Sarasota/Siesta Key Observer 11.27.25

Todah time

While Thanksgiving is not a Jewish holiday, it contains Jewish values, including gratitude, charity and the importance of family and community, according to Snait Ben-Herut, director of the religious school at Temple Emanu-El.

Grandparents, parents, teachers and children enjoyed getting into the Thanksgiving spirit with “Yom Todah,” or a day of thanks, on Nov. 15.

Attendees gathered for a Thanksgiving-themed version of Tot Shabbat, enjoying fall snacks and crafts and Shabbat songs and blessings.

“Seeing the joyful faces of our children and families enjoying the beautiful fall weather made me so happy!” wrote Temple Emanu-El Tot Shabbat Coordinator Marni Mount.

difference in the field

Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Daniel Lamar, of Coastal Orthopedics, specializes in sports medicine and shows expertise beyond the operating room. Lamar has spearheaded community efforts, including with area high schools, which helped lead to his recognition by HCA Florida Sarasota Doctors Hospital as Physician of the Month in November.

Along with others at his practice, he donates time as team physician for Cardinal Mooney to ensure football players stay safe on the field.

He has a special interest in total joint replacement, cartilage rejuvenation and arthroscopy.

$0.10

County approves plan to dredge area bayous

WEEK OF NOV. 27, 2025

BY THE NUMBERS

$29.7 MILLION

Resilient SRQ funds approved by the County Commission to dredge Hudson and Whitaker bayous and expand Celery Fields flood capacity PAGE 4

554,670 Bay Runner ridership from March 2022 through October 2026 PAGE 6

1,000

Turkeys and sides All Faiths Food Bank and the Baltimore Orioles gave out this past week at Ed Smith Stadium PAGE 16

CALENDAR

n Sarasota City Commission regular meeting — 9 a.m., Monday, Dec. 1, Commission Chambers, City Hall, 1565 First St.

n Sarasota County School Board retreat — 8 a.m., Monday, Dec. 8, Board Chambers, Landings Administration Complex, 1960 Landings Blvd. (black awning entrance) n Sarasota County Commission planning retreat — Noon, Friday, Dec. 12, Nathan Benderson Park Finish Tower, 5851 Nathan Benderson Circle, Sarasota.

“In listening to the WCIND and FWC response, and when I read through them, it was pretty glaring that they are not interested in participating at this level.”

Sarasota County Commissioner Teresa Mast on South Lido Beach boating restrictions. Read more on page 5

Whole Foods to anchor mall redevelopment

The redeveloper of the former Sarasota Square Mall has revealed new details of its 96-acre mixed-use project at the corner of U.S. 41 and Beneva Road.

Whole Foods will anchor Phase

One of the retail development, leasing approximately 35,828 square feet of space. Adjacent to Whole Foods, home decor and furniture retailer HomeSense has signed a lease for 24,214 square feet. Three fast-casual restaurants — Chipotle Mexican Grill, CAVA Mediterranean and Joe & The Juice — will occupy a

combined 7,418 square feet.

Charles Schwab also will open a new branch totaling 5,163 square feet.

Plans for Sarasota Square include 1,200 luxury residential units; 530,000 square feet of retail, restaurant and commercial space; and more than an acre of outdoor gathering space.

According to the news release, the project will feature pedestrian-friendly districts, lush landscaping, wellness-oriented amenities and a dedicated event venue designed to support yearround activations.

Torburn will develop Sarasota Square in three phases. The retail portion is under construction, and the residential will break ground early in 2026. Meanwhile, leasing activities remain underway.

“We are currently in discussions with several well-known brands in the health and fitness, lifestyle, and hospitality sectors and look forward to announcing additional tenants soon,” Torburn Managing Director Michael Simpsons said in the release.

2025 set record for Sarasota sea turtles

In 2025, more sea turtle nests were recorded on beaches from Longboat Key to Venice than Mote Marine Laboratory had ever noted in its decades of study, but the news was not all good for the region’s shoreline visitors.

A record number of turtle disorientations was also on record, raising concerns about humans’ effect on the nesting animals.

“It’s more important than ever for our community to turn off or shield beachfront lights, remove beach furniture at night, and keep nesting areas clear to give every hatchling the best possible chance at survival,” said Jake Lasala, manager of Mote’s Sea Turtle Conservation and Research Program.

Disorientations take place when artificial light on beachfronts misleads hatchlings or females attempting to return to the sea into heading the wrong direction. Such cases can lead to death.

Mote documented 716 such events in 2025, the most in the organization’s 43 years of data gathering.

But, 5,735 turtle nests were documented over the same time span, breaking the 2024 mark of 4,369.

Allegiant adds flight from SRQ to Toledo

Allegiant Air has added another destination to its portfolio of flights to and from Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport. On Nov. 20, the value carrier began service between SRQ and Eugene F. Kranz Toledo Express Airport (TOL).

The new flights will operate up to twice weekly.

“We’re excited to welcome Allegiant’s new nonstop service between Sarasota-Bradenton and Toledo, Ohio,” said SRQ President and CEO Paul Hoback Jr. in a news release. “This route offers travelers from northwest Ohio an easy way to enjoy Florida’s Gulf Coast, while providing our local passengers another convenient option to visit friends and family in the Toledo area.” Flight days, times and fares are available at Allegiant.com.

Pressure to preserve history

Historic preservation group identifies Six to Save for 2025.

The Sarasota Alliance for Historic Preservation announced its 2025 “Six to Save’’ at one of the properties on the list, Luke Wood Park in Sarasota.

Now in its sixth year, this initiative highlights the need to save historic resources from demolition in Sarasota County.

This year’s list includes five properties within the Sarasota city limits, two of them not houses or buildings at all: Luke Wood Park and its inoperable Mable Ringling Fountain near the intersection of U.S. Highway 41 and U.S. 301, and the Blackburn Point Swing Bridge in Osprey.

“The Six to Save properties reflect what is happening to our community — renowned for its charm and architectural interest — as it faces continued growth,” said Alliance President Dave Baber in a news release.

The Six to Save program began in 2020 as a partnership between the Sarasota Alliance for Historic Preservation and the History and Preservation Coalition of Sarasota County.

This year’s Six to Save properties are:

■ J.B. Turner House, 1225 Fruitville Road, Sarasota

■ U.S. Garage building, 330 S. Pineapple Ave., Sarasota

■ Warriner Residence, 1677 Hyde Park St., Sarasota

■ Lawyers Professional Building, 2051 Main St., Sarasota

■ Luke Wood Park and the Mable Ringling Fountain, 1851 Mound St., Sarasota

■ Blackburn Point Swing Bridge, Blackburn Point Road, Casey Key/Osprey

The Blackburn Point bridge, built in 1925 to connect the mainland to Casey Key, and Luke Wood Park and Mable Ringling Fountain are publicly owned and reflect early civic planning and infrastructure. Two others, U.S. Garage and Lawyers Professional Building, were designed by or associated with the late Frank Folsom Smith, a key figure of the Sarasota School of Architecture.

Historic Alliance Executive Director Erin DeFazio told the Observer the purpose of the list is to initiate dialogue, particularly about structures in immediate peril.

“What we’re hoping to achieve is a conversation,” DeFazio said. “A lot of times, demolition is the easiest answer, but it’s not the only answer. And a lot of times there are other creative solutions that can be found when we look at what the objective that is that the property owner is trying to meet, and how we can achieve that objective while also keeping the historic values or structure.”

The most downtown Sarasota structure in most immediate peril, though, is the U.S. Garage building, which stands on the site of the proposed Adagio multiuse residential development on the southeast quadrant of the roundabout at South Palm Avenue and Ringling Boulevard.

Developer The Lutgert Cos. of Naples is planning to raze the structure to make way for a mixed-use residential development.

The city received a demolition application for U.S. Garage on Nov. 6. Approval for demolition came in July 2023 by the late Senior Planner and Historic Preservationist Clifford Smith, who declared the building noncontributing and ineligible for historic designation.

The most surprising of this year’s six, DeFazio said, is likely the Blackburn Point Swing Bridge.

“It’s a diversion from our traditional buildings, but it is definitely a piece of cultural heritage,” DeFazio said. “The trick is getting dialogue started, and that is what we are hoping we can do.”

The other deviation from a historic building on the 2025 list is the Mable Ringling Fountain and Luke Wood Park, located at the southern gateway into downtown along U.S. 41, which DeFazio said presents opportunities for visibility as a public-private venture.

“I think this will spark some great conversations, and perhaps some involvement by other organizations that are kind of stakeholders in that park, as well,” DeFazio said.

“We’re hoping we can get some involvement that will help the city make responsible choices for its ongoing management.”

Otherwise, the Six to Save initiative is, in part, intended to apply pressure to local government and any current or future ownership of the properties to consider alternatives to demolition and redevelopment.

“Our goal is to foster awareness and collaboration among property owners, developers and public officials,” said Jan Vertefeuille, chair of SAHP’s Historic Preservation Committee, in the news release. “In many cases, creative reuse or transfer of development rights can ensure these landmarks survive for future generations.”

