Maxine and Arthur E Singleton 941 349-3552 9150 Blind Pass Rd. #402 Sarasota FL 34242 email c/o GArnold493@ao WHERE WILL MIDNIGHT PASS RE-APPEAR? Mother Nature has own ideas... We have been owners of our condo at Fisherman's Haven since 1977. At that time we enjoyed 200 feet of sandy beach but as the pass started to close in 1983 our beach went to zero and has remained that way with all the sand going to the south to Casey Key. During the past few years the pass has tried to open itself in several new locations: 1) Will it be across the road at Turtle Beach where our water line was cut by the Hurricane in July? 2) How about Point of Rocks, where the original Pass many years ago entered Hidden Lagoon at the time Sanderling Club was built? 3) Or maybe the Solomon-Burns-Stratton property, where the county has a lien on the land to collect demolition costs? 4) How about the midpoint Wallace property, where each storm brings water over the road and has created a sand bars in Blind Lagoon? 5) Turtle Beach is the location most vulnerable for new opening to replace Midnight Pass. Recent storms destroyed the water line to 140 homes to the south (forcing evacuation) and could have contaminated the bay and lagoon if it had cut through the sewer line. We have already lost 4 homes to the south of Turtle Beach area because the pass was allowed to close. They are the Colberts, the Fasseys, the Solomon-Burns-Stratton home and the Plodzein home. The 1983 closing was caused by the Corps of Engineers when they dredged the inland waterway and did nothing to dredge MNP to remove the overflow on spoil islands in the pass area. It was not fault of Carter and Solomon as they spent $100,000 to relocate and reopen the pass to try to save their homes. Thanks for listening to our plea to the state and federal government to expedite permits for a professionally engineered reopening of Midnight Pass, as favored by our Sarasota County Commission. We feel it is most important to give everyone including all the new home owners of Sarasota area a wide beach to enjoy and a breath of fresh water for Little Sarasota Bay, supplied at the logical 7 mile midpoint near Palmer Point to relieve the stagnant tidal null zone between Big Pass and Venice Jetties area. Respectfully submitted, (signed) Maxine & Arthur E. Singleton