There will be at least one new face on the Venice City Council following elections on Tuesday. Three candidates are running to fill retiring Councilman Rich Cautero’s Seat 4 spot at the dais. Jim Boldt, Jennifer Lewis and Chris Simmons are vying for the job.

It’s become somewhat of a partisan affair with the Republican Party of Sarasota endorsing Boldt and the Sarasota Democratic Party backing Lewis, while Simmons touts his proud status as a no party affiliation voter.

Boldt in the final days of the race stressed his business background. “That I have owned five businesses in four different industries make me uniquely qualified for the council seat. The council deals with so many different aspects of the city, a broad background will be very helpful.’ He believes the town runs well now but needs to invest in infrastructure to support continued growth.

Lewis said she remains focused on preserving a community her family loved visiting for 30 years. “My interest is in preserving the best of Venice, she said. “That would include leaving downtown height restrictions as is. Quaint is often the word used to describe our Town. I want to keep it that way.’ She also said the city must work with appropriate state and federal entities to combat red tide.

And Simmons said the city needs a balanced approach in addressing community needs. “We have a large disabled population and we need to make sure they feel included,” he said. He pointed to mobility issues he has faced, whether that’s being asked to part a distance from Venice Theater for shows and being unable to attend beach festivals because of access issues. He noted Venice 15 years ago had an award-winning disabilities advisory board and he would like to reinstate that. 

The iconic bombshell blonde, Marilyn Monroe, once sang that “diamonds are a girl’s best friend.” But what about gold, silver and all of the other precious gems? A gal deserves more than just one BFF. 

Lucky for all of us, Nikki Sedacca Art Jewelry has the same idea. Founded by designer, Nikki Sedacca, the jewelry brand specializes in wearable wirework and artful creations inspired by the shapes, colors and textures of the world. The newest addition to her Jade Collection includes the dangling Jade, Pearl and 18kt Gold Earrings. These beautiful and elegant earrings are expertly crafted using Sedacca’s signature weaving technique, the twists and turns of the 18kt gold wire highlighting the delicate pieces of cut jade and baroque pearls that dangle from them. An accessory is the perfect way to bring any outfit from drab to fab, so why not accessorize with something less traditional and more original? While diamonds make for a solid companion, it’s time to broaden your horizon and meet some newer, more exciting friends with nature's greatest gems. 

Jade, Pearl and 18kt Gold Earring, $1850; Nikki Sedacca Fine Art Jewelry, 941-951-0620, sedacca.com, @nikkisedaccagallery 

Photo courtesy of Nikki Sedacca Fine Art Jewelry

Melissa Larkin-Skinner, MA, MBA, LMHC

Chief Executive Officer, Centerstone – Florida

Delivering care that changes people’s lives is Centerstone’s mission and what guides CEO Melissa Larkin-Skinner in helping children, adults and families live full and healthy lives.  Serving the community since 1955, Centerstone is a provider of mental health and addictions care.  

Melissa has worked in diverse programs during her 25-year career with Centerstone, including inpatient, outpatient, crisis intervention, intensive community-based and child welfare.  She has designed and operated several programs to meet community needs, including the first children’s Community Action Treatment (CAT) team, which was adopted as Florida’s statewide model for serving youth who are struggling with severe mental health, behavioral and co-occurring disorders. 

Her inner determination is key to helping others, especially during challenging times.  “Throughout my career, I questioned whether I’d be able to stay the course.  What I learned is that I am far more resilient than I realized.  We all are.  Being resilient does not mean that we never experience stress. But that when we do, we cope with our thoughts and emotions and take actions that help us move beyond it.  Building resilience or being resilient is something we can all achieve.  It’s not a personality trait that you either have or don’t have.  I think of resilience as being made up of building blocks we’ve collected through life experience, learning and leaning on others.  Those building blocks expand and grow stronger over time, helping us overcome whatever life throws at us.  We are often stronger afterwards and more prepared for the next uncontrollable, stressful experience.” 

Centerstone, 4010 Sawyer Rd., Sarasota, 941-782-4150, centerstone.org

Allegiant (NASDAQ: ALGT) today announces a new nonstop route to Sarasota from Akron, Ohio beginning March 3, 2022. To celebrate, the company is offering one-way fares on the new route as low as $59.*

“Sarasota continues to prove itself as a destination that provides warm getaways where vacationers can enjoy a variety of outdoor leisure activities,” said Drew Wells, Allegiant’s senior vice president of revenue and network planning. “The addition of this route will give our customers new, affordable options for visiting Florida.” More than ever, travelers appreciate the convenience Allegiant provides by offering nonstop flights that get them directly to their destination, without the hassle of layovers or connections, Wells said. They also like the convenient access through smaller airports Allegiant serves in communities that have traditionally lacked commercial air service.

