Sarasota/Siesta Key Observer 8.28.25

A shell to celebrate Tarsha Butler is always in search of more seashells to showcase in glass containers and baskets.

Yet, while visiting South Lido Beach on the weekend of Aug. 16 with her husband, Michael Butler, she came across a find that wasn’t of the everyday sort.

About 8 yards from the shore, a rare scaphella junonia shell, often known as the most desired shell in Florida, caught her eye in the clear water with its distinct spotted pattern.

Tarsha, who is the medical surgical unit manager at Doctor’s Hospital, wrote The Observer that she and Michael plan to showcase the shell as a symbol of their love for the beach and love for each other and of how they will stay intact as they “stand stronger together through the storms of life.”

Sidewalk art removal begins

Stage Presence

Power outages were one issue that affected residents of Siesta Key the last hurricane season.

However, on Aug. 27, the community had a chance to stock their pantries with boxes featuring shelf-stable food when Senior Friendship Centers set up a drive-thru at St. Boniface Episcopal Church.

More than 85 of the 100 kits were distributed at the site.

The church has a longstanding relationship with Senior Friendship Centers and previously partnered with the organization to lend the church campus for programming.

The church was eager host hurricane preparedness efforts, said board member Priscilla Nugent.

$0.10 Serving the community

OF AUG. 28, 2025

BY THE NUMBERS

“We can either be the thermometer or we can be the thermostat.”

Sarasota County Commissioner Teresa Mast. Read more on page 5

School board tables vote on conduct policy

he Sarasota County Board of Education, during its Aug. 19 meeting, voted to table a decision on proposed changes to its code of conduct and its policy prohibiting discrimination.

Additionally, board Chair Tim Enos suggested revisions to the changes that were being proposed.

Enos, who resigned from the board on Aug. 24 to become the district’s police chief, made a motion to supplement the generic language offering protections for “all” students and employees,

with language enumerating certain specific groups. The updated language, in reference to students, would include race, color, religion, sex including sexual orientation, parental, family and marital status, pregnancy, childbirth, and termination of pregnancy or recovery therefrom, national origin, age, disability and genetic information.

However, for district employees, the language would include two items absent from that list: gender identity and transgender status. Enos said this language

reflected the language in the latest legislative actions.

A motion by board member Bridget Ziegler to strike Enos’ proposal failed, with board members Enos, Liz Barker and Tom Edwards in opposition.

However, the board ultimately voted 3-2 to table further discussions, with Edwards stating he needed to see the new policy in writing, and Enos along with board member Robyn Marinelli, voting in opposition.

The school board’s next meeting will take place Sept. 9.

Gruters tapped as RNC chair

Florida State Sen. Joe Gruters, who represents the Sarasota area in Tallahassee, was chosen last week as the chair of the Republican National Committee, about a month after President Donald Trump endorsed him for the role.

Gruters is a former state chair of the party and was first elected to the Florida Legislature in 2016. The 48-year-old will lead the national organization chiefly tasked with fundraising and organizing political campaigns.

According to the RNC website, he will remain as the District 22 state senator.

Gruters replaces Michael Whatley of North Carolina, who himself is running for a Senate seat, who was the chair of the committee during last year’s election cycle but is departing to run for Senate in North Carolina.

Grant helps SPD road safety initiative

In an effort to better protect all roadway users in a multimodal environment, the Sarasota Police Department has received funding for a high-visibility enforcement initiative aimed at improving pedestrian and bicycle safety. Although the emphasis is on education, officers will issue warnings or citations when necessary. Targeted enforcement areas are based on crash data and include:

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REELING IT IN

For many animals, fishing line is lethal. Two groups work to keep it out of the ecosystem.

DANA KAMPA STAFF WRITER

With a tilt of their lengthy brown wing feathers and an eye scanning between the glint of sunlight reflecting off the crests of passing waves in Sarasota Bay, a mighty brown pelican soars lower, hunting mullet or whatever other small silver fish may pass.

Then, it makes a dramatic dive, dipping beneath the water’s surface with a grand splash. It successfully scoops up a fishy meal in its notoriously gaping maw, but with it, a difficult-to-spot hazard.

Monofilament fishing line poses a potentially life-threatening risk to shorebirds, turtles, fish, coral reefs and other aquatic inhabitants.

Area leaders are taking measures to help keep hazardous materials out of the ecosystem with an initiative to encourage proper disposal of fishing line that makes it easy for fishermen and keeps animals safe.

If that pelican is lucky, a trained volunteer or staff member working with Save Our Seabirds, a wild bird rescue and rehabilitation facility on City Island, will scoop it up.

Brian Walton, the facility’s executive director, said fishing line is a main cause of injury to local birds coming to the animal hospital. In fact, rescuers can fill a large gallonsized jar in a few months full of fishing line they pull off of birds.

The injured bird may find itself in the hospital, where trained staff will carefully untangle any line wrapped around its legs or wings, extract an attached hook from the wild bird, and check the wild animal over for any other injuries.

Fishing line poses a particular entanglement risk to birds, especially water-faring species. But beyond the drowning or choking risks, birds face problems with deformed limbs when they remain tangled up for an extended period.

Stormy Wilson, lead avian keeper at Save Our Seabirds, noted that monofilament line is thin, clear, and easy for birds to miss.

“When they’re fishing for the same fish as us, there’s always a risk,” she said. “We have a few birds at our hospital right now that have swallowed lines that we may really struggle to get out. It’s pretty common.”

Mangrove roots can easily trap fishing line, and when birds are wading in the shallow waters while hunting prey, they can get caught up in the plastic web.

Director of Outreach and Education Lisa Wood said receptacles at fishing docks should prove especially useful considering how many birds regularly hang out by anglers, hoping for a treat.

“They recognize fishing activity, so they definitely seek it out,” Wood said. “Especially cormorants like to hang around kayakers. Pelicans like to stay by the piers. They can get themselves into a lot of trouble.”

While the rescue facility does its part to aid animals already caught in fishing line, the Rotary Club of Longboat Key started a new drive this summer to keep waste monofilament from getting in the water.

Members installed two new PVC receptacles on the dock at Overlook Park — located by Quick Point Nature Preserve on the south end of

Longboat Key — allowing visitors to dispose of extra line for recycling.

Terri Driver, the new president of the Rotary Club of Longboat Key and a member of the Longboat Key Turtle Watch, launched the initiative in partnership with Longboat Key Public Works.

Public Works Director Charlie Mopps assisted Driver and her husband, Jeff, with installing the containers. They attached one at either end of the dock, which is often frequented by both anglers and herons seeking an easy snack.

In Sarasota, according to Sarasota County Water Atlas and the University of South Florida, recycling containers are available to the public at popular fishing locations: Whitaker Gateway Park, Ken Thompson Park and Tony Saprito Pier as well as the North Siesta Key Bridge and Chris Wheeler Park among other locations.

Those containers are the result of a collaboration between Sarasota Military Academy, Sarasota Bay Estuary Program and the city of Sarasota Parks and Recreation. The recycling tubes were made by SMA students for anglers. SBEP facilitated the donation to the city and the city’s Parks and Recreation team installed the containers.

The week before the Longboat installation, Rotary members enlisted the help of some local youngsters to help build the receptacles.

Youth members of Sarasota Youth Sailing joined the Rotary on City Island at the Sarasota Sailing Squadron headquarters to glue together PVC pipes to make the recycling bins. Anyone who collects the line can place it in the pipe, the opening of which is covered with a simple rubber flap. Then, disposal teams can simply open the bottom and take away the line for recycling.

Dustin Domer, SYS executive director, said they believe it is important for kids to get hands-on experience caring for the waters.

“Most of these kids will get experience fishing somehow, whether by themselves or with their families,” he said. “Or they may be out having fun paddling, and now they’ll have a bit more background knowing what to do when they come across fishing line.”

Sea turtles are also particularly at risk, given their need to surface to breathe and their chances of accidentally swallowing fishing line.

ence Direct detailed a survey of 30 sea turtles. Eight had ingested fishing line, and of those, all had suffered some sort of injury, and three had severe lesions.

Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium had several local celebrity turtles it rehabilitated from fishing line injuries, including a green sea turtle nicknamed Waves.

The Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Hospital treated the turtle after it was found tangled near the Seafood Shake Marina in Cortez. Fishing line surrounded a flipper and its mouth, apparently for a long time. The unfortunate turtle had also swallowed a spinner hook.

Staff released the healed turtle in August 2022, and they took the opportunity to encourage those on the water to dispose of fishing gear.

Gretchen Lovewell, Mote’s strand ing investigations program manager, said in a statement, “What we do every day has a huge impact on these animals. You can be a good environ mental steward by making sure you stow fishing gear before you go.”

Besides seabirds and turtles, der elict lines also cause more coral mor tality, a 2023 Science Direct publica tion notes.

FWCC sends recyclable line to the Berkley Pure Fishing company in Iowa, which turns it into raw plas tic pellets. Those a repurposed into tackle boxes, line spools and other equipment.

WHERE TO FIND THEM

An important part of making clean up initiatives successful is making recycling points easily accessible.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Con servation Commission maintains a GPS map of recycling locations as part of its statewide Monofilament

Recovery and Recycling Program.

Ghost fishing gear, which includes fishing line, nets and other equipment, makes up at least 10% of all marine litter, according to the World Wildlife Foundation. That amounts to between 500,000 to 1 million tons of gear every year.

When gear is lost to the waves, animals can get trapped and drown or starve if they’re unable to escape.

ANGLERS SHARE OPTIMISM

Anglers in the area voiced their willingness to help curb the effect on the ecosystem.

Fishermen Brad Merkamp and Max Walker, who were visiting from Indiana and Ohio, just happened to be casting lines from the Overlook Park dock the afternoon that the Drivers and Mopps installed the new receptacles.

“Some people are always going to be leaving trash around, but some people will use them, and I think it will keep trash down quite a bit,” Merkamp said.

He added, “It’s important to remember that this affects wildlife, and not just aquatic animals, but all of them.”

The state officially added the new Longboat Key containers to its GPS map this month, labeled “Quick Point Preserve West” and “Quick Point Preserve East.”

