Sarasota Arts & Culture Magazine - September/October 2007 - (Page 39)

reminds me of Bambi and Godzilla, that famous cartoon short from the 1960s. The cute little dear appears. Godzilla stomps it.” “I love Sarasota because of the quaint architecture, because of the web of nature and ecology,” he says. “I’m really a typical, aging, hippie, tree-hugger type. Trees matter to me. Having a sense of place matters. None of that matters to big development and big money. The forces of growth have come in, and stomped on everything I love in Sarasota. It’s called ‘progress.’ It breaks my heart.” He sighs. “I know people will say. ‘He’s against progress. He hates growth. He can’t stand change.’ But not all change is good. Some growth is cancer. Just a few years ago, I was driving through Tampa. It was a concrete canyon—high-rises on all sides, no view of Tampa Bay, no connection to anything green or living. I remember thinking: ‘Thank God, Sarasota’s not like that.’ At the time, you could drive over the bridge to Lido Key, and the biggest thing on the skyline was the Van Wezel. Today? In just a few years? We’ve built our own concrete canyon. Our skyline might as well be Tampa or Atlanta. You can’t even find the Van Wezel.” Browne plans to move to Sioux Falls, South Dakota. “The city is not much smaller than Sarasota,” he says, “but it has a small town vibe.” How did he find it? By chance. Browne had been visiting there, and got sucked into the excitement of a small town parade. Before he knew what was happening, Browne was riding in a float, wearing his “Hagar the Horrible” helmet. “It was like a scene out of The Music Man, he says. “I fell in love with the town at first sight.” In case that sounds too precious, Browne adds, “The guy driving my float should’ve been in NASCAR. I think he had Mad Max tendencies. He kept racing the engine. I was sure he was going to crash through a plate glass window at any second. I just smiled and waved.” He laughs philosophically. “Sioux Falls isn’t paradise,” he says. “But I think it’s safe from rampant development—unless global warming takes over and South Dakota becomes oceanfront property.” He laughs again. Just a little sadly. “Growth has taken over in Sarasota,” he says. “It’s reached a critical mass—I know it won’t go back to the way it was. And that’s what I fell in love with. I’m leaving Sarasota—because I love it. The forces of growth have come in, and stomped on everything I love in Sarasota. It’s called ‘progress.’ It breaks my heart.” He sighs. “I know people will say, ‘He’s against progress. He hates growth. He can’t stand change.’ But not all change is good. Some growth is cancer. Just a few years ago, I was driving through Tampa. It was a concrete canyon— high-rises on all sides, no view of Tampa Bay, no connection to anything green or living. arts and culture magazine : : 39

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Sarasota Arts & Culture Magazine - September/October 2007

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