5+ day, 5+ hour ago   (439+ words) On Sept. 11, 2001, President George W. Bush was reading to a second grade class at Emma E. Booker Elementary School in Sarasota. My dad was at a meeting in New Jersey that had originally been scheduled for the World Trade Center. My mom…...

1+ week, 4+ day ago   (710+ words) The public aquarium at City Island's Mote Marine might have closed just over a year ago, but that doesn't mean nature lovers are out of luck when it comes to getting up-close views of local marine wildlife. Sarasota Bay Explorers…...

1+ week, 4+ day ago   (323+ words) What does it take to be able to name some of Florida's most beautiful birds at a glance? Joining a class with birding expert Mattie Watson is a solid starting point for complete novices or those looking to refresh their…...

1+ week, 4+ day ago   (1482+ words) Though he has 45 years of experience in government, Howard Tipton’s three-and-a-half-year tenure as town manager of the town of Longboat Key holds a special place in his heart. “It’s different here,” Tipton said. “I’d always done things on a large scale....

1+ week, 4+ day ago   (410+ words) 7:47 a.m., 1300 block of Main Street Theft: After a man refused to pay for his breakfast and walked out of a restaurant with a coffee pot and mug, a responding Sarasota Police officer made contact with the subject sitting on a bench…...

2+ week, 4+ day ago   (340+ words) Your Observer Sailor Circus Academy heads to Smithsonian for shows More than two dozen students of the Circus Arts Conservatory’s Sailor Circus Academy are preparing to travel to Washington, D.C., to perform in the Smithsonian Folklife Festival over Labor Day…...

2+ week, 4+ day ago   (799+ words) Trying to hammer out a way to benefit the community can be for the birds. That's in a good way, and especially if the community you are trying to help is made up of parrots and their owners. This is…...

2+ week, 5+ day ago   (304+ words) Conversations about “last meals” constantly circulate through my chats, even among the youngish crowd. I’ve heard it all: escargot with a glass of Prosecco from a Parisian café to a McDonald’s double cheeseburger with extra pickles and a crisp Diet…...

2+ week, 5+ day ago   (580+ words) Longboat Key's beaches carry troves of remarkable seashells for everyone from sunbathers casually exploring the beach to devoted shellers. Whitney Beach in particular can house some unique finds, from a rainbow of small coquina shells — the namesake of Anna Maria…...

3+ week, 2+ day ago   (166+ words) A distinctive luxury estate on Siesta Key has hit the market at $17.65 million. The Balinese-style waterfront residence at 3799 Flamingo Ave. boasts more than 700 feet of waterfront on 1.4 acres on the north end of the key. Designed as a tropical Asian…...