The Lake Sarasota Community Blog

A note from our Neighborhood Coordinator, Debbie Marks: Good afternoon everyone - just a reminder of the January 9, 2007 meeting, 6:30 p.m. at the Sarasota Baptist Church , 7091 Proctor Road. We'll be finalizing the plans for the community garage sale on January 20th . If you have not registered to participate in the garage sale, please do so with Dawn Steele ( dsteele@firstbenefits.net ) so that we may show you on the map we will be handing out at the entrance. Also, if anyone is available to help move some landscape bricks, please let me know. We're trying to get them moved this week. Happy New Year and hope to see you on Jan. 9. Thanks! Debbie Debbie Marks Sarasota County Government Senior Planner, Neighborhood Services 1660 Ringling Boulevard, 4th Floor Sarasota, FL 34236 (941) 861-5865

Happy Holidays from Lake Sarasota

Delayed by holiday lunacy, here are highlights from the final Community Group meeting of Dec. 12th: There's a good chance the front entrance at Mauna Loa will be reconfigured in the coming year, as a result of the creation of a new turn lane at the intersection with Bee Ridge there. Laura announced plans for a sign made of better material for that entrance - with County funds, Debbie said we might be able to order two signs. The foliage on the sign has been changed from a palm tree to cattails, both as truer to our ecological niche and more aesthetically pleasing. Citizens Patrol will hold another training session for new recruits on Jan. 30th, 6:30 p.m., at Sarasota Baptist Church. The session should only last about 45 minutes, says organizer George Morgan . There was some preliminary discussion of a plan to make some improvements to Lakeview Park - that's the park next to the Dog Park. Clearing brush, fixing the pump, improving the boatramp, locking the gate to keep out vehic

On Jan. 20th, 2007, Lake Sarasota will hold a community-wide Yard Sale, and all neighbors are welcome to join in. The sale, which will run from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on the 20th, will be listed in the newspaper and advertised to the entire county. In addition, we'll be creating a map of Lake Sarasota listing and showing every house that is participating in the yard sale. To be on the map, email your name and address to Dawn no later than Jan. 10th. Whether you do participate in the yard sale, plan to come out on the 20th for free refreshments and a chance to meet your neighbors and learn more about the community. If you need to use snail mail, the Lake Sarasota Community Group address is: Lake Sarasota PO Box 21983 Sarasota, FL 34276

From Laura: Hello to all, We have the room at Sarasota Baptist church reserved for Jan. 30 @ 6:30 - 8:00 for the next training session. And the room for our general meetings is confirmed for the entire year for every second Tuesday of each month @ 6:30. Thank You :)

The next Community Group General Meeting will be at 6:30 p.m. on Dec. 12 in Room 100 of Sarasota Baptist , at Proctor and Hand. Stay current with updates on our initiatives and help us plan for the Winter Neighborhood Garage Sale set for Jan. 20.

Those who have volunteered for Citizens Patrol will have a brief training session tomorrow -- Thursday, Nov. 30th at 6:30. It will be in our regular room at Sarasota Baptist Church - Room 100. George Morgan is still looking for a few people who can give a couple of hours every other month to looking after the neighborhood. Vandalism drops by 30% in areas with active patrols. Email or call him: 377-4437 Also: The next Community Group General Meeting will be Dec. 12 at Sarasota Baptist, 6:30 p.m.

The Lake Sarasota Community Group now has a postbox and an email address : LAKE SARASOTA PO BOX 21983 SARASOTA, FL 34276 lakesarasota@gmail.com And make a note: Next general meeting of the Lake Sarasota Community Group is Tuesday, Dec. 12, 6:30 p.m. at Sarasota Baptist Church, Proctor and Hand Rds.

