The Lake Sarasota Community Blog

Two meetings relating to Lake Sarasota are coming this month: Sept. 6: 4:30 - 6:30 pm - The second and final community review of plans for the widening and improvement of Bee Ridge Road. Plans will be about 60% complete by this time, and there are some changes from the first meeting (the 30% meeting) last December. A chance to see visuals of how the main thoroughfare will look, and to offer your thoughts to planners and county staff. At Colonial Baptist Church, corner of Bee Ridge and Golf Course. (See fact sheet below.) ==== Sept. 13: 7 - 8:30 pm : Regular quarterly meeting of the Lake Sarasota Community Group at Alliance Church, on Bee Ridge opposite Chaucer. Meeting rooms in back. The LSCG is a purely voluntary organization that cares about the neighborhood. No dues, ever. Send items for agenda to lakesarasota@gmail.com Click to enlarge:

Welcome to the new Sarasota County Community Connections. We've changed our look to make things easier for you to find. Please take a look around, then share this with your family, friends and neighbors. Contact us if you have questions, ideas for articles, or feedback on the system, or just let us know how you like the new look, at  communityconnections@scgov.net   Sarasota County government offices close for Labor Day holiday Sarasota County government offices, including libraries, recreation centers and the History Center will be closed Monday, Sept. 3, for the Labor Day holiday.   Run with the Mad Hatters Sept. 3 Sarasota County Parks and Recreation will host the Pioneer Days Mad Hatter Kids' Fun Run at 8:30 a.m., Monday, Sept. 3 (Labor Day), on Dearborn Street in Englewood. The event for children age 17 and under will precede the 56th Annual Labor Day parade. County mowing schedule for Aug. 27 to Sept. 7 Here is the schedule for Sarasota Co...

The latest county update on Isaac - three county storm shelters are open - in Sarasota, it's Brookside Elementary, 3636 S. Shade Ave. - pet friendly. The other two are in North Port. More here.

Tropical Storm Isaac could affect our area. Get updates from the National Hurricane Center as well as other sites. Some useful links: NHC IbisEye Fox Hurricane Storm info from Sarasota County Hurricane Guide - Preparation Sarasota County Emergency Services Hurricane Shelter List  (Pet shelters indicated) Another Shelter List (that can be printed out) Pet Preparedness Pet Shelter Admission Form Evacuation Routes  ( noted in red) Road Conditions - F511 Statewide Disaster Info

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 County monitoring seaweed   County crews  continue to monitor seaweed accumulation from county-owned or operated beaches . Environmental conditions may delay cleanups more than 24 hours in advance. The county is also heeding sea turtle and snowy plover nesting seasons. Community block grant funding changes proposed  Sarasota County is considering an amendment to the plan that defines  how federal Community Development Block Grant funding is spent . Citizens may comment during a public meeting Aug. 22 at the Federal Building Board Room located at 111 S. Orange Ave. SCAT hires General Manager  Sarasota County Area Transit (SCAT) has hired Glamarier Carter, most recently the Public Tr...

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 Newtown community cleanup SATURDAY:  Sarasota County will hold its annual   free community cleanup in the Newtown area  from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 11. Aug. 14 primary early voting Early voting for the Aug. 14 primary continues through Saturday, Aug. 11.  Cast your ballots at any one of five locations between the hours of 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Call county for mowing needs  The death of Andrea Rody, a citizen who was cutting grass in a median, is a tragic reminder that  performing mowing and other services on roadways  is risky and should not be attempted by residents. Volunteer for coastal cleanup  Keep Sarasota County Beautiful needs volunteers for the  ...

From the Herald Trib - Deputy County Administrator Bill Little said the county had "done a good job and worked pretty hard" to inform the public about changes to the mowing program.  "I don't think you necessarily anticipate an individual taking action on their own to address a situation like this," he said. " I don't feel responsible for someone taking action on their own, to do something like this. I am very much concerned this happened. I'm very sorry it did happen. I have sympathy for the family, and they have our condolences." Little said there are mowing schedules now available for the public by visiting the county website, scgov.net. Has anyone seen these mowing schedules? Can anyone find them? At  ScGov.net, there is this,  which seems more like a plan than a schedule. (This was included in last week's County Connections on this blog) .

Nan Nahum, [Andrea] Rody's partner of 14 years, wept Monday as she spoke of how Rody often helped other people in the neighborhood, including cutting grass when it grew too high.   SARASOTA COUNTY  - If police accounts are true, some of Andrea Rody's final words blamed Sarasota County, and a contract dispute that delayed mowing of roadway medians, for her own death on Monday. Rody, 45, who lived in the 6800 block of Mauna Loa Boulevard, was using a weed wacker about 9:30 a.m. Monday on the median near her home to cut down grass that grew 2 feet high during the ongoing county contract dispute. As she worked, Rody was struck by a car; she later died at a hospital in St. Petersburg from her injuries, the Florida Highway Patrol said. Ninety minutes before she was struck, Rody was approached by a county worker who saw her cutting the grass. Rody complained vehemently that the county had not mowed in two months, according to a county report. The county worker t...

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 New mowing program begins  Sarasota County has  restructured its mowing program  to assure that roadsides and medians are maintained to county standards. The mowing backlog is expected to be eliminated within 30 days. A mowing schedule will be made available on  www.scgov.net.   Get your feet wet this winter  Volunteer for Sarasota County's nationally recognized and award-winning  seagrass survey program . Volunteers must attend a training session Aug. 4, from 1-3 p.m.  'BOGO' at county campground Sarasota County residents can now stay two consecutive nights for the price of one at Turtle Beach Campground  on Siesta Key. The offer runs through Aug. 31 and requires pro...

Come out Monday, Aug. 20 for a morning with parks naturalist Jennifer Rogers to help keep Rothenbach looking great. Tasks will include removal of the invasive exotic Ceasar's weed, air potato plants, and guinea grasses. Bring a bicycle if you can for a ride on the paved trail through the hammock. Meet at the pavilion (restrooms) at 8:30 am. Meet at the pavilion (restrooms) at 8:30 a.m. Call (941-441-5214 ) if you’ll be joining later. Monday, August 20th:  Rothenbach Park , 8650 Bee Ridge Rd., 8:30-11:30 am.