Showing posts with label wslr. Show all posts
Showing posts with label wslr. Show all posts
Monday, January 12, 2026
Saturday, November 16, 2024
A WSLR show that cares about Our Changing Environment
From Tom Matrullo:
Earlier this year I was a guest on a local low-power FM radio show: Our ChangingEnvironment on WSLR.
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| Jono Miller |
The hosts, Julie Morris and Jono Miller have been scouring the region to find subject matter experts to share their insights and knowledge with the WSLR community. Where else are you going to hear about local seagrasses, sea turtles, and nesting shorebirds, or how Siesta Key and East County are changing? Experts have brought listeners up to speed about local flooding, Sarasota Citizen Action Network, native landscaping, and trends in backyard fruit trees. These one-hour shows are archived and available from WSLR at https://archive.wslr.org/?
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| Julie Morris |
In order to become a member, go to WSLR.org, find the DONATE button at the top, choose an amount and fill out your contact information, click on News and Public Affairs, and then, on the drop down menu, choose Our Changing Environment!
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| (The WSLR Fall membership drive continues through Nov. 19) |
Tuesday, July 11, 2023
Red Tide: Jono and Julie interview Cris Costello - plus an RtCW update
If you have an interest in understanding Red Tide, or in how some of the local resources like Mote Marine have interpreted red tide phenomena, you might find this interview with Chris Costello of the Sierra Club eye-opening.
Here's the intro from environmentalists Jono Miller and Julie Morris:
Today's Guest: Cris Costello, Senior Organizing Manager of the Florida Chapter of the Sierra Club. Get ready to learn about the Legislature and fertilizer, offshore fish farms, and remember that time back in 2014 when 3 out of 4 of us voted to buy more wild land? The government still hasn't complied.
The show airs Tuesday's at 9 am on WSLR.
Interview with Cris Costello, WSLR, Tues. July 11, 2023
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Here's an update on where Petitions to create a Florida Constitutional Amendment for the Right to Clean Water can be obtained and dropped off.
Questions? Contact Rona Turek.
Friday, April 9, 2021
Help keep Cathy and The Detail working for us on WSLR
Cathy Antunes is an advocate of longstanding dedication in Sarasota. She's done incredible research into the money and powerful interests that have been shaping the County. Cathy is also one of the founders of Citizens for Sarasota County, and a founding administrator of the Facebook page for the group.
This is the first time she has asked our support.
From: Cathy AntunesSubject: Please support The Detail - donate to WSLR!!Dear Friends and Neighbors,I hope this email finds you well! It's been nearly 5 years since I began broadcasting my radio show, The Detail. It's been my mission to highlight the importance of local government on the show. Instead of just 3 minutes of public input at a commission meeting, I wanted to give public advocates a whole hour to explain an issue to the community.Giving voice to citizens has highlighted important issues! The Celery Fields. Lido Pavilion. Single Member Districts. The Detail provides a platform that gives candidates an opportunity to share their ideas in complete sentences, not soundbytes. Exposing dark money in local elections has been a focus of mine, and The Detail provides a means to communicate how special interest money is at work through PACs on City and County races. We're seeing more candidates who are not backed by dark money running for office.We need your help to continue.Please donate what you can to support the show, and please share this message with others. You can click this link right now and make a one-time donation, or become a member by donating monthly: https://wslr.org/membership/Your donations make a difference! They keep the lights on at a radio station which serves Sarasota and Bradenton every day. Your generous donation matters.Thank you!Cathy AntunesHost, The Detail
Saturday, March 16, 2019
Antunes: Bayfront Park -- Another Big Promise?
Cathy Antunes's blog, TheDetail.net, is the intelligent reader's guide to Sarasota politics.
This column, entitled Bayfront 20Money, appeared in The Detail 3.13.19:
When it comes to achieving a big goal, good intentions are not enough. Commitment is essential. Commitment is what separates doers from dreamers. Planning for the City of Sarasota’s future Bayfront Park—the public’s 53 waterfront acres including the greening of the Van Wezel parking lot—has now moved beyond the “vision” stage into the “make it happen” stage.
