The distance from Sarasota City Hall to the Sarasota Bradenton Airport is, according to Google Maps, 4.1 miles. On a regular day, that’s about a 10-minutw drive, let's say 15 minutes during season. Hardly far away by the numbers, and yet the North Trail and its decades-long wish list of needs is so crazy far down the City’s list of priorities as to be almost— the word unconscionable comes to mind. I could whip out my thesaurus but how about instead I tell you what I’ve observed.

First off one could not ask for a more dedicated, intelligent, patient or proactive leadership team than the folks working together as the North Trail Redevelopment Partnership. These folks are what the New Urbanists describe as the "risk oblivious." Entrepreneurs, artists, architects, property owners and builders who knew going in the risk they’d be taking, making a life, setting up shop along a strip of asphalt that has for 40 years served us as little more than the forgettable road to somewhere else. But, despite every iteration of bureaucratic “we can’t because,” they’ve toughed it out, forming alliances, negotiating the smallest details with neighbors to the east and west, with the result being a promising but unnecessarily difficult quilting together of a few small pockets of success.

Why is it, do you suppose, that North Tamiami Trail—a vital arterial route connecting us to our airport, two colleges, a major museum, an important art college, the downtown, the beaches and St.Armands—seems always to be, along with the people who champion it, left at the back of the line?

At Thursday’s NTRP District 2 and 3 candidates forum, the answer came in the form of a question when David Morriss asked; “If you are presented with a great idea or plan that will benefit the Trail will you support it even in the face of opposition?"

Success on the Trail and throughout Sarasota ought to be the simplest matter of placing the greater good above the fears, personal preferences and reluctance of the vocal few, but it hasn’t been. No matter the effort, the hours of professional staff time and community meetings invested, public policy regarding redevelopment along the Trail in particular has been forced piecemeal, marginalized, and then easily abandoned based on the most mere of excuses. What was that word? Unconscionable. And only those of us who choose to vote can change that.

Go out today and take a drive or walk along the North Trail. Eat at one of the restaurants, or ride your bike through its adjacent neighborhoods. Look for potential, not failings, and ask yourself, what will it take to meet that potentiak? I believe we must elect individuals who don’t just talk a good game, but who possess the genuine curiosity, courage, gravitas and conviction required to stand up for, value and defend those 4.1 miles—the gateway to our city.

Pay attention. Absentee ballots drop beginning Wednesday. I’m marking the oval for Liz Alpert. 

SRQ Daily Columnist Diana Hamilton, after living 35 years in Sarasota, labels herself a pragmatic optimist with radical humorist tendencies and a new found resistance to ice cream.

Massive issues are looming over Sarasota’s future. Traffic congestion is miserable. A budget shortfall is almost certain. Homelessness is pitting neighborhoods against each other. And key decisions lie ahead on big pieces of land. So this twaddle created recently by Sarasota Republicans over the role of political parties in nonpartisan elections is a hurtful distraction—a big red herring, as legitimate as the schoolyard bully who whines about his scraped elbow shortly after planting a shiner on the smallest kid in class. Here’s why:

• Let’s face it: Republicans are too dominant in this area to legitimately complain about a little Democratic self-empowerment. Republicans turn out at the ballot box in greater numbers than Democrats even in areas where Democrats have a slight edge – like the city of Sarasota. Countywide, the imbalance is pervasive: Republicans outnumber Democrats by 38 percent, an edge so powerful that it’s been 45 years (before Post-It notes, VCRs, cellphones, and “Monday Night Football”) since a non-Republican Sarasota County commissioner served.
• Our two local parties practice very different forms of partisanship. The Democrats are more like cheerleaders, embracing a “Support your fellow Democrat” theme like the one currently supporting Liz Alpert and Shelli Freeland Eddie for Sarasota City Commission. By contrast, Republican partisanship has been more “attack dog,” belittling the opponent for not being a Republican. Recall, for instance, the local Republican Party’s Facebook posts during the Ken Marsh/Bridget Ziegler school board race, which disparaged Marsh for being not just a Democrat, but the most extreme form of Democrat, a “liberal” (which he was not).
• And finally Democrats in our area also have a greater history of reaching across the aisle to accept the occasional Republican, or at least to leave moderate Republicans alone. Some great modern-day examples are Jane Goodwin, Caroline Zucker and Nancy Detert. By contrast, it’s nearly impossible to find a Democrat that has enjoyed the same kind of “stand down” passive support of our local Republican party.

We feel qualified to make these bold statements because our company, Keen Campaigning, represented candidates in both the recent Sarasota City Commission primary election, and last fall’s School Board election. We were on the front lines of both elections and have experienced most directly how our local parties behave in nonpartisan races.

If Republicans seriously want to clean up our local political scenery, there are two far more effective and useful ways to do that than pressing Democrats not to unite as Democrats. For starters, our two local parties should commit to put qualifications and potential for positive change atop their priority lists. Next, Republicans could join Democrats in fighting the biggest threat to a clean local political scene: “dark” money.

Our local parties should both stand against hidden, out-of-town political donors, which infiltrated our local school board elections last fall like never before, as we all remember. Both local parties could support formation of an “anti-PAC” PAC, similar to the national level’s Mayflower PAC, that would provide worthy candidates from either party the power of PACs without the secrecy.

