Longboat Observer 5.22.25

Christ Church call for donations

Christ Church of Longboat Key is collecting items to support local missions on the mainland.

The church posted on its Facebook page that it is looking for items such as cloth bags, empty egg cartons, peanut butter, jelly, canned meats, canned vegetables, dry pasta, condiments and diapers sized 3 to 6 for local organizations.

Those interested in dropping off donations at Christ Church of Longboat Key can do so at the “Our Daily Bread” box in Fellowship Hall. The church can also be reached at 941-3838833.

Bust out your green thumb

The Longboat Key Garden Club is calling on volunteers to help with a second round of planting at the Butterfly Garden at Bicentennial Park.

Members got started with replanting the hurricane-damaged garden this week, and the club invites community members to help with the second round at 7:30 a.m. on Friday at 500 Bay Isles Road.

Members are working to restore the gardens ahead of the Fourth of July Freedom Fest celebrations at the park.

WEEK OF MAY 22, 2025

BY THE NUMBERS

4.5

2

n Let’s

3 p.m.,

“We’re not looking for shortcuts. We want this to be credible, defensible and realistic.”

Bay Isles Association President H. Joseph Reiser on the association’s potential ownership transfer of Bay Isles Parkway

Read more on page 5A

Sarasota metro has highest home ownership rate in the country

Despite its affordable housing challenges, a study by financial services website SmartAsset ranks the North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota metropolitan statistical area as No. 1 among all metros in the country, regardless of size, in percentage of residents who own their homes.

SmartAsset ranked 75 U.S. metro areas based on the rate of homeownership to better understand where residents intend to stay and invest. North Port-BradentonSarasota joined Rochester, New

York as the only metros across the U.S. with an ownership rate higher than 80% among all its residents in the first quarter of 2025, at 82.3% and 81.9%, respectively. In addition to slipping nearly 1% over 2024, SmartAsset rates the “typical home value” in 2025 at $430,197, more than $30,000 less than the $461,635 value in 2024.

Following North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota and Rochester among the top 10 markets are: Cape Coral-Fort Myers (78.2%);

Albuquerque, New Mexico (76.4%); Charleston-North Charleston-Summervile, South Carolina (75.4%); AllentownBethlehem, Easton, Pennsylvania/New Jersey (74.2%); Columbia, South Carolina (74.0%); Syracuse, New York (73.4%); Grand Rapids-Wyoming/ Michigan (73.1%); and Cincinnati, Ohio/Kentucky/Indiana (73.1%).

At No. 20, Tampa-St. Petersburg at 69.6% was the only other Florida metro ranked in the top 20.

SRQ passenger count on the rise

Passenger count continues its growth trend at Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport.

In April, 488,887 passengers traveled through the airport, representing a 10% increase compared to 443,089 passengers in April 2024. During the first quarter of 2025, SRQ experienced a 3.3% growth in passenger traffic compared to the first quarter of 2024, and it served 1,883,344 passengers in the first four months.

“SRQ is thrilled to announce a 10% increase in total passenger traffic compared to April 2024. As summer season approaches, we are happy to report sustained high demand for travel at our airport,” said SRQ President and CEO Rick Piccolo. “With an expanded array of destinations and a growing number of travelers, our team remains committed to delivering an exceptional travel experience for all passengers.”

Community Hall donations continue

At the Longboat Key Town Commission’s May 19 meeting, Town Manager Howard Tipton shared an update on the town’s fundraising campaign for the library enhancements.

As of May 19, the town had $3.1 million in pledges for the community hall and terrace, which will be built as enhancements to the core library funded by Sarasota County.

The fundraising goal is $3.5 million, which puts the town about $400,000 away from the goal.

Tipton’s deadline to raise the funds is June 4, which is when the matter will go before the Sarasota County board of commissioners.

Tipton said, given the amount fundraised, he will formally recommend the county pursue the enhanced version of the library.

Capital projects at forefront

The town’s first FY26 budget workshop focused on $166.8 million in capital improvement projects over the next five years.

CARTER WEINHOFER

STAFF WRITER

The Longboat Key Town Com -

mission’s first fiscal year 2026 budget discussion on Monday focused on short- and longterm capital projects.

Ten projects in the next five years account for 65% of the $166.8 million five-year capital improvement project.

Commissioners heard from town staff how these projects will play out over the next five years.

The FY26 budget accounts for $81.7 million in capital improvement projects, which come from various funds, such as the utility capital fund, canal fund, undergrounding fund and building fund.

That’s a slight increase from FY25, when staff budgeted for $76.9 million in capital improvement projects when looking at the five-year plan.

The FY26 requests include a carryover of $68.6 million from FY25 and $13.1 million in new spending.

Of the $81.7 million in projects planned in FY26, the largest project is the $31 million subaqueous force main project. Town voters recently approved a referendum that allows the town to pursue up to $33 million through a State Revolving Fund Loan to cover the remaining cost after applying state appropriations.

Finance Director Sue Smith said the town has about $3.9 million in open purchase orders remaining for the undergrounding project.

“The rest of that will probably revert to a surplus at that point,” Smith said. “As we liquidate those POs and we get close to September, I might just go ahead and revert those balances to surplus.”

Of the $166.8 million in capital projects requested over the next five years, about 49% is anticipated in FY26, though there may be carryovers or projects that need to be delayed.

The town anticipates the largest funding source to be grants, accounting for 22% of the revenue for capital projects from FY26-FY30.

The second-largest funding source is the SRF Loan, making up 16% of the revenue. Other funding sources include utility user rates, tourist development taxes, bonds and general fund ad valorem tax.

Looking at the budget overall, staff said revenues are still largely to be determined.

The town will receive property value estimates on June 1, followed by certified values on July 1. Real estate values are expected to increase 5-7% based on regional trends, according to finance staff.

About $750,000 in additional revenue is also anticipated from the Sarasota County property appraiser because of the St. Regis Longboat Key project, according to Smith and Town Manager Howard Tipton’s estimates.

There are also uncertainties like inflation, federal economic uncertainty and rising insurance rates

MAJOR PROJECTS IN THE PIPELINE

Aside from the subaqueous force main project, here are the other big-ticket projects and what year the projects will have the highest costs:

n Undergrounding project closeout: $8 million in FY 26

n Asbestos Cement Pipe Replacement: $4.7 million in FY26

n Flood Mitigation & Resiliency: $4.3 million in FY26

n Buttonwood Flood Mitigation: $987,000 in FY26, followed by $2.6 million in FY27

n Gulfside Road Beach Stabilization: $6 million in FY27

n Beach Nourishment: $32 million in FY28

n Village Drainage Improvements: $5.4 million in FY28

n Sleepy Lagoon Drainage Improvements: $5.4 million in FY28

n Canal Dredging Program: $3 million in FY29, followed by $1.8 million in FY30

that Smith and Tipton will need to remain aware of while finalizing the FY26 budget.

The town is also in a precarious position with its reserves after the 2024 hurricane season depleted the town’s $3.2 million natural disaster reserve fund. Some good news, Tipton said, is the town received $1.68 million in additional insurance money from storm damage.

“In order to really get back to where we want to be, we’re going to need some help from our insurance companies, as well as from FEMA,” Tipton said.

Further discussion of revenues and operating costs will be at the June 23 workshop, when staff will present the general fund and operating budget recommendations.

Tipton said departments have requested the addition of five fulltime positions for FY26, but he emphasized he has made no decisions about what positions he will recommend.

With the Bay Isles Association wanting to divest ownership and maintenance of these assets, the town is considering an agreement to take over ownership.

Town considers title transfer

The Bay Isles Association wants the town to take ownership of Bay Isles Parkway and a pedestrian tunnel — that is, after determining who owns the tunnel.

At the Longboat Key town commission’s May 19 workshop, town staff and representatives from the Bay Isles Association discussed their ongoing conversations and updates about the two assets.

According to Assistant Town Manager Isaac Brownman, the town and BIA have been discussing Bay Isles Parkway since 2023, and in April, the BIA officially submitted a proposal to divest its ownership. Why?

First, the BIA claims the amount of liability it assumes for the road is disproportionate to how much its residents use it. Many on the island anecdotally regard Bay Isles Parkway as the second-busiest road behind

Gulf of Mexico Drive.

“The rationale we have received is that there is a liability exposure for the amount of traffic that utilizes Bay Isles Parkway, and not all of it, in fact, the majority of it, is not related to Bay Isles as the resident association,” Brownman said.

The BIA conducted a traffic count from March 11 to March 13 and found 53% of the cars entered the Publix parking lot, 8% went to Bay Isles Road and 39% of motorists traveled through to the Bay Isles gatehouse.

Another reason the BIA wants the town to assume ownership is because of traffic enforcement limitations it believes the town could better handle.

Before the town could fully consider the proposal, Brownman said staff needed the BIA to present an engineering overview and financial disclosure of costs.

The BIA hired Stantec, an engineering consultant firm, to perform the overview. Stantec’s report showed the road would need a full

milling in about two to five years, and Brownman said he wouldn’t wait longer than three years because of several areas that are at risk of base failure.

Stantec’s estimate to get Bay Isles Parkway up to standard was $699,850.

“The town would prefer, if we were going to take over the road, that we would conduct all the work that needs to be done and lump it into our resurfacing program so we get the benefit of an economy of scale with our other projects,” Brownman said. “But we would be looking for Bay Isles to, in some form or fashion, fund that work.”

The BIA also said it spends about $15,000 per year to maintain the road, including landscaping and electrical work.

Mark Hullinger, a representative of the BIA, said the BIA complied with bringing the road up to standards in 2012 when Publix opened, but felt a little uncomfortable being told it would need to do substantially more

“Our

mutually consistent observations are that the tunnel appears to be very structurally sound.”

—

Isaac Brownman, Assistant Town Manager

work to bring it up to standard in 2025.

“That might be a little bit more of an ask than we think is completely fair, but we’re willing to consider everything,” Hullinger said. Brownman said the town would want the BIA to conduct a basic environmental analysis before it makes any decisions. Commissioners reached a consensus to allow town staff to continue conversations with the BIA and pursue the next steps, which, after the environmental analysis, could mean drafting an ownership agreement. But, the ownership agreement

would need to clarify the terms of BIA’s financial responsibility for paying for the repair work, as well as future maintenance responsibilities, according to Brownman.

The second Bay Isles asset the town is considering is the pedestrian tunnel underneath GMD between Seaplace and Bay Isles. One outstanding question remains, though: Who owns the tunnel?

Based on the BIA and the town’s findings, the Arvida Corp. built the tunnel in the 1970s. It provides a safe crossing under GMD in an area where there are no nearby crossings.

The BIA is considering abandoning the tunnel and notified the Florida Department of Transportation that it would stop maintaining the tunnel on July 1.

Again, the BIA’s main concern is liability. The association does not have the same sovereign immunity protections the town has in case of a major incident like the tunnel collapsing or someone getting injured in it.

According to Hullinger, the BIA spends about $50,000 per year on insurance for the tunnel.

The town also asked the BIA to conduct an analysis of the tunnel, and Stantec’s analysis was in line with what town staff observed: The tunnel is in solid condition.

The BIA acknowledges it has been maintaining the tunnel, but affirms its position that it does not own it.

The FDOT also said it does not own the tunnel, nor would it want to, according to Brownman.

Because the tunnel provides a safe crossing and used by the community, Brownman said the town has a general interest in keeping it open.

“There’s nothing else like it on our island and somewhat in our region — a tunnel that functions as a safe crossing under a state roadway,” Brownman said. “And so, yes, it is a community asset.”

Town Attorney Maggie Mooney advised the “cleanest” way to determine ownership would be to take the matter to county court. Then, once determining ownership, the title could go to the town.

Commissioners agreed to allow town staff to continue conversations with the BIA and for Mooney to explore the possibility of a title transfer.

Starting today and continuing through Oct. 31, turtle nesting season officially gets underway. The town of Longboat Key reminds all residents that all lighting visible from the beach must be blocked or turtle-friendly. Property owners

10 a.m. to 1 p.m., 555 Bay Isles Road.

Mondays at St. Armands Circle Park, visit YogaWithPaige.us to learn more.

ness levels. The focus is on strength training and flexibility for balance. Suzy Brenner leads the class. Fee is $20. Walk-ins welcome. Call 941383-6493.

outside of Dallas. Then, on the day, everyone walks into Dallas together.

Between the four routes, volunteers walk 20,000 miles across 48 states. Since the organization began in 2011, it has raised over $45 million, 93% of which goes toward programs that help veterans and service members.

This year was Michelle Floril’s first year walking with the organization. When she heard about the organization’s mission from a friend, she said she immediately wanted to get involved.

BEST BET

“I thought, ‘That’s an amazing mission. Why not get on board?’” Floril said.

SATURDAY, MAY 3

BUST OUT THE SCISSORS

Floril, an active member of the U.S. Army Reserves in Virginia, walked in remembrance of a member from her squadron who died by suicide.

10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at The Beaufort Bonnet Co., 12 N. Boulevard of the Presidents. Celebrate the reopening of this boutique for babies with a refined sense of style. Festivities include a 10 a.m. ribbon cutting, balloon animals, face painting and more. Call 941-3137318 for details.

She said she wants to help raise awareness about the realities of mental health among service members and how important it is for service members to take care of themselves when they’re off duty.

“I think mental health is such an important topic,” Floril said. “Life doesn’t stop life-ing just when we’re civilians.”

WALK TO REMEMBER

Carry the Load event on Longboat pays tribute to fallen heroes.

