Longboat Observer 10.30.25

Cross-country walker reaches Longboat

Long-haul walker Kyndal Ray Edwards is on a nomadic mission to walk to the four corners of the United States in an effort to raise support for mental health services.

For Day 830 of his walk, he passed through Longboat Key on Oct. 25 and continued on to Sarasota, nearing his goal of the Florida Keys for the southeastern point of his route. He hopes to inspire others through his own mental health journey. Supporters can follow along on his Facebook page “Kyndal Ray Edwards (A Walking Testimony)” and on other social media platforms.

Catch the final SkiA-Rees fall show

Those looking to enjoy some aquatic acrobatics on Sarasota Bay can catch the Sarasota Ski-A-Rees Water Ski Show Team’s final show of the 2025 fall season at 2 p.m. on Nov. 2 at 1602 Ken Thompson Parkway. The shows will return after the holidays.

Attendance is free, though donations are welcome. Stadium seating is first come, first served. Visit SkiARees.com or call 941-388-1666.

Town, St. Regis debate over sign language

WEEK OF OCT. 30, 2025

BY THE NUMBERS

$38

“(Longboat Link is) an alternative for them to call for service that is not provided by the fire department.”

Longboat Key Fire Chief Paul Dezzi Read more on page 12

Lido Key trending in the fall

Lido Key has been recognized as a trending U.S. destination by vacation rental company HomeToGo. The company published a report showing Lido has experienced a 327% increase in searches on the website.

That is the sixth highest increase, earning Lido Key a spot on the 2025 HomeToGo fall travel report. Topping the rankings was Oro Valley, Arizona. Other Florida cities on the list include Celebration and Melbourne Beach.

“Seeing Lido Beach continue to rank as one of the most-

searched fall travel destinations proves what Sarasota County locals have always known: trading scarfs for sandals is the way to vacation,” said Visit Sarasota County President and CEO Erin Duggan.

The white-sand and blue-green Gulf waters at Lido Beach attract hundreds of thousands to its shores, and St. Armands Circle provides attractive shopping and dining less than a half mile away.

Lido Key is not new to recognition. In 2021, Lido Beach was named one of the best restored

beaches in the United States by the American Shore and Beach Preservation Association.

One of three beaches awarded, Lido was recognized for Sarasota County’s collaboration with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to renourish the beach with 700,000 cubic yards of sand in 2020.

Five years and the effects of four hurricanes later, Lido will get another round of beach renourishment this year after sea turtle season ends Oct. 31.

Manatee recruiting for committees

Manatee County is accepting applications for the Planning Commission and Historic Preservation Board.

The Planning Commission, a volunteer committee of Manatee County residents, meets to discuss land use regulations before making recommendations to the Board of County Commissioners.

The seven-member commission has two open seats of members that expired in October.

The county is also looking to fill three open seats on its Historic Preservation Board.

The five-member committee identifies historically significant buildings and sites in the county and makes recommendations to commissioners regarding the future of history-rich places.

Applications for Planning Commission or Historic Preservation Board are due by Nov. 17. Those interested in applying can do so at MyManatee.org by searching “apply for an advisory board.”

Tennis Center to hold meet and greet

Longboat Key Tennis Center will hold a meet and greet 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Nov. 11 with Tennis Center staff, tennis teaching professionals and the nonprofit tennis-promoting Friends of Tennis group.

The season kick-off event will include hors d’oeuvres, live music, a cash bar and a tennis clinic demonstration.

The Tennis Center also announced that membership fees will not increase for 2026, though there will be new fees for lessons, starting at $55 for a half-hour lesson for nonmembers and $50 for members. One-hour clinics with four or more participants will be $38 for nonmembers or $30 for members.

The Longboat Key Tennis Center has 10 clay Har-Tru courts and hosts two tournaments each year, the Level 2 Longboat Key Masters Clay Courts USTA event in December and the Observer Challenge Tournament in January.

A HIDDEN PURPOSE

Bayfront Park stormwater system incorporates native plants for water filtration.

Egrets graze, marine snails crawl and the pink-purple flower strands of muhly grass sway in the wind at Bayfront Park in Longboat Key.

The pretty pocket of plantings next to the tennis and pickleball courts may not garner a second look by parkgoers, but it serves an important function, acting as a natural filter for water before it flows into Sarasota Bay, and reducing flooding during heavy rains.

When rain falls on Longboat Key, water washes onto the Key, over roads, lawns and roofs and either seeps into the groundwater lens below or into the Sarasota Bay or Gulf.

Measured in inches, the amount of water a rainstorm pours on Longboat Key can be better described in gallons. For each inch of rain, more than 71 million gallons of water fall on the 2,696-acre island.

With an average rainfall of about 46 inches per year, according to RainDrop, that means more than 3.2 billion gallons of water fall on the Key annually, and it has to go somewhere.

The rerouting of that water and maintenance of the town’s stormwater system is one important aspect of the town’s duties.

Longboat Key Town Engineer Jennifer Fehrs said one of the goals of the town’s stormwater management system is to “meet the conditions for a 25-year, 24-hour storm event.”

A part of Public Works Director Charlie Mopps’ job is the managing and routing of stormwater on the barrier island.

“During normal rainfall events, stormwater will infiltrate into the ground, some will evaporate and plants assist in transpiration. However, if the soils and public/private retention systems are saturated, or the rainfall event is prolonged or is a high-intensity rainfall event, then we experience stormwater runoff,” Mopps said in an email.

Ideally, all rainfall would seep into the ground, but water won’t seep into concrete, or roofs or other “impervious surfaces,” and the town and its

residents don’t want water pooling in yards, into houses or on the street. So, there are hundreds of stormwater “infalls” or drainage grates that collect the rainwater, which then travels through the stormwater system. Often, water that makes its way into that system ends up in Sarasota Bay, explains Sarasota Bay Estuary Program Director Ryan Gandy.

“We’ve urbanized the environment and hardened the ground with roads and houses and everything else. The early (stormwater) designs were just to get the water off the land, so you piped it very quickly to get to the bay or the Gulf,” Gandy said.

Many of those systems remain, and private stormwater systems are often of that simple “get the water out of here” design. But regulations by the Southwest Florida Water Management District have changed how new private stormwater systems are designed.

“The new mandate will increase stormwater treatment requirements for most projects, whether they are new development or redevelopment,” Fehrs said.

A lack of static water causes issues with the aquifer below, Gandy explained.

When rainwater doesn’t have time to percolate and absorb into the ground, the collection of water in the aquifer becomes lessened as its supply is used for irrigation and drinking water. Salty seawater seeps into the aquifer as the supply of fresh water decreases and the potential replacement of that water flows into the Bay.

BIOSWALES TO THE RESCUE

Bayfront Park’s stormwater system is not just a system of pipes that connect gutters to a discharge pipe.

It’s living.

Nestled between the tennis courts and green space at Bayfront Park is a triangular gathering of Muhly grass, Cordgrass, Lemon Bacopa and other native marshy species.

That ecosystem serves as a filter for the water that travels through the “bioswale” before it discharges into the bay.

Assistant Town Manager Isaac Brownman said Bayfront Park’s bioswales aren’t only functional, but aesthetically pleasing. Much nicer to look at than a grass ditch or a dry retention basin.

“If those plantings weren’t there, it’d be a pretty bare depression or hole,” Brownman said. “It’s beautifying things that would normally just have a basic purpose. There also is a water quality and ecological benefit.”

The Bayfront stormwater system connects drainage grates in the parking lot of Bayfront Park, collecting water sloped down from the east side

of Gulf of Mexico Drive and discharging it into Sarasota Bay. Depressed into the ground, the low elevation of the bioswales allow stormwater to pool and feed the native plant species that are planted in the bioswale.

The plants rooted in the swale allow the soil to collect more rainwater, also filtering the water naturally.

A MUCH-NEEDED PROCESS

As rain washes over the Key, it picks up contaminants — oil from the roads and driveways, fertilizer and pesticides from lawns, bird and animal droppings from lawns and roofs. And as that happens, the water becomes polluted, also changing what it’s referred to as: stormwater.

Stormwater contains pollutants like nitrogen and phosphorus, which can create bigger issues for the health of Sarasota Bay.

Nitrogen, phosphorus and other nutrients that are healthy to soil can have a negative impact on bodies of water, especially when a rain follows an extended dry period.

