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Sarasota News Leader May 10, 2013 Page 66 ROSE FESTIVAL TO BE HELD SATURDAY AT PHILLIPPI ESTATE PARK The Bradenton-Sarasota Rose Society and the Sarasota County Parks and Recreation Department will host the Third Annual Rose Festival from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 11, at Phillippi Estate Park, located at 5500 S. Tamiami Trail. by Society members; classes on rose selection, culture and care at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.; and sales of roses — both bushes and cut flowers for Mother's Day. For more information, call Vincent Celeste, Among the scheduled events are a tour of the president of the Society, at 358-6991, or visit Old Rose Garden on the estate; rose displays www.B-SRS.org/2013RoseFestival. INFORMATION MADE AVAILABLE ON UNLICENSED CONTRACTORS As part of its yearlong outreach campaign to protect the public from unlicensed contractors, Sarasota County has created a website that will identify unlicensed contractors who have been cited for unlicensed activity, the county has announced. www.scgov.net, without a password, the release adds. "This website with the names of unlicensed contractors who have been cited will provide authorities with the necessary information on repeat offenders who often cross jurisThe purpose of the initiative is to provide law dictional lines," said Building Official Greg enforcement officials with information on re- Yantorno in the release. "This will help in the prosecution of unlicensed contractors who peat offenders, a news release says. are putting families and businesses at risk," With its centralized database, the website will he pointed out. be open to other government jurisdictions, "We have worked with the Sheriff's Office, the such as cities, towns and other counties, that Manatee-Sarasota Home Builders Association want to participate. Each government entity and other partners in the community in the will be provided with a password and instrucdevelopment of the website," he added. tion on how to use the website, the release notes, and each must assign a staff member to Under Florida Statute 489.127, the first ofenter and maintain the information on adjudi- fense for unlicensed activity is a first-degree cated cases involving unlicensed contractors. misdemeanor with a civil penalty of $250; a second offense is a third-degree felony with Sarasota County Planning and Development a civil penalty of $500, the release points out. Services and its proposed Unlicensed Activity Division will be responsible for future mainte- For more information on the dangers of using nance and improvements to the website, the unlicensed contractors, or to find contractors who are licensed, contact the Sarasota Counrelease notes. ty Call Center at 861-5000 (TTY: 711) or visit The website is for internal use only; it will www.scgov.net, using the keyword "Building" not be accessible from the county's website, for your search.