The new nonstop route from Akron-Canton Airport (CAK) to Sarasota Bradenton International Airport (SRQ) will operate twice weekly. Flight days, times and the lowest fares can be found only at Allegiant.com. 

Dr. Avi Kumar, a board certified orthopedic surgeon with Coastal Orthopedics, is the first physician in the Sarasota/Manatee area to perform shoulder arthroplasty with the assistance of a new mixed reality technology platform, Stryker’s Blueprint Mixed Reality™. Dr. Kumar has been performing the procedure since early 2021 at Coastal Orthopedics’ outpatient surgery center and area hospitals, and is one of only 15 sites in the nation offering the technology to patients during this limited release period. 

Blueprint Mixed Reality is the latest software solution from Stryker Trauma & Extremities that allows shoulder arthroplasty surgeons to reference and interact with a holographic representation of their pre-operative Blueprint plan, in real-time, intra-operatively. In the future, the technology will have the potential for a more precise and personalized shoulder replacement compared to traditional surgical options. “Blueprint Mixed Reality’s 3D holographic models allow me to bring the pre-operative plan into the operating room, in real time, and to visualize implant positioning that assists in surgical decision making,” said Dr. Kumar. “The state-of-the-art technology allows me to tailor shoulder joint replacement procedures to the unique needs and anatomy of my patients.  It also gives me the capability to visualize and rotate three-dimensional holographic objects in front of the surgical field.”

Where virtual reality immerses the viewer into a completely virtual world, mixed reality overlays 3D holographic images with real-life, allowing the two to interact. The 3D hologram technology enables a surgeon to maintain a direct view of the surgical site and simultaneously visualize and manipulate a holographic representation of the patient’s native anatomy and pre-operative plan. By using hand gestures and voice commands, the surgeon can interact with a robust data set to optimize the position of the 3D holographic models. This allows the surgeon to replicate the pre-operative plan as closely as possible given the availability of information while operating.

For more information visit ShoulderBlueprint.com 

The Sarasota County Board of County Commissioners approved the purchase 228 acres in Old Miakka, acreage that was recently acquired by Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast in-order-to act quickly in this hot real estate market. This land is a critical link between Sarasota County’s Old Miakka Preserve and Conservation Foundation’s Tatum Sawgrass Scrub Preserve, further connecting to over 120,000 acres of conserved land protecting the Myakka River. Sarasota County voted to purchase the property from Conservation Foundation with funds from the Environmentally Sensitive Lands Protection Program (ESLPP), a voter-approved and taxpayer-funded program designed to acquire and protect natural lands and parklands. The additional 228 acres will more than double the size of the existing Old Miakka Preserve, which is open to the public daily for hiking, picnicking, birdwatching and wildlife viewing. The property’s former owner, MAG Properties, Inc., received multiple offers and Conservation Foundation recognized that if this key land was to be saved, time was of the essence. Conservation Foundation worked quickly to purchase the property to ensure its permanent protection. The purchase was completed using Conservation Foundation’s dedicated land fund and $3.9 million in short-term loans.

The benefits of protecting this strategically located land extend well beyond its boundaries. It impacts our region’s water quality, water quantity, and timing of water flows and levels. Wetlands located within the property store and filter water that flows into both the Tatum Sawgrass Marsh and the Myakka River. The property also provides rich and diverse habitat for a variety of iconic Florida wildlife. The County purchase is expected to close by the end of the calendar year. 

To learn more about the Conservation Foundation, click here

Sarasota Opera is pleased to announce a $50,000 Arts Appreciation Grant from Gulf Coast Community Foundation. In a longstanding commitment to honor the cultural and economic contributions of the region’s cornerstone arts groups, Gulf Coast provides flexible funding to organizations so they can focus on their artistic missions.  Acknowledging the region’s reputation as a leading artistic and cultural haven, Gulf Coast awarded Arts Appreciation Grants to 12 arts organizations in the area, including Sarasota Opera. Sarasota Opera’s 63^rdconsecutive season will begin this week with Rossini’s The Silken Ladder. The 2022 Winter Festival will open with Puccini’s Tosca, followed by Donizetti’s The Daughter of the Regiment, Bizet’s The Pearl Fishers, and Verdi’s Attila. The Gulf Coast grant also supports the Sarasota Youth Opera, which will be presenting a special concert with the Sarasota Opera Apprentice Artists and the Sarasota Opera Orchestra in March 2022. With generous backing from the entire community, Sarasota Opera was the only opera company in the U.S. to present a season in their theater during February and April 2021. 

For more information click here

This is a reminder that our Together We Roar Luncheon was postponed to Friday, May 13, 2022. If you have questions, please contact Digital Marketing & Engagement Manager Hannah Peterson at hannah.peterson@srqme.com.