Faces of '14

Ed Chiles
Mar Vista Dockside Restaurant & Pub owner Ed Chiles received approval Dec. 16 from the Longboat Key Planning and Zoning Board to expand his restaurant by adding a second-story patio for outdoor dining. It’s Chiles’ fifth try at expanding the Longbeach Village restaurant.

“Hope springs eternal,” Chiles said after receiving approval. “We’re looking forward to continuing to improve what we think is an asset to the Longboat Key community.”

Michael Crosby
Mote Marine Laboratory President and CEO Michael Crosby did not get the commitment he sought from the Sarasota City Commission in October, when he asked it to support Mote’s plan for growth that includes a new bayfront aquarium. Although the commission declined to endorse Crosby’s vision, saying it was premature, for Crosby, “not now” was as good as a “no.”

“Mote doesn’t have the luxury of being able to put the growth we have right now on hold,” Crosby said. “We’re going to have to re-examine how we can grow in a way that the city is agreeable to.”

Edith Barr Dunn
Famed Stetson hat lady Edith Barr Dunn organized her final 50/50 raffle at this year’s Longboat Key Gourmet Lawn Party. Dunn, who owned the former Shenkel’s Restaurant on Longboat Key, started the tradition in the 1970s to benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

“I hope somebody steps forward and wants to do it for the Kiwanis,” she said.

Michael Garey
Lazy Lobster of Longboat owner Michael Garey chaired this year’s Longboat Key Gourmet Lawn Party. The Dec. 6 event broke previous records when it grossed more than $100,000 that will benefit local children’s charities and scholarships after expenses.

Garey credited fellow organizers, along with sponsors and volunteers, with the event’s success, citing this year’s Lawn Party tagline, “Where kids win big.”

“This year, the kids won big,” he told the Kiwanis Club of Longboat Key, which organizes the event, at its Dec. 11 meeting.

Irwin Pastor
L’Ambiance resident Irwin Pastor became the newest member of the Longboat Key Town Commission when he defeated Country Club Shores resident Armando Linde in the town’s March 25 general municipal election.
Pastor’s victory against Linde came after a race that was noted for its civility compared with past elections.

“I want to demonstrate a willingness to work together and a willingness to work with this commission,” Pastor said after his win. “This was a win for everyone, and the race my opponent and I ran showed how you can be polite and work together on this Key.”

Cheryl Loeffler
Cheryl Loeffler took on a new role in May, when she was appointed chairwoman of Ringling College of Art and Design’s board of trustees.

The L’Ambiance resident, who is also a top producer at Premier Sotheby’s International Realty, told the Longboat Observer that community involvement is ingrained in her.

“My family emphasized being involved in the community,” Loeffler said. “My entire family believed in a balance between work, home and community.”

Alan Moore
Moore’s Stone Crab Restaurant co-owner Alan Moore filed an application in November to redevelop the 47-year-old restaurant with Sarasota restaurateurs Mark Caragiulo and Tom Leonard as investors. Although Moore declined to comment about the application, Caragiulo told the Longboat Observer about the vision for Moore’s if the family-owned restaurant gets the rezoning it needs to proceed with redevelopment.

“Our goal is to build a really cool, iconic restaurant on the peninsula — something that’s indigenous and fits with the area,” Caragiulo said.

Chuck Whittall
Chuck Whittall, president of Orlando-based Unicorp National Development Inc., became a key player in the disputed Colony Beach & Tennis Resort this year through an agreement to purchase Colony Lender LLC’s assets. These include a 95% interest in a 2.3-acre recreational property at the center of the resort plus 100% of the restaurant complex plus longtime Colony Beach & Tennis Resort owner Dr. Murray “Murf” Klauber’s former penthouse.

Whittall says he has budgeted at least $35 million and plans on two to five years of litigation for his quest to redevelop the resort.

Whittall described his commitment to redeveloping the Colony, saying:

“Have you heard the story about when you have breakfast and you order ham and eggs? The chicken is involved, but the pig is committed. We’re the pig in this case. It’s whatever it takes.”

Sydelle Pittas
Grand Bay resident Sydelle Pittas spearheaded the Rotary Club of Longboat Key, which received its charter in October. One of the newly formed chapter’s accomplishments: It organized the inaugural Longboat Key Veterans Day Parade that drew more than 300 people. The parade was unique in that it also invited veterans’ family members and survivors to participate.

Pittas said the club got the idea for the parade after successfully organizing the Hot Diggity Dog Parade for the Fourth of July.

“That just put the idea of a parade in our heads as we were thinking about what types of service projects to get into that would get people involved on the Key,” she said.

W. Howard Rooks and Andrea Bozzolo
After a six-year vacancy, W. Howard Rooks reopened his building at 555 Bay Isles Parkway as Amore by Andrea with chef/partner Andrea Bozzolo. The building was previously the home of Mattison’s Steakhouse at the Plaza, which closed in 2008.

Rooks hopes to take advantage of the building’s 6,200 square feet by hosting events, as well as serving dinner six nights a week.

“We’re going to do special events, rehearsal dinners, birthday dinners, anniversary parties, divorce parties,” Rooks said.

The Rev. Norman Pritchard
The Rev. Norm Pritchard preached his first sermon as the new pastor at Christ Church of Longboat Key, Presbyterian, Nov. 30. Pritchard became the church’s permanent pastor following the retirement of the Rev. Bruce Porter in early 2014.
“I really like that this is a very lively community of faith and has a great ministry outreach,” Pritchard said. “My hope is to encourage them to grow that even more.”