SRQ Magazine Interview, February 3, 2012

[Newcomers]  Pamela Beck, SRxQ Blog Tedi Doychinova, Tedid@srqmediagroup.com Moved From: Connecticut. My Profession There: Communications Consultant, Psychotherapist, Art Gallery Owner. Friday Nights There: Were cold and tame or warm and tame. Why I Moved: To develop a real friendship with my parents now that we're all old enough to have one. Now I Am: Writer and two-blog blogger: One blog, at SRxQ.blogspot.com, follows me from museums to mangroves as I try not to gloat over my good fortune at having moved to Sarasota. The other blog, at WhatDogsReallyThink.blogspot.com, reveals the heady insights of my two dogs who concur with Socrates that the unexamined life is not worth living. I am now happy to be with my beau Brad and newly-arrived daughter Serena who already loves the Mote Marine Aquarium and beach. Friday Nights Now: New restaurant, new performance, new art exhibition or live music. First Impressions:Why don’t more people know about our Shangri-La? Biggest Potential Community Mistake: 1. Not seeing that Saraso-tomorrow is Saraso-today. What should we encourage going along with the usual? Late live music, local festivals and cross-promo between businesses, community, arts and education. Why? To keep and showcase talent; to attract visitors, young families and boomers looking for the ideal 21st century town. 2. Not enabling our seniors—i.e. all of us if we’re lucky—to be the model for our graying nation. New choices and technologies allow seniors to remain at home longer and improve their quality of life as they improve ours by being among us. My Vision: I'd love to see Sarasota better protected from economic downturns. One idea: link business, entertainment and cultural venues via a single, scannable smart-pass program. It could: provide incentives at each venue; offer last-minute sell-offs via phone updates; promote events via apps and website; shine a light on lesser-known gems; be sold in blocks of time; or be used for either visitors or locals. People do organize their choices through media and cards/passes. A smart-pass draws us to every sector in Sarasota, introduces our offerings to visitors and residents and gives us the chance to care for our jewel of a town together. Please visit my other blog; http://whatdogsreallythink.blogspot.com/