PelicanPress Happy Fourth of July!
SIESTA KEY
AN OBSERVER NEWSPAPER
Thursday, JULY 5, 2012
IN FOCUS
DIVERSIONS
Commissioner Joe Barbetta advocates for consolidation. PAGE 3A
Musician Jimi Gee marches to his own beat. INSIDE
OUR TOWN + Soccer match is a hit Daiquiri Deck tuned its big screens to the European Championship Sunday, July 1, as soccer fans filled the raw bar area to watch the soccer match between Spain and Italy. There was a lone reporter cheering for the underdog, Italy, and a plethora of redclad Spain supporters whooping for each of the four goals the team scored in the shutout victory. Some lucky customers also had a chance to win with a Daiquiri Deck-hosted raffle for shirts, coozies and a regulation soccer goal, immediately following the match. Kristen Wolfen, who said she received a soccer scholarship to the College of William & Mary, fittingly won the goal.
NEWS
Firecracker 5K runners are off with a bang. PAGE 13A
sand wars By Alex Mahadevan | News Editor
Private beaches post security guards The battle between owners of beachfront property and public-use advocates is on the brink of reigniting. Parties hope to throw water on the debate before it heats up. A line of beach chairs and watercrafts sit peacefully beside the Siesta Key surf in front of Sea Club V. But the calm could soon frenzy, as complaints start to mount about beachfront property owners barring non-residents from their slice of the beach. This
time, there have been reports of a security guard posted at the west end of the public beach to check identification. The issue was re-opened at the Tuesday, July 3, Siesta Key Village Association meeting when Sarasota County Commissioner Nora Patterson broached the subject
and referenced the letters she received the previous weekend. Dave Magee, SKVA member representing the UPS Store and a beachfront property owner, said it was necessary to put a security guard on the beach because nonguests were crowding out paying customers and future guests.
“We have absolutely no option because we’re losing guests like crazy,” he said. Also, he told Patterson he did so at the advice of an attorney, who told him to take action now
SEE PROPERTY / PAGE 2A
WASHED AWAY By Alex Mahadevan | News Editor
+ SKOB wants you to support the troops Siesta Key Oyster Bar, also known as SKOB, will be having a Fourth of July Backyard Grill Out Wednesday, July 4. The traditional backyard grill out will celebrate Independence Day as well as honor those serving in the military. Part owner Beth Owen-Cipielewski’s son is currently serving in Afghanistan. Guests will be encouraged to sign a large banner that will later be sent to the 214th Combat Brigade. In addition, quarterpound hot dogs, barbecue chicken drumsticks and Italian sausages will be grilled for guests. A percentage of the proceeds will help to send care packages to the troops.
Turtle tracks (Incomplete survey due to Tropical Storm Debby) Week of June 23 through 30
Nests on Siesta Key.........14 False crawls.....................23 2012 2011 Nests 212 95 False crawls 219 125
Alex Mahadevan
The rocks in front of Fisherman’s Cove south of Turtle Beach have not been exposed since a 2008 beach nourishment that deposited 150 feet of sand in front of them.
Debby ravages shores of south Siesta The tropical storm eroded nearly 30 feet of Turtle Beach, leaving 50% of sediment placed in 2008 during a $10 million nourishment project. Siesta Key public beach was spared. Dr. Weiqi “Frank” Lin trudged through the sand south of Turtle Beach Friday, June 29 and stopped in front of a wrecked sea wall. He shook his head in amazement while looking at a swimming pool on Blind Pass Lane filled with displaced sand. Workers, who were removing the sand with hoses connected to a construction vehicle, said
the damage could be more than $15,000. Lin, who has a Ph.D. in oceanography and has been an engineer with Sarasota County Coastal Resources for nine years, said Tropical Storm Debby eroded nearly half of the sand placed during a 2008 nourishment project, which cost the county $10 million. He was on Turtle
Beach to assess damage from the storm, which pummeled Sarasota beaches from June 23 until it made landfall near Tallahassee four days later. “It was really weird,” he told the Pelican Press while conducting the field research. “The wind damage was minimal — some signs and fences were blown over — but the beach and dune
erosion is the worst I’ve seen.” The tropical storm moved about four miles per hour in its trek through the Gulf of Mexico and shed swirling bands of wind that were 10 times that fast, according to Lin. Those storm fragments, which were plentiful because of Debby’s slow pace,
SEE DEBBY / PAGE 2A
INDEX Briefs....................4A Classifieds ........ 22A
Cops Corner....... 10A Crossword.......... 21A
Neighborhood.... 13A Opinion .............. 8A
Sports................ 20A Weather............. 21A
Vol. 42, No. 49 | Two sections YourObserver.com