The map also shows locations throughout Sarasota, Siesta Key nd Longboat Key.

On the day they installed the Overlook Park bins, the Drivers found several clumps of tangled line and christened both receptacles. Terri

DANGERS OF FISHING LINE

ENTANGLEMENT

Marine animals can become entangled, leading to restricted movement, injury or drowning.

INGESTION Animals may swallow fishing line, causing internal injuries or blockages.

GHOST FISHING

Lost or abandoned lines continue to catch and kill marine life or cause physical damage to habitats.

REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has a GPS map of nearby locations where citizens can recycle discarded monofilament fishing line for recycling. In Sarasota, fishing line receptacles are located at Ken Thompson Park, Centennial Park, Tony Saprito Pier, Otter Key, South Lido Beach and Marina Jack. In Siesta Key, locations are the east and west side of North Siesta Key Bridge, Chris Wheeler Park and CB’s Saltwater Outfitters. Users can place bundles of line into the PVC pipes, which are marked with decals. Visit App.MyFWC.com/ Maps/Shared/MRRP-Bins.

City to interview three firms

Unable to narrow down one city manager search firm, the commission will begin the interview process.

ANDREW WARFIELD STAFF WRITER

One executive search firm is young and scrappy. Another is based in Illinois with a local office in Tampa. And a third has placed city managers in dozens of Florida cities. All three were among two favored by each of the Sarasota city commissioners, so each will get a shot at consulting Sarasota in its city manager search 2.0 via virtual interviews sometime in September.

“If you’re going to move forward interviewing all three, you’ll probably have one stand out in that process,” advised City Attorney Joe Polzak.

Commissioners held a special meeting on Aug. 26 to review and discuss responses to a list of questions posed to, and formal proposals received from, three firms they selected in July. They are MTG Impact Solutions of Northfield, Illinois; Sumter Local Government Consulting of Alpharetta, Georgia; and Slavin Management Consultants of Norcross, Georgia.

Unable to settle on one, or even narrow the field to two, commissioners unanimously agreed to hold virtual meetings with each at a special meeting yet to be set, possibly as soon as Sept. 9 when the commission has a scheduled workshop, but currently no agenda to discuss.

Sumter came in at the lowest cost of $18,000-plus with additional expenses restricted to preapproved advertising costs and travel. Slavin posed a not-to-exceed cost of $25,722.25 and MTG Impact Solutions provided an estimate of $45,000.

Sumter, the young firm in business since 2021, pledges to put its president, Warren Hutmacher, on Sarasota’s search and to conduct no

more than two city manager projects at one time with only one at a time in Florida. MTG, with a presence in Tampa, currently has 50 active searches but a big team. It has conducted 19 city and county management recruitments in Florida since 2016.

Slavin pledges to put President Bob Slavin and others on the case as one of fewer than five active city manager searches at one time. It has placed such executives in 35 Florida cities — including Venice — ranging in 2025 populations from Gulfport at 11,655 to Miami at 455,924.

With favorites differing among commissioners, they unanimously agreed to hold public, virtual interviews with each to gain better understanding of questions that remained beyond the same seven posed to each. And they want to interact directly with representatives of those firms to gain greater insights into their processes and capabilities.

Further, they want to ascertain — unlike the unsuccessful search 1.0 with Daytona Beach Shores-based Colin Baenziger and Associates — that the firms’ processes and the commission’s expectations align.

Sarasota has been without a permanent city manager since the retirement of Marlon Brown in October 2024. Interim City Manager 2.0 Dave Bullock recommended the commission move forward expeditiously.

“The interim city manager places the hiring of a permanent city as the highest priority,” he said.

County warns of coming budget shortfall

Commission alters future budget season schedules to begin planning.

y the time fiscal year 2028 arrives, Sarasota County could be facing a $25.22 million deficit, according to budget projections provided to the County Commission by staff.

Based on current spending increases year over year, the inevitable deceleration of assessed property value increases and the county’s lack of control over elected and constitutional officer budgeting — which are approved at the state level but financially supported locally — the county is faced with two options: eventually raise property taxes or cut spending.

That is dependent on what commission Chairman Joe Neunder warned at the commission’s fifth budget workshop on Aug. 19 is an inevitable statewide referendum in November 2026 on reducing or eliminating property tax altogether. The grinding continues on how those revenues might be replaced as part of the plan.

Neunder told commissioners he recently attended a state Republican Party Committee meeting and warned that referendum is being developed.

“We don’t know what that’s going to look like, but make no mistake, that will be on the ballot,” Neunder said. “And I think it would be pru-

dent for us to keep that very top of mind. Obviously, it’s not going to affect this budget or the next budget, but the following budget it will.”

All that set the stage for the workshop during which, at the outset, commissioners voted unanimously to approve adjusting the usual budget season schedule to involve earlier in the process the constitutional officers.

Two constitutional officers’ budgets in particular drew surprise from commissioners: Tax Collector Mike Moran, who initially proposed increasing his budget by 27%, and Sheriff Kurt Hoffman, who proposed increasing his budget by 9.4%.

Knowing sooner their budget plans will help set the tone for the portion of the budget — the general fund — that commissioners do control as they provide preliminary spending plan guidance to County Administrator Jonathan Lewis and staff.

Freshman Commissioner Tom Knight made that motion and as the former Sarasota County Sheriff, is the only one among his colleagues to have experienced a budget season from both sides of the dais.

“The future is unknown. I think that’s fair to say,” Knight said. “I would say that by February that we start our first round of conversations … and we invite the constitutionals to come in and talk to us about the future of what their budgets look like and some of the things that are going to happen to us.”

The commission has already received a clear signal from Moran, a former county commissioner, that the county should expect to

Sarasota County General Fund Projections In Millions

not receive the $20 million or so the office has annually remitted to the county. As a county commissioner, he argued with former long-time Tax Collector Barbara Ford-Coates, whom he defeated in the 2024 election, that the office was overcollecting fees from customers for its services who unfairly bear the burden for helping the county balance its budget.

The Tax Collector Office is committed to remitting approximately $18 million to the county coffers for fiscal year 2026, but not likely beyond.

Contributing to the angst over future balanced budgeting are projected tax values. Final values for next fiscal year were a 5.86% increase over the year prior, well short of the state’s estimate of 6.5% on which the preliminary general fund budget was based, as were budget projections through 2030.

State estimates of taxable value increases for the next five years are:

■ Fiscal year 2027: 4.3%

■ Fiscal year 2028: 5.3%

■ Fiscal year 2029: 6.1%

■ Fiscal year 2030: 6.3%

■ Fiscal year 2031: 6.2%

“Moving forward from (fiscal years) ’26 through ’30, those are going to change,” said Chief Financial Officer Steve Bothello. “As (Neunder) mentioned, based on property tax reform, 2028 forward might look different, as well.”

Freshman Commissioner Teresa Mast, whose District 1 includes much of the city of Sarasota, said she has no appetite to consider millage rate increases to the level that would bal-

ance future budgets. Then she took the temperature of the room.

“We can either be the thermometer or we can be the thermostat,” Mast said. “Thermometer, you just read the room temperature when you walk into it. Thermostat is when you set it. You say, ‘This is what we’re going to be,’ so you dictate how that’s going to occur. When we go through a budget there are three things that can occur: increase your tax base, reduce expenditures or increase millage rate. I’m not interested at all in increasing our millage rate.”

Commissioner Ron Cutsinger — who as the longest-tenured commissioner has seen both the early budgetary impacts from COVID-19 to the rapid revenue increases from tax base growth that soon followed — cautioned that for now the commission is only discussing reduction in the rate of spending increases. Given the most recent projections, greater challenges lie ahead, and all departments, including the constitutionals, need to be aware.

“It’s very clear to me, from everything I’m hearing, seeing and watching that we’ve got some cuts coming because the Legislature has been very serious about probably doubling the homestead exemptions,” Cutsinger said. “We’re going to be facing some serious decisions, and everybody needs to get on board and help us.”

Source: Sarasota County

Removal of Avenue of Art sidewalk paintings has begun

The city of Sarasota initiated the removal, due to an FDOT mandate requiring the erasure of public installations of pavement paintings on sidewalks and roadways.

Three-hundred murals, created by 240 artists from 20 countries, have come to adorn the streets in Burns Square Historic District.

Yet, in their place is expected to be bare pavement.

The Avenue of Art, created by the Sarasota Chalk Festival, started during COVID-19 to serve as an outdoor art venue.

However, the project is now being dismantled due to an FDOT mandate requiring the removal of pavement paintings on sidewalks and roadways.

An announcement through the Chalk Festival’s social media stated that along a stretch of Orange Avenue, the surface has already been ground away from the sidewalk, removing the first 19 murals, which were painted in 2021.

Those include paintings that depict the historic figures of Emma Booker and Bertha Palmer, and a mural of two students training with Sailor Circus Academy.

The installation has been supported by the city of Sarasota and funded in part by Sarasota County.

“All four areas within the city limits where artwork was installed on the pavement or sidewalk will be removed in order to comply with FDOT’s revised pavement art policy,” said city Communications General Manager Jan Thornburg in a statement to the Observer. “FDOT’s June 20, 2025, memo clearly states that non compliance shall be cause for withholding state funds. The city is not in a position to jeopardize state funding.”

Denise Kowal, the chair and founder of the Chalk Festival, says 80%-90% of its artists are local residents and students. She says the project was the first time anything like it had been created in the world.

“To see each artist now being traumatized by the removal of it is disheartening,” she said.

Kowal said the festival staff were not notified of the removal and were not told whether the city tried to obtain an exception for the project.

The FDOT has stated that markings can cause “distractions or confusion that compromise roadway safety.” However, Kowal disputes the rationale.

“There’s just so much data that supports that this actually creates a safer community, safer intersections, safer for the public, makes cars more aware,” she said.

Kowal says she hopes leaders of the community will stand up for the installation and its significance.

“They really need to think about how important our identity is here, and they really need to fight for things that create a community that people love living in,” she said.

The Chalk Festival is not taking place this year. Kowal said this was decided after the last event, due to recent November weather concerns and the need to set a new date.