The county is reaching out to residents, asking them to provide input about where it should put its tax dollars. Neighborhood associations along Bee Ridge Road are asking their residents to attend one of the meetings listed below, and to fill out the forms that will be available (they're in the libraries also) with the request that the county give priority to the widening of Bee Ridge, and to making it a Corridor project. Doing so will enable residents to have more say in what can be developed along the road. Here's the county press release: SARASOTA COUNTY (MONDAY, NOVEMBER 06, 2006) - The public is invited to a series of meetings to help develop a project list for the next phase of the penny sales tax for unincorporated Sarasota County. On Nov. 6, 2007, Sarasota County officials plan to place on the ballot a referendum asking residents to continue the penny sales tax from 2010 through 2019. At the same time, voters will be asked to approve a list of projects that will be con

The November 14th General Meeting offered news and updates on several fronts, and set dates for some future events. Laura Mathis began by offering a mission statement for the Community Group: "The Lake Sarasota group's purpose is to enhance the beauty, safety and sense of community in a positive way through working together in positive roles." Volunteers are needed on Sunday, Dec. 7th at 9 a.m. to finish landscaping the Westminster Entrance. The letters are up, the wall is painted. Bring gloves, long sleeve shirts, and a truck if you have one -- the work will involve moving some bricks (that used to be at the Mauna Loa Entrance) into place. The Beautification Committee also seeks a volunteer to water and keep the Westminster entrance clean. A sign for the Mauna Loa entrance, paid for by the County with a generous additional donation from Mickey Schweitzer, should be ready by the end of the year. Here's a sketch of what it will look like: Citizens Patrol: George Morgan

The next general meeting of the Lake Sarasota Community Group will be at Sarasota Baptist on Tuesday, Nov. 14, at 6:30 p.m. Issues for discussion will include Beautification, Winter festival plans, traffic calming, developments east of I-75 with potential impact on Lake Sarasota property and quality of life.

The Sarasota County Traffic Advisory Committee meets Monday, Nov. 13, at 1:15 p.m., in the Board Chambers of the Sarasota County Administration Building, 1616 Ringling Blvd. The meeting will address proposed traffic controls for certain intersections on Mauna Loa Blvd. -- specifically, stop signs. More info: 861-5000.

Residents of Lake Sarasota and other areas adjacent to a 39-acre parcel on the Mauna Loa Extension expressed their opposition to a plan that calls for putting 15 three-story buildings on the land, with 22 rental units per building. Stephen Rees, attorney for the developer who is seeking rezoning to residential multifamily (nine units per acre) from the county, outlined the plan Tuesday evening at a neighborhood workshop . Among the concerns voiced: "You're going to kill my property value," one Lake Sarasota resident said, after Rees explained that some undetermined portion of the apartments might fall under the "affordable housing" designation. "'Affordable' gives you latitude and gives us nothing," said a woman who lives on McKown Rd., which runs north of the project. Residents along McKown spoke about noise, light, and the abrupt juxtaposition of the apartments to their five-acre estates, some of which include horses, barns and stables. Resid

Below are the most recent Sarasota County land use maps for the Ansin parcels, which would be the site of the 330-unit apartment complex proposed for property on Mauna Loa north of Bee Ridge Road -- directly opposite Lake Sarasota's entrance. A county Workshop on this proposed development will be held this Tuesday evening at the Hampton Inn , 5995 Cattleridge Rd., in the Roosevelt Room. It begins at 6p.m. It is imperative we have a strong showing for the first session. Hopefully we will be able to learn what other potential plans might be coming down the pipe for this property and neighboring parcels. Click on the images for a larger size:

The Sarasota County Traffic Advisory Committee will hold a meeting on Monday, Nov. 13, at 1:15 p.m. The meeting will address proposed traffic controls for certain intersections on Mauna Loa Blvd. -- specifically, stop signs. The meeting will be in the Board Chambers of the Sarasota County Administration Building, 1616 Ringling Blvd. More info: 861-5000.

