SRQ DAILY Apr 19, 2021
Monday Business Edition
"Sarasota County beaches play host to the largest population of nesting sea turtles on the Florida's Gulf Coast from May 1 through Oct. 31, and residents are urged to keep light out of sight and remove unused beach furniture during that time."
A proposal to require collection of online sales tax and slash Florida’s commercial rent tax sits on Gov. Ron DeSantis’ desk. There’s a deadline today for the governor to sign the bill into law, veto it, or let it become law without his explicit signature of support.
Sen. Joe Gruters, R-Sarasota, has pressed three years for the “e-fairness” measure. Florida is one of two states charging sales tax but not requiring e-commerce retailers to collect the tax. State revenue estimators collecting the money will bring in about a billion a year in tax revenue to the state.
“I would never support a tax increase,” Gruters said, but he noted Florida residents by law are supposed to track their online purchases each year and pay sales tax directly to the Department of Revenue. Most don’t unless they get audited, at which point they frequently have to pay penalties and interest.
A Supreme Court ruling in 2018 made clear states could require collection of sales tax for e-commerce, but the House has been reluctant to take the matter up. This year, leadership struck a deal to replenish the state unemployment trust, which was depleted in 2020 thanks to a rush of claims during the pandemic. The House also amended the legislation to require, once the trust has more than $2 billion in it again, to cut Florida’s commercial rent tax from 5.5% to 2%.
Gruters supports that, and had proposed a similar approach when he first filed e-fairness legislation in 2019.
“It will basically make this revenue neutral forever,” he said. Florida is the only state in the union to charge a commercial rent tax, and cutting the state rate by more than half will essentially serve as a $1 billion annual tax cut itself.
The bill still has critics on the right and the left. A number of Democrats, including many supportive of collecting the online sales tax, voted against the measure because it directs revenue from a tax on consumers to cut taxes on businesses. And some Republicans, voted against the bill, considering it a de facto tax increase because most individuals don’t pay sales tax for online commerce now.
Where DeSantis falls remains a question. He did not include the sales tax in his own budget and when asked has said he does not support tax hikes. But he has not addressed the bill since measures were attached cutting the rent tax. Restoring the unemployment trust will also avoid an automatic increase in unemployment taxes for business, many of whom had to deal with an automatic hike in January at a time when they were still dealing with economic fallout from the pandemic. 
Image from Pixabay
Join the Montessori Family Alliance for a webinar series focused on providing parents navigate the uncharted seas of social media and our children. This panel discussion will focus on safety and cyberbullying with practical and positive tips for parents. Presented by NewGate School Montessori middle school and high school instructor Caitlin Roper. Presented as part of the Montessori Family Alliance. Click here to become a member to receive weekly updates on future free webinars for parents.
This webinar takes place on Tuesday, April 20, 2021; 1-1:45pm EST
The Central West Coast Chapter of the Florida Public Relations Association (CWC-FPRA) recognized the area’s best work in public relations, marketing and communications during its “2021 Image Awards: PR is a Circus" event on April 13. Three organizations earned top honors - a Grand Image Award - for their entries: On Ideas’ “ClosetMaid Media Campaign: Change Happens”; Barancik Foundation’s “A Portrait of 2020”; and The Eclipse Agency’s “Bazaar Shopping Network”.
CenterPlace Health is pleased to announce Christine Coviello as its new Director of Advancement. As Director of Advancement, Coviello will lead the fundraising and development efforts, marketing and communications, as well as volunteer services.
Given the healthcare industry is the largest employer in the Sarasota/Manatee region, the Women’s Resource Center (WRC) is partnering with Sarasota Memorial Hospital (SMH) to offer a free online information session, Wednesday, April 28, 12pm to 1pm The session will focus on entry-level, career laddering jobs available at the hospital. This event is part of WRC’s monthly Career Connections program, which links women to quality jobs and funded training programs. Participants can attend by phone or computer and will be able to ask questions via a chatbox.
The process for choosing a new name for the former charter school known as Lincoln-Memorial Academy will kickoff next week with two special live events – one virtual and one in-person. Since the school is no longer operating as a charter school, the Florida Department of Education requires a new Master School Identification (MISD) number be established and a new name selected. Name Nominations will be accepted during a virtual kickoff meeting hosted on Microsoft Teams Live Events at 6pm.
