News Briefs

+ Fish kills sign of mullet season
Fish kills that have been reported at the north end of Longboat Key are likely a by-product of an active commercial fishing period, according to an email from Town Manager David Bullock. The email states that the dead mullet fish have been reported around Longboat Pass, where most mullet fishing is taking place. Town staff continues to monitor the fish and remove them as they accumulate.

+ Town receives reimbursement
The town received a check totaling $1,033,411.50 last week as a partial reimbursement for beach erosion sustained by the town’s shoreline during Tropical Storm Fay. According to a Dec. 23 email from Public Works Director Juan Florensa, FEMA and the state disbursed the funds after reviewing invoices submitted by the town’s finance department.

Fay came ashore near Naples in August 2008 and brought little wind or rainfall to Longboat Key at the time. But the island suffered massive sand loss when the storm turned back around and entered the Gulf again near the Panhandle, with damages totaling approximately $2 million. Florensa wrote that the town expects a second reimbursement of $172,235 in the near future.

+ Kiwanis Club seeks award nominations
The Longboat Key Kiwanis Club is seeking nominations for its annual Citizen of the Year Award.

The award will be presented at the Longboat Key Kiwanis Foundation’s second annual Valentine’s Ball Feb. 14, at the Harbourside Dining Room.

The deadline to submit Citizen of the Year nominees is 5 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 18. Send your nominee’s name, along with a description of why the nominee should be considered, to Kiwanis Club President John Wild, at [email protected] or to Box 8097, Longboat Key, Fla., 34228.

Tickets to the Valentine’s Ball and award presentation will be limited to 105 couples at $85 per person. Proceeds benefit the foundation’s scholarship fund.

To obtain tickets to the Valentine’s Ball, contact Bob Gault, 387-8458, or email [email protected]. You also can purchase tickets at SunTrust Bank, 510 Bay Isles Road, Longboat Key. The ball is black-tie optional and will feature the 42nd St. Big Band from Tampa.

+ Griffin’s novel makes magazine’s Top 10 list
Longboat Key resident H. Terrell “Terry” Griffin’s latest suspense novel, “Collateral Damage,” was named one of the 10 best mystery/suspense novels of 2011 by Suspense Magazine. The list included five New York Times bestsellers. “Collateral Damage” was released nationwide Dec. 5. The book is Griffin’s sixth novel.

+ Planning & Zoning meeting canceled
The Jan. 17 Longboat Key Planning & Zoning Board meeting has been canceled. The next meeting is scheduled for 9 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 21, at Longboat Key Town Hall, 501 Bay Isles Road.

Meetings & agendas
• Code Enforcement Board meeting — 10 a.m. Monday, Jan. 9
• Town Commission regular meeting — 7 p.m. Monday, Jan. 9
• Zoning Board of Adjustment meeting — 9:30 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 12
• Town Commission regular workshop — 2 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 19

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