SARASOTA
Observer YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
VOLUME 14, NO. 51
FREE
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Form over function?
Contest winner goes deep. PAGE 1B
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2018
YOUR TOWN
Neighborhoods object to city’s zoning code proposal. SEE PAGE 3A Courtesy photo
The real-life Pip is a 6-weekold Labrador.
‘Pip’ goes viral
Southeastern Guide Dogs’ animated short film about a small dog with a big heart has more than 2.6 million views on YouTube. “Pip” channels the stories of the real-life dogs that are raised and trained at Southeastern Guide Dogs and later paired with people who need them. “The story is about the optimism and hope that our dogs show every day,” said Southeastern Vice President of Marketing and Communications Stacy Howe. “It’s about rooting for the underdog through this heartwarming tale.”
WELCOME BACK It’s great to see you again. Here’s what you missed. SEE PAGE 10-16A
BLACK
Wine, women and shoes. INSIDE
TIE
Photo courtesy Tina Wholean
Ramesh Haytasingh with his sons and dog on Siesta Beach.
A new set of wheels
Digging Siesta sand Artists make their marks at Crystal Classic. SEE PAGE 2B
Shane Donglasan
Karen Fralich, of Canada, works on her team’s sculpture, “The Butterfly Effect.” Fralich, who has made sand sculpting a full-time career for 16 years, competed at the ninth annual Siesta Key Crystal Classic International Sand Sculpting Festival.
For the first time in four years, retired Navy Lt. Cmdr. Ramesh Haytasingh was able to race toward the water at Siesta Beach. Haytasingh served multiple combat tours, but upon his return, a surfing accident paralyzed his lower body, and he hadn’t been able to go to the beach since. Thanks to a donation from the Virginia-based nonprofit Freedom Alliance, Haytasingh can now move around in more places with a new all-terrain wheelchair. “We wanted to show a deep appreciation for the sacrifice he’s made for our country all in hopes that it will improve his recovery and his way of life,” said Freedom Alliance President Tom Kilgannon.