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SRQ DAILY Apr 6, 2017

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"To partner with the Screenwriters Colony is a great opportunity for us. It is perfectly accommodated on the grounds of The Hermitage Artists Retreat."

- Mark Famiglio, Sarasota Film Festival
 

[Government]  Appeals Court Sides With Chapman
Jacob Ogles, jacob.ogles@srqme.com

Sarasota City Commissioner Susan Chapman enjoyed a win in court this week, though it came a couple weeks after she lost a a bid for re-election. A district court on Wednesday affirmed a ruling that determined Chapman did not violate the Sunshine Law in 2013 when she attended an unadvertised meeting where a fellow city commissioner was present. Citizens for Sunshine, the plaintiff that brought suit against Chapman, requested a written rationale for the decision and may still appeal the issue all the way to the Florida Supreme Court, but right now Chapman says she feels vindicated. 

“The court followed the law as it has been for 40 years,” Chapman says. “You can listen to your constituents as long as you don’t deliberate with each other. That’s what I did, and I was following the law.” 

The decision came after more than three years of legal wrangling. A lawsuit against Chapman stems back to 2013, when she City Commissioner Suzanne Atwell were invited to a meeting at Tsunami where merchants discussed their concerns about how the city should handle homelessness downtown. Upon learning of this meeting, Citizens sued the city and each commissioner. The city and Atwell settled out of court. Chapman maintained she did not deliberate on the issue and thus had not violated the law. 

A judge in 2016 criticized the decision to attend the meeting but ruled Chapman was not guilty of violating the Sunshine Law. Citizens for Sunshine appealed that ruling, saying the facts of the case showed Chapman violated the law, which forbids commissioners on the same government board to communicate about city business outside of public channels. Michael Barfield, a legal aide working on the case for Citizens, says plaintiffs will ask for a written opinion explaining the decision on Wednesday. “The main reason why,” says Barfield, “is that the issue of whether these kinds of meeting are subject to the Sunshine law remains unresolved. This issue is important to both parties.” The plaintiffs would like to review the ruling, and could still appeal this case further. “A decision isn’t final by any stretch at this point in time,” Barfield says. 

But Chapman says the decision and the fact it was made just two weeks after oral arguments were presented validates that she adhered to the law and shows a case brought by Citizens for Sunshine was politically motivated and frivolous. “It does mean something,” she says of the decision.

Chapman was elected to the city commission in 2013, months before the Tsunami meeting. She ran for re-election in March but placed fourth in a field of eight candidates, failing to make a runoff scheduled in May. She says the Sunshine lawsuit played a significant role in hurting her political performance. 

[Film]  SFF Partners With Hermitage for Screenwriters Colony
Philip Lederer, Phil.Lederer@srqme.com

The Sarasota Film Festival (SFF) continues to expand within the community and this year has announced a newly formed partnership with The Hermitage Artists Retreat to further the work done by the SFF Screenwriters Colony (SWC) and its continued relationship with the Nantucket Screenwriters Colony.

As part of this partnership, Nantucket Screenwriters Colony alumni John Henry Summerour and Saschka Unseld have been spending two weeks on the Hermitage Grounds in the company of other playwrights and visual artists, developing new projects for film and virtual reality storytelling. With the residency culminating on the closing weekend of SFF, the writers will participate in festival programming and celebrations, including Unseld serving on the documentary competition jury.

“To have these writers join us at the festival is a true honor, and their contributions to our growing artistic community really make a difference,” says SFF President Mark Famiglio, who also underwrote this year’s residency with the SWC Board of Directors. “The Sarasota Film Festival thrives off of our relationships with other organizations. To partner with the Screenwriters Colony is a great opportunity for us. It is perfectly accommodated on the grounds of The Hermitage Artists Retreat.”

