‘Tis the season! The City of Venice Public Works Department has located an additional dumpster at Venice Fire Rescue Station 53, 5300 E. Laurel Road, and another at Solid Waste/Fleet Division, 221 S. Seaboard Ave., for holiday cardboard until Jan. 30.
These dumpsters are for City residents to properly dispose of cardboard boxes from Amazon and FedEx, as well as other cardboard and paper that accumulates around this time. Dumpsters are also available for City residents year-round at Wellfield Park, 1300 Ridgewood Ave., and the Venice Community Center, 326 Nokomis Ave. S. All cardboard boxes MUST be broken down and placed inside the dumpster.
Remember that bows, ribbon, plastic wrap, and items with glitter belong in the trash. A little sorting goes a long way in keeping Venice clean and merry this holiday season. Thank you for your cooperation!
Venice Police Citizens Academy, Registration Deadline Extended Dec. 26
The deadline to register for the Venice Police Department Citizen’s Police Academy (CPA) has been extend to Friday, Dec. 26.
Participants in the VPD Citizens Police Academy will experience a wide range of hands-on, behind-the-scenes learning, from patrol and marine operations to criminal and crime scene investigations, emergency response, and community outreach. The CPA program offers a close look at how officers train, make decisions, and work across specialized units, while also exploring the real-world challenges facing the community and the resources available to address them. From K-9 and drone operations to fraud prevention and major incident response, CPA provides a well-rounded, immersive look at modern policing.
CPA meets from 12:30 to 5 p.m. for 10 Wednesdays from Feb. 4 to April 8, 2026. Participants must be 18 or older. Free to attend, registration required by Dec. 26, 2025. NOTE: This program does not qualify participants as sworn law enforcement officers. Register today https://www.venicegov.com/government/police/community-programs/citizens-police-academy
Residents with questions about the CPA program should contact VPD Administrative Assistant Caroline Moriarty at 941-882-7569 or cmoriarty@venicefl.gov.
Christmas Golf Cart Parade @ Venetian
Shout out to all the golf cart owners, cheerleaders, carolers & festive friends! You all brought such a bright light to the holiday season by participating!
See the Christmas Golf Cart Parade around the Venetian Golf and River Club HERE.
Photo of all 3 winners together
3rd Place Cart Alene Iafelice – Stockings & Gift Décor theme (left)
1st Place Cart The Mangiaranos – Elves, Santa, Gifts & Tree theme (middle)
2nd Place Cart Ethel and Lucy – Light-Up Candles & Christmas Décor theme (right)
Costume winners
Alene Iafelice and
Sean Gerahty
City of Venice holiday closings/trash pickup schedule
Garbage, yard waste and recyclables will not be collected on Dec. 25; all items will be picked up on customers’ next regular pickup day, which is Monday, Dec. 29. Residents are reminded to have their materials to the curb by 7 a.m. There will be no change in collection on Dec. 24.
City Hall will also be closed Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026, for the New Year’s Day holiday. All garbage, yard waste and recyclables will also be collected on customers’ next regular pickup day of Monday, Jan. 5.
Venice City Hall and other City facilities will be closed Wednesday, Dec. 24, and Thursday, Dec. 25, for the observance of the Christmas holiday.
City Hall will reopen to the public on Friday, Dec. 26 at 8 a.m.
To dispose of live Christmas trees, cut into 4-foot pieces and place at the curb with weekly yard waste collection.
In the event of Utilities service emergencies like a water line break, residents can call 941-486-2770. This line is designated for emergencies only.
Venice Police on Scams and Fraud
On December 8, two officers (Sgt Montez and Det. Lt. Kenny) from the Venice Police Department presented an informative overview of prevalent predatory scams that pose a significant threat to everyone. The presentation was well-received and provided valuable insights into the extent and severity of these dangers.
The officers highlighted the risks associated with using debit cards to pay online demands and emphasized that government agencies will never request money or personal information over the phone. Threats to citizens can manifest in various forms, including exploiting vulnerable individuals. See this US government website for common types of scams, identify theft and how to protect yourself HERE.
Suni Williams Visited the Venetian River Club on Monday, December 1st
It was an immense honor that the VGRC Community Association presented NASA Astronaut and U.S. Navy Captain (Ret.) Sunita “Suni” Williams at the River Club on December 1, 2025.
Residents were captivated by her genuine personality and the captivating description of her life and experiences as an American astronaut. Suni Williams was selected as an astronaut by NASA in 1998 and has since become a veteran of three space missions. Over her three flights, she has logged an impressive 608 days in space. For more information about her, please refer to her full bio here.
Suni graciously met all requests for photos and chats, bringing immense delight to everyone present. Meeting Suni was truly a memorable event for all the residents who attended. See the video “286 Days in Space with Suni Williams” by clicking here.
