SIESTA KEY
Observer
Celebrating fathers, with an artful twist.
YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
VOLUME 48, NO. 48
FREE
YOUR TOWN
Shane Donglasan
PAGE 15 •
THURSDAY, JUNE 14, 2018
Oceans 20 (million) Mote wants coveted county money for a new aquarium. SEE PAGE 3
Remembering Pulse victims On Tuesday’s second anniversary of the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, Rob McGovern, a friend of local victim Eddie Sotomayor, held a memorial ceremony at Sarasota City Hall. McGovern lined the lobby’s fountain with 49 roses representing each of the victims who died during the attack. Sarasota Vice-Mayor Jen Ahearn-Koch spoke at the ceremony before a moment of silence was held. “As time goes on, the memory of the event fades along with the people who lost their lives,” McGovern said. “This is my way of keeping the ball rolling to make sure those people are not lost and forgotten.”
OFF THEY GO
Sold out in the summer If downtown Sarasota looks more crowded than normal in the middle of June, it might because of Leadership Florida’s annual meeting being held at The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota beginning Thursday and running through the weekend. This year’s meeting is the largest the organization has hosted and will draw 780 people from across the state of Florida. The number of attendees has the Ritz-Carlton fully booked, as well as neighboring hotel, The Westin Sarasota. Booking has spilled over to Art Ovation Hotel and Aloft Sarasota.
Turtle Tracks
Katie Johns
Kids, and some parents, take off from the start line of the one-mile first Kids’ Summer Beach Run. The free races are held weekly on Tuesdays on Siesta Key Beach.
Young athletes turn out for the pleasure of running on the beach. SEE PAGE 16
A+E
Big Pass funds secured
AS OF JUNE 9 TOTAL NESTS: 2018 2017 Lido Beach 12 13 Siesta Key 48 70 Casey Key 135 161 TOTAL FALSE CRAWLS: 2018 2017 Lido Beach 12 17 Siesta Key 13 69 Casey Key 149 160 Source: Mote Marine Laboratory
The Army Corps of Engineers set aside $13.5 million for Lido Key. SEE PAGE 5
The influence of color. INSIDE