News Briefs

+ New Pass Bridge repair scheduled for this week
The New Pass Bridge signalization light is broken and is being repaired this week, according to Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) officials.

Vice Mayor David Brenner discovered the bridge light was out when he inquired as to why a state variable message sign was still sitting in the right of way just south of the bridge, even though the Gulf of Mexico Drive paving project was completed weeks ago.

“Some of my constituents called me to complain about the sign, and I was told it’s staying in place until the light is repaired to get motorists to proceed with caution over the bridge,” Brenner said.

A paving contractor truck inadvertently knocked the bridge light out a couple of weeks ago, and FDOT was waiting for a part to repair the light.

The sign, according to FDOT officials, will be removed in two weeks.

+ Firefighter seeks settlement from town
Longboat Key firefighter/paramedic Matt Taylor has informed the town he is considering legal action if the town doesn’t compensate him between $100,000 and $200,000 for what he perceives as defamatory statements made by Longboat Key Police Chief Al Hogle.

Taylor believes a four-sentence e-mail Hogle sent to the town’s human resources manager was aimed at ridiculing and scorning him. In the e-mail, Hogle suggested that a firefighter, who met with Hogle to discuss what he perceives as missing money from his pension, “has very serious mental health issues.”

Taylor, who submitted the e-mail into record, has since completed and passed physical and psychological training tests and is still employed by the town.

+ Mote Marine will hold conference on Gulf habitat
Nearly one year after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, Mote Marine has announced a conference that will highlight habitats and needed protections for the Gulf in the aftermath of the disaster.

“Beyond Horizon” will take place from May 11 to May 13, at Mote and will focus on protecting and preserving the Gulf. The conference will include a discussion of the mechanisms that can be used to develop a more comprehensive approach to managing the Gulf and its resources.

Organizing and supporting groups include Mote, Harte Research Institute, the University of South Florida College of Marine Sciences and the National Marine Sanctuaries Foundation. The conference will be open to the public.

“For Mote, and for all the scientists who study the Gulf, the spill and its effects will remain a key scientific focus for years to come,” said Dr. Kumar Mahadevan, Mote’s president and CEO, in a prepared statement.

“This disaster really helped illustrate the need for more coordinated research efforts Gulf-wide.”

Meetings & Agendas
+  Zoning Board of Adjustment Regular Meeting — 9:30 a.m. Thursday, April 14.
+ Planning and Zoning Board Regular Meeting — 9 a.m. Tuesday, April 19.
+ Town Commission Regular Workshop — 1 p.m. Thursday, April 28.
All meetings take place at Town Hall, 501 Bay Isles Road.

What you missed on the Web

The top-five most read stories online last week were:
• Grand Mariner sells for $9.5 million  (April 13)
• It’s Read Everywhere Photo Contest 2011
• Scene & Heard (April 13)
• Film review: “The Jonestown Defense” (April 6)
• Colony Collapse (Aug. 11)