Publications_files/Fall 2015 VAHS eNewsletter

THE VENICE EXPRESS
Celebrate history with us
Newsletter of The Venice Area Historical Society
October 2015 - Fall Edition
VENICE AREA
HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Presents
Fall Lecture Series:
Florida and The 1920s
OCTOBER 27, 2015 at 7PM V
10th Annual Benefit Luncheon & Style Show
December 2, 2015
at 11AM
Honoring the
50th Anniversary of
Silent Filmmaking in Florida
Presenter: Rita Reagan, Co-Chair and Outreach Coordinator
of Norman Studios
in Jacksonville, FL,
a 501(c)3 non-profit
organization. Reagan will speak about
the silent filmmaking
industry in Jacksonville and Tampa.
NOVEMBER 17, 2015 at 7PM
Sarasota County in the 1920s
Presenter: Jeff LaHurd, Author & recently
retired County Historian for Sarasota County.
LaHurd has written many books and articles
about Sarasota City and County history, having lived in Sarasota since 1950, has observed
the area’s growth and changes firsthand.
All Programs are FREE and Open to the Public
Historic Venice Train Depot Hours
November - April: Monday, Wednesday & Friday
10AM - 3PM, All Year: Saturday 10AM - 1PM
Last tour 30 minutes prior to closing.
Tours are led by a dedicated team of Depot Docents.
If you are interested in becoming a Docent, or
scheduling a group tour, please call 941-412-0151 or
email [email protected]
From The Engineer’s Cab
Welcome
back
to another busy
and exciting year
with the Society.
Our usual norm
for summer is to
reflect on the past
season’s accomplishments and develop plans for the
upcoming months.
However, that was not possible this summer.
VAHS members were notified by email about the
Society’s setback with the circus train car project
when the agreement for the car’s restoration was
not honored. This fall, the Board will consider
available options to carry the project forward, and
we will provide more information as it becomes
available. Meanwhile, all funds raised remain in
a special account at the Caldwell Trust Company.
Furthermore, the Society remains committed to
transparency and honesty. As soon as there was
an adequate understanding of the facts of the circus train car setback, members were immediately
advised, leading to positive and supportive media
coverage.
The issue of non-profit governance and management monopolized local headlines this summer,
prompting reflection about VAHS’s recent history.
The Society is grateful for the training provided to
VAHS leaders in 2010 under the auspices of the
Gulf Coast Community Foundation. As a result of
the training, the Society adopted new bylaws, a
strategic plan, and operational changes. In addition, development training, buttressed by the advice and counsel of local foundation leaders, catalyzed the successful fundraising strategies used
for the circus car project.
We would have rather spent our summer considering new initiatives for the coming year. For instance, there are efforts within Sarasota County
and the Venice area to strengthen coalitions of
history-related organizations. The purpose is to
better monitor, strengthen, and advocate for (1)
stronger oversight of history buildings, artifacts,
and stories, (2) adequate resources to protect
and preserve them, and (3) staff for oversight and
implementation. We are disturbed that local history preservation resources—already quite
limited—are being cut back. This summer, after
visiting several communities where a strong tourism base is built on historical preservation, I know
the value of investing in history.
Here in Venice, as we prepare to observe several 90th and 100th anniversaries, it is time to step
back and consider what needs to be preserved
and to assess the unique vulnerabilities of our historic assets. Treasures have been lost that might
have been saved with more foresight. Solutions
may be as simple as recording memories and life
stories of long term residents, assessing the value of available artifacts, identifying key structures
that need to be preserved, developing resources
for use when quick action is needed to fund preservation, and insuring that items of historical value are properly cared for. Well-funded institutions
and qualified staff are needed to insure that these
goals are met. This is something every organization with a mission of history preservation needs
to include in its agenda.
On a lighter note, this year, the Society’s program
theme of “Florida and the Twenties” continues with
10 excellent lectures. We kick off the season with
Florida’s 20s moviemaking industry and, then, a
review of Sarasota County’s 20s history.
