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Local Issues 2009
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Local Issues 2009
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Meet the man who is leading
the cause for oil drilling off of our Gulf Coast beaches, none other then Winter Park Rep. Dean Cannon, who says he doesn't want his son fighting for oil in Iran when he grows up. Maybe he could legislate some additional long term solutions like solar incentives for Florida instead of oil drilling 10 miles off our coast.
Talk about high tech, this sign is real time waiting times for a local ER in Sarasota. The longest time we have seen so far is a 22 minute wait time.
'A Celebration of Life' takes place at Casey Key Tiki Bar Sunday for Dan the Man. Dwayne the sax man performed.
Hometown boy makes it big in Hollywood, Kevin Biegel's new show Cougar Town premiers Wednesday evening. He attended Riverview H.S. and went on to Boston University. He is also a writer for Scrubs and some other shows. We remember him from his rowing days during high school. You could tell early that he was a young man of substance. Photo: QuickStop Entertainment
The rebuilding of these boat racks at Hidden Harbor Marina has been going on for 3 years as the owner complains about delays by the county. Hmmm, plan changes usually cause delays:)
Area turtle hatchlings are losing their way
and dying. Over 2000 have died so far this hatchling season. Area
residents are asked to keep their beach lights off so turtles don't stray.
The Van Wezel even with new management has
a tough road ahead to keep the seats and the shows booked.
The local soft economy has for lease signs covering the landscape. I guess we got to big for our pants.
* Manatee Commissioner Joe McClash starts his own online newspaper for Bradenton. Some say it is a conflict of interest. What do you think?
It's the end of an era with the closing of the University Club on Main Street in Sarasota. The Club was the official 'good ole boys' meeting place for 40 years.
88 year old promises $500,000 for WWII statue if the City of Sarasota
promises to keep it there and the owner will accept the payment terms.
Yeah baby, it's such a kwel statue.
Hugh
Culverhouse Jr.
Sarasota YMCA and other charities benefit from long Culverhouse feud. Hugh Sr., the father created a foundation to donate money to local charities, his wife changed who got the donations along with her new husband. The son and the YMCA fought them in court. Hugh owned the Bucs and the 10,000 acre Palmer Ranch in Sarasota that he bought from the old Coast Federal. The Palmer Ranch extends from Sarasota down to Venice. Hugh Jr. donated $1 million to Doug Williams college to help make up for his father paying him a frugal salary while he played for the Bucs.
* Poachers have taken four
clutches of sea turtle eggs since June 6 from Sarasota County beaches in
Venice and Casey Key, leaving empty nest cavities that were discovered
by Mote Marine Laboratory’s Sea Turtle Patrol volunteers. All four
clutches were laid by loggerhead sea turtles, a threatened species
protected by county ordinances, federal and state laws. Officials suspect
the eggs were stolen for food or to sell on the black market. To report
someone who appears to be illegally harassing a sea turtle, digging a sea
turtle nest or handling sea turtle eggs, contact the Sarasota County Call
Center at 941-861-5000 and ask for the Sea Turtle Protection Program.
Anonymous calls are accepted.
Local Dunkin Donuts group file for bankruptcy. The local 18 stores were bought 2 years ago from Kaplan a Sarasota resident by a Boston group. They have listed $10 million in debt. Do you think he sold them because they were making money?
Sarasota Technical makeover to the tune of $45 million might include
adding landscape designer and television production. What? With TV cutting
back why would we need more television production people? Landscape
designers, what, new area building won't be taking off for awhile.
]
Homeowners in deed restricted neighborhoods are required to
have grass lawns. With drought conditions for the past 4 years and higher
water utility costs homeowners are cutting back on the size of their front
lawns.
New condos, Phillippi Landings on Phillippi Creek are
offering liquidation pricing at up to 50% off, so they say.
April 1st Synopsis:
Manatee County has bought all of the cultural facilities in
Sarasota and will move them to Bradenton.
A local inventor has come up with a pill that will stop tourists
from feeding the seagulls.
Vern Buchanan says he will make run for Presidency against Obama in
2012.
Sarasota County Appraiser to refund real estate property taxes.
Florida leads the nation in job growth. In November alone it added
over 20,000 jobs. With an unemployment rate of 4.3% the state appears
economically strong. Ooops that was in 2004.
Craigs List to buy area newspapers. (Ebay has a 10% stake in CL)
Sarasota County says they will raze beachfront condos and return
the beaches to the public.
Nadell confesses he is really from the rat family and eats mostly
cheese.
