Qualification week brought surprises in municipal contests in Sarasota and Manatee counties, most notably with the retirement of longtime Bradenton Mayor Wayne Poston. That will mean a new mayor for the first time in 20 years after the November elections. Council members Gene Brown and Harold Byrd, Jr. both qualified to run for the seat, as did educator Dimitrie Denis.

“I know we can keep taxes low, manage growth effectively and allow Bradenton’s story of prosperity to continue,” Brown said.

“I am running for the Mayor of Bradenton. The city is poised to make great strides in the areas of redevelopment and providing economic development opportunities and jobs,” said Byrd.

A candidate message from Denis called him a “pro-business constitutionalist who believes in fiscal responsibility.”

Jayne Kocher won the Ward 1 seat unopposed to succeed Gene Gallo. Pamela Coachman and Keenan Wooten will run for Byrd’s Ward 5 seat. So manay changes will hit City Hall regardless.

In Sarasota, Kyle Scott Battie is challenging Willlie Shaw in District 1. In District 2, Liz Albert ultimately must face five opponents: Joe Barbetta, Martin Hyde, Don Patterson, Terry Turner and Jerry Wells.

The open District 3 seat, where Shelli Freeland Eddie did not file for reelection, saw a last-minute entry by Rob Grant, an active member of the Arlington Park Neighborhood Association. He joins Dan Clermont and Erik Arroyo in seeking the spot on the Commission.

"I feel like the vice of the people is often not listened to," Grant said. "I believe it needs to be heard better downtown. I spend a lot fo tiem talking to neighbors and other city resients. I'm here to serve as a conduit to get those ideas down to City Hall and create action." 

In North Port, Commissioner Debbie McDowell faces a challenge from Jerry Nicastro. For the two open seats, David Iannotti, Richard Suggs and Nicholas Trolli battle in District 1, while Chaeryl Cook, Barbara Langdon and Debbie McDowell compete in District 2. 

Pictured: Harold Byrd, Gene Brown, Dimitrie Denis

Habitat restoration project managers juggle many priorities. One of those priorities is ensuring that the created habitat is useful for local wildlife. The restoration plan for Robinson Preserve will change with the priority species. Gopher tortoises need different things than tarpon, for example. Then there are considerations for public access, which can conflict with goals for species restoration.A quality job results in public land, inviting to all people, that provides safe places for wildlife to feed and breed. The driving force behind this year’s 135-acre restoration effort at Robinson Preserve Expansion is an effort to make habitat for snook, an important game fish in Southwest Florida. Manatee County Parks & Natural Resources staff have been working with leading inshore fisheries biologists to design wetlands that will provide high quality habitat for juvenile snook life stages.

So, what do juvenile snook need in a restored habitat? First, they need interconnected habitats so that snook larvae can find the restored habitat. Yet the habitat must restrict access for larger fish so that the young fish do not become prey. Their other needs are similar to our own. Young snook need food, a safe place to go when they’re tired of wind and waves, temperature control to keep them from getting too cold in winters, and shade to prevent their sensitive eyes from exposure to Florida’s strong sun. The expansion’s habitat plan includes adding diverse native plants to create hammocks, freshwater and saltwater wetlands, flatwoods, and freshwater ponds. Recycled oyster shells will be placed close to tidal connections to invite oyster larvae to settle.

People’s needs won’t go unmet either. Plans for the Expansion include pavilions, benches, restrooms, kayak storage tubes, and trail-side shade structures. These amenities should be more than enough to make up for the Expansion’s seven-month closure to accommodate the project. 

Click for more info.

Applications for Leadership Sarasota County are available until June 30! Now more than ever, emerging leaders need tools to lead our organizations and community.Leadership Sarasota County, a program of the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce, is building a community of leaders for Sarasota today and tomorrow. Adult Leadership connects participants with the leading voices in our community, who foster leadership development by sharing their knowledge and experience, all while immersing participants in hands-on demonstrations and activities.Youth Leadership is an opportunity for high school juniors to learn about the diversity and complexities of the community and develop valuable leadership skills during a nine month program. 

Click to apply.

Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Morris “Ben” Weiss, Sarasota Military Academy Senior JROTC Instructor and Commandant of Cadets, was recently named the 2020 USACC JROTC Senior Army Instructor (SAI) of the Year by the United States Army Cadet Command (USACC).

Every year, the USACC receives submissions from ROTC Brigades nominating one Senior Army Instructor for the consideration during the annual USACC Awards for Excellence. Applications are reviewed and each nominee must meet qualifications including an extensive list of criteria, nominations from the head of school and endorsements from the superintendent. Completed applications are reviewed and winners are selected from a list of finalists by the USACC reviewing board.

