Palmetto―The Board of County Commissioners, the Mayor of Palmetto, and the Chamber ofCommerce will be joining the Extension Service staff and the Master Gardeners for ribbon-cutting ceremony to open the new site and to thank the many donors that made the site possible. The gardens demonstrate different ways for Manatee County residents to be more successful gardeners and to make their yards more Florida Friendly. The various gardens feature growing vegetables in small spaces, herbs in a repurposed fountain, salad tables, bird and butterfly attractors, dwarf fruit trees, water conservation with native plants and the careful use of irrigation, and rain barrels. Various composting bins for yard waste are displayed. Recycled bottles, garden pots, and bits of lumber are used to make a pot person, a pot frog, a bottle tree, and cheerful bird and butterfly houses in our children's garden. A sensory garden to delight the eyes, ears and nose is next to a maze for small children with shady benches for their grownups to rest on. Vines that work in Florida are also displayed on arbors and fencing. Recycled bricks and construction waste bricks make pleasant wheelchair friendly walkways and decrease landfill usage. The Master Gardeners will be happy to share the garden with visitors. Stop by for an impromptu visit on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday or make an appointment for a longer tour.
Taste Dining & Travel Magazine's recent Chef's Competition was a great success with eight restaurants and their respective chefs competing in a friendly event to determine who had the Best Entree. The event was held in the spacious and well appointed Freedom Village Tuscany Room as guests enjoyed appetizers and desserts from Freedom Village along with wine and 8 small plate entrees from the competing chefs. A silent auction was also held with benefits of the evening's proceeds to the Women's Resource Center of Manatee.
Restaurants, chefs (and their entrees) participating in the event were;
| Ocean Harvest Market and Grill - Chef Mark Baker Coriander Dusted Sea Scallops with Okinawan sweet potatoes, baby asparagus and truffle bacon reduction | Ocean Harvest Market and Grill - Chef Mark Baker Coriander Dusted Sea Scallops with Okinawan sweet potatoes, baby asparagus and truffle bacon reduction |
| Pier 22 - Chef Greg Campbell Orange Chicken with fried rice and wok vegetables | The Feast - Chef Christopher Dale Braised BBQ Pork Ribs |
| SoMa Diner - Chef David Shiplett Thai Beef Tenderloin and ginger salad with curried vinaigrette | The Sandbar - Chef Ian Fairweather Shrimp with grits and bacon and pork au jus |
| Freedom Village - Chef Eric Babb Effiloche - 7 hour braised beef accompanied by potato mousseline | Popi’s Place - Chef Popi Ameres Chicken Marsala with Greek Salad |
| El Warike - Chef Jorge Corzo Corvina in Macho Sauce (a Peruvian seafood sauce) |
Guests were able to cast one vote for their favorite chef and the winners were; 1st Place Eric Babb of Freedom Village 2nd Place was Mark Baker of Ocean Harvest Market and Grill 3rd Place to Jorge Corzo of El Warike
Are you interested in fire safety? Do you enjoy learning about your community? The West Manatee Fire Rescue District will be holding its first Citizen Fire Academy, starting Tuesday, February 21st. The Academy is for residents who want to learn more about their Fire District and how they handle emergencies.
The Fire Academy is a series of 6 sessions and is free, but registration is required. Sessions will meet weekly, starting at 6:30 p.m. Class size is limited.
Participants will tour West Manatee Fire Rescue Facilities and the Manatee County Emergency Operations Center. Sessions cover: fire prevention, fire administration, fire suppression and emergency medical service delivery. Demonstrations include fire extinguisher operation, arson dog demonstrations, mock fire and emergency medical incidents, fire equipment operations and displays.
Citizens interested are encouraged to log on to the Fire District website – www.wmfr.org –click on the Citizen Fire Academy tab to learn more and fill out an application. Call Sherry Vetter at 941-761-1555 with any questions about the program.
The Southwest Florida chapter of the American Red Cross announced today they raised a total of $255,313 in their 2011 Holiday Challenge. The total was announced at the Holiday Challenge Celebration on January 25, 2012 at the Eat Here Restaurant in downtown Sarasota.
Every dollar donated to the Southwest Florida chapter was doubled up to $100,000 thanks to the generosity of Mosaic, Gulf Coast Community Foundation, Eugene and Anne Beckstein, Cookie Boudreaux, Kathleen Burgdorf Foundation Fund and the Slater-Kassan Charitable Fund of the Manatee Community Foundation who pledged the matching funds for this challenge.
The American Red Cross launched the $100,000 Holiday Challenge to the community on November 15th to promote year-end giving in support of disaster readiness and response within Charlotte, DeSoto, Hardee, Manatee, and Sarasota counties.
”We are in awe of the success of the challenge and just can’t thank the community enough for their support“, said Jeannie Slater, Campaign Cabinet and Corporate Board Chair Southwest Florida Red Cross.
The Holiday Challenge made a significant impact on the financial goals of the local chapter, who must maintain a constant state of readiness to launch a major response operation at a moment’s notice. In years when the community is not affected by severe weather or a hurricane, many fail to remember the vital role the organization plays in disaster response. Single family house fires that often do not receive public attention are the most frequently occurring disaster to which the Red Cross responds.
In addition, the Red Cross is on call around the clock to respond to wildfires, major transportation accidents, and other man-made disasters. ”We are a small army, trained and resourced to respond at a moment’s notice. This level of readiness does not just happen. It requires an on-going investment of resources to launch an effective response“, says Southwest Florida CEO, Megarie van Sickel.
