SRQ DAILY Apr 5, 2018
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"If we can get students engaged in their own learning process, that's a win."
Staff members at the Manatee Chamber of Commerce joked last week with everybody who came into the office to start loading what they could into cardboard. “Our rule is everybody who comes here has to pack a box,” says Jacki Dezelski, president and CEO of the Chamber. The organization needed to get everything stored for its first move since the 1960s.
The old Chamber building officially closed down for business at noon Wednesday. Chamber business starting Monday will move into the second floor of the Bank of the Ozarks building in downtown Bradenton, though many of the records that filled offices as recently as last week now remain packed up in city storage. For an organization that traces its roots back as far as 1889, there’s been an amazing amount of memorabilia—pictures from networking events decades ago, policy position papers for long-dead issues.
The move comes as the City of Bradenton undertakes a mixed-use project at the chamber’s current 10th Street home. A new four-story building will soon stand at 10th Street and 3rd Avenue West, bringing new commercial and retail space online in the burgeoning downtown business district. That type of commerce activation, of course, remains key to the mission for the Chamber, so this displacement seems a small price, Dezelski says. “For me it’s a big step forward,” she says.
Dezelski took over the chamber last year after the death of former Chamber CEO Bob Bartz, so the organization continues with a rebirth of all sorts right now. But the chamber leaders says this forward-looking move won’t be one that destroys the past. As staff find important historic items, the items get stored, or in the case of many documents, scanned into a computer. As officials organize the many pieces of work being unearthed in the moving process, a slow organization will take place even as the Chamber conducts business in the bank building. It’s entirely possible, Dezelski predicts, that the move back into a new facility on 10th Street will involve more disposal of detritus than the move out of the building, just because staff can take their time and make decisions on what found goods truly are unnecessary moving forward.
The Chamber will still host many of its regular meetings in its new space, and move other functions to an office in Lakewood Ranch or various other locales in the region. Officials have encouraged members to stop by the old office and sign the door, which will be kept to commemorate the business done in the old space. An open house will be held April 20 from noon to 6pm for visitors to see the Chamber’s temporary home at Bank of the Ozarks. 
Pictured: Manatee Chamber of Commerce temporary office space.
It’s the Monday after Spring Break, and the students of Venice Elementary whisper conspiratorially. One student saw a shooting star last night. Another student’s father saw one that morning. A third student chimes in: they heard a weird whistling early in the wee hours of sunrise—could that be it? None can say for sure, all they know is that a meteor landed on the Venice Elementary School campus last night, skidding across the ground before coming to a stop by a hastily erected tent. And the scientists and caution tape make this serious business.
And it is serious business—education. Thanks to the Education Foundation of Sarasota County, these students, and their neighbors at Venice High School, will, through the end of the week, take part in a school-wide immersive educational project designed to engage the student body in hands-on learning. Like the “outbreak” experienced last month at Booker Middle School, teachers incorporate this latest natural phenomenon into their lesson plans, injecting fresh excitement and a sense of unity—and agency—in the students’ education.
For the elementary school students, the landing meant a crash course in earth sciences and scientific inquiry. Marching in groups to the discovery site (the third graders brought their clipboards), they met the brave scientists from University of South Florida—Dr. Mitch Ruzek and Dr. Dana Zeidler—tasked with handling the meteor. After questioning the pair as to the nature of this extraterrestrial intrusion, and how it could have arrived on their campus, the students broke off to continue their own explorations. Some measure, some take a closer look at pieces broken off the meteor upon impact, pouring water over them first to be sure they’re cool to the touch after atmospheric re-entry. The third graders pull out their clipboards and sketch possible trajectories and angles of approach. Throughout the week, whether through specialized vocabulary, a hands-on experiment or a semi-guided flight of fancy for the young imagination, each class finds a way to bring the meteor, figuratively, into the classroom.
“These immersion, inquiry-based projects are very student-based,” says Jennifer Vigne, president of the Education Foundation, “and if we can get students engaged in their own learning process, that’s a win.” Even the high schoolers get excited by a little science fiction on campus, with Shakespeare students tackling the phenomenon from a 16th-century perspective and an art class making 15 digital renderings of possible extraterrestrials. Building off the work of their colleagues, another class wrote stories about said aliens. “Students have the opportunity to embrace their learning and take it to the level that they are wanting,” continues Vigne. “It fosters their curiosity, and we want to embrace opportunities like that.”
