Category Archives: Siesta Key

Siesta stormwater project set to go out for bid in November

Posted on September 13, 2012 by Rachel Brown Hackney

Open house on beach improvements set for October Sarasota County probably will put the Siesta stormwater project out for bid in November, with the bid award expected in February, the project manager told members of the Siesta Key Association during … Continue reading →

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Suspect in Siesta case facing more charges

Posted on September 13, 2012 by Rachel Brown Hackney

A man whom Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office deputies had arrested in early August in connection with fraudulent credit card use on Siesta Key is facing additional charges, the Sheriff’s Office has reported. George Dale Jr., 32, of 9312 Poplar Ave., … Continue reading →

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Down and out on Siesta Key

Posted on September 13, 2012 by David Staats

An article in a recent issue of a local weekly reported that a vagrant had been discovered squatting in a building on the north end of Siesta Key. The building, located at 5011 Ocean Blvd., had once been home to … Continue reading →

Posted in City of Sarasota, Commentary, Downtown Sarasota, Neighborhoods, Nonprofit News, Sarasota People, Siesta Key | Comments Off

Noise, sound pollution ordinances’ sunset could be extended

Posted on September 13, 2012 by Rachel Brown Hackney

Noise ordinance could become part of zoning code The Sarasota County Commission will hold a public hearing on Sept. 25 to determine whether the sunset dates for the county’s Noise and Air and Sound Pollution ordinances should be extended for … Continue reading →

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Documented Siesta Village maintenance costs about $131,000 below assessments

Posted on September 13, 2012 by Rachel Brown Hackney

A gap of almost $131,000 exists between expenses Sarasota County has documented for its upkeep of Siesta Village over the past year and the total amount of special assessments the property owners in the Village Public Improvement District paid for … Continue reading →

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News Briefs for Sept. 14, 2012

Posted on September 13, 2012 by Rachel Brown Hackney

International Coastal Cleanup planned for Sept. 15 Keep Sarasota County Beautiful is seeking volunteers to participate in the 2012 International Coastal Cleanup from 8 a.m. until noon on Saturday, Sept. 15. A Siesta Key Association team of volunteers will clean … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Environmental News, Health & Medicine, Parks and Recreation, Sarasota County, Siesta Key, Transportation | Comments Off

Beach Access 5 work rescheduled for Sept. 11

Posted on September 10, 2012 by Rachel Brown Hackney

Because of weather conditions, the closure of the Siesta Beach Access 5 parking lot at the intersection of Ocean Boulevard and Beach Road will has been rescheduled to Tuesday, Sept. 11, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sarasota County has … Continue reading →

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Fraudulent credit card usage continuing in Siesta Village

Posted on September 6, 2012 by Rachel Brown Hackney

Siesta Village businesses are continuing to grapple with the use of fraudulent credit cards, several members reported during the Sept. 4 meeting of the Siesta Key Village Association. “We’ve been dinged a few times,” Keith Cipielewski, co-owner of the Siesta … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Siesta Key | Comments Off

Buses to bring Crystal Classic visitors through Siesta Village

Posted on September 6, 2012 by Rachel Brown Hackney

A co-chairwoman of the 2012 Siesta Key Crystal Classic Master Sandsculpting Competition had good news this week for Siesta Village businesses. Plans call for buses transporting people to the event to use the north bridge and travel through Siesta Village … Continue reading →

Posted in Arts & Entertainment, Siesta Key, Tourism, Visual Arts | Comments Off

Siesta Seen: Pocket park proposal on hold

Posted on September 6, 2012 by Rachel Brown Hackney

Wonder what became of the proposal for a pocket park on that 1-acre vacant lot facing the Gulf of Mexico just north of Siesta Village? Christine P. Johnson, president of the Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast, told me the … Continue reading →

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Siesta Key business owners not giving up on permanent No. 1 beach signs

Posted on September 6, 2012 by Rachel Brown Hackney

They won’t take “No” for an answer. Siesta Village business owners are determined to find some way to maintain permanent signage about Siesta Public Beach’s No. 1 ranking in 2011 on Dr. Stephen P. Leatherman’s list of the top U.S. … Continue reading →

Posted in Sarasota County, Siesta Key, Tourism | Comments Off

News Briefs for Sept. 7

Posted on September 6, 2012 by Staff Reports

Access 5 parking lot to be closed Sept. 10 The Siesta Beach Access 5 parking lot, at the intersection of Ocean Boulevard and Beach Road will be closed from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Sept. 10, during construction at … Continue reading →

