WHAT'S HAPPENING | Week of May 14, 2015

St. Armands BID seeks more event scrutiny

At Tuesday’s St. Armands Business Improvement District meeting, St. Armands leaders expressed concern about two events scheduled during the height of season in 2016.

Those events — both art festivals — will take place on Lido Key in February and April next year. In the wake of a recently approved moratorium on special events at St. Armands Circle Park during peak season, those present at Tuesday’s meeting worried the Lido events would cause the same problems as Circle events did. 

“If they keep booking these events out there and adding more traffic, it’s going to shut the businesses down,” said Diana Corrigan, executive director of the St. Armands Circle Association.

The board agreed to investigate its options for preventing similar events from popping up in the future and will address the topic at its next meeting.

Closer look

The Sarasota Observer pinpoints where candidates in the City Commission runoff election for District 2 and District 3 had the strongest support on election day Tuesday.

District 2

Precinct 225: Liz Alpert had her largest margin of victory – 71%

Precinct 213: Eileen Normile had her biggest victory – 57%

All it takes is one : Both Alpert and Normile had 100% victories in two precincts with just one vote cast in each. 

Precinct 129: Normile won.

Precinct 205: Alpert won.

District 3

Precinct 131: Stan Zimmerman only won one precinct, with 57%

Precinct 217: Shelli Freeland Eddie’s largest margin of victory – 57%

“This is not all John Ringling’s fault.” 

Jono Miller, environmental activist, disputing the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ assertion that the iconic developer caused the erosion issues on Lido Key.