State Rep. Fiona McFarland, R-Sarasota, will see a challenge this year from Sarasota High teacher Derek Reich, a Democrat.

The freshman lawmaker welcomed the chance to defend her record over her first term in the Florida House.

“Giving the voters a choice every two years of who represents them in Tallahassee keeps elected officials responsible to our districts and is critical to a healthy democracy,” McFarland said. “I’ve spent my first term working hard for the people of Sarasota and am looking forward to re-earning my position at the ballot box in November.”

Reich, a Sarasota County native, came to the race with a starkly different assessment of the work of McFarland and of the Legislature as a whole. He in particularly questioned a House plan, which ultimately did not pass, that would have withheld $12 million from Sarasota County Schools as retribution for enforcing a mask mandate for part of the school year. 

“I just couldn’t believe a Representative regardless of party would not do the bare minimum, which is to go fight for your community,” he said.

He also criticized McFarland for failing to address an affordable housing crisis, counter to campaign promises made when she first ran in 2020.

McFarland, for her part, counts among accomplishment successfully fighting for a number of projects over two years. She also spent much of this year working to make sure there was full funding for community-based care providers in the state, including the Safe Children Coalition serving this judicial circuit.

The once-a-decade redistricting process means the district, now House District 73, bears a significantly different shape than it did two years ago. The district now covers the entirety of the city and spans south to Venice west of Interstate-75. 

The seat has one of the greatest partisan divides in Florida. Republican Donald Trump won the district under the lines but with just 49.7% of the vote to Democrat Joe Biden’s 49.34%. Similarly, Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis won the district in 2018 with 49.93% of the vote while Democrat Andrew Gillum took 49% of the vote.

McFarland has raised about $129,824 for the race in her official campaign account, while Reich hasn’t reported any fundraising to date.

Neither candidate faces a primary opponent as of now. The deadline for qualification is at noon on Friday. 

In today’s modern age, technology is at our fingertips. Worlds of information can be accessed through our phones, connecting us with spaces we've never been to and people we’ve never spoken with. That advancement in technology has also become prevalent in our transportation - automobiles have turned into moving computers and motor boats have become more and more like automobiles on the water.

So how can Sarasotans unplug and unwind while still enjoying the natural beauty the area has to offer? By booking a private charter with Key Sailing, the long-time local sailing outfit. Key Sailing’s private charters start at $200 per hour, can seat up to 12 guests, and offer 2,3, and 4 hour charters.

"Our most popular outing is our 3-hour tour - that seems to be perfect for most people’s budgets and allows us to get out a little further into the Sarasota Bay. We sail immediately out of the slip and then you’re there - you just ride the wind. Most of the time that’s in the Sarasota Bay, but it can be towards the edge of the Gulf - people sometimes assume the better sailing is from the gulf but that’s not always the case - you can see all seven barrier islands from the Bay,” says Sarasota native Jan Solomon, who runs Key Sailing with her husband Tim.

Each charter, no matter what the length, is customized for the passengers as much as possible.

“We’re very conscious that for every single guest, it’s not just a boat ride for them. Many have been saving up, or they haven’t seen their grandchildren, or they haven’t had a date night without kids. This is a big deal for them to do - it’s something they look forward to, so we make sure to look forward to it ourselves,” attests Jan.

Key Sailing, 2 Marina Plaza, Slip E-19, Sarasota, 941-346-7245, siestakeysailing@gmail.com. 

Photo courtesy of Key Sailing

For more information click here

Havoc in the Hammock! is a sweet, if a bit silly, tale about a tired tortoise that just can’t catch a break. The children’s book is rife with wonderfully alliterative characters - six limber lizards, seven prickly porcupines, and nine rowdy rabbits, to name a few - all of which pile into the hammock, disrupting the tortoise’s nap.

The story shines not by providing overarching, subtextual metaphors, but through the pacing of its writing. By emphasizing the number of new animals that jump into hammock - “one tired tortoise, two scheming spiders, three crazy crickets” in sequential order, the story creates a fun, playful learning experience for young readers still learning how to count. The fact that every “paragraph” or stanza rhymes is just the cherry on top.

