Sarasota/Siesta Key Observer 9.4.25

A cake day for the muffin man

One of Alvin “Al” Seidman’s past times is making chocolate, chocolate chip muffins, which the World War II veteran gives away to others.

On his 100th birthday, he received something in return from the community, with a birthday celebration hosted at Arietta Sarasota on Aug. 28.

Earlier that month, Seidman had celebrated his actual birthday, Aug. 16, on the USS Constellation in Baltimore Harbor. Seidman served between 1944 and 1946, and saw action in Okinawa, Japan, amid his role in the U.S. Coast Guard.

“I started baking here and there and started giving them out to people, and I found out they were very well liked, so I started baking more,” he said.

Sarasota High School was completed in 1927, with its first class graduating in 1928. The class of 1965 is preparing to relive a piece of the school’s history as it celebrates its 60th reunion from Oct. 3-4, and it is asking for attendees to register by Sept. 10.

The first night takes place

5:30-8:30 p.m. on Oct. 3 at the Field Club Captains Room, 1400 Field Club Road. The cost is $55. The second night takes place from 5:30-9:30 p.m. on Oct. 4 at Palm Aire Country Club, 5601 Country Club Way. It includes a DJ and costs $65.

To obtain your registration form and for more questions or details, contact Marjorie Mocha Thomas at MocWThomas@aol.com or 941-586-5511.

$0.10

City declares all sidewalk art removed

WEEK OF SEPT. 4, 2025

BY THE NUMBERS

“We laid out hundreds of thousands of dollars before the county told our crews to stop work, but they did not have an alternative plan.”

Hermitage Artist Retreat CEO Andy Sandberg. Read more on page 3

■ Sarasota City Commission

meeting — 5:30 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 9, Commission Chambers, City Hall, 1565 First St.

■ Sarasota County School Board special meeting — 6 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 9, Board Chambers, Landings Administration Complex, 1960 Landings Blvd. (black awning entrance).

■ Sarasota County Commission regular meetings — 9 a.m., Tuesday, Sept. 9, South County Administration Building, 4000 S. Tamiami Trail, Venice; and 9 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 10, County Administration Building, 1660 Ringling Blvd.

Gym set to move from Mira Mar location

When rehabilitation of the historic Mira Mar building on South Palm Avenue begins, all of its tenants, at least temporarily, will need to find a new home. For Jefferson Fit, a 2-year-old gym locally owned by Jefferson Charles, the move will be permanent. The business is located behind the Mira Mar building along Mira Mar Court, which will be demolished to make way for two residential towers, a companion project to the historic building’s restoration. In early October, Jefferson fit

will open in its new space at 1956

Second St. in the former BB&T building across Links Avenue from the Aster & Links apartments and Sprouts Farmers Market store. It will occupy 12,000 square feet on the ground floor.

According to sister publication Business Observer, Charles said the new space will allow the gym to add new services and amenities. While growing the facility was already the long-term plan, the situation at the Mira Mar shifted the timeline up. As part of the move, Jefferson

Fit will add additional infrared saunas and IV therapy, a salt and red light therapy booth and massage therapy. Members will also have access to a smoothie bar along with a full-service open gym with cardio and strength equipment, one-on-one personal training and group fitness classes.

It will also enjoy greater visibility thanks to the location and floor plan.

Jefferson Fit will continue operating at the Mira Mar location until the new facility opens.

Early

Learning Coalition names CEO

The Early Learning Coalition of Sarasota County, which oversees early care and education across Sarasota County, has named a new CEO. Alison Fraga will join the organization on Sept. 29. Fraga, according to a news release, will be the second leader of the organization in its 23year history, following the retirement of founding CEO Janet Kahn. Fraga is currently chief development officer for the ELC of Hillsborough County, which is among the largest ELCs in Florida, according to the release. In that role, she has secured more than $2 million in annual grant funding and led initiatives to support kindergarten readiness and early childhood programs. Previously, she was the chief advancement officer for the Boys & Girls Club of Tampa Bay.

The organization supports more than 4,000 children and approximately 155 child care providers annually. It oversees the local, integrated system of early education for preschool ages in Sarasota County.

Sash & Sill owner arrested in Sarasota

The owner of a Sarasota window and door company that filed for bankruptcy and went out of business last year was arrested Aug. 28 in Sarasota County.

Todd Hoch, 47, of Nokomis, who owned Sash & Sill, was charged with: ■ 17 counts of larceny: contractor failing to refund excess value of work $1,000 to $20,000

■ Five counts of embezzlement: misappropriating construction funds of at least $100,000

■ Five counts of larceny: contractor failing to refund excess value of work $20,000 to $200,000, according to arrest records.

Hoch is being held without bond in Sarasota County on the new charges, according to arrest records, which show his arraignment is scheduled for Sept. 26.

In August 2024, Hoch filed for personal bankruptcy and Sash & Sill filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy. That followed a complaint from a customer who deposited $19,560 for windows and doors that were not received.

Artistic buyout

Beachside retreat offers to buy property from the county as it awaits hurricane repairs.

“I want to emphasize that we see this proposal as a big win-win for all parties involved, most notably the taxpayers. It will come as no surprise that the impetus for bringing this forward now has been the stalled hurricane recovery, but more broadly, this proposal is an opportunity to unburden county staff from the management of this property and to alleviate taxpayers from unnecessary expenses.”

Hermitage Artistic Director and CEO Andy Sandberg

ANDREW

WARFIELD

STAFF WRITER

Less than three months before wind, sea and sand were pushed into some of the historic structures it occupies on Manasota Key, the Hermitage Artist Retreat and Sarasota County signed a lease that could keep the nonprofit there through 2055.

In the 10 months since, buildings damaged by Hurricanes Helene and Milton remain boarded up and in disrepair after the county ordered the Hermitage to cease and desist all recovery work.

Because it sits on approximately 8.5 acres of Gulf-front county property, there are strict procurement protocols that must be followed as the county’s stretched-thin staff — and financial — resources are addressing higher priorities. Meanwhile, Hermitage needs to scale back operations; suspend many on-site performances and presentations by artists in residence; and watch, wait and wish as another hurricane season enters what is historically its most tumultuous weeks.

That’s why Hermitage now wants to acquire the property from the county. Already responsible for all routine repairs and maintenance in exchange for its $1 per year lease, the organization has proposed to take the property off the county’s hands so it may continue, unabated, complete restoration of the buildings and resume normal operations.

County Commissioner Mark Smith brought up the Hermitage proposal as a discussion item during the commission’s Aug. 26 meeting, bringing several impassioned speakers on behalf of the plan countered by words of caution by some commissioners. Still, they voted unanimously to place the matter on a future meeting agenda as a public hearing.

“I want to emphasize that we see this proposal as a big win-win for all parties involved, most notably the taxpayers,” Hermitage Artistic Director and CEO Andy Sandberg told commissioners. “It will come as no surprise that the impetus for bringing this forward now has been the stalled hurricane recovery, but more broadly, this proposal is an opportunity to unburden county staff from the management of this property and to alleviate taxpayers from unnecessary expenses.”

Hermitage Artist Retreat wants to pay for the unfinished restoration of the county property. It already had invested some $1.7 million in repairs over the last 30 months, dating back to Hurricane Ian, before it was ordered to halt late last year.

berg told the Observer. “We engaged water remediation at our expense, in the six figures, and we engaged people to help remove the sand. We laid out hundreds of thousands of dollars before the county told our crews to stop work, but they did not have an alternative plan.”

In the days between Helene and Milton, Hermitage engaged in an emergency operation to prevent further damage to the campus’ signature structure, the Hermitage House, by literally digging a moat.

“Had we not done that, the Hermitage House might have sunk under a pile of sand and water,” Sandberg said.

Key points of the Hermitage proposal include:

■ Payment of $600,000 to the county

■ Maintain the hundreds of feet of beachfront open to the public

■ As owner, assume responsibility for all storm mitigation and repairs now and in the future

■ A reverter clause that guarantees should Hermitage cease to exist, the property would be returned to county ownership.

The latter, Sandberg said, guarantees the prime waterfront property can never be sold by Hermitage for development or used for any commercial purpose.

Minus use of most of the buildings, Hermitage has made the most of its adverse conditions — despite having to scale back its programming — so far this year.

“Normally, we have about six artists in residence on the property at any given time, but we’re we’ve been reduced to two,” Sandberg said. “We really wanted to keep the programming alive, so we found ways to bring other artists down. Our normal attendance of residents throughout the season is anywhere from 90 to 100 and doing more than 50 programs. This year that was essentially cut by more than half because we weren’t able to do any programming here on our property until late June, when we did one big beach program.”

PARTIAL RECOVERY

Damage and recovery costs so far incurred by Hermitage Artist Retreat.

DAMAGES

Dignam Cottage: Washed through and undergone preliminary remediation but requires significant restoration. Houses three studios.

Whitney House: Includes two residences upstairs that are largely intact, however Hermitage has not been permitted to replace the exterior stairs to provide access. The lower level, which was washed through, is used for a small studio and equipment storage.

Whitney Carriage House: The former carriage house for the adjacent Whitney property acquired by the county in 1988 now used as a studio for visual art, music and more. Washed through and had a brief electrical issue “which, thankfully, was extinguished by the same water that sparked it,” Sandberg said.

Pump House: Part of the former Whitney property, a single residence unit with one wall washed out.

Palm House: Acquired in 2014 located near Blind Pass Beach, used for where most of the outdoor programming on the lawn and beach are held. It serves as indoor programming space, and administrative offices.

COSTS INCURRED

■ $130,000 in damaged equipment

■ $300,000 on landscaping and dune restoration

■ Nearly $500,000 in sand removal and water remediation

“We did 90% of the remediation before the county came in, and after removing our crews, decided that they were going to help with the last few percent, but at a much slower pace,” Sandberg said.