The History and Preservation Coalition of Sarasota County Announces Second Annual Sarasota’s Six to Save program. Similar to the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places and the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation’s Florida’s 11 to Save, the preservation community in Sarasota County wants to bring awareness to historical resources at risk. Everything from neglect to climate change can render a historic property in peril. The goal is to highlight six resources that are at most in danger, hoping that awareness can bring support. The Coalition is seeking nominations to the Sarasota Six to Save list. Information and nomination forms can be found at the Coalition’s Web site, www.historicpreservationsarasota.org. The application deadline is April 30.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota and DeSoto Counties is thrilled to announce the Florida Youth of the Year title has been awarded to a local Club member for the fourth-consecutive year. Jorge Hernandez, a 17-year-old senior in the IB Program at Riverview High School, was named the 2021 Florida Youth of the Year on Friday, April 9, 2021, in a virtual competition with 19 other outstanding youth candidates from various Boys & Girls Club organizations across the state.
The single most effective way to reduce the effects of breast cancer is early detection. We Care Manatee is partnering with Manatee Diagnostic Center and Breast Health Sarasota, to provide free mammograms to uninsured women in Manatee County on May 5th, 2021. All participants need a physician’s order. Eligibility will be determined by We Care Manatee and appointments will be scheduled by calling 941-755-3952.
Gulfcoast South Area Health Education Center (GSAHEC) is coordinating a Virtual Health Careers Camp in partnership with Blake Medical Center. This camp is designed to provide high school students interested in health careers a rare and unique opportunity to explore a variety of health occupations through chats with health professionals, discussion groups with fellow students, and reflective learning assignments. No cost to attend. Camp Dates: June 14-18, 2021. Camp Times: 10am - 12pm. Application Deadline: May 1, 2021.
First Step will participate with the Venice police Department who will be hosting a Drive-thru Prescription Drug Takeback event from 10am to 2pm Saturday, April 24 for citizens to responsibly dispose of unwanted or expired prescription medications from the safety of their vehicles. Officers will be on hand to assist.
The Mary E. Parker Foundation and the Edward E. and Lillian H. Bishop Foundation have created a collaborative known as Bishop Parker Foundation, a groundbreaking philanthropic approach to leveraging each foundation’s experience and funding for the benefit of nonprofit organizations providing services to Manatee County. The Bishop Parker Foundation strengthens the Manatee County community by providing financial support to nonprofit organizations that are working to improve the lives of individuals and animals. The Foundations achieve this by prioritizing funding in health, human services, education, the arts, environment and animal welfare. Together the Foundations currently have assets of approximately $180 million.
In “A Night at the Movies,” audiences can expect to see incredible youth circus artists flip, fly and soar to new heights while enjoying the music and vibe of popular films from throughout the decades and a variety of genres. “A Night at the Movies” runs from Thursday, April 29 through Sunday, May 2 in the Sailor Circus Arena (2075 Bahia Vista, Sarasota). Showtimes are 7pm on Thursday and Friday, 2 and 7pm on Saturday, and 1 and 6pm on Sunday.
Pictured: Kaylee Dutkiewicz on the Roman Rings. Photos by Cliff Roles.
Sarasota County beaches play host to the largest population of nesting sea turtles on the Florida's Gulf Coast from May 1 through Oct. 31, and residents are urged to keep light out of sight and remove unused beach furniture and coastal structures during that time. Averaging over 200 sea turtle nests per mile along Sarasota County's coastline, only one out of every 1,000 hatchlings survive to adulthood. Most die from predators, and the exhaustion and starvation caused by disorienting bright, artificial lights. Here are some ways to help sea turtles beat the odds: Each night, remove all furniture and recreational items from the beach and store them in an area landward of the beach and dunes. Properly dispose of trash. Sea turtles ingest plastic bags, and garbage attracts predators that eat turtle eggs. Knock down sand sculptures and fill in holes before you leave the beach so turtles have direct access into and out of the water. A turtle that falls into a hole cannot get out.
Welcome to the 30th Anniversary Season at the Sarasota Polo Club beginning Sunday December 13th, 2020 thru Sunday April 25th, 2021. Sunday Polo matches are open to the public every Sunday at 1pm beginning December 13th, 2020 through April 25th, 2021. Gates open at 10am. Fieldside general admission tailgating, reserved midfield premium seating or VIP midfield boxes are available for Sunday Polo. Children 12 and under are free, (general admission tailgating). Exciting polo action, opening parade, live national anthem, theme weeks, half-time entertainment, food, drinks, and divot-stomping. Dress comfortably and for the weather. Remember, you will be walking on the grass. Well socialized dogs are welcome on a leash.
