SARASOTA/SIESTA KEY
Making the season bright. PAGE 10
Observer YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2025
VOLUME 21, NO. 46
YOUR TOWN
A living museum expands Selby Gardens’ renovations add to appeal while keeping mission in mind. SEE PAGE 3
Image courtesy of Denny Swaby
A rare bird, indeed
Among the gulls of Siesta Key, there is one that stands out. In fact, birders are traveling from afar to see the grey gull. Native to South America, where it breeds in Chile’s extremely dry Atacama Desert, the species had not been previously seen in Sarasota County until Dec. 7. “This is one of those bird sightings that really shakes the birding community,” said John Groskopf, reviewer of the eBird database for Florida. Groskopf thinks the gull is an individual previously seen in the Florida panhandle in 2023. That was likely the first sighting of the species anywhere in the U.S. and Canada. On Dec. 18, he said the gull has generally been seen south of the southernmost lifeguard stand on Siesta Key Beach, most commonly between 4:305:30 p.m.
A TREE FOR US! Man’s legacy helps fill in a holiday gap for families. SEE PAGE 4
Ian Swaby
Courtesy image
Yulia Mylnikova and Jane Vlasova, 3, take home a small tree from a Thanks for Giving Trees event. The nonprofit provides Christmas trees for families in need.
Last call for Community Gallery Groups looking to share their artwork in the new year still have a chance to submit to the Community Gallery at the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art. Applications for 2026 to 2027 close on Dec. 31. The free space hosts up to four exhibitions each year from community groups, nonprofits, schools and student groups. Current exhibitions are “Visions of Belonging,” which features 38 student photographs and “Unfolding Futures: Stories in Digital Design, Capturing the Innovation and Expression of Students Past and Present” from Suncoast Technical College. Visit Ringling.org/Community-Gallery to learn more.
Just in the (St.) Nick of time Kids’ timely letters to Santa are more than just wish lists. They are embodiments of the giving spirit. SEE PAGE 15
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Ian Swaby
Five-year-old Maia Rhodes from Gail Bowers’ kindergarten class at Fruitville Elementary with her letter to Santa.
A+E
Perlman pulls some strings to move camp. PAGE 12