One Sarasota attorney says he’s ready to take his skills from the courtroom to the Florida House of Representatives. Tommy Gregory, a retired military attorney now working as a senior counsel at Williams Parker in Sarasota, announced he will run for state House in District 73, which covers much of east Sarasota and Manatee counties.

The Republican says he wants to protect individual rights while promoting financial responsibility in Tallahassee. A self-described fiscal conservative, Gregory says he appreciates that Florida, unlike the federal government, has a balanced budget requirement in its constitution, but he’d like better restraint from lawmakers when it comes to raiding trust funds. “In particular, I see the impact on affordable housing,” he says. A board member for Habitat for Humanity Sarasota, he says it hurts families on the Gulf Coast when state funding disappears and erodes the power of public-private partnerships.

Gregory says he had not planned to run for this post before learning the current holder of the seat, state Rep. Joe Gruters, R-Sarasota, planned to run for state Senate. But he would have voted differently on some issues than the incumbent.

Notably, Gregory says he could not support the school safety and gun control bill recently passed by the Legislature. While he supports many provisions, he says increasing the age of purchase to buy a firearm to 21 violates rights of individuals protected by both the U.S. and state constitution. “Saying ‘shall not be infringed’ is pretty clear language to me,” he says while quoting the Second Amendment of the US Constitution. He did not have strong objections to allowing professionals on campuses to carry firearms as part of a guardian program, so long as those individuals undergo proper training. 

Gregory has two children attending the State College of Florida Collegiate School so the issue of providing a safe, secure school system is personal; his youngest son attends St. Martha Catholic School.

He also feels strongly about maintaining proper funding and support for other programs in the state that help families and society. His own kids grew up in numerous schools around the world during his military service with the Air Force, and he says he understands the value stability at home can bring. He notes his wife Erica previously volunteered as Sarasota Medical Pregnancy Centers and also worked at Healthy Start.

The retired lieutenant colonel’s legal background includes work as a staff judge advocate for the 48th Fighter Wing in the UK, where he supervised a 35-person legal office. He says that gave him a healthy understanding in maintaining the public trust in a fair justice system, and he hopes as a lawmaker to also work on justice reform. “When people lose faith in the government, whether that’s in prosecuting criminals or spending taxpayer dollars, it’s a dangerous situation for a government,” he says.

Gregory is the first Republican to file for the open House seat, though more candidates are considering a run. Democrat Liv Coleman has also filed for the seat.  

As drool-worthy as the specialty artisan pizzas among the impressive wall of craft beers are, there’s more than meets the eye (mouth) at Oak & Stone. Contrary to popular belief, the upscale tavern joint has much more to bring to the table than just pizza and beer. Venture beyond the go-to rituals here and you’ll be delighted to find some gems—surprisingly underrated compared to its signature staples. Folks looking for a gut-healthier option, take the unexpected route with one of the three Oak Bowls up for grabs. The Tuna Poke brings the swag with soy-sesame tuna, crushed peanuts, veggie slaw, jalapenos, soy pearls and a sweet chili aioli. The Buffalo Chicken brings the spice with grilled buffalo chicken, wood-fired mushrooms, celery, crushed avocado and crumbled bleu cheese. The Veggie Power brings the savory with lomi-lomi tomatoes, guacamole, cucumber, roasted mushrooms, marinated broccoli, carrots, radish and red onions. You’ll then choose your preferred base—sesame kale or quinoa pilaf, and both happen to pair perfectly with a glass of one of their neglected, full-bodied wines.

If satisfying your vast appetite is harder to please, go the homemade meatloaf route for a comatose kickback! The unconventional alternative may be off the beaten path here, but you’ll discover the hearty dish’s lick-your-plate-clean effects shortly upon ordering. The Stone Fired Meatloaf is a sumptuous blend of Kobe beef, short rib and veal made in-house and finished in the wood-fired oven for a charred effect alongside its pizza comrades. Served with mashed potatoes, Guinness gravy, crispy onions and a sunny egg—pairing it with a flight from the hand-selected list of bourbon/whiskeys makes you a boss. You’ll just as easily commingle with the wrist banned beer drinkers, so next time your friends ask you to head out to University Park, spread the love by expanding your horizons to Oak & Stone’s diverse menu at its welcoming neighborhood-style digs! And be sure to look out for the new location opening this spring in St. Petersburg! 

