Sarasota/Siesta Key Observer 9.7.23

Street eats closer to approval

Green slice of Sarasota

Although many residents of Sarasota have visited Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, the public turned out to a less-frequented location on Labor Day.

The Sarasota Succulent Society hosted its Labor Day Monday Plant Sale at its historic property, the Sparkman House and grounds, located at 1310 38th St.

The event drew individuals who were curious to explore the gardens and plants, including the various succulents and orchids for sale.

Visitors also got to learn “All about orchids” thanks to a program from special guests Mickey Carnell and Gina Victor-Carnell, owners of Blue Pagoda and Evolution Orchids in Englewood, Florida.

They said they decided to return every Labor Day after speaking at the location last year.

Three sales per year help support the garden, which is entirely volunteer-run, said Susan Palmieri, president of the organization.

HOPE FLOATS

A liveaboard boat owner thanks his good fortune.

SEE PAGE 3A

AFTER IDALIA

Sarasota and Siesta Key saw storm waters surge to new heights.

SEE PAGE 4A

GIMME SHELTER

Sarasota Humane Society takes in pets from hard-hit counties.

SEE PAGE 4B

WEEK OF SEPT. 7, 2023

Proposed

Public

being

File photo

CALENDAR

Payne Park Auditorium workshop set

The property is zoned Governmental.

ticketing office and storage building addition, as well as dressing rooms, a green room and catering. Once a formal application is filed with the city, property owners and neighborhood associations within 500 feet of the site will be notified of any public hearings held as the application proceeds through the development review process.

Ringling ranked in top film schools

Ringling College of Art and Design has been ranked among some of the country’s largest universities by The Hollywood Reporter as one of the best American film schools. At an annual tuition of $50,500, Ringling College is ranked 20th among the top 25 institutions. Among its peers are University of Southern California, UCLA, Florida State, DePaul and more.

The Hollywood Reporter wrote about Ringling College: “The small class sizes are a draw for the program, which enrolls between 30 and 40 kids a semester. Even with its small size, the school has proven itself, particularly as an animation and advertising powerhouse, with students accounting for two out of the five U.S. semifinalists for the 2023 Student Academy Award in animation.”

To view the complete list, visit HollywoodReporter.com.

County schools earn high state and national rankings

Three Sarasota County schools have been ranked highly among tens of thousands of schools nationwide by U.S. News and World Report. Ranked as the second-best high school in Florida and No. 13 in the country was Pine View, which serves gifted students in grades 2-12. The public school won high marks for college readiness and assessments. Located in Osprey, Pine View has a 100% graduation rate and has an enrollment of 737.

Public magnet school Suncoast Polytech in Sarasota was ranked 36th in the state. Located on Beneva Road since 2012, the report noted the school’s large underserved student population, with around 35% of the enrolled 541 students classified as “economically disadvantaged.” The school is ranked No. 491 among more than 17,000 nationally. Riverview High School is ranked No. 88 in Florida. With an enrollment of 2,534, the school’s curriculum is based on the International Baccalaureate program.

“I think (parklets) is a better public use than somebody’s car sitting there.”

Sarasota Vice Mayor Liz Alpert Read more on page 6A

When tropical weather threatens the Gulf Coast, Sarasota residents face many decisions and preparations, often in a short amount of time, as was the case with Hurricane Idalia.

They need to secure homes and property. Residents must decide whether to ride out the storm or evacuate, and if so, where to go. Boaters, too, must prepare and secure their docked and anchored watercraft in a matter of days, return to their homes or evacuate, and hope for the best.

But what if your boat is also your home?

If a storm’s path deviates even a few miles in one direction or another, that can mean the difference between a glancing blow or a disaster. Hurricane Ian, for example, had little impact on Sarasota Bay, whereas just a few miles south were images of boats piled atop one another, some sunken and others driven onto dry land.

The approach of Hurricane Idalia meant tough decisions for Steve Lloyd, whose residence is a 52-foot Horizon catamaran he moors at Sarasota Yacht Club.

Since 2020, Lloyd has lived in his floating home after traveling here on a working vacation trip to check on coastal properties he owns just before the COVID-19 response shut down air travel.

“I had properties on Siesta Key for years, but I never came here. And then when I came to visit, it was when we went into lockdown,” Lloyd said. “I came for 10 days just before Easter, and we went into full lockdown. Everyone was telling me ‘If you fly home, you’re going to die.’”

So he hunkered down here for a while, the isolation forcing him to reexamine his lifestyle.

At 300 pounds, he decided to make some changes. He quickly lost 40 pounds, and one day while taking in the view at Turtle Beach, he decided not return to his Westchester, Pennsylvania home.

“I actually stayed until September, flew home, gave away all my furniture to Goodwill, sold my house in 10 days and drove back here in my car and didn’t bring anything,” he said.

He calls his new lifestyle “my best life,” the motto emblazoned on the stern of his floating home.

HOME OFFICE

Lloyd co-founded Stone Bay Holdings in 2012. The investment group holds about $300 million in real estate, including short-term rentals on Siesta Key. His boat doubles as his office, his view dictated only by the weather.

He had never “even owned a rowboat,” he said, but the pandemic changed everything.

“I was looking for a house on the Intercoastal, but I couldn’t find one. They were too big,” Lloyd said. “I saw an ad for the Fort Lauderdale Boat Show, and I went and bought a yacht and I’ve been living on it ever since.”

He doesn’t pilot the yacht. Instead, he hired a captain, Kyle Fraley, who, along with a crew, is at the controls on his occasional excursions to the Caribbean or destinations off the Atlantic Coast.

It was Fraley who advised Lloyd to move the yacht to Marina Jack — where he keeps a floating boat slip just for that purpose — to ride out the storm.

Moved and moored at the end of Dock G, plenty of work remained.

“Once you get the boat secured, then you really have to observe everything else around you because another threat is things flying around the marina that can damage your glass and your boat,” Lloyd said.

“You have to hope that everyone else has tied their boat up properly and has done the proper things for everyone to be safe.”

With the boat secured, Lloyd had one last decision to make: ride out the storm or head 3 miles inland to wait it out with his girlfriend. He chose domestic tranquility, but it was anything but tranquil. Like other boat owners, he didn’t know what he would find when he returned.

DOCK DAMAGE

Owners of one Sarasota home are dealing with boat damage in the wake of Hurricane Idalia, and it isn’t even their boat. Michael and Desiree Trahan were away for the summer and were informed by a property watcher that the storm had driven a sailboat into the dock on Sarasota Bay behind their home on South Shore Drive.

As of earlier this week, the boat was still there, and according to Desiree Trahan, they are hearing it could be months before it is removed.

The sailboat crashed into the dock, causing enough damage to leave it impassable. How the accident occurred is unknown because power was lost to security cameras during the storm.

“I wish our cameras had been on because I really would have liked to see how it made its way to the rocks and then made its way into our dock,” said Desiree Trahan.

Because of the condition of the wreckage, the registration number of the vessel is inaccessible. Unable to identify the owner, the Trahans were informed that the Sarasota Police Department will take the lead in having it removed. It’s just a matter of when.

“I posted on social media to three or four different groups I belong to, and on one of the groups they said that the owner knew about it and was trying to find someone to help,” Trahan said. “I said I’ve already contacted the police and they’ve told me they’re going to remove it as soon as they can. I never got a (personal message), so I don’t know if it’s going to be abandoned or not.

“We were hoping the owner would come forward have insurance and fix the dock.”

Although they don’t have an estimate to repair the dock — Desiree Trahan said her husband thinks it could cost about $10,000 based on photos they’ve seen — they do have a preliminary report.

“Our dock guy was out and said it hit hard and actually moved the dock,” Desiree Trahan said.

“The boating world is an amazing, kind, caring world where everyone helps each other, but the emotions of having this asset, having my home on the water, you want to be there, but you also have to think about safety,” Lloyd said. “At least my captain was down there checking on my boat every few hours. There’s really nothing that you can do after the winds pick up over 45 mph.”

ONLY FIVE BAD DAYS A YEAR

Once the danger had passed, Lloyd returned to find “My Best Life” intact. Some others weren’t so lucky.

Looking across the marina toward Gulfstream Avenue, a sailboat listed against the seawall, its mast pointing toward land. But not even two days after Idalia, other than water near the top of the docks, all appeared normal at Marina Jack, any sunken boats already removed.

Lloyd was relieved for himself but concerned for others who were not so fortunate.

“You get to the dock and you see the debris everywhere, you see how high the water was from the storm, and then you walk by a 50-foot boat that’s sunk. Your heart just sinks for that person,” Lloyd said. “You see sailboats up along Gulfstream Avenue and you see another sailboat that’s up against the Ringling Bridge and your heart goes out to them because, as a boater, you know how much time and effort that goes into this.”

Although still somewhat new to the boating community, Lloyd said occasional worries about hurricanes are worth it for the lifestyle.

“We live in this special place, and 360 days out of the year it’s just amazing. You put so much time,

money and effort into such a valuable asset, and it’s amazing that it all can be lost in maybe be five or six days out of the year,” he said. “But if you talk to fellow boaters, they wouldn’t have it any other way because we have a very special boating family. Everybody is walking by when you’re doing your own preparation and asking if you need help. Everyone is helping each other.

“Then you have to go through the night of the storm and you’re not sleeping well, an then you have to go and assess the damage. It’s not only checking your boat, it’s making sure everyone else is OK, and that’s what makes the boating world special.”

Live-aboard yacht owner says the lifestyle’s benefits are worth a few days of anxiety during tropical weather.

‘Best life’ possible 24/7/360

In February I fell and broke my left shoulder. I contacted Dr. Page who examined my shoulder, He diagnosed and made a recommendation for surgery, carefully explaining the procedure in terms my husband and I could understand. After surgery, I was in physical therapy the following week. In less than three months, I regained most of my mobility back and my shoulder continues to improve. The surgery was a complete success. The nurses and office staff were very competent and helpful. I would recommend Dr. Page without reservation.

Idalia’s indirect impact

Although Hurricane Idalia made landfall as a Category 3 storm on Aug. 30 in the Big Bend region of Florida more than 200 miles north of Sarasota, the city’s bayfront and Siesta Key still felt the storm’s impact.

As the storm approached the Gulf Coast, Sarasota County issued evacuation orders on Aug. 28 for Level A, which includes coastal and low-lying areas, Siesta Key, Lido and St. Armands Key.

Some area residents prepped by filling sandbags at designated stations in the county.

Idalia passed by the Sarasota area Tuesday night still more than 150 miles from the coast.

On Wednesday morning, Sarasota woke to find a majority of the Sarasota bayfront closed due to flooding from Hurricane Idalia, including U.S. 41 from Main Street to Fruitville Road.

Several boats were damaged or

had sunk in the Marina Jack basin. The north bridge to Siesta Key at Siesta Drive was closed because of flooding. And St. Armands Key lay under several feet of water, with the Ringling Bridge closed. But after high tide around noon, the storm waters began to recede. However, life was already beginning to return to normal on Siesta Key Beach, where a small number turned out to enjoy the high waves, as well as the waters that had come to extend across much of the beach.

A few hours later, the Ringling Bridge reopened and gradually, over the next 24 hours, access to Bird Key, Lido Key and St. Armands Key was restored. Sarasota was spared the worst from Idalia, although winds and flooding effects could be seen downtown and on the barrier islands.

Email press releases, announcements and Letters to the Editor to: Kat Hughes, khughes@yourobserver.com

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Parklet dining closer to becoming permanent

If approved on second reading, eating in the street will require permanent installations and cost restaurants $35 per day per space.

ANDREW WARFIELD STAFF WRITER

Outdoor dining enthusiasts are one step closer to a permanent policy to allow them to eat in the streets of downtown Sarasota.

By a 3-2 vote on first reading, the City Commission approved an ordinance to permit restaurants to occupy parking spaces on streets adjacent to their businesses for “parklet” dining.

As the split vote would suggest, there was considerable debate among commissioners, with Jen AhearnKoch and Debbie Trice citing fairness to retailers and other merchants who rely on parking convenient to their businesses. Commissioner Erik Arroyo, Vice Mayor Liz Alpert and Mayor Kyle Battie countered that the atmosphere created by the outdoor dining experience stimulates activity, serving a public benefit.

“I am opposed to the private use of parklets by restaurants,” Trice said. “I don’t believe that is for a public purpose. It will lead to loss of parking spaces in a high-demand area, and it disadvantages the nonrestaurant businesses.”

