One of the 13 bills Sen. Joe Gruters, R-Sarasota, shepherded to law this year could soon lead to smoking restrictions at the region’s beaches.

“This is something I’ve worked on the last four years, and it originated in Sarasota when the local commission passed a law and was sued by the ACLU,” Gruters said. “I’ve on it for so long. Just to have it implemented today is a big deal.”

The law went into effect on Friday allowing local governments to ban or limit smoking on beaches. Governments still must pass new ordinances under the new statute before a change can go into effect. But Gruters at a Lido Key press conference shared the podium Friday with Sarasota City Commissioner Jennifer Ahearn-Koch, who vowed the matter will come up at a City Commission meeting Tuesday.

“I am so thrilled in the City of Sarasota to be able to regulate this at the local level, and for the rest of the cities in Florida to have this ability,” Ahearn-Koch said.

The politicians rare share a stage. Most of the Sarasota City Commission is made up of Democrats, including Ahearn-Koch, and Gruters chairs the Republican Party of Florida. The Ocean Conservancy hosted the Lido Key press conference, where Florida Atlantic University professor Stephen Leatherman, the researcher behind the Dr. Beach national rankings, also attended.

“Now that the law is officially in place, Ocean Conservancy is urging local governments to take action to implement these rules,” said J.P. Brooker, Ocean Conservancy state director. “We know our leaders care about protecting our seabirds, our sea turtles, our marine mammals, and now it’s time to take the historic step to protect them.”

Leatherman at the event spoke about how littered cigarettes played a role in him launching his famous Dr. Beach list in the first place. “I give bonus points in my annual ranking of America’s best beaches,” he said. “The first beach to do this was Hanauma Bay Beach in O’ahu, Hawaii. The reason they did that, if you have been there, it’s for snorkeling with all those tropical fish. The fish were eating the cigarette butts. I worked with Hawaii. The next thing you know, all of O’ahu is no smoking. It can’t happen. Waikiki is a world famous beach. People won’t come here anymore. Well it didn’t affect tourism one bit.”

Today, beaches in Hawaii often provide the main competition on Dr. Beach’s listings, where Siesta Key has multiple times topped the list. 

As the bill worked its way through the Legislature this year, Ocean Conservancy installed a public art exhibit with oversized cigarette butts scattered around Lido Key. At the end of the press conference, Gruters, Ahearn-Koch, Leatherman and other symbolically uninstalled the artwork.

““And with this,” Gruters said, “we only want the right butts on the beach.” 

Sarasota Memorial Hospital was honored as one of the nation’s 100 Top Hospitals, and among the top 40 teaching hospitals, in an annual ranking released today of the very best hospitals and health systems in the country.

In the 2022 Fortune/Merative 100 Top Hospitals rankings, SMH outperformed thousands of hospitals across the nation on all clinical and operational benchmarks evaluated. Among other study findings, SMH and highest-performing hospitals: • Had lower inpatient mortality (25% fewer deaths than expected, considering patient severity) • Had fewer patient complications (30% fewer complications than expected, considering patient severity) • Delivered care that resulted in fewer hospital-acquired infections (47% fewer HAIs than peer hospitals) • Had lower 30-day mortality and 30-day hospital-wide readmission rates • Sent patients home sooner • Kept inpatient expenses low while still maintaining a healthy financial environment • Scored higher on patient ratings of their overall hospital experience

If all hospitals performed at the benchmark levels achieved by SMH, the study found more than 104,000 additional lives could be saved in-hospital, over 55,000 additional patients could be complication-free and more than 18,600 fewer discharged patients would be readmitted within 30 days of their hospital stay.

This is the sixth year that Sarasota Memorial has been recognized as a top 100 hospital by Fortune/Merative (formerly Watson Health). It also has ranked repeatedly among the 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals. Sarasota Memorial CEO David Verinder said the rankings and the record of other top quality and safety designations SMH receives each year is a reflection of the health system’s mission-driven team and ongoing support from the locally elected Sarasota County Public Hospital Board.

“SMH is a vital community asset that has been caring for the Suncoast for nearly a century," Verinder said. "I could not be prouder of our entire team and the unwavering diligence and dedication they have displayed the past few years, and through the decades, to ensure our community receives the highest quality care."

In this year's 100 Top Hospitals study, SMH's teaching program was spotlighted. SMH-Sarasota was listed among the top 3 teaching hospitals in Florida, and top 40 in the nation. Study authors noted that hospitals appearing repeatedly on their Top Hospitals lists share key characteristics that elevate them in the healthcare industry, including a mature culture (and a commitment to maintaining it), nursing excellence, deeply committed leadership, quality-focused hospital boards, an embrace of data and innovative technology (used in a practical manner), and local autonomy within health systems.

