SRQ DAILY Jan 28, 2021
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"We have accomplished so much in the last eight years. I am proud of the hard work and dedication of our civilian and sworn staff."
Sarasota Police Chief Bernadette DiPino, the first woman to lead the city’s force, resigned abruptly on Wednesday. She will wrap up her service on Friday at 5 p.m.
“It’s been my privilege to serve as the Chief of Police for the City of Sarasota. I am proud of my 35 years of honorable service as a law enforcement officer,” DiPino said. “We have accomplished so much in the last eight years. I am proud of the hard work and dedication of our civilian and sworn staff. Being a fourth-generation law enforcement officer, I am looking forward to the opportunity to continue to serve the law enforcement field in a another capacity. I have made many friends and developed so many positive relationships here in Sarasota, it will be hard to say goodbye.”
DiPino was hired in 2012 by former City Manager Tom Barwin, who just retired from his position not long after a city election generated significant turnover on the Sarasota City Commission. New City Manager Marlon Brown, the deputy city manager when DiPino was hired, accepted the chief’s resignation.
The significant shift came after the city received a complaint that DiPino had disparaged a homeless man. The complaint stated after the individual, known to police to have mental health issues, started singing at the officers at a public event, DiPino asked an officer if she could borrow a Taser.
News of DiPino’s resignation came two days after she sent a message to officers addressing the incident, which took place in November after a Sarasota Opera performance.
“After the performance was over I thanked the opera and as I was walking towards the building I looked at the officers and I saw on their faces and I knew what I was feeling, that this was just more disrespectful treatment during a year filled with some horrible things being said about Police,” she wrote. The taser comment, she said, was intended and taken as a joke by most around.
“Upon reflection I wish I would have just told the officers how sorry I was that they had to experience this type of disrespect,” she wrote. “For me this incident is a stark reminder that as the police chief and a leader I must use and choose my words carefully.”
She also stressed the reduction in crime rates in Sarasota during her tenure, statistics also quoted by Brown in a statement announcing the chief’s departure.
“Through her leadership and dedicated efforts with community policing she helped reduce crime by nearly 40% and strengthened trust between residents and officers through extensive community outreach initiatives from the Citizens Police Academy to Coffee with a Cop and family movie nights on the SPD lawn,” Brown said. “SPD has many initiatives ahead, including the implementation of body worn cameras, and I will immediately begin the process of appointing an interim chief of police.”
DiPino said she believed the department was in good standing for any incoming chief. “This has been a bittersweet decision, but I know the men and women of the Sarasota Police Department will continue to keep the City of Sarasota a safe place to live, work, and play,” she said. 
State Sen. Joe Gruters, R-Sarasota, pushed for years for the state to begin charging sales tax at point of sale for online purchases. But following a year where Florida’s economy - and the state’s tax revenue coffers – took a hit because of the COVID-19 pandemic, there may be a greater appetite than ever for the change.
The Florida Senate’s Commerce and Tourism Committee this week unanimously passed Gruters “e-fairness” bill, which now heads to the Finance and Tax Committee. The senator noted to colleagues that Florida is one of two states, along with Missouri, that charges a sales tax but does not assess it at the time of an online order.
“This is not a new tax,” Gruters stressed. “As a practicing CPA and a conservative, I am not in favor of any new taxes.”
In fact, while most consumers likely don’t realize it, sales tax on goods purchased online should be paid annually to the state. But that requires downloading forms from the state Department of Revenue and sending in the cash, something most individuals won’t do absent an audit. As a result, state estimators believe only about 2% of sales tax owed from mail-order transactions actually gets paid each year.
While there’s no estimates of how much revenue this legislation could generate if passed this year, revenue estimators last year figured a similar bill filed by Gruters would produce $620 million in new revenue, including $500 million for state government and some $120 million for local government agencies around Florida. Sarasota, for example, has a 1-cent sales tax that helps generate dollars for the School District.
A range of groups spoke in favor of the legislation, including the Florida Chamber of Commerce, which long championed such a change out of fairness to small businesses and retailers operating in brick-and-mortar locations. Some groups praised the effort but also suggested the state should try to close corporate loopholes to generate revenue at the same time or even ahead of making sure a regressive sales tax hit the poorest Florida consumers.
