Q&A with Bill Carman

Bill Carman has lived on Longboat Key for four and a half decades. The former Longboat Key volunteer firefighter and longtime owner of the former Carman's Shoes & Handbags on St. Armands Circle, Carman remains active in the St. Armands Circle Association. He recently sat down with the Longboat Observer to reflect on how the community has changed.

What’s the biggest difference about Longboat Key today compared to 40 years ago?

Everybody knew everyone back then. The north end had shops and kids walked the streets. I bought the house I still live in today in Longbeach Village in 1969. I was a volunteer firefighter in 1971 when we had a one-car garage on Firehouse Road (Firehouse Court today) and eventually became a captain. The development of high-rise condos on the south end changed the Key. Condos bring renters and less of a community feel. That’s why I stick with the Village where character remains.

Were there really a lot of kids on Longboat Key years ago?

Absolutely. There were so many kids I ran a Boy Scout troop with 45 kids in it for 11 years out here. We had pancake breakfasts, rummage sales, canoe races and we went camping on the Key. Water moccasins would drop into canoes, and the boys were trained how to treat snakebites. We knew how to ruff it. It was a blast.

What’s your fondest memory of the Village that today’s residents would be surprised to hear?

Alan Moore let me swim with Jackie the dolphin once. Moore’s (Stonecrab Restaurant) used to have a dolphin. He nudged me and scared the hell out of me. He was 700 pounds of pure muscle. He took off and never came back again one day during a storm.

Are the peacocks a problem?

They are not an issue. They never have been. We just need to cull the flock occasionally. There’s ways to keep them out of your yard. Let your dogs raise holy hell with them like I did and they won’t come back. Birds spread the word that dogs are a force to be reckoned with and they won’t come back.

Do we need to bury the Key’s utilities?

That issue has been around for so long. I didn’t move to the Key to get away from power lines. Having said that, I’m for it because we have too many power outages in the Village. I think the Village will pass it for that reason alone.

Are you worried about the Key’s dispatch transition to Sarasota County?

As a former dispatcher who got paid a dollar for every dispatch call I took as a volunteer, I am worried. Dispatchers need to know this Key like the back of their hand. Our average response time back then was 97 seconds, and we took pride in that.

Can the town really fix the traffic issue in season?

Not really. It’s a price we pay for living on the Key. Water taxis won’t work. But we need patrol officers in the congestion points in other municipalities to get traffic through the lights faster. And we need the drawbridges to open less.

Can Whitney Beach Plaza and the north end become revitalized?

Not like it was. I was here when the plaza was built. It was hopping... We bought food there, had a pharmacy and a full service gas station. But when Publix was built, that changed everything. We don’t have the population to support it anymore. It worked before because Whitney Beach was the only place to shop.

Do you support a town center on the south end of the Key?

It’s worthwhile. The Village doesn’t want big changes or structures. So build it down there with the condominiums. It would be a good amenity and maybe help create a sense of community. 

Is there a sense of divide between the north and south ends of the Key?

Yes. Longboat Key all started here on the north end. But then the south end development changed everything and most of the town’s amenities were focused there. And we’ve never had two commissioners representing the north end of the Key at one time. I think that’s a problem. There’s some resentment for sure.

What was one of your favorite memories from running a shoe business on the Circle for more than 40 years?

We had a lot of stars visit and shop. Audrey Hepburn bought shoes from me more than once. She was a great lady and owned two units in The Players Club for a while. And Willie Nelson bought shoes from us. He used to ride his motorcycle the length of the Key.

Why do you still stay so involved with the St. Armands Circle Association?

I have 45 years of institutional memory on the Circle, and they won’t let me quit. I’m the vice president of communications, and I attend all the city of Sarasota meetings to keep apprised of things that will affect the Circle. I started the car shows we have on the Circle in 1996. It spurred other events on the Circle. I knew it would be a hit when all the store owners said business increased between 10% and 40% on event days. I used to put model cars in my store windows because then the husband would come in to look at the cars while the wife bought shoes.

Why did you never become a Longboat Key commissioner?

It seems like too much of a clique. I know they need new blood but it’s not my cup of tea.

How did you make your way to Longboat Key from Ann Arbor, Mich.?

I followed my father after he decided he had enough of the snow and relocated Carman’s Shoes to St. Armands Circle in 1964. I’ll never forget the lesson my grandfather told my father. When he was complaining about the snow, he said, “Move your business to Florida. You only have one life and you need to make the most of it.” That still sticks with me.

What was your career before your long-term run as the owner of Carman’s Shoes?

I studied to be an air traffic controller and did that for a few years. It’s the only job where you can’t make a mistake. Once, I had to grab the microphone out of a fellow controller’s hands because I knew planes were going to collide and he missed it. I took it seriously. I would plan accidents in my head with my wife and practice them and that worked to divert an accident once because of the practice. I say being a control is seven hours and 50 minutes of boredom and 10 minutes of sheer terror.