Sarasota/Siesta Key Observer 10.16.25

SARASOTA/SIESTA KEY

Dogs can withdraw their own treats

Pets who grow bored while their owners stand (seemingly for dog hours on end) at a cash machine or lament the loss of drive-up window treats now have an ATM of their own at a bank branch on Clark Road. ATM, in this case, stands for Automated Treat Machine.

Making its debut on Friday at the TD Bank branch at 3450 Clark Road, Sarasota’s first such treat machine is one of 14. Free dog biscuits are dispensed via motion sensor in a paw-marked mat. During the 1-4 p.m. grand opening, a DJ will supply music, a dog caricaturist (to be clear, the artist is human, the subjects are dogs) will create art and Satchel’s Last Resort will operate a dog-adoption station alongside treats and giveaways for two- and fourlegged customers.

Calming the community

As The Bay park grew quiet the night of Oct. 12 after the “Parktoberfest” event, a few gentle notes rang out.

Sarasota’s Kerry Sanders (above) sat playing a handpan drum that rested on his lap. Sanders had long known of the instrument, and finally bought one about a year ago, before he began playing it at local parks so others could hear the sound.

He says he thinks he crosses paths for a reason with the people who are moved by its peaceful, ringing tones.

“I’ve had way too many people tell me, ‘I’m going through something, I just want to thank you; it made me feel very peaceful, with all of the things going on in my life,’” he said.

$0.10

After coming back from hurricanes, businesses look forward to snowbirds.

WEEK OF OCT. 16, 2025

BY THE NUMBERS

5

4

“Is it OK for me to stay, ‘close enough for government work?’”

Sarasota County Commission Chairman Joe Neunder after calculating the amount to give The Hermitage. Read more on page 6

California-style home hits market

Auto enthusiasts who enjoy unique design, golf and rooftop views of Sarasota Bay might take notice of a Sapphire Shores home, recently listed for sale at nearly $19 million. The home, named Lunara, was envisioned by owners Dara and Hani Nassif as a Californiainspired showpiece with exclusive features including the city’s tallest glass elevator, a 10-car glass-enclosed garage, floating staircases and an adherence to a “no-hallways” design directive. The property is marketed by

Andrew Tanner of the Laughlin Tanner Group, a global real estate advisor with Premier Sotheby’s International Realty. Asking price is $18.95 million.

Located at 388 South Shore Drive, just south of Ca’d’Zan at the Ringling Museum, the home has five bedrooms, four full baths and one half-bath, and 7,428 square feet of living space. It is designed by Mark Sultana of DSDG Architects and constructed by Voigt Brothers. The primary suite offers direct water views and terrace access.

A private balcony features a spa and is connected via an open-air bridge to a detached studio. The en suite bath features a curbless walk-in shower with a retractable glass wall that opens to an outdoor rain shower.

The garage features glass sliders at the rear that open fully, and vehicles within the space are visible from every room on the ground floor.

At its highest point on the roof, reachable by the glass elevator, there’s a putting green, fire pit and entertainment deck.

Mira Mar Residences opens sales office

Sarasota’s Seaward Development has opened a temporary sales office to market Mira Mar Residences, 70 bayfront condominiums across two 18-story towers set to be built between the historic Mira Mar building along South Palm Avenue and Mira Mar Court.

The temporary sales office is at 53 S. Palm Ave. until the main sales office construction is complete. Leading the sales team are Nicholle DiPinto McKiernan and Georgia Kopelousos.

Developed in coordination with the preservation of the 100-yearold Mira Mar building, Mira Mar Residences’ amenities will include an owners’ speakeasy lounge with bayfront views on floor 19, lap pool, massage therapy rooms, yoga and social lawn, infrared saunas, steam rooms, entertaining space and sunset terrace, a dog park and more.

The Mira Mar Residences project will include preservation of the historic building. Rehabilitation of the existing buildings is expected to begin in December 2025, with the residential towers expected to be completed by the end of 2028.

Veterans Day Parade set for Nov. 11

In partnership with the Sarasota Patriotic Observance Committee, the city of Sarasota will hold the annual Veterans Day parade at starting at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 11, in downtown.

The parade route begins at Main Street and Orange Avenue, a new location from previous years, and will conclude at J.D. Hamel Park at Main Street and Gulfstream Avenue, where the iconic Doughboy War Memorial was recently restored. A ceremony at the park will begin at approximately 11 a.m., honoring all who have served in the United States military. For more information, including inquiries about participating in the parade, contact Sarasota Patriotic Observance Committee Chairman Dan Kennedy at 941-812-5406 or by email at Chessie@Comcast.net. Commercial vehicles are not permitted to participate.

Season greetings

Sarasota’s tourism destinations are polished up, opened up and ready for visitors one year after hurricanes cost businesses the 2024-25 season.

ANDREW

STAFF WRITER

On a recent Saturday afternoon, downtown Sarasota bars and restaurants were buzzing with activity, college football filling the screens as merchants stood by to serve the additional foot traffic.

Into the evening, sidewalks at St. Armands Circle were crowded with shoppers toting bags containing purchases as street-side diners savored the first taste of fall weather. The scene repeated in Siesta Village on Siesta Key.

And it’s only the start of the busy season.

Across the Sarasota area, particularly on the barrier islands, stormweary restaurateurs and merchants, many of whom lost an entire season of business, are eagerly anticipating a fall and winter of normalcy, optimistic that visitors are comfortable to return and seasonal residents are arriving this year not to clean up, but to resume their wintertime ritual of soaking up fun in the sun.

Although signs of the fury of the 2024 hurricane season remain in multiple city and county waterfront assets such as piers and parks, the streets are clear of sand and debris.

At St. Armands Circle, the city has replaced dead grass and plants with lush landscaping in Circle Park, as have most commercial property owners along their sidewalks.

All merchants are recovered and open in Siesta Village, according to Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce CEO Sarah Firstenberger, and approximately 70% of business spaces on St. Armands Circle are

“There is the sense of excitement and looking forward to this upcoming season.”

occupied, said Siesta Key Circle Association Executive Director Rachel Burns.

All of them have reason for optimism going into season this year. According to Visit Sarasota County President and CEO Erin Duggan, for local hoteliers are expecting a busy fall.

“I did hear from two hoteliers (recently), one in the vacation rental space, one your traditional hotel,” Duggan said. “Both of them were saying September got off to a slow start, but they ended September well and October is looking great.”

Those planning vacations here still remain somewhat cautious as booking windows have shrunk, Duggan said, meaning they are reserving accommodations closer to their trip.

“That’s not really that surprising,” she said. “People might be looking three months out and be a little concerned, but by the time they get closer to that date, they’re ready.”

In addition to marketing the area for tourism, Visit Sarasota County tracks monthly data of bookings across the county along with the associated room night cost, visitor spending and economic impact. Those numbers have been gradually settling back to normalcy since the

CALENDAR YEAR TOURISM AND IMPACT 2022-2024

ALL VISITORS 2022: 2,246,900 2023: 3,207,000 42.73% 2024: 2,852,400 –11.06%

ECONOMIC IMPACT

2022: $4.43B 2023: $4.47B 0.01% 2024: $3.96B -11.41%

FISCAL YEAR TOURISM AND IMPACT 2022-2025

First three quarters only. Visit Sarasota County’s fiscal year runs October through September.

ALL VISITORS

2022: 1,123,300

2023: 1,129,090 0.52%

2024: 1,032,180 -8.58% 2025: 976,100 -5.43%

ECONOMIC IMPACT

2022: $2.03B

2023: $2.35B 15.76%

2024: $2.26B -3.83%

2025: $2.08B -7.96%

Source: Visit Sarasota County

NEW AT ST. ARMANDS

period and people wondering what

mid-Covid crush of tourism here.

Then came hurricanes Helene and Milton, resulting in the shutdown of the primary tourism draw of beaches and, to an extent, cultural activities, including the first half of the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall season. That caused an uncharacteristically deeper dip in the recent years’ trend.

Visit Sarasota County, Duggan said, has been battling a perception that Sarasota may not quite yet be ready for tourism.

“I’d love to say we’re not fighting that perception, but perception is reality,” Duggan said. “If you’re talking about someone I haven’t been able to get my marketing message in front of, I do think you have some people out there who are scared of storms. We don’t ever want to say ‘we’re open for business,’ because the savvy consumer is going to say, ‘Wait, when were you closed? Why were you closed?’ So we tend to not mention the negative.”

NEW LIFE, RENEWED LEGACIES

On St. Armands Circle, a handful of merchants did not return after the hurricane-driven flooding — some relocating, some owners retiring and others going out of business — and a few vacant spaces remain, among them the Tommy Bahama restaurant, which recently reopened in the former Shore restaurant and retail location.

Otherwise, all appears normal, and perhaps somewhat improved, for shoppers and diners as the merchants, restaurants and other businesses prepare for the winter rush.

“It’s almost like a tangible excitement. It’s like something you can feel in the air,” said Burns. “It’s looking beautiful here with so many major improvements to the landscaping by the city and so many merchants and landowners have been updating the look of their sidewalk plantings.

