This spring, a different kind of competition has taken hold of Major League Baseball. The World Baseball Classic returned Tuesday in full swing for the first time since 2017. The international baseball tournament, which has been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, features a field of 20 teams, including newcomers like the Czech Republic, Great Britain, and Nicaragua, all battling it out for the chance to be named world champions.

If this setup feels oddly familiar, it’s because we last saw baseball as an international competition just two summers ago, in the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. However, the 2020 Olympic baseball tournament and the World Baseball Classic are not cut from the same cloth. For starters, the Olympic baseball tournament was, unfortunately, an anomaly – hosted for the first time since 2008, the sport will not return in 2024. Secondly, the Olympic baseball tournament only featured a pool of six teams as opposed to the World Baseball Classic’s 20 team pool. The last and most distinguishing factor between the two tournaments is the level of play – the 2020 Summer Games took place right in the middle of the MLB regular season, preventing the best players in the world from actually playing for their countries in the competition. The World Baseball Classic, on the other hand, takes place over the course of Spring Training, allowing MLB’s best and brightest to compete against each other on the international stage.

This means that players from the same teams will be competing against each other, something that never could have happened during the typical MLB season. The teams that call the Sarasota-area home for the spring are no exception to this either – the Atlanta Braves feature eight players representing six different countries in the tournament, the Baltimore Orioles with six players from five different countries, and the Pittsburgh Pirates with a whopping 13 players from 10 different countries. 

Photo courtesy of 2017 World Baseball Classic.

Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation announced 25 Sarasota County educators as TIME Fellowship winners. The Time to Inspire Margie’s Educators (TIME) Fellowship awards educators up to $12,000 to help refresh and renew their commitment to teaching. Within this cohort, twelve fellows will travel to Europe, three to South America, and one to visit Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. Some plan to stay closer to home, like two teachers teaming up for an arts immersion in New York City and another teacher who will travel west to see the Grand Canyon for the very first time.  

To learn more click here.

Registration is open now! Art Center Sarasota is once again encouraging young children and teens to set their inner artists free at its summertime art camps. The 10 weekly sessions run May 30 to August 4. The programs target two different age groups: Creative Kids serves children, ages 6 to10; Emerging Arts is for aspiring artists, ages 11 to 15. The camps are Mondays through Fridays, 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Before- and after-care is offered. Fees are $250 per week for Art Center Sarasota members with a family membership; $300 per week for non-members. Art supplies are included; participants will also receive a free art camp t-shirt. Sibling discounts and scholarships are available upon request. Art Center Sarasota is also looking for teens, 15 and over, to volunteer as teaching and after-care assistants. Volunteer hours count towards high school and Bright Futures and National Honor Society requirements. For more information about Art Center Sarasota’s summer art camps and its teen volunteer program, visit www.artsarasota.org or call 941-365-2032. 

Effective immediately, Chief of Police Duane Oakes – also the school district’s Executive Director of Safety & Security – has been removed from his position with Sarasota County Schools. Interim Superintendent Dr. Allison Foster has appointed Stephen Lorenz – currently a Captain with the Sarasota County Schools Police Department (SCSPD) – as the district’s Acting Chief of Police and Executive Director of Safety & Security, effective immediately. Acting Chief Lorenz started his tenure with the SCSPD in August 2019 as a Lieutenant. Acting Chief Lorenz has over 35 years of law enforcement experience. He has obtained a Permanent Teaching Certificate in Adult Education from St. Petersburg College and is pursuing a bachelor’s degree through St. Petersburg College as well. A former Security Policeman with the U.S. Air Force, Acting Chief Lorenz has also served with the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office and the North Port Police Department. Acting Chief Lorenz has over 8,000 hours of Law Enforcement-related training, holds numerous High Liability and Training certifications, and is a graduate of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement Future Executive Studies program. He has also served as the Coordinator for the Suncoast Technical College Criminal Justice Academy. Acting Chief Lorenz is a recipient of the Police Cross, the Law Enforcement Combat Medal, and the Law Enforcement Commendation Medal, among other awards and distinctions. 

