A cruise ship carrying four Sarasota area residents remains at sea while Florida officials argue whether to let the Holland American cruise ship Zaandam dock in South Florida. The well-being of passengers became a top priority for U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Sarasota, and state Rep. Margaret Good, D-Sarasota. It’s an issue that at times has put both at odds with Gov. Ron DeSantis, who expressed concerns about letting a ship to port where four people died and 200 are showing flu-like symptoms. The crisis comes as Florida faces the COVID-19 global pandemic, which prompted DeSantis on Wednesday to issue a statewide lockdown order. Notably, Good filed to challenge Buchanan for his Congressional seat this year.

Buchanan communicated with White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows twice this week about the need to let the ship dock in Florida and at least pull 49 Florida residents off.  “This is a Florida-based ship and we want to move as quickly as we can,” Buchanan said.

President Donald Trump said he wants the ship to dock. DeSantis, after expressing concerns about bringing sick foreign nationals into the state, said Wednesday he would support letting only Florida passengers de-board. That includes two Sarasotans still on the Zaandam and two that were allowed to move to another Holland American ship. Buchanan said the governor's position was the right one, and has stressed a tantamount desire to get his passengers off the ship as soon as possible."We don't leave our neighbors stranded in the ocean," he said.

Good, meanwhile, wrote to Broward County Commissioners, who run Port Everglades, pleading for them to let the ship dock and let all sick passengers deboard. “It is inhumane to allow the ship to simply stay at shore,” Good wrote. She shared a text message from a constituent trapped on the Zaandam with her ill husband. “Besides the virus he has pneumonia,” the text reads. “The nurse has seen him several times but they keep giving him more pills that often he cannot swallow.” Good wants to see Florida leaders work with other states, the federal government and other nations to get all passengers where they need to be.

“In times of crisis, we must rise to the occasion,” she said. “We don’t turn our backs on people who are gravely ill.” Broward officials have yet to approve a plan for the ship to dock. 

Photo courtesy Holland American: The Zaandam.

Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday issued a statewide "Safer-at-Home" Order.

The directive goes into effect on April 3 and lasts for 30 days. It order residents throughout Florida to stay in their homes or on their properties except for essential activities or to commute to a job at an essential business.

Many lcoal communities have issued similar orders in the midst of the COVID-19 novel coronavirus global pandemic.

A number of Florida communities have already placed similar orders in palce, though neither Sarasota nor Manatee are among them.

Florida so far has seen 7,773 individuals test positive for COVID-19, including 87 who have died. Sarasota has 82 cases and three deaths, and Manatee has seen 58 cases and three deaths. 

Emotional connection is central to the human experience. That is why the Sarasota Orchestra family is committed to staying CONNECTED to you through music that uplifts and inspires. Music Moves Us is their way to share their gratitude during this period of social distancing. THey have gathered our voices and our music for you with a growing collection of video messages and music, concert recordings, and special items. More music and other content is being created right now by the Sarasota Orchestra family. New releases will include messages and music from their Artistic Advisor and Festival Music Director Jeffrey Kahane, additional musician vignettes, and their weekly broadcasts on classical WSMR, as well as other surprise gems and tidbits. So, please, check back often. Follow them on Facebook or Instagram, or visit their Music Moves Us web page and find respite in our shared passion for great music and the healing power it brings to all of us. 

More on Music Moves Us.

According to a new report by Construction Coverage looking at the U.S. metropolitan areas investing the most in new housing, 9,954 new homes were built in the Bradenton, Florida metro area in 2019. For every 10,000 residents, Bradenton built 121.2 new housing units in 2019, which is the 4th most among midsize metropolitican areas in the United States.

New housing construction in the U.S. is slowing down, which isn’t good for families already struggling to afford their first home. Even though multi-family dwellings have accounted for the lion’s share of new home construction growth since the recession, the shift away from single-family homes has failed to lower prices. Data from the Department of Housing and Urban Development shows that the median sale price for new homes in the U.S. reached a record high of $348,200 at the start of 2020.

While at the national level, investment in new housing largely ebbs and flows with the broader economy, at the state and local level, it is tightly coupled with population growth. States in the South and West, which have experienced above-average population growth in recent years, are investing the most in new housing. New residential construction per capita in Idaho and Utah, in particular, exceed the national rate of 41.9 units per 10,000 residents by more than 100 percent. By contrast, states in the Northeast—many of which have seen their populations stagnate or decline—are constructing the fewest new homes per capita.

