News Briefs

+ County offices closed for Thanksgiving holiday
Sarasota County government offices, including libraries, the History Center and recreation centers, will be closed Thursday, Nov. 24, and Friday, Nov. 25, for the Thanksgiving holiday.

Some county services, however, will be available on Friday, Nov. 25. 

Libraries will be open Saturday, Nov. 26, and other county offices will reopen Monday, Nov. 28. 

The Payne Park Tennis Center will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Nov. 25. 

There will be no Sarasota County Area Transit bus service Nov. 24; however, full service will resume Nov. 25. 

Residents who live in unincorporated areas of the county will not have yard waste, recyclables or garbage Nov. 24. For residents whose regular collection day is Thursday, yard waste, recyclables and garbage will be collected Friday, Nov. 25. For residents whose regular collection day is Friday, yard waste, recyclables and garbage will be collected Saturday, Nov. 26. Because collection times vary, residents should place refuse materials at the curb by 6 a.m. the day of pickup. 

Sarasota County’s chemical collection centers at 8750 Bee Ridge Road, Sarasota, and 250 S. Jackson Road, Venice, will be closed Nov. 24-25. The Citizen’s Convenience Center at 4010 Knights Trail Road, Nokomis, will be closed Nov. 24, but it will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 25. All three centers will be open Nov. 26. 

The landfill at 4000 Knights Trail Road, Sarasota, will be closed Nov. 24, but open Nov. 25. The landfill administration offices will be closed Nov. 24 and 25.

For more information, contact the Sarasota County Call Center at 861-5000.

+ City changes garbage schedule for holiday
No garbage will be collected in the city of Sarasota Thanksgiving Day.

The schedule for collection will be as follows: Thursday garbage, recycling and yard waste collection will occur Friday, Nov. 25. Regularly scheduled Friday garbage, recycling and yard waste collection will occur Saturday, Nov. 26.

City of Sarasota administration offices will be closed Thursday and Friday in observance of Thanksgiving. All offices will reopen Monday, Nov. 28.

For more information regarding trash collection, call the city of Sarasota Solid Waste Division at 365-7651. For questions regarding recycling, yard waste or bulk waste, contact Waste Management at 497-8088.

+ Collins named SMH Physician of Year
Dr. John J. Collins has been named both Sarasota Memorial Hospital’s new chief of staff and its 2011 Physician of the Year.

Collins’ practice was one of the earliest adopters of an electronic medical records system. He also has been instrumental in helping SMH develop an electronic health information exchange between physicians in the community and the hospital.

Sarasota Memorial’s medical staff also announced the recipient of its 2011 Lifetime Achievement

Meetings & agendas
• County Commission Meeting with City of Venice — 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 30, Venice Community Center, 326 Nokomis Ave. South, Venice.
• County Commission Retreat — 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 1, Administration Center, Second Floor A/B Conference Room, 1660 Ringling Blvd., Sarasota.
• Siesta Key Association — 4:30 p.m. Dec. 1, St. Boniface Episcopal Church, Room F, 5615 Midnight Pass Road, Siesta Key.