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SRQ DAILY Nov 21, 2013

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"A media and public awareness campaign needs to be developed to educate and encourage the community to move from a culture of enablement to a culture of engagement."

- Robert Marbut, homelessness expert
 

[Government]  Shelter Sore Spot in Marbut Report
Jacob Ogles, jacob.ogles@srqme.com

A long-awaited consultant's report on addressing homelessness in the greater Sarasota area has generated support and controversy in the county's most prominent city, the locale where transients are most visible.

The report from Robert Marbut, a nationally celebrated expert on handling homelessness, said there needs to be a shift in the region away from such enabling gestures as public feedings, but he supported creation of a shelter where transients, even if under the influence of drugs or alcohol, could come and stay while the effects of substances work their way out of the body.

"As is true in most public-good site location efforts anywhere in the USA, there is no 'ideal' location," Marbut writes. "It is therefore important to remember the mission is to come up with the most viable location that is available, and not to endlessly pursue a hypothetical location that does not exist in the real world."

Proposed sites include a Washington Street facility where Trinity Without Borders now operates. Other sites include spaces near Ed Smith Stadium on Lewis Avenue, as well as a site on Osprey Avenue and one on East Avenue which lies partially within and partially outside the city limits.

Suggestions for the site of a come-as-you-are shelter have divided officials. Many Sarasota city leaders are concerned such a shelter would both attract transients from around the region into the city, but others say it is critical to stay unified in a regional approach to handling homelessness.

City Commissioner Susan Chapman, who has been critical of the Trinity site's operation, said she was supportive of other aspects of the Marbut report, including greater use of Homeless Management Information system data in proactive case management and the openings of intake facilities in the north and south county. But she remains concerned about the shelter proposal. She is skeptical of whether allowing addicts to a shelter and then releasing them into the same environment the next day will be helpful.

"One component of recovery is you have to get in a recovery group situation rather than an addicted group situation," Chapman said. She worries that Sarasota will continue to take on an undue share of the homeless burden with such a shelter located in the city, and that it will do little to curb problems with addiction if people go right back into the downtown scene where individuals were fighting addiction in the first place.

But others say the report needs to be adopted in its entirety. Commissioner Paul Caragiulo has been vocally supportive of Marbut's efforts, hoping Sarasota can replicate successes from other jurisdictions, and said the report needed to be embraced in its entirety. Caragiulo went on a tour of a similar shelter in Pinellas and came back impressed.

"At the end of the day, everyone is putting a premium and focus on the location of this facility, but I think either you adopt the entire action plan or you don't adopt any of it," said Caragiulo. 

[Good Bite]  Not Your Mother's Meatloaf
Lisl Liang, lisl.liang@srqme.com

Looking for a new lunch spot during the week? Eat Here is now open for lunch. After you choose to sit inside the modern dining area or enjoy the Florida sunshine on the covered deck or park patio around the fountain, then comes the difficult decision of what to eat. Owner and Operator Sean Murphy has hand-selected 10 specialties that express the best in contemporary Gulf Coast cuisine. The menu is creatively presented on a clipboard with choices varying from lobster tacos to seattle style grilled cheese to keenwa salad in a jar. A dish that will have you rethink a classic is their meatloaf sandwich. Served on a pretzel roll is a veal loaf that is melt in your mouth tender. We will always love our mother and her home cooking, but this meatloaf flavored with worcheshire, Cajun seasoning and pan gravy surpasses the mixture of ground beef and ketchup that is part of our childhood. You do not have to reveal to your mother that you found something tastier than her own recipe but do not let that stop you from enjoying a delicious sandwich while washing it down with a refreshing passionberry iced tea. 

Eat Here, 1888 Main St., Sarasota; 941-365-8700



Karen Taddeo, "City Reflections," Acrylic on Canvas, 30" x 40", Art Uptown Gallery, 1367 Main St., Sarasota, 941-955-5409

[SCOOP]  Track and Field

The NCAA has awarded NCAA Division II Men’s and Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Championships to host venue IMG Academy for the 2016-17 seasons. IMG Performance will host the championships in conjunction with the University of Tampa on the campus of IMG Academy in Bradenton. The events will take place will take place May 26-28, 2016 and May 25-27, 2017. IMG Academy’s campus features the new state-of-the-art IMG Academy Stadium, which seats 5,000 with the ability to scale to 10,000 and boasts a broadcast-ready press and hospitality box with coach, press and radio rooms, as well as VIP suites. The stadium features an 8-lane, 400-meter track and adjacent training areas for jumps and throws. 

IMG Academy

SRQ Media Group

SRQ DAILY is produced by SRQ | The Magazine. Note: The views and opinions expressed in the Saturday Perspectives Edition and in the Letters department of SRQ DAILY are those of the author(s) and do not imply endorsement by SRQ Media. Senior Editor Jacob Ogles edits the Saturday Perspective Edition, Letters and Guest Contributor columns.In the CocoTele department, SRQ DAILY is providing excerpts from news releases as a public service. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by SRQ DAILY. The views expressed by individuals are their own and their appearance in this section does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. For rates on SRQ DAILY banner advertising and sponsored content opportunities, please contact Ashley Ryan Cannon at 941-365-7702 x211 or via email

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