With a 17% cap on parking spaces occupied by parklets on any given block, that comes to a total of 21 parking spaces available for use by restaurants with downtown street parking frontage. Temporary parklets currently occupy 11 parking spaces in downtown.

Alpert said there is plenty of available parking in downtown and that a vehicle in a parking space in front of a store doesn’t mean its occupants are shopping there.

“I think it’s a better public use than somebody’s car sitting there. And when there’s a car sitting there,

nobody else can use it,” Alpert said.

“We have other parking that people can utilize. There is no guarantee to anyone that they can park right in front of a business. When you go to the mall, you don’t park right in front of the store, so I don’t see it as different. I do see it as a benefit.”

Fees restaurants must pay for parklets will come before commissioners on a separate ordinance, but all in — including application fees, code enforcement and annual fees to compensate the city for lost parking revenue, etc. — the proposed cost is approximately $35 per space per day.

A parklet license is good for two years and can be granted or revoked at the city’s discretion. The installation must conform to a detailed set of standards for design and safety and be either permanent — as in an anchored deck — or portable for removal during tropical weather events.

off a parking space with metal barricades, as some restaurants have done.

Ahearn-Koch and Trice cited the opposition to parklets by the Downtown Improvement District Board of Directors and summoned DID Business Manager Julie Ryan to the dais to relay its objections.

“It is important to have as much parking as possible for the downtown merchants, as well as the fairness issue,” Ryan said. “The feeling is that the restaurants can have those parking spaces where a merchant cannot utilize those parking spaces, but primarily it comes down to the perception of not being able to park in downtown.”

PARKLET ORDINANCE HIGHLIGHTS

■ No live entertainment, amplified music or mechanically amplified sound of any nature is permitted in the parklet.

■ Stoves, ovens, hot plates, beverage coolers and similar restaurant equipment may not be placed in the parklet. Additionally, no privately owned trash cans shall be placed in the parklet.

space unavailable in downtown.

Some restaurants still recovering financially from COVID-era hesitancies and restrictions have come to rely on the extra seating parklets afford, and they successfully lobbied the city to extend the policy until a permanent ordinance could be considered. Even well before the pandemic, the parklet concept had gained popularity across the country and is now part of the dining and entertainment fabric in cities such as Cincinnati, San Francisco, Brooklyn, Seattle, St. Pete Beach and Fort Lauderdale.

■ No tables and chairs or other furniture may be chained or bolted together as a unit or affixed to the sidewalk or ground surface. Space heaters may be placed only in uncovered areas open to the sky.

■ Parklets may be open and operational the same hours as the qualifying business, except that under no circumstances shall a parklet close later than 2 a.m. or be open earlier than 7 a.m.

Permanent parklets will not be permitted on St. Armands Circle because of a parking bond that directs paid parking revenues toward the parking deck there.

For over 30 years The Plumbing Place has worked hard to earn the trust of our customers and contractors. And with over 150 years of combined experience, our

Gone will be the ability to cordon

Started locally during the height of the pandemic to help restaurants stay in business, parklets proved to be a popular dining option for many downtown eateries that face a competitive disadvantage with their suburban counterparts that enjoy patio

Beautiful AND Durable Exterior Door Hardware

In addition to a second reading, still to come before commissioners is the ordinance to set the parklet rates to be paid by restaurants.

It’s a frustrating reality for many Gulf Coast homeowners – discolored, pitted and tarnished exterior door hardware caused by our harsh salt-rich air.

We eventually learn that the tease of “lifetime brass” really means a lifetime of maintenance and repair. There is a practical solution to this common problem – Bronze or Stainless

■ Beer, wine or other alcoholic beverages may be consumed in a parklet provided that they are purchased from the adjacent qualifying business while the purchaser is seated in the parklet.

Beautiful AND Durable Exterior Door Hardware

Both materials offer excellent salt tolerance and oxidation/corrosion resistance with a minimum of maintenance. A variety of styles and finishes provide a perfect match to existing color schemes including rich patinas of classic bronze, contemporary polished or matte nickel, and black.

It’s a frustrating reality for many Gulf Coast homeowners – discolored, pitted and tarnished exterior door hardware caused by our harsh salt-rich air.

Smitty’s Architectural Hardware, located The Plumbing Place, displays many lines of door hardware in beautiful styles for your home that are well suited for our demanding environment, and will create the first impression your front door deserves.

Beautifully crafted bathroom and kitchen fixtures, fittings and accessories from leading designers. Masterpieces of functionality and style showcased in an astounding showroom. Visit our showroom or call

We eventually learn that the tease of “lifetime brass” really means a lifetime of maintenance and repair. There is a practical solution to this common problem – Bronze or Stainless

TRUST. KNOWLEDGE. SERVICE.

Both materials offer excellent salt tolerance and oxidation/corrosion resistance with a minimum of maintenance. A variety of styles and finishes provide a perfect match to existing color schemes including rich patinas of classic bronze, contemporary polished or matte nickel, and black.

A “HAPPY COINCIDENCE”

Creates the Foundation for Coastal Orthopedics’ 50-Year Legacy

It was a “happy coincidence” that laid the foundation for Coastal Orthopedics, says Dr. Jim Rogers, one of the original founders of the now well-known health care firm.

Formed in the early 1970s, the initial three-doctor partnership between Dr. Jim Rogers, Dr. Keith Lassen, and Dr. Horace Townsend was simply known as “Townsend, Lassen and Rogers, PC” - or “TL&R” for short. It wasn’t until Dr. Gary Dunlap joined the practice that they changed their name to Bradenton Orthopedic Associates.

“Before coming to Bradenton, neither of us had any personal connections with the town or each other,” said Dr. Rogers.

“Aside from the obvious fact that orthopedics was the common denominator, each of us had very different personal and educational backgrounds. Horace was originally from Oklahoma, trained in the military, and was in Vietnam before coming here. Keith grew up in Arizona and went to school in California, Texas, and Iowa before coming to Bradenton after being in the Air Force in Pensacola. My schooling was mostly in the south, and since my father was an Army doctor, I was from everywhere and nowhere. But I claim Georgia, since I was born in Atlanta.”

Though their backgrounds and education were so different, their practice has clearly stood the test of time. Dr. Rogers says that their differences have become an unrecognized benefit of their collaboration.

“One very important element to our partnership was that I trusted my partners to care for my patients in my absence the same way that I would have, and I am sure they felt the same about me,” said Dr.

Rogers. “Also, I can safely say that we developed a good reputation in our community for taking good care of our patients, so we enjoyed their trust as well. I think I can speak for Dr. Townsend and Dr. Lassen in saying that we picked the right specialty for a lot of reasons. One of which is that we truly enjoyed engaging with our patients and their families through the years. In this regard I think the proof was in the pudding, since most of the patients that came to our practice were referred by other patients.”

The organization’s name underwent several changes as doctors continued to join the team, finally becoming Coastal Orthopedics in 2004. Despite these changes, the mission to improve the quality of life for patients and their families has never wavered. Now, Coastal Orthopedics is celebrating 50 years of innovative health care, and is looking forward to a thriving future.

As Manatee and Sarasota counties have grown, so has Coastal Orthopedics. Last year, two new state-of-theart facilities opened in West Bradenton and East Manatee, offering the latest in cuttingedge orthopedic technology. They also have an ambulatory surgery center to serve Florida’s West Coast.

Their commitment to providing the highest quality of orthopedic care to the community has driven Coastal Orthopedics to offer the most cutting-edge technology available to its patients, recently turning to robotics. In October 2021, they became the first in the region to offer Stryker’s Mako Robotic-Arm assisted knee replacement procedures in their

outpatient surgery center, and have performed over 500 successful procedures using the technology.

“Now that I am getting older, I am on the other side of this healthcare business, since I have been treated by Coastal Orthopedics’ doctors for knee, shoulder, and hand problems. So I can confirm from a very personal viewpoint that I was treated very competently - as you would expect in this day and age - but also with respect and concern,” says Dr. Rogers. “I am proud to have been associated with Coastal from the very beginning, and I am very happy to see their continued growth and success as they expand from that little, small town ‘bone-and-joint’ practice to what it is today.”

Today, 20 orthopedic surgeons and pain management physicians call Coastal Orthopedics home, maintaining hospital affiliations with HCA Florida Blake Hospital, HCA Florida Sarasota Doctors Hospital, Lakewood Ranch Medical Center, and Manatee Memorial Hospital. Overall, the practice employs over 300 - many who have been with the company for over 20 years.

“I have witnessed so much kindness in my 25 years with Coastal,” said registered technologist Patsy Patterson. “The medical assistants are so kind and helpful to us in x-ray. I have seen the physicians go to great lengths to help Coastal employees in need. Physician assistants, cast techs, as well as physical therapists, have willingly and graciously helped us lift patients when needed. I have even witnessed patients who don’t know each other showing great kindness and compassion to each other, and I continue to be inspired by our front desk staff who work so hard and are always cheerful.”

To celebrate 50 years of community and care, Coastal Orthopedics treated their entire staff - and their families - to a day at ZooTampa at Lowry Park. Several additional activities are planned throughout the month, among them a breakfast served by the management team.

“One of the things I like about working at Coastal is that our physicians are excellent,” said Patsy. “I see patients come in injured and in terrible pain. They come back for x-rays after surgery or treatment, and they are so much better. Sometimes the difference is so great, you would think it was a miracle.”

“It’s truly an honor to be with a company with such tremendous dedication to its foundational legacy, innovative care for its patients, and to this wonderful community that has supported our growth for five decades,” said Paige LeMay, Chief Executive Officer of Coastal Orthopedics. “We are thrilled to be a leading provider of comprehensive orthopedic care on the Suncoast, and we cannot thank our dedicated team of employees, physicians, and this community enough for their continued support. Here’s to the next 50 years!”

Housing affordability crisis

Sarasota commissioners took a good step that will help. But they and the county need to be bolder.

of Sarasota is now $2,202.

And those amounts do not include the cost of utilities — another $200 to $400 a month.

Meantime, the median home price in Sarasota is now more than $500,000. In Tampa, it’s $430,000; in St. Petersburg, $413,000.

“A firefighter making $51,000 a year, or $24 an hour, should be paying no more than $1,275 for rent, and that would include utilities,”

HOW LONG WILL OUR STREAK LAST?

Once again, Longboat Key dodged disaster.

It’s a remarkable streak.

The last hurricanes that brought major damage to Longboat Key were in 1921 — an unnamed storm that covered much of Longboat Key with salt water, destroying most of the homes on the south end — and the 1983 No Name Storm.

“If we are to build a better world, we must remember that the guiding principle is this — a policy of freedom for the individual is the only truly progressive policy.”

Friedrich Hayek “Road to Serfdom,” 1944

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

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

Managing Editor / James Peter, JPeter@YourObserver.com

Sports Editor / Ryan Kohn, RKohn@YourObserver.com

One of Florida’s most dangerous economic issues — an issue that can choke the life out of Florida’s economic growth trends — is housing.

We’ve said it before: Florida is no longer an inexpensive state. Any image of fun-in-the-sun affordability is gone.

Consider this:

In the fourth quarter of 2000, just after George W. Bush was elected, Florida’s housing index (a measure of all housing sales), according to the Federal Reserve Bank, was 213.04. In fact, it was lower than North Carolina’s, which was 241.74.

Since then, Florida’s housing index has rocketed upward — 785.84 in the second quarter of 2023, a 259% increase, compared to North Carolina’s 637.76, a 163% increase.

That data reflect what we all have seen and felt. Florida’s single-family home prices and new-apartment rents are at an unaffordable crisis stage for the middle class.

Brianna Dobbs, senior planner for the city of Sarasota, crystallized this at an Aug. 7 Sarasota City Commission meeting.

■ Since March 2020, apartment rental rates have risen up to 47%, “some of the largest rent increases in the entire country.”

■ Average one-bedroom rent:

2018: $1,000 a month

2020: $1,250 a month

2023: +$2,000 a month

The median rent for a onebedroom apartment within the city

Dobbs said. “A teacher making $66,000 a year, $33 an hour, should be paying no more than $1,650 dollars for rent.”

Fact is, 60% of the people employed in the city of Sarasota are service workers, and typically they are paying more than 50% of their monthly incomes on rent.

This rental situation is only going to get worse. Likewise, the cost of a home. This is occurring largely because homeowners insurance continues to climb to unaffordable levels that are not going to subside. Think this through. Both of these issues — housing and insurance affordability — are a result of a major imbalance: demand far outstripping supply.

In housing, you can attribute some of the problem to supply chain bottlenecks and a lack of construction workers. But the root of the issue is in zoning policies that limit densities per acre.

