Letters to the Editor

+ Town bonuses is evidence of business-friendly commission
Dear Editor:
Let me see if I’ve got this right.  The town taxes all the businesses on the Key and raises $165,000. Another $10,000  from our taxes is added to this sum, and the whole lot is given to the  town employees as a Christmas present, called a bonus.

Aha!  This must be the work of our business-friendly commission!
M. Barry
Longboat Key

+ Residents and town can work together on dog beach access
Everything we seem do on Longboat needs to be overly complicated for some reason. Due diligence is, of course, appropriate, but we tend to beat things to death. This “dog beach” access issue is a good example. This should not be an OMG or rocket-science issue. Our current ordinances already allow leashed dogs on public property throughout the island and require owners to pick up after them and not be a nuisance.

Our beaches are public property with public beach accesses. Next case.

Yes, any modification to the existing ordinance in this regard should include protection of sea turtle/bird nests, dunes/sea oats, and birds must not be harassed. (By the way, our raccoons, birds and small kids don’t follow these rules on our beaches. For example, I often tiptoe over masses of bird feces on frequent beach walks). Also, reality is that dogs already do poop and pee on every front yard on Longboat periodically on daily walks. A vast majority of owners are responsible and pick up. For those who don’t, stiff fines are clearly in order.

We already have a tremendous neighborhood-watch enforcement program in place from every condo and home on our 11 miles of Gulf beach. A call to the police regarding a violation will quickly shut down any irresponsible dog owner. I dare say we will also all do our part to personally inform dog owners of the leashed/pick-up rules and fines if we see a violation.

The town should sell annual Leashed Dog Beach Access Licenses to those interested and give them the rules and the stiff fine schedule in the process.

Fear not, we will not allow Longboat Key to “go to the dogs.” If we find frequent violations we can always change the ordinance. Also, for every visitor who threatens not to visit Longboat because of this leashed dog beach access public right policy, we will attract many more who will want to vacation and buy property here. This because there is nothing like taking a nice walk on the beach with your “best friend.”
Bob Gault
Longboat Key

+ Thank you to Good Samaritan who found lost cell phone
Dear Editor:
On Monday, Dec. 26, I lost a brand-new iPhone 4GS, which was a Christmas present from my husband.
After searching for hours, in addition to calls to Apple and AT&T and frantically retracing my steps, we had no luck in locating the phone. Needles to say, I was feeling upset.

As a last resort on a suggestion from my husband, we stopped at Publix to check there, although I was sure I had not lost it in the store.

You can imagine my surprise and relief when the person at the service counter showed me a recently found iPhone that someone had turned in, which turned out to be mine.

He didn’t know where it was found nor who found it, but when he returned it to me, I was so grateful.
I would like to thank the person who found my phone and returned it to Publix and also the staff at Publix because it proved to me once again how fortunate we are to be here on Longboat Key, where people display such honesty and helpfulness. What a wonderful community we live in!
J. Brown
Longboat Key