On November 2, Doug Logan, who was just asked to resign as Director of Special Initiatives on chronic homeless, presented to the City Commission the idea that not a single agency in our community has stepped up to say that they will focus solely on the chronic homeless. Logan goes on to argue that the only answer to solving the city’s homeless problem is a new non-profit, named NEWCO. Logan spent nearly an hour, with the help of City Manager Tom Barwin, pleading the case of why the commission should get behind this “self-starter.”

Commissioner Susan Chapman quickly shot off several questions to Mr. Logan: “Who’s going to write the bi-laws? Who’s going to write the articles of incorporation? Who’s going to write the 501-C3? Who’s going to recruit the board of directors?” And for every question, Mr. Logan responded, “They will.” That is until she asked who “they” were. It was then that Mr. Logan refused to name the individuals who he had been working with for the past several months, claiming that they asked to be anonymous.  

Commissioner Shelli Eddie asked Mr. Logan about oversight, for which Mr. Logan replied, “There will be no oversight.” And then he went on to explain why. It was at the end of that meeting that Mr. Barwin asked the commission for a decision for the new 501c3, NEWCO.  To which Mayor Willie Shaw noted Commission consensus for staff not to take any action regarding NEWCO at this time according to the minutes.

What Mr. Logan and Mr. Barwin did not tell the city commission is that they have been working for months on this project and were much further along than they let on. In a memo marked confidential and dated Aug. 17, Mr. Logan detailed a conversation that he had with Mr. Barwin. Using initial DL for Doug Logan and TB for Tom Barwin, he stated among many points: “DL will assume supervision and direction of the HOT Teams. They will be housed in the Federal Building. TB will ‘square’ this move with Chief DiPino” (an authority that Barwin does not have).

“TB has suggested that DL’s activities developing relationships and trust with existing stakeholders and other constituencies are not a priority.”

“Prior to this intervention regimen, TB will provide DL with a written, enforceable acknowledgement that DL will be held personally harmless for these activities on behalf of the City. This includes payment for a defense, including at law, of DL’s choice” (also an authority that Mr. Barwin does not have).

A later document shows that NEWCO had been given a new name. It is called “Take Me Home” and listed the founding board of directors. People like former Commissioner Eileen Normile, businessman Jim Doyle, and, yes, even Doug Logan appear on that list. The same man who was hired only a few months before by Mr. Barwin was using the time that he was being paid by the city to create his next job in the private sector.  

On Nov. 3, ignoring the commission’s direction, Mr. Logan continued on their project, Home Again. Making appointments, meeting with their lawyer—the emails, phone calls and text messages never stopped. In a city email requesting a logo from a graphic artist, Logan boasts, “I am forming a new non-profit.”  

Tom Barwin has been the city manager for over four years. And although our city charter requires an annual performance review, it appears that Mr. Barwin has had none. And under Mr. Barwin’s supervision is an employee who is working against the direction of the commission with what appears to be Mr. Barwin’s blessing. Maybe it’s because Barwin has no fear of a review that he feels that he can act on his own accord.  Either treat him like city employee or give him a seat at the table. At least this way we will know who we are dealing with.

Susan Nilon is the host of The Nilon Report and an investigative researcher with the Law Office of Andrea Flynn Mogensen. 

This past week, I was struck by announcements of two talks at New College by well-known statisticians. The first, entitled “The Fundamental Connection between Humanities and Data Science,” was given by Dr. Bill Kahn, the vice president of the Bank of America who oversees consumer analytics.  The second, “Ask not what Data Science can do for the Humanities, but what the Humanities can do for Data Science,” will be the subject of a talk by Professor George Cobb, an icon in applied statistics and statistical education. Both titles use the word “humanities.”  That alone is worth mention.

We understand the significance of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields.  So, no one has to make the case for the importance of data science. Many in our region of Florida understand the importance of the arts, if only because they contribute so much to our local economy. And, although some malign social sciences (psychology, anthropology, sociology, political science and economics), we at least hear about them. But our public discourse is oddly silent on the humanities, as if they are too insignificant to mention.

