The Lake Sarasota Community Blog

Greetings! Welcome to Sarasota County Community Connections. Please share this with family, friends and neighbors. Contact us if you have questions, ideas for articles, or feedback on the system, at communityconnections@scgov.net Emergency storm repairs require permits Emergency repairs caused by damage from Tropical Storm Debby  may require permits . The Florida Building Code allows next-business day permit submittals to protect against weather. This does not apply to voluntarily replaced components. Network maintenance will impact service this weekend Maintenance to Sarasota County's fiber optic connections will temporarily disrupt service to most county networks from 6 p.m. Saturday, June 30, through 10 a.m. Sunday, July 1. All county buildings will be affected, including fire stations and SCAT Administration. Phillippi Shores sidewalks The  Phillippi Shores Elementary School sidewalk project  is being built under the federal "Saf

At least in Lake Sarasota -- odd, as we're rather far to the East in the county - the Gulf shots are at Casey Key:

On Saturday folks from Lake Sarasota , as well as from Sarasota County Parks and Rec , and from the Sarasota Club de Petanque , Friends of Sarasota County Parks , and the Sarasota Sky Pilots came out with shovels, hoes, clippers and anything else at hand to remove, uproot, and basically annihilate the infestation of air potatoes in Lakeview Park. Here's how the fence line looked before the community took action: Before And after: After Thanks All! Photos courtesy of Lynda Eppinger, who also was the prime organizer of this event.

After Thanks to Lynda Eppinger of Sarasota Parks & Rec for the photos and for organizing this event.

Greetings! Welcome to Sarasota County Community Connections. Please share this with family, friends and neighbors. Contact us if you have questions, ideas for articles, or feedback on the system, at  communityconnections@scgov.net Fertilizer restrictions are on Sarasota County has one of the state's toughest rules for protecting local waterways. Ordinance No. 2007-062 prohibits the use of fertilizer containing nitrogen or phosphorous from June 1 through Sept. 30  for both residential and commercial users. Got used medications? Drop them off at the Venice Police Department's new permanent Medication Take-back Box . Unused prescription and over-the-counter medications will be accepted 24/7, and turn-in is always anonymous. The box debuts Friday, June 29. Free HIV testing Sarasota Member organizations of the HIV-AIDS Network of Southwest Florida are providing  free HIV testing  to the public as part of a national HIV testing campaign.

Air Potato Invasion We're having an Air Potato Invasion in Lakeview Park -- this invasive vine climbs rapidly up trees and plants and eventually smothers them. It is very prolific and extremely hardy -- the best way to get rid of it is to pull it up by the potato-like roots.  An Air Potato Pick-Up is scheduled for Saturday, June 23, 9 am - noon . It will focus on the terrific new trees and plants that were recently placed in Lakeview Park near the Petanque Courts on the Lago Way side of the park. If you can make it, please come - bring sunblock, water, gloves, a spade, pruners, and closed shoes are recommended.  The air potato is in Florida thanks to the USDA . More event details below. Where:  Lakeview Park, newly planted buffer area Who:  County staff and volunteers who care about Lakeview Park When:  June 23 rd , 2012 from 9am-12pm What:  Removal of  air  potatoes/vines from the newly planted area at Lakeview Park Why:  As you may know,

Should the Lake Sarasota Community Group replace the current Citizens Patrol with a Block Watch program? Several incidents over the past three months would seem to make such a change adviseable. Ted offers some thoughts along with crime data over the last quarter, and an analysis of that data. The suggestion is that Lake Sarasota might benefit more from a Block Watch approach than from Citizens Patrol. Read the report and let us know what you think.

A good turnout at the quarterly meeting of the Lake Sarasota Community this evening. Here are the highlights: Median Beautification A question arose as to when dead trees in the medians would be replaced. Our Beautification Chair will be contacting the county, which had indicated this would be going forward once the rainy season was underway. Community Safety Ted reports that there were an unusual number of incidents in April-May, but things have quieted since then, perhaps because a perpetrator was arrested. Ted also described a "block-watch" approach to neighborhood security - more on this if and when it develops. Meanwhile, Citizens Patrol is still active, and folks are advised to lock cars in driveways, and use alarms. Bee Ridge Improvement on Track The Bee Ridge Widening has been funded by the County , and construction should begin in Oct. 2013. An important meeting with the Community will take place later this summer - possibly in August - offering resident

Our next scheduled meeting is this Thursday, June 14, 7 pm in Room 106, in the meeting rooms at the rear of Sarasota Alliance Church, 7221 Bee Ridge Rd. View Larger Map

Procedures that can be implemented quickly and easily. Post emergency telephone numbers by your phones . If you are not advised to evacuate,  locate the safest area in your home . Usually rooms away from windows such as closets, bathrooms and interior hallways offer the best protection. Stock up on non-perishable supplies and assemble an emergency supply kit . Keep your vehicles filled with gas . Determine escape routes from your home as well as places to meet . Designate an out-of-state friend or family member as a contact . This will ensure all your family members have a single point of contact. Make plans now for your pets in case of evacuation . Hurricane-proof your RV.  There are several things you can do to protect your RV from hurricane damage, including: tightening all seals and seams to keep water out; closing and locking all windows and vents; emptying all water tanks to keep pollutants from backing up into the RV; disconnecting your RV from any power sources; remo

Greetings! Welcome to Sarasota County Community Connections. Please share this with family, friends and neighbors. Contact us if you have questions, ideas for articles, or feedback on the system, at  communityconnections@scgov.net Proctor and Wilkinson cleanup  SATURDAY:  Sarasota County will hold its annual community cleanup  in the area of Proctor and Wilkinson roads from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. June 9. Dispose of household items, yard waste and other refuse at one of two locations. County staff will be available at each location. Orient yourself for disasters Sarasota County Emergency Management Chief Ed McCrane will be the featured presenter at a  community disaster orientation  at 1 p.m. Tuesday, June 12, at Imagine School in Sarasota. Summer arts and crafts at VCC One of the area's  largest and most popular arts and crafts shows  returns to the Venice Community Center June 16. More than 50 vendors will be on hand to share their one-of-a-kind han

This video from Sarasota County shows what can happen when unlicensed contractors are used to make "improvements" to a home: