SRQ DAILY Aug 11, 2022
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"The Boys and Girls Club inspires me. I came there to become a leader and it taught me how to be one."
Health care consultant Sheldon Rich sat before in City Hall speaking to the Sarasota City Commission. But he doesn’t feel members were always listening.
“Everything felt pre-ordained,” he said. “A few things really could have gone another direction if ears had been opened.”
Now Rich wants to provide that set of ears. He is one of six candidates running for two at-large seats on the Commission. He serves now as vice chairman of the Police Complaint Committee, but wants a greater role in broader decisions affecting the community he has lived in more than four years.
He points to a comprehensive plan update that could significantly increase the number of land-use decisions that will be decided through administrative review as one of the decisions that could have gone differently had he held a vote on the commission. He’s also upset at a number of “giveaways” offered up in a recent push for affordable housing that he believes will only help developers without providing any more affordable or attainable housing within the city limits.
On the spending side, Rich also said he does not support the city constructing a new Sarasota Performing Arts Center. He knows many would like a new venue but it makes no financial sense at the moment, Rich said.
“There has been no discussion how we could possibly pay for that,” he said. “It would be one of the single largest expenditures that ever happened in city history.” Rather, Rich feels the city should seek a historic designation for the existing Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall and invest in fortifying the facility to deal with coastal threats. While expensive, it would be a more judicious use of taxpayer dollars, he said.
Rich said he’s also closely following union negotiations with the city surrounding salaries and benefits for officers, and said the city must pay police more than it does today. That’s a position that already earned him the support of the police union. “Morale is bad and we are losing officers,” he said. “We need to get that resolved.”
As for his resume, Rich serves as owner and president of SJR Associates and worked more than 30 years in the pharmaceutical field. He was appointed by two different governors in Michigan to the Board of Pharmacy there, including three years as chair. That gives him a familiarity with working on a government board and with Robert’s Rules of Order. He also continues to hold a position as clinical adjunct assistant professor at the University of Michigan, where he earned his own pharmacy degree.
Rich also holds a doctorate in Theocentric Business Ethics. That’s part of why he has accepted no commercial developers’ donations to his campaign, he said. “I hope to be above reproach and make the best decisions for the citizens of Sarasota.”
He faces Jennifer Ahearn-Koch, Dan Lobeck, Terrill Salem, Carl Shoffstall and Debbie Trice in the Aug. 23 race. 
In the July/August 2022 edition of SRQ Magazine, we interviewed Debbie Mason, Tidewell Foundation, Inc. President and Executive Vice President of Tidewell Hospice as part of our In Conversation feature about nonprofit leaders. Below is an excerpt published in the magazine in which Mason shares her insights with SRQ readers on community growth and changes.
How have you been dealing with the rise in mental health issues that have come out of the pandemic?
Well, I'll give you some examples from our Blue Butterfly program. For kids who lost a parent or a sibling during the pandemic, it's hard when you go back to school because kids don't understand. But it's harder when you're stuck at home in isolation and you have no friends that you can talk to or share that pain with, and you're just in your family unit. We did continue to offer grief support and we would let families come to the grief center for help. We would also help them over Zoom. It's not the same as our core program where we break kids in age-appropriate groups and they can be together peer to peer for additional normalization and support. But at least it was something. Kids are really struggling with so many issues right now societally anyway. Then to layer COVID into it and then to layer a family death into it, those kids are having a tough time. There's no way to be Pollyanna about that.
Tidewell Foundation, 3550 S. Tamiami Trail Sarasota, FL 34239 941-552-7546. https://tidewellfoundation.org/
Our community is filled with many incredible young people doing such amazing things. This summer, we are featuring some of these young people in our Thursday Family & Education edition. Each of the students we are highlighting has been chosen as one of this year’s SRQ Magazine’s top youth leaders based on their values, determination and outstanding achievements in different aspects of their lives in and out of school.
Nathan is currently a junior at Pine View School for the Gifted. He first joined Boys & Girls Club to pursue his passion for cooking; he would go on to receive funding to launch his own catering business through his participation in Boys & Girls Club’s Perlman Price Young Entrepreneurs Program. In 2021, Nathan joined Boys & Girls Club’s Youth Council and in 2022 he joined BGCSDC as we traveled to Tallahassee for the Florida House of Representatives Messenger Program.
