SRQ DAILY Aug 14, 2020
Friday Weekend Edition
"Some people think everything has been accomplished for women's rights but when I give a talk, I usually end with issues that remain."
“You mentioned the National Organization of Women, but N.O.W. stands for the National Organization for Women,” says Sonia Pressman Fuentes. As one of the founders of the organization, Fuentes would know. While the distinction seems minor at first glance, for a lawyer and lifelong activist well versed in the weight of words on legal discourse, the distinction carries heavy implications. An organization “of” anything sounds static and aimless, as though its members just sit around and celebrate whatever arbitrary characteristics bind them together. An organization “for” something has direction and purpose, it implies a plan of action. And for Fuentes, who dazzled a virtual audience with her incisive intellect and war stories from the front lines of the fight for women’s equality, action is everything.
As part of Florida Studio Theatre’s Suffragist Saturdays, the 92-year-old Fuentes, a Sarasota resident, talked about her life as a prominent lawyer, writer and advocate for women’s rights. Over the course of the event, viewers learned how her parents, born in Poland but living in Berlin at the onset of WWII, fled Germany with their family into Antwerp before getting to the US under furtive circumstances. She recalled how these early experiences were pivotal in instilling in her a sense of purpose. “I felt I was spared by fate for a higher purpose,” she says, “but I could never say that to anybody because they would think I was crazy.”
Instead, she took that secret sense of purpose to Cornell University and then the University of Miami, where she studied law and began a journey that would unwittingly place her on the front lines of social justice. Her first prominent job came when she joined the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, one of the first women to do so. “To put it nicely, they were lethargic about handling sex discrimination cases,” she says, “and I was the only woman in the general counsel’s office at that time.” From there, she went on to testify in Congress after drafting an opening statement making the case for the sex discrimination facets of the Civil Rights Act. “I went to speak to the committee never knowing women’s rights would be my life’s work,” she says.
From there, Fuentes described intimate moments running in the highest levels of the women’s movement, including a visit with Alice Paul in 1976 at Paul’s nursing home in New Jersey. “We had a conversation about different things, and then she said she felt guilty,” says Fuentes. “I asked her why, and this woman who had devoted her entire life to women told me she felt guilty she wasn’t doing anything for women.”
Viewers of the virtual event may have seen something similar in Fuentes—an uncompromising sense of what’s right the unyielding pursuit of attaining it. “Some people think everything has been accomplished for women’s rights,” says Fuentes, “but when I give a talk, I usually end with issues that remain.” From a list of 20, she whittled it down to just five: violence against women, maternal mortality, the lack of affordable and competent childcare, women’s reproductive rights, and human trafficking. 
Florida Studio Theatre
Salon d'Art will host a Zoom discussion tonight, Friday, August 14th from 4-5pm with Margaret Hillman and Elizabeth Goodwill as your hosts. The Zoom Chat will be discussing The Book As Art. Please register in advance for this meeting.
SCDE Audition Requirements: Headshot, dance shot and short bio. For women please wear a leotard and leggings, for men tight fitted top and black pants. Masks will be required. Be prepared to stay after 2 pm to receive feedback from the Associate Directors and SCD Artistic Director. Auditions will be August 22 from 12-2pm.
A Smithsonian Institution traveling exhibit on voting in America launches its statewide tour of Florida this week at Betty J. Johnson North Sarasota Public Library. Voices and Votes: Democracy in America is based on a major exhibition currently on display at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C., and tells the story of America’s democratic form of government. The exhibit kickoff will be celebrated virtually with an online “squeeze,” a current-day take on the tradition of First Lady Dolley Madison, whose social gatherings were so popular that people had to “squeeze” in. Registration for the virtual launch event, which will be held from 2:00 to 3:00pm on Saturday, August 15th, is available online at bit.ly/Voices-Votes-squeeze. The new exhibit is brought to Sarasota County by Florida Humanities and made possible by generous funding from Gulf Coast Community Foundation and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Voices and Votes will be on display at the North Sarasota Library through October 10th. “Gulf Coast Community Foundation is honored to partner with Florida Humanities to bring this wonderful educational opportunity to residents here in Sarasota County,” said Mark S. Pritchett, president | CEO of Gulf Coast Community Foundation. “We hope to inspire our community to engage in conversations about our local history and the story of democracy in America.”
