SARASOTA/SIESTA KEY
Pride display.
Observer
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YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
FREE • THURSDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2023
VOLUME 19, NO. 48
YOUR TOWN
New hotel proposed on Siesta Benderson wants to amend county comprehensive plan to pave hotels’ way. SEE PAGE 5
Ian Swaby
Kari Ellingstad, Maria Somera Ramirez and Daniel Ramirez, 2
Healthy progress
When Maria Somera Ramirez found out she was pregnant seven years ago, she began seeking doctor appointments. Yet many clinics were not accepting patients, and the cost of a consultation was beyond what she could afford. Ramirez found the answer at a Sarasota nonprofit, CenterPlace Health, which was newly offering its services. By the time CenterPlace Health’s fifth birthday celebration arrived on Oct. 18, recognizing the nonprofit’s five years as a federally qualified health center through a luncheon at Michael’s on East, Ramirez had become vice chair of its board. Ramirez said she felt an obligation to give back to the organization whose goal is to offer high-quality, low-cost health care to those in need. “They needed voices like mine — people that receive services, because in the end, they are focused on the people they serve, which is us — just regular consumers,” she said.
Primate procession Arlington Park’s haunted trail had tricks and treats for kids of all ages. SEE PAGE 22
James Peter
DeWayne Hill and Anais Zambaux
Ian Swaby
Stephen Hecht, 2, and his parents, Stephen and Jennifer Hecht, all came dressed as monkeys, while their dog, Freckles, accompanied them as a banana.
Mentor support
An under-the-radar cause took the spotlight Oct. 23 at SRQ Waterworks. The Sheriff’s Activities League has been helping the youth of Sarasota County for almost 40 years, but the SAL charity auction at the downtown club was the first “big fundraiser in a long time” for the nonprofit, said DeWayne Hill, director of the SAL. The SAL connects at-risk youth in Sarasota County with sheriff’s deputies for mentorship, after-school activities and recreation. SAL’s Explorer Program offers high school students leadership training and the chance to learn firsthand about law enforcement careers. Anais Zambaux, a junior at Sarasota High, is in her fourth year in the program and is considering entering the U.S. Marine Corps or perhaps attending a ROTC program. “I’ve learned to treat everyone with respect, even if they’ve been in (prison), they’re still people and deserve respect.”
First line of response For 911 dispatchers, the shifts are long, calls are tough and the pressure’s on. SEE PAGE 3
Carter Weinhofer
Tia Brand takes nonemergency and emergency calls, working on multiple screens that all serve a different purpose.
A+E
Sound of a masterpiece. INSIDE