Gruters noted that for years, malls and Main Street shops struggled to attract consumers as more turned online for goods.
“It doesn’t take a genius to see it,” he said. “Go into stores and you see people taking pictures of a shoe, or in a gun store a picture of a gun, then they go outside with their phones and see if they can get it for $5 cheaper.”
That’s only been exacerbated by the pandemic, as more individuals began conducting most consumer purchases online either thanks to lockdowns orders, shop closures or concerns about exposure to the coronavirus.
“Online purchases have multiplied, and I don’t think they will ever go back,” he said. "It’s time to create some fairness and level the playing field for our local retailers.”
Lighthouse Vision Loss Education Center, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that educates and empowers those affected by vision loss in Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte, DeSoto and Highlands Counties, announces a new partnership with The Louis and Gloria Flanzer Philanthropic Trust (Flanzer Trust) Contribution Matching Program in 2021. “Our main focus is to give people the tools they need to continue living a life of independence,” said Lisa J. Howard, CFRE and CEO of Lighthouse. “We provide critical services and support to individuals with vision loss and we appreciate the philanthropic support that The Flanzer Trust will provide to us through this matching program; ensuring that our clients receive the best training possible to maintain their independence.”
Family Promise of South Sarasota County (FPSSC) is pleased to have received $29,800 from the Community Foundation of Sarasota County’s Equity and Access Grant Program. FPSSC received these funds to support their Bridge Housing Program. The Bridge Housing Program provides temporary shelter, meals and comprehensive services to homeless children and their families. The “Day Center” located in Venice, FL, provides a safe place for families during the day while the organization’s partnership with area churches provides overnight shelter and food. Jennifer Fagenbaum, FPSSC’s Executive Director said, “We provide shelter, meals, basic needs (clothing, toiletries, personal items), case management and resources to families in transition.”
Manatee Memorial Hospital has recently achieved accreditation as a Center of Excellence in Robotic Surgery, recognized for providing the highest quality of care and patient safety by Surgical Review Corporation (SRC). Three surgeons on staff at Manatee Memorial Hospital also received accreditation from SRC: Stelios Rekkas, MD, Stacey South, MD and Paul Toomey, MD. “Manatee Memorial Hospital is proud to have earned accreditation from SRC’s Center of Excellence for Robotic Surgery,” said Kevin DiLallo, CEO, Manatee Memorial Hospital. “This continues to signify our dedication to consistently deliver safe, high-quality care to our patients.”
Jordan Chancey, a Broker-Associate with RE/MAX Alliance Group, has earned the Seller Representative Specialist (SRS) designation from the Real Estate Business Institute (REBI).
The Suncoast Science Center/Faulhaber Fab Lab is extending its weekly STEM Saturdays classes for students in grades 2-12. Classes run every Saturday from 8:30am-12:30pm and include themes like Chemistry, Coding, Electronics, Engineering and Robotics. Every session provides participants with the opportunity to explore the STEM subject of the week through collaborative, hands on activities and the creation of take-home projects using the lab's high-tech laser cutters, vinyl cutters, 3D printers and more. Each class is $40 and includes all supplies. Limited spaces are available due to enhanced COVID-19 health and safety policies. To see the schedule of classes and register, visit https://suncoastscience.org/stem-saturdays.
Manatee Libraries is kicking off its new Civics Labs with the Sustainable Citizenship Series. Civics Labs offer information and discussion on various community issues and provides an opportunity for civic engagement. For January, the topic is The Benefits of Buying Local – we will be joined by Andrea Knies of Realize Bradenton to have a presentation and conversation about how buying local through small businesses and the Farmers Market stimulates Manatee County’s economy. This discussion will be online on Zoom, Friday, January 29, from 10–11am. Email Megan.Robinson@mymanatee.org to register. Participants will be sent a handout of resources and further information on the topic.
Sponsored by the Sarasota Branch of the National League of American Pen Women, Inc. (NLAPW) for more than 30 years. The awards are based on competitions in Visual Arts, Letters (Writing) and Music. The competitions are open only to SENIORS (females and males) in all public high schools in Sarasota and Manatee counties. Awards range from $200 to $2,000. The purpose of the awards is to encourage self-expression, creativity and foster further interest or education in the arts. In addition to receiving an award, winning students will perform, read or exhibit their winning entries at the Awards Performance Luncheon tentatively scheduled at Bird Key Yacht Club on Wednesday, April 14, 2020. Guests are also welcomed to attend with a lunch purchase. New deadline to apply is March 4, 2021.
