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Your Observer

Bonita Mertes arranges her “perpetual” flower creations at her Bloomin’ Elegant booth.
    By
  • Kelsey Grau
  • April 13, 2014
PHOTO GALLERY: Centre Shops Spring Festival

The Centre Shops Spring Festival featured art, antiques, jewelry and many more unique wares on Sunday, April 13, at the Centre Shops of Longboat Key. Proceeds benefitted the Longboat Key Historical Society.

  • Longboat Key
  • News
Marian McKane, Betina Mlademoba, Luke Truskowski and Addyson Rudd (bottom) walked for Emmabella Rudd (far right).
    By
  • Josh Siegel
  • April 13, 2014
PHOTO GALLERY: JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes

JDRF held a Walk to Cure Diabetes at Lakewood Ranch Main Street April 12. Walkers and attendees could also enjoy food and music.

  • East County
  • News
Chairwoman Debbi Benedict, keynote speaker Olympia Dukakis and Bruce Rodgers
    By
  • Black Tie Staff
  • April 12, 2014
Greenfield Prize Award Dinner

Greenfield Prize Award Dinner

  • Black Tie
Sondra Biller, Sara Harris, Armand Harris and Joan Biller
    By
  • Black Tie Staff
  • April 12, 2014
Sarasota Film Festival: Closing Night Film and Awards

Sarasota Film Festival: Closing Night Film and Awards

  • Black Tie
Peter and Bernadette Calamaras
    By
  • Black Tie Staff
  • April 12, 2014
Florida Winefest and Auction: Grand Tasting, Brunch & Charity Auction Brunch

Florida Winefest and Auction: Grand Tasting, Brunch & Charity Auction Brunch

  • Black Tie
Steven Bishop, Mary Beth Schrowang and Phillip Mateer
    By
  • Harriet Sokmensuer
  • April 12, 2014
PHOTO GALLERY: Laurel Park Tunes in the Park

Residents of downtown Sarasota's Laurel Park neighborhood spent the night at Tunes in the Park Saturday, April 12, in Laurel Park. Neighbors got to know one another over live music and a potluck dinner. The Laurel Park Neighborhood Association held the biannual event, which marks the beginning of spring.

  • Sarasota
  • Neighbors
Marcella Byzewski and Keria Smith
    By
  • Harriet Sokmensuer
  • April 12, 2014
PHOTO GALLERY: St. Martha Catholic School Cajun Crawfish Festival

St. Martha Catholic School held its annyal Cajun Crawfish Festival Saturday, April 12. Families enjoyed lived music, played games and ate fresh crawfish.

  • Sarasota
  • Neighbors
Mike the Mime welcomed guest to the April in Paris party.
    By
  • Kelsey Grau
  • April 12, 2014
PHOTO GALLERY: Bird Key Yacht Club's "April in Paris"

Members of Bird Key Yacht Club showed off berets and Parisian-inspired fashion for their 'April in Paris' party on Saturday, April 12. Flower carts, a caricature artist and a mime named Mike added to the club's transformation.

  • Longboat Key
  • News
Axel, Brandon and Valeria Espinosa play with rainbow sand.
    By
  • Harriet Sokmensuer
  • April 12, 2014
PHOTO GALLERY: Family Living's Kids Day

Sarasota families spent the day at Family Living's Kids Day Saturday, April 12, at Payne Park. Children of all ages played vollyball, learned karate and met with firefighters and police officers.

  • Sarasota
  • Neighbors
Juile Flaherty, Harvey Levine, Bill and Maggie Urban, and John Flaherty
    By
  • Kelsey Grau
  • April 12, 2014
PHOTO GALLERY: Winding Oaks End of Season Party

Residents of Winding Oaks gathered for an end of season party on Saturday, April 12, at the Bay Isles Beach Club.

  • Longboat Key
  • News
Robert and Eva Moyad
    By
  • Kelsey Grau
  • April 12, 2014
PHOTO GALLERY: Islander Club Farewell Barbecue

Islander Club residents celebrated the end of the season with a farewell barbecue on Saturday, April 12, at their outdoor pool area.

  • Longboat Key
  • News
Liliana and Elorsa Allen with Deivis and Violet Cadavid
    By
  • Josh Siegel
  • April 12, 2014
PHOTO GALLERY: Bayside Eggolution Egg Hunt

Bayside Community Church held its annual Eggolution Easter Egg Hunt at Lakewood Ranch Park April 12. In addition to the massive hunt, attendees could play on inflatable games and slides and visit with the Easter Bunny.

  • East County
  • News
Emily and Miley, 5, Driscoll
    By
  • Josh Siegel
  • April 12, 2014
PHOTO GALLERY: Tabernacle Easter Egg Drop

The Tabernacle Church held its 2nd Annual Easter Egg Drop April 12. The event featured more than 15,000 eggs plus other games and activities.

  • East County
  • News
Girl Scout Kinga Aletto works on a craft project.
    By
  • Amanda Sebastiano
  • April 12, 2014
PHOTO GALLERY: Big Girls Day at Camp

Current members of the Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida, along with alumni, donors, volunteers and anyone interesting in learning about the organization and its activities, came together for a girls-only day in the sun April 12 at Camp Honi Hanta, in Bradenton. Teenagers to elderly women joined in activities together, such as kayaking, archery, canoeing, arts and crafts, for the annual Big Girls Day at Camp event. Proceeds from the $50 admission fee benefited the Girl Scouts' Gulfcoast chaper.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
Aaniya and Akhlesh Mittal wait for the Easter Bunny.
    By
  • Amanda Sebastiano
  • April 12, 2014
PHOTO GALLERY: EGGstravaganza

Children and their families, dressed in pastel-colored Easter outfits, gathered April 12, for pictures with the Easter Bunny, to snack on donuts and other breakfast foods, and to collect some of the more than 12,000 plastic eggs scattered throughout Greenbrook Adventure Park. Lakewood Ranch Community Activities Corp.'s EGGstravaganza event benefited The Florida Center for Early Childhood.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
Salute! Ristorante’s chef Laszlo Bevardi and Mattison’s pastry chef Ray Lajoie
    By
  • Black Tie Staff
  • April 11, 2014
Florida Winefest and Auction: Banquet on the Block

Florida Winefest and Auction: Banquet on the Block

  • Black Tie
Dorothy and Frank Bates
    By
  • Black Tie Staff
  • April 11, 2014
13th annual Cattle Barons' Ball

13th annual Cattle Barons' Ball

  • Black Tie
Monica Barth and Karen Barone
    By
  • Black Tie Staff
  • April 11, 2014
Sarasota Film Festival: Cinema Tropicale

Sarasota Film Festival: Cinema Tropicale

  • Black Tie
Alexander Alamo and Lisa Peterson
    By
  • Black Tie Staff
  • April 11, 2014
Florida Winefest and Auction: Bayfront Showcase Lunch - Tasting

Florida Winefest and Auction: Bayfront Showcase Lunch - Tasting

  • Black Tie
Terry Brackett and honoree Sister Rosemary Nyirumbe
    By
  • Black Tie Staff
  • April 11, 2014
Sarasota Film Festival: Tribute Luncheon

Sarasota Film Festival: Tribute Luncheon

  • Black Tie
Barbara and Courtney Bradley enjoy playing dress up.
    By
  • Amanda Sebastiano
  • April 11, 2014
PHOTO GALLERY: Tara Elementary Spring Luau

For $2, Tara Elementary students and their families enjoyed face painting, pizza, performances by the school's dance team and other activities at the annual Spring Luau. The proceeds from the seventh fundraiser of its type, which transformed the field behind the East County school into a Hawaiian destination, will go toward supplies for the teachers' classrooms.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
The Kolter Group, developer of Vue Sarasota Bay, must wait for the city to grant a traffic concurrency certificate before the project can move forward.
    By
  • David Conway
  • April 11, 2014
Bayfront residents push back against traffic study

The city has signaled a willingness to approve a bayfront development, but nearby residents believe an updated traffic study still falls short of legal requirements.

  • Sarasota
  • News
Alana Biller and Alex Kaplon as wild animals.
    By
  • Harriet Sokmensuer
  • April 11, 2014
PHOTO GALLERY: The Gan at Temple Sinai's Passover Sensory Experience

Students of The Gan at Temple Sinai learned about Passover at the school's Passover Sensory Experience Friday, April 11. Director of Early Childhood Education Laura Freedman told the story of Passover. After the lesson students walked through the parted sea, built pyramids and experienced the ten plagues.

  • Sarasota
  • Neighbors
Diane and Glenn Goll, the owners of this North Shore Road, agreed to a variance that would allow them to build a 1,600 square foot house on the narrow lot.
    By
  • Kurt Schultheis
  • April 11, 2014
ZBA approves North Shore Road variance

North Shore Road neighbors showing up at a Zoning Board of Adjustment meeting to urge the board to deny a variance for a single family lot.

  • Longboat Key
  • News
Fritz Wolfmarans raced to make a cross-court forehand against Ilija Bozoljac last year at the Sarasota Open qualifying round. (File photo)
    By
  • Robin Hartill
  • April 11, 2014
WEEKEND BEST BET: Sarasota Open

The seventh annual Sarasota Open begins tomorrow at the Longboat Key Club's Tennis Gardens.

