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some of them are going to need assistance," added Kucharski. City Police Officer William Bjork wrote Shoffstall an email, saying, "The department has an extensive operational plan for the beachfront starting at 5 p.m. on Saturday with assigned officers on a beach patrol, turtle watch, and [taking care of] matters involving anyone setting up for the event in advance." While there are several erosion hot spots on Lido Beach, Kucharski says the one most noticeable to race-goers will be around the concession stand. "Even on a normal beach day, it is crowded, and people tend to congregate there," he noted, adding that county workers will be roping off the areas of greatest concern to protect the integrity of the dunes. He praised the county and municipal work- ers who will be staffing the event. "My hat's off to the lifeguards, the Sarasota Police offi- cers, the special events folks. They'll do a great job of trying to minimize the impact on the resource." Many local residents seldom go to the beach. If you have not been to Lido recently, be pre- pared for a surprise. The vast expanse of beach you remember from the past is gone. In some places, the high tide is lapping against shoreline structures. The City of Sarasota and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have proposed a 50-year plan to pump more sand onto the beach. That was the topic of yet more discussion at a County Commission workshop on June 30. (See the related story in this issue.) % Share stories by clicking the icon in the menubar and choosing to share via e-mail, post to Facebook or Twitter, or many other sharing options. QUICK TIP Don't have your own subscription to The Sarasota News Leader? Subscribe for FREE and receive a weekly notification when the latest issue is available online. FREE SUBSCRIPTION Sarasota News Leader July 4, 2014 Page 70