Sarasota & Manatee Counties news thread

[wondermint2]

Federal judge orders AeroVanti exec to disclose finances at July hearing

The founder of Sarasota-based AeroVanti must go before a Baltimore judge to explain what happened to money alleged to have gone to air service company from improper sale of house or face jail time.

For full article:

https://archive.is/0LbTo

Patrick Britton-Harr has been ordered to appear in Baltimore on July 31 for a hearing in federal court that could lead to his jailing.

U.S. District Judge Ellen Lipton Hollander ordered the hearing after federal prosecutors requested the owner and founder of Sarasota-based air service company AeroVanti be held in contempt a second time for allegedly violating court orders in a Medicare fraud case.

Prosecutors asked the judge for the hearing to force Britton-Harr to explain why he has not complied with discovery orders to disclose his finances after filing a status report detailing why he did not pay $575,000 as ordered in March.

[wondermint2]

Originally Posted by wondermint2

Restaurant reviews: 10 best things to eat in Sarasota, Bradenton, Venice, part 2 of 5

Story by Wade Tatangelo, Sarasota Herald-Tribune

For full article:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/foodanddri...78e3f430&ei=30

Hopefully, last week's list of the best things to eat at restaurants in Sarasota and Manatee counties left you hungry for more — because we’re back with a second helping of local culinary delights that should inspire you to get off the couch and brave the Florida heat.

To mark the official start of summer on June 20, I compiled a list of 50 dishes I've enjoyed over the past year or so at local restaurants. I focused mostly on places with a fun and casual setting; however, a few dishes were so delicious that I had to make an exception for fancier restaurants. On balance, you'll find an array of casual dining classics.

Presented in alphabetical order by the name of the menu item, here is the next installment of my highly subjective list of the 50 best things to eat at restaurants in Sarasota and Manatee counties, presented as bite-sized reviews. To make the list more manageable, we are sharing 10 new dishes per week for the next five weeks, bringing us to mid-July for the five-part series.

This week's list features dishes ranging from locally sourced seafood to fried chicken sandwiches, along with a salad for anyone craving a lighter bite. To be honest, I rarely recommend salads, but it is summer, and this one is the kind of salad that is essentially an awesome sandwich that someone just decided to serve without the bread.

This is part one:

Restaurant reviews: 10 of 50 best things to eat this summer in Sarasota, Bradenton area

For full article:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/tri...d=BingNewsVerp

One of the few summertime perks in Sarasota-Manatee is being able to visit our favorite local restaurants without battling the crowds. At this point in life, I think I prefer the scorching heat and sticky humidity over the winter invasion of snowbirds and tourists. Although come July, who knows — I might be singing a different tune.

To mark the official start of summer on Thursday, June 20, I've compiled a list of 50 dishes I've enjoyed over the past year or so at local restaurants. I focused mostly on places with a fun and casual setting where you can show up in a T-shirt, shorts, and flip-flops — which, in my humble opinion, should be the official uniform of Florida until Thanksgiving, when we can all switch to slightly dressier flip-flops.

A few dishes were so delicious, though, that I had to make an exception for fancier restaurants. On balance, you'll find an array of casual dining classics such as burgers, sandwiches, tacos, pizza, and other tasty items that don't require you to know which fork to use.

Presented in alphabetical order by the name of the menu item, here's my highly subjective list of the 50 best things to eat this summer at restaurants in Sarasota and Manatee counties. To make the list more manageable, we will be sharing 10 new dishes per week for the next five weeks, bringing us to mid-July — when many of us will be praying for the return of winter, regardless of the baggage cooler months bring, such as snowbirds and tourists.

[wondermint2]

‘Something big’ needed to fix Longboat's Gulfside Road beach problem

Coastal engineers say a multimillion-dollar interim beach nourishment and protection project is necessary to save the Gulfside Road beach from further erosion.

For full article:

https://www.yourobserver.com/news/20...beach-problem/

For a problem as complex as Longboat Key’s Gulfside Road, large-scale solutions are necessary.

