CLOSINGS ANNOUNCED FOR MEMORIAL DAY
The City of Sarasota administration offices will be closed Monday, May 25, in observance of Memorial Day.
The closing affects city hall, the Federal Building and public works, although solid waste and recycling collection will not be impacted.
Most Sarasota County government offices, libraries and recreation centers will be closed as well.
The Payne Park Tennis Center will be open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., and the Arlington Park Recreation Center will be open from noon to 5 p.m.
Sarasota County Area Transit will not operate on Memorial Day.
The county collection of solid waste, yard waste and recyclables will remain on the regular pickup schedule.
The landfill at 4000 Knights Trail Road in Nokomis will be open, but the administrative office will be closed. Regular operating hours will be in effect at Sarasota County’s chemical collection centers at 8750 Bee Ridge Road, Sarasota; 250 S. Jackson Road, Venice; and 4010 Knights Trail Road, Nokomis.
For more information, contact the Sarasota County Call Center at 861-5000.
ADDRESS CHANGES TO MOVE FORWARD
The Sarasota County Commissioners on May 13 agreed to hold a public hearing on a plan to revamp addresses throughout the county to eliminate duplication.
The move is being urged by emergency services officials to foster a faster response to calls for help.
However, the commissioners changed the proposed date of the public hearing to allow for broader public participation. The hearing will be held on Sept. 8, whereas it had been proposed for July.
County Fire Chief Brian Gorski pointed out that speed is vital in emergencies. "Fire intensity doubles every 30 seconds," he said. "And for cardiac arrest, the survival rate goes down 10 percent every minute."
"Street name changes will cause a lot of upset," said Commission Chairman Jon Thaxton.
"There will be some name changes," said Fire Marshall Jane Ross.
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ROCKET DOCKET OFF TO A FLYING START
Twenty-six cases in 44 minutes:. That’s all it took Senior Judge Harry Rapkin to render "final judgment" on foreclosures last Friday afternoon.
He had been called back from retirement and tasked with closing thousands of uncontested foreclosures jamming the courts.
At the end of the day, he turned to the two clerks and said, "Ladies, get ready. I have these scheduled to the end of the year, and it keeps growing."
Rapkin will hold proceedings every other Friday until the backlog is cleared.
"This is bad paper on the banks," he said during a pause in action on May 15. "You can’t evaluate debt. But you can evaluate property."
Once Rapkin enters a final judgment, the banks will sell the property. This clears the debt from their books, establishes a value for the property and, they hope, puts families in the houses.
"Week after next, I’ve got another 200 set to go," said Rapkin.
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ASIA FEST TO BE HELD IN AREA ON MAY 30
The Gulf Coast Chinese American Association, serving Manatee, Sarasota and Charlotte counties, will host the Sarasota area’s first Dragon Boat Festival and Asia Fest on May 30.
Everyone in the community is invited to celebrate the month of May as Asian and Pacific Islander’s Heritage Month, so designated by President Barack Obama. The festival will take place on Coquina Beach, on the bay side, at the southern point of Anna Maria Island, bordering Longboat Key.
The festival will feature a Dragon Boat on display, and it will offer storytelling, educational materials for cultural exchange, a costume show, a martial arts exhibition, a kayak race, a kite-flying competition and an Asian Food Festival. The event will begin at 10 a.m. and conclude at 4 p.m. Visit www.gulfcoastchineseamerica.org
MEMORIAL DAY PARADES, CEREMONIES PLANNED
Memorial Day parades and ceremonies for Sarasota and Venice will begin at 10 a.m. on Monday, May 25, at Main Street and Osprey Avenue in Sarasota and at 10:30 a.m. at Veteran’s Park at the west end of Venice Avenue in Venice.
The events are being coordinated by the Sarasota Patriotic Observance Committee, the Venice Area Veterans Council and Sarasota County’s Veterans Benefits Unit.
The Sarasota parade will travel west on Main Street to Chaplain J.D. Hamel Park on Gulfstream Avenue.
Among the marching units will be veterans’ services organizations, law enforcement agencies, fire departments and their color guards, civic organizations and historical military equipment. The theme of the Sarasota parade and ceremony is "Never Forget."
"The parade and ceremony is an opportunity for the citizens of Sarasota County to honor not only veterans of the Armed Services, but police officers, sheriff’s deputies, firefighters and emergency medical personnel," said Patriotic Observance Committee President Dan Kunkel.
A ceremony at Hamel Park will begin immediately after the parade, with guest speaker Lt. Col. William Brockman from the Sarasota Military Academy.
The Venice ceremony at Veteran’s Park will feature guest speaker Andy Hooker, vice president of the Sarasota County Veterans Commission.
American Legion Post 159, 1770 E. Venice Ave., Venice, will also hold a ceremony at 11:30 a.m., followed by an open house.
For more information, contact the Sarasota County Call Center at 861-5000.
CHILDREN FIRST WINS GRANT FOR CAMP
Children First has announced that it has been awarded a $55,310 grant from the Community Foundation of Sarasota County’s Leslie and Margaret Weller Fund.
This funding has been designated for the LEAF Summer Literacy Camp program. It represents the second year of a multi-year commitment the Community Foundation has made to "connecting the dots" to literacy for at-risk children from birth through middle school, according to a news release.
The Literacy Empowers All Families (LEAF) program was developed through a partnership of community agencies, the libraries and the Sarasota County School District, united by the Community Foundation of Sarasota County’s goal to make a significant impact on early learning and literacy for children from low-income homes.
This summer, Children First will be offering the second year of the LEAF Summer Literacy Camp to 80 children in north Sarasota and North Port. The seven-week program is designed for 5-year-olds who will be entering kindergarten in the fall. Through a variety of educational activities and hands-on learning experiences, children enrolled in the camp will obtain the literacy skills they need to succeed in kindergarten, the release says.
The LEAF Summer Camp begins on June 22. It is accepting applications.
For enrollment information, contact Carol Hogue at 953-3877.
DRAFT MPO PLAN READY FOR REVIEW
The Sarasota/Manatee Metropolitan Planning Organization has released for public review its draft Public Participation Plan (PPP) prior to adoption by the MPO board on June 22.
Pursuant to federal and state regulations and MPO policy, this draft transportation improvement program document has been released for public comment for a 45-day period. A copy of the draft is available for review at all Manatee and Sarasota County administration buildings, public libraries and local city halls until June 22.
The draft also may be viewed at the MPO website: www.mympo.org.
Comments may be submitted by mail to Sarasota/Manatee MPO, 7632 15th St. E., Sarasota, Florida 34243.
The fax number for comments is 941-359-5779. E-mail should be sent to mpo@mympo.org.