Manatee Spotlight October 21, 2012

Final Call for Submissions to the Sarasota Bay Photo Contest

Wednesday, October 31 is the final day to drop off submissions to the I Love Sarasota Bay Photo Contest. The contest is part of the inaugural Sarasota Bay Water Festival set for Saturday, November 17 at Ken Thompson Park. The winning submissions will be showcased at the free regional festival and photographers will be acknowledged with custom ribbons and gift certificates to Whole Foods Market.

The contest rules and guidelines are posted at sarasotabaywaterfestival.com. Visitors to the water festival will have an opportunity to vote on a special People’s Choice Award. Most of the photo submissions will be focused on coastal waters, recreation in and around the Bay, shorebirds, aquatic life, other wildlife, seascapes, and Bay commerce.

Photos must be mounted on a 16 X 20 foam core board. Participants can submit up to two images each and the contest is open to anyone regardless of skill level or experience. Submissions must be dropped off to Caldwell Trust Company located at 1561 Main Street in Sarasota. The three drop off days include anytime between 10am and 5pm on Friday, October 26, Monday, October 29, and Wednesday, October 31.

Other festival highlights include a Creative Arts Tent sponsored by the Observer Media Group showcasing a dozen area wildlife photographers and artists selling art items, live music on the main stage featuring guitarist Ben Hammond and The Lauren Mitchell Band, local food trucks with Suncoast Food Trucks, and exhibits and activities promoting boating, fishing, paddle board sports, scuba diving, birding, wildlife protection, and more.

Florida’s first “iceberg” will be unveiled thanks to the creativity of Rick Herzog, a Sculpting Professor at New College of Florida. The Sarasota Ski-A-Rees Water Ski Show Team will perform at 4pm. Event guests can also gain free admission to the popular Mote Aquarium which is open from 10am to 5pm. Admission requires obtaining a stamp at the festival so come early if you also plan to visit Mote Aquarium.

More than 45 organizations from the private and public sector are sponsors of the inaugural Sarasota Bay Water Festival. The Sarasota Bay Estuary Program (SBEP) is the host sponsor and Triple 3 Marketing (T3M) is managing the festival. SBEP is one of the 28 National Estuary Programs in the U.S. T3M is the same leadership team that produced the E-Fest Green Living Music & Arts Festival in 2007 and 2008.

4th Annual Chowdown for Charity will be accepting canned good donations for the Manatee County Food Bank

The Anna Maria Oyster Bar is excited to be participating in the 4th AnnualChowdown for Charity event that will be held on Thursday, October 25th from 6:00-8:00 pm at the Riverhouse Banquets and Weddings facility in Palmetto, FL.

 They are one of 10 participating restaurants that will present theirbest dishes to a panel of "culinary experts" consisting of Mayor Wayne Poston,Senator Mike Bennett, Bay News 9's Summer Smith and Maverick Johnson of CTQ106.5. Guests attending the event are also asked to vote for their favorite restaurant by purchasing "voting tickets" and choosing their favorite dishes.

A selection of desserts will prepared by the culinary students from MTI, Manatee High School, Southeast High School and the Hospitality Program at USF Sarasota-Manatee and will be judged by a panel of local favorite celebrity chefs, Tommy Klauber of Pattigeorge's and Polo Grill and Ray Arpke of EuphemiaHaye,

 Chowdown for Charity is raising much-needed funds for two Manatee County organizations – ProStart that supports the culinary education programs in Manatee County and also the Food Bank of Manatee.

The event guests are encouraged to bring canned goods for the Food Bank  – for each can donated that evening the donor will receive a $1 drink ticket to be used at the event.

For more information please contactAmanda at 941-454-3620 or by email Amanda@oysterbar.net

USFSM Students Awarded First Caldwell Trust Company Named Business Scholarships

Two USFSM College of Business students received the first annual scholarships from The Caldwell Trust Company Business Scholarship Fund.  Halyna Tabakova will complete her Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting in spring 2013 and plans to become a Certified Public Accountant. Born to a family of 12 in Ukraine, Halyna, who avidly volunteers with the elderly, is grateful for the financial help to realize her career goals. “This generous support is helping me to fulfill a lifelong dream of going to school,” Halyna says. “Thanks to organizations such as this, many students are able to pursue their career goals and become well-educated and successful workers in our community.”

Timothy Lim is a junior at USFSM, majoring in Business. Of first-generation Korean ancestry, Tim is an experienced world-traveler focused on finishing his degree and forging a professional career. “I’m very grateful that Caldwell Trust Company is investing in my future,” says the student who is also an archery buff, even building his own bows, arrows and quivers.

