Sarasota News Leader

04/05/2013

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NEWS BRIEFS Shortly, the Ringling Bridge will be bathed in blue after the sun sets. Photo by Norman Schimmel A BLUE RINGLING: COMING SOON Seldom does an idea get to the Sarasota City Commission backed by acclamation. But Katie Klauber Moulton's concept of changing the color of lights under the Ringling Bridge to blue tickled a lot of official fancies. April 1 commission audience for another issue. She stepped forward to be the only contrary voice. "The bridge is elegant, and coloring it could add a honkey-tonk tone," she said. That did not scare the commissioners, who The Florida Department of Transportation, a voted unanimously to endorse the change. normally stuffy bureaucracy, "is very much in favor of the project," Moulton told the com- The effort began as a way to publicize Child mission April 1. Abuse Prevention Month, which uses the The U.S. Coast Guard regulates all naviga- color blue as a marketing technique. But the tion lights, and it, too, supports the blue. "It idea took off when a local manufacturer of is the predominant color used in under-bridge light-emitting diode lighting offered to supply lighting," she said. "Barry Dragon with [Coast the hardware. Then another local company ofGuard] District Seven endorses the idea." fered to provide the labor and engineering. And the man considered the godfather of the Between Evolucia's LED lights and Roadrun65-foot-tall bridge — Gil Waters — is on board ner's construction staff, the project is ready to as well. Moulton read an email from Waters saying, "I hope the bridge will shine in a new, get under way. With Moulton having cleared the bureaucratic decks, the causeway could blue light." be blue by May. All this group-think was too much for longStan Zimmerman time civic activist Kafi Benz, who was in the

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