SRQ DAILY Jul 8, 2021
Thursday Family and Recreation Edition
"We continue to monitor the progress and stand ready if the state requests help."
While Tropical Storm Elsa caused relatively little damage in Sarasota and Manatee counties, emergency officials continue to monitor the system. That’s in part because the storm, which made landfall in Taylor County, could end up hitting some of Florida’s smallest counties with the fewest resources at their disposal.
“We continue to monitor the progress and stand ready if the state requests help,” said Ed McCrane, Emergency Management Chief for Sarasota.
Elsa briefly gained hurricane strength as it moved through the Gulf of Mexico close to the coast, but for the most part remained a tropical storm. For the region, that meant heavy rain and wind. McCrane said North Port saw the greatest flooding issues, and the National Hurricane Center warned of risks on Longboat Key of storm surge as high as three feet.
But once the storm passed, these was little lasting damage. McCrane said there were only a few trees downed that affected residents.
Manatee County’s Public Safety Department reported some beach erosion but little long-term damage. “Our damage assessment team continues to assess impact from Hurricane Elsa. All Manatee County offices and park facilities will re-open to the public at noon today, but our libraries will remain closed until Thursday,” read an official statement after the storm passed.
FPL reported that 149 customers in Sarasota lost power during the storm, as did 33 in Manatee. State officials waited for the storm to pass to allow out-of-state power restoration teams to come in.
The storm finally made landfall around 2 p.m. in Taylor County, in Florida’s Big Bend. The storm, while expected to turn east after landfall, ended up moving steadily north into Georgia and left the state Wednesday evening.
But McCrane said his teams are preparing to be called to other parts of Florida. He noted Sarasota search and rescue teams were the first outside help to arrive in Mexico City after Hurricane Michael hit the state in 2018. 
Graphic courtesy National Hurricane Center
We bet you’ve never smelled a truck bed so sweet as Sweet B’s Flower Truck, where owner Jen Sekel pulls and customizes floral arrangements for every mood and occasion right from the truck bed of her classic 1952 Chevrolet pickup. Inspired by her love of vintage mobiles and floral arrangements, Sekel got her concept of flowers on wheels rolling amidst the uncertainty and instability of the pandemic. Sekel understood everyone was in need of day-brightening this year and she had a desire to make people feel warm inside by extending a helping stem.
“We had our grand opening on Valentine's Day weekend and we have been building relationships with our customers one stem at a time ever since," says Sekel. "That's really what it's all about!”
With a seasonal selection of annual summer flowers, mixed with a plethora of perennial blooms, build beautiful bouquets each one different than the next. From romantic roses and sunflowers to darling mini ornamental pineapples, Sweet B's selection is an evergreen nod to Florida's vibrant fruit and florals. Most popular recently, Sekel is selling a vast variety of Proteas—with bright colors and sharp petal shapes, this species adds a tropical touch to any arrangement.
“I keep many different types of blooms on the truck and make sure they aren't something you could just pick up from the grocery store," she says. "I look for different colored exotic flowers."
You can smell, spot and shop Sweet B’s every Sunday at the Lakewood Ranch Farmers Market from 10am - 2pm.
Follow @sweetbsflowertruck on socials for updates on local markets you can find Sweet B’s Flower traveling to, or email sweetbsflowertruck@gmail.com.
Photo from July 4th celebrations, courtesy of Sweet B's Flower Truck.
Key Chorale, the Suncoast’s premiere symphonic chorus, announces its 37th season with a mix of dynamic collaborations and unique programming that have become their hallmarks under the guidance of Artistic Director Joseph Caulkins. This season’s collaborations include: The Sarasota Ballet Studio Company, The Venice Symphony and The Circus Arts Conservatory as well as concerts with special guests The Stephen Lynerd Group, Les Canards Chantants, and The Lubben Brothers. “We decided for this season to really pull out all of the stops. We didn't want to present an emerging out of Covid season, but a season that looks like what our audiences love most about Key Chorale. It is a season full of upbeat and creative programming, one-of-a-kind concerts, soul-stirring performances and unforgettable collaborations,” says Artistic Director Joseph Caulkins.