The county workshop on the plan to connect Clark Road to the Landfill south of it was over-attended by a large number of interested persons Monday evening. So much so that at least one quarter of the crowd was asked to leave to avoid breaking fire regulations before the workshop got underway. Why was it so well attended? One man standing in line to get in nailed it when he said, "Anytime something threatens to lower my property value by double digits, I'm there." Another workshop will be announced, a mailing will go out, and those who were unable to get in tonight will have a chance to hear and to comment. No action will be taken by the county before that third workshop will be held (there was one last week in South County). One odd note: This is purely speculative, and might never happen. But....according to some of the people at the workshop, the maps indicated that the Bee Ridge Extension would form part of a linkage extending from Bee Ridge to Clark to the Landfill.

A neighborhood workshop will be held this evening (Monday, Oct. 30th) to discuss a proposed plan to allow access to the county landfill from Clark Road, which is north of the Landfill. You can read more about the proposal and how some in the community feel about it by going to SaveClarkRoad.com . Tonight's meeting is from 6:30 - 8 p.m. at Twin Lakes Park. (Next week, on Tuesday, November 7, there will be a workshop to discuss the proposed Apartment Complex for 330 apartments on a tract of land opposite the main entrance to Lake Sarasota. That meeting begins at 6 p.m. at the Hampton Inn , Roosevelt Room.)

Sarasota County east of I-75 is ripe for development, which will mean changes in roads, density, commercial space, housing and population that could affect property values and the quality of life for all those living along or between Bee Ridge and Clark Roads. Here a just two of several projects and proposals for the area: 1. From Joe O'Hara, chairman of the Bee Ridge Neighborhoods Committee: In Saturday's mail I received a notice of a Neighborhood Workshop that I am not sure all of you may have gotten. It is a meeting to discuss a re-zoning petition within or behind the Bee Ridge Park of Commerce. The entry to the project appears to be from Mauna Loa Blvd--although I can not tell from the plans attached. The meeting will be to discuss the application which will seek to change 36 acres within the Park or immediately adjacent-- from OUE to RMF-2. The application proposes to build 330 apartments on the 36 acres. The location of the Workshop is Hampton Inn, 5995 Cattleman Rd.at 6

The Lake Sarasota Community Group met Tuesday evening. Here are some highlights: The Beautification Committee plans to attach letters to the Westminster Wall on Saturday morning, around 7:30 a.m. This entrance will be basically finished except for some landscaping. A new sign for the Mauna Loa entrance was on display, featuring the name of the subdivision, a palm tree and a lake. Here's the idea: Thanks to Debbie Marks, the County has agreed to pay for the sign. A grant is "all but assured" to fund a Yard-of-the-Month program. Any home that's improved its appearance can be nominated, and winners will be plucked from a hat. The program should begin in November - more on this to come. Traffic Calming: A county traffic advisory board meets Nov. 13th -- Debbie Marks will let us know if proposed stop signs for Mauna Loa and Jarvis will be on the agenda of that meeting. Diane McDonald is happy to receive baked goods or small plants, etc., to go into the Welcome Wagon pac

Come see the proposed design for the new Mauna Loa entrance sign for Lake Sarasota at the next General Meeting of Lake Sarasota's Community Group: Tuesday, Oct. 10, 6:30 p.m. at Sarasota Baptist Church , 7091 Proctor Road. In addition to updates on traffic calming efforts, beautification, and other ongoing concerns, a representative of the County's Code Enforcement operation will be on hand to review code issues.

A special home alarm offer is available to residents of Lake Sarasota. You'll find details in message 21 in the Lake Sarasota Newsgroup. If you haven't already joined the group, it's quite simple: First, create a Yahoo account -- they're free -- then join the group here .

The first edition of the Lake Sarasota Community Newsletter will go out to all residents soon, thanks to Realtor Mickey Schweitzer , who will include it in his regular monthly mailing. If you can't wait, it's available online at our LakeSarasotagroup site on Yahoo. Look under Files. The text of a flier about the Yard of the Month Program, which is planned to begin in November, has also been also posted to the group files .

The Beautification Committee will meet Wednesday evening, Sept. 20 at 6:30 p.m. at Laura's house. A contractor will be there to discuss details of a new Mauna Loa entrance to the neighborhood. Those interested, call 377-4710.

