Dawnyelle Singleton got in on the ground level at Visible Men Academy and helped establish programs at the Manatee County charter school. Now she hopes to improve the educational opportunities available in her home county as a member of the Sarasota County School Board.

The Sarasota High School graduate and experienced educator qualified last week to challenge incumbent School Board member Bridget Ziegler for her District 1 seat. Upset about discord ay School Board meetings in recent years, she wants the district to refocus its energies.

“If the board cannot get along to the point where they can conduct business, that is an issue to me,” she said. “My goal is to collaborate with fellow School Board members, to advance student outcomes for our children, teachers and school communities. Getting along with the board is my first priority. We won’t always agree on everything, but it’s important the School Board has a united front, and that the board is presented to the community as working together.”

Singleton has been a substitute art teacher in Sarasota schools, but leaned heavily on her years working with VMA co-founder Neil Phillips on programming for an all-boys charter school largely serving a minority population. Her work included finding speakers and mentors to work with the academy.

“I would identify male members of community, often Black and Brown men who were doing good things and had interesting careers, who would talk to the boys,” she said. “These male mentors would come and talk to them about careers, answer questions but also have enrichment for the education component in the day as well.”

Of note, the school has been graded by the state ranging from A to F since its opening. Phillips resigned from the academy last year.

Singleton pushed back somewhat on criticism from the Republican Party of Sarasita tying Democratic candidates in local school board races to critical race theory and gender controversy, both issues being tackled by Gov. Ron DeSantis in the Governor’s race this year. DeSantis has endorsed Ziegler.

Singleton, who would be the first Black person elected to the Sarasota School Board, felt raising issues of critical race theory was injecting a nongermane topic. “As we all know, critical race theory has never been taught in the district,” she said. “Now it has been outlawed and is a non-issue. Frankly, it is a dog whistle for racism and we need to elevate the conversation.”

Discussing matters like school choice, Singleton notably takes no issue with the use of vouchers or with having public charter schools.

“Most people will attend a public school. When I was growing up, we didn’t have options. Your district school was a good school and that’s where you went to,” she said. “Now parents do have more choices, but I think all children, no matter the ZIP code they grew up in, should have access to great education… Vouchers give parents a choice, and I am all for that because parents are the experts on their children’s lives.”

And she doesn’t embrace all parts of a “parents’ rights” movement dominating headlines in many school races in Florida this year. She voiced skepticism at a parental rights bill dubbed the “don’t say gay” bill by critics. She said that law and recent others only address rights parents already had but distract with other topics.

This weekend, take a trip down memory lane with Siesta Key Aqua Adventure’s newest attraction - Bigfoot’s Bumper Boat Adventure. The attraction, aptly named after the company’s mascot - a seven-foot statue of Bigfoot - is as ingenious as it is silly and exactly what it sounds like - bumper cars, but on the water. The idea for the novelty came from the company’s owner, Richard Campbell, wanting to fill a void within the watersports space. “In the state of Florida, you have to be at least 16 years of age to operate watercraft - leaving a large demographic of people that want to drive them, but can’t. I started doing research and found out that as long as you have less than 10 horsepower and the vessels are under a certain size there’s no age restriction,” says Campbell

The process of bringing bumper boats to Siesta Key, however, was a bit more involved than the activity. The bumper boats--classified as rigid inflatables--had to become registered vessels in the state of Florida and pass all safety and licensing regulations. “For it to be a registered vessel, we had to have the manufacturer customize it for our specific use and safety needs. While these types of boats have been around for years, no one has tried to get these registered and titled to be used in state waters,” says Campbell.

Another part of the customization process was ensuring that the bumper boats were environmentally friendly. “We use clean-burn, eco-friendly, Honda 4-stroke engines to power the boats. We also worked with the Florida Wildlife Commision to create custom-built prop cages to ensure the propellers would never damage the environment or in some odd case, the wildlife around it,” says Campbell

The bumper boats have three seats with room for one driver (over 50 pounds) and two passengers (under 50 pounds each). They are in operation for 30 minute time slots from 10am to 7:30 pm and are reservation only after 4pm.

