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From the Desk of Sarasota
City Manager Tom Barwin
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We're getting close to opening a new dog park at Gillespie Park! The sign is up announcing the Canine Club, the fencing and shade structures are installed as well as water fountains for man's best friend. Throughout the summer, the Parks & Rec Department has been working diligently on this new neighborhood amenity, which is sure to attract many residents, both two- and four-legged. The adjacent basketball court will be resurfaced and the final touches put on the dog park before it opens sometime in mid-September. This will be the second dog park in the city limits, with the other located at Arlington Park.
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St. Armands BID Tues., August 14 - 8:30 a.m. City Hall Annex - SRQ Media Studio Agenda
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Historic Preservation
Tues., August 14 - 3 p.m.City Hall - Commission Chambers Agenda
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Community Workshop
Tues., August 14 - 5:30 p.m.City Hall Annex - SRQ Media Studio Agenda
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Development Review
Wed., August 15 - 9 a.m.City Hall - Commission Chambers Agenda
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Tree Advisory Committee
Wed., August 15 - 3 p.m.City Hall - Commission Chambers Agenda
Parks, Recreation and Environmental Protection Board
Thurs., August 16 - 5 p.m.
City Hall - Commission Chambers
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City Career Opportunities
Commercial Plans Examiner Deputy City Auditor & Clerk Education Associate - Contract Engineering Tech III Flood Zone Specialist GIS Analyst Parks & Rec - Facility Maintenance Technician - Part-Time Parks & Rec - Head Life Guard Parks & Rec - Life Guard Parks & Rec - Life Guard - Part Time Parks & Rec - Maintenance Mechanic I - Clay Tennis Courts Parks & Rec - Recreation Attendant - Part-Time Parks & Rec - Recreation Facilities Supervisor - Arlington Park Parks & Rec - Rec Facilities Supervisor - Payne Park Tennis Parks & Rec - Rec Leader - Payne Park Tennis Parks & Rec - Rec Specialist - Part-Time Parks Service Worker - Part-Time Police Officer, 2nd Class Redevelopment Manager Volunteer/Unpaid Intern
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This Week's Items to Know:
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CodeRED - Registration Reminder With the height of hurricane season still a month away, we'd like to encourage you to register for CodeRED, our emergency notification system operated in conjunction with Sarasota County.
Those who register, at no charge, can receive phone calls, text messages or emails about emergency situations including severe weather alerts, significant traffic disruptions, boil water advisories, and other critical events.
To enroll, visit the Sarasota County website www.SCGov.net/CodeRED. You'll be asked to provide your name, address and phone number to receive CodeRED alerts.
Please consider sharing this information with your neighbor, to help keep our community safe and informed.
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Public Art: 'Spirality' The Public Art Committee this week unanimously approved a substantial sculpture to fulfill the public art requirement for a new development called The BLVD.
'Spirality' will be a 20-foot tall steel spiral that will be cut and designed by artist James Kandt to represent ocean coral. Patterned layers will reflect and shift positions as one passes by. More information about the piece and artist is available online.
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Spirality by James Kandt will be placed in public view at The Blvd.
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The BLVD is a residential-mixed use development with 51 condominiums and an estimated $69 million total construction value. While the maximum required public art contribution for this development is $250,000, the developer is exceeding that amount and investing $275,000.
Once The BLVD is constructed, the sculpture will be placed in public view next to the building at the corner of U.S. 41 and Boulevard of the Arts. The artist anticipates having the piece finished by December 2019.
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Marina Jack - RLTCC Partnership Marina Jack, a longtime City leasehold and significant community asset, approached the City recently about developing a partnership with Robert L. Taylor Community Complex to introduce youngsters to life on the water and associated careers.
Last week, kids attending Summer Teen Camp took field trips to
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Some of the kids attending Summer Teen Camp experienced kayaking courtesy of Marina Jack.
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Marina Jack and Bayfront Park on back-to-back days. First, the kids boarded the Marina Jack II for an educational lunch-and-learn cruise. Several speakers, including the Marina Jack general manager, vessel captain, and executive chef, spoke about diverse career opportunities on the water and provided insight into the education and work ethic needed for such a career path.
The next day, the campers experienced a fun afternoon of kayaking, led by a team with Marina Jack. For most of the teens, this was their first introduction to this recreational water sport and a good opportunity to expand their horizons.