Here is a summary of the date for the Bradenton, FL metro:

• New housing units per 10k: 121.2
• Total new housing units: 9,954
• Share of new housing units that are multi-family: 34.8%
• Total value of new housing units (millions): $2,032
• Median home value: $269,765
• 5-year population growth: 12.2%

For reference, here are the statistics for the entire United States:

• New housing units per 10k: 41.9
• Total new housing units: 1,370,347
• Share of new housing units that are multi-family: 37.7%
• Total value of new housing units (millions): $276,611
• Median home value: $240,224
• 5-year population growth: 3.5%

For more information, a detailed methodology, and complete results for all metros.

SouthTech, a provider of technology support and service for small businesses, has hired several engineers and recently promoted two team members to higher positions. Eric Arana, Al Bernel, and Stephen Nguyen have all joined the Client Care team in recent months. Arana, a Systems Support Specialist, joins the team directly from the Microsoft Store at University Town Center and has extensive training on programs such as Microsoft Teams. Bernel, Systems Engineer, has an extensive technical background and is experienced with MSP work. Nguyen, also hired as a Systems Support Specialist, was actually a SouthTech intern approximately five years ago and has since returned to the team as a full-time employee.  The two promotions were granted to an intern and a full-time team member respectively. Nathan Shicks, an intern who recently completed his apprenticeship program with the company, was hired on full-time to join the Centralized Services team. Dyllan Rivers was promoted from his role as Sales Associate to Client Account Manager. As a Client Account Manager, Rivers has a list of clients he is responsible for communicating with regularly and promoting inside sales. 

Spanish Legacy Academy, 2882 Proctor Road, Sarasota

Click here for more information

Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota County is requesting the Florida Department of Education Bureau of Family and Community Outreach to fund the Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers Program (21st CCLC Program) at four Title I schools in north Sarasota County.  The proposed 21st CCLC Program will be operated by Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota County and take place at Alta Vista Elementary, which is located 1050 South Euclid Avenue, Sarasota, FL 34237; Emma E. Booker Elementary, which is located at 2350 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Sarasota, FL 34234; Booker Middle School, which is located at 2250 Myrtle Street, Sarasota, FL 34234; and Tuttle Elementary, which is located at 2863 8th Street, Sarasota, FL 34237. The program will provide youth in both elementary and middle school, as well as their families, with project-based learning opportunities during non-school hours for academic enrichment such as youth development activities, service learning, nutrition and health education, drug and violence prevention programs, art and music instruction and more. The goal of the 21st CCLC Program is for the youth participants to ultimately achieve state student standards in core subjects including math, reading and science, while offering their families opportunities for active and meaningful engagement in their children’s education, including literacy and related educational development.   The agency anticipates the submitted application will be available for download at bgcsarasota.com by August 1.  

For more info.

Now available to view and download, the PGT Innovations BrandStory celebrates 40 years of innovation. Published in the SRQ April 2020 magazine, this BrandStory delves into PGT Innovation's rich history and its commitment to building products that protect.  

Click here to view the BrandStory

As we remain committed to providing you with up-to-date resources and information related to COVID-19, below is a breakdown of Governor DeSantis' statewide stay-at-home order, which is in effect for 30 days.

The essential services identified are:

Healthcare/Public Health
Law Enforcement, Public Safety, and Other First Responders
Food and Agriculture
Energy
Water and Wastewater
Transportation and Logistics
Public Works and Infrastructure Support Services
Communications and Information Technology
Other Community or Government-Based Operations and Essential Functions
Critical Manufacturing
Hazardous Materials
Financial Services
Chemical
Defense Industrial Base
Commercial Facilities
Residential/Shelter Facilities and Services
Hygiene Products and Services

Click the button below for more details on the the essential service categories. A complete list of essential businesses will be released later at floridahealth.gov. 

List of essential businesses.

Explore the new virtual ways the Education Foundation of Sarasota County is connecting to students, teachers, parents, and guardians. View their resources list of college and career articles. Make a virtual appointment to meet with a college and career advisor. Have questions about financial aid? College admission? Career? Scholarships? Military? We can help! Schedule a time to connect with one of the following career advisors Jenna Thiel of North Port High School, Rebecca Lewis of Riverview High School, Kate Dudek of Sarasota High School or Holly Gray. Manage stress with online social emotional learning courses. View resources for general articles for parents, guardians and students. The Education Foundation encourages all teachers, families, mentors, and care givers to be critical consumers and to carefully review each resource before using with students to ensure alignment to identified teaching and learning goals and age appropriateness.  All lessons and resources are supplemental to the Sarasota County Schools curriculum.

Give to the COVID-19 Education Relief Fund to support virtual advising, virtual mentoring, or the emergency support fund for student and teacher funding. We need the support of our generous community to help us provide teachers, students and families with consistent resources and support services.   Thank you for supporting and helping to advance our mission of enhancing the potential of students, promoting excellence in teaching, and inspiring innovation in education. 

