At 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, the Oppose Manasota Beach Road (OMBR) group gathered for a fundraiser at the Englewood Chamber. The room felt alive: much like a group of war buddies gathering together, neighbors determined to defend their right to shape the place they call home. They’ve shown up at meetings, protested, and leaned on each other when things got tough. You could sense the camaraderie in the air.
Vicki Eggleston, one of OMBR’s driving forces, spoke from the heart. “It’s an amazing group of people who’ve worked so hard together. Honestly, it’s been wonderful. To stand alongside these folks, taking on the corruption from county officials we elected—officials who don’t care about us, who care more about developers and money. That speaks volumes.”
OMBR leads this charge, but Kelly Bauman is in the legal trenches. She’s the one going up against Sarasota County, SWFWMD, and the Economic Stimulus Working Group, on her own, without a lawyer. It is truly a David versus Goliath scenario.
People showed up strong for the fundraiser, their energy and hope filling the space.
Kelly told a story that stuck with the crowd. “A woman from Pennington Place brought me roses and a small donation. She handed them over and said, ‘Our life is in your hands.’ That broke my heart. These are older residents—people who thought they were settled for good—now facing the threat of having to move, watching their home values tumble. They’ve already been through so much—flooding, getting trapped for five days during Hurricane Ian, living right on 776. Their concern is justified. Her gesture helped keep me going through those sleepless nights, sometimes nodding off at the computer.”
And the battle never lets up. Every day brings a new challenge, with another filing, another demand. “I’ve got deadlines today,” Kelly said on Friday morning, August 28, 2026. “And meanwhile, I have to keep answering the county, the Economic Stimulus Working Group, and SWFWMD.”
Kelly and the group are always looking for help and welcome more neighbors to join. “We’re still searching for an attorney and experts. We’ve talked to so many, but they’re worried we don’t have standing. Taking on a case like this would affect their livelihoods. That says a lot.”
That evening meant a lot: raising money, building awareness, coming together for a cause bigger than any one person. Kelly addressed the group. “I want everyone to know where things stand—what’s happening at the hearings, what’s coming up, and want to reinforce that there’s still hope. I appreciate everyone who’s covered this story: it’s not just my story, it’s the community’s. This road affects all of us. I want people to see what we’re doing with their support. I’m working for free on the SWFWMD case—we can’t afford an attorney for that part. But whatever people give, we’re grateful, and we want them to know we’re here, open, and transparent every step of the way.”
The work keeps piling up. For every motion Kelly wins (pro se), the opposition, Sarasota County, SWFWMD, and the Economic Stimulus Working Group, sends in their teams of attorneys, all pushing to force that road through.
Then there’s Kelly’s life outside the fight: running her business, caring for livestock, fixing computers that keep crashing, attending a constant stream of meetings, organizing rallies and fundraisers, and amid it all, welcoming her first granddaughter into the world. In Kelly’s words, “But by the grace of God, we are still fighting.”