“The algae in the bay, what we call plankton, picks (nitrogen) up immediately and will create an algal bloom, and that’s normal and natural for the spring. But when we artificially increase the amount of nutrients by fertilizing too much, that can really create and exacerbate harmful algal blooms,” Gandy said.

Gandy encourages residents to be mindful when using fertilizers, using only the amount necessary.

“We all have a responsibility to know that what is on our lawn goes into the bay at some point,” he said.

Homeowners can construct bio-

swales and “rain gardens” of their own to help the environment while beautifying their yards.

He points at anyone interested in doing so to reach out to the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences’ Sarasota extension, which he said is happy to provide guidance and tips to do so.

“You can create a butterfly garden around your downspout, or if you have a low area on your property that pools water, you can plant that accordingly so that it helps to cycle that water and helps to keep pushing it down into the ground,” Gandy said.

The town also shares tips of its own to manage stormwater quality with residents.

Through marketing and outreach, the town urges residents to collect and bag yard waste and dispose of trash properly to avoid issues associated with clogged drains.

Regardless of the town’s efforts, debris makes its way into the stormwater system.

Baffle boxes serve as a type of debris filter, trapping those troublesome items before they cause an issue. One such baffle box is right before the Bayfront Park stormwater outfall.

Bayfront Park has gone through extensive changes over the years.

The town cleared the baseball diamond to add pickleball courts and dog parks in the past decade.

There was a major expansion in 2016 where the town spent $3.5 million. This expansion included the addition of the bioswales.

Brownman said the design of the stormwater system is an example of how municipalities have changed their approach to stormwater management over the past half-century.

A welcome change for those advocating for environmental stewardship.

“I think they’ve done a good job.

I think it’s a good demonstration,”

Gandy said. “This time of year, you’ve got beautiful blooming grass out there. But really what’s below that is actually a functional stormwater system. You’re not looking at ditches anymore. You’re actually looking at something that’s doing a job and has a really nice aesthetic to it.”

BIOSWALE BENEFITS

Bioswales are depressed areas of land where rainwater routes or naturally flows. They are a type of decorative and effective drainage ditch lined with native plants. Below are a list of some of the benefits of bioswales.

n Filters pollutants out of stormwater before it discharges into a body of water

n Reduces quantity

“It’s

beautifying things that would normally just have a basic purpose. There also is a water quality and ecological benefit.”

— Isaac Brownman, assistant

Remove sod and dig an average 4- to 8-inch

Stings from stingrays are considered a defense mechanism.

Stingray injuries rise in October

On Longboat Key beaches, there was a large uptick in stingray injuries this month.

According to Longboat Key Fire Rescue, four of the six stingray injuries reported in 2025 happened in the month of October. Longboat Key Fire Chief Paul Dezzi said the fire department sees an increase in calls for stingray stings in the summer until November.

To stay safe in the shallow Gulf waters that stingrays frequent, the stingray shuffle is the most recommended practice.

The method of walking via shuffling kicks up sand in shallow Gulf waters, spooking stingrays and sending them fleeing, which is much preferable to a beachgoer stepping on a stingray and getting stung by the ray in self-defense.

That shuffle method is recommended by the American Lifeguard Association to keep beachgoers safe from the venomous stings.

On lifeguarded beaches, a purple flag is displayed on lifeguard stands to warn about the presence of dangerous marine life like sharks and stingrays.

But on beaches without lifeguards like Longboat Key, swimmers should practice the shuffle year-round, especially between May and October, said Dezzi.

LONGBOAT KEY FIRE RESCUE STINGRAY CALLS

Longboat Key Fire Rescue rarely responds to stingray injuries as stings are considered minor injuries, but the department responded to four separate stingray stings this October alone. Below are the total numbers of annual LKFR responses. n 2022 — 5 n 2023 — 7 n 2024 — 4 n 2025 (YTD) — 6

If injured by a stingray, hospitalization is rarely required, according to a brochure from Longboat Key Fire Rescue.

If stung, the wound should be immersed in hot, but not scalding, water, washed with soap and water and dressed with a bandage. It is recommended someone who is stung sees a doctor or urgent care within 24 hours. If the stung beachgoer experiences dizziness, weakness, chest pain, shortness of breath, gets pale or faints, LKFR recommends calling 911. If pain is the only symptom, Dezzi said the injured is welcome to visit a firehouse for treatment or wait to see a doctor.

St. Regis, town in dispute over arched sign on pier

St. Regis is asking the town of Longboat Key to amend its sign code to allow for an arch it installed on a groin to remain in place.

n Instagram-worthy arch installed on a private Gulf pier bearing the words “St. Regis Longboat Key” violates Longboat Key town code, and hotel and town leaders are in discussions to decide whether it will stay or go.

Town leaders initially requested St. Regis Longboat Key Resort to remove the sign when they learned about it in August.

With no sign permit applied for before installation, the town did not approve the sign, and Planning and Zoning Director Allen Parsons said the arch breaks multiple parts of the sign code.

According to Chapter 156, Section 1 of the town code, anyone seeking to display a permanent sign “is required to apply for and obtain a sign permit prior to lawful placement” of the sign.

Sign code also specifies the permitting of monument style and wall

signs, with no mention of a gatewaystyle sign like St. Regis erected. The arch also does not follow setback requirements, which require signs be at least 150 feet from the shore.

“From the town’s perspective, that is a type of structure that requires a permit from the town,” Parsons said. “They did not submit an application for a sign permit, so we have asked them to remove that sign until they receive a permit.”

After the town asked St. Regis to remove the sign, the two began discussions about how to avoid removing it. With that discussion ongoing, the town has allowed the sign to stay in place through February 2026, but with the text covered up.

“A limited extension has been given while they have the opportunity to seek to amend the town’s code,” Parsons said, adding that the hotel has placed a floral covering over the text of the sign in the meantime.

According to a letter to the Longboat Key Town Commission from Berlin Patten Ebling, a law firm

representing St. Regis developers Unicorp National Development, the installation of the arch came after the developers received a permit from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection in 2024. That permit included a description of the soon-to-be-constructed arch. But the 2022 permit application the hotel applied for and received from the town to repair the groin that extended into the Gulf and convert it into a pier did not mention the sign.

“The application and permit did not include the arch and sign, which hadn’t been thought of at that point,” the Berlin Patten Ebling letter reads.

“... Town staff has informed us that we must add the arch and sign to the LBK permit, but the town code apparently does not cover this type of groin sign.”

The letter dated Oct. 17 requests that the Commission direct staff to prepare an amendment to the town code allowing the sign.

“In discussions with staff, we agree that the amendment will be

There are multiple sections of town code that prohibit the type of sign St. Regis erected on its pier.

n 156.01(B) — Any person seeking to display a permanent sign regulated by this chapter is required to apply for and obtain a sign permit prior to lawful placement of the sign structure and sign. Any sign that is not authorized or exempt from the requirements of this chapter is prohibited.

n 156.07(A)(1) Landscaping. All ground-mounted signs shall be placed in a landscaped setting appropriate to the size and scale of the sign.

n 156.07(A)(2) Design. Ground-mounted signs shall be constructed of the same materials, colors, and architectural style as buildings on the site.

St. Regis Longboat Key Resort added faux flora atop letters of

and

narrowly written to allow a sign on a groin only in the T-6 district to promote a hotel or resort on the adjoining upland,” the request states. “The sign must be designed and securely installed to withstand hurricane force winds and must be maintained by the property owner.”

According to plans, 20-inch stainless steel rods and a welded buttress flange connect it to a concrete base. Parsons said there are plans to introduce an amendment at the Nov. 3 Commission meeting. He explained that Town Manager Howard Tipton would raise the topic if commissioners do not bring it up to see if they would like an amendment drafted. If the Commission does direct staff to draft an amendment, that does not signify the Commission’s endorsement, Parsons said, but signifies it is willing to consider the proposal. Before an amendment is finalized, there would be public hearings on the topic before the Planning Board and Commission.

APPLES TO APPLES: HOW TO FAIRLY COMPARE FINANCIAL ADVISORS

What Does Your Investment Firm Actually Give You?

When you’re choosing a financial advisor, it’s tempting to compare just one thingfees. After all, that number is often front and center in the conversation. But here’s the reality: cost is only one piece of the puzzle. The real question is, what are you actually getting for that fee?

Not all wealth management firms are created equal. Services, depth of expertise, responsiveness, and even the way they communicate with you can vary widely. Some advisors offer a full suite of services and a proactive team. Others simply manage your investments and send you a quarterly statement, leaving you on your own to connect the dots.

