Sarasota Herald Tribune articles from December 2006

Sarasota Herald Tribune archives from December 2006

Debts piling up in Husani's wake; Two banks are foreclosing on Neil Husani's former partner, Michael Tringali.(A SECTION)
December 1, 2006... Byline: MICHAEL BRAGA michael.braga@heraldtribune.com Michael Tringali is having trouble making payments on the massive real estate-related debt he accumulated with help from his former partner, Neil Mohamed Husani. The 44-year-old...

Missteps confuse Wal-Mart shoppers as giant retailer shuffles at crossroads.(A SECTION)
December 1, 2006... Byline: LAUREN MAYK lauren.mayk@heraldtribune.com There have been hints of change: green buildings, hipper clothing and even organic foods. But if there was ever a sign that Wal-Mart was at a crossroads, it was the megaretailer's...

State: Workers erred in testing; Tapes show human error caused discrepancies in first stage of election audit.(A SECTION)
December 1, 2006... Byline: CAROL E. LEE carol.lee@heraldtribune.com SARASOTA -- The evidence was in the videotape. State elections officials concluded Thursday that human error caused discrepancies in a simulated election staged Tuesday, after viewing...

Election lawsuit expands.(A SECTION)
December 1, 2006... Byline: LLOYD DUNKELBERGER and VICTOR HULL STAFF WRITERS TALLAHASSEE -- As the legal battle over the disputed 13th Congressional District race in Sarasota County continues, a move Thursday could put the touch-screen voting machines used in...

Chaos and incompetence; Is U.S. presence in Iraq worth the risks and costs?(A SECTION)(Editorial)
December 1, 2006... Iraq is in chaos, despite the presence of the United States. Or maybe because of it. Whatever the case, if anyone needed more evidence of the severity of the problems, failures and challenges: * Sectarian violence between Sunnis...

CORRECTION.(SPORTS)(Correction notice)
December 1, 2006... An incorrect photo appeared in some editions of Thursday's paper with a story about Palmetto High's Joe Hills committing to play football at South Carolina. A correct photo of Joe Hills appears above. CAPTION(S): (Joe Hills)

Bucs headed for the deep freeze; Three of Tampa Bay's next four games are going to be played in cold-weather cities, beginning Sunday at Pittsburgh.(SPORTS)
December 1, 2006... Byline: TOM BALOG tom.balog@heraldtribune.com TAMPA -- Usually, the NFL schedule-makers are kind to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in December. This year, they left them out in the cold. Most years, the Bucs escape the harsh winter weather of...

Players taken to the limit as field is whittled down; Many of Thursday's matches ended up going three sets before the winner was decided. Boys and girls 12s championships today.(SPORTS)
December 1, 2006... Byline: BRIAN NEWBERRY CORRESPONDENT BRADENTON -- Reaching the quarterfinals was not an easy task for several participants in the Eddie Herr International Junior Tennis Championships on Thursday. Many matches needed three sets to...

Sarasota Christian earns draw.(SPORTS)
December 1, 2006... Byline: STAFF REPORT SARASOTA -- Sarasota Christian played Saint Stephen's to a 2-2 draw in a district match Thursday night. Jessica Swartzentruber scored a direct kick in the first half for Sarasota Christian, and the second goal,...

Indians tame Mustangs.(SPORTS)
December 1, 2006... Byline: PERRY D. PENTZ perry.pentz@heraldtribune.com VENICE -- In a span of two days, the Venice and Lakewood Ranch boys basketball teams' offenses went in opposite directions. After scoring only 30 points Tuesday, the Indians got their...

Miller leads Sailors to district win over Sharks.(SPORTS)
December 1, 2006... Byline: STAFF REPORT SARASOTA -- Heather Miller had 18 points to lead Sarasota to a 62-47 win over Riverview High of Hillsborough County in a Class 6A-District 8 game Thursday. Senior center Kristen Walding had 12 points and 10...

