Eric Robinson lost his seat on the Sarasota County School Board to Tom Edwards. The upset was perhaps the biggest news to come out of an evening of close and closely watched races in Sarasota County. 

“I am honored that you have chosen me to serve as your Sarasota County School Board member,” Edwards wrote on Facebook. “Let’s Get to Work.”

Notably, Edwards had won support from the Sarasota Democratic Party, besting Robinson, a prominent Republican campaign treasurer, with almost 52% of the vote to the incumbent’s 48%. But in the other Sarasota School Board race, it was the GOP-backed Karen Rose who prevailed over David Graham, a Democrat, for an open seat being vacated by Caroline Zucker. For the next two years, Democrats control three of the five seats on the board, the same as before the election.

In the Sarasota city races, Terry Turner and Liz Alpert will advance to a Sarasota City Commission runoff in District 2, knocking out Joe Barbetta, Martin Hyde, Jerry Wells and Don Patterson. Dan Clermont and Erik Arroyo face off anew in District 3 after eliminating Rob Grant.

In state politics, Fiona McFarland won a close GOP primary in House District 72, a Democratic-controlled open seat Republicans hope to flip in November. McFarland won with 43.25% of the vote to Donna Barcomb’s 41.76%, a 266-vote margin out of 17,779 cast. Jason Miller also won 14.99% of the vote.

“The work is just beginning as we focus on the future for Sarasota, and I can’t wait to get started,” McFarland said. Democrat Drake Buckman, who faced no primary, congratulated her but made clear he plans to defend the seat. “I am a local Sarasota candidate and I will be here long after Fiona McFarland has moved on to another location,” Buckman said.

Ron Cutsinger dominated in a District 5 Sarasota County Commission Republican primary, taking nearly 65% of the vote to Chris Hank’s 35%, and will now face Democrat Alice White in November. Incumbent County Commissioner Mike Moran also held on in a GOP primary over Mike Hutchinson, but by a surprisingly close margin of 51.8% to 48.2%. He faces Democrat Mark Pienkos in November.

In Manatee County, Commissioner Priscilla Whisenant Trace lost to challenger James Satcher in District 1, who led with 55% to her 45%. And George Kruse won an open at-large seat over the better funded former County Administrator Ed Hunzeker by a margin of 57% to 43%. School Board member Gina Messenger held onto her seat, and fellow School Board Member Dave “Watchdog” Miner was a top vote-getter but heads to a runoff after leading with less than 29% of the vote to challenger Mary Foreman’s more than 26%. 

Photo: School Board Member elect Tom Edwards and outgoing School Board member Eric Robinson.

Conserving Sarasota’s rich and robust heritage is the Historical Society’s M.O. Time-traveling back to 1927, a citizens group began collecting historical materials, and in the early 1950s, the Office of County Historian formed. Eventually, the Sarasota County Historical Society (HSOSC) came to be in 1959. It reorganized in 1977 as a not-for-profit corporation and is still operating as a private nonprofit in order to showcase two of Sarasota’s oldest, most historical buildings in Pioneer Park. Today, the Historical Society of Sarasota County continues to foster public awareness of the rich heritage of Sarasota County and the state of Florida, encourage inquiry and research into its history, promote an archived collection and preservation of memorabilia, develop a broader appreciation of its communities, and protect its historic sites and structures. 

With so many political, societal and cultural issues coming in to play this year, the nonprofit has taken a mindful approach in simply bringing the nation’s milestone history markers to the forefront. For instance, to encourage more voters to register and place their votes this election season, they’ve used their social media platform to remind women of their 19th Amendment— linking to articles that share first-hand accounts from the day that will forever be in history books as the day women’s suffrage made a giant step towards equality: the day women gained the right to vote. Similarly, they posted about the first-ever U.S. post office to open in Sarasota in 1878—a time when it cost two cents to mail out a letter and delivered by horseback. Subtly, it had a way of shining a light on the historical significance the postal services have had on the country for well over a thousand years and are now in jeopardy.

