and me, to be family with them again,” he said. “We have customers crying from joy, hugging us.”
IAN
Ian Swaby Tyler and Maya Kirby took over ownership of Simon’s Coffee House Nov. 1.
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Fall festivities and school spirit
During the first year of the McIntosh Middle School Fall Festival, more than 400 families attended, said Principal McHenry Lerebours.
This year, as the festival began on Nov. 15, he said the school was hoping for even more attendees at the event, which is a showcase of the school’s offerings and a fundraiser for staff and students.
The event showcased departments of the school including its agricultural programs and its HAWKS Academy for Gifted and Advanced Studies, as well as vendors and business partners, and began with a Turkey Trot race through the woods.
Seventh grader Raelynn Bontrager, who is involved in 4-H and Youth Leaders in Production Agriculture, said the festival was an opportunity to showcase her lifelong passion for agriculture.
“People who come to these things don’t typically get to have a weekly encounter with animals, so I like this because animals can get used to people. People get to meet animals,” she said.
Sarasota High School juniors Alanah Lytle and Kieran Clarke, and McIntosh Middle School teacher Mark Prybylski provided balloons.
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ELC Sarasota Builds Bright Futures for Our Littlest Learners
Early childhood is a critical time in life, as 90% of brain development occurs before the age of five. This is why the Early Learning Coalition of Sarasota County (ELC) is dedicated to ensuring that every child in our community has access to high-quality early education. The nonprofit supports childcare providers in key areas including teacher training, preschool enhancements, and early literacy resources. For families, the ELC offers financial assistance, access to Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten (VPK) and tools to find quality care.
The ELC serves 4,000 children and assists 150 childcare providers annually, yet the work doesn’t stop there. As the local population grows, so does the need for early educators. The ELC’s apprenticeship program helps individuals launch a preschool teaching career for free, no experience necessary. It also supports rising educators pursuing a teacher credential, at no cost to them. Apprenticeship is one of many ELC initiatives that empower teachers with knowledge, skills and tools, so they can create nurturing environments. After all, high-quality childcare is rooted in trained teachers.
Alongside professional development, the ELC recognizes how a child’s learning environment shapes their experience. That’s why it enlists individuals, students and corporate volunteers for preschool makeovers, breathing new life into childcare centers with bright, welcoming spaces that spark growth and imagination. From refreshing playgrounds to sanitizing toys or painting murals, these makeovers offer something for everyone, with tasks that suit all skill levels.
Because early reading skills set the stage for future academic success, the ELC provides resources for little ones including books, educational materials, and interactive literacy tools. The “Bucket of Books” initiative tackles book deserts by supplying free books in the waiting rooms of businesses for children to enjoy.
HELP THE ELC
TRANSFORM LIVES
Dedicated volunteers drive the ELC’s mission, expanding its impact and reach. There are numerous ways to get involved, from assisting with special events to participating in the popular Literacy Buddy Program.
Literacy Buddies commit to purchasing three new books for a preschooler throughout the school year and exchanging drawings and letters with their little “buddy.” This meaningful connection builds home libraries and inspires a lasting enthusiasm for books-a simple yet powerful way to make a profound impact on a child’s life.
Learn more at: elcsarasota.org
Sponsorship by Early Learning Coalition of Sarasota County; the State of Florida and Florida Department of Education’s Division of Early Learning
Early Learning Coalition of Sarasota County Administrative Office and Parent Lobby 1750 17th Street, Building L Sarasota, Florida 34234 (941) 954-4830
The ELC Sarasota is ready to connect with you. Contact us at: mail@elcsarasota.org or visit elcsarasota.org
— IAN SWABY
Photos by Ian Swaby
Noble Molineaux, 8, and Nyla Molineaux, 6, hold Brownie the chicken.
Fifth grader Brody Peters and ninth grader Brooklyn Peters applaud as the Turkey Trot is officiated.
Rebuild with resilience
Architecture Sarasota is leading an effort to repair historic buildings in the wake of hurricanes.
IAN SWABY
rchitecture Sarasota President Marty Hylton III feels like someone “in the right place at the right time, in terms of my areas of interest.”
The aftermath of multiple hurricanes has brought significant challenges for historic buildings.
In fact, a demolition permit has been filed for the Siesta Key building Sandy Hook, one of the few residences by renowned modernist architect Victor Lundy, who died at age 101 this month.
“I hope I can bring a lot,” said Hylton, who is the country’s first historic architect for climate change. “I certainly bring an understanding of the recovery process itself, and particularly recovery after coastal events like hurricanes.”