CARTER WEINHOFER STAFF WRITER

The distance between Longboat Key Fire Station 92 on the south end and Station 91 on the north end is roughly 4.5 miles.

In the heat of a May afternoon, walking that distance at a fast pace makes anyone break a sweat and be wary of heat exhaustion. But this month, walks like this are about more than steps for the volunteers of Carry the Load, who walk alongside first responders and families of service members.

A bus arrived at Longboat Key Fire Station 92 in the late afternoon of

TUESDAYS AND THURSDAYS

PILATES SCULPT

mits. Fernandez also leads a beginner class at 10 a.m. on Wednesdays, but builds off those skills with a focus on Chen Style, Lao Ca Dija. It’s recommended to wear close-toed shoes with low heels rather than running shoes. Cost is $20. Call 941383-6493.

9-9:50 a.m. at The Paradise Center, 546 Bay Isles Road. Pilates Sculpt is a combination class mixing traditional Pilates exercises into a fun, challenging workout to upbeat music. It will make you sweat, encourage your body to burn calories, and make you stronger and more flexible. This class is for all levels. Cost is $20. Walk-ins welcome. Call 941-383-6493.

May 15, ready to continue the nationwide relay on Longboat Key.

As a couple of Longboat Key’s first responders readied to join the relay, Ken Glasgow and Shannon Kehoe approached from the south. The pair finished their section from Lido Key to Longboat’s south fire station. A high-five and cheers signaled they reached their destination.

YOGA

Fire Rescue Chief Paul Dezzi, Fire Administration & Communications Manager Tina Adams and Firefighter Paramedic Chris O’Brien joined the walk to represent Longboat Key. O’Brien donned an air pack on his back for the entire walk. An average air pack weighs 20 to 30 pounds.

As the group trekked on Gulf of Mexico Drive, cars honked in support and passersby waved or cheered with a thumbs-up.

11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. at The Paradise Center, 546 Bay Isles Road. Debby Debile of Feel Good Yoga & Massage leads a gentle yoga class that can be done on a mat or in a chair. Cost is $20. Call 941-3836493.

Then it was time for Longboat Key to join the walk, and two other members of Carry the Load took the place of Glasgow and Kehoe.

Brandon Asberry, a firefighter paramedic for the city of Dallas, walked alongside O’Brien, telling him stories of medical calls to which he’s responded. O’Brien swapped stories of his own, pointing out memorable calls along the 4.5-mile stretch.

The 4.5-mile walk from Station 92 to Station 91 lasted about an hour and 20 minutes. It felt like half that.

FRIDAYS UP YOUR TAI CHI SKILLS

It was the fourth year Longboat Key has been a part of Carry the Load’s national relay. Carry the Load is a nonprofit that champions a nationwide movement to honor first responders and service members.

“Once everyone starts talking, swapping stories, the miles and the time fly by,” Floril said.

10-11 a.m. at The Paradise Center, 546 Bay Isles Road. Certified instructor Reuben Fernandez leads a weekly intermediate tai chi class, held outdoors when weather per-

Every year, Carry the Load volunteers split up into four routes, all of which lead to Dallas. They start the walk around May 1 and all routes meet up the day before Memorial Day

And she was right — walking among the camaraderie, the shared respect and in remembrance of others makes the time fly when passion puts people into overdrive.

FLVacationConnection.com

How to boost affordability

There are some simple steps Sarasota city and county can take to relieve the lack of housing that is affordable — and it’s not requiring public subsidies.

As the Sarasota City Commission once again considers how to address the city’s affordable housing crisis by once again focusing on timid measures that subsidize a handful of units that are barely noticeable compared to rising demand, it’s time for some new thinking.

The good news is that this is a problem many cities around the country have had great success with a few simple policies.

Sarasota’s fundamental problem is the city simply will not issue permits for affordable housing built by developers. They won’t let the private sector build affordable housing commensurate with demand, so the city feels compelled to subsidize the affordable housing it won’t otherwise allow the market to build. It’s bizarre to say the least.

As Ed Pinto, a Sarasota resident and co-director of the American Enterprise Institute’s Housing Center has documented (see Page 9), in the last five years only 4% of the housing for which the city issued permits was single-family attached — not a single-family home, but duplexes or quadplexes or apartments.

Instead, 96% of permits were for single-family detached homes.

Even worse, the handful of single-family attached homes permitted had median values of $425,000, hardly affordable.

Unfortunately, many other cities commit similar folly, hence nearly 42 million American households in the U.S., including renters and owners, are “cost-burdened” — spending more than 30% of their income on housing.

One result of these decisions is sprawl. Workers seeking affordable housing must live where local governments DO allow housing supply to keep up with demand and, in turn, face long commutes.

In Sarasota County, the jobs are concentrated in Sarasota, but many

Living in a capitalistic, competitive society, we all like to know how we compare. Are we best? Worst? First? Last?

The Tampa Bay Partnership, a coalition of 40 regional business and nonprofit leaders, tracks the Greater Tampa Bay area in 67 metrics that are compared to 19 peer regions.

The eight counties include Sarasota, Manatee, Pinellas, Hillsborough, Polk, Pasco, Hernando and Citrus.

The 19 peer regions include South Florida, Orlando, Jacksonville, Atlanta, Charlotte, Raleigh-Durham, Nashville, Baltimore, Minneapolis-St. Paul, St. Louis, Dallas-Fort Worth, Austin, Houston, San Antonio, Denver, Phoenix, San Diego, Portland and Seattle.

In the accompanying table, you can see how this region ranks in a sampling of the 67 metrics. We have work to do. Tampa Bay ranked in the bottom half in 77% of the metrics

reports have documented that almost all affordable housing is in North Port or in the Ellenton area of Manatee County. By not allowing affordable housing in Sarasota, the city is massively increasing sprawl, conversion of undeveloped land and emissions of greenhouse gases from those long commutes.

SOME EASY FIXES

Sarasota is a clear case of what is often called a “missing middle” housing problem. The “missing” component of the name refers to the severe housing shortage of homes affordable to middle-income earners and the rapid decline of medium-density development.

“Middle” refers both to the modest density of units added and the middle-income earners who are the target residents of these homes. The answer is missing middle housing policies that incrementally increase residential density in neighborhoods near to commercial land uses while accounting for homeowners’ interests.

Florida’s Live Local Act of 2023 (LLA) was aimed exactly at addressing missing middle housing, aggressively incentivizing additions to supply via additions to workforce housing.

Live Local allows developers to override local use restrictions if they are building affordable housing. Specifically, it allows for residential development on plots zoned for commercial, mixed-use or industrial use as long as 40% of units are rental units that will be affordable for 30 years. One of the primary intentions of this bill is to allow working individuals to live closer to their place of employment.

The city of Sarasota should be working with developers to identify parcels in the city that meet these criteria and speed them through the approval process to develop duplexes, quadplexes and apartment buildings. This would do far more for housing affordability than city funds subsidizing a handful of units.

At the same time, the most common type of zoning reform to help with missing middle housing is loosening of regulations around accessory dwelling units (ADUs).

ADUs are smaller residential buildings constructed on the same plot of land as a larger single-family home, typically housing one or two people.

The popularity of ADUs is mainly “infill.” This means they do not require denser housing development but rather provide property owners with the opportunity to build another unit on their land.

Instead of radical change to the zoning landscape and massive, intrusive construction projects, accessory dwelling unit reform allows additional housing to be added to existing and fully devel-

oped neighborhoods. ADUs are also a popular option for non-rental housing for extended family members. So much so that they are often colloquially referred to as “granny flats” or “in-law units.”

Accessory dwelling unit reform is an affordable housing policy tool that promotes mutual gain and voluntary additions to the housing supply. When policy allows ADUs to be rented out, their smaller size and building costs mean lower rents for tenants when compared to traditional single-family homes.

This feature makes them especially suitable for lower-income individuals, should they be rented out. The income generated from collected rents is also a clear benefit to the primary homeowner — now functioning as a landlord with one property.

AUSTIN AS AN EXAMPLE

Austin has made leaps in multifamily permitting. Austin has permitted an explosion of multifamily housing in response to the recent influx of young adults aged 20-34 with a preference for renting over single-family homeownership. This increase in apartment construction and other rental unit construction, driven by relaxed zoning regulations and a pro-housing policy shift, has led to a notable decline in rents across the region.

Between 2021 and 2023, the Austin metro area permitted approximately 957 apartments per 100,000 residents, far outpacing other major U.S. metropolitan regions. This boom resulted in tens of thousands of new units, with around 32,000 apartments delivered in 2024 alone, boosting the housing stock by about 5%.

As a result, average rents have fallen significantly. Data from Zillow and other real estate firms indicate that Austin rents dropped by approximately 4%-7% year over year, with some reports noting a decline of up to 15% from their peak in August 2022.

The increased supply stems from policy changes, including streamlined permitting, reduced parking mandates and upzoning measures such as allowing up to three units on lots previously restricted to one and reducing minimum lot sizes.

And the accompanying figure from AEI’s Housing Center shows how much better housing affordability fared in Austin compared to a lot of other growing cities.

EFFECT ON PROPERTY VALUES

Despite common perceptions, research has consistently shown that multifamily developments do not necessarily decrease property values and can even increase them, according to a review of all research by the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard.

While there are anecdotal cases where property values have declined upon entry of a multifamily residence, “in general, neither multifamily rental housing, nor low-income housing, causes neighboring property values to decline.”

Also, Sarasota is rich with examples of the other way to offer people an option to choose single-family housing neighborhoods or protect property values: homeowners association, condo associations and deed restrictions. These all allow the property owners in a neighborhood to agree to restrictions on density and anyone buying in those areas must abide by those restrictions on their property rights.

This is a much better way to offer people that option than broad based restrictions across broad swaths of the city under zoning and development rules. The latter allows a small group of vocal activists to persuade the City Commission to limit the option of their neighbors whether they want it or not. This is always and everywhere the cause of housing affordability problems.

With the simple changes in attitudes and actions discussed above, without even having to change city code, much more affordable housing could be unleashed.

It’s time for the City Commission to stop focusing on penny ante solutions like subsidizing a trivial number of affordable units and start allowing the kind of missing middle workforce housing we need to be built.

Dr. Adrian Moore is vice president at Reason Foundation and lives in Sarasota. Eliza Terziev is a policy analyst at Reason Foundation and a student at Florida State University.

“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 / Dana Kampa, DKampa@ YourObserver.com; Carter Weinhofer, CWeinhofer@YourObserver.com

Digital & Engagement Editor / Kaelyn Adix, KAdix@YourObserver.com

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

Regional Digital Director / Kathleen O’Hara, KOHara@YourObserver.com

Senior Advertising Executive / Laura Ritter, LRitter@YourObserver.com

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

Classified Advertising Sales Executive / Anna Reich, AReich@YourObserver.com

Sales Operations Manager / Susan Leedom, SLeedom@YourObserver.com

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

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

Tributes Coordinator / Kristen Boothroyd, Tributes@YourObserver.com

Director of Partnerships / Ron Trytek, RTrytek@YourObserver.com

Director of Creative Services / 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

compared to the 16 non-Florida regions and ranked last in five of the nine metrics that ranked the four Florida regions.

As the table shows, it’s not all bad news. According to the 2025 Regional Competitive Report:

“Tampa Bay remains a magnet for talent, families and businesses, ranking first in net migration and in the top five business startup rates and seventh for in-migration of young professionals.

“Additionally, the 2025 report highlights year-over-year improvements in an outstanding 43 of 67 metrics (64%), and over a third of the indicators (23) climbed in rank.”

What’s more, in Florida, Tampa Bay ranks second in SAT scores and kindergarten readiness.

— Matt Walsh

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 Magazine, LWR Life Magazine, Baldwin Park Living Magazine and Season Magazine

CEO / Matt Walsh

MWalsh@YourObserver.com

President

$1,000K

Land-use rules inhibit affordability

Sarasota County needs to address the lack of housing that’s affordable with a paradigm shift, not subsidies.

The Sarasota County Commission appears poised to adopt “aggressive policies” on affordable housing.

This is based on recommendations from the Affordable Housing Advisory Committee (AHAC) to dedicate and transfer a percentage of property tax income from new development to the county’s affordable housing trust fund.

AHAC also recommends requiring developers to include affordable housing in exchange for higher density on new development. We can all agree Sarasota County is facing an affordability crisis. We can also agree that new growth creates increased demand for working class occupations and that these workers currently can’t afford to live in or near where they work. However, this situation is one of the county’s own making.

The fundamental problem with past programs and the new recommendations is not insufficient

subsidies but structural issues — namely, restrictive zoning and land use rules — that are holding back housing construction. These regulations make buildable land both scarce and expensive and difficult to legally build lower cost singlefamily attached (SFA) homes.

What is needed is a paradigm shift, not more ways to add marketdistorting subsidies.

As Charles Marohn, founder of Strong Towns, succinctly put it in “How Affordable Housing Distracts People From Housing Affordability”: “We have to move beyond the narrow, almost futile task of making affordable [subsidized] housing and start working on the broader and more meaningful effort of making housing affordable.”

In short, we need to increase housing supply significantly.

Let’s start with what has been built from 2000 to 2024.

About 71,000 new single-family detached (SFD) and attached (SFA) have been added across Sarasota County. Only 2,760 or 4% of these have been SFA. The median values of new SFD and SFA are $661,000 and $425,000, respectively (both at 2024 values).

And if SFAs were allowed to be built in the same areas as SFDs, the median value would have been even lower — $393,000.

Now let’s turn to what would happen if 20% of the land used to build the SFD homes instead was used to build SFA ones.

