When I heard of the plan for the Sarasota Orchestra to move to Payne Park, I wanted to shout out in joy. Instead, my heart ached.

The plan and the lease that would have allowed a waterfront restaurant and bar at the Lido Beach Pool and Pavilion is officially terminated. But it came at a great cost and with great effort. What’s next?

I should have seen the foreshadowing when Mickey, our troublesome cat, started drinking the funky water from the base of the Christmas tree stand.

We love Sarasota a lot more than we love politicians. The three will be known as the trio who forever screwed up the Lido Beach Pavilion. They will be the three who devalued the gorgeous strand of calm beach and handed it off on the cheap. The only good that we will be able to salvage from the mess is after the very next election we will be able to call the trio “former” Commissioners.

We are right now the land of two divine spectacles: The Town Commission election and the approval of the St. Regis Hotel and Residences. This past week was especially exciting since at long last a new vision was approved to replace the morbid and moribund Colony Beach & Tennis Resort.

We never seem to replace the little Commission nametags in Town Hall — we just store them in a closet, dust them off and bring them out every couple years.

Why should residents today want to approve a Charter change that effectively votes the voter out of future decisions, especially when those decisions will lead to indebtedness?

The Town Commission has failed to create a zoning and redevelopment process to shape the future redevelopment of the Colony and other parcels in need of redevelopment.