SARASOTA
Observer YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
VOLUME 11, NO. 42
FREE
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What’s a shofar? PAGE 1B
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2015
Growing tree regulations Leading a campaign to create more stringent regulations to protect urban trees, residents have found a sympathetic ear in city staff. Now, they want to capitalize on their momentum. SEE PAGE 13A
YOUR TOWN
FIRST CLASS As the city works on a project designed to make First Street more walkable, businesses in the area are excited by the changes — and by the growth surrounding them. PAGE 4A
Courtesy of Memory Portraits by Gigi
Baby bloopers It just isn’t a newborn photo shoot without spit-up or some other mess. That was the case for new parents Mark and Shayna Resnick. During the shoot, their newborn son, Asher, was lying on his father's back — sans diaper — when he created a messy situation. Quickthinking photographer Gigi O’Dea caught the moment on camera. The photo has since gone viral and been shared on the Facebook page for the blog “Life of Dad,” Buzzfeed and “The Today Show.”
Golden Gopher Sarasota businessman Joel Schleicher, founder of several technology companies, recently received an accolade that takes him back in time: The University of Minnesota, the school where he earned an accounting degree in 1974, named him Entrepreneur of the Year. Schleicher was honored at the school Sept. 9. Schleicher founded Presidio Networked Solutions in 2003. That firm grew to more than $1.4 billion in annual sales before he sold it in 2011. Schleicher then founded Cyber Risk Management, the parent company of Tampa-based Sunera, a national leader in cybersecurity and IT compliance.
Photo by David Conway
Marina Jack owners to upgrade Turtle Beach facility The historic Turtle Beach Marina will now be known at Bayfront Yacht Works & Marina. JACK SHORT STAFF WRITER
Photo by Jack Short
David and Sterling Hobbs of Bayfront Yacht Works & Marina, formerly Turtle Beach Marina, survey their domain.
Frank Kelleher may not have been publicly marketing Turtle Beach Marina this year, but word was out that he was looking for the right person to buy the historic property. This summer, the owners of the 315-slip Marina Jack reached out. “We were looking for a facility to service the boating community for things like underwater and out-of-water vessel repairs,” said Bob Soran, who owns Marina Jack with his wife, Suzann. Kelleher persuaded his partners in California and Ohio to SEE PAGE 7A