Historically, this is where big plans in Sarasota can go very wrong.
We’ve seen big promises when it comes to public-private partnerships before.
The Benderson Rowing Park nonprofit, SANCA (Suncoast Aquatic Nature Center Associates), said they would raise $22 million to construct a boathouse, grandstand and finish tower in time for the 2017 World Rowing Championships at the rowing park. Instead of SANCA raising that $22 million, a second nonprofit, the Benderson Foundation, funded the $5 million finish tower just in time for the event. The rowing p ark still lacks a boathouse and grandstand.
Public money—over $50 million—has been the main source for the rowing park’s construction. Sarasota County is the ongoing source of funds for park maintenance. SANCA has not brought the funding it promised.
In 2009, as part of their stadium deal, the Orioles promised to raise $10 million to construct a Cal Ripken Youth Academy out at Twin Lakes Park. This was the sweetener, the game-changing project that was going to “re-invent spring training.” Kids playing with the pros, a great economic engine that would fuel our local economy! Today there is no Cal Ripken Youth Academy. Taxpayers funded the stadium but didn’t get the baseball academy they were promised in return.
Tangible commitments are SMART—Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-Bound. Both the rowing park and Cal Ripken Youth Academy were promises, not commitments. The associated contracts between the County a nd SANCA, and between the County and the Orioles were effective at compelling the County to spend public money, but worthless regarding ensuring the promised private sector financial support.
Enter the Bayfront Park Conservancy agreement.
Everyone agrees a 53-acre bayfront park is a great idea. The park vision includes a softened shoreline, transformation of the Van Wezel parking lot into green space and a new performing arts hall. Estimates for the cost of the envisioned Bayfront Park are up to $500 million. The contract currently being hammered out between the BPC and the City of Sarasota should answer a fundamental question: Why does the City need the BPC? What tangible value does the conservancy bring to the table? Among other problems, there is no dollar amount specified that the BPC will raise and no associated deadline.
Funding the ongoing costs of operation and maintenance of this new park will be critical to its financial sustainability and the financial health of the City of Sarasota. The annual operations and maintenance costs for the proposed park has been estimated at $5 million to $6 million. The draft agreement says the BPC will develop an operating and maintenance plan for each phase of the park, but there is no requirement that the BPC plan actually be successful.
This park plan began with an emphasis on private money. However, it has become clear that the lion’s share of the project financing will come from public coffers. The current contract obligates the City financially, but fails to spell out the financial commitment of the private sector. Come on people. We’ve been down this road before. Show us the money
The more specific the contract is about the City’s obligations, and the more vague the contract is about the conservancy’s obligations, the more reason there is to for City residents to be concerned. The City Commission must get this right.
Cathy Antunes is host of The Detail on WSLR.
This column, entitled Bayfront 20Money, appeared in The Detail 3.13.19:
When it comes to achieving a big goal, good intentions are not enough. Commitment is essential. Commitment is what separates doers from dreamers. Planning for the City of Sarasota’s future Bayfront Park—the public’s 53 waterfront acres including the greening of the Van Wezel parking lot—has now moved beyond the “vision” stage into the “make it happen” stage.
Historically, this is where big plans in Sarasota can go very wrong.
We’ve seen big promises when it comes to public-private partnerships before.
The Benderson Rowing Park nonprofit, SANCA (Suncoast Aquatic Nature Center Associates), said they would raise $22 million to construct a boathouse, grandstand and finish tower in time for the 2017 World Rowing Championships at the rowing park. Instead of SANCA raising that $22 million, a second nonprofit, the Benderson Foundation, funded the $5 million finish tower just in time for the event. The rowing p ark still lacks a boathouse and grandstand.
Public money—over $50 million—has been the main source for the rowing park’s construction. Sarasota County is the ongoing source of funds for park maintenance. SANCA has not brought the funding it promised.
