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12 years in a row, the Sarasota Police Department and Sarasota Housing Authority, have hosted ‘Shop with a Cop.’ On Saturday they made the sweet event happen again at the Target on Fruitville road.
This year is their largest number of children donated to. The housing authority helped raise over 15,000 dollars for the kids to spend, while they browsed every aisle with their cop partner.
The event not only gives the gift of Christmas to these little ones, but it also helps build a bond between law enforcement and the community.
Each kid had a budget of 100 dollars and picked out their favorite toys. All before the store opened to the public.
The cops always love the fun experience. “I didn’t usually get a lot for Christmas,” said Daniel Stevens from the Sarasota Police Department. “So, to be able to give back and have the kids make the decisions was a lot of fun,” he added.
The police chief emphasized just how important this event is to his team. “A lot of these officers worked since 5 o’clock last night,” said Chief Rex Troche. “They’re here right now and it’s almost 7:30a.m, so that’s really dedication shown by the Sarasota Police Department,” he finished.
Last week, officials from the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office spent several days along one of the most scenic routes along the Suncoast.
It wasn’t for the nature elements, rather, it was all for safety. Sheriff’s office spokespersons said they logged 127 conversations with people along the Legacy Trail from Venice to downtown Sarasota. While the safety and information campaign consisted primarily of friendly chats and interactions, others walked away with citations, and warnings, primarily for breaking the posted 15 mile-per-hour speed limits for bikers.
Sheriff officials added that they also stopped an individual who was on the trail after hours. They said a background check revealed the person had an outstanding felony warrant for narcotics which ended in an arrest.
“Those not obeying the posted signage, and the proper use of signage along the trail are the people that we want to contact, and educate, and in this case, an arrest because the person had a warrant,” said Sarasota County Sheriff Lieutenant Don Kennard.
Sarasota Sheriff Office Offers Safety Trips for Visitors Using The Legacy Trail
“Those not obeying the posted signage, and the proper use of signage along the trail are the people that we want to contact, and educate, and in this case, an arrest because the person had a warrant,” said Sarasota County Sheriff Lieutenant Don Kennard.
Kennard added that if people ever encounter issues along the trail, all they need to do is look around. “About every tenth of a mile, they have some placards and signs to indicate a location marker, so if you find yourself on the trail and there’s some type of emergency, or some information that you need to relay, you can use those markers to identify where you are,” Kennard added.
ABC 7 learned the city of Sarasota is considering connecting The Legacy Trail to the planned Bobby Jones Nature Park. The city has scheduled a series of meetings December 12, 13 and 14 to gain feedback.
For more information, on times and locations of the meetings, along with safety tips regarding The Legacy Trail, please visit:
Dennis Pinna has visited 53 countries and six continents. In Rome, he interned at the Belgium Embassy and later worked as a lobbyist. In Milan, Italy’s financial capital, he worked in finance. But this year’s Sarasota County Schools High School Teacher of the Year ultimately followed his true passion: teaching. And that has led him a long way from home.
Chabad of Venice will illuminate a 16-foot public Hanukkah menorah during a ceremony at The Gazebo in Centennial Park on Dec. 10, coinciding with the fourth night of the eight-day Festival of Lights.
The event, starting at 4:30 p.m., will include local dignitaries, a live concert with the Freylakh Band, and traditional food, latkes, donuts and Yoav's Falafel. Hanukkah menorahs and candles will be available for attendees to bring the festival's light into their homes.
An additional menorah lighting will be held on Dec. 13 at 5 p.m. at The Green at North Port City Hall, 4970 City Hall Blvd. The menorah lightings across Venice and in neighboring cities are also symbolic acts against a backdrop of rising antisemitism and the current Israel-Hamas war, Rabbi Schmerling said.
Over 140,000 people in Sarasota are over the age of 65. That means we need to pay even more attention when we’re on the roadways.
Although I think most of us would agree that speeding is the problem, sometimes these folks drive a bit slower but that doesn’t mean they should lose their driving privileges.
As long as the elderly person has no mobility issues that interfere with driving, can see, and hear well, they are free to sit behind the wheel.
Nancy Goff does mobility exercises at the Senior Friendship Center in Sarasota, she’s 87, and she doesn’t plan on giving up driving anytime soon.
“I don’t want to give up driving, my family would like me to, they think it’s time,” Nancy said. “But I have too many places to go,” she added.