The following are the stories behind the six, and why they deserve to be saved, according to the SAHP. — ANDREW WARFIELD

The one-story, Midcentury Modern building on the corner of Main Street and Wallace Avenue was the first project built by Frank Folsom Smith after he opened his own architectural firm at the age of 35.

Why save it?

This building is under threat as redevelopment continues to make its way along upper Main Street. It is a one-story building located in a rapidly growing downtown Sarasota area that permits buildings of 10 stories. The property was acquired in January 2023 with plans to hold it with an eye toward future development.

Longtime Sarasota residents Luke and Ann Wood donated 12 acres to the city in 1931. The parcel became a lush park with a lagoon and reflecting pool, bird sanctuary and walking paths. The Founders Circle and Sarasota Garden Club constructed the Mable Ringling Memorial Fountain in 1936 to honor its first president, Mable Ringling, who died in 1929.

THE SIX TO SAVE

J.B. TURNER HOUSE, 1912, 1225 FRUITVILLE ROAD, SARASOTA

The house is one of the last remaining homes from Sarasota’s early development and one of the few surviving examples of rusticated block construction. Built in 1912 by local stone cutter and mason George Barker, James Turner purchased the house in 1913 and ran one of the city’s earliest businesses, the J. B. Turner Company, on Main Street for more than 15 years.

Why save it?

Adjacent to the roundabout at Fruitville Road and U.S. 41, the property is owned by a developer, although there are no plans for development so far. The home is a significant remnant of Sarasota’s early growth, surrounded and isolated by modern high-rise development.

LAWYERS PROFESSIONAL BUILDING, 1961, 2051 MAIN ST., SARASOTA U.S. GARAGE BUILDING, 1924, 330 S.

Why save it?

What once was an urban oasis at the southern gateway to the city is now little more than a memory at the busy intersection of U.S. highways 41 and 301. The Alliance reports the city has indicated it has no plans to maintain the fountain, but has expressed willingness to allow for the area to be revitalized with community support.

Architects Joan and Ken Warriner worked in the office of the famed Ralph Twitchell in the 1960s and designed this Midcentury Modern home for their family. It won an award as Record House of 1961 from Architectural Record magazine. Situated on a narrow lot, the 1,600-square-foot house surrounded by former tear-downs turns its back to the street to provide a private oasis behind its façade of roughsawn, gray-stained cypress slats. The house is an exercise in successfully combining inside and outside, with every living space, including the bedrooms, having direct access to an outside space.

Why save it?

The structure is under threat because its longtime residents, who purchased the house from the Warriners, have died and the house is now listed for sale. The house is not locally designated, although because of its age, a demolition request would need to be approved by the city’s Historic Preservation Board.

BLACKBURN POINT SWING BRIDGE, 1925,

The one-lane swing bridge, linking the mainland to the north end of Casey Key, appears in both the National Register of Historic Places and the Sarasota County local register. Originally operated via hand crank, it is the last remaining bridge built as part of the first infrastructure blitz by the newly formed Sarasota County during the 1920s land boom. In 2001, a lengthy debate occurred over whether to replace or rebuild the bridge, which resulted in rehabilitation to extend its life by 25 years, at approximately one quarter the cost of replacing it.

Why save it?

Debate renews over whether to replace the bridge, with the county initiating a study to determine the way forward. However, the Blackburn Point bridge is one of the few remaining reminders of early Sarasota County.

Why save it?

The U.S. Garage building represents early commercial construction in Sarasota and is an early example of successful adaptive reuse of historic buildings. Businesses occupy the building and stands in good condition, but is slated for demolition for redevelopment into Adagio, a mixeduse luxury condo and affordable housing complex.

Sarasota County has allocated $10 million in Resilient SRQ funds to remove 118,000 cubic yards of sediment from Whitaker Bayou in Sarasota.

Dredge requests approved by county

Hudson and Whitaker Bayous get Sarasota stamp to go forward.

ANDREW WARFIELD STAFF WRITER

Projects to improve the flow of stormwater through Hudson Bayou and Whitaker Bayou in Sarasota will receive $23.7 million in funding from federal grants.

At its Nov. 18 meeting, the Sarasota County Commission approved nearly $30 million in Resilient SRQ funds for both bayous as requested by the city of Sarasota and to expand the holding capacity at Celery Fields, which feeds into Phillippi Creek.

On Jan. 16, 2025, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development allocated $210 million in Community Development Block Grant — Disaster Recovery funds to Sarasota County to support recovery and mitigation efforts following the

2024 Hurricanes Debby, Helene and Milton.

Of that total, the county designated $30 million toward dredging of major waterway projects. The county received applications for three projects — Hudson and Whitaker bayous within the city limits, and from the county for Celery Fields

The definition of a major waterway is a river, bay, creek or canal that receives and carries stormwater drainage from a large area or has a continuous flow.

At a cost of $15 million, Hudson Bayou dredging will remove 80,500 cubic yards of sediment to meet the 100-year flood protection standard, address chronic bank erosion and use native vegetation to prevent future sediment buildup. The Resilient SRQ request is for $13.7 million, the remainder a local match.

The Whitaker Bayou dredging project will cost $20 million and will remove 118,000 cubic yards of accumulated sediment to restore stormwater capacity to reduce neighborhood flooding. That project depends

SARASOTA

on a $10 million grant from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Sarasota Public Works Director Nikesh Patel told county commissioners he expects approval of that funding from the federal government in early 2026.

Most of the members of the public who spoke supported Hudson Bayou just south of downtown, but interim City Manager Dave Bullock made the drive to Venice for the meeting to support Whitaker Bayou, which impacts Newtown, Central Cocoanut and areas north of downtown.

“We fully support Hudson Bayou,” Bullock said. “You’ve heard a lot about that today, but don’t overlook Whitaker Bayou. Whitaker Bayou serves as drainage for one of the lowest-income census tracts in the county, and it’s very important. Many homes were flooded, and the streets were flooded, and it took a long time to go down. Hudson Bayou has a lot of advocates. I may be the only one for Whitaker Bayou, but it’s very important to the city.”

Commissioner Teresa Mast

included the provision to hold Whitaker Bayou funding until securing the remaining $10 million.

“This is a big lump sum of the funds, and if for some reason you’re not able to get the appropriation, it would be beneficial for us to know so that we can then reallocate those dollars if we choose to do that today,” Mast said.

Having suggested applying a date certain to that allocation, Commissioner Tom Knight was told by Mast, given her experience in dealing with federal appropriations, some flexibility is in order.

“I think we might need to go a little further out because, even if they are able to get it, a lot of times it takes up to six months to get those appropriations,” Mast said. “It’s very challenging, so I would not want to restrict them from being recipients.”

On Nov. 3, Patel told the Sarasota City Commission the bayou dredging projects will take four to five years to complete. The federal grants require Resilient SRQ funds be spent within six years.

PHILLIPPI CREEK DREDGING PREVIOUSLY APPROVED

Sarasota County’s project to expand the holding capacity of Celery Fields is to not only protect the surrounding East County neighborhoods but also to better control flooding of Phillippi Creek, the 7-mile waterway that knifes westward through the county and eventually empties into the Little Sarasota Bay. The project is designed to add more than 60-acre-feet of floodplain by excavating the central cell, reducing flood levels by up to onethird foot over a one-mile radius. An acre-foot is a unit of volume equal to the amount of water to cover one acre of land to a depth of one foot, or approximately 325,851 gallons.

At a cost of $6.3 million, the project pairs with the $14.48 million Phillippi Creek High Spots Stormwater Conveyance Dredging project, earlier approved by the County Commission.

The protracted rain event brought by Tropical Storm Debby in 2024 overwhelmed both Celery Fields and Phillippi Creek and resulted in flooding of Pinecraft and other neighborhoods along its banks. Phillippi Creek carves a swath from Honore Avenue to its mouth at Little Sarasota Bay through the Pinecraft, where it turns southwest and continues through Southgate and other neighborhoods. Its watershed covers about 56 square miles, ranging as far north as University Parkway, as far east as Rothenbach Park just south of Celery Fields and as far south as Clark Road.

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Law limiting PWCs on Lido still a year away

County decides to pursue a lighter touch to resolve excessive personal watercraft activity.

earby residents and passive users of Ted Sperling Park on the south end of Lido Key will have to wait several more months, if not a year, for what they describe as a needed relief from the noise and dangers of personal watercraft use there.

During its Nov. 18 meeting, the Sarasota County Commission was set to vote on a more restrictive of two options to abate the continuous weekend conflicts between renters of PWCs and swimmers off the shore of South Lido Beach. As Ted Sperling Park is in the Sarasota city limits but owned and operated by Sarasota County, affected persons have complained to both governing bodies for years.

The situation gained renewed and intensified attention in June 2025 when Baltimore Orioles minor league baseball player Luis Guevara, 19, was killed in a head-on collision while operating PWC at high speed off South Lido Beach.