She also noted concerns around the current climate, including mandates like the one from FDOT, and immigration, with many festival guests being from other countries.

She said the hope is that the festival will return in 2026.

Awesome pawformance

Van Wezel welcomes Dogs Inc. guide dogs to train in the facility.

aking phone calls and dropping snack bar wrappers aren’t actions typically condoned in a theater.

Unless, of course, you were one of the volunteers who joined Dogs Inc. staff at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall on Aug. 26, for a training session for future guide dogs.

Marisa Blanco, canine development manager at Dogs Inc., said to train at the facility, due to a partnership with the Van Wezel, was a “wonderful” opportunity the organization had not had before.

The dogs, all Labrador retrievers, had the chance to learn about navigating public places and entering a theater, practice different walking surfaces and avoid distractions such as food being served in the Grand Foyer.

Dogs Inc. provides guide, service, skilled companion and therapy dogs for people, including those who are visually impaired, veterans and children.

Canine Development Manager

Marisa Blanco said the organization wants people who adopt the guide dogs to “feel that they matter again, that they can get out and they’re independent,” as well as to give hope.

“We need a dog that is exposed to a lot of different environments because sometimes we never know where that dog is going to go,” she said. “We have a lot of people that live in big cities, or maybe in the country.”

Justin Gomlak, director of education and community engagement at the Van Wezel, said time with four-legged friends was a great way to spend a rainy day at the facility.

“This is such an amazing opportunity for us to use this building in a completely different way, but in a related way,” he said.

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Higher tower reaches a Zenith

Redevelopment of downtown building will create condos, commercial use.

ANDREW WARFIELD

STAFF WRITER

Aremnant of Sarasota’s growth in the 1970s standing at the historic center of downtown, The Zenith building at Five Points (at the roundabout at Main Street and South Pineapple Avenue), gave the city its first look at plans for demolition and redevelopment at a Development Review Committee meeting.

Developer Jebcore Z Tower of Sarasota, a subsidiary of Jebcore Cos., is seeking administrative site plan approval to build an 18-story, mixed-

use residential tower consisting of 96 dwelling units and 41,837 square feet of commercial and office space. Of the 96 residences, the prices of seven will be attainable as the project will take advantage of the city’s affordable and attainable housing bonus density.

Existing on the just more than 1-acre site is the 12-story Zenith building, which is vacant, and a four-level parking structure at 1390 Main St.; and a two-story office building at 40 S. Pineapple Ave. The site is split-zoned with 1.07 acres in Downtown Bayfront, which permits 18 stories, and 0.11 acre in Downtown Core, which limits building heights to 10 stories. The entirety of the 18-story portion will be located in Downtown Bayfront and, thus, will not require rezoning.

The two-story building will also face demolition and be replaced with three stories of retail and commercial space incorporated into the podium and parking structure.

“This project will substantially improve the street-level experience on Main Street and at one of its most significant intersections of Five Points. The proposed building will serve as a vital connection between downtown and the bayfront, fulfilling a key objective of the Downtown Master Plan,” wrote Bill Waddill of project consultant Kimley-Horn in the project application. “The Downtown Master Plan enlists the section of Main Street between Five Points and the bayfront as one of the most heavily traveled pedestrian corridors in the entire downtown, emphasizing the importance of pedestrianoriented design. The project will create the opportunity for groundlevel retail, restaurants and general commerce.”

Currently, the Downtown Bayfront parcel includes a monolithic wall extending the entirety of its Main Street frontage. The Pineapple Avenue frontage includes a stem

wall topped by a fence, concealing an empty plaza between the street and the tower. “Thus, the existing development on the property is not in any way pedestrian oriented,” wrote Waddill. “This condition will be remedied by the project’s design, which will serve to activate both the Main Street and Pineapple Avenue frontages by providing significant pedestrian-accessible commercial and office space.”

The 96 residences represent just less than half of the total that could be built when including the affordable housing bonus density. The seven attainable units will be available for rent for a period of no fewer than 30 years, is one more than required to qualify for the bonus density. The expected price of the condominiums are to start at around $2 million and will range from one-bedroom to five-bedroom units.

Internal to the project is four levels of parking integrated into the building, lined by ground floor habitable space for commercial and office uses. Additionally, a provided fifth floor of

parking will be within a basement.

Residential amenities will include a fitness studio, club room, pool deck and a rooftop garden.

As the project requires only administrative approval and with no requested adjustments, a community workshop was not required, but can be voluntarily.

“We had really good attendance at our community workshop and mostly positive comments,” Waddill told the DRC. “There were a number of residents who expressed anxiety about the congestion on Mira Mar Court, and I think a lot of the solution probably requires a public-private partnership between multiple property owners and the city. We’ve got 25 feet clear between the curb, so there’s potentially enough room to substantially improve the situation, but I think it’s going to take some collaboration.”

Across Mira Mar Court west of The Zenith, Seaward Development is planning a pair of 18-story condominium towers as part of the historic Mira Mar building preservation and

restoration of its 400-foot frontage along Palm Avenue. A parking structure, low-intensity commercial space and a church playground currently occupy the site, all of which will be removed to build the planned 70 residences.

That project has spurred concerns over traffic along Mira Mar Court.

“The inclusion of an integrated off-street parking garage and strategic positioning of building access points along Mira Mar Court mitigates potential traffic congestion and conflicts,” wrote Waddill in the application. “The property’s strategic location is consistent with the Downtown Master Plan’s focus on fostering vibrant, mixed-use neighborhoods that contribute to a balanced and dynamic urban environment.”

To address multiple comments provided by staff, the project requires a resubmittal to the DRC. Once it achieves full DRC sign-off, it will go to the desk of the director of Development Services for administrative approval.

It’s Lobsta Season!

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WEDNESDAY, JULY 30

ASSAULT AND LAUNDRY

9:10 a.m., 2000 block of Hillview Street

Fight: Several people were seen scattering between apartment buildings upon officers’ arrival, but at the time a fight appeared to be over. After several minutes, one man approached officers claiming to have been battered by a friend he spotted carrying a laundry basket. Despite a blood-stained shirt, a bleeding nose and scraped and bloodied knees, he did not wish to press charges.

He stated he was in the area when he saw his friend, who owes him $160. Upon making his demand, he said he was punched in the face and fell to his knees. He was advised that the money issue was a civil matter, but that officers could assist with a battery complaint.

Officers present at the scene canvassed the area after making contact with the victim, but no one matching the description of the subject — described as a 6-foot-5 muscular female (the victim stated that the suspect was a cross-dresser) carrying a laundry basket — was found. The victim provided a phone number for her, but a call to the phone was answered by an unknown female who found it lying on the ground. Because the victim chose to not pursue charges, no further action will be taken.

SUNDAY, JULY 27

THREAT BY PROXY

2:05 a.m. 1400 block of Main Street

Battery: Responding to a report of a fight, an officer was told by a man that another man approached him and told him he was going to “get his girlfriend to stomp his girl.” He said the man subsequently “squared up” with him and then punched him in the face, then ripped his shirt, causing his chain necklace to be torn off, as well.

He then explained he was only trying to speak with the aggressor and ask why his girlfriend was destined to be beaten up by his own significant other.

Interviewing the threatened woman, the officer was told she was making a social media video when she was approached by the aggressor couple when her boyfriend intervened. As the men engaged in fisticuffs, the women began to fight as well, both of them tumbling to the floor.

After separating, the female subject got into her white Nissan and backed into the female victim before speeding off, but not before she captured the car’s license plate number. That car was later stopped by a Sarasota County deputy on South Tuttle Avenue and, upon questioning the woman, suggested she was trying to break up the fight when she engaged with the woman who had been threatened by her boyfriend. She said she then attempted to leave when the vehicle was “swarmed” by other people and unintentionally hit someone while attempting to flee the scene.

Video footage retrieved from the bar suggested mutual combat, and no further action was taken.

MONDAY, JULY 28

A WAYWARD TRANSPORT

1:12 p.m., 700 block of John Ringling Boulevard

Stolen vehicle: A complainant said he paid a vehicle transport company to ship a car to his son’s home in Boston. The vehicle was picked up on July 3 and the transport was scheduled to take only several days. After the delivery date came and went, the vehicle had not been delivered.

Communicating with the trans-

port company, the most information the complainant was provided was that there was an issue with the transport truck. An officer contacted the transport company and was told by an employee the transport truck was stopped for an inspection in North Carolina and failed to produce proper permits. The owner of the truck was not the driver, and only the owner could drive it back to Florida. Once it was returned, the car was transferred to another transport company, but that truck broke down near the North Carolina-Virginia state line and was currently being repaired.

The officer was provided with the new driver’s phone number, who confirmed the transport truck was being repaired and the vehicle would be delivered by July 30 at the latest. The complainant was advised to contact the officer if the vehicle was not delivered by Aug. 1.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 30

HOOKED ON TIKTOK

7:50 p.m., 5000 block of North Tamiami Trail

Disturbance: Having called for law enforcement, a woman sitting in the motel lobby area advised she no longer needed assistance. Still, the officer asked what had occurred and was informed she was in her room with her boyfriend, who became upset about her “constantly watching TikTok,” according to the incident report. To that, she told him that if her viewing social media videos was so upsetting, she could leave and terminate the relationship.

At that, she began packing her belongings despite her boyfriend’s attempts to convince her not to leave, grabbing her wrists — which she described as not in an aggressive manner — in the process. She added she did not want to press charges.

Unconvinced that the man was not sincere in his surrender to her TikTok addiction, the woman intended to leave for her friend’s house in Bradenton. During the investigation, the officer noted the man “running through the back of the hotel.” The officer learned through the investigation the couple was relocating from New York to Florida and had yet to establish residency.

Sarasota Art Museum pays tribute to a dynamic era of design.

EXTRAVAGANZA

MONICA ROMAN GAGNIER

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

It’s hard to believe, but not so long ago, marketing didn’t consist of corporate sponsorships for nearly everything, annoying pop-ads on websites and a barrage of computer-generated emails filling up your inbox. Advertising was elegant, sophisticated and often devilishly simple. Yes, once upon a time advertising was art.

