Why the world comes to Sarasota
Looking Good and Feeling Great, does not happen by accident.
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SEPTEMBER 2015 | 941.349.0194 | ISLAND VISITOR PUBLISHING, LLC | www.SiestaSand.net | COMPLIMENTARY
Sand Backup Plan?
By Roger Drouin
A retired sand mine manager and Siesta advocate think so Retired sand-mine manager Ian McCalla has a novel idea for the area’s largest proposed coastal project. McCalla, former manager of SMR Aggregates Inc., believes the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the City of Sarasota have been looking in all the wrong places for sand sources for the $19 million Lido Key Hurricane and Storm Damage Reduction Project. Instead of the controversial plan to dredge sand from Big Pass, those who are heading up the project should be looking inland for sand sources, McCalla believes. Sand from mines — such as SMR Aggregates in east Sarasota County or other sand and gravel mines in the state — would be less costly and could be a reliable source of sand that can be matched to existing beach grains. “It’s sand that comes from millions
BEACH WEDDING
Beach wedding on alluring Siesta Beach
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CORKSCREW DELI
Deli food galore at Corkscrew Deli
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of years ago,” McCalla says, “No chemicals are involved. The sand is passed over different grades of screens. It is washed and would be nice and white.” That’s because mined sand can be refined, through a process using different filtering screens, into different grades — from mason sand to fine, “glass,” quartz sand consistent with the sand found on Siesta’s beaches, McCalla said. “Why are we getting involved with dredging?” asks McCalla, who believes bringing in mined sand would be less expensive because it bypasses the cost of dredging sand, in which a contractor often charges millions just to mobilize a dredging vessel. Although mined sand itself is fairly inexpensive, the bulk of the cost would be trucking expenses. There are some drawbacks to
this former mine manager’s plan, including heavy truck traffic on roadways, and because mined sand is not typically used for beach projects, it is unknown whether state and federal officials would issue a permit for a mined-sand renourishment. But Catherine Luckner, beach advocate and vice president of the Siesta Key Association sees promise in the concept of mined sand. In a separate effort, Luckner, who does not know McCalla, has been talking about the possibility of using mined sand, instead of sand dredged from the pass, to buffer Lido beach. Luckner began advocating for exploring this option after she learned about white mined sand being used to partially rebuild a stretch of stormbattered shore on north Longboat Key.
Beach Ballerina See story on page 2
Continued on page 24
Frozen Tundra to Tropical Paradise Island resident Karen Koblenz was raised in Green Bay, Wisconsin, born to parents who showed great love and commitment. Her dad worked for the City of Green Bay. Her mom was diagnosed with MS in her early twenties while still shepherding 3 pre-school children. In spite of enormous difficulties, her mother maintained a happy frame of mind and never complained. Both parents kept a positive, can-do attitude, which served as Karen’s lifelong inspiration. Eventually, the illness went into remission. Today, Karen’s 78 year old mother still lives at home with her loving husband. Karen says: “I am so proud of them! Talk about strength of character.” At a recent family wedding, Karen’s cousins told her when they thought of true sweethearts, they thought of her parents. The couple has so much mutual respect! Karen was a cheerleader in High School, and played the Ann Margaret role of Kim MacAfee in their production of Bye Bye Birdie. Karen also tried out for the football team because she wanted to write an article about football from a girl’s perspective. She was awarded a THE GOLDEN KEY award for that story. In spite of this
By Diana Colson
impressive start, her journalism skills would remain dormant for a number of years. Karen married at the age of 19, and soon gave birth to a son (Michael) and daughter (Danielle). Her then-husband was in the service, and they lived on several posts. Karen worked, but only at the kinds of jobs that enabled her to stay at home most of the time. She took a weekend position at a major hospital where she was in charge of the entire housekeeping staff – a position of enormous responsibility for such a young woman. Later, she held a position managing more than 120 HUD properties, because it meant she could work from home. Finally, when Danielle was ready to enter Kindergarten, Karen’s youthful interest in journalism reemerged. She began to work for a series of publications. She started off at a daily newspaper in Cadillac, Michigan, and became involved with advertising and sales. From this position Karen moved to Beaver Dam, Wisconsin where her primary job was New Business Development for a group of newspapers. Continued on page 28
SAND CASTLES
LOCAL MAPS & INFORMATION
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