This Saturday, come to Phillippi Estate Park to catch a performance from Florida Studio Theatre. At 7pm, FST will make its next stop on its summer touring show, Off the Charts! - a free, public performance that features a high-energy music revue designed to make musical theater as accessible as possible. “The show is performed by our acting apprentices - recent college graduates who come and apprentice with us. Off the Charts is a music based show, featuring pop music from the 1950s to today,” says Caroline Salvidar, FST’s Director of Children’s Theater.

The show, which lasts about 45 minutes with no intermission, is targeted towards creating a positive experience for children and their families.. “We encourage people to bring snacks and get up and sing and dance along to the music, as opposed to telling a child to sit perfectly still and be silent during a traditional theater performance. Many of the families are seeing theater or a cabaret style performance for the first time and we just want to cultivate that love for theater while listening to music that everyone from the kids to the grandparents can enjoy,” says Salvidar.

By eliminating the element of cost and making the show a roving act - previous weeks have seen the show at Nokomis Community Park and the Selby Library - FST hopes to make theater as accessible as possible. “Our goal is always to engage the audience where they are right now. We understand that if you live too far away from Florida Studio Theatre, it might be difficult for you to get to downtown Sarasota,” attests Salvidar.

Additional opportunities for engagement are present at the shows as well. Families are encouraged to learn about FST’s theatrical education classes as well as their Write A Play program - a nationwide effort that empowers schoolteachers to help students write their own plays in the classroom. 

Picutred: Harry Shaull, Linnzie Hays, Gemma Vodacek, Caleb Lee and audience volunteers perform the YMCA during performance of Off the Charts! at Lakewood Ranch Waterside Plaza. Photo by FST.

Please note the following reminders and important information from Sarasota County Schools: Register for the 2022-23 School Year. All parents and guardians are encouraged, if they have not done so already, to begin registering first-time students – as well as re-register existing students – for the upcoming school year! As a reminder, the first day of school for students is Wednesday, August 10. Please visit www.sarasotacountyschools.net/register for more information and to start the registration or re-registration process. Free & Reduced-Price Meal Benefit Applications – Now Open. Eligible families are encouraged to complete & submit their Free & Reduced-Price Meal Benefit application before the start of school: Free & Reduced-Price Meal Benefit Application. The USDA did not extend free meal waivers for the 2022-23 school year. As a result, families will need to complete a Free & Reduced-Price Meal Benefit application to receive breakfast and lunch for free or at a reduced price. If you are unsure if you need to apply for this year, please contact Food & Nutrition Services’ main office for assistance at 941-486-2199. More information can be found at on our website at www.sarasotacountyschools.net/FREE. Sign-up for the Family Access Portal. Parents and guardians are strongly encouraged to create a Family Access Portal account if they haven’t done so already. Please also consider checking your existing Portal account to make sure your information is correct. The Family Access Portal can be used to view student report cards, track student attendance, assignment grades, and other important information. Creating an account will also provide your current email address to your child’s teachers. 

Residents and homebuyers at DiVosta’s Talon Preserve in the sought-after Palmer Ranch area of Sarasota County are excitedly watching the progress of the community’s elevated lifestyle taking shape as the expansive amenity campus is well underway. With the 18,000-square-foot grand resort clubhouse, freeform pool with rock waterfall and beach-entry features, and 14 sports courts for pickleball, tennis, and bocce ball taking shape before their eyes, there’s heightened anticipation for the grand opening expected for early 2023 and vision of an enhanced get-to-know-your-neighbors lifestyle. Designed to be the social hub for the community, the sprawling amenity campus was created collaboratively by the area’s top planners, architects, and designers. It offers various social, recreational, and fitness opportunities, with inviting indoor and outdoor gathering spaces. The centerpiece of Talon Preserve’s alfresco lifestyle is the resort-inspired pool with a sloping beach entry, rock waterfall feature, and lap lane. The expansive pool deck provides chaises for lounging in the sun and the convenience of a full-service outdoor bar and restaurant. Other outdoor amenities include a splash pad, outdoor spa, fire pit lounge overlooking the lake, and a playground.mThe grand clubhouse features a state-of-the-art fitness center with cardio and weight training equipment, a performance training room, and separate group fitness studio to practice aerobics, yoga, or Pilates. Gathering rooms for clubs and activities, a classic arcade with an air hockey table and games, and a welcoming social lounge encourage conversation and camaraderie, while an oversized community room complete with a catering kitchen is ideal for hosting larger group events. The clubhouse’s covered terrace and outdoor lounge offer additional gathering places, with an alfresco living room positioned by the soft glow of an outdoor fireplace. The courts complex caters to sports enthusiasts at Talon Preserve, offering eight pickleball courts, four bocce courts, two tennis courts, and shade canopies with seating. Residents also enjoy a full calendar of social events, community clubs, classes, and outings coordinated by a full-time on-site activities director. Talon Preserve on Palmer Ranch is located at 6248 Grande Talon Lane in Nokomis off Honore Avenue, half a mile south of FL-681. The on-site sales gallery is open Monday through Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday noon to 5 p.m. For more information or to speak with a member of the DiVosta team, call 941-300-1116 or visit www.TalonPreserve.com. 