The art poster movement got its start in Paris during the Belle Epoque, a period from 1871 to 1914 literally known as the “Beautiful Era.” During this era, artists such as Alphonse Mucha, Henri de Toulouse Latrec, Théophile-Alexandre Steinlen and others created colorful, often whimsical ads for tobacco, liquor, nightclubs and theatrical performers such as Sarah Bernhardt.

The Belle Epoque officially ended with the start of World War I, a barbarous conflict that led to the downfall of royalty in some European nations and ushered in a period of democratization and less formality in social relations.

The House of Windsor was a survivor, and London held on to its commanding position in finance and culture, if not in fashion. Across the channel in France, a seamstress with humble origins was set to revolutionize fashion with casual women’s apparel inspired by nautical and athletic styles. A century later, her name — Chanel — is still synonymous with luxury.

Paris was cheap between the wars, and its “Moveable Feast” attracted a literary set that included Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald and James Joyce. Their writing spread the word far and wide about the pleasures of a bohemian lifestyle, where alcohol was freely available and nightlife flourished. Scantily clad Black singer Josephine Baker defied convention and the jazz music

IF YOU GO

‘ART DECO: THE GOLDEN AGE OF ILLUSTRATION’

When: Aug. 31 through March 29, 2026, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Monday through Saturday; 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Sunday Where: Sarasota Art Museum campus of the Ringling College of Art and Design

Tickets: $20 Info: Visit SarasotaArtMuseum.org.

that originated in Harlem, New Orleans and Chicago filled Paris nightclubs.

Technology was speeding things up. By the time of the 1925 Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes (International Exposition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts) in Paris, a bold, modern style had taken hold in art and design. Known as Art Deco, it was the signature of the Jazz Age and infused everything from art to home furnishings to advertising.

THE OFFICIAL 100TH

ANNIVERSARY OF ART DECO

Those who like to celebrate anniversaries consider 2025 to be the 100th anniversary of Art Deco. While the groundbreaking exposition was held in Paris, Art Deco was an international movement that embraced freedom, embodied in the jazz music emanating from Harlem’s Cotton Club and other night spots, and speed, achieved through automobiles, trains and even bicycles. These motifs and more can be seen in an exhibition of 100 large posters from the Crouse family’s collection on display at the Sarasota Art Museum campus of Ringling College of Art and Design. Curated by Rangsook Yoon, senior curator at SAM, the exhibition is called “Art Deco: The Golden Age of Illustration.”

Some of the images on the walls of SAM, which is housed in the former Sarasota High School, may be familiar to society types who attended parties at the home of William and Elaine Crouse on Siesta Key. They used their home, designed by

SEE ART DECO PAGE 14

Guy Peterson, to showcase their Art Deco collection of posters, sculptures, cocktail shakers and other objects created between 1919 and 1939. They also lent art to museums such as The Guggenheim and the Victoria and Albert. From September 2023 through February 2024, posters from the Crouse Collection were displayed in a show at New York City’s Poster House called “Art Deco: Commercializing the Avant-Garde.”

In the U.S., the heyday of Art Deco coincided with Prohibition (192033), but there were no constraints on advertising encouraging the consumption of alcohol in France and other European countries. Another dichotomy was that the advent of mass consumption and the worship of luxury goods occurred while the world was mired in a Great Depression following the 1929 stock market crash. Those beautiful Art Deco posters were promoting a lifestyle that was out of reach for the majority of Americans and Europeans. But like movies and fashion magazines, they provided inspiration for DIY style and glamour.

The power of speed and the excitement of racing cars and bicycles was championed in France and Italy, where Mussolini’s triumph of industrial efficiency would ultimately give way to a darker era of Fascism.

Yoon has smartly organized the Art Deco exhibition into different sections. The first room you enter is filled with advertisements for consumer products such as Oxo bullion cubes, Twinings tea, Dubonnet and others. “In the early 20th century, before television and the digital age, posters dominated the visual landscape, particularly in Europe,” Yoon says.

One of the leading proponents of Art Deco style was the artist A.M. Cassandre, several of whose posters are on display in the SAM exhibition.

One of the most stunning displays in “Art Deco: The Golden Age of Illustration” is Cassandre’s triptych of posters for the aperitif Dubonnet.

Created in 1932, “Dubo Dubon Dubonnet” shows three illustrations of a man whose image becomes more fully formed as he drinks more of the fortified wine. Each poster is a different primary color — red, blue

and yellow — and is 78-1/2-by-55 inches. Occupying a single wall in one of SAM’s galleries, the stunning display is worth the price of admission alone.

Some of the typefaces created by Cassandre, including a font called Bifur, are instantly recognizable as signatures of the Jazz Age and show up today in invitations to parties inspired by F. Scott’s Fitzgerald’s 1925 book, “The Great Gatsby.”

Speaking of Gatsby, A.D. Colin’s 1938 poster for a Paris optical store on display at SAM can’t help but bring to mind the billboard for the optician Dr. T.J. Eckleburg in “The Great Gatsby,” which graces the book’s cover and is featured movies inspired by the book. Its spectacled all-seeing eyes bore witness to the crass commercialism of the age and the carelessness of its characters.

A second larger gallery contains posters celebrating electricity, and travel by cars, trains and cruise lines.

Although Charles Lindbergh became a cultural icon in 1927 with his nonstop, solo flight from New York to Paris in his plane the Spirit of St. Louis, commercial air travel didn’t become widespread until the 1950s and 1960s.

“Drawing on avant-garde influences such as Futurism and Constructivism, these posters used bold colors, geometric shapes, sleep lines and witty visual metaphors to sell products and earn brand recognition and loyalty,” Yoon says. “But they also offered dreams and desires — the thrill of flight, the glamour of ocean travel and revolutionary transformation of modern life through technology.”

Lester T. Beall’s 1930s-era posters for the U.S. government’s Rural Electrification Administration are a stark reminder that the public works projects embarked upon by Franklin D. Roosevelt’s administration transformed the lives of Americans on farms and in small towns during the Great Depression. While residents of big cities were dancing the Charleston, drinking bootleg liquor and entertaining at home, those living in the sticks had to get by without lamps, radio and refrigerators.

Lithographs from Australia feature strongly in SAM’s Art Deco exhibition and demonstrate a simplicity and angularity that differs

from posters created for U.S. and European markets. Print aficionados will appreciate A.D. McKnight’s 1918 poster “Soaring to Success! Daily Herald - The Early Bird,” which shows an origami-like flock of birds in flight.

Today, Chrysler is no longer a luxury name in the automobile market, but French artist Roger de Valerio’s 1930 advertisement for the brand exudes American speed, innovation and glamour. Another work from the prolific Cassandre celebrates the inaugural voyage of the cruise ship Normandie in 1925.

“During the 1920s and 1930s, tourism surged as automobiles, railways and ocean liners made long-distance travel more accessible than ever before,” Yoon says. “Posters became essential marketing tools, offering visions of distant lands, exotic adventures and restful retreats: skiing, swimming in the sea or playing golf.”

WHEN TRAINS WERE THE WAY TO TRAVEL

The long gallery at SAM housing travel posters contains Art Deco furniture, including a couch and ashtray that once sat in the train station in Cincinnati, back in the days when train travel was the height of sophistication and car ownership was out of reach for many. In 1920, there was one car for every 5.3 Americans.

Today, there is 0.85 car for every person in the U.S. and 1.83 cars per household. Another standout is a chrome ticket counter from a movie theater in Miami Beach, today considered the capital of Art Deco architecture since many of its pastel-colored hotels have been restored to their 1920s and 1930s-era glory. Furnishings in the SAM exhibit were loaned

by The Wolfsonian-Florida International University in Miami Beach.

The last room of SAM’s Art Deco exhibit is dedicated to sports, including automotive and bicycle competitions.

“In the 1920s and 1930s, competitive sports surged in popularity, fueling the rise of professional athletes and their fans,” Yoon notes. “Sports became a pillar of modern mass entertainment. Spectator events drew large crowds, while newspapers and the newly available radio brought sports, including major international competitions, into homes.”

Cassandre’s dynamic 1932 poster for the Coupe Davis tennis competition at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris features an oversized Dunlap tennis ball ready to burst out of the frame.

Although European athletic contests dominate the exhibition, the U.S. gets a nod with two posters created to honor Lake Placid, New York, the site of the 1932 Winter Olympics. Today the town in New York’s Adirondack Mountains is still a U.S. Olympic Training Center, along with Colorado Springs, Colorado.

After seeing SAM’s Art Deco exhibition, you might long to have one of these iconic Art Deco images hanging on your wall at home. It’s not out of the realm of possibility. In May, Swann Auction Galleries held an auction titled “Art Deco at 100: Iconic Posters from the William W. Crouse Collection” that brought in $403,585, according to Art and Antiques Weekly.

Even the landmark 2013 book of the Crouse Collection posters is a collectible these days. Published by Vendome Press, “The Art Deco Poster” is out of print. The hardcover edition sells for more than $500 online. Unfortunately, the SAM exhibit will not have a companion book, Yoon says.

Like many of SAM’s exhibits, the Art Deco exhibition is worth more than one visit. Yoon has painted various gallery walls in colors that really make the posters pop. The museum’s knowledgeable docents, wearing their signature pink aprons, are always a source of interesting insights about SAM shows and are happy to engage in conversation, if that’s what you’re after.

THIS WEEK

THURSDAY

STEVE WHITE

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

$26

Visit McCurdysComedy.com.

How many comics can say Eddie Murphy gave them their big break?

Steve White can. Murphy cast White in his first film role, “Coming to America.” White has done stand-up on “Showtime at the Apollo” and has covered the NHL and MLB for Comedy Central. White’s all over the map, but wherever he is, he makes folks laugh. Through Aug. 30.

