- December 25, 2024
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Longboat Key possesses the beauty of nature's paradise with its beaches, sea turtles, the array of birds and just inner peace and calm.
Nature also can take an ugly turn as it did with the hurricanes that left a lasting impression and changed the look of the Key.
Debby's rains, Helene's surge, and Milton's winds cast gloom on an otherwise beautiful 2024 on Longboat. We experienced the worst nature can dole out, and yet we bounced back.
But we can overlook the rough patch and go back into what 2024 did offer and see the results.
We saved lives of turtles and birds and released them back into nature; we danced on St. Patty's Day and renewed love on Valentine's; and we ate.
Boy, did we find some wonderful goodies, tastes and drinks only Longboat can dish out.
When the storms subsided, LBK Strong took over, and we started a return to normal and a welcome back to our seasonal northern friends.
Blast from the past
The Longboat Fire Station 92, a 2021 building, hosted family tours, highlighting the impressive kitchen and new weight room. But arguably, no one was more impressed than Greysun Gross-Hendel who got to test the power of a fire hose.
Hydration Station
Suncoast Waterkeeper board member Alison Albee (left) and executive director Abbey Tyrna (right) perform weekly pathogen testing of the waters around Longboat. Suncoast Waterkeeper began regularly monitoring enterococci levels at the start of 2020, a program that now includes 11 sites throughout Manatee and Sarasota counties.
Robin reborn
Roger Kabler is the perfect double of comedic icon Robin Williams and performed some of his classic bits. Kabler shared his story with the Temple Beth Israel audience, talked about his film “Being Robin” and took requests for impressions of other celebrities, such as Robert De Niro, Michael Jackson and Neil Diamond.
Circling the trucks
The annual St. Armands Food Truck Rally and Music Festival brings in plenty of vendors who showcase their delicious fare such as Remi Harpal and Kevin Richards with the Seafood Market Food Truck.
Cone of delight
Eric Corona shows off one of his savory cones to the camera between Susan Phillips and Brianne Omara at the Taste and Tunes of the Keys in February. Fourteen local restaurants catered the event. Each restaurant had its own table set up with the special dish it was presenting.
Seaplace live
It's not often when someone can show off their craft and perform it live. Madeline Walker created a panting live during the annual Seaplace condominium art show. As many as 13 artists showed their work, which also included several authors.
Full-time service
Presbyterian elders and ordained clergy from all faiths put their hands on the Rev. Julia Piermont while praying the prayer of her installation as the first full-time pastor at Christ Church of Longboat Key.
Fresh water supply
Spanish Main Yacht Club President Joan Sherry turns the valve to start the water of a $1 million potable water project. And when the water was turned on with fresh water, those at the celebration drank ... Champagne.
Super snack Sunday
Greg Bodkin, Connie DiMaggio, and Karen Pashkow share a laugh and a bevy of food on the greatest snack day of the year - the Super Bowl. Longboat Harbour held a big party for the big game and a general split of those who picked the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers.
Reporting for duty
Piper Dawson is ready for any fires as she sports her new firefighter helmet. Dawson received the helmet during the Longboat Fire Key Rescue Station 91 open house. which was the first since the 2020 COVID pandemic.
Love Longboat style
Anne Marie and Jeffrey Jannuzzo are Longboaters who spent their Valentine's Day by renewing their vows during the first annual event. The ceremonies were free and held at the Karon Family Pavilion.
Gator baited
"Gator" John Kenyon introduces Donna Kaelher to Cringer. It was a reptile encounter event through Sarasota's Big Cat Habitat. Kaelher had just moved to the area and enjoyed learning about animals in Florida.
Bayfront barkin'
The Bark in the Park event that kicked off March brought out many of the four-legged pals as Diane Weisman and Kim Skaff have fun. The organizers held the fundraiser to encourage donations for dog park improvements.
Zen master
Max G. Yan teaches his annual tai chi Masterclass on Longboat Key to promote a healthy lifestyle. Master Yan continues to hold his class regularly at the Paradise Center.
Rummage royalty
St. Mary Star of the Sea held its annual rummage sale and it did not disappoint as 430 shoppers combed through the goods. Here Robin Zerola and Claudia Brown search through deals on women's clothes.
The right notes
Award-winning cellist Steve Kramer and violinist Levi Mitze-Circiumaru wows the crowd at The Education Center at Temple Beth Israel with selections from Bach, Mozart and Beethoven.
Rescue mission
Rescuers saved Clarice the sea turtle near the Venice Pier during Halloween night in 2023. After four months of rehab at Mote Marine's Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Hospital, a healthy Clarice needed a push in the right direction to get back into the Gulf of Mexico waters.
Go Irish!
It was "Erin Go Bragh" (Ireland Forever) during St. Patty's Day at St. Mary's Star of the Sea Catholic Church. the Irish Dance Academy of Sarasota's Marigot Craig and others held a performance while patrons enjoyed traditional Irish food and, of course, Guinness beer.
