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SRQ DAILY Nov 6, 2021

"If three large hotels are built on Siesta Key, it is probable that tourists will no longer visit Siesta Key in winter but go to St. Petersburg or Clearwater where road and traffic conditions are better."

- Capers Jones, Namcook Analytics
 

[Education]  To Multiply Good, Choose an Abundance Mindset
Jennifer Vigne, jvigne@edfoundationsrq.org

“Yes, AND...” or ‘Yes, BUT...”

In both prosperous and challenging times, I believe that most Americans aspire to be a force for good.

Given a choice, most of us want to be an effective factor in amplifying the positive influence and productivity of family, company, charitable cause, and greater community. 

Luckily, we have a choice, and it is a choice that moves us away from a zero-sum game mentality to a force multiplier perspective.

The power of adopting the “yes, and” mindset was a topic in a pre-pandemic discussion relative to strengthening economic prosperity and building social trust while simultaneously pursuing unified solutions to address education’s major challenges.

Given the ongoing challenges facing our society, I think this is an appropriate time to reexamine the role our chosen mindset plays in our personal and professional lives and community interactions.

Research has shown that it is possible to change one’s mindset, if needed, and an abundance mindset, indicated by “yes, and,” is beneficial to student success, overall mental health and community harmony.

A purposeful abundance mindset expands a person’s capacity, positivity and creativity to leverage existing resources; to do more good deeds; to balance personal freedom with responsibility; to see challenges as learning opportunities; to engage in the spirit of compromise; and to take a non-critical and solutions-oriented approach to weighty problems.

What happens when “yes, but” is used? The “but” conjunction can indicate a scarcity mentality. Even when basic needs are met and sufficient resources exist, a scarcity mentality can result in being overly focused on a narrow mindset, which often leads to becoming guarded and less willing to participate in productive community problem-solving.

It becomes a zero-sum game: I win, you lose. The problem, though, is that in the end, we all lose.

It doesn’t take a big leap to see how opposing mindsets can lead to the idea that one side must win and the other side must lose, resulting in a breakdown in community discourse and halting the sharing of ideas that can carry a community forward even during a prolonged crisis.

It is possible to strengthen economic prosperity and build social trust while simultaneously pursuing unified solutions to address education’s major challenges.

If we make “yes, and” a practice, could one good deed beget another good deed that begets yet another good deed, and so on? Could this become a force multiplier that leverages our collective good thinking, expands our ability to solve problems, and restores unity, balance and harmony?

It is our prerogative and within our power to choose if and how we will multiply and amplify our community’s highest potential.

I choose “yes, and.” I hope you will join me.

Jennifer Vigne is president and CEO of the Education Foundation of Sarasota County. 

[Community]  Trusted Network of Care, For Neighbors, By Neighbors
Roxie Jerde, roxie@cfsarasota.org

This week, a report crossed my desk from the Glasser/Schoenbaum Human Services Center, one of the many nonprofit organizations that are part of our Season of Sharing network. Within its pages, I was introduced to Candis, a hardworking employee with Sarasota County Schools and mother of two young children – one seven years old, and the other eleven months. For the last year and a half, Candis took time off from work to care for her husband as he battled with cancer, before he tragically passed away in September. Having fallen behind in her mortgage, she reached out to the Sarasota County School Board for a month’s worth of rental assistance, to ensure her children would have a roof over their head as they said goodbye to their father.

I am able to share this emotional story for no other reason than Candis’ courage and generosity. By no means is it easy to take that first step in requesting help at one’s most trying time. And then to follow that courageous step by laying bare your most difficult moments to inspire others – sometimes even complete strangers – is the ultimate gift of generosity to sacrifice one’s greatest hardship knowing your story can help inspire others to help our neighbors in need. In Candis’ story as well as the many others touched by Season of Sharing in its more than 21 years, trust is an ever-present force that catalyzes and brings forth hope.

