LONGBOAT
Observer Longboat Key’s weekly newspaper since 1978
YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
VOLUME 40, NO. 50
Fewer nests seen
FREE
GEARED UP
SEE PAGE 3
We celebrate 40 by dishing up the best of our archives. SEE PAGE 4
Kids and parents explore Sarasota Bay together. SEE PAGE 18 Katie Johns
Sun hat? Check. Net? Check. Pail? Check. With all her equipment ready, Cela Rzewnciki explores Sarasota Bay during Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium’s Mommy and Me Camp on July 19.
A+E Talented trio. INSIDE
PAGE 15 •
THURSDAY, JULY 26, 2018
YOUR TOWN
Wiley coyote roams the town
Turtle numbers are off pace, but experts are not worried.
Blasts from the past
A world of his own.
Waves
of the future Town embarks on a project to assess the risk of rising seas, and propose solutions. SEE PAGE 5
The coyote case continues. First, we heard from folks in Country Club Shores of a coyote walking through yards and streets July 12. A few days later, on July 15, Paula and John Steptoe think they saw a coyote on the Harbourside Golf Course. Then, July 16, a resident captured video of an animal walking into the former Colony Beach & Tennis Resort and reported a wolf to police. An investigating officer checked the video and came to the conclusion it was a healthy coyote that disappeared onto the property. Two hours later, police reports of a coyote being struck by a car surfaced near the Harbourside golf course, though officers couldn’t confirm that thirdparty report. Then, around 8 a.m. July 18, a healthy-looking coyote was spotted near St. Mary Star of the Sea church at 4280 Gulf of Mexico Drive. Officers responded again and noted the coyote was causing a nuisance and alarming pedestrians. In a report of the incident, police said, “The coyote showed no signs of being in fear while in close proximity of officers and bystanders.” The animal eventually disappeared into the treeline. A trapper has been notified.
Turtle Tracks JULY 15-21: Nests False Crawls
2018 2017 79 76 95 55
YEAR TO DATE: 2018 2017 Nests 914 1,192 False Crawls 953 1,104 Source: Mote Marine Laboratory Data for Longboat Key