Over the past 14 years, the University of Florida Extension Service and Sarasota County have held an annual Sustainable Communities Workshop. This year’s all-day conference was held Thursday at the LEED Certified Girl Scouts of the Gulf Coast Event Center, on Cattleman Road, and was packed with locals of all ages. I was thrilled to be invited to address the group because I wanted to convey Sarasota's heartfelt thanks for the work so many of them have undertaken over the years to protect our environment, which has influenced the City of Sarasota toward becoming a recognized environmental leader in the State. During a recent visit to Sarasota the Director of the Florida's Department of Environmental Protection, Noah Valenstein, told those gathered that he considered Sarasota as perhaps the most environmentally conscious and proactive city in the state. It was a nice compliment from someone in the know.

Although our region, country and the planet continue to have major environmental problems to solve, like rising sea levels and the acidification of our oceans and red tide, I reminded the attendees of their positive impacts as the environmental movement has seen tremendous success over the past 50 years, with significant air, water and fisheries improvements having been achieved in many parts of the more affluent regions of the world. That bodes well for the future. However, we learn as we go, and this generation’s urgent environmental priority must be focused on the need to dramatically decrease CO2, Carbon Dioxide, from the atmosphere, because CO2 is what is creating record high air and water temp’s year after year, causing sea level rise and a host of other major threats.

Decarbonization will be a challenging task because our carbon-burning economy has helped to dramatically improve our quality of life and well-being over the past 150 years, including doubling our life expectancy. But solving problems often creates new problems that must be tackled, and those attending Thursday’s conference are committed to finding solutions to the carbon problem while maintaining our way of life. In fact, most Americans want to help, we just have to make it easy for them to help, like being able to plug into affordable, clean, renewable energy sources. On the regulatory front, taxing what is burned, not just what is earned, is proving effective in some countries. The stakes are high. So high, our situation kind of reminds me of the Great Escape artist Harry Houdini. You may recall Houdini's big performance was being dropped into a tank of water confined by a strait jacket, and he had to escape before drowning. Somehow, he did it. We too are collectively engaged in a similar challenge, only ours is real, and we must escape from the straight jacket of our polluting ways by innovating and creating new, clean energy options, which will allow us to continue to flourish without fowling our planet any longer. Like Houdini, it's the great escape we somehow must make. Thanks to the people filling sustainability conferences here and around the world, we have a shot.

Please feel free to email me at Thomas.Barwin@sarasotafl.gov.

Thomas Barwin is Sarasota City Manager. 

We’re halfway through November and already it’s been a big month in Sarasota for hot political issues. The City Commission turned down the Selby Gardens Master Plan. The School Board held a hearing regarding how Superintendent Todd Bowden handled the sexual harassment complaint against COO Jeff Maultsby (who resigned). The Sarasota County Commission approved protecting public lands adjacent to the Celery Fields. But there’s more to come! This Tuesday, Nov. 19, the Sarasota County Commission will hold another hearing on redistricting.

Redistricting, or redrawing Sarasota’s County Commission district maps, is the County Commission’s answer to Single Member Districts. County voters approved a change from At-Large voting to Single Member Districts for County Commission seats last year.

Redistricting, or redrawing Sarasota’s County Commission district maps, is the County Commission’s answer to Single Member Districts. County voters approved a change from At-Large voting to Single Member Districts for County Commission seats last year.

The change from At-Large to Single Member District voting makes Commissioners more accountable to voters. With At-Large voting, registered voters in Sarasota vote for the Commissioner who represents their district as well as the Commissioners who represent each of the other 4 districts. The current County Commission argues that At-Large voting provides voters with greater power, because they are choosing all five commissioners. But At-Large voting diminishes citizen power by making it difficult to vote out commissioners who are poor performers. The ballots of actual district residents for their district County Commissioner election are only 20% of the total ballots cast when all County voters choose every single County Commissioner. North Port voters don’t keep track of how a Commissioner representing Newtown performs on Newtown issues, and vice-versa. With Single Member District voting, only district voters select their district County Commissioner. Siesta Key voters decide whether change or keep the Siesta Key Commissioner, and so on.

At-Large voting requires campaigns to reach the entire County (population 426,000). It’s almost like running for Congress. At large voting stacks the deck in favor of dark money candidates. Single member districts levels the playing field by reducing campaign coverage to a manageable size (population 80,000-85,000).

Now that Single Member Districts have passed, the County Commission is working overtime to redraw existing districts. Enhanced accountability may imperil incumbent Mike Moran’s re-election in 2020. Mr. Moran voted against his district constituents’ interests in 2017, when he supported a waste transfer facility next to the Celery Fields. Critics believe the Commission is gerrymandering to protect Moran’s seat.

Citizen activist R.N. Collins (trained in statistical analysis) shows the County’s second set off consultant numbers continue to be deeply flawed. The County wide Hispanic population is underestimated by 30%, and the African-American population underestimated by 20%. North County is under-counted, South county over-counted.

