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How to Make Sarasota More Bike-Friendly

Jul 3, 2010

It’s flat, the weather is amazing, it has plenty of public bike racks…so why aren’t more Sarasotans riding bikes? Bicycles can play a huge role in the livability of a place. They provide mobility to citizens of all ages and income, keep people fit, promote social connections, and don’t require a drop of gasoline. Cities and towns around the world are realizing that the more their people are on bikes the healthier, happier, and safer they’ll be. Research even confirms that cities that prioritize bikes reap economic benefits.

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Oil Vigil Recap

Jun 25, 2010

The oil vigil held in Ken Thompson park earlier this month was a great success, connecting Sarasota with hundreds of other communities around the country in support of clean energy. We here in Laurel Park and the rest of Sarasota are fortunate to have year round access to white sand beaches and turquoise waters. The deepwater horizon tragedy has reminded us all how fragile these gifts really are.

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End our Dependency on Fossil Fuels & Show Solidarity for our Neighbors and Wildlife Along the Gulf

Jun 8, 2010

We are expecting nearly 200 people at tonight’s vigil. I know we can mobilize to make this the largest BP Gulf Disaster vigil in Florida. If you have not already rsvp’d, please go to the link below and register. Please forward this to your friends & network. I am getting feedback that this is a “button pusher” for a lot of folks. Everyone wants to do something, but knowing the best thing to do is hard right now. THIS is going to be a GIANT step in the right direction. Please come out and show your support.

The vigil will be held on Tuesday, June 8 at 7 pm

City Island, Ken Thompson Parkway, Sarasota

To RSVP, go to http://pol.moveon.org/event/oilspillvigil/103936

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The Weekend/Week Ahead

Jun 4, 2010

You don’t have to be a meteorologist to know that summer has arrived here in Southwest Florida. Just because the heat is back, however, doesn’t mean the city’s going to sleep until the snowbirds return! There’s much going on in Sarasota. Here are a few things that might be of interest:

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The Dark Side is Laurel Park’s Gaming Paradise

May 28, 2010

Sure, Laurel Park is a historic neighborhood known for its restored Arts & Crafts and Florida Cracker cottages and its proximity to Main Street and downtown Sarasota—not to mention Burns Square and the Sarasota Bayfront. And sure, as the epicenter of Florida’s cultural coast Sarasota is well known for its fine arts. But did you know that Laurel Park also boasts one of the best comics and gaming shops you’ll ever find? The Dark Side, located at 408 S. Washington Boulevard (in a small plaza alongside a yoga studio and barber shop, among several others) is both a comic book shop and the home of Sarasota’s biggest gaming community.

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Band Concerts in Payne Park—Walk From Laurel Park!

Apr 23, 2010

Enjoy a Sunday afternoon of great music and good people when the Suncoast Concert Band or Jazz Ambassadors Big Band play at Payne Park. Concerts cost five bucks, payable at the door, with refreshments provided for a dollar each. All concerts are presented in a casual atmosphere, with open seating. Two performances remain in the spring schedule: April 25th and May 9th, both at 3pm. Laurel Park Management encourages all residents to get out there and enjoy everything Payne Park has to offer.

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Sarasota: Home of the Hipsters?

Apr 16, 2010

Sarasota is many things to many people: a retirement community, an arts town, home to some of the best beaches anywhere. But a local movement is afoot that might just put Sarasota on the map as, of all things, a college town. New College of Florida is regularly ranked one of the top liberal arts colleges in the country. Ringling College of Art + Design has renowned animation and graphic design programs. East-West College trains students to become doctors of Eastern medicine. State College of Florida, formerly Manatee Community College, offers a vast array of affordable courses and programs that round out the local educational menu. Oh, and the Asolo Performing Arts Center is also home to Florida State University’s graduate theater arts program. This extraordinary post-secondary diversity has been gradually coalescing, and while I’m not sure any studies have been done to verify this, one gets the sense that more and more high school and college students and recent grads are deciding to stay in sunny Sarasota and put their stamp on the place.

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Sarasota’s Circus Tradition is Alive and Swingin’ at the Sailor Circus

Apr 2, 2010

Sailor Circus now in its sixth decade of operation has grown from a small high school gymnastics class in 1949 to the present spectacular 4 ring youth circus production known world wide as the Greatest “Little” Show on Earth. Students from the 4th through 12th grades in Sarasota and surrounding counties have an opportunity to experience the performing arts in a circus atmosphere. Our dedicated students practice 20 – 30 hours a week and are trained by volunteer coaches who are retired circus performers, sailor circus alumni and enthusiastic parents. More than 200 volunteers donating over 25,000 hours of their time each season to PAL Sailor Circus demonstrates strong community involvement.

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Spring Training Under Way in Sarasota

Mar 5, 2010

Major League Baseball is back in Sarasota as the Baltimore Orioles’ 2010 spring training campaign gets underway. With young studs like Adam Jones and Matt Wieters, familiar faces such as Nick Markakis and Brian Roberts, and welcome additions including Kevin Millwood, Garrett Atkins, and a returning Miguel Tejada, the Orioles look primed to cause some damage in the potent AL East. The club’s local impact, however, extends beyond the Major League camp.

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“I Love Downtown Sarasota” is Looking for You

Feb 19, 2010

The “I Love Downtown Sarasota” website features a weekly list of things to do, places to eat, and places to shop that support local businesses. An increasing number of store windows are adorned with the group’s sticker, and its facebook page has over 5000 fans.

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