Registration is open for Forty Carrots Family Center’s 20th annual free Educational Community Speaker Event Thrivers: The Surprising Reasons Why Some Kids Struggle and Others Shine, presented in partnership with the Community Foundation of Sarasota County. The virtual presentation will feature educational psychologist and best-selling author Michele Borba, Ed.D. at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 21st. The event is free and advance registration is required.

Michele Borba’s latest book, Thrivers, is a sharply insightful, science-backed guide that helps parents and educators teach the essential character traits kids need to become “thrivers” – young people who flourish in rapidly changing, digitally-driven and uncertain world. Borba will identify seven teachable strengths that will safeguard kids for the future, offering practical “how-to” strategies 

and ideas for everyday activities that build up kids’ strength, resilience, happiness, and success. Certificates of Attendance and CEU’s will be available.

“Our community is stronger when parents, educators and professionals have the latest information to better support children as they strive to achieve their full potential. We are especially grateful to the Community Foundation of Sarasota County for their longstanding support as our presenting partner,” stated Michelle Kapreilian, Forty Carrots Family Center CEO. The previous 19 speaker events have reached nearly 14,000 parents, professionals, and educators in our area.To register for this free virtual community event visit www.fortycarrots.org, email events@fortycarrots.com or call (941) 365-7716. RSVP is required and registration is open at www.FortyCarrots.org. 

Resilient Retreat, a new non-profit that serves survivors of trauma and helping professionals (police, firefighters, advocates and medical professionals, among others), proudly announces the dates of its upcoming dedication and grand opening. Free and open to the public, the Campus Building Dedication and Open House will take place from 9 a.m. to noon on Tuesday, October 18. Inspired by the Danish design concept of hygge, reflecting coziness and self-care, the Retreat’s new facilities will be available for small group, guided tours. Attendees will also experience samplings from Resilient Retreat’s programming, a sage ceremony and the placement of a time capsule to help commemorate this important milestone for the local community. The official Grand Opening Celebration Luncheon with Keynote Speaker Ashley Judd will be held from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Thursday, November 3. This ticketed event will feature a ceremonial ribbon cutting, a sponsor reception and book signing and a tented luncheon on the retreat’s magnificent 84 acres of conservation land.  

Thanks to two very generous sponsors, we have recently been able to share the art of circus with children who might otherwise not have been able to participate in this experience. Sun Outdoors Sarasota has sponsored a weekly circus workshop series, taught by artists appearing in the Summer Circus Spectacular. This program has reached more than 150 children. The Tom and Carol Beeler Foundation has awarded 17 full scholarships to the CAC's Circus Summer Camp. Children from the Boys and Girls Club and the Visible Men Academy are learning circus skills and self-confidence in our final weeks of Circus Summer Camp 2022. Will you join these generous sponsors? Your gift can help break down financial roadblocks to success, and create opportunities for students to build strength and character. You can give the gift of achievement, belonging, confidence, and connection. 

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Hershorin Schiff Community Day School recently appointed Dr. Jesse Ehrlich and Rabbi Michael Shefrin to its board of trustees, a committed group of leaders who continue to guide the school after its success moving onto its new campus in 2021. According to Mitch Blumenthal, who serves as president of Community Day School’s board of trustees, the board is entrusted with the responsibility of creating school policies, as well as financial and strategic planning for long-term success. Blumenthal notes that, “Dr. Ehrlich and Rabbi Shefrin share a profound commitment to Community Day School and its mission. They’ve both demonstrated a tireless passion for education and the community with years of service and dedication. Their combined experience, expertise and leadership qualities are immeasurably valuable. We’re thrilled and honored to welcome them to the Community Day School
team!” 

PIctured: Left to right: Rachel Saltzberg, Mitch Blumenthal, Dan Ceaser, Rabbi Michael Shefrin, and Dr. Jesse Ehrlich. Photo courtesy of Community Day School.

