Sarasota & Manatee Counties news thread

[wondermint2]

Impact at the Sarasota Art Museum

For full article:

https://www.srqmagazine.com/srq-dail...ota-Art-Museum

The Sarasota Art Museum (SAM) is all about pushing the boundaries of contemporary art. The Hermitage Artist Retreat is all about providing a creative haven for contemporary artists of all disciplines. Since both organizations reside in Sarasota County, it only made sense that they would eventually collaborate. What couldn’t be anticipated, however, is just how special a collaboration this would be.

This weekend is the last chance to see Impact: Contemporary Artists at the Hermitage Artist Retreat at SAM. The exhibit, which spans the museum’s entire second floor highlights the work of 10 U.S.-based artists. Although these artists differ widely in their respective mediums–installation, video, printmaking, conceptual drawings and more–all 10 share one commonality: they have all attended artist residencies at the Hermitage Artist Retreat’s beachfront campus.

March 10 to July 7, 2024, Sarasota Art Museum, 1001 South Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, 941-309-4300.

[wondermint2]

Marie Selby Botanical Gardens to feature Florida Highwaymen in two-month summer exhibition

For full article & photos:

https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/mari...114521434.html

Marie Selby Botanical Gardens will host a special summer exhibition, "The Florida Highwaymen: Interstate Connections," starting July 20 inside the Museum of Botany & the Arts at Selby Gardens’ Downtown Sarasota campus.

The exhibit featuring the legendary Black landscape artists will run through Sept. 15.

The Florida Highwaymen emerged in the 1950s in the agricultural communities of Fort Pierce and Gifford. Largely self-taught, the artists produced colorful scenes of Florida’s unique landscapes that appealed to residents and tourists alike. The painters sold their artwork from the trunks of their cars during the post-World War II boom because they were unable to exhibit through traditional means because of the color of their skin.

“Their works collectively capture colorful scenes of Florida’s unique landscapes with universal appeal," said Jennifer Rominiecki, president and CEO of Selby Gardens. "To appreciate their art in our botanical setting is an experience perfectly suited to our bayfront sanctuary during the summer.”

[wondermint2]

One injured after Sarasota house fire

Published: Jul. 4, 2024 at 5:53 PM EDT | Updated: 15 hours ago

https://www.mysuncoast.com/2024/07/0...ta-house-fire/

Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office is conducting a fire investigation in the 5600 block of Cape Leyte Drive. One person suffered injuries and was transported to the hospital.

Shady Lawn Drive will be closed at Shady Lawn Way and Beach Way Drive. Take alternative routes.

Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office at 941-316-1201 or call 911.

[wondermint2]

Sarasota County commissioners will be making grants next week

https://www.newsbreak.com/venice-fl/...ants-next-week

The Sarasota County Commission meets twice next week and will spend a good deal of both meetings deciding how to divvy up money.

On Tuesday, in Venice, the Commission is scheduled to approve an action plan for federal Community Development Block Grant, HOME Investment Partnerships Program and Emergency Solutions Grant funds and Neighborhood Initiative Grant Program applications.

At Wednesday's meeting in Sarasota, it will discuss how to use funds from the settlement of lawsuits against manufacturers of opioids and select projects for funding under the multifamily housing phase of the Resilient SRQ program.

There's $40 million in this phase of the program but eligible requests total nearly $150 million, according to the staff presentation.

Other business

Also on Tuesday the Commission will:

• Consider a purchase of park land on Lemon Bay Drive, Venice.

• Consider purchasing two properties in Englewood to develop as parking lots.

• Consider the future of 1710 Vamo Drive, which the county has declared as surplus property. Among the options are the demolition of the 1925 house or a sale, though a prior offer to buy it was rejected by the Commission.

• Consider a budget amendment to provide additional funding for the Nokomis Community Park Pickleball Capital Improvement Program.

• Consider repealing the county's local business tax.

• Consider a revised agreement for funding the Economic Development Corporation of Sarasota County, which is funded in part by the local business tax.

Revenue from the tax represents about 25% of the EDC's budget. A proposal by county staff calls for the county to match an increase in business contributions to the agency to make up the shortfall.

On Wednesday, the Commission will vote on accepting a state grant of $8 million for the widening of Laurel Road and matching it with $7.8 million in Venice mobility fees to fund the project.

The Venice City Council votes Tuesday on authorizing the use of the fees.

The Commission meets Tuesday, July 9, in Commission Chambers in the Robert L. Anderson Administration Center, 4000 S. Tamiami Trail, Venice, and Wednesday, July 10, in Commission Chambers in the Sarasota County Administration Center, 1660 Ringling Blvd., Sarasota. Both meetings start at 9 a.m.

The full agendas for the meetings are at SCGov.net.

[wondermint2]

Longboaters get taste of what Whitney Plaza has to offer (Photo Gallery)

For photo gallery:

https://www.yourobserver.com/news/20...whitney-plaza/

Whitney Plaza was buzzing with residents for the first Summer Night Out of the year.

The businesses of Whitney Plaza partnered together to offer a fun night for Longboat residents to explore new businesses, meet new friends and get involved in the community.

People started by getting free cheesecake samples from Elegant Lady Cheesecake Parlor before moving to Design 2000 Salon for mingling and pizza from Ventura's Italian Kitchen and Wine Bar. Next door at Driftwood Beach Home and Garden, people drank prosecco while browsing through trinkets and colorful clothes.

