Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/336863
Siesta Seen called for paddleboarders to use a 30-foot- wide access on the northern end of the swim area patrolled by lifeguards; people would go through that zone to reach the Gulf for tours or lessons without venturing into the swim area at all. Patterson also pointed out that, under exist- ing circumstances, paddleboarders can use other accesses besides those that lead to the public beach. Alfieri and LaBonte "were just looking to rent the boards" at the Siesta Beach concessionary facility, she added. "Where there are already a lot of people," Shay noted. That facility already exists near the pavilion, she responded, stressing that she was not advocating for rentals there. Another audience member, who reported having taken the county survey, said he was not opposed to the rental of the boards near the pavilion. However, he pointed out, many of those renters will not be experienced in paddleboarding. Their use of the equipment could be dangerous to swimmers, even if the people stay in a dedicated area. If a person falls off a board, he added, the board could end up striking nearby swimmers. Patterson concurred with that view. "I just don't believe you can control a bunch of tour- ists renting paddleboards." A third audience member pointed out that beginners in stand-up paddleboarding prefer calmer water than they often find in the Gulf. Siesta resident and County Commission can- didate Lourdes Ramirez, who also was in the audience, noted that three businesses operat- ing on Siesta Key already rent paddleboards. She asked whether anyone had heard com- ments from their owners about the Alfieri/ LaBonte proposal. No one had an answer for her. A TRANSIENT HOARDER Although downtown Sarasota has been the focal point for complaints about homeless people, business owners in Siesta Village recently had to contend with a transient woman who has a bit of an unusual habit. As Sgt. Scott Osborne of the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office put it, she is "by her own defi- nition, a hoarder." Diane (he did not provide a last name) was the subject of discussion at both the Siesta Key Village Association (SKVA) and SKA meetings this month. During the June 3 SKVA session, Osborne reported that Diane was one of three new tran- sients who recently had shown up on Siesta. "She collects stuff out of trash cans" and piles them up at Access 2, he added. Deputies were collecting the material and hauling it away. "She's been out here about two weeks, from Tampa," Osborne said. A records search had turned up no criminal history on her, he pointed out. Brian Wigelsworth, co-owner of Gidget's Coastal Provisions in the Village, noted that Sarasota News Leader June 27, 2014 Page 69