A focus on assistance has led to an increase in the number of chronically homeless individuals using social services to get off the street, but officials acknowledge the problem remains complex. “We’ve gone from somewhat of a disjointed approach to more of a regional approach,” Sarasota City Manager Tom Barwin says.

Sarasota city commissioners on Monday heard an update on the performance of Homeless Outreach Teams, or HOT teams, made up of police officers and case managers in the city. They have helped in moving more homeless individuals from camps and cars into shelters, which in turn leads to getting transients into a system with the end goal of permanent housing. Kevin Stiff, coordinator for homelessness response in the city, said the goal these days is to “educate, encourage, then enforce” in that order, meaning the goal should be to inform homeless individuals of available services before jailing them for vagrancy or other related crimes.

That can prove difficult. City Commissioner Shelli Freeland Eddie shared an anecdote of a homeless person near her office who she tried to connect with a HOT team, but the first thing that happened when the individual was introduced to police was that law enforcement turned up an outstanding warrant for public urination and took the person to jail. “That sends a message, and people will not accept help from well-intentioned law enforcement,” she said. “Now I don’t refer.”

Stiff acknowledged that police have an obligation to follow through on warrants, and many chronically homeless may have legal issues that must be dealt with before other services get rendered.

But Ed DeMarco, CEO for the Suncoast Coalition to End Homelessness, says there are other access points to the social services network, and that individuals in that circumstance could also be sent to the Salvation Army or another provider. From there, case workers may be able to provide legal service and help deal with outstanding problems like warrants in a way that’s less abrupt.

HOT teams did bring 486 clients to some 20 reserved “HOT beds” at the Salvation Army over the course of 2017, and about 30 percent of those individuals got placed into permanent housing, with another 9 percent reaching some other “positive outcome,” such as moving back in with family or friends.

In total, officials say street homelessness now is down about 18 percent, in the city and regionally. DeMarco says that may seem like a small improvement, but numbers have stayed relatively flat in the last four or five years, a period during which city and county officials have tried to tackle homelessness in a conscious way. 

Whether by land or sea, foodies and fun-seekers set a course for Cortez Village and Seafood Shack this weekend, as the community launches its Cortez Passport Program today at the Florida Maritime Museum and the restaurant prepares to unveil a special World Oceans Day celebration and kick off its “Rock the Docks” summer music series this Saturday.

A community-wide endeavor, the Cortez Passport Program unites 27 Cortez Village businesses and nonprofits in an initiative to encourage locals and visitors to explore all the area has to offer. Through the creation of a 30-page, pocket-sized “passport,” which contains information about participating locations and their offerings, the program hopes to transform its bearers into “Cortez Explorers,” earning stamps as they visit each stop. When an explorer collects 12 stamps, they can stop by the Florida Maritime Museum for a Cortez Explorer t-shirt keepsake. I am terrifically excited for the debut of the Cortez Passport,” says Seafood Shack’s Liza Kubik, “which will turn visitors to our historic village into Cortez Explorers. This cooperative neighborhood initiative brings together a diverse group in a common effort.” The official launch takes place today at the Coastal Community Celebration at the Florida Maritime Museum. Passports are free.

But while the Passport Program will be around for the foreseeable future, Seafood Shack’s Sustainable Seafood Tapas plates give diners only three days to try out the latest creations from Chef Gerard Jesse. Debuting on World Oceans Day, June 8, the plates will be available through June 10. Including a range of seafood, from Gulf Shrimp and Blue Crab Croquettes with Creole Mustard to French Escargot or Cajun-Style Boiled Louisiana Crawfish, Smoked New Zealand Green Lip Mussels or Gulf Mahi Mahi fish spread, every item on these sharable plates has been fished sustainably and harvested responsibly, certified by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch program. Designed for two, Jesse hopes diners will not only enjoy the flavors, but perhaps talk a bit about what’s on their plate and why.

This Saturday also marks the beginning of Seafood Shack’s “Rock the Docks” summer music series, with performance by Trevor Bystrom and a visit from the Heineken Light Boat. Bystrom plays from 3pm to 6pm, and diners get a sneak peek at the new Summer Happy Hour offerings. And between the passport, the neighborhood celebrations and regular live music on the weekends, Jesse takes a rising-tide-lifts-all-boats mentality, looking for others to join in. “We hope this will really bring Cortez together,” he says. 

Pictured: Tapas plate from Seafood Shack, available June 8–10. Photo courtesy of Seafood Shack.

Like the first steps through a whimsical portal, find yourself entranced by the vivid hues and embellishments in all directions, from radiant mosaics and ornaments to brilliant clocks and statues, that carry you through a seemingly endless array of creativity and artistry. Warehouse turned curio emporium, dubbed Bazaar on Apricot & Lime, opened its doors May 3 with the ever-so-warm-and-bubbly founder Judy Alexander welcoming crafty locals and tourists upon arrival, her passion for local craftsmanship exuding as she shares with them upcoming events and raffles while introducing them to the fresh scene. 

