Yet another noteworthy occasion occurred on this date 15 years ago.
On Feb. 14, 2006, New College of Florida hosted a lively public forum. The hot topic: homelessness.
The event responded to the National Coalition for the Homeless’ designation of Sarasota as America’s “meanest city.” Sarasota was tagged after the City Commission passed an ordinance authorizing police to arrest homeless people for camping in outdoor public spaces.
Some proponents of the local law simply wanted to sweep away homeless folks. Others believed the ordinance was the best available tool for getting people off the streets.
The label riled up locals, prompting Jake Hartvigsen, who worked for New College, to call me. He asked how the community might respond to the bad publicity by starting something good. We agreed to jointly sponsor a public forum, which attracted a capacity crowd at Sainer Pavilion.