The gift of a lifetime for LBK

Dear Santa,

All we want for Christmas is $450,000.

Don’t choke or fall out of your sleigh.  It’s not for us.

We want it for the Longboat Key Historical Society. That would allow the historical society to purchase the land on Broadway in the Village for its first permanent home.

And to make it easier for you, Santa, we know where there is a pot of money that would be perfect for this. It’s sitting in the town of Longboat Key’s Land Acquisition Fund. In fact, there is $866,910 in the fund. 

We won’t go into how that cash ended up there and that half of it is earmarked to tear down a restaurant and make way for a community center. But if the town is using half for that, surely it can use the other half to help the historical society create a permanent place where Longboat residents can preserve and display the town’s rich history. 

Surely, Santa, based on your own beginnings, you know how important it is for future generations to know their roots.

By the way, it’s all legal, Santa. The town laws say that money is to be used “for the acquisition, improvement and expansion of town parks and open space land.” And although we’re not so keen on the town buying land, this is a worthy cause and makes sense.

We know it will be difficult for you to take that money out of the bank. But at the least, perhaps you can sprinkle some “common sense” dust on town commissioners to give their residents a gift to last a lifetime.