Highlights of the January Meeting

A lot of news, plans and lively discussion took place at this well-attended first meeting of the year. Some of these items will be noted briefly here and followed-up as they develop:

1. The LSCG has $647.42 in the kitty. The Thanksgiving Weekend Garage Sale cleared $94.71 in hot dog sales.

2. Three new Yards of the Month were chosen and will be receiving signs from Renee. If you would like to nominate a yard for this award you can do so by contacting Renee at 371-3988 or by emailing her at JPitts9710@aol.com.

3. Ted Cover of Citizens Patrol offered new data from the Sheriff: In October alone, there were 22 thefts along with burglaries and two acts of vandalism. There were 6 thefts in Nov. and 4 in December. Ten of the thefts occurred on Jarvis Rd., 5 on Palau, 4 on Mauna Loa.

Sunday 9 am - 5 pm is the most active time for crime, followed by Tuesday 8 am - 9 pm, then Saturday 10 am - 7 pm.

Popular items include tools in garages, and Tom-Toms or Garmin GPS systems. Don't leave them visible in vehicles when parked, and close garage doors even when you're home, Ted advises. He also suggested getting intruder alarms and motion detecting lights.

Mainly, however, Ted urges more people to get involved in Citizens Patrol - the training session is short and convenient, and it's designed to be safe. Contact Ted at TCover6161@aol.com.

4. Someone has hit upon the brilliant idea of using picnic tables in Lakeview Park as bridges, tossing them into the canals in order to cross to islands in the ponds. The county is looking into the matter, and Bill intends to contact organizations that use the park to work with them to eliminate this costly vandalism.

5. Mark your Calendar -- Faith, the driving spirit behind Hina Point Park, is planning a park dedication for Saturday the 24th of January, complete with a pot luck meal, beginning around 2 pm. Come out, bring the kids, meet your neighbors and maybe some special invited guests. Faith shared with the meeting a letter of appreciation received from neighbors who live on Palau:: 

"Every day as we walk by it truly makes us smakle and what a joy it is to see as we turn off Brentford Road. Your labor and perseverance are a blessing to us all."

6. Ray has a great idea for returning the canals in Lakeview Park into clean, navigable streams. In the middle of today's gusty rainstorm, he discussed it with people from Parks and Rec, and from Stormwater Management. It would involve putting a pump into the lake to pump water into the canals - he estimates this will reduce the lake level by about an inch. Since the pump would work continuously, it would circulate water through the canals, then back out into the lake. The idea was well received and will be followed up.

7. Several ideas for future speakers - including Sheriff Tom Knight - were brought up - as they are scheduled we'll post the information here.

8 . Rumors of possible new developments adjacent to Lake Sarasota came up: 

• Apparently HealthSouth is moving forward with plans that will eventually affect our Mauna Loa entrance - eliminating the first median to create a turn lane. 



• A developer is said to be interested in putting housing units at the end of Jarvis Rd.
• A Racetrak, CVS pharmacy, and possibly a hotel are planned for the parcel across from the Mauna Loa entrance on Bee Ridge.
• The tennis courts on the lake are said to be slated for removal, to be replaced by condos. 
  

9. Plans for a Lake Sarasota Business Directory are moving forward. Sandy Allen will present a format at the next meeting on Feb. 10, and plans to knock on doors to build interest. The directory is exclusively for businesses whose owners reside in Lake Sarasota, and there's a $20 fee for the year. Several business owners signed up at the meeting. There will be a deadline for inclusion announced at the Feb. 10th meeting. Contact Sandy at sallen11@comcast.net.

10. The postal service is studying a plan to relocate the main mail facility to Tampa, which could result in slower mail delivery for the Sarasota area, along with lost jobs or long commute times for workers. See more here.

11. Laura presented a pin and message of appreciation to Debbie Marks for her assiduous work as liaison with Neighborhood Services, to the hearty applause of all.