On Tuesday, May 14, the elegant Bird Key Yacht Club played host for the 19th Annual Savor Sarasota media preview event, sharing a sneak peak of what nearly 30 Sarasota County restaurants have planned for the special dining event taking place June 1-14. Throughout the two-week experience, participating restaurants will feature multi-course menus for only $25 per person for lunch and $40 per person for dinner.

Representatives from favorite local dining spots including Michael’s on East, Tripletail Seafood & Spirits, Pop’s Sunset Grill, Melting Pot, Duval’s and San Marco of Venice were onhand sharing featured menus along with a delicious preview of their cuisine. Select restaurants also plan to extend their special offerings beyond the scheduled dates and will offer additional deals during Savor Sarasota, such as wine pairings, cocktail flights and opportunities to upgrade your prix fixe menu.

As part of the celebration of National Travel and Tourism Week, key players who have helped to make Sarasota a world-class travel destination were honored. Erin Duggan, President & CEO of Visit Sarasota County recognized sponsors, elected officials and others who have contributed to our dynamic tourism landscape, saying “Here at Visit Sarasota County, we all pitch in when it comes to just about everything!” She then presented awards to new inductees of the Haley Hall of Fame for their contributions to the community.

The prestigious 2024 Voice of Sarasota award, an award given to an individual whose exceptional efforts have significantly promoted and enhanced Sarasota County as a tourism destination, was presented to Jennifer Rominiecki, President and CEO of Marie Selby Botanical Gardens. Rominiecki thanked the Selby Gardens Board of Trustees, staff, members, supporters, volunteers and everyone who has believed in Selby Gardens and supported their journey to accomplish their master plan. 

Pictured: Kelly Dungan, marketing director for Duval's, shared a sampling of the restaurant's offerings for Savor Sarasota. Photo by Barbie Heit.

Click here to find participating restaurants.

In baseball, everything can change in just a couple of weeks. 14 days ago, the Bradenton Marauders were 5-17, tied for last place in the Florida State League. Today the Marauders are 16-18, good for third in their division, courtesy of an 11-game win streak. The Marauders broke a franchise record on Sunday against St. Lucie with their 10th straight win and extended the record in Tuesday night’s victory against the Tampa Tarpons. With Tuesday night’s victory, the Marauders tied the Jersey Shore BlueClaws, the High-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies, for the longest active win streak at 11. The BlueClaws’ streak ended at 11, however, giving the Marauders the chance to be the hottest team in all of the Minor Leagues with a win Wednesday night over Tampa.

Bradenton’s recent success has come at the hands of both an offensive surge and an uptick in shut-down pitching. In their 11-game winning streak the Marauders have scored a whopping 70 total runs, averaging 6.36 runs a game. During this winning streak the Marauders have also been extremely active on the base paths, swiping an FSL-best 21 bags on 26 steal attempts. In the month of May alone the Marauders have cracked 10 home runs, tied for the lead in the FSL. In addition to slugging, they’ve also hit for average, notching a .254 batting average this month, raising their team batting average to .207 on the year. The Marauders have particularly benefited from just simply putting the ball in play–in May they have a .349 Batting Average on Balls in Play (BABIP), compared to just .266 in April.

Not to be outdone, the Marauder’s pitching staff has also been excellent as of late. In May, they’ve allowed merely 31 earned runs in 109.0 innings, good for a league-best 2.56 ERA. While Bradenton already has 127 strikeouts this month, their success has come from improving their command. Missing bats was never an issue for Bradenton, in fact their 10.28 strikeouts per nine innings (K/9) in April has dropped to 9.36 in May. However, the team’s walks per nine innings has drastically decreased, dipping from 5.33 BB/9 in April to 4.38 in May.

LECOM Park, 1611 9th St W, Bradenton. 

Pictured: Pitcher Yoldin De La Paz. Photo courtesy of Bradenton Marauders.

Standing an impressive 20 feet tall, the "Space Lounger" sculpture created by Canadian painter and sculptor, Viktor Mitic, has officially touched down at the Suncoast Science Center/Faulhaber Fab Lab in Sarasota. This awe-inspiring masterpiece is made of upcycled materials, steel, and painted fiberglass and pays homage to the ancient Mayan astronaut carving with a contemporary twist.

