SRQ DAILY May 17, 2021
Monday Business Edition
"Whatever balance may have existed in our lives prior to 2020 has gone out the window for a lot of professionals as the lines between work, school and home life blurred nearly overnight,"
It’s barely been two weeks since the Florida Legislature wrapped up its regular legislative session. Now lawmakers are back in Tallahassee for a special session on a gaming agreement with the Seminole Tribe. But there will be more issues about gambling that arise.
“This will be an interesting week and I’m keeping an open mind on everything and currently reading all the bills that dropped recently,” said Rep. Will Robinson, R-Bradenton. “We have several gaming bills in this special session, not just one of the compact.”
He noted a House select subcommittee today will hear all bills filed so far shortly after lawmakers are gaveled back into session. Robinson in the past has pursued legislation to limit expansion of electronic gambling in Florida, which will be addressed in session.
And what of the arcades and electronic gaming establishments that have popped up in greater number over the past decade? So far there’s nothing addressing that directly. But Sen. Jim Boyd, R-Bradenton, notes a gaming commission has been proposed in legislation.
“While I’m still not certain arcades are presently allowed under law, the legislation before us next week does not deal with the issue. The Gaming Commission being proposed, if passed, may have jurisdiction after it becomes law.”
The biggest issue remains a 30-year compact with the Seminole Tribe, which owns the Hard Rock Casino locations and other Florida establishments. A proposed compact could newly allow sports betting. If approve, a deal could generate billions for the state but it also has many anti-gambling interests concerned, including backers of the No Casinos amendment passed in Florida’s Constitution in 2018.
And a number of business interests have expressed frustration at the inequity of major operations like the Hard Rock offering gambling the Seminole Tribe, as a sovereign indigenous nation, can offer that other businesses legally cannot. Meanwhile, voters in Florida have also shut down businesses like dog tracks through statewide votes.
Whatever comes out of this week in Tallahassee, a deal would still need to be approved by the Seminole Tribe itself, and the federal Interior Department would have to sign off as well.
The session is expected to run a week or less. 
Image from Pixabay
The Central West Coast Chapter of the Florida Public Relations Association (CWC-FPRA) is hosting “May Master Class: Balance,” a three-part virtual event providing advice and strategies to successfully balance one’s professional and personal lives. Each session will take place on Zoom from noon - 1pm from May 25 – 27. “Whatever balance may have existed in our lives prior to 2020 has gone out the window for a lot of professionals as the lines between work, school and home life blurred nearly overnight,” says Eleni Kouvatsos, APR, president of CWC-FPRA and senior communications manager for First Watch Restaurants. “This year’s virtual Master Class will create an opportunity to reflect, reset and renew our focus on what’s important.”
Entech, a longtime technology partner of Habitat for Humanity of Lee and Hendry Counties, has participated in a Virtual Engagement Day, helping raise awareness about the importance of affordable housing solutions in our community. Despite the impacts of Covid-19, Habitat has made audacious plans to build 55 homes for families in need of a decent, affordable place to call home in Lee County this fiscal year. Today in Lee County, over 52,000 households pay more than half of their income on housing costs.
Williams Parker is pleased to announce attorney Bonnie Lee Polk has been elected partner of the firm, effective July 1. “We are honored to have Bonnie as our partner,” said Ric Gregoria, president of Williams Parker. “She has demonstrated outstanding leadership, passion, and commitment to our clients and our community and we look forward to seeing her star continue to rise.”
The Ramos Center for Interventional & Functional Pain Medicine proudly welcomes, board certified Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Interventional Pain Physician, Dr. Lindsay Shroyer, to their comprehensive team. Her addition to the Ramos Center complements the existing diverse and high-quality care they deliver to patients.
Kevin DiLallo, CEO and Group VP, for the Manatee Healthcare System, has been promoted to Group Vice President Florida Region for parent company Universal Health Services. In this role, Kevin will be responsible to oversee four hospitals that make up the UHS Acute Care Florida Region including Manatee Memorial Hospital, Lakewood Ranch Medical Center, Wellington Regional Medical Center and a planned hospital in Palm Beach Gardens, FL.
Sarasota County Schools is pleased to announce the appointment of McHenry Lerebours, effectively immediately, as Principal of McIntosh Middle School, where he has served as Interim Principal since late February.
DOH Sarasota, in partnership with the State Region 6 Incident Management Team, is making Pfizer vaccine available at the Sarasota Square Mall vaccine site this Saturday, May 14, 2021 from 9am to 4pm. Both Pfizer vaccine and Moderna vaccine first doses and second doses will be available.
The Child Protection Center, Inc. (CPC) has been awarded a $4,400 grant sponsored by The Plantation Community Foundation of Venice, Florida to support CPC’s Personal Safety and Community Awareness Program (PSCA) through the use of new technology and professional video.
The Florida College Access Network (FCAN) and its partners across the state launched the Cash for College campaign to promote FAFSA completion as a crucial step as students and their families make plans for education beyond high school. About 4 out of 5 students in Florida use some combination of federal, state, and school-based aid to pay for college, and the way to access that aid is by completing the FAFSA. Research shows that for every $1,000 in financial aid a student receives, persistence increases by 4 percentage points. The maximum Pell Grant — the primary source of federal aid for low- income college students — is currently $6,345 for the 2020-21 award year and is scheduled to increase by $150, to $6,495, for 2021-22.
A record number of golfers, 228, teed off at the 19th Annual Sarasota Memorial Healthcare Foundation Golf Tournament on May 7. The all-day event raised $170,000. To date, the tournament has raised more than $1 million for the Sarasota Memorial Hospital Physicians Endowment which provides continuing education opportunities for Sarasota Memorial Health Care System staff.
