Longboat Observer 12.08.22

VOLUME 45, NO. 18

Resorts fill fast

Hurricane Ian’s effects on Southwest Florida drive season visitors to look north. PAGE 3A

YOUR TOWN

Save the sea horse!

Naima White had to think fast on a recent Friday morning when she pulled up a spider crab instead of a shell. The prehistoric scavenger of a crab had a sea horse by the tail.

White yelled, “Who’s brave?” Then answered her own question by quickly plucking the sea horse out from between the crab’s claws.

The veterinarian from North Carolina was visiting her father for Thanksgiving. He’s lived on Longboat for 30 years. White has walked these beaches looking for shells many times and has come across other hungry crabs.

“If it’s a worm or a clam, I let it go,” she said, “But it was a sea horse.”

Let us know what’s shiny and bright

Best Christmas decoration this year: An inflatable Santa in the lotus position, wearing a T-shirt that says “Oooommm for the holidays.’’

OK, maybe comedy and Christmas aren’t naturally linked in your book. Still, is your neighborhood looking merry and bright?

If so, we want to know. The Longboat Observer is making its list and checking it twice to find the most vibrant holiday lights across the island.

If your house, or your neighbor’s, is lighting up the neighborhood, email LDwyer@ YourObserver.com by Dec. 11. It could end up in our Christmas issue. Please include the address and a photo, if possible.

Trip to Ken Thompson Park suits island’s annual fundraising highlight. PAGE 1B

Commission refrains from taking stance on Asplen ouster

In a nod toward avoiding partisanship, town leaders steer clear of discussions about School Board and superintendent.

Seeking to remain nonpartisan, the Longboat Key Town Com mission on Monday chose not to take sides in the ongoing negotiations between the Sarasota County School Board and Superin tendent Brennan Asplen over terms of his potential separation.

Initially, town commission ers toyed with the idea of making a stance known in hopes of ensur ing nonpartisanship in the future and vouching for the success of the students the town does send to the district.

In the end, though, they settled on staying out of the fray.

“I don’t think there is much that can actually be done at this point,” Mayor Ken Schneier said. “I think that ship has sailed, but it may not have.”

Whether to take sides in the issues of another board was a key point of discussion Monday.

“It feels like we are dipping into the partisan, nonpartisan area,” Commissioner Mike Haycock said. “The town has been so careful about keeping this committee nonpartisan. That is a very partisan issue going on … to take a stance as a commission, I would be against.”

Commissioner Sherry Dominick said showing support in some way could be characterized as support ing the views of the teachers who are gathering in support of Asplen.

“We don’t have people tell us how we hire or fire our town manager,” Vice Mayor Maureen Merrigan said. “These folks were voted in, good or bad, whether we agree or disagree.”

Instead of taking a direct stance on the issue, she opted to consider ask ing the board to always consider per

formance and metrics when making a decision of this nature.

At the most recent count, about 25 students with Longboat Key addresses attend either a traditional Sarasota County public school or a charter school.

In August elections, town voters supported a slate of school board candidates who ultimately lost to newcomers Tim Enos, Robyn Mari nelli and incumbent Bridget Ziegler, all of whom supported moving ahead with Asplen’s removal.

Schneier wrote an email to the board with his position as an indi vidual Dec. 2.

“I have been the Mayor of Long boat Key for three years, and though my children are long grown, I am an avid supporter of our schools … At this week’s Conference of the Flor ida League of Mayors and Florida League of Cities Advocacy Group in Orlando, I spoke to a number of representatives of our Sarasota County local governments who all wished they had the opportunity to try to avoid the likely damage that Mr. Asplen’s discharge, however described, might cause to the qual ity system we have. Couldn’t the new board try to work with him to enact the changes they feel necessary and which the voters endorsed by your election?  It’s too bad that it’s too late.

“When I saw this afternoon that an agreement on Mr. Asplen’s sever ance had not yet been reached, I felt the need to grasp this straw and just ask if you and he could reroute your negotiations toward an agreement to work together, if only on a limited trial basis, to see if a path forward can be found to accommodate your pas sion for our students and his. Please try. You would all be heroes.”

Before the Nov. 29 meeting at which school board members voted 4-1 to proceed with negotiations with Asplen to facilitate his depar ture, board member Karen Rose told the Longboat Observer some of her reasons to initiate the process a week earlier.

“My sole goal was to initiate a pro

cess for how we are going to bring unity back to the district. There has been a strong, consistent voice for change in the district going back to COVID ... and I’ve tried for change on the dais and in one-on-ones, but I don’t see it.”

Tom Edwards was the only board member who voted against such action.

Following the Nov. 29 meeting, a follow up meeting on Friday, Dec. 2 was tentatively set, but that day announced the meeting had been set aside.

A poll of Sarasota County Teach ers Association members drew more than 2,000 responses in two days, the union said in an email to members. Of those responses, 97% “wanted the school board to do everything in their power to retain Superintendent Asplen.’’

“The decision made on Tuesday will completely disrupt our school district and may have ramifications

“It feels like we are dipping into the partisan, nonpartisan area. The town has been so careful about keeping this committee nonpartisan. That is a very partisan issue going on … To take a stance as a commission, I would be against.”

that will last for years,” wrote Barry Dubin, the executive director of the union. “What high quality Saraso ta-quality, if that term still has any meaning, superintendent would come here to work under these con ditions? Will we just get applicants who have no other choices?”

Busy, busy, busy

Season is here on Longboat Key.

Resorts of all sizes are gearing up for what is easily their busiest time of year.

At the Sandpiper Inn, demand for rooms is higher than normal follow ing Hurricane Ian.

Guests who had plans to stay in Fort Myers or Sanibel Island are now scrambling to hold onto vacation plans, making Longboat Key even more attractive than is typical.

Though it’s early, and October’s areawide hotel-occupancy numbers are skewed by displaced Southwest Florida residents and aid workers, airport traffic is setting record after record.

Anecdotally, the 2022-23 version of Longboat Key’s busiest six months seems to be shaping up as a robust one – a contrast to the last few years when COVID-19 and its variations played havoc with what’s normal.

Speaking of out of the ordinary, October hotel occupancy rates can now be seen as a harbinger of things to come.

Visit Sarasota County President Virginia Haley wrote in her October report the source was likely due to “many of our visitors were workers here to aid in recovery from Hurri cane Ian, resulting in longer lengths of stays and less spending in restaurants, shopping and entertainment.”

There were 134,300 visitors in paid lodging in October 2022, an increase of 15.2% from the previous year.

Direct visitor spending was $125,720,900, an increase of 3.5% and occupancy rates were up 34% to more than 80%.

Lodging nights sold were 312,300, an increase of 33.2%.

Sandpiper owner Christine Cul lison said she has been receiving numerous calls from people search ing for an alternative place to stay, and she has had to turn them away due to lack of availability.

“I got phone calls the next day (after Hurricane Ian) from people looking for rooms for January and February,” Cullison said. “I just don’t have the room. I am expecting that will continue. I get at least one call per week.”

WHAT DID YOU MISS?

If you’re just arriving in Longboat for the season or vacationing here again, a few things are new that you might have missed:

Town Center Green: Home last winter to a series of farmers markets and art shows, the town’s centerpiece gathering place is coming together. Construction is ongoing, but by mid2023, a stage and pavilion should be sprouting on the land.

Dog park: If you are a big-dog lover, check out the newly artificially turfed dog park at Bayfront Park.

Overhead wires: The town’s working to complete its years-long project to dismantle overhead wires and replace them with underground cables. Should be done in early to mid-2023.

The Sandpiper Inn is booked solid through March.

Typically, her establishment’s guests through the season are the same each year and sometimes stay as long as three months at one time.

To reward their loyalty to the fam ily-run location, they are given first dibs on their rooms for the next year before they check out at the end of their stay.

Preparations for the season are not any different than those completed every couple of months at the inn.

Cullison refreshes bedding, cook ware and other frequently used items among guests.

“I’m a big fan of Longboat Key,” said Michael Key, a day visitor check ing out the beach from his normal winter home in mainland Sarasota.