Siesta Key Aqua Adventure, 5253 S Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, 941-359-2782 

For more information click here

Jordan Chancey, a Broker-Associate with RE/MAX Alliance Group, has earned the Certified Waterfront Specialist (CWS) designation from the Realtor Association of Sarasota and Manatee (RASM). With more than 70 waterways in Sarasota and Manatee counties, Chancey is well versed in the many considerations of waterfront properties, including permitting and legalities, water depths and bridge heights, environmental considerations, insurance and water use rights. Chancey joined RE/MAX Alliance Group in 2017 in the Bradenton office and quickly earned the Rising Star Award. As a sixth generation Florida Gulf Coast resident and 15-year real estate professional, he brings extensive market knowledge and real estate expertise, specializing in residential, commercial, land and property management. He has been named a “Realtor to Watch Under 40” by RASM and its Young Professional Network (YPN). Chancey’s commitment to professionalism is reflected in his numerous past designations, including Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist (CLHMS), Certified Distressed Property Expert® (CDPE), Accredited Commercial Professional (ACP), Seniors Real Estate Specialist (SRES) and Certified Professional Property Manager (CPPM). He is president of the Palmetto Historical Commission, and supports All Children’s Hospital, American Heart Association and Downtown Ministries Bradenton. The RE/MAX Alliance Group Bradenton office is located at 3007 Manatee Avenue West. Chancey can be reached at (941) 545-8816.  

For more information click here

Submissions are now being accepted for the fifth annual Sunset Photo Contest managed by Triple 3 Marketing. Participants can submit a single entry before September 2. The photo can be taken between January 1 and September 1 anywhere in Florida’s Gulf Coast region. The contest entry should be emailed as a jpeg file to randy@triple3marketing.com. Local judges will select 7 winning photos and they’ll be showcased in the fall editions of Englewood Healthy Living and South County Healthy Living coming in October. The 2021 contest winners included Marie Laforge, Shane Fowler, Stacey Stevens, Heather Munro, Austin Ramsey, Teena Estelle, and Deborah Papineau. Fowler and Papineau are two-time contest winners. 

Pictured: Marie Laforge’s winning photo from the 2021 contest.

Our community is filled with many incredible young people doing such amazing things. This summer, we are featuring some of these young people in our Thursday Family & Education edition. Each of the students we are highlighting has been chosen as one of 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.

Diego M, a senior at Pine View School, joined the Fab Lab in his sophomore year at the urging of his friend who was a current volunteer. He has taken part in a variety of programs, including the RC Car Committee, the Student Proposals and Education Committee (SPEC), and the Student Community Innovation Project (SCIP). Outside of school and the Fab Lab, he enjoys playing frisbee and soccer as well as working on engineering projects for the fun of it. This past year he served as the Team Captain of his high school robotics team, Jungle Robotics, and after a year of not meeting due to COVID-19, they came back stronger than ever and won the Judge’s Award for their robot design. Diego spends much of his time mentoring younger volunteers so they will be equipped to continue the legacy he helped build. Diego was also part of the inaugural Student Community Innovation Program class in 2020 where he helped build an educational website teaching elementary school students about COVID-19 safety.

We asked Diego about his goads for the future.

"My goal for the future is to become a mechanical engineer working around the world and not in one consistent place," he said. "That may be a bold dream, but I’ve always been one to enjoy traveling and not staying stationary in a specific location. I want to get out there and see the world and do the things that I love like engineering and frisbee and making friends and being spontaneous. There’s so much to do, and I’m excited for my future experiences. I also hope to establish new friendships along the way while keeping my old ones and to leave impacts on the communities that I visit, create, and learn from." 

