bserver O SARASOTA
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Fifty-year residents share history at Pioneer Picnic. PAGE 6A
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ODA senior Haley Preininger is a true team player. pAGE 17A
by Roger Drouin | City Editor
City scrutinizes streetcar desire The city has hired an engineer to conduct a $70,000 feasibility study, which is the first step in a lengthy process.
Courtesy photo
A a painting of the gift shop by Ginger Mermin, past board member of the Historical Society.
+ Historical Society gift shop reopens Sarasota history buffs celebrated the grand reopening of the Historical Society of Sarasota County’s gift shop Friday, Oct. 5. The reopening was marked with a wineand-cheese reception on the back porch of the BidwellWood House. The gift shop features one-of-a-kind works of art, crafts and books from more than 75 local artisans. Proceeds from the gift shop help support the Historical Society, but 70% of the sales go directly to the artisans.
Does Sarasota desire a streetcar? That is the question city planners, elected officials and residents will be talking about next month. The city has hired an engineer to conduct a $70,000 feasibility study, which is the first step in a lengthy process. And a public workshop is scheduled for midNovember to collect community input on the possibility of a downtown circulator —whether it would be a rubber-tire circulator, such as a bus-type trolley, or a fixed-track streetcar. Streetcars are the more expensive option, costing $25 million to $50 million for each mile of the track.
Tampa’s streetcar network cost a total of $61 million. But advocates say a streetcar in Sarasota would be much more inviting for residents and tourists to ride than a trolley or bus.
Courtesy photo
“A streetcar is sexy,” said Forrest Shaw, owner of Pastry Art downtown and co-organizer of the grassroots Sarasota Streetcar Ini-
tiative. “It is not the same as getting on a bus.” Part of the allure of streetcars is their heritage. At the turn-of-thecentury, streetcars fueled growth in many cities. Part of the draw is the permanence and predictability of a streetcar, advocates say. Proponents, who helped bring streetcars to cities such as Tampa and Kenosha, Wis., say they are an investment that steer revitalization and economic growth to the commercial and residential districts along their tracks. Mayor Suzanne Atwell said she is a supporter of a long-planned proposal to bring a “circulator” downtown, but she is not sure whether a bus-type trolley or a fixed-track streetcar would work best.
SEE STREETCAR / PAGE 2A
Rachel S. O’Hara
Lex Sayre, No. 15, was one of many Riverview players sporting pink socks to show support for National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
+ Real men wear pink Friday night’s Riverview homecoming game was not only about school spirit but served as the school’s salute to breast-cancer awareness. Students in the crowd wore pink, and the cheerleaders used pink pom-poms in honor of breast-cancer awareness month. All the Riverview football players wore pink socks. Some even had the breast-cancer ribbon design on them. Also, more than 60 Kiltie Band members performed at the Riverview homecoming game. The Kiltie alumni performed four songs during pre-game and during the half-time show.
Tampa recently completed an expansion to its downtown streetcar system. The Tampa streetcar system is a 2.7-mile line.
community input by Roger Drouin | City Editor
Ringling Walmart receives support The Sarasota Planning Board is scheduled to vote on the 97,000-square-foot store Nov. 14. Although two neighborhood associations approve of the project, some opposition remains. A proposed Walmart Supercenter in the Ringling Shopping Center will appear before the Sarasota Planning Board Nov. 14 for a vote. Although some opposition re-
mains, neighborhood leaders in the two neighborhoods closest to the project say they are OK with the supercenter and that it is probably the only viable option in the current economic climate.
Many neighbors were swayed in favor of the new store, because Wal-Mart Stores Inc. listened to the neighborhood concerns, they said. Alta Vista Neighborhood Association President Can-
dy Spaulding said the new store will be convenient for residents, especially those who are retired, to shop for groceries and other
SEE WALMART / PAGE 7A
INDEX Briefs.................... 4A Classifieds..........10B
Cops Corner........12A Crossword.............9B
Opinion................. 8A Real Estate...........6B
Sports.................16A Weather................9B
Vol. 8, No. 49 | Two sections YourObserver.com