In fact, “Restoring a Sense of Place” was the focus of this year’s Sarasota MOD Weekend, an event featuring architecture tours, discussions and more held Nov. 14 to 17. However, a project of the same
ABOUT RESTORING A SENSE OF PLACE
■ Documentation
■ Assessments
■ Information ■ Nomination For more information on Restoring a Sense of Place, visit ArchitectureSarasota.org.
name has been underway since October, and doesn’t end with the event.
Solutions for storm damage, according to Dave Baber, president of the Sarasota Alliance for Historic Preservation, many historic buildings were damaged on the barrier islands, with water infiltration and sand, in many cases, being an issue.
“The materials that we’re using now changed, the codes have changed,” said architect Michael Epstein during the event “Brunch with the Bunch” during MOD Weekend on Nov. 17. “The wind blows now.
Apparently, back in the old days, that wasn’t a consideration.”
The alliance is one of the organizations with whom Architecture Sarasota is coordinating in the recovery effort, while it also works with the municipality of Longboat Key, Sarasota County, the federal government and the National Park Service.
“Each situation is unique, each community unique, and as much as I know Sarasota, it’s really understanding the character of these two disasters, what was impacted, how it was impacted, what are the challenges that people are dealing with at the moment?” Hylton said.
The “Restoring a Sense of Place” program offers four major prongs: using terrestrial LIDAR, or laser scanning, to document damage; assessing the damage, including factors like structural integrity; creating strategies of recovery; offering information on assistance to aid recovery efforts; and determining eligible properties for historic designation.
Hylton said a network of experts, including structural engineers and architectural conservators, has been assembled locally, and beyond, to help with assessments.
One of the major concerns involved is FEMA’s “50% Rule,” which requires that a structure be brought fully up to current building
codes if the improvements exceed 50% of its market value in cost.
However, owners of historic buildings may not be aware of exemptions they can receive. In fact, to receive more latitude in regard to building codes, a structure doesn’t have to be locally designated or entered into the National Register of Historic Places.
All that is required is a letter from the state of Florida saying it has been determined eligible for historic preservation.
“There’s a kind of a shortcut process for some of them because the clock is ticking on these and local designation can take months,” Baber said.
Nonetheless, there will be some challenges in figuring out exactly how to go about restoration, Hylton said.
He said in early November that as widely celebrated as the Sarasota School of Architecture is, many of the sites he had visited did not have good documentation.
There’s also the issue of finding materials that fit the historic character of buildings; the Sarasota School, Hylton said, was innovative with its materials and building systems.
For instance, he said, many buildings by architect Ralph Twitchell use Ocala Block, a type of concrete block quarried in Ocala that was popular in Florida during the midcentury peri-
od. These soft blocks absorbed much of the floodwater, he said, but are not available on the market today.
“It’s a challenge, for sure, but it’s not one that can’t be met,” he said of the drive for solutions.
Hylton said while he thinks many of the buildings the initiative is working with will be eligible, the future focus of Architecture Sarasota will be how buildings are adapted to meet a new climate reality.
“In some cases, it might mean elevating some, not up to, like, 15 feet, because that would be ridiculous,” Baber said. “You would completely ruin the character, but elevate it enough that it might get out of harm’s way of many storms.”
Hylton said Sarasota has the intellectual resources it needs to meet the challenges ahead.
“Sarasota has a remarkable intellectual capacity,” he said. “It’s a creative arts and culture-forward community. We have this 100-year remarkable history of design in the Sarasota School, so I think that now more than ever, we need to harness these assets to re-imagine and rethink how it is that we occupy and live in this amazing coastal setting, and I’m extremely optimistic that if any community was resilient and can rise to the challenge of recovery and rebuilding, its Sarasota.”
Photo courtesy Ryan Lester
Some of the damage at White Sands Cabanas on Siesta Key is shown after Hurricane Helene. Damien Blumetti and Marty Hylton III listen as
Ian Swaby
Oyster Bay Landings home sells for $3.8 million
ADAM HUGHES RESEARCH EDITOR
Ahome in Oyster Bay Landings tops all transactions in this week’s real estate.
Peter and Ling Arenson sold their home at 1460 Rebecca Lane to Stephanie Potter Ramsey and William Brian Ramsey, of Sarasota, for $3.8 million. Built in 2015, it has three bedrooms, four-anda-half baths, a pool and 4,030 square feet of living area. It sold for $3,293,000 in 2022.
SARASOTA
PARADISE SHORES
Jeffrey and Nikki Sedacca, of Sarasota, sold two properties at 1547 Sandpiper Lane to Michael Kaiser and John Spencer Roberts, of Sarasota, for $3,775,000. The first property was built in 2002 and has two bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, a pool and 2,828 square feet of living area. The second property was built in 2002 and has one bedroom, one bath and 308 square feet of living area. They sold for $2,475,000 in 2022.
