Sarasota Mayor Hagen Brody on Friday sent letters to both of Florida’s U.S. senators seeking support in the next coronavirus relief package for publicly run entertainment venues. The request comes as the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall continues to financially struggle following the cancellation of most programming this year.

“The two new bills on the horizon offering relief to publicly owned venues would be vital in support of this theater,” Brody writes in letters to Sen. Marco Rubio and Rick Scott. “The Hall’s beloved main stage productions have been shut down since March 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic took center stage, and about 70% of the theater’s staff members have been furloughed or have lost their jobs altogether as a result.”

Remaining staff, many working with cut back hours, continue to provide programming, whether that’s digital programming, like streaming holiday performances in connection with BroadwayHD, or it is limited attendance events with socially distancing for indoor and outdoor activities.

“Their resilience is remarkable, but funding is necessary to keep this institution alive as we look to the future for a safe reopening of the main hall,” Brody said.

In Washington, the House and Senate have struggled for months to reach an agreement on another round of relief, with the costs providing a major obstacle between the Republican-led Senate and the Democrat-controlled House. The chambers appear to have settled at a price tag of around $908 billion. But one of the sticking points appears to be that the House wants funding for local governments. The Senate feels reluctance to do so.

Scott in particular has said it’s a mistake to bail out state and local governments that have suffered only because business restrictions put in place have reduced revenues. In places without restrictions, collections have not taken such a severe hit. “State and local governments’ projected revenue shortfalls due to the coronavirus have not come to fruition – which is a great thing,” Scott said earlier this month. But he has directed those comments primarily at metropolitan cities and blue states like Michigan and New York that have extended lockdown regulations for a much longer period than Florida.

Neither of Florida’s Republican senators has spoken specifically to support for publicly owned venues, which did not receive any bailout funding in the first CARES Package while private venues could partake in federal programs to assist businesses.

Congress just passed a spending bill, signed by President Donald Trump, that averts a government shutdown for a week. That signals lawmakers intend to reach a final deal this week and settle on what entities receive federal relief funding moving forward. 

Do you know anyone on earth who grew up more advantaged than me? Certainly, there were many who had more money and I wasn’t on anyone’s “A list” for parties or other social connections. I did not grow up in a famous or even political family where others sought to ingratiate themselves to me by compliments and favors, hoping that they themselves would someday realize a benefit, simply because they were a “friend” of mine. By those standards, I was just about as ordinary as one can be. However, I was raised by a fiduciary.  

Any good dictionary will tell you that a fiduciary is a person who acts on behalf of another person or persons, putting other’s interests ahead of their own. It’s about duty, discipline and working to preserve good faith and trust. In business, being a fiduciary means being both legally and ethically bound to act in someone else’s best interest.

In my family, living the life of a fiduciary (though it was never called that) wasn’t just something that you do, it’s something that you are. Caldwell Trust Company was built on traits of courage, integrity, hard work, commitment, community involvement and investment along with many other desirable traits have been passed down from generation to generation on both sides of my family and remain to this day an integral part of who we are in life and in business.

As a child, an adolescent and even a young adult I never considered that the principles I was being taught were the very definition of a fiduciary.  All my parents wanted for me and my siblings was for us to be happy. They wanted us to grow into successful adults, following whatever path we might choose. Their only desire (and expectation) was for us to be the best we could be. They taught us the importance of developing personal traits of success and then to apply them in a life of service that would lead to happiness.

Working with my father in business was exciting as well as challenging. Everything he and the early staff did was done with absolute integrity. But everything was done in the old school way, meaning with pencil and paper and very little technology. In the early days, there just wasn’t much technology being used by anyone in the industry. Dad, however, could see a change coming and knew that I was just the guy who could first adopt, then adapt and even create the proprietary technology that would set us apart from others. 

As important as our unique and proprietary technology is, there is still something even more important that makes our client relationships special. From one generation to the next, we keep our promises.

With Caldwell Trust Company, promises made by my Father are promises that I have kept and will continue to keep. Indeed, they are promises that will be kept for generations to come. Our Mission: https://www.ctrust.com/about-us  

Read the Caldwell Trust Company BrandStory HERE

For over 70 years, students involved with the Circus Arts Conservatory’s Sailor Circus program have amazed audiences with an incredible spectacle of youth circus arts. In “Season’s Greetings,” audiences near and far will get to see 45 young athletes – ages 8-18 – flip, fly and soar to new heights in their annual holiday production. Jared Walker, creative director for the Sailor Circus who is now entering his third year with the CAC, has conceived a traditional show based on holiday greeting cards. "I wanted to keep with a more traditional circus show. We all need a little familiar and some comfort after such a difficult year,” Walker said. “The circus has always been a great place for families, no matter their background or how they celebrate the holidays. We just want to celebrate with all of them and wish them the best for the season and the coming year."   “Season’s Greetings” runs from Saturday, December 26 through Wednesday, December 30 in the Sailor Circus Arena. Showtimes are 2pm and 7pm on Saturday and Monday, 1 and 6pm on Sunday, and 7pm on Tuesday and Wednesday. Live tickets are $20-$30, and digital tickets are $25. 

Pictured: Sailor Circus participants Cambria Grover (left) and Rylee Grover during a ladders act.

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Since the pandemic has put its operations on hold, The Happy Thrifter Company found the time to tally up its estimated impact on the regional resale shop community. Through just its first 23 Mystery Resale Shopping Bus Tours, founder Patti Clark estimates it helped to generate revenues of $215,280 for the participating stores. “We are thrilled to be included in the guide book as well as a stop on the shopping tour,” said Bradenton’s Loving Hands Thrift Store manager Sheri Ketner “Everyone loves the resale guide book and it benefits both shoppers and the stores included.” 

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TREE Foundation executive director Dr. Margaret "CanopyMeg" Lowman will be a panelist in "Blue Hope" a global December 17 online roundtable discussion about ocean conservation and the United Nations' Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development initiative, which begins in 2021. The free Zoom event is open to the public and is presented by Mission Blue and the Sylvia Earle Alliance with the support of the Rolex company. The hour-long program takes place Thursday, Dec. 17, beginning at 10am, Pacific Time. 

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WSLR is pleased to announce the addition of four members to its board of directors - Ed Subkis, Brian Jones, Ethan Massa, and Jennifer Rippel.  They bring varied experience and valued knowledge to the organization.  “WSLR+Fogartyville is very excited about what the future holds,” said WSLR Manager Arlene Sweeting. “We were delighted to see a talented slate of candidates step up to serve on the Board.  We are deeply grateful to our departing board members – Tom Walker and Michele Demperio - for their dedication and service.” 

 The Early Learning Coalition of Manatee County, Inc (ELC) has appointed seven new board members from the private business sector. They are a Mr. Doug Hall, Mr. Zack Kallis, Rev. Dr. Robert Baker, Dr. Michael Mackie, Mr. Bryan Rench, Mr. Gary Scott, and Mrs. Caroline Halfacre. 

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