Wild Kratts: Ocean Adventure - a new exhibit created by Minnesota Children's Museum and the creators of the top-rated PBS Kids TV series "Wild Kratts" - will open soon at Mote Aquarium. The exhibit focuses on building STEM-based skills for children ages 3 to 9. It will be at Mote from January 30 to June 6, 2021. Wild Kratts: Ocean Adventure transports visitors to the Wild Kratts world, immersing them in whole body explorations of ocean habitats. Using Wild Kratts technology and the powers of science and teamwork, children and their families will join the Wild Kratts team to solve problems, help marine animals, and foil the villains' nefarious plans.
Since 2011, The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature has partnered with the Toomey Foundation for the Natural Sciences to lead more than 50 Manatee County teachers on paleontology expeditions to the Nebraska Badlands, allowing them to gain hands-on experience they can bring back to their classrooms. Starting January 28, The Bishop will share these expeditions with guests through its newest special exhibition, Badlands to Bradenton: Lessons from the Field, which showcases some of the most fascinating fossil finds and tells the story of these summer paleontology digs and how they can support learning. Badlands to Bradenton: Lessons from the Field will be open through June 6 and visiting is included in the price of admission. Badlands to Bradenton also includes interactive features for smartphones and tablets, including 3D models of fossils and paleoart commissioned especially for the exhibition.
This exhibition showcases the legendary Pop artist's screen prints based on Monet's world-famous paintings of waterlilies and haystacks from February 13 until June 27, 10am to 5pm. Lichtenstein's rarely seen Water Lilies and Haystacks provide an unexpected homage to a staple of the public imagination - Monet's paintings of his garden and home at Giverny that inspired them. The display of Lichtenstein's art in the midst of a horticultural evocation of Giverny creates a unique experience for more than 100,000 garden visitors. Selby Gardens, transformed into Monet's famed gardens at Giverny through the Pop Art lens of Roy Lichtenstein, includes iconic elements of Monet's garden such as the green Japanese bridge, trellises, and benches. This conjuring of Lichtenstein's world also serves as the dynamic backdrop to the lush plantings and mixed borders for which Monet's paintings were renowned. An avid gardener, Monet once said, "My garden is my most beautiful masterpiece." Marie Selby Botanical Gardens evokes this crowning achievement with a surprising Pop Art twist.
The DSA Presents First Friday Gallery Walk. Enjoy your walk or stroll in Downtown Sarasota with participating galleries, including State of the Arts Gallery on State Street, AlexArt International located at 25 North Pineapple Avenue, Dabbert Gallery on Historic Palm Avenue, Art Uptown Gallery on Sarasota’s Main Street, and 530 Burns Gallery in Historic Burns Court.
The entertainments to be found on the circus lot at the end of the 19th century were not limited to those that took place in and above the rings. When American circuses expanded their performance areas from one ring to two and, eventually, three, the space that encircled the rings became an additional space for special presentations. Called the hippodrome track to align its displays with the pageants and contests of Ancient Rome, the track became the site of some of the most exhilarating and mad cap features of the circus – the races. Enjoy this exhibition at the Circus Museum from February 20 through May 23 during museum hours free with admission.
Yoga Instructor Ashley Stewart will lead a yoga session on the Ca' d'Zan Terrace. Each session will last one hour, and participants may begin entering 30 minutes prior to the event. Participants should bring a yoga mat and water or drink as desired. Tickets are limited to 50 in order to maintain proper social distancing. Please note: Tickets will be available 30 days prior to each event and must be purchased online, in advance of the event. Upcoming dates include Thursday, March 18 and April 15 at 6:30pm and Thursday, May 20 and June 17 at 7pm.
Sculpture has long been an integral part of Sarasota’s cultural legacy. On this 90-minute trolley or van tour, you visit more than 50 of the city’s public art sculptures, monuments, and murals in charming neighborhoods and downtown Sarasota. Sit back and relax as painter and public art expert Jerome Chesley helps you see the city through new eyes. Get ready to discover beautiful public pieces you may have never noticed before! Admire Jorge Blanco’s “Bravo” on the roundabout at Ringling Boulevard and Orange Avenue. Catch a glimpse of John Henry’s “Complexus,” standing over 60 feet tall. Pass by Seward Johnson’s iconic bayfront sculpture, “Unconditional Surrender,” a larger-than-life recreation of the famous photograph taken on V-J Day in Times Square. Ready to learn more about what makes Sarasota a true arts mecca? See all this and more on this unforgettable public art trolley or van tour. Book your tickets online today. This tour is 90 minutes, open to ages 12 and up, departs from 1826 4th Street, from October to May. Tours with fewer than 10 guests will travel in our comfortably air-conditioned high-top van. Tour ticket includes FREE Parking.
Hop aboard our trolley or van tour to learn about the vibrant Amish and Mennonite cultures here in Sarasota. Learn about the beliefs, traditions and differences between these two religious orders from our knowledgeable and passionate tour guide, Kendra Cross. Visit the Pinecraft community, a small working neighborhood that attracts many members of the Amish and Mennonite orders. Many families travel to this Sarasota haven during the winter months to escape the harsh weather in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and several other northern states. Slow down and enjoy the small pleasures in life on our tour of this rustic and charming neighborhood. Enjoy the tour stops at Alma Sue’s Quilt Shop, The Carlisle Inn and Der Dutchman Amish Kitchen Cooking Restaurant for a sample of their delicious pie. Gain a new appreciation for the rich culture of Sarasota’s Amish and Mennonite communities on this informative trolley or van tour. Book your tickets online today. Tours with fewer than 10 guests will travel in our comfortably air-conditioned high-top van. Tour tickets are $34.99 and include FREE Parking.
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