Jonathon Swift, if you recall, penned “Gulliver’s Travels” as a satire on human nature, and it is as fresh today as it was in 1726.

A reader asked me who had the longest drive of the three old-timers, Palmer, Nicklaus and Player, who appeared at the start of the Masters.

Nathan Benderson, 94, died April 7, 2012.

“A year after Fukushima, the future for nuclear power is not bright — for reasons of cost as much as safety” [“The dream that failed,” The Economist, March 10, 2012].

The inaugural Save our Seabirds Sunset Soiree will be hosted from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Thursday, March 1 at the Save Our Seabirds Center. This is an opportunity to visit and learn more about the injured birds and the rehabilitation and release efforts of this not-for-profit organization.

With Commissioner Phill Younger doing better each day over in Sarasota Memorial Hospital, we at Longboat Key News thought it time to highlight his service to our key.

Longboat Key Club and Resort has installed Digital Caddies GPS service on all 160 golf carts at both of the resort’s golf courses. With the Digital Caddies GPS system in place, guests that play at the resort now have a user-friendly way to quickly and accurately detect real-time yardages helping golfers play better golf and [...]

Edwin M. Wheeler Sr., 85, of Sarasota, formerly of Longboat Key and Washington, D.C., passed away Feb. 18, 2012, at his home. A memorial service will be held at 1:30 p.m., Friday, Feb. 24, at All Angels by the Sea Episcopal Church, Longboat Key. Interment will be in Marion, Kan., at a later date. Survivors [...]

During the next few months, the north end, and especially the Village, may see the Town Commission proposing revisions to the existing town Comprehensive Plan and building codes to allow a major tourism development on the commercial land at GMD and Broadway at the north end of Longboat Key.

RICHARD L. HERSHATTER Contributing Columnist hershatter@lbknews.com The road ahead is sometimes rough And difficult to view, But now the Party’s had enough; The four are down to two. Remember: you heard it here first. Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum will be the 2012 Republican candidate for president of the United States. After unexpected caucus victories [...]