Second Town Green open house on Longboat Key unites community

Under exceptionally sunny skies and to the tunes of the Route 41 Band, community members had the opportunity to pick up a free book, get their pet blessed by Father David Marshall of All Angels Episcopal Church, collect a plastic fire hat for their little ones, or take advantage of the other multitude of services offered to the public.

Organizers collaborated to hold the second Longboat community open house at the Karon Family Pavilion on Saturday and received an early afternoon rush of curious residents.

Event-goer Michelle Johnson said she was grateful so many local nonprofits, businesses, religious organizations and other key players in the community gave their time to the open house.

"So many times, people are in their own lanes, so to see everyone come together is great," she said.

The event comes at an especially good time for Longboat Key Turtle Watch, which drew plenty of viewers to its booth with a display of an immense turtle shell that was donated for educational purposes after the boat-struck animal died.

Leo Kissling reminds busy boaters that as they enjoy the mild mid-winter weather, they need to keep a close eye out to avoid striking turtles near the water's surface.

He offered a few helpful tips to listeners, including captains should be vigilant about wearing polarized sunglasses and mindful of their speed in shallow waters.

Volunteers are gearing up for their usual, very highly attended, turtle walk on April 15, which precedes the main turtle season by a few weeks. Those interested in joining the watch can visit LBKTurtleWatch.com.

Another big draw at the open house was the pet blessing accompanied by the musical styling of bell-playing members at All Angels.

Small business owners, including Stephanie Tonge of Longboat Lashes & Skincare and Amber Swartz, said they appreciated having an opportunity to connect with community members.