LONGBOAT
Observer Longboat Key’s weekly newspaper since 1978
Circus stars in spotlight.
PAGE 14
YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
VOLUME 40, NO. 22
FREE
Square So long, Dave footage D at issue
•
THURSDAY, JANUARY 11, 2018
BLACK
TIE
People on Longboat have a lot of good things to say about the town manager as he prepares to retire. BRET HAUFF
STAFF WRITER
Critics of Colony plan take aim at ballroom size, traffic concerns. PAGE 3
ave Bullock said he’d give Longboat Key five years when it hired him as town manager. That was more than six years ago.
Showcasing young musicians. INSIDE
YOUR TOWN
SEE PAGE 4 File photo
Penny for a peacock? Those missing the Longboat Key peafowl that roamed the Village may soon have a way to fill the void they left. In 2016, six of 41 captured Longboat Key peafowl were moved to Birds of Paradise Bird Sanctuary in Manatee County, causing quite a stir among Village residents. But now, Birds of Paradise is not only looking for volunteers, but it is also searching for people to sponsor the peacocks. “It’s quite expensive to feed them each month,” Birds of Paradise Executive Director Debbie Huckaby said. A sponsorship portal is under construction on the Birds of Paradise website. For those interested in volunteering, call (727) 3669997. File photo
Tennis champs crowned Five teams take top spots in Observer Challenge. PAGE 17
Making waves
A man with vision Gil Waters, who died last week at 90, pushed against the tide for Ringling Bridge. PAGE 7
The Longboat Key Club Moorings is getting some big recognition. Recently, the marina, which is the largest resort marina on the west coast of Florida, was named a winner in Marinas.com’s Boaters’ Choice Awards as one of the top marinas in Florida in 2017. This isn’t the first time in 2017 the club received national recognition. In October, The Resort at Longboat Key Club was named the No. 5 Florida resort in Conde Nast Traveler’s 2018 Readers’ Choice Awards.