To their credit, Sarasota city planners and commissioners have been working three years to address the lack of what they call “attainable housing.” On Monday, the city commission took what local condo and apartment developers say is a good step. It adopted a new zoning ordinance that would give developers incentives to construct higher-density projects in the city’s downtown core in exchange for including at least 15% of the units as “attainable.”

It was a modest step, one we’ll applaud nevertheless. “Every little bit helps,” one developer told us. But it’s not enough. And for the most part, it’s too little too late for the downtown core.

If city commissioners are serious and committed to having a city with

Nowhere in recorded history is there a named hurricane that made direct landfall on Longboat Key. Which brings to mind the odds. Insurers calculate the odds of 100-year storms. So given history, you can conclude the odds in Longboat’s favor are shrinking.

But still, how do you explain Longboat Key’s good fortune in all this time? For that matter, you could say the same for the city of Sarasota, the barrier islands from Casey Key on the south to Anna Maria and Bradenton.

Why?

One answer could be the parishioners at Longboat’s St. Mary Star of the Sea Catholic Church. During hurricane season, they recite a hurricane prayer at every mass, imploring St. Mary’s intercession. Is it the hand of God?

Another answer could be oft-told legend of the Tocobagan Indian tribe in Pinellas County and the Calusa Indians in Lee County. They built 20- and 30foot mounds made of millions of shells, bones and “midden” to construct their own waterfront towns. Legend has it the mounds also were spiritually blessed to fend off storms and hurricanes.

The story has been told so often over the ages, it’s not difficult to want to be a believer. With as many times as Longboat Key has

a vibrant cross-section of people of all incomes, it must revise the city density codes for its downtown edge district and reclassify commercial districts to allow for high-density development.

But this is not just a city of Sarasota issue. Sarasota County commissioners must likewise do the same in the county’s

escaped direct hits for a century (and 12 times during the 2000s), the legend becomes convincing.

Fact or fiction, we’ll take it.

This is not to make light of or dismiss Hurricane Idalia and its destructive path through Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas. Its wrath certainly took its toll on St. Armands Circle businesses.

While the winds were not as destructive as, say, Hurricane Charley in 2004, Idalia was unique in that it not only clocked Category 4 winds, it brought and occurred with a simultaneous trifecta here: six to eight inches of rain, three- to five-foot storm surge and high tides converging at once — a potentially disastrous convergence.

Idalia was just the start of this year’s season. Let’s implore our friends at St. Mary Star of the Sea to keep praying and the Indians’ spell to hold up.

And remember: Don’t let hurricane misses bring complacency. You never know. We hope and pray the streak continues.

unincorporated areas on the edges of the city.

Existing residents will fight this. But economically, it’s in their interests to have the housing supply meet the demand.

Do you want affordable restaurants with good service? Then you need people who can afford to live here.

Compare your tax burden to that of other cities

“Compared to what?”

That was the question Jim Michaels, late, longtime, fearinducing editor of Forbes magazine, repeatedly asked when his writers turned in stories full of data about companies and governments. Michaels drilled into the heads of his writers that reporting numbers and data did no good for readers unless that data gave context — say, compared one government’s spending to another’s, or one business to its competitors so you could see which was performing better.

In a similar vein, that’s what struck longtime Longboat Key snowbird Ed Tiesenga. In 2011, as he flew cross-country and looked down at the grids lighting the streets of cities and towns, he began thinking how every municipality taxes its residents in isolation.

Taxpayers know what they’re being taxed in their jurisdictions, but they have little or no knowledge of how their cities or counties compare elsewhere.

After that flight, Tiesenga, who is also an Oak Brook, Ill., tax lawyer and an elected Oak Brook trustee, wrote a memo that became the seed for creating an online national Taxpayer Dashboard (TaxpayerDashboard.com).

In a column for The Wall Street Journal, Tiesenga’s partner, Carl A. Miller, described the dashboard as

such: It “is the first tool with the power to compare the per-capita taxation, debt and spending — the best proxy for the size and scope of government — for every city in America.”

In short, Tiesenga’s dashboard lets you see how your city or county’s taxation compares to the other 35,000 cities and townships and 3,000 counties in the U.S.

This “unified information,” Tiesenga wrote in 2011, “would allow (people) to choose where to live.

“If more government spending and growth is a kind of personal turn-on for them, they will want to be where they can support the most government possible … For those interested in more minimal government, they can either move to where the index is lower or take steps to correct too much government where they currently live.”

Tiesenga sees the Taxpayer

Dashboard having the potential to ignite a transparency revolution to help taxpayers hold their elected officials and city administrators accountable.

For now, Tiesenga and Miller continue to refine their websites and the data available for taxpayers.

Meantime, if you want to see how Longboat Key or Sarasota compares to other cities, such as Tiesenga’s Oak Brook, Ill., or, say, Aspen or wherever you snowbirds live parttime, select one of these URLs and enter your two home addresses: TaxpayerDashboard.com, or SpendingPressure.com.

The results will show your city’s per capita spending, tax revenues and debt burden — the three ingredients that produce a show the “spending pressure” put on taxpayers. Tiesenga’s dashboard will give you a score that tells whether you live in a jurisdiction with a low,

Staff Writers / Ian Swaby, ISwaby@ YourObserver.com; Andrew Warfield, AWarfield@YourObserver.com

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

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

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

Editorial Designer / Luke Reasoner, LReasoner@YourObserver.com

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

Director of Advertising / Jill Raleigh, JRaleigh@YourObserver.com

Sales Manager / Penny Nowicki, PNowicki@YourObserver.com

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

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

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

Classified Advertising Sales Executive / Lexi Huelsman, LHuelsman@ YourObserver.com

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

Sales Coordinator / Account Manager Lori Downey, LDowney@YourObserver.com

Advertising/Marketing Coordinator / Caitlin Ellis, CEllis@YourObserver.com

Digital Fulfillment Specialist / Emma B. Jolly, EJolly@YourObserver.com

Director of Marketing / Robin Lankton, RLankton@YourObserver.com

Marketing Specialist / Melanie Melone, MMelone@YourObserver.com

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

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

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

Digital Developer / Jason Camillo, JCamillo@YourObserver.com

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

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

Controller / Rafael Labrin, RLabrin@ YourObserver.com

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

moderate or high spending pressure on taxpayers.

As all of our local taxing authorities prepare to adopt their next fiscal year budgets, it’s worth taking the time to see how our elected officials are doing vis-à-vis other communities. Consider these spending pressure scores: Longboat Key 74; Aspen, 78; Oak Brook, Ill., 44.

Not surprisingly, Longboat Key has more spending pressure than Sarasota and Bradenton. That’s worth noting, especially in the context of the town’s proposed budget for 2023-24.

The town’s general fund spending is proposed to increase 15.6% over the previous year, and total spending, which includes capital spending, is proposed to increase 44.3%.

Meantime, the town manager has proposed lowering the millage rate 6.1%, from 2.1144 to 1.985. —

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

St. Armands cleans up

Businesses on St. Armands Circle spent the morning of Aug. 31 assessing the aftermath of Hurricane Idalia. The flooding differed for every business depending on if it was on high ground or not, but some saw as much as a foot of flooding from the storm.

“This was definitely much more water than Hurricane Ian,” said Becki Westbrook from Gauthier Salon and Wellness Spa. “We had more trees fall down and wind with Ian. But I heard that the king tide and blue moon together made this surge worse.”

Most shops reopened to the public the morning after cleaning and drying their businesses. They put their outdoor furniture back out and cleaned the sidewalks.

It was a team effort to get everything back to normal. Some businesses, such as Cafe L’Europe hired restoration specialists to make the process easier.

Most businesses on the Circle were up and running by Sept. 1 and ready for Labor Day weekend.

“Water can be cleaned,” said Rachel Burns from the St. Armands Circle Association. “That’s why when I was messaging and talking to merchants from the area, everybody was just so thankful because from what we could see it was just water.”

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meeting at 5 p.m. Monday, Sept. 11, to receive and vote on a variety of recommendations

The special meeting of the Public Art Committee will be held at 5 p.m. Monday, Sept. 11, at City Hall. The meeting can also be viewed online at SarasotaFL.gov.

for placement of four pieces, one of them not yet under contract, which will later be considered by the City Commission.

During a July budget workshop, Senior Planner and Public Art Manager Mary Davis Wallace told commissioners the cost to build concrete pads inside the state-owned roundabouts at 10th and 14th streets was $1,133,380 — more than double the budgeted amount.

The search continues for more affordable locations for the city’s roundabout sculptures.

The city’s public works budget for installing pads in those three roundabouts was $957,961.

The budget for artwork for the three U.S. 41 roundabouts is $758,066.

That is paid for by the city’s public art fund, which is funded by a fee charged to developers.

Wallace and City Manager Marlon Brown said the search was on to find suitable locations on nonstate rights of way for two sculptures already purchased plus a third city-owned piece currently on loan.

The city had already approved the acquisition of Seagrass at the 10th Street roundabout and Poly at 14th Street at a combined cost of $300,000. Complexus, which was moved from its Gulfstream Avenue location for roundabout construction there, had previously been acquired by a group of philanthropists for $400,000 and donated to the city.

To be determined is whether the piece selected by the Public Art Committee for the Fruitville Road roundabout at U.S. 41, Sun Always Shines, will be approved by the city commission and acquired.

Still, the committee is scheduled to consider locations throughout the city for all four. Construction in FDOT right of way, it turns out, is considerably more expensive than on the city’s, and in one suggested location, county property. The pool of contractors certified to build in state-owned roundabouts is limited, and the work requires traffic flow management standards that add to the cost.

The city received only one bid for the 10th and 14th street roundabouts, from Jon F. Swift General

Contractors.  Options to be considered by the committee include:

FRUITVILLE ROAD AND BENEVA ROAD INTERSECTION

The primary route from I-75 into downtown, the location is just inside the city limits near Bobby Jones Golf Course. The vacant county-owned parcel on the southeast corner is being considered for public art. Complexus and Poly are recommended for this site. Available for public use in District 3 is $300,000, funds that could be used to relocate sculptures or be reserved for public art elsewhere in the district.

STORMWATER RETENTION

AREA SOUTH SIDE OF RINGLING

BRIDGE EAST

The ownership of the parcel is unknown, but according to the city appears to be FDOT property as stormwater retention for the bridge.

Recommended public art for this site are Seagrass and Complexus.

JOHN RINGLING CAUSEWAY

PARK

The park provides opportunity for site-specific work that would have minimal impacts to bridge traffic and neighboring residences. This park is heavily used by pedestrians and is part of the bridge park network. Seagrass is recommended for this site.

WHITAKER GATEWAY PARK

With close proximity to the 14th Street roundabout, the location will be visible to southbound traffic and create a visual gateway into the city. This area will accommodate a large sculpture in height and width and

ART TO BE RE-SITED

SARASOTA SEAGRASS BY CASTO

SOLANO

Budget: $150,000

Status: In fabrication; planned installation

October/November 2023

■ Originally planned for 10th Street roundabout

POLY BY HOU DE

SOUSA

Budget: $208,000

Status: In fabrication; planned installation

Courtesy rendering

Where The Sun Always Shines by Sujin Lim, if accepted by the Sarasota City Commission, won’t be installed in the Fruitville Road roundabout at U.S. 41 as planned.

provides ample parking and pedestrian access. Recommended public art for this site: Poly, Complexus and Where the Sun Always Shines.

PAYNE PARK INNER CIRCLE

Payne Park has been identified in the Public Art Plan as a valued Park Activity Center with special consideration for public art. Understanding open space as a community asset, it is recommended that public art be prioritized as a method of preservation and passive community engagement at the park. Recommended for this site are Complexus, Poly and Where the Sun Always Shines.

FRUITVILLE ROAD OPEN PARCEL

Should the Fruitville Road roundabout be determined as unfeasible,

a nearby city-owned parcel could be activated with the selected artwork for the roundabout. This site has been determined to be a hold area for future expansion of the Fruitville Road roundabout. No timeframe has been determined for this expansion. Further insight into this location is highly recommended as public art on U.S. 41 remains a high priority.

Recommended for this site is Where the Sun Always Shines.

ROUNDABOUTS ON RINGLING BOULEVARD AT PINEAPPLE AVENUE AND PALM AVENUE

Two roundabouts within the city right of way as an extension of the city’s Art in the Roundabouts program. Recommended for these sites are Poly and Seagrass.

