News Briefs

+ Republican candidates to stump in Sarasota
Republican presidential candidates Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum both will make campaign stops in Sarasota next week.

Gingrich’s visit will begin with a V.I.P. Roundtable at 11:30 a.m. Jan. 24, at Michael’s Wine Cellar, 1283 S. Tamiami Trail. A lunch will follow at noon at Michael’s On East, 1212 East Ave. S.

Santorum will visit during a grassroots rally event at 2 p.m. Jan. 29, at Dolphin Aviation, 8191 N. Tamiami Trail.

The Republican Club of Sarasota County is organizing both events. For more, visit www.sarasotagop.com.

+ DSA expands First Friday to every Friday
The Downtown Sarasota Alliance has expanded its popular First Friday series to 6 to 9 p.m. every Friday. The event will now feature a different downtown Sarasota neighborhood each week.

Every month, a new theme to showcase and celebrate Sarasota’s unique seasons and holidays will now occur. The changes begin in February.

The new schedule is as follows each month for DSA Friday events:

First Friday: Palm Avenue, Main Street and Lemon Avenue

Second Friday: Burns Square (South Pineapple Avenue)

Third Friday: Towles Court

Fourth Friday: Rosemary District

+ Local food bank event planned this weekend
The Furniture Warehouse is promoting an event from Friday, Jan. 20, through Monday, Jan. 23, to promote All Faiths Food Bank of Sarasota and DeSoto counties, the Manatee Food Bank and the Harry Chapin Food Bank, which serves Charlotte County.

With a donation of four cans of food (nutritional products such as peanut butter, beans, beef stew, vegetable and fruit are the best), customers will receive a discount voucher.

Anyone with questions about the event should call The Furniture Warehouse at 359-2255.

+ Clarification
A “Public Records Request Confusion” sidebar in the Jan. 12 Sarasota Observer stated all public records requests must come through City Attorney Bob Fournier’s office. All media inquiries and public records requests regarding the Information Technology investigation are to be referred directly to the City Auditor and Clerk’s Office or the city attorney’s office. Media inquiries that don’t involve the investigation can be referred directly to Public Information Officer Jan Thornburg.

Meetings & agendas
• Parks, Recreation and Environmental Protection Meeting — 3:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 19, City Hall, Commission Chambers, 1565 First St., Sarasota.
• Community Rezoning Workshop — 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 19, City Hall, Room 112, 1565 First St., Sarasota.
• Convocation of Governments School Facility Planning Meeting —9 a.m. Friday, Jan. 20,  Sarasota County Operations Center, 1001 Sarasota Center Blvd., Sarasota.
• Lido Key Residents Neighborhood Association Meeting — 10 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 21, Lido Key Beach Resort, 700 Ben Franklin Drive, Lido Key.
• Towles Court Artist Association Meeting — 5 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 25, 238 S. Links Ave., Sarasota.