Caldwell has been a consistent USFSM supporter and takes its corporate citizenship seriously, especially when it comes to helping children and families. “The Caldwell Trust Company Business Scholarship gives us a wonderful opportunity to invest in the education of business-minded young people who are committed to strengthening the financial underpinnings of our community,” says Kelly Caldwell, CEO/President and senior trust officer. These scholarships are open to any eligible College of Business graduate or undergraduate students at the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee or North Port.

The University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee has a wide range of scholarship opportunities available for students. For more information about scholarships, contact Gabriella Vega in Financial Aid at 941-359-4622.

Decorative Interiors by Mary Ellen earns Prestigious RESA-PRO™ Home Staging Designation

Sarasota-Bradenton, FL (Press Release) 18 October 2012 – Mary Ellen Fortier, President, Decorative Interiors by Mary Ellen has earned the RESA-PRO™ designation.     The Real Estate Staging Association (RESA) is the member run trade organization for professional stagers in North America.

The RESA® Ethics class and exam is an extremely important factor in raising the bar for the home staging industry.  RESA-PRO™ is the only designation governed and regulated by the Real Estate Staging Association®.  RESA® ensures that RESA-PRO™ designees uphold the highest ethical standards possible.

RESA® recently released statistics on the benefits of home staging. RESA studied 410 properties in North America and found on average staged properties are on the market 78% less time than non-staged houses. “There is no doubt staging benefits buyers, sellers and agents. We strongly recommend anyone considering selling their property to work with a professional stager in their local area,” said Shell Brodnax, RESA’s CEO.

Mary Ellen, a successful local business woman earned her Advanced Certification in Home Staging and Redesign as well as her Trainer Certification from The Academy of Home Staging.   She has been a member of RESA since 2010 as well as a member of RESA Florida Chapter.   Mary Ellen, is a member of the Manatee Chamber of Commerce, Manatee Association of Realtors and Women’s Council of Realtors, Manatee Chapter.  Mary Ellen brings close to 20 years experience in building homes, remodeling existing homes and designing interiors into beautiful and functional living spaces. 

Decorative Interiors by Mary Ellen offers home staging services, interior design services and home staging training in Sarasota and Manatee Counties.     “Our philosophy is that each of our clients is unique with a unique home, unique needs and a unique budget. Our commitment is to work with you to meet all of your needs in regards to your home design – whether you are in need of our services to stage your home to sell or if you are ready for a make-over of your home that you continue to live in. We will deliver to your specific needs.”  said, Mary Ellen Fortier, President, Decorative Interiors by Mary Ellen.

Salt & Light Productions Receives Two 2012 Emmy Award Nominations

The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences has nominated Salt & Light Productions' Senior Producer Don Gangnagel for two regional Emmy® Awards.

The nominations were received for a short-form documentary about ShelterBox USA and a long-form documentary about the Florida Highway Patrol. Both pieces were nominated in the category "Documentary-Topical."

The ShelterBox USA documentary highlights the efforts of the non-profit organization to provide the shelter and disaster-specific equipment a family will need to survive in the aftermath of a disaster. You can watch the ShelterBox USA video here.

"Troopers: Inside the Florida Highway Patrol" follows the progress of Basic Recruit Class 118 through twenty-seven weeks of intense training to prepare them for the challenges they will face in their new careers as Florida State Troopers. They documentary also portrays the various ways that troopers work together to keep motorists safe on Florida's highways. You can  watch the "Troopers" documentary here.

These two documentaries are the sixth and seventh Emmy nominations for Salt & Light Productions' Senior Producer Don Gangnagel. In 2009 and 2010, Gangnagel won Emmy Awards for two Salt & Light Productions films created for Micaiah Ministries and the Safe Place and Rape Crisis Center.

Since 1949, The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences has been awarding Emmy Awards to recognize the very best in broadcast video production. It is one of the highest honors in the broadcasting industry.  

Salt & Light Productions is a project of the Center for Faith and Freedom, a non-profit organization that has been serving communities across the nation since 1989 with its multi-media and production capabilities. "Our organization is once again grateful to be recognized for our commitment to excellence," noted Founder and President Stuart J. Roth. "We are dedicated to helping those less fortunate and sometimes overlooked members of society by sharing their stories and testimonies with the community. Our goal is to help inspire and encourage charities and government agencies by equipping them with the necessary multi-media tools to communicate their message and vision to donors, program recipients and community leaders."