Sandberg said what remains can be completed in a couple of months, but meanwhile, some structures remain boarded up and others dangerously exposed to more potential severe weather.

“I am not going to pretend to be the world’s leading remediation expert. I do know that in the event of a major water disaster, you need to remediate, and it is time sensitive,” Sand-

steward, the county must ascertain permanent conveyance to the organization is among its highest and best uses. Prior to founding Hermitage 23 years ago with the dual purpose of creating an artist retreat and to save the deteriorating historic property, Sandberg said, the county was considering a beach parking lot there.

Some of the structures there date back to 1907, he said, others to 1941.

“I want to be very clear in my support of the Hermitage and the work they’re doing,” said Commissioner Ron Cutsinger. “They’re doing amazing work across the county, putting us on the national map in terms of some of the quality programming they bring to Sarasota County, but I also have a responsibility as a fiduciary of the county, and that is a multimillion-dollar piece of property.”

Commissioner Teresa Mast characterized the Hermitage proposal as “a good starting point” while echoing Cutsinger’s assessment.

“We have citizens who entrust us to make really good decisions fiscally, and this has a lot of fiscal impact,” she said. “I think the stewardship that you have provided to date has been phenomenal, and I think it could be an opportunity, if all of the planets are in alignment and all of the funding is in alignment, that does make the county whole.”

Exactly what it would mean to make the county “whole” is currently unknown. According to Sarasota County Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources, there is no estimate available at this time, and appraisals will need to be completed to determine current value. That will then be weighed between the value of the property, costs to continue to maintain it through the lease period, and the value Hermitage brings to the county’s arts and cultural fabric in the form of free programming of finished and in-process works of visiting musicians, songwriters, playwrights and more.

COMMISSIONERS PROCEED CAUTIOUSLY

Although commissioners welcomed the opportunity to open discussions about negotiations with Hermitage, some urged caution in that the land is prime county property and, as its

While the buildings stand vulnerable to severe weather, all of that will be aired at a future hearing.

“My thinking is we have that public hearing, and if we decide at that point to move forward, then it goes to negotiation,” Smith said.

Sarasota big and tall retailer to shutter after nearly 50 years

King James Big & Tall cites competition as its reason for going out of business.

ELIZABETH KING BUSINESS OBSERVER

Astore that has been part of Sarasota’s retail landscape for nearly half-a-century is going out of business. King James Big & Tall will shutter at the end of October after 47 years in operation.

“Competition from big box stores and online retailers has made continuing unsustainable,” Ron Hudson, co-owner of King James Big & Tall, says in an email to the Business Observer

Businessman Jim Montoney opened the first King James Big & Tall store in Sarasota in 1978 at the old Snelling Plaza, he says.

“Mr. Montoney saw the need for the larger man to be outfitted (as) nicely as the average size man,” Hudson says. “In the beginning, there was a captive audience — you didn’t have the competition from the big box stores and online that you do now.”

In the decades that followed, other King James Bing & Tall stores opened in Fort Myers, Naples, West Palm Beach, Boca Raton, Orlando and Bradenton. By 1996, there were 12 King James Big & Tall stores across Florida, according to Montoney’s obituary; he died in 2021. All the stores have since closed.

In 1992, the Sarasota Big & Tall moved to its current location at 4333 S. Tamiami Trail. The store carries brands like Tommy Bahama, Nautica and Columbia and offers personalized service, Hudson says.

When Jim Montoney retired in 2015, ownership of the King James Big & Tall in Sarasota was taken over by his son, Matthew Montoney, and

“In

the beginning, there was a captive audience — you didn’t have the competition from the big box stores and online that you do now.”

Ron Hudson, co-owner of King James Big & Tall

Hudson, who was the general manager. Both are still active with the company, Hudson says.

“We want to sincerely thank each and every one who supported us over the years,” Hudson said. “We are blessed to have so many wonderful customers and memories.”

King James Big & Tall is not alone in its decision to close amid changing consumer behavior. Retailers including JoAnn Fabric and Forever 21 also shuttered brick-and-mortar locations this year.

Already, King James Big & Tall has begun a going-out-of-business sale, which will continue through Oct. 25.

ALL GONE

ANDREW WARFIELD

By the time the Sept. 2 meeting of the Sarasota City Commission had ended, removal of all noncompliant markings — which is to say art — on order of the state of Florida along the state and local rights of way had been completed.

Those included the crosswalks at Second Street and Cocoanut Avenue, a crosswalk in the 1400 block of Main Street and, perhaps most notably, sidewalk paintings along Pineapple Avenue and Orange Avenue in Burns Court.

Asked by Commissioner Kathy Kelley Ohlrich to explain why for the public record, interim City Manager Dave Bullock said the decision was simple: The Florida Department of Transportation gave all cities and counties across the state a deadline of Sept. 4 to come in compliance or risk losing state funding, and Sarasota is in no position to risk such a significant hit to its annual budget.

“They didn’t say transportation funds. They didn’t say any specific, just state funds,” Bullock said. “We receive about $67 million in state funds that literally touch everything that we do in one form or another, so I instructed Public Works Director Nik (Patel) to begin to remove the markings and comply with the state deadline.”

Patel drafted a schedule with additional time to meet the state’s Sept. 4 deadline in the event of rain. The work, Bullock reported, had been completed on the Tuesday before the afternoon conclusion of the meeting.

In the second of two letters the city received from FDOT was a suggestion it could appeal any right of way art not specifically cited in the first letter.

“The areas that they identified to be removed, we could not appeal those,” Bullock said. “They had to be removed.”

City completes removal of sidewalk and crosswalk art.

Asked by city Commissioner Kathy Kelley Ohlrich to explain why for the public record, interim City Manager Dave Bullock said the decision was simple: the Florida Department of Transportation gave all cities and counties across the state a deadline of Sept. 4 to come in compliance or risk losing state funding ...

OTHER BUSINESS

Although pulled from the consent agenda for further discussion, the City Commission adopted a budget amendment to establish a revenue and expenditure in the amount of $1.67 million from the Parks Impact Fee Fund for improvements to be made to the Nature Park at Bobby Jones Golf Club.

The city had originally submitted a request for county park impact fees in that same amount for planned improvements to other park properties across the city. Those funds were received Aug. 9. The budget amendment redirects those funds toward construction of the new park amenities at the nature park.

n The City Commission adopted on second reading an ordinance to vacate the city’s 10th Street right of way between North Tamiami Trail and Sarasota Bay, which serves as the primary driveway into the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall parking lot. The street vacation is made at the request of the Bay Park Conservancy to facilitate continued development of The Bay park Master Plan Phase 2.

The street runs parallel to the 10th Street boat launch canal to the north, which is currently being redeveloped as part of the Canal District of The Bay. To the south is the Van Wezel parking lot, which is proposed in later phases to become green space. The right of way is planned to

include a multiuse recreational trail for completing the Bayfront MURT, part of the city’s Multimodal Connection Plan.

On Sept. 11, 2024, the Planning Board held a public hearing and unanimously recommended to the City Commission to approve the street vacation.

n The commission approved execution of an interlocal agreement between the cities of Sarasota, Venice, North Port and Punta Gorda; the town of Longboat Key; and Charlotte and Sarasota counties regarding mutual aid with regard to building inspections in the wake of natural disasters.

On March 31, 2025, all parties except Charlotte County entered into an agreement that allows sharing of building department staff in the event of a natural disaster. It allows the city of Sarasota to request mutual aid from all parties to the agreement and for the other parties to request support from the city.

n The commission authorized the Sarasota Utilities Department to execute a purchase order with Apollo Construction & Engineering Services in the amount $408,203.15 for repairs to the seawater intake pier at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall parking lot.

The city owns and operates the pier, which was constructed in 2002 at a length of 161 feet. The structure consists of nine concrete spans with the pump building at the end of the pier. The pier’s primary purpose is to access and house a pump building that supplies salt to the water treatment plant’s ion exchange process.

A structural inspection in April 2024 found deterioration of the concrete beams, broken and cracked concrete piles, bent caps and delaminated concrete slabs, all exacerbated by the impacts of Hurricanes Debby, Helene and Milton.

The city is proposing a structural rehabilitation project to address the urgent issue of this critical infrastructure.

City will add to hurricane fund

Sarasota is transferring $9.2 million from projects to recovery fund.

Last year’s hurricane season left the city of Sarasota with a tab in the tens of millions in nonbudgeted recovery costs and uncertainty surrounding how much, if any, reimbursement the city anticipates to receive from FEMA.

The impact of the 2024 storms on the general fund, not including damages covered by enterprise fund balances, is estimated at $37.8 million.

The short-term impact on the city’s fund balance in expenses already paid has left the city with $16.8 million in its reserve fund, down from the $32 million it entered the current fiscal year with and well short of the target of 17% to 25% of its total operating budget.

With more recovery bills on the way, at its Sept. 2 meeting, the Sarasota City Commission, without discussion, unanimously approved an amendment to the city’s 1% Surtax III extension fund. That will reallocate a total of $9.26 million from 15 capital improvement projects for a new project added: infrastructure damage caused by Hurricanes Helene and Milton. The city is required to hold a public hearing on any proposal that would amend the Infrastructure Sales Surtax 15-Year extension Expenditure Project Detail List.

The budget for fiscal year 2026 is required to be adopted by the City Commission by the end of September. To help rebuild the city’s general fund balance, interim City Manager Dave Bullock proposed a citywide millage rate increase of 0.273 mill and dedicate all additional revenue to the city’s emergency savings account.

At its July 29 budget meeting, the commission set the maximum millage rate for fiscal year 2026 at 3.3 mills, a 0.3 mill increase.