First, we would have an extra 43,000 homes.

$550K

$500K

$450K

$400K $350K

LOT SIZE & MARKET VALUE FOR SINGLE-FAMILY DETACHED AND SINGLE-FAMILY ATTACHED

IN SARASOTA COUNTY

The orange circles show the relationship between current market value and homes per acre for Sarasota County. There were 68,202 new single-family detached homes and 2,845 single-family attached housing units built from 2000 to 2024 in Sarasota County. Source:

DEFINITIONS

Single-family detached: One home on one lot for one family. Single-family attached: One home on one lot for one family. Two or more homes that are owned individually (including the land underneath each home) and share adjacent walls, but are part of a larger structure. It includes townhouses, duplexes or row houses. In a condominium, the land is owned by the condo association.

Second, these homes would be valued today at $393,000 (median) and $354,000 (25th percentile), respectively.

Third, these additional homes would have about 1,510 square feet of living space, enough for three bedrooms.

Fourth, as the graphic nearby demonstrates, many of these new

homes would priced at the level of homes purchased in 2024 by occupations such as police, fire, teachers, sales, construction, registered nurses and drivers. The problem, of course, is there are too few such homes to meet the demand.

Fifth, about 8,000 or 20% of these SFAs would be rentals.

The Sarasota County Commission also heard that SarasotaManatee County region is currently short by between 10,000 and 20,000 affordable rental units, and that Sarasota County alone would also need to build an additional 14,000 affordable homes over the next 10 years to keep up with growing demand.

In addition, to the 43,000 extra SFA homes in Sarasota County already noted, Manatee County also could have added 26,000 extra SFA homes, 7,000 of which would be rentals. That totals 69,000 additional SFA homes, 15,000 of which would have been rentals.

Importantly, building an abundant supply of homes on smaller lots would facilitate a filtering down

process, as many of these new home purchasers will free up less expensive homes as they move. Sixty-two percent of move-up buyers in the combined Sarasota/Manatee area were already living in the area.

Implementing this approach is simple. Allow the property owner to determine the mix of SFD and SFA, along with lot sizes.

Research covering more than 1,000 counties confirms that builders and developers will build more affordable homes on smaller lots if it is legal to do so.

The relationship between current value and homes per acre is shown nearby for Sarasota County. Edward Pinto, a longtime St. Armands Key resident, has spent 51 years in the housing and mortgage industry. A lawyer, Pinto has served as chief credit officer of Fannie Mae, 24 years as CEO of Courtesy Settlement Services, a closing service for banks; and currently as senior fellow and co-director of the American Enterprise Institute’s Housing Center. Pinto wrote this for the Observer. Edward.Pinto@aei.org.

Search is on for police chief

Planning Board advances Sarasota Yacht Club expansion

The town hopes to have the best candidate selected by mid-June, while Frank Rubino continues in the interim role.

The Sarasota Yacht Club is planning to add 12,691 square feet of space, including a new three-story building.

ANDREW WARFIELD

he search is on for the new Longboat Key police chief. The Longboat Key Police Department has operated under the direction of Interim Chief of Police Frank Rubino since George Turner’s departure in January. The town is now seeking an official police chief to take over the position.

STAFF WRITER

In contrast to a complete rebuild planned by Bird Key Yacht Club, Sarasota Yacht Club on neighboring Coon Key is proposing an addition to its 22,068-square-foot clubhouse on the south side of the key it shares with Plymouth Harbor at 1100 John Ringling Blvd.

Town Manager Howard Tipton said he hopes to select the ideal candidate around mid-June, which will allow the Town Commission to meet the new chief before the commission leaves for summer recess.

The town began advertising for the job in April and has around 43 applications as of May 1, and Tipton said he anticipates the pool will include internal and external candidates.

TRIBUTES

On May 14, the Sarasota Planning Board unanimously approved a minor conditional use permit with conditions and recommended approval of the site plan and a rezone ordinance amendment to the Sarasota City Commission.

William I. Weiss, MD

Rubino, formerly the department’s deputy chief, has been serving as the interim chief of police since January after Turner’s departure. Tipton commended Rubino, who has applied for chief position, for his role in the transitional period of the department.

Dr. William I. Weiss died on May 10, 2023, having just turned 101 years

“During this interim period, the operation has run very well,” Tipton said. It was one of Tipton’s goals after Turner’s exit to meet with other members of the police department to hear from staff about what they want in the next chief.

Athlete, scholar, builder, child of the Great Depression, it’s fair to say that whatever factors shaped him resulted in

The club plans to build 12,691 square feet of new building space including a 1,003-square-foot expansion of its existing outdoor dining deck. The plan is for a 4,691-square-foot expansion of the existing clubhouse in addition to a new 8,000-square-foot, threestory multiuse building to include club offices, a classroom and fitness space; a 2,540-square-foot roof deck; and 26 additional parking spaces for a total of 197.

To achieve all that, the city requires an approved amendment to its 2008 rezoning of the property to Office Regional District for the site plan to be compliant.

One theme Tipton heard was someone to lead by example. As Tipton described it, it’s a “working manager,” or someone who can be comfortable both in the field and as an administrator.

The design of the project is by DSDG Architecture, whose principal is 17-year club member Mark Sultana.

Graduating

“We’re looking for someone who has the professionalism to run an accredited organization and take that to the next level,” Tipton said.

“The club has gotten to the point to where they need more space for their members, as well as special events like weddings and such,” Sultana told the Planning Board.

The department will continue its emphasis on community policing through connections with the resi-

The club has only one immediate neighbor, Plymouth Harbor, which is in the midst of planning an expan-

numerous clinics at the VA and multiple NJ/NY hospitals. He also served terms as president of the Medical Society of New Jersey, The New Jersey Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Society, and the medical staff of St. Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, NJ. He frequently appeared on local newscasts in the metropolitan NY area with the latest pollen counts, front and center in the never-ending battle against ragweed. His retirement from private practice brought only more opportunities to be of service - to which he never said no. He was appointed Medical Director of the NJ State Board of Medical Examiners. Upon his relocation to Sarasota, FL, he volunteered as a physician at the Senior Friendship Center

“We’re looking for someone who has the professionalism to run an accredited organization and take that to the next level.”

— Howard Tipton, town manager

dents and community groups. The ideal candidate, Tipton said, would also hold those values high.

sion of its own. To allay concerns of additional noise coming from the new rooftop deck — which would mostly affect residences on the north side of Coon Key across the Ringling Causeway, Sultana said the club will limit use.

In December 2024, Tipton sent an internal memo to tell staff that Turner would step down from his role at the end of January.

“We are planning a roof deck on the new building, and the new building has no kitchen facility,” Sultana said. “It’s also on the farthest south corner of the lot, away from the residents across the street.”

The memo did not disclose specific reasons for Turner’s departure, but Turner told his staff in a separate email it was because of Tipton wanting to take the department in a new direction.

Turner first worked for the Longboat Key Police Department from 2001 to 2007 as police captain.

In addition, the wall around the expanding parking is 4 feet high, blocking headlights from shining off the property. The proposal does extend the hours of operation from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Turner then returned to Longboat Key in 2021 and became chief of police.

With little discussion among its members the Planning Board concurred with the staff’s recommendation of approval.

His retirement from private practice brought only more opportunities to be of service - to which he never said no.

and as a builder with Habitat for Humanity - both lasting into his nineties. He defied old age and he dismissed suggestions to slow down. He just had too much to do. Perhaps his greatest life accomplishment occurred in 1953 when he married Lenore Holzer, the smartest, prettiest, and most charismatic girl in their hometown of Newark, NJ. For 66 years they were the model of a successful marriage that transcended and evolved through all of life’s challenges. The fact that she was her high school valedictorian and he finished second in his graduating class kept him humble. She never let him

forget it (although he did remind her that his Weequahic High School was twice the size of her South Side). He was a good man, and that’s what he aimed for above all else. There are long lives and then there are lives well lived. Bill Weiss managed to have both. He also had a great love of waterskiing and sailing, which he enthusiastically shared with his family. He leaves three children, eight grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren in his honorable wake.

THURSDAY, MAY 15

TROUBLED BY TRACTOR-TRAILERS

9:28 a.m., 700 block of Saint Judes Drive North

Citizen Assist: Dispatch sent officers to a report of potential property damage. The complainant met with the responding officer and told the officer that a tractor-trailer had come down the street and possibly damaged properties. The complainant said he did not believe large trucks like that should be on that street, given the small space, and he said it’s only a matter of time before property damage occurs if these deliveries continue.

A MAGIC METHOD

IAN SWABY STAFF WRITER

No neighbors reported property damage, though, and the complainant was unable to provide the name of the delivery company or any information about the tractor-trailer. It appeared that perhaps the resident was just being proactive.

Kevin Spencer began his career traveling with a large magic illusion show.

FRIDAY, MAY 9

RECKLESS RESCUE

Yet during that time, he formed connections with performing arts centers around the country to benefit his work since 2015: bringing the therapeutic benefits of magic to children with disabilities and life challenges.

During the week of April 21, he shared his mission in Sarasota, through a weeklong residency with the Sarasota Performing Arts Foundation.

“I think everybody’s fascinated by the impossibility of a magic trick,” said Spencer, who has a Ph.D in education with a focus on special education. “I think that, especially the kids I work with, they know what’s supposed to happen and what’s not supposed to happen, and when something happens and it clicks in their brain like, ‘Wait, that’s not supposed to happen,’ that taps us at a really, really deep level of curiosity.”

12:41 p.m., Lido Beach North Assist Other Agency: Longboat Key marine patrol dispatched officers to the north side of Lido Beach to assist city of Sarasota officers with a vessel that was driving recklessly near the beach and swimmers. At the scene, officers located the vessel operator, who said he was trying to retrieve his friend who had entered the water but could not get back into the vessel because of the current. A Longboat Key officer helped to rescue the swimmer and reunited her with the vessel operator, and there was no harm to either the operator or the swimmer.

LATE LANDSCAPING

After visiting local schools like Fruitville Elementary, Oak Park School and Pinnacle School, and organizations including The Haven, Easterseals and All Children’s Hospital, his time in the area concluded with the show The Magic of Kevin Spencer at USF Sarasota-Manatee’s Selby Auditorium.

The foundation’s residency program brings nationally recognized artists to the area, and it says the residencies help to address diverse needs in the community.

6:15 p.m., 6800 block of Longboat Drive South Disturbance: Officers responded to a report of a disturbance after a citizen said he got into a verbal argument with a landscaper. According to the complainant, the landscaper was cutting a neighbor’s lawn after 5 p.m., which is why he said something to the landscaper. A verbal argument ensued because the landscaper did not appreciate how the complainant approached him, and the landscaper said he was just trying to finish his work.

The complainant told the officer that the two had made up before the officer arrived, and after the officer confirmed the story from both parties, the complainant and the landscaper shook hands and agreed there were no hard feelings.

“It’s just been great to see the teachers, the students, and just how everyone responds to him and that joy, that unexpected awe of getting to see their students do something that is out of their comfort zone, that might normally not have happened,” said Kelli Maldonado, the foundation’s executive director of mission and impact.

MONDAY, MAY 12

ALARM ACCIDENT

7:23 a.m., 400 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive Alarm: An officer responded to a

Spencer’s exploration of the therapeutic benefits of magic began when he was involved in an automobile accident around 1990, which

security alarm that was tripped at a local establishment. Upon arrival, the officer canvassed the scene but found no signs of forced entry or any other criminal activity. After the investigation, the officer contacted the establishment’s manager, who said workers accidentally activated the alarm when they arrived for the morning shift.

The Paradise Center has until August to raise support

WHAT’S IN THE BOX?

3:33 p.m., 100 block of Sands Pointe

FOR MORE INFORMATION

For more information on Kevin Spencer, visit KevinSpencerLive.com.

For more information on the Sarasota Performing Arts Foundation, visit PerformingArtsFoundation.org.

resulted in a traumatic brain injury and a lower spinal cord injury that left him in rehab for almost a year.

Suspicious Incident: A resident called emergency services and requested that someone come investigate a suspicious package. The call prompted a response from both police and fire rescue departments. First responders investigated the package, which was shipped through the United States Postal Service from Missouri with the resident’s address. The resident said he did not know who the person was who sent him the package.

“It was really boring, the kinds of things that they ask you to do, putting pegs into boards or marbles in a glass, or you’ve got word problems that you’re trying to do to work on speech,” he said.

Officers opened the box and found what appeared to be rotten fruit. To make matters more strange, the listed return address said it was belonging to a graphic design company. There was nothing more for the officers to do, and the status of the fruit box remained unclear.

However, after being released from the hospital into a day program, he changed his focus to magic tricks, which he said required all the same movements.

Likewise, he said the elements are a magic trick align with the skills he is teaching to children, promoting abilities like motor skills, and communication and social skills.

In fact, he compares magic to having a conversation.

“There’s a beginning, there’s a middle, there’s an end, and a magic trick has all of those things,” he said.

He said he’s learned that kids will rise to the challenges that they meet, and says society’s expectations limit those individuals only.

With the recent sale of the Tidewell building and subsequent rent increase, the nonprofit has until August to raise funding to relocate.

DANA KAMPA STAFF WRITER

The Paradise Center, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting lifelong health for community members, faces a crossroads. It must either raise enough money to relocate, raise potentially even more money to stay at its current space, or close its doors.

Executive Director Amy Steinhauser said the board met Wednesday morning to discuss the consequences of the recent $2.1 million sale of the building where it is housed, along with Tidewell Foundation headquarters on Longboat Key and several other entities.

