VENICE Preserved • Student Pro- = Ject Tells the Tale of the Cir- Cus in Venice
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Tasked force 3A Facing off 6A Booked 14A Board asks economic questions Commission candidates debate issues Juniors are honored by colleges History VENICE preserved • Student pro- = ject tells the tale of the cir- cus in Venice st m 1B LOCAL NEWS COVER TO COVER FLORIDA’S NO. 1 WEEKLY NEWSPAPER 50 CENTS VOLUME 63 NUMBER 32 FRIDAY-SATURDAY EDITION, MAY 23-24, 2008 AN EDITION OF THE SUN Red tide linked to School resource officers cut health problems This year, eight officers BY GERALD A. ROGOVIN from the Sarasota County CORRESPONDENT Sheriff’s Office staffed People older than 45 and as- Venice’s four elementary thmatic children younger than schools. Next year two 12 who inhale red-tide toxins are more likely to spend time in a “floating” officers will hospital emergency room. cover the 15 elementary That’s one of the conclusions of a $7.5 million project under schools in the county. way since 2003. It involves Mote Marine Laboratory and five fed- BY AUDREY BLACKWELL eral and state government, STAFF WRITER national research and university groups. Physicians, oceanogra- Due to cutbacks from the phers, toxicologists and bio- county and partnering organi- medical scientists were among zations, there will be only 28 those who took part in the study. school resource officers next They examined the effects of year, eight fewer than this year. red-tide exposure during the Six of the cuts are from the red-tide season and when no Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office. red tide was reported, to mea- The other two are from the Sara- sure the effects of exposure. The sota City Police Department. All testing took place on beaches in affect elementary schools coun- Sarasota County and about 1 tywide. mile inland. Sarasota School District Po- Dr. Barbara Kirkpatrick, a lice Chief Lawrence Leon ex- senior scientist and manager of plained the cuts to school board Mote’s Environmental Health members at a workshop May 14. Program, has headed the 10- The school district pays half person research team. It has of the cost for SROs from each been funded by the National In- agency except for the SRO at stitutes of Health. Venice High School. It’s too soon One-hundred-twenty resi- to pinpoint an overall cost sav- SUN PHOTO BY JUSTIN FENNELL, [email protected] dents of Venice, the county and ings because the county’s fiscal Keturah Szalbirak, school resource officer for Venice Elementary School, won’t be stationed at the school next Please see TIDE, 5A Please see CUT, 4A year due to budget cuts in the sheriff’s office. County: Smokers need not apply Proposal for green building New employees must new policy shouldn’t adversely pledge that they have affect the pool of talent available to the county — and taxpayers leaves commission puzzled been tobacco-free for 12 — he said. months prior to being “Does that mean we’ve miss- ed out on an employee who’s A developer proposes a 1- employed very valuable in terms of knowl- Royal Park Manor edge? That’s possible, but there’s acre building under the BY DANA SANCHEZ also others,” Marcinko said. Planned Unit Develop- 235 Park &d South , V nJOd , FL STAFF WRITER ‘What’s next?’ ment zoning code usually Sarasota County says it hopes In the past 12 months, Sara- reserved for large-scale to save taxpayers big bucks by sota County hired 122 new prohibiting smoking for all new employees. Most were bus oper- projects. county employees. ators and fire medics, according New employees must vow to Joanie Whitley, general man- BY GREG GILES that they were tobacco-free for ager of human resources for the NEWS EDITOR 12 months prior to employment, county. The county also laid off and must submit to tobacco 113 full-time employees. The Venice Planning Com- screening. Existing employees All employees, smokers or mission tried to keep an open ' • 4 are grandfathered in and can not, should be concerned when mind May 13 when developer continue to smoke … for now, employers implement tobacco- Kevin Ward, of K-5 Realty, came anyway. free policies, says Joseph Barton, before it for a required prehear- Sarasota is the only county in an attorney with Cohen, Mil- ing session. the area with a tobacco-free pol- stein, Hausfeld & Toll, in Wash- Ward and his team of archi- COURTESY GRAPHIC icy. Charlotte, DeSoto and Man- ington, D.C. At issue, he said, is tects, engineers and planners atee counties do not have poli- the extent to which an employer were looking for feedback on a An artist’s rendering of the proposed Royal Park Manor condominiums on cies against hiring smokers. has the right to regulate an resubmitted proposal to build Park Boulevard near John Nolen Park. Citing a study by the Center employee’s life. Royal Park Manor condomini- for Disease Control, the county “Such a policy is allowing the ums in the historic apartment But commissioners needed early in the process and the hopes to save as much as $3,500 employer to dictate what the district. convincing. agreement is binding. per year in health insurance employee does at home. It’s