Ringling seeks to fraternize with Village

APRIL FOOLS’ — Residents of the Longbeach Village are used to noise, so they weren’t surprised by the sound in the distance during their March 21 association meeting.

But the noise sounded nothing like the familiar sounds of mating peacocks, drunken debauchery at Mar Vista Dockside Restaurant & Pub or developers plotting.

As the sound grew louder, residents could discern the words, “Toga, toga!” emanating from the Longboat Key Center for the Arts.

Upon investigation, they discovered Kappa Epsilon Upsilon fraternity holding a spring break preparty, with revelers sporting T-shirts reading “Future Longboater” and posting Snapchats with peacocks in the background.

For months, questions about the future of the Ringling College of Art and Design’s presence in the Village have swirled, following Ringling’s announcement of a partnership to bring a cultural facility to a future town center.

Following last week’s rave, Ringling officials confirmed they would use the Arts Center site for an inaugural fraternity site and will consider acquiring adjacent land in the Village for a future frat row if the concept is successful.

A Kappa Epsilon Upsilon representative said the Longbeach Village has several appealing features, including proximity to the bustle of the Whitney Beach bar scene and lax parking restrictions that won’t restrict the traffic of family, friends and prospective brothers to the neighborhood.

Longbeach Village Association officials met Monday to discuss how they should respond to plans.

One option discussed is the creation of a historic district that would eliminate any home, vehicle, or technology created post-1955 to preserve the Old Florida feel of the Village.

“We have an old saying in the Longbeach Village,” resident Gilbert Lewis said. “Don’t get mad, get even.”

However, residents nixed the suggested upon learning that both the Arts Center and Mar Vista — unlike the majority of the neighborhood’s homes — predate 1955 and would, thus, be unaffected by a historic district.

Hopefully you made it to the end of the article, so we can say, Happy April Fools' Day! This story is not true.