bserver Merry Christmas!
LONGBOAT
You. Your neighbors. Your neighborhood.
DIVERSIONS
NEIGHBORs
De-stress during the holidays with Pam Nadon’s movie picks. INSIDE
Weldon Frost’s favorite holiday pastime has a familiar ring to it. PAGE 8A
OUR TOWN
Thursday, DECEMBER 22, 2011
independent study
NEIGHBORHOOD Sarasota Yacht Club kids eagerly await Santa’s arrival. PAGE 15A
by Robin Hartill | City Editor
New College students to design north-end plan The Longboat Key Revitalization Task Force announced a joint effort that will result in a design charrette of the historic north-end.
Courtesy photo
Saul and Florence Putterman
+ 65 years and going strong Florence and Saul Putterman, of Lido Key, celebrate 65 years together. Saul Putterman was once a women’s shoe manufacturing executive. And as the saying goes, if the shoe fits, wear it. His wife, Florence, is a globally recognized artist represented by numerous galleries around the country. Happy anniversary to the Puttermans!
Longboat Key’s last major planning effort came in the days when Arvida was building the island. But that’s about to change thanks to a new joint effort between the Longboat Key, Lido Key, St. Armands Key Chamber of Commerce and New College students announced Dec. 19
by Longboat Key Revitalization Task Force Chairman and former Mayor George Spoll. In January and February, Dr. David Brain, sociology professor at New College and board member of the Portland, Ore.,-based National Charrette Institute, will lead students as they create a de-
sign charrette of the north end of Longboat Key as part of an independent study project. “This is to be a public discussion about the future of Longboat’s north end, led by Dr. Brain, an acknowledged
SEE NORTH END / 2A
SEASIDE SANTA
Robin Hartill
The plan will include the historic Longbeach Village, along with other parts of the north end.
Town considers Bay Isles property The Longboat Key Town Commission authorized an appraisal of a property adjacent to Publix that isn’t under contract with the supermarket chain.
+ April Fools edition lives on With our jam-packed schedules and mile-high to-do lists before the holidays, we sure do appreciate the laugh. Last week, we received a call from a concerned Longboater about “the new way” we were covering events. She knew it was true, because she had read it in The Observer. However, after hanging up the phone we realized she was referencing our April Fools issue earlier this year, in which we stated we had to minimize our event coverage. Anyone who would like us to cover your event or if you have a story idea you’d like to share, all you have to do is call Community Editor Mallory Gnaegy at 3663468, Ext. 360. No early-morning rockpaper-scissors tournaments are required!
SEE OUR TOWN / 8A
Mallory Gnaegy
Santa Claus visited Bird Key Yacht Club via boat Saturday, Dec. 17. Children snacked on holiday cookies and colored crafts while they waited for Santa to arrive in style. For more photos, see page 24A.
Town Manager David Bullock has held informal discussions with the owner of a Bay Isles property about the possibility of the town purchasing the 2.81acre vacant property and received approval from the Longboat Key Town Commission at its Dec. 15 workshop to pursue an appraisal of the property. The property is adjacent to Publix and the Longboat Key Public Tennis Center and is part of a 3.78-acre parcel currently owned by Bay Isles Enclave Acquisition LLC. The Lakeland-based Publix Super Markets Inc. is under contract to purchase the remaining 0.97 acre of the property. Bullock said that an appraisal would be the starting point for consideration of the purchase. “The interest is sort of casual at this point,” he said. The property will require two separate appraisals because it is
valued at more than $500,000. Commissioner Phill Younger told the Longboat Observer that he is currently ambivalent about a possible purchase. “At this point, I don’t have enough data to form a solid opinion,” he said. He said that, if purchased, the property could be used for a park or as a connection between Publix and the Tennis Center, but he said that he is interested in residents’ ideas about the property. Vice Mayor David Brenner said that he was intrigued by the property because of discussions about a “town center” concept for the nearby Publix property. “Everything has been discussed for that property, from assisted living in the Comprehensive Plan discussions or whether it would make sense to have a theater on the property
SEE BAY ISLES / 2A
INDEX Briefs....................4A Calendar............ 10A
Classifieds ........ 29A Cops Corner....... 10A
Crossword.......... 28A Opinion.................6A
Real Estate........ 16A Weather............. 28A
Vol. 34, No. 21 | Two sections YourObserver.com