The Lake Sarasota Community Blog

Bicycle-sharing schemes are a fixture in European cities like Copenhagen, but now they are taking root on American soil. In Washington, D.C., over the past eight months, the nation's largest bike-share system has become so popular, it may become a victim of its own success. Click here for story. What to do with failed golf courses? In Palm Beach, they're turning a course into a 160-acre park with a driving range , concert lawn, bicycling lanes, picnic grounds. Deerfield Beach is turning half of an old course into a cemetery. And Davie is transforming a former exclusive course into, voila, an affordable golf course. Incidentally, the Sarasota County Government Sustainability page on Facebook is a rather solitary place - it could use some friends.

The next quarterly meeting of the Lake Sarasota Community Group takes place on Thursday, June 9, at 7 p.m. in the meeting rooms at Sarasota Alliance Church, 7221 Bee Ridge Rd., just opposite the intersection of Chaucer Lane and Bee Ridge Rd. One item on the agenda will be the status of trees in the Mauna Loa media. Some have died due to frost and to a disease that affects holly. One question: Lake Sarasota has roughly $530 left in in a county grant. Should the money be used to replace some of the trees?

County schedule set for Memorial Day holiday Most Sarasota County government offices, libraries, recreation centers and transit services will be closed Monday, May 30, to observe the national Memorial Day holiday. However, Payne Park Tennis Center will be open from 7:30 a.m.- 2 p.m. and the Arlington Park Recreation Center will be open from noon-5 p.m. ( MORE ) Sarasota County's Siesta Beach is rated Best in the Country! Dr. Stephen P. Leatherman, "Dr. Beach" is Professor and Director of the Laboratory for Coastal Research at Florida International University. Since 1991 he has been traveling the United States annually in search of the county's top 10 beaches. Siesta Beach in Sarasota with its pure white quartz sand and warm Gulf of Mexico waters has been ranked 2nd Best for the last two years, until now. ( MORE ) County Commission and County Administrator Jim Ley agree to contract termination The Sarasota County Commission has agreed to a contract termination agr...

The Bee Ridge Road Project is still intact with a plan for Low Impact Design (the preferred choice), but due to the turndown in taxes being collected, the project might be delayed. This much became clear at a County Commission today. According to one Bee Ridge Neighborhoods Committee member who attended recent County hearings: The Design and Engineering and Right of way purchases will continue for Bee Ridge through the end of 2012. The actual construction is scheduled to start in Oct 2013 but is highly dependent on an improving economy which will generate more sur tax revenue. If that does not occur, then the actual constuction will probably be deferred for several years.

We’ve all been hearing about what an active hurricane season we may have this year. On Friday June 3 rd from 2 pm to 4 pm, the Friendship Volunteer Center is offering a Community Disaster Preparedness Educational event at the Community Foundation Non-Profit Resource Center. Ed McCrane, Sarasota County’s Emergency Management Director, will present information helping local nonprofits, associations and businesses on how to better sustain a hurricane or other disaster—and to better serve the community in its wake. Please pass it along to any agencies, friends, businesses or neighborhood associations that would benefit from this FREE offering. The event is open to the public but registration is required. Please call the Friendship Volunteer Center at 953-5965. Friendship Volunteer Center 941-953-5965 941-365-5718 Fax FriendshipVolunteerCenter@ friendshipcenters.org

Click here to see a very comprehensive list of Nature Events for June in Sarasota.

From the Sheriff : In honor of National Missing Children’s Day today, the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office is offering information to help parents be vigilant and to encourage them to educate their children about how to stay safe this summer. What parents can do: Know where your children are at all times. Be familiar with their friends and activities. Be alert to someone who is paying an unusual amount of attention to your child. Listen carefully to your child’s fears and be supportive in your discussions. Teach your children that no one should touch them in a way that makes them feel scared, uncomfortable or confused. If so, they should immediately tell you. More - including a video .

Sarasota County News Update Greetings! Welcome to Sarasota County Community Connections eNewsletter. We hope that you will share this eNewsletter with family, friends and neighbors. Contact us if you have questions, ideas for featured articles, or feedback on the system at e-mail pubcom@scgov.net. Selby Library to get makeover A $1.2 million renovation of Selby Public Library, 1331 First St., Sarasota, is set to begin by the end of May and will include a facelift for the inside of the building, more convenient location of computers, a new state-of-the-art Teen Center and installation of an automated check-in system. (MORE) Memorial Day closings announced Most Sarasota County government offices, libraries, recreation centers and transit services will be closed Monday, May 30, to observe the national Memorial Day holiday. However, Payne Park Tennis Center will be open from 7:30 a.m.- 2 p.m. and the Arlington Park Recreation Center will be open from noon-5 p.m.(MORE) Siesta Key br...

Greetings! Welcome to Sarasota County Community Connections eNewsletter. We hope that you will share this eNewsletter with family, friends and neighbors. Contact us if you have questions, ideas for featured articles, or feedback on the system at e-mail pubcom@scgov.net . Saturday is Big truck Day at Phillippi Park Trucks, construction equipment and other large vehicles will be on display at Sarasota County's 15th annual Big Truck Day, 10 a.m.--2 p.m. Saturday, May 14, at Phillippi Estate Park, 5500 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. The event is free and open to the public. ( MORE ) Proctor community cleanup scheduled for May 14 It's time to clean out the garage and gather up yard waste. Sarasota County will hold its annual community cleanup in the Proctor area from 7:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, May 14. Waste Management dumpsters will be available at two locations for materials from residents: Sarasota County Technical Institute, 4748 Beneva Road, in the west parking lot Bee Ri...

To get a new driver's license in Florida, more documentation is necessary now than used to be the case. Basic links at the local Tax Collector's Site here. To find out what specific docs you'll need, go to Gather Go Get, here. More info here and here. Sarasota Motor Vehicle Centers here.

COME PARTICIPATE IN SARASOTA'S INAUGURAL DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL - SATURDAY - MAY 7TH, 2011~BENDERSON PARK~NO COST~ JUST YOUR COMMITMENT TO HAVE FUN and CAMARADERIE with fellow Sarasotans! Join in the fun at Sarasota's Inaugural Dragon Boat Festival being held on Saturday May 7th, 2011 in Nathan Benderson Park. Teams are forming and we are looking for YOU ! Be a part of a sport with deep rooted history and the fastest growing water sport in the world. No experience necessary Fun for all ages Great for corporate team building Excellent Fundraising opportunity All you need for a team is 20 paddlers and a drummer (musical abilities not required). To learn more on how you, your company, your friends, and even your neighborhood can participate and experience all the action, fun, and the team camaraderie for yourself, contact info@panamdragonboat.com . More about Dragon Boat Racing: How to Form a Dragonboat Team 2011 Team Registration Sarasota Flier