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Siesta Public Beach improvements on SKA agenda

Posted on September 5, 2012 by Rachel Brown Hackney

The project manager for the Siesta Public Beach Park improvements will be the special guest during the monthly Siesta Key Association meeting on Sept. 6 at St. Boniface Episcopal Church. Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce President Mark Smith reported during … Continue reading →

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Siesta theft suspects caught on tape

Posted on September 5, 2012 by Rachel Brown Hackney

The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office has released surveillance video of two suspects using allegedly stolen credit cards at Macy’s, with the hope the video will help officers identify and catch the thieves. The credit cards reportedly were taken from the … Continue reading →

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Business concerns sought in advance of walk-through with Siesta Village maintenance contractor

Posted on September 4, 2012 by Rachel Brown Hackney

With a new contractor preparing to take over the Siesta Village upkeep on Sept. 10, county staff and Siesta Key Village Maintenance Corp. Chairman Mark Smith will take a final walk through the Village on Sept. 7 with representatives of … Continue reading →

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Village Association to hold monthly meeting Sept. 4

Posted on August 31, 2012 by Rachel Brown Hackney

The Siesta Key Village Association will hold its monthly meeting at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 4, at the Daiquiri Deck Raw Bar, with updates scheduled on noise issues and crosswalks in Siesta Village. Members also will discuss the third … Continue reading →

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FPL easement granted for stormwater project on Siesta

Posted on August 30, 2012 by Rachel Brown Hackney

With no comment, the Sarasota County Commission on Aug. 21 voted unanimously to grant a permanent utility easement to Florida Power and Light Co. for “the construction, operation, and maintenance” of underground and above-ground electrical utility facilities to accommodate the … Continue reading →

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Earlier schedule announced for construction of Midnight Pass Road crosswalks

Posted on August 30, 2012 by Rachel Brown Hackney

An earlier schedule for the construction of pedestrian crosswalks on Midnight Pass Road should ensure completion before Thanksgiving, the project consultant told The Sarasota News Leader this week. Instead of beginning in October, as originally planned, the project will get … Continue reading →

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New Siesta Village maintenance contractor expected to start work Sept. 10

Posted on August 30, 2012 by Rachel Brown Hackney

Sarasota County staff is working on a purchase order that should allow the new Siesta Village maintenance contractor to start work on Sept. 10, The Sarasota News Leader has learned. Mark Smith, chairman of the Siesta Key Village Maintenance Corp., … Continue reading →

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Siesta Beach plan details expected to be ready for stakeholders’ review this week

Posted on August 30, 2012 by Rachel Brown Hackney

The Sarasota County project manager responsible for the Siesta Public Beach Park improvements plan hopes to have clearly organized details of that plan available by the end of this week for Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce Chairman Mark Smith and … Continue reading →

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Ask Otus: ‘Catch of the Day’ and bobcats

Posted on August 27, 2012 by Otus Rufous

Otus Rufous, an Eastern Screech-Owl, was born on Siesta Key and is a full-time resident there. An avid hunter, accomplished vocalist and genuine night owl, Otus is a keen observer of our local wildlife and knows many of nature’s secrets. … Continue reading →

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Ask Otus: The truth about tegus

Posted on August 23, 2012 by Otus Rufous

Otus Rufous, an Eastern Screech-Owl, was born on Siesta Key and is a full-time resident there. An avid hunter, accomplished vocalist and genuine night owl, Otus is a keen observer of our local wildlife and knows many of nature’s secrets. … Continue reading →

Posted in Ask Otus, Environmental News, Siesta Key, Wildlife | Comments Off

FDOT nixes beach ball signs

Posted on August 23, 2012 by Rachel Brown Hackney

The Florida Department of Transportation has ended Siesta residents’ dreams of seeing yellow-and-white beach ball signs replace the brown Siesta No. 1 Beach signs at Sarasota County Area Transit stops. An Aug. 20 memo to the County Commission from Rob … Continue reading →

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Code Enforcement Office gets OK for overtime hours

Posted on August 23, 2012 by Rachel Brown Hackney

Pointing out that code enforcement complaints after hours and on weekends aren’t just noise-related, the Sarasota County Commission this week unanimously approved inclusion of overtime hours in the next fiscal year budget for officers to handle those complaints. At the … Continue reading →

Posted in Neighborhoods, Sarasota County, Siesta Key | Comments Off

County crews continuing their battle with seaweed

Posted on August 23, 2012 by Rachel Brown Hackney

Sarasota County crews have removed more than 300 tons of seaweed from county beaches since July 1, county officials have announced. County staff and inmates from the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Offender Work Program are continuing the effort to clean beaches … Continue reading →

