SRQ Daily May 11, 2023

Minor League baseball is alive and well on the Gulf Coast, with the schedule of the Florida State League already in full swing. The Bradenton Marauders, the Single-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates, came home to Bradenton’s LECOM Park on Tuesday night after a two-week road trip. For the Marauders, who at 16-12 are second in the Florida State League West division, this return home could not have come at a more opportune time. As of Wednesday morning, the team is 5-5 in their last ten games and losers of their last three – the homestand will hopefully give them a chance to lick their wounds and continue the chase for the division title of which they are five games behind the Clearwater Threshers, the Single-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies.

For baseball fans in the area, catching a Marauders game means more than just the chance to see some good baseball, it means laying eyes on players that might be stars of the future. The Bradenton Marauders are home to two of the Pittsburgh Pirates top 30 prospects: Thomas Harrington, a right-handed pitcher that was drafted 36th overall in 2022 out of Campbell University and 19-year old Shalin Polanco, an outfielder that was signed as an international free agent in 2021. Although Polanco has had a rough start to the season, Harrington has fared well, posting a 4-0 record with a 3.65 ERA in five starts.

This weekend’s homestand will also feature a number of promotional events, starting with Thirsty Thursday on Thursday night’s game against the Lakeland Flying Tigers, which will feature discounted alcohol prices for all fans 21 and over as well as $1 sodas. Friday’s event will be a Women in Sports Night that will include a pre-game panel of the important women that keep the Marauders’ organization running smoothly, and Saturday night is titled Star Wars Night in which the Marauders will take the field in Star Wars themed jerseys that will be available for auction after the game as well as a post-game fireworks display.

LECOM Park, 1611 9th St W, Bradenton. 

Pictured: Star Wars Night 2016. Photo courtesy of the Bradenton Herald.

To learn more click here.

ST. MARTHA CATHOLIC SCHOOL (SMCS) in Sarasota offers a challenging, faith-based academic experience to students in pre-kindergarden through eighth grade. “In effort to serve God and our community, students, staff and families work together to maintain high academic standards develop Christ-centered relationships, and provide stewardship to Sarasota and the surrounding areas,” a spokesman for SMCS says. “Students have consistently performed in the top 20 percent across the nation year after year.”

The school follows a STREAM curriculum (an interdisciplinary, standards-based model that integrates science, technology, religion, engineering, arts and mathematics). Teachers design units of study that challenge and empower students, creating an environment that encourages problem-solving collaboration, student-led inquiry and hands-on projects. A science lab, vegetable and prayer gardens, open fields and the Zazarino Center serve as dynamic learning spaces. The Catholic faith is woven into all subjects and grade levels, promoting a culture of innovation and ethical action.

School’s Mission
In partnership with Jesus Christ and the teachings of the Catholic Church, the mission of St. Martha Catholic School is to provide each student with diverse opportunities which develop strength in faith, and excellence in knowledge and learning. Students build character through their Christian service to the school, parish and world communities. 

Check out more on this feature!

Visit Sarasota County, the official tourism marketing arm of Sarasota County, hosted a busy April 2023 for sporting events. Notable tournaments this month, which drew significant tourism numbers for the area, included adult and youth competitions in golf, tennis, swimming, rowing, soccer and softball at world-class facilities throughout Sarasota County and Lakewood Ranch. Among the events supported by Visit Sarasota County in the last month, the Association of Tennis Players (ATP) Challenger Tour Elizabeth Moore Sarasota Open at Payne Park, the USA Swimming Open Water National Championships at Nathan Benderson Park, and the 5th Annual LECOM Suncoast Classic at Lakewood National Golf Club drew elite adult athletes and fans, while the Florida Scholastic Rowing Association’s Sculling and Sweep Championships at Nathan Benderson Park, the 11th Annual Sarasota Cup (soccer) at Premier Sports Campus, and the Miss Florida Mid-Season Tournament at the Miss Sarasota Softball Complex attracted youth teams and their families. Nathan Benderson Park, Payne Park and the Miss Sarasota Softball Complex at 17th Street Park and Fruitville Park are all public facilities built and maintained in part through Sarasota County funds, and are available for public recreation. The Miss Sarasota Softball Complex, built more than 40 years ago as the area’s first softball facility, is currently undergoing Phase 1 of an extensive renovation and expansion valued at $46 million. 