Image courtesy of Florida Humanities
The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art is pleased to announce that they are the recipient of three grants. The National Endowment for the Humanities awarded The Ringling $9,629 that will be used for a preservation assessment of the Ringling Museum of Art’s audiovisual storage area. The Ringling is also the recipient of a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. This grant, for $30,000 will be dedicated to supporting a series of circus arts performances and related programming at The Ringling.Additionally, The Ringling received a grant from the New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA), through the National Dance Project (NDP). The grant, in the amount of $4,000, will be used to facilitate the presentation of the work, An Untitled Love by Abraham in Motion.
As schools prepare to welcome students back during one of the most challenging times in recent history, Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota County is here to help local children and teens navigate this new academic world by providing them with a safe place to access educational resources. Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota County is now accepting applications for its 2020-2021 Great Futures Academy School-Year Program, which will launch on August 24 at its Club in DeSoto County and on August 31 at its five Clubs in Sarasota County. The program will provide a limited number of youth, ages 6 to 12, with both on-site support for students who opted into their school’s remote learning option, as well as, afterschool activities designed to foster academic success, leadership development and career exploration. “We are proud partners of Sarasota County Schools and the DeSoto County School District, and both entities are working tirelessly to keep students on track to achieve state standards in key subjects that promote life-long success,” said Bill Sadlo, President/CEO at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota County. “We are proud to supplement the educational needs of our community’s future leaders through our new Great Futures Academy School-Year Program.”
United Way Suncoast recently awarded a $22,500 COVID-19 Response and Recovery Grant to Forty Carrots Family Center for child and family mental health services in our community. “United Way Suncoast, our donors, and volunteers are working hard to serve our community at a time of greatest need. Our region’s business community and many generous individuals have contributed to our COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund to ensure that we have the immediate resources to support the most vulnerable in our community. It is our job to raise funds, awareness of need, and mobilize volunteers for the critical services needed during this crisis. United Way Suncoast is proud to partner with Forty Carrots of Sarasota. This funding is immediately being put to work to support children, adolescents, and their families in our community” says Jessica Muroff, CEO United Way Suncoast.
Goodwill Manasota recently received a grant of $50,000 in Community Investment funding from United Way Suncoast, designated for its GoodPartner Coach Financial Literacy program. The United Way funding will support efforts to provide Goodwill employees, primarily those who live and/or work in North Sarasota, with one-on-one job training, coaching, life and career goal-setting, and financial literacy services for those with barriers to successful employment, including those with significant disabilities. “We are proud to partner with Goodwill in support of our community impact priority of financial stability," said United Way CEO Jessica Muroff. “Our community needs this support now more than ever. We look forward to the impact these dollars will make in serving people with disabilities, seniors, veterans, and those with other barriers to employment.”
COVID-19 has dramatically impacted our economy, but the momentum of workforce development programs in our region remains strong. Through partnerships with 100 local businesses, CareerEdge has funded 329 internships for students to apply their knowledge outside the classroom this year. Internship outcomes from recent annual evaluation include: 94% of employers reported the internship added value to their organization, 94% of employers plan to offer additional internships and 64% of interns were hired at an average wage of $19.62/per hour. This spring, COVID-19 dramatically impacted our workforce and education delivery systems. A $150,000 grant from Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation has been used to offer salary reimbursement to employers for on-the-job training, provide internship and apprenticeship opportunities, and increase existing workforce talent in our region.
Joseph Benson has been named sales and service team manager for JMX Brands, a Sarasota-based ecommerce business and the largest online retailer of Amish furniture under the brand name DutchCrafters at www.dutchcrafters.com. Benson will oversee the sales and customer service for the company, ensuring the best possible customer experience throughout the sales cycle. He is responsible for developing staff and processes that will adapt to the company’s fast-growing environment.
Registration is now open for Sarasota County's 15th Annual Sustainable Communities Workshop , an Oct. 29 online event to showcase strategies for healthy, resilient, thriving communities. Under the "Transforming to New Ways Forward" theme, the webinar will draw together residents of all ages, business owners and employees, non-profit leaders, and government officials to learn about environmental, economic, and social aspects of sustainability. Featured speakers and panelists will discuss the latest sustainability strategies, resources, and best practices to forge a new way forward for our community. "This year's online format allows us to gather a larger audience and connect them to featured speakers from anywhere in the world," said Sophia Moundous, sustainability outreach coordinator with Sarasota County UF/IAS Extension and Sustainability. "The variety of speakers will bring different perspectives to the table that will inspire communities to transform to a new way forward."
Local farms and food vendors prove tenaciously nimble as farmers markets are forced to pull the plug.
