Sarasota Herald Tribune articles from April 2006

Sarasota Herald Tribune archives from April 2006

Stars and smiles are bright as film reels start to turn; Penelope Ann Miller, Chevy Chase usher in the festival.(A SECTION)
April 1, 2006... Byline: KEVIN O'HORAN kevin.o'horan@heraldtribune.com Lloyd Carlinsky faced a difficult choice coming into Friday: plunk down $150 for a seat at the Sarasota Film Festival's opening night movie -- "Funny Money" -- and the gala that...

FROM YOUR READER ADVOCATE.(A SECTION)(Column)
April 1, 2006... The Herald-Tribune made two changes this week that reflect changing times. Newspapers around the nation are altering stock market tables, in part because many stock stats are now on the Internet. We joined the trend Tuesday, replacing...

Better isn't good enough; New mileage standards won't shake the oil addiction.(A SECTION)(Editorial)
April 1, 2006... President Bush deserves praise for his acknowledgment that the United States is addicted to oil. But despite a recent sign that they're prepared to confront this addiction, he and other Washington leaders need to attend a few more Gasoholics...

Royal foul-up; No excuse for letting oil companies off the hook.(A SECTION)(Editorial)
April 1, 2006... Politicians who push the expansion of oil and gas drilling in the Gulf of Mexico often play the national security card: The nation's dependency on foreign oil must be reduced for security reasons, they say. But as they wave the flag, oil...

Gators relish 'bad boy' role; Florida wants to send 'darling' Patriots home.(SPORTS)
April 1, 2006... Byline: MIC HUBER mic.huber@heraldtribune.com INDIANAPOLIS -- Lamar Butler was ready to walk off the dais after meeting with the media Friday when the George Mason guard stopped and asked if he could take his name placard with him. The...

Vitale doesn't get enough votes.(SPORTS)
April 1, 2006... Byline: STAFF REPORT INDIANAPOLIS -- ESPN college basketball analyst and Lakewood Ranch resident Dick Vitale failed to garner enough votes for election into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, according to a source with...

Patrick, Rice put accident behind them; Paul Dana's teammates might be out of running for IndyCar Series title, but there is still plenty of motive to win.(SPORTS)
April 1, 2006... Byline: JODY ROYCE jody.royce@heraldtribune.com ST. PETERSBURG -- With a tragic weekend behind them, Rahal Letterman Racing teammates Buddy Rice and Danica Patrick made their return to the track and the start of their 2006 Indy Racing...

He's not quick to judge UF.(SPORTS)(Comment)(Column)
April 1, 2006... Byline: MIC HUBER INDIANAPOLIS -- Andy Owens spends a lot of his time on the bench these days, but there was an era when he was judged by what he did on the court. Now a circuit iudge, the long-time Sarasota resident once played...

Manta Rays hold off Port Charlotte.(SPORTS)
April 1, 2006... Byline: DENNIS MAFFEZZOLI dennis.maffezzoli@heraldtribune.com ENGLEWOOD -- It was a good start and a good finish for the Lemon Bay High baseball team. The Manta Rays stormed to a nine-run advantage after three innings and held off...

Seven-run fifth inning lifts Venice over Southeast.(SPORTS)
April 1, 2006... Byline: PERRY D. PENTZ perry.pentz@heraldtribune.com VENICE -- Venice High's bats came alive at the right moment as the Indians broke open a close game by scoring seven runs in the fifth inning to beat Southeast High 11-1 Friday night in...

Mantas outslug Cougars.(SPORTS)
April 1, 2006... Byline: DONNIE WILKIE CORRESPONDENT SARASOTA -- Cardinal Mooney played catch-up all night Friday, but never quite caught up. The Lady Cougars, playing Lemon Bay without pitcher Kim Welch for the second time this season, rallied three...

Coldwell Banker CEO foresees 'normal market'.(BUSINESS)
April 1, 2006... Byline: STEPHEN FRATER stephen.frater@heraldtribune.com SARASOTA -- What is one of the nation's most powerful and influential real estate executives saying about the current market? It is a return to "a normal market," though Jim...

