Briefs

+ Paving project postponed again
The Sarasota County portion of a Gulf of Mexico Drive repaving project has been postponed again. Heavy rainfall from a stalled low-pressure system delayed the start of the project, Monday, Aug. 23.

Florida Department of Transportation spokesperson Darren Alfonso says scheduling conflicts will delay the start of the project until at least September.

Gulf of Mexico Drive will be resurfaced from the Sarasota-Manatee county line to New Pass Bridge.

The project, which is now expected to be complete in March 2011, involves removing old asphalt and resurfacing the road, shoulder work, curb and gutter modifications and the addition of new sidewalks, pavement markings and necessary highway signs.

There will be temporary lane closures and nighttime work between the hours of 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. Monday through Friday. At Longboat Club Road and Bay Isles Parkway, paving operations will be conducted between the hours of 10 p.m. and 6:30 a.m.

+ Labor Day holiday trash schedule
There will be no Longboat Key garbage or recycling collection on Labor Day, Sept. 6. Garbage will be collected Tuesday, Sept. 7 instead.

Town Hall, the Planning, Zoning and Building Department and the Public Works Department will also be closed on Labor Day.

For more information, call 316-1999.

+ Mote Marine searches for lost tag
Mote Marine Laboratory researchers are asking the public for help finding a missing satellite tag that was used to track a whale shark.

On May 28, the tag was attached to a female whale shark nicknamed “Sara” in order to transmit data about her movements to Mote scientist Dr. Robert Hueter. The information transmitted daily changed July 2 when it began reporting relatively constant temperature readings instead of the variations that would indicate typical dives of a whale shark.

The tag is black, torpedo-shaped and about 6 inches long. It has a black antenna and likely has a wire tether attached.

Call 388-1827 or 1-800-691-MOTE if you spot the tag.


NUMBERS IN THE NEWS
50 — Approximate number of members of the Sarasota-Manatee Originals group.

12 — The number of songs  on Marlene Companaro’s and Sally Keyes’ “Diamonds in the Rough” CD.