“It’s been a very slow summer, and I think that came from that recovery

“We don’t ever want to say ‘We’re open for business,’ because the savvy consumer is going to say, ‘Wait, when were you closed? Why were you closed?’ So we tend to not mention the negative.”

was happening. Now we’re seeing so much of that old feeling, and we are really anxious to welcome back all of our snowbirds.”

Cleon Dixon, who owns boutique shops Binjara Traders, Ivory Coast and Sahara said the turnover in merchants can be beneficial to the retail character of St. Armands Circle, and serves as a demonstration that the new business owners are confident in the future there.

“It feels like the momentum is really moving back to normalcy,” said Dixon, who has had a presence on St. Armands for 38 years. “Obviously it’s taken us a little while, I think because there have been a lot of changes, but I also think change is good. It’s been really encouraging to see these new young businesses coming out to really make their mark and to make sure that the Circle stays strong.”

It is the combination of old favorites and new merchants and the blend of one-off boutiques and national chains, which are not present across the Ringling Bridge in downtown, that help drive visitors to the Circle.

“Having names like Tommy Bahama, Lily Pulitzer, White House Black Market, Spartina 449 — those are names that people know, and that’s what draws people to all of the incredible small businesses,” Burns said.

Amid the latter stages of recovery from the considerable devastation impacting the entire length of Siesta Key, Firstenberger was named CEO of the Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce. Both Siesta Key Village and the South Village are fully recovered, she said, and all businesses are operating and are prepared to welcome back their visitors and seasonal residents.

“There is the sense of excitement and looking forward to this upcoming season,” Firstenberger said. “The lodging partners, our accommodation partners, they’re all very excited and very ready to greet people back. We are such a resilient community, and what business owners both large and small overcame from just a year ago speaks volumes to the type of community that we are.

“They’re hopeful for some people that weren’t able to come down to Florida in 2024 are able to come back and there’s a just a genuine sense of true excitement as we go into this next upcoming season.”

Where Your Child Will Thrive

City to discuss burying St. Armands utilities

The Commission will also discuss Bay Park facility improvements.

ANDREW WARFIELD STAFF WRITER

Among the items on the agenda of the Oct. 20 meeting of the Sarasota City Commission is a discussion about letters of support from property owners and merchant groups to create special assessment districts to fund capital improvements.

These include burying overhead utilities on St. Armands Key, Lido Shores and Lido Key; and enhancing lighting within the South Poinsettia Park Neighborhood Association area. The agenda item is initial policy action to acknowledge the community interest and to authorize staff to begin work to create and fund the districts as required by statute.

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According to the agenda item support for burying utilities on the barrier islands has received 87% from St. Armands Residents Association, 97% from Lido Shores Property Owners Association; 93% from Lido Key Residents Association; and nonspecified strong support from the St. Armands Circle Association, which comprises the merchants, businesses and restaurants.

Also, a survey shows 70% of South Poinsettia Park Neighborhood Association members support enhanced street lighting.

According to the City Attorney’s Office, there is no statutory or city code threshold required to begin the feasibility/assessment phase, which is up to the discretion of the commission to determine if the level of support is sufficient to move forward.

BAY PARK PHASE 3

Also during the Oct. 20 meeting, the City Commission will receive a presentation from the Bay Park Conservancy that will include an update on The Bay Park Phase 2 project and to seek approval of $20 million in

Full Mouth Implant Dentistry

The next meeting of the Sarasota City Commission begins at 9 a.m. Monday, Oct. 20, in the Commission Chamber at City Hall, 1565 First St. Watch live or recorded at SarasotaFL. gov or on the city’s Facebook page.

dedicated tax increment financing district revenues for The Bay Park Phase 3 projects. The BPC’s request includes design and construction of Phase 3A for $16 million, and design only of Phase 3B for $4 million. The BPC will provide a preliminary overview of Phase 4. Phase 3 capital improvements include improved resiliency, environmental restoration and water quality improvements along the Centennial Park canal and the area north. Improvements will also be made to the north and east seawalls, increase boat launch capacity, add trailer parking capacity, rehabilitate the restrooms, and install a floating day dock on the northeast side.

Charter school claims space in Sarasota county schools

Mater Academy names under-capacity Booker Elementary, Brookside Middle and Oak Park in a request to co-locate.

ERIC GARWOOD

DIGITAL NEWS EDITOR

Acharter school operator based in Hialeah Gardens has filed requests with Sarasota County Schools to occupy space on three public school campuses in connection with the Florida’s Schools of Hope provisions.

According to a statement from Superintendent Terry Connor, Mater Academy requested last week to colocate operations at Emma Booker Elementary, Brookside Middle and Oak Park School campuses.

“We have significant concerns about the impact these proposals would have on students, staff and programs currently in place at these schools,” Connor said. “These are established district-operated campuses that serve important roles in their communities.”

On its website, Mater Academy says it “is an approved authorizer for Schools of Hope. This program is designed to promote and open high-quality schools in Federally Designated Opportunity Zones — or within a 5-mile radius of an Underperforming School — as indicated by the state of Florida.”

Dozens of requests for space in schools around the state have been received recently. In Manatee, two requests were received last week. Brevard County, on the coast east of Orlando, received 27. Hillsborough County received 28.

Booker has been a B-graded school the last two years, Brookside scored a B and an A, and Oak Park serves children with disabilities. None would qualify as an “underperforming” school, so Mater Academy appears to be relying on a new provision of Schools of Hope, yet to take effect, that allows sanctioned charters to occupy space in under-capacity schools, as well.

Sarasota County Schools said that

because the new provisions are not yet in effect, the applications are invalid because charters are barred from seeking space until 14 days after the in-effect date. The rule changes are set to take effect on Oct. 28.

State data show declining enrollment at each of the three mentioned schools.

Emma Booker stands at 58% capacity, Brookside stands at around 43% capacity, according to district figures.

According to the Sarasota County Schools website, Oak Park has 217 students.

Schools of Hope, and its potential effect on under-capacity Sarasota schools, came into sharp focus in September when a Sarasota County School Board discussion focused on a broad plan to potentially close under-capacity Wilkinson Elementary and shift students to three under-capacity campuses nearby. By next year, students could be dispersed to Alta Vista, Brentwood and Gulf Gate elementaries in surrounding neighborhoods.

With a capacity of 786 children, Wilkinson operates at about 50%.

The three surrounding schools are at about 60% capacity.

As part of that discussion, Connor said the effects of charter schools co-locating on public school campuses could be far-reaching.

“If we have a school that is under 50%, half the school is empty,” Connor said. “We have maybe a wing or several classrooms that are not currently being utilized because enrollment has declined over the years.

That provides an opportunity for a School of Hope operator to essentially make an intent to say ‘We want to designate that space for our school.’ And if they do that, the kicker is we also have to not only provide the space but we also have to provide the transportation for the students, the food service, the custodial, the

Source: Sarasota County Schools; Mater Academy

security support, the shared spaces — the cafeteria, the gym — all of that comes at no cost to the operator.”

Wilkinson parents are fighting against the closure, proposing alternatives to keep open the STEM-certified school.

Connor said the district intends to fight the proposal from Mater Academy to begin operating in the 202728 school year.

“The primary avenue available to the district is to submit formal objections based on material impracticability, as provided in statute,” he said. “The district intends to exercise this

right within the required timelines.”

In its three letters to Sarasota County Schools, Mater Academy proposes to serve up to about 1,800 students on the three campuses within five years. The letters also seek floor plan copies and access to facilities for in-person inspections.

Schools of Hope regulations also allow a school district to propose an alternate site, though acceptance “remains at the operator’s discretion.”

County proposes final offer to Hermitage

The artist retreat would have to take over responsibility for future repairs.

damage restoration to the Hermitage Artist Retreat on the Sarasota County-owned Blind Pass Beach Park continued into its third public meeting, the County Commission on Oct. 8 weighed the merits of two options presented by staff.

Option 1 was to proceed as the county government normally would with its retained design-build contractor, take at least a year to complete the work and then apply for uncertain FEMA reimbursement.

Option 2 was to allow the Hermitage to take over repairs and restoration at its own expense — which it has stated it can complete and be fully operational again by the start of 2026 — and continue on with the current landlord-tenant relationship. Meanwhile, a discussion about a possible transfer of ownership would continue on a parallel track. Commissioners instead went with Option 3.

As they discussed the merits and pitfalls of the first two choices, and with any possibility of a transfer of ownership of the 6.1-acre property apparently off the table based on commissioners’ comments, the third option gradually emerged: Turn over all 2024 hurricane damage restoration to Hermitage, provide a lump sum of $250,000 the county would have to spend regardless, minus $91,000 already spent, and execute a lease amendment to require the Hermitage to assume the cost of all future repairs to the buildings — some of which are designated historic — going forward.

Hermitage officials had pitched paying the county $600,000 to

COMMISSIONERS: TONE ADJUSTMENT NEEDED

Perhaps weighing on the minds of the county commissioners as they deliberated how to proceed were pressures they received from Hermitage supporters throughout the process.

„ Said freshman Commissioner Tom Knight, “I was told, before I even got sworn in, that there was going to be so much pressure put upon me by powerful people that I was going to acquiesce and do what they wanted to do. I think that is a terrible way to run our government.”

