A shipment of yachts from China floated into Port Manatee this month. It’s a rare occurrence involving pleasure boating in a largely industrial seaport, but one Port Executive Director Carlos Buqueras hopes to see more often.

“If it floats, we are going after it,” Buqueras said. “We can do it simply because we have land next to the water.”

On Aug. 7, the port received a shipment of 14 Aquila catamarans, measuring 54 feet each, that were bound for Clearwater-based MarineMax locations in Florida, Georgia, New York and the British Virgin Islands. The yachts originated in the Port of Changshu in China. Federal Marine Terminals offloaded the ships from a supercontainer once they arrived at the Palmetto Port.

“FMT is very pleased to have worked collaboratively with Port Manatee in the safe and successful discharge of this high-value cargo on board Fednav’s Federal Baltic,” said Matthew McPhail, vice president of sales and marketing at Federal Marine Terminals. “This successful operation of the Fednav Asia service to North America continues to reflect the seamless and fully integrated service Fednav Ltd. offers its customers.”

The event served of significance to the port in that it showed an ability to handle pleasure boating company needs just as the port aims to expand yacht repair and remodels at one of its berths. Buqueras envisions superyachts from the world’s billionaires making their way into Manatee waters for refurbishes and aesthetic upgrades, all work that’s typically done without dry-docking vessels. Such yachts often make annual sojourns to the Mediterranean for the summer and the Caribbean in the winter.

From a port perspective, this would create a chance to bring yacht work most often occurring on Florida’s east coast ports and make room near Tampa Bay. It’s one that could provide plenty of work for luxury purveyors in the Sarasota-Manatee region and get the community on the radar of the world’s leading industrialists.

“It’s another diversification, and they (yacht owners) hire a lot of skilled tradesmen and pay very well,” he said. “That’s another opportunity for companies outside our fence.”

Then there’s the ultimate transformation to a consumer travel port. Buqueras has experience from his days leading Port Everglades in attracting some cruising to a typically logistics-driven seaport and would like to do the same in Palmetto. If not for the COVID-19 pandemic’s outsized impact on the cruise industry, Buqueras said the port was on track to open a small cruise terminal in the last year. He’d  still like to do so.

Port Manatee likely wouldn’t start with one of the mega-cruise ships docking in the Port of Tampa, but he could see day cruises with party decks, pools and casinos leaving from Manatee County and into international waters. He’d also like to bring online some transportation-oriented ferries, no-frills ships that can move people across the water at up to 35 knots compared to a cruiseliner top speed of 16 knots. 

Photo courtesy Port Manatee: FMT unloads yachts shipped in from China and headed to MarineMax

Limelight Market happens every 3rd Saturday with different guest vendors, animal rescues, live music, and food. And this Friday, August 21, is the time to catch the limelight at The Bazaar on Apricot & Lime (821 Apricot Ave, Sarasota), from 10am - 3pm to support all things local. 

Dogs looking for their fur-ever home from Tender Heart Charities will be there and up for adoption, including local vendors such as Punaballoo, Myakka’s Gold Apairy, The Paper Pup, There Goes Lo, Spare Change Art, Siesta Key Sea Bee Dee, Express Cakes & More, Forest Fae Oddies, Dot Dot Smile, Uncle Phil’s Organic Popcorn and Florida Luxury Picnics, not to mention the 40+ vendors inside The Bazaar. Live music will be jiving throughout the day by Sabina & Zeena while Hamlet's Eatery food truck willhave their window open for snack refreshments. 

For more information visit BazaaronApricotandlime.com  

Pictured: Tender Heart Charities puppy for adoption.

The New College Foundation recently marked its most successful year of fundraising in the organization’s history. According to Executive Director MaryAnne Young, the Foundation raised $9.1 million in gifts and commitments for New College of Florida in the 2020-21 fiscal year. That record-breaking level of support reflects an ongoing trend of significant philanthropic contributions to New College over the past five years. Young adds that a major portion of these funds comes from individual donors and foundations in the Sarasota-Manatee community. 

“New College’s generous donors made this record-breaking year a reality—and we’re deeply grateful to all of them,” says Young. She adds, “Our ardent supporters in the local community really made a huge impact for our students. They recognize New College’s importance in this community and beyond. Their unstinting response makes it possible for us to grow, serve more students, and create productive and inspired environments for learning.”

According to Young, fundraising has become a critical financial component to institutions of higher education across the nation. “New College is no exception,” she says. “Raising funds for student scholarships and student success remains a top priority at the New College Foundation.”

Although New College is a public institution and receives generous funding from the state of Florida, private donor and foundation support make it possible to maintain its status as one of America’s leading public liberal arts colleges. “Our scholarship program closes the gap, and it makes our commitment to excellence possible,” Young says. “The gifts we receive today pave the way for our students’ future life and career success.”   