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County commissioners oppose stockpiling of fill material in plain sight of Beach Road

Posted on August 23, 2012 by Rachel Brown Hackney

Material from stormwater project could save beach plan expenses Stockpiling material excavated at the Siesta Key Public Beach park for the stormwater drainage project on-site could save the county about $250,000 and prove less disruptive for Siesta Key residents, the … Continue reading →

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County Commission rejects settlement offer in Siesta property owner’s lawsuit

Posted on August 23, 2012 by Rachel Brown Hackney

On a 3-2 vote Aug. 21, the Sarasota County commissioners rejected a $277, 219.22 settlement offer from Siesta Village property owner Chris Brown in a lawsuit alleging the county singled Brown out in charging excessive parking assessments on his 2010 … Continue reading →

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Siesta Village maintenance contract awarded

Posted on August 23, 2012 by Rachel Brown Hackney

No date yet on when firm will start work Almost exactly a year and a week after Sarasota County took over maintenance of Siesta Village, the County Commission on Aug. 21 unanimously approved awarding a new contract for that work … Continue reading →

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Tourism figures tell the story: The visitors keep on coming

Posted on August 23, 2012 by Rachel Brown Hackney

Riding on waves of tourist enthusiasm engendered by Siesta Public Beach’s No. 1 ranking, Sarasota County businesses relished a huge comeback in the summer of 2011 after the dour summer of 2010. The beach publicity wiped clean the remnants of … Continue reading →

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County team to continue outreach to Casey Key homeowners

Posted on August 23, 2012 by Rachel Brown Hackney

Effort under way to inform residents about watermain project Members of the project team involved in the replacement of the watermain between south Siesta Key and north Casey Key were able to find only eight of 43 homeowners when they … Continue reading →

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Arrest made in Siesta bridge hit-and-run case

Posted on August 22, 2012 by Rachel Brown Hackney

On Aug. 21, Gary F. O’Callaghan, 37, of 5159 Oxford Drive, was arrested and charged in connection with an Aug. 1 hit-and-run incident on the north Siesta Bridge that resulted in the injury of a worker involved in the bridge’s … Continue reading →

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Crews continuing seaweed removal from Siesta and Lido beaches

Posted on August 20, 2012 by Rachel Brown Hackney

Sarasota County crews began seaweed cleanup operations on Siesta Public Beach today, Aug. 20, with the cleanup expected to last through Wednesday, Aug. 22, a county news release reports. A cleanup of Lido Beach, 400 Ben Franklin Drive, Sarasota, will begin Thursday, … Continue reading →

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Siesta stakeholder groups to work together on suggestions to pare costs of beach improvements plan

Posted on August 17, 2012 by Rachel Brown Hackney

Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce President Mark Smith has volunteered his expertise as an architect in an effort to keep the planned Siesta Public Beach improvements as a high priority for the Sarasota County Commission, he told members of the … Continue reading →

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Crystal Classic to return to Siesta beach Nov. 8-12

Posted on August 17, 2012 by Rachel Brown Hackney

Fort Myers Beach event’s schedule no longer a conflict Brian Wigelsworth saw it as an opportunity to show his fellow master sandsculptors that the Siesta Key beach was the best place in the world for a major competition. Siesta business … Continue reading →

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SKA seeks evaluation of Code Enforcement Office’s staffing patterns

Posted on August 17, 2012 by Rachel Brown Hackney

The Siesta Key Association Board of Directors has asked the Sarasota County Commission to authorize an evaluation of staffing patterns in the county’s Code Enforcement Office before any decision is made about overtime hours for any employees in that office. … Continue reading →

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Only one snowy plover chick apparently left on Siesta

Posted on August 17, 2012 by Rachel Brown Hackney

Sarasota Audubon members had high hopes last week that a few snowy plover chicks might survive the 2012 nesting season on Siesta Key. However, as of the middle of this week, it appeared only one chick still was roaming the … Continue reading →

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Casey Key residents threaten to block access to road for watermain project

Posted on August 17, 2012 by Rachel Brown Hackney

Three residents on Casey Key have indicated they will block access to the North Casey Key Road for a watermain project unless the contractor meets demands they have made, Sarasota County’s interim utilities program manager notified County Administrator Randall Reid … Continue reading →

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Two men charged with using fake credit cards in Siesta Village

