In a night when Gov. Rick Scott's apparent squeaker victory over Democrat Charlie Crist drew the most media attention, political eyes in Southwest Florida were fixed on School Board contests.

According to unofficial final election results, Bridget Ziegler was elected to a full term on the Sarasota County School Board in what was ultimately the closest contest during a big political evening in the region. Further north, Mary Cantrell won a Manatee County School Board seat in the night's biggest upset.

Ziegler said she was looking forward to continuing her service on the board to which she was appointed five months ago. "I ran on change that I firmly believe in," she said. Ziegler won with 50.87 percent of the vote over challenger Ken Marsh in one of the most closely watched contests in the county. Marsh has been the top vote-getter in an election in August over Ziegler during a four-man contest, but both eliminated candidates endorsed Ziegler, and the race took a partisan tone as Republican Party leaders put their influence behind her campaign against Marsh, a registered Democrat.

The Manatee School Board contest pitted the champion of an insurgent board elected four years ago against a long-time respected administrator within the system. Cantrell previously served as director of Manatee Technical Institute. She won with 53,406 votes over School Board member Julie Aranibar's 46,517 votes. Aranibar was elected in 2010 just before major budget problems in the district were exposed and a previous superintendent left the administration. New Superintendent Rick Mills, who has overseen significant turnover in the district, was a frequent subject on the campaign trail, but Cantrell stressed before the election she was not running to fire anybody. "Enough people have been fired," she told SRQ last week.

Another high-profile Manatee race ultimately saw a landslide victory for Manatee County Commissioner Carol Whitmore over Democratic challenger Terri Wonder. Whitmore won 65,202 votes to Wonder's 43,950. 

In Sarasota County, Republicans Paul Caragiulo and Alan Maio coasted into positions on the board. Caragiulo had 66.16 percent of the vote over independent Alexandra Coe, and Maio won 53.43 percent of the vote over Democrat Ray Porter's 41.26 percent and independent John Minder's 5.31 percent. 

Legislative races in Southwest Florida this year all proved to be routs. U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan won with 164,710 votes over Democrat Henry Lawrence's 102,474 votes. State Rep. Ray Pilon, R-Sarasota, took in 35,020 votes to Democrat Greg Para's 25,623. State Rep. Darryl Rouson, D-St. Petersburg, crushed independent Philip Garrett with 29,511 votes to 7,527.

Statewide, all the Republican incumbents on the Florida Cabinet won re-election. A medical marijuana proposal failed to hit the 60-percent threshold to be included in the Florida Constitution, and a change in judicial nomination processes failed to even win a majority, but voters did approve protection of state funding for conservation lands. 

Michael’s on East holds the allure of a fancy supper club but is far more accessible. Take “Lobster Pot Fridays,” when you can enjoy two 1 1/4-pound live Maine lobsters, mussels, clams, new potatoes and corn on the cob for only $38.95 per person. This Monday, they experimented with a Cigar and Whisky pairing dinner, in the Wine Cellar, which beckoned with the sounds and smells of a sultry Cuban night when I passed by on my way to the main dining room to try the latest entry into their Epicurean Adventure Series: India. Highlights include an expertly spiced Tomato Rasan Soup that resonates with complex smoky flavors and the Mahi Kaliya which pairs cooling apricot chutney with a delicate but deeply layered Tamarind curry sauce and cumin-roasted cauliflower. Both desserts on offer are exotic and satisfying but there’s something about the rose ice cream and saffron syrup that accompanies the fritters of the Julab Juman that had me refusing to share. Epicurean Adventure to India November 3-30, 2014. 

Michael's on East, 1212 S East Avenue, Sarasota, 941-366-0007

Pinnacle Chiropractic, a structural chiropractic office, is coming to the Lakewood Ranch area soon. Pinnacle Chiropractic will be accepting patients this winter in the Cooper Creek Retail South Center across from BJ's wholesale. Traditional Chiropractors focus on goals like increasing range of motion, reducing muscular spasms, and temporarily decreasing pain. 

Pinnacle Chiropractic

Lois Reed recently joined the Lee Wetherington Homes team as a sales consultant and Realtor liaison. With more than 30 years experience in new homes sales, Reed brings a wealth of market knowledge to the Lee Wetherington Homes team. With a background in real estate law, she has worked for several national builders in central Florida and Texas. 

Lee Wetherington Homes

Kerkering Barberio Financial Services announced Kristina Eastmond has joined the firm as operations specialist on the client service team. Eastmond received her bachelor's in Business Management from Rider College in Lawrenceville, New Jersey. Prior to joining KBFS, she worked as an Investment Associate with a nationwideinstitution's wealth and investment management group. 

Kerkering Barbero Financial

Tim Novak has been appointed program director of Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine's new Masters in Health Services Administration program. Novak, 51, brings a wealth of healthcare knowledge and business experience to the program. He most recently served as marketing small business consultant at the University of South Florida’s School of Business.  He has worked in hospital administration, private medical practices and as president for two publicly traded bio-tech firms. 

Lake Erie College of Medicine