By Jane Bartnett
Local Water Restrictions Continue …
Sarasota County continues to experience a rainfall deficit and remains under Southwest Florida Water Management District Phase III watering restrictions. Public Utilities staff have been directed to issue citations without warning. More information is available at scgov.net/WaterRestrictions.
Watering hours are limited to 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. on designated watering days, according to the last number of the street address:
• Mondays — Addresses ending in 0 or 1
• Tuesdays — Addresses ending in 2 or 3
• Wednesdays — Addresses ending in 4 or 5
• Thursdays — Addresses ending in 6 or 7
• Fridays — Addresses ending in 8 or 9, as well as addresses ending in letters A through Z and common areas with no assigned address
• Car washing — Permitted on your watering day at any time. Hoses must have a shutoff nozzle.
• Water fountains — May operate four hours per day.
Library News You Can Use …
On Monday, June 1, at 1 p.m., the Gulf Gate Library will present its free, first-Monday-of-the-month Movie Monday Matinee. In honor of June brides, the 1950 comedy “Father of the Bride” will be shown. Spencer Tracy stars as the father of the bride, played by Elizabeth Taylor. The Gulf Gate Library is located at 7112 Curtiss Ave., Gulf Gate. Call 941-861-1110 for more information.
ABCmouse.com, the award-winning digital children’s learning program, is now free for all Sarasota County library cardholders. The educational website was created for children ages 2-8 and features more than 10,000 games, books and videos focused on reading, math, science and art. The platform can be accessed from home or anywhere with an internet connection and a Sarasota County library card. Free access to ABCmouse.com is funded through $28,371 in grants from the Koski Family Foundation and the Bladel Charitable Trust through the Library Foundation for Sarasota County.
Around Town …
Savor Sarasota, the county’s annual two-week restaurant celebration, takes place June 1-14. It’s a delicious way to enjoy local restaurants at special prices during a time of year when getting around is a bit easier and summer begins. Siesta Key restaurants participating this year include Cafe Gabbiano in Siesta Village and Miguel’s in Crescent Beach. As of mid-May, 23 Sarasota County restaurants had signed on.
Siesta Key Watersports has relocated from its longtime Stickney Point Road location to 5253 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. Call 941-921-3030 for more information.
Drop by The Big Tiki Lounge on Siesta Key and cool off while enjoying weekday happy hour specials and live entertainment Monday through Friday from 3-6 p.m. Local residents can receive a 20% discount with valid identification.
The Frog Hop, a free transportation service on Siesta Key, and Siesta Key Rum have teamed up to offer $25-per-person, round-trip Tuesday afternoon visits to Siesta Key Rum’s Sarasota distillery.
On Tuesdays, the Frog Hop departs Siesta Key at approximately 12:30 p.m. and picks up paid visitors at either The Big Tiki Lounge in Siesta Key Village or the main entrance to Siesta Beach. Guests will enjoy a 40-minute guided distillery tour near Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport, along with rum tastings.
At 3 p.m., the Frog Hop departs Siesta Key Rum and returns to Siesta Key with an expected arrival time of 3:30 p.m. A minimum of six people is required for the Tuesday afternoon trip.
To reserve a spot, visit froghopsiesta.com/siesta-key-events or call 1-844-FROG-HOP.
Game Time …
Just in time for holiday gift-giving, the new “Monopoly: Sarasota County Edition” board game is on the way. The game’s developer, Providence, Rhode Island-based Top Trumps USA, is inviting residents and visitors to nominate favorite local businesses, destinations, restaurants and organizations for inclusion.
Sarasota-themed Monopoly money and special Community Chest and Chance cards also will be part of the game. City-specific Monopoly editions are already available in Tampa, Fort Lauderdale, Detroit, Portland and Hilton Head.
Vote for your favorite Siesta Key or Gulf Gate location at: https://us.toptrumps.com/pages/monopoly-sarasota-county-submission-page