The final chapter to a sad toy story; Toyopia closing Sunday -- for good.(BUSINESS)
April 1, 2006... Byline: LAUREN MAYK lauren.mayk@heraldtribune.com This is not the child's fantasyland that Alex Reece had envisioned. There are stuffed animals on the floor, the fixtures are for sale and the exotic fish that used to live in a...

Business Buzz.(BUSINESS)
April 1, 2006... Merrill Lynch schedules seminar Merrill Lynch will present a free seminar on retirement investing for women April 11 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at The Chef's Table, 8743 Cooper Creek Blvd., University Park. Lunch will be provided. For...

Cyclists ride above Lake Okeechobee.(PLAY!)(Go!)(Column)
April 1, 2006... Byline: THOMAS BECNEL It's been a while since my last road trip through Florida, so I was looking for a sign that things might go well. I found it just outside of Arcadia. Scattered across somebody's yard was a bunch of dusty...

Concession confession; The area's new course plays like no other on Golf Coast.(PLAY!)
April 1, 2006... Byline: DAVID GRIMES david.grimes@heraldtribune.com For a golf club that costs $150,000 to join, you'd expect The Concession to be in a class by itself. It is. Playing the golf course -- or, in my case, heckling the three members...

Wise sailors know to follow the path of least resistance.(PLAY!)(Sailing)(Column)
April 1, 2006... Byline: Morgan Stinemetz A week ago I had planned to bring my boat to Sarasota and stay on it while I covered the Michelob Light One-Design Midwinters at the Sarasota Sailing Squadron. My plans and the weather that day did not exactly...

Ex-deputy won't be charged; State attorney's office won't pursue investigation of Joseph Marinola.(B SECTION)
April 1, 2006... Byline: PATRICK WHITTLE and KRISTEN KRIDEL STAFF WRITERS CHARLOTTE COUNTY -- The state attorney's office decided there wasn't enough evidence to bring any charges against Sgt. Joseph David Marinola III, an officer accused of being a...

Even a death sentence doesn't wipe grin off killer of prison guard, inmate; 'It's like he has no feelings' about killings with sledgehammer.(B SECTION)
April 1, 2006... Byline: KRISTEN KRIDEL kristen.kridel@heraldtribune.com PUNTA GORDA -- Convicted killer Dwight T. Eaglin walked into his sentencing Friday with an open-mouthed smile, learned his punishment was death and left the courtroom with the same...

Healing center, gift shop set for ex-gallery; The Grass Roots Gallery building in Englewood is sold, and the new owners plan to use it for a healing arts center.(B SECTION)
April 1, 2006... Byline: SHARYN LONSDALE sharyn.lonsdale@heraldtribune.com The Grass Roots Gallery building at 411 W. Dearborn Street was sold Friday, more than eight months after the gallery closed its doors. John and Angie Radkins sold the building to...

Water supply funding shift irks local governments; They will become more dependent on the Peace authority, which some officials say isn't prepared for the move.(B SECTION)
April 1, 2006... Byline: DOUG SWORD doug.sword@heraldtribune.com NORTH PORT -- State officials said Friday they are changing the way they dole out water supply funding. The shift will make local governments more dependent than ever on the Peace...

BRIEFS.(B SECTION)
April 1, 2006... Roofing thief on loose CHARLOTTE COUNTY -- A roofing materials thief is on the loose, according to Charlotte County sheriff's incident reports. More than $800 worth of roof felt, a material used to build roofs, has been stolen during...

Improbable situations bring laughter to center's stage.(B SECTION)(Art Beat)(Column)
April 1, 2006... Byline: Marilyn D. Carpenter If you love to laugh, get over to the Boca Grande Community Center tonight or Sunday afternoon and catch the Royal Palm Players production of "Bullshot Crummond." The play is a farcical takeoff on B-level...

