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1 week ago | 
yourobserver.com | Dana Kampa |Ian Swaby
Prior to hurricanes Helene and Milton, Kay Kouvatsos thinks Siesta Key had a false sense of security. "They've been telling us for 28 years, high water, flood risk, surge. It never happened," she said. "I think a lot of the residents took that as a huge wakeup call."As co-owner of the staple restaurant Village Café, with her husband Tom Kouvatsos, she's looking ahead with concern this year. “We’re praying for the best,” she said.
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2 weeks ago | 
yourobserver.com | Dana Kampa |Ian Swaby
Kay Kouvatsos said when Village Café reopened in mid-November, after the hurricanes, she and her husband and co-owner Tom Kouvatsos were asking the question, “Where is anybody?”Nonetheless, she said "extremely generous" customers handed over extra money to help support employees who had been out of work at the Siesta Key restaurant. "We didn't lose anybody. Every server came back," she said. The month of March finally brought a return to normal numbers for the restaurant.
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2 weeks ago | 
yourobserver.com | Andrew Warfield |Carter Weinhofer |Dana Kampa |Ian Swaby
From the southern tip of Siesta Key to the northern edge of Longboat Key, life after the 2024 hurricane season along Sarasota County’s barrier islands is largely the same. Some steadfast residents have vowed, and are doing whatever they can, to stay. Those who do stay know they are losing neighbors they have lived alongside for years, if not decades. Relationships will be lost, perhaps new ones forged in their stead.
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1 month ago | 
yourobserver.com | Carter Weinhofer |Dana Kampa
Longboat Key voters cast their ballots on March 11 for an election that included a contested at-large commission seat, a referendum and two charter amendments. Eric Drummond stationed himself outside of the Longboat Island Chapel, the island’s Manatee County precinct. Drummond set up around 8:30 a.m. with a sign to campaign for his friend, Steve Branham, who is one of the at-large commissioner candidates. “He works for other people,” Drummond said about why he was campaigning on behalf of Branham.
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1 month ago | 
yourobserver.com | Dana Kampa
The Longboat Key Chamber of Commerce is holding the second show on March 15, featuring the Dr. Dave Band.
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2 months ago | 
yourobserver.com | Dana Kampa
Creative minds behind fine art and ethereal music were lauded at this year’s Temple Beth Israel gala on Jan. 26. The evening’s honorees were Dr. Ann Stephenson-Moe, the temple’s music director and organist, and Kei Sulhi, a longtime soloist with the choir.
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2 months ago | 
yourobserver.com | Dana Kampa
Linn Torres has been organizing the “New to You” art sale hosted by the All Angels Episcopal Church since its inception, and she anticipates it will be better than ever in its fifth year. “We get some fabulous items,” she said. "They're one of a kind, and you never know what you are going to get."She carefully curates the collection of unique, high-quality pieces throughout the year and is eager for buyers to search through this year’s 300 offerings to find whatever treasure speaks to them.
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2 months ago | 
yourobserver.com | Dana Kampa
Kara Hardiman, hotel manager at St. Regis Longboat Key Resort, said the luxury accommodations business can teach an employee many things about the ins and outs of the hospitality industry. But what managers are really seeking from the start is passion to go above and beyond to make a stay special for guests. The resort held an in-house job fair on Jan. 23, aiming to bolster staffing at the newly opened facility.
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2 months ago | 
yourobserver.com | Dana Kampa
Billy Lindsey has long been delighting audiences with his musical talents, particularly with his impression of the King of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley. In fact, he is a previous winner of the Florida State Fair's Elvis extravaganza contest. The tribute artist graced the stage at Longboat Harbour Condominiums on Jan. 25, bringing residents to their feet with his electric rendition of "Blue Suede Shoes" and plenty of Presley's other hits.
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2 months ago | 
yourobserver.com | Dana Kampa
The Education Center may be considerably far east from New Orleans, but passersby could be forgiven for thinking they were walking by Bourbon Street the evening of Jan. 21 as the sounds of classic jazz carried out from the halls. Kid Dutch and company delighted listeners with a throwback to the days of speakeasies and wise guys.
