This weekend, take a trip out of Sarasota and travel back into a different time to the historic Peace River. Not only is the Peace River home to some of the oldest fossils in the country, but the flora and fauna that populate the area also harken back to a different era - the dense foliage, wild cattle, and yes - an abundance of alligators.

While the Peace River can be explored and enjoyed in a variety of ways, the most exciting might just be with Peace River Charters, a custom charter outfit operating out of Arcadia, Florida - about an hour away from Sarasota. Peace River Charters offers a bevy of different tours throughout the Peace River - most notably their airboat, swamp buggy, and horseback tours.

“Our airboat tour is about an hour long and goes down the Peace River. You’ll see gators and whatever wildlife is out. Then we have our swamp buggies, which are kind of like a jacked up monster truck that plows through trails in the forest. That one is a half hour tour where you’ll see llama and wild cattle. We also have a horse trail that’s an hour long tour and meanders down by the river as well,” says Lisa Newman of Peace River Charters.

The airboat tours, however, remain the outfit’s biggest draw. “They go about 30-35 miles per hour - mostly over water but they also take a little section of the tour to go over the land. It’s a beautiful river and typically guests get to see quite a bit of alligators. Afterwards at the gift shop, they can hold the baby gators, feed the larger ones and experience our petting zoo as well,” adds Newman.

Peace River Charters, 4192 SW Adventure Way, Arcadia, FL 34266. Phone: 1-863-444-0693. 

Pictured: The Peace River airboat tour is popular for locals and tourists. Photo courtesy of Peace River Charters.

To learn more, visit

The class president at a Sarasota County school earned national attention after revealing administration asked him not to discuss politics in a graduation speech.

Zander Moricz, a senior at Pine View School and the school’s first openly gay class president, said he sat down with the school’s principal two weeks ago for what he thought was a routine meeting. Instead, the principal told him not to discuss his political activism during his remarks at a graduation ceremony or his microphone would be cut off.

“He began with a convoluted explanation that my passions were cool and he supported them, but that they were inappropriate or too controversial for a school setting,” Moricz said. “I was told that a discussion of my identity or my human rights would be upsetting to the ceremony's pleasantness and that it would disrupt the fun of graduation.”

Principal Dr. Stephen Covert did not return calls from SRQ on Tuesday and Wednesday. The school district released a statement to media outlets stating: "We honor and celebrate the incredible diversity in thought, belief, and background in our school, and champion the uniqueness of every single student on their personal and educational journey."

No speech has yet been submitted for final review.

Moricz said up until now, he’s had a good relationship with administration. “Pine View has been a safe space for me and now I feel sick in the morning when I go to school,” he said.

Moricz is one of the individual plaintiffs in Equality Florida’s lawsuit against the state of Florida over a controversial parental rights law dubbed by critics as the “don’t say gay” bill. That law restricts instruction about sexual orientation or gender identity in kindergarten through third grade, and requires curriculum about the issues at other grade levels to be age appropriate. Moricz this year led a student walkout at school to protest the bill while the Legislature was considering it.

Of note, Sarasota School Board Member Bridget Ziegler, a supporter of the law who stood by Gov. Ron DeSantis when he signed it, somewhat surprisingly suggested schools show restraint when it comes to limiting topics in student speeches. While she would not speak to litigation or a particular student's situation, she said students should be able to share their own story of coming through the local schools.

"I believe we should empower all students to be able to tell their story in a manner that's consistent with the district's review process," Ziegler said. "I strongly believe in every student's ability to share their journey and perspective."

Even before the law came up, Moricz has been involved in politics, which is how he connected with Equality Florida.

The 18-year-old isn’t sure yet how he will handle graduation on May 22, but he feels an obligation to say something about what he considers censorship, and a quashing of speech he feels likely ties directly to educator fears about the “don’t say gay” law’s restrictions on appropriate school subject materials.

But if nothing else, he hopes taking a stance inspires others. “You shouldn’t have to fight to exist,” he said.

In the May 2022 issue of SRQ Magazine, we ran a BrandStory marketing feature on Sarasota Military Academy. Below is an excerpt.

The students at Sarasota Military Academy (SMA) are cadets who show a level of respect and integrity not often found in young people. This comes from the core ethical values of the JROTC program that shape the expectations of an Academy-wide culture.