CITY FUNDING TRANSFERS

FUNDING WILL BE TRANSFERRED FROM:

n Project No. 2: Landscape and streetscape improvements, $310,672

n Project No. 3: Canopy tree program, $500,000

n Project No. 13: Traffic calming, $1,204,565

n Project No. 18: Bicycle network improvements, $124,800

n Project No. 19: Sidewalk Program, $1,428,000

n Project No. 25: Parks and recreation facility upgrades, $23,000

n Project No. 35: Advance Traffic Management System, $560,000

n Project No. 67: Seawall rehab/reconstruction program, $1,495,000

n Project No. 101: U.S. 41 at Gulfstream Avenue roundabout, $750,000

n Project No. 114: Sarasota in Motion transit, $212,587

n Project No. 115: Shade Avenue complete street, $1,070,461

n Project No. 119: Expansion of multi-modal trail network, $943,000

n Project No. 127: Alley beautification, $99,689

n Project No. 136: Lighting improvement projects, $393,375

n Project No. 138: Curb and cutter construction program, $149,890

FUNDING WILL BE TRANSFERRED TO: n Project 140: Hurricane Helene and Milton infrastructure damage, $9,265,039

St. Armands home lists for $17.5 million

Casa del Carnevale was built in 1936 in John Ringling Estates.

ERIC GARWOOD

DIGITAL NEWS EDITOR

Abit of classic architecture with its own contemporary flavor and a whimsical name — Casa del Carnevale — was recently listed for sale in John Ringling Estates, priced at $17.5 million.

The marketing and sale of the home at 139 S. Washington Drive is being handled by Judy Kepecz-Hays of the Coldwell Banker-affiliated Kepecz-Hays Team.

In marketing materials, the Longboat Key-based agent called the property “a rare and exquisite blend of history, elegance, and modern comfort.”

Originally built in 1936, the home was renovated and expanded from 4,000 to 10,000 square feet under roof — 7,800 square feet are under air.

Set on three lots with an eastern view of what is now Sarasota’s skyline, the property predates the across-thewater vista of a developed Bird Key to the east, which was only to take place about 20 years later.

An elevator connects two levels of the home that is being sold furnished. There are five bedrooms and six full baths, along with a half-bath.

The 65-foot saltwater pool overlooks the 171 feet of bayfront. If the home sold for the asking price, it would tie for fourth in the hierarchy of Sarasota County residential price points. In July, a Longboat Key mansion sold for $30.3 million, Kepecz-Hays represented the buyer in the sale. In 2024, a condo in the St. Regis Resort on Longboat Key sold for $21 million, the highest price paid on Longboat for a condo.

An 11,275-square-foot waterfront home on Hillview Drive sold in 2024 for $20 million. And an 11,500-square-foot house a couple of blocks down on Hillview sold for $17.5 million in 2022.

Undergraduate: University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez, PR

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

Residency: Beth

MYSTERIOUS MASTERWORKS

The Midsummer Music Festival was held at St. Armands Key Lutheran Church because many performing arts organizations go on hiatus during the summer.

Yet, the public was still in search of music on Aug. 27, when the series concluded with the “(Un)Known” performance by the Sarasota Piano Trio, to a mostly full auditorium.

The theme of the series is classical music with a twist, and the trio of Jessé Martins on piano, Milene Moreira on violin and Nadine Trudel on cello highlighted some of the “unknowns” in the music world, focusing on lesser-known pieces and in some cases composers.

“We really wanted to play music that you don't get to hear a lot, or often, or sometimes ever,” Martins said, describing an area of emphasis for the group since it was formed.

The program consisted of “Sonatensatz” by Franz Schubert, “Lento from Piano Trio” by Cecile Chaminade, “Suite for Piano Trio” by Paul Juon and “Miniatures” by Frank Bridge.

The trio, comprising three Sarasota Opera members, frequently offers free concerts in the local area.

“It gave me chills. It was absolutely phenomenal,” said attendee Jane Whittlinger. “I wasn’t prepared for something this outstanding.” — IAN SWABY

Sarasota Piano Trio hosts ‘(Un)Known’ performance at St. Armands Key Lutheran Church.

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Three area agencies join forces

Visit Sarasota County, the Economic Development Corp. and the Arts Alliance promote the county’s vibrant lifestyle.

on the lifestyle opportunities available here.

xecutives who lead three local agencies advancing tourism, business relocation and growth, and arts and culture have joined forces in a collaborative effort to demonstrate Sarasota County as a destination to live, work, play and visit. To that end, they all rely on county government for funding in various forms.

Representatives of the three agencies met with the Sarasota County Commission during an Aug. 22 workshop to discuss how they collaborate and cross-promote to leverage their collective resources while avoiding duplication of effort.

Commissioners heard from the leadership of Visit Sarasota County, Economic Development Corporation of Sarasota County and the Sarasota Arts and Cultural Alliance about their individual roles in boosting the local economy and how they work together to provide a return on the county’s investment.

Economic Development Corp. President and CEO Erin Silk calls the partnership a “force multiplier.”

The leaders of all three organizations — Visit Sarasota County President and CEO Erin Duggan, Arts and Cultural Alliance CEO Brian Hersh and Silk — all began their roles at about the same time 30 months ago.

“I’ve known Erin probably for a decade,” Silk said of Duggan. “Brian was a little newer to me, but as soon as we all came into these roles we got together and we acknowledged that there was an opportunity to educate our cross-membership, educate the community and the stakeholders about what each of us did, and talk about our collaboration.”

The result, all three agreed, is a mission to grow business, tourism and cultural awareness across the country, and even around the world,

The EDC and VSC have even moved into the same space in an office building at Cattlemen Road near Fruitville Road where the two Erins consider themselves “roommates.” The co-habitation also affords opportunities for teamwork.

“We have constant collaboration, but really our collaborative priority is coordination, never duplication. We do not ever want to duplicate efforts,” Silk told commissioners.

“We focus on county brand cohesion. I really admire Visit Sarasota County and call them the marketing experts. You will see that a lot of the imagery that we use is from Visit Sarasota County. We’re extremely thankful for that, but for us it’s very important whether you’re a resident, a tourist or a business owner, that you see the same cohesive brand across the county.”

The cross-promotion among the three begins on websites and multiple URLs where the curious may begin to explore. Part of the VisitSarasota.com is the vanity URL WorkWhereYouWantToLive.com, which directs visitors to both the EDC and Arts and Cultural Alliance websites.

“This is where all things live that we do with the EDC,” Duggan said of the main website. “We point to the EDC website where they’ve got a very robust job search engine, but this is also the place where we’re talking about our health care system, our school system, about neighborhoods; things you’re not necessarily going to find on VisitSarasota.com.

“Working very closely with the Arts Alliance as well made us realize there are also folks who are going to want to move here, but they’re interested in retiring, and that’s where we came up with the vanity URL LiveWhereYouWantToPlay.com.”

Beyond websites, the cross-promotion extends to trade shows,

FUNDING MODELS

The Economic Development Corporation of Sarasota County receives government funding of $1 per resident in Sarasota County, including all municipalities, plus a 50% match from the county for each private dollar raised capped at $500,000.

Approved for fiscal year 2026 by the County Commission is an allocation of $301,788 to the Arts and Cultural Alliance.

Visit Sarasota County is funded fully through Sarasota County Tourist Development Tax revenues.

marketing campaigns and more, all designed to entice businesses to visit and visitors to vacation and relocate while emphasizing the area is home to a rich cultural history. That domain, FloridasCulturalCoast.com, is also hosted at the VSC website.

More than culture and entertainment, Hersh said, the arts also mean big business. At nearly 4% of the nation’s GDP, he said the arts generated more than $1 trillion in 2023, supporting more than 5.4 million jobs. Florida’s arts nonprofits, he added, generate more than $5.8 billion in economic activity annually, supporting more than 91,000 jobs and $3.8 billion in household income.

Sarasota’s arts and culture reputation, Hersh said, and the economic stimulation it brings is a contributing factor to the business-tourismarts trifecta.

“Florida is the number one state in the nation for net income migration, and Sarasota County is number four in the state of net income migration,” Hersh said. “If Sarasota County were a state, we’d be number eight in net income migration. We want to make sure these folks are moving here because of the quality of life and amenities that we have.”

3:30 a.m., intersection of Main Street and Indian Place

Disturbance: Officers on downtown patrol responded to a call in reference to an unknown subject who allegedly threatened the complainant with a butcher knife. Upon arrival, they were unable to locate either the caller or the subject, but while canvassing the area, made contact with a male and a female on a bench near the intersection of Main Street and Osprey Avenue. Asked if they had witnessed anything unusual in the area, the man advised that only a few minutes prior an unknown black male approached and made multiple threats to kill them. The man said he brandished a small pocket knife in the event he needed to defend himself.

He advised the unknown subject walked away from the area and described him as a bald-headed Black male wearing shorts and dark T-shirt, carrying a grocery bag. A man matching that description was located by an officer shortly afterward a few blocks away, learning he was the original caller.

The subject was described as verbally aggressive toward officers and did not wish to speak with them regarding the call. He said the man officers previously spoke with pulled a butcher knife on him and then, according to the incident report, his statements became nonsensical and he began to spit in officers’ direction. That earned him a set of handcuffs and placement in custody under the Baker Act.

After being placed in the back seat of the patrol vehicle, the man began spitting several times on the partition glass that separated officers from the subject. That earned him a spit shield placed over his head and a ride to Sarasota Memorial Hospital.

Once there, he continued his erratic behavior and was administered sedation medication by hospital staff.

been harassing him and his wife, then followed them from across the street to the point of the physical conflict. He said the white male had been shouting racial slurs and was threatening the couple. His wife confirmed the account of the incident, adding that her husband was first punched in the face and he countered the blow by striking the man with what was described in the incident report as a hammer.