And, so far, the immersion grants have been a success—anecdotally, at least. “The response and the feedback so far has been extraordinarily positive,” says Vigne, who hopes for more, similar projects in the future.
Pictured: Student scientists clamber over the intruding meteor in a quest for answers. Photo courtesy of Education Foundation of Sarasota County.
Maybe it’s a stretch to refer to Sarasota as a city per say. Nonetheless, we exist as a beautiful mini metropolis on Florida’s Gulf Coast many would agree paradise-worthy. And within this picturesque locale, a “best kept secret” is about to make our headlines. These Quiet Sounds (TQS), a Sarasota-based design studio, clothing line and boutique was founded by Fabian Manzano—lead guitarist and background vocalist for the band, Boyce Avenue. When not on tour with Boyce Avenue, he is here running the flagship store which sells everything from clothing, accessories, gifts and more. Something particularly noteworthy prevails though—a TQS initiative known as Paradise Portraits. The Paradise Portrait project involves specially designed T-shirts made to help the homeless community here in Sarasota. Manzano painted a series of oil-based portraits to directly benefit individuals struggling in this paradise city, “There are so many special, inspirational people out there who have fallen on hard times, and these paintings will help them get back on their feet again.” A portion of the profits from the sales will go directly to the heart of the cause through a local foundation called The Resurrection House.
Paradise Portraits tees are available for both men and women’s sizes, of different styles including V-neck and scoop neck cuts. All of TQS’s original designs are printed in-house on high quality fabrics for the highest level of comfort. They come in three staple designs, each one simple yet captivatingly cool; all shirts run for $32. Read more about their story and purchase your own set of threads below! Here’s to another day in paradise—where the grass is green and SRQ gets witty.
Image provided by These Quiet Sounds
With Suncoast BBQ Bash being Southwest Florida’s marquee barbecue and bluegrass event attracting tens of thousands of folks every year, Venice plays host to the annual event starting Thursday, April 19th with the ‘Meet Our Champions’ party at Snook Haven Restaurant, featuring Cookin’ with Kids. Snook Haven’s location sits on a remote peninsula along the shores of the “wild and scenic” Myakka River, upstream from the Gulf of Mexico. Most locals know the company as the ‘Pachota family’ or owners of their sister restaurant, Sharky’s on the Pier. Nonetheless, it deems an ideal spot for Floridians to kickoff the barbeque and bluegrass filled weekend!
A schedule of Meet Our Champions festivities includes a Meet & Greet—a welcoming of past champions, sponsors, media sponsors and the volunteer committee. Following, the Kids Burger Cook-Off—teams from five foundations will compete on the grill. Each team will be given mystery ingredients, tee shirts, a Weber Grill and charcoal. The Pitmasters Rub Bagby, Dana Hillis, Myron Mixon, Jim Elser and Tommy Harden will assist them by supplying a recipe and seasoning. Guest judges will determine the winners. A Soon To Be Famous Buffet will then be set out—providing an array of southern style creations to indulge in. Roasting of a Friend ceremony will commence later in the evening announcing the winners of the Kid's Cookin' Contest, followed by a presentation of this year's BBQ champion's special achievement award. Gator Creek—a southern premiere county band will entertain on stage throughout the party with their “down-home” music repertoire. From banjos to boat rides, Snook Haven is sure to be the perfect ‘Ole-Florida’ setting for award-winning bites and toe-tapping music!
Proceeds benefit: The Florida Center, Children First, Special Olympics, Community Haven and Loveland Center. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased online below!
Snook Haven is a sister restaurant to Sharky's On The Pier, a member of Nosh, SRQ Magazine's content marketing program for local restaurants.
Image provided by Snook Haven
Snook Haven - A Delicious Back Woods Smokehouse. 5000 East Venice Ave. Venice, 941-485-7221
The Sarasota Film Festival has announced that actor Jon Heder (Napoleon Dynamite) will attend the 2018 festival, which takes place from April 13th to April 22nd. The festival also announced the addition of two new films to the lineup, Kendall Goldberg’s When Jeff Tried to Save the World, starring Heder, and Debra Granik’s Leave No Trace. After Goldberg debuted Jeff as a short film at the Sarasota Film Festival in 2017, the feature-length film will make its World Premiere at the 2018 Sarasota Film Festival. The film will screen on Monday, April 16th at 9pm at the Regal Hollywood 11 Cinemas, Auditorium 4. Leave No Trace, directed by Granik (Winter’s Bone) and starring Ben Foster (Hell or High Water, Lone Survivor), focuses on a veteran and his teenage daughter who live a bucolic life off the grid in the forests of Oregon, until they are apprehended and returned to society against their will. The film will screen on Saturday, April 14th at the Regal Hollywood 11 Cinemas, Auditorium 5.