To learn more click here.

Realize Bradenton is pleased to announce the continuation of the Bradenton Public Market (Market) through the summer months. The regular weekly Market season runs October 1, 2022 – June 3, 2023, however, due to record-breaking attendance during this season, summer dates have been added. The summer Markets are scheduled once a month on the last Saturdays of June (24th), July (29th), and August (26th) on Old Main Street and 3rd Ave West in Bradenton from 9:00 am – 2:00 pm. Our Market family is excited to see their customers throughout the summer while still enjoying some well-earned time off. The Market was founded in April of 1979 in a Downtown Bradenton parking lot. Over the past 44 years, the Market has grown and evolved to fill Old Main Street with produce, local artisans, and prepared foods. In addition to the increase in attendance, as the only open-air market in Manatee County that participates in both SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) and FAB (Fresh Access Bucks), it is valuable to have these resources available to the community throughout the summer.

Bradenton Public Market, Summer Dates (Monthly), Last Saturdays of June (24), July (29), August (26), 9:00 am – 2:00 pm, Old Main Street and 3rd Ave West, RealizeBradenton.com/Market. 

Creative Liberties Artist Studios and Gallery, based on a foundation of artists helping artists, continues its season’s offerings with an all-packed May. It starts with a reception and party for the Spring Exhibition at Art Ovation, Thursday, May 11; 6 p.m. The exhibit is “Onaelan,” featuring the work of 10 Creative Liberties studio artists. The event includes a reception at 6 p.m., followed by a party at the Perspectives Rooftop Bar. Meet the artists, walk the galleries, enjoy hors d’oeuvres, champagne, signature cocktails and live entertainment. Featured Creative Liberties artists are: Elizabeth Goodwill, Barbara Gerdeman, Jie Li, Adrienne Watts, Sandy Koolkin, Drita Hajroja, Jeff Vasington, Donna Bergman, Traci Kegerreis, and Lisa DiFranza. Creative Liberties presents the Summer Second Saturday Open Studios, Saturday, May 13, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. All three Creative Liberties locations will be open along with six other local area studios. Visit www.creativeliberties.net for a full listing of studios (and addresses) that will be participating. Join Creative Liberties for an opening reception to welcome artists David Munoz and Emily Baar as the May and June artists-in-residence at Gaze Gallery, Thursday, May 18, 5-7 p.m. Creative Liberties at Gaze Gallery is located in the ARCOS Apartments at 340 Central Avenue in the Rosemary District, Sarasota. There will be beverages and lite bites. Finally, bring the whole family for Family Art Day, Saturday, May 27, 9 a.m.- noon. These free monthly events feature interactive art-creating sessions led by professional artists. Artist Drita Dawn will lead families in a creative project that is suitable for all age and skill levels. No RSVP is required. This is a free program, made possible by generous funding from the Floyd C Johnson and Flo Singer Johnson Foundation. Creative Liberties Artist Studios and Gallery was founded in November 2021 by Barbara Gerdeman and Elizabeth Goodwill, both artists and art educators. Goodwill explains that they launched this venture “to empower regional artists with a variety of business services and studio and exhibition opportunities.” Creative Liberties is a collective, communal space that provides work and display space for local artists. There are also display walls available for non-studio artists to rent. The enterprise recently celebrated the openings of two more locations at 927 N Lime Avenue that features 10 new studio artists, additional gallery walls and the Creative Academy classroom/ community space; and at 340 Central Avenue, which offers limited-time artist residencies for work and display space. “We are overwhelmed in the best way possible by how quickly Creative Liberties has been able to grow. We are extremely grateful for the incredible support we have received from the community, including from the public, the artists, the arts advocates and the media. This support is the catalyst to the rapid growth we’ve experienced,” says Gerdeman.

