« Back To SRQ Daily Archive

SRQ DAILY Jun 29, 2019

Please allow images to view this email properly

"There has been an alarming trend of peddled misinformation that has oversimplified our water issues by putting the blame on our state’s farmers."

- U.S. Rep. Greg Steube, R-Sarasota
 

[Gulf Coast]  If You Build It, They Will Come
Mark Pritchett, mpritchett@gulfcoastcf.org

It’s summertime, and the living is a little easier here on the Gulf Coast. We all know the usual tropes:  less traffic, more room at the beach and no long lines to get a table at your favorite restaurant. It’s a welcome chance to catch your breath, if the air isn’t too thick with humidity!

But some of our most civic-minded citizens hardly slow down even as the temperature soars. Two groups of these civic foot soldiers who deserve commendation are the Friends of the Legacy Trail and the volunteers of Venice Area Beautification, Inc. Both are working hard on huge projects poised to transform recreation and natural habitat through the heart of Sarasota County. They epitomize citizen engagement.

Yesterday, the Friends kicked off the “Race to Completion” of the Legacy Trail extension from its current northern terminus in Palmer Ranch to downtown Sarasota’s Payne Park, where a festive morning celebration was held. The project, which Sarasota County voters overwhelmingly approved in a referendum last fall, also will improve trail connectivity to North Port through Venice. All told, it will result in nearly 30 miles of continuous paved, multiuse trail, with potential for even further connections to Manatee, Charlotte and Desoto counties.

The project’s economic, environmental, recreational and health benefits are many and well-documented. From off-road connections to landmark attractions (think Siesta Beach, Ed Smith Stadium, and Nathan Benderson Park) to safe, new routes to dozens of Sarasota County schools in close proximity to the Trail, the potential is enormous.

Friendly Friends are out on the Legacy Trail every day to protect, promote and enhance its use. The Friends estimate that 216,000 people used the trail last year. Calculations through May show even higher usage every month so far in 2019. Just imagine where those numbers will go when the extended Legacy Trail connects downtown Sarasota, through Venice, to North Port.

At its southern end, the Legacy Trail links to the Venetian Waterway Park, a paved multiuse path that runs along both sides of the Intracoastal Waterway in Venice. This linear park was the first signature project of VABI, whose mission is to make Venice a more beautiful place to live, work and play. Gulf Coast’s partnership with VABI stretches back to the project, which the foundation helped support with significant grants.

VABI’s latest big initiative is the Venice Urban Forest, an ambitious effort to reforest more than 30 acres of former railroad right-of-way adjacent to the VWP. At the same time that the Friends of the Legacy Trail hosted their kickoff event in Sarasota yesterday, VABI volunteers were planting five huge live oaks and several red cedars in the burgeoning forest they’re growing south from the Venice Avenue Bridge to Center Road. If you’re reading this column early on Saturday morning, another group is out there right now pulling weeds and tidying up before the sun gets too high. These folks set a new standard for “sweat equity,” and the fruits of their labor will be bountiful and beautiful.

Like every VABI project, the Urban Forest is all about volunteers and donations. Gulf Coast recently awarded the group a matching grant to invite more cash contributions from the community, and the abundant in-kind gifts received so far are typical of a VABI effort but nonetheless impressive.

The vision for the Urban Forest, like the Legacy Trail, includes wide and numerous benefits—preserved parkland, restored wildlife habitat, improved water quality, and much-needed carbon sequestration, oxygen generation, and cooling, to name a few. Invasive plants have been almost completely removed from the “phase two” section of the forest, and soil is being graded for the next milestone feature: a verdant butterfly garden.

Also like every VABI project, the Urban Forest’s people-powered progress is producing impressive incremental improvements and pleasant surprises. Partners from the local Audubon Society chapter recently counted 30 species of birds enjoying the new plantings in a single day, and sightings have even included wild turkeys and Florida scrub-jays—two visitors not expected so early in the new forest’s growth.

Together, the citizen-driven Legacy Trail and Venice Urban Forest are proving that when it comes to smart, sustainable transformation of an unused rail corridor, if you build it they will come. And the driven citizens behind these projects have earned the gratitude and admiration of many generations to come.

Mark Pritchett is president and CEO of the Gulf Coast Community Foundation. 

[On Environment]  The Lifeblood of Florida
Greg Steube

Florida’s vast water resources are the lifeblood of Florida and are precisely why our state is such a vibrant and unique part of America. Water is at the core of Florida’s economy and a defining feature of our state’s identity. Our beautiful beaches, lakes and springs are enjoyed by people the world over, and water from our immense lakes has served as a critical source in feeding Florida’s families and providing nourishment for many of our nation’s crops. Our state’s preservation and strength depend upon the quality of our water. 

While in elected office, I have had the opportunity to consider wide-ranging proposals aimed at tackling various components of Florida’s water issues. I was proud to vote for continued red tide research, as well as the construction of a reservoir south of Lake Okeechobee to curb excess discharges. More recently, however, as Floridians have understandably grown impatient with poor water quality, there has been an alarming trend of peddled misinformation that has oversimplified our water issues by putting the blame on our state’s farmers. This trend has inspired misguided policy proposals at the expense of Florida’s agriculture community, many of whom are hard-working residents of our district whose families have made a living in Florida for over seven generations. 