Longboat Key resident Tom Simonian purchased the property in a sale that closed March 18, and he told the Observer earlier he saw the purchase as a good investment given the location.

Steinhauser said the board had hoped to work with the new owner to continue operations, but the rent is now too high for The Paradise Center to afford.

She said leaders are grateful for a lease extension until Aug. 30, which otherwise would reset in June. However, that only gives them months to figure out how to raise enough money to move forward.

They’re not giving up, though.

“We feel like it’s high time that this organization is recognized as the community hub on Longboat Key,” she said.

The Paradise Center began 15 years ago as an outreach program through Longboat Island Chapel, then called the Aging in Paradise Resource Center. It continued to grow, and for the past five years, it has been serving the community at its current location, using its event

space to host educational lectures on grief, qi gong lessons, bridge matches and many more activities.

The center is appealing to the town of Longboat, Sarasota County and other supporters to help carry forward with its mission.

Finding a new base is no small task with ever-increasing rent across the island. But Steinhauser said The Paradise Center team believes in the importance of their work to keep Longboat Key residents informed, physically fit and able to enjoy its social activities.

She said the center would ideally prefer to stay in its current space, especially considering many of its patrons are senior residents who appreciate its proximity to their homes. But the center would need the backing of a large donor to do so.

Steinhauser, former Executive Director Suzy Brenner and board members said in a letter they hope the town will step up to support the center in keeping it afloat.

“We serve hundreds of people each month in a welcoming, accessible setting,” they wrote. “We are not theoretical. We are here, every day, doing the work and making a measurable difference.”

Steinhauser said the center is still organizing all its fundraising efforts, but it does hope to work with The Louis and Gloria Flanzer Philanthropic Trust, which matches donations to a certain point. Members plan to launch an official fundraising campaign by June with an amount yet to be determined by The Paradise Center Board. She declined to provide further details.

She said the center will continue to support its subtenants with extended leases as long as it remains.

Simonian did not return several calls for comment.

MOVIN’ ON UP? MAYBE

Urbanite Theatre’s ‘From 145th to 98th Street’ follows a family’s struggle for upward

MARTY FUGATE CONTRIBUTOR

“From 145th to 98th Street” is a play about a Harlem family. And every family.

Nia Akilah Robinson’s play is making its world premiere at Urbanite Theatre on May 30. The play unfolds in 2014. Sadly, its issues are still in the news.

Robinson’s play revolves around the Curtlys, an upwardly mobile Black family. They recently left Harlem for New York City’s Upper West Side. That seems like a big step up for the family. But life brings them down. One day, their son, Jamal, comes home covered in bruises. Jamal was beaten because a local news team falsely identified him as a robbery suspect. They put his larger-than-life photo right next to the culprit’s name. But he’s the wrong Jamal Curtly. That idiotic mistake plunges the family down a rabbit hole of generational, racial and socioeconomic conflicts. It’s heavy subject matter. But Robinson’s play keeps a lighthearted tone. It’s a heartfelt, hilarious celebration of one resilient family’s unbreakable bonds.

Life gets tough for that family. But the Curtlys are too proud to quit. And too loving to quit on each other. They’re also too stubborn to stop arguing — even when they know they’re wrong. For such a smart family, the Curtlys can be surprisingly stupid at times.

Real families are nuanced and full of maddening contradictions. The Curtly family is, too. That’s why they feel so real. That sense of authenticity was the playwright’s goal.

“I want Sarasota audiences to feel like they’re looking into the living room of a real Black

SEE HARLEM PAGE 14A

IF YOU GO

‘FROM 145TH TO 98TH STREET’

When: May 30 through June 29

Where: Urbanite Theatre, 1487 Second St. Tickets: $30-$44.

Info: Visit UrbaniteTheatre.com.

family living in New York City,” Robinson says. “Whatever their background, Urbanite theatergoers will recognize their own family dynamics — the arguments, the love and the tough decisions.”

Robinson’s characters are universal. But their story is deeply rooted in a specific sense of place. Harlem’s the place. Not Dublin, Los Angeles or Yoknapatawpha County.

The playwright paints a vividly accurate picture of that Manhattan neighborhood. It’s not always flattering. But it captures a real community. Despite the insulting clichés, Harlem is actually a nice place to live.

“The Harlem community has its own resources,” Robinson says. “I make that very clear in my play. The Curtlys moved to a different community as a path to a better life. But it wasn’t their only path forward. The family could’ve stayed in Harlem and flourished.”

Robinson adds that the move wasn’t a selfish choice for the parents.

“Jackie and Cedric were striving for a better life — not for themselves, but for their children,” she says.

“The Upper West Side expanded their opportunities. Their daughter, Fatima, would get free counseling and college prep in her new school district. Their son, Jamal, would get a much wider range of promising career choices. Their parents never had those options.”

The logic behind the move was sound. The parents’ motives were pure. The real-life consequences turned out to be messy. Fact or fiction, that’s the way it goes in many family stories.

“From 145th to 98th Street” is a family affair at its core. That’s true for the play — and also for its development. Preparing the play for its world premiere has been a family affair for the playwright and her Urbanite creative collaborators for the last five years. During those years, Robinson and her creative team became as close as any family.

Before that, the emerging playwright was often on her own. That changed in spring 2020. It was the time of COVID. But Urbanite Theatre held its first Charles Rowan

Beye New Play Commission contest anyway. After sending a few writing samples, the playwright submitted an early draft of “From 145th to 98th Street” for consideration.

Her script was far from perfect, but it was strong. Urbanite awarded Robinson the commission. The play’s development process soon began. The playwright wasn’t just typing on a lonely screen anymore. What was that like?

A LIFE-CHANGING EXPERIENCE

“The last five years have been incredible for me,” Robinson says. “Urbanite’s constant support has transformed me in so many ways. Creatively, I’ve grown as a playwright — and I’ve made my script so much better. I’ve also grown as a person. This commission has made a profound difference in my life and work.”

“From 145th to 98th Street” has also made an impact on the life of its director, Jerrica D. White. Urbanite Producing Artistic Director Summer Wallace tapped White to direct the play’s premiere in late 2024. But White got her first taste at a play reading in Ensemble Studio Theatre in New York City earlier that year.

“The play instantly jumped into my spirit,” she says. “It’s been living with me ever since.”

The play reading was a powerful experience for White. But fleeting. It doesn’t come close to her experience directing this play.

“Even the best play reading is like a drive-by,” White explains. “You go to a theater for one or two hours.

After the reading’s over, you move on to something else. It’s a shortterm thing. But directing a play is a long-term commitment. You live with these characters throughout rehearsals and the run of the play.”

White’s done exactly that for the last six months. Needless to say, she’s gotten to know the Curtly family pretty well. How would she introduce them?

“I’d describe them as a family of love, laughter and sacrifice,” White says. “They’re messy, but real. The parents don’t lecture their kids. They hold honest conversations — the kind I wish I’d had with my own parents. The Curtlys feel like a real family to me. I think that’s why their

story resonates so powerfully.”

The Curtly family is fictional. But their story mirrors the struggles of many real-world families today. The playwright and director are both keenly aware of that.

According to White, “From 145th to 98th Street” gets “painfully close” to the shifting fault lines of contemporary values, ambition and generational attitudes. It’s a play about now — and that’s always a moving target. The director thinks the playwright hit it.

How did the playwright work her magic? “I think it’s her command of language,” White says. “The Curtly family’s speech is very authentic. The children are millennials; their parents are Gen X. Their jokes have different references. The kids don’t always get the parents’ jokes and vice versa. But they laugh with each other anyway.”

Urbanite’s Wallace agrees. She’s been hooked on Robinson’s writing since Urbanite’s 2020 script contest. “The selection from Nia’s play was one of the best things I read that year,” Wallace says. “I instantly fell in love with her writing.”

Five years later, Wallace is still full of joy. “Nia’s a rising talent as a playwright,” she says. “She balances lyrical language with gritty storytelling. And she centers her stories on Black joy and everyday experience, not just trauma. Nia challenges stereotypes and broaden perspectives. That beautifully aligns with Urbanite’s mission.”

“The last five years have been incredible for me. Urbanite’s constant support has transformed me in so many ways. Creatively, I’ve grown as a playwright — and I’ve made my script so much better. I’ve also grown as a person. This commission has made a profound difference in my life and work.”

— Playwright Nia Akilah Robinson

OUR PICK

‘UNITED WE STAND’

THIS WEEK

Studio Theatre Improv Troupe.

SATURDAY

A team of four experienced improvisers deliver a mix of short form, long form and musical improv in a mashup of styles and techniques. Weekends through May

MONDAY

COMEDY ROULETTE

8:30 p.m. at Florida Studio Theatre’s Bowne’s Lab, 1265 First St. $15-$18

Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

‘CONJURING THE SPIRIT WORLD: ART, MAGIC AND MEDIUMS’

10 a.m. at the John and Mable Ringling Art Museum, 5401 Bay Free with $25 admission; Mondays Visit Ringling.org.

THIS WEEK

Courtesy images

THURSDAY

Sarasota’s Choral Artists march in a parade commemorating the 80th anniversary of D-Day in France.

JAZZ THURSDAY AT SAM

THURSDAY

5:30 p.m. at Sarasota Art Museum, 1001 S. Tamiami Trail

$25 Visit SarasotaArtMuseum.org.

‘SYNCOPATED AVENUE’

7:30 p.m. at Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, 1012 N. Orange Ave. $22-$52 Visit WestcoastBlackTheatre.org.

‘VICE & VIRTUE’ OPENING RECEPTION

5 p.m. at Art Center Sarasota, 707 N. Tamiami Trail Free Visit ArtSarasota.org.

Darcie Allen and the Five Points Quintet perform on the Marcy & Michael Klein Plaza at Sarasota Art Museum in a program sponsored by Jazz

BERMUDA MAVERICKS

7 p.m. at McCurdy’s Comedy Theatre, 1923 Ringling Blvd.

$26 Visit McCurdysComedyTheatre.com.

It’s not so often that McCurdy’s Comedy Theatre co-founder Les McCurdy takes the stage. This time, he’s half of the Bermuda Mavericks.

‘JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR’

7:30 p.m. at FSU Center for the Performing Arts, 5555 N. Tamiami Trail $35-$95. Visit AsoloRep.org.

With “Syncopated Avenue,” created, adapted and directed by WBTT founder and Artistic Director Nate Jacobs, the company is producing its first tap musical, which explores the history of the art form. Runs through May 25.

Art Center Sarasota opens its annual juried regional show, “Vice & Virtue,” which spans four galleries. Juried by curator, writer and artist Jessica Todd, the exhibition invites artists from across the Southeast to explore the dualities of the human condition. Exhibit runs through Aug. 2 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and noon to 5 p.m. Saturday.

‘JERSEY BOYS’

8 p.m. at FST’s Gompertz Theatre, 1265 First St. $49-$69 Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

for this clubhouse concert from Katherine Michelle Tanner’s Tree Fort Productions. In this program, members of Tree Fort’s Advanced Acting Class will demonstrate their stage chops with monologues, a play reading and Broadway songs.

Choral Artists of Sarasota and the Lakewood Ranch Wind Ensemble join forces to honor the service men and women who paid the ultimate sacrifice to defend our freedom. The concert of patriotic music will be led by Joseph Holt, conductor of Choral Artists, and Joe Martine, conductor of the Lakewood Ranch Wind Ensemble. It will feature soprano Adelaide Boedecker as a soloist and Kate Alexander as a narrator.

13TH ANNUAL STUDENT TENMINUTE PLAYWRITING FESTIVAL

IF YOU GO

This is it — the one we’ve been waiting for all season! Broadway director Josh Rhodes (“Spamalot”) returns to Sarasota to direct and choreograph Asolo Rep’s production of “Jesus Christ Superstar,” the granddaddy of rock musicals. The show promises to be Biblical in more ways than one. Look for Sarasota’s own Ann Morrison, Mary in the original Broadway production of Stephen Sondheim’s “Merrily We Roll Along,” as King Herod. Runs through June 28.

2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. at the Jane B. Cook Theatre, FSU Center for the Performing Arts $30 Visit TheatreOdyssey.org.

DON’T MISS

‘DIVAS: TIME AFTER TIME’

They’ve enjoyed the talents of Rick Kerby as their producing artistic director for more than two decades. For their last production of the season, the community theater presents the musical “Evita,” about the former first lady of Argentina. Runs through May 11.

‘BAD JEWS’

7:30 p.m. at The Sarasota Players, 3501 S. Tamiami Trail, Suite 1130 $30-$42 Visit SarasotaJewishTheatre.com.

IF YOU GO

When: 8 p.m. Thursday, May 22

Winner of both the Tony and Olivier awards, “Jersey Boys” tells the true story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, from their humble beginnings in the Garden State to their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. This isn’t a musical revue; it’s a full-fledged musical directed by Ben Liebert. Runs through May 25.

FRIDAY

‘THE GROWN-UPS’

7:30 p.m. at Venice Theatre’s Pinkerton Theatre, 140 Tampa Ave. W., Venice $23 Visit VeniceTheatre.org.

PINKY’S PLAYERS

7:30 p.m. at Venice Theatre’s Raymond Center, 140 Tampa Ave. W. Visit VeniceTheatre.org.

In its 75th season, Venice Theatre once again demonstrates its commitment to keeping community theater accessible. This year’s production by Pinky’s Players, the theater’s program featuring adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, is “(Welcome to) Hotel Pink Flamingo.” Runs through May 11.