one The project was well received, “I just don’t think the PUD is They didn’t shut the door costs for each nonsmoking em- step from serfdom,” said Barton, but commissioners had reserva- the right zoning designation,” entirely on the idea. The com- ployee. who represents employees in tions about the rezoning appli- Shanika said. mission asked Ward to work with “Once you’re employed, benefits cases. cation. The project, said Commis- staff, and possibly bring the pro- you’ve got to be a nonsmoker. Sarasota County’s economic “We like the idea” of the green sion Member Janis Fawn, “looks ject before city council for That means in your life and in woes make the new policy a building project, said Greg very good … and for all the right another prehearing to get their your home,” said Jim Ley, compelling one for saving mon- Shanika, reflecting an opinion reasons. (We’ve) got to find a cat- concerns on the table. Sarasota County administrator. ey, and the county attorney’s shared by others. egory to do it.” “It’s an improved plan,” said Health insurance costs Sara- office is prepared to take on any Yet the board was perplexed council member and commis- sota County about $32 million a legal challenges that may arise, and concerned — even stump- Pros and cons sion ex officio Sue Lang. “I just year. That’s about $8,500 per Marcinko said. ed — by which zoning designa- What would it take to make it think it is opening a door that is employee. The county’s 3,600 He hasn’t heard any com- tion fits it. fly? Developers, the commis- inappropriate. I don’t see a need employees contribute between plaints about the new policy, Instead of building under a sioners said, were essentially to exceed 18 units.” 15 percent and 45 percent of only some “rumblings of ‘what’s mixture of existing residential asking to exceed the maximum those costs. next?’ But generally, most peo- Multi-Family zoning designa- allowable 18 units per acre by Green building A state Supreme Court ruling ple understand the rationale tions, property owner Kevin six, to 24 units; reduce setbacks Still, project planners im- in 1995 made it legal for Florida behind it,” he said. “We’re all Ward presented the project un- by 5 feet; and fall short on the 50- pressed the planning commis- employers to reject prospective about trying to create a healthier der the city’s Planned Unit De- percent open space require- sion with Royal Park Manor’s employees who smoke. work force and be fiscally velopment zoning designation ment. design — a horseshoe-shaped, “We view it as a choice for an responsible.” usually reserved for larger pro- The thought of more devel- block-long building based on individual,” said Steve Marcinko, While smoking is not yet jects. opers coming before the com- the Garden Cities movement manager of employee benefits banned on Sarasota County’s PUDs typically are reserved mission for the same type of that accommodates pedestri- for Sarasota County. “It’s some- campus, such a move could for projects covering more than special exception gave the board ans. Ward called the project thing we’re legally able to do by come out of collective bargain- 10 acres, not a 1-acre condo something to think about. socially and economically sus- law. We hope folks will look at ing in the future, Marcinko building. On the other hand, commis- tainable and environmentally this as a positive.” said. “It’s a new concept we believe sion members agreed the ad- friendly. Marcinko estimates between “Would we like to see that meets the needs of Venice,” said vantages of the PUD are signifi- The three-story (less than 35- 20 percent and 25 percent of happen? Yes,” said Marcinko, attorney Bob Moore, of Kan- cant. The city gets to see what employees are smokers. The who said he is not a smoker. etsky, Moore & Deboer. the developer’s plan is up front Please see GREEN, 5A FRONT SECTION OUR TOWN SECTION IN THIS EDITION COUPONS DEATHS Good morning, BOB RIGBY..............................................9A OBITUARIES ......................................14A CROSSWORD ..................................................4B CLASSIFIEDS Twin Palms Chiropractic......7B Howard Harlow Gondolier Sun BUSINESS ..............................................10A OPINION ......................................................8A DEAR ABBY........................................................4B COUPONS Venice Car Wash ..................2A Frances Webb subscriber, LEGALS..................................................4, 6A POLICE BEAT ....................................14A HOROSCOPE ....................................................5B LET’S GO LET ’EM HAVE IT ..............................7A SPORTS ....................................................12A RELIGION ..............................................................6B BOB’S CARPET MART JAMES GLASS LOTTO ............................................................2A WEATHER ................................................2A VENUE........................................................................3B FURNITURE WAREHOUSE 7 B WEDNESDAY, FRIDAY AND SUNDAY WWW.VENICEGONDOLIER.COM FOR HOME DELIVERY, CALL 207-1300.