The Florida Highway Patrol encourages everyone to practice safe driving practices, be patient, and be aware. Florida is a retirement state and now it’s the holiday season, making it even more dangerous.
“I understand that it can be frustrating when someone is going really slow,” said Florida Highway Patrol Senior Trooper Kenneth Watson. “But we want to remind everyone that when you’re behind the wheel you cannot lose your patience,” he added.
Elderly woman killed in Venice car crash, troopers say
A 73-year-old woman was killed in a Venice car crash on Friday.
A sedan was traveling south on US 41 on the left turn lane, approaching the driveway access of the Lowe’s Home Improvement store on 1745 S. Tamiami Trail at about 7:55 a.m. A pickup truck was traveling north on US 41 in the center lane, approaching the same driving way access to the Lowe’s.
The sedan turned left in front of the approaching truck, and the truck crashed into the side of the sedan, according to a report from the Florida Highway Patrol.
The passenger in the first car was pronounced dead and the 74-year-old driver was taken to the hospital with serious injuries. The 63-year-old driver of the truck was also taken to the hospital with serious injuries.
A Bradenton man was killed in a crash on Friday after he failed to stop for traffic ahead on I-75, authorities said.
The 71-year-old driver was traveling southbound on I-75 in a Kia EV6, just north of State Road 618 in Hillsborough County, at about 7:32 p.m. When he failed to brake for stopped traffic ahead, the Kia hit the rear of a Ford pickup truck that was towing a trailer, according to a Florida Highway Patrol report.
The Kia driver was pronounced dead at the scene.
Neither the 56-year-old truck driver from Spring Hill nor his 56-year-old female passenger were injured, the report stated.
The crash closed portions of I-75 until 2 a.m.
Last edited by wondermint2; 12-10-2023 at 06:52 AM..
In a recent incident highlighting the tensions between homeowners and Homeowner Associations (HOAs) in Florida, Denise Wuetcher, a resident of Venice's Verona Reserve neighborhood, has been fined thousands of dollars by her HOA over the placement of a clothesline in her backyard.
The Rising Tensions with HOAs in Florida
With approximately 45% of Floridians being part of an HOA, as reported by South Florida Agent in spring 2023, and only 47% believing their neighborhood benefits from these associations (according to Rocket Mortgage), conflicts like Wuetcher's are not uncommon.
The Clothesline Controversy
In 2018, Wuetcher decided to install a clothesline in her yard, preferring the natural scent of sun-dried clothes. Her application for the clothesline placement was reportedly approved by the HOA, with the stipulation of placing it in her backyard. However, the situation escalated in 2019 when the HOA demanded the relocation of the clothesline, deeming it visible from the street. This directive was based on reports from Yahoo News in November 2023 and The Sun in October 2023.
Wuetcher contested the relocation request, arguing that moving the clothesline closer to her house, as suggested by the HOA to keep it out of street view, would deprive her clothes of sunlight.
The Legal Battle
After failing to comply with the HOA's request, Wuetcher was fined $100 per day, culminating in a $2,500 fine, the maximum allowed. She then decided to take legal action against the HOA, challenging the specific rule she had violated.
Florida's Statutes and Legal Perspectives on Clotheslines
Florida Statute 163.04(2) supports homeowners' rights to install clotheslines, prohibiting deed restrictions or similar agreements from banning solar collectors, clotheslines, or other renewable energy devices. Despite this, attorneys from South Florida Law point out that while Florida is a "right to dry state," HOAs still have the authority to regulate the size and placement of clotheslines.
This case underscores the complex dynamics between individual rights and community regulations in HOA-governed neighborhoods, especially when it comes to sustainable practices like using clotheslines. The outcome of Wuetcher's legal battle may set a precedent for similar disputes in Florida.
Michelin Star recipient and world-renowned chef Jose Martinez didn’t mince words when Matt Buchanan, president and managing partner of Sarasota Ford, came to him with a big and bold idea. Buchanan knew Martinez a little, having dined at the chef’s noted Maison Blanche on Longboat Key with his wife, Diana Buchanan, on big occasions.
Buchanan’s plan: create and open a high-end, French-accented restaurant inside the Ford dealership, open only to customers. “I told him this was a crazy idea,” says Martinez, “but that I am up for the challenge.”
Bottom line
Key takeaway: Sarasota Ford is set to open a high-end, French-style restaurant inside the dealership — a move designed to increase brand and customer loyalty.