Charlotte cancer relay sets local record with 61 teams.(B SECTION)
April 1, 2006... Byline: PATRICK WHITTLE patrick.whittle@heraldtribune.com CHARLOTTE COUNTY -- The American Cancer Society's annual Relay For Life anti-cancer walk, which begins this afternoon, will be the largest of its kind in Charlotte County history....

Charlotte High bands win awards.(B SECTION)
April 1, 2006... Byline: STAFF REPORT Charlotte High School's Jazz Band competed at the North Fort Myers Jazz Invitational March 25 and was awarded the following: Band awards: Superior With Distinction from all three judges, second place. Best Of...

Plenty to do today on land, in the air.(B SECTION)
April 1, 2006... Byline: ALISON POSNER alison.posner@heraldtribune.com If you still haven't gotten your tickets for the Florida International Air Show, it's not too late. You can get them at the Charlotte County Airport in Punta Gorda when the doors open...

OBITUARIES.(B SECTION)(Obituary)
April 1, 2006... CHARLOTTE COUNTY William F. Brinkmann Sr. William Francis Brinkmann Sr., 83, Punta Gorda, died March 28, 2006, at TideWell Hospice and Palliative Care in Port Charlotte. He was born Aug. 17, 1922, in Philadelphia. He moved to Ocean...

VFW, Auxiliary honor students.(B SECTION)
April 1, 2006... Byline: BETSY WILLIAMS CORRESPONDENT The Rotonda VFW and its Ladies' Auxiliary Vineland Elementary School Student of the Month Program, designed to recognize students for their outstanding performance and good citizenship, has announced...

Suicide suit cited police woes; Claims in a wrongful-death\ lawsuit echoed consultants' findings.(B SECTION)
April 1, 2006... Byline: CHRISTINA E. SANCHEZ and LAURA GREEN STAFF WRITERS VENICE -- The wrongful death lawsuit filed by a man whose wife killed herself while in police custody in 2003 and settled recently for a record $370,000 pinpointed frequently...

YMCA invites families to Happy Pool's Day event.(B SECTION)
April 1, 2006... Byline: STAFF REPORT Families can learn about water safety and have fun doing it today from 3 to 6 p.m. when the Venice YMCA celebrates what organizers hope will be an annual April Pool's Day event. The day is aimed at helping...

Local band's song honors member who died in crash; Forever Faithful will perform "Gates of Heaven,"a song written in memory of bassist Jared Oddo.(B SECTION)
April 1, 2006... Byline: ERIN BRYCE erin.bryce@heraldtribune.com NORTH PORT -- Some will play for glory, others for a cash prize. But for members of the band Forever Faithful, today's performance at North Port's Battle of the Bands will be in honor of...

From classroom to beach court; Venice teacher prepares for premier beach volleyball event.(B SECTION)
April 1, 2006... Byline: LAURA GREEN laura.green@heraldtribune.com SARASOTA -- During the school day, she's Mrs. Harris, the Venice High School biology teacher who arranges the cool, "CSI"-style lab experiments. On weekends, Chara Harris is the buff...

Something special in the air.(B SECTION)
April 1, 2006... The Florida International Air Show at the Charlotte County Airport in Punta Gorda will open at 8 a.m. today and Sunday. Above, the Iron Eagles Aerobatics Team performs on Friday. At right, hundreds of people lined up to enter the...

BRIEFS.(B SECTION)
April 1, 2006... LaMorte loses appeal; trial pushed back SARASOTA COUNTY -- A judge on Friday denied a motion to dismiss charges against a former Venice High School coach and teacher accused of sexually assaulting two former students It was the fourth...

People for Trees seeks vendors, nonprofit groups.(B SECTION)
April 1, 2006... Byline: STAFF REPORT People for Trees is seeking vendors, businesses and nonprofit groups to participate in the eighth annual North Port Tree Festival to be held April 22 on the grounds of the North Port Community Education Center, 4940...

Strawn, 'Canes hold off Mustangs.(SPORTS)
April 1, 2006... Byline: JON STYF jon.styf@heraldtribune.com LAKEWOOD RANCH -- He was untouchable. Through 14 2/3 innings against Lakewood Ranch High this season, Manatee High's Josh Strawn had allowed just four hits without a run. His inside fastball...