„ Said Teresa Mast, “I will tell you that some of the decorum, some of the emails, some of the personal comments are extremely unprofessional, extremely in ill taste.”

„ Added Ron Cutsinger, “The tone has to change. It’s just not helpful. It certainly hasn’t been helpful for me as a supporter of Hermitage. I just had to express my disappointment.”

assume ownership of the campus and all current and future liabilities, including a reverter clause should it cease operations there.

Instead, pending Hermitage Board of Trustees approval at an Oct. 18 board meeting, what it got is a lump sum of $172,258 toward repairs to be made, presumably sooner than following FEMA and county protocols. Also, without an ownership transfer, assuming responsibility for all repairs going forward. If not, they get Option 1. Take it or leave it.

“We’re disappointed that the commissioners did not accept the proposals and various compromise configurations that we offered,”

Hermitage Artistic Director and CEO Andy Sandberg told the Observer.

“We feel now we have generously offered to take responsibilities off the county’s hands for over a year, and we felt we made a proposal that would be saving the taxpayers money and a win-win for all parties involved. So it is no surprise to say that we were disheartened by the decision that was ultimately made.”

The Hermitage campus occupies a fraction of the 61 acres of the park on Manasota Key. Hurricanes Helene and Milton left several buildings on the campus damaged and, one year later, still unusable. Hermitage officials say they have a contractor able to effect repairs by the end of this year and have asked to proceed with its estimate of just less than $500,000 to make repairs and be reimbursed by the county.

Commissioner Mark Smith questioned why the bid by Hermitage contractor Bach Land Development of Tampa could not be considered by the county rather than await a proposal from its own design-build contractor, A2 (A Squared). He was told by Financial Management Director Kim Radtke that the bid process was

not consistent with FEMA procurement protocol and the cost would not be eligible for reimbursement.

Just to get to a number for repairs by A2, though, will cost approximately $600,000.

“This is what makes government wonderful,” Smith said. “I’m hearing that we have an opportunity to save taxpayers money by accepting this bid, and I would love for us as a county to figure out how to make that happen.”

But it can’t, leaving commissioners to ask Hermitage Board of Trustees President Carole Crosby if she can authorize accepting the lump sum and effectively amending the lease agreement with the county, which would remove it from its obligation to lead any future repair efforts. The latter, she told them, will require a vote of the trustees, whose next meeting is Oct. 18.

Commissioners unanimously agreed to a motion to pay the lump sum and turn over all future repairs to the Hermitage, pending the Board of Trustees approval.

Otherwise, it’s back to Option 1, and at least another year before restoration is complete.

READING BUDDIES

Kids enjoy the benefits of therapy dogs at the library.

Bob Hulvat, a volunteer with Bright & Beautiful Therapy Dogs, has a job that he calls “very important.” It is evaluating the organization’s therapy dogs to make sure they don’t jump and they settle down, making them comforting to people, including kids.

He has been doing the job for 10 years, about the same amount of time he has been coming to Read with the Dogs at Gulf Gate Library.

Last month, Hulvat was present again as a small handful of kids turned out to enjoy, cuddle, and read to three dogs, including two dogs from the Humane Society of Sarasota County.

“It just relaxes people,” Hulvat said. “And you get a dog like this, it’s not going to jump on you, it’s not going to be a pest. The kids love the dogs.”

“It’s probably my favorite hour all week, because I love to see the kids enjoying the dogs,” said Lois Saupe, a volunteer with the humane society.

— IAN SWABY

“It’s probably my favorite hour all week, because I love to see the kids enjoying the dogs.”

Lois Saupe

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Planning Board advances two housing projects

The Sarasota Planning Board approved Central Gardens and recommended approval of Cypress Square III, which combined would bring 100 new affordable units.

ANDREW

WARFIELD STAFF WRITER

Only weeks removed from the celebratory groundbreaking of two already underway Sarasota Housing Authority affordable housing projects, the organization went before the Sarasota Planning Board on Oct. 8, seeking its endorsement of two more. Planned to bring 100 more units to the city’s affordable housing stock, the SHA won the unanimous approval for Central Gardens, and recommended to the City Commission approval of the third phase of Cypress Square, which is technically referred to as Amaryllis Park Place IV.

Both were 4-0 votes in the absence of Chairman Daniel Deleo and alternate Alexander Neihaus.

Central Gardens is planned as a four-story, 39-unit building on a 1.18-acre site adjacent to SHA’s Janie’s Garden. Cypress Square III, technically also referred to as Amaryllis Park Place IV will have 61 units across two three-story buildings on 2.5 acres.

All will be priced affordable, the rent calculations individually based on 30% of the household income for those earning between 30% and 80% of area median income. There will also be 30 units dedicated to Section 8 housing vouchers across both properties. Although they are separate projects, both are funded as a single unit by Florida Housing Finance Corp., which was created by the Florida Legislature in 1980 to assist in providing a range of affordable housing opportunities.

As neighbors to Janie’s Garden, Central Gardens residents will have access to the amenities already in place. “There’s a clubhouse, there’s

PLANNED HOUSING PROJECTS

■ Central Gardens, 1442-1456

22nd St., 39 units

■ Cypress Square Phase II, 2012 N. Orange Ave., 61 units

a computer lab, there’s a gym, there’s now a school that’s operating out of the Phase III clubhouse,” said SHA President and CEO William Russell.

“It will be nice to incorporate the Central Gardens residents into that community as well.”

Planning Board member Terrill Salem questioned Russell about whether SHA will manage Central Gardens, citing long-standing issues with third-party management of Janie’s Garden, which happens to work under the private investor in the property.

NDC Asset Management Bradenton will manage Central Gardens on behalf of the project’s co-developer, and unlike Janie’s Garden, not by the investor, Russell told the Planning Board. That company currently manages the first phase of Amaryllis Park Place, which is for seniors ages 62 and older with annual incomes between 35% and 60% of AMI, and the neighboring Cypress Square and SHA’s Lofts on Lemon.

Planning Board member Douglas

Christy lamented that more units could not be planned for Central Gardens in lieu of some opens space and parking, but Russell and project consultant Joel Freedman explained that building’s size and location left little opportunity for a larger project.

“Is there any undertaking by city staff to facilitate or discuss maximizing the capacity of the site, especially

Warfield Sarasota Housing Authority President and CEO William Russell speaks during a groundbreaking ceremony.

for attainable, affordable housing?”

Christy asked Development Review Planner Rebecca Webster. Webster redirected the discussion back to the matter at hand.

“It can be part of the consideration, but we’re looking at whether the proposal meets technical review per code,” she said.

At that, Christy “reluctantly” moved to approve Central Gardens to “not let the perfect be the enemy of the good.”

Passed on to the City Commission for final approval is Cypress Square III, which will complete the replacement of 1940s-era, single-story public housing duplexes with modern and affordable residences.

The first phase of Cypress Square opened in 2022. Once the second and third phases are built, the entire complex will offer 253 affordable apartments. A community center for residents is already in place.

Planning Board member Daniel Clermont praised SHA for the appearance of Central Gardens.

“It’s a nice project. It looks more upscale than you might expect,” Clermont said. “It’s colorful and it’s well maintained … and it’s a place I think that most people would be happy to live.”

Republican challenger files for County Commission District 2

Incumbent Mark Smith will face a primary race against attorney and former prosecutor Kristina Sargent.

ANDREW WARFIELD STAFF WRITER

ARepublican challenger to incumbent Sarasota County Commissioner Mark Smith has emerged in the 2026 race for the District 2 seat. Kristina Sargent, an attorney and former prosecutor in Baltimore and Sarasota, has filed with the Sarasota County Supervisor of Elections for next year’s primary.

District 2 includes much of the city of Sarasota, its boundaries from University Parkway to the north to Stickney Point Road to the south. The coastal district also covers the barrier islands from roughly the southern half of Longboat Key to the northern half of Siesta Key.

Smith won the open seat in 2022 over Democrat Fredd Atkins and is eligible, if elected, to serve one more four-year term.

First, though, he will face Sargent, who moved to Sarasota during the height of COVID-19 in September 2021, taking a job in the State Attorney’s Office.

“Being a prosecutor in Baltimore is very hard. It’s just nonstop trials and you’re working 15- to 16-hour days,” Sargent said. “When courts closed, I saw that Florida didn’t really shut down like the majority of the country, so I came and I loved it.”

In September 2025, Sargent joined the law firm of Burger, Meyer & D’Angelo, with offices in Orlando and Fort Lauderdale, and works statewide. She owns a 47-year-old house in the Pinecraft area, where the basis for her candidacy was forged on traffic and infrastructure, the latter in wake of the flooding of 2024.

Smart growth and infrastructure, she said, go hand in hand.

SERGEANT SARGENT

In addition to being an

and

“I was very fortunate during the hurricanes that I didn’t have any damage to my house and I didn’t have flooding, but that wasn’t the same for half of my neighborhood,” she said. “We spent a lot of the money in reserves rebuilding after Hurricane Milton, and had we gotten hit with hurricanes this year, we wouldn’t have the funds to do that. Instead of just triaging after the fact, the infrastructure needs to be addressed with the growth.”

Unlike the 2024 election with no Democrat opposition for three district seats, whomever emerges from the District 2 Republican primary will face a general election opponent. Andrew Bevan has filed for the Democrat nomination.