Two-weeks after approving pay increases for teachers and paraprofessionals, the School Board of Manatee County unanimously approved pay increases Tuesday evening for the following employees groups: Hourly, Non-Bargaining (such as Secretary, Executive Secretary, Registrar, Bookkeeper, Payroll Specialist, Cafeteria Manager, Dispatcher); School Administrators; and Supervisory (such as Principal, Assistant Principal, School Psychologist, Social Worker, Dean), Administrative, Managerial and Professional (SAMP) employees (such as Curriculum Specialist, Instructional Specialist, Director, Executive Director). The pay increases are expected to begin with the paycheck on Friday, February 26, 2021, and will be retroactive to July 1, 2020.
Come and play with six local outdoor enthusiasts.
Click here to read the full article in SRQ's January 2021 edition.
Ireland with Michael on March 14 at 7pm is a Celtic show from the National Opera House in Wexford, Ireland. The never-before-seen stream features the Irish Concert Orchestra, two choirs, singers and musicians from all over Ireland, joining renowned Irish singer Michael Londra in a celebration of Irish culture, heritage and music for Saint Patrick’s season. The show, which was taped in front of a live audience, also steps out into the Irish villages and countryside to meet local traditional singers, dancers and musicians. Tickets are $25-$50 and virtual meet and greet options are available.
Brimming with pulsating rhythms, pure energy and melodic music, the National Dance Company of Ireland’s Rhythm of the Dance show has reached 50 countries with over seven million fans for over 20 years. Fans around the world are enjoying 2,000 years and more of dance, music, songs and culture from pre-Celtic times to modern day sounds, all compacted into a two-hour concert. It’s full of flailing feet and fiddles, futuristic dances, eye-catching lighting and costumes and sensational sound effects, and is now hailed as one of the top three Irish step dance shows in the world. Streaming on demand from Monday, March 1 through Wednesday, March 31. Tickets are $20.
Starting at 10:30am until 1:30pm on January 31 in the outdoor courtyard of The Bazaar on Apricot & Lime, enjoy live jazz music with Hot Tonic. Fronted by bassist/vocalist Victoria Woods and guitarist Josh Hindmarsh, Hot Tonic are a swinging acoustic band merging classic jazz with vintage Americana/roots music. Expect to hear Jazz standards, a Patsy Cline song, and some Postmodern Jukebox style interpretations, Hot Tonic is a truly unique experience not to be missed. Hamlet’s Eatery menu options will include both traditional and vegan dishes from build your own omelettes with fresh organic eggs to tofu scrambles. Free mimosa with entree.
Choral Artists of Sarasota Presents “Marching to Freedom” Live Performance: February 3 at Historic Spanish Point Streamed Online: February 14-March 14. “You’ll Never Walk Alone" Streamed Online: March 11- April 9. A “Concert Insight” with Artistic Director Joseph Holt is February 18. The ensemble’s 42nd season continues with two concerts in February and March. Choral Artists of Sarasota’s 42nd season, entitled “Rise Up” continues with two live and in-person outdoor concerts in February. “Marching to Freedom” pays tribute to racial injustice through music composed by Black Americans. “You’ll Never Walk Alone” showcases uplifting songs from Broadway musicals. Both programs are presentations by Selby Gardens.
Jewelry, crafts and collectibles fair on Saturday, February 13 from 9am to 2pm at The Historical Society of Sarasota County in Pioneer Park, admission is free. The fair will include sparkly and snazzy personal adornments, local artists and craftspeople on the breezy lawns of our Pioneer Park Campus, and collectibles, books, and decorative items on our open-air front porch. All participants, vendors, and attendees will be masked in accordance with Sarasota County requirements.