For the real history buffs and chronicle-oriented curiosos, you may be interested to learn that the HSOSC recently launched a new Articles section on its website—a landing page where various historians, authors, and figureheads of the community will be contributing articles on various historical stories/topics related to Sarasota County. Author and historian Jeff LaHurd kicked it off with personal insights on the day Sarasota split off from Manatee in 1921, “after residents in South County grew disgruntled by terrible road conditions and the way tax dollars were being spent,” he writes. Attached is a photograph of the front-page newspaper featuring the headline, “Hurray for Sarasota County” printed in the rechristened Sarasota County Times, announcing the momentous news of the formation of Florida’s newest county.

With HSOSC’s Sunday Afternoon Socials, the Historic Downtown Sarasota Trolley Tours, Historical Society Bay Cruises, Conversations at the Crocker, and facility rentals for weddings and special events all put on hold till March 2021, membership and contributions are as important as ever to keeping this community fixture operating and preserving our past. You can join HSOSC’s email list to keep current with the Society and community updates here. And to learn more about the benefits of becoming a member, receive info on historical happenings and fun facts about the narrative of this area’s evolution, head here. 

Image courtesy of HSOSC.

1260 12th St. (In Pioneer Park) Sarasota, 941-364-9076, hsosc1@gmail.com.

The Healthy Start Coalition of Sarasota County, Inc. was awarded a $25,000 grant from the Bank of America Client Foundation, Virginia White Clark Fund, Bank of America, N.A., Trustee, to support its Save My Life Program, a culturally sensitive prenatal and postpartum support program targeting pregnant women and new parents the Newtown Community. Created in 2006 in response to the alarming racial disparities in maternal and infant health, the Save My Life program addresses poor birth and health outcomes, such as low birth weight, prematurity, and fetal and infant death, which are statistically more likely to be experienced by African-Americans. Classes are offered free-of-charge at various locations throughout the Newtown and North Sarasota areas and cover topics such as childbirth education, breastfeeding, nutrition, safe sleep, preconception and interconception health, smoking cessation, and more. The Program is led by Newtown resident and the Sarasota community’s first African-American Childbirth Educator, Beverly Phelps, CLC, who has over 25 years of experience working with pregnant women and new mothers. “I'm glad resources are available to new expecting parents so we are aware of some things to expect,” states a Save My Life Program Mom. “This is a truly special program, serving a unique and important need in our community,” states Shon Ewens, Healthy Start Coalition Executive Director. “We are so grateful to the Bank of America Client Foundation for continually seeing the value in supporting the Save My Life Program, and the health and well-being of the moms and babies in Newtown.” 

941-373-7070

Click here for more information.

Florida Studio Theatre (FST) is proud to announce that the nonprofit has received a grant for over $48,900 from the State of Florida Division of Cultural Affairs. These funds will provide vital support for several of FST’s core programs: Mainstage, Cabaret, Education, and New Play Development. “In these challenging times, grant support from agencies like the Florida Division of Cultural Affairs is essential,” said Rebecca Hopkins, FST’s Managing Director. “The arts have been hit particularly hard by the COVID-19 epidemic. We went from a company of over 90 full-time staff, front-of-house employees, and artists, to a group of about 30. This grant will help us have a strong reopening with our Winter Season in early 2021.” With this funding from the Florida Division of Cultural Affairs, Sarasota’s Contemporary Theatre can advance its mission to “make theatre accessible and affordable to as many people as possible.”  

Click here for more information.

Every day there is something new happening. Most recently, Nate's Honor Rescue said good bye to the Welcome Center, the only "people space" at the shelter. This small but mighty building represented the spirit of the mission, and the adaptability of the staff and volunteers very well over the years. As the shelter grew and evolved, so did the team and this building. It served as cat housing, laundry and kitchen, office space and finally the welcome center, where over 15,000 animals found their forever homes. They are truly grateful for all of the adopters, staff, and volunteers that have grown with them and made this transition possible for the animals in the community.  

Click here to donate.

