SIESTA KEY
Observer YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
VOLUME 50, NO. 31
FREE
YOUR TOWN
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Going wild about art.
PAGE 18A
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2020
Field fix-ups go deep Riverview High lines up to be first with artificial turf. PAGE 3A
Courtesy photo
In memory of Freedom
SCIENCE IN THE AIR
The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office is mourning the loss of a four-legged friend this week. Freedom, a six-year member of the department’s Mounted Patrol Division, died last weekend after breaking a leg and several ribs while running in a pasture. Freedom, who was 14, was donated to the Sheriff’s Office in 2015 by the Carson Springs Wildlife Conservation Foundation. He often served on Siesta Key during spring break and in commercial retail centers during the holidays. The Sheriff’s Office is hosting an open house at its Mounted Patrol barn Feb. 29 in Nokomis. A photo of Freedom is featured on the flyer promoting the event.
Whitney Elfstrom
Zachary, 9; Adam, 7; and Nathan Ponte, 5, learn about nitrogen through a balloon experiment.
Southside kids learn STEM studies can be a lot of fun. SEE PAGE 5B Courtesy photo
Celebrate Cupid’s Day with a new addition
Looking for a Valentine’s Day gift that might seem a little … unconventional? Hit up Mote Marine Aquarium for its Adopt An Animal package. Take a long hard look at your loved one and ask: What animal does my sweetheart look like? Choose from sea turtles, sharks, octopi, otters, jellyfish, seahorses, alligators or manatees. The $100 gift comes with an adoption kit and all proceeds benefit the Mote animals. For information, go to Mote.org/adopt.
Ringling gears up for its next act David Conway
Following the construction of new buildings, such as the Richard and Barbara Basch Visual Arts Center, Ringling College of Art and Design is continuing to work to add facilities to its campus.
New boundaries approved for new expansion proposals. SEE PAGE 5A
A+E Artists share common thread. INSIDE