SRQ DAILY Nov 20, 2018
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With a new class of Florida lawmakers comes to Tallahassee today for a first organizational session, Southwest Florida will see some increase in influence even as a batch of largely fresh lawmakers takes office. A Bradenton lawmaker will serve as the Senate’s top legislator for the first time in nearly two decades, and one freshman representative from Sarasota will hold a leadership role in the House Democratic caucus.
State Sen. Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton, takes over as Senate President, marking the first time a lawmaker from this region held one of the key positions in the Legislature since former Senate President John McKay left office in 2002. Officials in the president’s office expect McKay to visit Tallahassee for the occasion.
In a media briefing last week, Galvano discussed a range of plans, from restructuring committees to tackling university funding to improve workforce-focused curricula. He’s also held multiple meetings already with Gov.-elect Ron DeSantis, who takes office in January.
“If the communication we have presently indicated what working relationship he will have with myself and with the Speaker-designate (Jose Oliva, R-Miami Lakes), then I feel pretty good about it,” Galvano said of DeSantis.
State Rep. Margarat Good, D-Sarasota, will be sworn in today to her first full term in the House. On Monday, House Democratic Leader Kionne McGhee named Good among four deputy leaders for the coming legislative session. The leadership role comes as Democrats, while still a minority with 47 of 120 seats, boast a larger caucus than any time in the last 20 years.
“That’s a testament to our message of providing common sense solutions focused on protecting the environment, public education and funding health care solutions,” Good said.
The region enjoys this influence despite sending five freshman lawmakers to Tallahassee this year. New State Sen. Joe Gruters, R-Sarasota today will be sworn into his new post after two years in the Florida House. The Republican leader feels excited to work as Sarasota County’s lone senator, and has already met with all the new House members in the delegation, including Good, on what the region will need from Tallahassee in the coming session.
“I’m looking to file a lot of community bills,” he said, stressing the need for red tide research funding and cultural needs. On the more partisan front, he plans to tackle immigration issues and will file bills on e-Verify, a state version of Kate’s Law and rules against sanctuary cities.
Other lawmakers being sworn in today include new state Reps. James Buchanan, R-Venice, Tommy Gregory, R-Sarasota, and Will Robinson, R-Bradenton. State Rep. Newt Newton, D-St. Petersburg, will be sworn into a second term in the House. 
Pictured: Bill Galvano, Margaret Good
Waterline Marina Resort & Beach Club’s signature restaurant, Eliza Ann’s Coastal Kitchen, heats up with a tantilizing localsgiving feast this Thursday. For those who just want to throw in the dish towel and eliminate the legwork of cooking that lofty bird, along with its additional sides/accoutrements and hellish gravy-filled messes, let the coastal chefs on this Anna Maria Island getaway make this year’s holiday a relaxing foodie harvest where the most challenging deed you’ll have to endure will be deciding which fine wine or craft cocktail to pair with your full spread meal. Eliza Ann’s prepared specialty dishes just for the occasion this Thanksgiving with a drool-inducing, three-course menu including:
Choice of appetizer—Black Tuscan kale salad with golden raisins, coconut and tahini honey vinaigrette; Lamb Tartare with fennel pollen, cured egg yolk and potato chips; or a Butternut Squash soup with rosemary, maple, green apple and fennel seed.
Choice of entrée—Sage Roasted Turkey with cornbread stuffing, haricot vert, olive oil pomme puree, kumquat cranberry jam and giblet gravy ($42); Blackened Grouper with butternut squash puree, roasted brussel sprouts, toasted almonds and black garlic vinaigrette ($48); Seared Sea Scallop & Pork Belly with black bbq glaze, peanut salsa and acorn squash puree ($46); or Braised Sazerac Short Ribs with burnt orange, smoked cauliflower puree and gremolata ($50).
Choice of dessert—Chocolate Derby Tart with hazelnut crunch and raspberry coulis, Apple Crisp with salted caramel ice cream on a streusel, Pumpkin Pot De Crème with cinnamon creme chantilly on a sage shortbread or an Artisanal Cheese Plate from Sweetgrass Farms with almonds and local honey.
This pre-fixe Thanksgiving menu is available from 11am to 10pm, with a Children’s Turkey & Dessert Plate available for $25 (ages 6-13). Children ages 5 and under are complimentary. Reservations for you and the family are recommended. Call 941-238-6262 or find Eliza Ann’s on OpenTable.
Waterline Marina Resort & Beach Club, 5325 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, 34217.
