Why the world comes to Sarasota
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Looking Good and Feeling Great, does not happen by accident.
OCTOBER 2015 | 941.349.0194 | ISLAND VISITOR PUBLISHING, LLC | www.SiestaSand.net | COMPLIMENTARY
A Turtle Beach mainstay since the 50s, marina now has a new owner By Roger Drouin
EDDIE WARD
Island resident gets behind the scenes look at what drives Trump
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SAND CASTLES
Setting anchor for value at The Anchorage
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BEACH WEDDING
The marina on the southern end of Siesta Key dates back to the 1950s when it was originally called Dixon’s Marina, and there weren’t any condos in the area and a fish camp was located nearby. Dixon’s Marina was located close to the former Midnight Pass Fishing Camp, which was established in the 1940s and located just to the south, according to documents provided by the Sarasota County History Center and newspaper accounts. A 1965 publication called Motor Boating described Dixon’s Marina as having facilities “for gas and oil, dockage, in and out service and complete motor and boat repairs.” Also at the time, Midnight Pass was open, and the owner of the marina was said to swim across the pass with his dog, recalled Ron Flynn, a realtor and former manager of the marina in the 2000s. Then in the 80s, after the fish camp had closed, a new owner purchased the marina and it became Midnight Pass Marina. In 2003, the marina again changed ownership when four investors purchased the property, renaming it Turtle Beach Marina. Continued on page 28
Historical Photo year 2003 before the boat storage building was torn down. Photo by Ron Flynn
An update on the Lido Beach Renourishment project SKA- Working for You! By Catherine Luckner
Intimate wedding held on Siesta Beach
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WHOS PLAYING TONIGHT
An interview with Russell Donnellon
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NOTES FROM FISHMONGER
Notes from the Island Fishmonger Scott Dolan
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On Sept. 4, nearly six months since the Permit application notice, the Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE) responded to questions (RAI) from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP). Questions from FDEP were extensive regarding the project with multiple areas of focus including project design, wildlife species protection, the requested volume of sand to be dredged, the choice of sand borrow sites and down drift consequences of the groin structure and placement. The FDEP sent their RAI on April 15, 2015 which coincided with the public presentation by the ACOE. The FDEP is reviewing the ACOE response and will determine if it satisfies the RAI or raises additional questions. FDEP Project Manager Chiu Cheng provided guidance on the process. “We will try our best to take any
external comments into consideration. As far as the review process for the response to RAI #1, the response was received on September 4, 2015. With the allotted 30 days to take action on this information, the Department will have to either 1) complete the application, 2) issue a partial response letter (if not all questions were answered in this response) or 3) issue an RAI #2 if some questions were inadequately answered and/or new questions directly develop from any of the responses. The date to undertake any of these actions will be Friday October 2, 2015.” The anticipated third party review by Atkins North America Coastal Engineering has been provided in ‘draft’ format to County Staff. A ‘draft’ is provided in advance of a Final Report to ensure all contracted scope of work was completed. Once reviewed by County Staff, a Final report and Executive summary
is issued. Primary areas of study contract include the following: “physical effects of the proposed shore protection project with focus on: a) The shoreline of Ted Sperling Park b) Siesta and Lido Key Beaches, c) Navigation in Big Sarasota Pass, d) the north shoreline of Siesta Key adjacent to the Pass, e) the no-action alternative”. County Staff have up to ten days for review and Atkins seven days to submit the Final Report. According to County Coastal Resource Manager, Laird Wreford, the study will be presented in final form to the Board of County Commissioners (BCC) who may then direct communication to FDEP. While this publication, Siesta Sand, and SKA is awaiting the final report to make further comments regarding the study, the draft appears to suggest, at minimum, a second RAI for the ACOE project. Continued on page 18
The Crystal Classic Sand Sculpting Festival scheduled to take place November 13 – 17, is a very large and expensive endeavor. These are the best artists in the world working in sand today. This year we have sculptors coming from Russia, Italy, Holland, Ireland and the Czech Republic, just to name a few. Unfortunately the event’s major sponsor from last year, our first national corporate sponsor, is not returning and other sponsors have been difficult to acquire. More help is needed. See page 8
LOCAL MAPS & INFORMATION
See Page 17