  • Longboat Key
  • News
Maria Lane Sulimirski, left, performs on the Hammond organ, while sitting in ankle-deep water with Sarah Fulton, assistant director.
    By
  • Nolan Peterson
  • April 11, 2014
Siesta group releases "Big Pass Piano" video

Save Our Siesta Sands 2, a nonprofit formed to oppose dredging Big Pass, released a music video on YouTube Friday, featuring the Beatles song 'Let it Be' performed on a Hammond organ in the middle of Big Pass.

  • Siesta Key
  • Neighbors
When East County resident Donald Mader passed away April 5, after being hit by a red-light runner, the case turned into a traffic homicide investigation.
    By
  • Amanda Sebastiano
  • April 11, 2014
UPDATE: Florida Highway Patrol sees Donald Mader's death as a traffic homicide investigation

After being hit by a red-light runner April 4, Donald Mader died April 5 -- an event that transformed Florida Highway Patrol's investigation into a potential traffic homicide case.

  • East County
  • News
CONTRIBUTED  Braden River High senior Sam Woolf moved on in the "American Idol" competition April 10, and will compete among the show's top seven contestants.
    By
  • Amanda Sebastiano
  • April 11, 2014
UPDATE: Sam Woolf sails into top seven on "American Idol"

Sam Woolf wins a spot in the top seven on "American Idol" April 10.

  • East County
  • News
There will be interactive activities, games and prizes, ACH ambulance tours and a Kids4Kids Dash.
    By
  • Harriet Sokmensuer
  • April 11, 2014
WEEKEND BEST BET: Kids Day

Kids Day invites families of all ages to have fun while learning about health and safety, educational programs and summer fun Saturday, April 12.

  • Sarasota
  • Neighbors
From 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., April 12, Greenbrook Adventure Park, located at 13400 Adventure Place, will transform for the egg-decorating, candy-hunting EGGstravaganza event.
    By
  • Amanda Sebastiano
  • April 11, 2014
WEEKEND BEST BET: EGGstravaganza

The LWRCAC will host its annual Easter egg hunt, EGGstravaganza, from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., April 12, at Greenbrook Adventure Park, 13400 Adventure Place, Lakewood Ranch.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
Paul Blackketter, president of SANCA, has said the nonprofit plans to launch a fundraising drive to help raise $22 million to fund improvements to Nathan Benderson Park.
    By
  • Josh Siegel
  • April 11, 2014
UPDATE: SANCA regains charitable status

Suncoast Aquatic Nature Center Associates (SANCA), which manages Nathan Benderson Park, has submitted financial records to the state, meaning it can solicit donations.

  • Sarasota
  • News
Chris Barstow and Jessica Stevens
    By
  • Black Tie Staff
  • April 10, 2014
Florida Winefest and Auction: Sarasota Pops Orchestra Rocks Winefest

Florida Winefest and Auction: Sarasota Pops Orchestra Rocks Winefest

  • Black Tie
Bob and Slyvia Bailey with Kitty and Al Rickert
    By
  • Black Tie Staff
  • April 10, 2014
Evening of Hope featuring Nik Wallenda

Evening of Hope featuring Nik Wallenda

  • Black Tie
Laura Adcock and Kevin Meserve
    By
  • Black Tie Staff
  • April 10, 2014
Miracle Fest Awards Dinner honoring Senator John McKay

Miracle Fest Awards Dinner honoring Senator John McKay

  • Black Tie
Jan Brown, Troy Peterman, Terry Gutowski and Jaquelyne Assell
    By
  • Harriet Sokmensuer
  • April 10, 2014
PHOTO GALLERY: 2014 SCC Hob Nob

The Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce held its annual Hob Nob Thursday, April 10, at Ed Smith Stadium. Chamber members, Sarasotans and business leaders enjoyed an evening of mingling and networking with live entertainment. Chamber member "company teams" dressed up for this year's theme "Night at the Movies" and offered free food and drinks.

  • Sarasota
  • Neighbors
Event co-chairs Maggie Edger and Beth Waldman
    By
  • Kelsey Grau
  • April 10, 2014
PHOTO GALLERY: Longboat Harbour Pizza Party

On Thursday, April 10, Longboat Harbour gathered for its annual pizza party at its private beach access on the Gulf. As the sun was setting, residents enjoyed a sweet treat from a visiting ice cream truck.

  • Longboat Key
  • News
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Lakewood Ranch's Cole Mule and Bodie Hogan, both 3 years old, explore the bee-themed magnet activity.
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