School remains out in Sarasota and Manatee counties because of the impact of Hurricane Ian, and the closure remains indefinite in Sarasota. But most people in the region now have power as the water recedes and a recovery effort continues.

“Support is ongoing,” said state Sen. Joe Gruters, R-Sarasota. “Help is here and more is on the way.”

As of 9pm Sunday evening, only around 16% of customers in Manatee County remained without power, while over 31% of Sarasota users remained without electricity. Manatee County school officials announced plans to reopen on Tuesday, but the picture remains less clear in Sarasota. 

“Sarasota County Schools will remain closed until further notice while we continue to assess, clean, and repair extensive damages to our facilities,” reads a notice from the Sarasota school district. “We will reopen once we can ensure the safety and wellbeing of all our students and employees while they are in our schools & facilities throughout Sarasota County.” The notice goes on to note that particularly in South County areas like North Port, there remains significant damage from the storm.

Government officials in the area remain anxious to bring all services online, particularly schools. “The schools are a big unknown factor that will displace a lot of people once they are ready to get back to work/life,” said Sarasota County Commissioner Christian Ziegler. “With COVID just a couple years ago impacting kids, we cannot afford any more distractions or limitations. With that said, many schools have damage that is currently be assessed and we should know more soon.”

And the area still has its needs. State Rep. Fiona McFarland, R-Sarasota, said communities further south that dealt with greater wind force and storm surge need immediate relief. The area still needs several things, she said. “The water to recede. Debris and tree removal. Tarps, probably a few generators, hot meals,” she said, “and we need to set up a field hospital in Venice.”

Ziegler praised Gov. Ron DeSantis for working with Starlink to make sure there was internet access available in the region despite traditional wire infrastructure still down thanks to the storm.

“We responded quickly with initial supplies and Gov helped open up the PODS, but could use more ice for people who lack power,” he said. “The roads and county infrastructure is one of the next phases. That is being assessed now that we have access throughout the community. We have a very good team and processes in place, but never faced a storm like this locally. So far, so good, but still a lot of work to do until we are back to normal.”

Photo by Jacob Ogles: Thousand Trails Peace River mobile home park after Hurricane Ian.

Tracking trends in sustainable home building has been a decades-long passion of Michael Halflants, FAIA—an award-winning design principal with the Tampa/Sarasota firm, Halflants + Pichette.

On September 22, he shared his insights at the Interior Design Society (IDS) Environmental Design Conference: Green Building, Healthy Lives! on the New College of Florida campus. Halflants served on a panel called “Design for Sustainability and Environment,” and focused on the topic of “Sustainable Density.” He joined two other speakers: landscape architect David Young, who discussed “Environmental Landscape Design”; and interior designer Sarit Marcus, who talked about “How to Create an Eco-friendly, Healthy Home.”

Q: What are some ways that Sarasota is moving in the direction of sustainable building?

A: In Sarasota County, 76 percent of households consist of one or two people, yet most of what’s on the market is living spaces with three bedrooms or more. When the Sarasota Chamber of Commerce surveyed young professionals, almost 80 percent of them stated that they wanted to live in an apartment, and 62 percent of them said they were hoping to find a one- or two-bedroom apartment.

If a municipality restricts the number of residential units per acre to an unreasonably low number, as the City of Sarasota does, it encourages the construction of large condominiums to the exclusion of all others. It’s neither sustainable nor equitable to build an entire city of luxury units. The average unit size should be in the range of 1,200 square feet rather than 4,000. A smaller footprint will use less resources to build and bring more residents in close proximity to restaurants and work. Higher density generates less traffic and a smaller carbon footprint per resident. Many municipalities around the country are subjected to a zoning code that makes it difficult to create smaller units, even though they are more sustainable to build and more inviting to a diverse population in terms of income, age and background. These codes can be described as exclusionary zoning where one is excluding potential buyers who can’t afford an enormous unit. It’s not really possible to create affordable units unless we allow for higher density.

Many of the building issues we have in the states and worldwide could be improved if we went away from the model of single-family lots. In the U.S., land development is growing twice as fast as population growth. In terms of the global population, we’re already spending resources faster than can be sustained, and it’s something that needs to be addressed.

Halflants + Pichette: 1350 Fifth St., Sarasota, 941-365-1820, halflantspichette.com. 

