The Lake Sarasota Community Blog

Welcome to Sarasota County's community e-newsletter. If you have questions, ideas for articles, or feedback on the system, contact us at  pubcom@scgov.net .    Volunteer for National Public Lands Day  Sept. 27   SATURDAY :  Sarasota County will host a volunteer event from  9 a.m. to noon  at Arlington Park in Sarasota Wallenda to help commemorate new marker honoring bayfront's history High-wire daredevil and Sarasota native Nik Wallenda will help the county's Historical Commission honor the rich history of the Sarasota Bayfront with a new historical marker  Voter registration deadline nears for Nov. 4  General Election Sarasota County residents must be registered to vote by  Monday, Oct. 6  to be eligible to vote in the General Election on  Nov. 4 . Take a 'Magical Mystery Tour' Discover the hidden gems of Sarasota County as you enjoy a guided tour on an open-air trolley pairing surprise destinations with first-class dinin

A new blog is now consolidating information, background resources, and current conversation surrounding the proposed changes to Sarasota County's 2050 Comprehensive Plan. The blog is SarasotaVision2050 , and it can be found here: http://sarasotavision2050.blogspot.com/ The stakes are not trivial for communities East of I-75. If developers get the green light to start building all at once, not only will they choke our roads and land with excessive housing, but the new housing will dilute and degrade the market of existing homes - yours and mine - in Sarasota County. What's more, the developers will be competing against each other for a very limited resource - the high-end retiree market. Instead they should be planning a knock-out beautiful public vision of East Sarasota - and let the developers consider all kinds of housing - for working people, families, as well as rich retirees. If the changes to 2050 pass, and it is expected they will at a County hearing on Oct. 22 (

Annual Coastal Cleanup returns  SATURDAY:   Keep Sarasota County Beautiful will help clean coastal and other areas during the 2014 International Coastal Cleanup from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, Sept. 20, at sites throughout Sarasota County (rain date: Saturday, Sept. 27).   Laurel Community Cleanup scheduled SATURDAY:  Keep your home looking spiffy by taking part in the Laurel Community Cleanup, 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, Sept. 20.   Manasota Beach Youth Fall Fishing Tourney set for Sept. 20 SATURDAY:  Sarasota County will host its third annual Youth Fall Fishing Tournament, Saturday, Sept. 20, at 8:30 a.m. at Manasota Beach in Englewood. The event is for children ages 14 and younger. Tax-free shopping for energy-efficient products this weekend Save money, energy and water on the purchase of ENERGY STAR-qualified appliances and WaterSense-labeled products during the Sept. 19-20 Tax-free Holiday.  Sales tax will not be collected on the first $1,500 of t

There were five incidents reported, down from eight in July. School starting Aug. 18 may have had something to do with that. The lower numbers are more in keeping with the pattern for the last two years. Crime is definitely down. Here is a breakdown of the crime figures for Lake Sarasota. There were three thefts, one burglary, and one juvenile disturbance. There were no incidents of vandalism. The one burglary occurred Aug. 24 at 6311 Jarvis Road, reported at 2:52 p.m. The juvenile disturbance occurred Aug. 31 at 3983 Coleridge, reported at 2:11 p.m. The three thefts occurred on the following dates and locations: Aug. 11 at 6820 Jarvis Road, reported 10:36 a.m. Aug. 19 at 4039 Vana Drive, reported at 9:21 p.m. Aug. 30 at 4151 Palau Drive, reported at 10:13 a.m. The first two were thefts from autos. The third was unspecified. Four of the five incidents occurred in the latter half of August. Three were discovered and reported in early afternoon. One was reported in mid

Work will proceed on the retention pond on the North Side of Bee Ridge road between Wake and Hidden Glen. Other work will take place along the North side.

Construction on Sky Zone , an indoor trampoline and fitness facility, is well underway at on Edgelake Drive and kids should be bouncing early next year. Sky Zone under construction

A summary of the Lake Sarasota Community Group meeting of Sept. 11, 2014. Treasurer’s report - the group has $297 and no debts. It voted unanimously to renew membership in CONA Sarasota . Update on Bee Ridge roadwork : Speed limit remains 35 mph throughout the duration of the project. Police are actively enforcing the limit. Racetrac  has begun work on its gas station at Mauna Loa Blvd. and Bee Ridge Rd. opposite the entrance to Lake Sarasota. The station will have 20 bays and a large store footprint. Racetrac construction TerraCap and the Bee Ridge Park of Commerce : TerraCap requested and received a postponement of its petitioned rezoning for the 50-acre plot at the north side Mauna Loa and Bee Ridge Rd. to allow time to meet with neighborhood representatives who are seeking a legally binding covenant to limit impacts on traffic and nuisance issues (bright lights, noise at night, etc). The rezoning will be heard at the County on Nov. 4. Representatives of residents wi

Dragon boat teams from all over the world are coming to Sarasota in October 24-26th. Every team is made up of women who are breast cancer survivors. They will compete at Nathan Benderson rowing park . It's an event to see - also, if you're interested, you can become an ambassador - helping a team get oriented while it's in town. If you'd like to see if you can be an ambassador, contact John Krotec - John is Volunteer Coordinator at Suncoast Aquatic Nature Center Associate (SANCA) at Nathan Benderson Park. Email: John@SANCA.US Cell: 941.224.1861

Welcome to Sarasota County's community e-newsletter. If you have questions, ideas for articles, or feedback on the system, contact us at pubcom @scgov.net.     County bonds earn strong rating The county's bonds have received another favorable mark from Fitch Ratings, a global leader in credit ratings and research, based on an excellent credit profile and "very healthy" financial position. Summer lifeguard hours end beach lifeguards will be on duty from  9 a.m. to 5 p.m.  daily on Sarasota County's guarded beaches: Lido Beach, Siesta Beach, Nokomis Beach, North Jetty Beach, Venice Beach and Manasota Beach. Laurel Community Cleanup scheduled Keep your home looking spiffy by taking part in the Laurel Community Cleanup,  8 a.m. to noon Saturday, Sept. 20 .   Manasota Beach Youth Fall Fishing Tourney set for  Sept. 20 Sarasota County will host its third annual Youth Fall Fishing Tournament, Saturday, Sept. 20 , at  8:30

The next community meeting of the Lake Sarasota Community Group (LSCG) will feature a Sarasota County grants coordinator who will talk about how to apply for county grants of up to $10,000 for the neighborhood, and the kinds of projects that can be done. The LSCG will meet Thursday, Sept. 11 at 7 pm at Sarasota Alliance Church , directly opposite Chaucer at Bee Ridge. The meeting rooms are behind the church building. So far the agenda includes: Grants talk and help - Sarasota County volunteer coordinator Kathlyn Clayton. Update on Bee Ridge roadwork. Status of Racetrac. Status of TerraCap and the BRPOC rezoning. 2050 Plan update. Rothenbach Park Initiative Possibility of Fall Neighborhood Garage Sale. All are welcome to attend these meetings - we are strictly volunteer - no dues!