The season kicks off September 25 and 26 with “Shout Glory! A Gospel Revival”. Together again after 19 months of virtual concerts and online events, Key Chorale is back to celebrate togetherness through the powerful legacy of African American spirituals and Gospel music in a feel-good concert experience sure to set your toes tapping, your hands clapping, and your spirit soaring. Joined by the energetic pulse of The Stephen Lynerd Group and the soulful sounds of the Hammond B-3 organ, this opening concert is full of upbeat, joyful music sure to raise the roof.
Leadership Sarasota, a program of the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce, will honor four outstanding leaders and legacy-makers at the annual Celebrate Outstanding Leadership Awards on Thursday, August 12, at 11:30 a.m. at Sarasota Yacht Club. This event will honor exceptional graduates of the Leadership Sarasota program in three categories: Lifetime of Leadership, Impact in Action and Leadership Sarasota Dedication.
Chris Gallagher, of Hoyt Architects, Leadership Class of 1997, will be honored with the “Lifetime of Leadership” Award; Joe Hembree, of Hembree & Associates Inc., Leadership Class of 2010, and Jennifer Vigne, of Education Foundation of Sarasota County, Leadership Class of 2015, will both be honored with the“Impact in Action” Award; Mark Gordon, of Observer Media Group, Leadership Class of 2010, will be honored with the “Leadership Sarasota Dedication” Award.
These recipients were selected by a panel of judges made up of Sarasota Chamber Board members, Leadership Sarasota Council members, and past Celebrate Outstanding Leadership Awardees. For more information, visit www.sarasotachamber.com or call (941) 556-4039.
The Hermitage Artist Retreat announced yesterday that Robyn Citrin has been elected as the new president of the Hermitage Board of Trustees. Citrin succeeds Leslie Edwards, who concludes her term as president and will remain on the Hermitage board. The Hermitage also welcomes Edward Swan, Jr. as a new member of the Board of Trustees. In addition, Hermitage trustee Ellen Berman has been elected to the position of secretary, while David Green and Steve Adler will continue in their respective roles as vice president and treasurer. These changes to the Hermitage board follow a successful season that has included over 50 live programs and events, dozens of new and expanded arts and education collaborations in the community, additional virtual offerings, a record-breaking fiscal year, and the launch of a new national commission in theater.
To learn more about the Hermitage, visit HermitageArtistRetreat.org.
The Community Foundation of Sarasota County (Community Foundation) has appointed Shumaker Partner Daniel (Dan) DeLeo as Chair of the board, serving a two-year term governing the organization, its charitable investments, and strategic decision making. Dan’s longstanding commitment to the Community Foundation is comprised of seven years on the board, including serving as Vice Chair of the board, and Chair of the Governance Committee. “Dan’s leadership has helped inform our foundation’s work for many years, and his deep commitment to our region and all who call it home is heartfelt,” says Roxie Jerde, President and CEO of the Community Foundation. “We are thrilled to welcome him as Chair and to be working alongside him to create the community we know to be possible, one full of opportunities and possibilities for all.”
The Child Protection Center, Inc. (CPC) was selected by the Venice Yacht Club Charitable Foundation to receive a $5,000 grant. This funding was awarded to continue the foundation’s support in the Children and Families Supervised Visitation Program (CFSVP), one of CPC’s Child Abuse Intervention programs. CFSVP, which had transitioned to fully virtual visitations over the course of the pandemic, has recently completed its transition back to in-person visits. This support from the Venice Yacht Club Charitable Foundation will provide crucial funding for the program as the community faces the rising child abuse reports being placed following the height of COVID-19.
The Child Protection Center’s mission is the Prevention, Intervention, & Treatment of Child Abuse. CPC has been serving Sarasota & DeSoto Counties since 1980. In the fiscal year 2020, CPC provided 66,698 services to individuals. For more information on CPC or the Supervised Visitation Program, visit www.cpcsarasota.org or call 941-365-1277.
Venice Yacht Club check presentation, courtesy of Child Protection Center.
Two Sarasota-Manatee County high school students have been selected as Bank of America Student Leaders. Selection for this prestigious, paid internship is due to the work each of them have done for their community. More information on them and their achievements is included below.
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Maria Alonzo, a recent grad of Manatee High School: Maria moved to the U.S. only three years ago from Venezuela but has already shown dedication to her community and peers. As senior director of operations at Your Advance, a student-led nonprofit, she serves as a mentor and tutor to help young students succeed. She has dedicated her time to helping immigrant families learn English and has led translation teams at UnidosNow community programs, directed FAFSA workshops, and volunteered to distribute food to the people in need.
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Chloe Bernal, a recent grad of Booker High School: Chloe Bernal saw how the pandemic and online learning was affecting young students. A recent graduate of Booker High School in Sarasota, Chloe and her peers stepped up to tutor elementary school students virtually during the Summer of 2020 to ease the stress and provide academic support for those struggling to learn through a computer screen. She was also part of a program where she supported the translation of crucial school and college readiness information for ESOL students at her school.
As Student Leaders, they will participate in virtual sessions that will expose the vital role nonprofits play in the community and work closely with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Manatee County. The program, which started in 2004, recognizes 300 community-focused juniors and seniors from across the U.S. annually.
Eli (Chon) and Daniel (So) are two Korean American brothers that run their late father’s shoe store in a predominantly African American community of Los Angeles. These two brothers strike up a unique and unlikely friendship with an 11-year-old African American girl, Kamilla (Baker). As Daniel dreams of becoming a recording artist and Eli struggles to keep the store afloat, racial tensions build to a breaking point in L.A. as the “infamous” L.A. Riots break out. Note: Gook is a derogatory term for people of Asian descent, especially a person of Philippine, Korean, or Vietnamese descent. Join us at 1pm on July 8 at the Historic Asolo Theater for big-screen movie magic in the Historic Asolo Theater. July is dedicated to Asia in the Movies, an ongoing series of film screenings and conversations showcasing a broad range of films and filmmakers from across Asia and the Asian diaspora. The initiative celebrates established and emerging voices, contemporary films and classics, animated films, as well as documentaries. The series builds on The Ringling’s mission to represent and center diverse voices and celebrate various cultures, as well as to become a space for relevant conversations around current social and political topics. For her final project, Anna Green, the performance Intern from New College of Florida has thoughtfully selected films for a series that educates, provides opportunity for conversation, and fosters understanding. We recommit to our values of equity, to providing a space for representation, and to highlighting the diversity and beauty of the Asian Community through Ringling’s film programming. Asia in the Movies strives to deepen our understanding of Asian cultures and our community. Tickets are $15 for adults, $13.50 for members, and $10.00 for students.
They may be spineless but marine mollusks are no pushovers! In fact, the gastropods that live in our oceans have fierce and fascinating lives employing a wide variety of superhero-like powers that make them more than just pretty shells. The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature is inviting guests to go beyond the beautiful shell to learn the real stories of these cool and complex animals in its newest special exhibition, Battles of the Boneless, opening July 8. This comic-book themed exhibition explores the adaptations that have allowed mollusks to become one of the largest and most diverse animal groups on the planet, with more than 93,000 species. 201 10th St. West, Bradenton
The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature
Sarasota Contemporary Dance presents Christal Brown both in-person and virtually. In-Person on July 9 and 10, 2021 at 7pm. Masks are required. Seating is limited at half capacity. Please book in advance to secure a spot. Tickets are $20. Ticket purchases close 30 minutes before the show. Virtually on July 9, 2021 at 7pm LIVE Stream and July 10, 2021 at 7pm Broadcast Recording. Tickets are choose what you pay, $5, $10, $15. Ticket purchases close 30 minutes before the show. What We Ask of Flesh is a physical examination of the capacity of human life. Christal has been in dialogue with this idea for four years through a series of works entitled; What We Ask of Flesh: Endurance (Elon University 2019) What We Ask of Flesh: Journey (Keene State 2019) What We Ask of Flesh: Compassion (Middlebury College 2018) What We Ask of Flesh: Understanding (Boston Dance Complex 2018) What We Ask of Flesh: Survival (EMIA 2017). Christal Brown is the Founder of INSPIRIT and Project:BECOMING, the creator of the Liquid Strength training module for dance, an Associate Professor of Dance at Middlebury College and the CVO of Steps and Stages Coaching, LLC. Brown received a BFA in Dance and a minor in Business from UNCG and her MFA in New Media Art and Technology from LIU. Brown is a native of Kinston, NC where while serving as her mother’s sidekick, she learned the mechanisms of cultural organizing and the organic synthesis of art and activism. Her path of self-discovery has been influenced by trailblazers such as Chuck Davis, Bill T. Jones, Andrea E. Woods, Liz Lerman, Bebe Miller, and Jawole Willa Jo Zollar. Brown is a mover and a warrior of change and transformation. Brown combines her athleticism, creativity, love for people, and passion for teaching to create works that redefine the art of dance, the creation of identity and structures of power.
"Oh, the places we can go!” is a juried exhibition of handmade fine crafts where artists have created imaginative pieces inspired by places they’ve been or would like to go. From around the state, 37 artists created more than 80 pieces in ceramics, fiber, glass, metal and wood. At the opening and awards reception on Friday, July 9 at 6 p.m., people will have the opportunity to meet many of the talented artists and the show’s judge, Desmond Clark of St. Cate Fine Art.
Florida CraftArt, 501 Central Ave., St. Petersburg
MARA Art Studio and Gallery features nine female artists at Womxn Together for Art. Painter Jana Millstone is pleased to join this exhibit showcasing amazing Sarasota women artists. The gallery has created compositions of Jana's paintings and my ceramics representing a new chapter of our collaborative project COLOR & CLAY – DUET, a unique conversation between two artists in two mediums. The Halo Arts Project, sponsor of this exhibit, recognized our collaboration with 2021 Fellowship Award.
MARA Art Studio + Gallery , 1421 Fifth St. Suite A, Rosemary District, Sarasota
WSLR + Fogartyville is pleased to host a Summer Spoken Word series for individuals that want to explore the art form or those experienced with spoken word that want to work in a collaborative environment to develop new pieces. Spoken word poetry is a broad designation for poetry intended for performance. Though some spoken word poetry may also be published on the page, the genre has its roots in oral traditions and performance. Spoken word can encompass or contain elements of rap, hip-hop, storytelling, theater, and jazz, rock, blues, and folk music. Characterized by rhyme, repetition, improvisation, and word play, spoken word poems frequently refer to issues of social justice, politics, race, and community. Related to slam poetry, spoken word may draw on music, sound, dance, or other kinds of performance to connect with audiences.
The series will start with four workshops and end with a live performance on Friday, August 13th at 7pm. Each workshop will be two hours in length and participants are asked to make a commitment to all four sessions. The cost to attend all four workshops is $20 per person and scholarships are available if the cost is a barrier to participation.
Participants will learn about the spoken word art form---including (but not limited to) what it is, its history, writing techniques, and performance practices. In doing so, participants will also gain self-knowledge as they create different narratives and performances. All participants will walk away with a portfolio of poems at various stages, as well as two polished performance pieces. They will perform these poems at a culminating event, open to the public. The workshop series will spark creativity, nourish vulnerability, strengthen community and uncover marginalized histories and art (spoken word poetry is inextricably linked to the Harlem Renaissance, the Black Arts Movement, and hip hop). The workshop will be limited to 20 participants. Pre-registration is required. You can register online at WSLR.org.
