SIESTA KEY
Observer YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
VOLUME 49, NO. 10
FREE
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Freshman swimmer finds solid gold. PAGE 15
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2018
Clash at the pavilion
YOUR TOWN
Lido beach redevelopment plans draw a strong rebuke. SEE PAGE 3 Courtesy photo
Goodwill team member Demetrius “Mimi” Williams made a surprising discovery culling through donations.
An unexpected mega find It was just another day sorting through donated items at the Goodwill on Honore Avenue for Demetrius “Mimi” Williams until she discovered something out of the ordinary — $12,270 in cash inside a medicine box. Rogers immediately let her store manager know. The owner of the cash had died and the money was returned to the law firm in charge of the estate. Rogers said she was shocked by the experience, but felt returning the money was the right to do.
‘Little oasis of art and culture’ closing up shop
From Sarasota, with love
Sarasota cinephiles say goodbye. SEE PAGE 18 Shane Donglasan
Video Renaissance owner Bill Wooldridge and former employee Andrew Long prepare to pack up the store’s collection of more than 50,000 film titles.
A+E New challenges await. INSIDE
After dining at Wings N Weenies on Fruitville Road, South Carolina native Ashleigh Gilleland found a note attached to her car. She evacuated to Sarasota to escape Hurricane Florence. The letter was from “Chelsey,” who offered words of comfort along with a Walmart gift card. Through social media, Gilleland was able to find Chelsey Tokan and say thank you. During Hurricane Irma, Tokan fled to Alabama where she found a comforting letter attached to her car and said she wanted to pay it forward.
Turtle Tracks AS OF SEPT. 15
Courtesy rendering
County backs Mote plan Officials signal a commitment to offering Benderson Park land, but financial questions remain. SEE PAGE 5
TOTAL NESTS: 2018 2017 Lido Beach 123 186 Siesta Key 361 638 Casey Key 1,186 1,853 TOTAL FALSE CRAWLS: 2018 2017 Lido Beach 144 209 Siesta Key 327 665 Casey Key 1,433 2,115 Source: Mote Marine Laboratory