During a discussion on the matter at its Oct. 21, 2025, meeting, the County Commission directed staff to advertise a public hearing on an ordinance to establish an exclusion zone off the beach, of what is otherwise a nature park, that would restrict any motorized vessel from entering the area. The net effect would be to prevent PWC rental operators from conducting commerce in the park and any vessels from launching from or beaching there.

Since then, commissioners learned, it isn’t quite that simple.

Enforcement is one challenge.

Sarasota Police Department and Sheriff’s Office marine units have plenty of other coastal areas to patrol. But the biggest obstacle would be securing approval of the multiple state and federal agencies —

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Coast Guard, Florida Department of Environmental Protection and Florida Wildlife Commission — to implement the ordinance.

And all those regulatory acrobatics, even if approved, would take nine to 12 months to complete.

Response from the FWC, commissioners learned, suggests an exclusion zone would not hold water. The representative of the West Coast Inland Navigation District also told commissioners they oppose any measure restricting watercraft access.

“In listening to WCIND and FWC response, and when I read through them, it was pretty glaring that they are not interested in participating at this level,” said Commissioner Teresa Mast of an exclusion zone. “I don’t want to put something in place that is not going to even be able to be implemented. I definitely want the citizens to know that we care about how they feel and their safety, but we also have to find a happy medium, or something that we can enforce.”

That something, commissioners approved by a 4-1 vote with Mark Smith opposed, was to pursue the less restrictive option to create a 300foot idle speed no wake zone off South Lido Beach. That option, Commissioner Tom Knight suggested, would likely be more amenable to the FWC, which will ultimately decide implementing any restrictions.

Because the advertised public hearing is regarding an exclusion zone ordinance, there needs to be another advertisement as an idle speed and no-wake zone, which will be on the January 2026 schedule.

In the interim, commissioners asked local law enforcement to investigate perhaps non-licensed PWC rental operations in the park.

“I went out there. These people aren’t from here,” said Commissioner Tom Knight. “They’re from the Orange County area. How much enforcement activities have been put upon these individuals? I know something’s got to be done, but I’d just like to know what type of law enforcement happened out there not only on noise. I’m talking about bad actors.”

LONG WAIT FOR NO WAKES

Whether the County Commission chose to pursue an exclusion zone or idle speed/no-wake zone off the coast of Ted Sperling Park, it may still take upward of a year to cross all regulatory hurdles. Here is how the process will play out as each agency’s review focuses on a distinct area of compliance:

n United States Coast Guard authorizes private aids to navigation, confirming that the proposed regulatory markers meet federal navigation and safety standards and do not conflict with existing charted aids. Typical review time is one to three months.

n Florida Department of Environmental Protection evaluates the project under the Environmental Resource Permit and Sovereign Submerged Lands programs to ensure that habitats, submerged resources and water quality are not adversely affected. Typical review time is two to four months.

n U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reviews the installation under the Rivers and Harbors Act and the Clean Water Act to verify that the proposed structures do not obstruct navigation or impact aquatic resources. Typical review time is two to six months, depending on permit type.

n Florida Wildlife Commission issues authorization under Florida Administrative Code, ensuring that regulatory markers comply with state boating safety standards and do not negatively affect wildlife or critical habitats. Typical review time is nine to 12 months.

Breeze to take over Bay Runner trolley service

ANDREW WARFIELD STAFF WRITER

As the specter of the 2027 expiration of state grants looms, the Sarasota City Commission on Nov. 17 unanimously approved an interlocal agreement with Sarasota County for the Bay Runner trolley service to be taken over by the county’s Breeze transit system.

There will be no changes in the service — it will still run the same route from downtown to South Lido Key in 30-minute intervals at no charge to the riders — but the move will result in considerable savings to the city, which will continue to foot the bill.

“By folding it under the what’s called a transit agency — that’s a federal designation — it does make eligible these operations for federal funds,” interim City Manager Dave Bullock told commissioners. “The city has never been able to obtain federal funds to help with this operation, and the county has agreed to basically take over.”

The bulk of the savings comes in paratransit service, that service to be assumed by Breeze as part of the agreement.

The savings to the city, which pays for the program via economic development funds derived from the citywide business tax plus $50,000 from the Downtown Improvement District budget, over a five-year period

projects at $1.9 million.

Because Breeze operates as a staterecognized transit agency, the Bay Runner could qualify for additional grant funding, subject to approval by FDOT and the governor’s office.

At a minimum, transferring paratransit service to the county will yield the city $263,718 in annual savings.

Since its inception, the Bay Runner has provided free rides to 554,670 passengers between March 2022 and October 2025. The contract with Breeze is an initial one-year term beginning Dec. 1, 2025, with automatic annual renewals for up to five years.

As operator, Sarasota County will be responsible for procurement, maintenance and cleaning of the vehicles; insurance; and regulatory requirements such as annual safety inspections and drug and alcohol testing of drivers.

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3 Stores n Location Tuesday - Saturday n 10:00am - 5:00pm 2095 17th Street n

Bay Runner funding and cost projections Source

THE BEDROCKS OF AMERICA

Thanksgiving is much more than remembering the Pilgrims’ and Native Americans’ first feast and being thankful for what we have. It reminds us why the Pilgrims came to America: for the freedom to worship.

Editor’s note: These two editorials originally appeared Nov. 23, 2017.

Kirsten Hazelton, a secondgrade teacher at Southside Elementary School in Sarasota, gave her students an assignment for Veterans Day. One of those students, Rhys Parry, 7, wrote a letter to his uncle, a captain in the Marine Corps Raiders, its special forces division.

Parry thanked his uncle for serving. And by way of every child’s uncanny ability to state simple, direct truths and profound common sense, young Parry wrote: “Freedom is the best thing in the world.”

If only every American took that to heart. Especially today. What a tragedy that so many don’t appreciate that truth. They take their freedom for granted, oblivious to this extraordinary gift.

So be thankful today. Block out the noise, the national politics, the cultural strife and the depravity that has consumed us. As you gather with family and friends for your traditional Thanksgiving feast, we take this space this week to urge our readers to take stock, at least for a few minutes.

If you think deeply enough about the meaning of Thanksgiving, there is so much more to this day than being thankful for the bounty on our tables. So much more to Thanksgiving than the story of the Plymouth Colony Pilgrims celebrating the harvest with the Wampanoag Native Americans in 1621, or thanking God for the end of the drought in 1622.

To a great extent, the first Thanksgivings were the celebratory culminations of the miraculous journey of a small band of Europeans in search of a place to be free — to escape persecution and be free to practice their religion and their way of life.

That was their raison d’être — freedom of religion. And today, you can say that principle is the fundamental rock, the bedrock, the perpetual birthstone of America. And yet, here we are, 400 years later, continuing to fight for that right and principle. And if you think about that, consider also what it will require to preserve that right — and the other rights granted to us in the Constitution.

Take inspiration from the courage of the Pilgrims and how they persevered through the long, harrowing journey from England to Holland to Plymouth Rock. Freedom will always be a difficult journey.

We’ve made a tradition each year of retelling the story and roots of Thanksgiving because the story of the Pilgrims helps reset our compass. It reminds us how we came to be — the New Hope in the New World. It reminds us of why we came to be. It reminds us of the price our ancestors paid to be free and to be free to worship as they wished. It reminds us to be thankful for all the blessings we have. And it reminds us that Rhys Parry is right: “Freedom is the best thing in the world.” Happy Thanksgiving.

What drove the Pilgrims to America

The roots of Thanksgiving Day go far deeper than the story of the Pilgrims at Plymouth Colony in 1621. Yes, they were thankful to God for their bountiful harvest and their newfound Native American friends.

But if you can imagine yourself in the shoes of any of the original 102 Pilgrims who sailed from Leiden, Holland, for America, a land unknown, and who survived that tumultuous journey, followed by two years of near starvation, your gratitude simply for being alive would put a whole new perspective on Thanksgiving. It was far more than being thankful for a big fall harvest and feast.

Seldom, if ever, do we focus in our history texts on the details that compelled the Pilgrims — also known as separatists, Puritans and Calvinists — to set sail. The textbooks typically mention they fled religious persecution. But especially today, in this world of widespread and horrific religious persecutions, it’s instructive to remember the details of why the Pilgrims mustered the courage to cross the Unknown Ocean for freedom: for religious freedom.

In his 500-page account of Plymouth Plantation, Gov. William Bradford wrote how his fellow Calvinists in England became “hunted and persecuted on every side, so as their former afflictions were but as flea-bitings in comparison of these which now came upon them.

“For some were taken and clapped up in prison; others had their houses beset and watched night and day, and hardly escaped their hands; and most were fain to flee and leave their houses and habitations, and the means of their livelihood,” Bradford wrote.

After a year of this and meeting in secret to practice their worship of God, they saw “they could no longer continue in this condition,” and “resolved to get over into Holland.”

The people of Amsterdam, they had heard, accepted the free practice of religion.

MISERY WORSE THAN DEATH

But sailing 200 miles to the Netherlands was no small matter. It was a monumental ordeal. Bradford describes the fear many of the separatists had of leaving England, as bad as it was, as “a misery worse than death.”