The Fortune/Merative 100 Top Hospitals also list incorporates a community health measure into its ranking process to recognize hospital working to promote community health and equity and their contributions to local economic and social progress. 

For more info.

Halflants + Pichette introduces new team members Tara Williams, AIA; Morgan Denty, Office Manager; Dan Greenberg, Project Architect;  Buffy Stachorowski, Lead Project Manager, Zack Sladden, Project Manager; Ana Meneses, Project Manager; and Sofia Torres, Design Associate.

Tara Williams is an AIA registered architect with over 12 years of experience in commercial office, retail, renovations, and corporate interior architecture. She began her architectural education at the University of Florida, where she earned a Bachelor of Design. She then attended Georgia Institute of Technology obtaining a Master of Architecture. After several years working in the Atlanta and North Florida markets, she relocated to Tampa, FL where she served for five years as the Project Architect for the award-winning St. Pete Pier. Morgan Denty has worked in the industry over the last 12 years. She attended Georgia State University for Business Administration and Marketing. Throughout her career, she has provided support to senior-level management, architects, and interior designers. Morgan relocated to Tampa from Atlanta in 2020 where she concentrated on marketing efforts and obtaining public work. Dan returns to Halflants + Pichette after having worked in the office as a Design Associate almost a decade ago. Dan rejoins the firm with considerable experience having worked with ASD|SKY and Alfonso Architects on a variety of projects from museums and educational facilities to high-rise buildings.  Buffy Stachorowski recently relocated to the Sarasota area from Baltimore, Maryland after delivering a multitude of Multi-Family and Student Housing projects throughout the country for several decades. Buffy managed large scale projects with team members including Project Architects and Designers, Interior Designers, and Landscape Architects.  She is a great asset to the firm as she helps develop our multi-family projects. Zack Sladden’s creative background started twelve years ago at the Savannah College of Art and Design where he studied Sculpture and Graphic Design. After discovering his passion for architecture, he pursued a Master of Architecture degree at the University of South Florida.  Zack’s design sensibility and work ethic were recognized by the faculty who awarded him the Eduardo Garcia Award, USF’s highest design honor, the Advanced Portfolio Award for his graphic design sensibilities, the Thesis Award, and finally the Graduate Teaching Assistant Award. After graduate school, Zack worked with award-winning firms in Boston and Cologne.  Ana Meneses is a Colombian native who moved to the United States in 2010.  After working for a year in an engineering firm in New York City, Ana moved to Tampa, Florida where she graduated in 2019 with a Master’s Degree in Architecture.   She pursued a second Master’s Degree in Urban and Community Design.  As recognition for her exceptional design skills, she was selected by the faculty as a Garcia Award finalist.  Sofia Torres joins the Halflants + Pichette team as she completes her graduate studies. Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Sofia moved to Florida to study architecture. Sofia excelled in Principal and USF Professor Michael Halflants’ spring studio where she distinguished herself with the thoughtful design of a mixed-use residential high-rise.  She is currently in her 3rd year of a 4-year Master’s Program studying Architecture at the University of South Florida School of Architecture and Community Design. 

In the continuing effort to include public comment and increase transparency, Manatee County Government will be holding a Community Workshop on Agritourism issues. More than 1,000 notices have been mailed to Manatee County citizens, but this extra messaging is to ensure greater participation. The virtual workshop will be held, online (via Zoom), Thursday, July 21, 2022, beginning at 7 p.m., to discuss a County-Initiated Text Amendment to the Land Development Code (LDC) regarding agritourism activities on properties located in Manatee County. County staff is proposing to add the minimum regulations necessary to protect the public interest (health, safety, welfare), as it relates to substantial offsite impacts associated with agritourism activities. This is not a public hearing. The purpose of the workshop is to inform residents of the nature of the proposal and seek comments. Please be advised that there is a 500-person attendee maximum with the virtual meeting. (This includes the virtual link and call-in number combined.) 

Connect to the virtual workshop.

Low- and very low-income Special Needs homeowners in Manatee County can now apply for financial help through the State Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP) program for housing rehabilitation and replacement assistance from the Manatee County Community and Veterans Services Department. Special Needs households are defined as having a member of the household with developmental disabilities as defined in the Florida Statutes. The program emphasis is on home modifications, including technological enhancements and devices, which will allow homeowners to remain independent in their own homes and maintain their homeownership.

Until July 22, 2022, at 5 PM, qualified residents can submit entry forms through the Housing Rehabilitation/Replacement Program. The program provides 0% interest-deferred payment 30-year loans to make code-related repairs to single-family homes or replace dilapidated single-family housing structures. Through this program, housing conditions can be corrected and modified to improve the health, safety and welfare for the people who live there. The online program entry form can be accessed by clicking the “Complete Entry Form” button on the Homeowners Rehab/Replacement Webpage. Those who need help completing and submitting an online entry form are encouraged to call 941-749-3029.