FPL will offer free $40K solar systems to area residents and buy
back the electricity.
Sarasota County to make Red Light Runners serve time
holding stop signs at busy intersections.
Riverview Alumni will buy the old high school before it is razed
and turn it into a homeless shelter.
City of Sarasota will refund to taxpayers the $5 million they blew
on attorney fees fighting the new Ringling Bridge.
OurTown50 staff promise to take fewer naps in the afternoon.
Florida's orange crop
is expected to be lower
this year by only a few
per cent. These groves are in DeSoto County to the east of Sarasota.
Reader photo, Jack Carns.
Multi-year drought takes it's toll
on area lawns. A 20" deficit for around 3 years leaves area short on
water.
Housing starts in Sarasota-Bradenton were at 346 in the final quarter of 2008, the lowest in the 17 years Metrostudy has tracked the market. Starts in Manatee County were up compared to the previous year at 246 but were down slightly from the quarter before.
Sarasota County had just 86 starts in the fourth quarter, the lowest number Metrostudy says its ever recorded, and an 81 percent contraction since its peak of 3,205 starts in the first quarter of 2006.
In Sarasota County there’s enough developed land to last 20 years in the market, Metrostudy said, after just 151 lots were delivered in the fourth quarter and lot inventory barely dropped. That represents a 236.5-month supply of land, a jump of seven years compared to the previous year.
In Manatee County, the supply of vacant developed lots was just under six years, while in Sarasota, it was as high as 7.5 years. 2-09
Githler developer wants City and County to kick in $50 million to help build new convention center in Sarasota. We lost the optometrists conference of thousands of Dr.'s because we didn't have enough rooms to conveniently house the participants.
* SHT newspaper cuts 48 jobs and plans to stop home delivery in Port Charlotte and Punta Gorda. They have cut their staff in half in the past two years.
* Local TV station run by SHT newspaper and Comcast bites the dust after investors fall by the way side for the new owners, unless a white knight comes through.
Sarasota County moves forward on road improvements to help stimulate local economy. Swift Road is being repaved as these workers enjoy warmer weather Monday. The County has over $200 million set aside for capital improvements.
Monday on U.S. 41 in Sarasota it looked like all the winter tourists had landed over the weekend and were busy scurrying about. The roads were packed. With minus degrees up north and $2 gas you think people are going to forgo coming to our area, not:)
David Band after 40 years with law the firm he founded leaves to start a new law firm.
Art Nadel's offices sit empty over
the weekend as investigators wait until Tuesday for financial institutions
to open so they can investigate where investors $350 million went. Nadel's
wife has been extremely cooperative with police and says she wants to be
open and transparent about what happened. It appears she was duped also.
Sarasota County sees
lower income of about $40 million over the next two years. If property
assessments go down income could be lower still.....but then they could
raise the tax rate:) Sarasota County extends Girls Inc. lease.
Commends new rowing facility concept out east.
* Florida goes from 31 to 10th best
schools in three years. The three best:
1. Maryland 84.7 B
2. Massachusetts 84.6 B
3. New York 84.1 B
* State lawmakers take tobacco settlement money and reserves to help balance $2.3 billion budget deficit.
* The SHT newspaper does a great job of exposing problems with new homes in Sarasota metro area. Homes that were built with a drywall from China could have serious health and construction problems.
Local 'clunkers' ready for the junkyard man sit on a car lot. Each car brought a new car buyer between $3500 to $4500 in a rebate. Local car dealers who sold small economical cars did around a quarter million each in business from the Federal program.
New plans for Siesta Key Beach would add 50 parking
spaces to the current 822 spaces, trees and sidewalks.
One of around 5,000 foreclosed homes in Sarasota that will be coming to market shortly. Disrepair sets in as banks fail to keep them up.
Someone with a bra fetish steals 90 bras from Bradenton's Victoria's
Secret worth over $4,000.
These Hollywood producers visited
Sarasota looking for happy filming grounds:) Producers from (left to
right): Carol Cuddy, Ron Bozman, Jane Bartelme, Wren Arthur, Richard
Baratta, Bridget Johnson, Amy Robinson and Haley Sweet.
Their credits include "The Taking of Pelham 123" (2009), "Spider-Man,"
"Julie & Julia," "Jerry Maguire," " The Departed," "A Prairie Home
Companion," " Confessions of a Shopaholic," " I Am Legend," "Marley &
Me"
and "The Devil Wears Prada."
The Colony Resort readies to board up all but the restaurant. Owners won't be able to use the tennis courts or swimming pool. What a shame.
* Where did downtown residents, 34236,
live before they moved to Sarasota? Place of birth for U.S.-born residents
2007:
* This state: 1992
* Northeast: 3333
* Midwest: 2257
* South: 1311
* West: 325
Hundreds gather Sunday for a fellow would be firefighter at a funeral on U.S. 41. If you have never been to a firemen's funeral and it's procession past all the fire stations then you haven't balled a bowl of tear drops. Tyler Dean Fox, 20, was a Fire Science student at SCTI when he died September 16th in a car wreck in eastern Sarasota County.
A recession, what recession as this new home proceeds on Casey Key gulf side.
It's a sad commentary when we live in a so called paradise and when
it rains our pollution from the land then pollutes the gulf waters as it
did with the heavy rains we have had this past week. The Ringling Causeway
area in Sarasota and Palma Sola in Bradenton both had high bacteria
counts.
Another Comcast account bites the dust on Thursday as Verizon installs a new FIOS system with internet, phone and TV at a Sarasota home. County Commissioners opened the doors to new cable companies a few years ago. Bravo!
*Sarasota fat and happy
according to new survey.
http://www.scgov.net/Administration
/citizensurvey2009.asp
The much loved statue gets to stay much to the dismay of art lovers in Sarasota. The City Council voted 3-2 to allow it to stay for at least 10 years on the bay front. Bravo:)
Good deeds by the local Kiwanis Club South of Sarasota help those less fortunate. Above they collect shampoo and toiletries from hotels to give to those in need.
Sarasota County has more law enforcement
presence since the new Sheriff turned some unmarked cars into marked
cars. Bravo Sheriff Knight!
Doctor's wife, Kathleen Briles, murdered on quiet Tierra Ciera Island near Bradenton.
We reported on gang art in Sarasota over 4
years ago. The County then took a stance to have gang art painted over.
Here is a new outbreak of gang art by Walgreens and Stickney Point
Road.
Sarasota County has signed a letter of intent with the Baltimore Orioles that would bring the Baltimore Orioles here for spring training. Sketch: Sarasota County.
Florida Attorney General is running at break neck speed racking up achievements in his office to help him run for Governor. He sends out at least one or more press releases a day to let us know what he is doing.
* Sarasota DUI cases thrown out due to breathalyzer machine used by law enforcement. Around 500 cases will be thrown out of court. Which means we still have at least another 500 drunks on the road.
New Sarasota teen center to offer
activities for local youth. Located on the south trail it was a former
sports bar and been vacant for over 3 years. Sarasota has long needed more
places for our youth to congregate
The City of Sarasota is designing a nightmare and daymare on U.S. 41
with at least six major roundabouts. With over 37,000 cars traversing this
roadway daily the City wants to slow traffic to a standstill. The City
Commission should go visit Bradenton Beach with their roundabout. Traffic
grinds to a stop there.
* A Sarasota couple and two out-of-state men are accused of bilking investors in a Ponzi-like scheme, according to a lawsuit brought by the Securities and Exchange Commission. In a case filed Thursday, the SEC accuses John and Marian Morgan of Sarasota, Stephen Bowman of Omaha, Neb., and Thomas Woodcock Jr. of Rockwall, Texas, of running a fraudulent investment scheme in which they told investors they were investing in a secret but legitimate banking practice.
* City of Sarasota residents want chickens in their backyard. New group called CLUCK formed to get an ordinance passed.
Alligator over 9' caught in Nokomis. It's mating season you know, and they are out looking for some.
Sarasota County's hybrid buses are electric and diesel.
They save about $14,000 a year in fuel cost per bus a year and cost
$500,000 each. The County has at least 10 of them. Federal grants were
used to purchase the buses.
Woman murdered late Monday evening on Jo An Drive in
Sarasota. The woman is identified as Georgann Lee Smith, a 38 year old
woman. The murder residence above is taped off for the investigation and a
deputy guards it.
This week prior to Easter starts one of the busiest weeks
in Sarasota. Siesta Key Beach parking lot was full before 10 AM.
Stogy City of Venice looks to ban ice cream men and hot dog vendors. What a poo bah attitude. Kids need the summer excitement of the neighborhood ice cream man.
With 10,000 homes in our area in the foreclosure pipeline we have more then a 12 month supply. Add to that the number of non-foreclosed homes and those that aren't listed that want to sell.
Local residents pooh pooh developers plans for a Waldorf Astoria. Why be so negative. The Ritz Carlton has added to our area so will the Waldorf Astoria.
