From Don Covington

Circus Sarasota takes over Sailor Circus Sarasota Herald TribuneSarasota, Florida Two of Sarasota's most revered circus groups — the 62-year-old Sailor Circus and the 14-year-old Circus Sarasota — will join forces after the Sarasota County School Board on Tuesday cleared the way for a merger that is intended to strengthen both organizations. The board agreed to transfer oversight of Sailor Circus, the longest-running youth circus in America, from the Police Athletic League to Circus Sarasota, a nonprofit professional performing circus founded in 1997 by Pedro Reis and his wife, Dolly Jacobs, a renowned aerialist. A 42-year lease granted by the School Board takes effect immediately. "This is not a hostile takeover," Reis said. "It's truly not even a merger. I'd say it's an inheritance. And we love it, we are excited about it and we want to enhance and elevate the program to the next level. National recognition is my goal." PAL had overseen the youth circus arts program since January 2004, when the School Board relinquished its reins in part to offload the costs of liability insurance, which PAL assumed. But Sheriff Tom Knight said the league would now like to turn its focus to expanding other PAL programs for at-risk children. "There were two motivations here," Knight said. "This is a better fit for Sailor Circus and it will allow PAL to focus on its true mission. So it's a win-win, both for Sailor Circus and Circus Sarasota and for PAL." Joan Leonard, program coordinator for Sailor Circus and parent of a child performer, said initial alarm over the unanticipated change, which has been in the works for about a month, has given way to enthusiasm and anticipation.