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OCTOBER 2023 941.312.0665 | 27TH STATE MEDIA, LLC
WELCOME BACK Snowbirds!
TRICK-OR-TREAT TRAIL
The USTA Father/Son Tournament Hits Milestone By: Dee Ricapito
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JUNIORS HIT THE TENNIS COURTS
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ROAD CONSTRUCTION TRAFFIC REPORT
Time is approaching a very special event once again this year at The Landings. We are proudly boasting our “30th” year hosting The USTA National Father/Son Clay Court Championships. The tournament begins Tuesday, November 14 th and runs thru Sunday November 19 th . Ke v i n L e c h l it n e r, L RC General Manager & Tournament D i r e c t or s a id, “It ’s t r u ly a spectacular event since there are only four National Father/ S o n C h a m p i o n s h i p Te n n i s Tou r n a ment s i n t hese t h re e Divisions in the United States: - A Grass Court in New York - A Hard Court in California - An Indoor in New Jersey (was dropped to CAT 2, so it isn’t a national Championship anymore. - The Clay Court here at the Landings. Kevin further notes, “We have been privileged to see the best teams from Canada to California to Hawaii. Also, we have seen fathers that have been ranked in Brazil and the Philippines. Many sons are former college players some played on the pro tour.”
New residents may not know that over the past 17 that thanks to Kevin’s efforts, the tournament now includes: - The original National Senior Championship (60s) - The Super Senior category (70s) - The Ultra Senior Championships (80s). Thanks to the combined efforts of Kevi n Lech lit ner, Adr ia n “Mo” Moghina, Jen Fiers, and Sandy Cassic our tennis pros, and volunteers all using their creativity and organizational skills they work tirelessly to make the entire event a success. The players and their families enjoy the camaraderie with their “ambassador” family. There is a Potluck Lunch on Thursday, then a party that evening at the Clubhouse. We again ask for Ambassadors to sig n up at the at the Pro Shop. (Where you can get a letter telling you how to be an ambassador), or a volunteer. A s Kev i n noted: “T he s e Championships link together generat ion s of fa m i l ie s a nd friends, truly defining tennis as a lifetime sport”.
Senior (60’s Division) Brett and Jerry Morse Karzen, with Spencer Cohen, who was an AFP Sarasota Open ball boy, student of Coach Jen Fiers, grandson of Norm Olshansky and is on the Sarasota High School tennis team.
Kevin introducing player Jim Goldman to his Ambassador also named Jim Goldman.
Landings Volunteers Who Work for You
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KIDS CORNER: ELINA ROSE GONCLAVES, 14
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This is the thirteenth in a series of articles highlighting the special volunteers who help to make The Landings such a wonderful community. The Eagle interviewed Jim Stewart for this issue. One never knows how and where life events will take you, often in directions you never would have expected. Jim Stewart was born in Harrison, NY and from childhood through high school always wanted to go into forestry. He graduated high school and attended Otterbein College in Ohio. He wasn’t as good a student in the sciences, as required, knew he needed a new direction and an end to the plan of a five- year master’s degree in forestry. One of his professors encouraged him to think differently about career direction which led Jim to Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY, where he explored his artistic interests. As a child Jim loved to draw. He graduated Pratt with a B.A. and was encouraged by his brother-in-law to go into the military. He went into the Army in 1966 enlisting in the photography program. He learned all aspects of photography, black & white film processing and was sent with his unit to Worms, Germany. He was stationed in Germany for 1 ½ years before being assigned to Nha Trang, Viet Nam where he worked in military intelligence processing air surveillance footage. When asked what the biggest
impact the service had on him, Jim said “I did a lot of traveling to parts of the world I had not seen. I met people and cultures that were different from what I knew, and they enriched my ideas about people, especially those I met in Viet Nam.” Jim also continued a friendship with one buddy he met in Germany who recently passed away. They were collaborating on a book. Jim was best man at this friend’s wedding. After 3 years in the service, Jim returned to Brooklyn looking for work through the job placement department at Pratt. One job was doing the photo lab work for a fashion photographer in NY where Joan, his future bride, also was hired as a photo stylist. She was from Boston and had also been a student at Pratt. They married and Jim started working for a small design company which did a lot of work with trade magazines, the City of NY, and other commercial ventures. He was with this group for five years and then was hired by the design department of Phillip Morris which was based in New York City. He was with Phillip Morris for seven years before starting his own design office. Jim and Joan moved to Darien, Connecticut and became commuters. For 15 years he continued to do work for Phillip Morris Duty Free, the Waldorf Astoria, China Institute and other New York City based companies. While in Connecticut, Jim was active with Kiwanis
and two neighborhood “green” invited by Bill Whitman to join organizations: a town park and the T he L a nd i ng s Home ow ne r s nature center. Associat ion Boa rd where he Jim’s older sister had moved to continues to serve as a director. Venice, Florida in the 70s and after His current responsibilities are visiting her several times he and handling approvals for landscaping Joan decided to move to the area and architectural requests using and continue working. His sister his graphic design experience found an available to expedite the distribution of Landings Treehouse unit in The materials for approval. In 2013, Jim Landings and in 1998 Jim and was part of the group that produced Joan moved to Sarasota. They did the brochure called The Landings, not expect to find a home in The Sarasota. Landings but a small newspaper Jim made an observation that listing for a house on Landings Blvd. many have made living in The caught Jim’s eye. It required some Landings. He had to take in his work, but they made it into a special sister’s dog, Harry. During the five home for the two of them. years Harry was with them, they Jim has not fully retired. He met more people walking the dog retained several of his clients and than in the prior 20 years living continues to work with them. The in the neighborhood. Jim loves clients are in the publishing and The Landings and hopes that entertainment sector. future owners will continue to be Jim, as an artist, continues to responsive to the responsibilities draw, paint, and create sculptures. and opportunities within our He has exhibited at the Sarasota community. and Venice art centers; the Creative Liberties gallery in the Limelight District, Sarasota; and the old Celery Barn. His artwork was used for five years on the posters for the Sarasota Orchest ra sum mer music festival. He had five solo shows in the Orchestra’s Harmony Gallery. Early after moving to The Landings, Jim started to attend LMA board meetings and would frequently sit in the back. He did not have an interest in getting involved. However, in 2012 he was Jim Stewart, Landings volunteer working for you.