“But these things did not dismay them — for their desires were set on the ways of God and to enjoy his

ordinances,” Bradford wrote.

The trip to Holland was horrible for many. Chartered ship operators, once at sea with the separatists, robbed them, ransacked their belongings, molested many of the women and then sailed back into the original port and turned over the separatists to local authorities, who then imprisoned them.

Amazingly, the separatists didn’t give up. “Some few shrunk at these first conflicts and sharp beginnings,” Bradford wrote, “yet many more came on with fresh courage and greatly animated others. And in the end, notwithstanding all these storms of opposition, they all got over at length.”

For 12 years, the Calvinist-separatist-Pilgrims lived and practiced their religion in freedom and peace in Leiden, an area within Holland where many of them became weavers.

And then the trouble began again.

Bradford wrote of “Arminians, who greatly molested the whole state” and university professors and other preachers who began to slander the Pilgrims’ religious practices.

The tormenting rose to such a level that Bradford said some of his neighbors preferred being in prison in England than “this liberty in Holland, with these afflictions.”

Distressed by the increasing abuse, the separatists’ elders began to look ahead. They believed within a few years they “were fearful either to be entrapped or surrounded by their enemies” and unable to flee.

What’s more, they worried about their children. It was common for children to labor long hours in the

mills, “their bodies bowed under the weight.” Many children also were falling to the temptations of youthful “licentiousness” and being drawn into “extravagant and dangerous courses,” Bradford wrote. Parents saw “their posterity would be in danger to degenerate and be corrupted.”

At the same time, many of the separatists looked outward and spoke among their neighbors of “advancing the gospel of the kingdom of Christ in those remote parts of the world,” Bradford wrote.

DIFFICULT, BUT NOT INVINCIBLE

All three of these influences — persecution, the well-being of their families’ future generations and spreading God’s word — combined to motivate the Pilgrims to seek a new beginning. As they discussed their options, Bradford wrote, “It was answered. … The difficulties were many, but not invincible.”

So they set sail to a land unknown. Bradford wrote of “winds so fierce and the seas so high” and the Mayflower “shroudly shaken” and leaky, raising the constant fear the ship would sink and that they would perish at sea.

When they finally stepped on land in the Cape Cod harbor, Bradford wrote, the Pilgrims “fell upon their knees and blessed the God of heaven, who had brought them over the vast and furious ocean and delivered them from all the perils and miseries thereof.”

Freedom and freedom of religion — these are the bedrocks of America.

— MW

Wisdom on liberty, then and now

“Liberty looks upon religion as its companion in its struggles and triumphs, as the cradle of its young life, as the divine source of its claims. It considers religion as the guardian of morality, morality as the guarantee of law and the security that freedom will last.

— Alexis de Tocqueville

“Democracy in America,” 1831

“The reduction of the citizen to an object of propaganda, private and public, is one of the greatest dangers to democracy.

“The reiteration of slogans, the distortion of the news, the great storm of propaganda that beats upon the citizen 24 hours a day all his life long mean either that democracy must fall prey to the loudest and most persistent propagandists or that the people must save themselves by strengthening their minds so that they can appraise the issues for themselves.”

— Robert M. Hutchins

“The Great Conversation,” 1951

“Equality before the law and material equality are therefore not only different but are in conflict with each other; we can achieve either the one or the other, but not both at

the same time.

“The equality before the law that freedom requires leads to material inequality. Where the state must use coercion for other reasons, it should treat all people alike. The desire of making people more alike in their condition cannot be accepted in a free society as justification for further and discriminatory coercion.”

— Friedrich Hayek

“Constitution of Liberty, 1960

“Someone once said: It isn’t that Christianity has been tried and found wanting; it has been tried and found difficult — and abandoned.

“Perhaps the same running away from righteousness is responsible for freedom’s plight for, plainly, the American people are becoming more and more afraid of and are running away from — abandoning — their very own freedom revolution.”

— Leonard Read

“Anything That’s Peaceful” 1964

“The United States is the highest achievement of the millennia of Western civilization’s struggle toward individualism and its last, precarious remnant.

“With the obliteration of the

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United States — i.e. of capitalism

— there will be nothing left to deal with on the face of the globe but collectivized tribes.”

— Ayn Rand

“Requiem for Man,” 1967

“The right to life is the source of all rights — and the right to property is their only implementation. Without property rights, no other rights are possible.

“Since man has to sustain his life by his own effort, the man who has no right to the product of his effort has no means to sustain his life. The man who produces while others dispose of his product is a slave.”

— Ayn Rand

“Man’s Rights,” 1964

“Socialism will reduce your freedom. Higher taxes mean that you have less control over your spending.

“… Free markets are the source of most of our freedom; government generally restricts freedom, and socialism increases the power of government.

“Finally, whenever socialism has been tried, it has failed.”

— Paul H. Rubin

“A Student’s Guide to Socialism; How It Will Trash Your Lives,” 2021

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1970 Main St. Sarasota, FL 34236 941-366-3468

A rendering of the proposed 7th and Central condominiums.

New hotel planned for SRQ airport property

Sarasota’s Development Review Committee also gives 7th and Central condo proposal partial sign-off.

ANDREW

WARFIELD STAFF WRITER

The city is reviewing plans for a new hotel at Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport.

Making its first appearance before the Sarasota Development Review Committee on Nov. 19 is Kompose Hotel, a 60-room, four-story hotel on a 2.25-acre vacant lot between University Parkway and Rental Car Road. Accessory uses will include a business center, fitness center and a 100-seat restaurant.

The Kompose Hotel brand is owned by Kapstones, a privately held Sarasota-based real estate development and hospitality company.

A resubmittal to the DRC for further review is required.

The site is located among existing hotels on property owned by the Sarasota-Manatee Airport Authority, which will lease the property to the hotel ownership.

A hotel with the Kompose flag already stands along University Parkway near the airport entrance. With the new Kompose Hotel

planned, no information on the future of that branding was available, and Kapstones did not respond to a request for clarification.

7TH AND CENTRAL

Meanwhile, closer to downtown, in the Rosemary District, a development plan for a 24-unit condominium building currently named 7th and Central received partial signoff on its third submittal to the DRC.

Designed by Halflants + Pichette of Sarasota, the project will require demolition of multifamily housing along Cohen Way between Sixth and Seventh streets. The proposed development does not include attainable units. Vehicular access will remain at the current driveway on Seventh Street to a parking lot that also serves commercial buildings along Central Avenue. With few comments remaining to be addressed, the 7th and Central development received partial DRC sign-off and remaining issues may be addressed individually with the departmental reviewers.

Wondering

• Rental rules - can you rent it out when you’re away? • Amenities & lifestyle- poolside chic or private retreat? • Price ranges - what’s available for your budget right now?

Sarasota’s condo market is growing fast, and it pays to have someone who knows the buildings, the developers, and the best opportunities before they hit everyone’s radar.

Disorderly

Officers responded to find an adult male actively fighting two other subjects in the street. Once the subjects were separated, the victims said the solo combatant had previously battered them at a bar and that he had followed them in an attempt to continue the fisticuffs.

During the investigation, an adult female confirmed the group had an altercation with the man at a bar as the man, perhaps pretending to be Chuck Norris, roundhouse kicked one of her companions, then at some point during the melee picked up her keys and pocketed them. They approached him to request him to return the keys, which he did, but as they continued across the street, the subject punched in the head the same man he had earlier kicked. That’s when the female grabbed the agitator and dragged him to the ground. In attempting to explain his actions, the subject kept repeating himself, failed to follow officers’ instructions, was obviously intoxicated and, as a result, placed in custody as a threat to public safety.

That’s when his night got worse.

After being detained, an officer searched the subject and discovered a small bag containing a white powdery substance, which turned out to be 0.7 grams of cocaine. He was transported to Sarasota County Jail and charged with disorderly conduct and possession of a controlled substance.

SUNDAY, NOV. 2

NO HARM, NO FOUL

2 p.m., Zero block of North Tamiami Trail Property damage: Officers responded to investigate damage inflicted on a parking garage by the driver of a vehicle that struck a protective railing, then walked away.

A member of the building’s security team advised he did not see the incident, but directed the officer to a witness who said after the vehicle struck the railing an elderly woman exited the driver’s side and an el-

SATURDAY, NOV. 1

ZOIKS! VELMA GETS IN A FIGHT

12:24 a.m., 1400 block of Main Street

Disturbance: At the end of a night of Halloween festivities, one officer was controlling a female subject as another stood nearby to monitor a forming crowd. Once the scene settled to a degree, the standby officer spoke with a different female subject who advised that her friend — presumably the woman being temporarily detained — and herself were hit by “random bitches.”

The subject was unable to describe the other women involved, declined medical attention and refused to make a report. Speaking with the employee of the business who called for law enforcement, the officer was told the call was because of multiple females causing a disturbance.

He deftly described one of the females as “of a larger build” and dressed as “Velma,” presumably of the Scooby Doo Mystery Machine gang. The complainant was unable to describe any of the other subjects and advised they had all left the premises. There was no word on whether Daphne was involved in the scrappy incident.