Honor landing

However, many veterans said they weren’t prepared for what awaited them at Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport upon their return, as they entered the Community Welcome Home Ceremony.

Hundreds of members of the public turned out with signs welcoming the former service members, musicians playing live music, and students from New College of Florida dancing and waving flags at the celebration sponsored by Veteran Air, an HVAC and home service provider.

The trip was the first flight organized by Southwest Florida Honor Flight Inc. to be hosted at SarasotaBradenton International Airport.

“I couldn’t believe how many people showed up to greet us,” said Jack Sydor, a former Army Corps of Engineers E-4 veteran who lives in Tara Golf & Country Club in Bradenton.

“It’s amazing.”

awesome. We’ve been telling all of our friends, and they showed up.”

Although many attendees welcomed family members, others came for the event itself.

Among them was Sarasota’s Denny Schwartz, whose father, Robert Schwartz, and father-in-law, Harry Wagner, both served in World War II.

He said he and his wife attended about three such events in the past 10 or 15 years while living in Ohio, and that Wagner participated in an honor flight about 10 years ago in Ohio, when he was around 90 years old.

“They’re pretty monumental, pretty serious stuff,” Schwartz said. “It almost brings a tear to your eye when you see these guys come through.”

Veterans came from Sarasota, Bradenton, Venice, Lakewood Ranch, Parrish, Ellenton and Palmetto, and from multiple generations of service, including one veteran from World War II and others from the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Cold War and other eras.

Mike Semones, a board member of Southwest Florida Honor Flight, called the event a “stunning success.”

He said while in past years, the event had been held at the Punta Gorda Airport, after Sarasota’s airport approached the organization about hosting it there, it could not say no.

He said the new location positioned the organization to better serve the large veteran community in the area.

“The Punta Gorda community really rallies around this event two times a year,” said Matt Cheney, president of Veteran Air. “So to see this turnout here in Sarasota is just

Schwartz says his father and father-in-law talked little about their service; they were simply glad to be home, he says.

Veterans said the ceremony was a chance for those who did not receive a warm welcome home from the service to finally experience one.

Bill Watkins, a Bradenton Army veteran who was an E4 specialist and served as a guardian on the flight, expressed that sentiment.

“A lot of these guys and ladies that were in Vietnam, they never got that proper welcome home, so that was very touching to me, as well as, I would say, everybody else who was on the flight,” he said.

The celebration concluded the attention veterans received that day, but throughout the trip to Washington, D.C., each honoree was assigned a guardian who tended to their needs.

“They treated us like kings,” Sydor said. “They just took care of everything. They fed us, did everything.”

It’s Time to Give Your MEDICARE COVERAGE

A CHECKUP

This year, Medicare’s Open Enrollment Period runs from October 15 through December 7. During this time, Medicare recipients can make changes to their health and prescription drug coverage, including:

 returning to Original Medicare (also known as Traditional Medicare)

 joining a Medicare Advantage Plan or switching from one plan to another

 joining or changing prescription drug plans

Health and prescription drug plans can change from year to year, so it’s important to review your coverage during Open Enrollment to ensure it meets your needs. Any changes made during Open Enrollment will go into effect on January 1, 2026.

ORIGINAL MEDICARE (“Traditional”)

Sarasota Memorial and First Physicians Group (FPG) always accept all Original Medicare and Medicare/Medigap Traditional supplemental plans.

To help people with Medicare make informed decisions for the coming year, Sarasota Memorial offers this information about Medicare Open Enrollment, now taking place through December 7. Medicare Advantage Plans (Part C Plans) IN-NETWORK with Sarasota Memorial and FPG as of January 1, 2026.

Aetna

Florida Blue*

Florida Blue HMO*

Florida Complete Care

Freedom Health*

Optimum Healthcare*

UnitedHealthcare

Wellcare

These plans are in-network with SMH and FPG Specialists only Medicare Advantage Plans (Part C Plans) OUT-OF-NETWORK with Sarasota Memorial and FPG as of January 1, 2026.

American Health Advantage

Devoted Health

Gold Kidney Health

Healthspring

Humana

Longevity Health Plan

Ultimate Health

If you have already made your Medicare selections for the coming year, you can make additional changes through December 7, 2025.

SATURDAY, SEPT. 20

PUP WAGON

9:05 a.m. Main Street at Lemon Avenue

Civil dispute: While working an off-duty detail, an officer was approached by a coordinator of the downtown farmers market over an unauthorized vendor.

The complainant advised a female subject has been pulling a wagon full of puppies throughout the event for the past couple of weeks attempting to sell them.

The complainant, in addition to some vendors, advised the marketing tactic was not equitable given they pay a “hefty price” to set up booths at the event, and that puppy mobile presented an unfair sales advantage.

The officer made contact with the woman who said she was not there to sell the puppies, only to socialize them. After being warned about soliciting at the event, she was observed approximately 15 minutes later attempting to market her inventory.

The subject was issued a trespassing warning and advised she could not return to the event for one year, at which point the puppies would likely lose substantial market value.

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 15

GARAGE DOOR ASSAULT

6:04 p.m., 300 block of Gowdy Road

Criminal mischief: Officers were told by a property owner that his garage door was “mule kicked” by an unknown female, resulting in damage to the door. The victim provided video evidence of several subjects, who appear to be juveniles, near the residence. It further captured a female turning her back to the door and kicking it before running off with her companions. She returned a few minutes later and repeated the assault on the door. The victim provided several still photos and videos of the incident showing all the subjects who were present. He estimates damage to the door between $500 and $2,000.

FRIDAY, SEPT. 19

INTERNATIONAL INTRIGUE

11 a.m., 200 block of North Lime Avenue

Disturbance: A man causing a disturbance at a neighborhood market told an officer that agents of the FBI and CIA are following him and are trying to kill him because “he knows too much,” according to the incident report. The subject and depth about his intelligence gathering was not disclosed. He spoke of a recent altercation with someone he believed to be

a CIA informant who was later identified as a customer of the store. An officer spoke with alleged operative who denied being an international spy and said he was shopping for bananas and mushrooms during the confrontation. The subject was placed under the Baker Act and taken to Sarasota Memorial, free to continue his undercover operation.

SATURDAY, SEPT. 20

BIRTHDAY BAKED 10:07 p.m., 2100 block of Leon Avenue

Disturbance: A child’s birthday party was disrupted when a complainant at the residence accused her male cousin of stealing her baby daddy’s e-bike, which led to an alleged assault. She stated the man refused to give the bike back and proceeded to choke her. When speaking with an officer, the woman behaved in a belligerent manner, according to the incident report, likely because she had been drinking throughout the day. This theory was bolstered when she proceeded take a shot of tequila in front of the officer. She did not have any marks or bruises in her neck area to support her claim of being choked. With no evidence nor witnesses of an assault, no further action was taken.

Sarasota Police Department swears in five new officers

Police Chief Rex Troche tells five new recruits the time to build their legacy in law enforcement begins now.

ANDREW WARFIELD STAFF WRITER

Service, professionalism, dedication. After reciting those three words that define the core values of the Sarasota Police Department as challenged by Deputy Chief of Police Scott Mayforth, the next class of five officers were officially pinned as members of the agency.

On Oct. 10, officers Savannah Gray, Gabriel Victoria, Tristan Sarney, Emilio Suriel and Gabrielle Theofanous were sworn in following nearly nine months of evaluations and training.

“It was probably more like 10 days back in the day,” said Chief of Police Rex Troche of the training regiment, “but it’s important that they get that additional training here to understand what our culture is today. I’m incredibly proud of your hard work, your commitment and the sacrifices that you’ve had to make along the way to make this day come true, and I’m incredibly honored that you have now made that commitment to serve our community.”

At that, the officers were called up one at a time as Mayforth read their biographies, received their badges from a family member and had photographs taken with friends and family.

Following were remarks by Mayor Liz Alpert, Interim City Manager Dave Bullock and Troche, the latter speaking of the legacy they began to build the moment they were recruited.

“It’s important to understand the

minute you all walked in this door, your legacy started because we were all paying attention to how you conducted yourself, how you handled situations where you’re responsible,” Troche said. “A lot of that legacy is built on the people sitting behind you right now, and it’s really important for you to understand when you feel that your foundation is getting weak, you turn to them for help when it comes time.”

Career ambitions for the new officers include becoming a detective, a field training officer, a member of the crisis negotiation unit, joining the SWAT unit and other task forces, drone unit, marine unit, K-9 unit and Homeless Outreach Team.

The new officers’ training is not yet complete. Next is several weeks on patrol with a field training officer before the keys to a cruiser are turned over to them.

“Before me, I see five leaders,” Troche said. “You will take us to the next level. You will determine how we are viewed by the public, how we’re viewed by the world, because we are constantly being judged in our profession. Small, minuscule moments in time are judged, and that is a great pressure and great stress, but we wouldn’t have chosen you if we didn’t think you could handle it.”

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SPORTS

FAST BREAK

In a heavyweight bout between Class 2A powers, No. 1 Cardinal Mooney football (6-1) trounced No.