Also, Venice’s local historical community will revisit the 90-year-old John Nolen Plan and focus
on “New Urbanism,” the unique city planning approach that makes Venice special. I encourage
you to use this opportunity to be re-educated in
these city planning principles and gain understanding about their need to be preserved. Watch
for the four lectures this winter on this topic, as
well as the John Nolen exhibit that will open at the
Venice Museum and Archives in September. This
is truly a Venice story.
All these efforts require our collective motivations
and energies. So don’t hold back. Jump on the
band wagon. Involve your friends. Let’s put Venice and Sarasota County’s history preservation
high on our agenda!
Barbara Smith, President
Ticket Please..
Venice Area Historical Society Calendar 2015 - 2016
s October 27, 2015 at 7PM
Mark Manor, Village on the Isle
Speaker: Rita Reagan
Program: “1920s Silent Filmmaking in Florida”
November 17, 2015 at 7PM
Mark Manor, Village on the Isle
Program: “Sarasota County in the 20s” Speaker: Jeff LaHurd
December 2, 2015 at 11AM
Plantation Golf and Country Club
10th Annual Benefit Luncheon and Style Show: “Birds of a Feather Flock Together”
January 12, 2016 at 7PM
Venice Community Center
Program: “Bicycling Through Time” by Victor Dover
“Design for Living: John Nolen and the Renaissance of New Urbanism” Series
January 26, 2016 at 7PM
Venice Community Center
Program: “Economic Value of Historic Preservation” by Clay Henderson
“Design for Living: John Nolen and the Renaissance of New Urbanism” Series
February 9, 2016 at 7PM
Venice Community Center
Program: “Local Food” by Ed Chiles
“Design for Living: John Nolen and the Renaissance of New Urbanism” Series
s February 23, 2016 at 7PM
Venice Community Center
Program: “John Nolen: Landscape Architect and City Planner” by Bruce Stephenson
“Design for Living: John Nolen and the Renaissance of New Urbanism” Series
February 28, 2016
John McCarthy narrates VAHS boat tour of Venice Area Bays
March 15, 2016 at 11AM
Pelican Point Golf & Country Club
VAHS Members Luncheon and Annual Meeting
March 22, 2016 at 7PM
Mark Manor, Village on the Isle
Speaker: Deborah Walk
Program: “Mable Ringling”
April 26, 2016 at 7PM
Mark Manor, Village on the Isle
Program: “John Ringling” Speaker: Ron McCarty
May 17, 2016 at 7PM
Mark Manor, Village on the Isle
Program: To be announced
All Programs are FREE and OPEN to the public.
sThis program is supported by the Florida Humanities Council with funding from the Florida Department of State, Division
of Cultural Affairs. FHC is the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities which funds and co-ordinates
statewide public humanities programs and publications that explore the people, places, and ideas that shape our state.
Next Stop..
AMAZON SMILE
THE GIFT OF A QUILT
Remember that VAHS is eligible to receive money
from the AmazonSmile Foundation as a result of
your Amazon purchases. Here is how the program
works. When you access Amazon to make a purchase, enter smile.amazon.com. If you have not
already done so, select a charity to benefit from
your purchase. We suggest “Venice Area Historical Society.” If your item is designated as “Eligible
for AmazonSmile donation,” your purchase will result in a 0.5% donation to VAHS. Most purchases
are eligible for the donation. The Society appreciates your support via your Amazon purchases.
The Venice Area Quilters’ Guild (VAQG) recently donated a handmade circus-themed quilt to
VAHS to commemorate Venice’s 30 year history with the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey
Circus. The quilt was one of two quilts made as
part of the Guild’s challenge competition. In the
competition, each member made a circus-themed
quilt square, incorporating a theme fabric, and all
the squares were combined into one quilt. The
quilt was raffled within the Guild and won by Jane
Sjoberg. Jane decided it should be shared with
the entire community of Venice and
generously
initiated its donation
to VAHS where it
will be a treasured
artifact of Venice.
