Celeste Welch is at Selby Public Library on a Monday night. She's there with her young daughter, who's there with a golden retriever, who's wearing a sign that says “Don't Touch Me, I'm a Service Pet.” The golden retriever looks at all the strangers in the room with an unmistakable yearning, but manages to stay near his mistress. He's got a job to do. The young girl wears thick-rimmed glasses and brown curls, and stays close behind her mother. How did this threesome end up at the library on a school night?

This was the first of four planned open houses, hosted by the Sarasota County Area Transit, to gage public opinion on our bus system and to gather feedback on what needs improvement. Of the handful of residentsand patrons gathered in Selby’s main auditorium, most were regular users who had limited and very specific requests for their bus routes. A bench here, a later route there. One older patron rides over an hour to his gym, and a late bus caused him to miss a connection, leaving him stranded far outside his ability to walk home. More patrons complain of missed connections. A regular bus user raises his hand and praises the system. He describes the disastrous consequences that a privatized transit system would have on Sarasota. The attendees all applaud. Kristopher Browning of TransPro Consulting responds to these comments one on one—the county has opted for an individual approach, rather than a public presentation. “I’m not going to lecture to you tonight,” Browning tells those in attendance. “I’d rather hear from you about your concerns.”

When Welch raises her hand, she asks about accommodations for the nearly blind. SCAT Plus, the county’s existing service, requires 24 hours notice, and her daughter often has doctor’s appointments while she’s at work. “In a few years,” she tells SRQ , “she’ll be a teenager. What if she wants to see her friends downtown? The transfers will leave her there alone for an hour.”

Browning nods and writes down her concerns. The purpose of this workshop is not to comment on the possibility of a contract service for the disabled, like the one that exists in the city of St. Petersburg. The point is to listen to the community, and integrate their concerns into a larger master plan.

Browning, it's worth noting, continually steers the conversation back to financial sustainability. On the posterboards behind him are graphs that demonstrate the concentration of riders on the county's most popular routes. "We need to find the balance between providing customer experience, and making sure that there is enough ridership to sustain routes."

The remaining open houses can be attended at the following locations and times:

• Tuesday, December 3, 10:30 am -1  pm 
  Gulf Gate Library, 7112 Curtiss Ave., Sarasota
  
  
• Tuesday, December 3, 3:45 pm - 5:45 pm 
  Shannon Staub Library, 4675 Career Ln., North Port
  
  
• Wednesday, December 4, 10:30 am - 1 pm 
  William H. Jervey Jr. Venice Public Library, 300 Nokomis Ave., Venice

Skin Laundry does indeed specialize in de-wrinkling, but not when it comes to tumble drying on high heat. The company’s cutting-edge and affordable skincare laser treatments—such as the Signature Laser Facial and Glow Peel—provide medical-grade services with only highly-trained registered nurses and medical directors on staff. Born in Santa Monica, its on-site facilities are designed to resemble an open, airy SoCal beach house with a relaxed, friendly vibe—a refreshing and stylish departure from a typical clinical facility. 

Once arrived and checked in, you’ll prep your skin at “the vanity”, a lightbulb-framed mirror and countertop with one of Skin Laundry’s targeted facial washes or Purifying Cleansing cloths before hanging in the lounge of comfy chairs, plants and photographs of lifeguard stands and palm trees to chill before getting your ‘before’ photo taken. Next, you’ll meet your technician who will review your skin concerns/goals, medical history, and then perform the Signature Laser Facial—with the option to add on areas of neck, chest and hands. Skin Laundry’s YAG laser deep cleans, and is both corrective and preventative. It uses extremely safe and energy-based technology to help boost collagen production, blend discoloration and minimize the appearance of pores. Overtime, repeated treatments show to noticeably smooth out texture of fine lines and wrinkles, improve elasticity, help clear acne-prone complexions, while evening skin tone and brightening dark spots—for that coveted California girl glow. 

The beauty of it all is the treatment is non-invasive, takes all of 10-15 minutes, involves little-to-no pain tolerance and requires absolutely no downtime for recovery. Treatment provider Morgan, at the newly opened Sarasota location, mentioned that many often stop in during their lunch break for a quick “load of laundry” before heading back to work—with a healthier, clearer glow and extra pep in their step. Having to do the laundry seems a lot less like a mundane household chore, and more like a gratifying wellness retreat. 

First time clients receive one free Signature Laser Facial (a $200 value). Mention this article. Offer expires December 31, 2019.

Skin Laundry Sarasota, 140 University Town Center Dr., Sarasota, 941-662-4177, @skinlaundry, #justlaundered

New movers across America could win a thousand dollars just by opening their mail. In celebration of the 10^th Anniversary of Small Business Saturday, Our Town America, the nation’s premier New Mover Marketing franchise, will award 10 certificates of $1,000 each in 10 different cities from coast-to-coast. To win one of these $1,000 “Golden Certificate Giveaway” prizes, new residents in these cities simply must tear open their personalized Our Town America new mover welcome package and call up to claim the money. They’ll receive a check they can spend anywhere, though they’re encouraged to support local businesses during the holiday season. “With this ‘Golden Certificate Giveaway,’ we welcome new movers to our communities across America while encouraging them to buy at local businesses,” says Our Town America’s CEO Michael Plummer, Jr. “Our goal is to help small businesses flourish because these mom- and -pop shops are the backbone of our economy. This holiday season, we ask new movers to learn about their local retailers.   Drop in, say ‘hello,’ and spend money with the businesses located right in their own neighborhoods. It’s a win-win for all and a celebration of everything ‘local’ this holiday season.”

