SARASOTA
Observer
BEAT the virus
support your local businesses! 34
88
Bro ugh t to yo
1 LV
r rve bse u by The O
YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
VOLUME 16, NO. 18
FREE
•
THURSDAY, MARCH 26, 2020
YOUR TOWN
Courtesy photo
From purses to masks
BSwanky is making the move from handbags to face masks amid the coronavirus pandemic. Senior living communities including Pines of Sarasota and Aviva reached out to Gretchen Bauer, BSwanky’s owner, to see if she would be interested in producing face masks that can be washed and reused for their employees. After acquiring scrub material and 100 yards of elastic, BSwanky employees began making masks from their homes. Bauer has no plans to charge the facilities for the face masks. “We are doing this because it’s the right thing to do,” she said.
The new way of doing business David Conway
Sarasota has set up designated parking places downtown for patrons to pick up carryout meals.
Nonprofits get creative to serve, raise donations. SEE PAGE 3
The latest updates from around the area. SEE PAGE 6
Merchants give alternative business models a try. SEE PAGE 10
Sarasota Memorial gears up for uncertain weeks to come. SEE PAGE 4
Officers focus on education about beach closures. SEE PAGE 9
Churches go digital to serve the faithful. SEE PAGE 12
A+E
YMCA becomes ‘Our Y’ to stay
Courtesy photo
Small acts of kindness
Pines of Sarasota is on a quest to brighten the days of its residents with the written word or handmade artwork. The senior living facility on Orange Avenue near downtown is looking for well-wishers to write kind notes and for children to draw pictures that let residents know they’re being thought of. Visitation has been restricted out of concerns about the spread of COVID-19. All handwritten notes and photos should be scanned and emailed to info@PinesFoundation.org.
Donors help pave way for property purchase. SEE PAGE 2 File photo
Our Y leaders purchased both branches for $4.4 million.
Take five. INSIDE