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SRQ DAILY Aug 29, 2018

Wednesday Philanthropy Edition

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Wednesday Philanthropy Edition

"It kind of left us the way we were."

- Shirley Brown, Sarasota School Board member
 

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[Politics]  School Contests Have Razor-Thin Margins
Jacob Ogles, jacob.ogles@srqme.com

The contests for School Board in Sarasota and Manatee proved some of the most dramatic battles on the Gulf Coast during Tuesday’s primary election, with several races coming down to fewer than 1,100 votes. Voters ultimately re-elected all three incumbents on the ballot for Sarasota County School Board, though two of those races came down to razor-thin margins. Meanwhile, Manatee voters sent one board member packing and the other into an underdog position in a November runoff, re-electing just one incumbent.

The Sarasota County School Board for the past few years has been sharply divided—and that won’t change soon. “It kind of left us the way we were,” says School Board Member Shirley Brown. She won re-election narrowly, claiming 46,065 votes to challenger Karen Rose’s 45,262 in the District 4 contest.

Meanwhile, School Board chair Bridget Ziegler also survived a squeaker, getting 46,597 votes to challenger Nick Guy’s 45,508. “I’m very encouraged to be able to continue,” she says. “I stood strong on the platform I originally ran on in 2014.”

Ziegler had campaigned frequently alongside Rose, and the two were supported by the Republican Party. Guy and Brown likewise were politically aligned and backed by Democrats. Brown remains frustrated that the teacher’s union ended up spending in the neighborhood of $100,000 against her and feels efforts instead should have gone against Ziegler, a prominent figure with the Florida Coalition of School Board Members.

The election seems to get closer after Republicans delivered high turnout on Tuesday, closing a gap Democrats enjoyed following early and absentee voting.

On the Sarasota Board, only incumbent Jane Goodwin avoided a close contest. She avoided a runoff by capturing more than 50 percent of the vote in a four-person race. Goodwin got 46,739 votes to Pamela Gavette's 19,521, Richard Linden's 11,639 and Juston Cody Willis' 9,920.

In Manatee County, former Democratic Congressional candidate James Golden ousted John Colon, a School Board member originally appointed to a vacancy by Republican Gov. Rick Scott. “Voters thought I would be better able to move forward than the person that has been in the chair,” says Golden, who took 13,500 votes compared to 12,511 for Colon. “The most important thing to me is returning to some level of civility and professionalism.”

School Board Chair Scott Hopes, another Scott appointee, came in second in a four-man race for his seat, but will advance to a runoff against top vote-getter Joe Stokes. In the District 4 race, Stokes got 9,363 votes, Hopes 7,790, Richard Murphy 5,110 and Jim Daniel 4,085.

But Incumbent Charlie Kennedy won re-election, taking 14,286 votes to Alice Kaddatz’s 12,345 in the District 2 race. 

Pictured: Shirley Brown, Bridget Ziegler, James Golden

[Politics]  Steube Wins by Landslide in District 17, Shapiro Advances in 16
Jacob Ogles, jacob.ogles@srqme.com

One of the state’s most fractious Congressional primaries ended with a landslide victory for state Sen. Greg Steube in U.S. House District 17. With most votes tallied, he had 48,963 votes in the nine-county district. Meanwhile, state Rep. Julio Gonzalez, seen through the race as the primary opponent for Steube, came in third place with 14,402 votes. Underfunded Charlotte County activist Bill Akins had 15,133 votes. Steube now will face April Freeman, a Cape Coral Democrat who won her primary Tuesday, in a general election contest in a deeply conservative district.

Meanwhile, Democrats picked David Shapiro, who won the U.S. House district 16 primary with 34,552 votes to Jan Schneider’s 28,537, as the candidate to pit against U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan in November. “My whole life, I’vee been fighting big corporations, abusive insurance companies and a sometimes incompetent federal government,” says the Sarasota attorney.

In several key state House races, former state Rep. Ray Pilon won the Republican primary in District 72, where he will challenge incumbent Democrat Margaret Good in November. In District 74, Republican James Buchanan beat North Port Commissioner Linda Yates in a party primary for Gonzalez’s open seat.

State Rep. Wengay Newton, D-St. Petersburg, also won re-election in his district, which includes parts of Sarasota and Manatee. In District 70, he got 11,324 votes to Keisha Bell’s 8,239 and Vito Sheeley’s 3,376. 