Key said he’d love to make one of the island’s resorts his winter home from the wilds of his full-time home in northern New York. “Maybe someday,’’ he said, tipping his head to a nearby resort.

FREQUENT VISITORS RETURN

The irony was about as easy to spot as a perfect patch of sand on an unspoiled beach when Sherry Evans of Rainier, Oregon, sat down to chat with a visitor on the stoop of her Longboat Key vacation rental.

The front door was open to the only-in-Florida-in-December warm breeze off the Gulf of Mexico.

There wasn’t a shoe in sight, except four worn by a couple carrying bags back to a car with out of state plates.

There were, however, tales of kayaking adventures launched from nearby Joan Durante Park. Ice cream at The Centre Shops. Trips to near by attractions. The love of Longboat Key’s quiet ambiance.

Then every few moments, another jet taking off from Sarasota-Bra denton International Airport roared overhead, wheeling and climbing over the island on its way back north after disgorging another planeload of tourists and winter residents.

Last month alone, the airport had 308,012 passengers travel through, a 12% increase from October 2021, and November numbers are expected soon. So far this year, there have been 3.1 million passengers.

Reaching that number seemed impossible a few years ago before the airport offered 11 airlines and 53 nonstop destinations. The air port recently announced a new flight through Avelo Airlines to Raleigh-Durham International Air port that is expected to begin Feb. 13.

Evans didn’t fly, though. She and her husband took their time and drove coast to (nearly) coast on their way to stay at the independently operated Sandpiper Inn. They’ve been coming for years, she said, often with other members of the family. A few doors down, her sister and brother-in-law Becky and Dave Brekke were in the midst of a perfect Longboat Key vacation.

The trips before Christmas are now gifts they give to themselves.

“Every year we’re like, ‘Oh, please don’t sell this and build a giant thing,” she said. “You know, just keep this sweet little place; it’s like an oasis.”

Recently, one of the families rented kayaks for an extended period, put ting in and exploring Longboat’s bayfront. Along the way, they dis covered two things that don’t exist in the Northwest – schools of jumping mullet and manatees.

“We went into a little canal, like where there were some other con dos and homes,” Evans said. “And there was a big manatee back there and just, you know, swimming right by our boat. And so that was really fun. I really enjoyed that.”

They also checked out Siesta Key. Inspired by their children who had heard of the barrier island, they drove over to see.

“You can sit here in the shade or half sun or go in the water, but you don’t have to bake all day,’’ she said. “It was really, really hot. So we didn’t necessarily want to go back there again. But they liked it once.”

Commissioners find way to redo summer schedule

Commissioners unanimously pass a calendar change for June 30 special meeting to cover business that would have been handled July 3.

n election rendered unnecessary and a Town Commission meeting scheduled amid a holiday week less than 24 hours before the town’s biggest annual celebration added up to plenty of thought and discussion before a solution could be found Monday.

At issue was the scheduled Town Commission meeting on July 3, 2023, a meeting that would precede com missioners’ two-and-a-half-month summer break from public meetings and serve as a wrap up of business.

It all began more than a month ago when Commissioner BJ Bishop recommended a second look at what would have been a routine approval of the elected body’s 2023 meeting calendar.

Scheduled as it was a day before Independence Day, when the town celebrates its annual Freedom Fest parade, options were open on rescheduling the meeting or even canceling it.

Initially, town commissioners proposed a ballot question to pig gyback on March elections for three

commission seats. The idea was to ask voters to amend the charter, the town’s overarching governing docu ment, to allow canceling the July meeting all together, making the final regularly scheduled meeting in mid-June.

They also considered a special meeting in late June to accomplish all their before-summer business and then simply skipping the July 3 gathering procedurally.

But following Jeff Lenobel’s deci sion to pull out of the would-havebeen contested District 1 race, mak ing Gary Coffin commissioner-elect, options for the commission quickly shifted.

They could have still decided to put the charter amendment for ward to voters, but the knowledge that it would cost the town between $10,000 and $20,000 to put on such an election led commissioners to refrain from that option.

On Monday, they also unanimous ly passed a motion that scheduled a special meeting June 30, 2023, which will take the place of the business scheduled for the July 3 meeting.

Normally, town leaders set an initial not-to-exceed millage rate in that early July meeting, based on final property valuations from Sarasota and Manatee counties. Town offi cials said those valuations typically arrive early enough for that work to be done on the last day of June.

Commissioner Debra Williams brought up the question of why elec tions of the seats are held in March when ballots are already necessary in November.

“My understanding of the history was because that was when your population increases to have the most full-time residents within the jurisdiction,” town attorney Maggie Mooney said. “It was treated as an important part of the charter to have a March election.”

“I would argue that we are in a dif ferent time period now,” Williams said in favor of her idea. “A lot of people vote by absentee ballot … it’s different than it was 20 years ago.”

In favor of keeping the current election cycle, Commissioner BJ Bishop cited the importance of keep ing municipal elections nonpartisan, an issue she fears would come to fru ition if their elections were moved to November.

“When (municipal elections) are taken out of the spring munici pal election cycle and thrown into November, nonpartisanship will go out the window, and a clear exam ple of the nightmare that creates is look at the Sarasota County School Board,” she said.

This discussion was not the first time that the commission had a dis cussion about a charter change, but ultimately opted to not move forward with changes or a ballot question.

Commissioners previously dis cussed at their Oct. 17 meeting the possibility of changing the town charter to allow for compensation for their time in hopes of enticing an increase in candidates and in turn contested elections.

However, the fear that the wrong people would step up looking for an extra sum of money kept the board from moving forward with seeking

any changes.

“The ones who served for a pay check were always the ones that never read the packet and never came prepared for the meeting,” Bishop said.

As commissioners Maureen Mer rigan and Sherry Dominick move out of their seats in March, Deborah Murphy and Gary Coffin will take those seats as commissioners-elect. No one opted to file against current mayor Ken Schneier, allowing him to keep his current seat.

The last time an election was con tested was in 2018. Since that March over four years ago, when Ed Zunz, Ken Schneier and Irwin Pastor won contested Town Commission races, no one else has had to exert the effort or money needed to run a campaign.

In April 2022, the town was approached by Bay Isles in hopes of exploring an agreement with the Bay

Commission Board to come to an agreement that remains consistent with state requirements.

On Nov. 14, the board approved the agreement before it came to the commissioners for review and approval Monday.

Some residents say speeding on Harbourside Drive has been an issue for years where part of the road is four lanes and the other part is a winding two-lane stretch. In 2011, a safety committee was formed by the association to look at the issue. In 2019, speed humps were installed by the homeowners group.

The agreement recognizes the town’s current service level, which includes periodic law enforcement patrols through the gated communi ty. Under the agreement, the town’s police officers are able to take traffic enforcement action on the private roads while patrolling the area.

Initially, the term for the agree ment is five years. If necessary, it can be terminated without cause with 90-day notice from either the town or the neighborhood. At the end of the five-year period, unless otherwise noted, the agreement will be automatically renewed.

An additional provision of the agreement allows the HOA, for a fee, to work with police to schedule spe cific traffic enforcement operations from time to time.

FIRST READING

PICKLEBALL

Commissioners took their first step in the discussion surrounding four proposed pickleball courts at the Longboat Key Club. The issue had been unanimously approved and moved forward for commission dis cussion by the town’s Planning and Zoning Board Nov. 15.

On Monday, commissioners unanimously approved the mea sure following the first of two public hearings.

Second reading and an additional

noise and nighttime lighting con cerns.

The original site was planned adja cent to the Longboat Key Club Ten nis Garden’s courts in an area where trees now stand between the golf course and the tennis facility.

The courts were proposed to be no closer than 328 feet from the near est Winding Oaks home, which is farther than existing courts are from residential property alongside the Moorings.

To address concerns with noise associated with pickleball, the club opted to conduct a sound study. The study conducted by Keane Acoustics showed that even without sounddeadening materials planned for the courts, noise from the courts would not exceed decibel levels already expected with surrounding ambient noise, such as traffic.