If the County proceeds, litigation may be on the horizon. At the last redistricting hearing, a court reporter was present. African-American leaders cited case law and urged the County Commission to wait until the 2020 census. A good idea, because once the 2020 census is complete, the Sarasota County Commission will be required by law to take up redistricting again.

Commissioners, you’re on a roll! You protected the Celery Fields. Listen to your constituents and stop redistricting.

Cathy Antunes is host of The Detail. 

Last month we shared a story that resonated with a lot of people.

It started with some grants that Gulf Coast Community Foundation awarded to help women in Charlotte County help themselves. One is helping homeless women, particularly victims of violence, find safe and stable housing. Another will provide access to health services for uninsured senior women who might otherwise go without care. The third enables the local United Way to proactively connect women who seek assistance for one problem with a range of programs to meet other needs they have.

But the hero in this story wasn’t Gulf Coast. We were just a supporting character. All three grants came from a fund here named for Miriam Raines. She was a longtime Charlotte County resident who died in 2013, when she was nearly 100 years old. Before she passed, Miriam planned a gift in her will that eventually created the Miriam P. Raines Charitable Fund, a permanent endowment within Gulf Coast Community Foundation. It’s what we call a “field of interest” fund, because it targets needs in a particular focus area specified by the donor. In Miriam’s case, that was helping Charlotte County women improve their lives by educating themselves and furthering their life skills. 

The story went on to share that these grants were the latest of more than 20 that have been awarded from her fund since it was formally established. In a little over four years, nearly half-a-million dollars has been granted from Miriam’s fund to support the good work of nonprofits that help educate and empower women in the community she called home. Many of the grants have built on one another too, helping those agencies develop systems of support rather than just providing a one-time gift in isolation. And that will continue, year after year, forever.

Soon after publishing this story, we heard from two different Gulf Coast donors who’d had “aha” moments. Both are philanthropists who already give generously and strategically, but they recognized a way to enhance that giving. The idea that they could embed their interests, values, and hope for others into a permanent source of good, and that they also could trust a partner to carefully and intentionally steward that legacy forever—well, that was powerful. One of them said simply: “I want to do that!”

The stories of Miriam Raines and the people she continues to inspire are especially timely now that we’ve entered the year-end giving season. The bulk of a calendar year’s charitable giving typically occurs in its last two months. The final three days of the year tend to be the very heaviest for donations. Here at Gulf Coast, we are excited for the flurry of activity that has already started as we assist so many of our donors with their year-end gifts.

But Miriam’s story highlights the benefits of planning your giving with a bigger picture in view. And our donors’ response proves that you can have your (philanthropic) cake and eat it too. By that I mean you can craft a charitable plan that lets you enjoy seeing the impact of your current giving today while also ensuring your legacy will live in perpetuity, addressing issues and opportunities we can’t even imagine today.

There are about as many different ways to structure a charitable gift as there are reasons to give. You might want to set up a tax-free transfer from an IRA to support a favorite charity. Or create a donor advised fund with a gift that earns a tax deduction now but lets you grant out the money to charities on your own timeline. Some donors like to gift appreciated stock or a complex asset like real estate because of tax benefits. Gulf Coast Community Foundation is here to help donors and their legal and financial advisors sort through the options to best meet their needs and goals for this year and beyond.

But the motivation to give that rests solely with the individual. To say “I want to do that!” and then to follow through. To be like Miriam. “To donate” begins with “to do,” after all.

Mark S. Pritchett is President and CEO of Gulf Coast Community Foundation. 

Leadership expert and author John Maxwell wrote, “Leadership is taking responsibility while others are making excuses.”

I had recently thought that responsibility and accountability was one in the same. I was wrong. 

Accountability is measuring the outcomes, transparently dealing with the lack of productivity, and setting a course for correction, if needed. We have seen an overall absence of this in government.

But responsibility is different. It includes accountability, but it is actually much bigger than outcomes. It is the reason why you get to the point you have reached. 

Every leader fails, they would not be a leader if they didn’t. It is how they handle failure that separates those who are great leaders and those who never should have been a leader to begin with.

After watching the dramas unfolding recently in local government, I had my epiphany about responsibility and accountability. It occurred to me that a failure to take responsibility was a bigger problem in government than accountability. Responsibility failures are so intrinsically tied to leadership implosions that they are almost one in the same.

Responsibility is guiding and setting the tone and expectations for the organization by example. It is a moral principle, accepting culpability of those actions and decisions made by employees under his or her leadership with alacrity.

A leader becomes a liability when they “blamestorm,” as John Maxwell calls it. This happens when the leader spends their time shifting blame to other people, circumstances and problems. Justifying the outcome is the priority rather than identifying the problem and fixing it. 

A good leader admits error and spends time unifying his team and reaching out to the organization’s partners to come up with solutions and a new path to success. It is about improving the organization, not saving your personal hide.

John Maxwell elaborated on the success of leaders who take responsibility, “Taking responsibility for your life is a choice. That doesn’t mean you believe you are in control of everything in your life. That’s not humanly possible. But you can take responsibility for yourself and every choice you have. That often makes the difference between someone who learns from loss… and someone who just loses.”