We asked Nathan what inspires him to be a leader.
"The Boys and Girls Clubs inspires me," he said. "I came there to become a leader and it taught me how to be one. I originally wanted to show up for the entrepreneurship program but I’ve stayed for advocacy and youth council and everything it has to offer. The club and the staff inspire me daily."
Pictured: Nathan W., a junior at Pine View School for the Gifted. Photo by Wyatt Kostygan.
There’s never been a more important time to quit tobacco.
Gulfcoast South Area Health Education Center, as part of the Tobacco Free Florida AHEC Cessation Program, offers free tobacco cessation sessions to help individuals quit all forms of tobacco. These group sessions—held virtually and in-person—will assist you with developing your own customized quit plan. Free nicotine replacement therapy in the form of patches, gum or lozenges (if medically appropriate and while supplies last) and follow up support from a trained tobacco treatment specialist are provided with the session.
Contact us today at 866-534-7909 or visit our page to schedule a class or learn more about the program!
Visit our page link: www.tobaccofreeflorida.com/groupquitcalendar
Shumaker Partner Brett Henson has been appointed the Legislative Subcommittee Co-Chair of the Florida Bar Real Property, Probate & Trust Law (RPPTL) Sections Construction Law Committee; he has also been appointed to the Steering Committee for Division 1: Litigation and Dispute Resolution of the American Bar Association’s (ABA) Forum on Construction Law. The Florida Bar RPPTL Section’s Construction Law Committee is a statewide organization comprised of over 500 hundred construction lawyers and is committed to promoting the highest levels of knowledge, experience, and professionalism within the field of construction law. As Subcommittee Co-Chair, Brett will co-lead the Committee’s involvement in providing technical guidance to the RPPTL regarding proposed legislation affecting the construction industry. As a member of the Steering Committee for the ABA Forum on Construction Law, Brett will assist in representing all segments of the construction industry, including owners, design professionals, general contractors, construction managers, subcontractors, suppliers, insurers and sureties. The Forum’s mission is to serve the construction industry through education and leadership while building the best construction lawyers. Division 1 focuses on developing the advocacy skills of construction lawyers in trials, arbitrations and mediations, as well as innovative Alternative Dispute Resolution strategies and procedures to efficiently resolve construction disputes. Brett is Board Certified by the Florida Bar in Construction Law. He focuses in the areas of commercial and construction litigation and devotes a substantial portion of his practice to handling all types of construction disputes. Brett counsels and assists residential and commercial property owners, developers, and construction industry professionals in all facets of a construction project, including contract preparation, review, negotiation, and dispute avoidance. Additionally, Brett uses his experience and knowledge to resolve claims involving insurance proceeds and insurance coverage. In addition to construction law, Brett routinely litigates product liability matters on behalf of manufacturers, including manufacturers of building products. Clients also turn to him for representation in a broad range of complex commercial and business litigation matters, from initial case inception and early resolution through trial.As a former prosecutor and civil trial lawyer, Brett gained extensive litigation and trial experience in various state and federal courts representing individuals, businesses, and insurance companies. He works to develop a litigation strategy early in a case in an effort to control costs and reach an early resolution, if possible.