Mitic, who has spent most of his life living and working in the Toronto area, is now a Sarasota resident. He works in his tropical beachside studio, where he enjoys the views of his very own ‘Sculpture Studio Garden--a museum-like backyard that he is also proud to share with visitors. He was inspired to create the sculpture after visiting the UFO museum in Roswell, NM.

"I stumbled upon a captivating photograph suggesting an unconventional theory: that a Maya sarcophagus lid may depict an ancient king piloting a rocket ship," Mitic says. "I was intrigued by this fusion of ancient art and futuristic concepts and felt compelled to create my own interpretation. Utilizing upcycled materials, I jumped on a project to create a colorful and contemporary representation of this scene. The outcome? A towering, 20-foot-tall structure resembling a rocket, but less angular in form."

Mitic first met Ping Faulhaber, Co-founder and Director of Suncoast Science Center, through his friend, Diane Barth, Director of Johnson Singer Foundation. "I was kindly offered a tour of the science center, where we discussed their mission and the intersection of science and art," shares Mitic. "With the coordinated efforts of Jenn Sams Scott, Steven Piskoty, Eric McGrath, and a dozen super strong students, the installation of the Space Lounger went smoothly and based on the substantial amount of concrete poured at the base of the sculpture, it appears that the sculpture is intended to be there permanently!" 

Sarasota County Schools is pleased to announce three upcoming leadership changes within the district: Dr. Kirk Hutchinson – the current Principal of Venice Elementary – has been selected to serve as the new Chief of Student Services for Sarasota County Schools, effective Monday, June 3, 2024. Ms. Cindy Thro – the current Principal of Atwater Elementary – has been selected to serve as the new Executive Director of Elementary Schools for Sarasota County Schools, effective Monday, June 3, 2024. Mrs. Jamie Hannon – the current Principal of Southside Elementary – has been selected to serve as the Principal of the school district’s new K-8 school located at Skye Ranch, effective Monday, June 3, 2024. Dr. Hutchinson earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education from the University of Maryland, College Park; a Master’s Degree in Administration & Supervision from Johns Hopkins University; and a Doctor of Education from the University of Florida. Prior to assuming his former role as the Principal of Venice Elementary in June 2018, he served as the Principal of Atwater Elementary and the Assistant Principal of Lamarque Elementary. Dr. Hutchinson and his wife have two college-age children who both attended schools in Sarasota County. Ms. Thro earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education and a Master’s Degree in Education, both from the University of South Florida. Prior to assuming her former role as the Principal of Atwater Elementary in June 2018, she served as the Principal and the Assistant Principal of Oak Grove Elementary (Tampa, FL). When not at school, Ms. Thro finds great joy and relaxation in spending time on the boat and enjoying the beautiful beaches in Sarasota. Mrs. Hannon earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Visual Disabilities from Florida State University, a Master’s Degree in Special Education from Florida State University, and a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership from the American College of Education. Prior to assuming her former role as the Principal of Southside Elementary in July 2021, she served as the Assistant Principal of Fruitville Elementary and an Assistant Principal Intern at Phillippi Shores Elementary. Mrs. Hannon grew up in Sarasota and is a product of Sarasota County school system. 

Sarasota County Schools is pleased to announce that Dr. Allison Foster has been appointed as the new Principal of Southside Elementary School. She will assume her new role on Monday, June 3, 2024. Dr. Foster earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Business from Wake Forest University, as well as a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education from Indiana University. She earned her Master’s Degree in Elementary Education from the University of South Florida, and her Educational Doctorate in K-12 Educational Administration from the University of Florida.Dr. Foster served as Sarasota County Schools’ Interim Superintendent of Schools from February 2023 to July 2023. Before assuming her current role as the Executive Director of Human Resources & Labor Relations in April 2021, she served as the Principal of Phillippi Shores Elementary for thirteen years. Dr. Foster has also served as the Assistant Principal of Toledo Blade Elementary and the Assistant Principal of Gulf Gate Elementary. A proud product of the Sarasota County school system, she has spent her entire twenty-seven-year career in education working for Sarasota County Schools.  