3 St. Petersburg Lakewood (7-1) 35-12 at home Oct. 10, securing its fifth-consecutive victory. The Cougars roared to a 28-0 advantage early in the second quarter and let their defense do the heavy lifting down the stretch. They limited the Spartans to their fewest points all season despite the visitors averaging 46.4 points per game coming in. It was all about the run — junior running back Connail Jackson had four touchdowns and 209 yards on 13 carries as nine different Cougars recorded touches out of the backfield.

... The undefeated bid is over for the Rams. Finally falling in Week 8, Riverview football (6-11) hit the road for the first time since Aug. 29 and dropped a 46-23 decision to Venice (4-3). Riverview had scored 45-plus points in each of its last four games and was No. 14 in the state, per the FHSAA rankings.

... Booker (7-1) picked up a commanding win over St. Petersburg Gibbs (2-5), while Sarasota (4-3) fell to 0-2 in district play with a defeat at the hands of Lehigh (3-4). The Tornadoes notched their third shutout this season, 42-0, and haven’t lost since their Aug. 22 opener. Elsewhere, the Sailors fell 43-33, in part by allowing 20 points in the fourth quarter.

... Todd Johnson, a Riverview football alumnus, was announced Oct. 7 as one of four inductees into the FloridaGeorgia Hall of Fame, and will be formally inducted Oct. 31. The defensive back played six seasons in the NFL after being selected 100th overall by the Chicago Bears in the 2003 NFL Draft. Beforehand, he was a standout at Florida from 1999 to 2002 and twice earned AllSEC First Team honors.

... District tournaments for FHSAA girls’ volleyball are underway Oct. 13-17. Cardinal Mooney (13-10) will compete in Class 3A District 11, Riverview (10-13) in 7A-12, Sarasota Christian (10-13) in 1A-11, Sarasota (9-14) in 7A-12 and Booker (4-11) in 4A-12.

Back in the game

Wes Wilcox broke a local league’s scoring record while playing organized basketball for the first time in five years.

JACK NELSON SPORTS REPORTER

One pair of sneakers is unlike any other among the symphony of squeaks heard on Monday nights at the Longwood Park gym. It’s those basketball shoes that aren’t basketball shoes at all.

They’re white Adidas sneakers — designed for running, not hooping. In them stands Wes Wilcox.

At 39, and playing in a league full of athletes older than himself, he saves his best kicks for those nights when he’ll have to play the hardest.

“I like to think I’m still young enough and spry enough to go 50% with these older guys and still be good enough for our team to win,” Wilcox said.

Teammates and opponents alike rarely let him hear the end of it. He simply laughs off all the friendly jabs and hits the hardwood, equally as eager to compete as everyone else is.

No mere matter of foam or rubber has slowed him down.

Wilcox is a member of the Bunker League, a four-on-four amateur men’s basketball age group league, which holds its games at Sarasota’s Longwood Park. In his first full season, the 6-foot-8 forward broke the single-season scoring record by averaging 39 points across six contests, doing things nobody has done before in the organization’s 17-year history.

As a player for Kari’s Face Painting — all teams are sponsored — Wilcox is one of six on the roster and one of 43 overall participating in the 40-plus “elite division.” His squad entered the playoffs on Oct. 13 as the No. 1 seed after wrapping the regular season at a perfect 6-0.

“It’s a good vibe, because (founder and Commissioner Dennis Bunker) prioritizes safety. The officials are really good,” Wilcox said. “I love all the guys. They’re really down to earth. Nobody loses their cool or anything.”

His hoops journey began decades before he was draining step-back 3s and converting tough layups against

ABOUT THE BUNKER LEAGUE

Current commissioner and Sarasota resident Dennis Bunker, a former NCAA Division II athlete founded the Bunker League. There are divisions for 40-plus and 50-plus that play on Monday and Tuesday evenings, as well as a 60-plus division coming on Thursdays in January 2026.

Basketball is played in a four-on-four format. The rules mostly follow high school regulations, but were devised by Bunker to prioritize safety. Officials are present at all games to enforce them accordingly. Each team is allowed one player to be younger than 40. The league attracts some of the premier amateur players in the greater Sarasota area among men aged 40 and older. Members include Venice volleyball coach Jay Lanham, former MLB pitcher Josh Roenicke and former Sarasota Herald-Tribune sports editor Scott Peterson.

“My

middle-aged men.

A Nerf ball was perpetually in his hands as a preschooler. He shot into a wicker basket in the living room of his Roselle, Illinois, childhood home until it fell apart from wear and tear.

Hand-eye coordination came naturally to Wilcox, so as a taller kid, basketball quickly became his sport of choice. But he never saw himself making a career out of it.

“I would joke with my friends that I picked the wrong one,” Wilcox said. “It’s the hardest in the world to make professionally.”

Not once did he score a point for his varsity boys’ basketball team. While attending Lake Park High School in Roselle, he never even played a minute.

Instead, his after-school hours were spent running his own business of mowing lawns in the community. It was a chance encounter — well after graduation — that pushed him finally to get serious about his longtime love.

As a 21-year-old in 2007, Wilcox played in an amateur league much like the one he knows now, but with guys who were around the same age as he was then. One of them was an assistant for the Elgin Racers, a semi-professional team in the nowdefunct International Basketball League.

The former assistant asked where Wilcox played and assumed the answer would be a collegiate or European team.

“This is where I play. Right here, on Saturday mornings, with you,” Wilcox said.

The man was stunned. On the spot, he asked Wilcox to try out for the Racers. The 21-year-old happily obliged and earned a roster spot, beginning a two-season stint with the club until it folded in 2008.

Two years passed without organized basketball in his life. He was itching to get back in the game, and considering the options in front of him, college seemed the most viable path.

After all, he still had his amateur status. The Racers never paid him a dime. They envisioned Wilcox eventually using his talents to secure a basketball scholarship elsewhere in the country.

With the help of that former assistant, Wilcox played a year of JUCO in 2010-11 with Harper College of NJCAA Division III. The Palatine, Illinois-based program proved to be the perfect launchpad, as he wound up with a scholarship from Northwood men’s basketball of NCAA Division II in Michigan.

He averaged 14.1 points per game and 37.7% from 3-point land as a three-year starter for Northwood. The forward ultimately played 85 games between the 2011-12 and 2013-14 seasons.

Later on, Wilcox even tried his hand at playing professionally in China for a year. He still looks back fondly on the time he met 7-foot-9 Sun Mingming, who, at one point, held the Guinness World Record for tallest basketball player.

“You have all these wealthy Chinese businessmen that are always trying to entertain the local villages and local cities, because they go crazy for basketball there — way more than even here,” Wilcox said.

“They field the best American players that they can find for a reasonable amount of money, and then they pay us, but they’re also betting each other money.”

Burnout forced him out of basketball. He never grew a distaste for the game, but years and years of multiple practices per week had taken a toll.

In August 2016, he took a job with SeaSucker in Bradenton as West Coast sales manager. He now serves as vice president of international sales for the company and lives in St. Petersburg.

Five years off the court had come and gone by the time an unknown caller gave him a ring.

“A random guy called me up. I just had no idea who he was, what he looked like, what he did,” Wilcox said. “He explained what he put together. It would’ve been hard for me not to say yes if it were right down the street, but it was a 45-minute drive.”

It was Bunker. He got the number from one of Wilcox’s friends whom he had hired for contract work on his house. Since one of Bunker’s teams only had three players for its next game, he was in search of someone to step in so that the team wouldn’t have to forfeit.

Wilcox planned on blowing him off and making excuses, but after some more convincing, he eventually agreed.

That first game in June didn’t turn out so well for him. Wilcox played poorly in a loss for the team. Still, Bunker pleaded with him to return the following week, since the same player would be out.

“I needed to get on the treadmill a little bit, shoot a little bit, maybe once a week for an hour at a park,” Wilcox said. “At least try to get a little bit of feel for the ball back.”

He indeed played that final game of the spring 2025 season, and when their draft neared for fall 2025, he formally tossed his hat into the ring.

Now, he’s the best player on the best team in the league, not far removed from dropping 60 points on Sept. 15. His gear doesn’t match his game. Then again, no extra inches or style have been necessary.

“I don’t want to lace up the high tops, full tightness, and get my butt whipped out here,” Wilcox said.

“I

like to think I’m still young enough and spry enough to go 50% with these older guys and still be good enough for our team to win.”

— Wes Wilcox

Game, Set, Match: SunCourt Sports

Center opens with public in mind.

The number of country clubs in Sarasota is dizzying. In a picturesque region that attracts retirees far and wide, that’s not surprising.

A wealth of options are available for those seeking golf, tennis, pickleball, swimming or just general fitness. Stoneybrook, Heritage Oaks and Palm Aire are some that come to mind, but are by no means the entire list.

All these clubs fight each other to try to win over prospective members and residents. To do so, they need to be on the cutting edge of sport, luxury and comfort.

The competition is crowded. Demand remains high. But one emerging player has cut through the noise.

SunCourt Sports, a tennis, pickleball and fitness community, opened Oct. 15 at the Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee as part of the new Greenspon Sports Complex. The center broke ground in March following a second major donation by Longboat Key philanthropist Larry Greenspon for redevelopment of the JFSM campus.

