S I E S TA S A RA S OTA
Pelican Press AN OBSERVER NEWSPAPER
INSIDE
60379
THURSDAY, JULY 14, 2011
bridge project By Rachel Brown Hackney | Managing Editor
Keep traffic moving SKA board members urged FDOT officials to ensure smooth traffic management.
DIVERSIONS Meet Leon Pitts, the romantic, sweet-talking teddy bear of a man who will perform in the Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe’s summer shows, ‘Soul Crooners’ and ‘Dynamic Duets of the ’70s.’
NEIGHBORHOOD
A TWO-HOUR TOUR
13A
LeBarge Tropical Cruises takes cruisers on a tour of Sarasota Bay, Siesta Key and the surrounding areas. Dolphin sightings and spectacular sunsets are common occurrences.
Can you dig it?
20A
The Siesta Key Gulf Open, part of the Dig the Beach volleyball series, storms Siesta Key Beach.
4
CELEBRATING
YEARS
1971-2011
INDEX
Business directory.........27A Classifieds................... 27A Community Calendar......10A Cops Corner..................10A Crossword.....................26A Opinion..........................6A Real Estate...................25A
Vol. 41, No. 52 | Two sections YourObserver.com
Norman Schimmel
When repairs of the North Siesta Bridge begin at night in June 2012, the bridge will continue to open for boat traffic, Florida Department of Transportation officials say.
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR by Matt Walsh | Editor / CEO
Pelican Press going back to its roots Greetings, Pelican Press readers and advertisers. This edition of the Pelican Press marks the completed transition of the Pelican Press’ ownership from Milwaukee-based Journal Community Publishing Group to our company, The Observer Group Inc., locally owned and publisher of the Sarasota Observer, Longboat Observer, East County Observer and Gulf Coast Business Review and the Palm Coast Observer on the east coast of Florida. Our staff of 75 is excited about
the opportunity to build on the Pelican Press’ outstanding 40year tradition of serving this community. Straight away, you’re going to see some changes this week. They are not dramatic, but they no doubt may ruffle longtime Pelican Press readers who have come to view this community newspaper with the same affection as that favorite pair of old shoes — those comfy, trusted shoes that are an everyday part of your life. Before long, our hope is that
you still will feel that way — and then some — about the Pelican Press. That’s our challenge. We’re energized to take it on. One step in that direction is this: We’re taking the Pelican Press back to its founding roots — the community newspaper and primary source of news and information about Siesta Key and for Siesta Key residents and business owners. Those roots go back to March 1971 when a young pharmacist
SEE PELICAN / PAGE 2A
Smooth traffic management and a completed project before tourist season begins in earnest. Those were the foremost concerns voiced July 7, when the Siesta Key Association Board of Directors hosted Florida Department of Transportation officials for a discussion of the 2012 north Siesta Key bridge rehabilitation project. That project will be bid out in December, Jon Sands, FDOT construction engineer for District 1, told the audience of about 10 people gathered at St. Boniface Episcopal Church. Although bid protests do occur, Sands said, in 99% of cases, projects are awarded within a few days of FDOT’s receipt of bids. Therefore, Sands said, the contractor should have five months to plan how the $3.49 million project will be undertaken. “The whole idea is, June 5 (2012), they will come in and hit the ground running,” he said. Thirteen extra days have been included to accommodate holiday traffic for the Fourth of July and Labor Day, Sands pointed out. A contractor cannot bid to exceed a 133-day schedule, he added. When board member Ann Kaplan asked about bridge closures, Sands emphasized the work will be undertaken at night — 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. — with one lane of the bridge remaining open. With this contract, Sands said, FDOT is providing a $7,500-perday incentive for early completion. Likewise, he said, if the project exceeds the allowed time, the contractor will be fined $7,500 per day. The incentive/disincentive maximum is $150,000, he said. When rain interrupts more than 50% of a work day, Sands said, the contractor will not be penalized. The primary work will be the replacement of the bridge decking, said Bronoris Pye, structures engineer for the project. Renovation of the bridge-tender house also will be undertaken, he said. If that
SEE BRIDGE / PAGE 8A
‘Ears to the ground’ When John and Elizabeth Davidson published the first edition of The Key News to the Key, one of the tiny boxed articles on page 5 of the sixpage paper said:
Special Notice
“We have our ears to the ground but we may not hear it all, so if you have any news, tidbits about yourself, your friends or the Key, please contact us.” That same message holds true today. Contact Rachel Brown Hackney at the Pelican Press at 349-4949 or email her at rhackney@yourobserver.