Image provided by Tableseide Restaurant Group

Oak & Stone, 5405 University Pkwy #101, University Park, 941-225-4590

Glitz and glamour filled The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota, as more than 300 attendees enjoyed a night in Vintage Vegas for The Out-of-Door Academy’s annual Banyan Ball. Guests were greeted by showgirls, Banyan Ball Chairs and an elegant champagne tower while enjoying the vocal stylings of Vegas favorites Dean Martin, Marilyn Monroe and Frank Sinatra. Many guests took the opportunity to roll the dice at games of chance before entering the ballroom for a decadent dinner service. Several items were auctioned off and a paddle raise demonstrated the community’s commitment to the students and programs that make ODA an exceptional institution for students in grades Pre-K - 12.


ODA extends a special thank you to Banyan Ball Chairs Courtney and Tony Bonacuse & Stacy and David White for their vision to bring this fun and festive theme to life. A special thanks to the Brunckhorst and Dart families for their generous sponsorship of this event. See a full list of sponsors at www.oda.edu/banyanball. 

Content and image provided by The Out-of-Door Academy

The Out-of-Door Academy

Doctors Hospital of Sarasota opened a new emergency room yesterday, located on State Road 70 in Lakewood Ranch, just east of 1-75. The new emergency room is open 24/7 and provides care for patients of all ages, with all types of illnesses and injuries. The facility has on-site diagnostic services including CAT scan, ultrasound, X-ray and laboratory services, and holds the same national certifications as Doctors Hospital of Sarasota’s main campus ER. 

Doctors Hospital of Sarasota

DutchCrafters, one of the largest online retailers of Amish furniture, is accepting applications for the DutchCrafters Heritage Scholarship. Information about the scholarship can be found at the website below. The deadline to apply is May 1, 2018. Every year since its establishment in 2012, three exceptional students who have been accepted to or are attending a four-year college or university have received $500 to assist with their educational costs. Along with a brief financial need statement, applicants are asked to submit an essay explaining how they plan to use their cultural heritage to shape their vocational aspirations, offer creative value to their future employer and serve their community. Winners of the scholarship for the 2017-18 academic year were Brianna Kinsey, Rebecca Price and Amalia Weber. 

DutchCrafters Heritage Scholarship Application

Gulf Coast Community Foundation has selected 26 participants from across the region for its 2018 Gulf Coast Leadership Institute. Class members will take part in seven training sessions from April through June conducted by the acclaimed Leadership Development Institute of Eckerd College. Gulf Coast provides all training and resources at no cost to participants in exchange for their commitment to use their new skills to benefit the community. The 26 participants selected for the 2018 Gulf Coast Leadership Institute include Laurie Birnbach, national account director with the Coca-Cola Company; Kelly Carlstein Buehler, marketing and public relations coordinator with Blake Medical Center; Beth Bush, vice president of philanthropy at All Star Children’s Foundation; Leroy Butler, community engagement specialist for SCOPE; Janet Carrillo, social services manager for the City of North Port; Eric Collin, president of Firmo Construction; and more. This is the 11th year of Gulf Coast Leadership Institute, which was preceded by two classes of the foundation’s North Port Leadership Institute. In all, nearly 300 community members have completed the training provided through this leadership-development initiative. This marks the first year that Eckerd College’s Leadership Development Institute will provide all training for the Leadership Institute. Eckerd is one of six institutions that make up the Cross College Alliance, a regional higher-education consortium supported in part by Gulf Coast Community Foundation. 

Gulf Coast Community Foundation

PGT Innovations will be hosting a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 9am on March 29 to celebrate the completion of its new 7,500-square-foot child care center at Sunshine Education Academy off Triple Diamond Boulevard in Venice. The new center offers affordable, convenient childcare services to PGT Innovations’ families with young children, as well as parents who work in the Triple Diamond Commerce Park and the surrounding area in North Venice. Teachers with the Sunshine Education Academy, operated by the Venice branch of the SKY Family YMCA, will provide tours after the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Built by Venice-based J.E. Charlotte Construction Corp., the Sunshine Education Academy contains an administration office, a multipurpose room, nine classrooms, which are equipped with child-sized lavatories and sinks and a safety system with access controls at the exterior doors. The licensed and accredited facility will offer curriculum-based programs, healthy meals and an outdoor playground to children aged six weeks to five years old. 

PGT Innovations

Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate has been recognized with the 2018 Humanitarian Outreach award. Presented by NRT LLC, the parent company of Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate, the award annually recognizes a single organization within the NRT LLC family of companies that showcases extraordinary service and commitment to its community. NRT LLC is the nation’s largest residential real estate brokerage company. Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate, with operations spanning the state of Florida, was recognized for charitable efforts including $250,000 in grants to local charities, relief efforts for hurricane Irma and Maria victims totaling 35 tons of supplies and dozens of company-sponsored fundraising events throughout 2017. 

Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate