Community News - Manatee Movers and Shakers, 8/18/2011

Premier Sports Campus Athletes Will Be Able To Enjoy The Night Life

Premier Sports Campus (PSC) at Lakewood Ranch will begin installation of lighting for eight of its fields. The announcement was made by Tim Mulqueen, Lakewood Ranch’s director of sports, who said that the project will begin Sept.  6, the day after the conclusion of the 300-team Labor Day Tournament.

”The lights make us very unique in that we are the ONLY local facility that is privately owned that has playing fields with lights,“ Mulqueen said.  ”We have clearly separated ourselves from the competition with the combination of some of the finest fields in the country, and lights on eight of these fields. We can now be host to at least nine national events – events that will be massive in terms of economic impact and exposure to the area that we could not have secured without lights.

”Several professional teams have committed to our campus due to the lights, which allow for trainings in the evening when heat is not a factor,“ Mulqueen continued.  ”The commitment to adding the lights has turned the PSC into one of the top training and playing venues in America.“

Horne and Willis, Inc., an electrical contractor based in Parrish for 18 years, will head the $1.1 million project. The company has worked with Schroeder-Manatee Ranch for more than 10 years in various capacities in SMR’s Farms and Aggregates companies.

”Our commitment to lighting the fields is generating recurrent business sufficient to justify the investment,“ said Rex Jensen, president and CEO of Schroeder-Manatee Ranch, the parent company of PSC.  ”We knew that the Sports Campus would place us at the epicenter of field sports activity in the region, if not the state.  This facility is the real deal in economic development.  Many others are Ôfugazis’ by comparison.“

Horne and Willis will install Cooper All Star ”state-of-the-art“ sports floodlights that feature industry-leading, computer-designed optics with internal glare/spill light control. The lights have been used in both amateur field lighting and professional sports stadiums and arenas. There will be four, 70’ light poles per field.

”This is not just run-of-the-mill sports lighting,“ said Nate Horne, vice president of Horne and Willis, Inc.

Although lighting for the field was not on the immediate horizon when PSC broke ground, customers began to ask for the lights once they came on campus and saw what potential the site had, Mulqueen explained. ”Organizations fell in love with the fields and wanted more access to the campus,“ he said, ”and the only way to accommodate the volume of business we have been attracting was to add lights.“

Jensen said the market has dictated the direction and speed of the amenitization.  ”When we built the Sports Campus, we initially built the fields only,“ he said. ”Our assumption was that our customers would tell us which improvements were most important to them.  The vast majority has spoken overwhelmingly in favor of lights and we agree with them.“

Lighting installation should be complete in early November.

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Animal Advocacy Groups Seek New Volunteersto Become Foster Coordinators

Manatee County animal advocacy groups are searching for up to four foster coordinator volunteers who will play a key role in helping Manatee become a no-kill community where no impounded animals are put to sleep.

Foster coordinators will help match available pets at Manatee County Animal Services with available spaces at Manatee County’s rescue groups. The coordinator will also help match potential foster families with pets who need a temporary home until they can be placed in permanent homes.

Foster coordinators will also help promote adoptions and fostering opportunities throughout the community by speaking at public meetings and making appearances at civic groups, writing letters to the editor and through social media outlets.

Leading the search for foster coordinators is Jean Peelen, a local pet lover and Animal Services Advisory Board member.

”These volunteer positions will provide some animal advocates with an important opportunity to do some much-needed work in a field they love,“ Peelen said. ”I’d think some energetic people could come in and have fun shaping these positions and making them dynamic roles in the overall challenge of becoming Ôno-kill.’“

For more information, contact Jean Peelen at (941) 896-5827 or e-mail her at JeanPeelen@aol.com

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GWIZ Science Museum Presents ”Spiral Style Dance Party“ Saturday, August 20 From 11 A.M.-5 P.M.

Educational workshops and demonstrations will explore the science and technique of flow artistry and urban styles of dance

The Community Notices

”Spiral Style Dance Party“ at GWIZ Science Museum

From shipwrecks to computer-guided machinery to filmmaking and electrostatic generators, GWIZ continues to break the traditional molds of science education with hands-on experiences for learners of all ages. This month, the museum is partnering with Urban Spiral Dance Company, an area-based group of performers, choreographers and educators, to present a ”Spiral Style Dance Party," Saturday, August 20, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The event will feature a series of demonstrations and workshops designed to teach physics, movement theory, interpretive dance and kinetics to people of all ages. The workshops and demonstrations are free with general admission ($10, adults over 16; $9, seniors, students and military; $7 children 3-16; children under 3 are free). GWIZ is located at 1001 Boulevard of the Arts in Sarasota. For more information, please call 941-309-4949.

Molly Morgan, the museum's CEO and director, explains that participants will "explore the science of flow artistry and urban dance styles through kinesthetic experience. The dancers will demonstrate various styles of urban dance movements, including Urban Cheer, step, breakdancing and hoop dance." Guests will also enjoy a hoop contest, door prizes and free workshop giveaways.

The Flow Artistry and Urban Style Dance Workshop schedule is:

• 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Poi, a traditional art form of the Maori people of New Zealand: The class will demonstrate concepts such as pendulums, symmetry, plane-bending and rhythm, using everyday items like socks and tennis balls.
• 12 p.m. Urban Cheer/Step: In a fresh fusion of cheerleading, hip-hop and step-dancing, students will discover how the body and mind become an instrument to produce waves, beats and rhymes combining footwork, lyrical and hand-clapping techniques.
• 1 p.m. Street Style: Breakdancing B-boys and B-girls unite in a dynamic blend of gymnastics, capoeira, and popular street styles to demonstrate balance, flexibility and power, as well as few tricks.
• 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. Hoop Dance: Learn how friction, centripetal force, timing and angular momentum can keep a hula hoop in motion with style. Participants are encouraged to defy gravity and use science keys to exercise their bodies and their problem-solving potential.

The Urban Spiral Dance Company (U.S.D.C.) is a diverse group of performers, choreographers and educators who are passionate about promoting positive self-expression through a synergy of kinetic artistry.

”We build bridges across age, musical and cultural gaps in support of collective development,“ says U.S.D.C. dancer and movement educator Misha Rubinstein. ”We are ushers for sensory invigoration and emissaries in community education. We hope everyone comes out to GWIZ to ignite their spirit and awaken their energy!“

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WCI Communities supports U.S. troops with Patriot Golf Day Sept. 2-5

WCI Communities, the Bonita Springs-based lifestyle community developer and homebuilder, is offering unique ways for area golfers to support the United States Armed Forces during Labor Day weekend.

”Patriot Golf Day“ extends Friday, Sept. 2 through Monday, Sept. 5, and benefits the Folds of Honor Foundation, which supports families of military personnel who have become disabled or lost their lives in the line of duty. Last year’s effort raised nearly $17,000 for the foundation.

Golfers will have a variety of tournament and event options throughout the weekend: 

• Pelican Preserve Golf Club in Fort Myers is hosting closest-to-the-pin contests during Labor Day weekend, with half the entry fees distributed to contest winners and half benefitting the foundation.
• The Colony Golf & Country Club hosts its second annual Patriot Golf Day Tournament on
• Sept. 2 with a 9 a.m. shotgun start; the tournament concludes with an awards luncheon. Also, closest-to-the-pin contests are held on all four par-3 holes each Friday and Saturday during the month of September. Proceeds from each $5 entry fee benefit the Folds of Honor Foundation.
• Raptor Bay Golf Club in Bonita Springs hosts closest-to-the-pin contests each Friday and Saturday now through Sept. 5. Players can make a donation or purchase raffle tickets for a chance to win various prizes, including a two-night stay at the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort & Spa or Hyatt Place Coconut Point.
• Hammock Bay Golf & Country Club in Naples hosts closest-to-the-pin contests during the Labor Day weekend for $20, with half the entry fees distributed to contest winners and half benefitting the foundation.
• Tibur—n Golf Club in Naples starts the holiday weekend with an afternoon Nine & Wine two-ball couples event on Sept. 2, which includes a closest-to-the-pin contest, prizes, wine and hors d’oeuvres. For the cost of a round of golf and a $10 donation, golfers can take part on Sept. 3 in a flag tournament. Festivities conclude with a closest-to-the-pin contest Sept. 4 and two-person best-ball flag tournament Sept. 5.
• Venetian Golf & River Club in Venice hosts closest-to-the-pin contests throughout the Labor Day weekend on each of its four par-3 holes. All donations benefit the foundation.

For more information on Patriot Golf Day activities and contests, visit www.WCIGolf.com.

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PUBLIC NOTICE: Availability Of State Housing Initiatives Partnership (Ship) Funding

The City of Bradenton Housing and Community Development Division received $71,358 in State Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP) funding from the Florida Housing Finance Corporation for the 2011-2012 program year. The City has approximately $20,000 available for Down Payment (DP) and approximately $51,358 available for housing rehabilitation assistance for persons earning up to 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI). The maximum annual income must not exceed the following income limits:

Family size:	1 Person	2 Person	3 Person	4 Person	5 Person	6 Person	7 Person	8 Person
	$36,300	$41,500	$46,700	$51,850	$56,000	$60,150	$64,300	$68,450

 

The City will accept applications for the down payment and housing rehabilitation assistance program starting September 15, 2011 until September 29, 2011. Applications will be available online at www.cityofbradenton.com and at the following location:

City Hall (Front Desk)

101 12th St. W.

Bradenton, FL 34205

Hours: 7:30 am-5:30 pm Monday-Thursday

The DPA applicants must be approved for a mortgage prior to applying for down payment assistance and complete a HUD approved first-time homebuyer’s homeownership training class. In addition, receive a certificate of completion prior to making or submitting an application.

Housing rehabilitation applicants must own their own homes and be current on any mortgage, the taxes, and insurance prior to applying for assistance. Assistance will be awarded on a first-come, first-ready basis to persons purchasing or rehabilitating homes within the City of Bradenton city limits. For more information, please contact Lesa Livingston, Manager at 941-932-9400.

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