News Briefs

Half marathon creates temporary lane closures
The Sarasota Music Half Marathon will cause temporary lane closures beginning at 6:30 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 8.

Runners will race across the Ringling Bridge, around St. Armands Circle, then back over the bridge onto Bayfront Drive. Ringling Bridge traffic will be merged into one lane in each direction.

All St. Armands Circle lanes will be closed from 6:30 to 9 a.m., and traffic will be rerouted.

Longboat Key police are prepared for south-end traffic delays.

Meet commission candidates at Observer debate
The Longboat Observer will host a debate for Longboat Key Town Commission candidates at 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 9, at Bayfront Park Recreation Center, 4052 Gulf of Mexico Drive.

The town’s March 10 general municipal election features two contested races: Jack Daly and Larry Grossman will vie for the District 4 seat, and Gene Jaleski is challenging incumbent Commissioner Phill Younger for an at-large seat. All four candidates have confirmed their attendance.

Voter registration deadline: Feb. 9
The deadline to register to vote in the town’s March 10 general municipal election is Feb. 9. For voter registration information, visit the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections website, votemanatee.com, or the Sarasota Supervisor of Elections website, sarasotavotes.com.

Wanted: Code Board member
The Longboat Key Town Commission declined to nominate Code Enforcement Board applicant Melvyn Sherrow to the board’s vacant seat because he does not live on the Key five months out of the year and would be unable to attend meetings during that time.

Commissioner Phill Younger suggested the commission reduce the seven-member board to five members, but Town Attorney Maggie Mooney-Portale cited a statute stating a code board must be seven members if the town’s population is greater than 5,000.

The town will place an advertisement stating that members must be available to attend the majority of meetings.