Sarasota Polo Club
The exhibition features over a dozen projects that exemplify Abbott’s unique climate and site-based perspective on living in harmony with one’s environment and will run from November 8, 2020 through April 25. Using his Bayou Studio as the epicenter of Abbott’s creative inquiry, the exhibition shows how key concepts developed in the experimental atelier space find physical form in his built projects, whether commissioned or conceived with a prescribed program. Nature is at the heart of Carl Abbott’s creative practice. All of his gestures — however small or grand — exemplify Abbott’s committed ethic and aesthetics, his site-based perspective on living in harmony with one’s environment. While some belief systems posit a “man” v. “nature” sensibility, Abbott’s cosmology understands human beings to be of nature. He thus shapes space, physically and conceptually, to serve nature’s—our—needs, in terms of comfort and shelter, but most importantly, in terms of one’s enrichment and enhancement of life. This exhibition aims to elucidate the art of architecture, examining origin stories, early influences and how the visual environment shaped Abbott’s “ways of seeing”. We hope to bring alive the practice of architecture as an artistic pursuit, a humanistic discipline, and a way to reunite with nature. The exhibition arrays over three areas on the Museum Campus: La Musa Azul – a site-responsive meditation grove located in the Marcy & Michael Klein Plaza, Exant/Extinct – a spotlight exhibition in the historic portion of the Wendy G. Surkis & Peppi Elona Lobby, and The Bayou Studio – a mini-retrospective in the Claire H. Rusen Gallery.
Learn about the rich circus history of Sarasota on an unforgettable trolley or van tour. Pass by key city landmarks as our informative and passionate tour guide, Bob Collins, tells stories about the colorful cast of circus characters, showmen, and performers who called Sarasota home. Meander through historic neighborhoods such as the Rosemary District, known for its vibrant food and art scene. Learn about the rich history of the Ringling brothers, the five brothers who owned and operated the circus renowned as the “Greatest Show on Earth.” Pass by the 21-gallery museum John Ringling constructed to house his extensive artwork collection, which opened to the public in 1931. Explore several other locations intimately involved in Sarasota’s circus history, including Sarasota Jungle Gardens, Circus Arts Conservatory, and the Circus Ring of Fame on St. Armands Circle. This 90-minute trolley or van tour is perfect for all ages and shows you a whole new side of Sarasota. Get ready for a fun-filled circus adventure during this show on wheels. It’s an illuminating experience you don’t want to miss. Tours with fewer than 10 guests will travel in our comfortably air-conditioned high-top van. Tour tickets are $34.99 and include FREE Parking.
The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art is pleased to present Saito Kiyoshi: Graphic Awakening. The exhibition will open Mar 14, 2021 and run through Aug 15, 2021 in the Ringling’s Searing galleries. Comprised of recent donations of artworks by Saitō from Charles and Robyn Citrin to The Ringling and other collections, Saito Kiyoshi: Graphic Awakening is the first comprehensive exhibition of this artist’s work in the United States. The exhibition focuses on prints Saito created in the 1940s and 50s, arguably the most vibrant period of his career, and includes several rare, early designs. Saito Kiyoshi’s (Japanese 1907–1997) keen sense of design, superb technique, and engagement with an appealing variety of themes made him one of the best known and most popular Japanese print artists of the twentieth century. Dr. Rhiannon Paget, Curator of Asian Art said, “Visitors to the exhibition will see many of the imaginative designs that made Saito Kiyoshi one of Japan’s most beloved printmakers, especially in the United States. Saito’s corpus encompasses urban and natural landscapes, female subjects, theater, architecture, and cats that reveal his curious mind, sensitive eye, and playful sense of humor.” The exhibition is accompanied by a 200-page illustrated catalogue edited by Rhiannon Paget and with essays by Paul Binnie, Noriko Kuwahara, Rhiannon Paget, and Judith A. Stubbs, and published by Scala.
