The Lake Sarasota Community Blog

We sadly report the news that longtime Lake Sarasota resident Jim Dunn (Lago Way) has passed. Jim was a great neighbor, always cheerful, thoughtful, and more than willing to help others. He and his wife Ruth often attended meetings of the Lake Sarasota Community Group, and participated in community events. He will be greatly missed. Our deepest condolences to Ruth and their family. James R. Dunn, 78, of Sarasota, Florida formerly of Akron, Ohio died on November 28, 2013. Visitation will be held from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm on Tuesday, December 3, 2013 at the Wiegand Brothers Funeral Home and from 10:00 am to 11:00 am on Wdnesday, December 4 at the FirstSarasota Baptist Church.  Funeral services will be at 11:00 am Wednesday, December 4 at the First Sarasota Baptist Church. Jim developed Knotty Pine Estates in Sarasota and was owner of Jim's Plumbing Service for 13 years.  He is survived by his wife Ruth; a son Dan (Jan) Dunn of Tampa, FL; a daughter Carmela (Brian) Elm...

Welcome to Sarasota County's community e-newsletter. If you have questions, ideas for articles, or feedback on the system, contact us at  communityconnections@scgov. net.     County offices close for Thanksgiving holiday   Sarasota County government offices, including libraries, the History Center and recreation centers, will be closed Thursday, Nov. 28, and  Friday, Nov. 29 , for the Thanksgiving holiday. Some county services will be available on Friday, Nov. 29 .  Follow us on Twitter! Sarasota County has expanded its presence into social media with an updated Twitter site. Follow us now for up-to-the-minute updates. Homeless expert submits local gap analysis    After listening to area officials' recommendations and the community's feedback, Dr. Robert Marbut, the nationally known expert on homelessness, has submitted his final report to area officials. Holiday Arts and Crafts Show returning to Englewood Sp...

The latest Realtor's report is out for the Sarasota area: Median sale prices climbed dramatically in Sarasota County in October 2013 compared to last October numbers. Single family home prices were up 11.6 percent ($185,776 this year compared to only $166,500 last year), and condo prices spiked by 20.7 percent ($175,000 this year compared to only $145,000 last October).   “There was definitely a shift in October toward single family and away from condos,” said SAR President Roger Piro. “That might be a function of the price escalation, which was far more pronounced in the condo category. Also in October, there were fewer properties on the market priced under $200,000 than last year, and more priced above $200,000. So bargain hunters have had to adjust their sights upward, where there are more deals to be found.” More here. A few additional bits about the Lake Sarasota area shared by Sandy Allen,: For sold single-family properties in the past 6 months t...

Sarasota County is planning to make some improvements to Lakeview Park and to the adjacent Paw Park . Have some ideas? They want to hear from the community. Take a moment to send your ideas to lakesarasota@gmail.com - we'll collect and forward. Deadline: Dec. 15th!

Following a trend that showed a drop in crime in September, October was also very low in activity in the neighborhood. Ted gets reports from the Sheriff and says: The Oct. 2013 Sheriff's Dept. Crime Report for Lake Sarasota shows only three reported incidents:  one burglary and two thefts.  There were no reported incidents of vandalism or juvenile disturbances. The one burglary was at 4049 Tonga, reported Oct. 25 at 6:34 p.m.  The thefts were at 4033 Ponea (auto, reported Oct. 16 at 3:07 p.m.), and at 6531 Jarvis Rd. (unknown, reported Oct. 18 at 8:14 a.m.). While there were not enough incidents to establish any patterns, there is a shift in location--the majority of the incidents occurred in the western half of Lake Sarasota.  One occurred in the eastern half.  All three occurred in the latter half of the month. Ted Cover Citizens Patrol

Welcome to Sarasota County's community e-newsletter. If you have questions, ideas for articles, or feedback on the system, contact us at  communityconnections@scgov. net.     Keep Sarasota County Beautiful Volunteer Awards Recognition Dinner is  Nov. 13 Keep Sarasota County Beautiful (KSCB) will honor the groups, businesses and individuals who contributed their time in 2013 at the 25th Annual KSCB Volunteer Awards Recognition Dinner,  Wednesday, Nov. 13 , at the Venice Community Center. Government offices close for Veterans Day All Sarasota County government offices, including libraries, recreation centers and the Sarasota County History Center will be closed  Monday, Nov. 11 , in observance of Veterans Day. Green Business Partnership to hold workshop on latest marketing strategies The Sarasota Green Business Partnership will host a workshop designed to help local businesses learn the latest green marketing strategies in order...

Lots more in  The November Edition of the Friends of Sarasota County Parks News .

Welcome to Sarasota County's community e-newsletter. If you have questions, ideas for articles, or feedback on the system, contact us at  communityconnections@scgov. net.     Like us on Facebook Sarasota County is branching out. Like one or all of our pages. Sarasota County Government Emergency Management   Commissioner Christine Robinson Libraries UF/IFAS Extension Sarasota County Neighborhood Services  Parks and Recreation Green Business Partnership Office of Community Redevelopment County receives award for hazardous waste collection program Sarasota County Hazardous Waste has been recognized by the 2013 North America Hazardous Materials Management Association with a Longstanding Program Excellence Award. Barefoot Beach Bazaars now accepting vendor applications Parks and Recreation is accepting arts-and-crafts vendor applications for the upcoming Barefoot Beach Bazaar season at Nokomis Beach.  Workshop o...