So, before you make a decision, ask yourself: Are you looking for a true partner to help manage your family’s financial path or just someone who offers one or two services?

MORE THAN JUST NUMBERS ON A STATEMENT

At JL Bainbridge, we believe wealth management is more than just making trades - it’s about being a guide for our client’s wealth journey. As a result, our clients benefit from 12 integrated service offerings designed to support every aspect of their financial lives from retirement and financial planning to charitable giving and 401(k) strategies. We focus on client service and even offer guidance to teach the next generation about responsible wealth. Most importantly, we speak in plain English, so you understand exactly what’s happening with your money and why. We want you to feel empowered, not intimidated.

RESPONSIVENESS MATTERS

One of the most overlooked factors when choosing a financial advisor is accessibility. How quickly does your advisor respond to calls or emails? Do they proactively reach out when market conditions change or do you have to hunt them down for updates?

At JL Bainbridge, responsiveness is part of our culture. Our team includes financial advisors, client services professionals, and compliance experts who work together to anticipate your needs, not just react to them. That’s one reason many of our clients have been with us for decades - they know we’ll be there when it matters most.

COMPARE APPLES TO APPLES

When you’re evaluating advisors, it’s important to compare the full picture:

• Services Included – Is it just investment management, or do they cover your broader financial needs?

• Depth of Expertise – Are you working with a single person, or a team with decades of combined experience?

• Approachability – Do they make you feel comfortable asking questions, or talk over your head with technical jargon?

• Responsiveness – Do they treat you like a priority or like a number in a database?

Once you look at the full range of what a firm offers, you may find that the “cheaper” option actually costs more in missed opportunities and gaps in your financial plan.

READY FOR A FREE FINANCIAL

REVIEW?

Whether you’re currently working with another advisor or managing your investments yourself, our Free Financial Review gives you an honest, objective look at your portfolio. We’ll explain your performance data, uncover any red flags and show you where you could improve. No cost. No obligation. Just straightforward advice from a fiduciary team that’s legally and ethically committed to acting in your best interest.

It’s your money. You deserve to understand it. Schedule your free review with JL Bainbridge today and see how your advisor stacks up!

Two enter Longboat Town Commission race

Gary Coffin and Nick Gladding have submitted their names to run for their districts.

Three seats are expiring on Longboat Key Town Commission, including Mayor Ken Schneier’s as he won’t be running for reelection due to term limits.

Town Commission Districts 1, 3 and 5 will have open, nonpartisan seats. Voters will choose who represents them locally in a March election, scheduled for the 10th.

As campaign — and snowbird — seasons get underway, two people have filed their paperwork signifying they intend to run for a Longboat Town Commission seat.

Gary Coffin is running for reelection to retain his District 1 seat.

He said he was inspired to run for the Commission the first time because of the people he met while working with Planning and Zoning. He is running for reelection to continue to support the impressive work of town staff, he said.

Nick Gladding is also running for a Commission seat. Gladding, president of the Republican Club of Longboat Key and a member of the town’s Planning and Zoning Board, is running for Schneier’s District 3 seat.

There is no mayoral election because the position is ceremonial, selected with a vote by commissioners after a new election.

Gladding is a member of the Florida Bar, specializing in environmental and land use law with an inactive status since he does not take on new clients. He has decades of experience in environmental advocacy.

In 2008, former Florida Gov. Charlie Crist appointed him to serve on the Florida Energy and Climate Commission. He is a former chair

of Save Our Seabirds and is on the Research Committee of the Mote Marine Board of Trustees and President’s Advisory Board.

Gladding said Schneier encouraged him to run for the District 3 seat to replace him, thinking his experience in environmental law and advocacy would be valuable to the town.

Town code states that commission terms are for three years and that commissioners cannot serve for more than six years unless there is a 24-month period where that person is not in office.

No one has filed to run for the District 5 seat yet, but District 5 Commissioner Sarah Karon is eligible.

TOWN ELECTION

The deadline for candidates to file their intent to run for a Longboat Town Commission seat is noon, Nov. 17. The provisional Election Day is March 10, 2026.

bravely served our country.

In cooperation with the Squires of the Knights of Columbus in Sarasota and Manatee counties, we are collecting retired U.S. flags throughout the month of October. These flags will be presented to the Squires for a proper retirement ceremony on November 2.

Please join us in honoring those who have served and in giving our nation’s flags the respect they deserve.

(941) 371-4962

Il faut cultiver notre jardin

Delving into a pile of history books during a sabbatical revealed a depressing truth: Nothing has changed. To improve society, we must tend our own garden.

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way — in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.”

Charles Dickens Tale of Two Cities, 1859

To borrow from Arnold Schwarzenegger in “Terminator 3”: “I’m back.”

Cue audience: Collective “Ugh.” Maybe a “good” or two. Or a lot of: “Who cares.”

After 30 years of spewing freemarket, laissez-faire (“Leave us alone”) diatribes in this space, it seemed like a good time back in late July to take off for three months to try to figure out whether to spare you of further spewing, keep going, disappear altogether or take on a new adventure in a different direction. The place to contemplate all this was at the foot of Cheyenne Mountain in Colorado Springs.

It didn’t work.

It looks like you’ll be stuck with me for a while longer, albeit not as often, say, once a month.

That is, unless our elected officials go bonkers enough that they cause the kind of gasket blowing that someone needs to say something. (Count on it.)

But during the three-month sabbatical, it was a time to unplug from here and Florida; stare at the mountain for inspiration; observe the surrounding happenings of Colorado Springs; and, occasionally, tune in to what was happening in the U.S. and Washington and around the world.

The big things, of course, were the assassination of Charlie Kirk; obliteration of Iran’s nuclear facilities; and the so-called peace deal between Israel and Hamas. But here in the U.S. and Washington, it’s pretty much the same ol’ scheisse

In fact, it’s remarkable how so much of what is happening everywhere — in governments around the world, in the U.S., in Colorado, Florida, Sarasota, Manatee and Longboat Key — if overlayed like a translucent page on the 1920s, ’30s and ’40s, the match would seem like a duplicate. Heck, you could go back to the 1770s that Dickens wrote about London and Paris, even as far back as 170 A.D. during the time of Marcus Aurelius Antoninus in Rome and see how little human behavior changes.

This conclusion emerged after reading the pages of hardback books that have been on a long reading

JUST SAYIN’ …

Add Gulf of Mexico Drive-gate to Longboat Key’s official lore.

You can count on town historians to cite the debate over whether to rename Gulf of Mexico Drive as Gulf of America Drive.

Too funny: When it comes to the town’s annual ad valorem tax rates and budgets, you can count on one or two fingers the number of residents who show up for the

doing?

Which pivots us to Mencken and Nock. They were particular attractions during the sabbatical because they were famous journalists, writers, editors and cultural and political observers of their times — from 1920 to the mid-1950s. You might say they were akin to being the Charles Krauthamer and Victor Davis Hanson of their day, albeit not nearly as polite.

Mencken and Nock were ruthlessly, brutally blunt. They abhorred the inevitable evils of government and Statism and were unabashed defenders of individual liberty and laissez-faire capitalism. They were cynical, unforgiving critics of the stupidity of the gullible mobs and had gruff disdain for politicians. Mencken:

list, a stack that has been waiting for years. A sampling:

■ “Meditations,” Marcus Aurelius

■ “Tale of Two Cities,” Dickens (re-reading)

■ “The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, A History of Nazi Germany,” William L. Shirer

■ “The Skeptic: A Life of H.L. Mencken,” Terry Teachout

■ “Notes on Democracy,” H.L. Mencken

■ “Memoirs of a Superfluous Man,” Albert Jay Nock

The first three are still in progress. The latter three were consumed cover to cover.

In the forward to “Meditations,” the translator, George Long, writes about the period of around 174-164 A.D.: “The fact is certain that in the time of M. Antoninus (Marcus Aurelius), the heathen populations were in open hostility to the Christians, and that under Antoninus’ rule, men were put to death because they were Christians.”

Surely you’ve heard of the massacres of Christians occurring for more than a decade in Nigeria. The Hudson Institute reported that Islamist extremists have slaughtered 52,000 Christians over the decade; thousands of women and children raped, kidnapped and slaughtered; more than 20,000 churches attacked and destroyed since 2009 by various Islamist extremist groups.

In our own country, Kirk, today’s Jesus-like and St. Paul-like evangelist, was gunned down for his beliefs and speaking them.