Upon being interviewed, the white male subject said he was yelling at them because they were “junkies” and he didn’t want them around.

Burying the lead, deep in the incident report was the fact that the Black male was in a wheelchair and, video surveillance provided to the officer showed, stood up from the chair and made first contact with the white male by pushing him to the ground before beating him about the head and neck with the blunt instrument.

While EMS tended to the white male’s facial lacerations, the officer watched the provided video, noting that he did not punch the Black male first, contradicting the couple’s story.

The conclusion drawn that the incident was mutual combat as the white male declined to press charges for the beat down.

A Century Old Story

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

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

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

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

Sarasota area on list of America’s ‘boomtowns’

MARK GORDON BUSINESS OBSERVER

Boomtown is in the eye of the beholder.

That’s a key takeaway from a new report from online financial marketplace LendingTree. Its boomtown report ranked and scored the 100 largest metros across eight metrics grouped into three categories: people and housing; work and earnings; and business and economy. Florida, and in particular three metro areas on the west coast of the state including the Sarasota area, is booming, at least statistically and in comparison to other parts of the country. Of course that boom, while trumped by LendingTree in the report and celebrated by economic development leaders, has come at a cost, exacerbating affordable housing and cost of living issues in many parts of the region.

The flip side, as LendingTree points out, is that being a boomtown presents opportunities for business — in both potential customers and the hiring pool.

“An influx of business growth may mean greater competition, which could help lower some of the costs of running your business,” says LendingTree Chief Consumer Finance Analyst Matt Schulz in the report. “It could also mean greater opportunity to partner with other companies when it comes to marketing, training or other aspects of business. It could mean more networking opportunities. The list goes on and on.”

The report looked at data from 2021-23, averaging out each category for a final score. Austin, with an overall score of 72.1, edged out Orlando, at 72, for the No. 1 spot. North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton was No. 3, while Cape Coral-Fort Myers was No. 5 and Lakeland was No. 8. The Deltona-Daytona BeachOrmond Beach MSA was No. 9, giving Florida five of the top 10. (New

BOOMING

The South, led by Florida, dominated LendingTree’s Boomtown report

1. Austin 2. Orlando 3. North PortSarasota-Bradenton 4. Nashville 5. Cape Coral-Fort Myers

6. Colorado Springs 7. Charleston, South Carolina 8. Lakeland 9. Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach 10. Denver

Orleans, Cleveland and Worcester, Massachusetts occupy the bottom three on the list, for slowest growth.)

The Sarasota-Manatee region, with North Port in south Sarasota County, has some significant growth even among other boomtowns. That includes:

n An 11.8 gain in GDP, fifth highest nationally n A 6.5% increase in housing units, 11th highest nationally n A 5.9% increase in population, seventh highest nationally and a larger gain than Austin.

Bay Park fills its schedule for third-anniversary bash

More than 80 shows, concerts or celebrations are at attraction, which opened in 2022.

I

f Sarasota’s Bay Park seems busier than normal in October, it probably is, packing in dozens of events to coincide with the still-growing project’s third anniversary.

Oh, and all of them are free.

“Over the past three years, nearly a million park guests have discovered The Bay and been delighted by their experiences,” says AG Lafley, Bay Park Conservancy CEO. “This Third Anniversary Community Celebration enables something for everyone and, as always at The Bay, is completely open and accessible, free and welcoming to all. I encourage everyone in the greater Sarasota community to bring family, friends, neighbors and co-workers to enjoy this monthlong celebration, which offers a range of experiences sure to surprise and delight.”

Situated just south of the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, The Bay opened in 2022 but had been envisioned for much longer. As part of an agreement between the city and Sarasota County, a tax district was created on land surrounding the 53-acre city property, from which the revenues from the tax value on improvements of properties within the district are earmarked for the

park. The Bay Park Conservancy is the nonprofit responsible for the construction and management of the site.

More than 800,000 have come to The Bay Park in its nearly three-year history, organizers said. Among the attractions are 10 acres of revitalized green space, a tree-shaded mangrove walkway, the Ibis Playground, lawns, restored and preserved mangroves and shorelines, rehabilitated historic buildings, the Nest Café and The Oval mini amphitheater.

Live music figures prominently in the anniversary-celebration plans, but not exclusively. Music fans will have to wait until the latter stages of the celebration for the month’s signature musical act.

Taking the stage Nov. 1 will be Brian Kelley, the Florida half of the duo Florida-Georgia Line. Kelley has also performed with Ghost Hounds, opening act for such luminaries as The Rolling Stones, ZZ Top and Garth Brooks.

Other highlights include: Oct. 1: Salsa & Sunsets Dance Party, with a live performance from Grammy-award winning Millie Puente Band Oct. 10: A screening of the cultmovie classic, “Rocky Horror Picture Show” Oct. 12: Park-toberfest, with live music by the DeLeon Family Band Oct. 18: Boo at The Bay family Halloween event. For more information, visit TheBaySarasota.org.

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

LEAVING THE PODIUM

The Sarasota Music Festival begins its search for a new music director after Jeffrey Kahane steps down.

MONICA ROMAN GAGNIER

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

When Sarasota Orchestra President and CEO Joseph McKenna returns to his office after the long Labor Day weekend, he will have his work cut out for him. He and a committee will begin the search for a new music director of the Sarasota Music Festival following the exit of Jeffrey Kahane on Aug. 25.

Kahane, a Los Angeles-based conductor, pianist, educator and scholar, recently became music director of the San Antonio Philharmonic. During his nine years as music director of the Sarasota Music Festival, he raised its stature and introduced new artists and genres of music.

A summer program of the Sarasota Orchestra, the Sarasota Music Festival has been bringing together internationally recognized faculty members and pre-professional musicians, known as fellows, for 61 years.

Kahane’s departure coincides with the closing of the Hyatt Regency Hotel, the de facto campus of the Sarasota Music Festival for 40 years.

In the wake of Kahane’s departure, the festival will be scaled back to from three weeks to two in 2026, when it will run from June 1-13. It will be curated by its faculty members. Fellows will be housed at the Art Ovation Hotel in downtown Sarasota.

“It has been one of the great privileges of my career to lead the Sarasota Music Festival,” Kahane said in a statement. “The Festival holds a unique and vital place in the musical landscape, and I’m proud of what we’ve created together — especially the extraordinary faculty and transformative experiences we’ve offered our fellows.” Held each June, the Sarasota Music

Festival offers dynamic, innovative concerts in Holley Hall and the Sarasota Opera House. Its star faculty members play alongside festival fellows, often performing in public for the first time.

In the classical music world, unexpected departures and last-minute schedule changes are a fact of life. Most artists are booked at least two years in advance, but life happens.

“We’re thrilled that Jeffrey gave us nine wonderful years. His work in San Antonio appears to be evolving, and we understand that. Now, it’s time to imagine the future,” Sarasota Orchestra President and CEO Joseph McKenna said in an interview.

A NEW START IN SAN ANTONIO

Kahane is the third director in the festival’s history, following co-founder Paul Wolfe and Robert Levin. But his life has gotten a lot busier since he was first appointed music director of the Sarasota Music Festival in 2016. Kahane was named music director of the San Antonio Philharmonic beginning with the 2024-25 season. It is not uncommon for conductors to hold key positions at more than one institution, particularly if they

“The festival holds a unique and vital place in the musical landscape, and I’m proud of what we’ve created together — especially the extraordinary faculty and transformative experiences we’ve offered our fellows.”

Jeffrey Kahane

SARASOTA MUSIC FESTIVAL TIMELINE

There have only been three music directors in the festival’s 61-year history.

1965 Sarasota Music Festival cofounded at New College of Florida.

1984

Florida Legislature designates the Sarasota Music Festival as the “Official Teaching and Performing Festival of the State of Florida.”

1977 Festival expands to three weeks.

1985

Sarasota Music Festival merges with Florida West Coast Symphony.

2006

2008

Florida

2016

have different performance schedules, but Kahane’s new job is quite demanding.

The San Antonio Philharmonic was formed in 2022, following the dissolution of the San Antonio Symphony, and it is attempting to build on the city’s legacy of classical music while reflecting its diverse population. In 2025, the orchestra moved into its new home, the Scottish Rite Auditorium.

In addition to his duties in San Antonio, Kahane is a faculty member at the USC Thornton School of Music, where he teaches small classes of gifted students and coaches. He also accepts guest conducting and piano solo engagements at orchestras around the world.

Finding a music director who is the right fit for a festival or an orchestra can be a painstaking affair. It took the Sarasota Orchestra two years to locate a successor to Music Director Bramwell Tovey. The beloved conductor died unexpectedly in 2022, less than a year after he was hired to the position.

As they vetted candidates for the maestro job, the Sarasota Orchestra SEE MUSIC ON PAGE 14

2017

2020 Festival canceled due to COVID-19.

2024

2025

brought potential music directors to town as guest conductors to see how they interacted with musicians and audiences. In 2024, the powers-that-be at Sarasota Orchestra decided Tovey would be succeeded by Grammy Award winner Giancarlo Guerrero, music director of the Nashville Symphony.

The 2025-26 season will mark Guerrero’s first season as full-time maestro in Sarasota. Last year, the charismatic conductor, who spent his childhood in Costa Rica, held the title of music director designate. He is the seventh music director in the Sarasota Orchestra’s history.

All of which is to say that Kahane will not be replaced overnight. The search committee will include Sarasota Orchestra management, board members, musicians and other stakeholders, McKenna says.

In addition to steering the Sarasota Music Festival through the COVID-19 shutdown, which resulted in the loss of the 2020 festival, and managing the festival’s recovery from the pandemic, Kahane expanded the roster of faculty members. He also recruited internationally known chamber ensembles to perform, collaborate with and coach festival fellows. Among those ensembles are the Attacca, Calidore, Borromeo and the Pacifica string quartets, as well as the Montrose Trio.

