SARASOTA/SIESTA KEY
Observer YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
Shellers’ market
PAGE 10B
FREE • THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2024
VOLUME 20, NO. 10
YOUR TOWN
City Island makeover proposed Local group wants to transform park into an attraction with rides. SEE PAGE 3A
NEIGHBORS FROM ALL OVER Ian Swaby
Nearly 150 area book circles have discussed the life lessons of Mr. Rogers. SEE PAGE 1B
One book world
Three-year-old Jude Way and his mother, Laura Way, were visiting the Fruitville Library on Jan. 30 to check out books when they found an interactive exhibit. Before them were tables where Jude had the chance to see and touch samples of coral and models of marine life, and where visitors could learn about topics like sea turtle conservation and coral restoration. According to librarian Hallie Matthews, the Mote Marine Exploration Stations event showcased the library’s focus on the natural world, tied to this year’s selection for the One Book One Community program. Each year, the countywide initiative highlights one book. This year’s book? “An Immense World,” by Ed Yong, which is about animals and their sensory capabilities. The library will even bring Yong to Sarasota March 1 for a discussion. “It’s a communitywide initiative to bring people together to share a love of reading and a love of learning,” said Merab Favorite, marketing coordinator for Sarasota County.
Ian Swaby
Greg Behr and Ryan Rydzewski, authors of “When You Wonder, You’re Learning Mister Rogers’ Enduring Lessons for Raising Creative, Curious, Caring Kids” say they’re impressed with Sarasota’s reading philanthropy. Image courtesy of Lou Newman
A frigatebird in summer flight.
Rare sight in flight
Sarasota resident Lou Newman recently spotted a rare sight in Sarasota: a frigatebird. The chicken-sized, “pterodactyl-like” birds are usually far from Sarasota in January, either at sea or nesting in the Dry Tortugas. Their gliding ability enables them to stay airborne for up to two months. Several people saw a frigatebird Jan. 27 flying above Sarasota Bay. The bird landed in the mangroves beside the Sarasota Yacht Club, Newman reported. “Frigatebirds typically show up here in May and stay until late August. They have a few mangrove islands where they like to roost and they return to those same islands year after year. They spend all day in the air, coming back to roost in the evening,” wrote Newman. To learn more about spotting avian wildlife in Sarasota, see “Birds to watch, all year long” on Page 4B.
A+E
Profound loss for Siesta Key
A taste of Broadway. INSIDE
John Davidson, a pillar of the community, who started Davidson Drugs in 1958, died at 93. SEE PAGE 6A File image
John Davidson, founder of Davidson Drugs, has died at age 93.