Posted on August 9, 2012 by Rachel Brown Hackney

The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office has arrested two men who allegedly were using fraudulent credit cards to buy gift cards and other items throughout Siesta Key Village. In June, George Dale, 32, with no known local address, purchased a $200 … Continue reading →

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Siesta seen: Thieves targeting Impalas

Posted on August 9, 2012 by Rachel Brown Hackney

While the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office is trying to crack down on vehicle burglaries at Siesta’s beaches, Code Enforcement officers are trying to crack down on illegal parking in residential areas on the island, Sgt. Scott Osborne told members of … Continue reading →

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County administrator to weigh in on Code Enforcement overtime hours

Posted on August 9, 2012 by Rachel Brown Hackney

Sarasota County’s two noise-related ordinances to sunset Nov. 18 Because the Sarasota County Commission has not authorized the hiring of additional Code Enforcement Office employees, staff will discuss with County Administrator Randall Reid how to proceed with overtime hours to … Continue reading →

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County reducing signage at boat ramps, beach accesses

Posted on August 9, 2012 by Rachel Brown Hackney

George Tatge has been the go-to guy for Sarasota County over the past few weeks as seaweed has washed up on shore. At the same time he’s been overseeing crews collecting that seaweed, he’s also been engaged in a different … Continue reading →

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More snowy plover chicks anticipated to hatch on Siesta

Posted on August 9, 2012 by Rachel Brown Hackney

After the devastation of Tropical Storm Debby and losses to natural predation earlier this summer, Siesta Key’s birdwatchers finally found two tiny rays of hope last week. Catherine Luckner, president of the Siesta Key Association and a Sarasota Audubon volunteer, … Continue reading →

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Total county damage from Debby estimated at $7 million

Posted on August 9, 2012 by Rachel Brown Hackney

Damage resulting from Tropical Storm Debby in the municipalities of Sarasota County and in the unincorporated parts of the county combined has been estimated at $7 million, Ed McCrane, the county’s emergency management chief, told members of the Siesta Key … Continue reading →

Posted in Sarasota County, Siesta Key, Weather | Comments Off

Suspect identified in hit-and-run incident on north Siesta bridge

Posted on August 9, 2012 by Rachel Brown Hackney

Sarasota Police Department detectives have identified a vehicle that might have been involved in the hit-and-run incident on the north Siesta bridge on Aug. 1, Capt. Paul Sutton told The Sarasota News Leader Aug. 9. “We have identified a suspect,” … Continue reading →

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County planning and development director to be guest at Village Association meeting

Posted on August 6, 2012 by Rachel Brown Hackney

Rob Lewis, director of planning and community development for Sarasota County, and Jon Mast, representing the Business Center Operations office in Lewis’ department, will be special guests during the Tuesday, Aug. 7 meeting of the Siesta Key Village Association. In … Continue reading →

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DUI arrests up through May on Siesta Key

Posted on August 2, 2012 by Rachel Brown Hackney

The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office recorded almost a 31% increase in DUI arrests on Siesta Key for the first five months of 2012 compared to the same period in 2011, Sheriff’s Office records show. Deputies logged 71 DUI arrests from … Continue reading →

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Final suspect arrested in Hibiscus Inn armed robbery

Posted on August 2, 2012 by Rachel Brown Hackney

The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office has arrested the final suspect in an armed robbery that occurred at the Hibiscus Inn on Stickney Point Road on July 13, the office has announced. Detectives determined that Raheem “Bubba” Maxwell, 21, of 2309 … Continue reading →

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Seaweed to be cleaned up on Siesta Aug. 3

Posted on August 1, 2012 by Rachel Brown Hackney

With seaweed continuing to wash up on Sarasota County beaches, county workers tackled Lido Beach on Thursday, Aug. 2, George Tatge, manager of the county’s Parks and Recreation Department, notified the county commissioners this week. Cleanup will proceed on Siesta … Continue reading →

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Worker injured in hit-and-run incident on north Siesta bridge

Posted on August 1, 2012 by Rachel Brown Hackney

The Sarasota Police Department is asking anyone with information about a hit-and-run incident with injury on the north Siesta Bridge early this morning to contact the department at 941-364-7323. A construction worker, 60-year-old Larry Norris of Lakeland, sustained broken bones … Continue reading →

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Storm readiness and recovery to be focus of SKA meeting

Posted on July 30, 2012 by Rachel Brown Hackney

Editor’s note: This article has been updated with new information. Ed McCrane, Sarasota County’s emergency management chief, and George Tatge, a county parks and recreation manager, will be special guests of the Siesta Key Association during its monthly meeting on … Continue reading →

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