Kahane expanded the festival’s agenda to include the teaching and performance of world music, jazz and folk music, with violinist/fiddler Tessa Lark and cellist Mike Block taking center stage during the past two summers.

“As we celebrate the past success of the festival, we also come together to envision our next chapter based on the solid foundation built by a rich legacy of artistic leaders: Paul Wolfe, Robert Levin and Jeffrey Kahane,” said Tom Koski, Sarasota Orchestra board chair.

In addition to co-founding the Sarasota Music Festival at New College of Florida in the mid-1960s, Wolfe spent more than three decades as artistic director and conductor of the Florida West Coast Symphony, which rebranded in 2008 as the Sarasota Orchestra. The festival and symphony merged in 1985. Wolfe

died in 2016. Levin, the festival’s second music director, has been a faculty artist since 1979 and delivers an annual lecture that bears his name. He is considered one of the world’s leading experts on improvisation in classical music, which he has demonstrated in recent years during his concerts at the festival, with the encouragement of Kahane, an advocate of improvisation.

Kahane is also a passionate champion of new, or contemporary, classical music, loosely defined as having been composed during the past 50 years.

A native of Los Angeles, Kahane is a graduate of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where he studied piano. After private studies with John Perry, Kahane went on to be a finalist in the 1981 Van Cliburn Competition, and his piano career began in earnest after he won the Grand Prize at the Arthur Rubinstein International Competition in 1983. Following that achievement, he began making solo appearances both in recitals and with major orchestras around the world.

Kahane made his conducting debut in 1988, at the Oregon Bach Festival. He was the music director of the Santa Rosa Symphony for 11 years and the Colorado Symphony for five years.

For two decades ending in 2017, he served as music director of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra. Among the career highlights Kahane cites in his official online bio are concertos with the New York Philharmonic and San Francisco Symphony, recitals with Yo-Yo Ma and Joshua Bell, European tours conducting the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and collaborations with the Emerson, Miró, Dover, Attacca and Calidore String Quartets.

A FATHER-SON COLLABORATION

Recently, Kahane has been collaborating with his son, Gabriel Kahane, on “Heirloom,” a three-movement concerto written by the younger Kahane that honors the history of their family, beginning with the escape from Nazi Germany of Jeffrey’s mother.

When “Heirloom” was performed at the 2025 Sarasota Music Festival, Gabriel conducted the festival orchestra while his father

“It has been one of the great privileges of my career to lead the Sarasota Music Festival.”

Jeffrey Kahane

played piano. On Oct. 10, Nonesuch Records will release a recording of “Heirloom” made at Carnegie Hall in May 2024. Jeffrey Kahane played piano in that concert along with The Knights, a Brooklyn-based orchestra collective, under the direction of Eric Jacobsen.

Even though he is stepping down from the Sarasota Music Festival, Kahane has agreed to be a guest soloist with the Sarasota Orchestra in the 2026-27 season. McKenna says he is “confident” that Kahane will return to the festival in the future as a teacher and a performer.

Coming back home to the Sarasota Music Festival is a tradition of sorts.

Fellows often return as faculty members as their careers evolve. Among the alumni who have recently come back to teach and perform are violinists Sandy Yamamoto and Elena Urioste and cellist Karen Ouzounian.

Some festival fellows are even asked to join the Sarasota Orchestra. Among them are Hugo Bliss, who joined the orchestra as co-principal horn player in the 2024-25 season.

One reason the Sarasota Music Festival is so popular with arts patrons is that its master classes and rehearsals are open to the public and

can be attended for as little as $5.

Well-wishers from the community often deliver food to the fellows to keep them well fed as they rehearse in Holley Hall at the Beatrice Friedman Symphony Center, a pleasant stroll from the nearby Hyatt Regency.

“We really lost what felt like a campus when the Hyatt closed,” McKenna says.

The location of the Sarasota Music Festival will also move with the arrival of the Sarasota Orchestra’s new Music Center. The project near the intersection of I-75 and Fruitville Road is expected to break ground in 2027 and open for the 2029-30 season.

An anonymous $60 million donation has been pledged to the project, estimated to cost between $375 million and $425 million.

While the Music Center will contain state-of-the-art facilities for the Sarasota Orchestra, its children’s programs and the Sarasota Music Festival, it will not offer housing for visiting artists.

“Housing is a problem for everyone in Sarasota right now,” McKenna says, adding that when the time comes, beds will be found for festival fellows near the new music center.

THIS WEEK

THURSDAY

MIKE PARAMORE

7 p.m. at McCurdy’s Comedy Theatre, 1923 Ringling Blvd. Tickets $26 Visit McCurdysComedy.com.

No one will ever call comedian Mike Paramore a loser. Winning is his thing. He’s the winner of Laughing Devil Festival in NYC, the Laugh Fest’s Best in the Midwest competition and Best of the Fest Big Pine Comedy Festival. He’s been featured on AXTV’s Live at Gotham in NYC, and is a featured comedian on FOX’s hit show “Laughs.”

OUR PICK

MONDAY NIGHT JAZZ AT THE CABARET

The sounds of Brazil will waft through the Court Cabaret as drummer Thomas Carabasi leads a group of accomplished musicians in interpreting the music of Jobim’s homeland, as well as perform American straight ahead jazz classics. Carabasi’s travels have taken him to the land of bossa nova to learn about its music and culture. He will be joined by Patrick Bettison on harmonica, John O’Leary on piano, Alejandro Arenas on bass and Allison Nash on vocals. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. for dinner and beverage service.

IF YOU GO

When: 7:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 8

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

‘BIG SEXY: THE FATS

WALLER REVUE’

7:30 p.m. at Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe. 1012 N. Orange Ave. $52; students younger than 25 and active military, $22 Visit WestcoastBlackTheatreTroupe. org.

Don’t let this summer cabaret show pass you by. “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 no less than 30 songs, “Big Sexy” recreates the days of rent parties and speakeasies in Harlem and brings the eternal mating dance to life with the catand-mouse antics of Pitts and diva Ariel Blue. Through Sept. 7.

‘A BAND CALLED HONALEE’

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

Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

The subtitle to Florida Studio Theatre’s last cabaret show of the season is “A Tribute to Peter, Paul Mary … and Friends,” but any selfrespecting 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 children’s song “Puff the Magic Dragon.” The incarnation of the Band Called Honalee appearing in Sarasota includes Brian Ott, a veteran of FST’s “59th Street Bridge,” who has been touring with the group since 2019. Also on stage are Michael Grieve, Geoffrey Neuman and Sigrid Wise. Runs through Oct. 26.

‘TOO DARN HOT: SONGS FOR A SUMMER NIGHT’

7:30 p.m. at FST’s Court Cabaret, 1265 First St. $39 and up

Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

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, she 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. Runs through Sept. 14.

‘DON’T DRESS FOR DINNER’ 8 p.m. at FST’s Gompertz Theatre, 1265 First St. $42 and up Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

Even the best laid plans for adultery can go awry, especially when a jealous wife sees an opportunity for a little hanky-panky of her own with her husband’s best friend. Written by Marc Camoletti (“Boeing-Boeing”) and Robin Howdon, “Don’t Dress for Dinner” is a high-speed farce sure to shake anyone out of their summer torpor. Runs through Sept. 7.

FRIDAY

‘DON’T TOUCH THAT DIAL’

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

By popular demand, Venice Theatre revives its tribute to TV theme songs, Roger Bean’s “Don’t Touch That Dial,” which uses a gameshowwithin-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.

MONDAY

FOGARTYVILLE SONGWRITER SERIES

7 p.m. at Fogartyville, 525 Kumquat Court $10; $8 for members; $5 for students WSLR.org.

VH-1 had “Behind the Music.” Well, our very own Fogartyville has a series that gives music fans the chance to hear singers playing in the round, sharing stories and describing their artistic process. Taylor Opie hosts featured artists Briana Lutzi and Jamie Tremps.

DON’T MISS

‘THE HIGH LIFE: CONTEMPORARY

PHOTOGRAPHY AND THE BIRDS’

Organized by the Foundation for the Exhibition of Photography, the exhibition features 70 breathtaking works of birds in a variety of locales, including the wild, the studio and the museum. The show is curated by William Ewing and Danaé Panchaud, the same team that brought “Flora Imaginaria” to Marie Selby Botanical Gardens in 2022. The photos are displayed in the Museum of Botany & the Arts and outside throughout the gardens, where some appear right at home in Selby’s tropical paradise overlooking Sarasota Bay. Runs through Sept. 14.

IF YOU GO

When: 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 6

Where: Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, 1534 Mound St. Tickets: $28; $23 online Info: Visit Selby.org.

TUESDAY

‘ART DECO: THE GOLDEN AGE OF ILLUSTRATION’

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

The Sarasota Art Museum celebrates the 100th anniversary of the exposition that kicked off the Art Deco movement. More than 100 eyecatching posters from the Crouse Collection, as well as industrial furniture, home furnishings and other objects loaned by the Wilsonian-Florida International University are on display. Through March 29, 2026.

BLUE MAN GROUP–BLUEVOLUTION WORLD TOUR n .......... Tue-Wed | 1/13-14/26 | 7PM

REVISITING CREEDENCE n ... Thur | 1/15/26 | 7PM

KANSAS n ........................................ Fri | 1/16/26 | 7PM

SOME LIKE IT HOT n ............ Wed-Sun | 1/21-25/26

RIVERDANCE 30–THE NEW GENERATION n .......... Tue-Thur | 1/27-29/26 | 7PM THE BEAT GOES ON n ................. Sun | 2/1/26 | 7PM MJ: THE MUSICAL n ................. Tue-Sun | 2/3-8/26 THE CHOIR OF MAN n ............. Wed | 2/11/26 | 7PM CHRIS BOTTI n ............................. Tue | 2/17/26 | 7PM

| 7PM

Jazz Club of Sarasota names first development director

The Jazz Club of Sarasota has appointed Danielle La Senna as its first director of development. The new position will focus on expanding the Jazz Club’s reach, building partnerships and acquiring resources to sustain and expand its programs.