About 2,500 feet of shoreline off Gulfside Road are in peril as the combination of a historically erosive beach and issues with private beach structures exacerbate the annual erosion problem.

If nothing is done, then the erosive pattern could continue so far that it removes the beach entirely and impacts property owners along that shoreline, said Al Browder with Olsen Associates, Inc. Browder and Olsen Associates have a long-standing relationship with Longboat Key, having worked on several past beach projects and conducting the annual beach reviews.

That drastic change could cause a domino effect that impacts the entire shoreline and downshore drift of Longboat Key.

At the Longboat Key Town Commission’s June 17 workshop, Browder presented alongside Assistant Public Works Director Charlie Mopps to inform commissioners about what needs to be done to save the Gulfside Road beach.

To address the complicated issues at Gulfside Road, Browder and Mopps said two things are necessary.

First, an interim beach nourishment that is estimated to cost around $4 million to $4.5 million and will hold the line for about two years at the beach’s current erosion rate.

Then, a condensed groin field would be the next step, installed off the Gulfside Road shoreline to stabilize the sand. This will be paired with another nourishment, which will fill the beach.

[wondermint2]

FDEP educates officials on mangroves

For full article:

https://www.amisun.com/2024/06/25/fd...-on-mangroves/

HOLMES BEACH – Representatives from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) want to make sure that city leaders know what they’re getting into if they opt to take over mangrove regulation from the state agency.

Holmes Beach city leaders are considering partnering with Anna Maria, Bradenton Beach and Longboat Key officials to locally monitor and regulate mangrove trimming and removal under the authority of FDEP. Issues of unauthorized removal of mangroves, large-scale trimming and lot clearing have led local leaders to consider taking on the permitting and enforcement duties.

FDEP Environmental Administrator Hannah Westervelt visited city commissioners during a June 11 meeting to explain how mangroves are regulated by the state and what the limits of their power would be if commissioners opt to apply to take over regulations from the state.

[wondermint2]

Emma Weyant's mom shares moment she qualified for Paris


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXC9BrWhc5U

Sarasota native and University of Florida Gator, Emma Weyant, has punched her ticket to Paris.

“Very emotional and I just felt so proud of her. Just to see her when they do the announcements and they have her on the big screen and when they walk out––I just felt so much pride,” Emma’s mother, Kristi Weyant, said. “She’s my oldest of four daughters. She’s still my baby. Seeing her up there when she touched the wall, I think I did stop breathing and I 100% started crying.”

Her younger sister Gracie also competed at the U.S. Swim Trials. While Gracie didn’t qualify for the 2024 Olympics, she’ll travel with their mom to watch Emma compete in France.

For full article:

https://www.wfla.com/2024-olympics/e...aris-olympics/

[wondermint2]

Originally Posted by wondermint2

Who is Pat Neal, and why does the city of Venice keep losing lawsuits to him?

For full article:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime...78e3f430&ei=25

When the Venice City Council approved the $1.6 million settlement of a lawsuit filed by Pat Neal over excess building permit fees, it marked the second time in five years that the 75-year-old president of Neal Communities has won a fee-based lawsuit with the city.

The council approved the settlement on Tuesday and later approved a budget change to make the payment.

In March 2019, Neal won $795,399 plus an additional $160,000 in a lawsuit centered around Venice's practice of assessing special fees on property owners seeking to be annexed by the city that were due once certificates of occupancy were issued.

In that case, Venice sued Neal trying to enforce annexation agreements made with previous property owners, but lost when 12th Judicial Circuit Court Judge Hunter W. Carroll found those fees unconstitutional.

More recently, Neal’s interests have been aligned with the city, after members of the North Venice Neighborhood Alliance sued over a land use change that allowed Border and Jacaranda Holdings, LLC – a company controlled by Neal – to develop a commercial center on 10.4 acres at the intersection of Jacaranda Boulevard and Laurel Road.

Who is Pat Neal?