October/November 2023

■ Originally planned for 14th Street roundabout

COMPLEXUS BY JOHN HENRY

Value: $400,000

Status: On loan at Sarasota Art Museum, loan expires January 2024

WHERE THE SUN ALWAYS SHINES BY SUJIN LIM

Budget: $250,000

Status: Not under contract

■ Proposed by Public Art Committee at Fruitville roundabout for commission acceptance

AFRAID OF THE DENTIST?

Local businesses encouraged to take damage survey

Survey covers physical and economic damages caused by Hurricane Idalia.

AMANDA POSTMA STAFF WRITER

Businesses in Sarasota and Manatee counties are being urged to fill out a damage survey put out by the state to help local agencies determine the needs of the business community after Hurricane Idalia passed through the state Wednesday.

The Manatee Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development Corp. of Sarasota County both sent press releases Aug. 30 regarding the Florida Commerce’s Business Damage Assessment Survey.

“While the majority of our greater Manatee County region businesses have been spared physical damage from Hurricane Idalia, there are some that are and will be dealing with wind and water damage, and a larger number will have other economic losses,” the Manatee chamber release reads.

The survey asks participants to share physical and economic damages, as well as other hindrances, such as debris removal, insurance settlements, product supply, water damage and more.

It then lists the types of assistance currently available for businesses, including:

n Emergency Bridge Loan, a short-term, interest-free loan up to $50,000

n SBA Physical Disaster Loans, loans available for uninsured losses up to $2 million for repairs

n SBA Economic Injury Loans, up to $2 million in loans are available for businesses that endured economic injury

n Small Business Development Center Business Counseling, general business counseling to help access

traditional SBA loans

The survey can be accessed on FloridaDisaster.biz.

Jacki Dezelski, president and CEO of the Manatee chamber, wrote in a follow-up email that she’s not sure how many businesses have been affected.

“We know that there will be island businesses with flooding damage as well as some other waterfront (e.g. Manatee River) businesses affected,” she said.

Dezelski pointed to Anna Maria Oyster Bar at the Pier on Bradenton Beach and Café L’Europe on St. Armands Circle as examples, as both were unable to reopen Aug. 30 due to road closures from flooding.

Erin Silk, president and CEO of the Economic Development Corp. of Sarasota County, said the survey may stay open for several months, like it did after Hurricane Ian last year.

“It is too early to tell what the total business damage will be in Sarasota County from Hurricane Idalia,” she said. “Many businesses on our barrier islands are going to have a considerable recovery from flooding, that as of tonight is yet to be measured.”

Silk said that many businesses in the county closed Tuesday and Wednesday, noting that some lost workforce temporarily.

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WEDNESDAY, AUG. 23

UNWELCOME HOMECOMING

6:21 p.m., 1700 block of Wisconsin

Lane

Civil dispute: A tenant who had been in California for 40 days returned to find his belongings disposed of and himself evicted from the home in which he had resided for approximately one year.

The complainant told an officer he stayed at the house free of charge in exchange for occasionally doing work for the owner. The owner said she attempted to complete an eviction process, but the man had left the state before she could file for a court date. Unaware the complainant would return, she got rid of his belongings.

The owner advised she would obtain an eviction notice as soon as possible. The complainant agreed to leave the residence for the night and was advised of the legal process for a civil dispute.

SATURDAY, AUG. 26

THE YOLK’S ON HIM

12:39 p.m., SPD headquarters

Property damage: Having his car egged the previous night near the area of Palm Avenue and Main Street, a complainant contacted police by phone to report the incident. He advised he parked his white Mercedes sedan near the intersection and was later that night taken home by a friend. He returned to retrieve his vehicle at approximately 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, when he discovered the incident.

The complainant advised he took the vehicle to a car wash and then went home to report the incident. No further action was taken.

HOT OUTFITS

1:55 p.m., 1000 block of Colleton Drive

Civil dispute: Burned clothes brought police to a laundromat, where the complainant said she placed her clothes and those of a friend into a dryer for approximately one hour, resulting in several burns to the clothing. She added they had been to the laundromat several times without any issues.

The complainant said the dryer began smoking and the fire department responded but found no active fire. She removed a bag of cloth-

TUESDAY, AUG. 29

ONE LAST SUNSET

7:44 p.m., 1700 block Ken Thompson Parkway

Dispute: While on routine patrol, an officer was flagged down by a man in reference to his girlfriend. The man stated that she wanted to see the sunset before going to detox, but then ran from their vehicle. While on scene, the woman returned to the vehicle, and the officer determined she did not meet the criteria for further action. The man requested transport to the mainland to go to work, and the woman drove away without issue. The officer trans-

ing to show police obvious signs of damage to several items, estimating the value at approximately $350 to $400. The officer contacted the manager on scene, who advised there are several posted signs warning about the use of the dryer. The signs advise to not use more than six quarters and to dry clothes based on the clothing tag recommendations. The sign also states the laundromat is not responsible for damaged clothing.

INTOLERANCE FOR DRINKING

3:28 p.m., 3100 block of Novus Court

Civil dispute: Reporting that a landlord had entered his room while he was in bed, hovered above him and demanded he leave, a complainant called police to settle the dispute. The landlord reported she was having trouble with the tenant because she discovered he had a “drinking problem” even after telling him she would not tolerate anyone with such an issue.

An officer informed the property owner that it was a civil matter because it isn’t illegal to be intoxicated in your own home. Further, the landlord was instructed to undertake the formal eviction process to have the tenant removed.

A+E INSIDE:

< SUNCOAST CONCERT BAND: A cultural constant turned 90 this year. 18A

EATING WITH EMMA: Bite into Sarasota’s best bagels (boiled not baked). 17A>

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

MEET SARASOTA’S NEW ARTS CZAR

Brian Hersch takes the helm at the Arts and Cultural Alliance.

During the Great Recession, country music singer John Rich (half of the duo Big & Rich) struck a chord with Americans with his song “Shuttin’ Detroit Down.”

While Rich’s ditty decried bailouts for bankers, in the end, Detroit got them, too. The auto industry received nearly $80 billion from the government, of which $70 billion was repaid.

The White House even named Wall Street insider Steven Rattner the “car czar” to fix Detroit.

But what is a discussion of the auto industry doing in the Arts + Entertainment section?

Good question. Stay with me, as EMT personnel have been known to say. There is an analogy here, even if it’s long-winded.

Here it goes: What autos are to Detroit, the arts are to Sarasota. We even have an arts czar, although most people on the street don’t know it.

His name is Brian Hersch, and his title is CEO and president of the Arts and Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County. In June, Hersch succeeded Jim Shirley, who retired as executive director of the organization formerly known as the Arts Council after 24 years.

Before joining the Arts Alliance, Hersch spent more than 20 years in nonprofit arts administration, including posts at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City and Asolo Repertory Theatre. Prior to joining the Arts Alliance, Hersch led Sarasota County Public Schools’ strategic approach to arts education.

Even though he’s not a household name, the unassuming Hersch, who studied percussion in college, is a good guy to know in Sarasota’s arts world. That’s because the organization he leads holds the purse strings for arts funding that comes from local taxes.  Sarasota County’s tourist development tax of 6% generates more than $42 million a year, of which the arts receive 8%. This year, Sarasota County will provide a record $3.2

million in funding to 35 arts and cultural organizations through grants administered by the Arts Alliance. For a small nonprofit, getting a grant of $10,000 can literally keep the lights on.

In an interview at the Arts Alliance’s offices around the corner from the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, Hersch notes that despite his title and role in Sarasota’s arts scene, he’s a facilitator and a collaborator, not a dictator (my word, not his).

A drummer at heart, Hersch is used to keeping the beat, stepping up to fill the empty spaces and improvising when necessary.

The analogy between Detroit during the Great Recession and Sarasota right now isn’t perfect because there isn’t much to fix in the city’s arts scene. The area weathered the storm of the pandemic with innovative approaches, like when the Asolo Repertory Theatre used its outdoor terrace as a stage during 2021.

Donors dug deep and ticket holders often didn’t request refunds for canceled performances.

While regional theaters have suffered post-pandemic audience declines averaging 30% and are scaling back production and even closing down in some parts of the country, performing arts is in full bloom in Sarasota. Tourists are coming to the area in greater numbers than ever. In March, Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport set a record for arrivals.

Some regional theaters forced to retrench had previously embarked on expensive expansion. Indeed, pricey projects are on the drawing board in Sarasota as the city explores the potential for replacing the Van Wezel with a state-of-the-art performance space designed by Renzo Piano Building Workshop and the Sarasota Orchestra plans to develop a climate change-proof facility outside of the city near Interstate 75.

How those projects are financed and managed and whether they attract patrons will determine the health of the city’s performing arts in the future. But that’s a story for another day.

Right now, all is well in Sarasota performing arts, especially com

pared to its regional competitors.

It’s the city’s fragmented visual arts scene that’s trying to find its footing

-

“We’re Florida’s Cultural Coast. We punch above our weight.”

— Brian Hersch

MONICA ROMAN GAGNIER

A+E EDITOR

Where will you take us this year?

amid rising rents downtown and the migration of art sales from formal galleries to pop-up events and artists’ open studios.

Hersch is well aware of the disparity in attention and funding between the performing arts and the visual arts, the city’s public art plan notwithstanding. Maybe that’s why he chose to have his picture taken at the new Palmer Modern gallery in the up-and-coming Limelight District instead of the nearby Van Wezel, the Historic Asolo Theater or even the Sarasota Opera House.

There’s a subtlety in the way Hersch works that isn’t immediately apparent. Sure, he’s a nice guy, but he’s also strategic. What’s more, he fine-tunes his talking points based on feedback from his audience, whether it be one person or dozens.

Maybe all CEOs should train to be musicians. You won’t get disagreement on that sentiment from Hersch, who was a champion of arts education in his roles at Sarasota County Public Schools.

Is there a better place for a kid who’s an aspiring artist or acrobat to grow up than Sarasota?  Name one.

There is also plenty of enthusiasm for the arts at the other end of the age spectrum. Like many other arts executives, Hersch is aware that most of the seats at Sarasota’s arts venues are filled by people with grey hair. That makes sense because they have the time and money to attend concerts and other performances.

Suffice it to say, as a busy family man who is married to Lauren Hersch, a philanthropy advisor at Gulf Coast Community Foundation, Hersch understands that it’s difficult to see the latest cabaret show at Florida Studio Theatre if you’ve got to get the kids to soccer practice and get dinner on the table. At certain times in their lives, people have more time for the arts than at others, he says.

Asked about local efforts to sponsor events for young people, Hersch demurs. He’s not willing to show all his cards yet, especially in a job that he only started in June.

Maybe Hersch isn’t a czar after

all. Perhaps he’s more like the ruler of a happy kingdom in a fairy tale. You can’t blame Hersch if he almost sounds smug when he proudly proclaims, “We’re Florida’s Cultural Coast. We punch above our weight.”

It’s a given that the tourists and retirees flock to Sarasota County for its pristine beaches filled with fine white sand. After spending time at the beach or on the water, the snowbirds  shop, eat and go out at night for entertainment.

In the old days, they went to the circus. John Ringling moved the winter quarters of the Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey Circus in 1927, just as Florida’s land boom was going bust.

When Ringling died a decade later, he bequeathed his estate, which included his Cà d’Zan mansion, an art museum, art library and gardens, to the state of Florida. “Ringling was Disney before Disney” is something you hear around town about his farreaching legacy to Sarasota.

In “Shuttin’ Detroit Down,” Rich criticized the Wall Street engineers who developed the dangerous synthetic financial instruments and shady loans that created the housing crisis. His big beef was that they didn’t make anything tangible.

“Well pardon me if I don’t shed a tear.

“They’re selling make believe and we don’t buy that here.”

But as the striking actors and writers in Hollywood know, “selling make believe” is the business of the arts and plenty happens in Sarasota. But it’s not just about consumer gratification or escaping reality, Hersch says.

He believes that the arts can heal and that the Alliance can help administer the cure.

Hersch takes a holistic approach. He sees his job as helping the arts keep the community healthy as well as working to improve the wellbeing of the city’s artists.

One of his goals that he’s willing to talk about is his desire to bring more arts performances to public spaces, so they are accessible to all.

“Arts are an elixir,” he says, echoing the wisdom understood by everyone from Sarasota’s circus magnate godfather to plein air painters plying their trade at the farmers market.

Bite into the best bagels

My dad used to find comfort riding the peaceful bike trails around Sarasota, while my mother gets rejuvenated bobbing and talking with her friends in the pool. My sister seeks solace by reading books under the umbrella on the shores of Longboat Key, and my husband discovered relaxation driving the boat on the glass-like Gulf waters.