New to Sarasota? We’ve got two words for you: Jannie Jones. When Jones is performing at Florida Studio Theatre, run — don’t walk — to the Court Cabaret. She is one-third of the trio performing in FST’s new cabaret show, “Divas: Time After Time.” The other talented singers are Aja Goes and Dakota Mackey-McGee. Firsttimers to FST’s cabaret shows leave the show amazed that there is such talent here in our laid-back beach town. Runs through June 22.

Where: FST’s Court Cabaret, 1265 First St.

Tickets: $37-$39

Info: Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

Written by Joshua Harmon, this often-humorous drama follows three adult cousins as they compete to own an heirloom hidden by their grandfather during the Holocaust. Runs through May 11.

A production of Venice Theatre’s Youth Production Company, “The Grown-Ups” is a dark comedy by Skylar Fox and Simon Henriques that follows a group of camp counselors trying to mold the leaders of the next generation while the future looks uncertain. Runs through May 25.

VIC & CARO

SUNDAY

Go on the trail of things that go bump in the night with this fascinating interactive exhibition, which follows the growth of Spiritualism in the mid-19th century from its roots in dining room seances to traveling shows featuring magicians and mediums.

‘GEORGE HARRISON: A GARDENER’S LIFE’

Joseph Caulkins

Looking to have fun on a Saturday night in Sarasota without breaking the bank? Look no further than Florida Studio Theatre Improv Troupe. A team of four experienced improvisers delivers a mix of short form, long form and musical improv in a mashup of styles and techniques. Weekends through May 30.

DON’T MISS

10 a.m. at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens,1534 Mound St. $28 Visit Selby.org.

‘JAGDEN UND FORMEN’

7:30 p.m. May 12 at the Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave. $30 Visit ENSRQ.org.

Walking around the 15-acre sanctuary on the Sarasota bayfront where gardens and botanical displays have been erected to mirror those in George Harrison’s estate Friar Park, you can’t help feeling the late Beatle would approve of this living tribute. Runs through June 29.

George Nickson and Samantha Bennett’s contemporary classical music group ensembleNew SRQ closes its ninth season with Wolfgang Rihm’s “Jagden und Formen,” an ambitious work for 25 musicians. At a post-concert reception in the Opera House courtyard, concertgoers can meet the musicians and learn about the 10th anniversary lineup.

When: 4 p.m. Saturday, May 24

Where: Church of the Palms, 3224 Bee Ridge Road

Tickets: $5-$40

Theatre Odyssey’s Thirteenth Annual Student Ten-Minute Playwriting Festival presents the eight plays selected by professional readers and written by area high school students from grades nine through 12 (or homeschooled equivalent). The winner of the best play award will receive the Verna Safran Prize — a $1,000 cash scholarship. Author of the runnerup play will receive a $500 cash scholarship, and the remaining authors will receive $100 cash scholarships. Continues May 11.

Info: Visit ChoralArtistsSarasota.org.

‘ALICE IN WONDERLAND THE MUSICAL’

2:30 p.m. at Tree Fort Productions, The Crossings at Siesta Key mall, 3501 S. Tamiami Trail $25 Visit TreeFortProductionsProjects. com.

AN EVENING WITH JAMES T. LANE 7:30 p.m. at Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, 1012 N. Orange Ave. $37 Visit WestcoastBlackTheatreTroupe. org.

leave the show walking on air and doing a little dance of their own. (We kid you not!) Runs through May 25.

‘JERSEY BOYS’

8 p.m. at FST’s Gompertz Theatre, 1265 First St. $49-$69 Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

7:30 p.m. at Fogartyville, 525 Kumquat Court $25 nonmembers; $20 members; $13 students Visit WSLR.org.

‘SYNCOPATED AVENUE’

7:30 p.m. at Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, 1012 N. Orange Ave. $22-$52 Visit WestcoastBlackTheatre.org.

SATURDAY

TREE FORT PRODUCTIONS

CLUBHOUSE CONCERT

2 p.m. at Tree Fort Productions, 3501 S. Tamiami Trail $25 Visit TreeFortProductionsProjects. com.

The gang’s sure to all be here

With “Syncopated Avenue,” Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe is producing its first tap dance revue. Direct from Broadway, James T. Lane stars as Duke, whose 25-yearold dance studio is threatened by gentrification. Romance blooms between Percy (Lamont Brown), a newly arrived choreographer, and Duke’s granddaughter (Kaylee Olson) as they work together to produce a rollicking anniversary show for the studio that tells the history of tap. Audience members

Hear what the voice of young country sounds like when Nashville twentysomethings Victor Futardo and Carolina Schott return to Sarasota and take the stage at Fogartyville, the funky listening room in the Rosemary District. Their duo, Vic & Caro, brings together Furtado’s prize-winning clawhammer banjo with Schott’s singer/songwriter talents.

‘ODE TO JOY’ Led by Artistic Director Joseph Caulkins, Key Chorale closes its ruby 40th anniversary season with a gift to young people who love music. This all-Beethoven performance by the symphonic chorus is free for students under 18 and only $10 for college students. The program features the finale to Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, his Choral Fantasy and the rarely performed “Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage.” The concert will be followed by a Joyful Jubilee party to mark its anniversary. Tickets for that event are $125.

Under the direction of Katherine Michelle Tanner, Tree Fort Productions’ Youth Acting Company brings to the stage Lewis Carroll’s timeless classic about a girl who falls down a rabbit hole and meets all kinds of strange characters, including the Cheshire Cat, the Mad Hatter and the March Hare.

James T. Lane, who has just come from Broadway to star in Westcoast Black TheatreTroupe’s world premiere tap musical, “Syncopated Avenue,” will discuss his creative journey. Known as a “triple threat” because of his talents as a singer, dancer and actor, Lane will talk about his roots in Philadelphia, where he began studying tap at the age of 6, and the twists and turns of a career path that took him to the Great White Way.

There are countless imitations, but there is only one “Jersey Boys.” Winner of both the Tony and Olivier awards, the musical tells the true story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, from their humble beginnings in the Garden State to their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Runs through May 25.

FRIDAY

PERSONAL TO POLITICAL: CELEBRATING THE AFRICAN AMERICAN ARTISTS OF PAULSON FONTAINE PRESS

COMEDY ROULETTE

8:30 p.m. at Florida Studio Theatre’s Bowne’s Lab, 1265 First St. $15-$18 Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

10 a.m. at the Sarasota Art Museum campus of Ringling College, 1001 S. Tamiami Trail Included with $20 admission Visit SarasotaArtMuseum.org.

Looking to have fun on a Saturday night in Sarasota without breaking the bank? Look no further than Florida

Drawing from the Paulson Fontaine Press collection, the exhibition includes renowned figures like Martin Puryear, self-taught artists like Lonnie Holley and artists of the Gee’s Bend Quilt Collective in Alabama. Runs through Aug. 10.

MONDAY

IF YOU GO When: 4 p.m. Saturday May 10

Where: Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave. Tickets: $20-$55; free for students under 18; $10 for college students Info: Visit KeyChorale. org.

MONDAY NIGHT JAZZ AT THE CABARET: PAUL GAVIN AND FRIENDS

7:30 p.m. at FST’s John C. Court Cabaret, 1265 First St. $39-$44 Visit JazzClubSarasota.org.

Monday can be the best night of the week, thanks to this weekly series by Jazz Club of Sarasota at Florida Studio Theatre’s Court Cabaret. This week features Paul Gavin and Friends, led by the Tampa-based drummer, teacher, composer and arranger. Doors open at 6:30 for food and beverage service.

OUR PICK

SONGS FROM THE SAND: AN EVENING OF HERMITAGE MUSIC

TUESDAY

‘HOW SWEET IT IS’

7:30 p.m. at FST’s Goldstein Cabaret, 1239 N. Palm Ave.. $18-$42 Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

Florida Studio Theatre’s Summer Cabaret series kicks off with a Motown tribute called “How Sweet It is.” Led by vocalist and songwriter Luke McMaster, an energetic trio demonstrates the enduring appeal of hits such as “Tracks of My Tears,” “You Can’t Hurry Love” and “Stop! In the Name of Love.” Runs through Aug. 3.

Hermitage Artist Retreat Artistic Director and CEO Andy Sandberg will host an evening of songs featuring music from Hermitage Fellows who have gone on to become Tony Award-winning Broadway musical writers like Jeanine Tesori, Michael R. Jackson and Doug Wright, as well artists and composers evolving the form, such as Adam Gwon, Zoe Sarnak, Rona Siddiqui and more.

IF YOU GO

When: 6 p.m. Monday, May 12

Where: Waterside Place Pavilion, 7500 Island Cove Terrace, Lakewood Ranch

Tickets: Free with $5 registration fee Info: Visit HermitageArtistRetreat. org.

Benny Sato Ambush steps down as artistic director of Venice Theatre

Ambush helped the community theater rebound from COVID and Hurricane Ian.

When Benny Sato Ambush got the call from Venice Theatre in January 2021, he only expected to spend a year as artistic director at the nation’s second largest community theater.

More than four years later, as steel beams rise from the bowels of the Venice Theatre’s mainstage Jervey Theatre and a videographer prepares to shoot the last installment of a documentary about the history of the 76-year-old company, Ambush says it’s time to go.

“I was asked to elevate the acting and education at Venice Theatre, and I fulfilled that mission,” Ambush says. “With the steel rising, it’s a good time to move on.”

He plans to return to the Boston area, where he worked as a director and theater educator before coming to Venice at the request of Murray Chase. Now restoration supervisor of the Venice Theatre, Chase was executive director from 1995 to June 2023, when he was succeeded by Kristofer Geddie.

In a theater world, where minority representation can sometimes be in short supply, Venice Theatre is unusual to have two Black leaders — Ambush and Geddie — on its management team.

Chase will act as artistic director on an interim basis until he, Geddie

and the theater’s board of directors find Ambush’s replacement.

“Benny’s departure is bittersweet,” said Geddie in a statement. “Over time, he has become both a brother and a mentor to me. We know Benny has exciting projects ahead and will no doubt continue to do incredible work. We look forward to welcoming him back as a guest director in future seasons.”

Mum’s the word about Ambush’s next act. “I don’t want to jinx anything,” he said during a telephone interview where he reflected on a tumultuous tenure marked by the aftermath of COVID-19 and Hurricane Ian, which destroyed the 432seat Jervey Theatre in September 2022.

The storm left the 90-seat Pinkerton Theatre intact and the Venice Theatre was able to transform its Raymond Center, previously earmarked for education and storage, into a 130-seat theater until the Jervey is restored.

More than once during the interview, Ambush remarked on the sense of hope that seeing “beams of steel rising” has given both the theater and the Gulf Coast town it serves.

Another $5 million in funding is needed to complete the $25 million restoration of the Jervey Theatre, which Ambush expects will open during the 2026-27 season.

Ambush first came to Venice in 2010 as an adjudicator for WorldFest, an event featuring theater companies from around the globe sponsored by the American Association of Community Theatre and hosted by the Venice Theatre. He served as WorldFest adjudicator again in 2014.

After taking the artistic reins of

Venice Theatre, the nation’s second largest of 6,000 community theaters as measured by its $4 million budget, Ambush helped produce the 2022 edition of WorldFest.

MARKING THE 75TH

ANNIVERSARY IN STYLE

Asked to name some artistic highlights of his tenure, Ambush pointed to his 2022 production of “To Kill a Mockingbird,” where he incorporated the voices of the Black community into the stage version of Harper Lee’s classic novel. Other standouts for him were two productions from this season — “Syncopation,” about a man looking for a dance partner, and the revival of Molière’s 353-year-old comedy, “The Learned Ladies.”

The 2024-25 season marked Venice Theatre’s 75th anniversary and the theater celebrated the occasion with great fanfare. It revived several productions from its history and continued annual traditions such as staging “A Christmas Carol” and producing Pinky’s Players, a show that allows adults with disabilities to participate in community theater.

The diamond anniversary season opened with a revival of Venice Theatre’s first production, “The Torch Bearers,” a play within a play about the dangers posed by community theater to family life, and ended with the surprise hit, “The Learned Ladies.”

But whether it was getting the theater up and running after COVID or working with Chase and Geddie to launch the 2022-23 season after Hurricane Ian, Ambush says none of it would have been possible without the Venice Theatre’s 1,600 volunteers.

“We have a professional staff, but community theater is made possible with the help of volunteers,” Ambush says. “With the recent proposed cuts to the National Endowment for the Arts, some professional theaters may have to adopt our model.”

In a farewell note to students, volunteers and patrons, Ambush wrote, “Part of me wishes to stay forever. At the end of this 75th season, I know that Venice Theatre will forge ahead for another 75 years with new wind in its sails. It is an extraordinary, professionally run, volunteer-reliant, hybrid model, distinct among any theater I know.”

Ambush holds a bachelor’s degree in Theatre Arts and Dramatic Literature from Brown University and an MFA in Directing from the University of California, San Diego. In 2020, he was inducted into the College of Fellows of the American Theatre.

During his long career, he has been artistic director of TheatreVirginia in Richmond, Virginia, Oakland Ensemble Theatre in California and Rites and Reason Theatre Company in Providence, Rhode Island, to name just a few of his many posts.

“I was asked to elevate the acting and education at Venice Theatre, and I fulfilled that mission. With the steel rising, it’s a good time to move on.”

— Benny Sato Ambush

WBTT hosts third annual Juneteenth Arts Festival

Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe will present its third annual Juneteenth Arts Festival from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday, June 22, at WBTT’s campus at 1012 N. Orange

Ave.