Additional elements of the plan include:

n Fifty-one trees would be pre served, 40 trees would be relocated and 66 trees would be removed.

n A landscaped buffer is planned west of the courts for sound and visual screening.

n Sixteen lights, four per court, will be placed. They will be 20 feet tall, directed downward onto the court and turned off no later than 9 p.m. nightly in compliance with town code.

n The club’s plans include 116 parking slots, though the town requires 94. Planning and Zoning Board members raised concerns along with the public about pres ervation of trees on the property, which led to a condition being add ed by town staff to ensure that more

“I think this is a good example of how a government should work.”

— Penny Gold

More Than A PLAN

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Create a plan and a promise for your loved ones. Give us a call today to start the conversation.

Penthouse, home set Longboat price records

An En Provence property and a home in Bay Isles sold within two weeks of each other.

The recent sale of a home in Bay Isles and a penthouse in En Provence both represented Longboat Key price records.

The building 3 penthouse in En Provence, at 2161 Gulf of Mexico Drive, sold for $8.2 million, the high est ever for a gulf-front condomini um on Longboat Key.

The home in Bay Isles, at 550 Har bor Point Road, sold for $10 million, the highest ever for a bayfront home on Longboat.

Jennifer Schwell-Chaplin of Michael Saunders & Co. represent ed the sellers of the condominium, and Bruce Myer of Coldwell Banker Realty represented the sellers of the bayfront home.

Janet and Steve Walter of Michael Saunders & Co. represented the outof-town buyers of each of the prop erties. The sales closed within two weeks of each other.

Schwell-Chaplin said she sold the 6,000-square-foot condominium pre-construction to the original owners in 2001 for $4.4 million. List ed for the first time, the penthouse was on the market for about fourand-a-half months when the Walter Group connected the buyers, who are from Wisconsin, with the property.

Overlooking the gulf and occu pying the top floor, the penthouse features nearly 2,000 square feet of covered and open terrace space.

“They loved it the way it was and were very pleased they found exact ly what they wanted,” Janet Walter said, of the four-bedroom, four bath property.

YEAR-OVER-YEAR CHANGES

Average and median prices in Manatee and Sarasota counties were higher in October than in the same month in 2021, according to the Realtor Association of Sarasota and Manatee.

SARASOTA COUNTY

Median home price: $537,500 (31.1%)

Closed home sales: 520 (-34%)

Peak median home price: $525,000 (July)

Median condominium price: $386,580 (+16.1%)

Closed condominium sales: 250 (-21.6%)

Peak median condo price: $416,250 (June)

MANATEE COUNTY

Median home price: $549,444 (29.3%)

Closed home sales: 572 (-14.9%)

Peak median home price: $550,000 (MayJune)

Median condominium price: $368,700 (+32.6%)

Closed condominium sales: 200 (-22.5%)

Peak median condo price: $369,900 (May)

TOWN OF LONGBOAT KEY

TOWN OF LONGBOAT KEY NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING & HEARINGS ORDINANCE 2022-19 AND ORDINANCE 2022 22

DECEMBER 13, 2022 – 9:15 AM

Please take notice that a public meeting and hearings of the Town of Longboat Key’s Planning and Zoning Board will be held to consider proposed modifications to Title 15, Land Development Code, Chapter 160 Comprehensive Plan, of the Code of Ordinances of the Town of Longboat Key, as more particularly set forth in Ordinance 2022-19 and Ordinance 2022 22:

ORDINANCE 2022 19

ORDINANCE 2022 19

AN ORDINANCE OF THE TOWN OF LONGBOAT KEY, FLORIDA, AMENDING THE 2022 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN OF THE TOWN OF LONGBOAT KEY, PURSUANT TO SECTION 163.3184, FLORIDA STATUTES AMENDING, DELETING, REPLACING, AND ADDING OBJECTIVES, POLICIES, AND STRATEGIES PROVIDED FOR WITHIN THE INFRASTRUCTURE ELEMENT; PROVIDING FOR COMPLIANCE WITH THE COMMUNITY PLANNING ACT; PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY; PROVIDING FOR CODIFICATION; PROVIDING FOR REPEAL OF ALL ORDINANCES IN CONFLICT HEREWITH; PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE.

AN ORDINANCE OF THE TOWN OF LONGBOAT KEY, FLORIDA, AMENDING THE 2022 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN OF THE TOWN OF LONGBOAT KEY, PURSUANT TO SECTION 163.3184, FLORIDA STATUTES AMENDING, DELETING, REPLACING, AND ADDING OBJECTIVES, POLICIES, AND STRATEGIES PROVIDED FOR WITHIN THE INFRASTRUCTURE ELEMENT; PROVIDING FOR COMPLIANCE WITH THE COMMUNITY PLANNING ACT; PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY; PROVIDING FOR CODIFICATION; PROVIDING FOR REPEAL OF ALL ORDINANCES IN CONFLICT HEREWITH; PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE.

ORDINANCE 2022 22

AN ORDINANCE OF THE TOWN OF LONGBOAT KEY, FLORIDA, AMENDING THE 2022 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN OF THE TOWN OF LONGBOAT KEY, PURSUANT TO SECTION 163.3184, FLORIDA STATUTES AMENDING, DELETING, REPLACING, AND ADDING OBJECTIVES, POLICIES, AND STRATEGIES PROVIDED FOR WITHIN THE MOBILITY ELEMENT; PROVIDING FOR COMPLIANCE WITH THE COMMUNITY PLANNING ACT; PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY; PROVIDING FOR CODIFICATION; PROVIDING FOR REPEAL OF ALL ORDINANCES IN CONFLICT HEREWITH; PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE.

ORDINANCE 2022 22

AN ORDINANCE OF THE TOWN OF LONGBOAT KEY, FLORIDA, AMENDING THE 2022 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN OF THE TOWN OF LONGBOAT KEY, PURSUANT TO SECTION 163.3184, FLORIDA STATUTES AMENDING, DELETING, REPLACING, AND ADDING OBJECTIVES, POLICIES, AND STRATEGIES PROVIDED FOR WITHIN THE MOBILITY ELEMENT; PROVIDING FOR COMPLIANCE WITH THE COMMUNITY PLANNING ACT; PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY; PROVIDING FOR CODIFICATION; PROVIDING FOR REPEAL OF ALL ORDINANCES IN CONFLICT HEREWITH; PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE.

The public hearings before the Planning and Zoning Board on proposed Ordinance 2022-19 and Ordinance 2022 22 will be held on December 13, 2022, at 9:15 a.m., or as soon thereafter as may be heard, in the Town Commission Chambers at Town Hall, 501 Bay Isles Road, Longboat Key, Florida.

All interested persons may appear and be heard with respect to proposed Ordinance 2022-19 and Ordinance 2022 22. Copies of Ordinance 2022-19 and Ordinance 2022 22 and related material associated with the amendments may be viewed at the Planning, Zoning & Building Department, 501 Bay Isles Road, between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. weekdays prior to the hearing. Questions may be directed to the Planning, Zoning & Building Department at 316 1966. The proposed amendments will affect property within the corporate boundaries of the Town of Longboat Key as shown on the map appearing at the bottom of this advertisement.

The public hearings before the Planning and Zoning Board on proposed Ordinance 2022-19 and Ordinance 2022 22 will be held on December 13, 2022, at 9:15 a.m., or as soon thereafter as may be heard, in the Town Commission Chambers at Town Hall, 501 Bay Isles Road, Longboat Key, Florida.

All interested persons may appear and be heard with respect to proposed Ordinance 2022-19 and Ordinance 2022 22. Copies of Ordinance 2022-19 and Ordinance 2022 22 and related material associated with the amendments may be viewed at the Planning, Zoning & Building Department, 501 Bay Isles Road, between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. weekdays prior to the hearing. Questions may be directed to the Planning, Zoning & Building Department at 316 1966. The proposed amendments will affect property within the corporate boundaries of the Town of Longboat Key as shown on the map appearing at the bottom of this advertisement.

