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City administrative offices will be closed Monday, Jan. 15 as we remember and honor one of the most prominent leaders in the civil rights movement, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
The holiday will not affect garbage, recycling and yard waste collection schedules; however, the City Commission meeting will be moved back one day to Tuesday, Jan. 16.
The Bay Runner will operate regular hours 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
A rundown of holiday hours is available here.
The Sarasota MLK Celebration Committee has been dedicated to honoring the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. since 1987, and the tradition will continue this year. The committee will host its annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Breakfast and Community Awards at 7:30 a.m. Monday, Jan. 15 at the Robert L. Taylor Community Complex, 1845 John Rivers St.
The celebration will continue with a Unity and Historical Walk at 11 a.m. starting at RLTCC and ending at Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Park, 2523 Cocoanut Ave., where the MLK Music Fest will take place from noon to 4 p.m. with live music, merchandise vendors and local soulful cuisine.
Hope to see you there!
Exciting news! The new playground and splash pad at Bayfront Park is set to open Thursday, Feb. 1 with a ribbon cutting ceremony at 10 a.m.
With the new play area, featuring a pirate and sea adventure theme, the first 150 young buccaneers in attendance will receive a shiny gold commemorative doubloon to celebrate this much-anticipated day.
Mark your calendars and get ready to splash, play and have a great family time at Bayfront Park!
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A portion of the new nautical themed playground at Bayfront Park.
We’re seeking additional input with our Shade Avenue complete street project (Phase I), which stretches from Wood Street to Lime Avenue.
When our transportation planning team conducted initial community outreach about the project last year, they heard a consistent theme in the Alta Vista and Gardens of Ringling Park neighborhoods: the Shade Avenue/Novus Street intersection needs improvement. With that mind, the small traffic circle may be removed.
The question then becomes: What’s the preferred option to improve the intersection?
Three options are under consideration: add raised crosswalks, add traffic separators or add both raised crosswalks and traffic separators.
Share your input through a brief online survey. The survey includes artist renderings that depict the options.
We hope you’ll take 2-5 minutes to participate. The survey will remain open through Monday, Jan. 22.
Thank you in advance for your time and input!
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Our Public Art Manager Mary Davis Wallace, Florida Highwaymen art collector Roger Lightle and his team installed over 20 Highwaymen paintings in the City Hall atrium earlier this week. The collection is the third installment in our Cultural Heritage Exhibit, which aims to celebrate our community’s rich history of art and culture.
Captivating and inspiring backstories accompany the paintings -- stories that illuminate the Black painters’ struggles to earn a living in the 1950s and 60s during racial segregation. Step into City Hall and you’ll see the vibrant landscape Blue Backwater, created by Mary Ann Carroll, the sole female artist of the 26 Highwaymen. When she couldn’t afford to pay her modest utility bill in Ft. Pierce, Florida in the '60s, the utility company accepted the painting in lieu of payment.
Blue Backwater by Mary Ann Carroll
Learn more about the Highwaymen during three lecture opportunities next month. The talks will include details about the artists, their significant impact on the Florida landscape genre and how they broke racial barriers by selling their paintings along the highway. All three lectures will be presented by Roger Lightle on Tuesday, Feb. 13 at 10 a.m., 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. in the Commission Chambers. (The 2 p.m. time was added this week.) The events are free and seating is first-come, first-served.
The exhibit will be featured in City Hall for the next six months and is open to the public during regular business hours from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday.
More information about the Florida Highwaymen and the upcoming lectures is available here on the City’s website.
We’re excited to announce the return of the Sarasota Police Explorer Program!
The Explorer Program allows you to discover and learn about law enforcement. This program builds upon the motto “Learn Today to Lead Tomorrow” by facilitating life skills such as communication, teamwork, decision-making, problem solving and critical thinking to develop and encourage our future leaders. As an Explorer, you will learn about several aspects of law enforcement, including the importance of giving back through community service.
Explorers will receive training on patrol procedures, report writing, firearms safety and handling, defensive tactics, Florida law, driving, arrest procedures and more. Hopefully, throughout your journey, you will learn a little about yourself and view law enforcement as a possible career choice.
For information about the eligibility requirements and to apply, please email lashelle.williams@sarasotafl.gov
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The Parks and Recreation Department and the Robert L. Taylor Community Complex are once again partnering with the Sarasota Police Department to provide a unique and fun way to interact with our local Officers - and this time it's for the adults!
Get creative and get to know SPD Officers during "Painting with the Police," a monthly recurring workshop starting Wednesday, Jan. 17, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Upcoming dates include: February 21 and March 20.
The $10 per person admission fee includes all supplies (canvas, paint, brushes) and you will get to take home your very own work of art!
Stop by the RLTCC Front Desk, 1845 John Rivers Street, or call 941-263-6562 to register.
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All aboard the train to HADESTOWN!
The Tony and Grammy Award-winning Best Musical arrives in Sarasota Jan. 30, and the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall is giving you the chance to win tickets to the opening night performance.
Throughout Sarasota, there are a variety of red Hadestown flowers. Simply find the flower, use your phone’s camera to scan the QR code and enter your information for a chance to win. Participating partner locations include: 99 Bottles, Assunta Salon & Boutique, The Bazaar on Apricot & Lime, Bonefish Grill (UTC District), Café L’Europe, Hyatt Regency Sarasota, Darci, Mattison’s City Grill, Morton’s Gourmet Market, voco Hotel Sarasota, Sarasota Farmer’s Market, and the Visit Sarasota County Welcome Center.
Hurry, this contest goes way down to Hadestown on Jan. 16. Be sure to visit a participating location this week to enter to win!
Hadestown intertwines two mythic tales — that of young dreamers Orpheus and Eurydice, and that of King Hades and his wife Persephone — as it invites you on a hell-raising journey to the underworld and back. Beguiling melodies and poetic imagination pit industry against nature, doubt against faith and fear against love. Performed by a vibrant ensemble of actors, dancers and singers, Hadestown is a haunting and hopeful theatrical experience that grabs you and never lets go.
Hadestown runs Jan. 30 – Feb. 4 at the Van Wezel. Tickets are on sale now at www.VanWezel.org
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