Sarasota & Manatee Counties news thread

[wondermint2]

This hurricane season, know your level!

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/real...ee04803d&ei=26

When a hurricane approaches, storm surge waters could threaten your home. If so, you will be asked to move to a safe location based on evacuation level.

Knowing your evacuation level will help you develop your hurricane plan of action. Levels are color coded from A to E based on possible height of the water.

Your counties emergency management website will help you find your level.

Know the storm worthiness of your home and if you live in a flood zone. You need that information even if you are not in an evacuation level.

Here are your zones:

Sarasota County: https://sarco.maps.arcgis.com/apps/i...bf5867fcf4c57b

Manatee County: https://manateegis.maps.arcgis.com/a...27cb729a821466

Charlotte County: https://charlottecountyfl.gov/depart...your-zone.stml

[wondermint2]

Baby raccoons removed from local business (Video)

For video:

https://www.mysuncoast.com/2024/05/0...outputType=amp

Three baby raccoons were pulled out of the roof of a local business Monday morning.

While they are certainly adorable, raccoons aren’t the type of creature you want in your home.

The animals were pulled out of the business on North Osprey Avenue in Sarasota after chirping noises were heard.

They have been taken to a safe spot and pest control is looking for the babies’ mother. If the mother isn’t found, the babies will be taken to Wildlife, Inc on Bradenton Beach.

[wondermint2]

The week's top commercial real estate transactions in Charlotte, Collier, Hillsborough, Lee, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Sarasota

$65 million in land deals in Manatee County highlight the week's transactions.

For full article:

https://archive.is/42GTZ#selection-1171.0-1175.78

Manatee:

Buyer: Taylor Morrison of Florida Inc.
Seller: Goodson Family LLLP
Address: Bradenton
Property Type: Vacant land
Price: $30,000,000

Buyer: Crosswind Ranch Acquisition Company LLC
Seller: William L. Cone Jr., Ida Ruth Cone Desear, Jon Julian Cone, Douglas Wayne Cone, and Matthew James Desear
Address: Keen Road, Parrish
Property Type: Vacant land
Price: $24,000,000

Buyer: Manatee County
Seller: Alice Hunter Bender and Elizabeth Hunter Skidmore
Address: 2450 104th Ave. E., Parrish
Property Type: Agricultural land
Price: $11,200,000

Sarasota

Buyer: Weekley Homes LLC
Seller: CND-Lakewood LLC
Address: Sarasota
Property Type: Residential land
Price: $2,034,000

Buyer: My Hospitality LLC
Seller: SCIBC Phase Two LLC and Sunshine Venice Commercial Park LLC
Address: 2976 Executive Drive, Venice
Property Type: Vacant commercial land
Price: $1,325,000
Previous Price: $570,300, June 2005

[wondermint2]

Nurse-turned-florist finds roots with Posies Flower Truck

Julie Peters's budding business will be making the rounds at special events in Sarasota and Lakewood Ranch.

For full article & photos:

https://www.yourobserver.com/news/20...-flower-truck/

A chance meeting at the Skyway Fishing Pier caused Julie Peters to put her RV in park after four years on the road.

It was love at first sight when Peters, a nurse-turned-florist, laid her eyes on the Posies Flower Truck.

It was 2022, and owner Stephanie Frank was preparing for a pop-up event at the pier. Peters beelined to the truck to offer up help and her telephone number. Frank called the next day.

Two years later, Peters hosted her own pop-up event: a grand opening at The Green at University Town Center on April 13.

Peters bought a franchise truck from Frank, who purchased the business in 2021. Peters has since named the 1971 Volkswagen pickup “Wildflower.”

“People think I retrofit buses,” Frank said. “But Volkswagen made trucks back in the day. They took the bus chassis and made a truck version.”

Wildflower is the newest model in the fleet. The rest of the single-cab pickups were manufactured in the 1960s.

[wondermint2]

Pride fest spotlights arts talents in the LGBTQ+ community (Photo Gallery)

For photo gallery:

https://www.yourobserver.com/news/20...btq-community/

At a table in the Fogartyville Community Media and Arts Center, Bren Bacon found a perfect space to watch the lineup of musicians during the Be Fabulous Music & Arts Pride Fest on May 4.

“I’m enjoying it,” Bacon said. “Zeta the Babe is amazing. “It’s my second time at this facility. I like it a lot. It’s very chill.”

Formerly known as the Harvey Milk Festival, the event highlights the local LGBTQ+ arts community and returns next year to its previous location of Five Points Park.

The three-day festival began with the “Empowered” exhibition, a collaboration with SEE Space Alliance on May 2 and the art collective “Swamp Yell” at The Players Studio on May 3.

The lineup on May 4 brought together talent from the local area including Grace Cespedes, nowincolor, Brittany Zeff and MeteorEYES of Sarasota, as well as Zeta the Babe and Summer Hoop of Tampa.

“This was not only just a Pride event. It's a great showcase of LGBTQ artistic talent, which we don't get to see as often in this community at a normal Pride event or function," said Jules Rayne, a local transgender activist and a community organizer with Equality Florida who was the keynote speaker at the May 4 event. "It's great to give voices to such a marginalized community, and that means everything to me to have their stories, their artistic talents, heard and seen.”