First Watch, the leader in Daytime Dining, has partnered with WinCup, Inc. to replace about 30 million plastic straws annually in its more than 440 restaurants nationwide with phade®, a first-of-its-kind sustainable straw that naturally breaks down in the ocean in a matter of months. The new partners collectively place innovation and environmental sustainability as their core priorities, while providing a customer experience that looks and feels like a traditional plastic straw yet will safely return to nature through composting. Currently, First Watch offers phade® straws in two of its markets and intends to rollout nationally in the next two months. The secret behind phade® lies in its careful development that uses natural, raw materials to create straws that quickly and safely return to the earth in a matter of months after use, a significantly reduced timeline when compared to the hundreds of years it can take traditional petroleum-based straws to leave the environment. This is thanks to the straw’s unique PHA (short for polyhydroxyalkanoate) properties, which because of its organic, plant-based make-up, bacteria treat as a food source in nearly all natural environments. First Watch’s partnership with WinCup comes as the Bradenton, Florida-based company is experiencing unprecedented growth. Named the fastest growing full-service restaurant company in 2021 by FSR Magazine, First Watch today has a geographical footprint stretching across 28 states. The restaurant concept is making progress in ensuring its experiences and operations are based in sustainable practices. These efforts include offerings such as its award-winning Project Sunrise coffee, which supports independent groups of female farmers in Colombia, 100% recyclable to-go paper bags and containers made from 90% post-consumer waste fibers, napkins made with 100% recycled paper and, most recently, compostable phade® straws. In addition to sharing commitments to quality performance, team wellbeing and doing the right thing, First Watch was drawn to WinCup in part because its unique, award-winning focus on sustainable solutions. WinCup has won numerous awards for the development and launch of phade®, including the 2021 Innovation Award for Foodservice for Sustainability Solutions from the National Restaurant Association and SmartBrief, and 2020 Innovation in Bioplastics Award from the Bioplastics Division of PLASTICS (The Plastics Industry Association). Connecting the two organizations helps empower customers to play a role in taking care of the planet.

Residents of Windward at Lakewood Ranch, a Neal Communities neighborhood, have a new reason to enjoy their community. A 9,600-square-foot clubhouse with a gathering center, full-time activities director and state-of-the-art fitness center recently opened. The neighborhood amenities also include two resort-style pools – one for families with children and one for adults only, as well as pickleball and tennis courts, trails for walking and biking, and playgrounds and park areas. Windward at Lakewood Ranch is located near 1-75 at Fruitville and Lorraine Roads in Sarasota County. It is a gated community featuring homes with two to four bedrooms, ranging in square footage from 1,434 to 2,936. Home prices start at $495,990 and there are new homes under construction now. Visit www.nealcommunities.com/new-homes/windward/ for more information. 

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The Office of Angelina "Angel" Colonneso, Manatee County Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller, is warning homeowners of letters sent by private companies offering to provide a copy of their recorded deed for $89. The official-looking letter is sent to new homeowners, informing them that a deed has been recorded in Official Records. The document identifies the mail recipient as the new property owner. The message continues with instructions on obtaining a copy of the recorded deed by filling out the bottom portion of the document and returning it along with a check or money order for $89 to Property Records Office, LLC. While the service this company provides is not illegal, it is unnecessary. Homeowners who wish to receive a copy of their recorded deed can contact the Clerk & Comptroller's office at (941) 741-4045 to request a copy. A hard copy of a document costs $1.00 per page and $2.00 for certification if ordered. Additionally, residents can visit the Clerk & Comptroller's website at www.ManateeClerk.com to download a copy of their recorded deed for free through the Clerk's Public Records Hub. While on the Public Records Hub, homeowners are encouraged to set up property fraud alerts. The Clerk & Comptroller's office provides Property Fraud Alerts free of charge. This service notifies customers whenever an instrument of record, such as a declaration, lease, mortgage, or lien, is recorded in the Official Record. Subscribers create as many alerts as needed using different variations of their name, spouse's name, or business name. An email alert is sent when a record containing one or more of these names is recorded with the Clerk & Comptroller's office. 

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Arts and Cultural Alliance Executive Director, Jim Shirley, has announced he will retire at the end of December 2022. Shirley assumed leadership in 2009 of what was then called the
Arts Council in 2009 and has served in that capacity for the past 13 years. The Arts Council was founded in 1986 and serves as the umbrella organization for all arts and culture institutions in Sarasota County. Its name was later changed to recognize the importance and impact of arts and culture on the Gulf Coast of Florida. The mission of the Alliance includes being the chief advocate for all facets of the arts in the community including arts education for all children in our schools. The Alliance administers the Tourist Development
Tax Arts Grant program for Sarasota County in addition to other granting programs supporting arts organizations and individual artists throughout the region. These programs have resulted in over $45 million of funding for the cultural community in Sarasota County.

“The Arts Alliance would not be where it is today if it were not for Jim’s hard work and dedication over the years. We are very grateful for the many things he has accomplished during his tenure. We will continue to move forward during this pivotal time and shortly will begin the process of engaging new leadership,” said Alliance President of the Board, Kelley Lavin.