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100 And Counting

A 20-year resident of Longboat Key, Pennie Williams celebrated her 100th birthday on July 20 at a dinner with her family.

A bigger celebration was held on July 22 at the Sarasota Senior Friendship Center. Seventy-five family members and friends came from around the country to be with her.

Originally from Rhode Island, Williams is a dedicated member of the Longboat Key community and its surrounding areas. Her passion for many years was performing at the Sarasota Senior Theatre.

She passed along her passion for the arts to her relatives. Her daughter Barbara Bostic acted with Williams at the Sarasota Senior Theatre and her granddaughter is a country singer in Nashville.

Bostic arranged for Williams’ friends from the theater to provide entertainment at the party. Singing and dancing filled the room, but Williams’ smile sparkled the most, showing her appreciation for being surrounded by her loved ones on her special day.

Art that heals

Mary Lou Johnson’s photography can be seen at various locations around Longboat Key, whether it’s being sold at Publix or hanging as a mural in the Longboat Key Club. This year she celebrates the 10th anniversary of her book, “The Lure of Longboat Key.”

The book sold out in eight months after its first printing in 2013.

Now, Johnson is always looking for new media, whether it’s drone photography or printing on metal. She has won numerous photography competitions, the biggest of which got her work displayed in Times Square.

Johnson is a retired psychologist, but said she has been taking pictures all her life. She applies similar theories to her photography as she did in her practice.

“It just feels good to be out in nature,” Johnson said. “Nature heals us.”

Turtle tracks

“There are very few islands in the state of Florida that are consistently named like Longboat Key is.”

— Gail Loefgren, Chamber of Commerce President