The new Sarasota-based ice cream store Local Chill Artisan Ice Cream has celebrated the opening of its first location, 5140 Ocean Boulevard, in the Siesta Key Village. A family-run business developed by Siesta Key natives John and Robert Davidson, along with their brother-in-law and local restaurant owner, Rick Munroe, Local Chill’s mission is to deliver top-quality artisan ice cream and other sweet and singular offerings to its patrons. At Local Chill, guests will enjoy chef-inspired original flavors made from premium ingredients, as well as dessert items such as fresh-baked cookies, barista style hot chocolates and frozen Italian-style “Chillitas.” Local Chill’s eclectic atmosphere redefines the traditional scoop shop experience to bring a fresh, modern design to the Siesta Key Village. With the vision of bringing a distinct business model to the ice cream industry, the ultimate goal is for this location to be the first of many Local Chill stores throughout Florida. For more information, visit the website below or call 941-388-7672.
United Airlines will add nonstop service to Denver, CO (DEN) at the Sarasota Bradenton International Airport (SRQ) for spring break 2019. The service will be operated Saturdays only from March 9 to March 30, 2019. United will operate an Airbus A320 aircraft which holds 150 passengers. Tickets are now available for sale. The new service will complement United’s existing year-round daily nonstop service to Chicago (ORD) and Newark (EWR).
Sarasota-based inbound marketing agency Nextiny has been recognized nationally for a recent case study submitted to the HubSpot Impact Awards program. For the article written describing a recent inbound marketing campaign's methodology and results, Nextiny earned HubSpot's "Integrations Innovation Award" for Q3 2018, qualifying the company as a finalist for the annual grand prize awards given out at the end of the year. The case study, titled "HubSpot Ecosystem: Increase Direct Bookings with Video and Conversational Marketing," examined how Nextiny has helped a Central Florida property management company to compete with popular online booking sites through video and conversational marketing. The article went through the steps Nextiny took over the course of the campaign, including increasing site traffic, lead generation, using video to engage website visitors, the use of chatbots and live chat to foster one-on-one conversations, and using data to measure and illustrate the campaign's eventual success.
Carol Grant of Sarasota has been named as the newest member of the board of directors for the Area Agency on Aging of Southwest Florida (AAASWFL). Grant is director of Integrated Case Management at Sarasota Memorial Hospital and a three-year Sarasota resident. At Sarasota Memorial, Grant supervises a 90-person department that is responsible for acute care case management. Prior to moving to Sarasota, Grant was Director of Medical Management at Palmetto Health, the largest healthcare resource in Columbia, SC. Based in North Fort Myers, AAASWFL is a nonprofit organization committed to helping adults ages 60 and over and people with disabilities to live with independence and dignity in their own homes and communities.
Taylor Robenalt is a ceramic artist influenced by human beings, flora, and fauna who uses her art as a direct way to illustrate emotions. Ms. Robenalt is currently employed by Ringling College or Art and Design and co-founder of the sculpture collective, Ceramic Sculpture Culture.
What is your vision as an artist? To make a mark on the contemporary ceramics world and to be a powerful educator that helps guide the next generation of artists to reach their goals.
Share with us your inspiration as an artist? I get inspiration out of my daily life and transform them into reoccurring symbols in my work. I also pull from my dreams.
How would you describe your process? Ceramics is a very process-based material. I spend a lot of my time making the work and then work on surfaces. I fire my work three times as well.
What is your favorite medium to work in and why? Clay, because it can be made to look like anything and it is an additive and subtractive material.
This year’s Orchid Show will amaze visitors with never-before-seen displays of orchids that celebrate the plant family’s dramatic diversity of colors, shape and even scents. With November’s Orchid Evening, experience the Orchid Show in a whole new light with an orchid-inspired cocktail reception and an exclusive, after-hours lighted viewing to the latest exhibition at Selby Gardens.
Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, 900 South Palm Ave., Sarasota
This beloved musical, winner of 10 Tony Awards and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, is set in the South Pacific during World War II and follows two parallel love stories that face prejudice and war. Both a social commentary of the time and a favorite for hopeless romantics, this musical includes classics such as “Bali Ha’i,” “I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair,” and “Some Enchanted Evening.”
Venice Theatre, 140 Tampa Ave. W, Venice
Celebrating the Japanese art of ink wash painting, also called Sumi-e, this exhibition brings art from around the country to Bradenton for a show dedicated to the delicacy, beauty and history of the medium. Spanning across all three galleries, this is another flagship exhibition for one of Bradenton’s leading art centers.