Freeway, an online portal that makes it easy for filmmakers to submit their productions to a variety of film festivals.

“This role is essential to deepening our community connections, fostering meaningful partnerships and ensuring the support needed to keep jazz thriving for regional audiences of all ages,” said Jazz Club President Ed Linehan in a statement.

Among the Higher Realm Festival’s selections are the documentary “Bill W. Conscious Contact,” about the founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, “Nature Provides,” a doc about the healing power of plant stem cells, and “Earth Wisdom Spirit Call,” a cri de coeur for humans to live in harmony with the planet.

Founded in 1980, Jazz Club of Sarasota produces the annual Sarasota Jazz Festival and presents jazz performances in collaboration with Florida Studio Theatre (Monday Night at the Cabaret), Unitarian Universalists of SRQ (Jazz at Two on Fridays) and the Sarasota Art Museum (Jazz Thursdays at SAM).

Linehan notes that the appointment of La Senna followed an extensive search and that experience as a Jazz club board member was a plus.

A vocalist and arts administrator, La Senna earned a bachelor’s degree in vocal performance from Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music and a master’s in arts education from Harvard Graduate School of Education.

She began her career performing jazz, musical theater and classical music in New York City, and was director of adult education at The Juilliard School for more than a decade.

Since moving to Florida in 2019, La Senna has overseen operations for continuing studies at Ringling College of Art and Design and directed arts education at Sarasota Art Museum.

Most recently, she was executive director of the Choral Artists of Sarasota, where she focused on marketing and development, and facilitated the group’s recent merger with Via Nova Chorale.

“I’m delighted to be working with the Jazz Club in this new role,” said La Senna in a statement. “There’s so much potential to further its mission — bringing jazz to the community and supporting musicians of all ages.”

With La Senna on board to lead fundraising, the Jazz Club is also expanding its physical footprint. On Sept. 1, the organization will move into new headquarters at 2000 Webber St., a first-floor office complex with parking, meeting space and room for future growth.

New film festival planned for Burns Court Cinema

There is a huge market off the beaten path of Hollywood blockbusters and violence-driven franchises, and the inaugural Higher Realm Festival wants to tap it.

The festival will debut Sept. 17-18 at Burns Court Cinema. It is the brainchild of Higher Realm Ministry, a husband-and-wife team that claims to have created a community of “Divine Love, Light, Healing and Connection for all.”

The Higher Realm Festival is being presented in partnership with Film

“Cartapesta: Carnival of Fano,” a 90-minute documentary about an Italian form of papier mache, will capture the imagination of those with an interest in arts and crafts.

The tent of the Higher Realm Festival is a big one indeed, as long as the content is uplifting. Ticket prices are $10 per film, but festival passes are available.

For more information, visit HigherRealmSarasota.com.

Selby Gardens announces winners of juried photo exhibition

Marie Selby Botanical Gardens’ 45th Annual Juried Photographic Exhibition, presented in partnership with the Observer Media Group, is now online in a virtual gallery that can be viewed by visiting Selby.org and YourObserver.com.

The show includes nearly 300 photographs taken by photographers at Selby Gardens’ two campuses, one downtown and the other at Historic Spanish Point in Osprey. Prizes were awarded to top photographs in the exhibition, with the Best in Show honor going to Debbie Durham and her photo, “Peter Pan Into the Light.” The virtual exhibition will remain on view through Sept. 30. Jennifer Rominiecki, president & CEO of Selby Gardens, said in a statement, “We’re deeply honored that nearly 300 gifted artists chose to express their vision of the natural beauty found in our two bayfront sanctuaries. This virtual exhibition offers a stunning glimpse into the diverse landscapes and living art that make Selby Gardens such a special place.” In addition to Best in Show, awards for first place were given in each of the five exhibition categories:

n Living Art: “Natural Curves,” Allyson Galuska

n Make a Splash: “Harmonic” Joseph Sidenberg

n Plant Portraits: “ Life in the Water,” Stan Jernigan

n The Birds and the Bees:

“Sunflower Story: Reflections of a Pollinator,” Jessie Williams

n Black & White: “In Harmony with Nature,” Lisa Harris

From ‘Idol’ to island life

Local musician Casey on the Key recounts her journey from an ‘American Idol’ contestant to singing music in paradise.

IF YOU GO

When: Performances 4-8

Casey Schuber isn’t after fame or glamour.

As she sits under the thatched roof of The Big Tiki Lounge, with the pastel colors and palms of Ocean Boulevard as her backdrop, she doesn’t need anything greater than that: to sing and play guitar as Casey on the Key.

Being a contestant on “American Idol,” or having the chance to sing alongside guitarist Les Paul when she was younger were steps along the way, but her brushes with bigname musicians haven’t made her any less eager to claim a place in the local community.

HITTING HIGH NOTES

Schuber says she began singing before she could “really fully form words.”

At a young age, she was making appearances on shows like “Star Search,” “American Idol Jr.” and “Showtime at the Apollo,” as well as local competitions in her home of New Jersey.

A third-generation singer, she was supported by her family in her endeavors, including her parents, Ed Schuber Jr. and Liz Schuber, who own a New Jersey-based wedding band business, and her grandparents, Ed Schuber Sr. and June Schuber, who have performed in a church choir and local venues.

During her tween years, she performed alongside Les Paul on guitar at The Iridium club on Broadway, singing “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” although it wasn’t until she began learning guitar in her teenage years, a time when she also started writing her own music, that she understood Paul’s significance in the music world.

Before the guitar, Schuber learned piano, largely teaching herself on both instruments out of preference. All along, being on “American Idol” was the ultimate goal.

But the reality of the show is much less glamorous than many realize, and Schuber initially shared that outsider’s perception.

The months-long process would involve numerous separate auditions, many sleepless nights spent rehearsing and many days lost from her late junior and early senior years of high school.

It was also one that would break the relatively shy teenager out of her

p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, 5-9 p.m. Fridays and 1-4 p.m.

Saturdays Where: The Big Tiki Lounge, 5311 Ocean Blvd.

Visit: Go to Instagram.com/ CaseyOnTheKey for more info.

shell. The first time she auditioned, at age 16, she didn’t make the program, but when she decided to try again at 17, she was selected as a contestant on Season 10 (2011).

During her second audition experience, sitting in the Izod Center in New Jersey and waiting to sing Nina Simone’s “Feeling Good” for the producers, she listened silently, feeling terrified as others warmed up their voices.

“There’s just thousands of people in this arena, and of course, it was terrifying, but also one of the most exciting things I’d ever done,” she said. “It was hours and hours of waiting, probably nine or 10 hours, I think, I was sitting in a chair for waiting for my section to be called.”

Multiple auditions later, she was singing “Feeling Good” for the big three judges: Randy Jackson, Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler, Schuber’s personal idol.

The hardest part of that wasn’t the crowd or the many cameras.

“That really was the most nervewracking part, was walking in and seeing one of my idols in front of me, and just having to perform in front of them, knowing that there’s a chance that they may hate you, but doing it anyway, throwing caution to the wind,” she said.

Nonetheless, she left with the slip of paper known as the “golden ticket” to Hollywood.

There, she said, many contestants stayed awake throughout the night performing, and the amount of time invested in rehearsing could be the difference between moving forward and being sent home.

Nonetheless, Schuber advanced to the next round in Las Vegas, where she was one of 61 contestants who sang tunes by The Beatles in the hopes of making it into the top 24.

The challenge excited her, as The Beatles were one of her favorite bands, while she was also glad to be paired with two contestants with

“It’s been amazing. I’ve met so many cool people from all walks of life here.

Casey Schuber

whom she had become friends, Jacee Badeaux and Luke Shaffer.

Amid the adrenaline rush, not all of the details of what followed registered, but she says she somewhat recalls Tyler’s comments.

“It was something to that effect, where he was expecting us to be terrible, and he was pleasantly surprised that it was great,” she said.

However, that round was the one that sent Schuber and Shaffer home, while Badeaux stayed, later reaching the top 40. For contestants at that level, she didn’t receive a reason for the elimination.

Schuber says her experience taught her about what people are capable of when they are truly passionate about something, and about her commonalities and differences with people from all walks of life, while exposing her to different ways of performing music.

FINDING MUSIC AGAIN

After stints with a Clearwater band and then a New Jersey-based cover band, Schuber set her sights on a place often known as Music City — Nashville, Tennessee.

Upon moving there with her partner, Eugene Fornario, she found a highly competitive environment that was difficult for outsiders. As the concerns of daily life took over, with Schuber working multiple jobs including a bartending role, her focus turned to day-to-day survival.

“For years, I just didn’t play music.

I just gave it up. I said, ‘Maybe it’s just not for me anymore,’” she said.

She recalls that period of nearly five years as a dark time, where her mental health was impacted and she stopped singing even when alone because it felt like false hope.

Then, with Schuber seeking a change, the couple moved to St. Pete, and then to Sarasota, in an event she says almost was like fate.

In Sarasota, she had no job lined up, but a new establishment — which Dave Balot and Mike Holderness were opening in Siesta Key — The Big Tiki Lounge, was seeking a musician.

After she became connected with Balot, he decided she would be a good fit for the location and offered an opportunity.

It was time to dust off the guitar.

“It was simple,” Balot wrote the

Observer. “I asked my mutual friends about Casey, who gave her personal and professional glowing reviews, and if Ed said she could sing like Liz, that’s all I needed to know.”

