Before my parents, Father Jim and Nikki Nilon, donated the Bidwell House and the Crocker Church to the City of Sarasota, they housed their homeless mission in the buildings on Florida Avenue - two blocks from the Salvation Army.  For over two decades, they have devoted their lives to helping the homeless in Sarasota. I mention this because it is in their honor that I continue to assist in whatever way I can to change the way we work with whom Sarasota City Commissioner Suzanne Atwell refers to as the “Expendable people.”  

The definition of “Expendable” is this: “of little significance when compared to an overall purpose, and therefore able to be abandoned.”  It is my sincerest hope that Commissioner Atwell just confused the term and did not realize what she was saying.  However, she used the term several times throughout my radio interview this past Wednesday when she was heralding city attorney Robert Fournier’s diatribe on Michael Barfield and the ACLU lawsuit against the City of Sarasota for citations imposed upon the civil liberties of the homeless.  

As I watched with my jaw hanging open to the performance laid out before us on Monday night, I was gobsmacked with the rationale given by Mr. Fournier, stating the only reason the city should not reach a compromise with the ACLU is that “Michael Barfield will never be happy.”  In fact, the only person ever mentioned by name that evening was Michael Barfield – as if this is all his doing.  Yes, Mr. Barfield is the face of the ACLU.  But Mr. Fournier knows better.  After all, he met with most of the team the week before.

This team of people whom I mention is made up of people well known in our community.  One is former Assistant Public Defender and attorney Adam Tebrugge.  He closed his practice several months ago to work for the ACLU.  Adam, along with ACLU attorneys Andrea Mogenson, Nancy Abdu and Tracy Pratt, vetted the case and helped prepare the complaint.  Another name you will recognize is mine. Yes, I am one of the researchers on the case. I’ve poured through hundreds of documents and citations that are the basis of this legal complaint submitted to the courts on behalf of the six individuals named in this lawsuit.  It is this knowledge that allows me to say Attorney Fournier is wrong in his characterization of our efforts and appears to manipulate a calculated response out of the commissioners.

For decades, I have seen commissioners come and go.  Each one of them had the opportunity to actually do something when it comes helping our homeless. Yet, the only thing they have really become good at is talk.  And lots of it.  As they waste taxpayer money on lawsuits that a child could avoid, they have the ability to sleep at night knowing taxpayers will continue to pay the bills.  And to detract us from the real issues, they created a monster and named it Michael Barfield - as if to say it’s all about him. Well, now it’s about me too.

I don’t think the rights of any person should be delayed because of the inability of our city commission to do its job.  And the position that the commission puts our police officers in every night when they hit the streets is a disgrace. If the commission does not want to have a qualified homeless shelter in this city, fine by me. But we better recognize the responsibility of our decisions. The money they spend defending those decisions brought on by our city commission will cost a lot more.  

I know what it is like to not have a home, to be impoverished, to not be able afford a legal defense and to be considered “expendable.”  We are all citizens of this country, no matter what our status.  And we all deserve to be treated with respect.  So the next time you complain about this lawsuit, make sure you give the right people the credit.

Susan Nilon is the president of Florida Talk Radio and owner of WSRQ Radio. She hosts The Nilon Report on WSRQ Sarasota 1220AM/106.9FM weekdays 4pm-6pm. Email her at susan@sarasotatalkradio.com. 

I recently went on a trip to Louisville, Kentucky, arranged by Sarasota’s Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development  Corporation. Its purpose was to get a sense of the ways business, government and educational, cultural and sports organizations have pulled together to market the Louisville region. Yes, the city is vibrant, but, at the risk of sounding like an ungrateful guest, it’s got nothing on us.

Let’s just talk here about education and the arts. In addition to a stunning array of performing arts companies, our Sarasota-Manatee region boasts one of every type of American higher educational institutions except a research university.  We have a liberal arts college (New College), an arts and technical college (Ringling College of Art and Design), a regional comprehensive (University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee) and a former community college (State College of Florida). That sounds like an e-mail inbox, until we realize just how good our academies are. New College is ranked fourth nationwide in public liberal arts colleges; Ringling College is in the top five in the country for arts and technical colleges. Both USF-SM and SCF occupy the top tier for their respective categories.

In short, we have an embarrassment of riches. What’s more, we house outstanding research institutions and specialized enterprises. Let’s just list a few examples: The Asolo Conservatory at The Ringling-Florida State University offers a high quality three-year master’s of fine arts in theater arts. Its students graduate holding an Actors’ Equity Card, the ticket to employment in theater. Sarasota Memorial is a nationally recognized non-profit hospital, hosting superb physicians, some engaged in cutting-edge research. FSU and Sarasota Memorial have joined forces to offer a medical residency program. Individuals can also get master’s degrees at USF-SM – and soon at New College, the Ringling-FSU and possibly at Ringling College. The University of Florida has just opened a program offering a master’s in architecture. The Roskamp Institute conducts first-rate research in brain disorders and trauma and offers a targeted and selective PhD program. Mote Marine Laboratory does oceanographic research of the highest quality. And the Eiling O. Eide Charitable Foundation and library will soon draw scholars in Asian studies from around the globe.