Some say Sarasota County Economic Development Plan lacks substance and is mostly bureaucratic jargon.
According to experts oil should be trading at around $25 a barrel based on supply and demand. It hit $56 Thursday.
* Florida home insurance rates for the state run Citizens Insurance program will increase by 10% a year until the insurer becomes soundly funded. Lawmakers will also deregulate cell phone service in Florida. Will cell phone rates go through the roof?
Florida lawmakers miss the boat in getting many bills passed to help residents and increase alternative energy in two month session. We hope they don't let the red light camera bill fail in their last week.
Session highlights
•Rejected a proposal to allow oil and gas drilling near coast
•Added a $1-per-pack tax to cigarettes
• Rejected an overhaul of elections law
• Raised Citizens insurance rates 10 percent per year
• Rejected a plan to buy a CSX rail line for commuter rail
• Agreed to ask voters in 2010 to reduce the assessment cap on
non-homesteaded property from 10 percent to 5 percent
• Rejected a plan to ask voters to ease class size requirement
Scott Dennis local channel 7 TV anchor tells Kiwanis members that the future of TV is in question with the expanding presence of Internet broadcasting. Channel 7 has cut their staff in half.
Sarasota Opera blasts Van Wezel for charging them $5,000 plus for
two Saturday evening performances there. Van Wezel retorts with they have
to keep raising the rates to help keep the hall solvent and the City of
Sarasota still has to still subsidize the Van Wezel to the tune of $750K a
year. The Sarasota Opera still takes in $175K on perforances there with
$50K of rental expenses. You decide what is fair:)
* Manatee County grows by over 1,600 new residents through July 2008. That is around a third of the growth in the earlier part of the decade. Sarasota County grew by around 2,500 residents.
* Sarasota County to lower impact fees on new development after public hearings.
Once there was a Steak and Ale restaurant then there was
none on S. Tamiami Trial in Sarasota in the same center as Best Buy.
* 1,528 foreclosure filings in Manatee County in February up 233%. Nationally foreclosures were up 30%. In Sarasota County there are 1524 bank owned homes and 4548 defaulted properties in pre-foreclosure. Source: Realty Trac
State Forestry workers conduct a controlled burn in Eastern Sarasota County on Friday.
This Italian restaurant on the S. Trail in Sarasota lasted less then 3 months before they called it quits in February. It's a tough time to open a new restaurant.
It's about time Manatee County took a look at building a solid economic business base. All of their efforts have been on tourism. Manatee has a $200K EDC budget, Sarasota County a $1.2 million budget. Manatee Commissioners are now proposing a larger budget to attract firms to this area.
Judging by the number of cars on the road on U.S. 41 we think there
doesn't seem to be a shortage of snowbirds and visitors:) 2-09
Seven of our staff relax on lunch
break and take in a little sun:)
Sarasota County releases $400K in tourist taxes they held in reserve and gives it to Sarasota Tourism Bureau to implement immediate internet advertising. The tourism bureau says they get the most bang from their buck with internet advertising. Longboat tourism was down by 32% in November while Siesta Key was down 2% in November.
"Ringling College Illustration alumnus Shawn Barber was recently commissioned to create a portrait of U.S. President Barack Obama for the cover of a special inauguration issue, which ran in the January 20, 2009 edition of the Washington Post." Thank you Christine Meeker Lange, Ringling College, for the info. Photo: Juxtapoz.com
Chinese toxic drywall syndrome: We all feel distraught over local residents who bought new homes that contained Chinese drywall and had to evacuate their homes. Florida Health Department officials say they have documented 28 complaints across seven counties. Some builders are stepping to the plate and paying for the homeowners temporary relocation costs and will most likely perform remediation to make the homes healthy again. To those builders who haven't stepped up to the plate and ignored homeowners pleas we say they should be banned from building in Florida and? Why hasn't an attorney stepped up to help Kristin Culliton who was pregnant and had to evacuate her home in Lakewood Ranch because of the Chinese drywall?
* Downtown Sarasota merchants ready to spend $400k they contributed to for Main Street renovations.
Get ready all you red light runners.
Sarasota County red light camera's are coming to town. This one sits
at Cattleman Rd and was part of the trial series they set up. Another 10
cameras will be placed at the hot spots around town.
Scam?
Is this another Madoff ponzi that takes place right in Sarasota or something else? Investors are suing Siesta Key resident Harvey Diamond after investing $35 million with him. He is a fitness expert.
Beneva Road finally gets a repaving of
asphalt after years of pot holes, dips and wheel alignment causing
topography.