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SRQ DAILY Mar 25, 2019

Monday Business Edition

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Monday Business Edition

"It's all about us working and communicating together to make sure we do get it right from the start."

- Jennifer Ahearn-Koch, Sarasota City Commission
 

[City]  Local Hiring Part Of Future For The Bay
Jacob Ogles, jacob.ogles@srqme.com

Special consideration will be given to hire local contractors for work on The Bay. A commitment to hire local and minority-owned businesses has been added to a contract for a permanent conservancy that will manage the public venue.

Bill Waddill, managing director for The Bay, says the Sarasota Bayfront Planning Organization has worked to include those requirements and other provisions at the request of Sarasota City Commissioners.

“We’ve had good discussions with the city,” he says. “Ultimately, we want something adopted that will be good policy.”

A master plan is in place and construction on the first phase for The Bay will start up next year. Negotiations over the structure of the conservancy, an independent entity that will manage and raise financial support for the facility, has taken longer than expected, but officials expect a contract to come together soon.

“Really, we are close,” Waddill says.

City Commissioner Jennifer Ahearn-Koch says it’s been important to city leadership to iron all details out in advance. The fact that a conservancy will exist has always been the plan, and continues to be the goal of talks.

“It’s all about us working and communicating together to make sure we do get it right from the start,” she says.

To that end, city officials have studied structures for conservancies all around the country. At the same time, experts suggest there is no optimal template to apply to every major public facility.

The Bay will include a major public park but also new performance venues overlooking Sarasota Bay. That brings structural issues different than either a foundation that supports a venue or a nonprofit managing a public park.

One issue important to Ahearn-Koch, she says, is that contract terms be set up that make clear the vast majority of the park remains accessible to the public. An early draft just promised a majority of the land. “So a majority means 50.1 percent, even though I think the meaning is 90 percent,” she says. “But words have meanings. Lawsuits are had over words.” It’s best to nail down a commitment to keep open a larger percent of the property, she says.

It’s details like that which led to multiple delays in a vote on a contract. Waddill hopes to secure city commission approval on April 15. 

[Education]  School District of Manatee County Appoints Four New Principals

The School District of Manatee County has announced four newly named principals for Manatee District Schools. The new positions are scheduled to take effect on July 1, 2019.

Kimberlain Zenon-Richardson has been named the new principal at Braden River Middle School. She has served as the assistant principal at Lee Middle School since July 2016, and previously served as an assistant principal at Braden River Middle from 2012 to 2016. Bernadette Pletcher has been named the new principal at Bayshore Elementary School. Earlier this week, Pletcher was named the Assistant Principal of the Year in the State of Florida by the Florida Department of Education for her work at Tillman Elementary, where she has served as the assistant principal since July 2016.

Shelby Bench has been named the new principal at Daughtrey Elementary School. She has served as the assistant principal at Daughtrey Elementary since July 2018. Carol Ricks has been named the new principal at Myakka City Elementary School. She has served as the assistant principal at McNeal Elementary since July 2016. 

School District of Manatee County

[Business]  Elysian Fields Finds New Owners in Gillettes

Elysian Fields, purveyor of books, goods and gifts aimed at a spiritual lifestyle, has been purchased by Ruta and Tony Gillette. Together, the couple brings a wealth of retail knowledge and experience to Elysian Fields. From Lithuania, Rita originally relocated to San Diego, CA where she became an esthetician, eventually going on to become a Reiki Master. Tony has been working in retail for over 35 years, from store management to executive level corporate leadership.  He has been involved with many different facets of retail, including operations, training and support positions. 

Elysian Fields

[Real Estate]  RASM Releases Latest Report, Inventory Continues Increases

According to the latest report from the Realtor Association of Sarasota and Manatee, in February 2019, inventory continues to increase across the two-county area, reaching a more balanced supply. Median sales prices increased in Sarasota but decreased in Manatee County. Compared to last year, closed sales increased for single-family homes but decreased in the condo market. Compared to last month, closed sales are up overall, indicating a start to the season.

Single-family home sales increased by 4.8 percent in Manatee County and increased by 4.2 percent in Sarasota. Manatee condo sales decreased by 14.9 percent and Sarasota condo sales decreased by 12.1 percent. Median sales prices increased in Sarasota County, but decreased in Manatee County. In Sarasota County, single-family home prices increased by 5.3 percent to $287,000 and condo prices increased by 10.5 percent to $242,000. Single-family home prices in Manatee decreased by 0.5 percent to $298,500, while condo prices decreased by 11.4 percent to $189,000.

Monthly reports are provided by Florida Realtors with data compiled from My Florida Regional Multiple Listing Service. For more information, the report can be found at the website below. 

Realtor Association of Sarasota and Manatee Statistics



[TODAY]  MUSEUM: Knights , February 3 – April 21

Drawn from the superb collections of the Stibbert Museum in Florence, Italy, this extraordinary exhibition reveals the figure of the knight in the Middle Ages and Renaissance through over 80 exquisite objects, including full suits of armor, helmets, corselets, swords and other weaponry. The exhibition explores the function and craftsmanship of these exquisite objects as well as their historical context, focusing on themes of love and war, jousts and tournaments, and the 19th-century revival of interest in medieval knighthood.

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

[SOON]  BUSINESS: Collaboration Celebration , March 26, 11:30am – 1pm

How does a place create a community? We know from research that a person’s zip code is a more reliable determinant of health than their genetic code. Why then, do we still struggle with poverty, addiction and homelessness in this region of beauty and prosperity?

Join us for our annual luncheon in March, where guest speaker Elma J. Felix-Lamontagne, AICP, will deliver a presentation about how places help to shape the identity of a community.

The Westin Sarasota, 100 Marina View Dr, Sarasota, FL 34236

[SOON]  PERFORMANCE: Piano Pizzazz Meets Fiddle Finesse , March 26

Good food and great music is always a perfect pairing. In this performance, enjoy a "West Side Story Medley", "Sweet Georgia Brown", "And I Love Her", "Fiddler on the Toof Medley" and a nod to the classics with "Beethoven With a Twist!"

Plantation Golf & Country Club, 500 Rockley Blvd., Venice

[SOON]  GALA: HospitaBull , March 26

Enjoy a night of exquisite dining while supporting USF Sarasota-Manatee’s Hospitality Management program. This dining experience is organized, prepared and served by USFSM students and faculty. Students in the restaurant management, event management and food prep courses organize, plan and execute each aspect of the event from start to finish.

The Ritz-Carlton, 1111 Ritz Carlton Dr., Sarasota

[SOON]  FOOD: Wine Walk to Ca' d'Zan , March 29, 6:00PM

This is a wine pairing experience unlike any other. Each individually themed station features exciting food and wine pairings along with activities and entertainment throughout the Ringling estate. Taste a variety of wines from Total Wine & More and engage with their wine experts while enjoying culinary delights from Sarasota's top caterers.

The Ringling, 5401 Bay Shore Rd, Sarasota

[SOON]  PERFORMANCE: New Stages Contemporary Performance Series: Union Tanguera + Kate Weare , March 29 – March 30

U.S. Choreographer Kate Weare collaborates with French tango ensemble to reveal the formal strengths and distinctions between Argentine tango and contemporary dance partnering. Performed by three tango dancers and two contemporary dancers with live music performed by Argentinean composer Gustavo Beytlemann.

[SOON]  GALA: Meow Masquerade , March 29, 6:30 PM - 10:00PM

Cat Depot’s Mardi Gras-themed, Meow Masquerade, will take place at the Hyatt Regency Sarasota on Friday, March 29, 2019 from 6:30-10 p.m. Guests will be treated to a variety of entertainment featuring performances by The Circus Arts Conservatory, Gumbo Boogie Zydeco Band, and DJ Jay. The good times will roll with a delicious plated dinner, handcrafted cocktails, premium raffle, and silent auction. Enjoy an interactive photo booth with TapSnap, and face painting by Pixie Painting. Tickets are $150. Please email claudiah@catdepot.orgor call 941-366-2404 for more information. Tickets available online – www.catdepot.org

Hyatt Regency Sarasota, 1000 Boulevard of the Arts, Sarasota FL

[SOON]  HEALTH: Women & Medicine Educational Luncheon , March 29, 10:30AM - 1:30PM

This year marks the 7th Anniversary of Women & Medicine and will support the Internal Medicine Residency Program at SMH. This educational luncheon features informative presentations and discussions from Sarasota Memorial Physicians. The topic of this luncheon will be, How to Be A Parter in Good Health [Making the Most of Your Physician Relationship]

Michael's on East, 1212 East Avenue, Sarasota

[SOON]  FOOD: Beer, Bands, and BBQ , March 30, 11:00AM - 4:00PM

The Music Compound’s 5th annual Beer, Bands & BBQ is back on March 30, 2019 from 11 am - 4 pm. It will be hosted at a new location, the courtyard of The Bazaar on Apricot & Lime, 821 Apricot Ave. Sarasota.

Look forward to 10 bands including Kara & Kaleidogroove, students from Music Compound will perform between sets. Food trucks and beer will be available throughout the day.

Admission is free and you are encouraged to bring your own lawn chair.

VIP wrist bands are available for $15 and include food samplings and a beer.

The Bazaar on Apricot & Lime, 821 Apricot Ave., Sarasota

[SOON]  GRAB BAG: Circus Angel Scavenger Hunt , March 30

Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls, Join us for the Greatest Circus Scavenger Hunt in Sarasota!  Fun for all ages, The Circus Angel Scavenger Hunt is a benefit for the Showpeople's Winter Quarters, established in 2015 by The Circus and Traveling Shows Retirement Project, Inc.a 501 (c) (3) organization which helps provide affordable housing assistance for elderly or infirm circus performers in the Southwest Florida area.

The scavenger hunt  includes 6 circus theme stops, live entertainment , giveaways and gift bags. You will have enough time to enjoy each stop, solve riddles with clues to find the little circus angels missing wing. The Grand finale is at 2:30 back at the registration hall at St. Martha's Church on Orange Avenue in Sarasota where the “All Aboard” Grand Prize package, a gourmet dinner served in the private "Silver Car'  on an Original Circus Train, will be awarded to the winning team of up to 6 people. 

Scavenger Hunt is by auto, in and around 5 miles of downtown Sarasota. Important: this is not a race. Tickets are reserved by emailing srqlynn@gmail.com  and are available for purchase from The Circus and Traveling Shows Retirement Project, Inc. on Venmo  via Lynn McDonald @ Lynn-McDonald-16384.  $25 per person. Two to six people per car to qualify. 

[SOON]  THEATER: Wednesday's Child , April 3 – May 24

A world premiere from Mark St Germain, when a young surrogate mother is found dead, a police investigation explodes the lives of everyone who knew her. As Detective aleece Valez and Walt Dixon begin to put the pieces together, secrets surface, alibis weaken, and lies are uncovered. This dramatic new play explores motherhood, passion, and the thin line between right and wrong.

Florida Studio Theatre, 1241 North Palm Ave., Sarasota

[SOON]  THEATER: The Cake in the Cook Theatre , April 5 – April 28

Faith, family and frosting collide in this heartfelt new comedy. Thirty-something Jen wants her deceased mother’s best friend Della, a struggling baker, to create her wedding cake. She returns from New York with her betrothed to her North Carolina hometown and finds that Della will honor her wish, until she discovers that there are two brides. Moral quandaries and lots of butter collide in this new play told with generosity, humor, and more than a few surprises.

Asolo Repertory Theatre, 5555 North Tamiami Trl., Sarasota

[SOON]  FOOD: TGIF 2019 Best of SRQ Local Party , April 5, 5-8pm

Join us to experience an evening of award-winning bites and imbibes as voted on by the readers of SRQ Magazine in this annual TGIF Best of SRQ Local Party on Friday, April 5th from 5-8pm at the Aloft Sarasota Hotel in Downtown Sarasota. 15+ Restaurants. Cocktail Samplings. Live DJ in the Courtyard. Celebrating the best locally owned establishments in the region, SRQ MEDIA asks our astute readers to vote for their favorite local eats, shopping, arts, luminaries and hotspots culminating in the buzzworthy special "Best of SRQ Local" awards feature published in the April edition. Celebrate your TGIF with the best our region has to offer—we will highlight local experiences—from new restaurants to the memorable theatre productions, from our community's best achievements to seriously talented chefs. Tickets on sale at SRQMAG.COM/BestOf.

Aloft Sarasota Hotel, 1401 Ringling Boulevard, Sarasota, FL

[SOON]  FESTIVAL: 21st Annual Sarasota Film Festival , April 5 – April 14

Held annually in Sarasota, FL, The Sarasota Film Festival emphasizes the best in cinema alongside exciting programs and events, with more than 200 films screened each year including features, documentaries, shorts, and kid-friendly picks. Entering our 21st year, we’re proud to bring the best new and established independent filmmakers to our Festival with local and kid-friendly programs that showcase our idyllic Gulf Coast community. The festival is a 501(c)(3), non-profit organization and also offers a year-round educational program, which reaches thousands of local students through classic film showcases, film contests, summer camps and instructional workshops. This year the festival will take place April 5th – 14th, 2019.

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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