“It’s great to be a supporter of the community — to be part of the community,” said Andrew Ensign, a board member of Fabulous Arts Foundation.

[wondermint2]

Concert helps Sarasota community 'Vibe on Palm' (Photo Gallery)

For photo gallery:

https://www.yourobserver.com/news/20...-vibe-on-palm/

After moving to Sarasota from Nebraska on May 3, Jesse Pickett found a surprise along a section of Palm Avenue.

“I wasn’t expecting the whole concert, so that’s pretty cool,” he said.

The concert by The Alan Grant Band was part of the Vibe on Palm event, part of the Fresh Fridays series of events held the first Friday of each month and presented by the Downtown Improvement District.

Joseph Grano, Jr., president, founder and marketing communications thought leader of Next-Mark, the company that organizes the event, said the events are increasingly well-known in the local community, as they continue to draw record crowds.

"The Downtown Improvement District continues to be enthusiastic along with the city of Sarasota, in sponsoring the event and providing all the support that we need to make this happen, and we're thrilled to be a part of it,” he said.

“What keeps me here — the people, the love and support of all arts and the weather’s not so bad either,” said Alan Grant of The Alan Grant Band.

Fresh Fridays continues in June with a yacht rock-themed event followed by a break and then a return in October.

[wondermint2]

(Eating with Emma) - 3 spots for tasty Mexican brunch, dinner and dessert in Sarasota

By Emma Burke Jolly

For full article:

https://www.yourobserver.com/news/20...inner-dessert/

Life is too short to not do the things (or eat and drink the things) that bring you joy.

So why not munch on Mexican for all three meals? Our community is becoming a mecca for food from south of the border. Tapering the list from what feels like thousands of trendy spots required serious research.

I don't think it's out of the question to extend Cinco de Mayo to the entire month, so don't worry if you make your culinary trip on May 13. Here are three memorable Mexican joints to enjoy momentous meals.

[wondermint2]

Originally Posted by wondermint2

Pro-separation group dealt potential major blow in Wellen Park North Port de-annex case

https://archive.is/UitOc

WELLEN PARK — The 2nd District Court of Appeals denied to review the case of West Village residents who want to deannex from North Port, dealing a major blow to pro-separation residents.

John Meisel and the West Villages for Responsible Government have long aspired to cut ties with North Port.

Opinion - De-annexation is dead. North Port is united

Opinion piece by Phil Stokes (Vice-Mayor North Port)

For full article (paywall):

https://www.yoursun.com/charlotte/op...9b12a878e.html

After nearly four years, the movement to de-annex West Villages (Wellen Park) from the city of North Port has come to an end. The Florida 2nd District Court of Appeals denied WV4RG’s appeal to overturn Judge Brewer’s ruling, and voted in favor North Port.

West Villagers can now move forward as a welcome and significant part of the second-fastest-growing city in America. The development of Wellen Park, which is one-third built out, has helped put North Port on the map as one of the country’s most dynamic and attractive places to live.

[wondermint2]

Englewood Community Clean Up May 18th

https://www.wengradio.com/community-...an-up-may-18th

Sarasota County will host a free community cleanup in the Englewood area from 8 a.m. to noon, Saturday, May 18, to collect discarded household items, appliances, junk and tree trimmings.

Dumpsters for residential customers will be available at the following locations:

MAIN SITE: Old Englewood Road at Buchan Airport.

North Broadway and Englewood Heights Roads (behind the Elks Lodge – access only from North Broadway Road).

Hazardous materials such as paint, oil, gas, aerosol cans, televisions, electronics, computers, large appliances and car tires smaller than 25′ X 16″, with a limit of four tires per household, will be accepted at the MAIN SITE ONLY.

Staff from Neighborhood Services will be present to share information and resources available through county neighborhood programs.

For more information, dial 311 or visit scgov.net

[wondermint2]

Originally Posted by wondermint2

Sarasota officials likely to enforce plastic bag ban for yard waste

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/sa...6067b566&ei=41

Sarasota city leaders will likely ban residents from using plastic bags for yard waste pick-up during Monday’s city commission meeting.

The city’s vendor said they will soon stop picking up yard waste in plastic bags, so the city is considering changing their ordinance to comply.

There are several alternative options to plastic bags. The city suggests using cans, paper bags, and boxes. Tree limbs and branches can be bundled or stacked.

Under the proposed ordinance, the bundles can’t exceed 48 inches in length and can’t weigh more than 50 pounds.

In April, city commissioners voted 4-to-1 in favor of the ordinance. If Monday’s meeting does away with plastic bags, and Sarasota neighbors choose to ignore the new rules, the city may not pick up violators’ yard trash, or they could be fined.

Monday’s City Commission meeting is at 9 a.m. at City Hall.

The vote was taken this morning and it's now official.

Sarasota neighbors can no longer use plastic bags to throw away yard waste


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9woZaGT5dpY

Sarasota City Commissioners voted 4-1 on Monday in favor of a plastic bag ban for yard waste pick-up.