FDLE says pair duped seniors; Two men arrested on fraud charges in investment scheme.(B SECTION)
April 1, 2006... Byline: MICHAEL A. SCARCELLA michael.scarcella@heraldtribune.com Two local men duped nine elderly investors out of nearly $2 million in a scheme that wiped out the retirement accounts of at least several of the victims, state authorities...

Family serves secret recipe.(B SECTION)
April 1, 2006... Byline: JENNY LEE ALLEN jenny.allen@heraldtribune.com BRADENTON -- Joey Cole, a fifth-generation Florida fisherman, needed a new gig after the net ban in the mid-1990s. "I had to figure out how to do something that'd keep me smelling...

Housing help plan hits snag; Proposals would help teachers, but what about others?(B SECTION)
April 1, 2006... Byline: ANNA SCOTTanna.scott@heraldtribune.com Art teacher Seth Barendse is the proud owner of his first home: a small east Bradenton house that he bought for $140,000. Barendse, 23, graduated from college early and saved for years but...

Eight have TB germ, but none has illness.(B SECTION)
April 1, 2006... Byline: STAFF REPORT MANATEE COUNTY -- The Health Department has determined that eight students and school employees are carrying the germ that can cause tuberculosis, but do not actually have the disease. The results come as the...

POLICE BRIEFS.(B SECTION)
April 1, 2006... Another baseball player's vehicle victim of break-in SOUTH MANATEE -- Baseball players have enough to worry about on the diamond, but they have had to fret about their cars and who might break into them. For the third time in recent...

FPL donates $100,000 to USF.(B SECTION)
April 1, 2006... Byline: STAFF REPORT Florida Power & Light Co. has donated $100,000 to the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee to enhance the new academic campus, which is scheduled to open in the fall. In recognition of the donation, the...

OBITUARIES.(B SECTION)(Obituary)
April 1, 2006... MANATEE COUNTY Jerome E. Bobb Jerome E. Bobb, 58, Bradenton, died March 29, 2006. He was born Oct. 28, 1947, in Cheverly, Md., and came to Bradenton in 1996 from Washington, D.C. He was a journeyman printer with the Washington...

New dog learns ins and outs of house.(B SECTION)(Comment)(Column)
April 1, 2006... Byline: Rich Brooks We adopted another dog. This marks the second time we've gone to an animal shelter for a dog. As with most shelter dogs, this one's a mutt, a breed my father affectionately referred to as a curb setter. There...

Woman to head back to New Orleans.(B SECTION)
April 1, 2006... Byline: PATTY ALLEN-JONES patty.allen-jones@heraldtribune.com Carmen R. Morial, 91, can't wait to rebuild her home in New Orleans and her life to the way it was before Hurricane Katrina's devastation. She's heading back April 9 after a...

Resource Center enjoys 'Renaissance'.(B SECTION)
April 1, 2006... Byline: FRANCINE MILFORD francine.milford@heraldtribune.com The Women's Resource Center of Sarasota County recently held its annual Renaissance Luncheon fund-raiser, with this year's theme being "On Stage." The event raised money for...

Pressured, DOC ends deal with drug firm.(B SECTION)
April 1, 2006... Byline: JOE FOLLICK CAPITAL BUREAU TALLAHASSEE -- The Florida Department of Corrections has taken the unusual step of ending a contract for the splitting of pharmaceutical drugs, bowing to legislative pressure on the controversial matter....

OBITUARIES.(B SECTION)(Obituary)
April 1, 2006... SARASOTA COUNTY Myra Theresa Baldwin Myra Theresa Baldwin, 88, Venice, and Middletown, N.Y., died March 25, 2006. She was born Aug. 6, 1917, in Ossining, N.Y., and wintered two years in Venice. She was a homemaker and a...

Buy a house, get a car, too.(HOME & REAL ESTATE)(Letter From Home)(Column)
April 1, 2006... Byline: Harold Bubil The way the words "fully loaded" flowed from Laura Brooks' lips, you would have thought she was an old hand at selling cars. But other than dumping her personal vehicle through the classifieds or at trade, she's...