In “Tale of Two Cities,” Dickens wrote: “In England, there was scarcely an amount of order and protection to justify much national boasting. Daring burglaries by armed men, highway robberies took place in the capital itself every night; families were publicly cautioned not to go out of town without removing their furniture to upholsterers’ warehouses for security …”

Yep. Think of D.C., Chicago, New York, Baltimore, Memphis, as well as London and Paris.

When the Trump Deranged Syndrome mobs came out on “No Kings” Day, the irony was laughable. They flung the standard epithets of “Hitler,” “Nazi” and “fascist” in reference to Trump. But had they read Shirer’s book on the rise and fall of Hitler, they would know how moronic they are. Trump let’s them speak. Hitler gassed them — 6 million Jews, Catholics and others.

Maybe this might resonate: In his trilogy on World War II, author Rick Atkinson reported what was found at Auschwitz: “seven tons of women’s hair shorn from victims, 348,820 men’s suits and 836,515 dresses, neatly baled” and pyramids of dentures and spectacles whose owners had been reduced to ash and smoke. More than 1 million were exterminated there.”

Is that what “King Trump” is

budget meeting. But, whoa, talk about changing the name of the town’s main drag, that’s poking the hornet’s nest.

Once everyone thought through the inordinate hassles that a name change would bring on residents and businesses, the decision for town commissioners emerged.

We’ll side with the patriots — that our preference would be Gulf of America Drive. But commissioners absolutely did the right thing.

faintest idea of what it was doing or where it was going [from 19201940].

“It had not yet got a glimpse of the elementary truth which was so clear to the mind of Mr. Jefferson, that in proportion as you give the State power to do things for you, you give it power to do things to you; and that the State invariably makes as little as it can of the one power, and as much as it can of the other.”

Nock also saw the fatal flaws of public education:

“Our system was founded in all good faith that universal elementary education would make a citizenry more intelligent; whereas most obviously it has done nothing of the kind …

“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.” Friedrich Hayek “Road to Serfdom,” 1944

President and Publisher / Emily Walsh, EWalsh@YourObserver.com

Executive Editor and COO / Kat Wingert, KWingert@YourObserver.com

Managing Editor / Michael Harris, MHarris@YourObserver.com

Staff Writers / S.T. “Tommy” Cardinal TCardinal@YourObserver.com; Dana Kampa, DKampa@YourObserver.com

Digital News Analytics and Marketing Strategist / Kaelyn Adix, KAdix@YourObserver.com

■ “The American people, true enough, are sheep. Worse, they are donkeys. Yet worse, to borrow from their own dialect, they are goats. They are thus constantly bamboozled and exploited by small minorities of their own number, by determined and ambitious individuals, and even by exterior groups.”

■ “All government, in its essence, is organized exploitation, and in virtually all of its existing forms, it is the implacable enemy of every industrious and well-disposed man.”

■ “The politician under democracy … is a sturdy rogue whose principal, and often sole aim in life, is to butter his parsnips. His technical equipment consists simply of an armamentarium of deceits. It is his business to get and hold his job at all costs. If he can hold it by lying, he will hold it by lying; if lying peters out, he will try to hold it by embracing new truths.”

Hard to argue he was wrong — especially at the gubernatorial and federal levels.

Nock is far less known than Mencken, but no less brilliant of a writer and seer of the world as it was in his day. He jolted politicians and the intelligentsia during Franklin Roosevelt’s vast expansion of the federal government when Nock wrote what became a famous essay, “Our Enemy, the State.” Read it. He nailed it.

Like Mencken, Nock saw little good in the State. He believed wholeheartedly that the U.S. was unavoidably destined for collectivism.

■ “In my brief career as a sort of jack-leg executive, I had seen at close range all I wished to see of Western society’s floundering progress toward collectivism … American society had not the

“Aside from this negative result, I saw that our system had achieved a positive result. If it had done nothing to raise the general level of intelligence, it had succeeded in making our citizenry much more easily gullible. By being inured to taking as true whatever he read in his schoolbooks and whatever his teachers told him, he is bred to a habit of unthinking acquiescence, rather than to an exercise of such intelligence as he may have.”

Altogether, when you read what Mencken and Nock wrote about politicians and our democratic republic in the 1940s, you likely could conclude: Nothing has changed in a century.

The illiterate mobs of today are no different than they were then. The politicians of today are no different than they were then. They want to intervene and control every aspect of our lives, thinking they are improving society. Ha.

Nock was ever the skeptic on that point. “I have regularly had occasion to notice that grandiose schemes for improving societyat-large always end in failure, and I have not wondered at it because it is simply not in the nature of things that society can be improved in that way.”

To be sure, Mencken and Nock can leave you dejected. Indeed, apologies for this sounding like such a downer. But it’s true: Human behavior hasn’t and doesn’t change.

Nonetheless, at the end of his “Memoirs,” Nock gave his reader hope and encouragement on how to make things better:

“Il faut cultiver notre jardin.”

“We must tend our garden.” (See the accompanying box below.)

As we live through the best of times, the worst of times, it’s a great reminder to us all.

NOCK ON HOW TO IMPROVE SOCIETY

“I have known many persons, some quite intimately, who thought it was their duty to take ‘the social point of view’ on mankind’s many doings and misdoings, and to support various proposals, mainly political, for the mass-improvement of society.

“One of them is a friend of long standing who has done distinguished service of this kind throughout a lifetime, and is directly responsible for the promulgation of more calamitous and coercive ‘social legislation’ than one could shake a stick at.

“In a conversation with me not many months ago, this friend said mournfully, ‘My experience has cured me of one thing. I am cured of believing that society can ever be improved through political action. After this, I shall cultivate my garden.’

Il faut cultiver notre jardin.

“With these words, Voltaire

What the heck, most residents don’t call it Gulf of Mexico Drive anyway. It’s “GMD.”

Meantime … Another example of unnecessary government intervention: Raised medians on GMD. For about a century, GMD has worked just fine without raised medians and with middle turn lanes. But soon we’ll have more costs for taxpayers — the maintenance of the medians’ plants and sprinklers. What’s the benefit? MW

ends his treatise called ‘Candide,’ which in its few pages assays more solid worth, more informed common sense, than the entire bulk of 19th-century hedonist literature can show.

“To my mind, those few concluding words sum up the whole social responsibility of man. The only thing that the psychicallyhuman being can do to improve society is to present society with one improved unit.

“In a word, ages of experience testify that the only way society can be improved is by the individualist method, which Jesus apparently regarded as the only one whereby the Kingdom of Heaven can be established as a going concern; that is, the method of each one doing his very best to improve one.”

Albert Jay Nock

“Memoirs of a Superfluous Man”

Digital News Editor / Eric Garwood, EGarwood@YourObserver.com

Copy Editor / Gina Reynolds Haskins, GRHaskins@YourObserver.com

Senior Editorial Designer / Melissa Leduc, MLeduc@YourObserver.com

Editorial Designer / Jenn Edwards, JEdwards@YourObserver.com

A+E Editor / Monica Roman Gagnier, MGagnier@YourObserver.com

Chief Revenue Officer / Jill Raleigh, JRaleigh@YourObserver.com

Regional Sales Director / Penny Nowicki, PNowicki@YourObserver.com

Advertising Executives / Katrina Haug / KHaug@YourObserver. com; Jennifer Kane, JKane@YourObserver. com; Honesty Mantkowski, HMantkowski@ YourObserver.com; Richeal McGuinness, RMcGuinness@YourObserver.com; Toni Perren, TPerren@YourObserver.com; Anna Reich, Anna@YourObserver.com; Brenda White, BWhite@YourObserver.com

Classified Advertising Sales Executive / Sydney Schunk, SSchunk@YourObserver. com

Head of Sales Operations / Susan Leedom, SLeedom@YourObserver.com

Account Managers / Lori Downey, LDowney@YourObserver.com; Caitlin Ellis, CEllis@YourObserver.com

Director of Strategic Growth / Kathleen O’Hara, KOHara@YourObserver.com

Strategic Marketing Coordinator / Landyn Park, LPark@YourObserver.com

Social Media and Content Manager / Emma B. Jolly, EJolly@YourObserver.com

Tributes Coordinator / Kristen Boothroyd, Tributes@YourObserver.com

Director of Creative Services and IT / Caleb Stanton, CStanton@YourObserver. com

Creative Services Administrator / Marjorie Holloway, MHolloway@ YourObserver.com

Advertising Graphic Designers / Luis Trujillo, Taylor Poe, Louise Martin, Shawna Polana

Digital Developer / Jason Camillo, JCamillo@YourObserver.com

Information Technology Manager / Homer Gallego, HGallego@YourObserver. com

Chief Financial Officer / Laura Strickland, LStrickland@YourObserver.com

Controller / Rafael Labrin, RLabrin@ YourObserver.com

Office and Accounting Coordinator / Donna Condon, DCondon@ YourObserver.com

Observer Media Group Inc. is locally owned. Publisher of the Longboat Observer, East County Observer, Sarasota/Siesta Key Observer, West Orange Times & Observer, Southwest Orange Observer, Business Observer, Jacksonville Daily Record, Key Life Style Magazine, LWR Life Magazine, Baldwin Park Living Magazine and Season Magazine

CEO / Matt Walsh

MWalsh@YourObserver.com

Power to the people

With strong community support demonstrated to bury utilities on the barrier islands and enhance lighting in a mainland neighborhood, the City Commission directs staff to proceed.

