SIESTA KEY
Observer Formerly the Pelican Press
YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
VOLUME 45, NO. 37
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DOES DOWNTOWN NEED PUBLIC BATHROOMS? PAGE 5A •
THURSDAY, APRIL 9, 2015
STREET STAKES Despite numerous appeals from Ringling College staff and students, the Sarasota City Commission declined to vacate a portion of Old Bradenton Road on the school’s campus.
2015
Your guide to summe r camps in Manatee and Sarasota counties.
SUMMER FUN GUIDE
YOUR TOWN FAITHFUL VOLUNTEER
Since All Faiths Food Bank opened its doors 26 years ago, volunteer Millie Beldon has been helping the organization. And for 26 years Beldon has been sorting and packing food for the Monday Team to prepare food for distribution. Although with age comes some challenges in volunteering, Beldon is steadfast in continuing to help her community. She celebrated her 91st birthday Monday at All Faiths. “Every box we pack means a family in our community will not be going hungry for a while,” she said.
DAVID CONWAY NEWS EDITOR
As coordinator of student activities at Ringling College of Art and Design, Katie Cuff is one of four on-call staff members responsible for responding to emergencies on the school’s campus. That means her hours are reflective of the hours Ringling students keep. Typically, Cuff said, she gets called out between 10 p.m. and 3 a.m., because students stay up late working in the school’s various labs — or engaging in other college-age activities. Her work gives her firsthand experience dealing with part of the Ringling campus that’s recently come under scrutiny: a segment of Old Bradenton Road, located between Dr. Martin Luther King Way and U.S. 41. At any time of the day, Cuff says, the street is dangerous. Cars come SEE RINGLING PAGE 9A
David Conway
Despite the reduction in speed from U.S. 41 to Old Bradenton Road, Ringling College of Art and Design staff and students say cars frequently speed through the campus — a hazard they hoped to eliminate by closing the street to vehicular traffic.
Siesta Market to close after more than three decades
ARTS+CULTURE
Lost and donated works of art get a second life in “MASHterpiece.”
JOIN THE MOVEMENT Calling all student volunteers for the Community Youth Development’s SRQVolunteen program! CYD is seeking youth volunteers to participate in a community youth volunteer effort as part of the worldwide Global Youth Service Day. This year’s theme is “Plug Into Green,” with activities focusing on the environment. For information or to sign up as a volunteer, contact Suriya Khong at 9225126 or email suriya@ cydonline.org.
File photo
Mike Messina, Vince Messina’s son, fills up the shelves inside Siesta Market.
Vince and Peter Messina are closing the Siesta Market after owning the popular Siesta grocery store since 2001. The Messinas decided it was time to retire. Now, property owners Chris Brown and Mike Granthon are searching for a new tenant, and they’d prefer to see another grocer to service the Village. READ THE COMPLETE STORY ON PAGE 14A.
BLACK TIE
Hats off to New College Foundation’s Pique Nique Sur la Baie fashion show.
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