New kids on the 'new urbanist' block.(HOME & REAL ESTATE)(Home Work)(Column)
April 1, 2006... Byline: Art Levy He could have been 40 or 50 or 60. It was hard to tell. The main thing is he looked broken, like some guy crawling from the wreckage of a ruined life. That's why I nicknamed him the Old Freak. That, and the things he...

FINALLY, GAME DAY; Time, distance can't separate ex-Booker star and his Gators.(A SECTION)
April 1, 2006... Byline: DOUG FERNANDES doug.fernandes@heraldtribune-com INDIANAPOLIS -- It will be just Justin Hamilton and his television set. A long way from Sarasota. At 4 in the morning, in Siena, Italy, he'll be watching the Gators basketball...

Gators will need more magic in final.(A SECTION)(Comment)(Column)
April 2, 2006... Byline: Doug Fernandes INDIANAPOLIS -- Call Hollywood. Get Central Casting on the phone. Tell them to forget finding a leading man to play the head coach who worked a lifetime to reach this stage. Don't bother searching for a...

FLORIDA SENDS CINDERLLA HOME; To Gator Nation, this is the next best thing to heaven.(A SECTION)
April 2, 2006... Byline: CHRISTOPHER O'DONNELL chris.odonnell@heraldtribune.com BRADENTON -- Mary Wilgus packs a lot of passion into 5 feet, 3 inches. Dressed in a Gators cap and jacket, she winced at every lost rebound and pumped a fist at every...

Immigration debate bigger than amnesty; Few Florida growers use the red- tape-laden guest worker program.(A SECTION)
April 2, 2006... Byline: CORY REISS WASHINGTON BUREAU WASHINGTON -- The 200 acres of strawberries at Florida Pacific Farms near Plant City underscore why Congress is engaged in an emotional immigration debate and thousands of Latinos have flooded city...

Gators slam Pats; Florida drains a dozen 3-pointers to send longshot George Mason home.(SPORTS)
April 2, 2006... Byline: MIC HUBER mic.huber@heraldtribune.com INDIANAPOLIS -- Cinderella has left the building. And "Humpty" had a lot to do with ending George Mason's fairytale run. Lee Humphrey tied a Florida NCAA tournament record with six 3-point...

Franchitti turns in track record to capture pole.(SPORTS)
April 2, 2006... Byline: JODY ROYCE jody.royce@heraldtribune.com ST. PETERSBURG -- Dario Franchitti has been the driver to beat this weekend. The 33-year-old Scot would like to make it two straight wins for Andretti Green Racing on the 1.8-mile street...

Lemon Bay girls grab first place at Bruin Relays.(SPORTS)
April 2, 2006... Byline: STAFF REPORT BRADENTON -- The Lemon Bay High girls track team finished first at the Bruin Relays at Bayshore High Friday with 100 points, easily outscoring second-place Braden River, which finished with 60. The Lady Mantas...

FLORIDA-GEORGE MASON NOTEBOOK.(SPORTS)
April 2, 2006... Just some Idol chatter INDIANAPOLIS -- Winning an NCAA national championship would be the biggest thrill of Lee Humphrey's lifetime but the Florida guard was pretty excited Thursday night when he was introduced to his boyhood idol. "I was...

Ex-Sailor Seay is back in the majors.(SPORTS)
April 2, 2006... Byline: DENNIS MAFFEZZOLI dennis.maffezzoli@heraldtribune.com ST. PETERSBURG -- The process of sticking with the Detroit Tigers began a little earlier than normal for Bobby Seay. It was mid-November when the former Sarasota High...

Young pitchers will be key to team's success.(SPORTS)
April 2, 2006... Byline: TOM BALOG tom.balog@heraldtribune.com BRADENTON -- The Pirates hope that Ian Snell's rough outing in his final tuneup is a not a harbinger of the regular season for himself or Pittsburgh's young pitching staff as a whole. ...