Me? I find my body rests best after biting into a bagel.

So, with added stresses to my life that have been out of my control, I was bound to find the best bagels that made me feel “hole.”

JERSEY GIRL BAGELS

5275 University Parkway, Unit 103, Bradenton; 941-388-8910; JerseyGirlBagels.net

To the bagel that gives the tri-state area (That’s New York, Jersey and Connecticut in my book) a run for its money.

You’re my everything: All the bagel dough here is made from scratch daily. This process of love makes me feel right at home. As a tri-state area born-and-raised foodie, let me tell you, it’s not often you find a baker who boils bagels like this. It’s been said that Jersey Girl Bagels makes more than 2,000 bagels daily, including flavors from French toast (to die for) to onion, cheddar cheese to daily specials.

Knead this in your life: While you could order an egg and cheese with a choice of bacon, sausage or New Jersey Taylor Ham ($7.99) I have to give it up to the simple beauty of an individual sesame bagel ($2) or specialty asiago bagel ($2.50) with flavored cream cheese like scallion or soon-to-be-back pumpkin.

PALM AVENUE DELI

1297 N. Palm Ave., Sarasota; 941-263-3742; PalmAvenueDeli.com

To the bagel that reminds me of something Jerry, George, Elaine or Kramer would order.

You’re my everything: Opening just a few weeks ago in our culinary-chic community, this New-York-inspired deli is where you will find me every time I’m homesick. Open daily from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., with dinner coming soon,

this nostalgic eatery with iconic Big Apple deli flavors puts family and food first!

Knead this in your life: This place knows how to party like a lox star! From a Nova Lox platter ($16) to Nova Lox bagel ($11) with all the NYC fixings to Nova Lox egg and cheese ($12), these bagel and salmon pairings have me wanting to “start spreading the news.” But the lox train doesn’t stop there. Enjoy Nova Lox avocado toast ($18) or the lox, egg and onion frittata ($16).

LOX N’ EGG AND BROOKLYN BAGELS & DELI

4065 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota; 941-924-1797; LoxAndEgg.com.

6970 S. Beneva Road, Sarasota; 999 Cattlemen Road Unit H, Sarasota; 941-993-1577; BrooklynBagelsAndDeli.com

To the bagel and schmear that leaves me begging for more room in my tummy.

You’re my everything: Prepare to experience bae-goals. Lox n’ Egg and both Brooklyn Bagels & Deli locations offer the most beautiful bagel box ($30), besties. The dough-filled delivery includes 12 regular bagels and two containers of fresh cream cheese (one plain and one flavored besides bacon and lox).

Knead this in your life: Both spots serve specials that make me feel like I’m being welcomed to New York even as I sit in a booth in Sarasota. Choose from over 20 lunch options, or be like me and challenge yourself to a cream cheese contest. There are over 10 fresh cream cheese choices, including honey walnut, jalapeño and bacon, to spread onto a dealer’s choice of bagels — from pumpernickel to spinach Swiss and more.

POSTAL 98 CAFE

1240 Yoder Ave., Sarasota; 941-2608862; Postal98cafe.com

To the bagel coffee pairing that has me questioning if a better duo exists.

You’re my everything: Although the two choices are plain or everything, you surely won’t be disappointed with how you style the holey breakfast baked good. Whether it’s a bacon, egg and cheese ($8.59) or simply plain with strawberry cream cheese, your taste buds will

be treated right.

Knead this in your life: Guatemalan coffee in a variety of different flavors leaves me feeling caffeinated and carefree. Feeling banana? Order the chunky monkey frappe ($5.09 and up). Missing fall? Order the maple cinnamon swirl latte ($5.09) — or stop by to see what specials are being served. Not into coffee? The tea selection is just as tasty with options like heavenly honey lavender fog ($3.69 and up) made with Earl Grey.

MESHUGANA DELI

4001 Clark Road, Sarasota; 941933-0244; MeshuganaSRQ.com

To the bagel that puts me in an Empire State of Mind.

You’re my everything: When I told my boss I was writing a story on bagels and was featuring this spot, she informed me that not only had she had my selection for dinner the night before, but “Meshugana” means crazy. Let me tell you, I’m crazy in love. This specialty deli delivers delicious New York flavors

with carryout, pickup and catering options. Or try a luncheon with your closest bagel-loving besties.   Knead this in your life: Bring home a baker’s half-dozen ($10.25) or a baker’s dozen ($19.50) of sensational salt bagels, phenomenal plain bagels, gorgeous garlic bagels, out-of-this-world onion bagels and more. This deli puts authentic flavor into each bagel bite. I am blown away that it’s happening right here in Sarasota.

MORTON’S DELI AND MARKET

1924 S. Osprey Ave., Sarasota; 941955-9856; 205 Canal Road, Sarasota; 941-349-1474; MortonsMarket.com

To the bagel platter of my dreams.

You’re my everything: Morton’s is my family’s favorite caterer (They catered my grandmother’s 90th birthday.), my husband’s sweet treat spot and my parents’ favorite “I’m going to bring lunch over” joint. Fun fact? Morton’s has been family owned and operated for four generations since 1969.

Knead this in your life: When prepping for my wedding morning (before the hurricane swept our plans away), I planned a huge brunch for the females in my life that I needed by my side. While the wedding plans changed, the assorted bagel platter with butter and cream cheese ($4.99/per person) from Morton’s never altered. I put a shmear on any bagel my hands could touch and savored each bite.

Foodies know the difference between boiled and baked lumps of dough.

Suncoast Concert Band celebrates its 90th birthday

In spring 1964, Leo Laier became the band’s third director, following in the footsteps of Voltaire Sturgis and Fred Prefect. For the next 46 years, Laier worked to improve the quality of band performances.

ROBERT STOLL CONTRIBUTOR

The year 1932 was a difficult one. The country was in the middle of the Great Depression, John Philip Sousa died March 6 and Americans longing for relief elected Franklin D. Roosevelt president in November.

In December, eight musicians calling themselves the “Tin Can Tourists” performed for the residents of Arcadia.

The next month, the group moved to Sarasota, and on Jan. 17, 1933, became “The Sarasota Trailer Park Band.” That name would last until 1974, when the group was rechristened the “Sarasota Mobile Home Park Band.”

Many of those watching the group now known as the Suncoast Concert Band perform during season at the Northminster Presbyterian Church might not be aware of how historical forces have buffeted the group over its long history.

Surviving the World War II years was no small task. While many members of the band were yearround residents, the war years, with its rationing and manpower mobilizations, forced some members to forego winter trips to Florida. The band, however, “played on.”

As its popularity grew, so did the ranks of its members. Florida became a mecca for former professional performers. Some even came from famous Big Bands, while others arrived from renowned symphony orchestras.

Retired professionals brought their expertise to Sarasota. Performing with the band provided them an opportunity to continue playing the instruments they loved and to make new friends.

To do so, he sought out new members that could bring a high standard of musicianship to performances. He also moved the band indoors to the newly built Payne Park Auditorium, the community center and meeting hall for the Sarasota Mobile Home Park.

Membership, which held steady at about 40 players, grew to around 55 musicians. In 1975, Laier formed the Suncoast Jazz Ambassadors, a 16-piece Big Band for those who wanted to play big band and swing music.

In 1979, the Suncoast Concert Band performed at the first Association of Concert Bands convention in Sarasota and again in 2017 at the ACB confab in Fort Lauderdale. The band’s travel extended even farther when it journeyed to England and Ireland to perform a series of concerts in 1986.

In 1993, the band decided to shed its mobile park moniker. It became formally known as the Suncoast Concert Band.

After 46 years of untiring musical leadership, Laier retired as director in May 2010 and was named director emeritus. He passed the baton Robert Stoll, who had joined the band in the trombone section in 2005.

The band celebrated a milestone in 2011 when it hit 1,000 performances. Since its inception, the Suncoast Concert Band has been entertaining audiences twice a month from November to May. Its repertoire consists of marches, show tunes, overtures, religious selections and familiar melodies.

The band played its final performance in Payne Park Auditorium in May 2012 and moved to Northminster Presbyterian Church. The opportunity to perform in this beautiful sanctuary has proven to be an uplifting and refreshing boon to both players and audiences.

Northminster Presbyterian Church is also the home of the Suncoast Jazz Ambassadors, which perform one concert a month from December to May.

As we celebrate our 90th anniversary, what do our audiences think about the Suncoast Concert Band and Jazz Ambassadors? Nancy Stoll,

the business manager for the band, often hears from audience members who write to share their experiences.

Here are just a few:

“As a former music educator, I am amazed at the quality of the musical performances. It is outstanding!”

Says another, “Living on a fixed income, it means so much to me to be able to attend such a high-quality performance at a very affordable price.” ($5.)

Last, “Thank you for providing us with a most enjoyable Sunday afternoon of great music.”

This kind of positive feedback is precisely why the musicians practice, rehearse and perform.

On to 100!

Robert (Bob) Stoll is a retired music educator who taught for 34 years in Massachusetts. He received his Bachelor of Music from New England Conservatory of Music. While teaching, he was personnel manager and played in the Metropolitan Wind Symphony and also the New England Brass Band. He joined the Suncoast Concert Band and Jazz Ambassadors in 2005 and became music director in 2010.

Formed in a trailer park during the Great Depression, the Sarasota-based band is still going strong.

THIS WEEK

THURSDAY

JOHN PIRMAN: ‘DIVING INTO NATURE’

10 a.m. at Selby Gardens, 1534 Mound St.

$26

Visit Selby.org.

The retrospective of the Sarasotabased designer and illustrator John Pirman will present his works both inside and outside at Selby Gardens. Runs through Sept. 17.

ARTIST TALK: LAUREN MANN, ‘THE EPHEMERALITY OF BEING’

5:30-7:30 p.m. Art Center Sarasota, 707 N. Tamiami Trail

$5

Visit ArtSarasota.org.

Based in Clearwater, Lauren Mann is a portrait artist whose detailed and colorful pencil drawings have been exhibited in several Florida shows.

‘CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REMIXED!’

7:30 p.m. at FST’s Goldstein Cabaret, 1239 N. Palm Ave.

$18 and up

Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

“The Jersey Tenors” and “The Surfer Boys” veteran Vaden Thurgood has created his own musical revue for FST’s summer cabaret series. The show follows the life of Creedence Clearwater Revival founder John Fogerty through hit songs such as “Proud Mary” and “Bad Moon Rising.” Runs through Oct. 22.

OUR PICK DIVAS THREE

Created by Nancy Allen Productions, three female vocalists present four decades of songs made famous by Aretha Franklin, Celine Dion, Whitney Houston and other women who have won the coveted title of “Diva.”

IF YOU GO

When: Through Sept. 17

Where: FST’s Court Cabaret

Tickets:$18 and up Info: FloridaStudioTheatre.org

DON’T MISS THE JALEN BAKER QUARTET

Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe and Modern Marimba team up to present an evening of jazz featuring the Jalen Baker Quartet, with Jalen Baker on vibraphone, Paul Cornish on the piano, Gavin Moolchan on the drums and Gabriel Godoy on bass.

IF YOU GO

When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday

Where: West Coast Black Theatre, Troupe, 1012 N. Orange Ave.

Tickets: $27 Info: WestcoastBlackTheatre.org

FRIDAY

ROBERT GARCIA

7 p.m. at Centennial Park, Venice

Free Visit VisitVeniceFL.org.

Gather in Centennial Park for this free concert hosted by Venice MainStreet and sponsored by Neal Communities. Bring chairs or picnic blankets. No alcohol is permitted.

SATURDAY

SECOND SATURDAY

11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Creative Liberties, 927 N. Lime Ave. and 901B Apricot Ave. Free Visit CreativeLiberties.net.

Artists at art galleries such as Creative Liberties open their studios to the public on the Second Saturday of each month. A map of participating galleries can be found at SRQArtists.com. Please call ahead of time.

MIKE MCCARTHY

7 p.m. at McCurdy’s Comedy Theatre, 1923 Ringling Blvd. Runs through Sept. 17

Tickets $25 Visit McCurdysComedy.com.

Dubbed the “Comedy Barbarian,”

Mike McCarthy has a high-energy style that leaves audiences bouncing off the walls and gasping for breath.