Neal is the founder and chairman of Lakewood Ranch-based Neal Communities, which has built more than 21,000 new homes from Tampa to Naples.

From 1974-78 he served in the state Legislature and from 1978-86 in the state Senate, and still wields considerable clout in Tallahassee.

Neal was chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee and Senate Natural Resources Commission as well as a former chair of the Judicial Nomination Commission, of which he is still a member.

When did Neal start building in Venice?

Neal’s first development in the Venice area – Grand Palm – is actually in unincorporated Sarasota County at the southwest corner of Center and River roads; it opened in 2012.

Two years later, he finished development in Sawgrass and started Windwood on Pinebrook Road, as well as the Villages of Milano and started the process to develop The Woods, a 151-acre site at Border and North Jackson roads.

This video is in Alva (Lee County).

Neal Communities faces local opposition over Alva development


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5508UXuP0OI

Tuesday at noon, Neal Communities of Southwest Florida, Inc. held a public meeting at the intersection of Owl Creek Drive and N. River Road in Alva to discuss their application for the Owl Creek Community.

[wondermint2]

Charlotte County now requiring condo and Co-Op inspections for buildings 25-years or older


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGsMznsUDcQ

On the 3-year anniversary of the Champlain Towers South building collapse in Surfside, FL, many look to remember those lost and continue to learn from the tragedy.

“The milestone inspection legislation,” said Shawn McNulty, building official and floodplain administrator with Charlotte County Board of County Commissioners. “This was legislation put in 2 years ago, mandating condominiums and co-op to get these inspections at 30 years of age and every ten years after that. [Tuesday] we amended the rule to include 25 years within the 3-mile coastline.”

This change aims to ensure that condos and co-ops near the Gulf Coast are secure and stable, specifically from saltwater decay.

But commissioners and the public had their concerns regarding money.

“In other places, they wanted the co-op boards to make sure they had enough money in escrow to be able to pay for problems,” Jeff said during public comment.

“They don’t have the money essentially to do the inspections,” said Bill Truex, District 3 Commissioner of Charlotte County. “So, it is an issue, that obviously we are going to be dealing with at this point.”

Commissioners reminded everyone that condos by the Peace River could also see this damage.

“Charlotte Harbor has saltwater in it, and it’s brackish,” said Christopher Constance, District 2 Commissioner of Charlotte County. “I’m OK with what we are being presented today, but I guess, as inspections go forward in the future, I’d ask the community development to keep a keen eye on that.”

For full article:

https://winknews.com/2024/06/25/char...twater%20decay.

[wondermint2]

I Am Sarasota County: Dr. Katherine Clements


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6tCUXAmbyQ

Sarasota County, located on the Gulf coast of Florida, is a premier community that features arts, culture, manufacturing, fine dining, professional sports, eco-tourism and the best beaches in the United States. Approximately 417,000 residents live within the county's unincorporated area and four municipalities, the cities of Sarasota, North Port and Venice, and the town of Longboat Key.

Sarasota County government works closely with these municipalities as well as nonprofit organizations, volunteers and others to provide a superior level of service to its residents, businesses and visitors. For more information, visit www.scgov.net or call the Sarasota County Contact Center at (941) 861-5000.

[wondermint2]

Align Your Chakras At Bradenton's Village Mystic


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PeDU2_HsJiM

Dawn Collins, co-owner of Bradenton's Village Mystic in the art enclave of Village of the Arts describes the classes, crystals and unusual items for sale at the business she and her husband, Shaman Jeff, own. Psychic readings, chakra alignment and other services are available by appointment.

Video by Tiffany Tompkins/Bradenton Herald

[wondermint2]

Interview with Karen Bell of A.P. Bell Fish Company in Cortez, FL


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gd52GEu6vo8

Learn about Sustainable Seafood with Karen Bell, Owner of A.P. Bell Fish Company. Join host Dalia Colón as she explores the storied history and EcoFriendly practices of this iconic Florida fish house. Discover how local fishermen’s dedication to Sustainable harvesting supports both community and environment.