City's free events need better organization

Dear Editor,

Omgeeee! I’m still hot and furious and just plain perplexed at the two latest free, city-sponsored events in the past few weeks.

I was in time at the Van Wezel's huge parking lot (for the city's free shredding event) a few weeks ago with three boxes filled with old business files that my offspring kept asking me why I was keeping them.

But, when it was my turn in line to tell the folks what I had in my trunk, I was told the “paper truck" was filled to capacity and could not hold any more!

Then, on April 18, I emptied my trunk and headed out to gleefully choose a free tree at that weekend’s city free event (at which the city of Sarasota was giving away 200 trees to residents).

I realized as I waited through two red lights at Sixth Street that this was going to be a very popular event, but when I saw where it was being held…. in the smallest parking lot (I’m guessing) in the city’s realm, I couldn’t believe my eyes when I reached a half empty Van Wezel parking lot with loads of room for a temporary tree forest and eager gardeners’ automobiles!

So, my obvious question running through my brain in the hot walk back, empty handed, to my car… who on earth at City Hall chooses and plans these events?

And, why would they choose the smallest parking lot in the city for this particular event, which was sooo awkward, hard to maneuver for all of those folks who had to park at the Van Wezel and walk back to their vehicle and tie up traffic again out to U.S. 41 when they tried to pull in to the mini lot at The Bay to load their prize free tree?

And then, to make matters worse, when I was told by the volunteer parking attendant that there were “ about 200 people in line" waiting to choose their tree, I gave up and left, simmering, not from the heat but from total amazement and disappointment at yet another city-sponsored event!

Frustrated beyond belief,

Jane Kirschner, city resident since 1976