Core challenge: Customer education of how this concept, Le Mans Kitchen, is significantly different from the typical bottled water from a dorm fridge, Styrofoam cup of coffee and glazed donuts you might normally get to munch on at a dealership.
What’s next: The restaurant is scheduled to open Dec 11, starting on weekdays. It will add weekends in 2024.
‘Almost like stepping into a different world’: Sarasota Ford unveils fine dining experience nestled inside dealership (Video)
From car shopping to fine dining, it is an experience you will not find anywhere else.
“It was almost like stepping into another world,” Chief Experience Officer Mirza Velic said.
But, it is all in the same place.
On Monday, Sarasota Ford is holding their official opening for Le Mans Kitchen, a restaurant nestled right inside the dealership that replaces their former cafe.
“We really wanted to create an environment or encompass the Le Men’s history where Ford beat Ferrari in 1966,” Velic said. “And we wanted to incorporate that into the food and beverage industry.”’
There is a catch.
If you want to dine, you are going to have to drive off in a new Ford car, or at the very least get your car serviced, and that can be any type of car.
“Once a customer comes in for a sale or service, we provide them with a complimentary voucher,” Velic said.
So you could grab a bite for free, and they have some recommendations.
“It’s something completely new,” Campbell said. “Something they have never experienced.”
But, why all this in a dealership? It is all about customer loyalty.
More than 45 homes in Sapphire Point have 14-foot inflatable Santas towering over their front yards, creating what some neighbors have begun to call the Sapphire Santas.
The Sapphire Santas started with Brianna Wener on Hidden Oaks Loop. She saw a video on social media in mid November in which a neighborhood in Toronto, Canada had inflatable Santas on both sides of the street. She thought the idea would be fun and bring joy to her community.
Wener sent the video to her neighbor Natalie Apodaca and suggested they do the same on their street to spread joy and cheer.
Before they knew it, the idea spread and inflatable Santas were popping up on Hidden Oaks Loop. Then residents on other streets were asking to participate, which Wener was elated to hear.
Santas kept popping up all over the neighborhood.
“I wonder how many times the Walmart driver has had to come down the street to deliver Santas?” Wener said.
Every time Amanda Johnson takes her dog for a walk at night, she said she sees a new Santa.
Although previous Sarasota County Commissions denied petitions for variances to allow home construction on the parcel standing at 168 Beach Road on Siesta Key, the current board members have voted 3-1 to approve such a request.
Following a Nov. 28 public hearing, Commissioner Neil Rainford made the motion, and Commissioner Michael Moran seconded it.
The applicant’s representatives pointed to how wide the beach has grown seaward of the property, which meant the planned new two-story home over parking would be about 500 feet from the Mean High Water Line (MHWL). Former Florida Senate President Bill Galvano, an attorney with the Grimes Galvano firm in Bradenton, emphasized that the beach has been accreting at a rate of about 18 feet a year since 2001.
Additionally, a former Sarasota County environmental division staff member who was part of the applicant’s team — Weiqi Lin, who heads up a Sarasota firm called Port and Coastal Consultants — told the board members, “This parcel has never been submerged in water ever since it was platted in [the 1920s].” He did acknowledge, though, that, from 1974 to 2001, the beach accreted only about 1.2 feet per year.
Howard Berna, manager of the county’s Environmental Permitting Division, showed the commissioners slides dating back to 1948 to illustrate one of the primary points he made during his remarks: “There’s been dynamic changes in this part of the beach. Sands come; sands go. There’s no crystal ball that I [can use to] assure you that there will be sands here in the future.”
The University of Florida/IFAS Extension Sarasota County is accepting applications for its 2024 Summer Internship program. This program aims to provide students with a comprehensive public sector learning experience. It offers the chance to develop new skills, enhance resumes, and explore public service. Interns will gain hands-on experience within a department, network, and participate in professional development. They will also have the opportunity to form connections with other interns, mentors, and Sarasota County team members.
The internship program provides a competitive wage, practical work experience, professional headshots, mentoring with county staff, and professional development events. To be eligible, applicants must be at least 18 years old or 16 with parental consent. They must have a high school diploma or equivalent, be eligible to work in the United States, and be currently enrolled in or recently graduated from an accredited educational program.
This year, interns in the Environmental Education and Outreach program may work with various programs. These include 4-H Youth Development, Agriculture, Ecology and Natural Resources, Marine and Coastal, and Sustainability. This internship offers students the chance to gain practical experience in their field and contribute to their community.
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