SARASOTA
Observer YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
VOLUME 12, NO. 3
FREE
Circle: The valet dance The city of Sarasota seeks to strike a balance between stakeholder concerns about St. Armands valet parking and the community benefit of the service. DAVID CONWAY NEWS EDITOR
Marty Rappaport, a longstanding advocate for St. Armands, takes pride in the image the upscale shopping district projects. That’s why he was concerned when he says he witnessed a valet attendant cursing at a patron for not giving a tip. “I was mortified by it,” Rappaport said. “This is ridiculous.”
THE SARASOTA MODERN
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HOTEL SARASOTA
Sarasota lights up with seasonal spirit. PAGE 14A
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2015 ONE PALM
HOTEL HOT SPOT The number of hotel rooms in downtown Sarasota is set to increase nearly 200% during the next five years. Are there any reservations about the coming deluge? PAGE 3A
SEE PAGE 6A
YOUR TOWN STARWOOD (PROPOSED)
VUE SARASOTA BAY
KIMPTON (PROPOSED)
Courtesy photo
Party on the Pass An open bar is typically a welcome feature of an office holiday party. These men raised the bar when they held a holiday gathering in a sandbar on Big Pass. The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office Marine Patrol Unit spotted them and posted a photo Dec. 9, describing it as a company party. It wasn’t actually a party; it was a video shoot for a companywide holiday greeting contest by the IT department at Direct Energy Services. The idea was the brainchild of Server and Infrastructure Manager Trevor Wethington. During their lunch, staffers re-created an office with laptops and even a Christmas Tree and menorah. “Everyone around here is pretty creative,” Wethington said. “Most of us are outdoor people anyway, so it worked.”
Will the city invest in Bobby Jones? PAGE 5A
BLACK Christmas in Candyland INSIDE
Amanda Morales
Judy Altier thanks a stranger for donating to Salvation Army while ringing the bell at Paradise Plaza.
For whom the bell tolls The Salvation Army’s mission rings clear for volunteers like Judy Altier who hear the stories of those touched by the organization’s work. SEE PAGE 11A
TIE