Venice Police Department Presenting “Current Scams”, an overview of current predatory scams on the internet. At the River Club, 5 pm, December 8.
Next Seminar: Monday, December 8 at 5 pm
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.
Venice Water Booster Station Updated
This article was updated on November 22. The newly constructed Venice Water Booster Station has been operational for several weeks. Located on Gene Green Road, the new station supports the city’s long-term strategy to enhance water service reliability across the city and accommodate future growth in northeast Venice.
Residents can expect several benefits:
— More consistent water pressure throughout the day, especially during peak demand periods.
— An overall 15% increase in water pressure to homes during low water demand periods and peak water demand periods.
— Higher pressure for homes and buildings with second-floor water fixtures that don’t already have private booster pump systems installed.
— The new booster station also provides enhanced fire protection by boosting the flow capacity of the fire hydrants during an emergency.
According to the city, the station has significantly stabilized water pressure in the northern part of the city. Before activation, residents north of I-75 experienced daytime pressures ranging from 42 to 46 psi. Since the station came online, consistent readings by City Utilities have been recorded between 48 and 51 psi, with fluctuations limited to just 1 psi throughout the day.
If residents experience low water pressure after these enhancements, it is recommended to check the water fixture aerator screens for clogs or consult a licensed plumber or City Utilities to inspect the back flow preventer line.
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.
City of Venice Holiday Parade November 29th
Kicking off the holiday season for over 45 years, the City of Venice Holiday Parade is always the Saturday after Thanksgiving. The 49th parade is Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025 beginning at 6:30 p.m. and kicking off the City’s Centennial Celebration. See details HERE.
Artificial Intelligence and Cryptocurrency Seminars
The Community Association hosted two educational seminars on November 3 about Artificial Intelligence (“AI”) and Cryptocurrency. Residents were enlightened on the subjects and peppered the speakers with questions on both subjects. Roger Navarro, Information Technology Director for the City of Venice, and Captain Eric Wood, Venice PD, presented on “AI”.
According to Mr. Navarro, AI means computers learn and think similarly to humans. AI uses data patterns to help machines understand the world. We were asked to think of AI as a smart tool like a calculator processing images and words efficiently. It can be used on a computer or phone, as part of software in a robot, such as a car, lawnmower or a two-legged machine.
Dallas Stiles, author of “Thrivin’ Now! Achieve Success, Build Wealth & Be Happy in a Post-Covid World”, presented on “Cryptocurrency” which is digital or virtual currency secured by cryptography. Each cryptocurrency operates on a blockchain to track its transactions. There are many cryptocurrencies.
Bitcoin was the first cryptocurrency and blockchain ever invented. It was created in 2009 by “Satoshi Nakamoto”. Satoshi’s original bitcoin was valued at $100 in 2009 but now may be worth $124 billion! It has never been transacted. Currently, 19.8 million bitcoins have been “mined”. Of these, 3 to 4 million have been lost, ie, the “keys” to access the coins on the blockchain were lost by the owners. (In cryptography, a key is a piece of variable data used with an algorithm to encrypt and decrypt information, like a physical key to lock and unlock data.) There is a limited supply of bitcoins: 21 million coins will be ultimately mined, by about 2140. That’s years, not military time!
Save the Date: January 21, 2026
On Wednesday, January 21st, at the River Club, there will be a Resident Orientation which will include a presentation to inform residents of the responsibilities of the various organizations in the Venetian community, including the Community Association, the CDD, the Property Owners Association, as well as the different HOAs. New residents will find this presentation particularly beneficial, while long-time residents may find it a very useful refresher course. A Q&A session will be included, and refreshments will be served. More information will be released in the coming weeks.
Updates from the Sarasota Memorial Hospital Seminar
Stacey Corley, the Foundation President at Sarasota Memorial Hospital (SMH), provided an update on the remarkable growth and development at SMH. During a seminar held at the River Club on October 28, several growth initiatives were discussed. Notably, Sarasota Memorial stands as the only hospital in Florida to have consistently earned the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid’s highest 5-star rating for overall quality and safety since the rating system was introduced in 2016.
Sarasota Memorial Hospital-Sarasota has earned its fifth consecutive Magnet recognition, the most prestigious designation for quality patient care and nursing excellence in healthcare organizations. This achievement is remarkable, as fewer than 2% of the nation’s hospitals have attained this distinction. The Venice hospital is well on its way to earning that distinction as well.
Residents were presented with renderings of the two-story, 24,000 square foot addition that will enhance radiology and MRI services in Venice Fall 2026. Furthermore, the SMH-Venice Rehab Pavilion is expected to be completed in early 2028.
Venice, a 65-acre hospital located just a few miles from the Venetian, opened in 2021. It offers a comprehensive range of hospital services, including an emergency room, cardiology, orthopedics, rehabilitation, and comprehensive labor and delivery.
The hospital recently completed an expansion that included a 102-bed patient care tower, 31 emergency rooms, and enhanced diagnostic capabilities. The Venice hospital has the capacity to double in size, reaching over 400 private suites in the future.