Our community loves the arts.  We read reviews of performances and books. So why is there so little interest in the disciplines that take these as objects of study, among them: literature, language, philosophy, history, religion, art history, music and theater?

C.P. Snow’s 1959 essay  “The Two Cultures” called attention to the two cultures of society at that time: the sciences and the humanities. He condemned the British educational system for over-emphasizing the humanities at the expense of scientific education stating that the American and German systems did a better job of preparing students in both. But Snow never would have dreamed that the humanities would have become so marginalized at many American universities.

Today more medieval historians live within a 10-mile radius of some of our greatest universities (e.g., Harvard, Ohio State, or Berkeley) than in the entire state of Florida. The same holds for classicists. Some maintain that those universities are so old, wealthy and conservative that they have neither needed nor bothered to shrink their humanities departments. I would suggest, however, that those universities are great partly because of their humanists.

Why? Let us look at what students can expect to learn from serious engagement with the humanities.

From history, they learn about the past.  Not everything about the past, of course, but enough to appreciate the limitations of the short window of time afforded by our adult lives. History helps us understand the choices that different individuals and societies made in the absence of full knowledge, and of what ensued. It counters and contextualizes the relentless and perilous presentism of our times.

Language learning teaches humility. One learns that some ideas and words do not translate well, that operating in or outside of one’s mother tongue imposes different constraints on expression and comprehension, and that mutual comprehension can be difficult to achieve. Having one’s native tongue be the dominant global language is as much a curse as a blessing.  

Literature engages us with a far broader range of human experience and emotion and complexity than we could acquire by chatting with family, friends and colleagues at work. It teaches us to imagine ourselves in another’s place, with another’s thoughts, and in another culture.  Like literature, the disciplines of art history, film, and musicology and music history teach how to process and talk about the direct experience that the arts afford. They teach about different cultures, and therefore one’s own culture, and how it shapes us.

Philosophy teaches reasoning and invites us to grapple with the large questions we inherit by virtue of being human. Religion helps us learn how others, and we, ourselves, make meaning. From literature, philosophy and religion, one learns that the same fact can be interpreted in many mutually incompatible ways, and that human experience is inherently complex.

In a very real sense, the humanities are the sciences of uncertainty and complexity. They teach us to live with and handle ambiguity. Their study produces outcomes that are difficult to measure, and therefore difficult to test. But those outcomes matter. It is difficult to conceive of wisdom absent them. And an education without them is at best training.

And, so, it should be no surprise that the humanities are essential to data science, which seeks pattern and meaning in the large unstructured data sets that are so much a part of our times.

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

It has been exciting to learn about the development of the C4  consortium of our local colleges on the North Trail in Sarasota. While this partnership is based primarily on academic interrelationships, it is exactly the kind of collaboration that can help spur development and revitalization of this unsightly portion of our community that serves as the gateway to the city from the airport.

In a recent article, Dr. Larry Thompson of Ringling College of Art and Design stated that he felt projects involving bookstores, bars and restaurants would help create more of a funky cultural district along the North Trail rather than cookie-cutter condos and bland storefronts. I could not agree more with Dr. Thompson on this point.

These developments lead me to believe that now is the time for our entire community to accelerate our efforts to complete the second phase of the Artspace initiative that has been underway for several months.

Artspace is America’s leader in artist-led community transformation. With headquarters in Minneapolis and offices in Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York, Seattle and Washington, D.C., they run a network of more than 35 affordable arts facilities in 15 states.

Their projects provide live/work space for artists with very affordable rent structures that remain affordable even as the inevitable growth and appreciation of the surrounding community takes place. Typically the types of businesses that develop around the Artspace projects are restaurants, bars, art galleries and upbeat retail. This is exactly the type of development that could help C4 achieve its goals and the community turn this unsightly, blighted strip of highway into a vibrant, energetic gateway that is in alignment with our reputation as the cultural capitol of Florida.

