Sarasota|News|
Community Update

Hello Patch readers. My name is Merab-Michal Favorite.
I graduated with her B.A. in journalism at the University of South Florida. Before taking a few years off to crew on a yacht through the Caribbean. Before that, I attended Manatee Community College (now SCF) and Santa Fe Community College in Gainesville.
I grew up on Snead Island, which is located in Palmetto. Before there was a county park (Emerson Point Park) on the island, the Native American mounds served as my playground. As a child, I would hide in the woods surrounding the park as well as swim and play at the mouth of the Manatee River.
In addition to working for Patch, I recently completed two pictoral histories of local towns, one of Palmetto and one of Bradenton, which are available through Arcadia Publishing. So, if you like history and want to know more about the area, just ask.
I love anything to do with the bay, so you will probably see me paddle boarding, boating, sailing or camping on one of the local keys. My all time favorite thing on the planet is to be completely disconnected from the rest of the world -- 100 miles offshore and under sail at night.
Some of my favorite places to visit are Greer (Beercan) Island, Skeet’s Key and Starfish Co. in Manatee County and Burns Court Cinema and Epicure in Sarasota.
As part of my beat, I would like to do a profile of an elected official every week and I was wondering, what would you, as readers, like to know about the people running your city? Please comment on this article and let me know.
Do you have a news tip? Please drop me a line.
I can be reached at merab.favorite@patch.com or 941-730-8766.
Be sure to stay connected via Facebook and Twitter, too.
Looking forward to seeing you around town!

OK, so you had a busy week. We understand. Let us catch you up on all the highlights from Sarasota Patch!
OK, so you had a busy week. We understand. Let us catch you up on all the highlights from Sarasota Patch!
These are five things we thought you might like to know about today....
Here are five things we thought you might like to know about today....
Two deputies are accused of purchasing illegal steroids.
Forecasters say the potential for strong afternoon storms is high Friday and Saturday, but things should dry out a little bit on Sunday, Aug. 11.
Forecasters say the potential for strong afternoon storms is high Friday and Saturday, but things should dry out a little bit on Sunday, Aug. 11.
Here are five things we thought you might like to know about today....
Here are five things we thought you might like to know about today....
A single lightning strike left 900 Sarasota residents without power on Wednesday, but the couple whose house burnt down is just starting the recovery process.
Have you noticed that the sidewalk ends on Proctor Road? Well now sidewalks on both sides will extend the length of the road.
I recently stopped in at Direct Decor Wholesale Warehouse on my quest for the perfect coffee table and this is what I found ...
Watch the video to find out what caused a power outage at 900 houses and set a home on fire.
We want to know what you think about the Fort Hamer Bridge Project. Is it necessary to accommodate future traffic, or is it overkill?
A woman was arrested Monday in connection with child abuse after her 18-month-old was found wandering around the neighborhood alone, according to the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office.
Officials are considering the possibility of creating a MCAT route into Lakewood Ranch and they want to know what you think about the idea.
Anywhere from 500 to 1,000 residents attended a public meeting for the proposed controversial Long Bar Pointe development that has gained attention among Bradenton residents over the last few months.
The two men reportedly held a gun to the ice cream man in East Bradenton and took an unknown amount of his supply.