In response to the financial losses of  Selby Gardens catalyzed by COVID-19, the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation has stepped forward with a matching gift challenge to inspire others to help Selby Gardens at this critical time. The Toulmin Foundation will match every dollar contributed to our COVID-19 Crisis Operating Fund up to $50,000 beginning now. "We are honored and grateful to receive this vital support for our organization that brings joy to everyone in our community," says Selby Gardens CEO and President Jennifer Rominiecki. "If you are able to participate in the Toulmin Foundation Challenge, your gift will be doubled -- resulting in an even greater impact to Selby Gardens. You can support this initiative here." Right now Selby Gardens is losing $25,000 each day they are not able to open their doors to the public. Two-thirds of their annual operating budget is derived from earned revenues such as daily admission, memberships, cafe sales, and gift shop purchases -- all of which have halted with their temporary closure. The Toulmin Foundation’s leadership ensures that Selby Gardens can come out of this crisis ready to welcome visitors as soon as reopening is possible. 

One of the most important duties we have as parents is to convey information about the current situation to our children. Information that allows them to protect their brain health and fight brain illness, facing both the present and the future with hope, resilience, and optimism, while at the same time realizing that these are serious and uncertain times. They will take their cue from your demeanor. So, if you are calm and reassuring while discussing the situation with them, they will be able to understand and accept the facts that the changes in their lives are occurring to keep them safe. Older children, especially adolescents, understand what is going on. They are seeing information online or through social media and without the right context that information can lead to brain illness, including anxiety and even depression.

Here are some tips for providing brain healthy information to your kids:

Pay attention to your child’s emotions and explore their questions. For younger children, keep the explanation simple. Younger children can understand that there is a bad germ that is making people sick, but that your family is staying away from the germ to stay well. That’s why you are home from work/school/other activities. When the germ is gone, things will change back again. Provide realistic assurance and find healthy ways to cope (exercise, rest, hugs, time with pets or with hobbies).Balance flexibility with maintaining routines. Manage media and internet exposure: Stay informed without getting overwhelmed. Explore how your child is responding to information and changes within your own community. Help your children avoid blame and stereotyping. Take care of yourself so you can support your child.

Infants, toddlers, and preschoolers may not understand what is going on, but they definitely know if you are upset. Staying calm and maintaining a daily routine will help prevent anxiety for kids and adults. Remember that your attitude sets the tone for how your family responds. If you remain calm and resilient, your children will have the best opportunity to grow from this experience.

For more on the Brain Health Initiative.

In accordance with Gov. Ron DeSantis's "Safer at Home" direction today, (Executive Order 20-91), Manatee County Government offices will remain closed to the public through April 30.County and municipal officials are thoroughly reviewing the governor's order this evening and tomorrow morning before announcing whether additional local actions will be taken. "Today's message is reemphasizing to our citizens that we must do more to prevent the spread of the coronavirus," said County Commission Chair Betsy Benac. "We’ve got to make sure everyone is following CDC direction on social distancing to ensure our residents are being as safe as possible."  Manatee County Government buildings were initially closed to the public on March 18. Nearly all County employees have transitioned to home offices or remain working in the field to serve the public. The public is encouraged to conduct transactions with the County online or over the phone whenever possible. Citizens can call 3-1-1 for more information. Manatee County Area Transit services continue to operate, but they are asking passengers to limit trips to essential travel only.  

Performance Copying & Printing has launched a new pricing program designed to assist area restaurants and the healthcare industry impacted by COVID-19. Starting immediately, the company is offering a 50%-75% discount for restaurants to use towards pick-up and to-go menus and for area healthcare providers to use towards all COVID-19 related literature and printed materials. Company owners Steve and Dan Levison started the program as a way to show support for local businesses that have been hit hardest by the coronavirus outbreak. “As a family run, independently-owned company serving our community for the past 26 years, we understand the hardships everyone faces, even during the best of times,” said Performance’s president Steve Levison. “Yet, COVID-19 has brought challenges no one has ever seen before. That is why we felt it was so important to give back to the community and show support for the restaurants and the healthcare industries that serve our region each and every day.”

Performance Copying & Printing’s new price break program is intended for use by any business or organization producing materials related to COVID-19 and for restaurants that provide pick-up and to-go orders for the public. It includes a 50% discount on all black and white copies (reduced from $.03 per side to $.015 per side) and a 75% discount on all color copies (reduced from $.39 per side to $.09 per side). Discounts on graphic design services for all COVID-19 and menu-related items are available as well. For more information on Performance Copying & Printing’s discount price program, email info@performancecopying.com or call 941-351-5500.