Pictured: Greg Steube

[Politics]  Upsets on Bench, Manatee County Commission
Jacob Ogles, jacob.ogles@srqme.com

Voters in the region also delivered a rare upset to a local judge, with defense attorney Maria Ruhl unseating Circuit Court Judge Brian Iten, taking 93,371 votes to the incumbent’s 70,451 in the three-county jurisdiction.

And Manatee County Commissioner Charles Smith fell in his District 2 race to challenger Reggie Bellamy in the Democratic primary. 

Besides that, Misty Servia won the Republican primary for Manatee County Commission District 4 over Mark Black and Laura Galle, and incumbent Commissioner Carol Whitmore won her countywide Republican primary over challenger James Satcher.

In Sarasota County, Christian Ziegler won the Republican nomination for Sarasota County Commissioner for District 2 over Alex Coe. Incumbent Alan Maio fended off a rematch primary challenge from fellow Republican Lourdes Ramirez for the District 4 seat, and he will now face Democrat Wesley Beggs, who won a primary over Mike Cosentino. 

[Community Foundation]  Mentally Preparing
Brittany Mattie, brittany.mattie@srqme.com

As we wind into a new school year, Sarasota’s County initiates its behavioral and mental health plan in 14 of its 23 elementary schools. The Community Foundation and the Florida Center provided full-time therapists at Alta Vista and Gocio Elementary last year as a sort of test run for what the district is fully rolling out this year. With positive feedback, Sarasota County Schools plan to allocate nearly $1 million of their mental health services fund from the state to implement a specially designed program, bringing in outside specialists to areas in demand to evaluate students K-5 from a more clinical lens. With $600,000 of the spending going towards the therapists to assess students for any needs they may have or those considered “high risk”, in need of intervention; the remainder of the money will go towards substitutes for behavioral mental health training and curriculum in the classroom. Aside from the state funding, some of the positions have also been paid for by the Community Foundation of Sarasota County.

The district is currently contracting with providers that include the Florida Center for Early Childhood and First Step of Sarasota to provide these services in schools with high numbers of low-income students. “We are placing a contractor therapist in every single school that we select based on referrals and high risk,” says head of pupil support services Sonia Figaredo-Alberts. Title 1 district schools such as Lakeview Elementary, Philippi Elementary, Toledo Blade, Garden Elementary, Emma Booker Elementary and Brentwood are receiving full-time onsite counselors. “These therapists come in and work at designated schools until the end of the school year, so it’s the same person implementing the therapeutic intervention as part of the educational system,” Figaredo-Alberts explains. This will hopefully allow kids in need to work with a professional counselor on a regular basis and become comfortable with that individual.

And following the sweeping school security law passed by the state, new students coming into Sarasota County must now indicate whether they have been referred for mental health services in the past, whereas before, parents could choose whether to volunteer that information about their child or not. Still, “Anything suggested by the school regarding mental health care,” Figaredo-Alberts notes, “has to be approved by the students’ parents.”

The Community Foundation of Sarasota County is proud to partner with SRQ Media Group to highlight stories about community impact powered by philanthropy in our region, thanks to the support of donors and our local nonprofit partners. The Community Foundation is a public charity founded in 1979 by the Southwest Florida Estate Planning Council as a resource for caring individuals and the causes they support, enabling them to make a charitable impact on the community. 

World Mental Health Day- October 10th

[Community]  SFSC Hosts Algae Bloom Public Discussion at Lelu's

The Surfrider Foundation Suncoast Chapter (SFSC) is inviting the public out this Wednesday August 29, at 6pm at Lelu’s Coffee on Siesta Key for a presentation by Ray Judah and interactive discussion on the challenges and solutions to addressing the red tide and blue green algae that’s decimating our estuaries, rivers and fisheries. Judah is a community servant with an extensive background in the natural sciences as well as in the political arena as an elected official. A former environmental land planner with the Lee County Department of Community Development and a Lee County Commissioner from 1988 to 2012, Judah is a strong advocate for providing a balance between growth management and responsible stewardship of our precious natural resources. A brief list of some of Judah’s accomplishments and awards include: promoted the designation of the 96,000 acre Density Reduction Groundwater Resource Area of Southwest Florida, co-founded the Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed Land Trust, spearheaded the effort to establish the Conservation 2020 program to protect critical water resources, open space and wildlife habitat and is a recognized expert and advocate for restoration of the historic southern flow-way to the Everglades and responsible management of Lake Okeechobee. 