Play it safe with this portable vault.(BUSINESS)
December 1, 2006... The problem with most safes is you have to either remember the combination, or remember where you put the key. With the Biovault 2, your access is guaranteed as long as you can remember which finger or thumb you used to set it up. Sequiam...

City board OKs Quay plan; The unanimous endorsement comes despite the first signs of protest from neighbors.(BUSINESS)
December 1, 2006... Byline: KEVIN McQUAID kevin.mcquaid@heraldtribune.com SARASOTA -- Over the objections of the Hyatt Sarasota's owners, Sarasota's Planning Board this week unanimously approved a $1 billion revamp of the Sarasota Quay. The panel's 5-0...

Business Buzz.(BUSINESS)
December 1, 2006... Englewood bank opens Indiana Avenue office The Community Bank of Englewood has opened its office at 39 N. Indiana Ave., Englewood. A branch of Community Bank of Naples, the bank is led by Vito Bisceglia, area president. Knitting store...

REOPENED FOR CHRISTMAS; Late wave of businesses rebuilding after Hurricane Charley.(A SECTION)
December 1, 2006... Byline: ZAC ANDERSON and DEVONA WALKER STAFF WRITERS PORT CHARLOTTE -- For months after Hurricane Charley, salespeople at Harbor Nissan closed deals on the hoods and trunks of cars. With the car dealership's office reduced to a twisted...

Charlotte puts away Bayshore in first half; Tarpons use an 11-0 run near the end of the second quarter to take control of the 5A-District 12 game.(SPORTS)
December 1, 2006... Byline: DENNIS MAFFEZZOLI dennis.maffezzoli@heraldtribune.com PUNTA GORDA -- Before the game, Chris Brady warned his Bayshore High boys basketball team that Charlotte is capable of reeling off a game-deciding spurt at any time. ...

Charlotte staff OKs comp plan changes; Some limits on growth would be dropped, as demanded by developers.(B SECTION)
December 1, 2006... Byline: SARA LUBBES sara.lubbes@heraldtribune.com CHARLOTTE COUNTY -- Charlotte's planners designed changes to the county's growth guide to close loopholes and ensure better protection for waterways, wildlife and public marinas. But...

Board kicks off on sour note.(B SECTION)(Comment)(Column)
December 1, 2006... Byline: Eric Ernst Talk about awkward. After six years on the Charlotte County Commission, Tom D'Aprile couldn't garner support when, for the first time, his name was called to be chairman. Instead, his peers rallied behind Dick...

Educator wraps up 31-year career; Principal Donna di Grazia will leave Punta Gorda Middle this month.(B SECTION)
December 1, 2006... Byline: ANNA SCOTT anna.scott@heraldtribune.com PUNTA GORDA -- Punta Gorda Middle School Principal Donna di Grazia will say goodbye to her students before winter break and close the book on a 31-year education career. Di Grazia, who...

Woman pinned by runaway vehicle in car-wash accident.(B SECTION)
December 1, 2006... Byline: KRISTEN KRIDEL kristen.kridel@heraldtribune.com PORT CHARLOTTE -- A woman was hit by a rolling car Thursday afternoon at a car wash and and pinned against her own car. The car, which was in neutral, bypassed the car stopper at...

For man and woman, funny money is no laughing matter.(B SECTION)
December 1, 2006... Byline: STAFF REPORT PUNTA GORDA -- A Lehigh Acres man with a history of using counterfeit money was caught in Punta Gorda attempting to circulate fake $100 bills, police say. Louis Michael Pasquazzi, 36, was arrested and charged...

Charlotte changes trash pickup days.(B SECTION)
December 1, 2006... Byline: SARA LUBBES sara.lubbes@heraldtribune.com CHARLOTTE COUNTY -- Trash service for 56,000 county customers will change Monday. Waste Management, the private company that handles Charlotte's trash, has adjusted routes to address...

BEST BETS.(B SECTION)
December 1, 2006... SATURDAY Parade time in Punta Gorda: It will be "noon if by land, 6 p.m. if by sea" for parade lovers Saturday. The 28th annual Charlotte County Chamber of Commerce Christmas Parade will wind its way through Punta Gorda from noon to 3...