ACTIVE LISTINGS

PRICE

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Open Kitchen & Views Spanning Over the LBKC Golf Course, Sarasota Bay & Downtown Skyline | Pet-Friendly Community

LISTING

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NEW CONSTRUCTION

SOTA RESIDENCES & HOTEL

Set privately above the hotel, 35 spacious residences pair stylish city living with the luxury of serviced simplicity. An iconic modern design by the renowned Hoyt Architects of Sarasota is paired with innovative interiors by the visionary firm Andre Kikoski Architect from New York City. Flow-through residences feature airy, light-filled interiors and spacious terraces overlooking the downtown skyline and streetscape below. Residences from $1.8 million.

PENINSULAGOLDEN GATE POINT

Construction is underway on Golden Gate Point as the Gault Family Companies has officially broken ground on Peninsula Sarasota, a 23-unit luxury condominium development at 223 and 283 Golden Gate Point. Units in the two mid-rise towers are priced from $2.6 million. The three-bedroom floor plans, and three-bedroom with den floor plans range from 2,400 to more than 3,000 square feet.

ROSEWOOD - LIDO KEY

This 65-unit property is a collaboration between Rosewood Hotels & Resorts & Naplesbased Ronto Group, & is Rosewood’s first all-residential development. Scheduled for completion in 2025. Situated on 3.5 miles of Gulf-front property. Swedroe Architecture, with interiors by Lillian Wu Studio. Each condo will offer sweeping water views; on the ground floor, residents will have access to Rosewoodserviced amenities. Units range from 3,3005,000 SF & prices start in the high $5 millions.

Storied past, bright future

The 75th Annual Labor Day Regatta drew young sailors and experienced racers from across the state.

Mark Liebel first sailed with the Sarasota Sailing Squadron in 1981, after his family moved to the area from Cincinnati when he was 9 years old.

Soon, he was headed into the water for his first Annual Labor Day Regatta.

“I loved it so much, I never stopped,” he said.

For the past 10 years, including at the 75th Annual Labor Day Regatta the weekend of Sept. 2-3, he has served as principal race officer, supervising the race courses at the event.

Over time, he has seen the regatta evolve into a more youth-oriented event, a change he said shows that the sport is being passed on to the next generation.

“Not only does it bring back memories, it’s just great to see the youth in the sport,” he said. “They’re the future of the sport. The more youth we can get out on water, the better the chance the sport has to survive.”

Liebel said the event was one of the biggest in recent history. It drew about 175 sailors from organizations including the sailing squadron, the Sarasota Yacht Club and the Davis Island Race Team in Tampa.

The young participants, who had the chance to pilot their boats in Sarasota Bay, said they were also enjoying what sailing had to offer.

Thirteen-year-old Coco Claypoole of Longboat Key began sailing at age 7 and now belongs to the Red fleet of the Optimist RWB fleets at Sarasota Youth Sailing, a nonprofit organization that provides coaching and instruction for young sailors at the Sarasota Sailing Squadron.

Claypoole said she enjoyed the sport from the time she first started alongside her brother, Brice Claypoole. She grew to enjoy it more and more as she improved. It even resulted in her mother, Ali Claypoole, taking up sailing as well.

“I just enjoy being in my own boat and being in control of the boat,” she said, adding that she sees herself continuing to sail into the future.

Everett Vaughan, 10, of Sarasota began sailing after he was inspired by his brother, Sam Vaughn, and currently belongs to the entry-level Optimist Green fleet of Sarasota Youth Sailing.

When he started the sport, which

he has practiced for about three years while taking a break at one point, he found it difficult, especially as the boat rocked considerably.

“It was difficult, and then easy, and then difficult,” he said.

As he mastered the skills his feelings began to change, however.

One of his favorite aspects of the sport has always been the speed involved, something that becomes important during a regatta.

“Sailing is fun because you get to be on the water, and then regattas are fun because it’s a challenge against other people, he said.

He said he would advise others to try Sarasota Youth Sailing as well.

“Do SYS — it’s better than anything,” he said.  “A lot of it is just the camaraderie about the people. I love the fact that it’s you trying to figure out Mother Nature, which you’re always going to lose. You just try your best. It’s always a challenge, no matter if we’re running races or sailing.”

Regatta Chair Dave Hillmyer said on Saturday that the event was proceeding smoothly.

“It’s really great conditions today,” he said. “You look around and see everyone having a good time. Everyone just goes with the flow. It’s a good vibe.”

TOP FINISHERS

According to the Sarasota Sailing Squadron website, this information is subject to modification.

Optimist Green (37 boats)

1. Kamila Murray, Naples Community Sailing Center

2. Edmund Rutledge, Lauderdale Yacht Club

3. Christian Woodward, Naples Community Sailing Center

Optimist RWB (42 boats)

1. Eddie Miersch (Blue), Sarasota Yacht Club

2. Griffin Roberts (Red), Sarasota Yacht Club

3. Benjamin Dreyfuss (Red), Sarasota Youth Sailing

Club 420 (26 boats)

1. Ian Richardson / Blake Vincent, Davis Island Race Team

2. Curt Wheeler / Brynn DeJongh, Sarasota Yacht Club

3. Mary Katherine Monahan / McRae Busey, Florida Yacht Club

International Laser Class Association (ILCA) 4 (9 boats)

1. Jackson Wilcox, Sarasota Sailing Squadron

2. Sophia Woodbury, Sarasota Youth Sailing

3. Olivia Castaldi, SopraVentus

International Laser Class Association (ILCA) 6 (13 boats)

1. Jackson Bjorklund, Sarasota Youth Sailing

2. Jan Mistak St., St. Petersburg Yacht Club

3. Jason Folvig, Sarasota Sailing Squadron

International Laser Class Association (ILCA) 7 (10 boats)

1. Callen Burnett, St. Petersburg Yacht Club

2. Morgan Smith, Sarasota Youth Sailing

3. Preston Weaver, St. Petersburg Yacht Club For full details, visit RegattaNetwork.com/ Event26192.

“They’re the future of the sport. The more youth we can get out on water, the better the chance the sport has to survive.”

— Mark Liebel, principal race officer

Witness to history

Stevenson Tose’-Rigell felt as if he had been standing in the library at Emma E. Booker Elementary for a long time the morning of Sept. 11, 2001. The 10-year-old fifth grader had arrived early that day, passing through security in preparation for a place on the stage just behind President George W. Bush, who was visiting the school to promote the No Child Left Behind Act.

His mother, who was the school’s principal, Gwendolyn Tose’-Rigell, had raised students’ scores dramatically, bringing Booker Elementary to a plane equal to that of other schools, he said.

Before him, as he stood with other students and teachers, was what he described as a sea of people, including members of about 20 news stations.

Then, as the president entered, arriving from a reading of “The Pet Goat” with students, Tose’-Rigell recalls a scene overwhelmed by white, although he isn’t sure whether it was the flashing of cameras or floodlights.

The moment had arrived. But the president’s message was nothing like what Tose’-Rigell expected to hear.

“Today we’ve had a national tragedy,” Bush announced to the crowd.

“Two airplanes have crashed into the World Trade Center in an apparent terrorist attack on our country.”

Tose’-Rigell observed the gasps and shocked reactions of the crowd, as a flurry of camera flashes returned, capturing the scene and in many cases, Tose’-Rigell himself.

“It felt like the whole back of the wall just went to white, because all the flashes were just clicking, clicking like crazy,” he said.

It was a moment he would not forget, that would influence the way he understood the world from then on.

“That whole moment felt like a moment paused in time, where everything was going to change after that,” he said. “You could feel the intensity of the moment.”

MOMENT OF SHOCK

The visit had been a momentous occasion for his mother and was something like a victory celebration after her battle with breast cancer in 1999 and 2000, he said.

She ultimately died from the disease in 2007.

“I was definitely proud of her,” he said, citing her appearances in two documentaries in addition to the visit. “She deserved every bit of that, and if it wasn’t for her passing away, I’m pretty sure she would have done something else pretty awesome.”

As his mother was principal, he remained at school, although some

At age 10, Stevenson Tose’Rigell stood on the school stage with President Bush at a turning point in U.S. history.

parents took their children home, worried the school would be a target of the attacks due to the president’s visit.

Tose’-Rigell did not know what the World Trade Center was, but he did know it sounded important and that if it was located at an epicenter of the country like New York City, it must be a big building.

As teachers turned on their television screens, he watched the tragedy unfold and was surprised by what he saw: not a scrape from a plane wing or a broken skyscraper antenna, but an undeniably deliberate attack.

“This means we’re going to war?” he remembers asking a teacher. She responded that was pretty much what it meant.

Although Tose’-Rigell had long possessed a love of history, it grew stronger that day. He attributes his fascination and respect for the subject to his father, who he said has “read more books than I think a library can hold.”

“My overall understanding of the world today has totally been shaped by that circumstance, and being a part of that whole thing,” he said. “New York was where the attack happened, but they trained the terrorists to fly in Sarasota. President Bush was in Sarasota. The connection between Sarasota and New York — I don’t understand how it’s so close, but yet so far away, but yet it was right in the backyard here.”

The events that day left him with a desire to understand the cause. What would motivate the attackers to not only kill and hurt others, but also to die themselves in the process?

It launched a quest that continued

through middle and high school, as he began researching the Middle East, its culture and its past interactions with the United States.

“I’m amazed at what people are willing to accept, and believe, and what they’re willing to actually fight for and ultimately put their lives on the line for,” he said, referring not only to 9/11, but to recent events, including the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Having lived history, Tose’-Rigell also feels an obligation to stand up for the facts by debunking myths about 9/11.

“A lot of people thought the book

VotedBestWeightLossCenter

was upside down when Bush was reading to the kids,” he said. “Well, the book was never upside down.”

Like his mother, he has also defended the president when it comes to the controversial seven minutes he spent when he continued to read along with students after learning a plane had hit the second tower.

“Under that circumstance, and then hearing what he’d heard in front of a classroom full of kids, he didn’t do anything outrageous and act like his hair was on fire. He definitely remained calm and poised and carried on with the day,” he said.

WHERE TO FIND ‘THE 9/11 PRINCIPAL’

Visit The911Principal.com.

The book can also be purchased from retailers including Amazon.com, or BarnesAndNoble.com.

Finally, Tose’-Rigell has his own piece to add to the historical record.

In 2019, he self-published a memoir Gwendolyn Tose’-Rigell wrote shortly after the attacks, “The 9/11 Principal.” He said the book, which he is currently attempting to rebrand through a traditional publisher, offers a new perspective from someone outside New York City.

Moving forward, Tose’-Rigell, who currently works as a Realtor and lives in Bradenton, keeps an optimism about the U.S., which he calls “one of the greatest countries ever,” although he does think a lot has changed over time.

“We’re all pretty much right back to square one where if you look a different shade, or you’re not straight, or whatever the case may be, then it’s like you’re the enemy,” he said.

Yet there are important lessons people can learn from history, he said, including the history he has lived, which saw people coming together in support of one another.

“My hope for America is that we can come back together, and strive to be that great country that we tried to be right after 9/11.”

opportunity and shape your dreams into reality on this remarkable canvas.

The Commander and Pilot for Air Force One on 9/11, Col. Mark W. Tillman, will share his experiences on that day, and in the days that followed, in a riveting FREE program at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall in Sarasota.

Wednesday, September 13, 2023

The program begins at 10 a.m. and includes a special tribute to our military veterans and first responders. REGISTER TODAY!

TidewellFoundation.org

(941) 552-7569

Shelter from the storm

SWABY STAFF WRITER

As soon as Humane Society staff opened the door of the transport vehicle on Aug. 29, there were plenty of wagging tails, with 15 dogs from Dixie County expressing their eagerness to be at the Humane Society of Sarasota County.

After the shelter’s staff received word of an underfunded rural shelter, with dogs housed in outside kennels, located in Dixie County directly in the path of Hurricane Idalia, they decided they had to help, said David Lynch, the shelter’s senior director of operations.

“Under no circumstances were we OK with knowing this information and not acting,” Lynch said.

The organization’s volunteers never questioned the decision to bring the dogs in, he said. The same went for the decision on Aug. 30 to bring in 101 cats from a shelter in Highlands County in Florida — or after the hurricane, to take in eight dogs from the hard-hit area of Pasco County and a few more from an understaffed shelter in Hardee County.

These actions will free up those shelters to focus on animals displaced by the storm, he said.

The monthlong national Clear the Shelters event in August contributed to the availability of space at the humane society, resulting in the adoption of about 166 cats and dogs; 243 animals are in the shelter’s care with about 175 on-site.

The dogs appeared relaxed and playful in their new space, from which the shelter plans to adopt them out, Lynch said at the time the initial group arrived.