On July 29, 2022, County staff will use a lottery-style drawing to determine which applications to review first. Funding will be awarded to households who meet the eligibility requirements until all funds have been committed. To be eligible, Special Needs households must be located in unincorporated Manatee County or the City of Palmetto and be within the program standards for very low/low income and property value. 

Read eligibility online.

The Suncoast Black Arts Collaborative, a nonprofit organization that uses the unifying power of the arts to nurture inclusion and diversity across the regional arts and cultural landscape, welcomes four new members to its board of directors: Dr. Denise Davis-Cotton, Kristofer Geddie, Tim Jaeger, and Gregory Rumph II. “Working with this dream team is such an honor,” says Michele Des Verney Redwine, SBAC’s executive director and founder. “Our board is comprised of artists, authors, academic professionals, art advocates and community leaders. We have come together to promote diversity and inclusion in programming and leadership throughout our community. It’s an ambitious goal—but we will settle for nothing less.” Dr. Denise Davis-Cotton is recognized as a leading authority in arts integrated-teaching, and an accomplished curriculum designer for cultural-inclusive education, arts integration, and new school/program development. She is the director of the Florida Center for Partnerships for Arts-Integrated Teaching (PAInT Center) at the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee.  Kristofer Geddie, a North Carolina native, trekked to Florida from New York City in 2010 to play “Coalhouse Walker” in Ragtime at Venice Theatre, and never left. He is currently the director of diversity and general manager at the theater. Geddie holds a BFA in Musical Theatre from Mars Hill University, is currently enrolled in the final semester of graduate school at Goucher College for a master’s in arts administration. Raised in Paducah, Kentucky, Tim Jaeger earned his Bachelor of Arts with a Major in Fine Arts and a Minor in Modern Art History from Ringling College of Art and Design, where he was a Trustee Scholar. For more than 20 years, Jaeger has maintained a studio in Sarasota while participating in numerous solo and group exhibitions across the United States. He has received several awards and grants, including the Artist Residency and Fellowship Chateau L’Hesperit, Monaret, France, and the Arts Leadership Award issued by the Sarasota County Arts Council. Jaeger’s paintings can be found in numerous public and private collections across the United States. In addition to his studio practice, Jaeger is also the director and chief curator of the six galleries at Ringling College.  Gregory Rumph II was introduced to art by copying his father’s drawings as a youngster. He nurtured that curiosity and refined his skills and talents over the years. In 1998, he received a Bachelor of Fine Art degree in Illustration from Ringling College of Art and Design. After several years of freelancing, Rumph was recruited to teach in the Visual and Performing Arts program at Booker Middle School in Sarasota where he taught for 15 years. He furthered his experiences in education to be eventually become an administrator and now serves as assistant principal at Booker High School overseeing the Visual and Performing Arts program. His work is in the collection of the National Civil Rights Museum and various private collections across the country. 

For more info.

The Venice Symphony is pleased to announce that Tom Fitch, Denise Mattmuller and Brad Speckerman have joined the Symphony’s 2022-23 Board of Trustees. “We are honored to add these three dynamic community leaders to our Board,” said Christine Kasten, President and CEO of The Venice Symphony. “They are committed to the Symphony’s mission and vision and bring a wealth of experience and talent to our organization.” Tom Fitch and his wife Lou Ann moved to Venice from San Diego in 2020. He plays trumpet in the Venice Concert Band, is Membership Chair for the Venice Nokomis Rotary Club and sits on that Club’s Foundation Board. In San Diego, he served on the Coronado Concert Band’s Board of Directors, the Audit Committee of the San Diego County Employee Retirement Association and as president of the San Diego Downtown Breakfast Rotary Club. He retired in 2014 after a 33-year career with entities now owned by Raytheon Technologies Corporation, that culminated in his serving as Vice President of Finance/CFO. Denise Mattmuller has lived in Venice for 34 years and is a Realtor with Premier Sotheby's International Realty. She and her husband Tom have raised their family here and are deeply rooted in the Venice community. Mattmuller has served on several committees for non-profit organizations and co-chaired the Sertoma Club of Venice’s Breakfast with Santa for two consecutive years. She has a love and passion for the arts and is excited to be a part of The Venice Symphony.  Brad Speckerman moved to Venice in 2019 after a 35-year career with General Electric Company, during which he served on numerous executive committees. After his retirement from GE in 2008, he worked for a family-owned business in Boston as Vice President of Energy Services and served on the company’s Board. He and his wife Maria, served on the Venice Symphony’s 2022 Roman Holiday Ball Committee and played a key role gaining Ball sponsorships and donations.