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SRQ DAILY Jul 11, 2016

Monday Business Edition

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Monday Business Edition

"All three of them will be at the Olympics in Rio, and at the same time they are getting used to our course here."

- Max Winitz, 2017 World Rowing Championships
 

[Real Estate]  New Listings For Townhouses In Manatee
Diana Morales

Florida Realtors shares the number of properties put onto the market during the month from May 2015 to May 2016 for townhouses and condos in Manatee. New listings tend to rise in delayed response to increasing prices, so they are often seen as a lagging indicator of market health. As seen on this chart the highest listing was 409 in February 2016. Florida Relators makes sure to not include properties that were recently taken off the market and quickly relisted in their calculations since they are not considered new listings.  

[Sports]  Cuba Rowers Practice at Benderson
Jacob Ogles, jacob.ogles@srqme.com

Could a change in diplomatic status for Cuba mean more world-class training at Nathan Benderson Park? Three rowers with Cuba’s Olympian contingent trained last week at the Sarasota park, showcasing the international reputation of the venue. This was the first time since ties with the island nation were restored that these players have come to the Florida to train, says Max Winitz, communications, media and public relations manager for the 2017 World Rowing Championships.

Cuban athletes training Friday included Angel Fournier Rodriguez, the first Cuban to medal at a World Rowing Championship, and the doubles team of Eduardo Rubio Rodriguez and Adrian Oquendo Ibanez. “All three of them will be at the Olympics in Rio,” Winitz says, “and at the same time they are getting used to our course here.” 

Amy Grossman, spokesman for Nathan Benderson Park, says the next time international visitors are expected will be this weekend at the Canada-America-Mexico Regatta, a junior competition. Officials expect more international athletes to train at the course in anticipation of the world championship scheduled in Sarasota next year. “It’s going to be exciting seeing more athletes coming and practicing here,” she says. Already, the park has hosted teams from England and other nations besides Cuba. 

And Winitz noted that some may be in contention for top awards at Rio or the championships next year. Fournier Rodriguez earned a silver medal at the 2013 World Rowing Championships and a bronze the following year. “I’m very happy that it was the first time that a Cuban got a medal and placed in that high caliber event,” Fournier Rodriguez said in a statement provided to the World Rowing Championships. 

[Government]  Judge: No Violation by Chapman
Jacob Ogles, jacob.ogles@srqme.com

A judge ruled today there was no evidence Sarasota City Commissioner Susan Chapman violated the Sunshine Law during a meeting with merchants in 2013 when fellow Commissioner Suzanne Atwell was also present. Citizens For Sunshine, the watchdog group that brought a suit against the commissioner, voted Friday to appeal that judgment to the Second District Court of Appeals in Lakeland, FL.

Chapman says the ordeal brings a close to three emotionally challenging period. “I’ve had to pay with my peace of mind, with my being pilloried, with being demonized, with being dehumanized for three years almost,” she says.

The judgment from Circuit Court Judge Brian Iten did criticize Chapman’s decision to appear at the merchant meeting “with full knowledge that another commissioner would be in attendance.” “Those entrusted to hold public office should always endeavor to avoid even the appearance of impropriety,” Iten wrote. But citing contrasting judgements in other cases in Florida, the judge found that plaintiffs could not prove a violation of the law occurred.

But Andrea Flynn Mogensen, attorney for Citizens for Sunshine, says the judgment left plenty of room for appeal. She was surprised that Iten’s finding of fact said Chapman knew Atwell would be in attendance, that handling the homeless issue would be discussed and that the issue would soon come before the commission. “That really is the definition of a Sunshine Law violation,” she says.

The case before Iten is not completely closed, and there will still be questions about court fees and whether the suit against Chapman was brought in good faith. 