The Arts and Cultural Alliance is working closely with the North Trail Redevelopment Partnership, area artists and business leaders to raise the money that will allow us to complete the feasibility studies necessary to move forward with this project. The Sun

Circle Art Festival that will be held on Saturday, March 5 at Sapphire Shores Park between 10am and 5pm is dedicating part of its proceeds to the funding of this important project.

We encourage the City of Sarasota, Sarasota County government and all members of the community to learn more about Artspace and join us in developing this project which can be a big part of the solution to this long standing problem. For more information visit our website at www.sarasotaarts.org.

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

On February 15, while some are still basking in the afterglow of Valentine's Day, Goodwill Manasota offers a way for those hurting from a recent breakup to heal and move on.  From February 15-29, Goodwill encourages community members to participate in its tongue-in-cheek, anti-Valentine's Day campaign, "Donate Your Ex's Stuff." Break-ups are never easy and it's important for exes to release the physical and emotional baggage that keeps them stuck in the past. To celebrate the kick-off of the campaign, Goodwill is holding its first-ever "Donate Your Ex's Stuff Party" on Monday, February 8 from 5:30-7:30pm at iHeart Media in Sarasota with food compliments of PizzaSRQ, drinks, music and fun. Call (941) 355-2721 for more information or email goodwillrsvp@gimi.org to RSVP.

 

Goodwill Manasota

Marie Selby Botanical Gardens is blooming this Valentines Day as The Orchid Show opens February 14 and runs through March 27.  More than 1,000 orchids from the sub-tropics and tropics of the Americas will be on display, 2016 at Selby Gardens for The Orchid Show: Celebrating 40 Years at Selby Gardens. The show is presented by Better-Gro, a national gardening product retailer, and the show marks the Gardens’ 40th anniversary year. A collection of events, lectures and classes will be offered throughout the show.  

Marie Selby Botanical Gardens

WestJet will add a third weekly flight from Toronto to the Sarasota Bradenton International Airport (SRQ). WestJet, a Canadian Low-Cost Carrier (LCC), already offers nonstop seasonal flights on Fridays and Sundays between SRQ and Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) through April 29 using Boeing 737-700 aircraft (136 seats). Effective February 23 an additional flight will be added on Tuesdays using the same aircraft type.  

Sarasota Bradenton International Airport

Timothy E. Holliday, CMR^CM, Vice President and co-owner of Children’s World, in Sarasota recently became the very first Certified Master Retailer^CM (CMR) with the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA), the largest trade association serving the specialty toy industry. Certified Master Retailer^CM status represents achievement of the highest standard of professional development for specialty toy retailers. Children's World Uniform Supply has been serving the west coast of Florida since 1964 and features toys and games, durable and attractive uniforms for schools, businesses and organizations, embroidery/printing for clothing, t-shirts, and special gifts and promotional products for businesses.     

Children's World Uniform Supply

Sarasota Contemporary Dance (SCD) welcomes past company member, Jennifer Maecker, to set a new work for the company in April 2016. Maecker graced the stage in SCD's most recent performance, "Retrospect" as a guest performer. Her new work will premier in the June 2016 production. Maecker was the company's first emerging choreographer presented in 2008. Now 8 years later, SCD embraces showcasing the evolved choreographer.  

Sarasota Contemporary Dance

The Central West Coast Chapter of the Florida Public Relations Association (CWC-FPRA) announces the call for Image Awards submissions recognizing the best in research, strategy, implementation and execution in the public relations profession.  The competition is open to the public and recognizes the area’s best work in four main divisions and 13 categories:  Public Relations Programs, Printed Tools of Public Relations, Audio/Visual Online Tools of Public Relations, and Student Projects in Public Relations.  Early bird entries are due February 28 and final deadline is March 4. Entries are submitted online at http://fpraimage.org/central-west-coast. Winners will be announced at a special awards ceremony in April. 

Central West Coast Chapter of the Florida Public Relations Association