No verbatim record by a certified court reporter is made of these proceedings. Accordingly, any person who may seek to appeal any decision involving the matters noticed herein will be responsible for making a verbatim record of the testimony and evidence at these proceedings upon which any appeal is to be based (see Section 286.0105, Florida Statutes). In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 286.26, Florida Statutes, persons needing a special accommodation to participate in this proceeding should contact the Town Clerk’s office at 941-316 1999 seventy two (72) hours in advance of this proceeding. If you are hearing impaired, please call 941 316 8719.

No verbatim record by a certified court reporter is made of these proceedings. Accordingly, any person who may seek to appeal any decision involving the matters noticed herein will be responsible for making a verbatim record of the testimony and evidence at these proceedings upon which any appeal is to be ed (see Section 286.0105, Florida Statutes). In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 286.26, Florida Statutes, persons needing a special accommodation to participate in this proceeding should contact the Town Clerk’s office at 941-316 1999 seventy two (72) hours in advance of this proceeding. If you are hearing impaired, please call 941 316 8719.

“The previous owners were dear friends, and the penthouse passed to their three daughters, who were thrilled to know it would be cher ished by the new owners as much as it was by their parents,” SchwellChaplin said.

It’s time for Florida to stop relying on ‘taxation by citation’

Because fines and fees are not generally scaled based on income, they tend to disproportionately harm low-income people who are unable to pay. Failure to pay outstanding fines and fees can result in driver’s license suspensions and even incarceration. A recent report by the Fines and Fees Justice Institute found that nearly 2 million Floridians have their drivers licenses suspended because of unpaid fines and fees. Considering that approximately 80% of Floridians drive themselves to work and many jobs require a driver’s license, suspending driver’s licenses reduces the likelihood those individuals will be able to pay their fines and fees. It is counterproductive to make it even more difficult for individuals to pay off their debts and create additional administrative costs for governments.

In the fiscal year ending in September 2020, clerks of courts collected $377.4 million in fines and fees compared to $432 million in the year prior. Revenues in both years represent a dramatic decline from the $539 million collected in 2009. Declining revenues are already causing trouble for organizations and programs that depend on fines and fees revenue. Epilepsy Florida, for example, pulls in $5 from every seat belt infraction in the state. In 2020, that translated to just $240,000 compared to $1.1 million in 2014 according to reporting by FL Keys News.

Fortunately, fines and fees revenue make up a very small portion of Florida’s budget and there are many options for reform.

Across the country, state and local governments use court fines and fees as a source of revenue to fund services. This “taxation by citation” is not only a threat to individual liberty, but it can also undermine public safety and result in fiscal instability. Fines and fees are commonplace throughout the justice system. In many cases, fines are desirable because they are an “intermediate” form of punishment. In other words, slapping someone with a fine is less severe than incarceration but is tough punishment for many low-level offenses.

A person may be charged a fine for any criminal or civil infraction. In addition to any fines, they might also be charged fees meant to cover court costs.

The state court system in Florida is funded through general revenues, but a large share of funding for the state’s clerks of courts is provided by filing fees, service charges and court costs that are collected from individuals when they interact with the court system.

The fact that many people are financially unable to pay may provide some explanation for why governments are notoriously bad at collecting outstanding court debts. A report from the Brennan Center for Justice found that 36% of the fines and fees assessed in Florida between 2012 and 2018 were actually collected, resulting in over $1.13 billion in cumulative unpaid fines and fees.

Even setting aside problems with collection, fines and fees are not a particularly stable source of revenue.

In Florida, statewide fines and fees revenue have declined significantly over recent years—a fiscal issue that has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Courthouses were closed during the early months of the pandemic, leading to a backlog of cases and disrupted revenue flows. Over that same period, lockdowns and stay-athome orders kept drivers off the road, reducing the number of traffic violations—a major source of fines and fees revenue in the state.

Generally speaking, no program or agency should be specifically funded by fines and fees revenue. Instead, court revenue should be sent into the general fund to avoid poor incentive structures within the justice system. Fees, which only exist to raise revenue, should arguably be eliminated. Meanwhile fines, which serve as punishment, could be scaled to account for individuals’ ability to pay. Florida could also eliminate fines and fees in juvenile cases and abandon the counterproductive practice of suspending drivers’ licenses for failure to pay.

These reforms would realign incentives for law enforcement and help reduce the desperate impact of fines and fees on low-income communities. Florida lawmakers would be wise to address the fiscal challenges presented by declining fines and fees revenue and put an end to “taxation by citation” in the Sunshine State.

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Relying

“If we are to build a better world, we must remember that the guiding principle is this — a policy of freedom for the individual is the only truly progressive policy.”

Volunteers make events happen

In the past several weeks, we have seen a number of community organizations bring us together.

First, the Longboat Key Rotary Club held a Nov. 11 tribute to our veterans.

The following week, the faith leaders from Longboat Key as well as St. Armands held the Annual Thanksgiving Prayer Service.

The Longboat Key Chamber of Commerce brought us together with the Tree Lighting at the Town Green.

This past week, the Friends of Tennis held a successful Senior Men’s Tennis Tournament  at the LBK Tennis Center which brings revenue to hotels and restaurants across the Key.

Finally, the LBK Kiwanis Club hosted its annual Lawn Party and dozens of restaurants showed off their fabulous dishes and raised funds for children at risk.

None of these events would be possible without the hundreds of volunteers from each of these organizations that truly show off our community as a wonderful, unique place to live.

Thanks to all of you!

No reason to dismiss Asplen

As a lifelong Democrat, it is not often I agree with Matt Walsh’s opinions in the Observer. But I am in accord with (his opinion) in the Dec. 1 edition concerning the school board’s misguided attempt to remove of Superintendent Brennan Asplen without cause.

I never heard or read any cogent or precise reason for Superintendent Asplen’s removal. I see reported “controversy” and “communication problems and tumult” as reasons advanced by the board for his removal. In my opinion, those are probably curable and are too indefinite and non-

BE HEARD

Surely you have an opinion on a town issue. Let us hear it through a letter to the editor. Email them to Managing Editor Eric Garwood at EGarwood@ YourObserver.com.

substantive to justify 1) an extensive severance package to Asplen, 2) a lengthy and likely expensive search for his replacement who, given the tight labor market, history of this incident and inflationary climate, will likely command greater compensation than is paid to the present superintendent. Moreover, and just as important, 3) the strategic plan  Asplen and others developed for the system over, I believe, more than a year, surely will not be implemented as it would were he still employed here. I did not hear any criticism of that work product.

While I have no personal knowledge of the operations of the school system (I am much too old to have children presently attending it), I credit the large number of parents, faculty, staff and dissenting school board member Tom Edwards who discredited any argument relative to Asplen’s responsibility for ultimately enacting a school mask mandate policy a year ago. I also understand that the comparative fourth grade reading scores in public schools of our country from 2019 and 2022 are unsatisfactory in many jurisdictions and that experts put the blame for that primarily on necessary remote learning during the pandemic. That reason rings accurate to me.

Lastly, I concur with Mr. Walsh (who, I suspect, has far more corporate expertise than I) that the board’s paramount obligation is to collaborate with the superintendent if they perceive there are problems in their inter-personal relations toward solving them. In that regard, I opine that at least four of them have failed us —and themselves.

SATURDAY, NOV. 26

FLYING AWAY

1:38 p.m., 3000 block of Harborside Drive

Animal complaint: Police responded to the seventh hole at the Longboat Key Club’s red course following a call from a golfer that a goose seemed to be injured and could be found under a tree. Police personnel did find a goose under a tree, with fishing line wrapped around a foot, which affected the animal’s ability to walk. An animal services officer attempted to catch the goose, but it flew away.

SUNDAY, NOV. 27

TIME’S UP 6:45 a.m., Linley Street

Boating citation: The town’s marine patrol officer, having for weeks kept an eye on a sailboat that was anchored, aground, tipping to the right and on the road to become a derelict vessel, decided enough was enough and cited its out of town owner via certified mail. The officer reported on his most recent visit, the boat did not display the proper lighting for pre-sunrise anchoring and the vessel’s registration numbers were not visible.

