U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Sarasota, remains a friend to the animals, according to the U.S. Humane Society, which gave the congressman a 100+ score on its 2019 Legislative Report Card.

“Preventing animal cruelty and protecting threatened wildlife are bipartisan issues that we can all get behind,” said Buchanan, who ended up as one of just four Republicans to earn a perfect grade.

He was also one of 34 members to get the 100+ designation for leadership on animal rights issues. The grade notably came out shortly after Congress passed the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture Act, sponsored by Buchanan with Rep. Ted Deutch, D-Boca Raton. The legislation awaits the signature of President Donald Trump.

The legislation followed up on anti-crush video legislation backed by Buchanan in 2010, which made it illegal to distribute video of animals being tortured and killed. That affected the media distribution of the cruelty, but the new legislation will make the underlying acts hurting animals a federal offense.

“Protecting animals from cruelty is a top priority for me,” Buchanan said. It has been for years as the Republican congressman set himself apart on issues involving animals. He’s also worked to bring in organizations like the National Sheriffs Association to support bills like the PACT Act.

Buchanan said he’s also pressing U.S. Fish and Wildlife to withdraw a decision to reduce protections on manatees, and called for a federal designation of a critical habitat for the Florida Panther. He recently successfully lobbied the  National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to list the Gulf of Mexico whale on the federal Endangered Species list. 

Photo courtesy Humane Society. The Humane Society in May gave Vern Buchanan a Legislative Leader Award.

Yesterday evening, mavericks of architecture, custom home experts and enthusiasts of gulf coast design came out for an evening of domicile discussions for the Modern Home (MOHO) Symposium. As part of MOHO’s programming, SRQ annually brings together a discussion panel of leading local architects and builders that participated in the 2018 and 2019 editions of Modern Home Magazine. 

This year, SRQ welcomed panelists Steve Murray of Murray Homes Group, Nathan Cross of NWC Construction, Jonathan Parks of Solstice Planning & Architecture and Mark Sultana of DSDG Architects. Each profile, featured in MOHO publication, lauded their great work and also contributed to the broader story of how architecture and design play a factor in the aesthetic appeal of our region. SRQ Executive Publisher Wes Roberts initiated live interviews with each panelist to discuss how or why they got into the industry, showcased photos or renderings of their proudest projects of the year, shed light on their personal design ethos and shared their process/relationships with clients.

“Sarasota is its own place when it comes to architecture and construction,” says Mark Sultana, principal architect, AIA, NCARB. “Many people are saying New York and Miami are slowing down, but Sarasota is not slowing down. More people are moving here, building here and want to be here. People who live here really care about architecture.” The industry here is moving forward so fast, he says, that it’s actually quite difficult to find contractors and subcontractors at the moment to keep up with the demand. Luxury home builder Steve Murray agreed, but on the other side of the coin. “Custom construction is pretty tough and it’s tough to find good subs that are responsible, reliable and available,” he says. “In this business, we always have to find a way all the time. It’s not a perfect science, but it’s how you make it right and employ the right people.” But regardless, this region is still a great place to be for construction, he says. “We have incredible architects in the area. Everyone studies Sarasota School of Architecture and then they come here to see what’s going on,” says Murray. “And that’s a to benefit the city, a benefit to the clients and us. We’re seeing bigger, better ideas every day. What we’re putting on the streets is fantastic.” 

For Nathan Cross, luxury home builder, he's been hired mostly to do remodels as of late. “We’re coming in and taking 90% of the structure down or changing it,” he notes. Currently, Cross mentions he and his team are doing double the amount in remodels as new homes. “You need to be able to do, and excel at both,” he says. “Being a good remodeler has made me a better custom home builder, because I learn what to do, what not to do and what issues may arise in a bad design/build.” Meanwhile, Joanthan Parks, principal architect, AIA, has been focusing a lot more on public city structures like parking garages and hotels, instead of residential--bringing a secondary viewpoint on big urban gestures. He discussed zoning codes, philosophies on development, revitalisation of iconic landmarks and building upon the “big picture” on an area or city block. “There’s a lot of places that have beaches, sand and the sun, but what makes Sarasota special and separates it, is the arts,” Parks says. “What’s changing is, Sarasota used to be very inward focused, but with more young people here than ever before, it’s become more of an outward focused place with a ton of things to do, shows to see, places to go. The architecture community is building upon that.” 

Thank you to our esteemed panel, who continue to push the boundaries of luxury homes, landscape, retail and restaurant designs. And thank you to all attendees who came out and spent a Wednesday evening with us at our studio to enjoy this year’s informative MOHO Symposium. 

Pictured: Steve Murray, Wes Roberts, Mark Sultana, Nathan Cross, Jonathan Parks. Photo by Wyatt Kostygan.

