Sarasota Creative Loafing Loss is Florida’s Indie News Gain

Sheesh. I finally hit my groove with Creative Loafing editor Cooper Levey-Baker and now he’s leaving!! Yup, the boy-wonder who was playing with the big boys in Florida politics to get Obama elected … the literati who loves books and if I recall correctly had the chutzpah to travel to Italy to hunker down to write a year or two back … the guy who hired me and gave me a regular writing gig in print in this town when no one else would touch me … yup … that guy’s leaving Creative Loafing to go on to greener, more indie pastures.

Good luck, Coop — (damn you! )

EDITOR HIRED FOR THE FLORIDA INDEPENDENT

After an extensive statewide search, The American Independent News Network (AINN) is pleased to announce that it has appointed Cooper Levey-Baker to be the first editor of The Florida Independent.

“Cooper comes to The Florida Independent with a political news sensibility combined with a great understanding of Florida’s diverse landscape that will lend well to editing the newest site in The American Independent News Network,” said AINN President and CEO David Bennahum, “I am confident that Cooper will lead his team of reporters based across the state successfully toward our Network’s mission of impact journalism.”

“I am thrilled to take on this new challenge as editor for the brand new Florida Independent,” stated Levey-Baker. “I look forward to working with our reporters to grow this site from the ground up and tackling the difficult issues facing Floridians, maintaining the high standard of writing and investigative journalism for which The American Independent News Network is known.”

With half his life spent living in Sarasota, Fla., Levey-Baker has been the editor of city’s Creative Loafing, an alternative weekly newspaper, for the past year and half, previously serving as an events editor and reporter for the publication for five years. The Arts Council of Sarasota County recognized Levey-Baker for fiction writing in 2006, awarding him a John Ringling Fund Individual Artist Fellowship. In his spare time, Levey-Baker serves on the board of Forum Truth, a nonprofit organization that invites high-profile speakers to Sarasota to address the issues of the day. He is also a member of the steering committee of One Book Sarasota, a nonprofit effort aims to foster a love of reading in Sarasota County.

The Florida Independent will launch by June 1, 2010. The Knight Foundation awarded The Florida Independent project $352,000–the largest amount given–out of $4.3 million to 24 total other projects across the country. The projects represent the second-year winners of the Knight Community Information Challenge, a five-year, $24 million contest that helps community and place-based foundations find creative ways to use new media and technology to keep residents informed and engaged.

The American Independent News Network investigates and disseminates news that impacts public debate and advances the common good. To accomplish its mission, The American Independent News Network operates a nonprofit, nonpartisan network of online news sites: The Colorado Independent, The Iowa Independent, The Michigan Messenger, The Minnesota Independent, The New Mexico Independent, The Washington Independent and soon The Florida Independent.

Yes, I voted … and oh, no, I dit’nt

Yes, I voted … but not the way most of my friends, colleagues, clients, etc., would have thought I did.

As a woman, a writer, a sentient individual human being (I hope), I wouldn’t be a smidgen of who I am today if it had not been for the teachers who influenced and nurtured me from grade school on up. My greatest respect is reserved for teachers of all types and mediums through which they arrive at my experience.

And, um, of course I think children are great, need to be cared for and educated. And, no, I’m not a scrooge or some tightfisted cheapskate.

I voted in opposition of continuing the school tax in yesterday’s referendum …

for reasons I’d elucidate here in this blog if only I had somebody out there paying a special tax (that I’d already been receiving for a number of years and that I’d promised would only be a one-time thing — um, isn’t teaching children to “keep their word” one of the first lessons taught?) so that I could keep doing what I”m passionate about doing at a pay scale at which I’ve become accustomed and which is among the highest in the state — all this despite a recession that has many of the people I’d be taxing on the verge of losing their homes and jobs and pride.

This referendum was about teacher pay … not truly about the education — intellectual and cultural — of children.

All those parents who talked about how important it is for their kids to have a great education? I’m just curious … how many of them play Chopin on the radio during the afternoon so their children are infused with musicality? How many go on a nightly walk after dinner with their child to ensure they’re getting enough exercise? How many read Shakespeare or biographies of presidents, discuss reason and logic and morality, explain how the family budget works, or teach a foreign language to their children at night — instead of watching American Idol or its current equivalent — en famille, only speaking during commercials?

Hometown Democracy … where do you stand?

My head is kind of bobbing around like one of those little bobbling dolls that people put on their car dashboards sometimes. I’m all in a dither (or is a dather) trying to figure out how to vote on the Hometown Democracy Amendment, which will be on Floridians’ ballots later this year. To wit:

The Amendment would establish “that before a local government may adopt a new comprehensive land use plan, or a mend a comprehensive land use plan, the proposed plan or amendment shall be subject to vote of hte electors of the local government by referendum, following preparing by the local planning agency, consideration by the governing body and notice.”

Maybe I’m missing something … but I can’t see how this could be a bad thing — isn’t that what democracy is all about? (more…)

Homeless in our hometown

It’s not only cats who need a good home in this town … From the WSLR website:

WSLR 96.5 low-power FM, Sarasota’s non-profit community radio station, will be among the many public radio stations nationwide participating in the 13th Annual Homelessness Marathon. Featuring 14 hours of consecutive programming about homelessness and the homeless, the 2010 Homeless Marathon national broadcast will originate from Detroit, Michigan beginning Tuesday, February 23rd at 7 p.m. and continuing until 9 a.m. Wednesday, February 24. Listen live at: http://wslr.org/listen-live/

Preempting the national broadcast, WSLR 96.5 FM will feature five hours of local programming addressing homelessness in the Sarasota-Bradenton area. Produced by WSLR and airing from 6 to 10 p.m. Tuesday Feb. 23, and again from 7 to 9 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 24, the WSLR programming will include interviews with Sarasota’s homeless residents; interviews with representatives from local agencies that assist the homeless in Sarasota and Bradenton; interviews with representatives of the downtown business community; interviews with representatives of the City of Sarasota and musical interludes reflecting the plight of the homeless.