Without trust, Season of Sharing – a region-wide campaign to extend a helping hand to our neighbors living on the economic edge from Punta Gorda to Parrish – wouldn’t exist. Thankfully, a trusted and robust network of more than 50 human service agencies has developed over the years to distribute dollars quickly, thoughtfully, and without the proverbial “red tape,” so there is security and peace of mind when there is nowhere else to turn in an emergency.

Of the many things nearly two years of the COVID-19 pandemic revealed, we saw the long-term effectiveness of this network affirmed, from those who give to those who navigate human services on behalf of those in crisis. In other parts of the country, communities scrambled to develop a network of agencies and raise general funds for the very instabilities – be it rent, mortgage, utilities, child care or transportation – that Season of Sharing has watched over for more than two decades. As we’ve seen amidst this crisis and will see beyond it, collaboration paired with trust is how we can all come together for the betterment of our community.

Beginning this week, we are once again reigniting this time-tested and trusted campaign to address the heightened needs still being experienced by too many of our neighbors in Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte and DeSoto counties.

I can think of no better gift this holiday season than realizing that you can profoundly change someone’s life, no matter your means. To strengthen your generosity, longtime Season of Sharing partner The Patterson Foundation is continuing its support through a matching opportunity, contributing $100,000 for every $500,000 raised by the community through Jan. 31, 2022. With no cap on the number of contributions donors can activate, there is no better time to give what you can knowing that every dollar matters and stays local to help our most vulnerable.

Season of Sharing reminds us that by addressing daily instabilities, we gain the perspectives, connections, and resources necessary to meaningfully approach our greatest challenges. It’s within this trusted network of care for neighbors, by neighbors, that we can restore stability and unlock possibilities so everyone who calls this area home can thrive. We hope you’ll be a part of it.

Roxie Jerde is president and CEO of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County. 

To make a gift or learn more about Season of Sharing, please visit www.cfsarasota.org/community-impact/community-care/season-of-sharing. Thank you for your generosity.

[On Development]  Data Shows Hotel Can Ravage Siesta Traffic
Capers Jones

I live on Siesta Key and own a software company that develops predictive estimating tools. Our clients include IBM, Microsoft, the Department of Defense, the government of South Korea and many others.

After looking at the issues dealing with hotels and unmanaged growth of large buildings on Siesta Key, I developed a mathematical model of traffic patterns on Midnight Pass Road.

Assuming a time of 11am, during the summer low season the 1.1-mile stretch of road between Stickney Bridge and Siesta Key beach has an average of 14 automobiles that move toward the beach at a rate of about 26 miles per hour. They can go from the bridge to the beach in less than 5 minutes.

During the high winter season at 11am there are about 400 automobiles on the stretch of road between Stickney Bridge and Siesta Key and they move at an average speed of about 1.25 miles per hour; i.e. it takes almost one hour to drive the 1.1-mile distance from the bridge to the beach.

If three more large hotels are built on Siesta Key, the number of autos at 11am may increase to almost 500 on the same stretch of road and the speed will drop down to about 0.5 miles per hour; i.e. it may take two hours to go from the bridge to the beach.

It is obvious that tourists could drive 35 miles from Sarasota to St. Petersburg beach in less than one hour at the same time of day. If three large hotels are built on Siesta Key, it is probable that tourists will no longer visit Siesta Key in winter but go to St. Petersburg or Clearwater where road and traffic conditions are better.

The probable impact of building three large hotels on Siesta Key will be bankruptcy of some Siesta Key businesses, probably including the new hotels themselves.

Neither the planning commission nor the hotel developers have analyzed peak traffic and the harmful impact that increased traffic will have on Sarasota and Siesta Key. My full model covers both bridges in both directions and can be set for any month or time of day. 

Some possible solutions to the problems would be: 1) Expand parking on the mainland sides of both bridges and run shuttles to the beach; 2) Make the bridges toll bridges with fees for going to Siesta Key but not for leaving; 3) Build a third bridge between the two existing bridges; 4) Limit hotel sizes and occupancy rates; 5) Use computerized planning models for evaluating changes in zoning and traffic densities.