Surfrider Foundation Suncoast Chapter

[Government]  County Lifts Beach Advisories for Lido Casino, Venice Pier

The "No Swim" advisories issued Thursday, August 23, for Lido Casino Beach and Venice Pier Beach have been lifted. Florida Department of Health in Sarasota County officials received testing results today that were at a satisfactory level meeting both the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and state recreational water standards. Residents and visitors may return to swimming and other water sports at this beach site. The "no swim" advisory signage has been removed at both beaches. The advisory remains in effect for the Longboat Key Beach. The Florida Department of Health in Sarasota County monitors water quality weekly at 16 sites along Sarasota's 34 miles of beaches. The intent of this program is to provide county residents and visitors with accurate, up-to-date information on the water quality at our beaches. The Florida Department of Health in Sarasota County expects to have the next round of test results available on Thursday, August 30. The latest reports on beach conditions can be found on the website below. 

Sarasota County Beach Water Test Results

[Philanthropy]  Team Tony Lines Up Support for Gran Fondo Sarasota

Fifteen sponsors have lined up to support the Gran Fondo Sarasota, a newly formatted cycling fundraiser for the Team Tony Cancer Foundation, a Sarasota-based nonprofit organization that provides free peer-to-peer cancer support and resources to cancer fighters, survivors and caregivers in the local community. The first-ever Gran Fondo Sarasota will take place on October 7 at Nathan Benderson Park. The nonprofit’s annual Cycle of Life bike ride has been transitioned to this one-day event. Cyclists of all skill levels are invited to ride the event’s four courses, including the 100-mile Gran, 66-mile Medio, 33-mile Piccolo or 8-mile Corto cruiser ride. The event’s current sponsors include PGT Innovations, Benderson Development, Aroma Coffee Service, Center for Sight, Day Hagan Asset Management, Heritage Family Chiropractic, J Dawes Group, Jim LaClair Dog Training, Nick’s Pest Control, S-One Holdings Corporation, Sunset Chevrolet Buick GMC, Tri County Air Conditioning & Heating Inc., Village Bikes, Village Idiots Cycling Club, Intercoastal Medical Group and Rapid Security Systems. 

Team Tony Cancer Foundation

[Business]  LaPorta Joins GSAHEC Leadership Sarasota County

Gulfcoast South Area Health Education Center (GSAHEC)’s Marketing and Communications Coordinator and Tobacco Cessation Specialist, Robyn LaPorta, was selected to participate in the Leadership Sarasota County Class of 2019. LaPorta supports GSAHEC’s strategic marketing, advertising and public relations initiatives and facilitates Tobacco Free Florida’s AHEC Cessation Group Quit classes at local hospitals, businesses and behavioral health sites. With her Master’s degree in counseling, she supports individuals from a variety of backgrounds to live a tobacco-free life. LaPorta is a current member of the Central West Coast Chapter of the Florida Public Relations Association (CWC-FPRA) and recently completed her two-year board term as the Director of Professional Development and Immediate Past Director of Social Media. 

Leadership Sarasota County

[Travel]  Frontier Announces Nonstop Philadelphia Service

Frontier Airlines has announced that it will add nonstop service from Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) to the Sarasota Bradenton International Airport (SRQ). Service to PHL will begin on December 10, 2018 with twice-weekly flights offered on Mondays and Fridays using Airbus A320 aircraft. 

Sarasota Bradenton International Airport



[TODAY]  THEATER: Wakey, Wakey , August 3 – September 2

How do we confront the uncomfortable inevitability of death? Obie-award-winning playwright Will Eno chooses to celebrate life’s lingering gifts with an uplifting mix of gratitude, absurdity and humor in a profound rumination on life and humanity.

Urbanite Theatre, 1487 2nd St., Sarasota

[SOON]  GALLERY: VOLUMES , August 12 – October 9

This summer light and sound come into play with a special installation by the artist Ezra Masch. VOLUMES harnesses the speed of light to reveal the volume of sound and space. This immersive audio and visual installation will feature a 3-d grid of LED lights that will fill the interior of the Ringling’s Monda Gallery.

