'Tis the season! The Sarasota Police Department is participating in the annual Toys for Tots collection.
The U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program's mission is to collect new, unwrapped toys each year and distribute those toys as Christmas gifts to children in need in our local community.
All toy donations are greatly appreciated; however, if you would like some suggestions, the following items are in demand this year: bicycles 24", 26" and 28", bicycle helmets, bike locks and teen gifts, such as sporting equipment/bags/balls; books, backpacks, cosmetics, purses, watch/wallet gift sets, bath gift sets, board games, radio control cars/trucks, hand-held electronics, skateboards/helmets, curling irons, hair straighteners and hair dryers. Toys for Tots prefers not to accept realistic-looking weapons or gifts containing food. If donated, such items will not be distributed.
A donation box is located in the SPD Headquarters lobby, located at 2099 Adams Lane. New, unwrapped toys can be dropped off from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. now through December 15.
We’re one of several organizations teaming up with the Marine Corps Reserve to collect and distribute as many toys and books as possible for children who are less fortunate.
Locally, the Toys for Tots campaign distributed 28,833 toys to 8,153 deserving Sarasota County children last year. Your donation is critical in making this mission a success!
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Celebrate the season at the Van Wezel with a variety of holiday shows! On Dec. 4, enjoy the Sweet Caroline Tour: A Neil Diamond Christmas starring the No. 1 Diamond performer in the world, Jay White. Jay and the dynamic Sweet Caroline Tour Band pay homage to Neil Diamond by performing the hits and beloved gems with the same energy and artistry Neil delivered over his incredible 50-year career.
The iconic Marie Osmond brings her show, An Orchestral Christmas, on Dec. 13, followed by GRAMMY® Award-nominated artist Sarah Brightman on Dec. 14.
On Dec. 16, The Illusionists: Magic of the Holidays showcases the jaw-dropping talents of the most incredible illusionists on earth. This non-stop show is packed with thrilling and sophisticated magic of unprecedented proportions.
Multi-platinum classical crossover group, Il Divo, will bring A New Day Holiday Tour to the Van Wezel on Dec. 20, followed by the joyous celebration of Celtic Angels Christmas on Dec. 21.
In addition to these great shows, gift certificates are also available. They are the perfect present to give this holiday season!
Tickets for shows can be purchased at www.VanWezel.org, by calling 941-263-6799 or by visiting the box office Monday through Friday between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The restored Donald Ross course at Bobby Jones Golf Club.
The excitement is building as we get closer to the grand reopening celebration for Bobby Jones Club and Nature Park!
The festivities will begin at 9 a.m. Friday, Dec. 15 at the golf course, 1000 Circus Blvd., and will include a commemorative keepsake for the first 450 attendees, a ceremonial hitting of the first ball and remarks from those who transformed Bobby Jones into what it has become: a 300+ acre urban greenspace preserved in perpetuity with a desirable historic municipal golf course restored as originally designed by famed architect Donald Ross, new wetlands attracting an abundance of wildlife while filtering stormwater from thousands of regional acres. We have much to celebrate!
One of our many partners with this project was the Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD), which provided a $1.5 million grant toward water quality improvements. New wetlands were constructed, water control structures built and tens of thousands of littoral plants planted to filter pollutants from stormwater as it flows through the Bobby Jones property. SWFWMD produced a brief video, which can be viewed here, that highlights the project’s important regional environmental impacts.
In addition, after hearing concerns from residents and City Commissioners about the green fees schedule, Indigo Sports, the private management company handling the Bobby Jones day-to-day operations, re-evaluated the fee structure and will now offer City of Sarasota residents a 40% discount on the Donald Ross course. We appreciate Indigo helping to ensure our municipal golf course remains affordable for our City residents.
While we’re gearing up for the Bobby Jones grand reopening, our transportation planning team is working on a proposed extension from The Legacy Trail to Bobby Jones.
 The City will host three in-person stakeholder community meetings to discuss the project:
- 5:30 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 12
- 5:30 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 13
- 5:30 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 14
All three meetings will be held at the VFW Sunshine Post 3233, 124 S. Tuttle Ave.
The focus will be on options to connect The Legacy Trail to Bobby Jones Golf Club and Nature Park with a preliminary study evaluating two proposed alignments for the connector.
The first alignment involves expanding the sidewalk on the east side of Beneva Road from the existing Legacy Trail north to the Beneva Road/Fruitville Road intersection. The second option is located along the City-owned right-of-way through the Eastwood Neighborhood east of Beneva Road.
A no-build alternative, without a trail connection from the current Legacy Trail to Bobby Jones Golf Club and Nature Park, will also be evaluated.
More details about the project is available here.
If you have questions or comments about the project, please contact the City’s Project Manager, Alvimarie Corales, AICP at 941-263-6358 or send an email to Alvimarie.Corales@SarasotaFL.gov.
Our IT department is helping to prepare the next generation for careers in cybersecurity.
Team members recently partnered with the State College of Florida (SCF), Manatee County Government and local IT firms to present to the Coding Academy. Students in the Coding Academy are local high school IT students enrolled in advanced IT classes at SCF.
Representatives with our IT team explained that the need for IT professionals will continue to grow for businesses, governments and communities. Information was shared with students and their parents about these growing opportunities and certifications. In addition, students were provided with important information on how to protect themselves and their computers from social engineering and phishing attacks. The students were even shown a real time global map of cyber attacks as they were happening and interacted with a simulated cyber attack.
The evening concluded with a question and answer session giving students a chance to learn more about how they can gain experience in the field and next steps.
We appreciate IT Director Herminio Rodriguez and his team investing in the next generation and planting the seed for a career path in the high-demand field of information technology.
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