Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/235968
LOOKING BACK YEAR IN REVIEW: NOVEMBER Lourdes Ramirez puts her hat in the ring for the 2014 County Commission race. Contributed photo On Nov. 4, it becomes official: Sarasota County Council of Neighborhood Associations President Lourdes Ramirez files paperwork to run for the Sarasota County Commission seat being vacated by Nora Patterson next year. Ramirez's opponent in the Republican primary is Al Maio, a vice president with the design consulting firm Kimley-Horn and Associates. Maio will undoubtedly hold the fundraising edge in the race, having already socked away almost $83,000, but Ramirez says her "grassroots" effort will offer stiff competition. The County Commission moves forward on Nov. 6 with the second of two major aspects of the planned acquisition of Dolomite Utilities Corp. In a unanimous vote, the board proceeds with the purchase of 115 acres owned by the utility system, located at the northwest corner of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Way and Tuttle Avenue. The plan is to develop the site into a long proposed North County Sports Complex. The property that once was home to a water plant and wastewater treatment facility has sat vacant since the early 2000s. Once the land is redeveloped as a park, it will become the third largest recreational facility