For more information: www.homelessnessmarathon.org.

Rally TODAY for Health Care Reform

Host: Sarasota County Democratic Party
Date: Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Time: 4:30pm – 5:30pm
Location: Corner of Bahia Vista and Rte 41, Sarasota

Join this rally to sign-wave for real health care reform during rush hour at one of the most visible locations in Sarasota. Parking available in the Midtown Plaza by Starbucks.

Protest, baby, protest!

Today, at Siesta Key Public Beach, 1 p.m, there will be a protest led by the Sierra Club Manatee-Sarasota expressing opposition to offshore oil drilling.

The protest is called “Hands Across the Sand” — kind of like the idea of drawing a clear line in the sand against offshore oil drilling.

If you care about the beaches, about the water, the environment, and about all the creatures and humans and plant life (not to mention tourism and economies) that would be affected by the construction of drilling rigs and any oil spills — you might want to show up.

Sarasota Mover & Shaker Dick Lobo Goes to Washington …

I met Dick Lobo in December when I was up in Tampa doing a fundraising appearance on PBS/WEDU Channel 3 television program Florida This Week … . We hadn’t started my segment yet, and I saw the man himself near the coffee table and went over to introduce myself. (more…)

Sarasota’s Police Advisory Panel — Some Thoughts

At the City of Sarasota’s Police Advisory Panel (PAP) public meeting on Dec. 28, Sgt. Kenneth Castro — a 28-year police veteran — admonished the panel for “disturbing” and “insulting” comments he felt some of its members had made about the Sarasota Police Department (SPD) in prior meetings. The panel — appointed by Sarasota City Commissioners last November in response to the summer 2009 police incident involving a police officer who was videotaped kicking a handcuffed suspect — is tasked with examining the practices of the SPD in connection with the use of force, and its relationship with residents, especially the minority community.

“We cannot allow you to continue to barrage our police officers,” Castro said, adding that such negative talk could affect the morale of the “troops” and possibly “demotivate” them on the job. (more…)

Support PBS and Hope MC Doesn’t Crash & Burn on Live Television …

Yup — you read that right. Tomorrow night, Friday, December 11th, I’ll be on WEDU/PBS Channel 3 LIVE for a roundtable political discussion of burning hot Florida topics (um, yes, we’re talking about the Sailor on the Bayfront, natch) on Florida This Week.

The show goes live, on-air at 8:30 p.m., and the reason it’s live is because it’s a fundraising call-in show. So if you’re a regular supporter of PBS, and in particular of WEDU, give a shout tomorrow night and make a donation.

I’ll be participating in the panel discussion first and then moving on to man, er, woman, the phone lines. If you call in, tell ‘em MC sent you!

I really don’t have all the guidelines for donating — but I’m sure that no amount is too small and I’ll bet they have little give-aways — don’t quote me, though. If you tune in to Channel 3, at 8:30, they’ll have information on how to make a donation if you want to support the program — not just Florida This Week, but all the fabulous programs on PBS.

Alan Grayson Keynotes Dem Club of Sarasota Sunday December 6

“Few Florida politicians have grabbed national attention as quickly and dramatically as freshman U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson.” Sarasota Herald-Tribune, Sunday Nov. 1, 2009, p.1.

Yep, Grayson was catapulted onto the national stage when he summed up the Republican’s Health Care Plan as 1) Don’t get sick 2) If you do get sick… 3) die quickly!

Guess you know where I’ll be on Sunday, December 6 … and it isn’t in church! Who knows? Maybe it should be … but instead I’m high-tailing it to the Democratic Club of Sarasota’s “Dinner for Progress” at Michael’s on East to hear national scene-stealer, U.S. Representative Alan Grayson ruffle feathers and enjoy just a smidgen of hyperbole with my dinner. A few weeks ago I was on Florida This Week trying to sound smart (ass) about Grayson and now I’ll have to see if he’s got the street cred to bring all that hot air down to earth. Hope to see you there — if you come, swing by my table and say hello to me! (P.S. if you do register, tell ‘em MC sent you — that, and a near c-note, will get you in the door, meaning, basically, my name is mud without money! )

You can register relatively painlessly online – or take a look at the registration information below.

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The Democratic Club of Sarasota and The Democratic Party of Sarasota County
invite you to A Dinner for Progress featuring Congressman Alan Grayson
Sunday, December 6, 2009
6:00 pm Social Hour • 7:00 pm Dinner
Michael’s On East
1212 East Avenue South, Sarasota
Other speakers include:
Democratic candidates for Florida Attorney General
Florida Senators Dave Aronberg and Dan Gelber,
and Florida Representative Keith Fitzgerald
$90 per person (in two checks*)
RSVP by December 1 For more information, call (941) 244-2266

The Democratic Club of Sarasota and The Democratic Party of Sarasota County
invite you to A Dinner for Progress featuring Congressman Alan Grayson
Sunday, December 6, 2009
6:00 pm Social Hour · 7:00 pm Dinner
Michael’s On East
1212 East Avenue South, Sarasota
Other speakers include:
Democratic candidates for Florida Attorney General
Florida Senators Dave Aronberg and Dan Gelber,
and Florida Representative Keith Fitzgerald
$90 per person (in two checks*)
For more information, call (941) 244-2266
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