The Hyatt Regency Sarasota’s company culture and relationship with their employees remain different than any other hotel chain. While there are a number of other hotel properties downtown available as options to work for, and an industry such as hospitality where it’s common to have a high turnover rate—with many employees as transient and variable as the guests—the incredible amount of tenured associates that want to make a difference to the lives of their colleagues, guests and community, shows there is something special being retained here. While many guests come and they go, the staff here stays. Many of them note the loyalty, comfort and contentment they feel putting on the same Hyatt Sarasota name tag after so many years. There’s something homey in the waters here. Management puts the security and happiness of their staff as high of a priority as its guests. Internally and externally, people are treated with respect, humanity, integrity and empathy—a tribute to the long list of dedicated and passionate associates with 20 plus years under their belt, and still going strong. 

The Hyatt Regency Sarasota’s BrandStory features the stories of Carol Danisi, Director of Events; Sarp Kaya, Sales and Events Manager; Pam Poe, Banquet Manager Captain and Chris Martin, Banquet Houseman. Collectively, these team members have nearly eighty years of tenure.  

The Hyatt Regency Sarasota | 1000 Boulevard of the Arts, Sarasota, FL

Read the about the Hyatt Team HERE

The skate park at Payne Park will be temporarily closed beginning Friday, November 15, as the City plans for future operations of the park. The City’s lease with the current skate park operator, Sk8skool, expires November 14. A request for proposals issued by the City last month resulted in no responses from parties interested in taking over the operations at the park, including the current vendor. At the next City Commission meeting, Parks and Recreation District staff will ask the commission to provide direction on the future operations of the skate park. Two options will be proposed, both of which would make the park free of charge for users: Allowing the public to have unmonitored daily access, or having City staff take over the daily operations, which would require the hiring of additional employees and a budget amendment. “Without having received any bids from potential operators, the best course of action is to temporarily close the park so that we can carefully plan our next move,” said Parks and Recreation Director Jerry Fogle. “Our goal is to move forward with an operating plan that provides the best possible experience for the skating community and for our youth to enjoy the park. We look forward to reopening as soon as possible.”

The discussion of skate park operations will be heard under New Business during the evening session of the City Commission’s November 18 meeting, which begins at 6 pm at City Hall. For more information, contact Recreation Programming Manager Mark Hamilton at 941-263-6565. 

Sheriff Tom Knight is pleased to announce the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office is hosting its third annual holiday toy drive benefitting the 12th Judicial Circuit of Florida’s Guardian ad Litem program. There are currently more than 1,500 children from throughout Sarasota, Manatee and DeSoto counties who have been removed from their homes due to abuse or neglect and as such, appointed a Guardian ad Litem. Because the children range in age from newborn to 18 years old with varying personal needs, the sheriff’s office has chosen to focus the holiday initiative solely on toys and gift cards. Citizens are asked to refrain from donating clothing or stuffed animals and to make sure all donations are new and unwrapped. The initiative begins Sunday, December 1 and continues until Sunday, December 15. Citizens can deliver donations to the agency’s headquarters located at 6010 Cattleridge Blvd., Sarasota, every day between 7:00am - 7:00pm.

Thanks to a partnership with the Sarasota Memorial Hospital Public Safety Department, hospital personnel is generously donating a holiday tree which will serve as the collection site for the toy drive. 

This week, Allegiant announced a new nonstop route to Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport (SRQ) from Allentown, Pennsylvania, beginning February 13, 2020. To celebrate, the company is offering one-way fares on the new route as low as $65.* “We’re thrilled to be offering new service to a sought-after Allegiant destination—Sarasota / Bradenton,” said Drew Wells, Allegiant vice president of planning and revenue. “This beautiful area offers so much for visitors to enjoy, and these new flights will start just in time for a warm winter getaway.” The new nonstop route via Lehigh Valley International Airport (ABE) will operate twice weekly. Flight days, times and the lowest fares can be found only at Allegiant.com. “We are excited to see Allegiant continue to expand the destinations offered at SRQ with new nonstop service to Lehigh Valley International Airport (ABE). With this new service to Allentown, Pennsylvania, Allegiant will now serve 21 nonstop destinations from SRQ, providing low fares and convenient choices to our community and visitors,” said Rick Piccolo, Sarasota Bradenton International Airport president, chief executive officer. 

* Seats and dates are limited and fares are not available on all flights. Flights must be purchased by November 13, 2019 for travel by August 15, 2020. Price displayed includes taxes, carrier charges and government fees. Fare rules, routes and schedules are subject to change without notice. For more details, optional services and baggage fees, please visit Allegiant.com. 