TUESDAY, NOV. 29 WHAT’S ‘NAMASTE’ IN GERMAN? 2:30 a.m., 3400 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Suspicious vehicle: A man, found sleeping in his German sports car at a beach access point, told the officer who stopped to investigate that he was slumbering to ensure a prompt start to his sunrise-meditation routine. The man did not seem under the influence of drugs or alcohol but was nevertheless told he could not park there after (or before) hours. With no criminal wants or warrants found, the man left the beach area.

GENERATING COMPLAINTS

5:46 p.m., 6900 block of Bayside Drive

Noise complaints from the water: A resident called police to alert them to chronic noise from an anchored boat’s generator. The resident pointed out the boat to the investigating officer, explaining the noise it generated had been an ongoing issue for about a year. The officer was unable to contact the vessel’s owner

FRIDAY, NOV. 25

MAKING WAVES

12:55 p.m., near Jewfish Key

Boating citation: A boater was cited for his failure to carry the required safety equipment during a police encounter prompted by the boater’s creation of a wake in a slowspeed, minimumwake zone. Following up on the stop, the marine patrol officer explained the reason for his attention on the water and asked to see the legal essentials of boating. The operator could not produce a fire extinguisher, a throwable flotation device or the vessel’s registration paperwork. The boater was given two citations.

but told the resident he would relay the problem to the town’s marine patrol officer for further work.

THURSDAY, DEC. 1

HEY, RINGO! KEEP IT DOWN

6:46 p.m., 5100 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Noise complaint from land: On his way to a report of a noise disturbance, an officer spoke to the person calling in the report, who said there was a large party in progress nearby featuring a live band. By the time the officer arrived, the band had stopped playing. Still, the officer learned from a person at the party that she was celebrating from out of town with friends and family a milestone birthday and she didn’t know the town’s rules on noise.

FRIDAY, DEC. 2

NO PROBLEM

7:17 a.m., 600 block of Cedar Street Noise complaint from land: A resident’s pre-emptive call about potential work noise earlier than allowed hours was investigated and determined to be unfounded. The officer encountered a van with a construction crew inside, but no work had yet taken place.

New tree brightly lights up St. Armands

rocked around

Christmas tree last week at Sarasota’s ceremonial tree lighting on St. Armands Circle.

Hundreds gathered along to watch the super-sized tree light up as the kick off to the holiday season in Sarasota.

The evening radiated with holiday spirit as families gathered together for Mr. and Mrs. Claus to make their arrival in front of the tree in a vintage Mercedes.

Mayor Liz Alpert gave their holiday greetings to the crowd. The Rev. Kenneth Blyth of Church on the Circle gave a brief prayer before the big countdown.

Battie and Santa stepped on the podium and said, “Starting at 10.” The crowd counted down with the mayor and Santa as they pressed the button to bedazzle the 60-foot tree.

Future of Dance immediately followed the tree lighting as they performed various choreographed holiday routines.

City turns away St. Armands zoning change

neighborhood association president and candidate for City Commission this year, objected to the BID bring ing the matter to the city.

Few topics raise more inter est at Sarasota City Hall like a discussion about changes in zoning on St. Armands Circle.

At its Nov. 21 meeting, the Sarasota City Commission heard a request by the St. Armands Business Improve ment District to direct staff to study possible changes to the Commer cial Tourist Zoning District with the intent to “promote mixed-use development in the area, improve upon the existing functionality and aesthetics of the circle, and lay out framework for future development.”

Under consideration was a request to begin a new process that would have required additional community workshops and public hearings. Still, more than a dozen people spoke out against the BID’s request primar ily because changes sought include raising the maximum building height from 35 feet to 45 feet above the FEMA design flood elevation, a review of additional density and the addition of hotel as a conditional use.

Opponents saw that as an oppor tunity for commercial property owners on the circle to go vertical with their buildings, add short-term rental housing above retail.

Traffic in and around the circle was the main objection.

St. Armands BID Chairman Tom Leonard told commissioners the primary objective is to allow owners of the century-old buildings to bring them up to contemporary standards, if they were so inclined.

“I’ve reached out to every property owner on the circle and the major ity of those operators feel that St. Armands needs more flexibility to allow it to maximize its potential,”

said Leonard, who owns Shore res taurant there. Many buildings, he said, have eight-foot ceilings and nonconforming parking, which limit their owners’ ability to renovate.

“Our hands are tied out there,” he said. “We’re not asking you to vote on this to approve it. We’re just ask ing you to vote on it so we can go through the public scrutiny process.”

ALREADY VETTED

This isn’t the first time the BID has attempted to affect zoning changes on the circle. In 2008, it commis sioned a study that resulted in an

expressed need for a hotel and gro cery store on the key.

“Not 10 grocery stores, not 10 hotels, one of each,” said Chris Golia, president of the St. Armands Resi dents Association. “But the matter before you today would allow every single commercial building on St. Armands to have hotel rooms if the owners wanted to do that, so we’re very concerned about that.”

Golia cited community work shops in August 2021 and January 2022, during which an overwhelm ing majority of participants objected to the proposals being brought by the

BID.

Prior to the City Commission meeting, the St. Armands Residents Association reported a recent sur vey with nearly half of the residents responding resulted in 90% oppos ing a commercial building height increase and 87% objecting to a zoning text change that would allow boutique hotel usage and the poten tial for Airbnbs.

“To anybody who says all you’re doing is opening it up to public scru tiny, it’s already been done,” Golia said.

Carl Shoffstall, a Lido Key resident,

“It has nothing to do with I got mine and nobody else should get theirs,” Shoffstall said. “We don’t need hotels. There is a hotel approved already. I really have a serious issue with the people who are push ing this forward. We vetted this for over a year-and-a-half and it was resoundingly voted down, and here we are back at picking at the scab.”

A BIG ASK

“We’re not trying to build towers out there,” Leonard said. “What we’re trying to do is bring St. Armands up to a developmental standard that makes it current with other cities like Naples, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Tampa and St. Petersburg.”

Leonard and Julie Ryan, the BID’s city-appointed business manager, told commissioners that the BID itself is up for renewal in 2023, and progress toward a zoning  change may help ensure property owners there approve. As a special tax dis trict, the city returns the additional ad valorem revenue for BID use to enhance business on the circle.

Erik Arroyo, supported by his  fel low commissioners, told Leonard that on the heels of the approved comprehensive plan amendments and the myriad zoning amend ments to enhance affordable hous ing efforts that will follow, staff is already overburdened to take on a zoning study.

City Manager Marlon Brown asked Planning Director Steve Cover to articulate the staff’s workload, and when it might be able to fit the BID’s request on its schedule.

“We do have a very heavy year ahead of us with the zoning text amendments related to downtown, which we’re going to be jumping on early next year,” Cover said.

Could it be done in 2023, Brown asked?

“To really fit comfortably, make it 2024,” Cover said.

Rather than tackling a year-plus-

long process to review a wholesale text amendment change, Arroyo suggested property owners should bring proposals for specific projects individually rather than wholesale under the cover of the BID.

Commissioner Jen Ahearn-Koch agreed.

“When I read this, it’s to autho rize city staff to prepare a zoning text amendment, which is a big ask of staff, and then it very specifically says review additional density in the comp plan,” Ahearn-Koch said. “I see this as a wide-open door. It’s not targeted. It’s not specific. We’ve not had a plethora of people coming down asking for any of this. To Com missioner Arroyo’s point, we have a lot going on, and to put this out there without it being targeted, I think we’re asking for problems.”

City Attorney Robert Fournier settled the matter among commis sioners’ minds with a timely legal interpretation of the BID’s request.  Specifically, it isn’t specific enough.

“If the BID has amendments that they want to request, they ought to be able to articulate them or to specify what they are. I don’t think they’ve done that,” Fournier said. “The BID says the changes are nec essary, and the residents say they aren’t. I think it’s unwise to autho rize a zoning text amendment unless you know exactly what the proposed amendment is, and I think this is a little too open ended for that.”

Armands

commissioners zoning text changes at St. Armands Circle are necessary for commercial property owners to upgrade their buildings to contemporary standards.