Founded in Nantucket in 2002 by Buzzfeed cofounder John S. Johnson, the Nantucket Screenwriters Colony includes a flagship month-long October residency in Nantucket for feature film writers, an Episodic Comedy Colony, labs exploring narrative storytelling in Virtual Reality and now a growing collaboration with the Sarasota Film Festival to provide retreat opportunities in Florida for writers in a network with exciting new projects to develop. Alumni have gone on to create award-winning films, such as last year’s horror hit It Follows, and collaborate on a number of acclaimed television shows, such as House of Cards and Orange is the New Black.

The Sarasota Film Festival continues through April 9 with screenings at Regal Hollywood 20. 

[Ryan Flies]  From the Cockpit Part 14: Yakovlev Yak-52
Philip Lederer, Phil.Lederer@srqme.com

Editor’s Note: This is part fourteen of an ongoing series documenting the flights of active-duty US Navy Pilot Ryan Rankin on his journey to fly 52 planes in 52 weeks through the year 2017.

As Rankin continues his journey, word spreads through the aviation community and new opportunities present themselves. Through Paul Mather of M-Squared Aircraft (From The Cockpit Part 9), Rankin gets in touch with Matt Taylor, a mechanic and pilot flying out of St. Elmo, AL with a Soviet-era Yakovlev Yak-52.

First produced in 1976 as a primary trainer aircraft for the Soviet military, the Yak-52 holds a lot in common with the Chinese-made Nanchang CJ-6 from part 10 of the series, including similar motors and “quirks” like a differential braking system operated from the stick and a pneumatic system in the place of hydraulics for the landing gear. But where the Nanchang boasts a higher cruising speed and greater efficiency, the nimble Yak-52 excels in aerobatics.

However, upon taking off from the strip in St. Elmo, Rankin and Tyler encounter low cloud cover, limiting visibility and putting a damper on any possible aerobatics. Even though soaring through the sky, keeping an eye on the ground is important, says Rankin, as it keeps the pilot aligned while looping and spinning. “I’ll pick something on the ground and it will help me orient myself,” he says. “You need to be able to pick up the horizon.” Even experienced pilots can run into trouble when maneuvering with little visibility. What the eyes see and the brain interprets and the instruments say may not all line up.

“That’s what gets a lot of guys in trouble,” says Rankin, noting that the pilot has to trust the instruments, even when their body tells them something else. “It happens to everyone,” he says, “and it’s incredibly difficult.”

But even without aerobatics, Rankin enjoyed the Yak-52, zipping and banking low over the ground for one of his longer flights, and chewing the fat with Tyler. As for choosing a favorite between the Yak-52 and the Nanchang, Rankin isn’t ready to pick sides just yet. “I love both,” he says.

For more about the flight in Rankin's own words and a video of the flight, follow the link below. 

Pictured: Matt Taylor (left) and Ryan Rankin flying the Yakovlev Yak-52. Photo courtesy of Ryan Rankin.

Ryan Flies

[Daily Shop]  Slide Into Summer
Aviel Kanter, aviel.kanter@srqme.com

Whether you're a guest at a balmy summer soiree, a warm-weather casual wedding or just out for a late-night beach stroll, Chinese Laundry's Bahini slide should be your number-one shoe. Effortless and supremely summer, the slip-on sandals subtly sparkle with rose gold Italian leather and have just enough tiny heel to give needed support. Designed by the queen of California herself, Kristin Cavallari (you might remember her from SoCal-centric shows such as Laguna Beach and The Hills) collaborated with the footwear brand to bring together well-thought-out detailing and understated glamour. Slide these babies on at Malibu Fox and glide into the sunset.  

Photo courtesy of Malibu Fox.

Malibu Fox, 275 University Pkwy., #103, University Park, 941-312-2439.

[Letter from Pola Sommers]  Facts Matter
Pola Sommers

When I reached the end of [Gabriel] Hament’s bizarre tale about Starbucks and the North Trail in the April 1 SRQ Daily, I looked for the expected tagline “April Fool.”