DESOTA PARK
TDI Coastal Homes LLC sold the home at 1912 Wisteria St. to Sean and Kelly Finelli, of Sarasota, for $2.65 million. Built in 2023, it has four bedrooms, four-and-a-half baths, a pool and 3,765 square feet of living area. It sold for $650,000 in 2021.
POINSETTIA PARK
M&J Pham Development LLC sold the home at 1954 Goldenrod St. to Guy and Jenna Salani, of Sarasota, for $2.6 million. Built in 2023, it has four bedrooms, four-and-a-half baths and 3,678 square feet of living area.
THE TOWER RESIDENCES
John Edward Hanna, trustee, of Sarasota, sold the Unit 906 condominium at 35 Watergate Drive to Jeffrey and Nikki Sedacca, of Sarasota, for $2.2 million. Built in 2003, it has three bedrooms, three baths and 2,799 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.25 million in 2003.
VUE
Jane Lundquist, trustee, of Sarasota, sold the Unit 707 condominium at 1155 N. Gulfstream Ave. to David Florian and Magali Montes-Benitez, of Sarasota, for $1.8 million. Built in 2017, it has two bedrooms, twoand-a-half baths and 1,565 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.45 million in 2021.
MCCLELLAN PARK
Donald and Peggy Ann Roberts, trustees, of Sarasota, sold two properties at 1600 203 Wewe Drive to Teresa Lynn Daniel, trustee, of Okeechobee, for $1.4 million. The
first property was built in 1953 and has three bedrooms, two-and-ahalf baths, a pool and 1,820 square feet of living area. The second property was built in 1953 and has one bath and 525 square feet of living area. They sold for $115,800 in 2004.
CONDOMINIUMS OF ORANGE
CLUB
Michael Kneeland and Roxzene Hunter, of Sarasota, sold their Unit 402 condominium at 635 S. Orange Ave. to James Abraham, of Montclair, New Jersey, for $1,055,000. Built in 2017, it has four bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths and 1,442 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.15 million in 2023.
RIO VISTA
APSG LLC sold the home at 2922 Arlington St. to Stevan Damjanov, of Sarasota, for $587,700. Built in 1983, it has four bedrooms, twoand-two-half baths and 2,198 square feet of living area. It sold for $251,500 in 2020.
POMS PARK
Loren Dyer, of Adel, Georgia, sold his home at 825 Lime Ave. to Z&M Capital Investments LLC for $575,000. Built in 1961, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,160 square feet of living area. It sold for $76,400 in 2002.
BELLEVUE TERRACE
Randall and Miranda Barsch, of McKinney, Texas, sold two properties at 3003 Bay St. to Samuel Stoltzfus and Katie Mae Stoltzfus, of Gordonville, Pennsylvania, for $567,000. The first property was built in 1959 and has four bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths and 1,766 square feet of living area. The second property was built in 1969 and has one bedroom, one bath and 320 square feet of living area. They sold for $317,000 in 2017.
GULF GATE
Kimberly Ryder sold the home at 2560 Bishpam Road to Kurt and Cynthia Wortmann, of Boise, Idaho, for $543,000. Built in 1971, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,924 square feet of living area. It sold for $244,000 in 2004.
PELICAN COVE
Thomas Earwood and Amy Radford Earwood, of Lake Leelanau, Michigan, sold their Unit 184 condominium at 1515 Pelican Point Drive to
Glenn and Beryl Polin, of Sarasota, for $540,000. Built in 1978, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,368 square feet of living area. It sold for $350,000 in 2019.
RENICK
Christopher Barron Sleight and Renee Sleight, of Sarasota, sold their home at 2574 Parma St. to Gideon Fisher and Ahnamarie Nicole Fisher, of Sarasota, for $502,000. Built in 1958, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,400 square feet of living area. It sold for $372,000 in February.
ONLINE
See more transactions at YourObserver.com
Other top sales by area
SIESTA KEY:
$2.5 MILLION
Revised Siesta Caridad Santos, trustee, sold the home at 3200 Higel Ave. to Pham Waterfront LLC for $2.5 million. Built in 1951, it has three bedrooms, two-anda-half baths and 2,383 square feet of living area.
PALMER RANCH: $895,000
Arbor Lakes on Palmer Ranch
Nicholas and Cari Urrutia, of Sarasota, sold their home at 5724 Sunflower Circle to Andrew and Amelia Skelton, of Sarasota, for $895,000. Built in 2019, it has four bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths, a pool and 2,672 square feet of living area. It sold for $427,900 in 2019.
