A sweeping funding bill out of Washington includes $8 million set aside to combat toxic algae blooms following the passage of legislation sponsored by Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Sarasota. The congressman hopes to see much of that go to institutions on the Gulf Coast. “Our community has some of the most distinguished red tide researchers in the world and we will be working with NOAA to ensure that they get a crack at the funding,” Buchanan tells SRQ.

The funding goes to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. After Buchanan’s office announced the opportunity, Mote Marine Laboratory CEO Michael Crosby issued a statement praising action, stating that the increased funding will “significantly bolster the scientific community’s research to detect, respond to and develop innovative technologies to lessen the impacts from some of the country’s most challenging harmful algal blooms - red tide - on our environment, marine life and human health.”

Buchanan said red tide threatens not only the ecology of the Gulf of Mexico, but the economy in regions adjacent. “We need to understand more about the toxins in red tide so we can stop the damaging effects,” Buchanan says. NOAA estimates harmful algal blooms cause $82 million in economic losses annually for the seafood, restaurant and tourist industries, all of which have a strong presence in this region.

Much of that comes because of the poisoning of seafood by the algal blooms. Blooms can also force beach closures and swimming bans.

The funding was included in a bill to keep the federal government open through September. President Donald Trump signed the bill last week. 

It’s easy to make up excuses why not to head out for a run on the beach or game of tennis in sweltering temps—too sunny, too hot, too sweaty. Well, where there’s a will, there’s a way for this Sarasota dentist and outdoor sports enthusiast! Dr. Steven Wieder developed SAAKA due to the quality letdown of conventional head/wristbands on the market. "Southwest Florida is arguably one of the hottest places in the United States," says Wieder. "But, that shouldn’t stop us from playing sports and engaging in our favorite outdoor activities 12 months out of the year. We needed something better to prevent sweat from compromising our passions." Queue in SAAKA sportbands specially designed to manage our body’s perspiration and keep us moving at peak performance level. After experimenting with different fabrics, Wieder stumbled upon just the right combination—creating a three layered system for our sweatiest pursuits. The inner layer consists of moisture-wicking antimicrobial poly/spandex that immediately pulls sweat off the skin's surface. The middle layer naturally combats odor with viscose and the bamboo charcoal fibre collects and retains sweat 30% more than cotton. The outer layer wicks the remaining wetness from the super absorbent middle layer and moves it to the outside environment, allowing quick evaporation into the air. These banded bandits are assembled and manufactured in the U.S., provide UV protection, effectively fight trapping odors and are highly breathable.

As natives to the heat and humidity here, we adapt to the balmy nature of southern hemisphere living, but that doesn’t mean that with today’s innovative technology, we can’t take advantage of making our lives a little easier and a little dryer—no more sweat in the eyes, slippery hands, post-cardio stank, or bulky terry cloth keeping us uncomfortably hot and drenched. “We all want to keep sweat out of the way of our game,” Wieder notes, “And SAAKA is a simple concept that solves a frustrating problem.” So for all the workout junkies who tend to drip with dampness upon increasing heart rate—these sustainable, lightweight, high performance sportbands are soft to the touch and come in a wide variety of styles, cool colors and fun prints. If all this doesn’t encourage and promote the athlete in you, you’re better off Netflixing and chilling inside.

“Fitness is key to each and every individual's physical and mental well being. So with every purchase, SAAKA gives back to charities like Sports Charities USA to provide sports and outdoor recreation opportunities for disabled Veterans and handicapped children.” 