Among the proposals recently touted includes the drastic lowering of Lake Okeechobee’s water levels. This ill-conceived action would accelerate water shortages and jeopardize the lake’s vast ecosystems and crop productions critical to Florida’s environmental and economic wellbeing. Lowering lake levels below 10 feet also poses a dangerous threat to all Floridians in times of severe drought, as it would disrupt natural water supplies to key nearby water bodies while imposing economic strain on local farmers, growers and ranchers. Florida experienced a drought in August 2011 that would have decimiated Florida’s rural economy if not for healthy lake levels.

Like all Floridians, I’m tired of the polluted water, the red tide, the algal blooms, but we must rely on data and science when crafting policy, not haste and emotion that foster divisiveness and bad policy. At the end of the day, whether it’s development north of the lake, aging septic tanks, or ill-advised fertilizer and farming techniques, there are many contributors to the water crisis and plenty of blame to go around. That is why it is essential that we work together and take a holistic approach to solving each part of this problem so that we address this issue with all Floridians in mind. I look forward to working with President Trump, the Army Corps of Engineers, fellow members of Congress and local and state lawmakers to ensure water continues to be the lifeblood of Florida for generations to come. 

U.S. Rep. Greg Steube, R-Sarasota, serves in the 116th Congress. 



[Survey]  LAST CHANCE: Share Your Story - SRQ Magazine's 2019 Readers Engagement Survey, Closes July 1st

There's still time to connect with the team at SRQ Magazine | Live Local and Love Local for the 2019 Readers Engagement Survey. We invite readers to share their thoughts on how they want to enjoy their time with the magazine—from the types of stories we cover to the way we lay them out in our pages. We want to know what you'd like to see more of in our coverage. Thank you for sharing your insights with us. Click below to take the survey before it closes on July 1st. 

Take the Survey

[SCOOP]  Sarasota PowerBoat Grand Prix Festival

This annual Festival offers more than a dozen events for the entire family to enjoy, culminating with some of the fastest powerboats in the world racing in the Gulf of Mexico off Lido Beach. Enjoy a downtown block party, golf tournament, kickoff party, race team meet & greet events, Powerboats By The Bay, July 4th Fireworks Spectacular, and so much more! 

Sarasota PowerBoat Grand Prix Festival

[SCOOP]  Children First Chosen to Lead Literacy Effort

Children First has been selected for a matching grant through the Reading is Fundamental (RIF) literacy network for its commitment to lifelong learning. Books for Ownership is RIF’s flagship reading program that enables children to select new, age-appropriate books to take home in an effort to create a continuous focus on literacy. Rohn and Susan Schaefer of DG Ace Hardware provided matching funds to encourage a love of literacy among our community’s most at-risk youth. Because only 1 in 300 low-income children own a book, Books for Ownership relies on a simple yet fundamental truth: if you allow children choice and access, they will become more engaged readers and learners.  

Children First

[SCOOP]  Sarasota Memorial Healthcare Foundation Awards over $650,000 in Grants to SMH Residency and Palliative Care Programs

Sarasota Memorial Healthcare Foundation (SMHF) recently awarded a total of four grants benefitting the Sarasota Memorial Hospital Emergency Care Center (ECC), Internal Medicine and Emergency Medicine Residency Program, and Palliative Care Program. “The Healthcare Foundation is thrilled to be able to help SMH build and grow its medical residency programs,” said SMHF president Mason Ayres. “Providing support for education and other patient-centric initiatives is how we help SMH maintain its national ranking as a ‘top performing’ hospital.” 

Sarasota Memorial Healthcare Foundation

[SCOOP]  Goodwill receives Grant to Assist Individuals With Barriers to Employment

Goodwill Manasota recently received a grant of $60,000 from the Ralph S. French Charitable Foundation in support of the award-winning GoodPartner Coach program.  The GoodPartner Coach program offers individuals with disabilities and other barriers to employment  with job training and case management services. The goal of the program is to enable participants to gain positive personal and workplace behaviors and skills, feel the pride of earning a paycheck and move toward self-sufficiency, build a strong work history, and develop the experience and skills to position them for higher-paying jobs outside of Goodwill. 

GoodPartner Coach Program

[SCOOP]  Funding Available for Seniors in Manatee County

Daybreak Adult Day Center, a program of Meals on Wheels PLUS, has space available for seniors in Manatee County who are looking for a safe, secure environment offering social, recreational, and therapeutic activities. Daybreak Adult Day Center in Lakewood Ranch is the only facility in Manatee County licensed by the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration. Seniors aged 60 and over who reside in Manatee County are eligible to participate and potentially receive funding. The program is also open to clients who can self-pay. 

Meals on Wheels PLUS Daybreak Adult Day Center

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

Copyright © 2024 by SRQ Media Group, 331 South Pineapple Avenue, Sarasota, FL 34236.
Powered by Sarasota Web Design | Unsubscribe

Read More

Where Oil Meets Water

Where Oil Meets Water

Phil Lederer | Mar 1, 2024

Freedom to Wander

Freedom to Wander

Laura Paquette | Mar 1, 2024

Drive and Dine

Drive and Dine

Laura Paquette | Mar 1, 2024

A Mesmerizing Journey

A Mesmerizing Journey

Barbie Heit | Mar 1, 2024