Every assertion in 24-year-old party political operative Hament’s article was false. Actually, as disinformation, it was worthy of Breitbart News or a Richard Nixon political campaign.

Anyone with knowledge of the North Trail knows that there is to be a Starbucks and also a Tex Mex restaurant on the El Pescador site and the property directly the north of it, thanks to creative problem solving by City Commission Candidate Jen Ahearn-Koch and Jim Bridges, developer of the exciting new Whitaker Bayou condo project. It’s a stunning example of how a constructive, problem solving neighborhood leader and a constructive, responsive developer have worked to create a win win for the North Trail neighborhoods and, most especially, for the North Trail corridor. They are to be congratulated rather than excoriated.

One wonders why Hament, neither city resident nor a city voter, so frequently opines with great certainty about city issues on TV, in the print media and even at Tiger Bay. He has created some partisan chaos in this recent City Commission election. The Democratic Party assures that he has not represented them in his recent forays. He is not on, nor has ever been on the party Executive Committee; he is not and has not been an officer or member of the Young Democratic Club; nor has he been a precinct captain or “worker bee.”

Then, was Hament’s article just poor opposition research on the part of an impetuous young man, or is he working with others interested in affecting the outcome of the upcoming election... obviously by whatever means possible?

All we can do is to remind everyone that city commission races in our town and in the majority of cities across the country are non-partisan, so as to avoid this unfortunate kind of activity.

Pola Sommers has been a Tahiti Park resident for 31 years. 

[Recognition]  Michael Saunders & Company Wins Five ADDYs

At the recent 2017 American Advertising Awards, Michael Saunders & Company took home five ADDY Awards—the awards given to recognize the most exceptional in the local advertising market. Competing against numerous entrants from Manatee, Sarasota, Charlotte, Lee and Collier counties, Michael Saunders & Company received both a Gold ADDY for Out of Home Interior Site and a Silver ADDY for Out of Home Installation for “The Value of Heritage” Wall, as well as a Silver ADDY for Out of Home Interior Site and a Silver ADDY for Out of Home Installation for the “International Salute to Home” Wall and a Silver ADDY for Online Film, Video & Sound for “Saunders in 60.” The two award-winning walls are installed at the Michael Saunders & Company’s Main Street office. The local ADDY Awards competition is the first of a three-tier national competition conducted by the American Advertising Federation to honor and recognize exceptional advertising. Local gold ADDY winners compete in one of 15 district competitions, and district winners go on compete on the national stage. 

Michael Saunders & Company

[Recognition]  GCCF Named Among Best Nonprofits to Work For

Gulf Coast Community Foundation this week was named to The NonProfit Times’ list of “2017 Best Nonprofits to Work For.” Gulf Coast was ranked 26th among the top 50 organizations recognized and placed eighth among “small nonprofits,” or those with 15–49 employees. The NonProfit Times is a leading national business publication for nonprofit management. The survey and awards program is designed to identify and honor exemplary employers in the nonprofit sector that have excelled in creating quality workplaces for their employees. Nonprofits from across the country participated in a two-part assessment to determine this year’s “Best Nonprofits To Work For.” The first consisted of evaluating each nominated organization’s workplace policies, practices, philosophy, and systems. The second component was a confidential survey to measure the employee experience. The NonProfit Times partners with Best Companies Group to conduct the annual survey and analysis. Gulf Coast was the only community foundation named to this year’s top 50 list, and one of three organizations from Florida to be recognized. Gulf Coast was previously honored by The NonProfit Times in 2010 and 2011. 