What we have here in our blessed corner of Florida are the pieces of a new type of research university: a thoroughly American, 21st-century, dispersed multiversity. Our educational institutions have entirely different missions. They are complementary and they do not compete. Last year, we piloted a cross-registration program by which students at any one institution could take courses at another, for credit at their home college and without extra charge. It was a start. If fully implemented, we would have an economic and educational engine the likes of which has never been seen.  And this is before one factors in the creative resources offered by our extraordinary arts organizations.  Sarasota-Bradenton can lead the way in revolutionizing higher education–and attracting the best and the brightest to settle, innovate and create not just jobs but industries and careers that do not yet exist. 

Donal O'Shea is the president of New College of Florida 

This afternoon at 4pm, Sarasota’s own Key Chorale will produce the Second Annual Key Chorale Choral Festival at First Church in downtown Sarasota. This year’s festival will feature “New Voices in Choral Music” and will certainly prove to be inspirational to all who attend.

In talking with members of the Key Chorale and doing research for a presentation that I will provide for the festival, it became clear to me that the impact of these types of artistic activities in the community truly is about much more than the music. For example, when we look at the fact that choral singing is the most popular form of participation in the performing arts in the United States, we begin to get a sense of how music shapes the character of individuals and therefore the very foundation for our nation’s character. Recent surveys have shown that 23 percent of all American households have at least one member that participates in chorus. This translates into over 42 million adults and children nationwide.

One might ask what that has to do with the character of our Nation. The national data show that adults who sing in chorus are remarkably good citizens. They are avid patrons of the arts and they volunteer significantly more frequently than the general public. They also prove to be substantial financial contributors to their choruses and to other philanthropic organizations. They prove to be excellent team players and exhibit greater civic leadership than the typical person in their community.

Furthermore, children who participate in choruses (and all of the arts) have better academic success and stronger life skills than those who do not. Their teachers say they are better class participants and better team players. Involvement in a chorus keeps many children engaged in school who might otherwise be lost to the stresses of adolescence.

We are truly blessed to live in a community that embraces the arts as an integral part of our life and character. The Arts and Cultural Alliance encourages all of our citizens to take advantage of the wide array of cultural activities and experiences that surround us. Not only is it inspirational and motivational, it truly is about more than the music.

Jim Shirley is the executive director for the Arts and Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County. 

www.operationsecondchance.org

Don’t miss Top Dog - the Suncoast's premier dog show tonight at the Sarasota Municipal Auditorium from 6-9pm. Top Dog is a Westminster-like dog show where owners can enter their four-legged friends in playful categories, enjoy fine dining with their canine companions and chill out in one of Donte's Den doggy lounges. Volunteers are on hand to care for and walk dogs while owners enjoy the show.  Top Dog benefits Donte's Den, a 501 (c)(3) charitable organization and the only facility anywhere offering long term and permanent care for dogs whose owners are unable to care for them due to illness, injury, abandonment or military deployment. 

Top Dog 2015

Nuevo Advertising Group recently launched its new web site showcasing client case studies and has established a dedicated bilingual account team. The full-service marketing and advertising agency was founded in 2004 by Ringling College of Art and Design alumni Pedro Perez and Roseanne Avella-Perez. “To better serve our clients, Nuevo focuses on a comprehensive ‘whole brand appearance’ approach with sharp attention to the customer experience. The new web site illustrates diverse case studies our clients’ faced and clearly explains how Nuevo created strategic campaigns to solve these issues,”explained Co-Founder and VP of Sales Pedro Perez. With the launch of the new website, the agency has expanded its customized campaigns to serve the Hispanic market in both English and Spanish. 

Nuevo Advertising Group

This Fall, Selah Freedom will open Selah Vie, an upscale resale retail store at 3510 53rd Ave W in Bradenton. Seals Vie is designed to create sustainable income for Selah Freedom, serve as the organization’s awareness hub in the community, and allow survivors to go shopping for needed items when they transition into the Relaunch (Independent Living) Phase of Selah's Residential Program. This one-of-a-kind store reclaims clothing and furniture while making a positive impact on the lives of survivors in our community. Selah Vie is in need of volunteers to "staff" the store and help sort donated items. If you would like to help, email volunteer@selahfreedom.com. 

www.selahfreedom.com

On Saturday, October 24 at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, The Asolo Repertory Theatre will present Shakespeare in the Gardens, an outdoor presentation by the FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training Production. The performance will be an adaptation of William Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night.” It is a 45-minute fast and funny take on the classic work, set in a modern day summer camp. The performance is adapted and directed by Jen Wineman.  Adults and children are encouraged to attend. Shakespeare in the Gardens is free to Selby Gardens Members and guests may enjoy the show with regular admission. Seating is limited so RSVP today. 

Marie Selby Botanical Gardens

Sarasota’s very own “Queen of the Air,” Dolly Jacobs, was awarded with a prestigious NEA National Heritage Fellowship Award on October 1, in Washington, D.C. Dolly also performed in a concert featuring the 2015 honorees at George Washington University’s Lisner Auditorium on October 2. The NEA National Heritage Fellowship is “the nation’s highest honor in the folk and traditional arts,” and Dolly is now in the company of past honorees including bluesman B.B. King, cowboy poet Wally McRae, and gospel and soul singer Mavis Staples.  

Circus Arts Conservatory