This year’s festival will feature live performances by local artists, art from local creators and short films by local filmmakers and students from Ringling College of Art & Design.

“As the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the U.S., Juneteenth holds great significance for the Black community as well as all those who believe in social justice and equal rights for all,” said WBTT Founder and Artistic Director Nate Jacobs in a statement. “Our organization’s mission is to promote and celebrate African American history and experience; our hope is to bring the community together to enjoy a diverse offering of arts experiences while recognizing this important historical milestone.”

The festival will wrap with a free jazz concert by saxophonist Dee Lucas presented in collaboration with Smooth Jazz Harbor online radio.

An indie jazz artist, Lucas has been broadening his fan base through album releases and tours. He formed his own label, Mo Better Recordings, in the early aughts, releasing his debut solo CD, “Remembrance,” in 2004. Numerous releases have followed, including four No. 1 hits on various smooth jazz charts. Lucas is currently on the road with his “Twenty Tour,” celebrating 20 years as a solo recording artist.

Other highlights of WBTT’s Juneteenth Arts Festival include Marquis Dawsey’s “Soul Crooners — The Documentary,” which showcases the group and the period leading up to the 2024 International Black Theatre Festival in Winston-Salem, N.C.

There will be performances by WBTT professionals and rising stars in the company’s Stage of Discovery program. Black-owned vendors will have food trucks and there will be workshops on health

and wellness with local community organizations and partners.

All members of the community are welcome.

Azara Ballet adds artistic director position

Azara Ballet has hired Joshua Stayton as artistic director. A native of Cincinnati, Stayton is a dancer, choreographer and teacher. He will join the company formed by Kate and Martin Flowers for its third season in December.

Founded in 2023, Azara Ballet is a professional contemporary ballet company dedicated to the mental and emotional well-being of its dancers, their audiences and the community.

In addition to its mission of embracing body positivity, Azara reaches out to neurodivergent and underprivileged communities through curated dance classes.

Stayton began his training at the School for Creative and Performing Arts in Cincinnati before joining the Orlando Ballet School and Houston Ballet II. During his career, he has also performed with the Cincinnati Ballet, Sarasota Ballet and Tulsa Ballet.

Stayton’s international performances have taken him to Hungary, Italy, Finland, Spain and Switzerland.

As a choreographer, Stayton has had world premieres for Ballet 22,

Tulsa Ballet’s second company, DeLa Dance Company, Azara Ballet and Cincinnati Ballet’s second company and academy.

“I am looking forward to helping the dancers continue to find the light within them as artists,” Stayton said in a statement. “In most of my experience in company environments, dancers often forget why they started dancing in the first place. They get lost in achieving ‘perfection’ and should always remember that dance is an expression of the heart.”

Kate Flowers, Azara’s co-founder and CEO, grew up dancing with Stayton and counts him as a lifelong friend. She said that Azara has decided to hire an artistic director to allow her and her husband, Martin Roosaare Flowers, to focus on running the nonprofit.

“Incorporating Joshua’s experience and commitment to the company is a huge step for our young company,” she said in a statement.

“We will be able to concentrate on the continued effort in securing community support, overseeing operations as well as the fact that we love to dance and choreograph ourselves.”

Arts Advocates honors Andy Sandberg with Luminaire Award

Arts Advocates recently presented Andy Sandberg, artistic director and CEO of the Hermitage Artist Retreat, with its Luminaire Award. This award is presented to individuals to celebrate outstanding contributions to the arts in Sarasota.

Arts Advocates Vice President Carol Darling said in a statement, “Andy has demonstrated the power of collaborating with arts and educational organizations in our community, from Marie Selby Botanical Gardens to Booker High School. Under Andy’s leadership, the Hermitage Artist Retreat has developed local partnerships that benefit all parties.”

A Yale graduate, Sandberg joined the Hermitage in December 2019 after directing numerous offBroadway shows, including “Operation Epsilon,” “The Last Smoker

in America,” “Shida” and “Straight.” At Yale, he both performed and served as business manager for college performing arts troupes.

Based on a nine-acre campus on Manasota Key, the Hermitage offers artists multiweek residences to create new works of theater, music, visual art, literature and more. In exchange, artists must interact with the community through presentations that are free to the public with a $5 registration fee. Each year, in collaboration with the Philadelphia-based Greenfield Foundation, the artistic incubator awards the Hermitage Greenfield Prize, which includes a six-week stay at the Hermitage and a $35,000 commission to create a new work of art. The prize rotates between the fields of theater, music and visual art.

Along with the Luminaire Award, Arts Advocates President William Rusling presented Sandberg with a $1,000 donation to the Hermitage Artist Retreat, which has been hard hit by hurricanes in recent years. Past Luminaire Award recipients include Florida Highwaymen artist Mary Ann Carol, Howard Millman (Asolo Repertory Theatre), Richard and Rebecca Hopkins (Florida Studio Theatre), Victor DeRenzi (Sarasota Opera) and Iain Webb and Margaret Barbieri (Sarasota Ballet).

Asolo Rep stages a stirring come-to-Jesus moment

Josh Rhodes’ ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ delivers a fast, punchy rendition of the greatest story ever told.

MARTY FUGATE THEATER CRITIC

‘Jesus Christ Superstar” has risen on the Asolo Rep stage.

After a gestation as a 1970 concept album, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s powerchord passion play was first staged in 1971. It’s been resurrected so many times since then that it’s easy to forget the original concept.

Rice and Webber’s rock opera parallels the fanatical fans of contemporary rock stars with the cult of personality surrounding an itinerant Jewish preacher in Biblical times. In AD 33, Jesus is a hit with the Judean crowd, and the power structure hates it.

For different motives, the Pharisees and the Roman occupation forces decide to terminate him. With the help of one of Jesus’ displeased disciples, they arrest Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane.

After that, he’s mocked, tortured, publicly humiliated and nailed to the cross. That’s Jesus’ fate. What happens next is a question of faith. The musical follows the New Testament timeline right up to the crucifixion.

“Jesus Christ Superstar” is a tightly written, fast-paced show. Rice and Webber’s songs reflect the AM radio airplay standards of 1970; they average from three to four minutes.

Josh Rhodes’ direction and choreography reflects that economy. His direction is focused and punchy. He gets in, gets it done and gets out. Each song unfolds in a scene. Each scene has a character, an emotion and a question.

Rhodes keeps you crystal clear on the decisions they face and what’s at stake. His choreography is never by the numbers. He keeps

IF YOU GO

‘JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR’

When: Through June 28

Where: FSU Center for the Performing Arts, 5555 N. Tamiami Trail. Tickets: $33-$95.

Info: Visit AsoloRep.org.

the ensemble moving, but their movement always serves the story.

One song might be angry and angular, another might be loose and sensual. The actors’ dance always flows organically from the nature of each song. It’s never tacked on.

A TRINITY WITH A VOLATILE CHEMISTRY

This revolutionary rock opera is complex, with a lot of moving parts. It’s a high level of difficulty. But the lead actors can all dance, act and sing at a Broadway level.

The trinity of Jesus, Judas and Mary Magdalene has a volatile chemistry of faith, fear, love and desire. The actors make you feel that seething emotional power.

Jesse Nager’s Jesus has one sandaled foot in this world and the other in the next. His all-toohuman Messiah has doubts, fears, questions, outbursts of anger and boundary issues. Is Jesus drinking the Kool-Aid and buying the crowd’s message that he’s God in human form? Who does he think he is, anyway?

Heath Saunders’ Judas functions as a stand-in for modern audiences. The story’s told from his point of view. What’s his story? Don’t ask Judas. He’s confused about his own motives.

At first, he tries to bring Jesus down to earth with practical advice — and always gets put down. What’s his beef with Jesus? Irrational jealousy? A rational fear of Roman reprisal? In the end, he betrays Jesus. Why? Judas accuses God of setting him up to be the bad guy who got Jesus crucified. Is

that the divine plan — or is Judas just shifting blame? Once again, Judas doesn’t know his own mind. If Judas is the prickly voice of common sense, Sarah Kay’s Mary Magdalene is a soothing balm to Jesus’ wounded soul. She’s mesmerizing in “I Don’t Know How to Love Him” and “Everything’s Alright.” She’s a worldly woman who’s been transformed by Jesus’ out-of-this-world personality. What she feels is beyond romantic love. It scares the hell out of her. The supporting cast is also up to the Biblical task.

Ann Morrison’s King Herod steals the show with a shrill, malevolent glamour in “King Herod’s Song.” Instead of the typical campy character (a la Josh Mostel in the 1973 film adaptation), she leans into the song’s Roaring Twenties vibe. She sits on a gilded throne like the queen (or king) of all flappers, with a pile of louche admirers below. Her sneering character wants Jesus to perform like a dancing monkey. Prove to me that you’re no fool! Walk across my swimming pool! Morrison totally

sells it like some evil Betty Boop. Tally Sessions’ Pontius Pilate is tough, but he’s more bureaucrat than bully. He’d rather not crucify Jesus, but he doesn’t want to lose his mid-level job. He washes his hands of the whole sad affair and gets on with it.

Jenny Kim-Godfrey’s music direction is up to the hairpin turns of the show’s songs. The band’s out of sight and always in your mind. Jonathan Godfrey plays a mean electric guitar on the rock opera’s iconic riffs.

The show looks as good as it sounds. The design is visually striking and original. Adam Koch’s rocky set evokes the stone-cold brutality of the Roman Empire and the arid, desert environment of Judea.

Alejo Vietti avoids the cliché costumes of past productions. No sword-and-sandals. No firstcentury hippies in tie-dye shirts and bellbottoms. He finds his own take — and colors outside the lines of what’s been done before.

Cory Pattak’s lighting alternates from noonday clarity to twilight chiaroscuro. Illumination is

instrumentation — a counterpoint to the rocking score. Nicely done. The greatest story ever told has been told in many ways. In 1971, telling it as a rock opera was a very new way. Rice did a brilliant job finding a through-line of story and character in the Biblical text — and retelling that story with a counterculture sensibility. The characters’ motives aren’t simplistic in his lyrics. And they’re bursting with questions throughout the show.

What’s the buzz? Tell me what’s happening!

What is truth? Is truth unchanging law?

Jesus Christ, Superstar. Do you think you’re what they say you are?

This messianic musical doesn’t hand you the answers.

It’s not a rocking revival trying to convert you. But it’s not rocktherapy to cure true believers from the “God delusion,” either. The show’s nuanced, ambiguous, multilayered and anything but dogmatic. It takes you to the crossroads ... Where you go from there is up to you.

YOUR NEIGHBORS

NIFTY 90s

DANA KAMPA STAFF WRITER

Longboat Key resident Merle Nelson started off her 90th birthday on May 8 in a way not many do — with a morning outing on her paddleboard.

She took the time on her birthday to share some life advice and reflect on the high points of her career.

“I have been lucky in my lifetime, and I’m grateful for being a lucky person,” she said. “You don’t make luck — it just happens. But I think you can always have a positive outlook, and that keeps you young and generous of spirit. I’ve found that here.”

Nelson appreciated growing up and working in Maine, where she raised her three children — Judd, Eve and Julie — but she joked that “you can’t slip on a frozen sidewalk in Sarasota.”

Judd Nelson made a name for himself as an actor in films such as St. Elmo’s Fire, New Jack City and Suddenly Susan on TV.

But his most famous role is playing John Bender in the ’80s hit movie, “The Breakfast Club.” Last month, the full cast reunited for the first time in 40 years at an entertainment expo in Chicago, where they made the film.

Besides raising her three children, Merle Nelson held a distinguished career as both a politician and a teacher. She served as a legislator in Maine from 1976 to 1986.

“I grew up there near the end of World War II, and my father worked in the shipyards in South Portland,” she said.

She still remembers going doorto-door on the campaign trail in 1976, where she learned directly from Mainers about what they would want in a leader. That experience served her well, for she ultimately won five elections.

Asked what she was most proud to have accomplished in her political tenure, Nelson said two pieces of legislation rose to the top.

She played an integral role in changing the process for organ donation, aiming to help loved ones work through the intricacies of donation in a manner that respects the person they lost.

On her birthday, Longboater shares advice on living a life of impact.

“I introduced a piece of legislation that helped make Maine one of the largest organ donation states in New England, which saved a lot of lives,” she said.

She said the regulations laid out how and when medical professionals should ask about donation. This sensitive approach explains to families how meaningful such a donation is for recipients and ideally helps them begin the grieving process.

“I don’t think you ever give up grieving something like that, but it really gave them a sense that there was still life, that it was a meaningful donation,” she said. “It really is a gift of life.”

Nelson also pushed forward the Displaced Homemakers Act, which helped people learn the skills they needed to re-enter the workforce after losing a spouse. For her efforts, the Maine Centers for Women, Work, and Community gave her the first annual “Women Making a Difference Award” in 2004.

Of her time in office, she said, “It was a wonderful opportunity to do some important and good things for people’s lives. It was very meaningful.”

She added, “I did a lot of things that have hopefully changed people’s lives for the better, and that makes me very proud.”

As a passionate advocate for the arts, Nelson said she is also proud of her work introducing the Maine Percent for Art law, enacted in 1979, that provides for art in public buildings.

Her promotion of the arts isn’t limited to her legislative work. Two decades ago, she and her high school sweetheart, Lenny, started the Leonard and Merle Nelson Social Justice Fund, which honors artists at the Portland Museum of Art. For her ongoing support, the Maine College of Art & Design conferred an honorary PhD.

“I don’t use it to get reservations, calling myself ‘Dr. Nelson,’” she said with a laugh.