ArtCenter Manatee, 209 9th St. W, Bradenton.
The exhibit showcases works by Susan Klein, Hugh Davies, Sven Mohr, Daphne Gamble and Syd Solomon, including recent painting that have never been shown before. Come and see the internationally acclaim Hugh Davies, landscapes of Myakka River State Park from Susan Klein, abstract works from Sven Mohr, and minimalist work in abstract construction from Daphne Gamble.
Based on the 1991 psychological thriller Silence of the Lambs, this mischievous twist on the Oscar-winning film features a narrating, singing chorus of floppy-eared lambs, while Buffalo Bill gleefully dances a hoedown in the midst of kidnapping the unlucky Catherine Martin and Dr. Lecter sings about the life he dreams of outside the prison walls.
Venice Theatre, 140 Tampa Ave. W, Venice
Misatango, a tango mass from Argentina, combines the passion of tango with the ancient beauty of the Latin mass sung to the melodies and rhythms of the streets of Buenos Aires. Dancers from Sarasota Ballet’s Studio Company, choreographed by Elizabeth Bergmann, perform while Argentine composers Astor Piazzolla, Martin Palermi and Ariel Ramirez’s evocative Misa Criolla captures the sounds of Argentina with guitars, accordion, strings, voices and percussion.
Sarasota Opera House, 61 North Pineapple Ave., Sarasota
After several years of requests from theater patrons, Sheldon Rhoden will reprise the role of Marvin Gaye. This original show begins in the 1950s at the start of Gaye's career with Motown and follows its twists and turns until his untimely death in the mid-1980s.
Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, 1012 North Orange Ave., Sarasota.
A celebration of female singer-songwriters who have used their music to give themselves a voice in contemporary America. Artists like Joni Mitchell, Janis Joplin, and Carly Simon have made indelible marks on the music industry.
Florida Studio Theatre, 1241 North Palm Ave., Sarasota
Art Center Instructors exhibition will feature the talented local and visiting Art Center Sarasota instructors. A second gallery will offer Stephen McMennamy, an Atlanta-based artist, his first solo exhibition featuring his time-based video collages. Artist Peter Gatzambide will exhibit a recent series of assemblage paintings and works on paper in his first solo exhibition at Art Center Sarasota.
Art Center Sarasota, 707 North Tamiami Trl., Sarasota.
The SRQ Philanthropy Agenda luncheon and panel discussion will explore the dynamic and ever changing world of non-profits. What's trending, who's innovating, why are donor-advised funds growing so rapidly and what exactly are donors looking for? The luncheon will culminate with the SRQ Gives Good program at which we will honor the Non-Profit Innovation in Philanthropy Award and the Local Philanthropy Hero Award honoring individuals who have meaningfully impacted our community for good in the past year.
The Hyatt Regency Sarasota, 1000 Boulevard of the Arts, Sarasota, FL 34236
Santa Claus narrates the story of Buddy, who was raised at the North Pole. Prior to Christmas, Buddy learns he’s human, not an elf. He convinces Santa to let him return to New York City to find his real father. He finds his father (who’s on the naughty list) and a step brother who doesn’t believe in Santa. Buddy decides it’s up to him to bring back the spirit of Christmas to his family and all of New York.
Manatee Performing Arts Center, 502 3rd Ave W, Bradenton
Crackling with his signature bravado and high-energy physicality, Raphael Xavier shares the stage with a multigenerational cast, performing a series of solos, duets and quintets in his newest work, featuring a soundscape of beats, spoken word poetry and musical rhythms.
Distilling the art of break dancing to its purest form, Raphael Xavier takes this movement vocabulary to uncharted territory. Point of Interest ventures into the "mature" space for hip-hop dance, following the standard of traditional Breaking aesthetics while pushing the boundaries of a culture and dance form commonly associated with youth.
The Ringling
Ward Stare leads Sarasota Orchestra in a program pairing exquisite French music with rich German orchestral fare. Twin sisters Christina and Michelle Naughton provide double the drama in Poulenc’s Concerto for Two Pianos, while Ravel’s masterwork appropriately uses the word “delicious” in its subtitle. Mozart’s music from Thamos, King of Egypt is a rarely heard delight and German Romantic giant Richard Strauss’ operatic suite concludes the program in an explosion of orchestral virtuosity.
Sarasota Orchestra, 709 North Tamiami Trl., Sarasota
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