John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, 5401 Bay Shore Rd., Sarasota

[SOON]  GALLERY: Elsewhere , August 30 – October 5

This juried exhibition opens with a reception on August 30th.

Art Center Sarasota, 707 N Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, FL 34236

[SOON]  GALLERY: Florida Watercolor Show , September 7 – October 26

Considered one of the finest watercolor shows in the country, whether one credits the local talent or local beauty, watercolorists from around the state will be showing in all three galleries of the art center, taking over the entire space for this premier exhibition.

ArtCenter Manatee, 209 9th St. W, Bradenton.

[SOON]  MUSEUM: Storytelling: French Art from the Horvitz Collection , September 9 – December 2

Explore two exhibitions selected from one of the world’s finest private collections of French art, “Imaging Text: French Drawings for Book Illustration” and “17th and 18th Century French Paintings,” from The Horvitz Collection. Features 60 drawings and 10 related prints for book illustration, created between the 16th and 19th centuries, as well as a selection of 10 paintings. Subjects range from mythological and religious scenes to more playful genre imagery.

The Ringling Museum of Art, 5401 Bay Shore Rd., Sarasota.

[SOON]  THEATER: Salute to the Queen: A Tribute to Aretha Franklin , September 11 – September 15

Nate Jacobs directs this special tribute to the life and legacy of the Queen of Soul, featuring WBTT favorites Naarai Jacobs and Teresa Stanley. The evening highlights Franklin's classic hits and musical impact, while ongoing narration spotlights her professional achiecements and lasting influence.

Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, 1012 North Orange Ave., Sarasota.

[SOON]  MUSIC: Friday Fest: Dr. Dave Band , September 14, 5pm-9pm

Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall is wrapping up their Friday Fest summertime concert series this September with the Dr. Dave Band. A Bradenton favorite performing for more than a decade as a top-choice house band, this group knows how to wow a crowd with high-energy Southern Rock blended with bluegrass banjo and fiddle. During the show, don’t forget to indulge in the refreshments provided by Van Wezel, including local food trucks and popular beverage vendors. Bring a blanket, lawn chairs and settle in for a good time.

Van Wezel, 777 North Tamiami Trl., Sarasota.

[SOON]  MUSEUM: Watercolors from the Permanent Collection , September 15 – February 3

A selection of watercolors drawn from The Ringling’s permanent collections, illustrating various ways artists have used the medium. The exhibition will feature works by Edward Hopper, Charles Burchfield and Childe Hassam, among others.

The Ringling Museum of Art, 5401 Bay Shore Rd., Sarasota.

[SOON]  FOOD: Dining for a Difference , September 20, 5pm-10pm

Join the Designing Daughters for Dining for a Difference, a community wide, dine out event featuring 20+ local Sarasota and Manatee County Restaurants who will donate a portion of all sales made on September 20 back to the Designing Daughters Grants Program for local Children and Family charities. Simply grab your friends, colleagues and neighbors, pick a participating restaurant and enjoy a meal. No ticket, no fancy clothes, just a night out with your favorite people.This simple act will make a huge impact for local families in need.

Multiple locations, Multiple locations

[SOON]  THEATER: Annie Get Your Gun , September 20 – October 7

Sure-shootin’ Annie Oakley can win prizes with her marksmanship, but she can’t get a man…or can she? This slice of magical American musical theatre still thrills audiences with the classic tunes of the legendary Irving Berlin.

The Players Centre for Performing Arts, 838 North Tamiami Trl., Sarasota.

[SOON]  GALA: 2nd Annual Taste of New Orleans Benefit Dinner , September 22, 6pm-9pm

Truly Valued presents its 2nd Annual Taste of New Orleans Benefit Dinner, at Michaels on the Bay at Selby Gardens with speaker Captain Todd Shear of the Manatee County Sheriff's Office and a night of entertainment with NuJazz. All proceeds support Truly Valued's mission of building self-esteem, confidence and character to promote a positive self- image, positively impact educational and career aspirations and improve academic achievement in adolescent girls. Dinner is complimentary and an opportunity to make a financial gift will be extended during the event.

Michaels on the Bay at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens', 900 South Palm Ave., Sarasota.