‘A BAND CALLED HONALEE’

7:30 p.m. at FST’s Goldstein Cabaret, 1239 Palm Ave. $39 and up

Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

OUR PICK

‘TOO DARN HOT: SONGS FOR A SUMMER NIGHT’

Songstress Carole J. Bufford easily skips eras and genres in this showcase of stories and songs featuring the months June, July, August and September. Whether she’s singing songs made famous by Janis Joplin or Randy Newman, Bufford leaves the audience with something they never knew before. What’s more, her cool costumes evoke everything from flappers of the 1920s to the neo-swing era of the 1990s. Through Sept. 14.

IF YOU GO

When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 28

Where: FST’s Court Cabaret, 1265 First St. Tickets: $39 and up Info: Visit FloridaStudio Theatre.org.

DON’T MISS

‘BIG SEXY: THE FATS WALLER REVUE’

Don’t let this summer cabaret show pass you by.

The subtitle to this Florida Studio Theatre cabaret show is “A Tribute to Peter, Paul Mary … and Friends,” but any self-respecting folk rock fan can spot the play on words in the name “A Band Called Honalee.”

ICYMI, it refers to the mythical land made famous by the song “Puff the Magic Dragon.” Through Oct. 26.

‘THE PRINCE OF EGYPT’

7:30 p.m. at Manatee Performing Arts Center, 502 Third Ave. W., Bradenton $42.50

Visit ManateePerformingArtsCenter. com.

Directed and choreographed by Rick Kerby,” The Prince of Egypt” brings the tale of Moses to the stage. The musical, which comes from the creators of “Wicked,” features such memorable songs as “When You Believe.” Through Aug. 31.

‘DON’T DRESS FOR DINNER’

8 p.m. at FST’s Gompertz Theatre,

Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

Even the best laid plans for adultery can go awry, especially when a jealous wife sees a chance for a little hanky-panky of her own with her husband’s best friend.

“Don’t Dress for Dinner” will shake you out of your summer torpor. Through Sept. 7.

FRIDAY

CLASSIC MOVIES AT THE OPERA HOUSE: ‘THE APARTMENT’

7 p.m. at Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave. $12 Visit SarasotaOpera.org.

The year is 1960, and the sexual revolution is about to burst forth, thanks to the advent of the Pill. But a boss (Fred MacMurray) who wants to cheat on his wife still has to lean on an underling (Jack Lemmon) to find a pad for his assignations with yet another employee (Shirley MacLaine). Plenty of mishaps occur on the road to mischief in Billy Wilder’s “The Apartment.”

‘DON’T TOUCH THAT DIAL’

7:30 p.m. at Venice Theatre, 140 Tampa Ave. W., Venice $40 Visit VeniceTheatre.org.

Venice Theatre revives its tribute to TV theme songs, Roger Bean’s “Don’t Touch That Dial,” which uses a gameshow-within-a-gameshow format. If you’re the kind of person who remembers the opening song to “Hawaii Five-O,” this one’s for you. Runs through Sept. 14.

SATURDAY

‘THE HIGH LIFE: CONTEMPORARY PHOTOGRAPHY AND THE BIRDS’

10 a.m. at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, 1534 Mound St. $28; $23 online Visit Selby.org.

This exhibition features 70 works of birds in a variety of locales. The photos are displayed in the Museum of Botany & the Arts and in the gardens, where some appear right at home. Through Sept. 14.

SUNDAY

HD AT THE OPERA HOUSE: ‘STARSTRUCK’

1:30 p.m. at Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Opera House $20 Visit SarasotaOpera.org.

“Big Sexy: The Fats Waller Revue” is not part of Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe’s subscription series, but it’s got a lot of bang for the buck. The show tells how the life of Thomas Wright “Fats” Waller inspired WBTT leading man Leon S. Pitts II. With more than 30 songs, “Big Sexy” recalls the days of rent parties and speakeasies in Harlem and brings the eternal mating dance to life with the cat-and-mouse antics of Pitts and diva Ariel Blue. Through Sept. 7.

IF YOU GO When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 28

Where: Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, 1012 N. Orange Ave. Tickets: $52; students younger than 25 and active military, $22.

Info: Visit WestcoastBlackTheatreTroupe.org.

“Starstruck” transports audiences to Paris in 1960, when Hollywood star and choreographer Gene Kelly was invited to create an original work for the Paris Opera Ballet. In collaboration with Kelly’s widow, Patricia Ward Kelly, the Scottish Ballet’s artistic director, Christopher Hampson, revived the jazzy, joyful pas de deux.

TUESDAY

‘LILLIAN BLADES: THROUGH THE VEIL’

10 a.m. at the Sarasota Art Museum campus of Ringling College,1001 S. Tamiami Trail Free for museum members; $20 Visit SarasotaArtMuseum.org.

Award-winning artist Lillian Blades combines handcrafted and found objects to create a mesmerizing display. Blades attributes her use of dazzling color to her childhood in the Bahamas and her process of creating large-scale assemblages to her late mother, an accomplished seamstress. Through Oct. 26.

A Wish Fulfilled: Geno’s Story

BY: TIDEWELL HOSPICE

Animals have an extraordinary ability to bring comfort and joy - especially during life’s most difficult moments. This was the case for Geno, an 89-year-old Marine veteran in Tidewell Hospice care due to advanced prostate cancer. It was his lifelong love of horses that sparked an idea to give Geno an unforgettable experience.

HE REMINISCED ABOUT HIS EXPERIENCE CARING FOR HORSES

During a visit from Sheila, the Tidewell Hospice social worker on Geno’s care team, he reminisced about his experience caring for horses and shared a cherished memory of taking his daughter horseback riding. It had been years since he’d been near a horse, and he expressed how much he would love to see one again in person.

Moved by his story, Sheila collaborated with the rest of Geno’s care team - registered nurse Sarah, care team manager Janelle, and veteran volunteer

coordinator Nancy. Together, they turned to the Tidewell Foundation’s Wishes Fund to make his dream a reality

THIS DONOR-SUPPORTED PROGRAM

Thanks to this donor-supported program, Geno and his daughter Lori visited Easterseals Ranch of Southwest Florida, where therapy horses help veterans and others heal. That day, Geno came alive among the majestic equines. As they groomed and fed the horses, Geno shared tender moments with Breezy, a gentle mare. She seemed to adjust her gait to match Geno’s pace as they walked and remained calm under his touch.

“He became a different person when he got to the barn,” Sheila shared. “It was like love at first sight,” she said of Geno’s connection with Breezy. As Geno brushed the mare’s shiny coat, she relaxed so deeply that she fell asleep - an unforgettable moment of peace and joy.

HOSPICE CAN BE ABOUT LOVE

“Hearing the stories and seeing his reaction is a reminder of why we do this,” Geno’s care team nurse, Sarah, said. “Hospice isn’t just death and dying. It can be joy, laughter and love.”

Geno’s story is one of many made possible by the Tidewell Foundation Wishes Fund.

Whether it’s a final sunset at the beach, a special birthday, or a quiet moment like Geno’s, these experiences fulfill patient dreams and create lasting memories for their loved ones.

YOU CAN BRING MORE OF THESE MOMENTS TO LIFE

Visit tidewellfoundation.org/ impact-areas/hospice-services/ wishes-fund to support the Wishes Fund today.

The Van Wezel is already getting ready for Christmas

Executive Director Mary Bensel is doubling down on the holidays after last year’s hurricane disruption.

MONICA ROMAN GAGNIER ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

Last year, the Grinch stole Christmas at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall when damage from Hurricane Milton closed the city-owned venue from Oct. 10 through the end of 2024. This season, Mary Bensel, executive director of the Van Wezel, is packing the schedule with as many holiday shows as she can.

“Christmas is my favorite time of year,” enthuses Bensel, who confesses that she spends four days decorating her house for the season.

The Van Wezel’s holiday extravaganza kicks off Nov. 14-16, when Dr. Seuss’ “How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical,” comes to town. The yuletide music continues Nov. 18, with Mannheim Steamroller Christmas, and doesn’t stop until Dec. 30, with the annual Salute to Vienna New Year’s Concert.

A favorite with Sarasota audiences, Salute to Vienna found a home at the Sarasota Opera House last year after losing its slot at the Van Wezel, thanks to the efforts of Bensel and Attila Glatz Concert Productions.

Also on the Van Wezel’s holiday schedule are: “Rain: A Beatles Christmas Tribute” (Nov. 22), Ezra Ray Hart ’90s Hits and Xmas Riffs (Nov. 29), Dave Koz & Friends Christmas Tour 2025 (Nov. 30) and Sarah Brightman: A Winter Symphony (Dec. 15).

Fans of the Great American Songbook will welcome its champion, Michael Feinstein, as he breathes new life into the Christmas songbook at the Van Wezel on Dec. 16.

The holiday merriment continues Dec. 21 with Cirque Musica Holiday Wonderland, followed by “A Very Broadway Christmas” on Dec. 22 and the musical based on the Charles Dickens classic “A Christmas Carol” on Dec. 23. As Tiny Tim would say, “God bless us, everyone!”

If you’re not done with Christmas after unwrapping your presents, you can keep the holiday spirit going with “Nutcracker Magical Christmas Ballet” (Dec. 27) and “Straight No Chaser Holiday Road Tour” (Dec. 29).

If you’re the kind of person who wants to see a Broadway show during the holidays but can’t stand the sound of Christmas music, Bensel’s looking out for you. “The Book of Mormon” returns to the Van Wezel Dec. 9-14 and “Mark Twain Tonight,” starring Richard Thomas, plays from Dec. 19-20.

There are a lot of Mark Twain shows out there, but Thomas, known to many from the long-running family TV show “The Waltons,” is the only actor authorized to portray Twain in the show written and originated by Hal Holbrook.

“The Book of Mormon” and “Mark Twain Tonight” are both part of the Van Wezel’s Broadway series, along with “Some Like It Hot” (Jan. 21-25).

The musical is based on the classic film about Chicago musicians who disguise themselves as women to elude the mobsters on their tail.

No doubt the most anticipated show in the Van Wezel’s Broadway series is “MJ,” which runs Feb. 3-8.

Created by Tony Award-winning director/choreographer Christopher Wheeldon and Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage, the show follows the late Michael Jackson as he prepares for his 1992 Dangerous World Tour.