Waechter claims last rotation spot.(SPORTS)
April 2, 2006... Byline: DENNIS MAFFEZZOLI dennis.maffezzoli@heraldtribune.com ST. PETERSBURG -- Doug Waechter casually walked to Edwin Jackson's locker, put his hand on Jackson's back, uttered a few words and shook his hand. Both pitchers were...

Replanting what Charley stole.(PERSPECTIVES)(Editorial)
April 2, 2006... Byline: Vicki Dean I've applied to go to tree school, but I probably won't get accepted this year. Charlotte County is offering up to 6,500 Charlotte households two free trees each to help replace trees lost during the past two...

Shared existence; Panthers, people need their own space.(PERSPECTIVES)(Editorial)
April 2, 2006... Scientists estimate that only 80 Florida panthers live in the wild. Even though that number seems small -- it is small -- it demonstrates the success of efforts to protect panthers. Only about two dozen of the cats existed two decades ago...

Marrses celebrate 50 years.(FLORIDA WEST & TRAVEL)
April 2, 2006... Dale and Jo (Haldeman) Marrs of Venice celebrated their 50th anniversary March 3, 2006. They were married March 3, 1956, in Columbus, Ga., and have lived in Venice for six years. They are the parents of Susan Waller of Bedford, Texas,...

This time, it'll be a battle royale.(B SECTION)(Comment)(Column)
April 2, 2006... Byline: Eric Ernst For months, the Republicans in Charlotte County have tried to recruit a candidate to run against Adam Cummings. Never mind that Cummings is a Republican who has survived three terms under the County Commission...

Spring fashions come to TICC.(B SECTION)(In the Loop)(Column)
April 2, 2006... Byline: Ann Henderson Spring is here, there and everywhere, and it recently arrived at the Twin Isles Country Club via tres chic fashions from Giuditta's Haute Couture collection. TICC Women's Club models Caryl Bichlmeier, Jan Bossert,...

Housing ideas bode well for future.(B SECTION)(Column)
April 2, 2006... Byline: Kathy Silverberg This should come as no surprise to anyone who's so much as passed through Charlotte County or the North Port area recently, but new homes are going up faster than fire ants in a fresh field. Condos, patio...

Obituaries.(B SECTION)(Obituary)
April 2, 2006... CHARLOTTE COUNTY Thomas George Bird Thomas George Bird, 69, Port Charlotte, died at home March 30, 2006. He was born Dec. 20, 1936, in Fond du Lac, Wis., and came to Port Charlotte three years ago from Palmetto. He retired as a...

Character is key at Myakka River.(B SECTION)(Englewood Scene)(Column)
April 2, 2006... Byline: Sharyn Lonsdale While schools are jumping on the character-education bandwagon, Myakka River Elementary School has been celebrating traits such as loyalty, honesty and humor for more than five years with its Winner of Winners...

Vendors feel slighted, cry foul over county's pick to run Snook Haven.(B SECTION)
April 2, 2006... Byline: PAUL QUINLAN paul.quinlan@heraldtribune.com VENICE -- Among the many who cheered Sarasota County's decision to buy Snook Haven, an enterprising few wondered: Whom would the county pay to run the popular riverside restaurant? ...

Venice Symphony goes outdoors for annual spring concert.(B SECTION)(Column)
April 2, 2006... Byline: Judy Huskey We've heard a lot about the renowned city planner John Nolen recently. Nolen designed much of the downtown area of Venice back in the late 1920s. A good guess is that the recent Venice Symphony's annual Outdoor...

Group speaks up for hearing-impaired individuals.(B SECTION)
April 2, 2006... Byline: JOSH ORR CORRESPONDENT Ralph Intorcio didn't hear the police loudspeaker instructing everyone to evacuate his neighborhood before a severe storm last summer, because he is practically deaf. Later that day the storm tossed a...

Toddlers turn for songs and stories in North Port.(B SECTION)
April 2, 2006... Byline: NANCY CHAPMAN nancy.chapman@heraldtribune.com With Easter eggs and waving lime green, purple and pink scarves, Wednesday's springtime event at the North Port Library was colorful, to say the least. And that was perfect for the...

