Briefs

+ Child’s benefit dinner raises almost $1,500
A June 25 benefit dinner for a terminally ill boy collected $1,432.

Fourteen-month-old Jaymesun Smith was featured in last week’s Sarasota Observer.

He suffers from leukodystrophy, which is a rare degenerative disease that erodes the brain’s lining, resulting in the loss of sight, hearing, motor skills and more.

Jaymesun’s parents, Matt Smith and Ashley Groff, held the dinner at Concordia Lutheran Church to raise money for a trip to the United Leukodystrophy Foundation’s annual conference in Chicago.

The world’s top doctors and scientists gather to discuss advances in treating the disease and examine the medical records of any child in attendance.

A second fundraising event will take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 9, at The Worship Place, 5535 33rd St. E., Bradenton.

For those who cannot attend but still wish to help, a trust fund has been established at SunTrust Bank.
Call or visit any bank branch and ask for the Jaymesun Matthew Smith Irrevocable Trust.

+ Sarasota County offers small-business help
Sarasota County is reaching out to small-business owners.

County officials want to address longstanding concerns with regulatory and permitting issues.

Some small-business owners have complained about a lengthy and expensive permitting process.

The county’s Business Assistance Program is part of its new economic-development initiatives to kick start business-friendly processes, improve small-business relations and boost tourism.

To take advantage of the assistance program or to schedule a meeting about business needs, call 861-5000 or email [email protected].

+ Holiday to affect trash and recycling pickup
All city and county offices will be closed Monday, July 4, to observe the Fourth of July holiday.
Garbage, yard waste and recycling collection will be affected.

For city residents, if the normal collection day is July 4 or July 5, the new collection day will occur one day later. For those residents who have a Thursday or Friday collection day, there will be no change.

County residents who normally have a Monday collection day will have their trash, yard waste and recycling picked up on Tuesday.

Libraries and recreation centers will be closed July 4, and there will be no SCAT bus service that day either.

Meetings & Agendas

• Developmental Disabilities Strike Team — 8:30 a.m. Thursday, June 30, Sarasota County Health and Human Services, Room 2063, 2200 Ringling Blvd., Sarasota
• Development Review Committee — 9 a.m. Thursday, June 30, Conference Room Two, 1001 Sarasota Center Blvd., Sarasota
• Stormwater Pond Littoral Zone — 3 p.m. Thursday, June 30, Training Room One, 1001 Sarasota Center Blvd., Sarasota
• Stormwater Environmental Utility Advisory Committee — 3 p.m. Thursday, June 30, Conference Room Seven, 1001 Sarasota Center Blvd., Sarasota
• City Commission — 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 5, City Hall, 1565 First St., Sarasota