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City Hall administrative offices will be closed Friday, Nov. 11 for the national Veterans Day holiday as we honor all those who have served in our military.
Collection schedules for the City's residential garbage and recycling customers won't be affected by the holiday, but hours at some of our recreation facilities will vary:
- Arlington Park and Aquatic Center will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Payne Park Tennis Center will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. (last court time at noon)
- Robert L. Taylor Community Complex will be open from 6-10 a.m.
- Lido Pool will be open regular hours from 10 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.
The Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall will open at 10 a.m. for ticket sales and inquiries.
Don’t forget to join us for the annual Veterans Day Parade on Main Street! The parade begins at Osprey Avenue and heads west down Main Street where it concludes at Gulfstream Avenue. An 11 a.m. ceremony at Chaplain J.D. Hamel Park will feature as guest speaker veteran Dr. Thomas McElheny, a Sarasota businessman and chairperson of the Sarasota Military Academy Board of Directors.
Thank you to the dedicated volunteer members of the Sarasota Patriotic Observance Committee and Chairman Dan Kennedy who work tirelessly to organize the many veterans groups, dignitaries, school bands, color guards, first responders and community organizations that participate in this annual tradition. We look forward to seeing you there!
Cleanup in the neighborhoods throughout the city is going well. With the first pass of vegetative storm debris collection nearing 100%, the final pass has been announced. Crews with the City’s contractor, Ceres Environmental Services, Inc., will begin final pass operations Monday Nov. 7. That means all Hurricane Ian-related debris must be curbside by Nov. 7 to be collected by crews soon after.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency placed a deadline for local governments to collect storm debris in order to qualify for 100% cost reimbursement. With an estimated $5 million for cleanup just in our city limits, we are focused on meeting FEMA’s established deadline to be considered for full reimbursement. You can help by placing your storm debris in separated piles by Nov. 7.
Please remember: Separate debris into piles: vegetative (branches, tree trunks), construction and demolition (all fencing, roofing, drywall etc.) and household goods (appliances, furniture, electronics). Place debris away from the street and storm drains and leave five feet of separation between debris piles and poles, fire hydrants, water meters etc.
Residents discarding household items damaged by the storm should call the Solid Waste Division to schedule a bulk waste pickup at 941-263-6170.
Regular weekly yard waste also should be separated from storm debris and bagged or placed in a container for regular pickup by our Solid Waste crews.
Have questions? Our Storm Debris Hotline is still active. Call 941-584-9533 Monday–Saturday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
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You’re invited to a one-of-a-kind celebration as we launch our Free Wi-Fi in the Parks pilot program with a “cord-cutting ceremony” Thursday, Nov. 10 at 10 a.m. at our first park with free connectivity: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Way Memorial Park, 2523 Dr. MLK Jr. Way.
City Commissioners supported a pilot program last year to bring free connectivity to four parks: MLK Park, Bayfront Park, Arlington Park and Payne Park. Following MLK Park, Bayfront Park will be activated in early December, then Payne Park and Arlington Park.
Thank you to our IT team who worked quickly and diligently with Comcast Business to get the necessary infrastructure in place for connectivity.
We hope you can join us for the celebration next week. We encourage you to bring your mobile device to test the connectivity and see how it will enhance quality of life in our community.
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The much-anticipated grand opening of Lofts on Lemon in the Rosemary District was a wonderful celebration of the community uniting to help address our city’s top issue: affordable housing.
Lofts on Lemon is a community development resulting from a unique community collaboration to bring 76 affordable and 52 workforce housing units to the downtown area. With funding from philanthropic partners Barancik Foundation and the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, professionals like health care workers, teachers and first responders, will have attainable housing options so they can afford to live in the city they serve.
Construction started in January 2021 on the $33 million development that includes a mix of one, two and three bedroom apartments. The City of Sarasota contributed $3 million in Penny Sales Tax funds to the project.
Much more work needs to done with affordable housing, but this is an excellent example of what can occur when we work together.
Congratulations to all involved, with special thanks to Sarasota Housing Authority CEO William Russell who shepherded the project and the complex partnership of private, community, business and public sector financial support from start to finish.
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Did you know that a single tennis ball takes 400 years to decompose in a landfill? And that 125 million balls get added to landfills every year? Payne Park Tennis Center has partnered with Recycleballs, a nonprofit organization based in Vermont whose mission is to reuse and recycle as many tennis balls as possible.
Recycleballs repurposes used tennis balls in unique ways, including crushing them into horse arena footing and constructing new tennis courts.
Used tennis balls are collected courtside at Payne Park Tennis Center, 2050 Adams Lane, and shipped to Recycleballs using a pre-paid shipping container. Our Parks and Recreation staff anticipate over 15,000 balls will be recycled annually through this initiative.
For more information call 941-263-6640.
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 The season is in full swing at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall with musicians, singers, comedians and actors all set to perform! On Saturday, Nov. 12 Neil Berg returns with a thrilling new cast and an all-new show consisting of stars from Broadway's greatest rock musicals and incredible rock & roll singers backed by an all-star rock band. Neil Berg shares the often unknown stories from the 50-year history of the music that changed the world forever! Neil Berg's 50 Years of Rock-N-Roll will have you singing, dancing and cheering into the night.
Comedian, actor, writer and musician Paul Reiser is one of Hollywood’s most prolific creatives—and he shows no signs of slowing down. He was voted one of Comedy Central’s “Top 100 Comedians of All Time” and is currently starring in two hit Netflix shows. Now, the Mad About You and Stranger Things star returns to his standup roots to perform his unmistakable brand of observational and story-based humor. See Paul Reiser live Sunday, Nov. 20.
In appreciation of our community, purchase $32 tickets to Neil Berg's 50 Years of Rock-N-Roll and Paul Reiser. Use code NOV32 to purchase. Discount valid on select seats while supplies last. Purchase tickets at VanWezel.org or by calling the Box Office at 941-263-6799.
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