TRIBUTES

Daniel Louis Hessel (Dan) age 84 of Longboat Key, FL, and former resident of Roseville and Ham Lake, MN, passed away November 28, 2022 after a nine year battle with Parkinson’s Disease.

Dan attended high school in Cameron, WI where he was an outstanding three sport athletic and still holds a WI record in basketball for highest single game scoring of 54 points. He attended the Minneapolis Business College and The University of Minnesota where he stud ied Business and accounting. He worked as a CPA in St Paul, MN and retired as a partner from McGladrey and Pullen in 1993. After retiring he worked on his own account and tax seasons with his friend James M. Honsvall LTD a Stillwater, MN CPA Firm for many years.

Dan Loved fishing and hunting and spending win

ters on Longboat Key, FL. He and his wife June became full-time Florida residents in 2018.

Dan was preceded in death by his parents Louis and Ethlyn Hessel.

Dan is survived by his wife June, of 49 years; his children, Cheryl Weldon (Dave) of New Auburn, WI. David Hessel (Pam) of Lake of the Ozarks, MO, and Stepson Robert Segedi (Tara) of Cottage Grove, MN; Grand Children, Steve Barker (Amy), Jenny Barker, Mitch Hessel, Jamie Hessel, Natalie Segedi and Sydney Segedi. Great Grand Children, Lauren and Dylan Barker; and siblings, Joe Hessel (Betty), Steve Hessel (Thelma) and Judy Olin (Tom).

Services will be held on December 30th at the Longboat Island Chapel on Longboat Key, FL. Memorials appreciated to the Neuro Challenge Foundation for Parkinson’s and the Longboat Island Chapel.

Myron “Mike” Phillips 1928-2022

Myron “Mike” Phillips, 94, of Crescent, GA passed away after a short illness on November 23, 2022. He was born in Vidalia, GA of Curtis M. and Ora Daniels Phillips on June 10, 1928 and moved with his family to Jesup as a child.

He served in the Army as an MP at Camp Stewart, GA during the Korean War. He co-owned and operated Wayne Milling Company, until moving to Crescent in 1967 when he began shrimping. After years in the shrimping industry, Myron built Phillips Seafood, then Pelican Point Restaurant and operated it for 30 years. After retirement, his life revolved around sharing sto ries with family and friends,

and University of Georgia Football.

Myron is survived by his three children and a son-in-law, Charlie Phillips of Crescent, Gail Phillips of Pine Harbor, and Susan Phillips and husband Steve Branham of Longboat Key, FL. He taught his children many lessons in life, most notably – a love for Coastal Georgia and her waterways.

He was pre-deceased by 2 brothers, Curtis and Harley and a sister, Laverne.

His wishes were to be cremated with a private memorial service. A celebration of life will be announced as details are confirmed.

tennis pioneer

Nick Bollettieri dies at 91

One of the sport’s most influential teachers, Bollettieri launched the tennis school at the iconic Colony Beach & Tennis Resort.

Avisionary and innovator as described by one of his original students, Nick Bollettieri had a way of seeing exactly what his students and athletes needed.

The founder of the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy, which launched in 1978 at Longboat Key’s Colony Beach & Tennis Resort and is now known as IMG Academy in west Bradenton, Bollettieri died Dec. 4. He was 91.

“Without the Colony Beach hotel I wouldn’t be here,” he told the Longboat Observer in 2014.

In 1977,  Colony owner Murray “Murf” Klauber scheduled an inter view with Bollettieri.

As Klauber told the Longboat Observer  in 2014, the publisher of Tennis magazine called him and told him not to hire Bollettieri, which piqued Klauber’s interest. Klauber told Bollettieri he wanted to make

the Colony the No. 1 tennis resort in America.

Bollettieri agreed to Klauber’s stipulations, including all-white uniforms with Colony logos, allow ing women to start playing at 8 a.m. and morning lessons on Saturdays and Sundays — both unheard of in tennis at the time.

Bollettieri almost had a sixth sense for coaching, with Jimmy Arias, IMG Academy’s director of tennis and one of Bollettieri’s first students, calling him the “master of motivation.”

Now, with Arias almost in the same position at the IMG Academy that Bollettieri held, he says that was the one leadership lesson he tried to learn from Bollettieri, while admit ting he’s not as good at it as his pre decessor. “I’m trying to get there.”

When Arias was growing up, he says, the thing to do for all athletes was to attend college before becom ing a professional. “Nobody turned pro as a teenager,” he says.

But when he was 16 years old, Bol lettieri pushed Arias to dream bigger. Going up against the No. 6 ranked player in the world at the time, the match really didn’t count for any thing until Bollettieri told Arias, “That’s it, you’re turning pro,” after Arias won the match. “Nick knew

I was ready,” he says, noting that those were the best years of his ten nis career.

“Nick was an innovator,”Arias says. “He had a dream that he want ed to do something that hadn’t been done before in tennis.”

He wanted to build a school for athletes to receive an education while having the opportunity to expand their tennis skills. And that’s exactly what he did. IMG Academy has since become a go-to school and sports training facility, with nation ally ranked teams in multiple sports. It’s also one of the largest employers in Manatee County.

The academy was focused on pro viding physical training, immer sion and ongoing competition, the release from IMG states. Throughout his career, Bollettieri coached 10 of the world’s No. 1 players, including

Andre Agassi, Boris Becker, Jim Cou rier, Maria Sharapova, Venus Wil liams and Serena Williams, among others. Agassi was one of many ten nis stars who went to social media to honor their coach and mentor. A Dec. 5 tweet from Agassi stated: “Our dear friend, Nick Bollettieri, gradu ated from us last night. He gave so many a chance to live their dream. He showed us all how life can be lived to the fullest … Thank you, Nick.”

On the academy where Bollett ieri made a name for himself, Arias says “it gave us all an opportunity to improve over competitors.”

Skills are one thing to be gained from an academy like this, but a lot of the success that has come through those doors really start with the mental aspect of the game.

“If anyone put you in a box,” Arias says, “he would prove them wrong.”

Live nativity is a lasting tradition

Petting zoos aren’t quite posh enough for St. Armands Circle on the average day, but once a year, the two make for a magical combination.

The sidewalk in front of St. Armands Key Lutheran Church was packed Friday night for its annual live nativity scene. Members can’t seem to settle on the year it started, but it’s been a handsdown favorite ever since.

While Jane Wittlinger says they’ve been doing the nativity for five or six years, Sandi Love says she’s been an angel for seven. Either way, Friday night was her husband David Lawrence’s reluctant debut performance as a shepherd.

“On the way over, he said I owe him big time,” Love said. “What

amazes me about the whole event is that you look out at the kids, and their little eyes light up. To me, that’s the best part of it.”

Visitors were allowed to pet the donkeys and get up close to the goats’ cage, but the camels were off limits. They were busy trimming the church’s trees by munching leaves off the high branches.

But the entertainment didn’t stop on four legs. A quartet led the crowd in a round of Christmas carols, and the Sarasota Contemporary Dance Ensemble performed throughout the evening.

This is a holiday tradition with no end in sight, even if no one can remember when it began.

YOUR NEIGHBORS

Same recipe, new home

ers, and Gold Coast Eagle provides the beer each year. Attendance rose by 100 guests.

Despite the location change, the concept remained the same — eat, drink, be merry and give.

Asunny day and a new location made the annual Kiwanis Lawn Party by the Bay bigger and better than ever.

The  fundraiser for the Children’s Guardian Fund was held on the tra ditional first Saturday in December, but for the first time, it was not on Longboat Key.

For years, the party has bounced between locations on the island. Last year, 800 people attended the event at the Town Center Green. Because that location is still under construc tion, organizers moved the party over the bridge to City Island.

“Ken Thompson Park really proved to be a tremendous location for our event,” event Chair Michael Garey said. “We were able to have more res taurants participate. There was more space for the guests to enjoy, and we even had more space between the restaurants.”

Last year, 22 restaurants partici pated. With a larger location, six more joined the roster this time. There were also five wine support

The final donation numbers haven’t been tallied yet, but last year’s event raised more than $90,000.