Gulf Coast Community Foundation

[Recognition]  Bennett Selected for Saunders Scholars Competition

Jake Bennett, an 8th grader and CEO of Firecracker Lures, is among students nationally selected to compete in the Young Entrepreneurs Academy's Saunders Scholars Competition. Hundreds of business and education leaders, students and parents will gather to hear America’s top young entrepreneurs aged 11–18 pitch their business plans. The young entrepreneurs compete to win a trip to America’s Small Business Summit in Washington, DC and college scholarships. The Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce runs the Young Entrepreneurs Academy locally. Area business leaders served as judges for the local event and selected Jake as the student to represent Sarasota nationally. As part of the YEA! program, students are introduced to all facets of the business world including, but not limited to, advertising, attorneys, graphic designers and web developers. During the course of the nine-month program, more than 50 local businesses become involved with YEA! at various levels. Students work in close cooperation with local business leaders, community leaders and educators who use their personal experiences to demonstrate how to transform their ideas into tangible enterprises that create economic and social value for a better world. The Annual YEA! Saunders Scholars Semi-Finals competition will kick off May 4 in Rochester, New York.   

Saunders Scholars Competition



[TODAY]  GALLERY: Bird Key Yacht Club & Art Uptown , April 6, 6pm

Art Uptown has formed a new Partnership with Bird Key Yacht Club. Every first Thursday of every month there will be a reception for a featured artist. Come join Art Uptown and Bird Key Yacht Club as they welcome Jacqueline Clark a watercolor artist.

For more information please visit www.birdkeyyc.com  

Bird Key Yacht Club, 301 Bird Key Drive, Sarasota

[TODAY]  MUSIC: Catie Curtis , April 6, 7pm

Known in and outside the Boston folk-music community for her accessible, socially conscious songwriting and gorgeous voice, Catie Curtis brings her typical mix of insightful wit and pitch-perfect vocals to many different audiences. Tickets are $18 dollars in advances and $20 day of the show. www.fogartyville.org

Fogartyville Community Media and Arts Center, 525 Kumquat Ct., Sarasota

[TODAY]  SEMINAR: Manny Diaz: Miami Innovator , April 6, 5:30-7:30pm

Join Former Miami Mayor Manny Diaz at the Center for Architecture Sarasota, as he will be wrapping up this seasons exhibit: Architecture in the public Realm. Diaz is a dynamic speaker that you will not want to miss! Seating is limited and registration is required. Tickets are $50.00 students with a student ID are free. Registration will open March 3rd.  All sales are final. For more information and to purchase tickets please visit www.cfas.org

Center For Architecture Sarasota, 265 S. Orange Ave., sarasota

[TODAY]  BUSINESS: Wine & Stein , April 6, 6:00-9:30pm

Join HearCare Connection of Sarasota for their 2nd annual Wine & Stein at Gold Coast Eagle Distributing. Enjoy live and silent auctions, entertainment,wine and beer tastings and heavy hors d'oeuvres. Your participation will help HearCare Connection launch a reduced-free, sliding scale, nonprofit hearing clinic in Sarasota County.

Gold Coast Eagle Distributing, 7051 Wireless Ct, Sarasota, FL 34240

[TODAY]  BUSINESS: La Musica International Chamber Music Festival , April 3 – April 12

La Musica’s International Chamber Music Festival brings outstanding European and American chamber musicians together to present exciting programs of familiar and seldom-heard chamber music. Among the events during the annual festival in April are open rehearsals, pre-concert lectures, youth activities and  concerts performed at the historic Sarasota Opera House.

Sarasota Opera House, 61 N Pineapple Ave, Sarasota, FL 34236

[TODAY]  SCIENCE AND NATURE: Selby Gardens Hosts Rare Plant Meetings , April 5 – April 7

The gardens are to host the Florida Bromeliad Conservation Working Group, as well as the 2017 Florida Rare Plant Task Force meeting. An estimated 75 plant professionals are expected to attend. The 2017 Florida Rare Plant Task Force is a statewide meeting led by Bok Tower Gardens, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden and Marie Selby Botanical Gardens to bring together conservation professionals. This year’s topic is Non-traditional Partnerships for Rare Plant Conservation. This annual meeting is made possible by grants from the State of Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Division of Plant Industry. For More information please visit www.Selby.org