Thank you, Jane
and VAQG!
THE CONDUCTORS 2015-2016
Board of Directors
President........................................Barbara Smith
Vice President..................................... Mary Huba
Secretary......................................Brenda Holland
Treasurer.........................................George Miller
At-large................................... Carol Bailey-Werth
At-large.............................................. Edy Browne
At-large.........................................Robert Cushing
At-large...................................... Marge Buchanan
At-large................................................. Bill Jervey
Standing Committee Chairs
Communications........................ Marge Buchanan
Depot...............................................George Miller
Development.......................................Mary Huba
Education..................................... Jeana Hilligoss
Finance.........................................Robert Cushing
Governance........................................Mary Huba
Membership............................ Carol Bailey-Werth
Program.........................................Betty Intagliata
Chairs of Other Functions
and Ad Hoc Committees
Accessions.....................................Sue Chapman
Depot Docents...........................Frank Henderson
Historic Plaque Program............... Clarke Pressly
Monthly Program Refreshments......Lois Steketee
Newsletter..................................Charlotte Neagle
Speakers Bureau........................... Clarke Pressly
Style Show.....................................Sue Chapman
VAHS SPEAKERS BUREAU
Looking for a speaker for a program during the
2015-2016 season? If so, review the offerings of
the VAHS Speakers Bureau on the VAHS website
at veniceareahistoricalsociety.org and provide a
taste of local history to your group. Contact 941413-4101 for more information.
The 10th annual VAHS Style Show and Luncheon,” Birds of a Feather Flock Together,” commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the Venice
Area Audubon Society is set for 11 a.m Wednesday, December 2nd, at Plantation Golf and Country Club. Jon Thaxton, former Sarasota County
Commissioner, will be honored for his work in
protecting the Florida ScrubJay. Fashions will be provided
by Venice Mainstreet Shops.
Tickets are $40 and are available at Collector’s Gallery,
French Linen Closet, Sandy’s
Designer Clothing, Venice Stationers, at VAHS programs, or
call 941-412-0151.
Reflecting On The Journey
VENICE AREA AUDUBON SOCIETY:
50 YEARS OF SERVICE TO WILD BIRDS AND THEIR HABITAT
By Bonnie Hurley, President, and Nancy Young, Archives Assistant, Venice Area Audubon Society
Florida has always been a focus of the Audubon
Society’s activities because of the devastation of
over 95% of Florida’s water birds for plumage that
occurred in the 19th Century. Both a Florida and
National Audubon Society were established at
the turn of the century, with the protection of gulls,
terns, egrets, herons, and other water birds high
on their conservation priority lists.
In 1965, 23 dedicated individuals established the
Venice Area Audubon Society (VAAS) to represent Venice, Nokomis, Osprey, North Port, and
the Sarasota County portion of Englewood. The
issues raised by Rachel Carson in Silent Spring
inspired them, and they were aware of declining
conditions in bird habitats. For example, after the
publication of Silent Spring, the Everglades Science Center released data showing that Florida
Bald Eagles’ nests had hit a low point of 251, because of the effects of DDT.
The chapter helped to install the “Bird Sanctuary No
Hunting” signs that are seen displayed along County roads. VAAS has a history of participating in such
“citizen science” programs as the more-than-a-century-old Christmas Bird Count, the Great Backyard
Bird Count in February, and the Florida Scrub-Jay
Watch program. Counting birds provides basic data
concerning habitat changes, and hobbyist birders
have contributed millions of sightings to the ornithological scientific record. VAAS volunteers have
created bird censuses of local parks, resulting in
checklists of birds that can be seen in various habitats during all seasons of the year.
VAAS sees education as part of its purpose, and
from the beginning, VAAS has presented free
public programs for adults, often featuring prominent ornithologists or conservation workers.
