James Buchanan has experience running for state House, but his run in District 74 certainly feels more subdued than his last campaign. Linda Yates, meanwhile, has run successfully multiple times in North Port but now wants to expand her constituency with a bid for the legislature. The two Republicans this week can be spotted regularly outside early voting greeting voters, hoping to come out of the process as the party nominee running for an open House seat.

For Buchanan, the race offers a chance at redemption. He ran earlier this year originally as a favorite in the special election in District 72, then lost as the race turned into a referendum on President Trump. Now he’s in a much more Republican district, focusing on decidedly local issues like securing funding more quickly for River Road and removing regulatory hurdles for a new hospital to open in North Port.

“We’ve run a very clean and issues-based campaign and that’s something I’m very proud of,” says Buchanan. 

Yates, vice mayor of North Port, hopes eight years of municipal service impresses voters, and more importantly will inform her service in Tallahassee defending home rule for cities and counties. Her time at City Hall span eras of recession and prosperity, and it’s also given her experience hearing from all sides of contentious issues and weighing the arguments carefully before reaching a decision beneficial to the community.

“It’s about trying to find a way to address things and find a commonality unifying us all together,” Yates says.

Both agree a top priority for the region must be aiding constituents hurt by red tide. Buchanan notes Sharky’s on the Pier, run by family friends including high school classmates, has been temporarily shut down by algal blooms, and he says the state should help businesses thrive. Yates’ focus has been on setting up a new reservoir near Lake Okeechobee to prevent discharges that pollute the Gulf of Mexico waters and feed bloomd.

Yates has raised a little more than $11,000 in her campaign, compared to almost $64,000 raised by Buchanan. But she says her closeness to the community matters more. She notes Buchanan has moved around Southwest Florida as he pursued different House seats. “I live in this community and I am passionate about it,” she says. “I believe in grassroots efforts.”

Buchanan, though, notes his family history in the region and that he did grow up in the area. He says the more important difference in terms of governance is that he promises to practice restraint with budgeting. Government spending at North Port City Hall went up 37 percent during Yates eight years in office, he notes. “I’m a true fiscal conservative,” he says. “If you look at her record you can’t say that.”

Yates for her part says the cost of government projects has increased as the economy improved.

Buchanan and Yates face each other in the Aug. 28 Republican primary in District 74. The winner will face Democrat Tony Mowry and independent Robert Samuel Kaplan in the Nov. 6 general election. 

Pictured: James Buchanan, Linda Yates.

The individuals planning to open Gulfside Bank in Sarasota have raised more than $20 million for the new financial institution. The funding came together in a period of eight weeks, says CEO Dennis Murphy, and was done without the aid of brokers or investment bankers.

“Raising the necessary capital is one of the major hurdles of what we’ve got to do,” says Murphy. "We did it in two months and that’s very encouraging. It’s further proof we’ve got the support of the community.”

Should Gulfside Bank open on schedule in mid-October, it will be the first state chartered bank to form in Florida in 10 years, and would be one of just two community banks headquartered in Sarasota County, along with Sabal Palm Bank.

The funding for the bank came from roughly 225 area investors, Murphy says. The organizers of the bank include prominent business leaders in the region including Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick attorney Jennifer Compton, Cramer Automotive president Compton Cramer, Tervis president Rogan Donelly, Banancik Foundation CEO Teri Hansen, Willis A. Smith Construction principal John LaCivita, Kennedy White Orthopedics physician Charles Rush, Michael Saunders & Company president Drayton Saunders and Insignia Bank founding directors Sam Norton, Mike Pender and Tim Clarke; Clarke is the proposed chairman.

“We’re strong believers as a group that community banks do a good job of supporting small and mid-sized businesses in local economies,” Murphy says. 

The family owned and operated blue BulGoGi food truck can be found around town at local watering holes such as Brew Life, Calusa, Gator Club and JDubs, as well as random hot spots throughout Downtown. Charlie Chi and his close-knit family have been deemed so successful with the authentic homemade Korean BBQ recipes at Bulgogi Sarasota, the demand for more has been made evidently clear. The people have spoken, and Charlie’s BulGoGi is here to satisfy the hungry masses who crave kimchi salads, sesame chicken wings and spring rolls with that special sauce, on the reg. Having taken over the space once La Dona Donut’s stomping grounds, Charlie moves in to create an additional home for the BulGoGi household name. Charlie’s BulGoGi is the family’s first of many-to-come brick and mortar establishments for a homey, sit-down meal with family—bonding over tasty bowls of spicy pork and sweet potato noodles. The restaurant celebrated its soft opening last Tuesday, with stellar reviews to brag about already.