One of the shows that got blown away by Hurricane Milton last season, “Tina — The Tina Turner Musical,” is finally making its way to the Van Wezel Feb. 20-22. This warms Bensel’s heart because she’s been working to bring the show to Sarasota for years, she says.

Rounding out the Broadway series are singer Neil Diamond’s story, “A Beautiful Noise” (March 31-April 4), the revival of Meredith Wilson’s “The Music Man” (April 10-11) and “Mrs. Doubtfire” (April 14-15).

Bensel travels to New York about a dozen times a year to decide which Broadway shows to bring to Sarasota. She also attends national

“Christmas is my favorite time of year,” enthuses Bensel, who confesses that she spends four days decorating her house for the season.

and regional conferences of theater managers to help book the music and comedy stars she brings to the Van Wezel.

Sometimes, reeling in a show can take as long as five years, but Bensel nails down her schedule a year in advance. As the Van Wezel unveiled its 2025-26 season on Aug. 24, she was putting the final touches on the 2026-27 season, her 19th at the cityowned venue.

As a member of the Broadway League, Bensel votes on the Tony Awards and sees the many shows in competition.

“In recent years, a lot more shows are opening right before the (endof-April) deadline for the Tonys, so I see a lot of theater in the spring,” she says.

Asked to identify the must-see Broadway show at the Van Wezel in the 2025-26 season, Bensel responds without hesitation, “MJ,” describing it as “pure excitement.”

For those who like live versions of gameshows and other family fare, there’s “Wheel of Fortune Live!” (Dec. 17), “Mutts Gone Nuts — Unleashed” (Jan. 10), “The Price Is Right Live! (Feb. 18)” and the Halloween-themed magic extravaganza Haunted Illusions (Oct. 26).

Like Christmas, Halloween got short shrift last year due to Hurricane Milton. Bensel’s making up for it this year with an Oct. 17 candlelight screening of the vampire romance “Twilight,” which will be accompanied by a live orchestra.

The 2008 film captured the hearts of a generation, thanks to the on-screen chemistry and real-life relationship between its stars, Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson.

The excuse for a nationwide tour is the 20th anniversary of the novel that started it all. But some people don’t need an excuse to get goth. If you’re one of them, better move fast because “Twilight in Concert” has already sold 1,000 tickets, and the Van Wezel only has 1,700 seats. Most single tickets for the Van Wezel’s Broadway series go on sale in September. For more information, visit VanWezel.org.

YOUR NEIGHBORS

CHORDS OF CARE

IAN SWABY STAFF WRITER

Leonard Pagano, 94, describes himself as someone who was never musically inclined. Nonetheless, in recent years, he has been performing karaoke when he visits the American Legion on Friday nights, singing “My Way” by Frank Sinatra.

For Pagano, who has Parkinson’s disease, the foray into singing started with the Local Come Together Choir for senior enrichment at Town Square Sarasota, hosted by Key Chorale.

The choir, which is in progress and continues until Oct. 9, is one of the programs for seniors with varying needs that the organization, which describes itself as the Suncoast’s premier symphonic chorus, administers each season.

Pagano also enjoys following the choir to another session it is holding at Senior Friendship Centers: the Where Are My Keys? Chorale for those living with memory loss.

From Oct. 16 to Dec. 11, the organization will also be offering the Off-Key Chorale, in partnership with Neuro Challenge Foundation for Parkinson’s, and another series of Where Are My Keys? Chorale at Aravilla Sarasota Memory Care.

TUNING IN TO WELLNESS BENEFITS

The organization has been providing these programs for seniors since 2012, said Joseph Caulkins, artistic director of Key Chorale.

Each season, the organization delivers 64 sessions, with four eightweek programs, culminating with a celebratory performance.

The programs started with the intention of helping individuals with Parkinson’s and their care partners, but in 2018, Caulkins wanted to branch out to help those with Alzheimer’s and dementia or who were in memory care, so a new curriculum was created for them.

Caulkins says when it comes to Parkinson’s, movement is an important form of therapy.

The first 10 minutes of each session focuses on voice building, including physical exercise with breathing and singing exercises, before moving into songs that range from sing-alongs to four-part harmonies.

Caulkins said the exercises help to strengthen voices, help with swallowing, and help with facial masking, which is the limited ability to make facial expressions.

“Really, what they’re getting is really good vocal technique, but also therapy,” he said. “The exercises are generally kind of fun and sort

Key Chorale harnesses the therapeutic power of music to improve seniors’ lives.

of dumb, and things that just sort of you can kind of laugh at, and so it gets everybody relaxed, that it’s a safe space where you can make a terrible sound, a great sound. Nobody cares.”

He says the goal of the sessions is to “just keep them singing,” and says his approach to teaching participants is the same as with a regular choir, with his usual use of humor, but with a focus on participation rather than performance.

“If they sing terribly, it’s fine; if they sing great, even better,” he said.

“It’s just a matter of giving them a space to know that they can participate.”

Yet, despite the intention of the choir to be inclusive, it still manages to produce a confident sound.

One way it achieves this is through the several volunteers who will be spread throughout the group, who help participants with needs like turning pages and keeping place.

“They kind of tell us what page to do if we’re off, or if we fall asleep, they wake us up, tell us where we’re at,” Pagano said.

Declan Sheehy, chief advancement officer at Senior Friendship Centers, which is hosting a choir for those with memory loss, calls the sound “amazing.”

“People hear it, and they don’t even realize that these are ... our regular attendees, who are attending Adult Day here at the centers,” he said.

“These are people with really serious health challenges, and they sound better than a lot of choirs,” Caulkins said.

He says that many people are even able to overcome their health issues due to the music.

“There might be a person that might be almost catatonic for maybe two sessions, and all sudden, there’s a song that connects with them, and they become more present and start engaging in singing,” he said. “You

KEY CHORALE OFFERINGS

Local Come Together Choir for senior enrichment

When: Thursdays 10:30-11:30 a.m., Aug. 21 to Oct. 9

Where: Town Square Sarasota, 3882 Central Sarasota Parkway

Where Are My Keys? Chorale (Senior Friendship Centers)

When: Thursday 12:45-1:45 p.m., Aug. 21 to Oct. 9

Where: The Living Room, Senior Friendship Centers, 1820 Brother Geenen Way

Off-Key Chorale in partnership with Neuro Challenge Foundation for Parkinson’s, for those living with Parkinson’s and their caregivers

When: 12:30-1:30 p.m., Oct. 16 to Dec. 11 (No rehearsal on Nov. 27.)

Where: Education room, Van Wezel, 777 N. Tamiami Trail

Where Are My Keys? Chorale (Aravilla Sarasota Memory Care)

When: 10:30-11:30 a.m., Oct. 16 to Dec. 11 (No rehearsal on Nov. 27.)

Where: Aravilla Sarasota Memory Care, 3251 Proctor Road.

More info: Please contact Ellen Schaller at 941-921-4845 or Ellen. Schaller@KeyChorale.org, for more information or visit KeyChorale.org.

more you exercise it, the more you develop an ability to continue loud singing, and the emphasis is always to speak out and be loud, and exercise those lung muscles, because there’s a tendency ... not to want to use them because we’re getting older. Like walking and like any other muscle, the muscles in your throat are the ones that need exercise just like everything else.”

Caulkins says the use of songs familiar to participants is one key to the program’s success.

Sheehy says when people begin to experience memory or cognitive issues, they may not remember what they had for breakfast, but will remember a song from another era, or that they heard in their childhood, which is why these sessions are important for the center to offer.

have people who haven’t spoken for 10, 20 years, and all of a sudden start singing in rehearsal. So it’s magical what music can do.”

He also says for those not in memory care, but just facing the general challenges of being older, the sessions are also important for cognitive development and learning something in a different way.

Pagano says when suffering from health issues, activities like these are also important for a sense of purpose.

“Sometimes you wonder if your life is worth living, and if you have activities like this, it helps you from becoming depressed and from not giving in, so to speak, to things like depression and your fall into Alzheimer’s, or whatever you’re suffering,” he said.

He recently moved into assisted living, but has had the continuity of activities at Town Square, which he attends using his VA benefits as a Korean War veteran.

“He loves it, because the leader, he’s very passionate and funny, and so he makes it fun as well,” said his daughter Bonnie Ryan, of Caulkins’ direction.

She says Pagano loves singing the songs from his era, which the choral sessions heavily feature, stating, “It brings back all those nice memories of a time when they were healthy and a good time in their life.”

She also calls the location “like a family” where he feels safe.

She said although Pagano has mild cognitive impairment, that hasn’t stopped him from being able to sing lyrics.

“To see him singing all the words of all the songs ... it was kind of surprising at first. I’m like, ‘Wow. I can’t believe he knows all that,’” she said.

Pagano says his progress is the result of constantly pushing himself.

“You’ve got to push yourself in the musical realm just the way you push yourself in the physical realm when you go to the gym ... ” he said. “The

He said they built the organization’s mission of bringing joy to seniors of all ages.

“Music just accentuates that joy, and it’s togetherness, because you can’t really have a good choir of one, but a choir of many,” he said.

He also says clinical studies and trials have measured the results and show the benefits of music, as well as ballroom dancing — another activity offered at Senior Friendship Centers — in keeping the brain engaged.

“The other wonderful thing about the joy of music, of course, is that when they stop singing, the joy doesn’t go away, the joy stays, and the sense of purpose stays,” he said.

When Music Compound hosted its Back to School Bash last year, the new space was not yet fully decorated, said the music school’s owner Jenny Townsend.

However, she said this year’s version of the event, held Aug. 23, was able to showcase the space, which opened on Aug. 12, 2024, “in a way it wasn’t showcased before.”

In fact, a ribbon-cutting ceremony preceded the start of the event, which welcomed the public for musical performances by students of varying ages, local vendors offering activities and a

She noted one important part of the event was the opportunity for families to meet the school’s teachers before signing up for lessons.

She said the venue, which serves both Sarasota and Manatee counties in

“It’s

Primary Care

WELCOMES

Emmanuel Cruz Caban, MD

Eggucation

Sarasota County hosts poultry workshop at The Farm.