 A film student and a father living with Alzheimer’s are at the center of Matthew Peterson’s “Swan Song,” winner of Ringling College of Art and Design’s inaugural Ringling College Film Carl Foreman Award. The award, to be given annually, recognizes a graduating senior majoring in film or creative writing for outstanding achievement in screenwriting, directing or producing. The student winner receives a monetary award of $5,000 as well as a Will Kane bronze statuette, inspired by the lead character in Foreman’s 1952 western “High Noon.” The Will Kane statuette was created by sculptor, illustrator, Ringling College faculty member and alumnus Alexander Snyder. Foreman’s widow, Evelyn “Eve” Williams-Jones, originally created the Carl Foreman Award in 1983 in memory of her late husband, a prolific screenwriter, director and producer who was blacklisted by Hollywood and forced to leave the United States in 1951. Winners of the original award, created in conjunction with the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), include Joe Wright, Amma Asante, Belinda Bauer, Asif Kapadia and Steve McQueen. When Eve and her husband Michael Williams-Jones decided to bring the Carl Foreman Award back to the United States, Foreman’s beloved homeland, they considered several film schools to continue a legacy of recognizing outstanding student work in the film industry before bringing it to Sarasota, a place they recognize as culturally vibrant and stunning. “Swan Song,” written and directed by Peterson, was selected from among 30 entries by a panel of seven jurors, including Patrick Alexander, Ringling College film interim department head; Brad Battersby, Ringling College film faculty; CJ Callins, Ringling College trustee and film alumnus; Sheryl Haler, Ringling College film faculty; Jonathan King, producer of “Spotlight,” “Roma” and “Dreamgirls”; Sylvia Whitman, Ringling College creative writing faculty; and Michael Williams-Jones, voting member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and BAFTA. Peterson’s senior year at Ringling College was an ambitious one. He worked as a screenwriter, director, producer, editor and digital image technician (DIT) on nearly a dozen films. Now that he’s graduated, Peterson will continue his filmmaking journey in Sarasota as an intern for videography company Storyvox before relocating to Los Angeles, where he plans to work in post-production and story development and eventually start a production company producing narrative and documentary content. Eve Williams-Jones presented Peterson with the inaugural Ringling College Film Carl Foreman Award when more than 900 Ringling College students, faculty, patrons and friends gathered at Sarasota’s historic Opera House for a special screening of the film program’s senior thesis projects, which included 12 senior films. The films are not yet made available to the public, so that students can apply to the festival circuit. In recognition of the close contest between the top two Carl Foreman award finalists, film senior Wilderley Mauricette received Special Recognition for Outstanding Achievement in Directing and Screenwriting for “Curtain Call.” That film tells the story of a young Black man torn between two powerful mentors as he must navigate between the criminal environment he was born into and his true passion for the arts. 

Pictured: Matthew Peterson and Eve Williams-Jones with award statuette after she announced he won the Ringling College Film Carl Foreman Award for Swan Song. Photography by Harry Sayer.

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This Saturday, May 18 from 10-3 the Spotlight is on Limelight Market! This fun, pop up market happens in the courtyard of The Bazaar on Apricot & Lime with rescue dogs, unique guest vendors, food, and live music Check out the 40+ local creators and curators inside. Great way to support local! Free, until you buy something amazing! Sarasota Honey Co. is also celebrating their grand opening inside The Bazaar. Free samples, games and a live beer demo. Sarasota Street Talk, a popular podcast with Mark Klecka and Scott Malouf, will be recording and broadcasting live. Be sure to say hi to them and maybe you’ll end up being interviewed! For more information visit www.BazaaronApricotandlime.com  Located at 821 Apricot Ave in Sarasota. 

May is National Foster Care Month and All Star Children's Foundation is urgently seeking compassionate individuals and families in the regional community to become foster parents, responding to a critical shortage of foster homes for children displaced from their families due to abuse or neglect. In the United States, there are over 391,000 children and youth in foster care. Approximately 20,000 youth age out of the foster care system each year without a permanent family. Currently, there are approximately 115 foster homes in the Sarasota area, a significant decline from nearly 200 prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. This decreasing trend poses a serious challenge, as more foster families are needed to accommodate the rising number of children requiring care. Those interested in making a lasting difference in the lives of children are encouraged to visit the All Star Campus of Hope & Healing for a guided tour on Thursday, May 16, at 11 a.m., at 3300 17th Street in Sarasota. Details about other upcoming tours and how to become a foster parent are available at www.allstarchildren.org.