ANDREW WARFIELD STAFF WRITER

At the unanimous direction of the Sarasota City Commission, staff across multiple departments will begin laying the groundwork to create special tax districts for the burying of utility lines on St. Armands and Lido keys and for enhanced neighborhood lighting within the South Poinsettia Park neighborhood. Representatives of all the wouldbe special assessment districts expressed their support during the Oct. 20 commission meeting, backed by neighborhood surveys that demonstrate overwhelming support of willingness to pay more to address their utility needs.

Surveys among the affected groups

of property owners for the proposal showed approximately 87% support of the St. Armands Residents Association, 97% among members of the Lido Shores Property Owners Association, and 93% from the Lido Key Residents Association. A St. Armands Circle Association merchant survey also reportedly showed strong, though not a specific percentage, support.

The city attorney’s office has confirmed that no statutory threshold is required to begin the feasibility phase and the City Commission may determine what level of support is sufficient to move forward.

Staff advised that a demonstration of strong community backing of 75% or greater helps ensure political and financial viability.

For the South Poinsettia Park Neighborhood Association, a survey showed 70% support for the enhanced street lighting South Poinsettia Park spans 19 streets bounded by Hyde Park Street to the north, Jasmine Drive to the south, Tamiami Trail to the east and Osprey Avenue to the west. According to the neighborhood association website, it is home to 380 residences and approximately 50 businesses.

“If you ask 1,000 people would you like the city to bury your power lines, 1,000 people would say yes,”

St. Armands Residents Association

President Chris Goglia told commissioners.

But 87% of those residents did, that number climbing to 93% among survey respondents whose primary residence is St. Armands.

With the commission’s direction, staff members will prepare the legal and procedural documents required to form the special assessment districts, estimate costs for the projects, schedule a public hearing and prepare a timeline.

Public Works Director Nikesh Patel suggested if the undergrounding in

Home Discover

SHELLSTONE AT WATERSIDE

Sarasota, FL

Approx. 1,692-3,733 sf

From High $500's 2 Amenity Centers Quick Move-Ins Available

MODEL CENTER

792 Blue Shell Loop Sarasota, FL 34240 941-361-2536

A TAXING PROCESS

Preliminary steps to creating a special tax assessment district to cover the cost of burying utility lines on St. Armands and Lido keys:

■ Engage a consultant to prepare an assessment report summarizing the benefits of underground utilities versus cost.

■ Determine the project cost estimate of all costs to be recovered through assessments, including cost to develop the assessment, legal expenses, hard and soft project costs and financing costs.

■ Determine if securing the consent of the majority of property owners in the proposed tax district is desired. If so, develop and implement a nonbinding petition or ballot process. Note that neither the petition process or consent of individual property owners are required by state law or city ordinance, but may be politically expedient.

particular moves forward, it will take three to four years to implement and up to seven years to complete.

The town of Longboat Key began the process of burying its utility lines

CALENDAR YEAR BEFORE TAX

BILL COLLECTION BEGINS

■ Adopt a resolution expressing intent to begin tax bill collection within the special assessment district the following year, typically by December.

■ Resolution adoption must be preceded by a weekly published notice for four consecutive weeks.

■ Forward copies of the executed resolution to the tax collector, property appraiser and Florida Department of Revenue.

■ Enter into reimbursement agreement with the tax collector.

in 2019 and completed the project this past summer. The projected cost was $49 million, but the town finished at $6 million under budget.

AT WELLEN PARK

Venice, FL

Approx. 2,375-3426 sf

From High $700's Gated with Amenity Center Quick Move-Ins Available

MODEL CENTER 18188 Foxtail Loop Venice, FL 34293 941-361-2537

COPS CORNER

SUNDAY, OCT. 19

CAN’T CAMP ON THE KEY

6:38 p.m., 6400 block of Gulfside Road

Suspicious person: Police were called by a concerned resident after they saw a man setting up a tent on the dunes of the beach on Longboat Key. Police arrived and spoke with the husband of the caller, who said they saw a man in all black who looked to be setting up a camp for the night. The officer found the man and asked what his plans were for the night, to which he responded he did not know. The officer told the man that overnight camping was illegal on Longboat Key. The man said he did not know that and that he would be on his way. He packed his belongings and left without incident, and police closed the case.

FRIDAY, OCT. 17

THIS GUY AGAIN?

1:50 a.m., 220 Sand Points Road

Suspicious person: Police were called back to a resort just hours after responding to a call featured in last week’s cops corner about a man who said he knew the President of the United States and was threatening to fire people at the resort. This time, police were called on the man by an employee who said the man was in the lobby of the hotel making strange comments referencing the president and making her feel uncomfortable. When police arrived, the guard at the security gate said he saw the man in question get into an Uber and leave the property. Hotel records show the man was scheduled to check out that morning. Police closed the case.

SATURDAY, OCT. 18

SCHOOL OF FISHERMEN

7:58 p.m., 7229 Gulf of Mexico Drive

Citizen assist: Police were asked to come to Longboat Pass Bridge on the north end of Longboat Key on Saturday evening. When police arrived, they assisted the bridge tender in dispelling about 20 people fishing on a

restricted area of the bridge. The authority of the police held more sway than that of the bridge tender as the group of fishermen complied when police arrived. They moved to an area where fishing was allowed, and police closed the case.

THURSDAY, OCT. 23

DISGRUNTLED WORKER

THREATENS TO DUMP DEBRIS

9:43 p.m., 800 block Bayport Way Civil disturbance: A homeowner called police after receiving a worrisome text from a construction worker who previously worked on their Longboat Key home. The complainant told police that the construction worker they hired to remodel their bathroom did a terrible job, and that both parties agreed on half-payment for the work. Several months passed before, out of the blue, the construction worker texted the homeowners saying if they did not pay the other half owed, he would dump the construction debris from the remodel onto their property. Police called the disgruntled contractor, who did not deny making that suggestion, but that he did not intend to do any damage, just return what he had removed. The officer told the man to not dump construction debris on the property and advised him to take the disagreement to civil court if he wanted to get paid the money he believed he was owed. The man agreed, and police closed the case.

2025-2026

PERFORMANCES

AUTOBIOGRAPHY iPHONE & iPAD BIRDING

NATURE WALKS WELLNESS NORDIC WALKING

LANGUAGES PIANO LESSONS

SUNDAY CONCERTS BROADWAY BIOS

CRAFTS SPECIAL ONE-TIME EVENTS & MUCH MORE!

Under The Sun To

Longboat Link program focuses on older adults

Longboat Link is live, providing residents with a place for older Longboat Key residents to turn when they need help and don’t know who to call.

“The whole goal of the program is to provide residents with services and resources that can help to address any health concerns that they may have,” said Youthful Aging Home Care President and owner Nicci Lieberman. “We know that 5% of patients account for 25% of emergency room visits.”

Patients like that are referred to as “frequent flyers” and often utilize paramedics because they have no one else to call.

For those repeat callers to 911, Fire Rescue has a new tool in its toolbelt to provide: the number to Longboat Link.

Longboat Link is a free, optional service for residents that will hopefully reduce the stress on Fire Rescue.

The service can send Youthful Aging staff to residents’ homes after a 911 call as a follow-up, connecting them with any needed services and helping them manage chronic illnesses and other issues.