IAN SWABY STAFF WRITER

t wasn’t the first time that kids in Sarasota County 4-H have undertaken projects at The Farm, the agricultural facility at McIntosh Middle School, now in its second phase of construction.

Yet, Megan O’Mahony, leader of 4-H Livestock Club, said poultry raising was one project the club hadn’t engaged with at that location.

Mayaguez, PR

Medical School: San Juan Bautista School of Medicine, Caguas, PR

Residency: Beth Israel Medical Center, New York, NY Certification: Board

A partnership between 4-H, the Sarasota County Agricultural Fair and Sarasota County Schools, the Sarasota County Poultry Seminar allowed kids to bring along their birds to learn about husbandry and showmanship techniques through a live demonstration.

“I truly believe that poultry showmanship is a great place for kids to get into animals,” O’Mahony said. “Poultry, rabbits, cavies (rodents) — because they’re nice small animals that they can have pretty much anywhere, and they can even be housed here at The Farm.”

The workshop also offered the benefit of its leader being Cindy Kinard, who judges many youth poultry shows statewide.

“She is the chicken guru of the whole entire state,” said Alasyn Hastings, a parent at the event who is involved in 4-H.

“We’re really excited that the school district has supported this facility, The Farm, and bringing opportunities for agriculture and for production agriculture for youth across the county,” said Sarah Davis, a 4-H Youth Development Extension Agent.

Lindsey Mills, the small animal chair for the Sarasota County Fair, said it was also “super important”

for kids to have the chance to attend the event to be prepared for the fair in March.

Animals are judged for the animal’s weight and characteristics, and also the participant’s ability to showcase the animal properly and answer questions about it.

With The Farm now in Phase 2, work continues on its agricultural and livestock facility, which will include an additional barn, as well as a nearly complete teaching kitchen hosting farm-to-table foods.

Out with the old things

With hurricane season underway, Dion Barnes wanted to ensure some of the items he had around his home wouldn’t become debris.

Instead of being subjected to the force of a hurricane, the materials were being compacted that day, Aug. 23, as they were flung into a large dumpster.

The Newtown Community Clean Up, held at Newtown Estates Park and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Way, was among the 10 cleanups that are scheduled annually — weather permitting — by Sarasota County’s Code Enforcement Division.

“It was a good way to get rid of the bigger things, the bigger debris ... ” Barnes said. “Today was very convenient for us to come over here and bring it for free.”

According to the county’s Planning and Development Services department, precisely 23.99 tons of debris were removed, with 149 tons of debris removed during cleanups this fiscal year to date.

The county encouraged the public to bring household items, appliances, yard

waste, junk, tree trimmings, tires and garbage, which was hauled to landfills by vendors FCC and Waste Pro.

On some occasions, the county’s hazardous waste team will serve as a partner to take paints, oils and chemicals.

The department also wrote the events are a “positive, pro-active event” that allows Sarasota County to work with residents and provide education as well.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for the community to coalesce as one, to clean and beautify, because when you clean and beautify an area, it instills community pride,” said Darrick Paul of One Check Away Inc.

— IAN SWABY

Gulfmead Estates home sells

ADAM HUGHES RESEARCH EDITOR

William and Lorna Nagler, of Sarasota, sold their home at 3465 Gulfmead Drive to Aaron and Courtney Kennedy, of Lakewood Ranch, for $4,325,000. Built in 2009, it has six bedrooms, five-and-ahalf baths, a pool and 4,641 square feet of living area. It sold for $2,275,000 in 2011.

SARASOTA PITTMAN-CAMPO

Richard Nerenhausen and Heidi Olson, of Sarasota, sold their home at 2321 Milford Circle to David Thomas Powell III, of Sarasota, for $850,000. Built in 1956, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,978 square feet of living area. It sold for $165,500 in 2002.

PINE RIDGE

George Stephenson and Elena Morbini, of Sarasota, sold two properties at 4062 Shade Ave. to Julio Banda Jr., Amy Elizabeth Lemon and Linda Jean Plaster, of Sarasota, for $500,000. The first property was built in 1958 and has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,971 square feet of living area. The second property was built in 1981 and has one bedroom, one bath and 210 square feet of living area. They sold for $205,000 in 2014.

SIESTA KEY

THE SHELLS ON SIESTA KEY

Mark Roscio and Maria Velez, trustees, of Bradenton, sold the Unit 221 condominium at 221 Tenacity Lane to John and Mindy Kyle, of Naperville, Illinois, for $1.45 million. Built in 1992, it has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths and 2,041 square feet of living area. It sold for $850,000 in 2010.

CRESCENT ARMS

J.T. Stewart Brown and Linda Joyce Stevenson-Brown, of Longmont, Colorado, sold their Unit 102S condominium at 6312 Midnight Pass Road to Chad and Jeanette Leopard, of Beavercreek, Ohio, for $1.17 million. Built in 1968, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 977 square feet of living area. It sold for $320,000 in 2011.

John and Lenna Kirby, trustees, of Columbus, Ohio, sold the Unit 405N condominium at 6310 Midnight Pass Road to Larry Pell and Julie Pell, trustees, of Monticello, Indiana, for $690,000. Built in 1968, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 894 square feet of living area. It sold for $320,000 in 2011.

PALMER RANCH

HAMPTONS

Kenneth and Janis Gold, trustees, of Devon, Pennsylvania, sold the home at 7231 Brambury Court to Matthew and Catherine Middaugh,

of Tomahawk, Wisconsin, for $775,000. Built in 2001, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,174 square feet of living area. It sold for $350,000 in 2012.

VINEYARDS OF SILVER OAK

Stephen Lawrence Parrish, Jane Parrish and Barbara Huber, of Concord, California, sold their home at 5179 Cantabria Crest to Sandra Lee Howard and Peter Palmer Parvis, of Lutherville Timonium, Maryland, for $599,900. Built in 2003, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,998 square feet of living area.

SANDHILL PRESERVE

Judith Hollingsworth, of Sarasota, sold her home at 11214 Sandhill Preserve Drive to Lisa Pezzimenti, of Sarasota, for $575,000. Built in 2015, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 2,106 square feet of living area. It sold for $478,000 in 2021.

STONEYBROOK AT PALMER

RANCH

Louis Blanchard, of New Brunswick, Canada, sold the home at 4173 Westbourne Circle to Brian Labrecque, of Sarasota, for $550,000. Built in 1995, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,116 square feet of living area. It sold for $365,000 in 2007.

NOKOMIS

CALUSA LAKES

Dennis and Kathleen Moller sold their home at 2149 Muskogee Trail to Thomas and Marianne Brent, of Rockville Center, New York, for $662,500. Built in 2001, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,046 square feet of living area. It sold for $385,000 in 2016.

TOP BUILDING PERMITS

The home at 3465 Gulfmead Drive was built in 2009 and has six bedrooms, five-and-ahalf baths, a pool and 4,641 square feet of living area.

SARASOTA: $1.75 MILLION

Bay Point Apartments

Kevin and Bethany O’Toole, of Cedar Grove, New Jersey, sold their Unit 73 condominium at 350 Golden Gate Point to Brian Christopher Coltharp and April Elizabeth Coltharp, trustees, of Sarasota, for $1.75 million. Built in 1969, it has three bedrooms, three baths and 2,543 square feet of living area.

PALMER RANCH: $1,525,000

Silver Oak Constance Mayne, trustee, sold the home at 8839 Bloomfield Blvd. to Scott Sensenbrenner, of Sarasota, for $1,525,000. Built in 2005, it has three bedrooms, threeand-a-half baths, a pool and 3,226 square feet of living area. It sold for $582,000 in 2010.

NOKOMIS: $820,000

Calusa Lakes Marcin and Justyna Zgola, of Sarasota, sold their home at 2112 Calusa Lakes Blvd. to Rhonda Renee Dube, of Otis, Massachusetts, for $820,000. Built in 2001, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,606 square feet of living area. It sold for $750,000 in 2022.

YOUR CALENDAR

SATURDAY, AUG. 30

NAMASTE AT THE BAY WITH KARA SAUNDERS

9-10 a.m. at Sarasota Garden Club, 1130 Boulevard of the Arts. Free. Beloved local yogis share their practice at The Bay in this series of events. Kara Saunders is a motivating wellness coach and yoga instructor who encourages individuals to reach their goals through education, healthy eating, exercise and deep breathing. Registration requested. Visit TheBaySarasota.org.

PLAY MUSIC ON THE PORCH DAY AT THE BAZAAR

Noon to 3 p.m. at The Bazaar on Apricot and Lime, 821 Apricot Ave. Free. The Bazaar joins the movement of Play Music on the Porch Day, which encourages people to go outside and play music on their porch. Every year, musicians in more than 70 countries and 1,000 cities participate. Visit HamletsEatery.com.

SUNDAY, AUG. 31

BRUNCH AT THE BAY FEATURING

LIVE MUSIC BY CALEB WAYNE (NOON-1 P.M.)

8 a.m. to 2 p.m. (live music from noon to 1 p.m.) at The Nest, 1055 Boulevard of the Arts. Free. Enjoy brunch items at The Nest Café including waffles, eggs sandwiches, muffins, Bloody Marys and mimosas, while you listen to a performance by Caleb Wayne that blends rock, country, and original music. Visit TheBaySarasota.org.

TUESDAY, SEPT. 2

THE MARVEL SUPERHERO IN REAL-TIME! PRESENTED BY ARTIST JERRY DECAIRE

4-5:30 p.m. at Selby Library, 1331 First St. Free. Jerry DeCaire, a Marvel artist behind comics including Thor, X-Men and Wolverine, showcases his art process and conducts a demonstration. Visit SCGovLibrary. LibraryMarket.com.

SARASOTA PHILATELIC (STAMP)

CLUB MEETING

6 p.m. (arrival requested by 5:30 p.m.) at Fruitville Library, 100 Apex Road. Free. This active community of stamp collectors, which has been celebrating the hobby for over 70 years and annually hosts the Sarasota National Stamp Exhibition in Janu-

BEST BET WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 2

DANCE AT THE BAY: SALSA & SUNSETS

6:30-8 p.m. at The Nest, 1055 Boulevard of the Arts. Free. Learn Latin dance moves and put them to practice at a Latino-inspired sunset dance party hosted by DJ Benny. Come with family and friends or by yourself. A range of Latin dance styles will be featured, and the class is suitable for beginners and advanced dancers, singles and couples. The Nest Café will be serving margaritas, beer and other concessions. Visit TheBaySarasota.org.

ary, will be acquainting itself with its new space at the Fruitville Library during its next monthly meeting. Visit SarasotaPhilatelicClub.org.

