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report based upon guessing right now. It's a matter of jumping to conclusions …." Barbetta referenced the Siesta Chamber vote. "I was shocked at that one." Chairman Charles Hines then interrupted, telling his colleagues they needed to turn their focus back to their March 5 agenda. DAYS EARLIER During the Siesta Key Association's annual meeting on March 1, retiring Director Peter van Roekens made his final report to mem- bers as the organization's representative responsible for keeping up-to-date on the Lido Renourishment Project. "I'm so proud of SKA for leading the way in opposing the dredge," he said. Following in the path of the island organiza- tions, he continued, the Boaters' Coalition unanimously had come out in opposition to the dredging proposal as well. More than 120 members of that community group have signed petitions to try to stop the Corps' plan, he added. Corps Project Manager Mora had been sched- uled to speak during a March 6 Sarasota Tiger Bay Club program focusing on the Lido plan, van Roekens continued, but van Roekens had learned the Corps had "backed out, leaving the City of Sarasota to defend their position." Van Roekens also noted that Mora originally said the models and reports about the impacts on Big Pass and Siesta beaches would be made available to the public last fall. That timeline has been pushed back three times, he said, with the latest schedule calling for the materials to be released in late April. "This certainly doesn't give me confidence that they have their act together," he added. "Surely, there's an answer" to renourishing the most critically eroded section of Lido Beach without dredging Big Pass or erecting groins on South Lido Key, he added. The groins are another facet of the project; they have been designed to keep much of the sand in place on Lido between subsequent renourishments, which are scheduled to take place every five years after the initial 1.1 mil- lion cubic yards of sand is added to the beach, Mora has explained. Last summer, van Roekens continued, he told City Engineer Alex DavisShaw and Sarasota County Coastal Resources Manager Laird Wreford, "These groins on South Lido are not like parking meters that can be taken out." % THURSDAY, MARCH 13, 2014 UNDER THE TENT at USF SARASOTA-MANATEE For further information, call 941.365.3913, ext. 1124 or visit MyPlannedParenthood.org Sarasota News Leader March 7, 2014 Page 73