wcw APRIL 2024

just some
thoughts
Louise Bruderle
Editor and Publisher
West Coast Woman
Sarah Cartwright
Chief Curator at The Ringling
Sarah Cartwright
Courtesy photo
In addition to being well-versed in her profession,
Sarah, as I was delighted to discover, graduated
from Pine View School and told me about how she
spent part of her youth visiting The Ringling with
her mother and also taking classes there while in
school.
Being an art history major, I have to remind myself
to stay with the interview and not meander into
talking about art. I mostly succeeded and, having
an expert on The Ringling collection, I was able to
learn a lot. For one, being a curator is a lot about
doing research.
Sarah told me of reading John Ringling’s letters - of which there are
many - and exploring his quest for artwork for his home and later his
museum. He was a serious collector, she explains, not a dilettante, and
as they say these days, “he knew his stuff.” There’s a lot that goes into
a curator’s job so I hope that you’ll enjoy reading about the work Sarah
does at The Ringling.
Microplastics
Earth Day is Every Day
Earth Day is on April 22. In Sarasota it seems like a concrete, asphalt
and car covered stretch of Earth but there are many fine organizations
working to preserve the environment, our history and way of life that we
all enjoy.
We have Suncoast Waterkeepers, the Sarasota Audubon Society,
the EcoSummit and Green Living Expo, the Science and Environment
Council, Southface Sarasota, Conservation Foundation of the Gulf
Coast, Sarasota Bay Estuary Program, Friends of Myakka River, Sarasota
Bay Watch, Save our Seabirds and the Tree Foundation and more.
To single out one, Community Harvest SRQ (formerly Transition
Sarasota) tackles the problem of food waste while helping to alleviate
food insecurity. Volunteers harvest and rescue excess produce from
area farms and distribute
to those who could
use that nutritious
produce.
Speaking of volunteers,
April 21-27 is
National Volunteer
Week and all the above
mentioned organizations
depend on volunteers
without whom
they would not be able
to do their work.
This year Earth Day 2024 will focus on eliminating plastic usage “for
the sake of human and planetary health.” There’s a goal to decrease
plastic production by 60% by 2040 through shopping sustainably and
participating in cleanups.
In an article in the Time Picayune in New Orleans going back to 2018,
they noted that chemicals found in plastic are now found in the Gulf of
Mexico’s dolphins.
“A recent study found 71 percent of bottlenose dolphins tested in
Sarasota Bay in southwest Florida had evidence of phthalates, a chemical
compound added to plastic and other products, including paints
and cosmetics. Phthalates (pronounced ‘tha-lates’) have been linked to
a host of health problems in humans, and likely cause similar issues in
dolphins, according to the study published last month in GeoHealth, a
journal of the American Geophysical Union.”
“These chemicals can enter marine waters from urban runoff and
agriculture or industrial emissions, but we also know that there is a
lot of plastic pollution in the environment,” said Leslie Hart, a public
health professor at the College of Charleston in South Carolina and the
study’s lead author.
Dolphins tested had elevated levels of a phthalate type commonly
used in plastics, indicating the Gulf’s growing plastic pollution problem
may be harming marine animals.
A Louisiana State University study determined that the Gulf has one
of the highest concentrations of plastic pollution in the world, putting
it on par with the Black Sea and China’s heavily-industrialized Yangtze
River. Much of the Gulf’s plastic is in the form of tiny bits and fibers.
Some of these “microplastics” are produced when larger items, such as
drink bottles and straws, break down.
Minuscule plastic beads are also common ingredients in toothpastes,
body washes and cosmetics. Millions of storm drains, sinks and
washing machines flush these plastic bits though wastewater systems,
eventually ending up in marine waters. Recycle, pick up trash, use less
plastic - it’s doable and benefits mammals like dolphins and humans.
Strongly Recommend this Exhibit
The Lexow Gallery is hosting the Portrait Ukraine photography exhibition
that will run to April 19. This exhibition presents a collection
of photographs curated from three journeys to Ukraine undertaken
by photojournalist Allan Mestel. The exhibition captures the faces of
resistance amid the chaos of war.
If Lexow Gallery doesn’t ring any bells, that’s because it is located
within the Unitarian Universalist Church at 3975 Fruitville Road in
Sarasota. Gallery Hours: Tuesday - Friday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday
11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Within weeks of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February
2022, Allan Mestel embarked on a mission to document the harrowing
realities faced by Ukrainians.
Limited-edition prints of select images from the Portrait Ukraine
collection will be available for purchase from Allan Mestel. Profits will
be used to fund his next journey to Ukraine to continue the Portrait
Ukraine project.
Mestel is a photojournalist, photographer, and filmmaker based in
Southwest Florida who moved here in 2014, Learn more about Allan
Mestel at www.allanmestel.com.
Another West Coast
Woman in the News
Barbara Ford-Coates has filed to run for
re-election this November. Barbara was
first elected as Tax Collector in 1984 and
has been re-elected nine times. I had the
pleasure of meeting Barbara and profiling
her in WCW back in the ‘90s.
The Sarasota County Tax Collector’s Office
is responsible for collecting property,
business and tourist taxes, issuing drivers’
licenses and vehicle registrations, hunting
and fishing licenses, as well as other state
and local services. Barbara has a staff of
100 and a budget of $10+million and according
to her press release, “Ford-Coates
maintains the lowest cost per capita of all
Tax Collectors in Florida.”
As a resident, I also encountered her team over the years and while I
can’t say paying taxes is fun, when I had to call with a question or visit
in person, her staff were all trained to act courteously as well as efficiently.
I kidded her that she made paying taxes almost fun.
Barbara Ford-Coates
Louise Bruderle | Editor and Publisher |
westcoastwoman@comcast.net
We welcome your thoughts and comments on this column and on other columns and features in this issue.
You can reach us at westcoastwoman@comcast.net. We’re on the web at www.WestCoastWoman.com.
4 WEST COAST WOMAN APRIL 2024