WSLR, Fogartyville , 525 Kumquat Ct., Sarasota
Get in touch with Sarasota’s psychic influence on this interesting trolley or van tour. Learn why Sarasota is called Sedona by the Sea, explore the tools psychics and mediums use, hear about the history of the tarot, and learn why Sarasota is a psychic and spiritual energy center. Visit Pixie Dust on Sarasota’s Main Street, walk the sands of Siesta Key Beach, explore a labyrinth, and then enjoy a Spirit Gallery Reading and a mini tarot reading on the trolley or van. You can also book a 15-minute personal tarot reading with tour guide Michael Newton-Brown at the cottage after the tour. Ages 12+; young people ages 12-20 may attend if accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. Tours with fewer than 10 guests will travel in our comfortably air-conditioned high-top van. Tour tickets are $34.99 and include FREE Parking.
The City of Sarasota Parks & Recreation District is increasing the accessibility and enjoyment of swimming at the Arlington Park & Aquatic Complex. From lessons, to extended hours, they have your swimming needs covered. Learn to Swim: This program provides a positive, fun-filled opportunity for youth to learn abilities that will help reduce the number of water accidents and provide lifelong skills in swimming. Swim lessons are geared toward youth ages 6 months to 12 years. Participants will be divided into classes based on their abilities and ages. Sessions offer eight lessons for a registration fee of $65. Parent & Me classes are offered in a four-week session consisting of four lessons on Saturday mornings for $35. Adding to Arlington Park & Aquatic Complex’s Aquatic Programming is the Aqua Blast Class. Join us every Tuesday and Thursday for a steady paced cardio exercises mixed with weights and resistance training. This new class is a great way to burn calories just before lunch time. Non-swimmers welcomed, as this class is in our 3-foot Water Instructional Pool. Tuesdays and Thursdays starting May 11 from 10am to 10:45am. Ages 18 and up are welcome, and classes are $3 each. Purchase a 5-Class Pack for $55. Registration Deadline: Mondays prior to Tuesday class and Wednesday prior to Thursday class. Call 941-263-6732 or register on eTrak: https://www.letsplaysarasota.com/program-guide/online-registration/how-to-register. Starting May 8 Arlington Park & Aquatic Complex will be open on Saturdays. Reservations are available on the hour between 11am and 4pm. The high diving board is closed, but the low diving board will be available. Reservations for Saturday swim are now available on eTrak: https://www.letsplaysarasota.com/program-guide/online-registration/how-to-register.
Participate in 60-minute Salsa dance lessons taught by DK Dance from July 1 through July 29 at 6:30pm. Then practice your new dance moves with 30 minutes of social dancing. This evening of Latin culture and lively dance will be great for students who participated in the Summer Latin Series and beginners alike. This is an outdoor event. Please wear workout clothes and sneakers. We also encourage participants to bring a water bottle. Museum admission is not included. About the Instructors: DK Dance Creations is a Latin dance studio located in Sarasota, FL. Offering Latin dance classes, choreography services for wedding/quince/sweet-sixteens, private instruction, dance teams, dance shoe store and makeup classes. They provide an array of classes including but not limited to Bachata, Salsa On1, Salsa On2, Cha-cha, Kizomba, musicality, spinning techniques, tricks and lifts and many more. Individual Class is $15 for nonmembers, $14 for members, and $10 for students. Purchase the complete 5-class series and save, $50 or $45 for members.
Life on the Circle only gets better when days are bathed in the summer sun. Enjoy a breath of fresh air and immerse yourself in the perfect setting for adventure and fun. Join us for the “Sol of the Circle,” a series of special events for the entire family. Songs on the Circle will take place every first Tuesday from 6pm to 9pm. Dates are June 1, July 6, August 3, and September 7.
SRQ DAILY is produced by SRQ | The Magazine. Note: The views and opinions expressed in the Saturday Perspectives Edition and in the Letters department of SRQ DAILY are those of the author(s) and do not imply endorsement by SRQ Media. Senior Editor Jacob Ogles edits the Saturday Perspective Edition, Letters and Guest Contributor columns.In the CocoTele department, SRQ DAILY is providing excerpts from news releases as a public service. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by SRQ DAILY. The views expressed by individuals are their own and their appearance in this section does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. For rates on SRQ DAILY banner advertising and sponsored content opportunities, please contact Ashley Ryan Cannon at 941-365-7702 x211 or via email |
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