The incident report did not detail any further action taken in the matter.

derly man the passenger side before continuing about their activities as they walked toward a theater for an evening of cultural enrichment.

Officers identified the vehicle owner and called the man on his cell phone who, once advised of the nature of the call, quickly handed the phone to his wife. She advised they did not remain because no one else was involved and no injuries.

The vehicle, however, sustained significant damage and could not be driven. Although the railing was damaged, it did successfully serve its purpose in protecting a pipe from being crashed into by a vehicle.

The woman was informed she would be listed as fault for the crash and the damage to both the vehicle and the protecting railing.

We’re planning to build a new Performing Arts Center that will honor our cultural legacy while launching us into a new chapter. This world-class venue will be universally accessible, feature inclusive programming, and be sustainably built for generations to come. It’s a space for everyone to belong, create, and experience the transformative power of the arts.

A Community Project. A Cultural Legacy. A Future Worth Building.

SPORTS

FAST

“It’s also about showing an example — you don’t realize other people are watching us, so how we play on the court affects everyone else.”

Madison Muller has her crown. The sophomore for Riverview girls’ cross-country ran a title-winning 17:37.7 at the FHSAA Class 4A state championships on Nov. 22 in Tallahassee. She crossed line 20 seconds faster than the second-place runner, with a 17:54.2 in the 5K. Muller is just the second Ram in program history to win an individual title, following Alyssa Hendrix (2019, 2018).

... Sarasota girls’ cross-country also reached the podium. The Sailors racked up 213 points in all — earning bronze as a team — with five top 100 finishes. Sophomore Annabella Cicilioni was fastest among, running a 19:02.6 to earn 18th. Following her was junior Jasmine France in 36th (19:43.0), sophomore Marley Bowen in 41st (19:51.0), sophomore Annabella Alger in 64th (20:19.6) and sophomore Isabella Mendenhall in 99th (20:58.50).

... No. 1 seed Cardinal Mooney football (11-1), handily defeated No. 5 seed Bishop Verot (5-7) at home, 51-14, on Nov. 21 in the FHSAA Class 2A-Region 3 semifinals. Junior running back Connail Jackson had 21 carries for 193 yards and three touchdowns. Dating back to Oct. 17, the Cougars have outscored opponents 256-34. Cardinal Mooney will host No. 2 seed Lakewood (11-1) at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 28 with a state semifinals berth on the line. ... No. 1 seed Booker (111) stormed past No. 5 seed Bayshore (5-7) by a 68-0 score in the FHSAA Class 3A Region 3 semifinals on Nov. 21. Coach Carlos Woods and Co. are firing on all cylinders and then some, now having totaled 143 points through two games this postseason. Booker has registered four shutouts in its last five outings while surrendering a single touchdown in that time. The group can reach its third straight state semifinal with a win over No. 2 seed Nature Coast Tech (10-2) at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 28 at home.

NOT ONE FOR NOISE

Miles Przekwas, a soft-spoken defensive/tight end, let his game do the talking for Riverview football.

There’s a certain theatricality to the game of football. Each quarter is an act. Every athlete, an actor. The everchanging score offers drama.

Well aware of the spotlight, some players are quick to bust out dance moves after touchdowns. They flex their muscles following an emphatic sack or a toe-drag catch.

Miles Przekwas has never felt such a calling. That’s just not how he operates.

“There’s a lot of people like that already. I just like being silent about it,” Przekwas said. “When you’re too flashy and stuff, it takes away from how you play.”

His approach was anything but dramatic during the 2025 season. He carried on quietly, going about his business of harassing quarterbacks and outworking tacklers.

Przekwas, a defensive/tight end for Riverview football, wrapped his

“There’s a lot of people like that already. I just like being silent about it. When you’re too flashy and stuff, it takes away from how you play.”

— Miles Przekwas

prized two-way threat got after the quarterback more often than anyone else, too.

“He is a guy that, you coach him one time at a rep, and he is good to go. He has an unbelievable ability to retain and recall information,” Cristiani said. “He’s a great presence.

Riverview’s playmakers took center stage while Przekwas remained

Senior quarterback Parker Nippert broke the program’s singleseason passing record with 2,052 yards. Junior running back Toryeon James tore up the turf, racking up 28 touchdowns and 1,855 yards on the ground. Their production largely powered the Rams to a 9-2-1 finish, flipping the script on the 4-6 struggle of 2024. They reached the FHSAA Class 7A Region 2 semifinals as a No. 2 seed and ultimately fell to No. 3 seed Sumner 31-21 on Nov. 21 at home. But it wasn’t scoring alone that drove success. Their defensive unit — surrendering 21.3 points per game — kept opponents at

In that fateful semifinal, the team’s only passcatcher to account for a touchdown was Przekwas. His 27-yard haul cut the deficit to 17-14 early in the third quarter, and in the bigger picture, he tallied 10 receptions for 166 yards and three scores as a junior.

“I definitely feel like I had more of an impact since last year,” Przekwas said. “On the field, I like leading the team a lot. I like taking charge of

the team sometimes. Trying to make a greater impact, even if it’s not on the field.”

It wasn’t his first rodeo. Last season was his varsity debut, totaling 15 tackles, four TFLs and two sacks as a sophomore. He wasn’t involved in the offense at that point. Przekwas suffered a broken growth plate in his left leg at the end of the season prior. Rather than allowing it to discourage him, he came out of the recovery process feeling confident that football was his future.

Entering 2025, he anticipated greater offensive responsibilities with a heap of seniors having graduated on that side of the ball. He worked accordingly, and Cristiani — entering his first year at the helm — took notice.

“When I took the job, very quickly in the offseason I realized what tremendous potential he had,” Cristiani said. “I knew he was going to be a great player somewhere. I didn’t know where it was going to be.”

The junior quickly established himself as a stalwart on the defensive line, largely used on the strong side and occasionally moved to the weak side. He became heavily involved in run prevention.

In Week 2, he registered three sacks. Then he topped that effort with four in Week 7. And when Nippert didn’t target him in the passing game, he was happy to be a blocking tight end.

Rams brass identified him as a high-motor guy who rarely misses a snap, because he never wants to.

“I don’t think it would matter who the head coach is here. Miles would be a guy who’s at every workout giving 100%, doesn’t miss a practice, gets great grades,” Cristiani said. “That’s who Miles is, so I will take no credit for Miles.”

Riverview’s defense featured just two senior starters this season — defensive tackle Kyvon Love and safety Andon Clough. That allowed Przekwas to become a de facto senior of sorts despite his junior standing. He doesn’t lead with his voice. He leads with his actions.

On Sept. 24, on-field results reaped rewards in a way they never had.

Przekwas received his first NCAA Division I offer from Eastern Kentucky, an FCS program in the United Athletic Conference. It could very well be the first of many.

“He’s going to have bigger fish to fry ... he has drawn a ton of interest, and we’re just scratching the surface of his potential and where he’s going to be,” Cristiani said. “I expect him to be a very, very high-level recruit, and more than anything, I expect him to keep being the stoic leader of our team.”

The curtains have drawn on Riverview’s season, but an encore from Przekwas is coming. He’ll be a senior in 2026, poised to make more noise in the backfield and at the line of scrimmage. He just won’t bother speaking louder than his game.

“I like being quiet and humble about it,” Przekwas said. “I don’t like bringing a lot of attention to myself on the field or off the field.”

Mooney grad builds own lacrosse training business

Confidence makes a world of difference for athletes. It can help elevate their game to the next level. Some make it look easy — they just have that air about them. For others, it can be a tireless battle to eliminate doubt.

Vinny Mercadante wasn’t his most confident self as a high school senior. And he certainly wasn’t when he moved to Florida from New Jersey at age 12. By his senior year in college, though, he had jumped that hurdle and it was far behind him.

“Once I did, I played the best lacrosse of my career and had the most fun doing it,” Mercadante said. “The more confident you are in yourself and your teammates, the more confident other people will be in you.” Now, he’s in the business of inspiring his younger counterparts to find that belief within themselves and not waiting until cap-andgown fittings to do so.

Mercadante, a 25-year-old Lakewood Ranch resident, founded VM Lacrosse Training in January. He’s open to serving all ages and field positions in the Lakewood Ranch, Sarasota and Tampa areas.

His humble clientele spans around 10 students this fall on a weekly or biweekly schedule. Those in the local lacrosse community

continue to spread word about his teachings, and in the year to come, he expects his client list to grow.

“I try to preach to the kids that it’s OK to mess up, especially when you’re out here. We can always fix a missed shot or fix footwork or adjust mechanics,” Mercadante said. “And out here, the score doesn’t matter. Nothing like that matters.”

He spends his work days as a senior account executive for Shamrock Marketing Solutions, but during his free time, he’s thrown himself into just about every coaching avenue available.

Dating back to 2022, Mercadante has been offensive coordinator and faceoff coach for University of Tampa men’s club lacrosse, which plays in Division II of the Men’s Collegiate Lacrosse Association. He’s also held stints as faceoff coach for five school-based programs, including Lakewood Ranch High and Sarasota High in spring 2024.