Images provided by SAAKA

SAAKA Performance Sportbands, 1227 Tallevast Rd., Sarasota, 941-706-2841

Duval’s continues to up their game, reinventing its menu and forging ahead of the foodie train with eclectic eatery and a passion for superior seafood and service. With a real focus on freshness and a desire to support our community, they source only the finest ingredients from local fisherman and farmers. And while we all crave the classics now and then, it’s great to shake things up a bit sometimes. Chef Nils at Duval’s was getting tired of the traditional lemon/butter and marina-style mussels. Wanting to really create a signature dish unique to Duval’s, he came up with the Creamy Dijon Mussels dish:

Garlic cloves, diced onions and roasted potatoes are put on high heat to make them crispy then deglazed with white wine, heavy crème, whole-grain Dijon mustard and tasso ham. A pound of Prince Edward Island Mussels get sautéed and tossed in the end there, topped off with herbs. Toasted parmesan crostinis make an appearance to sop up all the rich sauciness on the bottom. While they still offer the traditional mussel recipes with lemon/butter and white wine, this dish adds a delectable twist. The rest of town must agree—having been extremely well received with 99% of mussel sales dominated by the Cream Dijon take. Who says people don’t like change?  

Image taken by Wyatt Kostygan

Duval's Fresh. Local. Seafood., 1435 Main St., Sarasota, 941-312-4001.

CareerSource Suncoast, BIG and the Gulf Coast CEO Forum have announced their partnership to combine the State of Jobs Conference and Mind the Gap with the purpose of focusing on tomorrow’s workforce through these two student events. The 2018 State of Jobs Conference will welcome nearly 1,200 high school students for an all-day conference focused on college and career exploration with a focus on high-demand industries within the region. Bright Ideas on the Gulf Coast is an initiative of The Gulf Coast CEO Forum, an organization made up of the area’s top CEOs and leaders. BIG understands the demand for high-quality talent, which led to the creation of the first Mind the Gap event in 2016. Mind the Gap has provided a forum for college students to directly connect and communicate with business leaders in our community about the potential of having a career on the Suncoast. On October 30th, high school students will experience the conference during the day while Mind the Gap will be in the evening for college students. Further details on how to participate will be announced this summer. 

CareerSource Suncoast

The Floridian Club of Sarasota, a long-term lease community for young-at-heart adults that offers a “live here, play here” philosophy with hassle-free homes, an array of resort-inspired amenities, and a calendar full of activities, has officially begun construction with a groundbreaking ceremony. Nestled on 48 acres in south Sarasota County, The Floridian Club of Sarasota is located in a high-growth area surrounded by shopping, dining, golfing, and the Gulf beaches. The Club will feature 261 single-story villas and 48 units in elevator-served buildings. A variety of open floorplans offer one- and two-bedroom layouts with optional garages and stylish designer touches. Residents can lease their units from two to 10 years and have the freedom to personalize their space with their own decorative touches. A full-time maintenance manager will be onsite. A 10,000-square-foot amenity center will serve as the social focal point of the community where residents can gather for a myriad of clubs such as running, cycling, kayaking, wine tasting, cooking or travel. The grounds will also feature a fitness center, yoga studio, café, sports bar and pet spa. The Floridian Club of Sarasota is located just off I-75 on Jacaranda Boulevard. 

The Floridian Club of Sarasota

Manatee County has one vacancy for a representative of the business community to serve on the Manatee County Healthcare Advisory Board, a volunteer group that evaluates, monitors and discusses the healthcare system in Manatee County and makes recommendations to the County Commission regarding the funding of healthcare services in Manatee County. Applicants should be willing to meet a minimum of eight times per year on the fourth Wednesday of each month from 5pm to 7pm in the County Administrative Center. Other meetings may be scheduled as necessary. Applications are due April 13 at 5pm. 

Manatee County Healthcare Advisory Board

Sheriff Tom Knight presented two awards during a ceremony Wednesday to employees who demonstrated exemplary service to the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office. Chief Financial Officer Lisa M. Kiesel and Director of Planning and Research William J. Spitler were presented with the Meritorious Achievement Award, recognized for their dedication and tireless work to provide the employees of the sheriff’s office with a new facility. Both were then given the task of planning the logistics of moving nearly 200 employees, along with their desks and computers, to the new headquarters. Due to their hard work, a significant portion of the sheriff’s office workforce is housed under one roof, greatly improving the efficiency of operations. For the first time in 30 years, all science-related units are now located in one area. 

Sarasota County Sheriff's Office