The Festival also announced the timings and locations of its panels. This year, Sarasota Film Festival will feature five focuses: Sports in Cinema; Environment, Science and Sustainability; Women’s Comedic Voices; Redefining Manhood; and Musings on Musicians. All the panels will take place at the Florida Studio Theatre. WOMEN'S COMEDIC VOICES takes place on April 19th at 6pm in Bowne’s Lab, SPORTS IN CINEMA takes place April 20th at 5pm in Bowne’s Lab and ENVIRONMENT, SCIENCE, and SUSTAINABILITY on April 22nd at 11am in Bowne’s Lab. MUSINGS ON MUSICIANS takes place on April 22nd at 12pm in the Keating Theatre, and REDEFINING MANHOOD takes place April 22nd at 1pm in Bowne’s Lab.
Nineteen individuals recently graduated from training programs developed by CareerEdge Funders Collaborative: 10 American Red Cross-trained nurse assistants and nine automotive technicians from Suncoast Technical College—and each one was pre-screened and hired by an employer prior to starting their classes. All of the Nurse Assistant students were chosen by Tidewell Hospice; the Automotive Express students were hired by local dealerships. The goal of these educational programs is to engage employers in the talent identification process on the front end, while also offering individuals guaranteed employment once they complete the trainings. The nursing program ran four nights per week for seven weeks, while the twice-a-week evening automotive course was 11 weeks long. Both classes had 100% completion rates and provided graduates starting wages of $12 to $13 per hour. CareerEdge will continue to work directly with employers to find solutions to their talent needs, and to encourage them to be active participants in the workforce development process. Funding for the certification programs was made possible by Gulf Coast Community Foundation donors Walt and Renee Eppard.
The HGTV Ultimate Outdoor Awards are underway, and Sarasota has a horse in the race. In the “Waterside Paradise” category, a residence on Citrus Avenue, designed by DWY Landscape Architects and Leader Design Studio, is in the running as a finalist. The voting is still open—with participants being allowed to vote every day until April 17—and readers are encouraged to check out the competition for themselves.
Sheila Callaghan breaks all the rules of our image-obsessed culture in this raw, audacious comedy about the unreasonable expectations demanded of women and their bodies. Gleefully vulgar, bitingly poignant and raucously unafraid, Women Laughing Alone With Salad is a gender-bending feminist fantasia with balls. For more information please visit www.urbanitetheatre.com for show times and tickets.
Urbanite Theatre , 1487 Second Street, Sarasota
Don’t miss a fabulous evening of fine food, fun, and music to benefit Save Our Seabirds at Sarasota's hottest new venue, Michael's on the Bay at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens. Enjoy gourmet dinner, open bar, silent auction and live auction and live Music. Save Our Seabirds mission is to rescue, rehabilitate, and release sick and injured wild birds while educating our community about preventing injuries and preserving habitats.
Michael's on the Bay at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, 811 S Palm Ave, Sarasota, FL 34236
This kids show is an all new interactive live concert experience. Sing along to Disney Junior’s greatest hits with your favorite characters: Mickey and the Roadster Racers, Sofia The First, Puppy Dog Pals, Elena of Avalor, Doc McStuffins, Vampirina, The Lion Guard and more! Kids of all ages and their families are invited to get up and dance, play games and join the biggest dance party around!
Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 North Tamiami Tr., Sarasota.
Join us to celebrate the winners and finalists of this year's Best of SRQ Local Readers Competition at the Best of SRQ Local TGIF Party on Friday, April 6, 2018 at Aloft Sarasota Hotel from 5-8pm. Meet the restaurants who topped the charts and garnered the most reader votes to sample their award-winning dishes and cocktail pairings. Thank you to 20th Anniversary Partner Ringling College of Art and Design and TGIF host Aloft Sarasota Hotel.