It is our sincere hope that our government employees begin to see leaders that take responsibility. A new government culture is important for our future. Our elected officials need to lead this culture by demanding responsibility from their administrators and using accountability to get there.

Christine Robinson is executive director of The Argus Foundation. 

Safe Place and Rape Crisis Center (SPARCC) celebrates the holiday season with good friends and an abundance of home-baked goodies at its annual luncheon, Cookies, Cakes & Carolers at Michael’s On East, December 11th at 11am. Enjoy a delicious lunch, seasonal music and fabulous raffle items such as a three-night stay on Siesta Key, Van Wezel theater tickets and many more. Bring and donate your favorite holiday treats, purchase bake sale goodies, and donate a gift or toy for SPARCC participants and their children. All proceeds benefit SPARCC’s life-saving programs and services. In the 2018 - 2019 fiscal year, SPARCC provided advocacy services and crisis counseling services to 2,610 individuals; offered a safe shelter to 177 adults, 133 children and 19 pets; responded to more than 4,008 Helpline Crisis calls; and provided legal services for injunction for protection to 237 individuals.  

SPARCC

Sisterhood For Good, an all-female, all–volunteer public charity, awards grants to organizations in Sarasota-Manatee. The grant application deadline is April 30, 2020. Organizations must provide proof of 501(c)(3) status and illustrate how a grant from SFG will make a direct impact to a specific project or program in Manatee-Sarasota. Grants are awarded in June of each year. To apply for a grant, submit the completed grant application visit sisterhoodforgood.org 

Sisterhood For Good

The Southside Village Business Association invites you to the annual Southside Village Holiday Stroll on December 13th from 5-9pm The family-friendly annual celebration will feature a snow slide, bungy trampoline, hot cocoa, face painting and a holiday concert by Music Compound. Additionally, there will amazing raffles donated by local SSVBA business, a visit from Santa, festive activities and crafts and a Southside Village storefront decorating contest. Businesses will hold extended hours to welcome guests. Participants from Girls, Inc. chorus will perform and volunteer at the event. The Southside Village Holiday Stroll will be celebrated throughout the business district surrounding the intersection of Hillview Street and Osprey Ave in Sarasota.  Free Parking is available courtesy of Sarasota Memorial Hospital in the south parking garage located at the intersection of Hillview and US 41. Event proceeds will benefit Girls, Inc. of Sarasota County, the local affiliate of a national nonprofit youth organization dedicated to inspiring all girls to be strong, smart and bold.  

Girls Inc.

All Faiths Food Bank will provide more than 8,500 frozen turkeys and side dishes to those in need in our community this holiday season. Supported in part by a grant from the Kathleen K. Catlin Foundation Fund of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, 8,500 turkeys is the most the food bank has ever distributed. Turkey distributions this year will be designated for children, families, seniors and veterans already accessing All Faiths Food Bank’s services. Those most in need will receive their turkey dinners - which will include mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, green beans and cranberry sauce - through 55 of All Faiths’ Partner Agencies, at 14 School Pantries and Boys and Girls Clubs, and at 6 Mobile Pantry sites. 

All Faiths Food Bank

SCD will join forces with Reverend Barry & The Funk, an 8-pc funk band featuring a 3-pc horn section, and one of the fastest-rising “buzzworthy” acts in the state of Florida. This collaboration “will not be a Funk dance show, but instead showcase the essence of funk, groove, and boogie through a contemporary dance language,” said Leymis Bolaños Wilmott, SCD Artistic Director. The production will feature her original choreography in collaboration with the SCD dancers. The band’s live, high-energy performance features not only originals, but also true-to-the-original cover versions of funk & soul classics from Earth, Wind & Fire, Tower of Power, Prince, James Brown, Rick James, Aretha Franklin, and more. The performance will run December 5–8; Thursday through Saturday at 7:30pm and Sunday at 2pm. 

Sarasota Contemporary Dance

Ashley McCollum, CEO of The Sleepy Tot, released a new book, Hidden ZZZ’s: A guide to soothing and outsmarting your sleepy tot. As a pediatric sleep consultant, Ashley works with families around the globe customizing plans to tackle infant and toddler sleep struggles in a matter of weeks. In her book, she shares her experience and expertise and discusses the top sleep struggles that parents encounter during the first three years of life as well as tangible advice to help them. This easy-to-read book is available in print, Kindle, or can be purchased at her sleep training classes held every month at LWR Medical Center. 

The Sleepy Tot

On November 10, the community enjoyed another successful Bowls of Hope event at Ed Smith Stadium benefitting All Faiths Food Bank’s mission to end hunger for those in need in Sarasota and DeSoto counties. More than 40 local restaurants, caterers and bakeries provided delicious soups, breads, and desserts to 1,500 attendees. Guests also chose from a selection of beautifully handcrafted bowls, all donated by local potters, woodturners and artists to take home as a reminder of the empty bowls they helped to fill. For those who were unable to attend or who would still like to make a difference this holiday season, you can turn an empty plate in a thankFULL tummy at allfaithsfoodbank.org. 

All Faiths Food Bank