The School District of Manatee County will hold a groundbreaking ceremony for a school renovation project this Friday, March 10, 2023. The event is taking place at 10 a.m. at Palmetto High School, which is located at 1200 17th Street West in Palmetto. The school renovation was approved by the School Board of Manatee County in December 2022, and the scheduled opening of the building is August 2025. The project includes construction of a new two-story classroom building, a new cafeteria building, a new entrance addition to the administration building for enhanced security, a new bus loop and parking, a new retention pond and baseball field renovations. The project budget is $39 million. The architect is SchenkelShultz Architecture and the construction manager is Gilbane Building Company. 

Downtown Wellen’s expansive outdoor recreation areas, including the Great Lawn, Grand Lake and The Yard food and entertainment park, is now open. Regular event programming is now underway in Downtown Wellen, including Wellen Wednesdays featuring cornhole and live music at 6 p.m., the Friday Night Concert Series, from 6 to 9 p.m., yoga classes Saturdays from 9 to 10 a.m., and Zumba classes Mondays from 9 to 10 a.m. Saturday evening events will commence in the coming weeks. “It’s wonderful seeing kayaks and paddleboards out on the water and people enjoying this beautiful weather, wandering along the sidewalks and the lakefront trail, and watching the incredible sunsets,” said Rick Severance, president of Wellen Park. “This is exactly how we imagined Downtown Wellen and what we’ve been looking forward to since construction started in August 2021. Downtown is a special place for everyone to experience.”

Located along the 80-acre Grand Lake, the fully leased Downtown Wellen ushers in an exciting new chapter at Wellen Park with this first phase offering outdoor recreation, dining, entertainment and shopping, as well as a calendar packed with events and activities. The full calendar of events and details are available at wellenpark.com/events. For directions to Downtown Wellen, guests should use 19745 Wellen Park Blvd., Venice, FL 34293, the address of Solis Hall, Downtown Wellen’s event and performance stage venue. Downtown Wellen has a one-of-a-kind play yard inspired by nature, a lakefront fountain and splashpad, and the Great Lawn for community festivals, markets, celebrations and events. Solis Hall, an elegant rental venue, features an outdoor stage and a lakefront patio. The Yard epitomizes Downtown Wellen’s emphasis on creating interesting and interactive outdoor experiences with areas thoughtfully designed to connect visitors to green spaces, nature and each other. Intimate gathering spaces feature Canopy Green, a waterfront destination under a relocated oak tree, and the Heritage Tree Living Room, an alfresco lounge with decking and seating in the shade of a nearly 100-year-old oak. Downtown Wellen is located off U.S. 41 just west of South River Road and can be accessed directly from Preto Boulevard and U.S. 41. A future downtown entry directly from U.S. 41 is currently under construction. Consistently ranked among the U.S.’s top-selling communities annually by prominent real estate consulting firm RCLCO, Wellen Park offers a mix of single-family and multifamily residential, commercial and recreational options. The community currently has approximately 9,500 residents, and at full buildout will have more than 50,000 residents and 22,500 homes within its three distinct districts: West Villages, Downtown Wellen and Playmore. Wellen Park’s expanding residential choices include new-construction single-family homes in picturesque neighborhoods, a bundled golf and country club community, paired and attached villas, coach homes and condominiums. Rental options offer one- to three bedroom luxury apartments and single-family homes, an apartment community for active adults 55 and older, and world-class independent, assisted living and memory care. Wellen Park is close to top-ranked beaches and the area’s many attractions. To learn more about Downtown Wellen and living at Wellen Park, call 941-960-7805, go to wellenpark.com or visit the Welcome Center at 12275 Mercado Drive in Venice, Fla. The Welcome Center is open daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

DREAMING OF MUSIC | Music Go Round helps aspiring musician bring their dreams to life, March 2023. 

Read Here!