The candidates running for president this year all boast national networks of support, but with Florida’s high-stakes presidential primary taking place today, many leaders in Southwest Florida were recruited in the last week to aid these leaders on the road toward the White House. While Republicans Ted Cruz and John Katich have focused their campaigning in other states, other major contenders for the Democrat and Republican nomination devoted significant resources in the Sunshine State.

Marco Rubio, Florida’s U.S. senator, made a swing through Sarasota with a rally at Dolphin Aviation a week ago today, and Venice businessman Harry Walia was among those in the crowd. A local finance chair for the Rubio campaign, he remains confident the hometown official can win the election. “He is working hard and is very enthusiastic,” Walia said. “He is the best guy who can unite the GOP.” Wallia noted Rubio was hitting every major voter area from Miami to The Villages, Sarasota being just one of those stops. Of course, even if Rubio doesn’t win the day in Florida, Wallia feels these is still a path to victory. “It’s a national election, not just for Florida,” he said. “Two days ago, [Rubio] won in Washington, D.C.”

On Friday, Chelsea Clinton swung through town as a surrogate for her mother, Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton. At an event at The Francis, Sarasota activist Helen Magill introduced Chelsea to the crowd. For Magill, that seemed especially poetic, as her daughter Kate has a job on the Clinton campaign right now. “I’m so proud of Kate just like I know Hillary is so proud of Chelsea,” said Magill, who feels drawn to Hillary by a shared desire to set a good example for the next generation of women and ensure this is a world where women voice their opinions instead of simply deferring to husbands and other men. 

But even when campaigns weren’t stopping in this area, leaders from this area were stumping for campaigns. Richard DeNapoli, a Venice activist who previously chaired the Republican Party of Broward County, spoke at a rally for Republican frontrunner Donald Trump in Boca Raton Sunday. “It was an amazing experience and an honor to be a part of it,” DeNapoli said in a Facebook post. “But the main point is to make sure you get out and vote.”

And former Sarasota Mayor Kelly Kirschner could be found last week in Tampa Bay was at a campaign rally for Democrat Bernie Sanders, a U.S. senator from Vermont waging a competitive bid for the nomination. Kirschner was invited to a small gathering of area leaders to participate in a roundtable before the event, but felt more excited to go to the 9,000-person rally. “You can't help but wonder when we will have an opportunity like this again,” Kirschner said. “The American public are at a point of extreme frustration—from top to bottom with how our political system seems to be rigged.” He sees the Sanders campaign resetting the agenda for the people, and figures that impact will last even if Clinton becomes the nominee and adopts many of his positions.

Among all the state’s voting tonight, Florida is the biggest prize of the evening. On the Republican side, the winner-takes-all contest will give the top vote-getter 99 delegates. On the Democratic side, 214 delegates are at stake. 

With plenty of curtain calls yet to come in the current season, Asolo Repertory Theatre and the FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training set the stage for the 2016/2017 season. The Asolo announced a line-up including a world premiere, another Tony Award-winning musical and more political and cultural examination for the final year of the American Character Project, while the Conservatory offers a varied season ranging from Shakespeare to Arthur Miller to contemporary comedy.

Opening Nov. 18, the Asolo Rep kicks off the season with the Tony Award-winning musical comedy Guys and Dolls, and Broadway performer and celebrated director Josh Rhodes returns to the Asolo as director and choreographer. Film and Broadway actor Nick Wyman also returns. Currently portraying President Lyndon B. Johnson on the Asolo stage in the production of All The Way, Wyman will reprise the role for the sequel from Pulitzer Prize-winner Robert Schenkkan, The Great Society. Nicole A. Watson directs this political drama opening Jan. 13.

Political drama continues along with the rep season with a production of The Originalist opening Jan. 20. Written by John Strand, the play tells the story of a young liberal law clerk who finds herself working for none other than Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. Arena Stage Artistic Director Molly Smith, who directed last year’s world premiere, comes to the Asolo as director, joined by four-time Helen Hayes Award-winner Edward Gero reprising the role he originated in Justice Scalia. Academy Award-winner Garson Kanin’s comedy Born Yesterday and The Little Foxes directed by Tony Award-winner Frank Galati round out the rep rotation, opening Feb. 10 and Mar. 17 respectively.

The remaining two shows announced include the exploration of race through the world of professional wrestling in the Pulitzer Prize-finalist The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity and the world premiere of Beatsville. A musical comedy with book from Tony Award nominee Glenn Slater and based on Roger Corman’s cult classic, A Bucket of Blood, laugh along with busboy Walter Paisley’s accidental artistic ascent.

“The fifth and final season of Asolo Rep’s American Character Project is brimming with iconic playwrights, headline-making political figures, quintessential American classics and provocative new work,” said Producing Artistic Director Michael Donald Edwards. “I’m thrilled to present this remarkable final chapter.”

The FSU/Asolo Conservatory season runs the emotional gamut and comprises the drama Book of Days from Lanford Wilson, Arthur Miller’s tragic A View From The Bridge and a contemporary comedy from Adam Bock, The Drunken City. The season concludes with a production of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream performed on the grounds of the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens.

Season tickets are currently on sale. Single tickets go on sale Sept. 2016. 

With a little self-drive, curiosity, and perseverance, you will be amazed how some simple daily troubleshooting on your part can help you gain the techknowledge you need to solve many issues yourself.

Think about the multitude of new technologies that have launched during your lifetime and how you felt when you first used them. Remember the first time you used a DVD player? Got your first cell phone? Streamed a movie on your TV? Heard about “cloud” storage solutions? Do you remember how long it took you to get up to speed? I’m guessing your answer is “no.” Today, most of those inventions are probably essential to your everyday life and as simple to use as electricity. My aim is get you to feel as confident as possible to solve other technology snafus.

If you are trying to overcome a frustrating issue, devote some time to identify the exact steps you took to solve the problem. Write down the steps you took in the order you performed them. For example, say a wireless printer won’t print. What actions did you take to fix it? Powered on/off? Shut off you connected computer, etc.? Reset your modem?

Once you’ve written down the order you performed those steps, and the result, you can further tackle the issue by visiting online forums. Just Google the problem, like: “Epson Printer WF-7610 won’t print.” The resulting links will likely include community forums where users had similar issues. Often, step-by-step solutions will be posted. Not only is this an easy fix, but the more you educate yourself through these forums and advise postings, the better you will be able to think through similar issues in the future.

Pedro Pérez is a founding partner of Nuevo Advertising Group and an adjunct professor of Global Brand Strategies at Ringling College of Art and Design. For over 17 years Pedro has offered clients his knowledge and expertise. Pedro has always demonstrated a keen analytical sense combined with a good dose of common sense in crafting digital and online marketing strategies as part of an integrated marketing plan. 

Read more at Perez' blog at Nuevo Advertising

Aleta Badowski with Keller Williams Realty Select in Bradenton has been awarded the Accredited Buyer's Representation designation by the Real Estate Buyer's Agent Council. of the National Association of Realtors. She also received her Resort and Second-Home Property Specialist certification, which is for Realtors who specialize in buying, selling or management of properties for investment, development, retirement,or second homes is resort, recreational and/or vacation destinations. 

Keller Williams Realty Select

Neal Signature Homes, a Lakewood Ranch-based luxury homebuilder, is now offering three new floor plans at its River Wind community in Bradenton.Homeowners now have even more choices and can choose the 2,393-square-foot Montecitofloor plan, the 3,070-square-foot Anziofloor plan and the 2,551-square-foot Verona II floor plan. Homes start in the mid $300,000s. 

Neal Signature Homes