SARASOTA
SARASO TA
Obser ver
Observer
INSIDE BACK TO
SCHOOL 2020
YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
VOLUME 16, NO. 36
FREE
YOUR TOWN
•
THURSDAY, JULY 30, 2020
Meet the candidates Q&As in races for Sarasota School Board and County Commission. SEE PAGE 10
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Reef company wins awards
An Eternal Reefs sister company, the Reef Ball Foundation, has won two 2020 Katerva Awards: first place People’s Choice Award and first runner-up award in Katerva’s energy and environmental category. The Katerva Award was called “the Nobel Prize for sustainability” by Reuters, and the Reef Ball Foundation won honors this year for its work designing and building artificial, engineered reef systems that mimic the ocean’s natural reefs. In August 2019, similar reefs were installed 9 miles off the coast of Longboat Key by Eternal Reefs.
NOT BORED IN RETIREMENT Couple surfs from hobby to artistic businesses. SEE PAGE 18
Scouts win scholarships
Five local Girl Scouts are the recipients of college scholarships from the Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida. The organization dispersed scholarships to 15 graduating high school students as part of its annual scholarship program. Of those 15, five were from the Sarasota area. Sam Baker, Jordyn Chiodo and Julianna Maggard from Sarasota High School; Coral RodriguezLipstein from Riverview High School; and Kaila Stafford from Pine View School. The scholarship money varies from $500 to $1,000. To date, 270 scouts have received scholarships.
Harry Sayer
Gina Brahs and her husband, Richard, created this surfboard with a Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium theme.
Leaders keep eye on ball
Turtle Tracks AS OF JULY 25 TOTAL NESTS: 2020 2019 Siesta Key 427 693 Lido Beach 133 95 Casey Key 1,443 2,248 TOTAL FALSE CRAWLS: 2020 2019 Siesta Key 565 1,134 Lido Beach 215 191 Casey Key 1,933 2,902 Source: Mote Marine Laboratory
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Commissioners expressed concern about proposed reductions to the operating hours of recreational facilities, such as the Payne Park Tennis Center.
City commission aims to find a way around rec budget cuts. SEE PAGE 6
A+E
Voting for a celebration.
SEE PAGE 20