Programs run monthly from September through
May and are held in the Venice Audubon Center,
a County building behind the Anderson Admin-
istration building. A demonstration butterfly garden has been installed at the Center, watered by
rain-catching cisterns, one of which was donated
by a local Girl Scout Troop. Birding identification
classes have been held there, and free birding
field trips, led by members, help people practice
what they’ve learned. VAAS now offers more than
50 such trips each season.
In 1969, VAAS created an awarding-winning bird
study program for second graders that continues
today. An educator visits Sarasota County classrooms to teach the children basic bird facts, birding etiquette, habitat protection, and binocular use,
ending with a field trip to the Venice Area Audubon
Rookery in spring, during nesting season. Older elementary school children are provided with Audubon Adventure kits. VAAS was chosen this year by
Florida Audubon to develop a pilot project for 5th
graders on Florida Scrub-Jays.
The Venice Area Audubon Rookery, a major stopping point for visiting birders and photographers
from all over the world, is a Sarasota County Park
that the chapter oversees. Year round, people can
picnic under the pavilion and watch hundreds of
birds fly to the Rookery at sunset to spend a safe
night on an island whose pond is patrolled by alligators, keeping mammalian predators at bay.
VAAS monitors increased pressure on state and
local political entities to modify zoning restrictions
in favor of more human development, thus shrinking wildlife habitat. The chapter aims to support
responsible plans for preserving wildlife corridors,
but must acknowledge that the human population
in south Sarasota County is growing.
The Venice Area Audubon Society looks forward
to continuing its presence as a voice for protecting and promoting birds and their habitat in south
Sarasota County for at least another 50 years.
All Aboard
VAHS WELCOMES NEW MEMBERS
SUMMER 2015
Alice Mary Armstrong
Gerald A. Cashion
Mary-Jo Cooney
Betty Fultz
Leigh Fultz
Penelope Huneke
CHANGES TO MEMBERSHIP
RENEWAL PROCESS
NAME(S):
ADDRESS:
CITY:ST: ZIP:
HOME PHONE:
CELL PHONE:
EMAIL:
Sharing your email indicates your willingness to receive electronic
announcements about VAHS activities.
q Check if you would like to receive announcements
forwarded by VAHS from other historical organizations.
Check your Membership and Volunteer choices:
q Individual................. $20
q Family...................... $30
q Business (4 or less)...... $40
q Business (5-30)....... $100
q Corporate (31+)....... $300
Jerry McCormick
Sue McCormick
Alan Ochsner
Trisha Resevic
Deborah Thompson
Gregory E. Watkins
q Non-Profit Org......... $15
q Bronze................... $100
q Silver...................... $250
q Gold ...................... $500
q Donation of $
q Greet visitors at the Historic Venice Train Depot
q Greet attendees at the Society’s Monthly Lecture Series
q Help with refreshments at the Monthly Lecture Series
q Help to recruit new members
q Help to prepare and present programs for children
q Assist in production of the Society’s newsletter
q Serve as a day-trip coordinator
q Share historical information with visitors at the Historic
Venice Train Depot
q Prepare and present topics related to local history
q Assist with the Society’s publicity and communications
q Serve on a VAHS committee (Style Show, Development,
Education, Finance, etc.)
q Assist with fundraising efforts
Make checks payable to Venice Area
Historical Society. Mail this form and check
to VAHS Membership, PO Box 995, Venice, FL
34284. For information, call 941-412-0151.
October is the renewal month for VAHS memberships, and this year, renewal reminders and renewal acknowledgements will be sent via email.
Electronic delivery will help the society conserve
mailing and publishing costs. It will also alleviate problems that sometimes occur when mail is
forwarded to seasonal members. Members who
have no email address on record will receive their
notices by traditional postal delivery.
Membership renewal forms and dues amounts
are listed both in this newsletter and in the renewal reminders. Checks can be sent to MEMBERSHIP, PO Box 995, Venice, FL 34284.
