Archive for the 'Editor's Desk' Category

Linkage: News from around the Suncoast in five clicks or less

Wednesday, February 17th, 2010

linkage17— “Despite a less than enthusiastic response from the head of the Sarasota Convention and Visitors Bureau, the board of the Downtown Improvement District will continue to push for a visitors center either on Main Street or close to it.”

— An interesting feature in the Bradenton Herald about the impact of the foreclosure disaster on Latino families.

— Sarasota really is turning into Baltimore! Now that Orioles pitchers and catchers are reporting for spring training, I mean.

— Hannah Wallace writes totally un-ironically about her legitimately great Valentine’s Day.

What a tease: A rundown of what we’re including in our Feb. 17 issue

Tuesday, February 16th, 2010

20cover_forweb

COVER STORY

Trouble in paradise? While some Selby Gardens insiders say poor management and risky finances have imperiled the Sarasota institution, current leadership insists the organization is stronger than ever.

NEWS & VIEWS

Don’t panic! Your war questions answered: What’s next with Iran?

FOOD & DRINK

Restaurant news roundup: Retropolitan Grille, Trader Vic’s, The Broken Egg and Michael’s on East.

Recipe: Ginger scallion noodles, from Momofuku.

(more…)

Linkage: News from around the Suncoast in five clicks or less

Tuesday, February 16th, 2010

linkage17— Manatee County fans go gaga over two figure skating pairs competing in the Olympics who trained at the Ellenton Ice & Sports Complex. Of course, “whether they bring home a medal or not, Ellenton Ice will come out the big winner.” Actually, no, that’s not true. If they win gold, I think they’ll come out the big winner.

“The managers of the Geraldson Community Farm in Bradenton built a Web site for people into organic farming to connect and share ideas about going green.”

— County Commissioner Joe Barbetta is reportedly avoids a court date by reaching an agreement to give access to his computer to those suing him over alleged Sunshine Law violations. Also from the Barbetta feed! Richard Swier has posted a podcast Q&A with the commish, promising that he “asked Commissioner Barbetta some very tough questions.” Oh really? Here is Swier on the incumbent Barbetta: “The general consensus is the county’s doing a great job.” I bet Barbetta is shaking in his boots!

— And… one of my favorite events of the year: The Cortez Commercial Fishing Festival goes down this weekend.

Linkage: News from around the Suncoast in five clicks or less

Monday, February 15th, 2010

linkage17— Like a story straight from the old days of The Daily Show: “A Nokomis man is retaliating against his neighbor for burglarizing his home. He’s erected an eight foot sign on his lawn that reads: ‘my neighbor’s a thief.’” Actually, ABC 7, the sign says, “Our neighbor is a thief,” at least according to the photo of the sign running right next to the story.

— The vulture investors have arrived, and they’re selling Palmetto condos at fire-sale pricesstarting at $140,000.” During the boom, those units were going for $435,000-$1.4 million.

New College students study the impact of a two-, four- and six-foot rise in sea level, and provide some scary data.

Linkage: News from around the Suncoast in five clicks or less

Friday, February 12th, 2010

linkage17— Here is how one architecture professor responded via email to the Herald-Tribune about the plans for the revamped Ed Smith Stadium: “Wow! It cannot get worse: The feeble attempt at making a modern building that looks like a resuscitation of a third-rate 1950s commercial building.”

— The Manatee County Sierra Group withdraws its sponsorship of the Manatee edition of tomorrow’s statewide offshore-drilling protest, because the county wanted between $50 and $1,000 (depending on how many protesters showed up) to let people, yes, stand on the beach.

— Now, to the conservatives out there. Is it not at least a bit unseemly that Rep. Vern Buchanan will deliver a speech at the same event as Ann Coulter, who, writing about activist 9/11 widows, penned these words: “I’ve never seen people enjoying their husbands’ deaths so much“? I sincerely wonder how a conservative is responding to that news.

— The 2010 Vinyl Music Festival gets slotted on the calendar: July 22-25.

Check out The Equines’ awesome music video for their tune, “Narwhal”

Thursday, February 11th, 2010

We here at Creative Loafing Sarasota unabashedly dig The Equines, the superb local indie-folk act whose debut EP, Hearts on Faces, we just can’t get enough of. And now they’ve done gone and made a sweet music video for Hearts track “Narwhal,” which you can watch up top. Enjoy.

Linkage: News from around the Suncoast in five clicks or less

Thursday, February 11th, 2010

linkage17— Remember this next time someone tells you the real estate market is turning around: In Manatee County, foreclosures are up 150 percent over last year. “‘That’s a lot,’ said Cindy Greco, president of the Manatee Association of Realtors. ‘Sales have picked up and prices have come down, but I don’t think we’ve even touched the volume of foreclosures that we are going to see.’”

— It’s like an all-Manatee news day or sumpin’: “Manatee County Republican Party chairwoman Kathleen King is making a play to become the state GOP’s second in command.”

— The Colony Beach & Tennis Resort lays out its strategy to emerge from bankruptcy.

— Sarasota doctors tell the gripping story of their recent relief trip to Haiti.

— Richard Swier compares new rules about Florida water quality that emerged from a Sierra Club lawsuit to “torture,” writing, “You and I are going to be water boarded, not by the CIA, but rather by the Environmental Protection Agency’s Eco-Police . This torture will not last mere seconds before we submit and tell all but will go on and on for decades and destroy us and our economy – a fate worse than a term in Guantanamo.” A touch hyperbolic? Nah, I didn’t think so either.

Notice anything funny about this Herald-Tribune screenshot?

Wednesday, February 10th, 2010

Picture-1

Just snapped the above screenshot from the Sarasota Herald-Tribune homepage. Notice anything humorous? Yep, it’s that funny headline teasing a story on Anna Scott’s H-T blog, The Prescription: “Michelle Obama unveils campaign against childhood.” Always thought there was something menacing about that woman. (Of course the full headline reads, “Michelle Obama unveils campaign against childhood obesity.”)

Linkage: News from around the Suncoast in five clicks or less

Wednesday, February 10th, 2010

linkage17— Hey. This is good news: “Technology-oriented companies rubbing shoulders with Southwest Florida’s two largest economic development agencies have gone public with plans to create at least 400 new jobs, including three fresh announcements this week.”

— And did you miss the story about the Manatee County apartment building whose elevator has been broken for 11 straight days now, leaving wheelchair-bound residents on upper floors essentially trapped?

— Kim Cartlidge reports on the high-level conversations that occurred during the recent Sarasota International Design Summit.

— Only click on this story if you can handle an image of a manatee that died from the cold, one of more than 200 already this year. The record for manatee deaths in an entire year is 429.

What a tease: A rundown of what we’re including in our Feb. 10 issue

Tuesday, February 9th, 2010

19cover_forweb

COVER STORY

2010 Lust List: You uploaded your hottest, most scandalous images at CLSarasota.com. We’re running them uncensored.

NEWS & VIEWS

.Com-ments: Fallout from Creative Loafing’s Noise Issue.

Don’t panic! Your war questions answered: Is the U.S. really going to withdraw from Iraq in August?

FOOD & DRINK

— Alternatives to dinner out on Valentine’s Day.

Restaurant review: Caribbean Pie Company serves breakfast, lunch and, of course, pie in its new east Main Street location.

(more…)