The Lake Sarasota Community Blog

Those of you who know Lakeview Park may be aware that ever since a pump was installed about 18 months ago, the canals have retained a steady water level. This has nurtured a lively population of bluegill, tilapia, a few bass, frogs, wading birds and other creatures. A few weeks ago, that mini-ecosystem was threatened when the pump gave out. As it's been dry, the water level in the canals began to drop - slowly at first, then precipitously. A plea to the Parks Dept. resulted in an incredibly rapid response. First, a temporary pump was installed to halt the draining. Then, within a very short time, a new submersible pump was installed. The new system is quiet but strong: within 36 hours it brought the water level of the park's entire canal-and-pond system back to where it had been, without appreciably lowering the lake. To the Santas at Sarasota County Parks and Rec , on behalf of the water creatures, the neighborhood and all who enjoy the park, our deepest gratitude, happy holid...

Santa is due in Lake Sarasota on the firetruck on Sunday, Dec. 20th, between 2 and 4 pm. (See the map here ). But our neighborhood has been treated to a Christmas gift already. Last week Ray and Connie Bresciani and some of their grown children and growing grandchildren spruced up the front entrances, laying down 40 bags of mulch, doing some weeding, and even thoughtfully added wreathes for a nice seasonal touch. Thanks Ray and Connie and all you Brescianis! Not just for this gesture, but for the time, thought, sweat and care you have put into many projects in Lake Sarasota. We're fortunate to have quite a few residents who pitched in to help build Hina Point Park, pick up trash on Mauna Loa and to do a really thorough clean-up of Lakeview Park, among other projects -- all that great help is gratefully acknowledged. Not all are aware that if it were not for Ray and Connie, some of these projects would not have gotten done -- some they initiated, others were shaped and enhanced by t...

A crowded agenda and an unusual group of guests made the Sept. 8th meeting of the Lake Sarasota Community Group a memorable one. The official business included: Treasurer's Report : LSCG has $1,337.19 in the bank. Citizen's Patrol : Ted is always seeking volunteers. Reach him at TCover6161@aol.com He advises neighbors to keep an eye out for any unusual activity at houses they know to be empty, and to never have their garage door openers visible in their cars. Saved by the dead battery One couple present told of how their daughter's car was nearly stolen - thieves jimmied open the door, pulled out the ignition, and would have been on their way, only the battery was dead. Lakeview Park and Canals: The Sarasota Sky Pilots and some Lake Sarasota residents did another clean-up, pulling lots of debris out of the canals. The lake itself has risen since water began pumping through the canals, thanks to rainfall. Many who use the park have remarked on how much clearer and cleaner...

The canals are beginning to look cleaner in Lakeview Park. Compare the weed-choked images of a few weeks ago with today, and you see much less duckweed and algae, water that at times allows you a view down to the bottom, and - a nice plus - plenty of ripples and leaps from fish, frogs, turtles and other living creatures (including a gator, see below) that seem to be enjoying the slightly deeper, and more oxygen-rich, waters. The canals are being fed from the lake via the pump, which was turned on a couple of weeks ago after a meeting at the pump site that included a representative of the county along with folks from Lake Sarasota, Bent Tree, and the Sarasota Sky Pilots Disc Golf Club. For the water to circulate properly, a berm had to be constructed to move the incoming water through the park's canal system and back out through the culvert (the large pipe) to the lake. That job, using giant rocks from the landfill, took county worker Pete Sauchinitz three days, working by himself...