Pictured: The award-winning Verandah House was completed in 2015. Photo courtesy of Halflants and Pichette.

All School District of Manatee County Schools will be closed Monday, October 3rd, as district maintenance and custodial crews continue work to restore our schools to working conditions in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian. As of Friday morning, more than 15 Manatee District schools were without power. While area power providers are working intently – clean-up efforts, damage repairs and restocking of food supplies at schools cannot begin until power is available. In addition, certain infrastructure needs such as working traffic signals, need to be fully restored to safely transport students to and from schools. Employees involved in the work to restore schools for instructional readiness are being contacted by their direct supervisors regarding those efforts. Again, All Manatee District Schools will be closed on Monday, October 3rd. School official will continue to keep you updated on when school will resume through mass notification phone calls and emails, as well as through our social media sites on Facebook (@ManateeSchoolsGoodNews), and Twitter (@Manateeschools), and on our district website at www.manateeschools.net under Top Stories. 

Sarasota County Schools will remain closed until further notice while we continue to assess, clean, and repair extensive damages to our facilities. We will reopen once we can ensure the safety and wellbeing of all our students and employees while they are in our schools & facilities throughout Sarasota County. Today was the first time our school assessment teams have been able to get into our North Port area schools to survey damage. Assessment teams are also still working through their review of all our school campuses and district facilities – the damage and repair work needed varies at each location. Some schools have power and minimal amounts of debris; others have no power, need extensive repairs, and have massive amounts of debris. Additionally, we are still hosting guests from the community at two of our school shelters since power outages, flooding, and downed power lines – among other storm-related issues – are still prevalent throughout Sarasota County and beyond. Communication is still unstable throughout the county, not only local connectivity but within our own school district capabilities. We appreciate your patience and understanding during this time of recovery and will be sure to share updates as soon as information becomes available. Please continue to follow us on social media (@sarasotaschools) and be sure to visit www.sarasotacountyschools.net/hurricane for the latest updates.

We would be remiss not to mention how moving the outpouring of support and care has been on the Suncoast – not only to our school personnel and families within the community, but to all that have been impacted by Hurricane Ian in our region. If you are interested in/able to donate items to those in need, please do not bring these items to our schools. A number of community organizations are assisting with collection – some of these opportunities are already posted on www.sarasotacountyschools.net/hurricane and we will be sure to share other opportunities as information becomes available. 

The following is a message from Jennifer Jennifer O. Rominiecki, President and CEO of Selby Gardens.

In the wake of Hurricane Ian, it is our sincerest hope that you and your loved ones are safe and out of harm’s way. The aftermath of this type of storm can no doubt be extremely difficult, and our thoughts are with every family affected. Above all else, I am so glad to report that all of our staff members are safe. Many have already asked how both campuses of our beloved Selby Gardens fared during the storm. At the Downtown Sarasota campus, we have a number of trees and branches down, and a lot of debris to clear away. However, we’re happy to report that many of the iconic trees that so many of us love have held up nicely, including the Moreton Bay Fig, Banyans, Bo Tree, and Wedding Oak. Our research collections are all unscathed. Unfortunately, we did lose about 40 panes of glass in our greenhouse complex. One of our behind-the-scenes greenhouses sustained significant damage and will need to be taken down. The good news is that—other than a minor leak in the Selby House—our historic buildings are in good shape. Also, the new construction that is underway for our Master Plan is unharmed. At our Historic Spanish Point campus, the tree damage is more significant. We lost numerous major trees—many of which fell blocking the access paths to the campus. There are hundreds of downed branches and a lot of debris to clear away. Regarding our historic structures on the site, the pergola will need to be repaired, and we have some minor fixes to make to the White Cottage and Guptill House. Overall, we feel extremely lucky and grateful that the damage sustained by both of our campuses is not worse. Both campuses will need to remain closed to the public in order to clear away the debris and further assess damage.

You can remain informed about the reopening through the Selby Gardens website and Facebook page. In the meantime, if it is safe for you to join us and you would like to volunteer in our clean-up efforts, please contact us here. All help (and rakes) will be welcome in these early days. In addition, many have asked about making a contribution toward our recovery efforts. If you wish, you may do so here. 

Pictured: Fallen tree at the Historic Spanish Point campus. Photo courtesy of Selby Gardens.

