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Your Observer

Draco is a monitor lizard that lives at the Lowry Park Zoo, in Tampa.
    By
  • Loren Mayo
  • May 6, 2011
PHOTO OF THE DAY: Lord of lizards

The Lowry Park Zoo today visited Brookside Middle School and brought along a few exotic friends.

  • Sarasota
  • Neighbors
The town wants to make sure its beach plan, which requires renourishment every six to eight years, is still appropriate.
    By
  • Kurt Schultheis
  • May 6, 2011
Longboat commission schedules beach meeting

The Longboat Key Town Commission will review its beach plan and a Bayfront Park concept plan this month.

  • Longboat Key
  • News
VIP tickets are now on sale to view the 2011 Fourth of July fireworks show.
    By
  • Robin Roy
  • May 6, 2011
Siesta Key fireworks to return

The Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce has begun planning for annual July 4 fireworks show.

  • Sarasota
  • News
    By
  • Robin Hartill
  • May 6, 2011
OBITUARY: Alan George Braxton

Alan George Braxton, 72, was a retired chartered accountant.

  • Longboat Key
  • Neighbors
Dominique Scanlan was delighted as her son Hayden shared what he'd written about her.
    By
  • Pam Eubanks
  • May 6, 2011
Kiddie Academy moms enjoy tea (VIDEO)

Children at Kiddie Academy celebrated their mothers with special songs, gifts and other festivities at a Mother's Day Tea event May 5. Children performed before enjoying cookies and other snacks with their moms.

  • East County
  • Schools
The sport of dragon boat racing is a paddlesport that uses a canoe-shaped boat painted and adorned with a Chinese dragon head, tail, drum and scales.
    By
  • Observer Staff
  • May 6, 2011
WEEKEND BEST BET: Sarasota Dragon Boat Festival 2011

Nathan Benderson Park will host the inaugural Sarasota Dragon Boat Festival 2011 May 7.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
    By
  • Jen Blanco
  • May 6, 2011
FC Sarasota U16 boys advance to State Final Four

The FC Sarasota U16 boys soccer team will face HCU, the top-ranked team in the state, in the state semifinals May 21.

  • East County
  • Sports
U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan will listen to  East County residents during a town hall meeting at  11 a.m., May 7.
    By
  • Pam Eubanks
  • May 6, 2011
Buchanan to host town hall meeting

U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan will host a town hall meeting in Lakewood Ranch Saturday.

  • East County
  • News
Maiya Gardner and Amy Donato attended the Mother's Day Tea.
    By
  • Loren Mayo
  • May 5, 2011
PHOTO GALLERY: ODA Mother's Day Tea

Out-Of-Door Academy students honored their mothers with a tea party for Mother's Day.

  • Sarasota
  • Neighbors
Ron Vaughn, Fritz Faulhaber and Gerri Aaron pose together at the opening of the G. WIZ Faulhaber Fab Lab Thursday, May 5 at G. WIZ.
    By
  • Rachel S. OHara
  • May 5, 2011
PHOTO GALLERY: Fab Lab

People enjoyed themselves at the opening of the G. WIZ Faulhaber Fab Lab Thursday, May 5 at G. WIZ.

  • Sarasota
  • News
    By
  • Robin Hartill
  • May 5, 2011
Median age of Longboat residents rises

The median age of Key residents is now 70.4, according to Census data.

  • Longboat Key
  • News
Longboat Key Fire Rescue Department Medical Director Dr. Steve Newman held a training class Monday, May 2.
    By
  • Kurt Schultheis
  • May 5, 2011
Firefighters hold EKG training

The Longboat Key Fire Rescue Department's medical director discussed the latest in EKG training last week.

  • Longboat Key
  • News
The company had planned to build a concrete batch plant on the site, which is less than two miles from Kinnan Elementary and less than 600 feet from residences.
    By
  • Pam Eubanks
  • May 5, 2011
Manatee denies Tarmac application

The Manatee County Board of County Commissioners today denied a rezone application for a four-acre property owned by Tarmac America.

  • East County
  • News
Twin sisters Lydia Chapdelain and Jessica Kingsley hold Chapdelain's twins, Spencer and Charlotte, who were born Feb. 1.
    By
  • Loren Mayo
  • May 5, 2011
MOTHERLY LOVE

The relationship between twin sisters changed forever when one offered to carry the other's children.

  • Sarasota
  • Neighbors
Sky Kreithen
    By
  • Observer Staff
  • May 5, 2011
Students eat like royalty

In honor of the royal wedding, the little ones at Goldie Feldman Academy recently held an English garden tea party.

  • Sarasota
  • Neighbors
    By
  • Observer Staff
  • May 5, 2011
Local sauce cuts the mustard

Hundreds of mustards competed in the 2011 World Wide Mustard Competition, but there's one Sarasota mustard that deserves special recognition.

  • Sarasota
  • Neighbors
Yacht broker Roy Kaplan stands in front of the boat slips at the Hyatt Regency.
    By
  • Robin Roy
  • May 5, 2011
'Bring back the boats'

As many in the community seek ways to revitalize the local economy, a Sarasota yacht broker believes one answer could be to rebuild the boat basin at the former Quay and Hyatt Regency hotel.

  • Sarasota
  • News
Abigail Swindell, 7, feeds Gertrude and Margilow Monday, May 2 at her home in Sarasota.
    By
  • Robin Roy
  • May 5, 2011
CLUCK makes noise at county level

Sarasota County is going to be urged to allow its residents to keep chickens in backyards of all residential areas, including on barrier islands.