For more information about Creative Liberties, visit www.creativeliberties.net; call 941-799-6634 or email [email protected]. The Limelight studios are open to the public, Thursday to Saturday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., and Sunday to Wednesday by appointment. The Rosemary artists residency at Gaze Gallery is open Monday to Friday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. 

Pictured: Creative Liberties studio artists. Photo courtesy of Creative Liberties.

The Pickleball Club, a firm founded in 2019 and the nation’s leading developer and operator of private membership-based high-amenity indoor pickleball facilities throughout Florida, recently celebrated the grand opening of its first club. In Sarasota near Lakewood Ranch, Fla., the recent ribbon-cutting marks the opening of the first dedicated indoor pickleball facility in the state, and the company has six more underway, with a goal of opening at least 15 over the next five years. The 33,393-square-foot club located at 1300 Sarasota Center Blvd. officially opened its doors to the public on Tuesday, May 2. It features championship-grade courts with permanent nets, an outdoor players’ courtyard, Pickles Café, Dink’s Pro Shop, an indoor players’ lounge observation deck, luxurious locker rooms and a HEPA filtered air-conditioned environment. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on May 2 to commemorate the occasion. Attendees heard from executives of The Pickleball Club and guest speakers, including Steve Johnson, president and owner of Southern Cross Contracting; Catrina Southall, USDA deputy state director for Florida; and Brittany Lamont, president and CEO of Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance, among others. The event attracted over 200 people. Last month, the club announced the purchase of two additional properties in Venice and Pinellas Park, bringing its total of secured locations to seven. The Venice club will be located at the intersection of Crestview Boulevard and Jacaranda Boulevard. The Club will have 16 indoor pickleball courts and two outdoor pickleball courts. The Pinellas Park location is located at Gateway Centre Business Park and will have 16 indoor pickleball courts and two outdoor courts. Four other clubs are under development in Port St. Lucie, The Villages, Fort Myers and Bonita Springs. The Pickleball Club’s strategy is to take advantage of the significant unmet demand for a quality indoor social-sports experience dedicated to pickleball. Each of the company’s clubs range between 34,000 to 50,000 square feet with 12 to 16 indoor pickleball courts, multiple outdoor courts, an outdoor players’ courtyard, Dink’s Pro Shop, Pickles Café, luxurious locker room facilities and ample space for gathering with friends, new and old. 

Pictured: Matt Gordon, Brian McCarthy and Valerie McCarthy from The Pickleball Club cutting the ribbon. Photo courtesy of The Pickleball Club.

New College of Florida, alongside six partner universities who participated in the NewCollege Challenge, will present their final New College Campus designs May 12-13, 2023. As part of the “New College Challenge,” a year-long initiative, New College invites members of the community to observe presentations and provide feedback on Friday, May 12, and take part in an exhibition and panel discussion on Saturday, May 13, 2023.

Friday, May 12, 2023. New College Challenge Presentations & Feedback, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., Design professors present work, Mildred Sainer Auditorium, New College of Florida, 5313 Bay Shore Rd., Sarasota. Saturday, May 13, 2023. New College Challenge Exhibition & Panel Discussion, 10 – 11:30 a.m.., Open house with student designers, 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., Panel discussion with partnering design professors, Architecture Sarasota, 265 S Orange Ave., Sarasota. Partnering universities include Kean University, Syracuse University, University of Florida, University of Miami, University of South Florida and Yale University. 

