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Showing posts from September, 2017

FEMA, Rowing, Volunteer Opps, Banned Books, more

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Welcome to Sarasota County's community e-newsletter. If you have questions, ideas for articles, or feedback relating to this newsletter, contact us at communications@scgov.net. FEMA Disaster Survivor Assistance team relocates to new county facility The FEMA Disaster Survivor Assistance team has moved to Robert L. Taylor Community Complex, 1845 34th St., Sarasota . The team will be at the location for the next three weeks and hours of operation will be from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. 2017 World Rowing Championships run through Sunday at Nathan Benderson Park Rowers from more than 70 countries are competing in the 2017 World Rowing Championships at Nathan Benderson Park. The closing ceremony takes place Sunday. Volunteers needed for disaster response Sarasota County Health and Human Services is recruiting a team of volunteers to run Volunteer Reception Centers during a disaster. Volunteers invited to celebrate National Public Lands Day on Saturday Join Sarasota County to

Debris Hotline, UDC updates, libraries open, more

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Welcome to Sarasota County's community e-newsletter. If you have questions, ideas for articles, or feedback relating to this newsletter, contact us at  communications@scgov.net .  County sets up storm debris hotline Garbage collection has resumed for unincorporated Sarasota County, and the county's landfill is open for trash and yard waste. County seeks feedback during workshops on Unified Development Code Sarasota County is creating a Unified Development Code that updates and brings together the land development and zoning regulations, which control the development of all properties in the unincorporated area of the county. Special election to be held for State House District 72 seat A special election will be held for the State House of Representatives District 72 seat to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Rep. Alex Miller for the remainder of the term.  County continues with recovery efforts Sarasota County continues wo

Meeting, Yard Sale, Fall Fest, CERT, more . . .

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Our regular quarterly community meeting was held in Hina Point Park Thursday, 9.14.17. A quick summary: Key points: Hurricane Relief : Alliance Church is offering AC and showers to people without electricity. The church is on the north side of Bee Ridge opposite Chaucer. Purse : LSCG has the grand sum of $273 in its treasury. Yard Sale: The Fall Community Garage Sale is set for November 11, 8 am to 2 pm. The sale will be advertised in the newspaper one time. No maps. Feel free to put out your own signs, just remember to pick them up. Also feel free to post ads on Craigslist. Items you do not need that could be sold to raise $ for the community can be dropped off at Keith and Sommer's - 4032 Westminster. Fall Fest: The community Fall festival date is Sat. Nov. 18 in Lakeview Park, 11 am to 2 pm. Bring food, games. A sign-up message will be circulated via email or text. A planning meeting for the Fall Festival will be held on Oct. 12 - stay tuned for time, place.

Lake Sarasota meets Thursday 9.14 at Hina Point Park - 6 PM

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The Lake Sarasota Community Group meets this Thursday: Thu, Sep 14 6:00 PM Hina Park  Quarterly meeting.  **Neighborhood Meeting: 6pm, Thursday, Sept. 14th. Hina Point Park**        - at the intersection of Hina and Palau: Rain Location: 4032 Westminster Dr. (Purple and Beige House at the Eastern tip of Tema). Agenda: Post-Irma State of the Neighborhood -         heaving a collective deep sigh of relief with the BEST neighbors in Florida! Fall Festival;  Community garage sale;  Please note the different time and place. Bring a lawn chair. Tell your neighbors without power. We need to find a way to get them through this week.

Sarasota County Emergency Preparations, Shelters, Storm Info

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Update: County Emergency Management has a new Web Page about Irma with good info about Shelters and more. National Hurricane Center Tracking  IRMA Maps - downloadable PDFs: Hurricane Preparation Guide   Sarasota County Shelters and Evacuation Routes  (pet shelters as designated)  Checklist of things to stock up on  Web Pages: Online Map showing shelter locations IRMA - Stay Informed What to bring to Shelters Manatee County Shelters Code Red - Sarasota Weather Warning  Sarasota County Emergency Services Sandbags: They are still giving out sandags today and tomorrow. 10 per household. The county’s three sandbag locations open at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday and will stay open until 6 p.m . They also be open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Wednesday. There is a 10 bag limit per person. Identification is not required. The locations where sandbags are being offered are as follows:  Newtown Estates Park, 2800 Newtown Blvd.  Twin Lakes Park, 6700 Clark Road  South Co

Public Workshops on Planning Updates

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The absurd proposal for a waste facility at the Celery Fields revealed some disturbing facts about  how planning has been failing the people of Sarasota County. E.g., Sarasota's land use map is out of date, its multiple codes do not mesh, and County planners apparently are not required to consult the community, or notify anyone of major changes to, or sales of, public lands. The County is working on updating - and will have public meetings beginning Sept. 20th.  Lots of info and a survey here. The public "workshops" are in Nokomis for some reason: Public Workshops Location: Nokomis Community Center, Main Hall 234 Nippino Trail Nokomis, FL 34275 Dates:  September 20th – Public Workshop No. 1 October 18th – Public Workshop No. 2 November 7th – Public Workshop No. 3 Time: 6:00 p.m., or as soon thereafter as possible.

Community Meeting Thursday Sept. 14

Lake Sarasota Community Group (LSCG) Meets Thursday, Sept. 14th, 7 pm in the meeting rooms of Sarasota Alliance Church, Bee Ridge Road. This is a regular quarterly meeting of volunteers interested in bettering the neighborhood. It's open to all residents of Lake Sarasota.

CONA invites all HOAs Sept. 11

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meeting locations and information ​ CONA monthly meetings are free and open to the public as well as the members of the more than seventy associations the organization represents and our individual members. ​ Regular monthly meetings are on second Mondays of the month at the Sarasota Garden Club, 1131 Boulevard of the Arts in Sarasota, which is at the intersection of Tamiami Trail, south of the Municipal Auditorium. Parking and the entrance are reached from Van Wezel Way. A social at 6:30 precedes the meeting that begins at 7:00. ​ We do not schedule regular monthly meetings in July or August unless there are pressing issues of immediate concern. ​ Special meetings may be held on different dates, at other times, or at other locations, please check announcements and notices carefully. Special fund-raising events may be reserved to contributors who respond to advertisements of the event to members and the public.

Some of those who protected the Celery Fields

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From Luigi Verace of  Stand Up Fight Back SRQ : Stand Up Fight Back  as a group became involved in actively opposing a  proposed dump at the Celery Fields  in Sarasota, Florida, in February of 2017.  I personally had been following the issue from abroad in Sweden and upon my return in Jan 2017 our steering committed agreed to officially proceed. I headed up the Celery Fields wing of our group and immediately began organizing events and public outreach to the County Commissioners. Along with hundreds of activists, thousand of hours and a massive amount of money, we won an impressive victory on August 23rd 2017 in defeating an industrial waste concrete crushing construction and yard debris facility situated within the 450 acres that is the Celery Fields. Dozens of members of our group were actively involved and showed up at every event, town hall, private meeting and all the public hearings. I want to thank them from the bottom of my heart to the top of the Celery Fields hill.