Longboat year in review: 2018

JANUARY

11: So long, Dave! 

Dave Bullock retired from town service on Jan. 12 after more than six years. At age 67, he said he wanted to fish more and spend time on his boat. Among his chief achievements for the town: securing an agreement with the county to revamp Bayfront Park, getting the ball rolling on the town’s plan to bury its utility lines, purchase of the Amore property to pave the way for the Arts, Cultural and Education Center and the construction of two sand-saving groins on the north end of the island.

11: Quick action

A fishing guide’s quick action on a cold, windy day likely saved a group of canoers from serious injury. Taylor Rahn, while on a charter with clients, spotted a raised oar in the distance on a choppy Sarasota Bay and raced over to investigate. Three boys and two men had been in the 60-degree water for an hour and took them to safety at Cannons Marina. The boys were flown via helicopter to a children’s hospital in St. Petersburg.

18: In the service to the town

Longtime Public Works Director Juan Florensa retired after 17 years on the job. During his tenure, he oversaw construction of Longboat Key Town Hall, the Public Tennis Center, the Police Department building and Public Works Department Building. Perhaps away from the public eye, but no more important, was his first project on the island – an upgrade of the town’s 48 sewer pumps.

FEBRUARY

1: Help if you need it

 A new ambulance arrived for Longboat Key Fire-Rescue, replacing a rig with 84,000 miles and more than 4,400 hours of service. The new machine was custom-built and marked a color scheme change, from white with yellow stripes to white with red stripes. Additionally, a lot of new features were built in, as suggested by a panel of the town's firefighters.

8: Up (early) and over

3,500 runners went up and over Ringling Bridge and around St. Armands Circle and back again as part of the Sarasota Music Half-Marathon and Rockin’ 10K. The kicker? Musicians are stationed along the way, everything from hard rock to classical. They’ll do it again Feb. 3, 2019.

15: A lot of paws

Bayfront Park’s dog park got so popular the paws of its visitors wore down the grass quickly. Dozens of dogs paid a visit to the spot once season began, sending the town looking for answers.

MARCH

1: Tough to live with

Neighbors’ complaints about a construction project on Buttonwood Drive resulted in a town-ordered work stoppage. Town inspectors detailed several instances of code violations.

1: Talking trash

Sea Gate resident Ellen Levine wanted to recycle cardboard shipping boxes, but her building wouldn’t allow it. Eventually, though, building management and the recycling company came to an agreement on the size of ecycling bins, which was hoped to alleviate Levine’s issue.

22: And the winners are. . . 

 Ken Schneier won election to the Town Commission, filling a vacant seat left by Terry Gans, who was not able to seek re-election because of term limits. Scheier, who had served on the Planning & Zoning Board, defeated John Weber 65% to 35%. Ed Zunz defeated challenger Randy Langley by about four percentage points, and Irwin Pastor easily won re-election over Jack Wilson. 

APRIL

5: Eggs on the loose

When Easter rolls around to Casa Del Mar, can cuteness be far behind? Natalie and Kat Jacobs wouldn’t argue. The pink-dressed siblings were among the dozens of kids who swarmed the beach resort on April 1 to hunt for Easter eggs.

26: Born here, on purpose

A tree might have grown in Brooklyn, but the baby of two Brooklynites vacationing in Lido Key was born in Sarasota – by design. Dina and Austin Scherer didn’t want baby Charlie born in New York City. Too cold, too much snow, and they didn’t like the hospitals there. So, they moved to Lido Key for a while and made delivery plans at Sarasota Memorial Hospital. At 7 a.m., March 28, after an Uber ride over the causeway, Charlie was born.

MAY

10: There she is . . . 

Mary Gratehouse, then 57, surprised even herself in winning the Ms. Florida International pageant in Orlando. The Longboat Key resident said she hadn’t competed in pageants for 30 years, but was driven to participate in the Ms. Sarasota event by her passion for the Easterseals charity and the encouragement of her son.

10: Let there be lights

 With a $50 million plan already in place to bury utility lines throughout the town, the next question turned to one of design and style. With powerline poles disappearing in the next few years, new streetlights became front and center. But what kind? The town has about $6.3 million to spend on outfitting the town with new lighting.

JUNE

7: Waves of worry

Tropical storm season brought an early and significant effect to Longboat Key. Subtropical storm Alberto’s wind and waves overwashed portions of Greer Island, ruining a path cut through the mangroves for emergency use. What had been a broad route for police and fire personnel to drive all-terrain vehicles through came littered with roots and stumps.

JULY

5: Down goes Pattigeorge's

Heavy equipment moved in at the site of the former Pattigeorge’s restaurant to tear down the aging building and make way for Columbia Restaurant Group to develop The Buccaneer. The new restaurant, which probably won’t open until 2020, is planned as an homage to the original Buccaneer Inn, opened in 1957 by Herb Field, and purchased in 1997 by Dr. Murray “Murf” Klauber and his son, Tommy Klauber. It closed in 2016.

12: Celebrating independence

 Three cheers for the red, white and blue …. And the way Longboat Key celebrates those three colors on the Fourth of July. Billed as The World’s Shortest Parade, the celebration more than makes up for it’s sparse distance with pure spirit. Susan Phillips was Grant Marshal of the 16th annual event that attracts kids, grownups and plenty of dogs.

26: Welcome ashore

Considering the time and effort spent each year protecting and preserving sea turtles and their nests, it’s no wonder the critters get as much ink as they do. At mid-season, turtle nesting was off a smidge from the year before, but that didn’t really set off any alarms. The previous seasons had been so successful, no one really expected that torrid pace to continue. Meanwhile, code enforcement agents stepped up enforcement of light and beach obstruction regulations.

AUGUST

2: End of an era

Down goes the Colony. Well, a wooden balcony, anyway. After several dates and delays, heavy machinery rolled on to the property at 1620 Gulf of Mexico Drive to begin the process of tearing down the buildings that once made up the Colony Beach & Tennis Resort. In the days that followed, windows were dismantled, furniture recovered and any asbestos removed. By November, it was all gone.

9: Businesses see red

Red tide effects swooped into the area in late July and early August. Dead fish and other animals washed into canals and on to beaches, along with a stench many people found hard to take. Businesses, too, noted the effects at the cash register, though many  of them were grateful the outbreak struck in late summer, when traffic drops off a bit anyway.

9: A little help for school

More than two dozen happy students walked out of the Longboat Key Club’s Island House dining room with smiles on their faces and a lot more. They were recipients of the Longboat Ket Kiwanis Club’s annual scholarships. The 27 college-bound students each received $5,000 toward their studies. “When I cash this check, hopefully it will bring a little sunshine to Boston,’’ said Liam Hines, who was bound for Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

16: A new visitor

Coyote sightings, which had begun in mid-July, really began ramping up in August from one end of the island to the other. The reports rose to the level of persuading the town to partner with Florida Wildlife Conservation Commission in conducting a public workshop on the animal. At the time, it was theorized one coyote was on the island. Experts at the workshop raised the possibility of four.

SEPTEMBER

6: R and R coming soon

 Fire Marshal Lou Gagliardi retired after a career as a first responder. The 67-year-old had been Fire Marshal for 12 years in town, but had been a public-safety officer, which was a hybrid position that involved law enforcement and fire-rescue in the Broward County town of Oakland Park.

13: A 9-11 tradition

Town workers once ahead upheld the tradition of honoring those who died in the 2001 terror attacks by placing 2,977 American Flags along Gulf of Mexico Drive. The tradition began in Longboat Key in 2002.

20: Superheroes

 The Nock brothers – Eugene, John and Bello – could be superheroes with all the gear they collect. Batman gear, that is. The trio own an original Batmobile, along with a Batcopter and the Batman-Robin motorcycle. The next piece they’re after? Batgirl’s motorcycle.

NOVEMBER

8: Like father, like son

 Election night was a particularly successful night for the Buchanan family. Vern Buchanan, who represents much of the area in the U.S. House of Representatives, was re-elected to his post and son James Buchanan won a seat in the Florida House of Representatives.

8: Vroom, vroom

A car show with a distinctly Italian flair took to St. Armands Circle, much to the glee of car lovers and amateur photography buffs. Sponsored by a  Ferrari owners club, the car show raises money annually for Shriners' Children's Hospital. About 35 cars were on display.

15: Coyote takes a stroll

We've been hearing about coyotes since the summer, but on a Sunday in November, one of them decided to step out of the bushes and show himself to his new neighbors. From the golf course, across Gulf of Mexico Drive into Country Club Shores and back again, via the crosswalk, this coyote stopped to relax a few times and mug for the camera. Police and city officials were promptly called and alerted to his presence, but like all of the previous sightings, nothing untoward happened. 

29: Requiem for a heavyweight

On the day after the final piece of his resort empire came tumbling town, the Sarasota area lost a giant: Dr. Murray "Murf" Klauber. The force behind the once iconic and world-famous Colony Beach & Tennis Resort died in his Longboat Key home with family alongside. Friends and former employees said Klauber influenced their own lives and business practices. 

DECEMBER

5: Longtime leader steps aside

 Jim Brown, former mayor and vice mayor and longtime Commissioner and public servant, pulled out of the race for re-election to the Town Commission. With plans to soon live aboard a boat in Longboat Key, Brown told the Longboat Observer he simply wanted a break from the people's work. 

6: Coming soon, something new

 With the final piece of the Colony Beach & Tennis Club demolished, all that remained of the once-thriving site was a 17-acre empty lot and a few piles of rubble and debris. By late December, the debris was supposed to be gone, soon to be replaced by a smooth, grassy surface suitable for public gatherings. Oh, and a public gathering -- the Longboat Key Kiwanis Club Foundation's Gourmet Lawn Party -- is planned there in March. 

(Reporting and photos by Katie Johns, Suzanne Elliott, Bret Hauf and Eric Garwood)