In 2009, as part of their stadium deal, the Orioles promised to raise $10 million to construct a Cal Ripken Youth Academy out at Twin Lakes Park. This was the sweetener, the game-changing project that was going to “re-invent spring training.” Kids playing with the pros, a great economic engine that would fuel our local economy! Today there is no Cal Ripken Youth Academy. Taxpayers funded the stadium but didn’t get the baseball academy they were promised in return.
Tangible commitments are SMART—Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-Bound. Both the rowing park and Cal Ripken Youth Academy were promises, not commitments. The associated contracts between the County a nd SANCA, and between the County and the Orioles were effective at compelling the County to spend public money, but worthless regarding ensuring the promised private sector financial support.
Enter the Bayfront Park Conservancy agreement.
Everyone agrees a 53-acre bayfront park is a great idea. The park vision includes a softened shoreline, transformation of the Van Wezel parking lot into green space and a new performing arts hall. Estimates for the cost of the envisioned Bayfront Park are up to $500 million. The contract currently being hammered out between the BPC and the City of Sarasota should answer a fundamental question: Why does the City need the BPC? What tangible value does the conservancy bring to the table? Among other problems, there is no dollar amount specified that the BPC will raise and no associated deadline.
Funding the ongoing costs of operation and maintenance of this new park will be critical to its financial sustainability and the financial health of the City of Sarasota. The annual operations and maintenance costs for the proposed park has been estimated at $5 million to $6 million. The draft agreement says the BPC will develop an operating and maintenance plan for each phase of the park, but there is no requirement that the BPC plan actually be successful.
This park plan began with an emphasis on private money. However, it has become clear that the lion’s share of the project financing will come from public coffers. The current contract obligates the City financially, but fails to spell out the financial commitment of the private sector. Come on people. We’ve been down this road before. Show us the money
The more specific the contract is about the City’s obligations, and the more vague the contract is about the conservancy’s obligations, the more reason there is to for City residents to be concerned. The City Commission must get this right.
Cathy Antunes is host of The Detail on WSLR.
Monday, April 23, 2018
Media on Fresh Start and the Celery Fields
Sarasota News Leader Fresh Start Initiative leaders plead for County Commission to undertake commonsense approach to future planning around Celery Fields, making use of connectivity and recreational opportunities (For non subscribers: Link courtesy of publisher)
Herald Tribune Matrullo: Protect sites near Celery Fields
Sarasota News Leader The goal is to maintain a welcoming place
WABC 7: Support for Celery Fields Unlike Anything Else
The Observer
Group to give ideas for land by Celery Fields April 18, 2018 Fresh Start took five months to narrow down four proposals for county-owned land outside the Celery Fields. Now it's time for the County Commission to weigh in.
WGCU (NPR Fort Myers-Naples-Sarasota) + WUSF (NPR Tampa)
Sarasota Planning Board Rejects Plant at Celery Fields, June 2, 2017
Sarasota News Leader
WWSB TV - ABC7
- March 14, 2018: Community initiative gathers proposals for land use near Celery Fields Park
- August 24, 2017: Community Support for Celery Fields Unlike Anything Else
WTSP 10 Tampa
WSLR Sarasota
CeleryFields.org
Celery Fields in the News - 16 news stories about the Celery Fields
Jan 20, 2017 - Tom MatrulloFeb. 10, 2017 - Adrien Lucas & Tom MatrulloFeb. 24, 2017 - Rob WrightMarch 3, 2017 - Wade MatthewsApril 7, 2017 - Adrien Lucas & Tom MatrulloMay 26, 2017 - Glenna Blomquist, Brian Lichterman, Jono Miller, Tom MatrulloJune 9, 2017 - Carlos Correa & Luigi VeraceAug. 18, 2017 - Adrien LucasAug. 25, 2017 - Adrien Lucas & Tom MatrulloDec. 1, 2017 - Elizabeth Gomez-Mayo, Dan Kriwitzky & Tom MatrulloApril 20, 2018 - Carlos Correa & Gary Walsh
Herald Tribune Letters to the Editor
Debris Plant at Celery Fields - Jono Miller
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General Articles & Tourism Pieces
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