Aloft Sarasota Hotel, 1403 Ringling Boulevard, Sarasota
This four-part program will be presented in a format that will be written, spoken, smelled and experienced where the result will be a deeper and most profound connection to nature’s authentic medicine, pure and unadulterated essential oils. Register individually for one or more of the classes. Students will create an essential oil to take home.
Enjoy this program featuring one thrill ride after another. John Adams' Short Ride is full of surprises and leaves you wishing for more. While a contemporary composition, John Corigliano's Violin Concerto evokes music of past eras. Based on his score for the film, The Red Violin, the work showcases the expressive capabilities of the violin. Elina Vähälä is the perfect star for this ravishing work.
Van Wezel, 777 North Tamiami Tr., Sarasota
Based on Louisa May Alcott's American classic, this Civil War story of love and family stands the test of time. Come and see this classic reproduced on stage for a limitied time only.
Manatee Performing Arts Center, 502 3rd Ave West., Bradenton.
Shakespeare's comedy brings together a group of star-crossed lovers, an inept band of actors led by the pompous Nick Bottom, and the king and queen of the fairies and their impish henchman Puck, who creates romantic and comic havoc for all.
Venice Theatre, 140 Tampa Ave W., Venice
530 Burns Gallery is pleased to announce Nikki Sedacca for Dusty “Wildman” Crum, a line of luxury python snakeskin accessories designed by Nikki and made in Florida. The goal of the collaboration is to raise awareness of the dire threat invasive Burmese pythons pose to humans and native wildlife of Florida’s Everglades. The show will highlight the efforts made by Dusty “Wildman” Crum and members of the Python Elimination Program to restore the Everglades’ delicate ecosystem.
530 Burns Gallery, 530 Burns Ct., Sarasota.
Time to dust off those running shoes and get ready for the 32nd Annual Run for the Turtles on Siesta Key Public Beach. This run supports the Sea Turtle Conservation & Research Program at Mote Marine Laboratory and is the Program's major fundraiser devoted to help sea turtles! Sign up to walk, run or crawl (for turtles only!) in this year's Run for the Turtles.
Siesta Key Beach , 948 Beach Road Sarasota, FL
La Musica stages four concerts for a springtime festival celebrating musical virtuosity and the grandeur of the concert stage. With single concert tickets at $40 and bundled deals for the entire festival run, rehearsal passes are also available for sale, for those wanting a behind-the-scenes look.
Sarasota Opera House, 61 North Pineapple Ave., Sarasota
Jersey Boys is the Tony, Grammy and Olivier Award-winning Best Musical about Rock and Roll Hall of Famers The Four Seasons: Frankie Valli, Bob Gaudio, Tommy DeVito and Nick Massi. This is the true story of how four blue-collar kids became one of the greatest successes in pop music history. They wrote their own songs, invented their own sounds and sold 175 million records worldwide – all before they were 30. The show features their hit songs “Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “Rag Doll,” “Oh What a Night” and “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You.”
Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 North Tamiami Tr., Sarasota.
Join us for a talk & book signing with ICA, Boston curator Ruth Erickson. Black Mountain College was born out of a desire to create a new type of college based on John Dewey’s principles of progressive education. During its brief existence, Black Mountain College attracted and created maverick spirits, some of whom went on to become well-known and extremely influential individuals in the latter half of the 20th century, including; Willem and Elaine de Kooning, Robert Rauschenberg, Merce Cunningham, Cy Twombly, Franz Kline, Buckminster Fuller, Dorothea Rockburne and many others.
The Works, 891 South Tamiami Tr., Sarasota.
This talk will be given by Chad Alligood, the chief curator of American art at the Huntington and will explore Andy Warhol’s surprising lifelong engagement with nature as subject matter. Although well known for his responsiveness to popular culture and advertising, Warhol simultaneously explored the natural world through his work, depicting landscapes, flora and fauna in innovative and unexpected ways.
Join The Sarasota Ballet’s Studio Company and students from the Margaret Barbieri Conservatory in an exciting evening of dance. The program will include traditional ballet and culminate in a world premiere by Elizabeth Weil Bergmann to some of the ‘Songs for Drella’. John Cale and Lou Reed, leaders of rock band The Velvet Underground, wrote these songs as a musical tribute to Andy Warhol and his life.
This concert showcases the mavericks who defined the distinctive rhythms of American music. You’ll experience popular American composers such as Bernstein, Copland, Mancini and Ellington, as well as a few lesser known, but no less intriguing and accessible pioneers of the American sound.
