Newsletter 70

R.I.P SNOOTY:
We were saddened to learn of the passing of a beloved gentle giant in the Suncoast area. Snooty, a 69 year old manatee who captured the hearts of all, died accidentally one day after his birthday celebration. Also known as sea cows, manatees are slow moving creatures typically found in murky water and are a joy to experience. A memorial for Snooty is planned for September 10 at his former home at the South Florida Museum. Please click here for Snooty’s Wikipedia page: Snooty

STATE SETS TOURISM RECORD:
Florida welcomed 60.7 million visitors in the first half of the year, marking the best six months for the tourism industry in the state’s history. Data released by Visit Florida, the state’s tourism marketing agency, showed a 4.1% increase over the same period in 2016. The figures include 53.2 million domestic visitors, 5.3 million overseas visitors and 2.2 million Canadian visitors. The agency’s marketing efforts paid off in domestic numbers, which offset the weakness in international numbers. There’s more on this story here, courtesy of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Tourism Record Broken

SARASOTA RATED TOPS IN STATE FOR RETIREMENT:
Sarasota, no stranger to those ubiquitous “best of” lists, just topped another one. The city of Sarasota was named #1 on the new “best places to retire in Florida” report by personal finance website WalletHub. Sarasota ranked first for quality of life and for health care and finished eighth for activities, the three general areas on which the cities were graded. For more, please click here: Sarasota #1 City for Retirement

CLIMATE CHANGE BRINGS NEW RISKS FOR FLORIDA HOMEOWNERS:
Pete Walker is gambling with his island home near Sarasota Bay – declining to renew his flood insurance and taking his chances with potential storm and water damage. He lives in a Gulf Coast barrier island subdivision already vulnerable to occasional tidal surge – as well as, according to projections by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration – eventual sea level rise. Even on sunny days, high tides routinely push salt water from the bay upward through the storm drain in front of his 1920 home in Longbeach Village, Longboat Key’s oldest neighborhood. Passing cars aggravate the flooding, creating a wake that helps push saltwater on his property. Yet, when he paid off his mortgage a couple of years ago, Walker declined to renew his flood and hurricane insurance. “That saved me $6,000.00”. Click here for more on this story: Gambling with Mother Nature

ST. REGIS COMING TO LONGBOAT:
Southwest Florida is about to get a boost in travel luxury it hasn’t seen since the Ritz-Carlton opened here in 2001. St. Regis is slated to operate the long-abandoned 18-acre beachfront site of The Colony Beach and Tennis Resort on Longboat Key. The high-end luxury brand of Marriott International Inc’.s Starwood Hotels and Resorts operates 61 hotels worldwide and just one other in Florida. In addition to that property in Miami, St. Regis’ portfolio includes such exotic locations as Cairo, Bali and Bora Bora. For more, please click here: St. Regis to LBK

PAID PARKING AT SIESTA BEACH?
Given continuing frustrations of residents and visitors trying to find parking spaces at Siesta Public Beach, the Sarasota County Commission directed staff to work on proposals, including charging a fee, whose revenue could be used to provide more mass transit options. County Administrator Tom Harmer said staff could look at how other beach communities handle parking demand, and then staff will propose some new recommendations how the Sarasota County commissioners might proceed in addressing the situation on Siesta. Please follow this link for more: Paid Parking at Siesta?