Last week, the ACLU held a press conference and released copies of a Sarasota Police Department internal text message communications log that revealed at least two officers using the phrase “bum hunting” when describing activities pertaining to policing the homeless. Local homeless advocates Ali Kleber and Richard Martin were on hand that day and provided some additional insight into how to better address homelessness in Sarasota.

- This is the third and final installment in the “Day in the life of the homeless” trilogy.   For many in the homeless community, the day begins and ends at the Salvation Army Center of Hope at the corner of Central Avenue and 10th Street, starting with breakfast in the morning and ending with dinner in the evening. For those not engaged in daytime rehab programs, the daily migration of the homeless community often includes a stop at Resurrection House, followed by a trip to the library or idle [...]

Shawna Machado, the Spring 2012 Outstanding Graduate from the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee and a former student of mine, got her dream job last week as a counselor with abused and neglected children in Sarasota County. This is a well-deserved happy ending for an ambitious woman who let nothing stand in the way of achieving her goals. I met Shawna approximately a year ago when she contacted me about becoming involved in the Social Justice Initiative, an on-campus student group for which I am the advisor. I told her about [...]