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LONGB AT
You. Your neighbors. Your neighborhood.
NEWS
DIVERSIONS
Audrey Landers steps out from her role in ‘A Chorus Line’ the movie. INSIDE
Longboaters share their love stories for Valentine’s Day. PAGES 6A-7A
OUR TOWN
green light
Thursday, FEBRUARY 9, 2012
Tom and Bev Porter with D’Arcy Arpke
+ Forks, corks and friends Euphemia Haye hosted its first lesson luncheon in conjunction with Forks and Corks Festival Jan. 27. The luncheon featured Tom and Beverly Porter, of Porter Family Wines. The Porters met Chef Ray and D’Arcy Arpke on their cruise from Spain to Portugal. The collaboration began in September, and the couples had a reunion at the Jan. 27 event.
Sue Wolverton named Longboat Key Kiwanis Citizen of the Year. PAGE 1B
by Robin Hartill | City Editor
Publix plan gets go-ahead The Longboat Key Town Commission approved plans for a new Avenue of the Flowers store. The store is slated to open in December.
Courtesy photo
NEIGHBORHOOD
Publix won’t have to park its plans for a new Longboat Key store. The Longboat Key Town Commission gave the Lakeland-based Publix Super Markets Inc. the green light to move forward with its plans, voting 6-0 Monday night to approve three outline-devel-
opment plans on second reading and public hearing in addition to a site-plan amendment related to the project. Commissioner Phill Younger was not present at the meeting. But parking was a major concern throughout the process leading up to the approval. The
preliminary application submitted in July called for a total of 443 spaces on the site, even though town code required only 320. In response to concern, Publix reduced its planned parking to 384 spaces — an amount that Publix officials emphasized was the lowest number they could accommo-
date. Publix attorney Dan Bailey read a letter written by Jeff Chamberlain, Publix vice president of real estate, to Town Attorney David Persson. “While Publix has made every effort to balance the desire to create a park-like setting with Publix’s commitment to providing its customers with a premier shopping-center experience, the
SEE PUBLIX / 2A
OFFICIAL FUN
+ SOS attempts to capture bird Many people have called in to Save Our Seabirds concerned about an injured blue heron on Longboat Key. Save Our Seabirds has been trying to catch it and are aware of the issue. SOS staff says because the bird is able to fly, it would be easier to capture if they had a net gun. If you can be of assistance, please call them at 388-3010.
+ Griffin’s novel now on Kindle Award-wining author H. Terrell Griffin’s novel, “Wyatt’s Revenge,” is available as a free download on Kindle at Amazon.com until Feb. 29. It was named Best Book of 2008 by USA Book News and was the first runner-up for the Ben Franklin Award for 2008. “Collision of Evil,” by John J. Le Beau, will also be available in February. For more information, visit www.hterrellgriffin.com.
OUR TOWN / PAGE 15A
Mallory Gnaegy
Dick Gravino, Mike McAdaragh and Frank Wright wave their referee flags at Sarasota Yacht Club’s Super Bowl party Sunday, Feb. 5. For more photos, see page 16A.
ROOM TO GROW
by Robin Hartill | City Editor
Arts Center seeks to amend site plan A community meeting will take place next week in preparation for Ringling’s plan to apply for an amendment to its existing site plan approved in 2003. The Longboat Key Center for the Arts, a Division of Ringling College of Art and Design will hold a community meeting next week to seek feedback about the future of the center. According to Christine Meeker Lange, Ringling special as-
sistant to the president for media and community relations, the Arts Center is seeking an amendment and extension of its existing site plan, which was approved in 2003, four years before the merger with the Ringling College and the Arts Center.
The plan was later amended in 2009, extending the deadlines for the issuance of a building permit for plans to June 30, 2012, and for the issuance of a certificate of occupancy
SEE ARTS CENTER / 2A
Neighborhood meeting When: 2 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 16 Where: Longboat Key Center for the Arts, a Division of Ringling College of Art and Design, 6860 Longboat Drive S. RSVP to lbkca.ringling.edu or 383-2345 by Wednesday, Feb. 15.
INDEX Bridge Bites....... 11B Briefs....................4A
Calendar............ 12A Classifieds ........ 13B
Cops Corner....... 10A Crossword.......... 12B
Opinion.................8A Weather............. 12B
Vol. 34, No. 28 | Three sections YourObserver.com