Continuing our tradition of virtual live shows into the new year, we are thrilled to present our first offering: A behind the scenes studio tour with Joanne Miller Rafferty. If you are passing familiar with Chasen Galleries, chances are you're familiar with Joanne's work - and perhaps even own a piece or several. Over 30+ years, Joanne has been one of our most popular and collectible artists, and this week she is presenting 17 new paintings. We're including a bit more info about Joanne below, just as a teaser, but needless to say you won't want to miss this event. Visit the event page for our Facebook Live Stream, and make sure to RSVP as 'Going' so you don't miss out. The event happens this Thursday, January 28th, at 7pm on the Chasen Galleries Facebook page.
Join SPACC for the SPARCCle on the Links Golf Tournament on Thursday, April 22, 2021 at the Plantation Golf and Country Club in Venice for a safe and fun tournament - complete with cash prizes, chance drawings and silent auction items. Registration is $135 and includes green fees, individual carts, a boxed lunch, beverages and awards. Opportunity to win a $50,000 cash prize from the hole in one contest, sponsored by The Bob Adams Agency. All proceeds support SPARCC’s free and confidential programs and services for survivors of domestic and sexual violence.
Serious composers inevitably spend years developing their unique voice. This program, from January 28 until January 31, 2021, features music by three master composers from three different centuries, each of whom broke new musical ground. Arcangelo Corelli essentially invented the concerto grosso style, in which a small group of soloists are accompanied by a larger string group. His Concerto Grosso in F Major is the last in a group of 12 works that were influential when they were published in 1714. George Walker was the first African American composer to win the Pulitzer Prize in Music in 1996. His glorious Lyric for Strings was composed in honor of his grandmother who was born a slave. Beethoven himself titled his Quartet in F Minor, Op. 95 “Quartetto Serioso”. Dedicated to a friend, he feared the work might be considered too intense and did not intend to publish it. Gustav Mahler thought otherwise and orchestrated the work for string orchestra in 1898. $10 Streaming Access from February 4 through 9.
Holley Hall, 709 North Tamiami Trail
Since 2011, The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature has partnered with the Toomey Foundation for the Natural Sciences to lead more than 50 Manatee County teachers on paleontology expeditions to the Nebraska Badlands, allowing them to gain hands-on experience they can bring back to their classrooms. Starting January 28, The Bishop will share these expeditions with guests through its newest special exhibition, Badlands to Bradenton: Lessons from the Field, which showcases some of the most fascinating fossil finds and tells the story of these summer paleontology digs and how they can support learning. Badlands to Bradenton: Lessons from the Field will be open through June 6 and visiting is included in the price of admission. Badlands to Bradenton also includes interactive features for smartphones and tablets, including 3D models of fossils and paleoart commissioned especially for the exhibition.
Following one of the most controversial presidential elections in U.S. history, the storming of the U.S. Capitol Building, and in the midst of the "dark winter" of the Covid-19 pandemic, Harvard-educated cultural historian and California Institute of Integral Studies professor of philosophy and psychology Dr. Richard Tarnas will speak on the topic of "Weathering the Storm in Our Unprecedented Times" during a live Zoom event airing Friday, January 29 from 7pm to 9pm. Presented by the C.G. Jung Society of Sarasota, this online presentation is open to the public, will include a question and answer period, and will also premiere an episode of Changing of the Gods, a 10-part documentary series to be released Spring/2021 based on Dr. Tarnas' 2006 award-winning book Cosmos and Psyche: Intimations of a New World View. Advance online registration is required.
This presentation precedes a reading of Kaczmarek’s play, Sam & Lizzie, which will be presented live on the Hermitage Beach on Saturday, February 13. Kaczmarek is a Hermitage Fellow and a rising star in film, theater, and television. The Hermitage Artist Retreat's 2021 winter season continues with "In Conversation with Emily Kaczmarek," a virtual conversation with playwright and recent Hermitage Fellow Emily Kaczmarek, Friday, January 29, 5pm, via Zoom. This presentation precedes a reading of Kaczmarek’s play, Sam & Lizzie, which will be presented live on the Hermitage Beach, in collaboration with Urbanite Theatre Company, on Saturday, February 13, with two presentations at 5pm and 7:30pm. To register for this Zoom event on January 29, visit HermitageArtistRetreat.org.
