SRQ DAILY Oct 19, 2020
Monday Business Edition
"While environment is still very important, top of mind now is the pandemic and how we can safely reopen."
With a pandemic going on, state Rep. Will Robinson, R-Bradenton, said this is a different environment to run in than when he first ran for his House District 71 seat in 2018.
“Two years ago we were in the grips of the worst red tide surrounding the entire district, so that was top of mind for everybody,” he said. “While the environment is still very important, top of mind now is the pandemic and how we can safely reopen.”
Democratic challenger Andy Mele, known in environmental circles for his work as the Suncoast Waterkeeper, said Republicans in Tallahassee including Robinson have fallen short on issues with public health and conservation.
“There’s millions of families in Florida who are suffering, unable to sleep with knots in their stomach,” he said. An unemployment system has failed Florida and there’s been poor leadership in the pandemic, Mele said.
Robinson for his part said the state definitely needs to do more with an unemployment system that needs to be overhauled. “We need to fix it or replace it,” the incumbent said. “People deserve the benefits they should be getting… I thing the state was sold a bad system destined to fail, and we have got to get it fixed yesterday.”
For his part, Robinson, who ran two years ago on his environmental record, feels plenty has been achieved on the water front. He notes the legislature increased fines for polluters, including cities, for sewage spills.
“We secured funding for red tide, and we put in two of the most stringent regulatory bills in a generation,” he said. That included the unanimously passed Clean Waterways Act, that implemented recommendations from two tasks forces that studied the causes of harmful algal blooms.
But Mele said the work has been a fraction of what needs to be done to protect water quality. The Clean Waterways Act? “Everybody voted for that, but it ignored 95% of what the Waterkeepers say needs to be done, and most of Gov. [Ron] DeSantis’ own algae task forces’ recommendations,” Mele said. Moreover, any good work was offset by developers giveaways on land mitigation and an expansive toll road planned through environmentally sensitive lands.
The two now make their cases to voters in House District 71, and voters on Nov. 3 will make the final decision who represents greater Bradenton and Downtown Sarasota in Tallahassee the next two years. 
Michael Saunders & Company is pleased to welcome Amber Watson to the St. Armands Circle office. Lori can be reached by calling 941-951-6650 or visiting the office located at 100 South Washington Blvd.
Tidewell Hospice and the Tidewell Honors Veterans Program are proud to present a Veterans Day webinar with former POW and national motivational speaker Jessica Lynch. The free webinar is open to the public as part of Tidewell Hospice’s yearlong 40th anniversary celebration. The webinar will be held at 1pm Wednesday, November 11.
For more information about the Jessica Lynch webinar, contact Tidewell VP of Specialized Services Stacy Groff at sgroff@tidewell.org or 941-894-1753.
Despite challenges to supply chains and uncertainties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Sarasota Memorial’s new oncology tower has crested its highest point – 233 feet – a construction milestone SMH leaders celebrated this week with inspiring messages of hope. “We wanted to recognize the significance of this project in a meaningful way,” said Sarasota Memorial Chief Operating Officer Lorrie Liang. “The messages people have shared do that in a very moving and personal way. Their words honor loved ones and friends who have battled cancer in the past and offer healing wishes for those fighting cancer today or in the future.”
The publishers and editors of ConventionSouth, the national multimedia resource for planning events in the South, present Visit Sarasota County with a 2020 Readers’ Choice Award. “ConventionSouth readers and fans have voted to decide the best meeting sites in the South, and it is no surprise to us that Visit Sarasota County has been selected to receive our annual Readers’ Choice Award,” said ConventionSouth Associate Publisher Ashleigh Osborne. “The value in receiving this prestigious recognition is that it comes from the United States’ top meeting professionals who hold events in the South. These planners demand the highest level of customer service and quality facilities, and they have contributed in determining that Visit Sarasota County indeed displays the commitment to professionalism, creativity and service that they require.”
Michael Diaz, MD, Assistant Managing Physician of Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute (FCS), has been appointed to a two-year term on the prestigious Florida Cancer Control & Research Advisory Council (CCRAB). “I am truly honored by this appointment,” Dr. Diaz said. “The Council has a significant leadership role in statewide efforts to improve patient participation in research and to reduce cancer health disparities, two objectives I consider vitally important. I look forward to working with the Council to reduce Florida’s cancer burden and promote healthier lives and communities across the state.”
The Arts and Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County (Alliance) continues to support local artists, historic preservation, and arts and cultural organizations through the John Ringling Tower and State of the Arts Opportunity Grants. The 2020 Opportunity Grant Recipients are Chamber Orchestra of Sarasota, SaraSolo Productions, North Port Chorale, Inc, Musica Sacra Sarasota and North Port Art Center. The 2020 John Ringling Tower Fund Grant recipients are Performing Arts: Thea Lobo, Visual Arts: Karen Chandler, Historic Preservation: Marie Selby Botanical Gardens and Historic Spanish Point Campus.