Among the items discussed at the September meeting were these: Traffic Calming: The County is expected to take action on Oct. 9th on the proposed stop signs along Mauna Loa. Citizens Patrol: George Morgan is seeking people with a couple of hours of free time every other month to participate in a citizens patrol. If you are interested, call George at 377-4437 or email him at george_morgan@juno.com . The next Beautification Committee meeting is Oct. 5. If you are interested, contact Tisha. A "Yard of the Month" program is planned to begin in November, pending a grant approval from the County. The group voted to join CONA - The Sarasota County Council of Neighborhood Associations. The Beautification Committee is working on a design for the Mauna Loa entrance sign. Debbie Marks said the County will pay for the permit for the sign. A Fall Festival is being planned to help raise neighborhood awareness - no date set yet. The next General Meeting is on Tuesday, Oct. 10 at 6:30 p.m. a

A newsgroup has been set up on Yahoo for the use of residents of Lake Sarasota. Go here to join: Click to join lakesarasotagroup

The Bee Ridge Neighborhoods Committee (BRNC) consists of representatives of all of the homeowner associations whose properties lie along Bee Ridge Rd. east of I-75: Bent Tree Village, Bent Tree II, Laurel Lakes, Laurel Meadows, The Hammocks, Laurel Oak, Heritage Oak, Misty Creek, Gator Creek and Lake Sarasota. The committee has been monitoring county planning regarding several projects for the area: a proposed Publix shopping center at Bee Ridge and Bee Ridge extension; development of park facilities at Rothenberg Park; a nearly 1500-unit affordable housing project proposed for Iona and Palmer; an FPL solar panel project at Rothenberg Park; road plans - including designating Bee Ridge a corridor, which would coordinate its widening with landscaping features such as berms and sidewalks; public transportation along Bee Ridge; the one-cent sales tax and other funding issues; other potential commercial development and roadwork. The committee in its current form has been meeting for a few m

The next general Lake Sarasota Community Group meeting will be on September 12th at the Sarasota Baptist Church , 7091 Proctor Road, at 6:30 p.m. Committees are still forming. Come for updates on beautification, the Yard of the Month selection process, traffic calming, the Bee Ridge expansion, Community Patrol, and more. In addition, Realtor Mickey Schweitzer will be on hand to discuss trends and issues and to make a special announcement.

Members of the Beautification Committee removed about 100 blocks standing at the entrance to Lake Sarasota Saturday in preparation for a re-do of the entrance. A new sign is being designed, and will be accompanied by new landscaping -- set back from Bee Ridge Rd., to avoid bruising from (and to) vehicles.

This saturday, Sept. 9 at 7 a.m., join Tisha, Judy, Peter, and Mark in dismantling the blocks at the Mauna Loa entrance to Lake Sarasota. These members of the Beautification Committee will be storing the blocks while working on a design for a new sign at the entrance to the neighborhood. It shouldn't take more than an hour - the more hands, the more quickly it will go. Info: 377-4710.

A note from Lake Sarasota resident Diane McDonald: I am looking forward to welcoming the new neighbors of Lake Sarasota. I want to get started and know that there maybe some others that would like to work with me. I am going to go around to the businesses in the area to see if they may donate gifts for a basket presentation. I also am interested in getting some of the Lake Sarasota "Bakers" in the area to donate fresh muffins, cakes, brownies, etc. In the past 3 months there have been 18 new families. I'm anxious to get started. Thank you for your support, Diane. If you would like to work with Diane , contact her via email (diane@homesaremyracket.com) or by phone: 308-3885.

About 50 neighborhood residents turned out Tuesday evening to meet the candidates for the County Commission District 2 seat, Casey Pilon , John Lewis , and Joe Barbetta .

Candidates for District 2 Sarasota County Commission Seat will be on hand at a Meet the Candidates Forum , Tuesday, Aug. 29th, at Sarasota Baptist Church , 7091 Proctor Rd., across from Lakeview Elementary. Meet the people who are vying to represent your district: John Lewis , Joe Barbetta , and Casey Pilon . The event runs from 6:30 - 8 p.m. in the church auditorium, and light refreshments will be served. Bring your questions for the candidates.

Work on the Westminster Entrance to Lake Sarasota is almost complete, according to the Beautification Committee , which received donations of mulch and plant material. Trees are also planned for the entrance. The committee is looking for volunteers, and always welcomes contributions. To become involved, call Dawn at 377-4710, or email Tisha. The county will be conducting a traffic study on Mauna Loa in the next few weeks, to determine the level of traffic, number of accidents, moving violations and other safety data. Based on that information, a decision about stop signs in Lake Sarasota will be made. The next general Neighborhood Group meeting will be on September 12th . Realtor Micky Schweitzer will be on hand to discuss trends and issues.

Tuesday's General Meeting at Sarasota Baptist was well attended. Some highlights: Volunteers are invited to join the Yard of the Month committee. The committee will seek a grant to buy signs to place in yards that are awarded the Yard of the Month designation. Thanks to one resident, the committee now has several prizes to award, including a free haircut and free hair products. The Beautification Committee meets at 6:30 p.m. next Tuesday, Aug. 15th, at 6571 Friendship to organize landscaping the Westminster entrance gate. The wall has already been painted, and the volunteers urge all to drive by and see the improvements. They plan to mulch and plant, as well as to add lettering to the wall. It will read: "Lake Sarasota - East Gate." All interested parties are welcome. Call Debbie if you have any questions. David Johnson was made chair of the Traffic Committee , and is seeking volunteers to join him. A request for several stop signs has been submitted to the County and t

The next general meeting for Lake Sarasota residents is set for Tuesday, August 8th, at Sarasota Baptist Church , 7091 Proctor Road. It starts at 6:30 p.m. The Beautification Committee will have an update, and the group will begin setting up other sub-committees for the neighborhood. Nominations will also be taken for a voluntary board to oversee the activities. If you would like to volunteer for one of the positions or know of someone who would be good at that, please let me know and plan to attend Tuesday's meeting. Some of the sub-committees being discussed are as follows: Traffic Committee Citizen's Patrol/Neighborhood Watch Committee County Liaison Committee Peer to Peer Code Enforcement Committee Yard of the Month Committee Other suggestions are welcome. Please join us! === Meanwhile, here are a few links to timely hurricane info: Weather Underground Dr. Jeff Masters' Wunder Blog Hurricane and Storm Tracking IBISEYE

Good morning everyone. Dawn and I will be meeting at the Westminister wall Saturday morning at 8:00 a.m. to give it a second coat and possible landscaping. If you have a couple of hours, please come and join us. If you have any questions, please let me know. Thanks! Debbie Debbie Marks Senior Planner Neighborhood Services 1660 Ringling Boulevard Sarasota, FL 34236 (941) 861-5865

Good morning everyone. We will be working on the walls at Westminister and Bee Ridge again in the morning - preparing them for the paint. Please come out and help with the project. We will be there from 7:00 until 10:00 a.m. We could really use the help - hope to see you there. If you have high school students in need of the community hours - this would be a great opportunity. Thanks! Debbie

This Saturday, July 29, volunteers will be helping paint and complete the improvements to the Westminster Drive entrance beginning at 7 a.m. Meet at the entrance, bring a trowel if you have one. With eight people, the job should be finished by 10 a.m. Contact Peter for more info by email or phone: 377-2723. The next general meeting will take place on Tuesday, August 8th, at 6:30 at Sarasota Baptist . In Brief: - Residents are signing a Petition to ask the County to place stop signs at several designated intersections along Mauna Loa. - Debbie Marks and several residents will begin a door-to-door community survey later this week. Debbie indicated her plan is to begin on Thursday at the Mauna Loa entrance. The aim is to gather feedback on traffic calming and other issues, and to raise neighborhood awareness of efforts by Lake Sarasota homeowners to address issues that matter to the community.

