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Sarasota News Leader July 12, 2013 Page 25 Reid also was part of a delegation that traveled to Washington this spring to seek federal support for the effort. In an email exchange with county representatives on July 11, Reid gave major credit to the county's Washington-based lobbying firm, Holland & Knight, for its assistance in securing the President's endorsement. According to that email exchange, the White House evidently made an error in the first letter it sent and had to provide a corrected version. In sending the revised letter, Kellyn Blossom in the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, added, "[We] wish you the best of luck." Paul Blackketter. Photo by Norman Schimmel The honor came in the Planning Project cateThe Rowing and Aquatics Sports Center at gory, a news release says. The award will be Benderson Park is located at 2500 Honore presented at the chapter's annual state conferAve. in Sarasota. Over the past four years, ence in Orlando Sept. 10-13, the release adds. competitive rowers from around North AmerDuring the conference, county representatives ica have traveled to Sarasota County to prac- will be panelists at a moderated session about tice and compete on the 2,000-meter course, the park. The participants will be Sarasota the news release notes. County Planning and Development Services Earlier this year FISA representatives toured the park as well as a practice course at Fort Hamer Park in Manatee County. Sarasota County has committed $20 million to the development of Benderson Park. "When complete, [it] will be one of the premiere facilities in the world," the news release adds. Director Tom Polk and Senior Planner Beth Rozansky; Tom Walsh, design architect on the project; community representative and rowing enthusiast John Krotec; and Blackketter, the release notes. At the APA National Conference in April, Sarasota County was a co-winner of the 2013 APA's prestigious Hunter Award for ExcelMORE GOOD NEWS lence in Economic Development, the release Even before the big news broke about the also points out. The award was for the design President's letter, county commissioners were and development of Benderson Park and the voicing excitement this week about the news project's economic development potential for sports tourism. that Benderson Park had won a 2013 American Planning Association (APA) Award of Ex- At the April conference, the county also recellence from the Florida chapter of the APA. ceived the 2013 Award of Merit from the APA