  • Sarasota
  • News
    By
  • Robin Roy
  • May 5, 2011
Voters to decide on 21 changes to city's charter

Twenty-one changes to the city's charter --  Sarasota's constitution - passed muster with city commissioners and will now go to city voters.

  • Sarasota
  • News
    By
  • Observer Staff
  • May 5, 2011
News Briefs

Planning Board reappointments on hold; Citizen sits during City Commission prayer; and Rep. Buchanan praises Osama bin Laden killing.

  • Sarasota
  • News
Kindergartner Lena Zide tells us what makes her mom special.
    By
  • Loren Mayo
  • May 5, 2011
Southside kids get sweet on their moms (VIDEO)

The Sarasota Observer caught up with students at Southside School to talk about their moms and Mother's Day. (VIDEO)

  • Sarasota
  • Neighbors
    By
  • Observer Staff
  • May 5, 2011
OUR VIEW: Newtown needs fresh leaders

Newtown is a community black eye that Sarasota leaders have been trying feverishly to put mascara over to protect the important tourism industry. That effort will be successful, and Sarasota and her beaches, golf courses and snowbird industries will recover. Memories are often short.

  • Sarasota
  • Opinion
Charles Hewett, executive vice president and chief operating officer of The Jackson Laboratory, stands at the proposed site of research lab in eastern Collier County last summer before the institute abandoned the project at the end of 2010.
  • By Carolann Cahill and Jim Lampl
  • May 5, 2011
MY VIEW: Go slow on Jackson Lab

The non-profit Jackson Laboratory has a solid reputation in its field and a demonstrated track record of success in securing public funding. But that does not justify Sarasota County jumping on the Jackson Lab bandwagon heading our way.

  • Sarasota
  • Opinion
    By
  • Robin Roy
  • May 5, 2011
SCOPE seeks community improvements

SCOPE seeks to tap residents' wisdom to keep Sarasota County thriving.

  • Sarasota
  • News
Unit 703 at The Savoy on Palm has three bedrooms, three-and-a-half bathrooms and 2,975 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.37 million.
    By
  • Adam Hughes
  • May 5, 2011
Savoy on Palm condo sells for $1.37 million

Stanley and D'Ann Wernick sold their Unit 703 condominium at 401 S. Palm Ave. to Arthur and Joan Schwartz, of Sarasota, for $1.37 million.

  • Sarasota
  • Real Estate
    By
  • Observer Staff
  • May 5, 2011
Cops Corner

11 a.m. - 3500 block of South Tamiami Trail. Petit Theft Shoplifting. A lingerie-shop employee called police after two women stole $600 worth of perfume.

  • Sarasota
  • Cops Corner
Christopher Brunn submitted this sunset photo, taken at Crescent Beach on Siesta Key.
    By
  • Observer Staff
  • May 5, 2011
WEEKLY WINNER: Beachside Bonding

Christopher Brunn submitted this sunset photo, taken at Crescent Beach on Siesta Key.

  • Sarasota
  • Neighbors
Children were inducted during a special ceremonyApril 26
    By
  • Pam Eubanks
  • May 5, 2011
Freedom hosts honor society induction

Freedom Elementary School on April 26 inducted students into the National Elementary Honor Society.

  • East County
  • News
André Johnson
    By
  • Rachel S. OHara
  • May 5, 2011
ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Andre Johnson

Andre Johnson has been playing tennis for years but didn't get into the competitive side of it until he was 10.

  • Sarasota
  • Neighbors
Brittany Ann Ornsby, 18, went missing before 10:30 p.m., April 29.
    By
  • Pam Eubanks
  • May 4, 2011
Missing Ranch teenager located

Brittany Ann Ornsby, who went missing April 29, was found in Sarasota this morning.

  • East County
  • News
Ellie Ohlman is a 2010 graduate of Lakewood Ranch High School.
    By
  • Observer Staff
  • May 4, 2011
Ranch grad crowned DeSoto Queen

Ellie Ohlman was named the 2011 DeSoto Queen at the Desoto Historical Society Ball April 29.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
    By
  • Observer Staff
  • May 4, 2011
Swan song continues on pond

Turtles aren't the only ones in nesting mode: Harbour Links swan keeper David Novak reports that all three of the pond's swan pairs produced nests this year.

  • Longboat Key
  • Neighbors
    By
  • Observer Staff
  • May 4, 2011
Haiku written as labor of love (bugs)

Longboat Key resident Florence Levine recently began writing haiku poetry. Love bugs are the subject of her latest poem.

  • Longboat Key
  • Neighbors
    By
  • Observer Staff
  • May 4, 2011
Sealed the deal

Our Town attempted to find out whether Longboat Key's Native Son member of the Navy Seals was among those involved in the raid on Osama bin Laden's compound.

  • Longboat Key
  • Neighbors
Liz Yerkes, D'Arcy Arpke, hostess Kip O'Neill, Lissy LaFlamme, Lillian Sands, Gail Condrick and Dawn diLorenzo
    By
  • Observer Staff
  • May 4, 2011
Village gals celebrate April birthdays with girls-only party

Following tradition, Kip O'Neill once again hosted a birthday party for Village girls with April birthdays.

  • Longboat Key
  • Neighbors
Eugenie Gerstein and Susanne Klingenstein
    By
  • Observer Staff
  • May 4, 2011
Double the fun

The party room at L'Ambiance Building Two has been exceptionally busy lately.

  • Longboat Key
  • Neighbors
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A giant American flag has flown above Sarasota Ford since the 1970s.
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Mike and Jenny Schenk have closed their Pineapple Kitchen location on Lena Road and are now marketing their products on Amazon.
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An aerial rendering of Premier Park's upcoming racket and aquatic center.
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