Less than a year after opening a 110-bed hospital in Venice, Sarasota Memorial Health Care System has started master planning and pre-construction site work on a new medical campus and hospital in North Port. Sarasota Memorial Hospital-North Port will be constructed on a 32-acre undeveloped site in the 4900 block of Sumter Boulevard near I-75. Sarasota Memorial purchased the parcel in 2007 with a pledge from the Sarasota County Public Hospital Board to invest in the medical infrastructure needed to support a hospital in North Port. Hospital officials met with North Port leaders on Tuesday to discuss preliminary plans and the timeline for city permits SMH will seek before construction begins. Officials estimate it will take about 3 years to plan and begin building SMH-North Port. SMH plans to create an SMH-North Port Neighborhood Advisory Council to solicit input and feedback from nearby residents and businesses as plans unfold. Founded in 1925, Sarasota Memorial is the region’s only public health system. Through the decades, the county’s first modern hospital grew from a modest 32-bed facility to an 895-bed regional medical center, a 5-star rated facility that has been repeatedly recognized as one of America’s best and safest hospitals. Its comprehensive network includes a second acute-care hospital that opened in Venice in November 2021, as well as more than a dozen urgent care centers and outpatient campuses that stretch from north Manatee County to its freestanding ER and healthcare center in North Port. SMH-North Port will be the health system’s third acute-care hospital and the first hospital for the city of North Port. With more than 80,000 residents, North Port is now the largest city both in land mass and population in Sarasota County, and one of the fastest-growing cities in the nation. The size, cost and construction schedule for the hospital are still being finalized. SMH is working on a campus design that will be flexible and expandable. Initially, SMH-North Port will open with about 100 beds, but have the capacity to more than double in size to meet the community’s evolving needs. For future updates on the new hospital and health care facilities in North Port, visit: smh.com/NorthPortUpdates.
Atelier de SoSi announces the opening of their newest art show “An Artful Home at Atelier.” Exhibition Dates: August 12th - Sep 22nd; Opening night: August 12th 7-10pm; Gallery hours Tues - Wed - Thur 1 - 5pm. “An Artful Home at Atelier” - focus is to showcase that art can be both functional and beautiful. Atelier de SoSi’s gallery space will be transformed to represent a living space. Displaying functional art such as: handmade table settings, glassware, lighting, textiles, furniture, etc. The space will also be featuring one of a kind paintings, sculptures and an array of other unique pieces. We want to show the viewer that artwork comes in all shapes, sizes and functionalities. Yes, your coffee table can be a piece of artwork along with your favorite reading chair, lamp, and coffee mug. Art can touch every area of our lives, come see examples of this and find one of a kind pieces for your own living space.
The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art is pleased to announce the opening of As long as there is sun, as long as there is light. Selections from the Bring Gift and The Ringling Collection of Modern and Contemporary Art. The exhibition will run Nov. 21, 2021 – Aug. 13, 2023, in the museum’s Searing Wing. In 2020, The Ringling received a significant gift of art from Murray Bring and Kay Delaney Bring, in support of the modern and contemporary collection. Highlights from the gift include an important minimalist work by Anne Truitt and a monumental work on canvas by Gene Davis, both artists affiliated with the Washington Color School, an art movement during the 1950s to 1970s in Washington D.C., made up of abstract expressionist artists Additional works in the gift represent a generation of prominent artists who work, or have worked, in abstraction, including Clement Meadmore, Jules Olitski, Beverly Pepper, Rebecca Salter, Kenneth Snelson, and Yuriko Yamaguchi, among others. Also on view are sculptures and paintings by distinguished African American and Latin American artists from The Ringling collection, including William Edmondson, Eduardo Mac Entyre, Omar Rayo, Baruj Salinas, and Joyce de Guatemala.
Break out the big hair and acid-washed denims—Laser Light Nights are back at The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature. Every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night from May 26 through August 13 at 7pm and 9pm, we are rocking out to some of your favorite artists in the Planetarium. A variety of food options and drinks are available for purchase onsite with cash or card. Tickets are going fast—get yours today! Please note: Laser Light Nights run at a volume similar to a rock concert. Ear plugs are advised for those who prefer a lower volume.
Bishop Museum of Science and Nature
Circus fans of all ages, from near and far, can beat the heat at reasonable prices while experiencing the best of the circus arts. Some of the circus world’s most exciting acts have signed on for the annual show - a longtime partnership of the Circus Arts Academy and The Ringling - with performances presented over nine weeks this summer. The lineup for the Summer Circus Spectacular includes a wide range of acts, including duo lyra, adagio, hand balancing/contortion, rolla bolla, and more. Show times are 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays, and 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. on Saturdays. Tickets are $18/adults, $12/children 12 and under. To complete their circus experience, Summer Circus Spectacular patrons can enjoy access to the Circus Museum on the day they attend a show for just an additional $5 – an incredible value for a full day’s entertainment. Go to Ringling.org or call the Box Office at 941-360-7399.