What: Lake Sarasota Neighborhood Meeting New Time and Place: When: July 25, 2006 at 6:30 PM Where: Sarasota Baptist Church

Last night's general meeting, held at Sarasota Baptist Church , addressed a number of issues: - The group agreed to apply for a Beautification Grant. - A "Yard of the Month" initiative will recognize one attractive yard per month. All are encouraged to submit candidates. - Peer-to-Peer Code Enforcement was discussed as a means of upgrading messy properties. - Debbie Marks and residents will conduct a door-to-door neighborhood survey soon, getting input from residents on traffic calming and other issues. - The group agreed to look for locations, especially along Mauna Loa, where stop signs might be useful. - The issue of the Bee Ridge Corridor was introduced. Several residents described the intersection at Bee Ridge and Mauna Loa as unsafe and below par. The County apparently has plans to upgrade Bee Ridge east of I-75, but has not communicated its plan to Lake Sarasota because the community has no formal association. - It was suggested that County Commission candidates be

From Debbie: Good afternoon everyone. One of your neighbors, Laura Mathis has been able to secure a meeting place for us at the Sarasota Baptist Church (SBC), 7091 Proctor Road, located just south of the park and schools. I realize this is short notice, but we will be moving the meeting tonight from the park pavilion to the auditorium at SBC. It is in the 'main' big building thru the main doors under the overhang. The guard on duty will be Wade Meyer. Signs will be posted at the park for those I can not reach by email. Hope to see you there.

Here's an update from Debbie about the next general meeting: July 11, 2006, 6:30 p.m. will be our next regular meeting. We will still be at the pavilion in Lakeview Park for this meeting and hopefully by our next regular meeting in August we will have made arrangements with one of the nearby Churches. We will be discussing the various beautification projects which have been completed and talking about what project to undertake next. Please join us. Also, the Beautification Committee will be working on the walls at Westminister and Bee Ridge again this Saturday morning (July 8) , preparing and painting them. If you have a few minutes, please stop by and help out. We'll be there from 7:00 to 10:00 a.m. Donations are also being taken to cover the cost of materials for the wall. If you'd like to donate, please contact Dawn Steele at 377-4710 or bring the donation to the meeting on July 11. Hope to see you all there. Thanks!

An email from Neighborhood Coordinator Debbie Marks: Good morning everyone. All but three of the medians got cleaned up last weekend. If you are available tomorrow morning - Sat. July 1, 7 - 10 a.m., please join your neighbors to finish the job. Have a great weekend! Debbie

Interested in helping keep Lake Sarasota beautiful? A group of people dedicated to doing just that meets this evening, June 27, at 6:30 p.m. at the Pavilion on the Lake. We'll be discussing the repair and painting work of the walls at Westminister and Bee Ridge Rd.

From Debbie: Reminder: tomorrow - Saturday, June 24, from 7 - 10:00 a.m. there will be a clean-up of the medians on Mauna Loa. We'll be trimming trees, picking up trash, etc., Please join us if you're available. If you have chain saws (gas powered) or other trimming equipment, please bring that with you. Also, the beautification committee will meet on Tuesday, June 27th at 6:30 p.m. at the pavilion in Lakeview Park. We'll be discussing the repair and painting work of the walls at Westminister and Bee Ridge. Our next regular meeting will be on June 11th and I'll forward you the meeting place at a later date.

Tonight's general neighborhood meeting was well attended, including some first-time residents and landlords. There was a good deal to report: Deputy Scott Baker of the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office took questions about late night noise, speeding, public nuisances, and trespassing. The general dispatch number for the Sheriff is (941) 316-1201. Both Deputy Baker and Deputy Pollack can be reached by email if you have any law enforcement questions and concerns: Deputy Baker Deputy Pollock The Beautification Commitee reported that it cleaned up the area around the entrance at Westminster and Bee Ridge on Saturday. Peter estimated that it will cost about $100 to repair the walls at that entrance. For more information, or to join the Beautification Committee, email Peter at P1738@Comcast.net . The Committee and any other interested neighbors will be meeting on Saturday, June 24, from 7 to 10 a.m. to clean up the median along Mauna Loa. If you can, bring a rake and gloves, and mark

