LONGBOAT
Observer
Longboat Key’s weekly newspaper since 1978
YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
VOLUME 45, NO. 14
For election results, visit YOUROBSERVER.COM
FREE • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2022
YOUR TOWN
Dignitaries dig in Pavilion construction begins with a thank you ceremony for 16 town donors. PAGE 3
BASKETS OF CHEER
Courtesy photo
‘A fireman’s fireman’
St. Mary’s spreads Christmas spirit at its annual bazaar. PAGE 15
Sarasota County Fire-Rescue personnel took time this past week to honor Julius Halas, director of the Florida Division of State Fire Marshal, for his 48 years of service in firefighting. Longboat Key residents might remember Halas from his role as fire chief from 1999 to 2009, before he moved to the State Fire Marshal’s office. He previously had served as the city of Sarasota’s fire chief. Halas was presented with an award for his “heartfelt appreciation for yourdedication and commitment to Sarasota County.” The award was also engraved with an inscription referring to Halas as “A Fireman’s Fireman.’’ In a 2015 interview with the Longboat Observer, Halas explained his role in Tallahassee. “I oversee 240 employees, half of whom are in law enforcement for fire and arson investigations statewide,” he said. “Our arrest record is very high, and we consistently beat the national average for criminal prosecution here in Florida for arson.”
Lesley Dwyer
Deirdre Schueppert sells raffle tickets for a special basket Mrs. Claus put together for the Christmas Bazaar at St. Mary, Star of the Sea Catholic Church.
A+E
Service with a smile Courtesy photo
Brill honored as a vet. PAGE 9
Livening La Villa
Nothing pairs better with Mexican food than mariachi music. La Villa Mexican Grill has made the pairing twice in the past month. The restaurant opened at the end of August at 5610 Gulf of Mexico Drive. “I want to have mariachi weekly when business picks up in season,” owner Estella Villegas said. “We’ve been working with this group for many years at the other restaurant.” The original La Villa is in Valrico, Florida. The band Mariachi Contemporaneo performs all over the Tampa Bay area.
Lesley Dwyer
A Korean War-era veteran, John Brill is also a founding member of the Rotary Club of Longboat Key.
Life is a Cabaret. INSIDE