Schuber says her first performance at the bar, in January 2023, was even more terrifying than “American Idol,” because of how long it had been since her last time on stage, and because she was still an outsider in the community.

As she took to the stand, her body was shaking, but as she continued playing, she realized she had finally escaped the issues of the past few years.

“It was almost like someone reached down and pulled me out of that and reintroduced music in my life, and finally it was back, and I’d almost forgotten that’s what the problem was,” she said. “That’s how long it had been and how complacent I had gotten, and as soon as it was reintroduced and I started singing again, really singing again, I felt like, ‘There I am. There it is.’ And I felt like myself again.”

It was the start of what she says has been the best three years of her life.

Schuber, who now performs a variety of songs at the restaurant four days a week, says she’s grateful for the chance to wake up and do what she loves again “in a place that makes me so happy and surrounded by people that I really love.”

“It’s been amazing,” she said. “I’ve met so many cool people from all walks of life here. It’s a melting pot, I feel, where everyone has come here from somewhere else, and the ones that were born and raised here know everything about the area. And everyone’s amazing.”

A space for all sectors

The networking was community wide, but it was condensed into one room.

The Grand Expo, held Aug. 28 by the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce at Robarts Arena, was also widely anticipated and attended, according to Heather Kasten, president and CEO of the chamber.

The event sold out of exhibitor space almost two months in advance, with more than 500 people registered to attend, she said.

After last year’s expo was held in April, the event was repositioned to the fall, which she said resonated with the business community.

“What’s so exciting about this year’s expo is just the excitement for the event itself,” she said.

The event featured more than 80 booths by chamber members,

giving the public and local professionals the chance to connect with businesses offering different products and services, as well as clubs and nonprofits.

Joel Hanson, manager of The Original Wolfie’s Deli, was among the attendees finding new opportunities.

“I had a lot of fun talking to all the local business owners,” he said. “It gave me a chance to meet a lot of people that I don’t think I would have had as easy a time meeting, and I think it’s going to open up a lot of opportunities for networking with other businesses for hosting more exciting events, and for seeing a lot of new partnerships forming.”

— IAN SWABY

IT’S READ EVERYWHERE

Headed

ARTFUL CONNECTIONS

Networking event showcases recently renovated space in St. Armands gallery.

IAN SWABY STAFF WRITER

Abusiness networking event on Aug. 28 boasted a striking backdrop.

“Everything is so beautiful,” said attendee Nancy Taussig, of Wright Accounting, as she browsed the works inside Wyland Gallery.

During Off the Clock Networking at Wyland Gallery, the Longboat Key Chamber of Commerce invited its members to network and connect in the gallery on St. Armands Circle.

Attendees had the chance to browse the works of art, including those by artist Robert Wyland, who is known for his outdoor murals of whales and other sea life.

The event allowed the gallery to showcase its recently renovated space, which gallery owner Guy Vincent called the “perfect” platform for the event.

Vincent said the damage during Hurricane Helene provided the first opportunity for the gallery to be fully renovated after 27 years.

The black floor, pedestals and ceiling were replaced with lightercolored material, and new features. Vincent says after the renovation proved popular, it was performed in the Key West location he also owns.

Ellen Thomas, the chamber event coordinator, said the organization has been looking to make its events

interesting for its members, and “maybe a little different” from what it has done in the past.

“It’s such a creative environment and such a great vibe, and I saw smiles on most people’s faces,” she said, noting guests also had the chance to learn about the art. “I think it was really an added element, and I think Guy went out of his way to make it that way.”

A Graham’s Point home tops sales at $5.6 million

ADAM HUGHES RESEARCH EDITOR

Amy van der Velde sold her home at 3516 Casey Key Road to David and Bridget Earl, of Annapolis, Maryland, for $5.6 million. Built in 1984, it has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths and 3,711 square feet of living area. It sold for $2 million in 2020.

SARASOTA

VUE Scott Lane Williams and Anne Berkely Williams, of Cincinnati, sold their Unit 1205 condominium at 1155 N. Gulfstream Ave. to Robin Butler and John Butler, trustees, of North Reading, Massachusetts, for $3,275,000. Built in 2017, it has three bedrooms, three baths and 2,313 square feet of living area. It sold for $1,935,100 in 2017.

RIVETTA

RYGS Group LLC sold the home at 4726 Rivetta Court to Adam Devin Dunn and Patricia Amon Dunn, of Sarasota, for $1.7 million. Built in 2024, it has five bedrooms, fourand-a-half baths, a pool and 4,371 square feet of living area.

THE CONDOMINIUM ON THE BAY

Lorna Maclaren, of Ontario, Canada, sold her Unit 1608 condominium at 888 Blvd. of the Arts to R. Charles Murray, of Sarasota, for $1,495,000. Built in 1982, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,642 square feet of living area. It sold for $615,000 in 2013.

HARBOR ACRES

Kevin MacArthur Parrack and Inkyong Kim Parrack sold their home at 1509 Flower Drive to Southside Homes LLC for $1.35 million. Built in 1950, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,915 square feet of living area. It sold for $860,000 in 2019.

POINSETTIA PARK

Catherine Doris Pisani sold the home at 1934 Bougainvillea St. to William and Erin Barrett, of Sarasota, for $1.05 million. Built in 1949, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,742 square feet of living area. It sold for $630,000 in 2020.

GRANADA PARK

Jeffrey Schaefer, of Sarasota, sold his home at 1746 Stapleton St. to Neil and Annie O’Donnell, of Sarasota, for $1 million. Built in 2006, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 2,895 square feet of living area. It sold for $699,000 in 2017.

SINGLETARYS

Eric and Patricia Blanc, of Santa Barbara, California, sold their home at 2460 Hillview St. to Nathan Harrington Kitler and Susannah Elsbeth Kitler, of Sarasota, for $975,000. Built in 1956, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,120 square feet of living area. It sold for $950,000 in 2023.

CHEYENNE STREET

Patricia Ann Nelson, trustee, sold the home at 1724 Cheyenne St. to Alexander Donley and Amanda Donley, trustees, of St. Louis, for $925,000. Built in 1985, it has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, a pool and 2,278 square feet of living area. It sold for $685,000 in 2021.

THE 101 Vincent and Lucia Payne, of Orlando, sold their Unit PH-J condominium at 101 S. Gulfstream Ave. to Jose Lopez, trustee, of Bella Collina, for $725,000. Built in 1974, it has one bedroom, two baths and 1,007 square feet of living area. It sold for $350,000 in 2018.

RIVERWOOD OAKS

James and Barbara Bourgoin, of Sarasota, sold two properties at 2299 Riverwood Court to Justin and Morgan Bellante, of Sarasota, for $665,000. The first property was built in 1981 and has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, a pool and 1,853 square feet of living area. The second property was built in 1983 and has one bedroom, one bath and 360 square feet of living area. They sold for $270,200 in 2009.

RIDGEWOOD

John Murrow, trustee, of Tampa, sold the home at 2320 James Lane to Bryony Gabriel Swift, of Sarasota, for $655,000. Built in 1986, it has four bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,725 square feet of living area. It sold for $356,000 in 2017.

E.A. SMITH’S

Cecilia Vincent and Michelle Maria Medina sold their home at 1920 Ninth St. to Ben Jerman, trustee, of Sarasota, for $605,000. Built in 1973, it has four bedrooms, two baths and 1,492 square feet of living area. It sold for $510,000 in 2022.

SIESTA KEY

MIRA-MAR

Randall and Debra Ferman, of Cincinnati, Iowa, sold their home at 8030 Midnight Pass Road to Eugene Gould Jr. and Laura Marie Gould, of Sarasota, for $3.2 million. Built in 2024, it has four bedrooms, four-and-two-half baths and 3,856 square feet of living area.

SIESTA ISLES

Dale and Sara Linnes, of Eastsound, Washington, sold their home at

TOP BUILDING PERMITS

1031 Contento St. to Patty Riggin Van Wie and Mark Allen Matz, of Sarasota, for $1.7 million. Built in 1971, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,853 square feet of living area. It sold for $1,565,000 in 2021.

THE ANCHORAGE

Art Hancock Jr., of Nashville, Tennessee, sold his Unit 204 condominium at 6415 Midnight Pass Road to Craig Dale Livengood and Susan Diane Livengood, of Tarkio, Missouri, for $550,000. Built in 1975, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,291 square feet of living area. It sold for $163,000 in 1998.

ONLINE

See more transactions at YourObserver.com.

Other top sales by area

SARASOTA:

$5.25 MILLION

Block 6

Larry and Catherine Grizzle, of Sarasota, sold their Unit 901 condominium at 401 Quay Commons to James Rogers and Laura Rogers, trustees, of Sarasota, for $5.25 million. Built in 2021, it has three bedrooms, three-anda-half baths and 3,647 square feet of living area. It sold for $3,532,400 in 2021.

SIESTA KEY:

$3.99 MILLION

Harmony

Alberto Guadagnini, of Sarasota, sold his home at 4815 Featherbed Lane to Kimberly Hall and Christopher Hall, trustees, of Marietta, Ohio, for $3.99 million. Built in 2024, it has four bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 3,330 square feet of living area.

PALMER RANCH:

$955,000

The Country Club of Sarasota

Richard Hayashi and Gabriella Hayashi, trustees, sold the home at 3725 Spyglass Hill Road to Jeffrey Paul Eason and Frances Eason, of Falmouth, Massachusetts, for $955,000. Built in 1980, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,272 square feet of living area. It sold for $467,000 in 2020.

YOUR CALENDAR

identify and document species. Visit SarasotaCountyParks.com.

SATURDAY, SEPT. 6

RUN & WALK CLUB FOR ALL

7:30-8:30 p.m. at The Nest, The Bay, 1055 Boulevard of the Arts. Free. This club provides a welcoming and supportive community for people of all ages and levels of ability, with a new recommended route and game plan from coach Elisha each week. Visit TheBaySarasota.org.

