While people across America are trying to find ways to keep cool during one of the hottest summers on record, don’t forget about your four-legged friends and keeping them cool, too! Check out some of these tips from Marilee Namaka, the General Manager of the new Bayside Pet Resort and Spa, now open in Sarasota. Tips for Keeping Your Dogs Cool This Summer! • Limit your pets’ outdoor activities during the hottest part of the day. • Make sure your pets always have fresh, clean water at all times. • [...]

Home Resource, the contemporary furniture showroom, sent a team of employees to Germany last week for product training and immersion into the German culture. Home Resource Co-owner Kathy Bush, General Manager Eric Cross and Retail Manager Rich Gaydosh trained at three different furniture manufacturing companies: Draenert, COR and Interlübke. “It’s an outstanding opportunity for our team to meet the owners of these companies, their staff, and to receive extensive training including factory visits,” said Michael Bush, Co-owner of Home Resource. “They also get to see the construction of product, absorb [...]

Lee Wetherington Homes is pleased to welcome Amy Baldwin-Smith, ASID to the design team as Director of Design. An interior design graduate of Eastern Michigan University, Baldwin-Smith has lived in Sarasota for 18 years. She will lead the design team at the expansive 5,000 square foot Lee Wetherington Homes Design Center located in Lakewood Ranch, FL. Baldwin-Smith’s extensive experience includes working at Robb & Stucky furniture store and design center, and she has designed model homes for builders including WCI Communities and Taylor Morrison. “Amy brings a wealth of experience and [...]

Neal Communities has risen to #67, up from last year’s #94, on BUILDER magazine’s top home builder rankings, based on number of closings in the United States in 2011. With 384 closings, the new ranking represents a 41% increase from 2010, which was the first year Neal Communities made the top 100 list. “To make such a giant leap on this list is a remarkable accomplishment for my team,” said Pat Neal, president of Neal Communities. “We have had three years of tremendous growth, which has allowed us to move forward [...]

All right, so we know Sarasota has the best beach and is a number-one destination for the arts. Since good things usually come in threes—here’s another one for you! A Sarasota dad may soon be voted the “Hottest Dad” in America in a national contest by iVillage.com. Kevin McElyea (okay, yes, he is my husband!) has made the semi-finals in the police/firefighter category. He is the only police officer among five other firefighters, so come on and support Team Law Enforcement! He has already suffered severe ridicule from his friends, and [...]

Lakewood Ranch-based home builder Neal Communities, the developer and a builder at Central Park, is pleased to report the 300th home sale in less than two years at the family-friendly neighborhood in Lakewood Ranch. Neal Communities made 250 of the 300 sales, with the other 50 coming from the three additional, distinguished builders including Bruce Williams Homes, Cardel Homes, and Lee Wetherington Homes. “This is an incredible milestone,” said Neal Communities’ President, Pat Neal. “We call this the center of the universe here in Lakewood Ranch, an award-winning master- planned [...]