Sarasota officials took a conciliatory posture on solutions to homelessness Monday, even as they made clear strong differences remain with county officials on where any sort of shelter facility might be located in the future. City Commissioners said they want staff for the city and county meeting on solutions, and also want to have a joint meeting with county commissioners sometime in the next 60 days to workshop programs amenable to both governments. “We need to listen to both sides, not come back and restate the same thing over and over again,” said Commissioner Suzanne Atwell. 

The city and county have been at an empasse about a come-as-you-are shelter, a chief recommendation of consultant Robert Marbut as a way to address the chronically homeless who cannot stay in other area shelters. Upset at possible locations within the city limits, city officials last year voted to step away from county efforts, and subsequently county action slowed on finding a site for the shelter.

Mayor Willie Shaw stressed Monday that there still were concerns about shelter placement. He held to a city position that “we cannot afford to put more places in areas where the greatest concentration of disparity  exists.” But while the city a few months ago argued against the use of a shelter at all, Shaw seemed to indicate a willingness to discuss locations outside Newtown, and praised a citizen suggestion to use a county-owned building off Fruitville Road east of Interstate-75 as a triage center for the chronically homeless.

And city officials emphasized there needed to be a focus on getting many homeless individuals into homes, a central focus of a "Housing First" philosophy that has seen results in other communities.

A shift in tone clearly was affected by city elections in May. Two new commissioners elected over incumbents resistant to a shelter voiced a need to work together with the county. “We go in with open minds,” said Commissioner Shelli Freeland Eddie. “We need to both go in with the spirit of finding where we have a consensus.” 

Bentley and Bruning attorneys Morgan Bentley, Kevin Bruning and Brian Goodrich were recognized by the Supreme Court of Florida, the Young Lawyers Division of the Florida Bar, the Florida Pro Bono Coordinators Association and Legal Aid of Manasota for exceptional pro bono service in 2014. The attorneys "far exceeded" their professional responsibility by providing more than 100 hours each to represent the less fortunate.  

Bentley and Bruning

The Lighthouse of Manasota was selected to participate in Margin and Mission Ignition, an initiative of The Patterson Foundation designed to boost nonprofit mission impact through the development and implementation of earned-income strategies. The Lighthouse, which was one of seven area organizations selected, will participate in the 18-month consulting process with No Margin, No Mission, a social enterprise and national consulting firm hired by The Patterson Foundation that will work with the nonprofits to develop and implement entrepreneurial plans for revenue-generating ventures. The Lighthouse will focus on expanding and growing the organization’s existing Low Vision Retail Store. Bringing new customers into the store will be a priority so they can choose from a selection of low vision products, such as portable video magnifiers, audio clocks, talking watches, and cooking aids, designed to assist individuals with everyday tasks and improve their quality of life.  

The Lighthouse of Manasota

The Out-of-Door Academy’s Board of Trustees on Wednesday will present the grand opening and ribbon-cutting of the Dick Vitale Family Student Center and Dart STEM Center on The Out-of-Door Academy’s Uihlein Campus in Lakewood Ranch. The concept of the newly constructed two-story building was a shared vision for the future of teaching and learning at Out-of-Door and will house STEM classes and areas to study and collaborate for students in Grades 9-12. The public presentation begins at 8:30am. 

The Out-of-Door Academy

Michael Eisner, a leader in the American entertainment industry for over 40 years, will kick off the 2016 Ringling College Town Hall Lecture Series. He will replace former Israeli President Shimon Peres, who has canceled his appearance. Eisner, the former president of Paramount Studios and CEO of Disney, will open the 2016 Town Hall series on Jan. 19. Other guests expected this year include political strategists Jim Messina and Karl Rove, who will debate in Sarasota on Feb. 3, creativity expert Ken Robinson, who speaks Feb. 16, and Good Morning America host Robin Roberts, who will speak on March 7. The series concludes with former Gen. David Petraeus on March 15. 

Ringling College Town Hall Lecture Series

SRQ Media is pleased to announce the full 2015-2016 SB2 season! This year, the symposium lineup will include an impactful presentation by a notable keynote speaker at each SB2 installment. While topics will cover everything from finance to philanthropy, each keynote presentation will feature relevant information with a regional focus and the priceless insights from a regional expert. Their broad understanding of each topic is astounding and we can't wait to hear their thoughts on of-the-moment issues facing our community, the wide-spread changes relative to the event's topic and industry, policy or social reform. The full season of topics and keynote speakers are listed below. For updates on local panelist participants, visit SRQSB2.COM and stay tuned on Inside the Brand. 

• September 24, 2015: Financial Forecast
  Jesse Panuccio, Executive Director of the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity 
• November 19, 2015: The Art of Corporate Philanthropy
  Connie Smith, SVP Community Affairs, Florida: Wells Fargo Government and Community Relationships Group
• January 28, 2016: Investing in the Arts
  Julia Forster, Director of Development; Spoleto Festival USA
• March 24, 2015: Foundations - Giving Basis
  David Biemesderfer, President/CEO Florida Philanthropic Network
• May 19, 2016: The Tourist Agenda
  Paul Phipps, Chief Marketing Officer; Visit Florida
• July 28, 2016: Inspiring Transformation
  Lilly Weinberg, Director of Community Foundations, Knight Foundation

The SB2 2015-16 Series is loyally supported by annual sponsors CS&L CPAs, Sarasota Bradenton International Airport and The Resort at Longboat Key Club. Tickets are available for $35 per person SRQSB2.COM or $210 for the complete series, including two SB2 Cocktail Rumbles at the Powel Crosley Estate. Each symposium at The Francis includes a delicious breakfast buffet.