Homes get gussied up for the holidays.(B SECTION)
December 1, 2006... Byline: ANN HENDERSON CORRESPONDENT The two-story, 2,400-square-foot wood home at 360 McKenzie St. has survived the Florida elements, not to mention termites, for 100 years. And, since 1999 when Janice and John Bockin purchased the home...

Joe Mathis features international artist.(B SECTION)
December 1, 2006... Byline: STAFF REPORT Neo-impressionist painter Margaret Egli-Thomson was born in Northern Ireland, went to art school in Toronto and made a name for herself in Switzerland. Now she lives and works in Englewood and is showing in Punta...

Points races near finish line at Charlotte County Speedway.(B SECTION)
December 1, 2006... Byline: STAFF REPORT PUNTA GORDA -- The final points night of the fall season for Charlotte County Speedway's four weekly divisions will be Dec. 9. The closest race is in Super Stocks, where 13- year-old Codey Benoit has a 15-point...

OBITUARIES.(B SECTION)(Obituary)
December 1, 2006... CHARLOTTE COUNTY Marjorie Martha Alsip Marjorie Martha Alsip, 82, Port Charlotte, died Nov. 29, 2006, at Englewood Community Hospital. She was born Feb. 15, 1924, in Detroit and came to the Charlotte County area 28 years ago from...

BEST BETS.(B SECTION)
December 1, 2006... SATURDAY Musical Christmas: Kick off the holiday season with the Lemon Bay Chord Company's "Trip VanWrinkle Discovers Christmas" at 2 p.m. Saturday at Englewood United Methodist Church, 700 E. Dearborn St. Tickets will be available at the...

Spanish Point launches a historic holiday season.(B SECTION)(Arts Around Town)(Column)
December 1, 2006... Byline: Francine Milford One of my favorite things to do this time of year is watching how history comes alive at Historic Spanish Point during the winter holidays. Thanks to more than a dozen volunteers, scenes from a script are brought...

Satchmo searches for another championship.(B SECTION)
December 1, 2006... Byline: NANCY CHAPMAN nancy.chapman@heraldtribune.com When Julie Lasswell evaluates her latest litter of Havanese puppies, she looks for the one who is a bit of a problem. She wants a puppy who's mischievous, who gets into things -- in...

BEST BETS.(B SECTION)
December 1, 2006... BOAT PARADE SATURDAY Venice Holiday Boat Parade of Lights 2006 is Saturday. Boats gather north of the Albee Road Bridge in Nokomis where the parade begins at 6 p.m., heading south on the Intracoastal Waterway and ending at the Circus...

A new approach to Alzheimer's.(B SECTION)
December 1, 2006... Byline: MARILYN D. CARPENTER CORRESPONDENT A brand-new residence for Alzheimer's patients focuses on what residents do know or remember, rather than on what they have lost. Monday, the staff of The Gardens At Harbour Terrace officially...

Satchmo searches for another championship.(B SECTION)
December 1, 2006... Byline: NANCY CHAPMAN nancy.chapman@heraldtribune.com When Julie Lasswell evaluates her latest litter of Havanese puppies, she looks for the one who is a bit of a problem. She wants a puppy who's mischievous, who gets into things -- in...

WINNING A BIGGER BATTLE; Beating cancer changed Manatee coach Joe Kinnan's life.(A SECTION)(Column)
December 1, 2006... Byline: Doug Fernandes BRADENTON -- Through Joe Kinnan's first 20 years at Manatee High, two simple words preceded his name: head coach. But woven into that title, a lifetime of achievement. Four state championships. Thirteen...

Underdog 'Canes eager; The defense hopes to apply some pressure.(SPORTS)
December 1, 2006... Byline: ALAN DELL CORRESPONDENT BRADENTON -- Austin Jensen sees one good thing about playing St. Thomas Aquinas in tonight's Class 5A state semifinal. The Manatee High linebacker knows his team will be an overwhelming underdog. Aquinas...