In the coming weeks, Our Town America will mail out their December 2019 New Mover Welcome Packages full of valuable local business offers.  These one-time housewarming certificates give new movers deals at local restaurants, dental offices, gyms and other businesses. For ten lucky winners, a golden certificate of $1,000 will be included alongside the other offers.  All each winner needs to do to claim their prize is call the Our Town America phone number printed on the Golden Certificate.  Once claimed over the phone, each winner will be awarded a check for the money as part of a local ceremony during the holiday season. Winners have until January 16 to claim their prize. Our Town America launched the “Golden Certificate Giveaway” because even though things are looking up for retailers this holiday shopping season (The National Retail Federation predicts 2019 November and December in–store retail sales to increase between 3.8%-4.2% over sales in 2018), generating in-store traffic throughout the year remains difficult and many retailers simply struggle to “hang on” until the holidays. Plummer hopes the “Golden Certificate Giveaway” will inspire thousands of new movers to support local retailers, even if they don’t win one of the big prizes.

“We support Small Business Saturday year-round at Our Town America,” says Plummer.   “Each Welcome Package we deliver represents a new opportunity for a new resident to build long-term, loyal relationships with local business owners offering the goods and services they need.  We hope the ‘Golden Certificate Giveaway’ inspires more new movers than ever to open their Welcome Package, take advantage of the offers, and build relationships with some of the best small business owners in their backyard.”

For more information about Our Town America and the “Golden Certificate Giveaway” please visit ourtownamerica.com. 

On Tuesday December 3, 2019, the Sarasota County Film & Entertainment Office  (SCFEO) in partnership with Ringling College of Art & Design, will hold its annual “HOLIDAY MIXER” on the topic of “Family Friendly Content.” The event will take place in the Morganroth Auditorium in the Dr. Larry Thompson Academic Center.  A networking mixer will begin the event from 5:30 to 6:30 pm, followed by a VIP panel of industry professional. The VIP panel will feature the legendary Shadoe Stevens whose decades of entertainment roles and prominence date back to being the “youngest DJ in America” when he began his career at 11 years old.  In addition to his ongoing work in television, online/streaming and radio, Stevens has ongoing global programs, continues to voiceover and appear as characters on television and in movies, and has several children’s projects in the works as well as an animation project being developed. Stevens will also be exhibiting his artwork in the Stakenborg-Greenberg Fine Art Gallery in downtown Sarasota this week. Additionally, Paul Sirmons, a director, producer, writer and line producer who specializes in creating family friendly and faith-based full-length features, will be a guest on the panel. Sirmons is also on the board of several national and international film organizations and a co-chair of the Film Florida Legislative Committee that statewide trade organization and he is the former State Film Commissioner for the State of Florida. The third VIP guest on the panel will be Mychael Chinn from LIFETIME TELEVISION of the A&E Network. Chinn is the Manager of Original Movies for Lifetime, and has shepherded over 55 films to broadcast as well as more than a dozen “Christmas” movies, and has been a producer for BET and BET Digital among other broad credits between New York City and Los Angeles.

The SCFEO is honored to bring these notable guests to Sarasota, and privileged to partner with the Ringling College in order to hold this event. More information can be found at this LINK where attendees should register in advance. Media will be able to interview the guests between 5:30 and 6:30 PM in the green room of the venue and should also register as Media on the LINK.  For questions or other information, please contact the Film Commission at 941-309-1200, extension 104 or via email to info@filmsarasota.com 

Sarasota-based Cruise Car is beginning shipment of 28 custom-built low-speed vehicles to the Veterans Administration campus in Palo Alto, California, showing continued demand for their vehicles among VA facilities. The $430,000 contract is the most recent of several contracts that Cruise Car has been awarded by the Department of Veterans Affairs for facilities around the nation — including VA medical centers and VA cemeteries in 10 other states. “VA buyers are attracted to us because we stand alone in building each vehicle to match the exact need of the facility,” said Adam Sulimirski, President of Cruise Car. “They choose us because of the ultimate value we offer in vehicle variety and price.”

The Palo Alto VA chose four Cruise Car styles — electric 6-person shuttles, electric 6-foot cargo vans, electric 6-foot open cargo boxes and small gas powered utility carts. Popular vehicles with the VA include a shuttle cart with extra leg room for easy loading of elderly. “Cruise Car has found a successful niche in selling to VA facilities nationwide,” Sulimirski said. “We’ve also shipped many ADA carts that allow the transport of guests in wheelchairs.” Cruise Cars vehicles are engineered and custom-built to handle specific tasks, endure aggressive use, challenging topography and the aluminum construction allows them to withstand rust producing moist air environments. 

More information on Cruise Car Inc. here