OSPREY: $920,000
The Woodlands at Rivendell Jerry and Janet Hall, of New Port Richey, sold their home at 1193 Lost Creek Court to Patrick and Candice McHugh, of Osprey, for $920,000. Built in 2002, it has four bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths, a pool and 2,887 square feet of living area. It sold for $370,500 in 2002.
Source: Sarasota County, city of Sarasota
Courtesy of realtor Andrew Tanner
The home at Oyster Bay Landings was built in 2015 and has three bedrooms, four-and-a-half baths, a pool and 4,030 square feet of living area.
YOUR CALENDAR
Boulevard of the Arts. Free. Enjoy a free, outdoor family friendly movie under the stars with a screening of “Kung Fu Panda 4” (PG). Po becomes the spiritual leader of the Valley of Peace, but must find someone to take his place, while an evil sorceress summons villains from his past. Visit TheBaySarasota.org.
CREATION STATION YOUTH LAB: THANKFUL COLLAGE
10-11:30 a.m. at Selby Library, 1331 First St. Free. Recommended for ages 5 and older. Use fun paper and magazines to make a poster or greeting card of gratitude. Visit SCGovLibrary. LibraryMarket.com.
A FLORIDA-FRIENDLY LANDSCAPING SUCCESS STORY: ‘THE TALE OF ATALA & COONTIE’
2-3 p.m. at Selby Library, 1331 1st St. Free. Learn about the Atala butterfly that is back from the brink of extinction, due to improved human behavior including Florida-Friendly Landscaping choices. Visit SCGovLibrary.LibraryMarket.com.
THE Y: BOOTCAMP — THE BAY SARASOTA
8-8:45 a.m. 1055 Boulevard of the Arts. Free. This 45-minute workout, which includes push-ups and planks, uses body-weight exercises and intervals to build muscle strength, reduce body fat and increase cardiovascular fitness while improving strength and conditioning. Visit TheBaySaraota.org.
SATURDAY, NOV. 23
ZUMBA AT THE BAY WITH YAËL CAMPBELL
10:30-11:30 a.m. at The Nest, 1055 Boulevard of the Arts. Free. All ages. Join Yaël Campbell and become one of her Zumba rock stars as you “move, dance, jump, shake and sing.” Visit TheBaySarasota.org.
TUESDAY, NOV. 26
MEET THE PUPS!
4-5 p.m. at Selby Library, 1331 First St. Free. Meet therapy dogs and their owners, and enjoy the benefits of spending time with therapy pets. Visit SCGovLibrary.LibraryMarket.com.
BEST BET
SATURDAY, NOV. 23
FERRARIS ON THE CIRCLE
9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at St. Armands Circle, 300 Madison Drive. Free. Sponsored by Ferrari Drivers SRQ, this event showcases Ferraris of all ages. A minimum donation of $50 is requested to show a car. All proceeds benefit Flight to the North Pole, a charity that provides financial and emotional support to terminally ill children and their families in Sarasota and Manatee counties. Visit StArmandsCircleAssoc.com.
WEDNESDAY, NOV. 27
SOCRATES CAFE: OPEN TOPIC
DISCUSSIONS
1:30-3 p.m., Fruitville Library, 100 Apex Road. Free. In this moderated open-topic discussion, participants vote on topics and discuss the issues raised, politely expressing their own viewpoints and embracing the theme of the Socratic Method. Visit SCGovLibrary.LibraryMarket.com.
THURSDAY, NOV. 28
FLORIDA TURKEY TROT
7:15 a.m. (Kids Dash) and 8 a.m. (Turkey Trot), with Bib and Race Shirt pickup Nov. 25-27 at 5851 Nathan Benderson Circle. Free. All ages. The 3.1-mile turkey trot, presented by Publix, benefits the Big Bill Foundation and Nathan Benderson Park Conservancy. Pastries, mimosas and treats will be offered at the finish line. The first 100 male and female finishers will receive a special Thanksgiving-themed award. Visit RaceRoster. com.
Wild Blue at Waterside has captivated homeowners with its Lakewood Ranch location, incomparable residences and resort-style amenities. This award-winning community by Stock Development features single-family homes by some of the area’s most notable builders and incredible lifestyle amenities, including the 13-acre Midway Sports Complex, opening in Spring 2025, plus a social clubhouse with indoor and outdoor dining, two pools, a movie theater, fitness center, and a 9-hole premier putting course. Now’s the time to discover Sarasota’s most desirable nature-centric luxury community. Visit Today. 8396 Sea Glass Court, Lakewood Ranch, FL 34240 l 941.313.3852 From University Parkway turn south onto Lorraine Road and follow the signs to Wild Blue at Waterside
By Luis Campos Celebrity Cipher cryptograms are created from quotations by famous people, past and present. Each letter in the cipher stands for another.
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