The Lake Sarasota Community Blog

May 30, 2013 Greetings! Welcome to Sarasota County Community Connections.  Contact us if you have questions, ideas for articles, or feedback on the system, at  communityconnections@scgov. net.     Prepare now for hurricane season In anticipation of the 2013 Atlantic Hurricane Season, which begins on  June 1  and runs through  Nov. 30 , the Sarasota County Office of Emergency Management reminds residents to be prepared and stay alert during the storm season .  Sarasota Storm Center. Lifeguard hours extended at beaches Sarasota County's Beach Lifeguard operational hours will be extended on all guarded beaches beginning Saturday, May 25 from 10 a.m. to 6:45 p.m. daily . Mobile health services resume The Sarasota County Health Department's Health In Motion Mobile Medical Unit staff will provide free and low-cost health services at 11 sites around the county during June . County approves contract amendment for constructi...

May 23, 2013 Greetings! Welcome to Sarasota County Community Connections.  Contact us if you have questions, ideas for articles, or feedback on the system, at  communityconnections@scgov. net.     Most county offices to close for Memorial Day holiday,  May 27 Most Sarasota County government offices, libraries, recreation centers and transit services will be closed  Monday, May 27 , to observe the national Memorial Day holiday.  North Cattlemen improvements to be celebrated at  May 24  ribbon-cutting FRIDAY :  A ribbon-cutting ceremony is set for  10 a.m. on Friday, May 24  to mark the completion of a major two-year construction project to extend and improve North Cattlemen Road. The event will take place at Nathan Benderson Park lake. Enjoy Memorial Day parades and ceremonies in Sarasota and Venice The Sarasota Patriotic Observance Committee and the Venice Area Veterans Council, in coordination with Saraso...

This is the dry season, and it's at its peak. Wednesday evening some trees were set ablaze in Lakeview Park, fairly close to a house. The fire moved very quickly. Here are a few notes gleaned from those present: 1. How did the fire start? Witnesses said they saw three or four young kids with bikes at the spot where and when the fire began. The kids took off as it gathered force. They thought the kids were 13 or so, possibly younger. It is unknown if anyone actually saw someone start the fire. 2. Who called it in?  Several people who were in the park around 7:30 p.m. appear to have called 911. One woman said she was kept on the phone for 10 minutes with questions like, "How high is the fire?" Others in the park might also have called it in, however, no one shouted to the homeowner or came to his door to tell him of the fire. It was his dog's barking that drew his attention to the flames, which were very close to his fence, he reported. 3.  How long did i...

Greetings! Welcome to the Sarasota County Community Connections eNewsletter. We hope 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 email communityconnections@scgov.net . SCAT fares to increase Oct. 3 The regular, one-way Sarasota County Area Transit fares on fixed-troute service, including the SCAT trolley, will increase fro 75 cents to $1.25. Here is a complete list of fare increases. Selby Public Library closing temporarily for remodel The next phase of the $1.2 million remodeling of Selby Public Library includes a temporary closing on Saturday, Oct. 1 . All other Sarasota County libraries are open 10 a.m.- 5 p.m. Selby will reopen at 10 a.m., Monday, Oct. 3. County scores high in survey Most Sarasota County residents say their quality of life is excellent, according to results from the 2011 Sarasota County Citizen Survey. See how else the county scored in spending,...

At next Tuesday's LSCG meeting, Don Damron, Chief Fire Plans Reviewer/Inspector of the Sarasota County Fire Dept . will talk about home fire safety, and the department's smoke detector and home inspection programs. Other Agenda items will include discussion of future events, Yard of the Month, Bee Ridge Road update, parks issues (vandalism), and other new business as may come up. We meet the second Tuesday of each month at Sarasota Baptist, room 100, at 7 pm. The group is strictly voluntary - no dues, no deed restrictions, all welcome.