LONGBOAT
Observer Longboat Key’s weekly newspaper since 1978
Decades of learning.
PAGE 1B
YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
VOLUME 43, NO. 23
FREE
YOUR TOWN
•
THURSDAY, JANUARY 14, 2021
Shot of frustration
Longboaters bristle at hard-to-access vaccine system. PAGE 2A
Courtesy photo
Calling all pets!
Leaders turn to sharpening focus on what comes next at long-planned gathering site. PAGE 3A
Go through the camera roll of any pet owner, and you’re sure to find them — dozens, if not hundreds, of photos of their four-legged family members. Well, during a time when we could all use a little critter comfort, it’s time to share them! Visit YourObserver.com/ contests/pet-pics to share your favorite pet photos and for the chance to see them printed in a future Observer. Or browse through the gallery there to see others’ lovable furry friends. What could be more purr-fect?
CENTER OF
File photo
Joan Sherry on Veterans Day
Rotary finishes fundraising The Rotary Club of Longboat Key reached its loftiest fundraising goal yet and donated more than $30,000 to three veterans groups, including $18,000 to Turning Points’ Yellow Ribbon Project, which helps unhoused Sarasotaarea veterans find stability. The remaining funds were split between Fisher House and SRQ Vets. Usually, the club hosts a recognition event on Veterans Day, but this year COVID-19 and Hurricane Eta curtailed plans. “We thought, ‘OK, what else can we do?’” Fundraising Chair Joan Sherry said. “That’s when we put a full court press on the fundraising.”
ATTENTION Eric Garwood
The Town Center site is scheduled for additional amenities this year, but beyond that is still a subject of debate.
‘Angel of mercy’ File and courtesy photos
Dr. Ward Maxson, a Longboat resident for 20 years, was cared for in his last 10 months by Kelly McFarland, whom he delivered in 1979.
Nurse cares for the doctor who delivered her. SEE PAGE 6A
A+E
Music plays on. SEE PAGE 4B