True Lacrosse, 850 Lacrosse Club, Sarasota Seahawks and Tamiami Lacrosse have also enjoyed his guidance at one point or another. They’re included on a coaching resume, which spans seven years, beginning with those times when Mercadante returned home for winter and summer breaks while a freshman at Marian University in

ABOUT VM LACROSSE TRAINING

Vinny Mercadante offers private training for lacrosse players in the Lakewood Ranch, Sarasota and Tampa areas. He specializes in offense and face-off, but all ages, positions and skill levels are welcome. Pricing varies.

There will be a Fall Skills Camp held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Nov. 28 at Twin Lakes Park, open to

both boys and girls of all ages and skill levels. You can sign up with $75 cash or Venmo @Vinny_Mercadante and must include the names of participating player(s). For more information on sessions and availability, contact Mercadante on Instagram @VMLAXTraining or email VinMerc@ yahoo.com.

2018-19.

In his own playing days not so long ago, he was a midfielder for Cardinal Mooney, and reached the 2018 FHSAA regional final as a senior while the team went 20-2 overall. He played for Florida State men’s club lacrosse in 2021-23 as a faceoff specialist after starting out with Marian at the NCAA Division III level.

Mercadante’s small business of private training, though, wasn’t necessarily his own idea at first. A neighbor’s request encouraged him that his perspective was valuable to share with athletes of the future.

He soon realized his competitors in Southwest Florida are few and far between.

“It seemed like there was a need for it around here — not a traditional hotbed for lacrosse,” Mercadante said. “It’s still obviously getting a lot larger, but there’s not all of the guidance or the accessibility as some other regions.”

“As a (faceoff, go-off) player, it’s a little hard trying to step up and play some offense. I let him know,” Rasool said. “He was like, ‘Boom, we’re doing offense.’ And we just worked on three new dodges. I didn’t let him know at all beforehand, but he was ready for it.”

Vince Sabella, a sophomore at Cardinal Mooney, is a comparatively newer student of Mercadante’s. The two have worked together for about a year and a half.

He couldn’t shoot or pass with his left hand when he started out with the young coach. Now, with an expanded skill set, he feels plenty comfortable in that regard.

Sabella’s shot is faster than it’s ever been as he looks to make varsity for the first time when spring 2026 rolls around.

“He’s very calm. He doesn’t get mad at anyone. If they just picked up a stick for the first time, he still trains them,” Sabella said. “His character is great. He’s always in a

good mood. I’ve never seen him in a bad mood.”

But it’s not just the quality of coaching that distinguishes Mercadante. His approach to accessibility sets him apart.

The up-and-coming mentor has spent money out of his own pocket to gift equipment to those who can’t afford it. He’s also organized raffles and fundraisers to gather funds for athletes in need.

He genuinely wants to help mold students into the players they want to become — by any means possible.

“I never want money to be the reason that someone isn’t able to try the sport that they might end up loving and play for the rest of their life,” Mercadante said. “I’d rather be able to help other people with it than hold on to more than I need.”

Those days of wavering confidence are well behind him. He needed time to truly believe in himself as a player, but as a coach, he’s confident about his platform. Knowledge is power. In lacrosse, and in a region where private training is lacking, his insights are uniquely powerful. Mercadante is a name local players should know.

Nelson is the sports reporter for the East County and Sarasota/Siesta Key Observers. Contact him at JNelson@ YourObserver.com.

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Brenda Bresciani

Brenda Bresciani, a senior forward, was instrumental in the squad’s two wins over Southwest Florida Christian, 44-39, and Lakewood Ranch Prep, 59-17, on Nov. 18 and 20, respectively. Standing at 6 feet, she racked up 21 rebounds in the Blazers’ opener. She tallied nine steals two days later. Bresciani is the Sarasota Athlete of the Week.

When and why did you start playing basketball?

I actually started in middle school. I played all the way through sixth grade, then I skipped seventh because of (the COVID-19 pandemic) and then I picked it back up in eighth grade. I haven’t stopped playing ever since. I’ve just been really athletic my whole life — I love running, I love shooting. Playing here at SCS has made me better.

What do you love most about the sport? It’s all of it. Obviously, playing with all the teammates. Teamwork, I think, and just having the leadership and lifting each other up is really

What’s been the highlight of your basketball career so far?

That’s a tough one. I was the No. 1 rebounder in the state in my sophomore year, so that was pretty cool to be in the newspaper for that. Honestly, I just

What are your goals entering your senior season with Sarasota Christian?

More playing time. Last year, I didn’t get to play the whole season. I tore something in my (left) ankle. I’m also trying to get better on different positions. I’ve been doing better on defense — it’s my favorite

If you would like to make a recommendation for the Sarasota Observer’s Athlete of the Week feature, send it to Jack Nelson at JNelson@ YourObserver.com.

How did you suffer that injury last season?

Funny story. One day before Christmas break, I was in strength and conditioning. We were playing this balloon game — I’m clumsy; I know that — and I obviously did not look where I was going. I tripped over myself and my ankle just cracked.

What’s one quote or piece of advice that has stuck with you over the years?

“Work all you do for the Lord.” It’s stuck in my mind, because everything we do, we have to work at it for the glory of the Lord. I don’t just do that in basketball. It’s within every aspect of my life.

If you could meet any professional athlete, who would it be and why? Stephen Curry. His shooting is just amazing. That would be awesome.

If you could go anywhere in the world right now for a dream vacation, where would you go? Paris.

If you could have any superpower, what would you choose and why? Teleportation. It would just make life so much easier. You don’t have to drive. You can just get there.

What is your favorite meal?

I like a lot of food, but I’m such a bread person. I love anything with pasta, like lasagna. Any type of food like that is my favorite.

What is your favorite kind of music?

Definitely Christian. I love Christian music. And I actually like making my own music sometimes. I sing, play piano and I’m trying to learn guitar.

Finish this sentence. Brenda Bresciani is ... Hard working.

Taken with a grain of salt

Sea Salt Florida harvests sea salt from local barrier islands.

IAN

hat’s a Thanksgiving meal — or a meal any time of the year — without the flavor that comes from a few pinches of salt?

Tim Norwood will tell you he’s a salt-aholic — but also notes all salts are not equal.

He says he’s confident that he can put the salts of his business, Sea Salt Florida, which are created using allnatural methods and locally harvested water, up against any others.

Unlike the salts typically found at dinner tables, his salts originate not in mines, but from places beloved by local residents: the barrier islands of Siesta Key, Lido Key, Longboat Key, Anna Maria Island and Casey Key.

CHOOSING SALT OVER WINE

Perhaps it wasn’t surprising Norwood would eventually find his way into salt farming.

“Everybody I ever knew growing up looked at me and said, ‘You didn’t even taste it, and you’re salting it. You’re going to die early one day.’”

However, despite the reputation salt might have, it’s essential for human survival.

“Our body requires salt, but it requires the right kind, and I believe the right kind is what we can reach, rather than what we have to dig out of ancient ground,” he said.

Norwood’s original plan for his retirement years had been to establish a winery. However, the Bradenton resident, who has now lived in the area for 25 years, decided he and his wife, Janice, had too much invested in the community to leave it for the mountains.

“I created Sea Salt Florida to get that urge I had to have a top-quality product, which wine is,” he said. “It has everything to do with doing it right, and so does what I do.”

As he and Janice were going home on a flight, flying over the ocean, he became inspired and started doing something that most people, outside of pursuing a college degree, would be loath to do: write a thesis paper.

That’s one example of Norwood’s devotion to making his work the best it can be.

The thesis stated that he didn’t want to go ahead with his salt business if it couldn’t be the best, and

that he wouldn’t compromise anything.

“I just won’t compromise. There’s just no reason to compromise. There never is,” he says of his work.

Before moving into the venture, which would be a massive change to the couple’s lives and involve foregoing a regular income, he talked with Janice, who told him that after everything he’d done during his career, she believed in him.

“That was the greatest thing she could have ever said, because it rings in my head when we have hurricanes that cause our sales to go down, or anything like that,” he said. “I know it’s fine. I’ve just got to get up and keep working, keep going at it.”

He had experience in new ventures before.

He’s been an engineer and design architect for boats, yachts and automotives; started a business that constructed tornado shelters in Texas, Arkansas and Oklahoma; and was a Manatee County Commission candidate for the District 4 seat, running as an independent, in 2022.

Thus, he started in a completely new direction, but he didn’t just start selling salt. He spent two-anda-half years developing a process.

Along the way, there was little in the way of mentorship, Norwood says, nor did he seek out any, although he says he has sought input from his friends in the technology industry where necessary.

A PERSONAL METHOD

Norwood’s methods are a mystery he carefully guards.

However, he does state the process is fully natural, and involves focusing the sun and the wind. He has a full license to create salt, and undergoes regular inspections.

It takes seven weeks to produce a batch of salt from sea water, Norwood says, and he also says that he’s at work “all hours of the day,” or sometimes up at odd hours with new ideas — something that, fortunately, Janice tolerates.