The story’s illustrations add a whimsical touch to the story as well. While every animal is roughly realistic in scale to one another, their faces are personified with easily digestible emotional cues.

Publication Date: March 15,2022 by Reycraft Books, New York, ISBN: 1478875283, Ages: 3-7. 

Our community is filled with many incredible young people doing such amazing things. For the next several weeks, we will be featuring some of these young people in our Thursday Family & Education edition. The students we are highlighting have been chosen for this year’s SRQ Magazine’s top youth leaders based on their values, determination and outstanding achievements in different aspects of their lives in and out of school.

Natalie C., an 11th grade student at Out of Door Academy began volunteering at the Fab Lab for summer camp support in 2020. When the opportunity arose to be at the front of the class and develop and teach her own hands-on STEAM classes, she took it and joined the SPEC (Student Projects & Education Committee). Since 2021, she has developed and led over 10 classes and camps. She also mentors junior instructors so they can build experience and confidence to lead their own classes. Natalie is incredibly passionate about girls in STEAM and is helping develop outreach programming to expose more underserved girls to the possibilities within science, technology, engineering, art and math. Natalie also serves on the RC Car Executive Committee where she helps plan all aspects of the Fab Lab's annual remote control car competition for K-12 students. In summer 2022, Natalie will be elevating her leadership role and serving as a summer intern, helping facilitate and manage several Fab Lab programs.

We asked Natalie what inspires her to be a leader.

"I love bringing out the best in people," she said. "Leading a team allows me to identify people’s strengths and help them reach their full potential. Honestly though, I don’t think about trying to be a leader amongst my peers very often. What’s satisfying about being a leader isn’t the leading in and of itself, but rather the work you do and the change that comes from it. I think the best leaders are those without a desire to lead, but a desire to improve their community."  

Pictured: Natalie C., 11th grade student at Out of Door Academy. Photo by Wyatt Kostygan.

Renowned Sarasota Opera principal harpist Giuseppina Ciarla will perform Sunday, June 26, 5:00 p.m. at Temple Sinai in a special concert, “Hope from the Harp,” to benefit Ukrainian
refugees. Monies raised will support medical aid and relief efforts for Ukrainians by Emergency USA, a non-profit organization providing free medical care to victims of war and poverty. Giuseppina Ciarla will perform songs from her recently released critically acclaimed international album, “A Ticket Home.” The concert will feature Ciarla singing and playing the harp - a true rarity. Elie Rubinstein, Executive Director of Emergency USA, will speak about the organization he represents and how it is making a direct impact on the lives of Ukrainians in crisis. Emergency has launched Politruck, its largest mobile outpatient clinic. The mobile bus is in Moldova, a country that neighbors Ukraine’s southwest border. It is estimated that there are currently over 450,000 refugees in Moldova alone. Via the Politruck, the medical staff offers free, high-quality healthcare assistance to thousands of people, including women, children and the elderly. Temple Sinai’s Spiritual Leader Chazzan Cliff Abramson says this concert is an example of a value central to Judaism. The concert will be held at Temple Sinai, 4631 S. Lockwood Ridge Rd. (enter from Proctor Road) and on livestream. Admission will be by donation (suggested $36/adult or $18/student. All donations are tax deductible. To register and for more information, visit www.hopefromtheharp.org. 100% of the donations go directly to Emergency USA (emergencyusa.org). 

In May 332,431 passengers traveled through the Sarasota Bradenton International Airport, an increase of 43,880 over May 2021. Passengers traveling through the airport year-to-date totaled 1,803,944 compared to 1,146,782 year-to-date for 2021, an increase of 57%. Both Southwest and United Airlines showed year- to- date increases of 100% or more compared to the first five months of 2021. “We continue to see growth as we come into our summer months at SRQ. However, rising fuel prices and pilot and personnel shortages with the airlines nationwide continue so some schedule cutbacks are expected. Therefore, it is recommended you book your travel early to assure you get your desired destinations,” stated Rick Piccolo, President, CEO of the Sarasota Bradenton International Airport.