“It’s an alternative for them to call for service that is not provided by the fire department,” Longboat Key Fire Chief Paul Dezzi said. “Sometimes, there’s people that use 911 just because they don’t have another means of getting to the hospital. They’ll have their bags packed, suitcases ready to go and ready to go to the hospital, but that’s really not why we’re there. We’re there for emergency service.

“But if we’re able to go ahead and link them to Longboat Link after our initial contact with the patient, what that prevents is them calling back for service when they know they have this other resource as a way to get to the doctor or hospital for nonemergencies.”

Dezzi said Fire Rescue responds to about 2,200 calls per year, with about 700 ending up with ambulance trips to the hospital. Dezzi said

in Jesus’ Name

Fire Rescue and Youthful Aging join together to help with hospital follow-ups.

service from getting the most timely service,” Dezzi said.

He gave an example of one of the first people to use the service, which launched in early October.

“In the last month we probably went to this house eight times,” Dezzi said. “He needed services, but not from the fire department. When he made contact with Link, they provided those services.”

With that goal of reducing calls in mind, Longboat Link was born, a partnership between the town of Longboat Key and Youthful Aging Home Care years in the making.

NOT A 911 REPLACEMENT

Youthful Aging Home Care

President Nicci Lieberman and Longboat Key Fire Chief Paul Dezzi both stress that Longboat Link should not be used instead of calling 911, describing it more as a follow-up service for those who may not know who else to call.

Longboat Link, residents can call 941-5569900 or visit YouthfulAgingHomeCare.com/LongboatLink.

Longboat Link will hopefully reduce dispatches to nonemergencies.

“When we take a rescue out of service for a nonemergency call, that prevents a person who does need our

A membership with Longboat Link includes a “red emergency folder,” which will hold a form where residents or their family members can fill out important medical information like medications, diagnoses, do not resuscitate orders and other vital information. When a Longboat Link member receives a red folder, they also receive a decal to place in a conspicuous place. That alerts paramedics who may respond to the

“If they have any question about whether they should call 911 or not, they should call us. Let us make that determination,” Dezzi said. “If you’re experiencing shortness of breath, chest pain, there’s a fall, or a person is injured or they feel they need to go to the hospital, 911 is the number you call. Longboat Link is for follow-up. You’ve already been injured and you need to be followed up on, or you came back from a doctor’s office and you need to have long-term type care. That’s when you would contact them.”

house that there is a folder with vital medical information inside.

Membership with Longboat Link is free for Longboat Key residents

and includes unlimited support calls to the Longboat Link hotline, followups by Youthful Aging staff after 911 calls, the red emergency folder and window decal.

Lieberman said the program uses the Johns Hopkins Guided Care model, which clinical trials show decreased emergency home care visits, hospital readmissions and days in skilled nursing facilities.

“Johns Hopkins nurses assess the situation, determine what their needs are and prevent and provide early intervention to enable them to resolve any issues that they have,” Lieberman said. “It’s very prevention focused and early intervention focused.”

The free service also aims to connect the community. Lieberman said many who live on the island may feel alone. For someone who moved down south with their spouse to retire on the Key, the passing of their loved one can lead to a lack of support for an aging widower, which can lead to other health issues. To help bring the community together, Longboat Link will soon offer get-togethers for its members.

Although Longboat Link does not receive compensation, it may recommend paid services to its users they might find useful. Some of those added services include transportation, meal preparation, home safety reviews to reduce falls, nutrition guidance and housekeeping.

Lieberman said Longboat Link will hopefully allow residents who live on Longboat Key to remain in their home rather than moving to a nursing home. “Residents end up having to relocate to a higher skilled facility because they can’t manage their health issues on the island,” Lieberman said. “We want to help give residents the experience of aging in place.” HOW TO REGISTER To

A Century Old Story

A story that began over 100 years ago and is still being written today. Once a beloved landmark, now an enduring icon reborn. Mira Mar is the future of luxury living in Sarasota, grounded in the grandeur of its past, and offering an unparalleled residential experience in the heart of downtown.

One of Sarasota’s few remaining flagships of the great Florida Land Boom of the 1920’s, it is with great pride that we restore the Mira Mar to its rightful place as a gleaming icon of Sarasota.

Rising elegantly above South Palm Avenue, the revived and resplendent Mira Mar presents a limited collection of 70 estate-style residences across two 18-story towers. Each home is designed to the highest standards, with sweeping views, refined interiors, and private access to best-in-class amenities.

Mira Mar is more than a residence — it’s a return to grace.

YOUR NEIGHBORS

Spotlight on success

DANA KAMPA STAFF WRITER

Resiliency and community were at the heart of this year’s Longboat Key Chamber of Commerce annual awards banquet.

Business leaders took an evening to recognize how residents worked to support one another through the recovery from hurricanes that tore through the island just over a year ago.

Attendees at the Oct. 23 ceremony at Lido Beach Resort commended local innovators who helped Longboat Key not only survive the storms’ aftermath, but thrive as they opened — or reopened — their shops this year, helped the wider community rebuild, and brought life back to the island.

Chamber President and CEO Kim Verreault, joined by co-host Maria Vitale, announced the winners voted upon by fellow chamber members.

The pair also announced three surprise winners for the Volunteer of the Year Award, Pinnacle of Excellence Award and President’s Award.

Those winners were respectively Anne Kerry with the Longboat Key Chamber of Commerce, Laura Ritter with the Observer Media Group and Sandra Smith with Secur-All Insurance.

“When things got bad, the community pulled me up, and I started a business from scratch,” Smith said with a teary smile. “It’s an amazing honor to have my community build me up and support me.” Verreault credited Smith for not slowing down when the hurricanes destroyed her office. Smith has been providing insurance services to residents on the island for two decades.

“With the help of a fellow chamber member who offered office space, they continued their mission to serve nearly 2,000 residents whose homes and lives had been impacted. Even as they faced their own loss and uncertainty, they stayed focused on helping others,” Verreault said when announcing the award. “It’s a true reflection of their strength and heart.”

The award for Emerging Business of the Year was especially meaningful to Jon Mongeau and Lita and John Brannan of Le Gardenia Bleu. Mongeau said they couldn’t believe the outpouring of support they saw in their first year of operation given the impact of the hurricanes on everyone.

“We were in total shock when they announced we won,” he said.

He added, “With the return of season, we’ve had so many of our customers checking in on us, just popping in to share what they bought from us. It makes me very happy, and it makes us believe we’re doing the right thing.”

Staff officially celebrated the first anniversary at 5610 Gulf of Mexico Drive on Aug. 1. Chamber members also awarded another relative newcomer to the island. Voters chose The St. Regis Longboat Key Resort as the winner of the Tourism and Hospitality Excellence Award.

General Manager Winfred van Workum said, “It’s a real pleasure to be part of this community. Longboat Key is such a special spot. This means a lot to us.”

Also receiving special commendation was Longboat Fire Rescue Chief Paul Dezzi, who won the Excellence in Municipality Leadership Award.

Verreault said before announcing his win, “He exemplifies dedication and professionalism, leading public safety initiatives that protect residents and visitors across the region. His proactive approach and commitment to the community reinforce safety and trust.”

Dezzi shared the credit with every

municipality employee who contributed to the recovery.

“We had neighbors helping neighbors, and residents helping us with things that needed to be done,” he said. “If that wasn’t the case, our recovery wouldn’t have been so successful. We’re stronger today than we were yester day.”

Verreault said of this year’s participants, “Every nominee we recognize tonight demonstrates what it means to be a leader, a collaborator, and a contributor to the betterment of the community.”

CHALLENGE READY

The Lord’s Warehouse prepares for opening of Longboat Goodwill.

DANA KAMPA STAFF WRITER

The Lord’s Warehouse is currently the largest center for second-hand goods on Longboat Key, but that is set to change soon, and leaders are looking ahead to what the future may hold.

Visitors to the local thrift shop may encounter a homey atmosphere among the stacks of books, winding racks of clothing, collections of kitchenware, rows of furniture and other household items.

That’s no coincidence, according to Senior Manager Valarie Evanko. She said the little green house next to Longboat Island Chapel was originally built as a private residence in the 1980s. The thrift shop had humble beginnings as a simple card table and cash register setup where community members could pick up gently used items as needed.

Fast forward to 1996, when she said the thrift shop opened in its current location.

Now, the second-hand shop has grown its mission beyond even Longboat Key’s borders.

