On June 25, Hoyt Architects hosted Wes Marshall, PhD, PE, a professor, transportation engineer and author as part of its 2025 Urban Studies Speaker Series. Marshall, who is a professor of civil engineering at University of Colorado Denver, recently wrote 2024’s Killed By a Traffic Engineer: Shattering the Delusion that Science Underlies Our Transportation System. Through his teaching, engineering and writing, Marshall looks to create safer transportation systems for a better, brighter future. Below is an excerpt from the full Q&A interview that will appear in the September issue of SRQ Magazine.

SRQ: Can you speak to the design flaws that have led to so many dangerous roads for pedestrians and the shift in thinking needed to create safer roadways?

Marshall: What we’re doing now is that we’re sort of sitting around playing whack-a-mole, waiting for people to get hurt, before we actually do something. We’re putting a band-aid on a bigger, fundamental problem. To really switch things up, we need to have a different mindset. When I was taught to design a street, you started from the center line out. You first figure out how much roadway you need to give to the cars—not just the cars today, but the amount of cars we think there are going to be 20 years down the line—then we tried to give them that much roadway and then I’d say, 'What do we need for public transit or bikes?' Whatever’s left ends up going to the pedestrian, which is like three feet on the side of the road.

We’re all saying that we want to prioritize pedestrians and bicyclists—if we want to put our money where our mouth is, then maybe we should start from the outside in. Give enough space to them, first and foremost. Make sure they’re safe and keep them away from fast, speeding cars. Then start working your way in and whatever’s left over can go to the cars. It’s a totally different mindset and nobody is doing it that way, but that’s the sort of big shift we would need to create the kinds of places that people would actually want to be in and not be in their cars. 

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S-One Holdings Corporation recently hosted its third annual Grill-Off competition in support of All Faiths Food Bank, featuring ten competitors who prepared a variety of barbecued and smoked dishes for judges and company team members alike to enjoy.

S-One Holdings oversees brands in the digital printing and imaging space, including LexJet, BMG, DigiPrint Supplies and S-OneLP. At its headquarters in Sarasota, S-One sells printers and ink to brands looking to print large volumes of marketing materials. “We're all about innovation, but we’re also about giving back to the community,” Director of Learning and Development Jesse Lochthowe says.

It was in this spirit of giving back that S-One began hosting the company-wide Grill-Off to raise funds for All Faiths. Lochthowe says the event was created to bring a culture of connection and engagement to the company while also supporting a local charity. Beyond friendly competition and good food, team members can make donations of $25 or more to the food bank for a chance to spin a wheel, which offers a variety of company-supplied prizes ranging from restaurant gift certificates to a paid day off. An outdoor cornhole tournament also helped raise donations through entry fees, and the company matched the first $1000 raised across both fundraising initiatives. In total, the event raised $2,300 for All Faiths.

Ten company team members prepared dishes under four judging categories—chicken, pork, beef and overall champion. Senior Business Consultant Vincent Behar won the overall competition with his “Dino-Ribs,” a signature dish that he’s prepared for the competition each year. “Getting to spend time with the whole team is great but we also tie the event to a good cause in terms of our fundraising. It's such a fun atmosphere,” Behar says. Other category winners included a delicious jerk chicken, shrimp wrapped in bacon and pineapple and a tenderly cooked “steak bomb.”

Owners of Zildjian Catering & Consulting, Alyson and Mark Zildjian, and owner of Gulf Coast Crab and Seafood, Richard Demarse—all local chefs—judged the competition. “It's a really fun event for the company, and I'm just looking for passion, creativity, and of course, flavor. We've all been in the business for a long time, and so it's just fun when we can give back to the community and really engage with these cooks about whose cuisine reigns supreme,” Alyson, who was also a judge last year, says. 

Pictured: The S-One Annual Grill-Off is always a delicious way to raise funds and awareness for All Faits Food Bank. Photo by Cecilia Marty.

The City Commission of St. Pete Beach appointed Jon Maldonado as the new Commissioner of District 4 at the June 24th City Commission meeting. The appointment will run from Wednesday August 25th through Tuesday November 4th, 2025, the date of the next special election to fill the District 4 seat for the reminder of the term (March 2027). Commissioner Maldonado was chosen by the City Commission out of a 3-person applicant pool. 

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Sarasota County Fire Department recently received a $39,982 grant from Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation® to ensure our first responders have the necessary equipment to keep community members and themselves safe. The grant was used to purchase a Polaris Ranger Crew 1000 utility task vehicle (UTV) with emergency lighting, patient transport equipment, winch and other accessories; allowing SCFD to respond quickly and efficiently to medical and other emergencies on Sarasota County beaches. For more information on Sarasota County Fire Department, visit scgov.net/fire or dial 311. 

Venice Theatre is transforming its 90-seat black box Pinkerton Theatre into a school gymnasium where six quirky kids will compete in a high-stakes spelling bee. The theatre's SummerStock program returns after a two-year hiatus on Friday, July 18, 2025 with "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee." The "effortlessly endearing" (The New York Times) musical comedy penned by beloved three-time Tony Award® winner William Finn, who passed away at 73 this April, will run for 16 performances through Aug. 3, 2025. Showtime is at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesdays through Saturdays and 2 p.m. on Sundays. There is also a Saturday matinee at 2 p.m. on Aug. 2, 2025. Tickets are $40 for adults, $28 for college students and educators, and $18 for youth in middle school and older. The show is not recommended for younger children. Audiences can buy now at www.venicetheatre.org or 941-488-1115. "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" is generously sponsored by Neil and Michelle Kasanofsky.  

Join us for the inspiring 10th Annual SRQ Women Who Roar Leadership and Awards Luncheon, celebrating local women leaders who significantly impact our community. Enjoy a dynamic program featuring the introduction of the esteemed 2025 Leadership Circle inductees, engaging PopUp Boutiques, and opportunities to network during our post-event reception. 

Get ready to be inspired at the Annual Giving Coast Luncheon: Philanthropic Agenda & Good Hero Awards, recognizing local changemakers. Join us in bringing the philanthropic community together on Wednesday, December 10, 2025 at Michael's On East and help celebrate the nonprofit spirit of our area. Featuring a panel of distinguished philanthropic leaders discussing giving trends, the honorable Good Hero Awards, and the interactive Giving Tree Program, this event will be nothing short of spectacular. Also highlighting the acclaimed SRQ Lifetime Good Hero Achievement Award, the program will uplift attendees and spark meaningful change.