Thanks to Marina Jack for this important community outreach. Plans are in the works to not only continue the program next year but to expand it to include teens throughout the city.
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Bobby Jones - American Course Improvements To boost the playability of our historic municipal golf course, Bobby Jones Golf Club, and attract golfers, the American Course will be temporarily closed starting Monday, August 13, to address drainage issues that have long plagued the fairways.
When it rains at Bobby Jones, the water pools on the fairways and
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| Irrigation issues have led to the poor conditions seen on the fairway at No. 7 on the American Course. |
does not drain properly. A heavy downpour can close the course for a couple of days. So, all 18 fairways will be corrected beginning next week.
This is a short-term corrective measure that will provide much-needed relief while the Bobby Jones master plan is finalized and executed.
The American Course is expected to reopen by December in time for the height of the busy golf season.
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Wayfinding - Kiosk Demo If you're out and about downtown the next few days you may come across a new digital kiosk at the northwest corner of North Lemon Avenue and Main Street, outside Mattison's City Grille.
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| The wayfinding kiosk will be in place at Lemon Avenue and Main Street through Wednesday. |
The City is testing this kiosk, which features two-sided, interactive LCD displays. Users can view videos, pull up an interactive map of restaurants and businesses, take a selfie, access the City's website and more. It currently features some content from other cities, but in the future it would be programmed to highlight Sarasota locations and amenities.
We're evaluating these digital kiosks as part of an existing wayfinding project, and we may permanently install them here and at some other locations around the City. We hope citizens will have a chance to check out this demo and share their feedback , either by entering it directly at the kiosk or taking a very short survey online at sarasotafl.gov/services/kiosk. The kiosk at Lemon and Main will be in place through Wednesday.
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#CityHallSelfie Day - August 15 Next week, City employees will be taking part in #CityHallSelfie Day, a national social media campaign that highlights civic pride and public service.
Employees are invited to take a selfie photo while they're on the job at City Hall or one of our other great City assets, and we'll be showcasing them all day Aug. 15 on the City's Facebook and Twitter accounts. Citizens can get involved too, by posting their own selfies using the hashtag #CityHallSelfie and tagging "City of Sarasota, Government" on Facebook or @CityofSarasota on Twitter.
We're proud of our more than 700 employees who are so dedicated to serving our citizens, and we look forward to this fun opportunity to feature them and our amazing City.
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Van Wezel: Shows on Sale Now!
The following is a list of shows through December 2018. To view the entire Van Wezel season, visit www.VanWezel.org
Rebel Heart
Friday, August 17: 5 p.m. - 9 p.m.
Dr. Dave Band
Friday, September 14: 5 p.m. - 9 p.m.
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| Bob Dylan & His Band will perform at the Van Wezel on October 21.
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Jerry Seinfeld
Thurs., September 20 - 7 p.m. & 9:30 p.m.Tickets
Eddie Izzard
Thurs., October 11 - 8 p.m.
Lord of the Dance
Sun., October 14 - 7 p.m.
Kenny G
Fri., October 19 - 8 p.m.Tickets
Bob Dylan & His Band
Sun., October 21 - 8 p.m.Tickets
The Simon & Garfunkel Story
Sat., October 27 - 8 p.m.Tickets
Capitol Steps
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Capitol Steps will be at the Van Wezel November 7.
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Wed., November 7 - 8 p.m.Tickets
Doo Wop Spectacular
Sat., November 10 - 7:30 p.m.
Stills & Collins
Fri., November 16 - 8 p.m.
Mannheim Steamroller Christmas
Sat., November 17 - 8 p.m.
Brian Wilson Presents: The Christmas Album Live
Tues., December 11 - 8 p.m.Tickets
Celtic Thunder X
Tues., December 18 - 8 p.m.Tickets
Moscow Ballet: Great Russian Nutcracker
Fri., December 21 - 3 p.m. & 7 p.m.Tickets
The Sweet Caroline Tour
Mon., December 31 - 9 p.m.Tickets
To purchase tickets over the phone call 941-953-3368 or stop by the Box Office at 777 N.Tamiami Trail.
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Thanks for reading this week's edition. If you'd like to receive Weekly Briefs directly to your inbox, click 'Join Our Mailing List ' below or send us an email at CityNews@SarasotaFL.Gov
Tom Barwin
City Manager
941-954-4102
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