©
JANUARY 2021 941.312.0665 | ISLAND VISITOR PUBLISHING, LLC TRAFFIC SIGNAL AT AVENUE B & C INTERSECTION ON STICKNEY POINT ROAD COMING SOON.
page
4
SARASOTA INSTITUTE OF LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT CELEBRATES 50 YEARS!
page
6
DISCOVER THE GULF GATE LIBRARY
page
14
LOCAL RETAILERS ONCE AGAIN SUPPORT THE LANDINGS HOLIDAY CHARITABLE FOUNDATION
President’s Report By Norman Olshansky, Landings Management Association Whew! One thing that has been good these past several months during the pandemic crisis… we survived another hurricane season with minor damage to our community. We have also been fortunate that there have only been a few cases of Covid here in The Landings. For those affected it definitely has been a concern. Infected or exposed individuals have been very responsible and have contacted those with whom they have been in contact. PLEASE continue to follow the advice of medical professionals by wearing masks and maintaining social distancing. As we enter the new year with anticipation of getting vaccinated, we can be hopeful that by next summer we can b e g i n t o r e t u r n t o n or m a l activities at The Landings. There are a lot of new faces in The Landings. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic we are unable to have our traditional n e wc o m e r ’s r e c e p t i o n . We e ncou rage ou r r e side nt s to reach out and meet your new neighbors. The Peregrine roads project h a s b e e n comple te d. Ma ny thanks to our committee and vendors for conduct i ng t he project in a timely way that minimized disruption to traffic and neighbors. It’s time for us to consider our timing and funding for the remainder of the roads.
Hopefully, we will be able to address this issue over the next few months. LMA has a new landscaping firm, Greenscapes. They have already taken care of the Phillipi Shores properties outside the wall and begin the new contract January 1st. It is with deep regret that Dick Bayles has notified me that he does not intend to complete his final year on the board and will resign effective at our February meeting due to ongoing health issues. Needless to say, this is going to be a big loss for LMA. I am in discussions with Dick as to transitions from his role as treasurer, website and data guru, roads committee, as well as keeper of the directory. He h a s g r a c io u sly o f f e r e d to work with us during this transition. We will have a proper appreciation program planned for an upcoming meeting or event. Dick’s departure means that we have 6 open positions. A list of candidates, photos and bios appeared in the December issue of the Eagle. The election takes place at our Februar y 4t h me e t i ng. P r e side nt s of each association cast votes on behalf of their organization. One position will be for a one year term. Please give feedback to your association President on who you want him/her to consider when casting their votes.
We a r e st i l l lo ok i ng i nto improvements for the nature trail and gazebo. The new gate lock and signage on Field Road will be installed a nd ava i lable for u s e by Landings walkers and cyclists by January 4th. To obtain the code for the lock, please call the front gate. At the December meeting, the LMA board received a special presentation on the results of the Eagles Nest Survey. The ENA committee did NOT make specific recommendations for action. This will be left up to the new board to address, should they so choose, at a future date. At o u r D e c e m b e r b o a r d meeting we voted to suspend the decal privileges of a resident who violated our speed limits by over 10 miles/hour 3 times within a 30 day period. Please continue to drive safely. With no sidewa lk s a nd lots of walkers, cyclists and children throughout The Landings, we need to be extremely vigilant and keep to the posted speed limits.
O n a f i n a l note, t he Fi sh Whisperer reports that fishing has been great this year. He lives in The Landings and is willing to take ch ildren, who a re 6 years of age and older (along with a parent or g uardia n), fishing at the gazebo. Call the Fish Whisperer at 941-685-1690 to schedule a free session. Oh, did I mention that I’m the Fish Whisperer???? Wishing you and your families a very happy and HEALTHY New Year!
2021 LMA Board Election Dates January 6th: Deadline for placing additional names on ballot. January 14th: Association presidents can meet and question the candidates. February 4th: The LMA election will take place.
The Landings Does It Again 156 happy children!
