SARASOTA/SIESTA KEY
Observer
INSIDE
YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
FREE • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2023
VOLUME 19, NO. 52
YOUR TOWN
Faiths march against hate Hundreds marched across Ringling Bridge to show support for Israel. SEE PAGE 5
KNIGHTS OF THE REALM
Ian Swaby
Turkeys and sides, rain or shine On Nov. 15, the weather did not dampen the community spirit as Thanksgiving approached. Staff from All Faiths Food Bank were still found at Ed Smith Stadium dressed in raincoats and offering turkeys and sides to the many visitors passing through the area in cars. “It’s lovely — you’ve got to make the best of it, right?” said volunteer Stephanie Shields. “If people come out for food, we will be here.” This year, the organization ordered more than 13,000 turkeys and sides for the distributions, which also included a distribution site at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall on Nov. 11 and another for veterans at Church of the Palms on Nov. 14. The food bank has continued to see an increase in need in the community, said Chief Program Officer MJ Horen.
Ian Swaby
Sir Michael (Michael Murphy) and Sir Lilith (Erin Eisenmann) face off against one another in a sword fight on horseback.
Courtesy image
Amber, a scarlet macaw, Alan Gillespie and Elizabeth Adams, with Sarasota Jungle Gardens.
The SunCoast Renaissance Festival brings knights, ladies and pirates to town weekends through December. SEE PAGE 19
Avian assist
A parrot on roller skates helped the Sarasota County Library on Nov. 15 announce its 2024 One Book One Community selection at Sarasota Jungle Gardens. Amber, a scarlet macaw, towed a string connected to a pulley system. As she rolled across a stage, the poster revealing the selection rose above the stage. “An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us” by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Ed Yong, beat out finalists “The House in the Cerulean Sea,” by T.J. Klune and “Lessons in Chemistry” by Bonnie Garmus. Yong’s book will be featured in library programming throughout the year and in the Sarasota County Library’s One Book Club. Sarasota County’s One Book committee convened for months and selected “An Immense World,” because it helps readers gain a deeper appreciation for the diversity of wildlife in the world.
Affordable warehousing
A+E
Time is running out on Toys for Tots’ search for storage space for donated toys. SEE PAGE 24
Ian Swaby
Toys for Tots collects books, toys, school uniforms and more for children in Sarasota County.
Garden party. INSIDE