Comments on: Downtown Sarasota part 1

By: Jillmorrisart

Jillmorrisart — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 16:54:53 +0000

Fantastic video…want to go there…am coming for second visit Aug 10-23….

By: saharra22469

saharra22469 — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 16:34:47 +0000

I really met the real Jack once upon a time. He was very ancient then…..28 being ago so I don’t know if he’s still alive.
I lived at Golden Gate point which is where the condos are that are behind the Marina on that small round Island that’s connect to the highway. I was walking my two small maltese babies. The park next to Marina Jacks wasn’t there…just a barren piece of land. Marina Jacks was an older, antiquated building. Along came Jack. He introduced himself. We talked for hours.

By: saharra22469

saharra22469 — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 16:21:05 +0000

I questioned him if it was illegal to walk my small dogs there since it was illegal to walk them on the beaches. He said he owned the land and the Marina. I questioned him to delight not sell the land and to delight premeditated turning it into a park that allowed dogs to be walked. I told him how gorgeous I thought the land was and what a stratigic location it was….that developers would be fighting to get their hands on it for condos. “Condos are everywhere. We want to keep Sarasota gorgeous.” He said.

By: saharra22469

saharra22469 — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 15:52:29 +0000

We sat on the only stilted picnic desk on the land. All the while he was having fun playing with my 3 lb. dogs. He questioned me what I would do to the land to make it a gorgeous park….so…I sat and designed the park for him. I told him where and how to space the benches. I told him not to take the trees down but to plant more. I told him how to build the fountain and where to house it. the only thing different is….I sought after mermaids. I am told they place dolphins because their was controvery.

By: saharra22469

saharra22469 — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 15:04:22 +0000

I told him to lease the land to the city. In this way, it could stay with his children, in the family. I told him to lease it to the city under the stipulation that they only use it for a park for families and dog walking, concerts craft fairs. I was told that the city was worried that some ppl and families would disprove of mermaids as too seductive. Rediculous. Sarasota itself is a seductive city. The dolphins still upset me …because …there is so much Dolphin art here.

By: saharra22469

saharra22469 — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 14:20:47 +0000

I’m an artist myself. Everytime I walk my new small peke there, I shy away. I see in my mind, the mermaids i would’ve designed…how gorgeous they are…and they are over the fountain with their long flowing hair, covering the vital areas of their breasts….nothing vulgar. I am told that Jack sold the land to the city. Don’t know the truth. I never found out what happened to him. I went to Kuwait with my Arabian husband. I was very depressed that day. Jack was so kind to me.

By: saharra22469

saharra22469 — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 14:18:15 +0000

He listened to me for hours. It was like having my late father with again. Nobody knew it, but I was conteplating leaving my husband, divorcing him. I had nobody but my dogs. I was really alone. Loneliness can feel like being buried alive….half dead. When Jack and I talked. He told me of Dale Shields, The Pelican Man. who would work on that land, feeding fish to the pelicans, stitching up their town pouches so they wouldn’t starve by loosing the fish and pulling fish hooks/affect from them.

By: saharra22469

saharra22469 — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 13:49:16 +0000

Jack was kind enough to allow Dale to do that and more. He taught ppl such as myself…how to stitch up the birds pouches, how to hold them by their wings, how to help them. He later owned the sanctuary by Mote Nautical.
When I left that day…left Jack, I felt like a new person. Jack told me I was a gorgeous person and that I should never be worried in life. I chose to go to Kuwait. It turned out to be the best thing I ever did. I’ve learned so much…about ppl.

By: saharra22469

saharra22469 — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 12:51:56 +0000

So if anyone reading this knows what happened to Jack I would appreciate it if you post here and let me know. I would also like to know how his family are or if you know if the kids sold the land to the city. Thanks so much…and…fantastic videos.

By: srqwillie

srqwillie — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 12:17:01 +0000

saharra – Jack Graham passed away about 3to4 being ago. No one in the family owned the land, they leased it from the city. The 2 daughters still live here as far as I know.