Capers Jones is vice president and chief technology officer of Namcook Analytics. 

Rendering couresy Sarasota County: Plannes Stickney Point hotel.



[SOON]  GALLERY: Docent-Guided Tour of Arts Advocates Gallery , November 3 – June 1, 11am-11:45am

For the first time since its founding in 1969, Arts Advocates has its own gallery to display works from its collection of Florida artists. Located in the Siesta Mall, 3501 S. Tamiami Trail, Suite 119, in Sarasota, the opening exhibit features works by Sarasota Art Colony artists. Docent-guided tours of the exhibit are open to the public from 11am to 11:45pm on the first Wednesday of each month: November 3, December 1, January 5, February 2, March 2, April 6, May 4, and June 1. Tours are $10 per person, or $5 per person for Arts Advocates members, and can be booked below. Attendance is limited to 10. Group and special tours can be arranged by contacting Stephenie Frasher, docent team leader, at docent@artsadvocates.org.  

[SOON]  MUSIC: Sarasota Orchestra: Masterworks: Portraits in Sound , November 5 – November 7, 8pm and 2:30pm

Brazilian composer Mozart Camargo Guarnieri spices his Festive Overture with flavors of South America on Friday, November 5 at 8pm, Saturday, November 6 at 8pm, and Sunday, November 7 at 2:30pm at the Van Wezel. Superstar violinist Blake Pouliot is featured in Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto. The program concludes with Mussorgsky's orchestral showpiece, Pictures at an Exhibition, showcasing ten vivid, short musical interludes that were influenced by works of art. The final movement, "The Great Gate of Kiev," stands as one of the most majestic moments in orchestral music.

[SOON]  SPORTS: Satchel's Last Resort 10th Annual Pars 4 Paws Golf Tournament , November 6, 8:30am

If you love animals, love golf and would love to play at the Resort at Longboat Key Club’s gorgeous Links on Longboat Key Course, please join us for a great morning of golf followed by a delicious cookout lunch at 8:30am on Saturday, November 6, 2021 at The Resort at Longboat Key Club. Love Satchel’s and our no-kill mission but not a golfer? Join us for our gourmet Cookout Buffet Lunch to be served when the golfers head back (likely starting around 11:30). We’re hoping for a beautiful fall day where you can sit back and relax while enjoying a delicious cookout lunch under the oaks at the Longboat Key Club. Raffle tickets for a chance at 1 of 3 baskets containing $100 in lottery tickets will be available and pics of our beautiful dogs and cats looking for their forever homes will be on the tables promoting Satchel’s Be Our Hero sponsorship program.

[SOON]  FESTIVAL: Florida Farm Bureau Pavilion: Free Fall Festival 2021 , November 6, 11am-4pm

NextHome Excellence and NextHome In The Sun's annual Free Fall Festival at the Florida Farm Bureau is BACK on Saturday, November 6, 2021 from 11am to 4pm. Join us for a completely free, KID-FRIENDLY event. This is one of the most fun events of the year - here are just some of the things you can enjoy at the festival: Carnival Games, Bounce Houses, Dunk Tank, Food Trucks, Airbrush Tattoos, Arts & Crafts, Obstacle Course, Inflatable Axe Throwing, Live Music, Artisan Market, and Fun & Games. All proceeds benefit Heroes Welcome Home, a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to helping veterans buy and maintain their homes.