Get in touch with Sarasota’s psychic influence on this interesting trolley or van tour. Learn why Sarasota is called Sedona by the Sea, explore the tools psychics and mediums use, hear about the history of the tarot, and learn why Sarasota is a psychic and spiritual energy center. Visit Pixie Dust on Sarasota’s Main Street, walk the sands of Siesta Key Beach, explore a labyrinth, and then enjoy a Spirit Gallery Reading and a mini tarot reading on the trolley or van. You can also book a 15-minute personal tarot reading with tour guide Michael Newton-Brown at the cottage after the tour. Ages 12+; young people ages 12-20 may attend if accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. Tours with fewer than 10 guests will travel in our comfortably air-conditioned high-top van. Tour tickets are $34.99 and include FREE Parking.
A virtual exhibition of floral design by members of the Ikebana International Sarasota Chapter #115. The members’ arrangements represent 5 different schools of Ikebana. The online video event can be viewed at www.iisarasota.com as well as Facebook and Instagram sites free from April 1 to 30.
Ringling Museum of Art's video exhibition Real This Time will showcase the work of artists including Bear Witness from April 23 until May 16. During this extraordinary time, video has become the key medium contributing to the public sphere. Video, often captured on cellphones and shared through social media, exposes social justice issues and matters of civic life to a global audience. For Real This Time features video-based works that examine the current state of American society and pose uncomfortable yet vital questions about personal and collective attitudes toward issues of race and inequality. The exhibition is presented in a sequence of individual screenings. Each work brings to light narratives of systemic racism and offers a unique inquiry that evokes historical exchange to illustrate the expansiveness of the issues affecting Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) today. For Real This Time opens up a space for deeper reflection on the common experience of resilience across cultures in order to create a shift in our psyches that inspires tangible and effective change.
The National Earth Day theme this year is “Restore Our Earth.” Oscar Scherer has partnered with local environmental organizations this year to bring you a virtual event. 22 ways in 22 days countdown will begin April 1. Visit the Friends of Oscar Scherer Facebook page daily for an organizations fun video, action item, and scavenger hunt. Message your scavenger hunt answers, send us a picture of you doing a posted action item to our page and be entered into the prize drawing. 2 entries per person per day. More visits, more hunts and actions, more chances to win.
Friends of Manatee County Animal Services (FoMCAS) invites everyone to join them at the February Yappy Hour at Motorworks Brewery. FoMCAS will be the featured nonprofit and will have over $4000 in raffles and silent auction items plus a 50/50 drawing to help fundraise for the Manatee County Animal Services shelter animals. The family friendly and pet friendly event will be held on Sunday, February 21st in the Motorworks Beer Garden from 1pm to 4pm. The event will feature vendors selling an array of pet and non-pet related products with drink specials and food from local food trucks all in the 12,000 sq ft. artificially turfed beer garden. Raffles and silent auction items include resort stays on Anna Maria Island, spa packages, restaurant gift cards, sailing excursions, fabulous gift baskets, pet items, tickets to sporting events and a golf package, handmade arts by local artisans, jewelry, baskets of spirits, gourmet gift packages, and much, much more. Pet owners are encouraged to bring their leashed pets to enjoy the day and help contribute to the Friends of Manatee County Animal Services whose mission it is to work hand in hand with Manatee County Animal Services to enrich the lives of the shelter animals by raising funds to provide additional resources, medical care and heartworm treatment. Animal Network is the event partner with Motorworks Brewery for the monthly Yappy Hour held on the third Sunday of each month. It features different local nonprofit animal organizations that support, rescue, and find loving homes for dogs and cats in our community. Each month, the guest organization receives the funds raised through the silent auction, raffles and 50/50 split drawing. Over the last three years the event has raised over $100,000 shared among the various guest organizations. Animal Network, Dawg Phonics and Motorworks are sponsors of the Yappy Hour.
Treat yourself to a peaceful yoga experience in beautiful Selby Gardens. This all levels alignment-based, Hatha yoga class is suitable for beginners as well as those with experience. Breathing techniques and mindfulness practices are part of every class. The class is outside so dress accordingly and bring water to drink. In addition to providing your own yoga mat, you may wish to bring props. Sign up for a series of four classes or a discounted monthly pass. Session IV dates include April 5, 12, 19, 26 with instructor Michelle Roy from 10am to 11pm at the Downtown Sarasota Campus. Fee per session of four: $75 (Members $55).
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