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 3

CUBA TRAVELOGUE WITH JANE MAHLER

2-3:30 p.m. at Fruitville Library, 100 Apex Road. Free. Join traveler Jane Mahler as she discusses Cuba, from the streets of Havana to the mountains of the Sierra Maestra, and the country’s music, dance and people. Visit SCGovLibrary.LibraryMarket. com.

THURSDAY, SEPT. 4

CINEMA AT THE BAY: ‘THE BLIND SIDE’

7:30-9:45 p.m. at The Oval, 1055 Boulevard of the Arts. Free. Enjoy an outdoor movie under the stars while celebrating the kick-off of college football and NFL season. The film is “The Blind Side” (PG-13), the story of Michael Oher, a homeless boy who becomes a first-round NFL draft pick after he is taken in by a caring family. Visit TheBaySarasota.org.

CREATION STATION: ADULT BEGINNER SEWING — SOUP

BOWL COZY

1-2:30 p.m. at Selby Library, 1331 First St. Free. Sew a bowl cozy to keep your hands comfortable when holding hot soup or a cold dish of ice cream. After you finish the bowl, you will have additional time to practice threading the sewing machine with a guide. Registration required. Visit SCGovLibrary.LibraryMarket.com.

SPORTS

Building a village

Bruce Cassidy takes on general chair role for the 2026 Senior PGA Championship.

JAY HEATER MANAGING EDITOR

Bruce Cassidy Sr. has established a long line of success over his years of being an executive.

Now the majority owner of The Concession Golf Club, Cassidy’s ascension in the business world includes his founding of Excel Mining Systems in 1990 and running that company for two decades. An Ohio native, he also took on many board roles, including his current position at Loop Media Inc.

So when Cassidy was named by the PGA of America to be the general chair for the 2026 Senior PGA Championship, which will be hosted by The Concession, it was just an extension of his lifetime’s work.

“I didn’t have to do it, but it is something I want to do,” Cassidy said. “We’re running a business and my main job is to support (the PGA of America’s) needs. There could be more than 1,000 volunteers.”

Cassidy said the task of hosting a senior major championship is made easier because he has the right personnel.

“We have an amazing team here,” he said as he sat next to Brian Weimann, The Concession Golf Club’s general manager.

Weimann will be on a four-person executive committee for the tournament, which will be held April 16-19, 2026. As many as 23 volunteer chairs will head up various other committees. Many of the committees will be headed by The Concession residents.

Cassidy, who took over as The Concession’s majority owner in 2009, also will be assisting the tournament’s sales initiatives and community relations efforts. He has been instrumental in The Concession hosting events such as the 2015 Men’s and Women’s NCAA Championships, the 2021 WGC-Workday

Championship and the 2024 World Champions Cup.

“For more than a decade, our team has worked diligently to shape The Concession,” Cassidy said in a PGA of America release.

The Concession is a Jack Nicklaus Signature Course designed in association with Tony Jacklin.

That club’s commitment to major events will go beyond 2026. The Concession, which was named as Best New Private Course of 2006 by Golf Digest, will host the Senior PGA Championship in 2027 and 2028, and Cassidy’s hope remains the venue eventually will host the PGA Championship, one of golf’s four majors.

But first comes a lot of work to host the 2026 Senior PGA Championship.

“The saying, ‘It takes a village’ is true,” Cassidy said. “It’s important to get the community support, and the support from Manatee and Sarasota counties ($4.5 million for each county over the next three years) has been huge. Moving people is going to be one of our biggest challenges.”

The Concession already had made up a people-moving plan for more than 25,000 people in a bid to host a PGA Championship. This, obviously, will be a scaled-down effort with an approximate average of 5,000 spectators a day, although the weekend rounds could be somewhere between 5,000 and 10,000 spectators.

Manatee County will assist when it comes to people moving.

“We will have an operations meeting with Public Safety, Public Works, the fire district and the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office,” said Elliott Falcione, the executive director of the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. “We will go over all the logistics and figure out off-site parking and the ingress and egress points. Premier (Sports Campus) will be used somehow, in some way.”

Manatee and Sarasota counties

No longer a blackand-white matter

ANDREW WARFIELD STAFF WRITER

Accessibility to golf in an area beset with private country clubs can be challenging enough, even more so for Black golfers, even as recently as the 1980s.

That’s when Ken Spaulding’s parents, E.G. and Teena, started making regular trips from the East Coast of Florida to Sarasota, specifically, because of Bobby Jones Golf Club

and, as a municipal golf course complex, its policy of racial inclusion.

“One of my dad’s friends said,

‘You’ve got to come over here. It’s really nice,’” Spaulding said. “He did, and he stayed. They bought a house in 1995, but they were coming for like eight years before that.

“They were both golfers, and they bought this place that I’m sitting in now because it was within the city limits. It was a city golf course, and they had a yearly pass you could buy,

The

Majority

Bruce Cassidy and General

Brian Weimann will be key players in the club hosting the 2026, 2027 and 2028 Senior PGA Championship.

FAST BREAK

Jalready have begun cross-promoting themselves in Europe as “the Home of the Senior PGA Championship.”

Falcione said the two counties are creating a toolkit to share with the hospitality industry to promote the event.

Falcione said he is “underpromising” by saying the event will have a $25 million effect on the region each year in direct spending.

“The PGA of America feels it will be higher,” he said.

As far as the actual course goes, Cassidy and Weimann said little must be done.

When the Workday Championship was held in 2021, it was a last minute switch from Mexico City, which cancelled its event due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Officials checked out The Concession to see if it could host a tournament with no time for revisions.

“We didn’t need to do anything,” Weimann said.

“At the end of the day, we just want to put on the best event we can,” Cassidy said. If that happens, then Cassidy is hoping to land a spot to host the PGA Championship.

“We’ve been pushing as much as we can,” he said. “But (the PGA of America) is taking a big risk with a new club.”

He said the PGA of America has given no commitment toward allowing The Concession to host a PGA Championship.

“Our course is a natural beauty,” Cassidy said. “We’re just putting lipstick on it.”

so it was very convenient.” Spaulding, 78, said the course was integrated early on ... to a point. It was in February 1959, he said, when caddies received permission to play nine holes after 4 p.m.

File photos Steve Stricker is likely to be one of the favorites at the 2026 Senior PGA Championship in April at The Concession.

“When my parents got here, there was a similar situation where they couldn’t get a tee time before noon,” Spaulding said. To remedy that, E.G. Spaulding and five friends who played together at the time paid a visit to City Hall to bring the situation to the attention of the city manager.

“They kind of got that straightened out,” Spaulding said. “And that group of six turned into what we have now, which is a group of up to 60. It’s a diverse group, actually. It’s a lot of fun, but we had to move away from Bobby Jones when it closed.”

That was in 2020, amid COVID-19 and the regularly evolving plans to rehabilitate the course, eventually settling on a consolidation of the two 18-hole courses into the original Donald Ross 18-hole layout. In the meantime, the “Cleaves Group,”

ack Nelson begins covering sports for the Sarasota Observer this week. Nelson, a UCLA graduate, comes to us from Scituate, Massachusetts, where he was a writer for the NBA Starting 5 daily newsletter and also worked as a sports clerk for MassLive. If you have a story, results, a photo or an athlete of the week suggestion, please call him at 755-5357, ext. 201. You can email Nelson at JNelson@YourObserver.com.

... Cardinal Mooney got 153 yards passing from Davin Davidson, completing 89% of his passes with a touchdown as the Cougars defeated Miami True North Classical Academy 41-14. Kymistrii Young had 93 receiving yards and a touchdown. Notre Dame defensive lineman commit, Elijah Golden picked up two sacks. The Cougars will host Cherry Creek of Greenwood Village, Colorado on Friday.

... Booker went on the road to Alabama and lost 24-6 to Auburn High. The Tornadoes’ Rex Schwartz and Kevontay Hugan did register an interception each. Booker returns for its home opener Friday against Tampa Berkeley Prep.

... Riverview ended its game in a 14-all tie with Naples as the matchup was stopped by lightning. The Rams will play at Hillsborough Riverview this Friday night.

... Sarasota fell to Bayshore 36-30 in its opening game of the season. The Sailors play at home against Braden River.

... Riverview won its opening match of the volleyball season with a 3-1 victory (25-15, 25-27, 25-17, 25-23) on the road at Palm Harbor. The Rams continued with a 3-0 (27-25, 25-22, 25-21) sweep of Sarasota. ... Cardinal Mooney’s volleyball team opened it season with a 3-2 loss (25-21, 21-25, 25-17, 23-25, 15-13) to Bradenton Christian on Aug. 19.

... Sarasota fell 3-0 (25-12, 25-20, 25-17) to Venice it the Sailors volleyball opener.

... Unfortunately for Booker, the volleyball team has dropped its first two matches, both by 3-0 scores, to Englewood Lemon Bay and Palmetto.

as it is known, relocated its regular outings to nearby Highlands Golf Course at the now-defunct The Meadows Country Club. It now congregates at Tatum Ridge Golf Links, about 6.5 miles to the east of Bobby Jones along Fruitville Road. Spaulding said he would like to see the group eventually return to Bobby Jones.

Meanwhile, he said he plays his home course — he lives across Circus Boulevard from the course in the Glen Oaks neighborhood — a couple of times per week, free to make a tee time with no racially inspired restrictions.

“Getting tee times is very easy,” Spaulding said. “If you live in the city limits, you can get a tee time two weeks in advance, and the 40% discount you get is huge.”

NATURE’S BEAUTY WITH

THURSDAY, AUG. 28

FRIDAY, AUG. 29

SATURDAY, AUG. 30

SUNDAY, AUG. 31