Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/194514
Sarasota News Leader October 18, 2013 Page 71 features of the garden," Spriggs pointed out. "It took a lot of dedication and hard work for the group involved with the project to reach their goal. Twenty-five members are now actively planting their plots and enjoying the fruits of their labor." Community gardens have been sprouting up in Sarasota since 1995 and are thriving thanks to the hard work of dedicated participants, Spriggs continued. Many of them have received support through the Sarasota County Neighborhood Grants program, the release notes. "Sarasota County Extension She added, "The community garden features provides administrative support and educational assistance, teaching gardeners how to individual raised-bed garden plots where grow vegetables, manage pests and even premembers can tend vegetables alongside their pare harvests," it adds. neighbors. During the summer, there will be For more information and locations of bright sunflowers stretched skyward along community parks, call 861-9900 or visit the garden's border, greeting passersby." http://sarasota.ifas.ufl.edu. SARASOTA COUNTY SET TO BEGIN EXTENDED MOWING CYCLES Sarasota County has adjusted its schedule of mowing cycles for specific areas of county-owned roadways, medians and other properties as of Oct. 1, the county has announced. "Adjusting the mowing schedules is expected to save about $550,000 each year and allow county staff and mowing contractors to better manage highly visible areas," the release adds. The County Commission recently approved Urban Maintenance Zones will see three the adjusted mowing schedule in an effort to mowing cycles per month in June, July, reduce expenditures. August, September and October; two cycles "We examined our mowing schedules during per month in November, March, April and peak and off-peak growing seasons, locations May; and one cycle per month in December, of our service areas, common management January and February, the release adds. Such practices of other communities and overall areas are generally those considered to be expenditures when developing the proposed longer county roads and adjacent stormwater plan that the County Commission approved facilities, with wide rights of way, that serve in September," said Spencer Anderson, direc- as north-south and east-west connectors. tor of the county's Field Services Department, in a news release. "The more heavily traveled Residential Maintenance Zones will see one urban rights of way will see the most atten- mowing cycle per month in May, June, July tion, while the less traveled rights of way will and August, but only one cycle every two see an extended mowing schedule during off- months in September, October, November, peak growing seasons. The extended schedule December, January, February, March and is anticipated to result in minimal changes April, the release continues. Those areas gento the appearance of all county-maintained erally include undeveloped county-owned residential lots, shorter road sections and rights of way."