Anand Pallegar, bespoke and brimming with confidence, his palms upturned, smiles at the gathered crowd. 

“The future is so PINC,” he tells them, repeating the event’s slogan from a stage that is lit up, ironically, in bright green. 

Like John Ringling, Sarasota’s original master of ceremonies, Pallegar and the team at DreamLarge have spent the year since 2018’s PINC (People Ideas Nature Culture) collecting curiosities from around the globe: professors, artists, wonks, a cartographer from Hungary, a documentarian from Tehran, even a luthier from the far off land of Columbus, Ohio. Pallegar promises that his audience will leave the Sarasota Opera House  totally transformed.

Pallegar’s creatures, of course, are more than just impressive resumes—like Ringling, half the thrill of Pallegar’s performance comes from the ever-present threat that the show could go off the rails. Will a joke go too far, or will the many discussions of environmentalism and affordable housing resonate uncomfortably with the audience? Danny Houck, self-taught craftsman and creator of fine violins, exemplified this sense of anything-could-happen by announcing that he would no longer be making musical instruments. He is now dedicated to using hermetic magic and invocation techniques in order to channel the spirits of dead artists. He claims to have contacted Pablo Picasso, Claude Monet, Mark Rothko, and others that he is not yet ready to announce publicly.

The danger, of course, is all a part of the show. Like the crystals and opals that artist Tyler Thrasher cultivates as a part of his artistic practice, PINC’s end result is a happy mix of directed chaos and professional showmanship. Genuinely interesting people are rarely predictable, and PINC is undeniably populated with interesting people.

Dr. Jack Levin is a mild mannered professor who happens to write books about serial killers. He’s met Charles Manson. Gelareh Kiazand is a documentarian who has, over the course of her journey, documented the shrinking Arctic Circle, followed a nomadic tribe around rural Iran for months, and even documented the ancient art of Muslim prayer rug weavers. Matthew Diffee is a quick-witted charmer out of Denton, Texas who draws absurdist cartoons for the New Yorker and other publications. Stephen Wiltshire is an artist on the autism spectrum with a flawless memory and an interest in cityscapes.

There’s a host of these characters, but the patchwork of ideas and experience that one is left with at the end of the day starts to make a certain kind of sense. Creativity can come from a variety of sources: everyone on stage was defined by a sense curiosity, open-mindedness and the ability to pay attention to details. Pallegar ends the event by telling his audience that "together, we’re inspired to dream larger in approaching community problems in new and divergent ways." The hope of this event's founders, then, is that the audience will take home many of the same qualities shared by the presenters and disperse their effects in our own Sarasota community. 

Photo by Evan Sigmund

Grab a coaster and cable knit sweater and gather around the dreamy string lights for a winter’s evening at Michael’s on East for some storytelling in a glass. The AAA Four-Diamond Restaurant just announced the launch of its new seasonal craft cocktail menu—nine innovative additions that each behold their own story. 

MOE's team of mixologists developed the new menu of liquid narrations with inspiration from local, seasonal ingredients and the restaurant’s international relationships. Some of these global revelations are reflected in some of the multinational cocktail names like Fu Lang Chang—Santo Blanco Tequila, Pedro Ximenez Sherry, Joffrey’s Espresso and chocolate bitters; Hola Santo—Santo Mezquila, Cocchi Rosa and Velvet Falernum; and Cape Town Sundowner—Inverroche Verdant Gin, yellow chartreuse, pink peppercorn syrup and fresh lime juice.

The Cape Town Sundowner happens to be inspired by Co-Proprietor of MOE, Michael Klauber’s experience enjoying a classic safari ‘sundowner’ cocktail while leading the bi-annual Gulf Coast Connoisseur Club trip to South Africa. “I’ll never forget our first sip of a sundowner with Inverroche while visitingLondolozi Game Reserve,” he says. “We knew immediately it was a special part of Africa we’d like to offer our friends back at home!” 

In addition, the menu encompasses modern handcrafted creations, like Green With Envy and Basil Berry Lemonade, as well as old favorites with a slight twist, like Scotch Sandy and Vanilla Old Fashioned. “This time of year there's a lot to celebrate," says Klauber. "Whether it's holiday fun with friends and family, some well-deserved time off from work, or looking forward to the New Year, Michael’s On East has the perfect way to ‘toast’ to the season."

Photo courtesy of Michael's on East

More info on the new cocktail menu here.

Manatee County Habitat for Humanity’s fourth subdivision, Poling Gardens, received approval from the Manatee County Board of County Commissioners on December 5. Poling Gardens is named after the original farm owner’s family and joins Village of the Palms, Washington Park and Hope Landing as the latest subdivision created by Manatee Habitat since it was founded in 1994.

Located in the Samoset Neighborhood, this 3-acre subdivision will consist of 16 single-story homes for first time home buyers who have completed Habitat’s home ownership financial literacy and education courses and will contribute between three and four hundred hours of “sweat equity” prior to purchasing the homes with an interest free loan. Poling Gardens will begin construction in 2020.

