This week in history 11.26.15

Dec. 12 1985

These photos were taken by Pelican Press photographer Rebecca Wild Baxter during an excursion to Myakka Valley Stables. At the time, the stables housed 26 houses that were available to be rented for a ride. 

Dec. 14, 2000

A letter to the editor in a 2000 issue of the Pelican Press insinuated that a story was to blame for the disappearance of a bobcat on Siesta Key. The editorial titled "Where is Kitty?" describes a half bobcat and half domestic cat that roamed Siesta Key in Susan Contreras' neighborhood until a few weeks earlier. The disappearance of Kitty prompted Contreras to write letter. An excerpt from her letter:

I had many occasions of observing this wonderful animal, as had many others, until the day, not too long ago, that she became an 'article' and now Kitty has disappeared. either he has been killed or she has been taken away to a much more hostile place than Siesta Key.

Then-Associate Editor Phil Colpas responded to Contreras in his Island Beat column in the same issue: 

I take umbrage to that implication for several reasons: First, we are in the business of providing and sharing information; second, we shouldn't be held responsible for the actions of others; and third, the entire demeanor of the articles about the cats was in the spirit of wonderment and preservation; we always stated they were causing no harm and that they should be left alone. 

Colpas then went on to describe what he found out from a resident about the outcome of the cat. 

Siesta Key resident Bob Rogells had seen the cats on Palm Island through since May of that year. He heard a rumor that one of the cats had been hit by a car and investigated. Unfortunately, the rumor was probably true. Animal control picked up an injured cat and turned it over to TLC Wildlife Refuge. The feline was identified as a female bobcat and couldn't be saved.