The Sarasota County Public Hospital Board on Monday approved a $65 million plan to replace its aging behavioral health hospital with a new, state-of-the-art pavilion that centralizes and enhances care to people affected by mental and behavioral health challenges. Slated to begin design this year, preliminary plans call for the new 82-bed, 95,000-square-foot Behavioral Health Pavilion to be built on the northeast corner of the hospital’s main campus, at the corner of Osprey Avenue and Hawthorne Street. “Mental illness affects one in five Americans every year. Many in our community are struggling daily due to conditions such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder and PTSD. These are often treatable conditions, and with the right services, most people can recover and lead fulfilling lives,” Cassidy says. “Offering a full spectrum of services in one location allows for coordinated care and better outcomes for all our patients and our community.” 

The Florida Center for Early Childhood’s Board of Directors has selected Dr. Kristie Skoglund, Chief Operating Officer of the organization, to lead the agency. She will replace longtime Chief Executive Officer Kathryn Shea next month. “There is no one more deserving of this position,” said Jeff Woodin, Board Chair. “Kristie has worked for The Florida Center for more than 20 years, climbing the ranks from counselor to early childhood expert.” The Board of Directors unanimously voted to promote Skoglund on August 13, after determining she was best suited for the position. “I truly love the work of The Florida Center and I am humbled and honored to be chosen as the next CEO,” Skoglund said. “I definitely have some big shoes to fill! Kathryn has been an amazing leader who always encouraged me to grow and learn.” 

For more information, call 941-371-8820 or visit www.thefloridacenter.org.

CryoXL, the local leader in whole-body cryotherapy and IV hydration wellness in Sarasota and Manatee counties, announces the addition of Megan Kottemann in the role of business development director. Kottemann is responsible for expanding existing partnerships and utilizing her prolific sports background to capture new opportunities. “We are thrilled to have Meg on the CryoXL team,” said CryoXL owner Fernando Vega. "Her experience and work ethic enhance our ability to build relationships with sports organizations and businesses throughout the Suncoast seeking high-quality, evidence-based treatments that promote wellness and recovery.” 

Several new images are on view for the first time at The Bishop as part of our special exhibition Small Wonders: Insects in Focus. In addition to the photos that have been on display in the Museum’s second-floor galleries since Small Wonders opened in June, the expansion includes eight new images now on display in the West Hall, located on the Museum’s first floor just north of the Planetarium lobby.  In Small Wonders: Insects in Focus, photographer and artist Bob Sober used a process called photo stacking and custom methods to put tiny insects on a human scale, allowing visitors to see the patterns, textures, colors and details that have always been present in these animals, but often-times too small for us to appreciate.  Small Wonders: Insects in Focus is sponsored at the Museum by Dr. Chet and Elena Baran and will be open through Oct. 18. Visiting is included in the price of admission. Small Wonders: Insects in Focus is organized by ExhibitsUSA, a program of Mid-America Arts Alliance. 

The Bishop Museum of Science, 201 10th St. West Bradenton

Click here for more information.

From hopeless to homeless, a young Sebrena Pawley would eventually come to learn that falling ill to a life-threatening virus is just another survival obstacle to overcome. 

Click here to read the full article from SRQ's Summer 2020 edition.

The following video was filmed by Manatee Schools Television and School District of Manatee County Communications staff. The first video is from Braden River High School and the two videos separated by color bars are from Johnson K-8. 

Click here to watch the videos.

The Van Wezel announces additional shows for 2021! PROUD Tina: The Ultimate Tribute to Tina Turner comes to the Van Wezel for its Sarasota debut. The Sweet Caroline tour returns to the Hall by popular demand, and single tickets for Neil Berg's 112 Years of Broadway will be available this week. 

Single tickets for the following performances go on sale Friday, August 21, 2020 at 10am.

• Neil Berg’s 112 Years of Broadway – Tuesday, February 2, 2021 at 7:30pm (Tickets $19.50-$64.50)
• PROUD Tina: The Ultimate Tribute to Tina Turner – Tuesday, March 9, 2021 at 8:00pm (Tickets $27-$72)
• Sweet Caroline – Wednesday, April 21, 2021 at 8:00pm (Tickets $22-$62)

Click here for more information.