“We are grateful for the approval from our County Commissioners and excited to begin another community project that provides environmentally friendly, safe and affordable housing to local families,” said Diana Shoemaker, Manatee Habitat CEO. 

 Sarasota County Schools is pleased to announce thatAtwater Elementary School has been invited to participate in the 2019 – 2020 ECTAC Exceeding Expectations (E2) Project. Currently in its ninth year, the ECTAC E2 Project strives to uplift and recognize Title I schools across Florida that are exceeding expectations related to improving student achievement across many benchmarks.The East Coast Technical Assistance Center (ECTAC) is a collaborative network of over forty Florida school districts. ECTAC personnel assist member school districts in the development and implementation of the U.S. Department of Education’s Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Title I program. Schools that have 50%–100% of their student population qualify for free or reduced lunch are selected for the E2 Project using criteria based on School Grade data obtained from the Florida Department of Education (FDOE) database.  

Manatee County is accepting applications for an NAACP seat on the Children’s Services Advisory Board (CSAB). The volunteer board makes recommendations to the Board of County Commissioners on the priorities and expenditures of the County’s dedicated millage for children’s services. The vacant seat must be filled by a member of the NAACP.  The representative will be appointed for the remainder of a term that ends Sept. 30, 2020.  To qualify for consideration, applicants must be a resident of Manatee County. Employees, owners or voting board members of agencies that receive funding from Manatee County, or individuals that contract with agencies that receive County funding, will not be considered to serve as a representative on this advisory board.  Applications must be submitted by Jan. 3.  Applications must include:  1) Advisory Board Application, 2) Children’s Services Advisory Board Supplemental Questions (Page 4 of the Advisory Board Application), and 3) a resume or a Curriculum Vitae (CV).  Apply on the County's new online application page.  

Goldfish Swim School, the country's leading water safety and swim lesson school offering infant and child swim lessons, is pleased to announce the opening of a new 8,500 square foot Lakewood Ranch location. The newest addition to the Goldfish Swim School family will be welcoming swimmers into the pool in January, 2020.  Located in San Marco Plaza at 8205 Natures Way, Suite 111, Goldfish Swim School Lakewood Ranch offers a wide range of swimming classes for children ages 4 months old to 12 years old, of all skill levels, at times that are convenient and flexible for every family's schedule.  

Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota County is celebrating the extraordinary accomplishments of Lee Wetherington Boys & Girls Club member Fatima D. and Teen Specialist Geoffry Gilot as Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) recently appointed them to serve on the 2020 National Keystone Conference Steering Committee.

The National Keystone Conference Steering Committee features an exclusive group of outstanding teens and Club advisers from Boys & Girls Clubs across the nation who were selected through a competitive application process. Fatima and Geoffry were selected for their dedication to the Lee Wetherington Keystone Club, which is a unique leadership development experience that provides Club members, ages 14-18, with opportunities to enhance their academic success while preparing for their future careers and improving their communities through service projects. Fatima is a 17-year-old senior at The Out-of-Door Academy, and has been a Lee Wetherington Boys & Girls Club member since 2008. She is actively involved in the organization’s service, entrepreneurial, career prep, vocational training and leadership development programs. Fatima is also the STAR (Students Taking Active Roles) Leadership Training Program Student Representative who serves on the agency’s Board of Directors. 

At the 2020 Ignite Education: Teacher of the Year Awards, Sarasota County school teachers were recognized for making a difference. This year's honoreesa include Marissa Dobbert of Sarasota Military Academy Prep who was named Middle School Teacher of the Year, Joshua Grant of Venice High School who was named High School Teacher of the Year, Ali Binswanger of Lakeview Elementary Scool as the Innovation Award Recipient and Sherri T. Reynolds of the Sarasota High School Class of 1971 who was recognized as the Alumni of Distinction. 

Several members of the Gulf Coast Builders Exchange (GCBX), a not-for-profit trade organization, are providing $25,000 of pro bono in-kind services to help renovate an existing 3,657-square-foot duplex for Prodigal Daughters, a Christ-centered rehabilitation ministry for women suffering from the bondage of addiction, human trafficking, abuse or any other life-controlling issues. The Prodigal Daughters Journey Home serves as the nonprofit’s only housing for its 18-month to 24-month residential rehabilitation program. The four-bedroom and two-bathroom duplex consists of a playroom, craft room, living room and dining room. The home’s occupancy can accommodate 6 people, but the nonprofit is currently working on a change-of-use permit to allow up to 23 people. 

Sarasota-based online retailer JMX Brands, parent company of DutchCrafters Amish Furniture, has been named a 2019 Leading E-Tailer by weekly trade publication Furniture Today. This marks the fifth time the company has made the “exclusive report that lists 23 online and home furnishings retailers in alphabetical order within three categories: over $1 billion, between $100 million, and less than $100 million.” The small business founded by Jim and Linse Miller to connect people to handpicked products with exceptional service landed in the latter category with an estimated 2018 total sales of $10 million to $14.9 million.