Greenspon played tennis in five Maccabiah Games — the Jewish Olympic Games — and as recently as 2022. With a longtime love of the sport, he sought to create a community where underserved youth could thrive on the courts.

Paul Lederman is director of SunCourt Sports. The longtime tennis instructor was previously director of athletic center activities at Lakewood Ranch Golf and

Country Club, where, 27 years ago, he launched their tennis and fitness campus.

Following Greenspon’s $3.5 million donation in June 2024, he was approached by JFSM CEO Shepard Englander with the idea for SunCourt.

“Basically, I looked at him and said, ‘Have you ever done this before?’ and he goes, ‘No, I haven’t,’” Lederman said of their interaction. “So for over eight months, I consulted with him, trying to get the tennis and pickleball program going and plan what we would need to do moving forward to get this launched off the ground.”

Hiring Lederman to spearhead operations was a winning move by JFSM. He’s one of the most respected tennis voices in Southwest Florida, and a genuine guy with an expansive knowledge of the game’s ins and outs.

That’s refreshing for players old and young who want to feel welcome. Whether they’re interested in learning one thing or several, he’s more than capable of providing proper instruction.

He’s also an expert in what SunCourt needs, precisely because he’s built a sports community from scratch before. And he had wild success in doing so.

“In year one (at LRGCC), we had nine courts, and were scheduled to have 18 courts in year five. By the end of year one, we had 18 courts,” Lederman said. “And that really was my approach here. I want to build this up enough so it becomes a real place to play.”

Lederman’s goal is to simulate the quality of a private country club experience without the daunting price tag or often-exclusive culture. He sees unique appeal because Sun-

Court is run by a nonprofit organization and not part of a corporation or homeowner’s association like many competing clubs.

Cost, though, is paramount in the eyes of members. They’ll expect great value and then some if they do commit their hard-earned dollars.

A SunCourt Sports membership requires a $500 initiation fee, as well as a $150 monthly fee. That’s roughly one-third the price of nearby high-end country clubs, per Lederman.

All members can expect unlimited tennis and pickleball access, and in 10 months, will also have a resort pool with lap swimming and aerobics classes. Claudiu Retean is the head tennis professional, coming over from Longboat Key Public Tennis Center after serving in the same role there for 15 years.

“We’re going to have a tremendous amount of league play here, and programs and clinics. I want this to be the place where you come to really play,” Lederman said. “It’s going to be country club style with

great service, but not fluff where you have to wear a Bugs Bunny costume and play in a social event or things like that.”

The community’s current claim to fame comes from its courts. All of them are red clay rather than hardcourt or green clay, meaning that SunCourt is the only one in the region to offer that surface.

Clay is popular at country clubs because of how forgiving it is on the joints relative to hard surfaces. For younger, more advanced players, the slower ball speed and slidefriendly surface encourages longer rallies, and often, an opportunity to work on different tactics than they could on hardcourt or grass.

That’s a major differentiating factor. Having red clay puts SunCourt on the forefront of a future that has yet to fully arrive, and ensures that members will compose a diverse demographic of ages and skill levels.

“A lot of the green clay underground water that was built in the late 1990s and early 2000s is start-

ing to fail. I feel (red clay) is going to be the future of Florida tennis,” Lederman said. “You don’t get calcification and algae. It’s a really natural playing surface, and it just makes so much sense. We’re going to lead the way here.”

That being said, there’s much still unfinished at the Greenspon Sports Complex.

Other than the tennis courts, construction engulfs the campus with both the pickleball courts and swimming pool still in progress. But with the right man in charge, as well as prices and courts that cater to the modern member, SunCourt Sports has already gone against the grain.

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

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Connail Jackson

Cardinal Mooney football (6-1) is the top-ranked team in FHSAA Class 2A, and on Oct. 10, the group handed No. 3 Lakewood its first loss of the season. Running back Connail Jackson punctuated the 35-12 statement victory with four rushing touchdowns and 209 yards. Both marked new season highs for the junior, who has now rushed for more than 100 yards in six consecutive games and has 14 total touchdowns on the ground. Jackson is the Sarasota Observer Athlete of the Week.

When and why did you start playing football?

I was 7 years old when I started playing football. I was just asked by my mom if I wanted to play football, and I said, “Yeah.” And when I started playing it, I liked it from such a young age and continued to pursue it.

How did you gravitate to running back as your favorite position?

I started out playing running back — that was my first position. In little league, I also played defense and offense, so I was figuring out which one I wanted to play, running back or somewhere else on defense. It all just went down to running back because it was more of a fun position. And I feel like it was more of a physical position, too, which I could get more hits in.

What’s been the highlight of your season so far?

The Lakewood game that we just played.

What’s been the most humbling moment in your career as a football player?

Last year, we were playing a spring game against, I think it was St. Petersburg. There’s this big D-lineman,

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

he’s going off to Texas, and he got past my O-lineman, picked me up and body-slammed me. That was the worst thing ever. My head was ringing.

What do you love most about playing for this team? I like my teammates and the energy around me — the energy that they bring. They all lift each other up.

What’s the story behind your nickname?

I was just a fat baby and my mom gave me the nickname “Fat Daddy,” but I shortened it down to just “Fat,” because I like the nickname still and everybody already called me “Fat.”

What’s one quote, if any, that you live your life by?

“Always be humble.”

If you could meet any professional athlete, who would you meet and why?

It would be Bo Jackson. He’s a very good athlete, and he also played in Major League Baseball.

What’s your favorite movie?

I like “The Waterboy.”

What’s your favorite

A burger. Anywhere that has burgers, or anything with burgers. I really love burgers.

Finish this sentence.

is ...

Troop tune-up

Scout groups learn trade skills through partnership with Suncoast Technical College.

eith Rollins is an instructor at Suncoast Technical College, but he learned many of the skills he uses in teaching from his time in Boy Scouts Troop 101 when he was young.

On Oct. 7, he had a chance to give something back to Scouts, with which he has also held leadership roles, including Scoutmaster of Troop 23.

The college welcomed four troops to earn merit badges for automotive technician skills during two sessions, held Sept. 23 and Oct. 7.

Scouts became hands-on with the vehicles inside the college’s facility, learning skills like replacing tires and performing an oil change, in the classes which involved Scouting America troops 50 and 23 and Girl Scouts troops 1920 and 2023.

Scouts and Suncoast Technical College also expect to include future classes after the holiday season, covering other fields like HVAC, plumbing, electricity and a repeat of the automotive class.

SHIFTING GEARS

Bill Morris of Troop 50 says he had the idea to connect Scout troops with Suncoast Technical College after “Dirty Jobs” host Mike Rowe wrote about the need for more electricians and blue collar workers.

Rowe said in an online post that

there was a need to create enthusiasm for those jobs, noting that while artificial intelligence is impacting coding jobs, it is not impacting welders or plumbers. Rollins says it isn’t common for Scouts to have the chance to learn these types of skills.

He says whatever career paths kids take, it’s important for them to learn how to fix their own vehicles in the future, and to be able to help others do so.

“If they go the college route, learn an engineering skill or something like that, they can still fall back on the fact that they can change their own tire, or they can help someone else when it’s needed,” he said. “They can certainly pass that on. They can teach others. I always think, there’s another tool in the toolbox.”

“If you’re getting your driver’s license, you should take automotive maintenance,” Morris said.

While the Observer attended the

Quinn Leonards, 16, of

23, has been part of Scouts since first grade, and says the experience with Suncoast Technical College offered a chance to learn something new.

He said he had not done anything this extensive in the automotive realm before.

Leonards says he is not “super locked down” on a particular career, but wants to pursue one that is hands-on, which he would describe as “something that’s fulfilling to me … where I’m actually out and doing something, and I have something to show for my work.”

He said as a hands-on learner, he remembers tasks much more easily by doing rather than by hearing them discussed in a classroom.

“A more hands-on learning experience is a lot more helpful, and that’s a great strength of Scouting,” he said.

He said after completing the workshop that evening, he could understand some of the lingo and technical terms he hears from his brother, who is interested in cars.

“I’m just a big fan of learning in general … ” he said. “I’m a big fan of the outdoors and the combination of learning stuff that I will actually use, and stuff that I’m interested in. Scouting combines both of those into a really great experience.”

Zoe Batton, 13, of Girl Scouts Troop 2023, said in the future, she may enter the health field, but that she is “open to anything,” stating the workshop was “really cool.”

Asked about being the only Girl Scout in attendance that day, she also said it was “great to have multiple people included” so that it will

not be only one group of people who knows those skills.

“I kind of took note how I could use this in my personal life later on, so the stuff that I think I would use more often has stuck out to me, like oil changes,” she said.

Morris said the goal of the classes extends beyond just the merit badges Scouts earn.

“We want to show them these different paths because nobody’s showing it to them,” he said. “There are a lot of kids that go to college that shouldn’t go to college. They don’t know any different because nobody showed them anything else.”

Heating up for a cook-off

Morton’s Firehouse Chili Cook-Off is still going strong in its 25th year.

IAN SWABY STAFF WRITER

Todd Morton says last year was the only time Morton’s Firehouse Chili Cook-Off has been hit by rain.

One of the few Sarasota events held in between Hurricanes Helene and Milton, it drew about half the people that would have been expected that year, he said.