Click here to read the full article from SRQ's Summer 2020 edition.
The school district has been working hard to assemble a collection of resources related to returning to school. The Return to Work guide, Return to Learn guide & videos related to personal protective equipment (PPE), reopening safety, and contact tracing are now available on the school district’s website. Please visit www.sarasotacountyschools.net/backtoschool to view all available resources. Additional resources will be added as items are finalized. This information has already been shared with our employees and families, but we would greatly appreciate any additional effort to help us get these resources out in the community.
The annual fireworks show over the Manatee River originally scheduled for the Fourth of July and delayed until Labor Day has been postponed again to avoid large gatherings next month. Local COVID-19 numbers led Manatee County Administrator Cheri Coryea, Bradenton Mayor Wayne Poston and Palmetto Mayor Shirley Groover Bryant to cancel the Labor Day fireworks. “Once again we find ourselves needing to postpone the ‘July 4th Fireworks’ due to COVID-19,” Bryant said. “We ask everyone to follow all the safety guidelines for this awful virus so we might return to normal soon and reschedule, as we do have much to celebrate and be thankful for.”
Readying a hospital for a possible hurricane amid a global pandemic requires extensive planning, preparations and making adjustments to long-held crisis procedures. In this video news release, Sarasota Memorial's Chief Operating Officer Lorrie Liang and Director of Engineering and Campus Facilities John Salt discuss SMH's preparedness strategy and plans for severe weather threats.
Just a reminder that SMH is not a community shelter and they cannot permit unauthorized visitors to stay in the facility during a storm. In addition to patients, they must make room for hundreds of staff and doctors who will be working 24/7 throughout a hurricane and its aftermath; we also provide a safe place for MDPs (medically dependent persons) assigned to them by the county. If people are medically dependent, they should register with the county before a storm is heading their way.
Loaded Cannon Distillery will be joining Hamlet’s Eatery from 1-7pm to celebrate National Rum Day. They will be offering free rum samples of their Dark Rum, Spiced Rum, Toasted Coconut, Vanilla, Butterscotch and Coffee flavored rums. Try them straight or add into a mixer from Hamlet's Eatery (including those yummy Q&S Water Ice) or hand-cut coconuts from Samantha & Jorge’s Produce Stand. Hamlet's Eatery will also be serving special "rum” inspired food specials. Live music by Clint Justesen.
Guests joining the outdoor market from 10-2pm include: Myakka's Gold Apiary, Your CBD Store, Wolfheart's Herbals, Ciao Gatto Cat Market, Filament2Fantasy, Love Macaronge, Locked & Loaded Leather Jewelry, and rescue dogs from Tender Heart Charities Inc.
Inside the Bazaar from 10-3pm are over 25 local artisans and vendors selling clothing, plants, art, gifts, classes and so much more.
EVO Thrift Store has run out of room and will be shutting down the EVO Thrift Shop racks normally located at the back of the lobby Pro-Shop on Monday August 31st. All remaining items will be donated to local charities. Please pick up any of your items by the 31st.
Join us for free yoga on the second Sunday in the beautiful setting of Bob Gardner Community Park just off of White Eagle Blvd. The Yoga Shack Florida will host the morning flows starting at 9 am. Please bring your own mat and water bottle. Mats must be placed at least 6-feet apart from others and we ask all participants to closely follow all social-distancing guidelines. Thank you to the Brain Health Initiative for sponsoring this event. Learn more about BHI on their website.
Bob Gardner Community Park, 2710 White Eagle Blvd Bradenton FL 34211
A Zoom Workshop will be offered Tuesdays at 6:00 pm on July 28, August 4, August 11, August 18. Led by store owner, Georgia Court, this is a chance to give poetry writing a try. They will be using Ted Kooser’s The Poetry Home Repair Manual as a guide. As a bonus, two experienced and well-published poets, Phil Terman and Rick Hilles, will be making guest appearances. A fee of $30 is required for participation. This includes a copy of The Poetry Home Repair Manual and all four sessions.