“They all are very happy, and they’re going to make a lot of fami-

lies extremely happy and filled with lots of love too.”

However, the work does not end there.

As a member of Florida Leaders in Lifesaving, a statewide program of the Jacksonville Humane Society, the Humane Society of Sarasota County helped transport about 40 of the cats from Highlands County to new homes outside the state.

Working to coordinate transportation to Jacksonville, they selected the cats that were medically fit to transport. Once the cats arrived at the Jacksonville Humane Society, Petco Love sponsored their transportation to shelters in Georgia and South Carolina.

“Collaboration is so vital to saving lives of all the animals impacted by the storm,” Lynch said. “It’s been a really inspiring experience to see

SIMPLY THE BEST

The shelter took in a group of dogs from Dixie County and 101 cats from Highlands County in Florida.

individuals coming together, just asking how to help or seeing them do what they can to help animals in the areas of the storm either directly impacted or expected to be impacted.”

During the storm, the 10 volunteers present in Sarasota County offered the animals an additional level of comfort. Staying overnight during the storm, as well as the following night on Aug. 30, they had already decided which dogs to pair with during the night not long after they arrived.

The facility, which withstood Hurricane Ian, was renovated in 2021 and has impact-resistant windows and had boards placed where needed. Supplies for both humans and animals were gathered days in advance, while all spaces were secured. Veterinary staff were present to offer

critical care.

The dogs, who had two to three walks the morning of Aug. 29, thanks to volunteers, also received plenty of enrichment, including playtime, treats and puzzle feeders.

“It really is just all hands on deck to make sure that everyone’s safe and healthy and happy,” Lynch said.

For Lynch, the move is an important part of not only helping animals in need, but also giving back to the community.

“In Sarasota County, we’re very fortunate to live in this community that has been very generous and given us tremendous resources, resources that a lot of our friends and neighbors don’t have. With those resources, and with the support of our community, we have a greater responsibility.”

Morton Terrace home tops sales at $5.9 million

Ahome in Morton Terrace tops all transactions in this week’s real estate. Bart and Joseph Price, of Sarasota, sold their home at 1622 Prospect St. to Luciana MacArthur and Hugh MacArthur, trustees, of Sarasota, for $5.9 million. Built in 2008, it has five bedrooms, six-and-a-half baths, a pool and 6,454 square feet of living area.

SARASOTA HARTSDALE

RJJM “LLC” sold the home at 1843 Morris St. to Erin Zamoff, trustee, of Edina, Minnesota, for $3,396,000. Built in 2022, it has three bedrooms, three-andtwo-half baths, a pool and 3,192 square feet of living area. It sold for $850,000 in 2021.

GRAHAM HEIGHTS

TCMAX LLC sold the home at 1727 Bahia Vista St. to Thomas Jones and Cindy Jones, trustees, of Sarasota, for $3,201,000. The first property was built in 2007 and has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, a pool and 3,733 square feet of living area. The second property was built in 2007 and has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,096 square feet of living area. They sold for $2,701,200 in 2022.

MCCLELLAN PARK

Alex and Lynette Ramos, of Siesta

Key, sold their home at 2131 McClellan Parkway to Annabelle Bexiga and Randall Brummette, of Sarasota, for $3.05 million. Built in 2000, it has six bedrooms, threeand-a-half baths, a pool and 4,358 square feet of living area. It sold for $900,000 in 2019.

MARK SARASOTA

Carole Cline, of Wheaton, Illinois, sold her Unit 1208 condominium at 111 St. Pineapple Ave. to Adam Seth Barker, of Sarasota, for $2,325,000. Built in 2019, it has three bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths and 2,026 square feet of living area. It sold for $1,800,300 in 2020.

OSPREY AVENUE

Mary Ellen Tiffany, trustee, of Sarasota, sold the home at 652 Ohio Place to Bonnie Strickland, of St. Petersburg, for $1,125,000. Built in 1925, it has two bedrooms, one bath and 1,072 square feet of living area. It sold for $425,000 in 2020.

FLORENCE

Jay Baumgardner, of Toms River, New Jersey, sold the home at 5809 Wildwood Ave. to Kevin James Tomaselli, of Sarasota, for $880,000. Built in 1955, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,829 square feet of living area. It sold for $345,000 in 2016.

Other top sales by area

SIESTA KEY: $1.75 MILLION

The Terrace

Susan and William Donnelly, trustees, of Sarasota, sold the Unit 144 condominium at 5400 Ocean Blvd. to Thad and Tonia Browning, of Naples, for $1.75 million. Built in 1970, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,187 square feet of living area. It sold for $930,000 in 2016.

PALMER RANCH: $805,000

Laurie Kalahar, of Sarasota, sold the home at 5929 Wildwood Ave. to Ivanna Smetaniuk, of Wallington, New Jersey, for $800,000. Built in 1973, it has two bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,800 square feet of living area. It sold for $194,000 in 2001.

INDIAN BEACH ESTATES

Gary Fredericks, trustee, and Vanda Fredericks, of Sarasota, sold the home at 5330 Winchester Drive to Ames Janelle Morten-Winter and William Christopher Winter, of Sarasota, for $875,000. Built in 1955, it has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths and 2,016 square feet of living area. It sold for $445,000 in 2014.

RENAISSANCE

Mark Peter Barulich and Linda Maureen Barulich, of Mansfield, Texas, sold their Unit 1203 condominium at 750 N. Tamiami Trail to Bonnie Strickland, of St. Petersburg, for $815,000. Built in 2001, it has two bedrooms, one bath and 970 square feet of living area. It sold for $588,000 in 2022.

WOODLAWN

Haralambos and Jessica Maginas, of Bolivia, North Carolina, sold their home at 2514 Marlette St. to Cayetano and Michelle Inocencio, of Sarasota, for $800,000. Built in 1986, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,401 square feet of living area. It sold for $333,200 in 2020.

THE BOATYARD

James and Kimberly Cascio, of Lakewood Ranch, sold their Unit 302 condominium at 1566 Stickney Point Road to Austin Stearns and Grace Stearns, of Norwalk, Connecticut, for $700,000. Built in 1982, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,270 square feet of living area. It sold for $325,000 in 2012.

BROADWAY PROMENADE

Daniel and Lisa Carter, of Greenville, South Carolina, sold their Unit 1525 condominium at 1064 N.

Tamiami Trail to Richard Lownes Jr., of Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, for $575,000. Built in 2007, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,352 square feet of living area. It sold for $450,000 in 2021.

TOP BUILDING PERMITS

Killian and Ann Hunt sold their Unit 1614 condominium at 1064 N. Tamiami Trail to Tomasz and Katarzyna Durzynski, of Rego Park, New York, for $550,000. Built in 2007, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,459 square feet of living area. It sold for $342,500 in 2015.

RESTFUL PINES

Roger and Shirley Ryll, of Johns Creek, Georgia, sold their home at 3264 Restful Way to Donald Gregg Chappell and Andrea Chappell, of Sarasota, for $535,000. Built in 1985, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,454 square feet of living area. It sold for $325,000 in 2018.

See more transactions at YourObserver.com

The Hamptons Carolyn and Ellie Stutzman, of Carmel, California, sold their home at 4985 Gardiners Bay Circle to Raffi Agopian and Anna Devore, of Sarasota, for $805,000. Built in 2000, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,303 square feet of living area. It sold for $500,000 in 2018.

OSPREY: $1,225,000

Sorrento Shores

Ryan and Erin Smith sold their home at 109 Tina Island Drive to John and Angelica Facchini, of Osprey, for $1,225,000. Built in 1988, it has three bedrooms, three baths and 2,827 square feet of living area. It sold for $770,000 in 2020.

NOKOMIS: $1.05 MILLION

Mission Valley Estates

D. Grady Hough III, trustee, of Nokomis, sold the home at 1250 New Forest Circle to Jordan Kravitz and Maya Kravitz, trustees, of Nokomis, for $1.05 million. Built in 1972, it has four bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 3,299 square feet of living area.

These are the largest city of Sarasota building permits issued for the week of Aug. 21-25, in order of dollar amounts.

any stage of remodeling, landscaping or decorating a home can enjoy a series of home improvement and remodeling exhibits with product demonstrations and sample interior and exterior vignettes, while interacting with home improvement pros. For information, visit HomeShowFlorida.com.

SATURDAY, SEPT. 9

EXOTIC CARS ON THE CIRCLE

9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at St. Armands Circle Park, 1 St. Armands Circle. Free. Admire a series of exotic supercars. Proceeds from the event benefit Flight to the North Pole, a charity that provides financial and emotional support to terminally ill children and their families in Sarasota and Manatee counties.

MANIFEST MIMOSAS

11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Teas Days, 6517 Superior Ave. Tickets $20 ($2.85 fee) to $50 ($4.67 fee). Teas Days hosts this weekly networking brunch where professionals can play games and enjoy mimosas and boba tea. For information and to purchase tickets, visit EventBrite.com.

SUNDAY, SEPT. 10

GRANDPARENTS DAY FEATURING

THE ISLAND HOPPERS DUO

6-7 p.m. at Sarasota Garden Club, The Bay Park, 1130 Boulevard of the Arts. Free. Celebrate Grandparents Day with music from the Island Hoppers Duo and Great Heights Creamery ice cream. For information, visit TheBaySarasota.org.

TUESDAY, SEPT. 12

TOO COOL TUESDAYS: RINGLING

MUSEUM STORY AND ART

11 a.m. to noon at Youth Program Room, Selby Library, 1331 First St. Free. This program is for ages 3-6. It offers a story and an art activity based on a work of art in the Ringling Museum collection. Visit the youth desk 30 minutes prior to the start time to obtain a ticket. SCGovLibrary.LibraryMarket.com.

BEST BET

USF SARASOTA MANATEE 9/11

MEMORIAL SERVICE

MONDAY, SEPT. 11

8:30 a.m. at Patriot Plaza, Sarasota National Cemetery, 9810 State Road

72. The University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee campus holds this ceremony in remembrance of the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. The keynote speaker is retired firefighter Matt Bruce, who was injured in the attacks. On Sept. 9 at 9 a.m., the campus will also plant 2,977 miniature flags — one for each person who died in the attacks — in its courtyard. For information, visit SarasotaManatee. USF.edu.

TRAVELOGUE TO EGYPT WITH

JANE MAHLER

2-3:30 p.m. at Meeting Room, Fruitville Library, 100 Apex Road. Free. Join lifelong traveler Jane Mahler as she recounts her journeys through Egypt. She’ll take the audience to Dendera, the Valley of the Kings, Valley of the Queens, Luxor, Karnak and many more locations. For information and to register, visit SCGov. LibraryMarket.com.

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 13

ADULT SEWING LAB

10:30 a.m. to noon at Selby Library Creation Station, 1331 First St. This open lab allows you to practice your sewing skills and learn from an experienced sewing guild member. The session admits adults with basic sewing skills. SCGovLibrary.LibraryMarket.com.

SPORTS

Fast Break

“My family told me this summer to never give up. I was going to quit football. I did quit for a few months. But then I was bored. I realized football is my only way out of that.”

The Cardinal Mooney

High volleyball team went 4-2 at the 2023 Nike Tournament of Champions Southeast, held Sept. 1-2 in Wesley Chapel. Head coach Chad Davis said he was pleased with the “highlevel volleyball” his team played at the event.

… The New College of Florida men’s soccer team defeated Florida College on Sept. 2 at the RL Taylor Community Center. It is the first intercollegiate athletic program win in the school’s history.

… The Cardinal Mooney High boys golf team (148) finished second overall in the Best Ball round of the 2023 Lakewood Ranch Invitational held Sept. 1 on the Commander course at Lakewood National Golf Club. The Cougars were one stroke behind Lakewood Ranch High. The Cougars also finished tied for fourth (57) in the Five-Man Scramble round of the event, held Sept. 2 on the Royal Lakes course at Lakewood Ranch Golf and Country Club.

… Riverview High junior volleyball player Gabrielle Meese had 15 kills (57.7 kill percentage), three blocks and an ace Aug. 31 in the Rams’ 3-1 road win against Lemon Bay High.

If you’re looking for something to do at 7 p.m. Sept. 8, the Booker High (1-1) and Sarasota High (0-2) football teams will play each other at Sarasota High. Both programs are trying to build back up, and there will be talent on both sidelines. It should be a fun contest.

… Cardinal Mooney High senior girls cross-country runner Addison Dempsey (18:45.50) won the 2023 DDD Sommer Invitational, held Sept. 2 at Estero Community Park in Estero.