Nelson said one aspect of living in Longboat Key and near Sarasota that she appreciates is the thriving art scene.

“That’s one of the reasons my husband and I decided to move to the area,” she said. “It has a rich cultural environment, like Portland. People are also very philanthropic here, which we find impressive and really enjoy.”

She and Lenny were married for 69 years before he died.

Nelson valued her time in the legislature but eventually stepped down to make way for fresh perspectives.

She then pursued a career as a court mediator.

This work proved challenging yet rewarding as she helped people navigate some of the most difficult moments of their lives.

Preceding her work in politics and the courts, Nelson worked as a teacher, specializing in helping students who were blind or required special education accommodations. She always placed an important focus on education, graduating from Lesley College.

She acknowledged the challenges teachers face with salaries and classroom environments, and the best advice she had to offer up-andcoming teachers is to stay with it.

“It is indeed the most powerful profession in the world,” she said. “You teach as much through the environment as what you teach, and you need to listen to the kids. It’s hard, more so than when I taught, but every day is a new experience. You learn about yourself as well.”

She is enjoying retirement on Longboat Key, where she and Lenny moved 20 years ago, and she especially likes taking advantage of the programs offered at The Paradise Center.

When she’s not busy swimming or doing yoga, she still likes to volunteer with Tuttle Elementary School. She particularly enjoys reading to students, which she particularly values considering she learned to read while dealing with the challenges of dyslexia.

“I’ve volunteered every year of my life since I was 12,” she said.

Birthdays always offer an opportunity for reflection, and if she could offer any life advice, it would be to embrace giving back to one’s community.

“I really believe that giving to others makes you better and stronger as a person,” she said. “You can see things in a different light. It’s important to get perspective.”

“I have been lucky in my lifetime ... You don’t make luck — it just happens. But I think you can always have a positive outlook, and that keeps you young and generous of spirit. I’ve found that here.”

— Merle Nelson

Artistic flair

Florida artist embraces digital medium.

DANA KAMPA STAFF WRITER

Hyperrealism artist Stephen Harlan said this weekend’s showcase of his work was his first time seeing Wyland Gallery Sarasota since its redesign, and he appreciated the open spaces and brightly lit showcases for the art it houses.

Harlan has shown his work at the gallery for more than a decade, and from May 16 to 18, he demonstrated his creative process for visitors.

That process is extensive, as assistant gallery director Christopher Cotty noted. Creating each piece can take about 600 hours.

“He has a unique talent,” he said. “It can be hard for a digital artist to make it to this level of gallery, but his attention to detail, and his striking color, and the balance in his pieces speak for themselves.”

Harlan has been working in digital art for the past 35 years. He often unites his water-forward nature landscapes with intricate transportation subjects, like motorcycles or boats lined up in a harbor.

Though he draws inspiration from his Floridian surroundings, he said he uses only his imagination for his ultra-detailed artworks, rather than operating off of reference photos or a particular real-world scene. The only exception is when dealing with the machinery minutiae of particular car parts, for example.

The artist builds up a scene layer by layer through his proprietary digital process, gradually folding in cyan and magenta highlights.

“It’s typically a five-step process, where I start with a simple sketch,” he said. “I’ll start writing notes to myself about the treatment of light sources and things like that as I get a feel for the piece. I’ll start block-

ing out the colors more, and it goes from there.”

Harlan was born in Minnesota but spent much of his childhood in Fort Myers.

Water features prominently in many of his works, and Harlan said he spent plenty of days sailing out on the ocean while growing up in southern Florida.

“I love working with reflections, and being that they’re not real, I don’t have too many rules to follow beyond making it look believable,” he said.

Harlan said he is entirely selftaught and forever grateful for the success he has enjoyed in his career. He is currently on a two-week crosscountry tour of the 16 galleries showing his works, with one stop planned for his home base of Carolina Beach, North Carolina.

Most recently, the Southwest has caught his attention. Gallery-goers may catch him at work on his latest piece, titled “Two Feathers.”

Digital art comes with its own challenges, but one thing Harlan said he appreciates about it is its malleability.

The creation of each piece comes with its own timeline. Sometimes, a

piece needs a little more time in the workshop. Sometimes, it reaches a point where it will likely never become a finished piece. But every one of his pieces in the gallery on St. Armands Circle eventually reached the tipping point of becoming fully realized.

“They take on a life of their own, which is always exciting,” he said.

While many of his works center on bold colors, Harlan does like to challenge himself to break out and try new styles and techniques.

Another of his recent releases, titled “Fog,” captures the ephemeral waves of grey fog rolling across the ocean’s surface, with only a lone white rowboat and suggestion of solid ground peeping through the mist.

Harlan said he hopes first-time viewers of his work experience something akin to taking a big bite of luscious tangerine sherbet, feeling a zing brought on by the combination of vibrancy and realism.

“To be sharing my work in galleries of this caliber, I feel very privileged,” he added.

Visit HarlanArt.com to learn more about other locations to see Harlan’s works.

BLUE MONDAYS

served with a split of Bonanza wine happy hour prices all day long, extra drink specials

charcuterie and artisan cheese presentation, crusty bread // $18 with purchase of a full bottle of wine 25% off all wine, by the glass and the bottle

7-ounce prime new york strip steak, au poivre sauce, truffle fries

YOUR CALENDAR

WEDNESDAY, MAY 28 ENJOY SOOTHING SOUNDS

2 to 3 p.m. at The Paradise Center, 546 Bay Isles Road. Amy Steinhauser, reiki master teacher and sound healing practitioner, offers a relaxing sound bath experience with crystal, Tibetan bowls, gongs and chimes. Free, with donations welcome. Call 941-383-6493 or email amy@theparadisecenter.org.

RECURRING EVENTS

TUESDAYS AND FRIDAYS LONGBOAT LIBRARY

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

SUNDAYS AND MONDAYS YOGA

10 to 11 a.m. Sundays and 6 to 7 p.m. on Mondays at St. Armands Circle Park, 1 St. Armands Circle. This slow-flow yoga class is free to those 18 and older or accompanied by an adult. Bring a mat or towel and water. Register at Paige@YogaWithPaige.us or visit YogaWithPaige.us to learn more. No classes April 20 and May 25.

MONDAYS

STRETCH AND STRENGTHEN

10 a.m. to 11 a.m. at The Paradise Center, 546 Bay Isles Road. This class is mostly seated and great for all fitness levels. The focus is on strength training and flexibility for balance. Suzy Brenner leads the class. Fee is $20. Walk-ins welcome. Call 941-383-6493.

TUESDAYS AND THURSDAYS

QIGONG

10 to 11 a.m. at The Paradise Center, 546 Bay Isles Road. Learn all about this ancient healing art of movement and meditation. Fee is $20. Walk-ins welcome. Call 941-383-6493.

PILATES SCULPT

9 a.m. to 9:50 a.m. at The Paradise Center, 546 Bay Isles Road. Pilates Sculpt is a combination class mixing traditional Pilates exercises into a fun, challenging workout to upbeat music. It will make you sweat, encourage your body to burn calories, and make you stronger and more flexible. This class is for all levels. Cost is $20. Walk-ins welcome. Call 941-383-6493.

BEST BET

THURSDAY, MAY 29 OFF THE CLOCK NETWORKING 5 to 7 p.m. at Zota Beach Resort, 4711 Gulf of Mexico Drive. Join the Longboat Key Chamber of Commerce for its first “Off the Clock” opportunity to meet with fellow community members over hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar. Cost is $10 for chamber members and $15 for nonmembers. Call 941-3832466 for more.

YOGA 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. at The Paradise Center, 546 Bay Isles Road. Debby Debile of Feel Good Yoga & Massage leads a gentle yoga class that can be done on a mat or in a chair. Cost is $20. Call 941-3836493.

FRIDAYS UP YOUR TAI CHI SKILLS 10 to 11 a.m. at The Paradise Center, 546 Bay Isles Road. Certified instructor Reuben Fernandez leads a weekly intermediate tai chi class, held outdoors when weather permits. Fernandez also leads a beginner class at 10 a.m. on Wednesdays, but builds off those skills with a focus on Chen Style, Lao Ca Dija. It’s recommended to wear close-toed shoes with low heels rather than running shoes. Cost is $20. Call 941-3836493.

TEA TIME

Ahush fell over The Paradise Center as attendees of the first “Color and Cuppa Tea Party,” where they sipped on steaming brews and filled pages of mandala designs, nature scenes and florals for the first social event since members bid farewell to seasonal residents at a ’70s-themed end-of-season party last month.

The Paradise Center hosted the brand new event on May 14, providing sweet treats, organic tea and adult coloring supplies.

A 2022 article from the Mayo Clinic Health System lauds the health benefits of coloring for adults, particularly in promoting mindfulness and improving one’s ability to focus.

“Because you’re focusing on color choice and staying inside the lines, you’re only thinking about the present moment,” writes clinical social worker Joel Bobby. “You can shut off the noise around you, and give your mind the gift of focusing on the movements, sensations and emotions of your present moment.”

Attendee Angela Bennink said she especially appreciated the tea party theme given her English background.

Her friend Sandy Love went for turmeric tea, although her favorite is a green jasmine pearl tea with a drop of honey.

Bennink offered a bit of advice for making the perfect honey-sweetened brew. She said, based on advice from Sarasota Honey Co. representatives who attended a recent garden club event, tea drinkers should let their cups cool slightly before adding the honey to get the full anti-allergen benefits.

Several participating ladies found the coloring relaxing..

THE DOCTORS ARE IN

Longboat grandparents enjoy seeing granddaughters graduate with honors from two different med schools.

DANA KAMPA STAFF WRITER

amilies around the world cel -

Febrated the accomplishments of their up-and-coming kin, as outgoing students donned their stoles, tossed their caps, hugged their loved ones and made preparations to pursue their career dreams.

Longtime Longboat residents Anthony and Mabel Esposito celebrated twofold last week as two of their granddaughters graduated from medical school simultaneously, becoming the first doctors in their family.

Samantha Esposito graduated with honors from the Rush School of Medicine in Chicago and is heading off to pursue general surgery at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York. Stephanie Esposito graduated from the Central Michigan School of Medicine in Mount Pleasant and plans to join the OBGYN medical staff at Sparrow Hospital in Lancing, Michigan.

Stephanie and Samantha are the daughters of David and Tracy and were born 12 months apart. They grew up primarily in Michigan and made frequent family trips to Longboat Key.

“We’re just walking on air,”

Anthony said. “I remember saying to my wife when they first enrolled, ‘They’re going to be somebody.’”

He fondly recalls taking the family out for a day of fun at the Holidome, spending afternoons playing basketball, picking up pizza at Danny’s Pizzeria in Bradenton, and teaching the kids how to drive on quiet streets.

Anthony, 82, and Mabel, 83, have lived on the Key since the 1970s. They have been happy to support

their granddaughters along their academic journey, even if a trip included a nap or two while they recovered in the Floridian sunshine from the many hours spent studying for exams. Of course, Mabel’s homebaked cookies and brownies always helped with healing as well.

Samantha, who graduated on May 3, said she always appreciated the pleasant meals and conversation that awaited them.

She majored in health science and received the Arthur Dean Bevan award. Samantha said she appreciated reaching a point in her education where she could be learning from those who were more experienced and sharing what she had learned so far with those newer to the program.

Stephanie graduated on May 9, and all 97 medical students in her class matched into residency programs.

Samantha said she found it especially meaningful to get to celebrate this accomplishment alongside her sister.

“She’s been my guiding light this whole time,” she said. “Anything Steph did, I had to follow.”

She continued, “We were on the same track in med school, and it was great to get to vent about classic problems that another med student would understand. It was great to be together along the journey.”

The pair grew up familiar with the medical field, considering their father is the chief executive officer at ONL Therapeutics and a former executive director with Merck pharmaceutical manufacturing, among other roles. But they are proud to become the first doctors in the Esposito family.

“Our dad always said he could see us walking down the hospital hallways in our white coats one day,” Samantha added.

Anthony and Mabel attended both graduation ceremonies.

“They’re just terrific young women, and we were so glad to celebrate with them,” he said, adding that it was “refreshing” to see many young

“They’ve been our biggest supporters the whole time.”

— Samantha Esposito

women among the graduates. Samantha added, “They’ve been our biggest supporters the whole time. Anytime something came up, they were only a phone call away. I love them so much, and this wouldn’t have been possible without them.”

SOCIALMEDIA MANAGEMENT

Maximize your brand’s potential with Emma Burke-Jolly, a social media expert with seven years of experience at the Observer. She will leverage her expertise to enhance and engage your audience and create high-quality content for your business. Not only will you have your own dedicated social media manager, but you’ll also gain the opportunity to be seen in front of Observer Media Group’s own 44,716+ followers twice per month! She’ll stay ahead of the trends, save you time and drive growth with her strategically designed campaigns.

To learn more about this opportunity call 941-366-3468 or email advertise@yourobserver.com.

$16,000,000

$4,200,000

$1,199,000

Noted Manatee waterfront restaurant unveils $1M in renovations

The Anna Maria Island mainstay has a refreshed look after an acquisition and the fall hurricanes.

ELIZABETH KING

n Anna Maria Island restaurant

Athat has been around for more than 70 years has undergone extensive renovations after changes in ownership and the fall hurricanes.

Sandbar Seafood + Spirits also has an updated menu and two new ways to dine there, with the addition of an ice cream shop and a beachside ordering window on the site.