As the sun rises over formation, everyone is completely silent at attention and awaiting their Cadet Commander to give the order for the raising of the National Flag and saying the Pledge of Allegiance. Peer cadet leaders inspect uniforms which are worn proudly as an outward sign of everything a cadet has individually participated in, accomplished, and earned. This series of events will play out every weekday on both SMA campuses.

Cadets learn how integrity is the foundation of their today and tomorrow regardless of the path they choose. “The path is not easy, but I was supported every step of the way,” recalls Jessiah Straw, Class of 2013. Each cadet’s journey in academics is strengthened not only by their determination, but with the knowledge that peers and faculty are there to lend support. “SMA will always have your back,” says Sophia Hoffman, Class of 2022.

Classes are 85 minutes long on a “4x4 Block” schedule in which cadets take four classes every semester covering a full year’s curriculum. The benefits are that it provides a deeper learning opportunity through enhanced lesson plans and fosters greater intellectual curiosity in more subjects. Most importantly, this unique schedule allows for the development of a stronger bond between faculty and cadet as stated by Jennifer Walcker, Class of 2023, “I want to be the impact that my teachers were for me!” 

Sarasota Military Academy High School Campus, 801 N. Orange Avenue, Sarasota, 941.926.1700.

To read the full article, click here.

In Papa’s Little Truck, the illustrations are equally if not more impressive than the words themselves. Mori juxtaposes Papa’s tiny pickup truck with creatively enlarged animations of the world around it - a peek into how his daughter, our narrator, imagines their world. The welcoming sun takes the form of a giant yellow giraffe, a bump in the road morphs into a seagull flying the truck further into this imaginative world. This juxtaposition between the truck and the outside world gives the story a Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs feel, as if the little girl can conquer anything when in Papa’s little truck.

More than just an interesting canvas, Papa’s Little Truck tells the touching story of a daughter’s relationship with her father. Their journey in the truck becomes a metaphor for the trials and tribulations that she’ll eventually have to face on her own - from breaking down in scary places to traveling through dark tunnels. From their time spent in the truck, however, this girl will always have her father’s guiding presence by her side.

Publication Date: April 2022 by Reycraft Books, New York, ISBN: 1478875526. Ages 5-8. 

On May 11th, National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) announced this year’s $2,500 Scholarship winners. A Southeast High School senior is among 2,500 Merit Scholar designees from a talent pool of more than 15,000 Finalists. Jonathan P. Xavioer, National Merit $2,500 Scholarship, Interested in studying Computer Science. National Merit $2,500 Scholarship winners are the Finalists in each state judged to have the strongest combination of accomplishments, skills and potential for success in rigorous college studies, according to a press release. There are only 131 students from Florida named $2,500 Scholarship recipients. Most of these single-payment scholarships are financed by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. Scholars may use their awards at any regionally accredited U.S. college or university. National Merit $2,500 Scholarship winners announced today are part of the distinguished group of nearly 7,500 high school seniors who will receive National Merit Scholarships for college undergraduate study worth more than $28 million. Seven high school seniors from Manatee County’s traditional public schools were named National Merit Scholarship Finalists. Last month, Alexander Aldama-Apodaca from Southeast High School was announced as a recipient of a corporate-sponsored scholarship award. More winners will be announced through July 2022. High school juniors entered the 2022 National Merit Scholarship competition when they took the 2020 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. Last fall, more than 16,000 Semifinalists were designated for being the highest-scoring program entrants in each state and represented less than one-percent of the nation’s seniors. 

Pictured: Jonathan P. Xavioer.

Creative Liberties, based on a foundation of artists helping artists, is presenting a “Blooming Art Show Artists Market,” Saturday, May 14, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; “Wine & Design—A pARTy!” Thursday, May 26, 5:30-8 p.m.; and the company’s first open exhibition, “Here Comes the Sun,” June 9-30, with the opening reception on Thursday, June 9, 5-8 p.m. There is a call for artist submissions for this exhibition: Submit work in person: Wednesday, June 1, between 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Creative Liberties Artist Studios is located at 901-B Apricot Avenue, Sarasota, in the Limelight District. For more information, visit www.creativeliberties.net or call 941-799-6634.  

Pictured: Creative Liberties Studio Artist Jay Li.