Bookstore1
Looking for fun and engaging programs that you and your child can do at home? Try these pre-packaged STEMventures. These themed packets delivered via email will include education materials and links to videos of our early childhood educators introducing topics and activities. Follow along with us from the comfort of your own home, pause when you need to and complete at your own pace. The Coast Counts: Join us to learn how humans and animals alike count on our coasts. Roleplay as a Mote scientist while learning how to monitor the health of Florida's coastal habitats and the inhabitants found there. Hide and SEAk: Ready or not, here we come: to learn all about how animals hide from predators and "SEAk" out their prey. Investigate the adaptations ocean animals have at their disposal like patterns, textures, bioluminescence, and more. Sea Shapes and Sizes: From the smallest plankton to the biggest blue whale; round pufferfish to arrow shaped barracuda; the ocean is filled with all shapes and sizes. Join Mote Educators to learn what this variety does for ocean animals then explore the shape of the ocean floor. Each Pre-Packaged STEMventure Theme: $45 for members, $50 for non-members. Upon registering for any OSM program, you will receive a confirmation email with a link to your weekly Guide to help prepare for a virtual week with us. Supplies for all of our OSM programs should be easily found around the home. The guide you receive in your confirmation email will detail what you need so you can prepare for your OSM week.
Art Uptown's regionally acclaimed artists offer passage to worlds unseen and under explored through the upcoming Summer Sojourn showcase on view from Tuesday, August 4 through Saturday, August 29. The exhibit features a wide array of media: photography, jewelry, fabric, glass, ceramic, sculpture and painting. Hungering for a reminder of Provence? Take in Jill Krasner's Yellow Daffodils (top left) or Jana Millstone's Tulip Trip (lower left). Seeking a little Zen-like serenity? Pause at Joan Libby Hawk's ceramic vessel, Elegy (top right). Marlane Wurzbach's Egret's Buffet (lower right), Bill Swanson's Juvenile Angelfish and Maro Lorimer's Haze take you right to the water's edge of your choice. Elijah (below left) by Janet Mishner invites the viewer to a more spiritual place and Liz Cole's abstract Bring on the Sun (below right) pushes the darks to brights. More than twenty other accomplished artists' work fills the Summer Sojourn showcase with unexpected, art-inspired journeys. The gallery continues its commitment to visitor and staff safety by the use of masks, sanitizer, frequent cleaning and social distancing.
Art Uptown Gallery, 1367 Main St, Sarasota, FL 34236
Art Center Sarasota invited contemporary artists from across the nation to submit work for Sarasota's premier open, all media, all subjects national juried exhibition. Visitors will have an opportunity to see diverse artistic mediums and talent both locally and nationally. First Place: Human Briar by Art Venti, Second Place: Little Blue by Richard Lamson, Third Place: Feeling Marginalized at 65 Karen Smith-Lovejoy, Merit Awards: Open Up a Box of Secrets... by Rebecca Quigley and When Cows Fly by Jillian Vida Nova, Special Award: Cold Spring House by Maeve McCool and Honorable Mention: Cape Florida Lighthouse by Miriam Esteve.
Art Center Sarasota, 707 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, FL 34236
Join us for "virtual" coffee with your Chamber President/CEO, Heather Kasten and Guest Speaker Rick Piccolo, CEO of the Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport to hear updates on air travel during COVID-19 and the steps put in place to keep us safe. A Zoom meeting code will be sent to registered attendees 24 hours prior to the event. You do not need a Zoom account to register for this event.
From Young Concert Artists comes one of the most versatile string quartets in classical music today. The Omer Quartet is quickly gaining a reputation for “fearless renderings” (the New York Times) of the standard quartet repertoire as well as compelling performances of works by today’s composers. The ensemble burst onto the scene with top prizes at Borciani, Trondheim, and Bordeaux in Europe all in one year, having already captured the Fischoff National Competition Grand Prize. The quartet was awarded first prize in the 2017 Young Concert Artists (YCA) International Auditions and recently debuted at Carnegie’s Weill Recital Hall. Joining the quartet from Young Concert Artists is accordion virtuoso Hanzhi Wang. Praised for her captivating stage presence and performances that are technically and musically masterful, this groundbreaking young musician is the only accordionist in 59 years to win a place on the YCA roster. 3pm Pre-Concert Wine Reception. Tickets are $42.
Glass Artists from the Duncan McClellan Gallery in the Conservatory and the Gardens. Selby Gardens and the Duncan McClellan Gallery (DMG) in St. Petersburg presents the third annual summer glass show. This year we are featuring the nature-inspired glasswork created exclusively by Duncan McClellan and his studio artists which will be displayed in the Conservatory and in the Gardens against a backdrop of lush flowers and plants. The beautiful botanically-themed glassworks will be for sale with a portion of the proceeds benefiting Selby Gardens’ mission.
Marie Selby Botanical Gardens Downtown Sarasota, 900 S Palm Ave, Sarasota, FL 34236
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