Organizers take in donations from community members and rotate new items into the stock. After items remain on the shelves for a set amount of time, staff mark down the prices until they either sell or can be of use to local charitable organizations like Palmetto’s Mt. Carmel Community Resource Center.

“We’re a 501(c)(3), and all of the money from our donations stays local,” she said, also noting that none of the staff positions are paid.

Goodwill Manasota President and CEO Donn Githens recently announced plans to open the key’s first Goodwill location by the end of the year. The new location is set to include a donation drop-off site and public bookstore.

Evanko, who has worked with the thrift store for about two years, noted the Goodwill site at 3150 Gulf of Mexico Drive is centrally located on Longboat Key, whereas the Lord’s Warehouse is on the north end.

She shared her hope that both organizations will be able to work in harmony. But she does have some trepidation about dwindling donations.

“We’re doing everything we can to mitigate the impact on us,” Evanko said.

She said the thrift store has been especially busy as

residents sought to refill their homes after rebuilding from last year’s hurricanes. Furniture in particular has been flying out nearly as quickly as it is dropped off, Evanko said.

“We had a lot of people who lost everything, so they’ve been coming in and doing a lot of shopping,” she added.

The thrift store sustained significant damage as well, but team members worked to clear out the water damage and refurbish stock. The shop reopened in February.

Iris White, thrift shop daily manager and board of trustees president, said, “We were able to work together, and in the wider community. I took a picture of the line out the door (on reopening day.)”

When announcing the new location, Githens said he hopes to work collaboratively with existing donation-based groups.

“Goodwill Manasota has a long history of partnering with other nonprofits in our community,” he said.

“We have a model that is 123 years old for the collection, production and sale of donated good to fund our mission programs, and some of those mission programs are to help other nonprofits in the community, and we’re always looking for new partners.”

HOW TO DONATE

The Lord’s Warehouse is open from 9 a.m. to noon on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays during the high season at 6140 Gulf of Mexico Drive. Visitors can drop off donations Monday through Friday, and organizers request that they call ahead to coordinate dropping off larger items, including furniture. Bring items to the front porch area. Donations support Harvest House, Mt. Carmel Community Resource Center, Resurrection House, Stillpoint Mission, and Turning Points. Visit LongboatIslandChapel.org or call 941383-4738 for more

Beloved Rev. Bill is off to Sarasota church

Former senior pastor at Longboat Island Chapel goes to the mainland.

DANA KAMPA STAFF WRITER

The Rev. Bill Friederich had quite the sendoff on Sunday at Longboat Island Chapel, where members wished him well during a musical celebration with an Oktoberfest twist. He previously served as the church’s senior pastor and recently took up a temporary role as care pastor. Now, he is turning his attention to St. Andrew United Church of Christ in Sarasota. He and his wife, Bah Hero, have

been part of the Longboat Key community for many years. They first met in Maine over a shared appreciation for their church and jazz music.

“I actually used to play in her jazz club two or three nights a week,” he said.

Friederich said he has loved being part of the chapel community and particularly appreciates how the musical and charitable arms of the church have grown over the years.

“Besides my calling as a minister, my bivocation was as a drummer,” he said. “I used to work in a lot of jazz bands and trios, and I taught drumming to students of all ages.”

They moved to the area after falling in love with it during a brief trip to Anna Maria Island. Hero sold the restaurants she ran in Maine, and Friederich retired from the United Church of Christ, where he ministered.

It wasn’t long before they felt called to get further involved in the community, though. That link came through an evening of Christmas caroling at the church.

“We drove by the chapel, and we saw they had a Christmas Eve service, so we decided to go in,” he said.

“That night, we sat on the back pew. I didn’t really introduce myself to anybody as a former pastor. We kind of discovered it on our own, through that Christmas Eve service.”

They gradually grew more involved, and when the Rev. Vincent Carroll needed to retire early as the church’s pastor, Friederich rose to the occasion in 2017. He was officially installed on March 5.

“I wasn’t expecting to be in active ministry again,” he said. “But in his absence, which came so quickly the chapel didn’t have time to plan, they were willing to take me on.”

Friederich found his five years leading the north-end church incredibly rewarding, navigating whatever challenges came its way.

What he believes helped the congregation navigate those times was a tight bond based on love for one’s neighbor. He noted that in the chapel’s early days, as one of the few

existing houses of worship, it welcomed people of all faiths.

“It became, truly, an interfaith, ecumenical faith community,” he said.

He jumped into the senior pastor role without the gradual transition one might hope to experience. But he appreciated getting to know the individuals in the community and see how they banded together to navigate hurricanes and a global pandemic.

It was amid the peaking pandemic that he gradually helped the church transition over to the current senior pastor, the Rev. Brock Patterson. Patterson took over the role in late 2020 after moving from Arkansas.

Friederich said he has been pleased to see Patterson step into the leader-

ship position. Longboat Island Chapel has risen to new heights, earning the Longboat Key Chamber of Commerce “Business Resilience Award” earlier this month.

Meanwhile, Friederich stepped in temporarily as the care pastor, paying visits to church members with limited mobility.

Friederich will maintain a connection to Longboat Island Chapel while promoting cross-church collaborations, especially when it comes to music programs.

“What I’ve experienced at the chapel, I will take with me to St. Andrew and build on it, and I’ll be able to build on what they’re already doing there,” he said.

A LETTER FROM NICK VANDENBREKEL, OWNER OF ORION SKY CHARTERS

“What I’ve experienced at the chapel, I will take with me to St. Andrew and build on it, and I’ll be able to build on what they’re already doing there.”

As the owner and founder of Orion Sky Charters, I am proud of our partnership with The Observer as this year’s sponsor of the “It’s Read Everywhere” Contest. When I started Orion, my mission was clear: to connect people with extraordinary destinations while leaving zero carbon impact. Today, we are one of the very few private air charter services operating at net zero emissions.

From your first call to wheels-up, our private flight experience is built for simplicity, speed, and service. Whether you’re planning a business trip or a spontaneous island getaway, Orion and its sister charter Key West Executive Air Charters makes every journey feel personal, pet-friendly, and completely stress free.

We offer 24/7 concierge support, pet friendly options, and seamless personalized travel - wherever you are headed.

This partnership with The Observer was more than sponsorship - it was a celebration of stories, connection, and a shared vision for a sustainable future. I look forward to continuing this journey with all of you.

Warm Regards and Blue Skies,

Nick VandenBrekel

Owner, Orion Sky Charters

Rotary honors dedicated town official

Grants coordinator

Kalee Zavela speaks to Longboat Rotarians about recovery and projects that improve the community.

DANA KAMPA STAFF WRITER

During the town of Longboat Key’s hurricane recovery process the town has had an expert in its corner to push those efforts forward.

Kalee Zavela, the town of Longboat Key’s grants coordinator, shared with the Rotary Club of Longboat Key what she has learned about projects to improve the community.

She was the guest speaker at its Oct. 21 meeting, and she explained to attendees what exactly she does to pursue projects for the town.

Rotary Club of Longboat Key

President Terri Driver presented a certificate of appreciation to Zavela for her insights and her work.

Zavela said she often receives suggestions for grants to pursue from town officials and field experts. A significant part of her job is exploring each request to see if it would be a good fit.

The project needs to be beneficial to the town, and she needs to gauge how likely it is Longboat Key may receive it.

Once she determines a project is worth examining further, she prepares an application. If the town receives funding, she follows the project all the way to the end, ensuring any necessary progress reports and crossdepartment coordination.

Zavela has worked to build relationships with neighboring municipalities, state departments and the occasional private foundation to gain a deeper understanding of what grant opportunities are out there.

“I joined in 2023 as the town’s first grants coordinator, and I feel very

UPCOMING EVENTS

The Rotary Club of Longboat Key has the following upcoming events planned for early November. For more events, visit LongboatKeyRotary.org. Contact Terri Driver at TDriver1@comcast.net for more information.

n 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. Nov. 4 at Beach House Waterfront Restaurant, 200 Gulf Drive N., Bradenton Beach. Joint meeting with the Rotary Club of Anna Maria Island. Optional $25 lunch.

n 11 a.m. Nov. 10 at Longboat Island Chapel, 6200 Gulf of Mexico Drive. Rotary Christmas tree decoration.

n 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Nov. 12 at Town Center Green, 600 Bay Isles Road. “Food for Gratitude” event to celebrate the Town of Longboat Key departments and their staff involved in the epic response to recent hurricanes. Open specifically for town of Longboat first responders, including the Public Works Department, Planning Zoning & Building Department, police officers, firefighters and EMTs and staff with town management and commission. Contact Jeff Driver at DriverJH@comcast.net.

n 8-10 a.m. on Nov. 15 highway cleanup on the south end of Longboat Key. Contact Jim Chirgwin at JimChirgwin@ yahoo.com.

lucky to have this position and have been able to build it as I went to mold it into what it is today,” she said.

