Carlos Beruff stands beside star-spangled decorations in front of a room at Luigi’s Pizzeria and Italian Restaurant in Port Charlotte. Some 20 people gather to hear the Manatee County homebuilder tell his own life story. The son of of Cuban dissidents starts with one of the most important moments in his life: the first one. “I won the lottery ticket by being born in this country, only because my parents had fled and were being pursued by the Batista police,” Beruff says.

Now Beruff is trying to beat the odds again, running for US Senate against an incumbent in his own party. Beruff announced his candidacy last year while US Sen. Marco Rubio still pursued the Republican presidential nomination. This Spring, it looked like Beruff was ready to fight back a crowded field of elected officials, with a Mason-Dixon poll showing him as the top candidate in the Republican field. But when Rubio made a surprise re-entry into the contest, every other major contender except Beruff dropped out. A SurveyUSA poll taken Jun 25–27 showed Rubio leading Beruff 63-11, a sign the sitting senator had instantly turned Beruff from a narrow frontrunner to an also-ran. But Beruff continues to soldier on, self-financing much of the campaign and buying expensive but widely viewed advertisements during the Republican National Convention last week. Those ads were noted by many in attendance in Luigi’s, who described Rubio in the same terms as the advertisements: pro-amnesty, absentee, etc.

Beruff says lifelong politicians lack the life experience of successful businessmen when it comes to tackling financial issues. “Marco Rubio simply doesn’t have the skill set to fix those problems,” Beruff says. “He’s a career politician from Day 1. He’s never signed a paycheck.” But as a homebuilder who has suffered through the ups and downs of housing cycles and recessions, Beruff says he can lead the country to better fiscal policy. He also promises not to serve more than two terms.

While a vocal supporter of Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, he describes himself more as a politician in the mold of Gov. Rick Scott, whose experience before his election to the governor’s mansion was in private sector health care. Bereft distanced himself from past associations with Republican-turned Democrat Charlie Crist, who as governor appointed Beruff to posts on the State College of Florida and Southwest Florida Water Management District boards. But he did boast of the work he achieved on those boards, including drawing down spending at SWFMD and ousting a college president at SCF. “A lot of people in Bradenton don’t like me because of that,” he says, but he hopes his record impresses voters fed up with spending. 

The Republican primary is scheduled for Aug. 30.  

Photo by Jacob Ogles: Carlos Beruff greets voters at Luigi's Pizzeria and Italian Restaurant.

Perfect for late-summer layering—or as an elegant, après-beach cover-up—this breezy, lightweight tunic’s delicate facade hides a more complicated story. Raised Amish in Holmes County, OH, Farmhouse Frocks Owner Lena Schlabach left the faith at age 18 but remains closely tied to the community in which she grew up. Farmhouse Frocks—which began as a fledgling Etsy operation in 2014 and has since grown into two brick-and-mortar boutiques—employs 30 Amish women who hand-craft each piece (and keep the profits from their work). Schlabach fell in love with Sarasota as a child—her family spent winters in Pinecraft—and brought her rustic, cottage style south with the opening of the second Farmhouse Frocks location this past April. A hand-stitched tunic featuring a lace column flanked by a layer of ruffles, this piece hangs alongside linen and chambray dresses, leather and cowhide purses—created in a collaboration between local Amish farmers and artisans—and spoon jewelry hand-hammered by Schlabach’s husband. You’ll never forget your frock’s roots: each gains its namesake from the seamstress who produced every stitch—find new friends in Lizzie, Millie, Lola and Dixie. 

Pictured: The Lizzie tunic layered over a cotton shirt extender. Photo editing by Heidi Stone.

Farmhouse Frocks, 506 South Pineapple Ave., Sarasota, 330-231-8475.

Robert Davie and Associates Landscaping were featured as the main event in Landscape and Design magazine for a recent renovation evoking a fashion-forward design concept. The company specializes in the design and implementation of complete outdoor living spaces. This particular project was a redesign for a home that had a '90s feel and was in need of a fashionable facelift from top to bottom.  

Robert Davie Landscaping

Lightspeed Voice donated equipment and services with a contribution of an estimated $57,000 in operating expense savings for Loveland Center over the next 36 months. Lightspeed Voice delivered state-of-the-art IP phone services and industry-leading support to the Loveland Center in the beginning of July.  

Lightspeed Voice

Lee Wetherington Homes, a Southwest Florida luxury homebuilder, broke ground on its popular Windsong floor plan in the Concession, a luxury gated community. The homebuilder has sold eight of these floor plans already in the Concession and its Windsong model in Seacroft inside Country Club east. 

Lee Wetherington Homes