LONGBOAT
Observer Longboat Key’s weekly newspaper since 1978
YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
VOLUME 41, NO. 33
Study: LBK coyotes smarter than peers.
PAGE 3A FREE
YOUR TOWN
Round and round . . . until we get it right Italian driving instructor loves Longboaters, wants to help. PAGE 3A
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MONDAY, APRIL 1, 2019
High-tech company pitches free test Entrepreneur offers revolutionary cell-phone tech to Longboat residences. ERIC GARWOOD
Courtesy photo
MANAGING EDITOR
Oooh, la, la, Longboat We promised not to say where, or when, we shot this photo until the signpost was replaced, but it’s likely the town will no longer do business with a cut-rate French signmaker ever again. San Tropez-based Worldwide Signs was recently the low-bidder for a town contract to build a batch of new beach-access informational pylons, designed to be easily understood by Americans and international visitors alike. But, there was a problem. One sign bound for parts unknown was mixed in with the rest of the order, which arrived and was installed in late February. Where in the world the more restrictive (and farmore respectable) Longboat Key-spec’ed sign was installed is unknown.
Fab Five coming to Longboat The cast of TV’s “Queer Eye,” Jonathan Van Ness, Antoni Porowski, Bobby Berk, Tan France and Karamo Brown, are scheduled to appear on April 1 at the Shoppes of Bay Isles. Known for their witty banter and high-style solutions to everyday gaffes in grooming, fashion, dining and culture, the Fab Five are scheduled to arrive at 5 p.m. “Who gave us permission?” Van Ness asked an Observer reporter. “You’re the ones still wearing Crocs. This is a rescue mission, not a TV show taping.”
Courtesy rendering
Italian visitor Enzo Cappucino has proposed paying for and building a practice roundabout on the former Colony Beach & Tennis Resort property and will teach lessons for “too polite” Americans.
Protected species found Tiny mammal could cause big delays in north bridge project this summer. PAGE 2A
SEE MAILBOXES, PAGE 4A
BLACK
Courtesy photo
The Brazilian short-nosed bat has never before been seen in Florida.
A system that, at least at first glance, appears to have its origins in television’s golden age might be a cost-effective solution to Longboat Key’s sporadically weak cell and wireless internet service. WattsupDock Technologies plans to present town leaders with a proposal on Monday to install its prototype LepusAures system for a free, three-year trial on the northern third of the island. The experimental gear consists of small base units mounted atop mailbox posts, with a pair of 4-foot long, slender antennas extending up at about a 45-degree angle. No digging is required. “Just don’t call them ‘rabbit ears,’” said WattsupDock CTO Melvin Blank of his company’s Systemically Calibrated Amplitude Multiplexer (SCAM) units. “That’s technology of the 1950s. The appearance is merely coincidental.’’ The company promises to deliver 75% fewer dropped calls and 60% faster download speeds.
TIE
Masks off! PAGE 4A