[New Position]  Amy Donnellan Joins Michael's Events and Catering as Event Sales Director

Amy Donnellan has joined Michael's Events and Catering in a new position dedicated to weddings and private events at Selby Gardens. Michael's Events and Catering became the exclusive culinary partner for all events held at Selby Gardens this past December 2015. The new Event Sales Director position has been created to further evaluate private events at this premier waterfront venue in Downtown Sarasota and to collaborate with the Gardens' in-house event department. A native of Nantucket Island, Mass., Donnellan has planned and executed weddings, socials and corporate events serving as food and beverage director for an elite private club in Nantucket. For the past four years, she has worked as the events director, and most recently, marketing director for the Sarasota Film Festival. Donnellan is an active member of the National Association of Professional Women and the Event Planners Association.  

More about Michael's Events and Catering

[Recognition]  Gans Selected To Florida Top 100 List

Richard R. Gans, a shareholder in the law firm of Fergeson, Skipper, Shaw, Keyser, Baron & Tirabassi, P.A., has been selected to the 2016 Florida Top 100 List by Thomson Reuters-Legal Division. Gans is a member of the Florida Bar and the Sarasota County Bar Association and specializes in wills, trusts and estates. The top 100 is a listing of attorneys who received the highest point total during the Super Lawyers selection process. 

Fergeson Skipper

[Exec Moves]  Neal Communities Introduces Larger Homesites

Neal Communities is introducing larger homesites and a new model at Indigo, an award-winning green community in Lakewood Ranch. Aside from offering larger homesites, Indigo is also adding four new floor plans including the Clear Day, Daybreak, Silver Sky and Windstar, the community's newest model. The layouts range in size from 2,395 to 2,980 square feet and the new phase will have limited opportunities for homebuyers. 

Neal Communities

[Hires]  Polk As President Of Inn Of Court

Attorney with Williams Parker firm, Bonnie Lee Polk, has been installed as president of the Judge John M. Scheb American Inn of Court for the 2016­–2017 term. The Inn works to promote excellence in legal advocacy, foster greater understanding of the system of American law, provide significant educational experiences that improve and enhance the skills of lawyers and judges, help the development of law students, promote collegiality and carry ethical values from one generation to another. 

Williams Parker

[Manatee Arts]  Arts/Culture/Heritage Working Group Announces Hiring of Ann Wykell

Ann Wykell, Principal of Social Sector Solutions, LLC., has been hired as an independent contractor to research, develop and report on findings toward the creation and viability of an overarching arts/culture/heritage council for Manatee County. This working group has been meeting since the Fall of 2015 to determine the path forward toward the realization of an independent organization that would unite Manatee County's education, nonprofit institutions, businesses and corporations with the county's arts, culture and heritage entities to enhance the quality of life for residents, create economic development and increase tourism. Through the generosity of the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Board of County Commissioners, funding was made available to hire a consultant that would provide an assessment of the structure and the path necesary to create a sustainable organization. Members of the Arts/Culture/Heritage Working Group include: Jane Buckman of the Longboat Key Center for the Arts, Joan Voyles of Anna Maria Island Cultural Connections, Heather Kasten of Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance, Johnette Isham of Realize Bradenton, Norman Kennedy of Parrish Arts Council, Cathy Slusser, the Manatee Clerk of Court, Susan Romine of Manatee Performing Arts Center and Jyna Johnson of the Manatee County Public Library. For more information, contact Jane Buckman at 941-383-2345 or by email at jbuckman@ringling.edu. 

SRQ Media Group

SRQ DAILY is produced by SRQ | The Magazine. Note: The views and opinions expressed in the Saturday Perspectives Edition and in the Letters department of SRQ DAILY are those of the author(s) and do not imply endorsement by SRQ Media. Senior Editor Jacob Ogles edits the Saturday Perspective Edition, Letters and Guest Contributor columns.In the CocoTele department, SRQ DAILY is providing excerpts from news releases as a public service. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by SRQ DAILY. The views expressed by individuals are their own and their appearance in this section does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. For rates on SRQ DAILY banner advertising and sponsored content opportunities, please contact Ashley Ryan Cannon at 941-365-7702 x211 or via email

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