The Bazaar runs from 9am to 2pm every Thursday, Friday and Saturday year-round, with live music starting at noon. More than 20 regional vendors sell a wide variety of merchandise, making the market a one-stop shop for decorative art, handmade gifts, baked goods, clothing, jewelry, one-of-a-kind collectibles and more. Have your chakras and tarot cards read by the masterminds of Life in Fantasia, rummage through retro goodies provided by Blue Cat Vintage or pick out an amusing pet portrait from Karma Saw That.With this quantity of merchants comes a diversity of style that caters to virtually all tastes; a booth of beachy décor and seashell-adorned light fixtures might be followed by a booth of holistic crystals and essential oils, and then quirky doormats and handcrafted candles at the next. A tea room and cocktail station allow those wishing to take a break between shopping sprees to kick back, relax and enjoy some of the exquisite flavors our community has to offer. 

Pictured: "Charmingly Creepy" leather bookmarks made by Life In Fantasia

The Bazaar On Apricot & Lime, 821 Apricot Ave., Sarasota, 941-343-2712

Ever been to the Pacific-blue waters of Hawaii? If you’ve eaten at Ophelia’s On The Bay, your taste buds sure have. From sea-to-table, much of the fish on the oceanic-centric menu is flown in fresh every day from the far-flung island state. Chef Daniel Olsen’s close relations with three fish companies on the Big Island allow him to provide the freshest seafood possible for this side of the U.S. “I get phone calls in the morning here, which is super early morning there. They tell me what they just bought in auction—tuna size, tuna quality and prices,” describes Olsen. From there, Chef places his order, and the companies ship out all the product overnight in state-of-the-art-packaging, which maintains cool refrigerated temperatures. By early the next morning, it's getting prepped for the day’s dining provisions at Marker 48 on Little Sarasota Bay.

Hula your way onto the waterfront patio for a prolific Mahi Mahi dish—baked in an ambrosial coconut and macadamia crumb crust and accompanied by a tropical fruit jam, served with fried sweet plantains and sriracha potatoes. “Our relationships with major wholesale fish and seafood distributors in Hawaii are crucial to our efforts in fresh product procurement,” says Olsen. “Cutting out the middle man and working directly with the Hawaiian distributors gives us a competitive edge on prices, fresh auction quality and worldwide reach to access global fisheries.” Mahalo, Chef Olsen for bringing the spirit of Aloha to Sarasota.

Ophelia’s On The Bay is a member of Nosh, the SRQ Magazine content marketing program for local restaurants. 

Photo of Tataki Loin of Yellowfin Tuna by Wyatt Kostygan.

Ophelia's On The Bay is accessible by land or via water (Marker 48) 9105 Midnight Pass Rd., Sarasota, 941-349-2212.

Halflants + Pichette Architects were awarded five American Institute of Architects design awards at the biannual Gulf Coast AIA competition. The award recipients were announced at the Design & Honor Dinner at the Hyatt Regency. A jury of well-established architects out of Charleston, NC were asked to review seventy-five blind submissions. Twenty-one area design firms submitted projects completed within the past five years. Halflants + Pichette Architects alone secured almost half of the awards, including two Awards of Excellence and all residential awards. The five awarded projects consist of the interior renovation of a large condominium on Siesta Key, the design of an art center in Manatee County, as well as design-build residences on Anna Maria, along Philippi Creek, and in Venice. All winning projects will be on display at the Center for Architecture on Orange Avenue through the month of June.  

Halflants + Pichette Architects

The Exchange (formerly the Woman’s Exchange) will award $250,000 to 19 regionally based arts and cultural organizations and 22 students at an invitation-only event at The Exchange today. The organizational grants are for specific projects and outreach programs, including performances, exhibitions, education initiatives and special series. The Exchange’s board bases its granting decisions on the long-term stability and financial health of the organizations, the program’s overall appeal to the public and the educational impact these programs will have on area students. Individual scholarships are awarded based on grade point average, the individual’s artistic goals and achievements, and letters of recommendation. The monies used for these grants and scholarships were earned entirely through the organization’s 15,000-square-foot consignment boutique in downtown Sarasota. Grant recipients include Arts and Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County, Asolo Theatre, Key Chorale, Sarasota Ballet, Selby Gardens and more. For a full list of recipients, visit the website below. 

Exchange 2018-19 Grant Recipients

Manatee Community Foundation recently awarded $223,200 in grants to local nonprofits through a competitive grant process and through generous donors and giving circles that supported requests for funding. This year’s grants process emphasized the importance of organizations clearly articulating the expected human gain instead of activity-based work. Key areas of investment this year were fostercare, grade-level reading, health, arts, animal welfare and environment. Grants awarded to organizations will help fund a variety of initiatives such as, funding for summer activities provided to Manatee County foster children through Children’s Guardian Fund Inc., support to provide a summer program for children living in the Pride Park neighborhood through Manatee YMCA, and funds to provide field trips to the Felts Audubon Preserve for 3rd Grade students in Manatee County Title 1 Schools through Manatee County Audubon Society. 

Manatee Community Foundation