Brian Costello spent $750 on raffle tickets alone. His generosity paid off when he won the $5,000 grand prize.

By a twist of fate and history, Scott MacDonald of Crab & Fin won sec ond place. MacDonald’s family has supported the event since it was called the St. Judes Gourmet Lun cheon more than 40 years ago. His father was one of the founders.

Regardless of its name, food has always been the main event. La Norma plated 600 meatballs, and Columbia served its famous 1905 salad, which Rick Rone called the “best salad anywhere on Longboat Key or St. Armands Circle.”

The father-and-son team of Rob bie and Robbie Ball from the Blue Dolphin served up a dish that’s fea tured on their lunch menu. Their chilled gazpacho is grandma’s recipe.

Another favorite plate was the Longboat Key Fire Rescue’s fire house chili. It would be easy to give these lifesavers a pass on their cook ing skills, but they don’t need one. In their downtime, the amateur chefs have perfected an award-winning recipe they bring to the Morton’s Firehouse Chili Cook-off each year.

“We place almost every year,” fire fighter Jason Berzowski said. “I’m the main chef, but everybody helps. This is not a one-person event. We just keep tinkering with it over the years.”

One thing that looks like it won’t be tinkered with for next year’s lawn party is the new venue on City Island.

“Our biggest challenge, in my opinion, is the last four lawn par ties have been in four different loca tions,” Garey said. “I can tell you with certainty, anything gets better with repetition and practice, and we are already working on improve ments for next year.”

“I’m the main chef, but everybody helps. This is not a one-person event. We just keep tinkering with it over the years.”

— Jason Berzowski

THURSDAY,

DEC. 8

OFF THE CLOCK

From 5-6:30 p.m. at Harry’s Continental Kitchens, 525 St. Judes Drive. Bring an ornament that reflects your business or service to the Longboat Key Chamber of Commerce annual holiday networking event. Complimentary hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar. $5 for members; $10 for guests and future members. Call 383-2466 to RSVP.

SUNDAY, DEC. 11

OPEN HOUSE

From 2-4 p.m. at Temple Beth Israel, 567 Bay Isles Road. Members and the public are invited to the preChanukah open house to see what’s new at the temple. Refreshments will be served. Call 383-3428 for more information.

MONDAY, DEC. 12

TOY DRIVE

From noon-1 p.m. at Temple Beth Israel, 567 Bay Isles Road. Drive through the parking lot. Volunteers will be collecting toys for Second Chance Last Opportunity. Call 3833428 for information.

RECURRING EVENTS

WINTER FESTIVAL

From 4-9 p.m. and from noon-9 p.m. on holiday weeks and weekends in St. Armands Circle. See the circle transformed into a winter wonderland until Jan. 3, 2023. Wristbands for attractions cost $10.

MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY LONGBOAT LIBRARY

The Longboat Library is open from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday at 555 Bay Isles Road. On Wednesdays, most books are on sale for $1 or less. Call 383-2011 for information.

MONDAYS

GENTLE CHAIR YOGA

From 9-10 a.m. at the Education Center at Temple Beth Israel, 567 Bay Isles Road. Improve flexibility, strength and overall physical functioning while seated in a chair. Runs through Dec. 19. Students can join at any time on a prorated basis. Fee is $70 for members; $80 for nonmembers. Call 383-8222.

STRETCH & STRENGTHEN

From 10-11 a.m. at The Paradise Center, 546 Bay Isles Road. Focus is on strength training and flexibility for balance. Suzy Brenner leads the class. Fee is $10. Walk-ins welcome. Call 383-6493.

THINKING OUT LOUD: TIMELY TOPICS WITH MIKE KARP

From 1-2:30 p.m. at The Paradise Center, 546 Bay Isles Road. Topics will include U.S. and world current affairs, popular culture and topics relevant to seniors. Cost is $10. Walk-ins welcome. Call 383-6493.

MONDAYS, WEDNESDAYS AND SATURDAYS LORD’S WAREHOUSE THRIFT STORE

The thrift store will be open 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 6140 Gulf of Mexico Drive. Donations are accepted during business hours. Call 383-4738.

TUESDAYS

QIGONG FOR HEALTH & VITALITY

From 9-10 a.m. at the Education Center at Temple Beth Israel, 567 Bay Isles Road. Improve balance and flexibility, plus loosen joints and relax. Runs through Dec. 20. Students can join at any time on a prorated basis. Fee is $70 for members; $80 for nonmembers. Call 383-8222.

QI GONG

From 10-11 a.m. at The Paradise Center, 546 Bay Isles Road. Qi gong is a mind-body-spirit practice designed to improve mental and physical health. Class is outdoors, weather permitting. Cost is $10. Walk-ins welcome. Call 383-6493.

YOGA

From 11:15-12:15 p.m. at The Paradise Center, 546 Bay Isles Road.

Debbie Debile of Feel Good Yoga & Massage leads a gentle yoga class that can be done on a mat or in a chair. Cost is $10; free for members. Call 383-6493.

MAH JONGG

From 1-3 p.m. at The Paradise Center, 546 Bay Isles Road. Fun time for experienced players. To check availability at the tables, email MaryAnnBrady@TheParadiseCenter.org.

TUESDAY AND THURSDAY BREATH BALANCE AND BLISS YOGA

From 10:30-11:30 a.m. at Bayfront Park Recreation Center, 4052 Gulf of Mexico Drive. Cost is $10 for members; $15 for nonmembers. Call 361-6411 ext. 2212.

WEDNESDAYS YOGA POTPOURRI

From 9-10 a.m. at the Education Center at Temple Beth Israel, 567 Bay Isles Road. A gentle, slow-paced blend of simple yoga postures focusing on balance, alignment, strength, breathwork, flexibility and relaxation. Runs through Dec. 21. Students can join at any time on a prorated basis. Fee is $70 for members; $80 for nonmembers. Call 383-8222.

BEGINNER TAI CHI

From 10-11 a.m. at The Paradise Center, 546 Bay Isles Road. Class is outdoors, weather permitting. Cost is $10. Walk-ins welcome. Call 3836493.

THURSDAYS

SLOW FLOW YOGA

From 9-10 a.m. at the Education Center at Temple Beth Israel, 567 Bay Isles Road. Simple yoga routines incorporating a range of several hatha yoga styles. Improve spinal flexibility and core strength for all fitness levels. Runs through Dec. 22, students can join at any time on a prorated basis. Fee is $70 for members; $80 for nonmembers. Call 383-8222.

ST. ARMANDS KEY LUTHERAN CHURCH BRIDGE CLUB

Every Thursday beginning at 1 p.m. at St. Armands Key Lutheran Church, 40 N. Adams Drive, join an ACBL-sanctioned game of contract bridge with a certified teacher. All skill levels are welcome. There is an $8 suggested donation for each session. Refreshments will be provided. RSVP to 952-9251.

ZUMBA AND MAT PILATES FOR SENIORS

From 10-11 a.m. at The Paradise Center, 546 Bay Isles Road. The class, designed for active seniors, starts with Zumba and shifts to all-level mat Pilates at 10:30 a.m. Come for 30 minutes or the full hour. Cost is $10. Walk-ins welcome. Call 3836493.

FRIDAYS

QI GONG AND MEDITATION

From 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. at The Paradise Center, 546 Bay Isles Road, take qi gong and meditation with Sandi Love. Free for members; $10 for nonmembers. Call 383-6493.

INTERMEDIATE TAI CHI

From 10-11 a.m. at The Paradise Center, 546 Bay Isles Road. Reuben Fernandez teaches the class outdoors, weather permitting. Free for members; $10 for nonmembers. Walk-ins welcome. Call 383-6493.

THURSDAY, DEC. 8 PET BLESSING

1-3 p.m. at All Angels by the Sea Episcopal Church, 563 Bay Isles Road. Bring your pets to be blessed by the Rev. David Marshall. Call 383-8161 for information.

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2509 Marblehead Drive 3 bed, 3.5 bath | 2,869 Sq Ft www.2509MarbleheadDrive.com Offered for $1,185,000

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1709 N Tamiami Trl Unit #221

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Christ Church collects toys for Our Daily Bread

Christmas is approaching, and Christ Church is collecting toys.

