Community Corner

🌱 Patch AM: How Sarasota’s police chief just gained a national leadership role

Coming up: Fun Bunco Event - Play, Eat, Enjoy -Open to the Public on the Sarasota Patch calendar

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Coffee in hand, Sarasota? We've got the latest town updates for you. Keep reading to stay in the loop. ☕️️

In today's newsletter:

  • How Sarasota's police chief just gained a national leadership role
  • How will Temple Beth Sholom's new rabbi shape the next century?
  • Meet the new reporter tracking Sarasota's growth and real estate

Also on today's calendar: Fun Bunco Event - Play, Eat, Enjoy -Open to the Public and 9 more events.

Today's riddle: What has 2 arms and a neck but no head? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

  • Thursday: Humid with a heavy t-storm, with a high of 88 and low of 75 degrees. 🌶 Hot!
  • Friday: A heavy t-storm in the p.m., temps: high: 90, low: 76.
  • Saturday: Humid; an afternoon t-storm, with a high of 88 and low of 77 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. Sarasota police chief named to national policing board (yourobserver.com) — Sarasota residents may be interested to know that Police Chief Rex Troche has been named secretary of the national Police Executive Research Forum board, giving the city a voice in shaping best practices in policing. His new role connects Sarasota's department to law enforcement leaders nationwide, focusing on community policing, technology, and strategies to reduce use-of-force incidents.
   

2. Temple Beth Sholom welcomes new rabbi (yourobserver.com) — Temple Beth Sholom, a nearly century-old congregation in Sarasota, has welcomed Rabbi Jack Dermer as its new spiritual leader just weeks before the High Holy Days. Dermer, who recently moved his young family to Sarasota, hopes to build an inclusive, Conservative Jewish community while deepening ties with local families and neighboring faith groups as the temple enters its second century.
   

3. Meet Kendal Asbury, Sarasota Herald-Tribune's newest reporter (heraldtribune.com) — Sarasota readers now have a new watchdog on growth and real estate, as early-career journalist Kendal Asbury joins the Sarasota Herald-Tribune to cover development and the local economy. She describes her Florida roots, investigative background, and eagerness to dig into housing, business trends, and neighborhood changes across the community.
   

4. Sarasota Jewish Theatre Receives $5,000 Grant From Gulf Coast Community Foundation to Support I NEVER SAW ANOTHER BUTTERFLY Tour (broadwayworld.com) — Sarasota Jewish Theatre has secured a $5,000 Gulf Coast Community Foundation grant to bring its production of "I Never Saw Another Butterfly" to local middle and high schools this November. The tour will share Holocaust-era stories of resilience with more than 3,000 area students, expanding access to meaningful arts and history education around Sarasota.
   

5. Sarasota Opera Receives $60,000 Grant from Gulf Coast Community Foundation (broadwayworld.com) — Sarasota Opera has received a $60,000 Empowering Arts Grant from Gulf Coast Community Foundation to bolster its 2026–27 season. The funding will support the 2027 Winter Opera Festival, special events like the Curtain Raiser dinner and gala, and youth programming, helping keep world-class opera and education central to Sarasota's cultural scene.
   

📸 Around Sarasota

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🗓 Upcoming Events in Sarasota

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💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • Five Years Later:Remembering Edward Price,A Life of Curiosity,Love,and Forward Motion —Christy Chilton Read on Patch
  • Sarasota Jewish Theatre Receives $5,000 Grant from Gulf Coast Community Foundation —Kelly Fores Read on Patch
  • Wilson-Wood Foundation funds early education for area families —Sharon Kunkel Read on Patch
  • Tickets now on sale for All Faiths Food Bank's Bowls of Hope fundraiser —Sharon Kunkel Read on Patch
  • Sertoma Kids, Inc. to offer free hearing screenings for children on September 15 —Sharon Kunkel Read on Patch
  • Random thought: what's something you wish you had known before becoming a homeowner?
    I'm curious to hear everyone's experiences. (Nextdoor 2nd St/Washington Blvd)
  • Please share & repost to help reunite this stray cat!
    Found on August 26, 2026 in Sarasota County, FL 34238 near Cobblestone on Palmer Ranch. Macintosh and Sawyer Loop Sharing for a neighbor. For the… (Nextdoor McIntosh Rd)
  • Disabledperson, Inc posted a job opening for Guest Services Coordinator at Sun Communities in Sarasota, Florida in Sarasota. Apply here.
  • Taco Bell posted a job opening for Late Night Shift Leader in Sarasota. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Sarasota here.

Ok Sarasota! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: A shirt (Thank you Dianna H. for sending it in!)
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Submit it here!

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