Dempsey finished 47 seconds ahead of second-place Sienna Audrey, a sophomore at the Community School of Naples.

There was no big on-field celebration after Cardinal Mooney High football, a Florida High School Athletic Association Class 1S program, won 41-6 over Lakewood Ranch High, an FHSAA Class 4S program, at home Sept. 1.

The Cougars simply took their helmets off and headed for the 50-yard line for handshakes, then jogged to the locker room. Only then, following a team prayer, did the Cougars let off some steam, blaring some hiphop music and dancing along.

This is what happens when a program soundly beats a team it expects to beat, no matter the size of the schools involved.

The Cougars are 2-0 in 2023 and are primed for what they believe can be a special season, armed with the most talented team in program history — a statement no one seems to dispute. Cardinal Mooney has outscored its two opponents 95-6.

The Cougars actually started their scoring against Lakewood Ranch with a defensive touchdown. Senior linebacker Jacob Brown recovered a Lakewood Ranch fumble and returned it 50 yards for a score.

Then the offense took over.

Mooney senior quarterback Michael Valentino, a transfer from Charlotte High, twice found junior receiver/ defensive back Chris McCorkle for touchdowns, the longest one for 25 yards. Valentino also hit senior receiver Zy’marion Lang for a 40-yard score and ran for a goal-line touchdown in the third quarter.

Mooney brought in sophomore quarterback Devin Mignery in the fourth quarter. Mignery led one scoring drive capped by a goal-line touchdown run by sophomore Gus Wilson.

Even when not getting in the end zone, the Cougars’ offense spent the game spreading the ball among their abundance of weapons. That includes McCorkle, who has NCAA Division I offers from schools like the

University of Florida and Michigan State University; Lang, a University of South Carolina commit; senior defensive back/wide receiver Teddy Foster, a University of Florida commit; and senior running back Carson Beach, who holds offers from the University of Tennessee and the University of South Florida among other schools.

At the high school level, teams usually can spend a game feeding their one or two big stars and giving their college film a bump. At Mooney, with so many stars on the field, things are more spread out.

Against the Mustangs, for example, Foster and Lang tied for the team lead with three catches each. The exception is Beach, who has little competition for carries at running back. He had 25 carries for 145 yards against Lakewood Ranch — but no touchdowns, even though the team was often in the red zone.

On other teams, spreading touches like this might cause frustration. Not on the Cougars. Mooney head coach Jared Clark said there is no bickering between his team’s elite athletes when it comes to who gets the ball: they all just want to win.

“They’re great teammates,” Clark said. “They support the other guys. They just want us to be successful. As long as we’re moving the ball, they’re fine. They understand.

“We’re going to do what the defense gives us. We have guys at every position. So, if you do one thing (defensively), hopefully we can do another (offensively).”

As much attention as scoring 95 points in two games will get an offense, the Cardinal Mooney defense has been just as dominant.

Some players, like natural defensive backs Foster and McCorkle, are shared between the units, but others primarily stick to defense, like Brown, senior safety Emerson Warthling (eight tackles, two tackles for loss, and an interception in two games) and sophomore defensive end Blake Roulund (seven tackles, two tackles for loss, one sack in two games).

Against Lakewood Ranch, the Cougars defense was constantly in the Mustangs’ backfield, either stopping runs for minimal yardage or causing Mustangs senior quarterback Sebastian Mejia to lose rhythm; Mejia completed 10 of 28 passes for 102 yards.

One player Clark raved about is senior linebacker George Leibold. Leibold had seven tackles (one tackle for loss) against Lakewood Ranch after not playing in the team’s first game against Avon Park High.

“He’s a captain of this team and he’s an absolute stud,” Clark said.

“He’s been a stud since his fresh-

What: Cardinal Mooney High football (2-0) vs. Evangelical Christian (2-0)

When: 7 p.m. Sept. 8

Where: Cardinal Mooney High

Why: The Cougars have been dominant in 2023, but now will face their first stiff test in the Sentinels, who have outscored their two opponents 56-6 this season.

Cougars player to watch: senior quarterback Michael Valentino. With all of the collegelevel talent Mooney has at the skill positions, someone has to get them the ball and make good decisions. Those responsibilities fall on Valentino, who thus far has been successful.

man year. The guy watches more film than anyone else. He’s smart. He could run defense himself, I’m pretty sure. He’s coachable. He’s all over the field.”

Clark said Leibold also will play some tight end for the Cougars this season, though he didn’t against the Mustangs, and is the team’s long snapper.

It is that kind of team-first attitude that Clark loves, he said. It’s the type of thing that keeps the locker room in good spirits. They’ll need to keep it up as the meat of the team’s schedule approaches.

The Cougars’ first real test will come at 7 p.m. Sept. 8, when Evangelical Christian (2-0) comes to town.

The Sentinels have outscored their opponents 56-6 through two games in 2023 and have a dual-threat quarterback in senior Tanner Helton (400 passing yards, 116 rushing yards), who holds offers from a handful of FCS schools.

Despite the Cougars’ scoring margins in their two games, things aren’t perfect. Clark said the team will be working this week to clean up its perimeter blocking, which was flagged several times against the Mustangs, bringing back big gains.

Still, the team was able to overcome those mistakes, and Clark believes this Cougars squad is capable of even more.

Spread the ball around, rack up the wins.

— Noah Obaseki, Booker High football defensive back. SEE PAGE 11B

Cardinal Mooney senior running back Carson Beach takes the ball upfield.

Photos by Ryan Kohn

Add these alums to your watchlist

The Sarasota area has several alumni playing at the highest levels of college football.

At 12:30 a.m. on Sept. 3, I found myself not at a bar partying away Labor Day weekend, but in my living room chair, a cold drink in hand, leaning forward so I could concentrate on the action in front of me.

What was I watching? The second half and, eventually, single and double overtime of the University of Wyoming’s defeat of Texas Tech University. Obviously.

I attended neither of these schools, nor do I have any other tangential connection to them. The Cowboys and Red Raiders are not great teams, either.

Yet I was watching this with great interest. Why?

Because I am what has been recently coined on the internet as a College Football Sicko. To me and the people like me, there’s nothing better in the world than this wonderful, and wonderfully stupid, sport. The more random the game, the better, as that’s where things have the tendency to go off the rails.

To wit: Texas Tech, which holds at least some level of relevance nationally, as it plays in the Big 12 Conference, could have scheduled a cupcake to open its season, as many top-tier teams do. Instead, it decided to travel to Laramie, Wyoming, and for its trouble, it slowly got ground into a fine powder by the Cowboys’ mortar-and-pestle offensive attack.

The lesson, here, is to never walk into Laramie and expect to

leave alive. It is the same lesson my beloved University of Missouri Tigers learned in 2019.

I knew what was coming, Texas Tech, but I could not save you. I could only revel in your foolishness.

As of last weekend, college football is back. I know that the average person does not care as much about games like Texas Tech-Wyoming as I do, and that’s fine. I like the big matchups, too.

I also like that, going on my seventh season covering high school football in the Sarasota area, there are several area alumni now playing on Saturdays.

Here, I’ve listed a handful of them, with updates on their progress and a note on why they and their teams are worth following in 2023.

BRIAN BATTIE, AUBURN UNIVERSITY

Battie, the former Sarasota High Sailors running back, spent three years at the University of South Florida before transferring to Auburn University during the offseason. At USF, he was a consensus All-American at kick returner in 2021.

Battie — academically a junior because of the COVID-affected 2020 season — ran for 1,186 yards and eight touchdowns in 2022. He had eight carries for 31 yards, plus three kick returns for 86 yards in Auburn’s 59-14 win over the University of Massachusetts on Sept. 2.

It will be interesting to see how the 5-foot-8 Battie adjusts to the physicality of the Southeastern Conference this season.

JARON GLOVER, MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY

After a quiet freshman season at wide receiver for Michigan State

University in 2022 — one catch for two yards — the Riverview High alum appears poised for a breakout in 2023. Now a sophomore, the 6-foot-1 Glover caught three passes for 75 yards in Michigan State’s 31-7 win over Central Michigan University on Sept. 2. Glover’s speed could make him a real deep threat for new Spartans starting quarterback Noah Kim this season.

CHARLES BRANTLEY, MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY

Coincidently, Michigan State also features defensive back Charles Brantley, who started his career at Riverview before transferring to Venice High.  Brantley, a junior, has been a stalwart of the Spartans defense since arriving. He started all 11 games he could when he was healthy in 2022, missing the season finale against Penn State University, and recording 48 tackles (two tackles for loss), seven passes defended and a pick six off then-Ohio State University

quarterback CJ Stroud, who went second overall in April’s NFL Draft to the Houston Texans.

Expect 2023 to be no different for Brantley.

JACQUES BRISTOL, CENTRAL MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY

That Michigan State-Central Michigan game was full of Sarasota connections.

On the opposite side of the field from Brantley and Glover was Jacques Bristol, a senior defensive lineman for the Chippewas. The former Booker High standout had 34 tackles (3.5 tackles for loss) and a sack in 12 games in 2022.  He started all 12 games and works best as a hole-plugger, forcing running backs to go elsewhere lest they be swallowed up. Bristol had seven tackles (two tackles for loss) against Michigan State.

AUGUST DREWS, APPALACHIAN STATE

Drews, the former Sarasota High tight end, appeared in three games

as a redshirt freshman for Appalachian State University in 2022, catching one pass for 18 yards.

The 6-foot-5 Drews is still developing as a football player and his playing time will likely depend on how that process goes. There is one backdoor way he could see the field this season: as the team’s backup long snapper. One injury to the starter and he’ll be pressed into duty at an important position.

TALIK KEATON, MARSHALL UNIVERSITY

Former Booker High wide receiver Talik Keaton caught 24 passes for 226 yards in 2022, and had a key 30-yard rush in the Thundering Herd’s upset over the University of Notre Dame.

Like Battie, Keaton can also make things happen in the return game: Keaton returned 15 punts for 103 yards last season and college football analyst Phil Steele named Keaton a preseason All-Sun Belt Conference Third-Teamer at the position for 2023.

CAMERON HEALD, BUTLER UNIVERSITY

I’ve focused on NCAA Division I players here, but the area has a swath of players at lower levels as well, like former Cardinal Mooney tight end Cameron Heald, a sophomore at Butler University.

Heald was an All-Pioneer Football League honorable mention as a freshman in 2022 after catching 15 passes for 128 yards and three touchdowns while also serving as a dependable blocker.

Heald did not have a catch in the Bulldogs’ 35-20 loss to the FCS No. 14-ranked University of Montana on Sept. 2, but more will come.

Noah Obaseki

Noah Obaseki is a senior defensive back on the Booker High football team. Obaseki has six tackles, an interception and a pass defended through two games in 2023. Obaseki also has two carries for nine yards and a touchdown on offense. Obaseki transferred to Booker during the offseason from Southeast High, where he played quarterback.

When did you start playing football?

I started in first grade with flag football. Once I got to third grade, I played tackle football. I’ve been playing ever since.

What is the appeal to you?

I can forget everything (outside football) when I’m on the field. I also like connecting with my teammates and trying to always be a better player. I like to use the abilities that I have to help the team.

What is your best skill?

I can make open field tackles easily, and I can read a play easily. I just have the ability to make plays.

What have you been working to improve?

Well, I didn’t know what position I was going to play when I got here. So before camp, I was focused on everything. I had to be ready to play any position.

Was going from quarterback to the secondary a difficult transition?

Not really. When I started out play ing football, I was an “athlete.” I played everywhere on the field. I’m used to moving around. Even now, sometimes, I’ll play quarterback or I’ll run the ball. I play receiver sometimes, too.

What is your favorite mem ory?

In the fourth grade, my youth team was invited to play a game at Ford Field during halftime of a Detroit Lions game. I scored two touchdowns. That’s a good

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

memory for me. (Obaseki’s family moved to Sarasota in 2020.)

What are your goals for the 2023 season?

We just want to make it as far as we can in the playoffs. States is big, obviously. But that comes with responsibilities. The team has to come together and have discipline. If we do that, we’ll be good.

What is the best advice you have received? My family told me this summer to never give up. I was going to quit football. I did quit for a few months. But then I was bored. I realized football is my only way out of that. I came back like a month before the season and tried to get back in shape, and I found that I have love for the game still.

What is your favorite food?

I love seafood macaroni.

What is your favorite TV show? I have to go with “Stranger Things.”

Finish this sentence: “Noah Obaseki is … “ … Outgoing. I connect easily with people.

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