Read Jennifer's Guest Editorial: Mapping a smart transit-oriented future
Jennifer Shafer is active in a grassroots effort to start a community dialogue about Sarasota's growth management strategies. The Sarasota citizen group is exploring how transit-oriented re-development could transform older, strip-mall laden commuter corridors to more pedestrian friendly mixed-use neighborhood centers connected to each other by transit alternatives such as safe walking and bike paths, buses or locally circulating trolleys. A community-wide Forum will be hosted by citizens next Friday May 1 from 1-4 pm at the Polytechnical High School on Beneva Road in Sarasota. http://www.shafer-consulting.org

Sonar Damage to Dolphins’ Hearing Is Akin to the “Rock-Concert Effect"

Researchers at the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology observed temporary hearing loss in dolphins exposed repeatedly to loud sonar pings. Pings replicated the sonar emitted during naval exercises off the coasts of California and Hawaii. It is thought that sound can become trapped in water layers creating an echo effect, preventing animals from escaping the cacophony. http://www.shafer-consulting.org