POLICE BRIEFS.(B SECTION)
December 1, 2006... Man, 19, could get life term in armed robbery BRADENTON -- A 19-year-old man was found guilty Thursday of the armed robbery of a cab driver and now faces up to life in prison. Authorities said Vandalven L. Adams, who sheriff's deputies...

Legacy of fraternity is source of pride.(B SECTION)
December 1, 2006... Byline: YVETTE KIMM yvette.kimm@heraldtribune.com Growing up in Sarasota, Brian Atkins watched his father give back to the community, help mentor neighborhood boys and be a positive role model. In 1998, he followed Henry C. Atkins'...

Students win Lions Club Peace Poster Contest.(B SECTION)
December 1, 2006... Byline: STAFF REPORT More than 350 students from Braden River Middle, Johnson Middle and St. Joseph Catholic schools entered their best artwork in the Bradenton Lions Peace Poster Contest. The first-place winners from each school were...

OBITUARIES.(B SECTION)(Obituary)
December 1, 2006... MANATEE COUNTY La Verne Felger La Verne Felger, 87, Bradenton, died Nov. 29, 2006. She was born Oct. 14, 1919, in Youngstown, Ohio, and came to Manatee County in 1956 from Garwood, N.J. She retired in 1984 as a bookkeeper for...

Special agent's past was secret even to family.(B SECTION)(Obituary)
December 1, 2006... Byline: ANTHONY CORMIER anthony.cormier@heraldtribune.com BRADENTON -- Frank Zavodsky was, like so many others of the World War II generation, too humble to talk about battleground heroics. In fact, it wasn't until Zavodsky died and...

Go-kart test track is facing big fines; County tells Group Four it's violating its permit after neighbors complain.(B SECTION)
December 1, 2006... Byline: CHRISTOPHER O'DONNELL chris.odonnell@heraldtribune.com NORTH MANATEE -- The owners of a go-kart test track could face fines of $500 per day for holding illegal go-kart races and practice sessions. County officials are...

Judge reduces father's bail; But Dale Fullwood's attorney says it's still too high.(B SECTION)
December 1, 2006... Byline: GINNY LaROE ginny.laroe@heraldtribune.com SARASOTA -- A judge on Thursday reduced Dale Fullwood's bail but stopped short of setting it at the recommended $1,000 per count because he said the pornography the father of a slain North...

New College and the classic cars; Car museum could stay despite college land buy.(B SECTION)
December 1, 2006... Byline: LATISHA R. GRAY latisha.gray@heraldtribune.com SARASOTA -- New College of Florida may buy the Sarasota Classic Car Museum property, but the museum isn't closing -- at least, not anytime soon. The museum and its more than 100...

At least three shots fired during foot chase.(B SECTION)
December 1, 2006... Byline: STAFF REPORT SARASOTA -- A police officer fired several shots at a man Wednesday after he said the man pulled a gun on the officer near 18th Street and Central Avenue. It is unclear how many times officer Ken Goebel fired,...

BEST BETS.(B SECTION)
December 1, 2006... AUDITIONS Auditions for the Sarasota Senior Theater musical "And That's the Way It Was" will be from 1 to 4 p.m. Dec. 7. Actors, dancers, singers, age 55 or older and young people, ages 8 to 15. To be performed at Players Theatre April...

4-year-old donates hair for Locks of Love program.(B SECTION)
December 1, 2006... Byline: KAZUAKI NAGATA CORRESPONDENT Four-year-old Ivy Morton has a unique hairstyle. From the left back side of her above-shoulder-length silky blond hair, she has a skinny ponytail curled around with colorful strings and beads. ...

Newspaper Web site to list holiday lights.(B SECTION)
December 1, 2006... Byline: STAFF REPORT Starting Sunday, learn about some of the region's best holiday light displays by going to the Holiday Tour of Lights at HeraldTribune.com. To add the holiday display at your home or business to the list, post the...