People ended their tour of Whitney Plaza at Sips for free samples at their new gelato shop with Sips hosts Mike and Lorenzo Condensa playing music for the plaza. Ventura’s also extended its happy hour for people to enjoy more food and drinks after shopping and mingling.

Owner of Driftwood Beach Home and Garden Heather Rippy and co-owner of Design 2000 Irina Bronstein started this event last year. The event has grown since the first one last summer with the addition of Sips Coffee and Gelato, music for the plaza and more attendees.

“We have such a great turnout this year,” said Rippy. "June is usually well-attended but it is great to see so many people out mingling and making community. My favorite part is that it gives people a chance to meet their neighbors when they wouldn’t otherwise and support small businesses at the same time.”

[wondermint2]

Two theater groups test drive new plays with reading series

For full article:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/movies/new...d=BingNewsSerp

Two theater groups using the same performance space are trying out a series of new works to test audience reaction and possibly lead to fuller stagings in the future.

The Sarasota Players continues its long tradition by presenting its annual New Play Festival, with five new works by writers from Tampa Bay to Fort Myers. The plays were selected from among 30 submissions from writers in the region.

The festival runs weeknights July 8-12 at 7:30 p.m. and the winning play will be presented in a fuller production next summer. Last year’s winner, “Happy Dale” by Dan Landon, recently ran for two weekends.

Once that festival ends, the Sarasota Jewish Theatre will present a series it calls “Newish Jewish Plays” at 7 p.m. on three Mondays from July 15-29. The plays were selected from submissions of 19 new works by Jewish playwrights or plays that deal with Jewish content.

The Sarasota Players will follow each reading with a discussion featuring the playwright and director for feedback, and the Jewish Theatre will ask patrons to complete evaluation forms to help determine which, if any, of the plays might get another production.

[wondermint2]

Tortoise monitoring at Lemon Bay Park

https://www.newsbreak.com/englewood-...lemon-bay-park

ENGLEWOOD — Community members took to social media to demand better gopher tortoise monitoring at Lemon Bay Environmental Park, saying several burrows were recently run over and destroyed by earth-moving equipment.

June Deveneau was walking through the park when she saw heavy equipment in the Sarasota County park clearing vegetation. Deveneau along with other locals told the contractors that tortoise burrows were present in the area.

“That whole section down for half a mile is just decimated for about 20 feet in, and the challenge is that we don’t know how many gopher tortoise burrows there really were,” Deveneau told The Daily Sun. “These were not things that could have been easily missed if someone has just put up little flags.”

But Sarasota County officials say that wasn’t the case and burrows weren’t destroyed.

Sarasota County PIO Cole Washko said that the contractors, Sumner Land Management, were doing fire mitigation work at Lemon Bay Park.

“Sarasota County staff met with an FWC officer at the park and checked the entirety of the work area and were unable to find any evidence of collapsed burrows or dead tortoises,” Washko said. “Staff flagged all known burrows ahead of the work, and the contractors walked the areas before running the equipment through.”

Washko said the contractors avoided mowing areas with the presence of a burrow.

“An FWC officer and county staff met with the community member who called in her concerns and walked the area she referenced,” he said.

FWC’s Division of Law Enforcement PIO Ashlee Sklute confirmed that a call to investigate gopher tortoise burrow disturbance was answered by FWC officers.

“The investigation revealed no violations,” Sklute said. “The FWC is partnering with county officials to ensure no gopher tortoise burrows will be impacted by future work on the property.”

Deveneau said contractors use GPS which identifies tortoise burrows. Workers told her there was only one burrow identified on GPS.

“If Lemon Bay Park isn’t being responsible for the burrows that can easily be seen and marking these before they have a contractor or whomever come in to mow this all down and crush it all down then that’s on them,” she said. “It’s supposed to be a nature zone not a killing zone.”

Sumner Land Management did not provide comments.

[wondermint2]

‘Nobody deserves it.’ Bradenton mother speaks out after daughter killed in triple homicide (Video)

For full article & video:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime...de/ar-BB1psxxW

When Sacouya Starquez Jonquila Brice celebrated her 29th birthday at the Siesta Key Drum Circle, her family didn’t know it would be her last.

“We had a good time,” Brice’s mother, Matilda Dubois, said about the beach day.

Brice told her mother she had no birthday plans that morning, so Dubois invited her to Siesta Key. “I’m so glad we came out, you all really made my day,” Dubois remembers Brice telling her.

It’s one of the last conversations she would ever have with her daughter.

The next day, the sheriff’s office says Brice was one of three Manatee County women shot to death in a “killing spree.” Titimysha Scott, 48, and Charel Carter, 31, were also murdered, detectives say.

Investigators believe it was Sacouya’s own cousin, 28-year-old Javontee Brice, who killed all three women in Manatee County shootings that happened roughly within an hour of each other.

[wondermint2]

Anna Maria Island Privateers July Fourth Parade 2024 (Photo Gallery)

For photo gallery:

https://www.amisun.com/2024/07/04/an...h-parade-2024/

[wondermint2]

Sarasota former Olympic swimmer remembers the games


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9l2HPSemTHE

People all over the world are turning their attention to Paris. A former Olympic swimmer reminisced on his experience with SNN.