Traffic. Budget shortages. Homelessness. Big land deals. Too many real issues are looming over our city to waste time in a low-level debate over why our local parties are being partisan. Let’s shut it down and get on with worthy debates that will help determine future solutions to real problems. 

Christine Hawes is co-owner of Keen Campaigning, a communications and political consulting firm devoted to improving local political discourse by representing moderate, well-qualified candidates. Andre Torkelson, co-owner of Keen Campaigning, contributed

Andrew Zimmern’s favorite bottarga (sun-cured mullet roe) is produced in Manatee County’s historic fishing village of Cortez. Marine-science research being conducted in Sarasota could have applications in human healthcare and the defense industry. From sustainable seafood to biomedical breakthroughs, there’s much more going on beneath the waves in our region than you might realize. And that’s why Gulf Coast Community Foundation launched the Gulf Coast Innovation Challenge. The $500,000 incentive-grant competition seeks to inspire and fund new opportunities to grow our Blue Economy—the activities, institutions, and business at work in the diverse industries of our marine-sciences sector. The Innovation Challenge is open to entrepreneurs, educators, scientists, conservationists—anyone interested in saving our seas and feeding our communities while growing our Blue Economy. But submissions close April 30. Learn more and sign up your team at GulfCoastChallenge.org. 

Gulf Coast Innovation Challenge

This Easter Sunday,  TableSeide establishments, Louies Modern and Libby’s Cafe + Bar, will be serving a slew of sweet and savory goods to please all palates. Louies Modern, a Palm Avenue hot spot, is walking distance from most downtown churches and will  be offering an eclectic selection of edibles from traditional breakfast items, such as bagels and waffles, to more elevated items, like the 3 Pea + Herb Salad, Scallop Ceviche and Tarragon Omelette. Of course Allspice Glazed Spiral Ham will be served for Easter traditionalists (and all around ham lovers). Families will be delighted to see their children entertained by the Easter Bunny, as well as the ability to build their own Easter Basket. Libby’s Cafe + Bar is  a well-loved Sunday brunch spot, but this Easter you can expect to find even more items to enjoy. Floyd’s Famous Blueberry Pancakes with Citrus Butter, Chicken and Waffles with Honey Maple, and Sausage Gravy with Libby’s Three Cheese Biscuits serve as a twist on traditional breakfast items alongside the usual suspects: Organic Scrambled Eggs, Loaded Hash Browns, and Fresh Croissants. But this big menu boasts much more. Fill up on salads, pastas, entrees, and desserts. Kids can enjoy an assorted candy table small-sized bites. 

TableSeide Establishments

Studio South Fitness' luxury personal training and fitness studio on Palm Avenue in the heart of Sarasota has a spa-like feel that complements the facilities’ latest equipment and fitness offerings. The studio offers a large selection of exciting and challenging group classes including HIIT, TRX, Barre Fusion, Aerial Yoga, Spin and more.  Our friends at Studio South have provided us with 5 reasons to try out their fabulous Aerial Yoga classes. 1. You don’t have to be a gymnast to do it: Everyone can enjoy the weightless sensation of Aerial Yoga. It's a relatively low-intensity workout and the more challenging moves can be modified to accommodate different skill levels. 2. You’ll improve your sense of body position and balance: Aerial Yoga uses a silk hammock to support the weight of the body. The movement of the hammock causes your body to make small adjustments constantly, honing the way your body refines its movements.  Practitioners of Aerial Yoga have reported an increase in their ability to move fluidly and an improvement in their performance of other physical activities. 3. You’ll increase your Zen Factor: One of the great benefits of yoga is the calming effect it has on the mind. With the use of the aerial hammock, the body is soothed with a gentle rocking motion. These motions can synchronize the two sides of the brain and have been linked to an increase in theta brain waves which are related to deep meditation. 4. It’s good to mix it up:  Trying new things can inspire a sense of wonder and amazement in your own potential and ability. Wonder keeps us young. Stepping away from old routines can help to build confidence. 5. You’ll feel like a kid again: If you have fond childhood memories of hanging from trees or reaching for the sky on the swing-set - get ready to relive your past! With Aerial Yoga you can learn to fly. Who knew that something so good for you could be so much fun? 

Studio South Fitness

21,000 children and their families need your help this summer. When school ends, hunger begins for the kids no longer on school meal programs. Last year, thanks to our generous community, All Faith's Food Bank provided food to 15,500 children and their families. They added a new backpack summer program, expand mobile pantry distributions, increased capacity at partner agencies, and worked with the school district to expand their free meal program. This year your donation will feed twice as many children this summer thanks to a recent $600,000 Summer Hunger Challenge Match. 

All Faith's Food Bank Summer Hunger Challenge

Head to The Ringling for  a tour of the “living collections” of the grounds and gardens. This walking tour will introduce you to some of the key botanical specimens on the estate while providing a historic overview of the development of the property and is  a great way to learn about the local flora. The tour is 90 minutes in length and covers approximately 1 mile. Some of the tour is “off the beaten path” so be sure to wear comfortable footwear and clothing. This tour is only available for a limited time on Friday and Saturdays from 10:30am to noon.  

http://www.ringling.org