Selby Botanical Gardens, 811 S. Palm Ave., Sarasota

[SOON]  PERFORMANCE: The Little Foxes , April 7 – April 30

Lillian Hellman’s chronicle of the dark side of the American Dream, in the facially stratified South of 1900, Regina Giddens and her two brothers are nouveau-riche cotton growers who have a chance to become mega-riche by investing in a new mill. But the siblings still need $75,000 to seal the deal, which they attempt to swindle from Regina’s ailing husband. A skewering social critique of greed and corruption first produced in 1939, Hellman’s portrayal of class and power remains as potent and compelling as ever.

The Asolo Repertory Theatre , 5555 North Tamiami Trail Sarasota, 34243

[SOON]  GRAB BAG: Musical Chefs , April 7, 6pm

A lively, interactive dinner event featuring La Musica artists Claudio Cruz and Antonio Menesses taking turns leading guests in cooking demonstrations to create the evening’s meal. This event is a tremendous amount of fun and the food will be delicious. IT WILL sell out fast so reserve early! Guest tickets are $175.00/pp and patrons are $250/pp. For more information please visit https://www.lamusicafestival.org/festival/concerts or call Janet Hunter 941-371-6798 

Micheal's Wine Cellar , 1283 S. Tamiami Trl., Sarasota

[SOON]  MUSIC: Kim Betts & The Gamble Creek Band , April 7, 6-8pm

Benefitting Moonracer No Kill Animal Rescue. The Gamble Creek Band is fronted by Kim Betts, daughter of Dickey Betts of the Allman Brothers Band. They're a high-energy band featuring popular country/southern rock/classic rock hits that appeal to an audience of all ages. For more information please visit www.realizebradenton.com

Bradenton Riverwalk , 452 W. 3rd. Ave., Bradenton

[SOON]  PERFORMANCE: New Stages , April 7 – April 8, 2:00pm & 7:00pm

With the Historic Asolo Theater under renovation, the Ringling moves to alternate venues with works of art that promise to transform your traditional role as a spectator into that of an active participant. April’s performance, Captive by Motionhouse is inspired by Rilke’s The Panther, four dancers in a large cage blend dance and aerial work in a provocative consideration of how a human, like an animal, can be plucked from normal life and plunged into captivity.

Bolger Campiello , 5401 Bay Shore Rd., Sarasota, FL 34243

[SOON]  PERFORMANCE: The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity , April 7 – April 30

“Mace” Guerra is a good professional wrestler, but he isn’t the champ – that’s the impossibly charismatic Chad Deity. When Mace discovers an Indian-American Brooklyn kid whose charisma rivals Chad’s, he decides to recruit him as the perfect foil. Winner of the 2011 Obie for Best New American Play and a Pulitzer Prize finalist, this no-holds-barred comedy slams together thrilling spectacle, incredible characters and political allegory for an invigorating theatrical experience.

The Asolo Repertory Theatre , 5555 North Tamiami Trail Sarasota, 34243

[SOON]  GRAB BAG: CAPTIVE by Motionhouse , April 7 – April 8, 2pm or 7pm both days

Inspired by Rilke’s The Panther, four dancers in a large cage blend dance and aerial work in a provocative consideration of how a human, like an animal, can be plucked from normal life and plunged into captivity. There will be two performances for this event one of which at 2pm will be complimentary (No admission fee) audience members will have to either sit on the ground or stand. The second performance will be at 7pm and admission is $15 seating will be provided. After the performance guests are invited to watch the sunset at Ca’ d’Zan, food and drinks will be available for purchase. For more information and to purchase tickets please visit https://www.ringling.org/events/captive-motionhouse

The Ringling, 5401 Bay Shore Rd., Sarasota

[SOON]  PERFORMANCE: Evening Concert - Check Redd and the LaLucha Trio , April 8, 7:30pm

