The conventional wisdom in politics is that negative advertising, while effective at depressing the attacked candidate's level of support, hurts election turnout overall by giving voters more reason to stay home. Yet, one of the most negative high-profile races in recent memory with Sarasota County also had the highest turnout for any race conducted in Sarasota County during the Aug. 26 primary.

The contest to win the open Florida House of Representatives seat for District 74 was effectively decided in the election when Julio Gonzalez took 57.03 percent of the vote in the Republican primary over opponent Richard DeNapoli. The more than 14,000 voters who cast ballots represented a turnout of 28.37 percent, a fact discussed at SRQ Media Group's What There Votes Are event analyzing the race. 

"Even though the race I was in was insanely negative, it seems the turnout was behind us," marveled DeNapoli after the event. "That was something I didn't realize before I got here."

Of course, the contest was only open to Republican voters, and the South Sarasota County race was in the most Republican-friendly part of the county. In the vast majority of precincts south of Clark Road, the majority of primary voters were registered with the GOP. Republicans had a countywide turnout of 26.45 percent, compared to Democrats' 24.72 percent and voters of other parties' turnout of 21.2 percent.

A group that failed to yield high turnout, though, was younger voters. The election analysis shoed that just 3.31 percent of voters in their 20s voted in the primary, compared to 35.22 percent in their 30s. Indeed, voters over the age of 90 who participated outnumbered voters under the age of 30, 1830 votes to 1035 votes respectively. That even though registered voters under the age of 30 outnumber voters older than 90 by 30,453 to 7,293.

Of course, turnout in primary elections is historically much lower than in general elections. In 2010, the last year with a gubernatorial contest on the ballot in Florida, turnout for the primary was 24.28 in Sarasota County but jumped to 56.1 percent for the general election. 

This Saturday, Creaturo Studio/Gallery will be celebrating 10 years open to the public with an anniversary party and all are welcome. It’s been 25 years in Sarasota for owner/artist Frank Creaturo, a New York native, who has in that time carved out a special place on First Street as one of the town’s most eclectic creators and memorable personalities.

Bedecked from floor to ceiling with creations of all types, Creaturo Studio is a reflection of the man, all bubbling energy and enthusiasm. Creaturo’s creative impulses range from wood and metal sculpture to watercolors to acrylics, collages and installations, vacillating between the abstract and the real, from the irreverent to the earnest.

“Someone asked me how come I don’t stay with the same style,” said Creaturo, whose wiry figure and penchant for adornment makes him look more like the fifth Rolling Stone than a gallery owner and community man. “And I say, when you wake up each morning do you feel the same?”

But through it all, themes arise. Creaturo has an affinity for Americana, revealed in the wooden box installations featuring portraits of JFK and other seminal figures, as well as the idealized world of the 1930s and '40s, with hatted figures swilling their brew in starkly lit gin joints reminiscent of Hopper’s Nighthawks. Aside from those, Creaturo’s work is more properly aligned by joining principles, not subjects.

“I like to work with texture, depth and balance,” said Creaturo. “Those are the three things that all my work is, whether its collages or contemporary.”

As for the party, Creaturo hopes to see the community come out. Big Top Brewing will be there, supplying refreshments, and wine and food will be on hand as well.

“I just want everyone to celebrate with me, my happiness,” said Creaturo, who survived a bout with cancer only nine years ago. “It’s to celebrate me being here.”

Creaturo Studio/Gallery’s 10-year anniversary celebration kicks off this Saturday, Sept. 13, at 5pm and lasts until 7pm. The event is free and open to the public. 

Bradenton Christian School announced the new hire of a superintendent in Dan Vande Pol. Vande Pol began his teaching career fresh out of Dordt College in 1988 in a 5th grade classroom right on the BCS campus. For the past nine years, Dan has served as an administrator at Lake Worth Christian School in Palm Beach County. In that capacity, he has assumed the roles of Assistant Superintendent, Admissions Director, Elementary Principal and the International Student coordinator.    

Bradenton Christian School

DWY Landscape Architects has received three prestigious awards from the Florida Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects (FLASLA) as part of the annual design awards program. The distinctions included awards in the category of Institutional Design for The Ringling Waterfront Enhancement, in the category of Residential Design for the renovation of an urban modern residence designed by Sarasota architect Guy Peterson and in the category of conceptual design for a private estate in Palm City, Florida. 

DWY Landscape Architects

Realtor Linda Tenore Singer joined the Bradenton office of RE/MAX Alliance Group. Operating as Linda Tenore Singer, PL, Singer is a multi-million dollar producer whose concierge-level service has consistently placed her in the top 100 Realtors in Manatee County. She currently ranks 34th. Singer specializes in marketing and selling luxury properties for the RE/MAX Collection, offering extensive local knowledge of residential properties, new construction and distressed properties in southwest Florida, including Sarasota, Bradenton, Parrish, Anna Maria Island, Longboat Key, Lakewood Ranch and Panther Ridge. 

RE/MAX Alliance Group

 At SRQ | The Magazine, we like to take things one day at a time and be thoughtful about the future – which is why we wanted to make sure you knew about our special Wealth Management marketing opportunity we are planning for our December edition of SRQ. If you and your business are in the financial industry, then reserve your spot in this chief section by October 9, 2014.  

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