Supervisor of Elections Ron Turner is strongly encouraging Sarasota County voters who plan to vote in person to take advantage of early voting ahead of the November 3 general election. “Due to a multi-page ballot, expected high voter turnout, and the need for social distancing and sanitizing procedures at polling places,” Turner said, “we could see longer wait times and possible lines on Election Day. So, I am asking voters to help us to minimize election day stress for themselves and elections officials by choosing to vote early, whenever possible.” He noted early voting will be available for the full 14 days authorized by law, from Monday, October 19 through Sunday, November 1, from 8:30am to 6:30pm daily.
Celebrating the top realtors in our region, Agents of Distinction highlights the stories of real estate experts.
Published in the SRQ November 2020 Magazine, this go-to resource guide features sixteen leaders in real estate and is now available to view and download.
This digital exhibition features recent work by accomplished faculty currently teaching at Ringling College of Art and Design. Featuring a dizzying array of media and artistic styles that reflect the breadth of art practices, this exhibition provides an important opportunity for art faculty members to share their work with students, colleagues, and the community.
Ringling College Galleries, Online—this exhibition is being hosted online.
October 17th & 18th and October 24th & 25th. Tickets for this popular event go on sale to the general public on August 12th at 10am, tickets will be available on the museum's website at www.frrm.org Early access for members are on sale now by calling the ticket office. The Ticket office is open Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 4pm. Special Note for Covid 19; For 2020 the event will operate at 50% capacity. Due to the complicity of ticketing in reserved seat cars, window seats will only be sold. However, you may consolidate your group using unsold aisle seats within your seating area. Mask requirements will be based on Manatee County mask ordinance at the time of the event.
Join Historic Spanish Point for incredible stories on the artists that shaped and influenced history around the world. We are proud to offer this art lecture series with Baila Miller as part of our monthly programming. Baila’s unique storytelling presentations will connect you to the art world in a whole new way. All presentations take place at Historic Spanish Point’s Visitor Center Classrooms. Tickets: $15 for Historic Spanish Point members and $20 for future members.
After 47 years of teaching, Susan MacManus retired as Distinguished Professor Emerita of the department of Government and International Affairs at the University of South Florida-Tampa. She is author and co-author of over a dozen books and a sought-after nationally-known political analyst and noted commentator on state and national television news.
In the past, seniors have been America’s most dependable voters and were coveted by political can-didates because they historically voted at the greatest rate in elections. Nevertheless, the country has been undergoing an upheaval that has hard-ened political views and is causing the electorate to make decisions based more on personality than on political competence. Will the 2020 election bring unprecedented younger voters to the polls based on political issues, a trust of the principles of democracy, and a desire to see America regain its prominence in the world?
Called the “most-quoted political analyst in Florida,” Susan MacManus returns to Einstein’s Circle to share her experienced insight with us. She will talk about voting history, changing de-mographics in Florida, and what the numbers are telling us about the outcome of this very conten-tious race.
Online.
Featuring performances and excerpts of Sir Frederick Ashton's: Meditation from Thaïs, Monotones II, Façade, Romeo & Juliet, La chatte métamorphosée en femme, The Sleeping Beauty and Les Patineurs. Additional content includes rehearsal footage, along with coaching and an interview with retired British ballet dancer and former Artistic Director of The Royal Ballet Sir Anthony Dowell.
Jennifer and Austin delighted judges and audience members alike at Artist Series Concerts’ 2016 National Voice Competition, where they took first and second place respectively. Fast-forward to 2020 and the duo, each now pursuing a busy music career, returns to Sarasota to perform together for the organization’s 25th season. Soprano Jennifer Kreider is pursuing a performer’s diploma under the guidance of Jane Dutton at Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music. Her past roles include Musetta (La Bohème), Dew Fairy (Hansel and Gretel), Linfea (La Calisto) and many others. She has been a young artist at Opera in the Ozarks, the CoOPERAtive Program in Princeton, New Jersey, and the Franz Schubert Institute in Baden bei Wien, Austria. A native of Brandon, Florida, tenor Austin Cripe is currently pursuing his master’s degree at Florida State University. He has performed with Florida State Opera in the roles of Gastone in La Traviata, King Kaspar in Amahl and the Night Visitors, the title role in Candide and others. He has also performed with Red River Lyric Opera, the Savannah Voice Festival and Opera Tampa. The trio performs works by Brahms, Donizetti, Kurt Weill, Jerome Kern and more. With Austin Cripe, tenor; and Joseph Holt, piano
For over three decades, AIA Florida Gulf Coast Chapter has hosted the Sarasota Design Conference, a unique event in a unique city. The Conference aims to be motivational for both attendees and speakers and has created a history of featuring design-innovative speakers both established and up-and-coming who are able to interact with their attendees in a casual setting that encourages dialog and learning. This biennial event is well attended by industry professionals, primarily architects in the Florida Caribbean region. Registration for virtual attendance is open now through October 25, 2020
Come trick or treat at The Bazaar. Enjoy interactive experiences from 21 Century Shakespeare Theatre company. Every hour they will be performing Halloween inspired skits outside in the courtyard, also Let's Create Art is hosting a coloring contest with prizes.
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