You’ll still find all your street food favorites you’d order from the traveling food truck, like Kim Mari (deep fried seaweed rolls), Seafood Jeon (Korean pizza), Gal-B (short rib) and Kimbap (similar to sushi). And stay tuned for a special dessert incorporating fresh fruits, vanilla ice cream and marinated black beans called Bing Su—coming soon, to further sweeten the deal. Go show the Chis some love—on and off the road now, as they continue to serve up some of the best Korean BBQ in these here parts.

Lunch, 11-2pm. Dinner, 5-9pm 

Charlie's BulGoGi, 4567 Bee Ridge Rd., Sarasota Springs.

Voters residing in Precinct 435 in the city of Venice will be voting at a new polling location for the August 28 primary election, Supervisor of Elections Ron Turner has announced. The new location, which is temporary for the August 28 primary election only, is the Venetian Golf and River Club Welcome Center at 102 Pesaro Drive, North Venice, FL 34275. Turner also announced a name change for the polling place in Precinct 529, effective with the August 28 primary election, as follows: The Center of Hope Neighborhood Church, 2395 Shamrock Dr., Venice, FL 34293 The Precinct 529 polling place was previously named Venice Bible Church. The address is unchanged. Turner said all registered voters living within the Precinct 435 boundaries will receive from the elections office a post card notice via mail, containing the temporary polling place information. Registered voters in Precinct 529 will receive a new Voter Information Card informing them of the name change. Voters may also call the elections office at 941-861-8619 for more information. 

Sarasota County Supervisor of Elections Office

ArtisTree Landscape Maintenance & Design has announced the promotion of Bill Walters to vice president of operations over its Maintenance Division. Walters joined ArtisTree in 2014 as Tree Manager before being promoted to Assistant Operations Manager and later Operations Manager overseeing multiple departments. In his new role, he will focus on productivity and customer relations while integrating departmental efforts in service delivery, communications, vendor negotiations and equipment procurement. Walters, a veteran law enforcement officer, previously served as operations manager for a local aluminum and residential construction firm. Founded in 1990, ArtisTree Landscape Maintenance & Design specializes in planned community/commercial maintenance and landscape design/installation. 

ArtisTree Landscape Maintenance & Design

Sarasota-based internet retailer JMX Brands has been named to the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing private companies for the fifth year in a row, and sixth time since first making the list in 2012. The parent company of the largest online retailer of Amish furniture at www.dutchcrafters.com and new eco-friendly furnishing, décor, and accessories site at www.ecofriendlydigs.com placed 4,106 this year. The Inc. 5000 ranks companies based on three-year percentage revenue growth. Companies that make the list must also be U.S.-based, privately held and have achieved revenues of at least $2 million in the most recent year. 

JMX Brands

Realtor Tim Birkey has joined the Sarasota office of RE/MAX Alliance Group as a member of the Brett Keyser Team. With an attentive, friendly manner, Birkey brings years of white-glove customer service experience, strong communications skills, an eye for detail and a commitment to excellence. His expertise in homes and sales comes from working in customer service, sales and management for a large building materials store. Birkey holds a degree in Business Management from Parkland College in Champaign, IL. With a solid knowledge of the Sarasota County and Manatee County areas, he provides professional real estate services in Bradenton, Sarasota, Ellenton, Parrish, Palmetto, Venice, North Port and Myakka. He is committed to helping buyers find just the right home and helping sellers go from listing to closing as quickly as possible. 

RE/MAX Alliance Group

Sarasota-based executive search firm Brooke Chase Associates has announced the successful recruitment by its Executive Recruiter, Richard Mohrman, of Robert Ballard as vice president of marketing with ECMD, a privately held multi-division manufacturer and distributor of millwork and lumber products with state-of-the-art technology and strong double-digit growth. Ballard will be responsible for the successful creation of the company’s marketing organization, structure and strategy, driving market presence with a Business to Business channel marketing focus for distribution and increased consumer awareness focus for the retail channel with Lowe’s. With an extensive background in General Management, Sales and Marketing with Hearth & Home Technologies, Helen of Troy and Whirlpool Corporation, Ballard was tasked with developing channel specific marketing programs and growing the Business to Business sales. He received his Bachelor’s degree from the University of Toledo in Marketing. 

Brooke Chase Associates