By Henry Rhodes
page
16
KIDS SCENE
Simon Austgen, age 7
page
18
THE LANDINGS HAUL PROGRAM The Landings Day: Tuesday Date: 16MAR20201 Time: 8am-10am Location: The North Gate
This community collection event is for The Landings residents. Proof of residency may be requested before the county accepts any waste. The collection event is for residential generated waste only. Waste generated by businesses & other organizations will not be accepted but can receive information by contacting Brian Mangum at 941-735-6430 or 813-802-5970.
We are asking residents to: 1. Stay in their vehicle; no walk up drops allowed
20
Types of Items accepted: Aerosol Cans Paint Thinner & Solvents Automotive Products Adhesives & Glues Paint Cleaners Pool Chemicals Fertilizers Weed Killer Insect Killer Mercury Household Fire Extinguishers Propane Cylinders (BBQ size only)
page
156 children will have a joyous holiday this year thanks to you, the residents of The Landings, retail supporters and neighbors. As like everything else in 2020, the children of Children’s Cancer Center (CCC) weren’t able to have the Christmas they had hoped for with seeing friends, dancing together, and lots of smiles and giggles. That said, the drive-thru version of the party brought smiles to the children’s faces, joy to the parents, and the gift of paying it forward to our Landings residents. The families were greeted at the entrance and given a Christmas tree for their car window and their first stop was Reindeer Refreshments at the Bayles’s driveway. They selected reindeer headbands, hot chocolate with whipped cream, cookies and candy canes. Off to the next stop, Landings residents dressed in festive holiday attire lined La ndi ngs Boulevard shout i ng holiday greetings and waving to the kids as they drove by; the children were told to look for the “blow-ups” along the way (Santa on a jetski, a flamingo playing a guitar, the Grinch and more). Arriving at the LRC, the presents were loaded into the car while the children (if allowed by parents) had their picture taken in front of a Santa and reindeer blow-up, made reindeer food and danced with friends. If it was a normal year, our residents would be playing with the children, helping them decorate gingerbread houses, and dancing with them. While the kids were entertained by the CCC staff the parents were adding the Publix turkey into their car. The last stop was a gingerbread house kit to take home to create
and remember the day of fun at The Landings! It is heartwarming to witness how together we met the challenge in this most unusual year. Among the families volunteering to help were, Katy Day (12) who brought her Mom along to direct the families to the first stop (love the Elf attire). The Wood family, Emerson, age 12 and Asher age 9, new to The Landings gathered to bring smiles to the kids. Thanks to Simon’s and Corkscrew Deli for providing sandwiches to the volunteers and staff of Children’s Cancer Center. Signs-InOne Day for their sixth year of providing reminder signs of our program for each of our three entrances. Please read Karl Maggard’s article in this issue of The Landings Eagle
about the excellent support we received from other local retailers. (Editor’s note: the article appears on page 16). Our community is AMAZING! We helped 156 children have a Christmas holiday they wouldn’t have had otherwise. It happened because of our retail partners and committed residents used personal funds to adopt 55 children. Plus, 13 special people agreed to shop for the rest of the kids using donated Foundation funds. We had 25 new residents that joined us and a total of 91 families that donated funds to support the efforts. We appreciate and acknowledge that we would not have succeeded without support from EVERYONE. T he Fou ndat ion i s g ratef u l for ou r committed residents, volunteers, CCC staff and hardworking Board members who devoted many hours during the last few days making sure each kid from the four organization received holiday gifts. We owe a debt of gratitude to our award-winning Bob Manteiga who has provided the majority of pictures you have seem in the Eagle and on our website. Please visit our new website www.landingsholidaycharitablefoundation. org to view additional pictures provide by Bob and other photographers; read about these wonderful organizations and obtain additional information about the history of the Foundation. GOD BLESS ALL FOR MAKING OUR PROGRAM SUCCESSFUL THIS YEAR!! Looking forward to 2021 and the potential for even more- PAYING IT FORWARD Landings Holiday Charitable Foundation.