This year, he’s expecting a return to form with the 25th Annual Morton’s Firehouse Chili Cook-Off, to be held Sunday, Oct. 19.

What started years ago in the parking lot of Morton’s Gourmet Market with a turnout of around 100 people has now grown to feature blockedoff streets, welcoming about 3,000 attendees, Morton said.

The event has been held every year, except for when it was skipped in 2020 during COVID-19.

“The setup pretty much stays consistent every year, and it’s worked out for us all this time, so we don’t feel a need to change a lot of what we do,” he said.

The cook-off draws more than a dozen fire stations from locations including Sarasota, Cedar Hammock, Venice, Longboat Key, Englewood and North Port, along with the Sarasota Police Department, that compete for the title of Best Firehouse Chili and Best Booth.

“It’s a great event to support the Firefighters Benevolent Fund and a nice local event for our first responders,” said Officer Matt Grochowski of the Sarasota Police Department Community Relations Unit. “We’re all on the same team. It’s really a friendly competition.”

Proceeds benefit the Sarasota Firefighters Benevolent Fund, a nonprofit organization supporting firefighters and their families in times of need.

Attendees have the chance to vote

IF YOU GO

Morton’s Firehouse Chili Cook-Off

When: 2-5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 19

Where: Osprey Avenue between Hyde Park Street and Hillview Avenue. Admission is free; tasting tickets are $15. For more info: Visit Facebook. com.

for the People’s Choice Award, while a panel of celebrity judges selects the official winners.

“It’s a great group of people to work with,” Morton said of the firefighters. “They certainly follow through with their part of the job, which is helping coordinate all the teams to participate in this, and they just come and put their hearts into it.”

He says the individual stations and firefighters are always changing the themes of their booths year to year; even he doesn’t know what to expect for 2025.

As in other recent years, Super Bowl champion and former Riverview High offensive lineman David Baas and his family have provided 100 free tasting tickets for first responders, nurses, military members, law enforcement, and teachers, available at the SRQ Vets tent.

THE BRIAN D. JELLISON C ANCER INSTITUTE

The Jellison Cancer Institute stands as a beacon of hope for cancer patients and their families. Today, as our population grows, so does the need for cancer care. The new outpatient Milman-Kover Cancer Pavilion will expand critical patient programs and services.

Many are fully supported through philanthropy.

You can play a vital role in ensuring that families continue to find the hope and healing they deserve.

Learn how you can make an impact, call 941.917.1286 or visit smhf.org

A Century Old Story

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

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

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

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

Bavaria in the backyard

For Susie Jacobbi, Park-toberfest at The Bay was more than just a chance to use the skills she’s acquired during 30 years of yoga.

It was also a chance to connect with her German heritage, since her father, Joseph Hertlein, who was born in Germany, also loved Oktoberfest during his life.

“I invited my friends to come, and I’m very happy to be here,” said Jacobbi, who celebrates Oktoberfest every year.

However, Jacobbi also became the winner of the stein-holding contest, in which attendees competed to see who could hold a beer stein filled with water the longest without spilling any of its contents.

Clocking in at over 10 minutes alongside second-place contestant John Roeleveld, Jacobbi said it was the “breathing strength and believing in yourself” she learned through yoga that made the win possible.

“I’m very strong in yoga,” she said. “I do yoga every day, so I didn’t have a doubt.”

She called herself “very proud.”

“I wish my father could be here to cheer me on,” she said.

The event featured live music by the DeLeon Oktoberfest Band; bratwurst, soft pretzel sticks and beer cheese at The Nest Café; and German-inspired and local craft beers.

— IAN SWABY

Home Discover

SHELLSTONE AT WATERSIDE

Sarasota, FL

Approx. 1,692-3,733 sf

From High $500's 2 Amenity Centers Quick Move-Ins Available

MODEL CENTER

792 Blue Shell Loop Sarasota, FL 34240 941-361-2536

PALMERA AT WELLEN PARK

Venice, FL

Approx. 2,375-3426 sf

From High $700's Gated with Amenity Center Quick Move-Ins Available

MODEL CENTER 18188 Foxtail Loop Venice, FL 34293 941-361-2537

PET PICS

Have

Nature stands still

Selby Gardens’ orchid show features indoor botanical art displays.

The 1930s-era Payne Mansion, which houses the Richard and Ellen Sandor Museum of Botany & the Arts, is located among the scenery of Marie Selby Botanical Gardens.

However, nature has also thoroughly made its way inside the building with The Orchid Show 2025: Rebecca Louise Law, which opened Oct. 11.

The artist from Wales, who has exhibited internationally, created the installation featuring preserved flowers, leaves and other plant parts suspended from the ceiling.

Law says she hopes as people enter the quiet of the museum, they will enjoy their own experience, and says the sights and smells of the display offer a spiritual feeling.

“It’s a feeling that we have once you’ve been in the space, and I hope that it will allow people to observe what the earth gives us, and just to see what we have today, and hopefully give energy to be able to con-

Dr. Emmanuel Cruz Caban brings

Dr. Kansara

at Coastal Eye Institute, is a leading expert in the field of ophthalmology, specializing in:

• Glaucoma Management & Surgery

• Minimally Invasive Glaucoma Procedures

• Micro-Incision Cataract Surgery

• Routine Eye Care

tinue to look after what we do have on this earth,” she said.

Law uses her growing collection of more than 2 million preserved plants to create her installations, while the show also includes plants from both campuses of Selby Gardens.

“Rebecca’s breathtaking installation invites our visitors into a space where art and nature are not just in dialogue — they are one and the same,” said Jennifer Rominiecki, president and CEO of Selby Gardens, in a media release.

His patient-centric approach ensures personalized treatment plans that cater to your unique eye health needs.

Whether you’re seeking preventative care or battling an eye condition, Dr. Kansara’s expertise and compassionate care can guide you towards improved vision and a healthier lifestyle. He is dedicated to staying at the forefront of ophthalmic advancements, offering the latest treatments and technologies to deliver the best possible outcomes for his patients.

Don’t miss this opportunity to receive compassionate and personalized eye care.

SIESTA SCARECROWS

Siesta Key businesses start a yearly tradition.

Tunaskin Aquatic Apparel arrived in Siesta Key in March, and this fall, it discovered a way to grow its presence in the community.

The store put out a scarecrow decked in some of its water apparel.

“We’re very involved in the community, and we noticed that a lot of really popular local shops, whether it’s restaurants or retail shops, are all doing it,” said Jonny Chartrand, who is part of the store’s management.

The scarecrow is part of the Scarecrow Stroll, which was introduced

by the Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce this year.

The “scarecrows,” created by local businesses and built around varying themes, can be seen from Oct. 1-31, and people can vote on their favorite scarecrow.

So far, more than 500 votes have been received, said Chamber of Commerce CEO Sarah Firstenberger.

“It was a really nice opportunity for our members and participating businesses to have a little fun, get creative and offer something unique to the community that they’ve enjoyed walking around and participating in,” she said.

The event has been a chance for restaurants to showcase their creativity, said Katie Spelman of Above the Bar Hospitality Group, which owns multiple popular restaurants in Siesta Key.

“They’re all different because everybody created them independently, so everybody has their own take on what’s going to work,” she said.

She said restaurant management and longtime staff took the lead on

scarecrows, like a figure of the character Max Mayfield from the popular Netflix series “Stranger Things” suspended above The Beach Club.

The figure depicts the character being levitated in the air, while another one, a prop the restaurant purchased, depicts her collapsed on the ground.

The ceiling figure of Max uses PVC piping stuffed with garbage bags, with real clothing including a pair of

LIST OF SCARECROWS (NORTH TO SOUTH)

old jeans that belonged to Spelman’s son.

A scarecrow based on the film “Beetlejuice” placed outside The Cottage, another of the company’s restaurants, uses an air conditioning coil to re-create the snake creature from the film.

At another of their restaurants, The Hub Baja Grill, staff created a two-part scene split between different sides of the restaurant and based on Disney’s “Encanto.”

One of these is a scene of the character Isabela Madrigal swinging on a flowery vine on a tree outside.

“It’s great for the community,” Spelman said. “It’s great for the island and to get people out walking in the morning, seeing them. They’re conversation pieces. It’s fun. And then hopefully next year, and in the years that follows, it builds and it becomes this really cool thing that we can get people from Sarasota, Lakewood Ranch, downtown, all here, even if it’s just to take a stroll with this beautiful weather and have an ice cream or have a coffee or just see the sunset and spend time in the village.”

The public can vote for their favorite scarecrow among the 14 participating businesses by visiting My.SiestaKeyChamber.com.

A home on Casey Key tops sales at $5,836,000

ADAM HUGHES RESEARCH EDITOR

Frances Thayer sold the home at 1822

Casey Key Road to James Michael Legg, of Nokomis, for $5,836,000. Built in 1999, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 4,460 square feet of living area. It sold for $900,000 in 1997.

SARASOTA FISHERMEN’S BAY

Kerry Daniel Moynihan and Carrie Ann Moynihan, of Miami, sold their home at 8810 Fishermen’s Bay Drive to John Sullivan Jr., of Sarasota, for $2,225,000. Built in 1994, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 4,348 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.9 million in 2024.