Pictured: Diego M, a senior at Pine View School. Photo by Wyatt Kostygan.

The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature invites residents and visitors to enjoy the best views of the Fourth of July fireworks over the Manatee River from the Museum’s Riverside Plaza on Monday, July 4th, 2022 from 6:00 p.m. until 10:00 p.m. With the Museum uniquely positioned for prime viewing unlike anywhere else, this family-friendly event will provide front-row seats to the annual fireworks display, delicious food from Nancy’s Bar-B-Q, and enough activities to keep the kids entertained. Doors to the Riverside Plaza will open at 6:00 p.m. for guests to grab their front-row seats, set up blankets or chairs, and gather their families. Guests can enjoy a meal from Nancy’s Bar-B-Q beginning at 7:00 p.m. that will include a pulled pork sandwich, smoked baked beans with pork, baked mac & cheese, sweet bar-b-q sauce or a vegetarian option of smoked Portobello Mushrooms. Meals must be reserved by June 30, and will not be available for purchase on site. A cash bar will be available on site for adult beverages, soda and desserts for guests to enjoy while they sit back and watch the show. Tickets may be reserved online, with or without a meal inclusion, at https://bishopscience.org/events/red-white-and-boom/. Single admission to Red, White, and BOOM not including a food reservation is $20. Single admission including a boxed meal from Nancy’s Bar-B-Q is $40. Children ages 4 and under get in free and re-entry will be permitted. Guests are encouraged to bring blankets if desired but please note that coolers, smoking, fireworks or sparklers will not be permitted. Please note: Services animals allowed only. Indoor restrooms will be available, but the Museum’s exhibitions will be closed. There is no rain date for the event and no refunds. Should the event be rained out, total purchase price may be applied to membership, tickets, or Museum Store purchases. 

Fishman & Associates is working with the Venice Yacht Club to remodel their main kitchen. Bob Daly, the president and owner of Fishman & Associates, made the announcement today. Fishman & Associates worked with Venice Yacht Club previously in 2019 to remodel their tiki bar and main bar. Peacock + Lewis is the architectural firm leading the project. Founded in 1951, the Venice Yacht Club provides high quality dining, boating, water sports, and beach activities for members and guests. The club is a charter member (1961) of the Florida Council of Yacht Clubs with 37 members throughout Florida. Fishman & Associates was established in 1986 to provide food service design support to diverse clients nationwide. The business sectors they support include top restaurants, assisted living and retirement centers, private clubs, resorts, clubhouses, hospitals, other healthcare facilities, hotels, schools, churches, and more. The Fishman team has supported more than 360 senior living projects in 25 states. Its expertise includes kitchen design, bar and dining room layout, equipment specification, cost budgeting, refrigeration, and fabrication for new and remodeled food service facilities. 

Vertical | Design+Build, a Sarasota based custom home builder, is proud to announce the addition of two new team members to help meet construction demand, Jeff Bryde and Neil McDaniel. Jeff Bryde brings more than 30 years of experience to the team as a Construction Manager. Jeff oversees day-to-day field operations of projects from inception to completion, managing and directing in-house personnel and subcontractors while ensuring a smooth transition from the blueprints to reality. Neil McDaniel, a third-generation Sarasota resident, also joins the team as a Construction Manager. Neil’s strength is his ability to bring together owners, builders, and subcontractors to complete projects timely and with the highest quality. According to Grant Castilow, President of Vertical | Design+Build: “We are thrilled to have Jeff Bryde on the team to take care of our discerning clientele. He provides years of residential and commercial
construction management experience and he posseses the necessary outside-of-the-box thinking to provide extraordinary results to our clients. He is a real asset to our Construction team. Mr. Neil McDaniel is a seasoned Construction Manager with decades of experience building and remodeling high-end homes in Sarasota. Neil is passionate about his work and works hard to obtain the very best in all that he does. We are lucky to have him on our team.”