SIESTA KEY
Observer YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
VOLUME 49, NO. 20
FREE
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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2018
Room to improve Affordable housing hard to find. SEE PAGE 3
BOWLED OVER
Murf Klauber
Crisis shelter upgrades place for pets. PAGE 16
‘He had a zest for life’
YOUR TOWN Interfaith Thanksgiving service In a divided climate, it’s rare to see people who are different come together for a common purpose. Church of the Palms and Temple Sinai joined together Nov. 21 to worship a Thanksgiving service at Church of the Palms, sharing their different traditions to unify their two congregations. Prayers in Hebrew and hymns accompanied the service. Church of the Palms and Temple Sinai have been participating in the service for 15 years, and they plan to do it for many more. Members of Church of the Palms reached out to support Temple Sinai when they had a service honoring the victims of the shooting at Tree of Life Synagogue.
Dr. Murray ‘Murf’ Klauber died Nov. 22 at age 91. MARK GORDON AND KATIE JOHNS OBSERVER STAFF
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child of the Great Depression, Dr. Murray “Murf” Klauber took all kinds of jobs to make money in the 1930s: soda jerk, gravedigger, paperboy, to name just a few. When he made $200, he bought a car — the first in his family to have a set of wheels. Another gig: altar boy for the neighborhood Catholic church where he grew up in Buffalo, N.Y. He worked there for four years, getting a quarter per service. One thing that didn’t come up in the job interview? Klauber’s religion. SEE KLAUBER, PAGE 6
BLACK
Courtesy photo
Alice Sundstrom, the neighborhood association president for Laurel Park, presented the playground to the public.
Shane Donglasan
Russ Fellows, center, and other members of the Sarasota Woodturners show off the wooden bowls they contributed to this year’s Bowls of Hope event.
Hunger helpers are ready to serve. SEE PAGE 17
TIE
Let’s get it on. INSIDE
Building a better relationship Stakeholders come together to solve issues brought on by downtown construction. SEE PAGE 5
Playing around The new playground at Laurel Park is open for play as of Nov. 17 after falling into a state of disrepair, Laurel Park Neighborhood Association President Alice Sundstrom said. “Laurel Park is a well loved and much used feature of our neighborhood. Unfortunately, our old play structure was broken and dangerous. The swing set and sandbox were both well beyond their prime. The landscaping was overgrown and blocking off some portions of the park, and our gazebo was rusting badly,” said Sundstrom. Laurel Park’s children helped cut the ribbon for the playground as part of their neighborhood’s Tunes in the Park. The new playground features spiral slides, a ladder, climbing walls and swings.