Photo courtesy of New College of Florida

For low-income households as well as those who have suffered financially due to the pandemic, the high cost of fruits and vegetables can make healthy eating difficult. But thanks to All Faiths Food Bank’s commitment to providing the community with high-nutrition foods, plus a generous matching gift to encourage donations during the Food Bank’s Autumn Harvest campaign, thousands of children, families, seniors and veterans in Sarasota and DeSoto County will have access to fresh fruits and vegetable through the fall.

The Rakay Family Foundation has offered up to $100,000 in 1:1 matching funds, for gifts made through September 30, for the Autumn Harvest campaign. Not only will contributions be doubled through the match, but All Faiths will also continue to maximize resources through its “food rescue” operations, where unsold produce from local farmers and grocery stores is rescued, stored in the organization’s warehouse, and then distributed through partner agencies and programs including mobile pantries. “While having access to healthy, nutritious food is always important, this time of year is especially critical for children as they return to school. They need proper nutrition in order to be able to focus in class, stay healthy, and grow to their full potential,” said All Faiths Food Bank CEO Sandra Frank. “Regardless of economic status, everyone deserves access to healthy foods. And healthy eating benefits the entire community, as our neighbors enjoy improved health outcomes.” 

Beginning immediately, JFCS of the Suncoast (JFCS) will provide free mental health counseling to any staff of Sarasota County and Manatee County hospitals. The surge in COVID-related hospitalizations and deaths has placed an enormous burden on hospital personnel. Counseling is available to the staff at Sarasota Memorial Health Care System, Doctors Hospital of Sarasota, Venice Regional Bayfront Health, Englewood Community Hospital, Manatee Memorial Hospital, Blake Medical Center and Lakewood Ranch Medical Center.

Hospital staff seeking free mental health counseling support may contact the JFCS Intake Department directly at 941-366-2224, ext. 116, to schedule priority appointments with clinicians. JFCS clinicians are experienced in trauma-based counseling, including cognitive, behavioral and psychodynamic approaches to struggles with depression, anxiety, anger management, bereavement, post-traumatic stress order and stress reduction. Hospital staff may schedule confidential sessions that can be conducted in-person or via Telehealth.

“The emotional stress hospital staff is experiencing is palpable,” said Dr. Stacy Lang, JFCS’ Chief of Behavioral Health Services. “At JFCS we have an outstanding clinical staff with significant trauma-related experience who want to do all they can to address this dramatic need within our community. We know that hospitals are doing all they can to support their staff. We simply want to be an additional resource to help staff get through extremely difficult time.” 

 St. Armands Family Day is scheduled to return on August 29 from 11 am to 1 pm, with an all-new theme centered around the joys of reading and will include appearances from a shortlist of the area’s best and most notable children’s authors. The two-hour Family Day event will be organized as a reading scavenger hunt. Kids and parents will check-in and receive a map detailing the authors stationed around the Circle. Families can move from author to author, collect stickers, listen to short stories, participate in reading activities, and more. St. Armands Family Day is designed to create fun, family-friendly activities and entertainment with unique twists and themes. The event will begin in front of Foxy Lady and is free for the public.

“We are so excited to parents, children and authors come together on the Circle to explore the joys of reading. We hope this event serves as an inspiration for the little ones in our community,” said Geoffrey Michel, Chairman of the St. Armands Business Improvement District (BID). “Seeing families out on the Circle has always made St. Armands feel full of life, and we certainly hope that families will join us for this special day of fun.”  

Crunch Fitness, a gym that believes in making serious exercise fun by fusing fitness and entertainment, will host a 9th anniversary celebration at the 3762 Bee Ridge Rd., Sarasota location. This event, scheduled for Saturday, August 21, 9:00am - 12pm, will kick off the celebration of the locations’ grand opening nine years ago! In honor of its anniversary, the club will offer Saturday morning band camp, peak performance ride, iron mat, chisel and Zumba group fitness classes for all members and their guests. A Crunch Brunch will also be available to show appreciation to all club members.  

Due to the overwhelming increase in home sales nationwide, it’s no secret that movers around the country are having their best years ever, and Sarasota’s #1 Movers are no exception. Yarnall Moving and Storage Solutions was commended by National Van Lines for a 69% increase in sales from the previous period. This increase is monumental, as it reflects not only the success of Yarnall, but also Sarasota as a whole. People are transferring to the Gulf Coast city like never before. The area is growing at a rapid pace, and moving companies, such as Yarnall, are feeling the effects.

“At Yarnall, we are so proud to be a part of such a thriving community,” says Jay Vandroff, Yarnall President. “We love being out in the field every day, interacting with locals during their moving process, giving them the peace of mind that they need during the transition.” 

Hawaiian button-downs and tropical-print board shorts for the guys in no rush, with no worries. 

Click here to read the full article in SRQ's July/August 2021 edition.