[SOON]  FESTIVAL: Sarasota Medieval Fair , November 6 – November 28, 10am-5:30pm

The Sarasota Medieval Fair is Back - NEW LOCATION: Woods of Mallaranny. Welcome one and all to four weekends of exciting tournaments, scrumptious feasts, & pure family fun at the Sarasota Medieval Fair. We are so proud to announce the triumphant return of the renowned 17th Annual Sarasota Medieval Fair. The fair will be November 6th-28th, running every weekend on Saturday and Sunday at our much anticipated and beautiful NEW LOCATION, Woods of Mallaranny. Visit us each weekend as each weekend features a full new line-up of different nationally renowned acts! Plus, don't miss our returning favorites such as the Washing Well Wenches, the Human Combat Chess Match, and full-armored full-contact jousting tournaments held twice daily. Live the majesty and madness of knights, jesters, minstrels, belly dancers, wenches, and sword swingers! Watch the full contact joust and human combat chess tournaments! Ride rides and play games. Feast on turkey legs and hearty ales from the English pubs. Plus, join in on the fun with this years Scottish scenario, the Battle of Falkirk, 1298 AD. We encourage all to interact with our cast of characters, ask questions, and participate in the grandeur of color, sound, taste, and festivities. Come one and all to four weekends of exciting tournaments, scrumptious feasts, & pure family fun at the Sarasota Medieval Fair. 

[SOON]  FESTIVAL: 1st Annual Bradenton Riverwalk Arts & Crafts Festival , November 6 – November 7, 10am-5pm

A new tradition starts in Bradenton with the 1st Annual Bradenton Riverwalk Arts & Crafts Festival on Saturday, November 6 and Sunday, November 7 from 10am to 5pm at the Pavilion on the Bradenton Riverwalk, 452 3rd Avenue W. The event is FREE and open to the public. Explore fine arts and crafts in an outdoor gallery created by artisans from across Florida and the United States. All the artwork juried into this event is handmade, hand-crafted in such mediums as painting, jewelry, photography, ceramics, candles, glass, woodworking, dips & sauces, metalwork, digital art fishing apparel and more.

[SOON]  FILM: WSLR + Fogartyville: Duty Free , November 7 – November 10, 7pm

Duty Free will have an in-person screening and local panel discussion on Tuesday, November 9, 7pm and a FREE Virtual Screening November 7 – November 10. Rebecca worked every day of her life as a hotel housekeeper to give her two sons, Sian-Pierre and Gabriel, every opportunity life could afford. When it was time for Sian-Pierre to go to college, she even cashed out her 401K to give him the best education possible. But when she was suddenly fired from her job at 75, Rebecca was left with nothing: no savings, no safety net, and no future job prospects. Now, Sian-Pierre is giving her back the life she sacrificed, and helping her to reclaim her future, one bucket-list adventure at a time. Ageism and Financial Insecurity in America are pervasive. Older folks are invisible in their communities, workplaces, and, sometimes, within their own families. An estimated 25 million won’t have enough money to get through retirement age. Duty Free examines ageism, the care crisis, and economic insecurity in America. Who will care for and support our moms and dads? Our grandmothers and our grandfathers? Who will support us as we age?

[SOON]  GRAB BAG: Beauty & Wellness Pop-Up Market , November 6 – November 7, 10am-2pm

Beauty & Wellness Pop-Up Market in the middle of the lovely Siesta Key Village on November 6 and 7. Come and meet your favorite local vendors on Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 2pm in front of the Beach Bazaar. Handmade jewelry, fashion, skin care, nails' products, clothing, accessories and more...  

[SOON]  FESTIVAL: LeMarche Parisian Marketplace , November 6, 10am-5pm

Experience LeMarche Bohemien Parisian-Inspired Outdoor Marketplace – Saturday, November 6, 2021, 10am to 5pm downtown Sarasota in Five Points Park. Admission is free. Discover an array of one-of-a-kind pieces created by some of the region's most talented artisans featuring Parisian vocalist, Michelet Innocent. The marketplace is a vintage collector's paradise, with wearable clothing and accessories that feature vintage photographs and re-purposing vintage apparel. Other artists will showcase re-purpose furniture and home accessories using chalk paint and stencils in intricate designs. From wall hangings crafted from stained glass and natural elements to sculpted work and intricate jewelry created from antique buttons, sterling silver and semi-precious stones, and MORE.

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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