Ed Martin's INSIDE VENICE FLORIDA Blog          Friday, 27 January 2012 Council Agrees to hire Edward Lavallee as City Manager at $148,500. New City Manager Ed Lavallee will receive the same salary at former City Manager Isaac Turner, $148,500. The City did not commit to a severance payment if he leaves in the first two years. Later in the day the Council established new priorities. Three that are tangible, (others are essentially efforts toward goals), include: 1, Improving Indian Avenue between Business 41 and Venice High School. That plan was approved by the previous Council and is awaiting implementation Read more | 0 comments Posted By Ed Martin at 6:44 PM in Category:Inside Venice Thursday, 26 January 2012 Venice Circus Arts Foundation's Orlando Bevington Replies to Economic Development Committee The following is a letter to the City Council, (addressed to Greg Giles, originally), and others in reply to the content of the Venice Gondolier's recent article about the City's Economic Development Committee withdrawing its support. (See earlier article on that decision on Inside Venice by scrolling down.) Circus says no setback. Project on track Dear Greg, The Venice Circus Arts Foundation, Inc. (VCAFI) is moving forward with its goal to save t Read more | 0 comments Posted By Ed Martin at 3:12 PM in Category:Inside Venice Volatile Florida Republican Electorate: Gingrich Falls Behind in Latest Polls. Mitt win probable. Here is the latest from IV's resident guru, interpreting latest polls. (Courtesy of NY Times) Click Here to Link directly to this article publisheed in the NY Times. Read more | 0 comments Posted By Ed Martin at 6:08 PM in Category:Inside Venice Wednesday, 25 January 2012 Young Jazz Players In Sarasota Should Have Bright Future Sunday nights from 6-9:30 a fine jazz group called JazzJuvenocracy (JazzJuvenocracy.com) is lighting up the Back Street Bar, 10th and Cocoanut, Sarasota. Oh, by the way, they are students in high schools in the area. Last Sunday the group was not in full complement, their trumpet/vocalist Bit Risner was not with them as about an hour before the gig illness intervened. (Parents report she should quickly recover.) I plan to return another night to hear them all, but the quartet w Read more | 2 comments Posted By Ed Martin at 5:22 PM in Category:Inside Venice Election Statistical Guru, Nate Silver, Gives Gingrich 60 percent probability of win in Florida. One week before the primary, election statistician extraordinaire, Nate Silver, reviews five new polls and says Gingrich has a 60 percent probability of winning, Romney, 40 percent. Silver became a guru to me when months before the 2008 election he not only picked Obama, but predicted the Electoral College totals, missing by one. Click Here to Link directly to this article publisheed in the The New York Times. Read more | 1 comments Posted By Ed Martin at 6:30 PM in Category:Inside Venice Sunday, 22 January 2012 Has Economic Development Advisory Committee Given Circus Arena Project Expert Analysis? The Venice Economic Development Advisory Board has withdrawn its support to rebuild Circus Arena, saying it would compete with the planned performing arts center at Venice High. As one who supported the Perfoming Arts Center at the High School while Mayor and who urged Council to approve $7.5 million to its development, I certainly value it, and look forward to its contribution to our City's cultural life. I wonder if the Economic Development Committee has given thi Click Here to Link directly to this article publisheed in the Venice Gondolier Sun. Read more | 1 comments Posted By Ed Martin at 1:54 PM in Category:Inside Venice Saturday, 21 January 2012 Rob Warner, former MPO Chair, Gives the Argument for Not Widening 41. No matter what your views are, this article should be read in tandem with Jim Bennetts. It's your future Click Here to Link directly to this article publisheed in the Venice Gondolier Sun. Read more | 1 comments Posted By Ed Martin at 8:13 PM in Category:Inside Venice The Divine One--"I Can't Give You Anything But Love" Here is a live performance. Enjoy Click Here to Link directly to this article publisheed in the Jazz. Read more | 1 comments Posted By Ed Martin at 9:11 PM in Category:Inside Venice Articles debating the 41 Bypass Widening: For Jim Bennett, Council Member, Venice, and MPO Rep. I am linking to two articles in the Gondo, one pro and one con the six lane Bypass 41 widening. Since I can't put two live links on this page, I am posting two articles, one then the other. This one is Jim Bennett's, (note:there is a bit of Dean Jonathan Swift's "Modest Proposal" in Jim's offering.) Click Here to Link directly to this article publisheed in the Venice Gondolier Sun. Read more | 1 comments Posted By Ed Martin at 7:09 PM in Category:Inside Venice Monday, 16 January 2012 Super Pac and Mitt Romney: Preview of Coming Attraction 2012 is going to be the election of the Super PAC and Big, Big Money. The Supreme Court ruling on Corporation's Free Speech (same as individuals) means that Corporations are free to contribute in big $). Here from five minutes ago, (Monday night, 9:41) is a NY Times Blog on the Debate indicating a "Fact Check" comment. "9:41 pm Nicholas ConfessoreFact Check: Super PAC Coordination When Mitt Romney was criticized tonight for attack ads that a "super PAC" sup Click Here to Link directly to this article publisheed in the NY Times. Read more | 0 comments Posted By Ed Martin at 9:43 PM in Category:Inside Venice