Quiet the mind
"Qigong is a mind-body practice and a moving meditation that quiets the mind and gives the body vitality," says Qigong instructor Sandi Love at the Paradise Center. Qigong classes change with the season as the focus of the class changes is based on which element they are working on from the Five Element theory in traditional Chinese medicine.
Hoppy Easter
One of Sand Cay Beach Resort's marquis events is the annual Easter party. The event, which brings in people from around the nation, featured its Easter Egg Hunt, which is held on Good Friday as Bridget and Paige Palicka show off their finds with the Easter Bunny.
Pearls of Longboat
Vertical oyster gardens, are strands of recycled oyster shells that are drilled through, strung together and tied onto the bottom of a dock to hang in the water in an effort to promote the growth of new oyster larvae, and add to the overall ecosystem by providing habitat for other marine life.
Celebration of food
Colleen Collandra co-owner of Longbeach Cafe celebrated 10 years at Whitney Plaza in April. The staple restaurant used inspiration from a past Longboat diner named Isabelle's. In fact, Collandra was a cook at Isabelle's before buying into the Longbeach Cafe.
Grande Inaugurazione!
The April grand opening of 15 South by Napule was highly anticipated for those who frequent St. Armands. The two-story restaurant features, not only Italian cuisine, but salsa and DJ nights.
Derby day
If big hats are involved, it must be a Kentucky Derby party. Both the Longboat Key Club and Seaplace held parties to celebrate the Run For The Roses. Here, Ronna Bridges and Barbara Kelly have fun at the Longboat Key Club.
Puppy's pal
Jadyn Norton, 24, with Charlie, spends about two or three days a week on Longboat Key for his Puppy Pals dog grooming appointments. He travels all over Bradenton, Sarasota and Lakewood Ranch in the old Amazon van he turned into his mobile dog grooming station equipped with a full tub. Norton started his business in 2023 and has grown ever since.
Kitty kare
Since that first connection with her foster cat, Caymus, Caryn Wilbraham has fostered more than 40 kittens from the Humane Society of Sarasota County since 2021, including her pals Tarporley and Neven.
First responder delight
The Longboat Key Police Department, Fire Department and Public Works Department enjoyed gourmet grilled cheeses from the Big Blue Cheese Company food truck on May 24. The truck and the Rotary Club put together the lunch to show their appreciation.
Shorebird sanctuary
Led by a team of volunteers, the Audobon Society helps protect shorebirds, like these black skimmers, and their nests. Many birds will lay eggs on the beach without building nests and are vulnerable to elements, humans, and other animals.
Summer sea camp
Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium tried something new in the summer and it turned out to be a big hit. The center offered single-day camps allowing children on vacation to attend as well as many local children could also use the day camps as a test run to see if they wanted to sign up for the longer summer camps.
Trash to, well, trash
As part of their “Adopt-A-Road” from Ken Thompson Park to the Chart House, the Manasota Track Club goes quarterly to pick up trash from Gulf of Mexico Drive on Longboat. However, before the cleanup happens, the club of course, does a quick run.
The turf is greener
ForeverLawn completed the project for the dog park at Bayfront Park for a cost of about $175,000. The company uses K9Grass for dog-friendly spaces which Kibble and Parker approved of the new space.
Plenty of pride
Members of the LGBTQ+ community were highly visible the morning of June 29, in an area spanning much of the John Ringling Causeway. During the Grand Flag March led by Project Pride SRQ, around 700 community members marched with what, at 700 feet, is one of the world's largest progressive Pride flags.
Patriotic service
Instead of its traditional Sunday service, the Rev. Julia Piermont of Christ Church decided to do something different on July 7th and picked 13 American hymns for the church's first “festival of the hymns.” The music team also had organist Chris Westfall, trumpet player Brad Turner and flute player David Tagliarini.
Doggy I dos
For the annual hot diggity-dog contest sponsored by the Rotary Club of Longboat Key July 4 as part of Freedom Fest, Dogs Bisou and Tinkerbell got married. The two lovebirds met the year before at Freedom Fest and had many play dates before their wedding.
Fresh Salsa
St. Armands restaurant 15 South By Napule was full of salsa enthusiasts for a salsa night with Sol Caribe, a Latin band from Tampa, on July 26. It was the first night of what would be regular salsa dancing on the second floor of the establishment, as Alejandra Lora and Luis Alba display.
Debby downer
Before becoming a hurricane and making landfall, Tropical Storm Debby whirled past Longboat Key's coast, bringing with it heavy winds, heavy rainfall and storm surge. But it was just the start of what was to come in the next two months.
Flooding everywhere
Many of Longboat Key's low-lying areas in the north end Village and mid-Key were among the most impacted by rainfall and storm surge from then Tropical Storm Debby.
That sinking feeling
Boats around the north side of Longboat Key were not immune to the rains and high waves of Tropical Storm Debby as this one is under water.
All terrain
The EcoRover, a beach-friendly accessibility chair, enables people with disabilities to explore Lido Beach independently, a previously unavailable option. City of Sarasota employees hope this will pave the path to building a more accessible community around Lido Key and Longboat Key.