Venetian Gets Sharp!
Eddie Swing sharpened our knives and other implements for us on November 22 in the golf course parking lot. His ‘dance card’ was full with all appointments taken as residents took advantage of his expertise. Eddie’s grandfather in North Carolina started the family tradition.
His customer, resident Jack Pritchard, bought knives made from Chinese artillery shells by a master craftsman in Taiwan. The original steel was a Chinese artillery shell shot from canon on the mainland. From a craftsman in the Republic of China to our local craftsman in Venice — Eddie Swing.
Beware Email Scams Impersonating City of Venice
From Public Information Officer November 20: We’ve been made aware of an email scam impersonating the City of Venice. If you receive an unexpected message asking for personal information, payment, or urgent action, please use caution.
The City of Venice will NEVER ask you to “wire” funds to pay for services. Remember: All official City of Venice emails end with “venicefl.gov.” If it’s not from that address, it’s not us. Here are a few ways to spot email scams:
- Check the sender address. If it doesn’t match our official email, it’s not legitimate.
- Look for spelling or grammar mistakes. Many scams contain unusual wording or errors.
- Be cautious of urgent or threatening language. Scammers often pressure you to act quickly.
- Don’t click unexpected links or attachments. These can lead to malicious sites or install malware.
- Verify before responding. When in doubt, contact us directly by calling the Venice Police Department non-emergency number at 941-486-2444.
Venetian Community Grateful to Fire Chief for CPR & AED Training
On November 18, Venice Fire Chief Frank Giddens conducted two classes for residents on CPR, AED, and Heimlich Maneuver training. This training, sponsored by your Community Association, has been ongoing at the VGRC for over a decade, training hundreds of residents in life-saving techniques. Notably, training residents has directly resulted in at least two lives saved at the Venetian. This information was previously reported in an article on this website in August 2023.
Fire Chief Giddens estimates that over a dozen citizens have been saved in Venice over the past few years through the Fire Department’s CPR and AED services. He recommends that residents download the PulsePoint app on their smartphones for guidance, tips, and pulse count signals when performing CPR.
Mayor Pachota Presented Venice’s Plan for Development of Seaboard
This article was updated with more detailed information on November 20th. See last two paragraphs for additional comments made by the Mayor.
Mayor Pachota visited the Venetian on November 17, 2025, to present information about Venice’s conceptual plan for developing Seaboard, which is an area comprising 130 acres in Venice City, east of the Intracoastal Waterway, bounded by Venice Ave and US-41 By-pass. It includes the historic train station and a section of the Legacy Trail. The Venice City council approved a master plan in March 2025 for the development of the area from light industrial to mixed use and residential. The plan includes the move of the city’s solid waste and fleet maintenance out of the Seaboard area.
The goal of this project is to take a section of the city that is currently under-utilized and sometimes referred to as an “eyesore”, and to look ahead to a time when it might become a vibrant location for people to live, shop, dine or attend concerts. It is not intended to replace Centennial Park or the existing downtown, but to provide an alternate location for events and activities. It is seen as a continuation of the downtown zone that would reduce crowding and parking problems as the city grows.
One interesting feature being considered is a “swing bridge” that would allow pedestrians and bicyclists to cross the Intracoastal without using the 41 by-pass bridge.
The Mayor stressed that Seaboard is a LONG-TERM planning project for which our City Council has laid the groundwork by modifying zoning as mentioned earlier. Building heights of up to 75 feet would be possible there, compared to 35 feet in the main city. The Mayor indicated that the actual build-out of the area might not take place for up to 20 years, and even that is not guaranteed. The city’s role is not to own such a development, but only to lay the groundwork to facilitate it. The actual acquisition of property, design and building will be up to one or more developers working within the rules the council has established. Most of the property involved is in private hands and it will take years to work with those owners to decide whether they remain a part of the district or decide to sell and relocate.
See Venice City webpage for additional information.
Additional Comments by Mayor
Mayor Pachota addressed questions from Venetian residents on other matters of significance. However, he deferred commenting on the water booster station to the Venice Utilities Department. Regarding the construction timeline for the shopping center across from VGRC, he mentioned that the situation may have changed, referring to a plan to build a Walmart and Home Depot shopping center on Laurel Road across from the Laurel-Nokomis School. That development could potentially affect the timing of construction of the shopping center across the road from Veneto Blvd.
He clarified that the start of construction for the shopping center closest to VGRC is at the developer’s discretion, as all city approvals have been obtained. As previously noted by the Community Association Board, he also stated that the start of construction for widening Laurel Road, which falls under the County’s jurisdiction, depends on acquiring properties along the road.