The voting records of candidates in Manatee County, whether from the dais or in the voting booth, have been the subject of heated debate and helped turn a County Commission contest there into one of the hottest in Southwest Florida. Republican incumbent Carol Whitmore and Democratic challenger Terri Wonder now are both broadcasting confidence as the election enters its final stretch. 

"I know the citizens of Manatee County know the hard job I've done and the commitment to the job that I have," said Whitmore.

Also working hard on the campaign trail, Wonder feels she has built up support across the political spectrum in the county, an especially important job for a Democrat running in deep-red Manatee. She noted U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, also a Democrat, won this county in 2012, and Wonder feels a broad dissatisfaction with the incumbent will pay dividends for her own campaign.

"Dissatisfaction with overdevelopment still persists today," Wonder said. "Voters fault her [Whitmore] for not having taken a stance in favor of residents sense of quiet enjoyment of their own neighborhoods and own property."

Whitmore has served on the Manatee County Commission since 2006. Wonder rose to prominence advocating against the Long Bar Pointe proposed development, and has highlighted differences on that project. Whitmore voted in favor of a comprehensive plan amendment requested for the project but against a text amendment to allow coastal development, something that resulted in the project being withdrawn. Developers are now in litigation with the county.

But Wonder's own voting record has also come under scrutiny. Whitmore noted that Wonder did not vote on an indigent care tax that failed in June, even though Wonder had been outspoken on the topic before. Wonder said she was by that time focused on the Long Bar Pointe issue and said voters should be more concerned with Whitmore pushing to hold the tax referendum in the summer when turnout was expected to be low.

Whitmore is hopeful her own record in creating jobs, particular as chairman of the Manatee Port Authority where she helped attract companies like Air Products and Chemicalsto the region, convinces voters to give her another term. Wonder will continue pushing hard to convince voters of all political stripes to deliver change and express dissatisfaction with the current state of affairs with the Manatee County Commission.

All Manatee County voters can vote in this election. The election for Manatee County Commission, At-Large, is scheduled for Nov. 4. 

Tucked away on Main Street across from Hollywood 20 is an unassuming storefront that houses a simple Italian restaurant. The eponymous ‘Giuseppe’s Ristorante’ is a no-frills café, charming in its simplicity and staggering in its authenticity. Giuseppe Prestia hails from Sicily and this Grilled Octopus Appetizer is a dish inspired by his childhood. Pieces of Octopus are boiled halfway and then finished on the grill. Dressed simply with extra virgin olive oil, fresh lemon juice, parsley, garlic, salt and pepper the Octopus is tender enough to cut with a fork and the bright tang of the sauce highlights the seafood in bite after sublime bite.  

Giuseppe's Ristorante, 1900 Main Street, Suite 104, Sarasota, 941-366-6610

The Schimberg Group announced Courtney Porter has joined the company as director of interior design. Porter has practiced as an interior designer for 19 years, 14 as owner of C.L. Porter Design. She has served as an adjunct professor at the International Academy of Design and Technology in Tampa. Throughout her career, Porter has designed a range of projects including government, commercial, education, healthcare, hospitality, retail and residential. 

Schimberg Group

The Ringling Museum of Art

BRIO Tuscan Grille opened a location at The Mall at University Town Center on Oct. 16, the day of the mall’s premier. The restaurant, the 12th Brio Tuscan Grille in Florida, will provide a “Taste of Tuscany” to The Mall at University Town Center, which features many distinctive retailers, including a combination of upscale fashion and lifestyle retailers and a selection of sit-down restaurants. Brio, meaning “lively” or “full of life,” is a “polished casual” restaurant serving authentic Northern Italian cuisine. It brings the pleasure of the Tuscan country villa to the American city. The subtitle, “Tuscan Grille,” is descriptive of the menu that features grilled and oven-roasted steaks, chops, seafood, made-to-order pastas, flatbreads and entrée salads, similar to what one would find in a ristorante in Tuscany. Brio also offers an ample dessert menu and full wine and cocktail list. 

BRIO Tuscan Grille