Venice escapes unscathed

Calling their emergency preparedness a "well-oiled ballet," Venice Police spokesman Tom McNulty said police and firefighters had a quiet night preparing for Tropical Storm Fay.

"We've matured," said McNulty. "Even citizens from past storms know what to do."

Police made the rounds at the area's half-dozen mobile home communities Monday, urging residents to heed the mandatory evacuation of mobile homes, which are prone to damage during high winds.

Some residents and people with special needs on the county's list for transportation were reluctant to leave their homes with Fay on an uncertain path.

"Some left," McNulty said. "Forty-five people took advantage of shelter" at the Venice Community Center, the area's designated shelter.

City offices reopen at 8 a.m. Wednesday. Garbage, recycling and yard waste collections resume their normal schedules.

Instead of driving rain and stiff winds, Fay brought unseasonably pleasant weather to Venice Tuesday morning.

The overcast skies, steady breezes, lack of humidity and light traffic created ideal conditions for cruising around town. People rode bikes, walked and jogged down near Venice Beach, and about 50 cars were parked at the south jetty where people watched the wind stir up the water.

Down at the Lake Venice Golf Club near the airport, a lone gentleman chipped golf balls out on the practice green. The wind was strong enough to keep palm trees listing, but not brisk enough to take the man’s golf hat off his head.

Even a small, leashed terrier – which would have flown into the air like a kite if Fay had come packing as much power as Hurricane Charley – had no problems walking with its owner headfirst into the wind down to the jetty.