VOTER REGISTRATION DEADLINE NEAR
The voter registration deadline for the Sarasota County Public Schools’ special referendum and the Town of Longboat Key election, scheduled for March 16, is Feb. 16, the supervisor of elections has announced.
To register to vote, one must complete a Florida Voter Registration Application Form. Forms are available at supervisor of elections offices, city halls, county libraries, county offices, social service agencies and many area banks. They also may be downloaded from the supervisor of elections (SOE) website, www.srqelections.com.
Additionally, Supervisor of Elections Kathy Dent recommends that voters verify their registration information. A voter who has moved or had a name change or who needs to update a signature since the last election may download a Voter Registration Application from the SOE website or call the supervisor of elections at 861-8600 for more information.
TOURISM TAX REVENUE DOWN 15 PERCENT
For the first two months of fiscal year 2010, collections of the Sarasota County tourist development tax revenue went down 15 percent compared to the prior year.
In October 2009, the county collected $406,855, a reduction of $73,276 from October 2008.
For November 2009, the county collected $441,502, down $78,082 from November 2008.
For those two months in 2009, the county collected just shy of $1 million. The total was $848,358, an overall decline of 15 percent for the start of Fiscal Year 2010.
... S.Z.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR SCHOOL PROGRAMS
Retired math teachers and other volunteers are in great demand for two school programs, the PALS Partners in Education program of the Sarasota County Public Schools has announced.
An orientation session will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 9, from 9 a.m. to noon for any former math teachers interested in helping middle school students through a program called "Give a Boost to Math Skills!"
Other volunteers are needed to assist students and families in learning basic computer skills through the TeXcellence Computer Donation Program. Orientation sessions for that program will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 16, from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. and on Thursday, Feb. 18, from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.
The TeXcellence program has won acclaim for enabling low-income students to do school work at home on computers they receive from the district. Donated computers are refurbished and offered to students whose families cannot afford them.
To volunteer for either program, a person may call the PALS office at 927-9000, ext. 31500.
PUBLIC INVITED TO YACHT CLUB RECEPTION
In preparation for a historic U.S.-Cuba regatta this spring, the Sarasota Yacht Club Charitable Foundation (SYCCF) is hosting a Feb. 10 reception for José Miguel Díaz Escrich, vice president of the Cuban Sailing Federation and commodore of the Hemingway International Yacht Club in Havana.
"Our two nations have a rich history of sailing competition," said Kay Goodman, commodore of the Sarasota Yacht Club, which is organizing the 100-boat international regatta planned for May 16. "We are proud to be working to revive this annual international competition, which began back in the 1930s."
As the official U.S. host for the Sarasota-to-Havana race, the Sarasota Yacht Club recently formed a charitable foundation that will support youth sailing programs in the U.S. and Cuba. "We look forward to bringing together the young people of both nations in a friendly competition, while enhancing the appeal of sailing," said Don Payzant, foundation president.
Escrich will be the guest of honor at "The Commodore’s Dinner Reception," during which he will discuss the latest plans for the offshore regatta. The race is subject to U.S. governmental approval. "We are excited about plans for the international regatta and look forward to welcoming all participants," he said.
Escrich has also invited the U.S. teams to participate in the Hemingway International Yacht Club’s annual Castillo del Morro Regatta off the coast of Havana, an event that will be held June 12.
Noting the Sarasota club’s internationally recognized commitment to the sport of sailing and its reputation for supporting many of the world’s top sailors, Escrich said, "The charitable foundation will help establish a permanent bond of friendship and cooperation between our two yacht clubs. "
He added that there is a rich history of friendship between the Cuban Sailing Team and the U.S. boating community, noting that Gulf Coast yacht clubs regularly competed with the Hemingway Club and other Cuban teams until 1959, when the dramatic change in Cuba’s leadership altered U.S.-Cuban travel arrangements.
The Commodore’s Dinner Reception will begin at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 10, at the club’s interim clubhouse tent facility, 1100 John Ringling Blvd. The event is open to the public; tickets are $45. For reservations, call 365-4191 or go to www.syccharitablefoundation.org.
M0TE MARINE LAB TO HOST FORUM ON RED TIDE ON FEB. 10
In 2007, the state of Florida created a special grants program to support projects that would study ways to control and potentially lessen the effects of Florida’s red tide on coastal communities.
Called the "Red Tide Control and Mitigation Project," the competitive grants program funded 12 research studies and disbursed more than $1.5 million between 2007 and 2009 to explore environmentally acceptable techniques or technologies for potential control or mitigation of red tide blooms and their effects in Florida.
On Feb. 10, an overview of these grant-funded projects, research results and current information about red tide control and mitigation strategies will be presented to the public during a free public forum at Mote Marine Laboratory. The forum will include a question-and-answer session.
The grants program defined "control and mitigation" as projects or efforts designed to minimize the size, intensity or duration of Florida red tide blooms caused by Karenia brevis or reduce the environmental, economic, social or public health impacts of future red tides in Florida. Of the 12 funded projects, four focused on red tide control; four focused on red tide and human health; three focused on education and outreach; and one focused on the economic issues surrounding Florida’s red tide
Grants were awarded to numerous universities, including the Georgia Institute of Technology, the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, the University of South Florida, and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute. For summaries and updates on the projects, go to http://research.myfwc.com/features/view_article.asp?id=27877.
The public forum is part of a larger workshop taking place Feb. 9-11 at Mote Marine Laboratory. The forum will be held from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Feb. 10 in the Keating Marine Education Center at Mote Marine Laboratory, 1599 Ken Thompson Parkway.