[SOON]  FOOD: Boards for Bravery: A Charity Charcuterie Event , September 23, 4:30pm–7pm

Learn how to build the perfect charcuterie board while supporting pediatric cancer research. Inspired by Benjamin Gilkey’s love of charcuterie, admission includes wine and appetizers from Louies Modern, a handcrafted charcuterie board to take home, pairing education from local experts and the chance to create your own palette of fine meats, cheeses and delicious accoutrements, provided by local artisans. Proceeds benefit The Benjamin Gilkey Fund for Innovative Pediatric Cancer Research, which supports groundbreaking studies led by physicians at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital.

Louies Modern, 1289 North Palm Ave., Sarasota.

[SOON]  PERFORMANCE: iconcept jr: The Future of Fashion , September 23, 12pm

25 designers ages 8–16 are encouraged to use repurposed/recyled materials in their creations. Most of them will also wear their outfits in the runway show, adding self-confidence and stage presence as skills gained. The participants are treated to a professional fashion photoshoot for the program guide, as well as professional hair and makeup stylists backstage to complete their look. Proceeds from the event benefit the expansion of the Art Center's youth art education programs and help students who are in need of financial assistance receive scholarships.

Art Center Sarasota, 707 North Tamiami Trl., Sarasota.

[SOON]  SEMINAR: 16th Annual Forty Carrots Free Community Speaker Event , September 25, 9am-12pm; 7pm-8:30pm

Forty Carrots Family Center's Annual Free Community Speaker Event presented in partnership with Community Foundation of Sarasota County returns for a 16th year featuring best-selling author and parenting expert, Dr. Michele Borba. She will be discussing “How to Cultivate Mentally-Healthy, Resilient, Empathetic Children (Despite a Trophy-Giving, Anxiety-Driven, Helicoptered and Bubble-Wrapped Culture)” and “UnSelfie: Why Empathetic Kids Succeed in Our All-About Me World.” In these free presentations, parents and educators will learn how to shift children's focus from I, me, and mine, to us, we and ours. With examples from years of research, Dr. Michele Borba will offer a framework that yields successful, happy kids who grow up to be kind, moral, courageous and resilient adults.

Community Foundation of Sarasota County and Riverview High School Performing Arts Center, 2635 Fruitville Rd., Sarasota; 1 Ram Way, Sarasota.

[SOON]  SEMINAR: 2nd Annual Grey Matters, A Symposium on Alzheimers Research , September 28, 11am-2pm

Don't miss out on this year's amazing Grey Matters Luncheon Symposium benefitting The Roskamp Institute. This year's Alzheimer's Disease-Research based Symposium will focus on lifestyle, wellness and healthy aging. For information or to be added to this year’s waiting list please call Megan Micale at (941) 552-9832.

Michael's on the Bay at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, 811 South Palm Ave., Sarasota.

[SOON]  SEMINAR: Real Men Wear Pink Reveal Party , September 29, 5pm-7pm

Join the American Cancer Society as they reveal the 2018 Real Men Wear Pink of Sarasota–Manatee. The candidates will participate in a fashion show, hosted by the tenants of the Mall at University Town Center. Come out and see which men in our community are dedicated to raising funds and awareness to help fight breast cancer. Light refreshments will be served.

The Grand Court at The Mall at UTC, 140 University Town Center Dr., Sarasota.

[SOON]  BUSINESS: SkillSHARE October 4 Mentoring Summit , October 4, 5-7:30pm

Made for speed, SkillSHARE is the basics of mentorship concentrated into mini-sessions that encourage honest interactions and allow for spontaneous connection. This event is a way to meet like-minded professionals, make valuable connections and get straight to your most burning questions about career and personal development. Each participant will be paired with several mentors for mini-sessions. Lasting from 10-12 minutes, each mini-session is unstructured, allowing for conversation, guidance and direction from each mentor.

SRQ Studios, 331 S Pineapple Ave, Sarasota, FL 34236

[SOON]  FESTIVAL: Beer, Bands & BBQ , October 6, 12pm-7pm

Music Compound is ready to kick off the fall season with the 4th annual Beer, Bands & BBQ. This will be a day for the whole family, with craft and domestic beers, local BBQ favorites, top local bands and local businesses supporting the talent. Not only will there be traditional BBQ to look forward to but also BBQ with a twist, with menu items such as BBQ chicken pizza and more. At this event, everyone can enjoy the music that they love with different genres playing each hour.

Music Compound , 1751 Cattlemen Rd, Sarasota, FL 34232

SRQ Media Group

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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