Touch screens. Sarasota County residents voted them out, but not soon enough. A 15 percent under vote in the District 13 Congressional race gave Republican Vern Buchanan the seat by 369 votes, which led Democrat Christine Jennings to the courts to unsuccessfully fight for the source code and a new election.

Wal-Mart in Newtown. The company allowed a land contract on contaminated land to lapse and both the city of Sarasota and the retail giant are no longer pursuing a relationship.

Katherine Harris. Our two-term U.S. Rep. for District 13 and the former Florida Secretary of State, who became a household name for her role in the 2000 presidential recount in Florida, lost her bid for the U.S. Senate.

Mary Anne Servian and Danny Bilyeu, Sarasota City Commissioners who were unseated by slow-growth candidates Richard Clapp and Kelly Kirschner. Servian is now a lobbyist for the government consulting firm of Marlowe & Company, and Bilyeu became a field representative for Congressman Vern Buchanan.

Tony Souza, the former chief executive of the Downtown Partnership of Sarasota, left to become the new development director at Sarasota Habitat for Humanity.

Cohen Way. The dilapidated public housing project was demolished to make way for 75 mixed-income condos developed by Sarasota Habitat for Humanity.

Kevin Daves as a Ritz-Carlton partner. After winning one of the longest, most expensive local civil trials against Ritz co-owners Robert Buford and Daniel Buford, Daves turned around and sold them his 20 percent stake in the project.

The Flanzer Jewish Community Center. Financial troubles forced its sale to the Sarasota YMCA, but the Y was no more successful in increasing membership and closed the facility.

Interim Van Wezel Executive Director John Wesley White resigned in August after a contentious relationship with the private Van Wezel Foundation and public advisory board.

Major condo-based mixed-use developments. Enough said.

Honeywell International, a manufacturer of speed and direction sensors, announced it would close its Sarasota plant and lay off 87 people; Wellcraft Marine eliminated 70 jobs; CFI Manufacturing–Carter Grandle Furniture laid off 100; and Cooper Industries’ WPI Interconnect Products cut 99 jobs.

Sarah Pappas, president of Manatee Community College for 10 years, says she’ll retire in June 2008.

Erik Vonk, CEO of Gevity for four years, is replaced by Michael Lavington.

WINNERS

Manatee Chamber was named the 2007 National Chamber of the Year and, for the third time, Florida Chamber of the Year.

High-end shoppers, now that Benderson Development has pulled in a Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus to its University Town Center.

Charlie Murphy, president of Bank of Commerce in Sarasota, is named Banker of the Year by the Florida Bankers Association.

Bargain home hunters, who are finding deals on new homes as inventory continues to climb. They might even get a plasma TV or new car thrown in to sweeten the transaction.

Asolo Repertory Theatre. The musical A Tale of Two Cities premiered in Sarasota before heading to Broadway.

Gemesis Corp. The Lakewood Ranch cultured diamond producer is doubling its 30,000 square foot headquarters.

Sarasota Bradenton International Airport added USA3000 flights from Chicago, Detroit and Cleveland, joining AirTran, JetBlue and US Airways with new flights.

Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine opened a pharmaceutical college.

Consumers, as Verizon and Comcast battled it out and offered lower prices, bundling phone, TV and Internet into one high-speed package.

LOSERS

Motorists, with the seemingly endless construction on Venice Bypass.

Homeowners, who saw home values plummet 30 percent or more and taxes remain about the same.

Homeowners, who also had adjustable rate mortgages that adjusted higher, leaving many at risk of foreclosure.

Condo owners, who lost protection under a new state law that allows developers to circumvent association covenants requiring 100 percent resident approval to sell.

Ex-NBA referee and Lakewood Ranch resident Tim Donaghy, who pled guilty to charges that he bet on games he officiated.

Sarasota Herald-Tribune staff, as they lost their jobs to the down economy and a brave new world of Web-based media.

Southside Village businesses, which continue to suffer now that Epicurean Life has closed down some of its stores and put up a for sale sign.

CHEERS

AeA, a national trade association for the tech industry, ranked Sarasota-Bradenton No. 7 in overall employment in the tech sector in Florida and No. 2 in high-tech wages.

Inc. magazine ranked Sarasota-Bradenton-Venice No. 8 on a list of 393 "boomtowns," and No. 3 among mid-size cities.

Money magazine named Sarasota as one of the top places to retire young. The Feb. 16, 2007, Forbes list of the top 100 cities for jobs placed the Sarasota-Bradenton MSA at 11th place, or the third best in Florida, one step above Tampa.