Join us for an online reading of Last Call at the Old Slave Quarters Lounge by playwright Kenneth Jones, a bold new work in progress set in a popular Mississippi restaurant steeped in unsettling history, on January 29 at 3pm. When long-buried secrets are unearthed, they challenge the status quo of three generations of a family of restaurateurs, revealing conflicting views on heritage, community and responsibility. Following the reading, stay for a chance to give feedback and ask questions of the playwright. FST is requesting a suggested donation of $10 to attend this event. Reservations are limited to one per order, per device. Attendees will need to download the Zoom mobile or desktop app to participate in this event.
Members’ Show: Contemporary Craft at its Finest is a juried exhibition of original art showcasing the best of handcrafted work by Florida CraftArt members. Forty-six artists created 79 pieces from intricate jewelry to glass sculptures. Visitors will have the opportunity to virtually meet the artists and the show’s judge Susana Weymouth at the virtual opening reception on Friday, January 29 at 6 p.m. The Zoom link is https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82206474125. The show runs through March 20 when the People’s Choice Award will be presented at the closing reception. People can vote for their favorite work of art in the Florida CraftArt Exhibition Gallery.
Key Chorale Chamber Singers, orchestra and soloists will come together virtually on January 29 for "Bach" Together Again. Originally scheduled as an in-person concert, this celebration of Baroque music, will be professionally recorded and made available online from the premiere on January 29 until February 21. Trumpet, timpani and jubilant choral writing are ever present in Bach's Magnificat, his first large-scale work composed for the churches in Leipzig. Vivaldi's spiritual magnificence and Italian mastery make his Gloria his greatest choral masterpiece. Soloists include tenor Matt Morgan, soprano Lorraine Murphy, bass Jamal Sarikoki, soprano Michelle Caulkins, and contralto Amy Connours. The concert will be recorded in the round at Church of the Redeemer, a church with seating for more than 400 people, with the performers spread throughout the entire venue. Tickets to watch the 75-minute streaming video are $30 per household; patrons will receive a viewing link that can be activated any time during the streaming run. To purchase, go to keychorale.org.
Fine Art engages our imagination to dream or see beyond our current reality, to be inspired. Inspired to Imagineer will run from January through February 2021. Dabbert Gallery hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 11am to 5pm and by appointment.
Dabbert Gallery, 46 South Palm Avenue
A world-premiere musical by Nate Jacobs and his brother, Michael Jacobs, this dark tale lays bare a shocking true-life crime and its aftermath - when a Black woman murdered a white man in Live Oak, Florida 1952. The crime brought celebrated writer Zora Neale Hurston to town to cover the story for a northern newspaper. This powerful musical, performed from January 6 until February 21, 2021 at 2pm and 7:30pm, explores the secrets just beneath the surface of the genteel exterior of a small Florida town, evoking the themes of today's #MeTooMovement.
Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, 1012 North Orange Avenue
Since 2004, Embracing Our Differences has used the power of art and prose to promote diversity. One way it accomplishes this is through its annual, juried international outdoor art exhibition consisting of 50 billboard-sized works of art, each accompanied by an inspirational quote. The response to the call for artwork and inspirational quotes brought 15,912 entries pouring in from 128 countries and 48 states. Students from 412 schools around the world submitted artwork or quotes to the juried exhibit. The winning quotes and art will be showcased in the 18th annual exhibit, January 20 through April 1, in Sarasota’s Bayfront Park.
Join New College creative writing professor Dr. Emily Carr for this four-part Zoom workshop series is offered from 5pm to 7pm on the second Wednesday of the month: January 13, February 10, March 10, and April 14. A fee of $95 is required for participation. This includes a copy of the required text, The Creative Tarot: A Modern Guide to an Inspired Life by Jessa Crispin, and all four Zoom sessions. This mixed-genre, all-levels workshop includes a basic introduction to the Tarot, generative writing exercises, storytelling tips and tricks, unique Tarot-inspired provocations for creativity in times of crisis, and a discussion of the various ways writers might use the Tarot in their work. This workshop is open to writers at all levels, working in poetry, fiction, and nonfiction. Together, we'll explore a series of Tarot-inspired writing activities designed to offer you strategies for using the cards to 1) start a new poem/story/essay 2) inject new life and surprising stakes into a poem/story/essay you're already working on and/or 3) breakthrough imaginative blocks - in this particular historical moment.
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