Pelican Press 2.13.14

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PelicanPRESS SIESTA KEY

Happy Valentine’s Day!

FREE • THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2014

AN OBSERVER NEWSPAPER

SAVING TIME Traffic signal preemption shows promise. PAGE 3A

OUR TOWN

groundswell

PUPPY LOVE

DIVERSIONS Residents create iconic lifestyle in one of the oldest homes in town. INSIDE

Children’s Garden raises money for Humane Society. PAGE 1B

by Nolan Peterson | News Editor

Save Our Sand déjà vu surfaces

The creation of a Facebook page called ‘Save Our Siesta Sand 2’ foreshadows a potential sea change in the movement against dredging Big Pass for Lido Beach sand.

Officer Linda Senior, with the Crime Prevention Unit, and Tom Berry, founder of the Blue Alert Foundation

+ Cops of joe Sarasota police officers spent the morning catching up with Sarasota residents over coffee Wednesday, Feb. 5 during “Coffee with a Cop.” Sarasota’s finest socialized with guests at Word of Mouth. Like the coffee, the conversation flowed as guests asked questions and shared concerns. “Coffee with a Cop” is a national initiative geared toward creating and improving relationships between police officers and community members. No word on whether donuts were served.

Opposition to a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers project to mine the Big Pass shoal for Lido Beach is gathering momentum on Siesta Key, provoking a push to resurrect a grassroots movement that successfully blocked a 1992 grab for Big Pass sand. On Dec. 3, someone created a Facebook page dedicated to op-

posing the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers proposal to mine the Big Pass shoal. Its title — “Save Our Siesta Sand 2” — references a 1992 movement on the Key called Save Our Sand, which derailed an effort to take sand from Big Pass to renourish Venice Beach. The original Save Our Sand movement’s tactics ranged from

forming human chains along Siesta Beach to litigation to stall and eventually block the dredging project. Big Pass has never been dredged, and Venice Beach was eventually renourished using offshore sand sources. The creator of “Save Our Siesta Sand 2” remains anonymous, despite listing the Siesta Key Cham-

ber of Commerce’s website as the group’s contact information. The chamber was caught off guard by the page and disavowed all knowledge of or connection to the group. The Facebook page, which has 64 likes, still remains relatively obscure. When brought to the at-

SEE SAND / 11A

FAST FRIENDS

Members of the Bay IslandSiesta Neighborhood Association with the new sign

+ Sign me up If you went over the north bridge to Siesta Key Saturday morning, chances are you saw the Bay Island Siesta Neighborhood Association put up its new sign. The association funded the new sign with a matching grant from the city. The old sign was designed and constructed in 2003.

+ Tax talk Members of the Women’s Republican Club met to discuss school referendum and the tax levy Wednesday at Michael’s On East. The discussion took place at the club’s monthly luncheon and included a debate between Rod Thomson and Jane Goodwin, with Anthony Sawyer acting as moderator. Members of the club participated in the debate, which became heated, according to club President Carol Sawyer. She said it’s important for everyone to explore tough issues, such as taxes.

Harriet Sokmenseur

Lily Thiron and Ashlyn Shelson take a break from riding their tricycles at the Early Care Center of First United Methodist Church’s annual St. Jude Trike-A-Thon Feb. 7. See more photos on page 2B.

SHOPPING DESTINATIONS

by Kurt Schultheis | Staff Writer

New mall shops for Circle merchants St. Armands BID Chairman Marty Rappaport said Benderson officials are willing to buy Circle merchants out of their leases if they commit to moving to the Mall at University Town Center.

The Mall at University Town Center currently consists of mounds of dirt, beams of steel and tons of concrete that are poured at the interchange of University Parkway and Interstate 75. But St. Armands Circle and

downtown Sarasota officials worry that it’s already a threat to their retail destinations miles away. Even though Benderson Development and Taubman Centers don’t expect to complete the 888,000-square-foot, high-end

Mall at University Town Center until October, officials say time is of the essence to preserve their established shopping destinations near the Gulf. That’s because St. Armands Circle Business Improvement District

Chairman Marty Rappaport and Ernie Ritz, chairman of Sarasota’s Downtown Improvement District, say that leasing agents for the mall are actively pursuing their tenants

SEE MALL / PAGE 2A

INDEX Opinion.................8A Classifieds ........ 12B

Cops Corner....... 15A Crossword.......... 11B

Permits................ 9B Real Estate.......... 8B

Sports................ 21A Vol. 44, No. 29 | Three sections YourObserver.com Weather............. 11B


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