LONGBOAT
Observer
Longboat Key’s weekly newspaper since 1978
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YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
FREE • THURSDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2023
VOLUME 46, NO. 10
YOUR TOWN
Ride along with Longboat police What happens after sunset? A reporter finds out on patrol with LBKPD. SEE PAGE 3
Petra Rivera
Seahorse mural by Michele De Luce, Leighton Allenby and Amy Steinhauser
Build back better
The Bay Isles beach muralists are at it again. After Hurricane Idalia washed away their original “I love LBK” shell mural that was near the public beach entrance by Bay Isles Road, Leighton Allenby and Michele De Luce were able to rebuild it quickly by putting the word out on their new Facebook page, “You and Me on Longboat Key.” The Facebook community allows them to connect with other Longboaters wanting to partake in building beach murals and other common interests. Joel Osborn, a resident Allenby and De Luce met on the beach, called the mural “the Hollywood sign of LBK.” Amy Steinhauser, the program manager of the Paradise Center, has joined De Luce and Allenby on their morning shell hunts. Steinhauser has started her own heart shell mural on the beach and other beachgoers add their own shells as they walk by. Allenby, De Luce and Steinhauser are starting to build a series of seahorses as their next shell mural project. They were inspired by the many seahorses washing up on shore after the hurricane. De Luce said she loves how the beach murals are bringing together new friends and growing a tight-knit community around the things they love.
FINE DINING Chili cook-off raises money for the Sarasota Firefighters Benevolent Fund. SEE PAGE 14
Carter Weinhofer
Visitors to the Longboat Key Fire Rescue chili cook-off booth got white-glove treatment. Firefighter Paramedic Trey Bowlin and his fellow firefighters donned black tie to hand out samples of chili Oct. 15 at the 23rd Annual Morton’s Firehouse Chili Cook-Off in Sarasota.
Carter Weinhofer
Delay of games
Pickleball players hoping to play some games and enjoy the cooler weather may be surprised when heading to Bayfront Park. The three pickleball courts are closed for resurfacing but are expected to reopen on Oct. 29. Other courts just finished being resurfaced, and players can enjoy those fresh courts: one tennis court and the shared court, which is either two pickleball courts or one tennis court. The five new parking spaces added near the dog park are finished, so when all the courts open, visitors of the park can hopefully find some relief from parking congestion.
A+E
TASTES OF THE SEASON Need more pumpkin in your diet? Longboat restaurants’ fall menus are here. SEE PAGE 16
Courtesy image
Pumpkin ice cream pie at Tyler’s Gourmet Ice Cream of Longboat Key.
Halloween tease. INSIDE