Pictured: Featuring new tailored floor plans, DiVostas models offer flexibility in space design that reflects the preferences and passions of today’s homebuyers, and expansive outdoor living spaces for alfresco entertainment.

Resilient Retreat, a new non-profit that serves survivors of trauma and helping professionals (police, firefighters, advocates and medical professionals, among others), is pleased to invite local artists to contribute to the soon-to-open retreat center. Generously sponsored by the Halo Arts Project, the Art Competition is open to artists of all ages who wish to donate pieces of hung art focused on resilience, hope and strength after adversity. A variety of mediums will be accepted, including photography, mixed medium and paint. The Art Committee will be looking for three main criteria: a focus on resilience, hope, and strength after adversity; meaning and purpose provided in description; and flow with architecture and design (hygge). Up to fifteen pieces will be selected for display, and in addition to having their name and artwork displayed at Resilient Retreat, two honorariums will be awarded the following: 1st Place: $1,500 cash (sponsored by Halo Arts Project); 2nd Place: Two VIP tickets to Resilient Rhapsody Concert, including a one-night stay at the Retreat Center on April 16, 2023. All artwork must be framed with a simple contemporary frame (metallic or light wood) or gallery wrapped no less than 1.5 inches with finished edges. Entries must be wired and ready to hang. There is no entry fee, and entries may not depict copyrighted images, characters or logos, unless the copyright is owned by the artist. All artwork for judging must be received by September 1, 2022. Those who would like to see the space in advance and get inspiration are welcome to Artist Inspiration Day on July 30, 2022, at 10 a.m. at the Retreat Center. Artists are responsible for bringing the artwork to Resilient Retreat (13010 Fruitville Road, Sarasota). The new Retreat Center is located on 84 acres of conservation land in Sarasota, and its buildings are inspired by the Danish concept of hygge, reflecting coziness and self-care. Winners will be announced on October 1, 2022, and the grand opening is scheduled for November 3, 2022.  

To learn more, visit

Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota and DeSoto Counties will honor Carolyn Mason, Community Leader, and Steve Cantees, Secondary Schools Executive Director at the 16th Intertape Polymer Group (IPG) Leadership Breakfast for their commitment to empowering our community’s future leaders to reach their full potential. The event will take place on Friday, September 9 from 7:30 AM to 9:00 AM at the Lee Wetherington Boys & Girls Club, located at 3100 Fruitville Road in Sarasota. For the last 16 years, our community has come together every September at the annual Intertape Polymer Group (IPG) Leadership Breakfast to honor incredible individuals who have been instrumental in empowering our youth to achieve great futures. This year our two honorees are dedicated and committed to ensuring our youth and families have access to community enrichment programs that provide a pathway for academic success. The Leadership Breakfast will celebrate the honoree’s dedication to supporting teens as they develop leadership skills, explore entrepreneurial education, and continue college and career readiness. All proceeds from this event will allow BGCSDC to elevate their award-winning slate of Teen Programs and provide life-changing programs to thousands of teens across Sarasota and DeSoto Counties. Individual tickets are $50 per person and can be purchased at bgcsdc.org. Sponsorship opportunities are also available. Please contact Dawn Bouck, Community Engagement Manager at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota and DeSoto Counties for more information by emailing dbouck@bgcsdc.org or calling (941) 366-3911. 

Charles L. “Casey” Jones Jr. has joined RE/MAX Alliance Group as a sales associate in the Bradenton, Florida, office. A 42-year resident of the area, Jones brings extensive market knowledge and strong customer service experience. Prior to becoming a Realtor, he was store manager of SiteOne Landscape Supply in Lakewood Ranch. Jones earned a bachelor’s in Business Administration from the University of South Florida in St. Petersburg, and enjoys traveling, fishing and golf. He and his wife of 48 years, Kathy, have three children and four grandchildren. The RE/MAX Alliance Group Bradenton office is located at Bradenton office at 3007 Manatee Avenue W., Bradenton, Florida. Jones can be reached at (941) 704-4725 or CaseyJones@remax.net.