SUNDAY, SEPT. 7

SUNDAYS AT THE BAY FEATURING FLEMING & CO.

6-7 p.m. at The Oval, 1055 Boulevard of the Arts. Free. Enjoy a free outdoor concert at The Bay with this week’s performer Fleming & Co., playing “coastal indie pop music influenced by ’90s rock, country and classic storytelling.” Visit TheBaySarasota.org.

MONDAY, SEPT. 8

HOW MONEY WORKS

10:30-11:30 a.m. at Betty J. Johnson North Sarasota Library, 2801 Newtown Blvd. This free program is designed to help participants take control of their finances and build a secure future using the 7 Money Milestones. Visit SCGovLibrary. LibraryMarket.com.

TUESDAY, SEPT. 9

THE UKE DAYS OF SUMMER

1-2 p.m. at Betty J. Johnson North Sarasota Library, 2801 Newtown Blvd. Free. Adults and seniors. Make music with the ukulele. Learn to play a blues progression, develop a vocabulary of chords and practice chord transitions and strumming techniques. A limited number of ukuleles will be available at the library. A few select ukuleles will be available to borrow for practice at home. Visit SCGovLibrary.LibraryMarket.com.

The color guard, including

and

BEST BET

THURSDAY, SEPT. 11 2025 REMEMBRANCE OF SEPTEMBER 11, 2001

Flag raising and taps at 8:15 a.m., followed by the program at 8:30 a.m., at USF Sarasota-Manatee Campus, 8350 N. Tamiami Trail. Free. USF SarasotaManatee hosts its annual ceremony in remembrance of Sept. 11, 2001. On campus will be displayed 2,977 flags to honor each of the lives lost. RSVP required. Visit SarasotaManatee.USF. edu.

CHEF WARREN CELEBRATES SPANISH CUISINE

2:30-4 p.m. at Fruitville Library, 100 Apex Road. Free. Chef Warren explains why the Mediterranean diet is considered among the healthiest, teaching how to make meals from Spain with ingredients from the local store. Visit SCGovLibrary.LibraryMarket.com.

THURSDAY, SEPT. 11

CINEMA AT THE BAY: ‘SIDEWAYS’

7:30 p.m. to 9:45 p.m. at The Oval, 1055 Boulevard of the Arts. Free. Enjoy a free outdoor movie under the stars. In “Sideways” (R), a depressed teacher (Paul Giamatti) and a post-prime actor (Jack Cole) take a road trip through California’s wine country. Visit TheBaySarasota.org.

SPORTS

BREAK

Booker High captured its sixth straight home victory, defeating Tampa Berkeley Prep 29-23 on Aug. 29. The Tornadoes got back at the Bucs for their loss last season. Booker now stands at 1-1 this year, but has averaged 50.8 points per game in its last six contests at Tornado Alley. The streak includes an 85-0 victory over St. Pete Gibbs in November. The Tornadoes will travel to Clearwater to take on Calvary Christian this Friday at 7 p.m.

... The Riverview Rams now upped their record to 1-0-1 with a 42-7 victory over Hillsborough Riverview. The Rams will host Palmetto on Friday at 7:30. Hudson West threw for 273 yards and three touchdowns in leading Sarasota to a 27-7 win over Braden River. The Sailors, now 1-1, travel to North Port Friday at 7:30. Davin Davidson threw for 230 yards and Connail Jackson rushed for 101 yards, but it wasn’t enough as Cardinal Mooney went to Orlando and lost to Cherry Creek of Colorado, 24-21. The Cougars’ Kymistrii Young had nine catches for 124 yards in the game. The Cougars, 1-1, will play Rockledge at home Friday at 7:30 p.m.

... The Cardinal Mooney volleyball team has won two of its last three matches, but their record stands at 3-5. The Cougars play at Venice tonight, Sept. 4, at 7 p.m.

... Riverview’s volleyball team, despite a loss to Venice, bounced back to defeat Lakewood Ranch and move its record to 3-1 this season.

... Booker and Sarasota continue to search for its first victories of the volleyball season as both stand at 0-5.

HUDSON THEN, HUDSON NOW

After busy summer, the journey rolls on for Sailors sophomore talent.

JACK NELSON SPORTS REPORTER

Plenty of eyes fixated on Hudson West following his breakout freshman campaign under center. One particular pair saw something special in him.

Those belong to North Carolina coach Bill Belichick, an eight-time Super Bowl champion.

West received an invite to the Tar Heels’ summer camp back on June 8. He left Chapel Hill that day with a scholarship offer in hand as the MVP.

It marked a memorable stop on his wild offseason tour, but with his recruitment blasting off into the stratosphere, he’s keeping his feet firmly on the ground.

“I’m the same Hudson. That didn’t change me,” West said. “I was the same person before, and then after.”

The Sarasota quarterback has embarked on his sophomore season, now shouldering the attention that comes with being a bona fide Division I prospect. It didn’t take long for his pigskin prolifics to put him on the map.

Cincinnati, Kentucky, Virginia Tech, North Alabama and Toledo are all competing with Belichick’s interest as other programs that have offered the 6-foot-5 signal caller.

Then there’s Alabama, Texas, Florida and Virginia — hosts of other camps that West competed at this summer.

But he’s back to work with the Sailors. Following a 3-7 season in which

the team missed the FHSAA Class 7A state tournament and went winless in District 8, West put in the preparation necessary to try to inspire a bounce-back.

“Confidence-wise, I worked a lot in the offseason. I watched my film over and over again,” West said. “‘What did I do wrong? What did I do good?’ And I fixed it.”

Such adjustments were tested at the outset this fall. Facing Bayshore in Week 1, he threw for 270 yards and two touchdowns while completing 14 of 18 pass attempts. For extra gravy, he surpassed 300 all-purpose yards by rushing for 51.

His team wound up on the wrong side of a 36-30 overtime loss, but with that first act, the Hudson West show had formally arrived in 2025.

The youngster was able to apply the benefit of hindsight. Rookie growing pains have instilled lessons, and he’s not alone in that regard. Another crucial contributor now has a year under his belt donning the orange and black.

Anthony “Amp” Campbell — former Michigan State defensive back under coach Nick Saban — is another year older, another year wiser as the sideline steward. After watching Sarasota’s late-season struggle snowball into five straight losses to close out 2024, he went out and got a new offensive coordinator to better build around its top talent.

He crowned Tommie Battie with the headset. And with the playbook

NEW DIGS

Booker High School hosts grand opening of new field house amid home football game.

IAN SWABY STAFF WRITER

After a recent track and field remodel at Booker High School, the school celebrated the addition of another piece on Aug. 29. Numerous local officials turned out to celebrate the grand opening of the school’s new field house facility, which has been under construction since May 2024. The project, budgeted at $2.2 million as of June, replaces the school’s original field facilities with

a new field house and locker rooms, remodeled from a previous storage and chiller facility.

That same night, the school also held a home football game, in which it won 29-23 against Tampa Berkeley Prep, with Superintendent of Sarasota County Schools Terry Connor performing the coin toss prior to the start of the game.

Although the game was soon to get underway as the ribbon-cutting took place, coach Carlos Woods and a few athletes took to the podium so that Woods could praise the addition.

“Thank you to everyone that was involved, everyone that said yes, to keep pushing, keep pushing, to get everything that we need to in order to take our student athletes to the next level,” he said.

Some of the features of the climate-controlled space are locker rooms, a conference room, offices

in his hands, Battie has wasted little time in leveraging the pass catchers to light up the scoreboard.

Sarasota is fresh off a commanding 27-7 victory over Braden River in last Friday’s home opener.

The 15-year-old field general connected with junior wide receiver/ cornerback Jayden Rivers for a trio of touchdowns through the air in Week 2. Combining their talents for multiple chunk plays, they paced the Sailors’ offense all night long.

Under Battie’s playcalling, West was able to air it out downfield while Rivers flexed his route-running ability. Their partnership is still in its early stages — Rivers being a Lakewood Ranch transfer — but figures to be pivotal in the grander scheme for success.

“Their bond has been amazing since this summer. When (Rivers) came over, they started working hard,” Campbell said. “They’ve done an unbelievable job here in the past three months.”

It’s a welcomed addition to the weaponry at West’s disposal. The list of targets also features senior tight end/wide receiver Scotty Wells, senior wide receiver Viktor Monoki and sophomore athlete Cooper Hamilton, among others.

All of them look to the man under center. He’s been the de-facto leader in Sailors circles ever since securing the starting job as a newcomer, and he’s a rookie no longer.

Inexperience has given way to experience despite a high school career that, in some respects, remains in its infancy.

“Right now, he’s a little bit more confident than when he was a freshman. His ability to lead as a sophomore has been outstanding,” Campbell said. “He’s a kid that I feel we could put the offense in his hand, and he could run it himself.”

Attention on West won’t dissipate as the fall rolls on. Though it may fluctuate with his performance, eyes are already on him — more than most his age deal with.

This is the burden that comes with great talent, and it’s a spotlight the signal caller has been granted little time to get comfortable with. He doesn’t waver from the truth he knows.

“I’m still Hudson,” West said.

for coaching staff, a nutrition area for student athletes, specialized areas for the trainer, storage for uniforms, showers and restrooms.

Principal Rachel Shelley, who has been with the school for 15 years, said she had long wanted to see this type of project for the athletes.

“It was not up to standards,” she

said of the school’s previous space

She said the field house will give the school a competitive edge when it comes to facilities.

“I think it’s going to add a lot of desire to want to be in that environment, so I think our overall athletic program is going to be enhanced because of it,” she said.

NATURE’S BEAUTY WITH

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