PROJECT PIPELINE

Several large-scale infrastructure projects have arisen in the few years she has served in her role with the town.

A 50-year-old subaqueous pipeline in Sarasota Bay is slated for replacement, coming with a $30 mil-

lion price tag.

The town is also working to address elevation issues in floodprone areas.

She offered updates on her grant achievements since taking up the role. Notably, she said she has applied for $38 million worth of grant funding; $7.7 million has been awarded by various state-level funding and other sources, and she is waiting for confirmation on pending projects.

Zavela said she is also proud to secure additional public safety equipment and training, particularly geared toward biker safety.

Often times, these grant opportunities are focused on long-term improvement projects, and it can take awhile to get reimbursed.

But she said she will continue to push for the development of “shovelready” projects in hopes of securing more funding.

As she continues to grow membership with the Local Grants Professionals of Southwest Florida, a group she founded, and forge more relationships, Zavela looks forward to finding even more ways to help Longboaters thrive.

“I joined in 2023 as the town’s first grants coordinator, and I feel very lucky to have this position and have been able to build it as I went to mold it into what it is today.”

— Kalee Zavela

Driver said in addition to coordinating a multitude of upcoming events, the club will be focusing its efforts on helping end polio.

Members will be working throughout November to raise funds for The Rotary Foundation’s Polio Plus Program, a worldwide vaccination campaign.

As part of that appreciation, the Rotary Club made a donation to Polio Plus in her name.

L’Ambiance at Longboat Key Club condo tops

week’s sales at $10.25 million

ADAM HUGHES RESEARCH EDITOR

G.Barrie Landry and Highmount Fiduciary LLC, trustee, sold the Unit PH-J condominium at 435 L’Ambiance Drive to Scott Dols and Vicki Dols, trustees, of Lutz, for $10.25 million. Built in 1994, it has three bedrooms, four-and-ahalf baths and 4,711 square feet of living area. It sold for $4.5 million in 2000.

David Kirshner and Leslie Lewis Kirshner, trustees, of Westport, Connecticut, sold the

at 178 N. Washington Drive to Hue Tuyet Tran Davis and Mark Lloyd Davis, trustees, of Sarasota, for $8.83 million. Built in 2021, it has four bedrooms, four-and-a-half baths, a

and 5,064 square feet of

421 Spring LLC sold the home at 455 Cleveland Drive to CCH Investment Partners LLC for $4.6 million. Built in 2024, it has 10 bedrooms, 10-and-two-half baths, a pool and 5,119 square feet of living area.

L’ELEGANCE ON LIDO BEACH

Walter Zacharko Jr., of Sarasota, sold his Unit A-304 condominium at 1800 Benjamin Franklin Drive to Donald John Maggioli and Belinda Maggioli, of Sarasota, for $1.85

13-17

million. Built in 1996, it has three bedrooms, three baths and 2,230 square feet of living area. It sold for $390,000 in 1996.

VEINTE Richard and Janet Percy, of Normal, Illinois, sold their Unit 301 condominium at 2675 Gulf of Mexico Drive to Mark and Julie Molback, of Longboat Key, for $1.58 million. Built in 1979, it has three bedrooms, three baths and 2,180 square feet of living area. It sold for $520,000 in 2000.

INN ON THE BEACH

Richard Lowe sold his Unit 4403 condominium at 240 Sands Point Road to Perry Greene, trustee, of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, for $1,075,000. Built in 1982, it has one bedroom, one bath and 626 square feet of living area. It sold for $825,000 in 2022.

THE CASTILLIAN

Volodymyr Barabash, of Lakeland, sold his Unit 511 condominium at 4545 Gulf of Mexico Drive to Timothy and Amber Wilkins, of Windermere, for $1,025,000. Built in 1979, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,398 square feet of living area. It sold for $674,000 in 2020.

CLUB LONGBOAT BEACH AND TENNIS Philip and Patti Duncan sold their Unit 115 condominium at 5055 Gulf of Mexico Drive to Jennifer Shimek, of Longboat Key, for $738,000. Built in 1973, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,484 square feet of living area. It sold for $775,000 in 2023.

more transactions at YourObserver.com.

SATURDAY,

FERRARIS

9

Car enthusiasts can now sign up for the upcoming Ferraris on the Circle show. Proceeds go toward Flight to the North Pole. For additional information or to register, contact Joe Gliksman at JoeGNSX@gmail.com or 863-860-1053. Attendance is free.

CHRIST CHURCH FOOD DRIVE

9-10:30 a.m. at Christ Church of Longboat Key, 6400 Gulf of Mexico Drive. The church is collecting shelfstable foods, hygiene products and other items high in demand. Donors can also make checks payable to “Our Daily Bread.” Contact Sue Wertman at QuackBF@aol.com with questions.

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 5

WELCOME BACK, GARDEN CLUB

11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Café on St. Armands, 431 St. Armands Circle. The Longboat Key Garden Club is welcoming back members with a luncheon. Cost is $50 per member; $60 per nonmember. Space is limited. Visit LBKGardenClub.org.

RECURRING EVENTS

MONDAYS STRETCH AND STRENGTHEN

10-11 a.m. at Longboat Island Chapel, 6200 Gulf of Mexico Drive. This Paradise Center class is mostly seated and great for all fitness levels. The focus is on strength training and flexibility for balance. Bring light hand weights if desired. Fee is $20 for drop-ins or a membership through the end of the year; new class pass option for 10 classes for $175. Walk-ins welcome. Call 941383-6493.

MEDITATION

11:15-11:45 a.m. at Longboat Island Chapel, 6200 Gulf of Mexico Drive. No experience is needed for The Paradise Center’s free guided meditation. Participants can enjoy stress relief, a quieter mind and a refreshing feeling. Call 941-383-6493.

TUESDAYS AND FRIDAYS

LONGBOAT LIBRARY

10 a.m. to 1 p.m., 555 Bay Isles Road. Call 941-383-6493.

BEST BET FRIDAY, OCT. 31

FRIGHT NIGHT ST. ARMANDS

6-8:30 p.m. on St. Armands Circle. Bring the whole family to celebrate Halloween with kid-friendly fun. Local businesses will be decorating and hosting live music and games. Trick-or-treating is free.

TUESDAYS POP-UP LIBRARY

10 a.m. at the Town Center Green, 600 Bay Isles Road. The Sarasota County Pop-Up Library hosts services on the first and third Tuesdays of each month, with storytime beginning at 10:30 a.m. and other services available from 10-11:30 a.m.

MAHJONG

1-3 p.m. at Longboat Island Chapel, 6200 Gulf of Mexico Drive. Seasoned mahjong players can join a weekly, prearranged game at The Paradise Center with a noncompetitive atmosphere. RSVP required. Email Amy@TheParadiseCenter.org or call 941-383-6493.

THURSDAYS JUST DANCE!

10-11 a.m. at Longboat Island Chapel, 6200 Gulf of Mexico Drive. Instructor Debbie White from The Paradise Center leads an easy-tofollow, cardio-focused dance class. Fee is $20 for drop-ins or a membership through the end of the year; new class pass option for 10 classes for $175. Call 941-383-6493.

IT’S READ EVERYWHERE

Headed on a trip? Snap a photo of you on vacation holding your Observer, then submit your photo at YourObserver.com/ ItsReadEverywhere for a chance to win.

NATURE’S BEAUTY WITH

FORECAST

MOON PHASES

TIDES

“ZLXD B ZCT INGDS, RLXI KGTR SCEX WX RLX

CDP ZLXD B SNR NAP, RLXI ZNGAPD’R TXX WX CR CAA.” UNAAI JXMSXD

“DNP KBP WCX PXTVY KMX HVDCWVBD ... KBP WCX JKWWYXHVXYP VR WCX CXKMW NH IKB.” HONPNM PNRWNOXTRZO

“JM GEN ECZG VWHI XDW AEETB XDHX WSWVGECW WZBW JB VWHIJCF, GEN RHC ECZG XDJCT UDHX WSWVGECW WZBW JB XDJCTJCF.”

$3,595,000