Historic Asolo Theater at The Ringling, 5401 Bay Shore Rd, Sarasota
FST Improv Presents: We're Doomed Beginning August 13 on Saturdays at 7:30pm. In a world where blockbusters come and go, FST Improv entertains with an unforgettable, original, and fully improvised motion picture! The cast of We’re Doomed will perform an improvised horror movie based on a title provided by the audience! We’ll leave the fancy equipment behind as we use unique staging, special effects and onstage acrobatics to recreate the excitement and magic of the silver screen. You’ll even get to see improvised previews of upcoming attractions.
Florida Studio Theatre's Bowne's Lab
The Ringling is pleased to present an exhibition that celebrates the life and artwork of Eleanor Merritt from February 18, 2022 to August 21, 2022. Eleanor was a dedicated volunteer at The Ringling for many years as a docent and Board member. She also served as president of the Venice Art Center and was active in other arts organizations as well. Eleanor passed away in 2019 leaving a legacy of art and public service. This exhibition is dedicated to her spirit and creativity and represents a small sample of a significant body of work the artist created over her long career. Beginning with an early work from the 1950s Untitled (Seated Figure) and concluding with her last painting Blue Embrace of 2018, the exhibition highlights her creative use of materials, movement between figuration and abstraction, and her commitment to women’s rights. The works in the exhibition come from the artist’s estate and from a few prestigious private collections. The artist’s daughter, Lisa, and artist Mike Solomon were critical guides in the development of this exhibition.
Hamilton Orr will stop at nothing to get what he wants. A top Hollywood director, Hamilton comes up with deadly scheme to gain control over a multi-million-dollar film. He just needs to persuade the movie’s screenwriter, Clark, to get onboard. And make sure that Barbara, his wife, plays her part. When his plot doesn’t go as planned, Hamilton comes face-to-face with the wily local sheriff, Leroy. Smoke and Mirrors keeps the audience guessing (and laughing) until the end. Smoke and Mirrors by Will Osborne and Anthony Herrera will play beginning August 3, 2022 in FST's Gompertz Theatre. Run Time is 2 hour and 10 minutes with a 15-minute intermission.
Florida Studio Theatre's Gompertz Theatre
The exhibition features work from the past decade by an international selection of artists and visual activists that are working to make palpable the unseen information, or metadata, that undergirds the image regime. This includes not just the tags or descriptors attached to image files, but the power relationships, biases, and economic interests that are not always visible in the image itself. The exhibition emphasizes an expanded concept of photographic practice that includes research-based projects, installation, conceptual work, and activism as well as analog and digital photographs. Artists featured are Mohsen Azar, Viktoria Binschtok, Mladen Bizumic, Joy Buolamwini, Jason Lazarus, Rafael Lozano-Hemmer, Lilly Lulay, Trevor Paglen, and Penelope Umbrico. Metadata: Rethinking Photography in the 21st Century will be held at The John and Mable Museum of Art, Sarasota, Florida from March 6 through August 28th, 2022. The exhibition is curated by Christopher Jones, Stanton B. and Nancy W. Kaplan Curator of Photography and Media Art.
The Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall Friday Fest events are our outdoor concert series that provide the community with 4 entertaining and FREE events from June to September, showcasing the best of local bands from Sarasota and Bradenton. Friday Fest brings together a wide variety of talented artists along with food trucks and drink stations on the Van Wezel lawn along the beautiful Sarasota Bayfront. Our Friday Fest lineup includes: Yesterdayze - June 17, Kettle of Fish - July 15, Big Night Out - August 12, and Jah Movement - September 16 at 5pm.
Van Wezel
The Farmers’ Market at Lakewood Ranch is home to more than 90 curated vendors of the region’s best food and flavors, located at Waterside Place in Lakewood Ranch. It takes place every Sunday from 10am to 2pm at Waterside Place. It’s your weekend destination for organic produce, meat, poultry, seafood, bread, pasta, juices and prepared foods. Stay up to date on vendors and events by visiting TheMarketLWR.com.