Due to the impact of Hurricane Ian to orchestra operations, Sarasota Orchestra has announced that it will cancel the following concerts: Discoveries: “Mozart and Tchaikovsky” on Saturday, October 1; FREE Family Concert “The Animated Orchestra” on Friday, October 7; Young Person’s Concerts in partnership with the Sarasota and Manatee County School Districts. The Orchestra said it expects to resume concerts on Sunday, October 9 with its first Chamber Soirée of the season in Holley Hall, featuring the Sarasota String Quartet. Rehearsals for the Sarasota Youth Orchestras are cancelled on Monday and Tuesday, October 3 and 4, with an expectation to return to the regular rehearsal schedule on October 10 and 11.  

For more information click here

For those who have expressed interest in donating supplies for local families & individuals in need after the devastation left by Hurricane Ian, please note the following donation site information: Grace Community Church, 8000 Bee Ridge Rd, Sarasota, Drop-Off date & time: Sunday, October 2 to Sunday, October 9 – 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM each day; First Sarasota – The Downtown Baptist Church, 1661 Main Street, Sarasota, Drop-Off date & time: Sunday, October 2 – 12:00 to 4:00 PM; South Shore Community Church, 1899 South Tuttle Avenue, Drop-Off date & time: Sunday, October 2 – 3:00 to 7:00 PM; Coast Life Church will be accepting supply donations at their new campus, located at 1100 U.S. Hwy 41 Bypass in Venice, Drop-Off date & time: Monday, October 3 – 8:00 to 10:00 AM and 4:00 to 7:00 PM. There are varying levels & types of need in our community right now and a wide variety of care items would be helpful: Basic toiletries like shampoo, toothpaste, hairbrushes and toothbrushes, body wash and soap,clothing items like shirts, skirts, pants, hoodies/jackets, socks, and shoes, blankets, sheets, sleeping bags and pillows, nonperishable food items such as peanut butter, canned vegetables, canned soup, & cereal, bottled water, juice boxes, comfort items like stuffed animals, books, and games. CoastLife Church will be hosting a BBQ dinner for those in need on Monday, October 3 from 4:00 to 7:00 PM at their new campus, located at 1100 U.S. Hwy 41 Bypass in Venice, Grace Community Church will be the distribution site for these donated items; however, community organizers are still working out a schedule of dates/times for pick-up. We’ll share additional updates as soon as more information becomes available. Communication is still unstable throughout the county, please follow Sarasota County Schools on social media (@sarasotaschools). Visit www.sarasotacountyschools.net/hurricane for the latest school-related updates. For other county information please visit www.scgov.net.  

Art Center Sarasota will remain closed to the public through Monday, Oct. 3rd as they assess the building and begin clean up efforts. During this time they will have intermittent access to email and will try to return emails and keep everyone updated as best they can. They look forward to welcoming you all back through their doors soon!  

Based on the impact of Hurricane Ian, the Tampa Bay Beaches Chamber of Commerce will now be donating funds from the Taste of the Beaches to The Islands of Sanibel Captiva Chamber of Commerce. The money raised from this event will go towards unrestricted support for their tourism industry and to help them rebuild their community. The Islands of Sanibel Captiva Chamber supports tourism and hospitality businesses. President & CEO, John Lei is a pillar in the community and the tourism industry. He serves as the Second Vice Chair for Visit Florida and is past president of the Lee County Chapter of the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association. When Tampa Bay Beaches Chamber CEO, Robin Miller shared the news of this with John he was grateful and emotional. The Chamber is grateful for the support of this year’s selected non-profit Parc Center for Disabilities for endorsing this shift of funds. CEO, Michelle Detweiler says, “Parc Center for Disabilities wholeheartedly supports the shift of support from our organization to the support of those who have traumatically been affected by Hurricane Ian. We feel blessed to be a part of the Tampa Bay Beaches Chamber and are here to support this effort. We will continue to do what we can to promote the Taste of the Beaches so that the maximum amount of funds can be used to help those in need.” Taste of the Beaches will be held Saturday, October 8th through Friday, October 14th at participating restaurants. The kick-off of this event will be October 7th at Horan Park. You can support Hurricane Ian Relief by purchasing tickets here: www.tampabaybeaches.com/taste. For more information, please contact CEO, Robin Miller at robin@tampabaybeaches.com or visit TampaBayBeaches.com.