Both of Sarasota-Manatee’s representatives in Congress voted on Wednesday against articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump. And both of their Democratic opponents next year say they would have voted differently.

U.S. Reps. Vern Buchanan, R-Sarasota, and Greg Steube, R-Sarasota, each declined to support a Democratic-led impeachment process.

“I will vote today against both articles of impeachment because they are without merit and set a dangerous precedent for our country,” Buchanan said. “This political vendetta is an abuse of the impeachment process and would subvert the votes of 63 million Americans. Just because the President’s opponents are afraid he will win reelection is no excuse for weaponizing impeachment.  No president in history has ever been impeached 10 months before an election. Elections are the heart of our democracy. Our founding fathers devised a simple way to remove a president that you disagree with — it’s called an election — and we have one coming up in less than a year. Let the people decide."

Steube served on the judiciary committee that approved the articles of impeachment and voted against them there as well.

“Let me be clear: impeachment is nothing more than a political vendetta,” Steube said in a statement. “We could have spent the last several months working to fix problems facing everyday Americans, but instead, we wasted time on this charade. Every day, constituents ask me when we are going to get a particular bill passed, and far too often I have to tell them that I simply don’t know because we have wasted so much time on an unnecessary impeachment process.”

But the Democrats challenging both representatives disagreed.

Margaret Good, who is challenging Buchanan next year, said she fully supported both articles of impeachment against Trump.

“After carefully considering the evidence, it is clear the President violated his oath of office and undermined our national security when he put his interests above our country’s by attempting to bribe a foreign power to investigate a political rival,” Good said in a statement. “I support the articles of impeachment because this is an abuse of power, and now more than ever we must protect our Constitution and put country over politics.”

Ellison, who is running against Steube in a deep red district, criticized leaders as being careless in the impeachment process.

“This is what happens when Congressional members make the mistake of attempting to represent the President of the United States instead honoring their oath of office and representing the people,” he said. "I, like many citizens, find it alarming that members of Congress will go against their Oaths of Office to uphold the President’s actions by totally dismissing the enormous amount of testimonies pointing to wrong doing, the President’s own words and the irrefutable evidence that rise to High Crimes and Misdemeanors."

With the recent opening of Blasé Bistro & Martini Bar—a secondary destination of Siesta Key’s Blasé Café—Southside diners are arriving hopeful and departing impressed. The global fusion of French-Mediterranean and Moroccan flavor profiles make up the new bistro-style menu. French home-style cooking and slow-cooked foods make appearances in craftful and thoughtful dishes.

Roasted Beets comes plated with spicy orange, radish, fennel, pistachio dukkah (Egyptian spice mix) and honey vinaigrette while the Red Curry Mussels arrives in a bowl of ginger, chili, cilantro, lime gremolata and housemade laffa (taboon) bread. The Day Boat Scallops is a perfectly-executed highlight with prosciutto and a lightly-seasoned citrus pesto, while the Spiced Lamb Hummus tapas with hazelnuts, Medjool dates and housemade garlic laffa opens up a whole new world for hummus lovers—used to the common versions of store bought variations. Last, and certainly not least, one particular standout makes its way onto the ‘Plats du Jour’ specials, which will now be featured on Thursdays. The Duck Confit quite literally falls off the bone into its accompaniments of butternut squash and roasted brussel sprouts, marinated in a house honey mustard. 

“As in the Euro-style, dishes may vary slightly everyday based on what is fresh and available,” says Holly Johnson of Blasé Bistro, which seems to be a testament to the creativity and ingenuity coming out of the kitchen of this new global hotspot. 

Special prix fixe menus are planned for Christmas Eve with a Feast of the Seven Fishes, and a Masquerade Ball on New Year’s Eve featuring Alie Kats band, party favors, masks and champagne toast. More information on both events found in link below.  

Photo of the Duck Confit dish, courtesy of Holly Johnson.

Blasé Bistro & Martini Bar, 1920 Hillview St., Sarasota, 941-941-312-6850.

Sarasota County Emergency Management officials coordinated with the county's municipalities, the Salvation Army and faith-based partners to provide cold weather sheltering for those in need due to the predicted drop in temperatures yesterday, December 18. Locations included Salvation Army Center of Hope, 1400 10th St., Sarasota, and New Hope Community Church, 5600 S. Biscayne Dr., North Port. 

