The Lake Sarasota Community Blog

Welcome to Sarasota County's community e-newsletter. If you have questions, ideas for articles, or feedback relating to this newsletter, contact us at communications@scgov.net. FEMA Disaster Survivor Assistance team relocates to new county facility The FEMA Disaster Survivor Assistance team has moved to Robert L. Taylor Community Complex, 1845 34th St., Sarasota . The team will be at the location for the next three weeks and hours of operation will be from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. 2017 World Rowing Championships run through Sunday at Nathan Benderson Park Rowers from more than 70 countries are competing in the 2017 World Rowing Championships at Nathan Benderson Park. The closing ceremony takes place Sunday. Volunteers needed for disaster response Sarasota County Health and Human Services is recruiting a team of volunteers to run Volunteer Reception Centers during a disaster. Volunteers invited to celebrate National Public Lands Day on Saturday Join Sarasota County to...

Update: County Emergency Management has a new Web Page about Irma with good info about Shelters and more. National Hurricane Center Tracking  IRMA Maps - downloadable PDFs: Hurricane Preparation Guide   Sarasota County Shelters and Evacuation Routes  (pet shelters as designated)  Checklist of things to stock up on  Web Pages: Online Map showing shelter locations IRMA - Stay Informed What to bring to Shelters Manatee County Shelters Code Red - Sarasota Weather Warning  Sarasota County Emergency Services Sandbags: They are still giving out sandags today and tomorrow. 10 per household. The county’s three sandbag locations open at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday and will stay open until 6 p.m . They also be open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Wednesday. There is a 10 bag limit per person. Identification is not required. The locations where sandbags are being offered are as follows:  Newtown Estates Park, 2800 Newtown Blvd.  Twin...

Welcome to Sarasota County's community e-newsletter. If you have questions, ideas for articles, or feedback on the system, contact us at pubcom @scgov.net.     Memorial Day closings and events America's veterans, past and present, as well as first responders, will be honored by thousands of Sarasota County residents on Memorial Day, Monday, May 26 , at parades and ceremonies in Sarasota and Venice. Most Sarasota County government offices, including libraries, recreation centers, chemical collection centers and the Florida Department of Health in Sarasota County, will be closed in observance of the holiday.   Top-ranked county website changes Sarasota County's website now has  "one-click" access to information for community members to ask questions, make requests and provide comments about the county, its services and programs. Ready or not, here it comes! Prepare yourself for hurricane season during a meeting with local county a...

A good disaster preparedness plan provides a margin of safety protecting you, your family and your neighbors. Having a disaster plan improves your communities’ ability to recover. County Preparedness Info here . Shelter locations . Evacuation map .

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 Phillippi Shores sidewalks The  Phillippi Shores Elementary School sidewalk project  is being built under the federal "Safe Routes to School" program. Learn more about the project during an open house-style public meeting Tuesday, July 10, at Phillippi Estate Park. Clerk office hours changing Both offices of the  Clerk of the Circuit Court have reduced hours of service  to the public. As of July 1, the Clerk's main office at 2000 Main St. in Sarasota, and the Venice branch at 4000 S. Tamiami Trail, will provide service from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday. Mobile health services in July Get  free or low-cost health services  this month at 14 sites around the county from the Health Depa...

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...

Interesting story about disaster, recovery and community from NPR : Aldrich started thinking about how neighbors help one another during disasters. He decided to visit disaster sites around the world, looking for data. Aldrich's findings show that ambulances and firetrucks and government aid are not the principal ways most people survive during — and recover after — a disaster. His data suggest that while official help is useful — in clearing the water and getting the power back on in a place such as New Orleans after Katrina, for example — government interventions cannot bring neighborhoods back, and most emergency responders take far too long to get to the scene of a disaster to save many lives. Rather, it is the personal ties among members of a community that determine survival during a disaster, and recovery in its aftermath. Read more here .

The County has assembled a set of resources to help you be prepared for emergencies and what happens after them.

'Hunger Games' wins landslide victory in 'One Book' vote "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins is the winning title for the 2011 "One Book, One Community" program for Sarasota County Libraries and its partner organizations. A young-adult science fiction novel, "The Hunger Games" received 84 percent of the 4,667 votes. The best-selling novel has remarkable cross-over appeal with adults and is the first book in a trilogy. The popularity of the book has led to a movie set for release in 2012. ( MORE ) Training session set June 8 for volunteers in disasters Sarasota County Emergency Management, in conjunction with the Friendship Volunteer Center, is looking for people to coordinate the work of community volunteers during emergencies such as hurricanes. Training will be offered on managing new volunteers and placing them in the community. ( MORE ) Green training offered for home energy efficiency Building professionals, architects, enginee...

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

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...