OBITUARIES.(B SECTION)(Obituary)
December 1, 2006... SARASOTA COUNTY Allan A. Bieger Allan A. Bieger, 84, Sarasota, died Nov. 23, 2006. He was born June 8, 1922, in Pepper Pike, Ohio, and came to Sarasota in 1987 from Ohio on his sailboat. He was an excavating machine operator and a...

The dark side of My Chemical Romance.(TICKET)
December 1, 2006... Byline: ALAN SCULLEY CORRESPONDENT Queen's "A Night at the Opera" was the band's fourth album. "The Wall" was Pink Floyd's ninth release (not counting soundtracks), and The Who's "Tommy" arrived five albums into that group's career. ...

5 Stupid questions with John Tesh.(TICKET)
December 1, 2006... Byline: KEVIN O'HORAN kevin.o'horan@heraldtribune.com They bill it as the "Total Tesh Experience." Plunk down $79 and get tight tonight with John Tesh, formerly of "Entertainment Tonight" fame, now of new age music acclaim and the...

How about a nice Passion Punch?(TICKET)
December 1, 2006... Byline: KEVIN O'HORAN kevin.o'horan@heraldtribune.com Necessity is the mother of invention. It should be no surprise, then, when a bar that mistakenly winds up with a case of passion fruit-flavored tequila finds a way to make some use of...

Papa Roach rises from its ashes.(TICKET)
December 1, 2006... Byline: ALAN SCULLEY CORRESPONDENT Jacoby Shaddix, lead singer of Papa Roach, remembers writing and recording sessions for the band's 2004 CD, "Getting Away with Murder," as an unnerving and uncertain period. "We were always on edge,"...

All you need is Beatles' 'Love'.(TICKET)
December 1, 2006... Byline: ROD HARMON rod.harmon@heraldtribune.com On the surface, it would be easy to dismiss "Love" as just another attempt to milk The Beatles cash cow -- remix a few songs here, combine a few others there, and you have a "brand-new"...

LOCAL MUSIC.(TICKET)
December 1, 2006... Name: 40armboy (Dave Couillou) Base of operation: Sarasota Began career: 1997 Style: Experimental/industrial Bio: 40armboy was originally just a side project born out of Dave Couillou's metal band in the mid-'90s, Freak...

Brewing up a storm in Gulf Gate.(TICKET)(No Cover)(Column)
December 1, 2006... Byline: Steve Echeverria Jr. The idea of tasting beers at a local brewery seems really, really fun. Until you're on your second "sampler" and still haven't made a decision. You're not frustrated but, in my case, it's like looking down...

Get your wings.(TICKET)
December 1, 2006... Byline: PHILIP BOOTH CORRESPONDENT Time for more Capra-corn in the form of "It's a Wonderful Life," director Frank Capra's heartwarming tale about an all-American fellow (Jimmy Stewart) who's on the verge of self-destruction at Christmas...

Kidman wraps herself around ethereal role in 'Fur'.(TICKET)(Movie review)
December 1, 2006... Byline: ABBY WEINGARTEN CORRESPONDENT Nicole Kidman proved her acting bent in "The Hours" (2002), when she became Virginia Woolf, a wildly gifted female author bound by society. In "Fur: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus," the...

The Cat in the Hat is Back.(TICKET)
December 1, 2006... Byline: JAY HANDELMAN jay.handelman@heraldtribune.com Chip Fisher has been busy learning his lines and songs for his role as the Cat in the Hat in "Seussical, the Musical" at the Manatee Players, which opens Thursday. But it's going...

Craft show has variety of artisans.(TICKET)
December 1, 2006... Byline: KEVIN COSTELLO CORRESPONDENT The American Craft Council's 14th annual Sarasota Fine Craft Show is an impressive display by more than 200 artisans from across the country. Twenty-eight new artists will exhibit this year,...

Old friends stop by 'On Golden Pond'.(TICKET)
December 1, 2006... Byline: JAY HANDELMAN jay.handelman@heraldtribune.com Can true fans of "Happy Days" ever believe that Mr. C. could be an "old poop"? Or that Olivia Walton could be the one to call him such a thing? Famous roles of the past stay in the...

LET'S EAT.(TICKET)
December 1, 2006... [ON THE CHEAP] Cheeburger Cheeburger 4944 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. Open 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Friday; 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. Burgers, fries, onion rings, shakes... what's not to love? 921-5503. [WORTH THE MONEY] ...

Familiar look, new flavors at Cinco de Mayo.(TICKET)
December 1, 2006... Byline: JACK WINNER CORRESPONDENT In a flip of nationalities, the former Bellini's now houses Cinco de Mayo, a new restaurant specializing in Mexican cooking. The Main Street restaurant retains much of the look of the former, with its...

A gun in pants can be a hazard.(TICKET)
December 1, 2006... Byline: ABBY WEINGARTEN CORRESPONDENT WICHITA, Kan. -- Can anyone say "karmic retribution?" The force of nature recently reared its head when a would-be kidnapper ended up shooting himself in the groin. The Associated Press reported...

House to vote on drilling bill; GOP leaders now eager to shift to a more restrictive Senate bill.(A SECTION)
December 2, 2006... Byline: CORY REISS H-T WASHINGTON BUREAU WASHINGTON -- House leaders blinked Friday in their standoff with the Senate by agreeing to put a Senate-passed offshore drilling bill to a vote next week that could pave the way for drilling off...

Water plan may be down the drain; New County Commission seems ready to return to war with water authority.(A SECTION)
December 2, 2006... Byline: SARA LUBBES sara.lubbes@heraldtribune.com CHARLOTTE COUNTY -- Months ago, Charlotte seemed ready to relinquish control of its water to regional authorities, settling a long battle for supremacy. But now that the make-up of...

Noel brightens a neighborhood.(A SECTION)
December 2, 2006... Byline: ZAC ANDERSON zac.anderson@heraldtribune.com PUNTA GORDA ISLES -- A man named Noel moved to Southwest Florida a few years ago and started creating displays of holiday lights. Past designs now reside throughout 'Christmas Cove.' ...

Expert offers tips for lights.(A SECTION)
December 2, 2006... Byline: ZAC ANDERSON zac.anderson@heraldtribune.com PUNTA GORDA -- Building a large holiday lights display can seem like a daunting task, but Noel Hyde offers a few tricks of the trade. Hyde, a Punta Gorda Isles resident, has taught...

Bloggers step up for Jennings; Liberals flex muscles to raise money, awareness of 13th District fight.(A SECTION)
December 2, 2006... Byline: JEREMY WALLACE H-T POLITICAL WRITER SARASOTA -- This time, they were ready to pounce. Liberal bloggers -- who could do little more than vent during the contested presidential election in 2000 -- are just as angry about this...

A question of trust; Private assets should be separate from public office.(A SECTION)(Editorial)
December 2, 2006... The state's ethics commission has offered a common-sense fix for a nagging problem. The Florida Commission on Ethics wants to require the governor, lieutenant governor and the state's three Cabinet members to place their stock holdings...

Boundary-crossing; Joint planning in Sarasota County -- or else.(A SECTION)(Editorial)
December 2, 2006... When cities and counties approve developments in Florida, the impacts on neighboring localities receive inadequate attention -- until the resulting problems are apparent. Traffic, for example, routinely increases on city roads after...

'Canes fall in OT in instant classic; Raiders dish out another painful loss.(SPORTS)(Comment)(Column)
December 2, 2006... Byline: Doug Fernandes FORT LAUDERDALE -- KEYS TO THE GAME FIRST QUARTER Both teams battle to a scoreless tie through the first stanza as the Manatee defense holds the powerful St. Thomas Aquinas offense, led by backup quarterback...

Leak's legacy hinges on a title; Despite all the records he holds at Florida, quarterback Chris Leak has failed to win a conference title.(SPORTS)
December 2, 2006... Byline: MIC HUBER mic.huber@heraldtribune.com ATLANTA -- It took so much longer than he ever thought, but Chris Leak finally has arrived at the place he almost took for granted when he first came to the University of Florida four long...

Hamilton a sparkplug for Warner Southern.(SPORTS)
December 2, 2006... Byline: BARBARA KLEMT BOXLEITNER Booker High graduate Brandon Hamilton has been an early season offensive catalyst for the Warner Southern College men's basketball team. The sophomore guard averaged 19.6 points through three games. He...

Dexter lifts MCC to victory.(SPORTS)
December 2, 2006... Byline: BRIAN NEWBERRY CORRESPONDENT BRADENTON -- Daren Dexter scored 11 points, including a key basket in the final minute to help Manatee Community College defeat Palm Beach CC 77-75 Friday night at Hal Chasey Gymnasium. Nick...

Krueger, Robson win 12s singles championships.(SPORTS)
December 2, 2006... Byline: BRIAN NEWBERRY CORRESPONDENT BRADENTON -- Mitchell Krueger and Laura Robson left town with titles on Friday. Krueger won the boys 12s singles championship in the Eddie Herr International Junior Tennis Championships, while...

SEC CHAMPIONSHIP NOTEBOOK.(SPORTS)
December 2, 2006... Key to the game? Battle in the trenches Arkansas coach Houston Nutt and Florida coach Urban Meyer had little trouble agreeing what would be the key to today's SEC Championship game. It will be the battle in the trenches, Florida's...

Port Charlotte battles, but can't upset Verot.(SPORTS)
December 2, 2006... Byline: DENNIS MAFFEZZOLI dennis.maffezzoli@heraldtribune.com MURDOCK -- The Port Charlotte High boys basketball team started strong. Maybe too energetically, since the quick start served as a wake-up call for Fort Myers Bishop Verot....

Johnson, North Port cruise past Bayshore.(SPORTS)
December 2, 2006... Byline: STAFF REPORT BRADENTON -- North Port High outscored Bayshore High by 21 points through three quarters and set it on cruise control in a 55-40 win over host Bayshore High. Senior guard Chelsea Johnson pushed the pace for the...

Sarasota boys, girls complete sweep of rival Riverview.(SPORTS)
December 2, 2006... Byline: JODY ROYCE jody.royce@heraldtribune.com SARASOTA -- A city rivalry carried greater significance Friday night on the pitch at Gene Pillot Field. For Sarasota and Riverview High, these soccer matches counted toward the Class...

Correction.(BUSINESS)(Correction notice)
December 2, 2006... Kim Golly has joined the SunTrust Mortgage Inc. office in Elizabethton, Tenn. Because of incorrect information supplied by SunTrust, an item in the Nov. 11 Business section said that Golly had joined the Sarasota office.

GAS PRICES CLIMBING ... SLOWLY.(BUSINESS)
December 2, 2006... Gas prices in Southwest Florida and across the nation have been nudged upward with the price of oil. Part of what might be restraining prices is that oil traders have seemed unfazed so far by threats from the 11-member Organization of...

Whether rich or poor, you need to have a current will.(BUSINESS)
December 2, 2006... Byline: MICHAEL POLLICK michael.pollick@heraldtribune.com Think you don't need a will? U.S. Trust fiduciary law expert Susan Porter says you're wrong: Everybody needs a will, from those of modest means to her company's ultra-rich...

Business Buzz.(BUSINESS)
December 2, 2006... Skin & Body Care spa debuts in Bradenton Advance Skin & Body Care Day Spa & Hair Studio will mark the opening of its newly built 3,000-square-foot day spa from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday at 104 53rd Ave. E., Bradenton. Coastal Florida,...

Wiffle Ball team swings Fast Plastic.(PLAY!)(Go!)(Column)
December 2, 2006... Byline: THOMAS BECNEL thomas.becnel@heraldtribune.com T.J. Goelz knows it's a silly game, but he's serious about it. How serious? Serious enough to know when he's being silly. He built a Wiffle Ball field next to his house. He...