The Community Foundation of Sarasota County has launched an upgraded platform for The Giving Partner, an online resource and database connecting the community with more than 800 local nonprofit organizations, to better share trendlines from the nonprofit sector to strengthen our community. The launch lays the groundwork for improved efficiency and capabilities ahead of the 2020 Giving Challenge, a 24 hour giving event that has since 2012 collectively raised more than $40 million to benefit local nonprofits, inspiring deeper connectivity between donors and the causes they care about. Through the improved platform, nonprofit organizations with current profiles will be able to more effectively share their impact through an expanded, in-depth program section that shares an organization’s impact more clearly, in addition to a clean design with streamlined navigation. Moreover, a key aspect of the new platform’s functionality is its seamless connectivity with the 2020 Giving Challenge, set for April 28 through the 29th, allowing nonprofits to manage their own personal dashboard during the event and all-year long. 

The South Florida Proton Therapy Institute, a Proton International facility in Delray Beach, Florida, is complete and has begun treating cancer patients in the region. Stantec, a leading global design firm recognized for its Particle Therapy Center of Excellence, led the architectural and interior design of the state-of-the-art, 40,000 square-foot facility that features the first Varian compact single room system in operation worldwide. The facility also includes two linear accelerator treatment rooms and associated clinical and administrative space. This marks the fourth Stantec-designed proton center completed in the last year.

Located on the Delray Medical Center campus, the South Florida Proton Therapy Institute, a Proton International facility, is designed to provide cutting-edge radiation therapy using the latest proton and photon technologies. The two-story building is organized in zones for technical support, treatment, pre-treatment, clinic, and office space in a streamlined layout meant to facilitate interaction between staff and patients. The institute is part of Proton International’s network of proton therapy centers, which operates six facilities worldwide. Stantec designed the project in partnership with BR+A Engineering, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing engineer, and Goldstein-Milano, structural engineer. 

About Stantec

Premier Sotheby’s International Realty is pleased to announce that the following associates have affiliated with the company’s Sarasota area office locations: Brian Chapman, Lakewood Ranch; Paul Hendricks, St. Armand’s, Sarasota; Liz Newgard, The Plaza, Sarasota; Alexis Reback, St. Armand’s, Sarasota

“We are very happy to welcome these new associates to Premier Sotheby’s International Realty,” said Judy Green, chief executive officer. “Their real estate industry experience, deep knowledge of the Sarasota region and commitment to excellent customer service lead to making clients for life. We are so pleased to work with these talented associates.” 

Sarasota philanthropist Charles Barancik, co-founder of the Charles and Margery Barancik Foundation, died in car crash on Longboat Key Wednesday evening. He was 91. 

The Foundation Thursday night confirmed wife Margery Barancik, 83, died from injuries in the same collission.

Police say around 6 pm, a Longboat Key Police patrol vehicle traveling south on Gulf of Mexico Drive collided with a Tesla driven by Barancik as it was pulling onto the road from a private residence. Barancik was pronounced dead at the scene.

Margery Barancik was also in the vehicle and transported to Sarasota Memorial Hospital with serious injuries, and died the following evening. The police officer involved in the crash was also taken to the hospital and has not been identified.

The Baranciks were and continue to be an enormous force in philanthropy within the Sarasota-Bradenton region. The couple founded their namesake foundation in 2014 and have played an active role in decisions for the organization.

During an interview with SRQ Media Group this year, Chuck Barancik explained he originally planned to set up an endowment with a more common structure, with money going to a foundation after his and his wife’s death, but he became convinced speaking with local philanthropic leaders it would be better to form the foundation now and see the work in their lifetimes. That ultimately allowed more than five years of active engagement with the star staff recruited there.

The Baranciks remained regular participant in board meetings addressing the work and mission of the foundation. Chuck Barancik told SRQ he would apply the lessons from his time in the business world to philanthropy. “Do they really fit what we’re trying to do? What's their risk-reward ratio? Would we see an immediate return on investment?” he would ask.

He was especially proud of success with a Reading Recovery program in local schools funded largely with Barancik money. “It’s been told to us, our board, that if a child leaves third grade not able to read at a third-grade level, you’ve lost them. They’ll never catch up,” he said. “Is this 100 percent true? Probably not, but I bet it’s 80 or 90 percent true.”

While Ohio State research see a 75-percent success rate for reading recovery programs using similar prescribed methods, Sarasota schools boasted an 86-percent rate.

The foundation also made investments in health care programs, early education and technology investment in schools.

Chuck Barancik also said he’s made it clear with his children that he won’t be handing down an enormous inheritance. He instead intended his assets to be donated to the foundation following his and Margery’s deaths. 

Photo by Wyatt Kostygan