SIESTA KEY
Observer Formerly the Pelican Press
YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
VOLUME 47, NO. 31
FREE
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Circus treasures
PAGE 1B
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2017
The city’s character hangs in the balance of numerous downtown projects.
Is it too late to stay small? PAGE 3A
David Conway
MARKING HISTORY
YOUR TOWN
Cliff Roles
Katherine Harris marrying Texan
Anna Brugmann
Former Sarasota Mayor Fredd Atkins looks at historical photos before the unveiling of the 15 historical markers.
Newtown Alive project documents neighborhood’s rich history. SEE PAGE 14A A+E
PERFECT HARMONY INSIDE
Navigating a new course Ferry operator gets city’s OK, if he can find a dock. PAGE 4A Alex Mahadevan
Their fathers owned and ran their families’ banks. They both have a love of France. And ranching and riding horses were part of their childhoods. Apparently, it was meant to be. Formerly a congresswoman, Florida secretary of state and a Longboat Key resident, Katherine Harris Ebbeson — now a resident of Sarasota — will be married this weekend in Dallas to longtime Amarillo, Texas, banker, Richard Ware II. The ceremony will be held at the Perkins Chapel at Southern Methodist University, where Ware serves on the board of trustees. Calling it a family affair, Harris said the wedding party will include Harris’ stepdaughter, Louise Ebbeson; Ware’s daughter and triplet sons; and his seven grandchildren. Ware is 70; Harris 59. The pair met nearly a year ago at a gala in New York.