See the world-renowned, percussionist Chuck Redd and the La Lucha Trio in concert. Redd has performed in concerts & festivals worldwide with the top jazz artists. Tampa area based trio, La Lucha has performed in Spain and Italy and have been named the top jazz ensemble in the Tampa Bay area 4 consecutive years. Trio features John O'Leary, piano, Alejandro Arenas, bass and Mark Feinman, drums. Tickets call The Glenridge PAC. For more information please visit www.jazzclubsarasota.org/calendar-of-events

Glenridge PAC, 7333 Scotland Way, Sarasota

[SOON]  MUSIC: Grant Gordy Quartet , April 8, 8pm

For several years Brooklyn-based guitarist Grant Gordy has been a major voice on the American "acoustic music" scene, and one of the most highly regarded young instrumentalists of his generation.Grant has performed all over North America and Europe, everywhere from Carnegie Hall to Montreal Jazz Festival; Jazz at Lincoln Center to Bonnaroo. His music has been heard on NPR's Morning Edition, All Things Considered and Tiny Desk Concerts, and he's received international attention for being musically gifted. Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 the day of the show. www.fogartyville.org

Fogartyville Community Media and Arts Center, 525 Kumquat Ct., Sarasota

[SOON]  PERFORMANCE: Inherit the Wind , April 11 – April 30

By Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee

A sweeping, involving courtroom drama based on the 1925 Scopes “Monkey Trial.” Inherit the Wind won three Tony Awards for its fast-moving exploration of the Creationism vs. Evolution schism whose debate still rages today. Show times Tuesday-Saturday 8pm and Sunday 2pm. For ticket prices and for more information please visit there will not be a performance April 16 (Easter Sunday) https://venicestage.com/portfolio/inherit-the-wind/

Venice Theatre, 140 W. Tampa Ave., Venice

[SOON]  MUSIC: Jazz at Two - Bruce Wallace Quartet , April 12, 2pm

Special WEDNESDAY Jazz at Two with Bruce Wallace, bass; Marty Morrell, vibes; Richard "Stretch" Bruyn, piano; Ron Gregg, drums. Concert will feature a tribute by Marty Morell, a member of the Bill Evans Trio for seven years, to vibist Milt Jackson. For more information please visit www.jazzclubsarasota.org/calendar-of-events

Unitarian Universalist Church of Sarasota, 3975 Fruitville Rd., Sarasota

[SOON]  MUSIC: Renesito , April 14, 6-8pm

Benefitting Royal Pet Rescue. Renesito compositions denote a broad conception of the sound of the Cuban Tres, in which he uses expressive resources of classical music, jazz and world music. Its roots lead him to recreate and develop melodies, rhythms, styles and rhythms of the Trova, the Changüí Nengón, the Conga, Rumba and Son Santiago, making a kind of journey through the different playing styles of the eastern country, mixed with the urban concept of Arsenio Rodríguez and Child River. For more information please visit www.realizebradenton.com

Bradenton Riverwalk , 452 W. 3rd. Ave., Bradenton

[SOON]  BUSINESS: Relay For Life , April 15 – April 24

The American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life movement is the world’s largest fundraising event to fight every cancer in every community. Each year, more than 4 million Relay For Life participants around the world rally communities to celebrate those who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost and take action to fight back. Relay For Life events are community gatherings where teams and individuals camp out at a school, park, or fairground and take turns walking or running around a track or path. The Relay For Life movement fuels the mission of the American Cancer Society, an organization that touches the lives of so many.

[SOON]  MUSIC: Radio Theater Live , April 17 – April 28

Return to the days of live radio theater as Powel and Gwendolyn Crosley host an evening of Radio Theater to promote their new radio station and the dramatic stories that they will be sending out over the airwaves. Music, mystery, and good old-fashioned promotion makes solid entertainment.

The Powel Crosley Estate, 8374 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, FL 34243

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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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