PELICAN PRESS
YourObserver.com
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2012
birdie guards By Alex Mahadevan | News Editor
Conservationists score slight victory The Sarasota County Commission approved an easement for work at a home on Siesta Key but required green building plans. Dr. Allan Worms used emotion and some humor in his plea for Sarasota County commissioners to consider an imperiled bird during an Oct. 9 public hearing in Venice. The snowy plovers are fond of Siesta Key dunes adjacent to the parcel at 636 Beach Road, which has become a major nesting area, Worms explained. The property’s owner asked commissioners for a coastal setback variance for two paved driveways over existing shell surfaces to make pulling in and out of the property easier and safer. The County Commission voted 3-2 to approve the easement, but amended it to require the pavement be pervious, which is more environmentally compatible. SKA President Catherine Luckner was unable to attend the meeting, but wrote a letter to commissioners recommending pervious pavement. The letter also requested a conservation easement to allow access to a trail beginning at the petitioner’s property and restriction if nests are discovered between March and September — plover nesting season. Worms, a Sarasota Audubon Society volunteer representing the Siesta Key Asso-
minor league heroes
ciation, asked for the stipulation because it would allow natural water circulation in the soil. That manages runoff, which can lead to erosion in a large enough volume or time periods. Jeff Steinwachs, who represented the Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast as a member of its board of trustees, wanted commissioners to approve a stricter amendment barring the property from being eligible for any further variances. The Conservation Foundation owns — and protects — a parcel of Beach Road property, which covers a majority of the trail for plover-watchers to monitor nesting activity. Bo Medred presented the case for the variance on the property, owned by Saba Sands LLC, following county staff analysis from Environmental Specialist Howard Berna. Staff concluded that there were no negative environmental effects from the proposal. Commissioners Jon Thaxton and Joe Barbetta voted against approval of the easement, agreeing that it was inconsistent with the Coastal Setback Code. Saba Sands now needs Florida Depart-
JUST VALUE OF 636 BEACH ROAD PROPERTY $5,000,000 $4,000,000
$3,312,000
$3,000,000 $2,000,000 $1,000,000
2002 ’04 ’06 ’08 ’10 ’12 Source: SARASOTA COUNTY PROPERTY APPRAISER
ment of Environmental Protection approval for the work, and Medred said he would speak with representatives from the Conservation Foundation through the appropriate means to discuss the use of the trail on its property. The pathway leads to an old wooden staircase at the petitioner’s property. Snowy plovers nest in low frequencies, and their chicks are vulnerable to predation from gopher tortoises and raccoons. Even the sight of a four-legged animal, such as a dog, can startle the mother to abandon her nest, making volunteer monitoring important for their survival. There was only one successful snowy plover nest in all of Sarasota County this year, Luckner said in the letter. That was located on land owned by the Conservation Foundation. Other nests were destroyed by inclement weather, such as during Tropical Storm Debby, and others by human feet. Worms and a friend spotted seagulls disturbing the nest with two chicks earlier this summer. The friend hurled his binoculars at the shorebirds, scaring them away. “The binoculars did not survive,” Worms said.
by Alex Mahadevan | News Editor
Sarasota County Junior Lifeguard campers participated in training drills and were certified in CPR.
Courtesy photo
Camp stresses fitness and education Roughly 37,000 kids attend various Sarasota County summer programs, but one small camp on Siesta Key beach offers more than just fun and supervision. Sarasota County Junior Lifeguard Program staff decided to shrink its five-hour sessions to four hours this summer because that’s a long time to keep kids focused, said beach patrol captain Roy Routh. Given the active nature of the summer camp, which ran for two two-week sessions this summer, the site on Siesta Key can tire even the liveliest youth. “They’re not sitting in the A/C,” Routh said. “They’re in and out of the water — they’re wet, and they’re sandy.” Both are important to the program’s aim to educate participants in every facet of a lifeguard’s job, from environmental and biological sciences to rescue operations. This summer drew more campers than in 2011,
as well as more teenagers, County Parks and Recreation Manager Carolyn Brown said during an Oct. 4 Siesta Key Association meeting. “I kind of look at this as a farm system for lifeguards,” Routh said. One camper, 17-year-old Jarrett Quinn, spent three summers as a junior lifeguard and was one of the instructors this year. Campers leave the program with cardiopulmonary resuscitation certification and knowledge of area beaches provided by camp coordinators and guest speakers, some of which are provided by Mote Marine Laboratory. That makes alumni prime candidates for lifeguard positions. That’s something program coordinators ramped
up with this year’s offering. “We know who they are, and we know they’ve been trained through us,” Routh said. County Administrator Randall Reid has stressed the need to snare talent as the economy improves pulling people into private-sector work. Junior lifeguard program coordinators this year expanded the camp from a single three-week session and added emphasis on first-aid training and actual lifeguard operations. In addition to open-water training with “cans” — hard red plastic flotation devices, campers got the chance to “rescue” each other. Instructors showed how the entire emergency-rescue process plays out, from the radio communication to preparing a rescue victim for transportation. Older campers are closer to an age where they can come back and work as instructors or lifeguards, and Routh guessed wordof-mouth explains the greater number of teenagers this summer.
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something’s fishy by Roger Drouin | City Editor
Red tide inches its way northward Mote scientists continue to collect water samples and work with the county health department.
Water samples analyzed this week show that a red tide bloom, which was detected off Southwest Florida, has moved further north into Sarasota County. Medium to high levels of Karenia brevis, the organism that causes Florida’s red tide, were discovered off southern Sarasota County, as far north as Casey Key, while low levels were detected further north in the county. Satellite images show the bloom stretches from northern Lee County to Sarasota County, said Hayley Rutger, public relations coordinator for Mote Marine Laboratory. The bloom began in Charlotte County and has been slowly moving north. Dead fish and some respiratory irritation among beachgoers has impacted the southern county beaches, from Blind Pass, the most southern beach in Sarasota County, to as far north as Casey Key, said George Tatge, parks and recreation manager with Sarasota County. Beachgoers have reported respiratory irritation at Manasota Beach, Venice Beach, Venice North Jetty and Casey Key. At those beaches, lifeguards have noticed “a slight smell and red tint in the water,” Tatge said. Currents in the Gulf of Mexico and wind directions will determine the future movement of the bloom. The bloom appears to be intensifying, and it will probably remain offshore Sarasota County for some time, said Tom Higginbotham, environmental health administrator with the Sarasota County Health Department. “The data shows that it is creeping north,” Higginbotham said. While levels north of Casey Key were low as of Wednesday, Oct. 10, and effects were not present on Siesta Key or Lido Beach, Higginbotham said, “It wouldn’t be surprising to see those levels increase.” Although not in the immediate forecast, a cold front would bring northerly winds that could keep the bloom from continuing north. “That’s what we hope for, a nice crisp cold front to come through,” Tatge said. Mote scientists are continuing to collect water samples and work with the county health department. Mote has also deployed its autonomous underwater vehicle, nicknamed “Waldo,” that can test for red tide under the Gulf of Mexico’s surface and determine which direction currents are moving. As of Wednesday, lifeguards on Siesta had not observed the indications of red tide that were present south of Casey Key. In total, 7 tons of fish and debris was removed from South Sarasota County beaches from Friday through Monday. “For the most part, the fish we are picking up are small, pinfish or some fish a foot long or so,” Tatge said. “Someone did find a 14-inch snook. Chances are that was a red-tide mortality. For the most part, though, it’s small pinfish.” People with underlying chronic respiratory problems, such as asthma, should avoid red tide areas, especially when winds are blowing toxins on or near shore, Higginbotham said.