Parishioners ran a drive-thru toy and food drive for Our Daily Bread of Bradenton on Nov. 30.

Donations piled up before the event. Members delivered two carloads of food and toys including four bicycles on Saturday. The final push brought in six more bikes and two more carloads.

On Dec. 22, they hand out the toys to the children,” Sue Wertman said. “Last year, they had about 100 kids. We just enjoy giving back to the community.”

Our Daily Bread has served more than 2

million meals since opening in 1984. The majority of those served are not homeless but struggling, many of whom have children.

Charlotta Langley strolled up with a Publix bag, pushing a pink and blue bike with silver streamers. The handlebars read “Seastar.”

Annie Pelgen was in town from Kentucky, visiting her twin sister, Bonnie Schneider, for Thanksgiving. The sisters dropped off two bags of food and three bags of toys.

In total, 40 donors contributed.

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Choir of Christ Church of Longboat Key, with instrumentalists, will lead the SERVICE OF NINE LESSONS WITH CAROLS on Sunday, December 11, at our regular Sunday service at 10:00 AM.

service tells the story of God's interaction with the world which led to the birth of the Messiah, using key passages of scripture interpreted by carols sung by the Choir and congregation.

Longboat Harbor lights up giving goal

All 52 docks were decorated for Longboat Harbour Condominium’s annual

Lighting of the Docks event.

Some of the docks had themes, including those that paid tribute to celebrating the holidays in Florida.

Lights were strung around posts, inflatable Santas were set up and even some of the residents’ boats were decked out in holiday style.

Each year, the residential complex raises money for Toys for Tots as part of the event. This year, about $5,300 was raised, according to condo Commodore Bill Coughlin.

“We crushed our Toys for Tots goal,” he told residents at the awards ceremony. The goal this year was to raise at least $4,000, he said.

Each resident with a dock who participated in the event, in this case all of them, received a yacht club goodie bag and coffee mug.

The top five finalists received a $75 gift card to Lazy Lobster. The next five received $25 gifts to the restaurant.

“It’s great seeing old people have this kind of fun,” Coughlin said.

Jane Hunter and John Wheeland were among the top five finalists, which they said is not unusual for them.

They have placed first or in the top five for the last three years.

This year, their dock was an undertaking.

“Each pole took us about three-and-ahalf hours to do,” Hunter said.

Beth Israel, its exciting cultural and educational programs, tour the building, and meet Rabbi Sniderman.

941-383

UROLOGIC CARE

We’ve got this down to a ‘P’

Excellence is never a one-time thing. And consistency is the difference between practice and perfection.

At Sarasota Memorial, our multi-disciplinary team of urologists and urologic surgeons knows this. And armed with the latest in diagnostic technology and trained in the latest interventions — including minimally invasive robotic surgery — they have consistently led the way in treating everything from chronic kidney disease and acute bladder dysfunction to troublesome prostate enlargement and complex genitourinary cancers, earning national recognition for both innovation and excellence along the way.

So it’s no surprise U.S. News & World Report has named SMH the #1 hospital in Florida for urologic care

After all , we’ve got this down to a , well , you know.

Regent Place condo sells for $4.55 million

Acondominium in Regent Place tops all transactions in this week’s real estate.

Thomas Brett Stout and Nancy Adams Stout, of Oakton, Virginia, sold their Unit 26A condominium at 675 Longboat Club Road to David and Lisa Massad, of Shrewsbury, Massa chusetts, for $4.55 million. Built in 1995, it has three bedrooms, three-and-ahalf baths and 3,564 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.65 million in 1999.

THE PRIVATEER SOUTH

Kevin Colon, of Lakewood Ranch, sold his Unit 601 condominium at 1000 Longboat Club Road to Karen’s Paradise LLC for $1.28 million. Built in 1972, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,409 square feet of living area. It sold for $775,800 in 2019.

BEACH HARBOR CLUB

Emily Jung, trustee, of Longboat Key, sold the Unit B-305 condominium at 3804 Gulf of Mexico Drive to William Krone and Shauna Leigh

Krone, of Parrish, for $350,000. Built in 1970, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,007 square feet of living area. It sold for $72,500 in 1994.

Built in 1995, Unit 26A has three bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths and 3,564 square feet of living area.

Holiday slowdown

County offices were closed Thursday and Friday, limit ing the numbers of real estate transactions available for this week’s report.

Here are some top sellers from other barrier-island loca tions:

SIESTA KEY

SIESTA KEY Adam and Morgan Zanotti, trustees, of Palos Verdes Estates, California, sold two properties at 7303 Midnight Pass Road to Michael Andrew Sanchez, of Sarasota, for $5.25 million. The first property was built in 1978, it has three bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 5,547 square feet of living area. The second property was built in 2000, it has one bedroom, one bath and 1,583 square feet of living area.

WHISPERING SANDS

Barbara Powers, trustee, of Oakwood Hills, Illinois, sold the Unit 1202 condominium at 19 Whispering Sands Drive to Joseph and Jennifer Jo Lower, of Palm Beach Gardens, for $1.35 million. Built in 1973, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,564 square feet of living area. It sold for $910,000 in 2017.

CRYSTAL SANDS

Morgan Florida Properties LLC sold the Unit 3 condominium at 6300 Midnight Pass Road to Reliable Ready Mix Inc. for $990,000. Built in 1969, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,253 square feet of living area. It sold for $400,000 in 2007.

Annual concert collects toys for Catholic Charities

t. Mary, Star of the Sea Catholic Church held its annual Christmas concert on Friday, Dec. 2. More than 100 people attended, and each brought an unwrapped toy as the standard price of admission.

“Every year, we do this,” Chuck Sobieck said. “They’re going to Catholic Charities in Sarasota.”

Church members belted “Hark, the Herald Angel Sing” during the singalong at the end of the concert, which featured a singer, flautist and pianist.

“The music blew everybody’s socks off,” George Noble raved.

After the concert, guests were invited to Pick Hall for a reception with cookies and punch.

Catholic Charities supports all ages, from early intervention through senior services in Sarasota and Manatee counties. Financial support, affordable housing, immigration assistance and counseling are among the agency’s services.

FORECAST

FRIDAY, DEC. 9

High: 76

Low: 64

Chance of rain: 7%

SATURDAY, DEC. 10

High: 76 Low: 64

Chance of rain: 7%

SUNDAY, DEC. 11

High: 77 Low: 64 Chance of rain: 7%

TIDES

Thursday, Dec. 8 7:07a 5:35p

Friday, Dec. 9 7:08a 5:35p

Saturday, Dec. 10 7:08a 5:35p

Sunday, Dec. 11 7:09a 5:35p

Monday, Dec. 12 7:10a 5:36p

Tuesday, Dec. 13 7:10a 5:36p

Wednesday, Dec. 14 7:11a 5:36p

MOON PHASES

Thursday, Dec. 8 2:15p 10:45p 7:02a 4:48p

Friday, Dec. 9 3:02p 11:19p 7:38a 5:06p

Saturday, Dec. 10 11:57p 8:15a

Sunday, Dec. 11 8:55a

Monday, Dec. 12 12:40a 4:53p 9:37a 7:28p

Tuesday, Dec. 13 1:28a 5:21p 10:21a 8:58p

Wednesday, Dec. 14 2:24a 5:48p 11:05a 10:41p

December 22 •East County & Longboat: Thursday, 12/15 noon

•Sarasota / Siesta Key: Friday, 12/16 noon

D December 29

•East County & Longboat: Friday, 12/16 noon

•Sarasota / Siesta Key: Monday, 12/19 noon

J January 5

•East County & Longboat: Thursday, 12/22 noon

•Sarasota /Siesta Key: Tuesday, 1/3 11am

The Observer Classi ed Dept. will CLOSE on December 23rd at 4:00pm for the Holidays. We will reopen on January 3rd at 9:00am. HAPPY HOLIDAYS

PLACE YOUR AD: Call: 941-955-4888 Email: RedPages@ YourObserver.com Online: YourObserver.com /RedPages

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