Holley Hall, Beatrice Friedman Symphony Center, 709 North Tamiami Tr., Sarasota.
Held annually, The Sarasota Film Festival emphasizes the best in cinema alongside exciting programs and events, with more than 200 films screened each year including features, documentaries, shorts and kid-friendly picks. This year's 20th Anniversary Festival will run April 13-22.
Soar with Stravinskyʼs magnificent Firebird Suite and Korngoldʼs rousing The Sea Hawk Overture. Renowned piano soloist Orion Weiss takes command of Brahmsʼ Piano Concerto No. 2 in B Flat Major and Bizetʼs crowd-pleasing Carmen Suite No.1 rounds out this program.
Venice Performing Arts Center, 1 Indian Ave., Venice.
Experience art in a whole new light at the Art in the Dark event at Michael’s On East to benefit Lighthouse of Manasota. Lighthouse of Manasota is the only nationally accredited, private, non-profit agency providing rehabilitation training to blind and visually impaired individuals of all ages residing in a five county region.
Michael’s on East, 1212 S East Ave, Sarasota, FL 34239
Wynonna and her band The Big Noise, led by her husband, drummer and producer, Cactus Moser, return to the Van Wezel this season. Respected by the millions of fans who are drawn to her music and undeniable talent, Wynonna’s rich and commanding voice has sold over 30 million albums worldwide spanning her remarkable 33-year career. As one-half of the legendary mother/daughter duo "The Judds," Wynonna was once dubbed by Rolling Stone as “the greatest female country singer since Patsy Cline."
Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 North Tamiami Tr., Sarasota.
SCAD stands for Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection and is a little known condition in spite of being the leading cause of heart attacks for women under 50. When Tracy Murphy had a heart attack due to SCAD, doctors were not able to properly diagnose and treat Murphy right away. Now, Murphy is working with the Mayo Clinic to raise both awareness and money for their research study on SCAD. Come out and enjoy a fun run or walk for a good cause on a beautiful Saturday morning, kids can run as well.
Payne Park, 2050 Adams Ln., Sarasota.
Returning by popular demand with an intimate live concert, trumpeter Chris Botti will again thrill you with his love for rich, evocative melodies and a treasure chest of jazz standards, famous classical masterpieces and soon-to-be instant favorites. Whether he’s performing with illustrious symphonies or at renowned venues around the globe, his unparalleled crystalline and poetic sound transcends musical boundaries and has cemented his place as one of the most brilliant and inspiring forces of the contemporary music scene
Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 North Tamiami Tr., Sarasota.
This is the show that you never got to see The Beatles ever perform. Let It Be relives the past from Ed Sullivan to Abbey Road, with favorite hits including “Hard Day's Night,” “Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band,” “Twist and Shout” and “Strawberry Fields,” and imagines the reunion that never was.
Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 North Tamiami Tr., Sarasota.
The audience and press all agree that this is the closest to ABBA you’ll ever get. ABBA The Concert brings one of the greatest pop phenomena back to life and continues to be the top ABBA tribute group in the world. Be dazzled by the performance of the most iconic hits from ABBA, including “Mamma Mia,” “S.O.S,” “Money, Money, Money,” “The Winner Takes All” and “Dancing Queen.” Come dance, come sing, having the time of your life at the ultimate tribute celebration.
Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 North Tamiami Tr., Sarasota.
As the 1960s Civil Rights movement unfolded, black music evolved from the controlled Motown performances to fiery cross rhythms sound—a little gospel, a lot of soul. The passionate soloists, such as James Brown, Otis Redding and Sam Cooke, added energetic movements and unique vocalizations that inspired many future performers. Soul Man will feature some of WBTT’s most popular male performers.
Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, 1646 10th Way., Sarasota.
On April 18 during Child Abuse Prevention Month, Child Protection Center will hold its 6th annual Blue Ties & Butterflies at Michael’s On East. This signature, event is beautifully designed to build awareness about CPC's mission in the prevention, intervention, and treatment of child abuse. Child abuse is a difficult topic, but one we cannot ignore. At Blue Ties & Butterflies, we celebrate the healing and hope CPC provides to children and families in our community. We promise you an unforgettable evening full of hope and inspiration.
Michael’s on East, 1212 S East Ave, Sarasota, Florida 34239
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