Amore Restaurant has decided to extend Savor Sarasota Menu through December 18th (not combined with any other offer and, not available on special occasions). Savor Sarasota is a 3 course menu dinner for $35.00 per person. The restaurant offers a Portuguese and an Italian menu. They are open Wednesday through Sunday from 5 to 9PM. Fridays and Sundays 5 to 9:30pm. With indoor and outdoor seating available. Easy and free parking. Menu can be viewed here:https://www.amorelbk.com/savor-sarasota/
Geckos Grill & Pub’s Award-winning Trivia-Think While You Drink! If you love Trivia, join the fun at Geckos all year round. All Trivia starts at 7:30pm. We will have prizes, giveaways and specials plus the Geckos made-to-order fare, signature cocktails and hospitality you love. Monday trivia will be held at the Clark Road location in Palmer Crossing and on Tuesdays at the SR 64 location in Braden River Plaza. The SR 64 location will be taking a break from Trivia in October, but will start back up in April. On Wednesdays, trivia will take place at the Hillview Street location in Southside Village. www.GeckosGrill.com.
Hamlets Eatery and Siesta Key Rum have come together to create a fun and delicious experience on Wednesday, August 31 from 5-8 pm. Chef Lisa of Hamlet's Eatery will tantalize your taste buds with a five-course tasting menu paired with Siesta Key Rum craft cocktails. Between dishes Chef Lisa and Nicole of Siesta Key Rum will guide you through the pairings. Live Steel Drum music by Nax Steel throughout the evening. Timeline: 5-6 pm Enjoy Siesta Key Rum Tasting, a craft cocktail and live steel drum music; 6pm: Dinner; 8pm: Take your full and happy belly home. Hamlets Eatery is located at 821 Apricot Ave in Sarasota. The event will be outside under a covered patio with fans. Casual attire. Must be 21+ years of age. Tickets are $80 per person and must be purchased in advance. Non-refundable. Purchase tickets here: https://bit.ly/ToRumOrNotToRum For more information call 941-445-1938. Cheers!
Registration is open for Forty Carrots Family Center’s 20th annual free educational community speaker event Thrivers: The Surprising Reasons Why Some Kids Struggle and Others Shine, presented in partnership with the Community Foundation of Sarasota County. The virtual presentation will feature educational psychologist and best-selling author Michele Borba, Ed.D. at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 21st. The event is free and advance registration is required. Michele Borba’s latest book, Thrivers, is a sharply insightful, science-backed guide that helps parents and educators teach the essential character traits kids need to become “thrivers” – young people who flourish in rapidly changing, digitally-driven and uncertain world. Borba will identify seven teachable strengths that will safeguard kids for the future, offering practical “how-to” strategies and ideas for everyday activities that build up kids’ strength, resilience, happiness, and success. Certificates of Attendance and CEU’s will be available. The previous 19 speaker events have reached nearly 14,000 parents, professionals, and educators in our area. To register for this free virtual community event visit www.fortycarrots.org, email events@fortycarrots.com or call (941) 365-7716. RSVP is required and registration is open at www.FortyCarrots.org.
Wouldn’t it be great if you could become successful with a single book? Well, J. Pierrepont Finch seems to have hit the jackpot. “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” follows Finch from being a common window washer to a high executive with the help of a small book. However, does that book help with all the problems that he faces to reach his dream? Does it answer how to handle betrayal, caffeine addiction, or love? With music by Frank Loesser (composer of “Guys and Dolls”) we’ll follow Finch and his struggle to balance business power and true love. For more information visit www.manateeperformingartscenter.com, Ticket Office
941-748-5875
Manatee Performing Arts Center , 502 Third Avenue West Bradenton, FL 34205
The Book Keepers is opening on Friday for an exclusive one night exhibition at Burns Court Cinema. A gifted writer's death a week before becoming a critically acclaimed author sends her husband and son on an unexpected book tour to ensure her dream lives on. Motivated and devastated all at once, Dick Wall embarks on a crusade across America to promote his late wife's work. August 12th, 2022 at Burns Court 4:45pm
Burns Court Cinema , 506 Burns Ct, Sarasota, FL 34236
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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