Sarasota’s Sports Page Celebrating Sweet Sixteen

A gazillion businesses, restaurants, and bars have come and gone on Sarasota’s Main Street over the years, but the Sports Page — 1319 Main Street — is celebrating 16 years, sixteen years, folks! in the same location, under the same ownership.

Maybe you know the owner? Bob Richards and Kenny Barr?

Either way, stop in to this minor miracle of staying power on Thursday June 16th (that’s tomorrow) from 4 to 8 when they’re celebrating their sweet 16th with free munchies/light bites. Cash bar … but who can complain about that!?

Parking meters be damned … go on out and support this Sarasota mainstay!

Sarasota Magazine and sister pub BIZ 941 Nab Awards

Local publications Sarasota Magazine and BIZ 941 won several 2011 Sunshine State Awards from the Society of Professional Journalists South Florida chapter, which I think announced the awards earlier this week.

Two big must-reads (if you haven’t … you can click on the hyperlinked text and read them online) won — one by Biz(941) editor Susan Burns who won second place for Serious Feature Reporting in “The Collapse of the Colony,” and Sarasota Magazine’s Bob Plunket “Havana, 1960,” which won first place in a featuring writing category.

Plunkett also picked up second place for his Arts/Cultural Reporting piece “Masterpiece Theater,” and Sarasota Magazine executive editor Kay Kipling won third place for her Sarasota Magazine Arts/Cultural Reporting, “Maestro of the Museum.”

Kudos to our local writers!

Reasons to avoid downtown Sarasota!

So, I was asked to go out the other night for dinner — to celebrate some good news I received earlier this week and my date asked me where I wanted to go. It was a toss-up for both of us between Caraguilo’s Restaurant on Palm Avenue (a favorite of mine for years) or another place not situated in downtown. It took less than a nanosecond for us to both say the name of the non-downtown restaurant — no cost for parking! It wasn’t a drawn-out decision, no big debate — just a no-brainer.

It’s not just paying for parking. Here are the two things that put the nail in the coffin for me as far as downtown goes:

“Those who choose downtown’s sidewalks and parks for their front yards deserve the same consideration as a gated community,” said Peter Fanning, president of the Downtown Sarasota Condominium Association. “We should be able to walk unmolested by catcalls, panhandling and unwanted approach.” Yup, you read it right. The downtown residents should have the experience of living in a gated community — hmmmm …. at taxpayer’s expense, I guess. We can pay for the parks and the pretty twinkling lights …. just don’t go downtown to enjoy them if you don’t live there! Source: SRQ Daily 6/8

Then I picked up the Pelican Press and read an article about how the Downtown Improvement District just decided to support the City Commission’s removal of the park benches at the Five Points park.

I absolutely won’t shop or eat downtown now as much as I can avoid it — which will be pretty much always. The meters were bad enough, but now to know that the folk who are supposed to be in charge of improving our downtown for all of us to enjoy are actually supporting this crazy bit of bench business — it’s too much. There are too many other places to go in Sarasota County.

I’d LOVE to hear how anyone else is experiencing the new meters, the park bench removal — wherever you fall on the issues, pro or con or somewhere in the middle — I invite you to post your comments here.

Ferocious and sweet … Saturday’s Music Festival Concert is NOT to be missed!

I give you at least a gazillion reasons as to why you CAN. NOT. miss Saturday night’s Sarasota Orchestra Music Festival concert at the Sarasota Opera House — they’re all in my Sarasota Herald Tribune Sense and the City column (page 37E if you’re reading the print paper — or click on the hyperlink below).

Beg, borrow, or buy a ticket!

Stuart Malina will be the guest conductor.

Adrienne Stein Says So Long to SNN6

Okay, I know I’m slow on the uptake sometimes … but how in the heck did I miss the fact that Adrienne Stein had said so long to SNN6 and Sarasota.

photo courtesy of WGME website

Sorry to see you go, Ms. Stein!

The meters are running on Main Street

Several readers have asked me to write about what I think about the paid parking situation and the new meters in and around Main Street.

I did write about it a while back in my Sarasota Herald Tribune Sense and the City column … if you missed it, read it here: Making Paid Parking Palatable. And if you have any comments … pro, con, indifferent — feel free to share your two cents below.

Jeremy Wallace Looks into the Political Crystal Ball … this Saturday

Saturday — June 11 — local political insight provider/writer Jeremy Wallace (of the Sarasota Herald Tribune) will be speaking at the Laurel Oak Country Club talking about “What lies Ahead for 2012.”

I like Wallace’s demeanor: serious but not too serious. And seriously informed about the rumblings and machinations of Florida politics.

If you haven’t read his blog, you might want to check it out at Political Insider. For more info about why Wallace is worth listening to, click here.

The event is hosted by the Democratic Club of Sarasota and includes lunch; program begins at noon. For reservations call 379-9233 or e-mail reserve@sarasotadems.com. The cost for members is $23 and for non-members and walk-ins is $25

Summer’s the Season on Siesta

We should all be thanking our lucky stars for Siesta Beach … and my Sense and the City column in today’s Sarasota Herald Tribune TICKET tells why.

Sand-bound beauty!

Eric Ernst’s Excellent Essay … His follow up on the homeless / park bench situation

If you’ve missed Eric Ernst’s excellent follow up to the homeless / park bench situation in Sarasota — it’s in today’s Sarasota Herald-Tribune, page 1B.

Or, check it out online at A Better Homeless Plan Than Removing Benches

Sarasota Sky Pilots Do It In the Air!

Love to golf? How about taking your game to a whole new level … ?

Photo by Steve Lake.

Read my story in today’s Sarasota Herald Tribune TICKET — which is FREE in newstands across the city (just look for the row of newspaper boxes and find the one that says TICKET on it — it’s that simple!). I talk about disc golf and the tourney that’s open to amateurs this weekend — hey, you could win!

Here’s a link if you prefer to read it online: Sarasota Sky Pilots Do It In the Air!