Easterseals Southwest Florida announced today it will receive a grant of $30,000 to support educational services at its Easterseals Academy for children with intellectual and physical disabilities. The grant is part of a national $2.55 million donation CareSource, a nationally recognized leader in managed care. Funding from the grant to Easterseals Southwest Florida will support Easterseals Academy, a specialized educational option for children in grades K-12 living with intellectual and physical disabilities. Therapy integrated into the school day allows students to stay in school and to make positive progression toward their education and therapy goals. For more than 30 years, CareSource enterprise has built trusted relationships with the mission of transforming health care with innovative programs and a family-centered model of care that address the social determinants of health, health equity, prevention and access to care. CareSource and its family of brands have been a part of improving quality of services offered to Floridians since 2019. The nonprofit, nationally recognized managed care organization serves over 2.3 million members and administers one of the largest Medicaid managed care plans in the U.S. The organization offers health insurance, including Medicaid, Health Insurance Marketplace and Medicare products. CareSource also recently expanded its national footprint and ability to serve more members with complex needs by acquiring The Columbus Organization, which partners with health care agencies and provider organizations in 12 states to support individuals with intellectual/developmental disabilities and behavioral health challenges through its staffing, quality improvement and care coordination services. Annual CareSource grants of $725,000 will support the work of select Easterseals Affiliates nationwide, the work of Easterseals’ national office, and the organization’s Project on Education and Community Health Equity, an initiative focused on addressing the educational and health care needs of children with disabilities, including children with disabilities of color, so they are kindergarten ready and can reach their full potential. Another round of funding for Easterseals affiliates’ programs and services will be announced in late 2023. 

Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation is again celebrating the incredible work of Sarasota County educators who go above and beyond. On Friday, five educators were greeted by their principal, the interim superintendent, and district leadership during a surprise ceremony where they were named 2023 Ripple Effect Award winners and presented a $5,000 check from Barancik Foundation. Please join us in celebrating: DaVida Dagan of Glenallen Elementary School, Holly DeWitt of Brookside Middle School, Diana Eidel of Wilkinson Elementary School, Chelsie Jacob of Laurel Nokomis Middle School, Jeff Kahler of Suncoast Polytech High School. 

The School District of Manatee County is announcing newly named Assistant Principals at the following schools for the 2023-2024 school year. Elementary Assistant Principals: Scott Flynn from Assistant Principal at Prine Elementary to Assistant Principal at Daughtrey Elementary School, Mary Cooke from Assistant Principal in Alachua County to Assistant Principal at Prine Elementary School, Heather Rivero from Student Support Specialist at Myakka Elementary to Elementary Assistant Principal at Johnson K-8 School, Angela Young from Interim Assistant Principal at Samoset to Assistant Principal at Samoset Elementary School, Susan Ebbesmeyer from School Coordinator at Palmetto Elementary to Assistant Principal at Palmetto Elementary School, Shelby Bench to Assistant Principal at Barbara Harvey Elementary School. Secondary Assistant Principals: Bethany Gerber from Assistant Principal at Dr. Mona Jain Middle to Assistant Principal at Haile Middle. Dr. Minetha Brown from Assistant Principal at Nolan Middle to Assistant Principal at Lincoln Middle, Dr. Linda Francis from Assistant Principal at Manatee High to Assistant Principal at Southeast High, Danielle McClellan from Testing Coordinator at Southeast High to Assistant Principal at Dr. Mona Jain Middle, Denise Brigg from Instructional Specialist at the PSC, to Assistant Principal at Manatee High School, Ashley Dohme from Student Support Specialist at Palmetto High to Assistant Principal at Parrish Community High, Jacob Sponsel from Dean at Lakewood Ranch High to Assistant Principal at Nolan Middle School. 

Sarasota Opera is pleased to present an HD at the Opera House film of a National Theatre production of Oklahoma! starring Hugh Jackman. This will be shown on Sunday, July 16 at 1:30 p.m. Tickets are on sale now and are $22. This acclaimed, Olivier Award-winning production of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! Starring then-newcomer Hugh Jackman (Les Misérables, The Greatest Showman) as Curly, alongside Maureen Lipman, Josefina Gabrielle and Shuler Hensley, this riveting stage production was filmed during its record-breaking 1998 run in London. Directed by theatre legend Trevor Nunn (CATS, Les Misérables) with new choreography by Susan Stroman, Oklahoma! features some of musical theatre’s most delightfully hummable songs, including “Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin,” “The Surrey With The Fringe On Top” and the joyous title tune, “Oklahoma”. Now one of the most beloved musicals ever to grace the stage is now coming to big screens around the globe 80 years after it first premiered on Broadway. All seats are general admission. Ticket buyers are encouraged to purchase tickets before arriving at the theater. Information and tickets can be found online at SarasotaOpera.org or by calling (941)328-1300.