MARK SARASOTA

Helene Duvin, of Sarasota, sold her Unit 711 condominium at 111 S. Pineapple Ave. to Gretchen Yeggy and Bhaskar Chopra, of Sarasota, for $1.2 million. Built in 2019, it has two bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths and 1,482 square feet of living area. It sold for $883,200 in 2019.

PINE SHORES ESTATES

WellPell LLC sold two properties at 1615 Stickney Point Road to Green Monster Realty LLC for $1.1 million. The first property was built in 1955 and has three bedrooms, three baths and 1,456 square feet of living area. The second property was built in 1955 and has two bedrooms, two baths and 861 square feet of living area. They sold for $200,000 in 2011.

GRAHAM HEIGHTS

Brian and Rebecca Glassel, trustees, of Madison, Wisconsin, sold the home at 1744 Irving St. to Mark Veca and Elizabeth Ann McAllen, of Ridgewood, New Jersey, for $1,075,000. Built in 1915, it has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, a pool and 1,098 square feet of living area. It sold for $660,000 in 2020.

SOUTH GATE

TMG Ventures LLC sold the home at 2101 River Ridge Drive to Jose Manuel Carrero Martinez and Roxana Marina Salazar Ortiz, of Sarasota, for $885,000. Built in 1972, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,747 square feet of living area. It sold for $922,000 in 2023.

David Ryan Thompson and Ashley Thompson sold their home at 3348 S. Seclusion Drive to Troy Richard Rappe and Angela Michelle Miller, of Sarasota, for $700,000. Built in 1959, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 2,184 square feet of living area. It sold for $511,500 in 2020.

Aldo Renzo Rivadeneyra and Savithri Rivadeneyra, of Sarasota, sold their home at 3439 Fair Oaks Place to Megan McBride and Dawoud Kabli, trustees, of Sarasota, for $595,000. Built in 1959, it has two bedrooms, two baths, a pool and

969 square feet of living area. It sold for $128,000 in 2009.

OWEN BURNS

Heidi Ann Webber, trustee, of Sarasota, sold the home at 512 Madison Court to Melissa Meserve, of Sarasota, for $863,800. Built in 1922, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,572 square feet of living area. It sold for $575,000 in 2019.

BAYWINDS ESTATES

Thaddeus and Kimberly Peterson and Terrence and Vicki Heinz, of Loretto, Kentucky, sold their home at 1626 Ridgewood Lane to Michael Colin Muehlenkamp and Jessica Lee Muehlenkamp, of Fort Thomas, Kentucky, for $760,000. Built in 1989, it has two bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,369 square feet of living area. It sold for $600,000 in February.

ESPLANADE BY SIESTA KEY

Jane Graham Hyslop, trustee, of Sarasota, sold the home at 8191 Varenna Drive to Jennifer Smith Giorgianni and Joseph Giorgianni, of Pittsford, New York, for $617,000. Built in 2015, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,886 square feet of living area. It sold for $625,000 in 2021.

SHADOW LAKES

DA-FS LILAC LLC sold the home at 6308 Lilac Place to LILAC PL LLC for $600,000. Built in 1969, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,548 square feet of living area. It sold for $620,500 in 2022.

GULF GATE WOODS

Robert Schenck II and Michele Grisoglio, of Sarasota, sold their home at 2405 Cardwell Way to Jessica Semonin, of Sarasota, for $545,000. Built in 1976, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,844 square feet of living area. It sold for $450,000 in 2021.

RUSTIC LODGE

John Abbott, of Sarasota, sold the home at 2547 Prospect St. to 2547 Prospect St LLC for $545,000. Built in 1948, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,588 square feet of living area. It sold for $85,000 in 1993.

GULF GATE EAST

Mark and Christine Coverdale, of Noblesville, Indiana, sold their home at 6538 Waterford Circle to Gina Pellegrino and Gannon Kat-

TOP BUILDING PERMITS

zenberger, of Wetumpka, Alabama, for $538,000. Built in 1980, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,940 square feet of living area. It sold for $340,000 in 2019.

SIESTA KEY

SARASOTA BEACH

Charles Agnew, trustee, of Niceville, sold the home at 311 Island Circle to Mark and Elena Teeter, of Falls Church, Virginia, for $1.6 million. Built in 1953, it has four bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 3,146 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.65 million in 2024.

Other top sales by area

SARASOTA: $3,485,000

Fishermen’s Bay

Rhonda Hurwitz, trustee, of Bethesda, Maryland, sold the home at 8900 Fishermen’s Bay Drive to Bradley Wilson, of Dallas, for $3,485,000. Built in 1992, it has four bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths, a pool and 4,158 square feet of living area. It sold for $1,725,000 in 2015.

SIESTA KEY: $1.93 MILLION

Siesta’s Bayside

Bruce and Dolores Day, of Sarasota, sold their home at 577 Venice Lane to Lisa and Daniel Tarr, of Sarasota, for $1.93 million. Built in 2021, it has four bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths, a pool and 2,641 square feet of living area. It sold for $925,000 in 2021.

PALMER RANCH: $1.12 MILLION

Silver Oak

Peter Farrell, trustee, of Glenside, Pennsylvania, sold the home at 8993 Wildlife Loop to Billings Properties LLC for $1.12 million. Built in 2004, it has three bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths, a pool and 3,810 square feet of living area. It sold for $680,000 in 2009.

OSPREY: $525,000

Sorrento Villas

Robert and Patricia Germani, of Nokomis, sold their Unit 116 condominium at 116 Villa Drive to Jill Hacker, of Osprey, for $525,000. Built in 1968, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,221 square feet of living area. It sold for $225,000 in 2019.

YOUR CALENDAR

FRIDAY, OCT. 17 T-REC COSTUME MASQUERADE BALL

6-8 p.m. at Longwood Park, 6050 Longwood Run Blvd. Free. Dress up in costume and dance with Sarasota’s T-REC program, which provides recreational opportunities for teens and adults with disabilities. Prizes for best costumes. The event is open to all teens and adults with disabilities, with families and caregivers invited to join. For more information or to register, call 941-486-2595. Visit SarasotaCountyParks.com.

FRIDAY, OCT. 17 TO SUNDAY, OCT. 19

ROCKTOBERFEST

4-10 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday at J.D. Hamel Park, 199 Bayfront Drive. Free. Celebrate Oktoberfest at the park with live music, food and drinks and a shopping area featuring local vendors. Visit SarasotaFL.gov.

SATURDAY, OCT. 18

BOO! AT THE BAY | FAMILY HALLOWEEN CELEBRATION

6-8:45 p.m. at Common Ground, 1055 Boulevard of the Arts. Free. This family Halloween event includes a “not-so-scary evening” of trickor-treating, free pumpkin pickings, yard games, a decorated trail and a showing of “A Minecraft Movie.” Visit TheBaySarasota.org.

BEST BET

SUNDAY, OCT. 19

25TH ANNIVERSARY MORTON’S FIREHOUSE CHILI COOKOFF

2-5 p.m. (opening ceremony at 1:45 p.m.) on Osprey Avenue between Hyde Park Street and Hillview Avenue. Free. Tasting tickets $15. This community event brings together fire departments, including Sarasota, Cedar Hammock, Venice, Longboat Key, Englewood and North Port, as well as the Sarasota Police Department, to see who can achieve the titles of Best Firehouse Chili and Best Booth. Attendees will vote for a people’s choice winner. The event will feature live music by The Bootleggers and a kids’ zone. Super Bowl champion David Baas and his family have provided 100 free tasting tickets for first responders, nurses, military members, law enforcement, and teachers available at the SRQ Vets tent. All proceeds from the event support the Sarasota Firefighters Benevolent Fund. Visit Facebook.com.

HUMANITY DAY

11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Fogartyville Community Media and Arts Center, 525 Kumquat Court. Free. Participate in conversations, videos, music and a global flash dance across the course of the day. Visit WSLR.org.

PUMPKIN SPLASH AT ARLINGTON

PARK AQUATIC COMPLEX

11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Arlington Park Aquatic Complex, 2650 Waldemere St. $10. Visit a pumpkin pool as an alternative to a pumpkin patch. Children must be supervised. Registration required. Call 941-2636732 to register by Oct. 17. Visit SarasotaFL.gov.

SATURDAY, OCT. 18

TO SUNDAY. OCT. 19

29TH ANNUAL DOWNTOWN SARASOTA CRAFT FESTIVAL

10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and

Sunday at Selby Five Points Park, 1 Central Ave. Free. Explore jewelry, ceramics, photography and clothing and other offerings, as well as a green market featuring handmade soaps, gourmet spices and kettle corn. Visit ArtFestival.com.

ST. ARMANDS FALL FINE ART FESTIVAL

10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at 434 St. Armands Circle. Free. View the work of artists and artisans from across Florida and the country, including sculpture, jewelry, painting, photography, glass, ceramics, mixed-media, metalwork, fiber art and woodworking. Visit ParagonFestivals.com.

NATURE’S BEAUTY WITH

THURSDAY, OCT. 16

FRIDAY, OCT. 17

SATURDAY, OCT. 18

SUNDAY, OCT. 19

Homes for Sale