The Beautification Committee met Tuesday evening at the Westminster and Bee Ridge walls. The committee decided to meet there again on Saturday morning between 7 and 10:30 a.m. to clean up the area, remove debris, trim back trees and shrubs and begin preparing the walls for painting and lettering. If you are available Saturday morning, please bring your gardening tools and gloves and join us. Debbie is trying to get gloves and bags from Keep Sarasota Beautiful.

From Debbie: The Beautification Committee is scheduled to meet at the walls at Westminster & Bee Ridge tonight at 6:30 p.m. If by chance it is raining, we will re-group there next Tuesday evening. Thanks! Debbie

The June 6th meeting was well attended. The group discussed community policing, beautification, traffic calming, and the recent Clean-Up. It was agreed to try to find an indoor location for general meetings, possibly at one of the nearby churches. And Debbie Marks will be inviting residents to join her in going door-to-door to meet residents and generate broader interest and support in revitalizing Lake Sarasota. Coming up: Tuesday, June 13: 6:30 p.m. Beautification Committee meeting at the Westminster site of the proposed Lake Sarasota entrance sign. Tuesday June 20: 6:30 p.m. General meeting. Saturday June 24: 7:30 a.m. Neighborhood effort to clean-up along Mauna Loa.

An email from Sarasota County Neighborhood Organizer Debbie Marks: Good morning all! This is your friendly reminder of our next meeting, 6:30 p.m. at Lakeview Park pavilion. We will be discussing the following items: clean up day for the Mauna Loa Boulevard medians; voting on the new entryway signs; possible fund raisers; surveying the neighborhood; and- future meeting locations. Please plan to attend and bring a neighbor, we really need to increase our participation. If you have any pull with a nearby church, please contact them to see if they would offer us a room for Tuesday evening meetings. Maybe if we had an air-conditioned room that we could depend on for the meetings and not have to be concerned with the chance of rain or the heat, we would have more people attend. Special thanks to Dan and Judy Johnson and Robert and Dawn Steele for making the neighborhood meetings sign in the second median more permanent. Hopefully this help generate more participation.

An email from Jane Grogg to Lake Sarasota residents: Dear Lake Sarasota Residents & Property Owners, Hopefully you've already seen one of the many announcements about next week's presentation by John McKnight, an expert on neighborhood association building. I am hoping you might attend and help encourage others in Lake Sarasota to attend one of his two sessions to both learn about his experiences and to discuss how your neighborhoods might advance to a greater level of association development. McKnight often talks about the significance of counting on what talents you have within your neighborhood to make a difference, much like what you're creating in Lake Sarasota. His messages are inspirational and real examples of what can be done to accomplish great things in neighborhoods. I highly encourage Lake Sarasota citizens and other neighborhood representatives to attend, as these principles are the foundation to building great neighborhoods. Please select from one of the

At this evening's meeting, traffic calming measures were discussed along with other issues. A flyer seeking neighborhood input on a range of issues will be mailed out to every home in Lake Sarasota. Next Tuesday, May 30, the Beautification Committee will meet at the Pavilion in the park at 6:30 p.m. to talk about the entryway signage. Anyone interested is welcome. The next general meeting for the neighborhood will be held in two weeks, on Tuesday, June 6, at 6:30 p.m.

This blog is for the use of the neighborhood of Lake Sarasota , in Sarasota, Florida. Two brief announcements about upcoming events: On Saturday, May 20, there will be a neighborhood clean-up, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.. Dumpsters will be set up at the Dog Park and behind the fire station, and Habitat for Humanity will be on hand to collect furniture and home improvement items that can be resold. On Tuesday, May 23, there will be a neighborhood meeting at Lakeview Park at 6:30 p.m. to follow up on the last meeting's discussion of traffic calming.