Every day, he vis its one or more of the local barrier islands, and the water he gathers comes direct ly from the Gulf, in

WHERE TO FIND

SEA SALT FLORIDA

One location to find Sea Salt Florida is the Phillippi Farmhouse Market, held Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Phillippi Estate Park, 5500 S. Tamiami Trail.

Here are some retailers who carry the products:

■ Bread Bandits at 3546 S. Osprey Ave., Sarasota

■ Mazzone Olive Oil, at 5900

S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota

■ Sunshine & Sand Hidden Treasures, 6635 Midnight Pass Road, Siesta Key

■ Cresent Beach Market, 1211

Old Stickney Point Road, Siesta

Key

■ Olive Oil Outpost, 410 Pine Ave., Anna Maria Island

■ Island Fresh Market, 5604

Marina Drive, Holmes Beach

■ Back Alley Treasures, 108

Historic Bridge St., Anna Maria Island

■ The Chop Shop, 5906

Manatee Ave. W., Bradenton

Visit SeaSaltFlorida.com or Facebook.com/SeaSaltFlorida.

buckets. “If you mine it out of the ground, the mineral content is really small, and the sodium chloride is really high,” he says, stating that with his salt, that relationship is reversed.

He also says he ensures the water is free of microplastics.

“You taste way more than just a piece of salt,” he says of the finished product.

“There’s a whole flavor in your mouth, and that flavor is from that ocean, that Gulf, this water. It’s texture, it’s aroma, it’s flavor.”

He says people familiar with those islands are eager to experience the salts from those places, not to mention other variations like blended versions, smoked versions, spiced versions and wine-infused versions.

One example is a salt called “Drum Circle.”

“It’s a real spicy fajita-style blend I do with only Siesta Key salt because that’s their drum circle,” he said.

He tries to source as many of the added ingredients as he can from local sources, while he’s also resorted to growing some simple supplies on his own, like rosemary and thyme.

On the issue of red tide, he proceeds with caution.

Norwood avoids any situation where water conditions produce abnormal measurements, and after they return to normal, won’t gather salt from that area for 14 days.

“If, on the 13th, and one minute before the 14th, it changes … I start over,” he said, noting that he will continue in that manner for as long

as the 14-day window falls.

Norwood says the island names on the packages indicate more than the history of the salt itself.

He says there are also unique flavors within each type, even if very few people — what he says is only five other people, to be precise — can typically tell the difference.

“Each island has the same mineral content, but each island has a different percentage of each mineral, and there’s a reason for that,” he said. “Each island has its own reasons, and I know what those are.”

Although the attributes of the salts vary based on changing conditions between harvests, he says there’s one that has a more constant flavor.

That one is Siesta Key, which he believes is due to the high amount of quartz crystal in the island’s sand. He says even some consumers can identify that flavor.

“Some of them buy Siesta and Anna Maria, and they can taste the Siesta because they swim it,” he said. Norwood describes himself as “very environmentally conscious,” and says the lightweight pouches in which the salts are packaged can be recycled.

He says the success of the business has spread, as with one customer who sends the salt to the island of Malta in the Mediterranean, and a new location in Clayton, Georgia, White Birch Provisions, which is now stocking his products.

There are also local relationships, such as one with the Siesta Key Summer House Steak & Seafood restaurant, which has integrated his salt into menu items.

“It’s the nerd in me and the artist in me at the same time, which is technically what an architect is, but it’s more than that,” he says.

Season of giving

As the line of vehicles formed outside Ed Smith Stadium on Nov. 19, it marked an exceptionally large turnout for the annual turkey distribution there, said All Faiths Food Bank’s president and CEO Nelle Miller.

The large-scale distribution, a collaboration between All Faiths Food Bank and the Baltimore Orioles, involved about 1,000 turkeys, offered with potatoes and sides.

“We have a few left, but not many,” Miller said as service wrapped up.

That number was part of a record number of turkeys, 14,500, that the food bank ordered for distribution before Thanksgiving, through funds raised from its annual ThankFULL campaign. The food bank also expects to distribute 4.1 million holiday meals through the end of this year.

Since the federal cuts to food and health assistance during the government shutdown, impacts to food security had been widespread, Miller told the Observer during the Bowls of Hope fundraiser on Nov. 9.

Another distribution took place in the parking lot of the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall on Nov. 22, involving what Miller said on Nov. 19 was “probably about 800” turkeys.

By midmorning that day, the total amount of turkeys distributed was nearing 14,000, said All Faiths Food Bank staff.

“I think we all feel that it’s really important to give people the dignity and respect during the holidays, when everybody else is sitting around the table eating festive meals, and they’re eating whatever they’ve been able to buy or receive from the food bank on a regular basis,” Miller said. “And this makes it special, and I think everybody in the community wants to make sure that everybody has that opportunity.”

Mark Lorah recently retired from a career as a structural engineer, but he hasn’t stopped creating structures. He’s just using a different material now.

He enjoys having the chance to showcase his hobby of creating with Lego bricks at events like the BrickUniverse Sarasota Lego Fan Expo held Nov. 22-23 at Robarts Arena.

“It’s one of those things where people say, ‘Retire, but only if you’ve got something to do,’” Lorah said. “Well, I have something to do, but the main purpose for doing this is to help inspire children, kids, and when I say kids, I’m talking about kids of all ages, because

everybody enjoys Legos.”

Attendees had the chance to view creations that included works by Lorah, like a Legos re-creation of the dome of the U.S. Capitol Building featuring 40,000 bricks, various space travel-themed creations by Lia Chan, and works by other artists.

The event also featured building zones and rare Lego items available for purchase.

“(The artists) symbolize to adults, especially, that it’s OK to still create with Lego and children, it gives them something to look up to, and to be inspired by,” said cofounder and CEO Angela Beights.

— IAN SWABY

PET PICS

Fresh air and fresh finds

Despite a recent chill in the air, the weather was mild during the Sarasota Farmers Market on Nov. 22. It was a chance for the public to visit Downtown Sarasota and shop items that included local produce, crafts and sweet treats while enjoying live music — or perhaps simply try on a fancy hat or pet a dog.

“It’s been a beautiful day. We had great entertainment, lots of foot traffic, a lot of people visiting,” said Sharon Juraszek, owner of Fermentiicious, a business offering probiotic-rich foods.

“The turnout was great,” said Kurt Pomrenke, who was filling in at Big Top Baskets, a vendor offering hand-woven imported and locally sourced hats and accessories. “There was a lot of families, that we always enjoy. A lot of people checked out most of our hats and the African baskets and everything, so it’s always a good day at the farmers market.”

AT WATERSIDE

Approx. 1,692-3,733 sf

4:30-5:30

Free. Local musician Sheri Nadelman is the featured performer in this week’s version of this concert series promising “powerful and intoxicating” vocals by the solo artist, who is the lead singer of the band soulRcoaster. Visit TheBaySarasota.org.

TUESDAY, DEC. 2

RINGLING MUSEUM STORYTIME

11 a.m. to Noon at Selby Library, 1331 First St. Free. Recommended for ages 3-6. This story time program connects art and early literacy, featuring an accompanying art activity based on a work of art in the Ringling Museum collection. Families can enter and exit as needed. Visit SCGovLibrary.LibraryMarket. com.

‘SONGS OF THE HOLIDAYS’ WITH KARLUS TRAPP

3-4 p.m. at Gulf Gate Library, 7112 Curtiss Ave. Free. Karlus Trapp, who formerly hosted “The Roots of Black Music in America” presentation, invites the community to an edutainment session where they can sing along with the songs of Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa. Visit SCGovLibrary.LibraryMarket.com.

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 3

HOLIDAY CARDMAKING WITH JOHANNA

10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Fruitville Library, 100 Apex Road. Free. Create your own personalized holiday cards. Visit SCGovLibrary.LibraryMarket. com.

BEST BET SATURDAY, NOV. 29

SIESTA KEY HOLIDAY PARADE

5:30-9 p.m. at Ocean Boulevard, Siesta Key. Free. Businesses and community members of Siesta Key come together for the annual holiday parade, concluding with the arrival of Santa Claus. Santa will be available for a greeting, prior to the parade from 2-4 p.m. at Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce & Visitor Center at 5223 Avenida Navarra. Visit My.SiestaKeyChamber.com.

THURSDAY, DEC. 4

CINEMA AT THE BAY:

‘BACK TO THE FUTURE’ 40TH ANNIVERSARY

7-9 p.m. at The Oval, 1055 Boulevard of the Arts. Free. Take a trip back in time as you celebrate the 40th Anniversary. The Nest Café will be serving food, popcorn and drinks. Visit TheBaySarasota.org.

HOLIDAY SPLENDOR AT THE RINGLING

4-8 p.m. at Courtyard, John & Mable

Ringling Museum of Art, 5401 Bay Shore Road. Free with one unwrapped toy per person. Without a toy donation is $15 for adults; $5 for children. Celebrate the holiday season with musical entertainment by local schools. Parents and caregivers can take personal photos of their children when they visit with Santa. The event also takes place Dec. 11. Visit Ringling.org.