Sandbar, at 100 Spring Ave. on the northern end of the island, was established in the late 1940s. It changed hands several times before restaurateur Ed Chiles, son of former Gov. Lawton Chiles and founder of Chiles Group, purchased Sandbar in 1979 with partners. He spearheaded renovations at the restaurant from 2010 to 2012.

In August 2024, Beachside Hospitality acquired Sandbar in addition to two other waterfront restaurants, Mar Vista on Longboat Key and Beach House in Bradenton Beach, which were also owned by Chiles Group. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. (Beachside paid $31 million for the real estate, Manatee County records show.)

Renovations at Sandbar were also already in progress at the time of the acquisition, and the new owners had “some long-term goals as far as additions we wanted,” Beachside Hospitality Director of Marketing Julia Cassino says. “Obviously, the hurricane opened up those opportunities to become more short-term goals,” Cassino says at a May 14 media event unveiling the updates.

After Hurricane Milton, she says, sand was shin-height inside Sandbar. The restaurant closed following the Oct. 9 hurricane until November, the Business Observer, sister publication of the Longboat Observer ,

reported previously.

In the months since, the interior has been updated with new flooring, furniture and lighting in the main dining areas as well as all new bar and kitchen equipment, which has been reengineered for higher efficiency. Natural wood in addition to nautical colors and design details reflect the eatery’s coastal surroundings.

The Sandbar menu has gotten some updates too, with the addition of Beachside Hospitality Group’s signature Bairdi crab, royal red shrimp and red grouper.

New privacy fencing and updated lighting were installed outside around the beachfront event venue, which can seat up to 180 people, and the restaurant’s entrance was repaved and refreshed with new signage, paint and guest seating.

The retail space was also expanded with resort wear, gifts and Sandbarbranded merchandise.

The renovations cost “well over $1 million,” Beachside Hospitality Group CEO Greg Powers tells the Business Observer.

“It was important to us that we rebuild with a purpose and prioritize the guest experience in the process,” Powers says in a statement.

“We wanted a fresh, vibrant look, but without losing the charm that’s made this beachfront favorite so beloved for decades.”

Among the new offerings are a walk-up window for beachgoers open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. called Beachside Bites offering breakfast and light fare items as well as smoothies.

“We realized there just weren’t many healthy, quick breakfast options on the island — and since the market concept was already in development, it felt like the perfect opportunity to fill that gap,” Powers says in a statement. “The response has already been great. As demand picks up, we plan to expand both our hours and the menu.”

Inside Sandbar, there is a new section near the entrance called Sweet Willy’s Ice Cream Shoppe, open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., serving smallbatch ice cream, handmade waffle

cones, sundaes and milkshakes. It is named for Powers’ daughter, Sylvia, whose nickname was Silly Willy. This marks the first location on the Gulf Coast for Beachside Hospitality Group’s Sweet Willy’s, which has three locations on Florida’s East Coast.

Powers says his company spent “in the millions” of dollars renovating Mar Vista, Beach House and Sandbar after the hurricanes.

Through the updates, all the waterfront restaurants have retained their unique characters, according to Beachside Hospitality Group.

“Our goal is not to come in and completely change the legacy that [Chiles] built,” Cassino says. “Our goal is to build upon and to continue that legacy. ... We just want to continue growing in the communities that we serve.”

Beachside Hospitality Group operates 15 restaurants around Florida. The company, which is based in St. Petersburg, employs nearly 1,200 staff. It had $70.2 million in revenue in 2023, Powers previously told the Business Observer

BOTTOM LINE

Key takeaway: Beachside Hospitality Group, the owners of an Anna Maria Island staple, Sandbar, have invested $1M in a new look, menu and more for the restaurant, which the Chiles Group owned for some 45 years. Core challenge: As hurricane season approaches, the hospitality sector is dealing with multiple other variables, including inflation, economic uncertainty and persistent cost of living issues. What’s next: A walk-up window for breakfast and an ice cream shop are among the new offerings.

From a 10’ x 20’ tent to a thriving, 6-store grocery business

‘Every thing, every square foot matters,’ says Henry Detwiler, Detwiler’s Farm Market.

ELIZABETH KING

BUSINESS OBSERVER

The grandson of a butcher, Henry Detwiler says he realized growing up that he liked the retail side more than the processing side of the food industry.

While he was in school — he went up to eighth grade — he worked in the butcher shop, making things like sausage and scrapple. When he was about 16, Detwiler recalls he started selling produce in the summer at a little farm market in Pennsylvania.

On a successful Saturday, he says, he might have sold 5,000 ears of corn.

“I just really loved that,” Detwiler, now 60, says of selling produce.

The year after he got married, in 1986, he moved to Sarasota, where his wife was from. He worked in construction locally for 15 years.

The journey to founding Detwiler’s Farm Market in 2009 was a “long route,” he says. It includes stints in Virginia selling produce and Amish sheds. It also includes a return to Sarasota, working out of a 10-by20-foot tent grading eggs at Sutter Egg Farm and selling produce from a farm stand at the Fruitville Grove.

In 2009, after losing a lease at the grove, Detwiler found a 5,000-square-foot space on Palmer Boulevard, where he could open a store. He says he was unsure how it was going to work, and a friend told him this was what he had and he would figure out how to use it.

“We learned that every thing, every square foot matters,” Detwiler says.

Today there are six Detwiler’s stores spread through Manatee and

Sarasota counties. In addition to the Palmer store, locations are on the US 41 bypass in Venice; on Clark Road in south Sarasota; on Lockwood Ridge Road just off University Parkway on the Manatee-Sarasota line; on US 301 in Palmetto; and on 53rd Avenue West in Bradenton. Stores are up to 50,000 square feet. The business is also building a 133,000-square-foot distribution center in Palmetto to serve all of its locations.

The company, with some 800 employees, has plans to expand too. (Officials decline to disclose revenue figures, saying only that the company averages 100,000 customers per week.)

“We have some stuff that’s actually in the works now” but nothing has been finalized yet, Detwiler says.

“We have interest in going north and south,” he says, noting the distribution center will be near US 301 and Interstate 75. “We like the east country too.”

BEST ADVICE

The best advice Detwiler received came from two different sources.

His grandfather told him: “Act like the boss, and pick up the trash.”

To this day, Detwiler says, if he sees trash in the parking lot, he will be there to pick it up.

Another piece of guidance came from God, says Detwiler, who is also a Mennonite preacher-pastor.

“I was so poor ... and I’m saying, God, why can’t I succeed?” he recalls. At that moment, Detwiler says he was reminded of the story in the Bible where God asked Moses what was in his hand, and it was a rod. He was directed to look in his own hand.

“Well, I said, ‘I have boys and girls. And I know produce,’” Detwiler told God. He set out to use what he had, building on his knowledge of family and good produce. “For the first time in my life, I saw how beautiful

it is to just use whatever someone has, whatever I had, just being so small and so diligent with it that it becomes something of great beauty.”

Detwiler has nine children, including four sons and two daughters involved in the business.

GREATEST CHALLENGE AND HOW OVERCAME IT

One area where Detwiler says he struggles is having a role that is no longer out in front of the customer.

“I still want to be on the floor all the time. I still want to be the man going and getting the best produce and giving it to you, the consumer. I still want to be in the bakery rolling the cinnamon rolls. I want to be the man out there cutting your steak. I want to dip the ice cream cone,” Detwiler says. “I can’t do that.”

As success has increased, he says, his job has increasingly been to manage things behind the scenes.

“Now I find myself having to be the one making sure I have people who can do that,” he says of those other jobs. “It’s my sons and my wife and my family that keep me on the

straight and narrow; you have to stay focused on what you’re really doing.”

BIGGEST THREAT TO YOUR COMPANY AND HOW YOU HANDLE IT

Indifference and, counterintuitively, success, are the two greatest threats to his business, according to Detwiler.

“I don’t want to become indifferent. And I don’t want to be the company that becomes just about making money. We didn’t start it that way, and I hope we never make that our driving force, even though we have to make a living,” Detwiler says.

“I want to be a little bit more like a company that keeps giving back to the community and to the consumers, the customers, and keep being fair for everyone instead of just fair for me.”

BEST/TOUGHEST PARTS OF BEING AN ENTREPRENEUR

Detwiler worries about how he is treating everyone, from the customer to employees.

“If I have a fear in the middle of the night, it is: ‘Am I taking care of everyone properly?’” says Detwiler, who

OUTSIDE THE OFFICE

Morning routine: “In the last year,” he says, “my morning routine is ... having breakfast with my wife or having one of the boys stop over.”

What’s the one job you would do if you weren’t doing this?

“I would probably want to be a missionary. I would love to travel to other countries and just help them, maybe share the gospel,” he says. “But even more than that, just help people.”

gives employees quarterly bonuses and has a satisfaction guarantee on products.

The toughest part of being an entrepreneur is that “as soon as you think you’re successful in an area, it changes,” Detwiler says.

“As soon as you think you’re taking care of someone well, at a certain wage, the economy, inflation happens,” he says. “As soon as you think you know how to manage three stores, you have six. And then you have to learn. Knowledge is always yesterday, and wisdom is reaching forward.”

Making adjustments to the business is part of the process.

“A true entrepreneur is always adapting,” Detwiler says. “There are people who are real, true entrepreneurs. I think I can’t help myself. That’s what I am.”

Best-In-Class Care

smh.com/cancer

Inside Sarasota Memorial’s Brian D. Jellison Cancer Institute, we’re tackling the toughest subject on the syllabus and rewriting the rulebook. Equipped with the latest technology and trained in the advanced treatment of head and neck cancers, lung and thoracic tumors, prostate and bladder cancers, breast and uterine malignancies, and complex colon and stomach cancers, this is a team that’s done the homework.

And from imaging and diagnostics to a collaborative care model where oncologists, specialists, surgeons, radiologists, and more work side-by-side for each and every patient, compassion is core curriculum, teamwork is second nature, and excellence is always expected.

It’s healthcare that’s personal, powerful, always progressing and only getting stronger.

And with every step, our community gains something even greater: more hope, more healing, and more victories, closer to home.

This is cancer care at the top of its class.

Longbeach home tops week’s sales at $1.6 million

ADAM

HUGHES RESEARCH EDITOR

Mark Daniel Barber and Melanie Veronica Barber, trustees, of Sarasota, sold the home at 581 Broadway to Manuel Molina-Vega and Michelle OrillacMolina, of Longboat Key, for $1.6 million. Built in 1988, it has three bedrooms, three baths and 2,148 square feet of living area. It sold for $168,000 in 1994.

L’ELEGANCE ON LIDO BEACH

Nan and Richard Fein, trustees, of Cincinnati, sold the Unit A-1003 condominium at 1800 Benjamin Franklin Drive to Coralea Wennberg, trustee, of Scarborough, Maine, for $1.4 million. Built in 1996, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,350 square feet of living area. It sold for $875,300 in 2016.

THE PRIVATEER NORTH

Mark Rayner Johnson and Michelle Katherine Johnson, of Longboat Key, sold their Unit 704 condominium at 1050 Longboat Club Road to George and Mariam Jabaji, of Cockeysville, Maryland, and Jalil Jabaji, of Timonium, Maryland, for $935,000. Built in 1974, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,409 square feet of living area. It sold for $806,000 in 2021.

LONGBEACH

Severin and Christine Samuelsen sold their home at 7157 Longboat

Drive N. to Longboat Canal House LLC for $840,000. Built in 1966, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 2,137 square feet of living area. It sold for $675,000 in 2018.

Stephen Garrod and Patricia MacDonald, of Ontario, Canada, sold their home at 750 Russell St. to Joseph Martin, of Longboat Key, for $740,000. Built in 1962, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,296 square feet of living area. It sold for $300,000 in 2010.

GRAND BAY

Joan and Michael Cohen, of Williamsville, New York, sold their Unit 521 condominium at 3080 Grand Bay Blvd. to Eric and Joanne

Tilles, of W. Chester, Pennsylvania, for $800,000. Built in 1996, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,270 square feet of living area. It sold for $585,000 in 2003.

REVISED LONGBEACH

Gail Condrick, of Arlington, Virginia, sold her home at 7119 Longboat Drive E. to Angie’s Walk LLC for $460,000. Built in 1930, it has two bedrooms, one bath and 910 square feet of living area. It sold for $301,600 in 2008.

WHITNEY BEACH

Joseph and Deborah Sherry, of S. Lake Tahoe, California, sold

TOP BUILDING PERMITS

a lack of data.)

their Unit 105 condominium at 6700 Gulf of Mexico Drive to Amy Elizabeth Jones, of Holmes Beach, for $370,000. Built in 1969, it has one bedroom, one bath and 846 square feet of living area. It sold for $270,000 in 2019.

Source: Town of Longboat Key

NATURE’S BEAUTY WITH

FORECAST

TIDES

MOON PHASES

“LPH

INFORMATION & RATES: 941-955-4888 redpages@yourobserver.com • yourobserver.com/redpages

DEADLINES: Classifieds - Monday at 2PM Service Directory - Friday at 3PM • PAYMENT: Cash, Check or Credit Card

The Longboat Observer reserves the right to classify and edit copy, or to reject or cancel an advertisement at any time. Corrections after first insertion only.

*All ads are subject to the approval of the Publisher.

*It is the responsibility of the party placing any ad for publication in the Longboat Observer to meet all applicable legal requirements in connection with the ad such as compliance with towncodes in first obtaining an occupational license for business, permitted home occupation, or residential rental property.

Notice: All real estate advertised herein is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act, which makes it illegal to advertise any preference, limitation, or discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin, or intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination. All persons are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised are available on an equal opportunity basis.