Cash trumps the consumer; Special interests get their way in Tallahassee, even as they claim to be serving the little guy.(B SECTION)
April 2, 2006... Byline: LLOYD DUNKELBERGER CAPITAL BUREAU TALLAHASSEE -- The bill is called the "Consumer Choice Act of 2006." But not many consumers seem to be directly involved in the heavily lobbied legislation (HB 1199) that has pitted the phone...

Kids 'Get Wild' at fest.(B SECTION)
April 2, 2006... Byline: KEVIN O'HORAN kevin.o'horan@heraldtribune.com SARASOTA -- A little bit shy, Michael Brosseau took his mother with him to the tattoo parlor Saturday. Sometimes, it seems, you just need that helping hand, someone to steady your...

Program to make community aware of impact of sexual assault.(B SECTION)
April 2, 2006... Byline: STAFF REPORT Manatee Glens' Rape Crisis Program will join 25 Florida communities in observance of National Sexual Assault Awareness Day on Thursday. A Sexual Assault Awareness Day Rally will be held from noon to 1:30 p.m. at...

Obituaries.(B SECTION)(Obituary)
April 2, 2006... MANATEE COUNTY Thomas George Bird Thomas George Bird, 69, Port Charlotte and formerly of Palmetto, died at home March 30, 2006. He was born Dec. 20, 1936, in Fond du Lac, Wis., and came to Port Charlotte three years ago from...

Freshwater bully; Oscars were introduced into South Florida waters in the 1940s and they provide anglers with loads of ultralight fun.(SPORTS)(Outdoors)(Column)
April 2, 2006... Byline: Steve Gibson COLLIER COUNTY -- One of the great things about fishing is discovering new waters. And it's even better if those new waters hold good numbers of large fish. The canals of the Picayune Strand State Forest east of...

16 games attract 84,403 this spring.(SPORTS)
April 2, 2006... Byline: JASON SWANCEY jason.swancey@heraldtribune.com SARASOTA -- It looks like the World Baseball Classic and the absence of All-Star Ken Griffey Jr. for two weeks that went along with it didn't hurt attendance as much as anticipated for...

Planning is key for investment success.(BUSINESS & MONEY)(The Rational Investor)(Column)
April 2, 2006... Byline: Dr. Robert Stepleman It's difficult to be a consistently successful investor. By its very nature, investing in any security whose return is more uncertain than a CD or short-term U.S. Treasury bill is a chancy endeavor. ...

Sonic serves up some very appetizing results.(BUSINESS & MONEY)(Streetwise)(Column)
April 2, 2006... Byline: Lauren Rudd According to a Reuters article of March 23, Sam Stovall, chief investment strategist at Standard & Poor's, looked at the performance of his firm's main U.S.index over 60 years as it related to the 16 quarters of a...

Vision problems instigate marital stress.(FLORIDA WEST & TRAVEL)(Column)
April 2, 2006... Byline: David Grimes Itold my wife the story of the alligator knocking on a Bonita Springs woman's door and she said this: "If an alligator were to knock on our door, you'd be the type to let it in." This may seem, on the surface, to...

Aging well; Retirement isn't half-bad for baby boomers in 'Boynton Beach Club'.(FLORIDA WEST & TRAVEL)
April 2, 2006... Byline: MARY AWOSIKA mary.awosika@heraldtribune.com Watch out, America. The baby boomer generation is about to revolutionize retirement for the 21st century. The film "Boynton Beach Club" shows how men and women in their 60s today...

Master of the Grid; Renowned crossword constructor Merl Reagle figures prominently in documentary film and as exponent of subculture.(FLORIDA WEST & TRAVEL)
April 2, 2006... Byline: KEVIN O'HORAN kevin.o'horan@heraldtribune.com "'Hooker in van.' You're 'hooker in van.'" This is how our conversation begins. It eventually will turn into a 150-minute discussion with Merl Reagle, a somewhat disjointed...