LONGBOAT
Observer Longboat Key’s weekly newspaper since 1978
How to save a life
PAGE 6
YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
VOLUME 42, NO. 18
FREE
A SALUTE TO MURF
•
THURSDAY, DEC. 12, 2019
YOUR TOWN
Lawn Party raises money, recalls a legend. SEE PAGE 19
Courtesy photo
Roger Pettingell Eric Garwood
Pettingell delivers pies
Crossing pedestrians in St. Armands Circle and elsewhere are part of the traffic problem.
More than 100 clients of Realtor Roger Pettingell didn’t have to concern themselves over Thanksgiving dessert. He delivered. Maintaining a tradition that goes back 15 years, Pettingell passed out pies from Yoders Amish Village on the day before Turkey Day. Clients got their choice of 30 varieties. “This has become one of my favorite Thanksgiving traditions,” he said. Customers not in town for the holiday were able to donate their pie to a food charity.
Traffic: It’s no easy fix Experts: Even with an FDOT study, few ideas work. PAGE 3 Photos by Nat Kaemmerer
Tony Caggiano and Bonnie Roesch from Charlie the Butcher came all the way from Buffalo, N.Y., to honor Murf and make sure the Lawn Party served one of his favorites: beef on weck.
BLACK New museum worth the wait. INSIDE
TIE
Nat Kaemmerer
Doug Engebretson at the St. Armands Key kettle.
Ringing for a good cause The ringing bells all over the island are competing for your attention, but everyone is winning. Salvation Army bell ringers can be seen and heard from St. Armands to Publix and in a community known for its giving spirit, they’re getting a lot of attention. Doug Engebretson, who was on kettle duty the night of the St. Armands Tree Lighting, said the bucket raised about $26,000 last year and is on a good pace again this year. They ring the bell for about four weeks leading up to Christmas, positioned often to attract the most foot traffic.
Key ideas for your loved Longboater Let’s face it: We can be hard to shop for. SEE PAGE 4
Nat Kaemmerer