Colic Calm®, a Sarasota based international healthcare company that makes natural solutions for the digestive health of infants and children, recently launched a new infant & child probiotic this week. The company announced the launch of a five-strain probiotic with live active cultures and 5 billion CFU per serving. With the launch of the Colic Calm Probiotic, many parents may find continued relief and support of infant and child gut and digestive health. Building a healthy microbiome is critical in the very early days to establish a healthy immune system, which not only prevents serious infections but is also thought to help prevent things like allergies, eczema, asthma, autoimmune conditions like type 1 diabetes, and even neurodevelopmental issues like autism and ADHD. Colic Calm Probiotic comes as a one-time prep kit and includes a sachet of probiotics, a one-time use funnel, a bottle of MCT oil and a syringe. “As leaders in infant gut health, we understand how important it is to have 'good bacteria' to start your baby’s digestive system off right," said Keith Page, CEO of Colic Calm. "We wanted to create a probiotic that had guaranteed live cultures, the most effective probiotic strains available and the highest CFU count per serving and is also free from sugar, gluten, wheat, soy, dairy and animal products."

Available nationally at Buy Buy Baby, Colic Calm Probiotic is also available online at Amazon.com, Walmart.com and ColicCalm.com. 

Stephen Wiltshire, known for his intricate drawings and depictions of the world’s greatest cities, is the newest addition to the speaker line-up for this year’s PINC Experience. A London-born architectural artist, Wiltshire’s work has gained global recognition with his panoramas and cityscapes that are often drawn from memory and at great speed from the tops of skyscrapers or after whistle-stop helicopter rides. Now globally recognized the world over, Wiltshire’s talent is even more incredible considering he was diagnosed with autism when he was three years old. Finding it hard to relate to people and completely mute as a small child, Wiltshire found his way to communicate in the language of drawing. His talent has been recognized with an MBE for services to art and he regularly travels all over the world on private and public commissions, the most famous of which are his 15 city panoramas drawn from memory. He will be bringing his story, passion, and talent to the PINC stage on Dec.ember 12. 

Presented by Ringling College of Art + Design, this annual, all-day experience, dubbed the most creative day in Sarasota, will make its return to the Sarasota Opera House. An initiative of DreamLarge, local changemaking organization and the first benefit corporation in the Gulf Coast, the day-long experience will make its mark on Sarasota for the sixth year with a diverse selection of inspiring, creative, and captivating speakers. Tickets for this year’s PINC Experience are currently on sale at PINCexperience.com. For more information, contact Nicole Miskovic at nicole@largeinc.com or by calling 941-210-9966. 

This month, Sarasota-based Purmort & Martin Insurance Agency, one of the area’s oldest and largest locally owned insurance agencies, celebrates 60 years of serving the Sarasota community. Purmort & Martin Insurance Agency represents an insurance tradition spanning five generations. Paul Purmort founded the insurance agency with his two sons Wells and Al and was later joined by Rick Martin, an independent agent in the area. “The agency continues to grow and thrive thanks to the Sarasota community,” said Bobbitt, owner of Purmort & Martin Insurance Agency and a licensed Florida agent since 1996. “Our team is dedicated to customer-focused service and always doing the right thing for our customers. We are personally invested in this community and take pride in the fact that we live in Sarasota, we work in Sarasota, and we raise our families in Sarasota.”

For more information on Purmort & Martin Insurance Agency, call 941-366-7070 or visit Purmort.com. 

Local heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) companies are partnering with CareerEdge and Suncoast Technical College (STC) to offer a free fast-track HVAC Installation and Maintenance program which will launch in January.  The employers are looking for a way to recruit and rapidly train people for a very specific skill set, namely the installation and maintenance process, and then develop these employees further over time through internships and apprenticeship programs. CareerEdge brought the employers and college together to determine the industry’s workforce needs and to identify the specific curriculum components of this program, which will be a condensed version of STC’s HVAC Technician program.  The tuition-free class will begin January 21, 2020 and run through June with classes held in the evening Monday-Wednesday from (5:30pm - 9:00pm) at STC’s main campus 4748 Beneva Rd., Sarasota.  The program will also include CareerEdge’s Bridges to Careers soft skills training. HVAC company representatives will volunteer to teaching modules in the class in order to enhance the hands-on, real-world nature of the program.

Funding for the program is made possible by the Eppard Family Foundation and the generous support from the local HVAC business community. No technical experience is required for this training and all interested applicants, will need to apply for the free program and be screened by the college and employers. Interested applicants must apply by Friday, November 22, those selected will be notified and must attend a mandatory information session. For more information, visit careeredgefunders.org/bridges-to-careers/ 

Williams Parker is pleased to announce its president, Ric Gregoria, has been named a 26^th Edition “Lawyer of the Year” by Best Lawyers in America for his work in trusts and estates in Sarasota. Mr. Gregoria is a board certified expert in wills, trusts, and estates. He specializes in counseling high net worth individuals, families, and business owners regarding intergenerational wealth transfers and business succession matters. The 26th Edition of Best Lawyers in America highlights the top 5% of practicing attorneys in the United States. The “Lawyer of the Year” designation is awarded to only one lawyer in a specific practice area and location. Recognition by Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review. Its methodology is designed to capture the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area. The 2020 Edition of Best Lawyers in America is based on more than 7.8 million evaluations.