SARASOTA/SIESTA KEY
Observer YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
Scottish delight
PAGE 2B THURSDAY, APRIL 3, 2025
VOLUME 21, NO. 8
YOUR TOWN
County stands pat on rate The proposed millage is expected to remain the same for fiscal year. SEE PAGE 5A
PARTNERS THAT MATTER Courtesy image
A butterfly garden was planted at the event.
Neighbors to nature One of the largest mangrove habitats in Sarasota County borders the Landings neighborhood. Jackie Massari, social chair of The Landings Management Association, said that was one reason the neighborhood hosted its second annual Nature Day by the Bay on March 30. Drawing what she said was about 250 attendees and run entirely by volunteers, the event brought together groups such as Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium, Suncoast Beekeepers Association and the county’s mosquito control unit. It also included the building of a bat house by a Landings resident and the planting of a butterfly garden at The Landings.
Ian Swaby
Allen Brown of Embracing Our Differences, Chantima Kaewvichian of Bangok, Thailand, the painter of “Hide or Shine,” and its sponsors, Tobi Leanna Schneider and Steven Neumeister, gather in front of the art piece. The quote by Kim Howard of Bloomington, Indiana, reads, “Choosing to speak when others are silent is an act of bravery this world needs.”
Embracing Our Differences and Gulf Coast Community Foundation join forces. SEE PAGE 14B Michael Harris
It’s a Big Night Out in Laurel Park With the band Big Night Out playing everything from Latin hits from Santana all the way to the bluesy Stevie Ray Vaughan, the Laurel Park Neighborhood Association hosted a get-together for the historic district’s residents on Saturday. “This fun bi-annual event, Music in the Park, is a great way for neighbors to get together,” said Jolie McInnis, of the association. According to McInnis, it may be one of the last performances for the band because trombone player and band leader Bruce Glasberg is heading to Brazil for a couple months.
A+E Long live La Musica. INSIDE
Andrew Warfield
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A banner promoting saving the Mira Mar building is affixed to a glass-enclosed connector between the buildings.
Mira Mar all cracked up A look inside the historic downtown building. SEE PAGE 3A