Mote Marine is inviting the public to partici-
pate in the World Oceans Day Family Festival
on June 7 at its aquarium located at 1600 Ken
Thompson Parkway in Sarasota.
The event, which will feature a Dr. Seuss theme,
a news release says, is designed "to spotlight
the ocean's deep connection to the human
spirit and the boundless inspirational power
of our natural world's greatest resource."
Activities will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The festival is free with paid admission to
Mote, the release points out.
World Oceans Day, which is celebrated officially
on June 8 each year, was created in 1992 at the
Earth Summit, the release continues. It was
declared a holiday by the United Nations in 2009.
The Mote celebration "will feature games and
crafts focused on green practices, marine
science and conservation by Mote and other
local organizations," the release notes.
MOTE MARINE TO HOST WORLD OCEANS DAY FESTIVAL ON JUNE 7
"Providing excellent service is one of Sarasota
County's eight strategic goals, and the recent
redesign of the county's homepage is an
online example of that continued commit-
ment to excellence," the county announced
on May 21.
"Visitors to the county's website may notice
a visible difference from the new centralized
contact center portal to a shift in programs
and services featured on the homepage," a
news release explains.
The contact center features "one-click"
access, allowing community members to
ask questions, make requests and provide
comments about the county, its services and
programs, the release adds.
COUNTY UNVEILS NEW VERSION OF AWARD-WINNING WEBSITE
"We are committed to customer service in all
that we do. Developing new methods for our
residents to access their county government
is one of our highest priorities," said Donn
Patchen, Sarasota County Communications
Department director, in the release.
A Florida First Amendment Foundation study
recently ranked Sarasota County's website
No. 1 for counties, topping those in Miami-
Dade, Charlotte and Pinellas counties, the
release points out.
The website also has received a Sunny Award
from the Sunshine Review. The recognition
pointed to the website as one of the most
transparent among governments in the United
States, the release explained.
Sarasota News Leader May 23, 2014 Page 85