“We at the JROTC headquarters congratulate LTC Weiss for this prestigious honor. Recipients of the Senior Army Instructor (SAI) of the Year Award are icons of what JROTC is all about as we motivate young people to be better citizens,” said Colonel Michael A. Stinnett, Director of the United States Army’s JROTC Program. “Not only do our instructors teach, they coach, advise, counsel, mentor and lead their Cadets on to success, both while in high school and throughout their lives. We join in celebrating LTC Weiss’ outstanding recognition.”

According to USACC documents, selection criteria includes effectiveness in the classroom and community, examples of dedication to the profession of teaching, how the nominee compares to the school’s top classroom instructor, in what other activities is the nominee involved, and the instructors’ impact on the school’s JROTC enrollment and achievements of the cadets involved in the program.

“We are proud to know that LTC Weiss has been named with this incredible honor; it is well deserved and we appreciate the opportunity to highlight one of our most distinguished, passionate instructors,” said SMA-COL Fred Fout, Sarasota Military Academy High School Head of School. “He has significantly contributed to the achievements and success of both our school and JROTC while at the same time serving as a professional role model for both our staff and our Cadets. LTC Weiss is a highly effective and competent instructor who has greatly increased the effectiveness and capabilities of our Academy while providing our Cadets with “once in a lifetime” opportunities while motivating them to be better citizens.” 

Click to learn more about JROTC.

Marie Selby Botanical Gardens announces updates to its summer exhibition schedule at the Downtown Sarasota campus. Selby will extend Salvador Dali: Gardens of the Mind through July 26, 2020. The exhibition is in collaboration with The Dali Museum in St. Petersburg, FL. The Museum of Botany & The Arts showcases ten colorful photolithography of flowers by Dali along with works from American photographer Clyde Butcher's series Visions of Dali's Spain. From August 8 to September 20, visitors will be able to view both In Dialogue with Nature: Glass in the Gardens and Celebrate Selby Gardens! 40th Annual Juried Photography Exhibition. 

In the meantime, Selby Gardens will move to phase two reopening at both its Downtown Sarasota and Historic Spanish Point campuses today. In phase two, select indoor areas at both campuses will be open to the public from 10:30 am to 2:30 pm. Outdoor areas will continue to be open from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. For everyone's' safety, all guests, staff and volunteers in public indoor areas will be required to wear masks, and capacity is limited to allow for proper social distancing. For a complete list of phase two guidelines and protocols, visit selby.org.  

After closing for several weeks due to COVID-19, Fab Lab is excited to announce that it is now open for members and general visitors. Members are required to reserve equipment before visiting the lab; absolutely no walk-ins will be permitted. Visitors will be permitted to the lab through our Saturday afternoon lab tour which occurs every Saturday from 1-2pm.When the coronavirus took the world, country and local community by storm earlier this year, there was an unprecedented pandemic that no-one could have prepared for. As the team at Fab Lab ascertained more about the impact the crisis may inflict on the local community, they recognized the need to leverage their special resources to make a difference. They heard firsthand from healthcare workers that Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) was nonexistent although their will to fight for the health and safety of the community was as present as ever. Resorting to using bandanas or often times, going completely without protection, was not an option. They knew they couldn't solve the problem alone, nor would they want to as collaboration is at the core of our values. With the help of 260+ volunteers, the Suncoast Science Center COVID-19 Face Mask & Shield Project has been a huge success.

The COVID-19 Project Continues

A group of passionate high school and college students have been spending the last month researching different ways they can make an impact on their community during the COVID-19 pandemic. This Innovationship, which serves as an extension of the COVID-19 Face Mask & Shield Project, provides students with real-world experience planning projects, developing prototypes, collaborating with external partners and much more.

After consulting with experts at local COVID testing sites, schools and homeless shelters, the students have broken into two teams and are now developing prototypes! The Education Team is working on a student-focused app that will present COVID-19 related information in a fun, engaging manner. The Product Team is aiming to slow the spread of the virus with the design and creation of door handle attachments made of antiviral and antimicrobial materials. 

Click here to sign up for a tour.

The Sarasota Farmers Market understands the severity of the recent COVID-19 pandemic; therefore, we are working closely with the city of Sarasota on plans to reopen the market in a manner that is safe for the community, vendors, and our customers. “We look forward to returning to downtown Sarasota to serve our beloved community and customers with a fun and safer farmers market that we all love and miss," said Chairman, Travis Kinsey. 

Click for a full list of vendors and contact info.