The Red Cross also provides round the clock emergency communications and assistance from military families and veterans and is a leader in life-saving Health & Safety education including First Aid and CPR.
To learn more about the American Red Cross and how to donate please visit us online at www.flwestcoastredcross.org.
Junior Achievement Manatee/Sarasota, a local chapter of the world’s largest and fastest-growing non-profit economic education organization, announced that its 10th Annual Invitational will feature an exclusive Professional-Amateur (Pro-Am) Golfing Event on Monday, February 20, 2012, at The Ritz-Carlton Members Club in Lakewood Ranch. All proceeds will benefit Junior Achievement Manatee/Sarasota, and every team will be paired with a professional golfer. Pros involved so far include Paul Azinger, Robert Gamez, Brittany Lincicome and Tony Jacklin.
The Pro-Am event will be an all-day extravaganza with registration beginning at 10:30 a.m. followed by a shotgun start at 12 p.m. Registration includes an executive brown bag lunch and beverages. The post-event celebration includes dinner and a silent auction beginning at 5:30 p.m., featuring a chance to mingle with the golf pros.
”I look forward to this event every year,“ said Craig Campbell, event chair and vice president for Holland Construction’s Florida office. ”It’s a great chance to learn from some of Florida’s best golfers and get together with the community to support Junior Achievement’s mission of educating our children.“
The cost is $500 per single golfer or $2,000 per foursome with an optional $50 JA Bucks package available. Sponsorship opportunities are still available, including Corporate Days for either four or eight golfers to return to the Ritz Members Club for future play. For sponsorship information or to register for the Pro-Am Event and support a great cause, call 941-907-9229 or contact Craig Campbell at ccampbell@holland-corp.com or Cecilia Alexander at cecilia.alexander@ja.org.
Current sponsors include Sun Hydraulics, The Ritz-Carlton Members Club, West Florida Golf Tour, Holland Construction, Baird, Bank of America, DuPage Machine Products, Tervis Tumbler and in-kind sponsor Grapevine Communications Advertising Agency.
The College of Education has begun to explore the development of an arts integrated curriculum for its students
Several members of the community involved in either arts, education or both have been asked to join the PAInT (Partnerships for Arts Integrated Teaching) Advisory Board for the College of Education (COE) at the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee (USFSM). The group has been tasked with making local connections that will help the College of Education (COE) begin developing curriculum centered on arts infusion.
Dr. Elizabeth Larkin, Professor of Childhood Education in the COE is the lead for this new initiative and is excited about what it will mean for students, both at the University and in the local schools. ”Our USFSM College of Education graduates will benefit from the faculty partnering with a variety of arts organizations and collaboratively exploring effective curriculum design and strategies for enhancing learning,“ she said. ”We are focused on developing critical and imaginative literacies to help students listen carefully to different perspectives, reflect on professional practices, find innovative solutions by reframing problems, and express ideas with clarity and conviction. We will be documenting our work, and using the outcomes to build our programs.“
While the initiative is still in its early stages, the university has already incorporated several activities and events to its annual agenda that help make PAInT a reality. In early February, the Children’s Literature Symposium, in its 6th year, will bring together educators for a two day workshop exploring variants in children’s media. Then, in early March, 5th graders from around the county are invited to participate in the SMART Fair on campus, an event that allows students to make the connections between math and art by participating in hands on activities. These events, along with classroom curriculum, faculty brainstorming sessions and involvement by the local arts community will continue to unfold this initiative.
”PAInT really does set us apart,“ said Dr. Terry Osborn, Dean of the College of Education. ”It’s going to allow our students the opportunity, through their internships and teaching in the local schools, to take advantage of the tremendous resources we have in this community and take those to the classroom. It will create a learning environment in our local schools like none other. We are very excited about that.“
Members of the PAInT Advisory Board are: Shelly Dorfman with the Lincoln Center Institute; Nancy Roucher, a member of the Arts Education Task Force; Stephen Miles, Provost, New College of Florida; Judy Sedgeman, newly appointed Director at Manatee Tiger Bay; Johnette Isham, Executive Director of Realize Bradenton; Elizabeth Power, Executive Director of the Perlman Music Program/Suncoast; Robert Warren, Director of Education and Community Engagement at Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall; Gregory Chesnut, Director of Music at First Congregational Church; Angela Hartvigsen, Fine Arts Program Specialist for the School Board of Sarasota County; and Sherry Lawrence, Curriculum Specialist, K-12 Arts & Gifted Education Director and Project STAGE for Manatee County Schools.
Recently COE faculty participated in a one day retreat led by Shelly Dorfman and Nancy Roucher where they were submerged into arts integrated learning. The retreat utilized books, artwork, music and creative discussion to help the faculty members grasp how impactful arts integrated teaching can be. Due to the successful nature of the discussion and experiences at the retreat, the COE has scheduled a follow up meeting to continue in their discussions and to begin to work through how these new tools will be integrated into their own teaching.
The College of Education at the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee is home to undergraduate and graduate programs preparing those who enter the field of education as teachers and administrators as well as professionals who can assume roles in business, industry, and the non-profit sector related to education. Our graduates are in demand throughout the state and region for their excellent preparation to impact learning. The USF College of Education has been continuously accredited by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). To receive national accreditation, a college must meet the six NCATE standards.
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