Hurricane Ian has brought untold damage to Florida’s Gulf Coast after it made landfall on Wednesday afternoon. While the full extent of the damage is still unknown, one local landmark, the historic Venice Theatre, was not exempt from the gale-force winds. The Category 5 hurricane, which is by far the strongest storm to hit the Gulf Coast in recent history, slammed the area with 150 mile-per-hour winds and torrential rainfall leading to catastrophic damage and flooding. The Venice Theatre, which is the largest community theater in the country per capita, and had just opened its 73rd season, suffered some of the worst that Hurricane Ian had to offer to its three-building property. “Our building has catastrophic damage,” said Benny Sato Ambush, Artistic Director of the Venice Theatre. "From the photos, it looks like the roof has been ripped off of the Fly House, the backstage area of the big theater. Since it’s wide open, I’m imagining that the wind and water has flooded inside as well.”

Ahead of the tropical storm, the Venice Theatre had canceled their final week of The Revolutionists and suspended rehearsals for three other upcoming performances, including Kinky Boots. Ambush, who evacuated to Florida’s other coast with four guest actors from out of town, is unsure of the extent of the damage. “Some of my colleagues stayed and hunkered down. I'm getting reports of significant damage to the building but I’m also trying to see if I still have a house standing. The ground zero bullseye of where it hit is just to the south of us–there’s flooding and debris everywhere, power outages, cell phone towers are down, it’s just a mess. I’m staying away till I know it’s safe enough to go back,” says Ambush. “The actors staying with me had temporary housing situations and we’re trying to see what kind of shape those are in.” 

Pictured: Hurricane Ian caused major damage to the historic Venice Theatre. Photo courtesy of the city of Venice.

From October 1st through Octover 28th, Art Uptown Gallery will feature Connectivity by Cecile Moran, a rich series of paintings teeming with color, form and mystery. The work speaks to the importance of our natural environmental connections. The images on the painting surface symbolize the unseen energy that connects all living things. This energy is symbolized by the arboreal forms around us which provide the air that we breathe and the essence of our existence. Meet the artist at the First Friday public reception at the gallery on October 7 from 6 to 9 pm. Art Uptown Gallery welcomes patrons and friends at 1367 Main Street where the diverse art works of local, award-winning artists are exhibited daily. Telephone 941-955-5409 or visit www.artuptown.com for hours and further information.  

As winds from Hurricane Ian continue to diminish, Manatee County Public Safety and Administration are lifting the mandatory evacuation orders which have been in effect since Tuesday morning. Emergency evacuation shelters are being closed, and residents are being allowed to return to their homes. However, it is not a return to normal. “This is not an all-clear,” said Manatee County Administrator Scott Hopes. “There are still hazards out there. And you need to understand the danger.” Dr. Hopes already implored potential “disaster tourists” to stay home so that the First In Teams, Utilities restoration crews and damage assessment can continue their restoration and recovery efforts. Initial assessments show that the island communities have suffered minor to moderate damages with a greater impact being felt inland in east county communities like Myakka City. Reports of fallen trees, scattered limbs and snapped power wires have been widespread across the region, and while power crews are already deploying to the area, residents are being asked to be alert for debris and downed lines. With inundating rains on top of already-saturated ground, the risk of flooding remains high and will remain high through the end of the week. Motorists are reminded to not drive through water of unknown depth. If you can’t see the road striping under the water, turn around. Don’t drown. If power is out, drivers should treat each intersection as a four-way stop and remain alert for unexpected road hazards and washouts. Finally, if your power is still out and you are using a generator, remember that they must be used with proper ventilation at a proper distance from the home. Do not use a generator indoors or in partially enclosed spaces, including homes, garages and crawl spaces—even those areas with partial ventilation. Do not operate near open doors and windows. Using fans will not prevent carbon monoxide build-up in the home. For more information on Manatee County Government, visit mymanatee.org or call (941) 748-4501. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @manateegov. 

Sarasota City Manager, Marlon Brown provided the following update on Thursday: It’s been a rough few days but we made it through Hurricane Ian. Based on preliminary assessments, damage to our community appears to be limited to a large number of downed trees, some downed utility lines and minor structural damage. We have fared well and our hearts go out to our neighbors to the south as we see the catastrophic images on TV and internet. The City of Sarasota will offer assistance in whatever way we can to those communities in need. A heartfelt thank you to our many employees representing every department who left their families during the storm to report to the Emergency Operations Center and coordinate our storm response and recovery. Your efforts are truly appreciated. As we begin our recovery phase, we plan to resume regular City operations on Monday, Oct. 3, including the City Commission meeting at 9 a.m.  

Feeding South Florida – the leading domestic hunger-relief organization in South Florida – is working to ensure those impacted by Hurricane Ian across the State of Florida have clean water and meals ready to eat. The organization is working with families in Florida who were impacted by the storm, as well as sharing its resources to help its sister food banks in other parts of the state. Feeding South Florida is deploying its team members and equipment to the affected areas. Harry Chapin is not flooded, but Feeding South Florida is sending its generator so they can have power in the Naples facility. The response is a coordinated response with Feeding Florida food banks across Florida. Feeding South Florida is the closest food bank to the area and has been asked to respond to the needs in this community. Feeding South Florida’s operations team has already loaded meals ready to eat, water, and snacks into a 36-foot trailer and deliver the much-needed food and water to the families. Due to damage on highways, Feeding South Florida is the only food bank in the state who can access the affected areas via I-75 (Alligator Alley) at this time. Feeding South Florida is on standby and expected to make additional food, water and supply deliveries. The first truck will arrive at Island Coast High School in Cape Coral at 4 p.m. today, Sept. 29. With over 2.6 million without power in Florida, Feeding South Florida’s state-of-the-art, 5,000-square-foot community kitchen is ready to ship 4,000 meals to the affected areas and ready to prepare up to 3,000 meals per day for families on the West Coast. The organization partners with 300 nonprofit partner agencies throughout its quad-county service area – Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties and providing support for 25% of the state’s food insecure population. The nonprofit’s mission is to not only end hunger in South Florida but to aid those in need during emergency situations like this. 

All Faiths Food Bank has decided to postpone its Autumn Harvest Dinner, which was to take place this Friday, September 30. Event organizers have decided to hold the event at a later date, which is still to be determined. The long-table dinner is part of the Autumn Harvest campaign, which raises funds for produce programs that provide fresh fruits and vegetables to neighbors struggling with hunger. When there's a cost-of-living crisis, healthy food can be the first to go. All Faiths believes that everyone deserves access to healthy foods, and healthy eating benefits the entire community, as our neighbors enjoy improved health outcomes. All Faiths would like to thank event sponsors and the organization's supporters for their understanding and patience, as our region and the state manage aftermath from Hurricane Ian. As one of the lead emergency response organizations in Sarasota County and the State of Florida, All Faiths is prepared for any potential impact on our region and stands ready to provide emergency support when and if needed. 

The Bradenton Public Market is cancelled for Saturday, October 1, 2022 due to conditions caused by Hurricane Ian. The Market will return for its new season on Saturday, October 8, 2022 on Old Main Street in Bradenton. 

GREECE TO INDIA | The families behind Apollonia Grill and Tandoor Fine Indian Cuisine in Cooper Creek.

Explore the fantastic flavors of Apollonia Grill and Tandoor through this link, on our social media, or in the Fall 2022 edition of Living Lakewood! 

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