YOUR CALENDAR

Markets are up one day, down the next, and the headlines never stop. For anyone with investments or approaching retirement it’s natural to wonder: Are my investments on track? Can I still retire comfortably?

These are the right questions to ask. The wrong move is assuming you already know the answers. Because the truth is, while the market will always fluctuate, and outcomes are never guaranteed, a clear long-term plan can help you stay on track while planning for your retirement.

That’s why now may be the right time to get a second opinion on your investments and retirement plan. At JL Bainbridge, we’ve been helping families navigate retirement for more than 40 years, and we know how valuable a fresh perspective can be. In fact, we believe a complimentary 30-minute review with our team could be an opportunity for you to assess your financial plan.

WHY TIMING MATTERS LESS THAN PLANNING

Too many people put off getting help because they think they can “wait out the market.” But the reality is, waiting for the perfect time can backfire. What you really need is clarity right now. That’s why the real key to retirement planning isn’t about catching the exact “right” moment to invest or withdraw. It’s about creating a plan that can help anticipate ups and downs and works to keep you on track regardless of the headlines.

A second opinion can help to give you that clarity. It can give you insight into whether your current strategy is built to consider market volatility, whether your risk is aligned with your goals, and whether you’re making the most of the resources available to you. And because our review is complimentary, you can explore this opportunity with no cost or obligation.

WHAT YOU’LL DISCOVER IN A COMPLIMENTARY REVIEW

During your complimentary review with JL Bainbridge, we may cover educational topics such as:

• If you’re still on track to retire when you want to.

• Whether your investments match your comfort level and timeline.

• Your financial picture including income plan, Social Security, pensions, and retirement accounts.

• How to identify gaps in tax planning, estate strategies, or healthcare considerations.

Even if you already work with an advisor, a second opinion can uncover opportunities or risks that may otherwise be overlooked. Think of it as getting another doctor’s opinion on something as critical as your health, only this time, it’s your financial future.

WHY THIS MATTERS NOW

Markets will always rise and fall. That’s out of your control. But what you can control is whether you’ve taken the step to protect your retirement through smart planning. The mistake people make is waiting until it’s too late to find out they aren’t on track. Don’t leave your retirement to chance or to the next market swing. The cost of not reviewing your retirement plan may reduce awareness of potential opportunities and potential risks. By contrast, the cost of a complimentary second opinion is just 30 minutes of your time.

THE NEXT STEP IS SIMPLE

At JL Bainbridge, we’ve built our reputation on guiding families with a comprehensive approach to wealth management. But the first step always starts with a conversation. So, ask yourself: Do you really know if you’re on track to retire? If there’s even a shred of doubt, isn’t it worth a second opinion?

Contact JL Bainbridge today for a complimentary financial review and get a second opinion on your retirement plan.

Siesta Key property sells for $6.6

ADAM HUGHES RESEARCH EDITOR

Ian James Prukner and Jessica Prukner sold their home at 3935 Shell Road to Stephen and Kerry Miller, of Sarasota, for $6.6 million. Built in 2006, it has four bedrooms, four-and-a-half baths, a pool and 5,532 square feet of living area. It sold for $6,275,000 in 2021.

SARASOTA

SCHOOL AVENUE TOWNHOMES

Collage on 5th LLC sold the home at 2182 Fruitville Road to Papaya Place LLC for $799,000. Built in 2024, it has two bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths and 1,764 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.5 million in 2024.

BROADWAY PROMENADE

Claire and Juan Montenengro, of Sarasota, sold their Unit 1133 condominium at 1064 N. Tamiami Trail to Michael Gula and Anthony Gula, of Sarasota, for $530,000. Built in 2007, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,551 square feet of living area. It sold for $405,000 in 2021.

VIRGINIA HEIGHTS

Bulent Bolgan sold the home at 2828 Grand Cayman St. to Ben Jerman, trustee, of Sarasota, for $515,000. Built in 1981, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,357 square feet of living area. It sold for $415,000 in 2022.

SIESTA KEY

SIESTA BEACH

Graham Clark, of Siesta Key, sold his home at 4929 Oxford Drive to Jeffrey and Lynne Lohmeyer, of Brooklyn, Michigan, for $1,761,000. Built in 1999, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,878 square feet of living area. It sold for $595,000 in 2000.

SIESTA TOWERS

William and Judith Everly, of Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, sold their Unit 9-D condominium at 4822 Ocean Blvd. to Chirag Bhatt and Arhi Chordia, of Siesta Key, for $1.09 million. Built in 1973, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,440 square feet of living area. It sold for $687,500 in 2023.

HARBOUR TOWNE

Aidan and Shirley Farrell, of Sarasota, sold their Unit 207 condominium at 1233 Dockside Place to Christina Miller, trustee, of Ardmore, Pennsylvania, for $975,000. Built in 1982, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,737 square feet. It sold for $430,000 in 2009.

OCEAN BEACH

Albert D’Amore, of Sarasota, sold his home at 4725 Gleason Ave. to Tompkins Investments LLC for $660,000. Built in 1955, it has three bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths, a pool and 2,575 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.3 million in 2021.

PEPPERTREE BAY

Schulte Sycamore LLC sold the Unit 607 condominium at 1200 E. Peppertree Lane to Susan Lynn Viola, trustee, of Las Vegas, for $632,500. Built in 1973, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,200 square feet of living area. It sold for $545,000 in 2015.

BOCA SIESTA

Eileen Ishmael, of Elwood, Illinois, sold her Unit 504 condominium at 5911 Midnight Pass Road to RCF Enterprises of Florida LLC for $599,000. Built in 1984, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,447 square feet of living area. It sold for $522,500 in 2006.

JAMAICA ROYALE

Yvonne Hirst, of Ontario, Canada, and Terrence and Yadira Kirschner, trustees, of Bradenton, sold their Unit 101 condominium at 5830 Midnight Pass Road to Ruth and Angelo Roatti, of Sarasota, for $560,000. Built in 1970, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 921 square feet of living area. It sold for $21,500 in 1970.

TWIN OAK POND

Tara June Green sold her home at 5222 W. Winding Way to New Leaf Design & Build LLC for $550,000. Built in 1963, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,137 square feet of living area. It sold for $232,000 in 2010.

PALMER RANCH

THE HAMPTONS

Edward and Lorraine Sheehan, of Metuchen, New Jersey, sold their home at 4941 Bridgehampton Blvd. to William and Cynthia Miccichi, of Sarasota, for $805,000. Built in 2000, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,510 square feet of living area. It sold for $487,500 in 2019.

SAVANNAH AT TURTLE ROCK

Philip and Ellen Chaput, of Sarasota, sold their home at 5017 Hanging Moss Lane to Michael Cusack and Maria Noble, of Boxford, Massachusetts, for $644,000. Built in 1998, it has three bedrooms, twoand-a-half baths, a pool and 2,119 square feet of living area. It sold for $425,000 in 2016.

TOP BUILDING PERMITS

VILLAGEWALK

Mary Ouimet, of Ocala, sold her home at 5771 Wilena Place to Tahlia Townsend, of Guilford, Connecticut, for $636,000. Built in 2005, it has three bedrooms, three baths and 2,008 square feet of living area. It sold for $362,800 in 2005.

Mark and Margaret Lehew, of Sarasota, sold their home at 5881 Girona Place to Martin Leon Mittleman and Nancy Ann Mittleman, of Mullica Hill, New Jersey, for $660,000. Built in 2003, it has four bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths, a pool and 2,521 square feet of living area. It sold for $535,000 in 2021.

ONLINE

See more transactions at YourObserver.com.

Other top sales by area

SARASOTA: $1.35 MILLION

Grove Heights

Barbara Tye, trustee, of Sarasota, sold the home at 1884 Grove St. to Eric and Rebecca Walther, of Sarasota, for $1.35 million. Built in 2008, it has three bedrooms, three baths and 2,560 square feet of living area. It sold for $805,000 in 2017.

PALMER RANCH: $1,152,500

Esplanade on Palmer Ranch

Victoria Clingenpeel Edgar, trustee, of Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, sold the home at 5441 Manchini St. to Andrew Paul William and Lisa Christine Williams, trustees, of Gibsonia, Pennsylvania, for $1,152,500. Built in 2018, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,268 square feet of living area. It sold for $735,300 in 2018.

OSPREY: $1,014,000

Pine Ranch

Elizabeth Haynes, trustee, of Osprey, sold the home at 201 Eaglenook Way to Brian and Karen Beaudreault, of Osprey, for $1,014,000. Built in 1992, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,379 square feet of living area. It sold for $560,000 in 2014.

NOKOMIS: $655,000

Sorrento Woods

Constance Reberger, of Knoxville, Tennessee, sold the home at 1197 Wyeth Drive to David Paul Curtin and Sunni Lawson Curtin, of Nokomis, for $655,000. Built in 1993, it has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, a pool and 2,666 square feet of living area.

10-14, in order of dollar amounts.

NATURE’S BEAUTY WITH

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