This week in history 9.24.15

Sept. 23, 1982

Turtle teamwork 

Joyce and Rod Dennehy release baby sea turtles after they hatched from a nest on Sanderling Road Beach. Once hatched, the 20 turtles had been taken from the nest to protect them from birds and were released just as darkness fell.

This year, Mote Marine Laboratory Sea Turtle Patrols reported record numbers for sea turtle nests from Venice to Longboat Key. Although the season extends to Oct. 31, Siesta Key has already seen 406 loggerhead sea turtle nests and one green sea turtle nest. 

Painting a princess

When news spread of the death of Princess Grace of Monaco in September 1982, it brought back memories of one Siesta Key family with a special tie to the princess. Artist Thornton Utz was commissioned to paint seven separate portraits of the late princess. Utz met the princess during her time as an actress when she was Grace Kelly and modeled for an ad campaign. She was aware of his portraits of First Lady Rosalyn Carter and Amy Carter. 

Utz took a trip to Monaco in 1979 for the portrait sittings and decided to bring his wife, Maude, and children Dawn, Scotty and Phil Lordi tagged along for the trip. After the two-hour sitting concluded, the princess's secretary received a message from the security guards that the children had been so well behaved, and wouldn't she like to meet them? The children were sent up and spent a half hour talking with her. She asked them to sign her guest book. After they did, Dawn asked her for an autograph. 

"I'd better do that," Princess Grace said, "Tit for tat."