Having members’ email addresses allows VAHS
to communicate with our members in a timely
fashion; please ensure that we have your preferred address. Email address changes can be
sent to [email protected].
The Society appreciates the sustained and generous financial contributions of its members, and
it also relies on members’ support through volunteerism. Please consider volunteering in the coming year. Member interests can be matched to the
Society’s program needs.
The Society is a 501(c)(3) tax exempt, non-profit corporation and has registered with the State of Florida
to solicit donations. A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION
MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE
(800-435-7352) WITHIN THE STATE. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE. Ch 32089 Renewal due 4/12/2016
VAHS members
and friends enjoy
the bingo party
hosted by the
Venice-Nokomis
Woman’s Club
for the Circus Car
Project.
All Aboard
VAHS MEMBER: BRENDA HOLLAND
Brenda Holland is
an active member of
VAHS who is currently serving on both the
Communications Committee and the Finance
Committee. At the
2015 Annual Meeting,
Brenda was elected to
a two-year term on the
Board of Directors, and
for the 2015-2016 year,
she will serve as Board
Secretary.
Brenda was the Comptroller for Cayuga Community College in Auburn, New York. She and her
husband, Norman, discovered Venice on a vacation tour of the west coast of Florida, and they retired here in 2009. Brenda says that Venice is the
only place on the west coast that has Auburn’s
small town feeling. Brenda and Normal still summer
in Auburn, and they return
to Venice after the leaves
turn.
Brenda enjoys being involved with the interesting
people who volunteer with
the Society. Mike Murphy
recruited Brenda from her
water aerobics class to attend a VAHS lecture. Soon
she was a greeter for Society meetings. On the
Communications Committee, Brenda has assumed
responsibilities related to publicity for the Society.
She is also responsible for VAHS’s presence on
Facebook. On the Finance Committee, Brenda’s
professional expertise and skills will help VAHS
develop into a financially mature organization.
The Hollands travel and are avid theatre goers,
both in Sarasota and New York.
STEVE THE PRINTER: FRIEND TO VAHS
Steve Smallwood, owner of Steve the Printer on
Milan Avenue East on Venice Island, has provided
quality printing to VAHS for many years. His prices are reasonable, the quality exceptional, and
his devotion to businesses in Venice is unending.
Steve moved to Nokomis, Florida at the age of 10
from Pana, Illinois. Venice was a small town back
then. Center Road was just a dirt road, and I-75
wasn’t even a thought.
Steve’s family owned P&D Printing for years. His
first job was for Cablevision, but at age 23, Steve
decided to leave the cable business and join the
family business. In 2007, he purchased that business and changed the name to Steve the Printer.
Being a small town guy,
Steve runs his business
with a small town feel, providing quality printing for
a price customers can afford. He wants to know his
neighbors and help them
whenever possible. At the
same time, Steve provides
state-of-the-art printing by
keeping up with the latest equipment and the
progress of digital printing.
Steve is very community oriented. He loves Venice
and its people. He is a huge supporter of small businesses and loves to help them get off the ground.
Although, he provides printing services to bigger
clients such as the City of Venice, Steve’s heart
has always been with the small businesses that
make up most of Venice’s business landscape.
Being a small business owner himself, Steve can’t
donate to or join every organization, but he is
charitable in his own way. By keeping prices low,
providing direction and advice, and throwing in a
few extras, Steve feels that he is helping his community thrive and grow.
Steve hopes that Venice
continues to prosper, the
economy holds steady,
and new businesses chose
Venice as their home. And
of course he hopes the
Venice Indians have a great
season!
VENICE AREA HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Community • Preservation • Education • And A Whole Lot Of Fun
$40 per person
10th Annual Benefit Luncheon & Style Show
Benefits educational programs of theVenice Area Historical Society
WEDNESDAY, December 2, 2015 at 11AM
Plantation Golf & Country Club
500 Rockley Boulevard, Venice
Honoring the 50th Anniversary of
Venice Area Historical Society
PO Box 995
Venice, FL 34284-0995