Garden variety jazz
The Jazz DaddyOs, lead by vocalist Mary Miller is a jazz swing band from St. Petersburg who came to St. Armands Key Lutheran Church garden as part of its free Midsummer Music on the Circle concert series.
Grand opening
The 18-acre St. Regis Longboat Key resort held a soft grand opening in August that includes 800 feet of private beach, multiple pools, seven dining outlets, a saltwater lagoon and wildlife experiences with stingrays, tortoises and tropical fish. The average room rate at the St. Regis Longboat Key is around $1,200 a night.
Ready, set, go!
After a month and a half of care at Save Our Seabirds, the great blue heron that Terri Driver rescued was ready to be released back on the beach at the Broadway Street Public Access. Driver had been on patrol for Longboat Key Turtle Watch on July 7 when she heard a bird cry out for help. The heron was tangled in fishing line along the shore.
Training day
Personnel on the three Longboat Key Fire Rescue Department shifts each spent a day in the waters off Bradenton Beach, collaborating with the Manatee County Beach Patrol to refresh their skills on marine rescue maneuvers. JC Rapier played the part of the victim during the maneuvers.
Oyster harvest
At Mote Marine' annual Youth Ocean Conservation Summit Aditya Gupta and Hadley Hall got to experience how to create an oyster garden along with other students. The sessions included a track on water quality and water policy, a track on mangrove restoration and coastal resilience, and a track on sustainable fisheries and marine debris.
Then came Helene
Piles of debris and remains of houses stand on the north end of Longboat Key beaches after Hurricane Helene brushed by the coast. Longboat suffered as much as 4 feet of storm surge.
Suffering the worst
Longboat Key Town Manager Howard Tipton assumed that Gulfside Road was where some of the most damage was dealt. The storm left beachfront homes here devastated, with some almost completely gutted.
Huge losses
Initially, Tipton reported the estimated damage to be around $170 million, affecting over 2,000 properties. That was just from Helene when two weeks later Milton, passed through. Surpisingly, Milton didn't cause as much damage to Longboat as Helene.
Flooded Circle
Numerous business owners on St. Armands Circle expressed sadness through sobs and shock after seeing their life's work destroyed. Storm surge from Helene sent water into the businesses on the Circle, taking weeks to restore.
Long road back
Cafe L’Europe received about 5 feet of water throughout its restaurant after Helene, along with damaging its sliding glass doors and ruining all its equipment. After laying off most of its staff for unemployment benefits, the restaurant didn’t have a timeline for when it will be ready to open.
Followed by ... Milton
Despite Hurricane Milton coming ashore near Siesta Key, which added more piles of debris to Longboat, the storm wasn't as devastating as Helene. Milton was more wind than storm surge with some flooding along Gulf of Mexico Drive.
Milton flexed muscle
Milton's winds and waves pushed some boats aground at Sarasota Harbor West. However most of the damage to boats happened in Sarasota Bay and not on Longboat.
Still standing
The impact of the tree and landscape damage was significant for Longboat Island Chapel, one of the island's first buildings. But Senior Pastor Brock Patterson noted there was minor damage to the structure itself, and he and Pippa breathed some relief.
Backup call
Longboat Key received plenty of help from police departments around the state. The Florida Police Chiefs Association sent revolving patrols from different jurisdictions. Officers from departments like Miccosukee PD, Biscayne Park, Opa-Locka, Miami Shores and Miami-Dade helped escort cleanup crews, speeding up the recovery process.
Neighbors help
After about a foot of water from Hurricane Helene flooded hair salon Design 2000, the group at David Gregory Salon came to the rescue. David Gregory allowed stylists from Design 2000 to continue to work at their shop so stylists could continue their jobs.
St. Armands recovery
After some cleanup, a few sunny days to dry out, St. Armands Circle moved toward normalcy with tents of unique paintings, sculptures and handmade trinkets for the 35th annual St. Armands Circle Art Festival. As the first event after the hurricanes, tons of art lovers, visitors and locals were pleased the Circle was back in business.
Pretty bird
Save Our Seabirds, the wildlife rescue and rehabilitation center, took substantial damage from both hurricanes Helene and Milton. However, staff and volunteers worked hard to get both the hospital and outdoor enclosures ready to open. Even Gabby, the umbrella cockatoo, was happy to get back to normal.
New holiday look
Light Up Longboat at the Town Center Green drew hundreds of community members as Mayor Ken Schneier joined Longboat Key Chamber of Commerce President Kim Verreault and Assistant to the Town Manager Susan Phillips on the Karon Family Pavilion stage to turn on the lights of this year’s new and unique wooden Christmas tree.
Staying strong
Longboat Key influencer Shelia Loccisano, as known as "Follow Me to Longboat Key" on Instagram, used the hashtag, "LBK Strong," as she has documented the town's experience through and after the hurricanes. At the Christmas in the Garden event, her LBK Strong tree along with many others helped ring in the holiday season.
Yep, I've been good
Waylon Wilson chats with Santa Claus at the St. Armands Holiday Night of Lights. St. Armands Circle celebrated the start of the holiday season at its 46th annual event with the lighting of its 60-foot Christmas tree.
