Sarasota Herald Tribune articles from February 2009

Sarasota Herald Tribune archives from February 2009

Old church an inspired stage.
February 1, 2009... Byline: Jay Handelman Theatre Odyssey, which has performed in a number of area venues, has moved its performances this season to the church, which has been renovated through the Historical Society of Sarasota County. The church, built...

Bad man makes for a good tale.
February 1, 2009... Byline: Susan Rife "You're a Bad Man, Mr. Gum!" is the first in a series, now up to five, of books set in the fictional English town of Lamonic Bibber, where Mr. Gum is the town curmudgeon, a man with "two bloodshot eyes that stare out at...

Area dog training club relocates.
February 1, 2009... Byline: STAFF REPORT A few months ago, the Sarasota Obedience Training Club was forced to relocate from its longtime home off Fruitville and Cattlemen Road in Sarasota. The 40-year-old group hosted an open house Jan. 25 at its new...

NAACP celebrates 100 years of history.
February 1, 2009... Byline: Yvette Kimm In 1976, Woodson's week was expanded to what has become Black History Month, which begins today. Throughout the month, activities and events will celebrate African-American history, culture and black life, locally and...

Legislature needs to clear the air.
February 1, 2009... On Tuesday, President Obama issued two orders that can help reduce the amount of gas used by U.S. cars and trucks and therefore reduce the emissions that contribute to global warming. One of the orders directed the Environmental Protection...

Grass-roots change: Confronting 'a belief that we can do better'.
February 1, 2009... Byline: Thomas Tryon "No," I said. "I don't even have a topic yet." "Then why don't you write about something uplifting?" he replied. "Give people a break from all the bad news." For a variety of reasons, I came up empty and was...

Herald Tribune Obituaries.
February 1, 2009... April 12, 1934 - Jan. 27, 2009 Helen Taylor Butsch, 74, Old Town, formerly of Osprey, died Jan. 27, 2009. There will be a private family service. Survivors include daughters ChiChi Keen of Old Town, and Kelley Sunglieng of...

Venice Theatre plans 'Rent' and 'Doubt'.
February 1, 2009... Byline: JAY HANDELMAN The company, which will host the 2010 International Amateur Theatre Festival, will present the local debuts of the musical "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels," David Mamet's comedy "November" and the hit musical "Rent" in its...

Revisiting the concept of sheriff as appointee.
February 1, 2009... Byline: Eric Ernst but not the Orwellian version -- Sarasota County is flirting once again with the idea of a sheriff who is appointed rather than elected. The latest idea comes from former planning commissioner Richard Alpher. On...

TREATMENT CENTERS FEAR CUTS.
February 1, 2009... Byline: ZAC ANDERSON Fitzgerald watched as the students highlighted book passages and read aloud during his visit to the Compass Center, a live-in substance abuse program for 13- to 17-year-olds. They looked like ordinary youths. It...

A move to keep records private.
February 1, 2009... Byline: CHRISTOPHER O'DONNELL State lawmakers may come to the aid of Florida school districts, including Manatee County, in their battle to keep health insurance enrollment records confidential. Manatee is among nine school districts...

ABT event concludes today; Meyers is first female champion.
February 1, 2009... Byline: Bill Herald Qualifying squad times are at 11 a.m., 12:30 and 2 p.m., followed by the 3:30 p.m. semifinals. Entry fee is $55, and today's cut to the semifinals will be 1-in-6 for each squad. First place is estimated at...

Super Bowl is hardly the only game in town.
February 1, 2009... Byline: CATHY ZOLLO Do something else. The Herald-Tribune is here to help you find alternatives to watching muscle-bound men collide for three hours and washing down hot wings with beer. There are the obvious choices: shopping,...

State lawmakers pass the specialty plates.
February 1, 2009... A month before their annual 60-day session, lawmakers have filed bills that would create 10 more specialty plates. The proposed plates include "Hispanics Settled Florida in 1513," "Let's Go Surfing," and "Endless Summer." Expect more....

River blast.
February 1, 2009... Byline: Steve Gibson BRADENTON The Braden River offers great winter fishing. We're talking about the stream below the dam at Evers Reservoir. Above the dam, you'll encounter largemouth bass, bluegill, speckled perch, shellcracker...

Columnist shared home repair acumen.
February 1, 2009... Byline: MARK ZALOUDEK STAFF WRITER Bernie Gladstone not only knew how to fix practically everything around the house, he also wrote more than a dozen books, including "The New York Times Complete Manual of Home Repair," to help others...

Rays manager has been longtime fan.
February 1, 2009... Byline: DENNIS MAFFEZZOLI JOE MADDON: His interest in the NFL team began as a 9-year-old and continues today His obsession began with the selection of a hat. After attending a baseball game between the Chicago White Sox and New...

Center stage glistens with shining clarinet.
February 1, 2009... Byline: GAYLE WILLIAMS CORRESPONDENT Chandra is a great communicator in so many ways with and without his clarinet and this, too, was evident in the cadenza connecting the first and second movements. Every note was phrased for impact...

Just one statistic matters to Roethlisberger.
February 1, 2009... Byline: DENNIS MAFFEZZOLI STEELERS: Quarterback had bad game first time around, but they won In 2005, his second season in the NFL, Ben Roethlisberger became the youngest winning quarterback in Super Bowl history, guiding Pittsburgh to...

Super Sunday finally arrives.
February 1, 2009... Byline: TOM BALOG Sometimes the most suspense-filled Super Bowls blossom from matchups like this, which may not be the pairing the sports world would have wanted. This time it's all on the surging Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII...

Bobcats capture team title.
February 1, 2009... Byline: PHIL DENIS CORRESPONDENT The two primary objectives for the 11 schools that competed Saturday in the fourth annual Ryan Bidwell Memorial Wrestling Tournament was for their contestants to perform well and remain healthy. Those...

Manatee news briefs: Free help on taxes starts Tuesday.
February 1, 2009... Mondays and Fridays, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Central Library, 1301 Barcarrota Blvd., Bradenton. ednesdays and Fridays, noon to 3 p.m., Braden River Library, 4915 53rd Ave. E., Bradenton. ednesdays, 5 to 8 p.m., Central Community...

TARPONS WIN AS 'NOLES GO COLD.
February 1, 2009... Byline: DENNIS MAFFEZZOLI There are a number of players Steve Cavallaro has confidence in and is comfortable having the ball down the stretch. Saturday night, the Venice High boys basketball team did a good job of getting the ball into...

Indians strong in beating Mantas.
February 1, 2009... Byline: DENNIS MAFFEZZOLI The past two weeks, the Venice High girls basketball team has been working on its biggest weaknesses: rebounding and defense. "We've really gotten a lot better," Indians coach Bruce Rei-chenbach said. ...

Classics brought to life by Budapest Orchestra.
February 1, 2009... Byline: RICHARD STORM CORRESPONDENT By inverting the usual architecture of a symphonic concert, conductor Ivan Fischer created a compelling series of pleasures and insights, proceeding from material ordinarily relegated to encores, through...

Exploring love through the decades.
February 1, 2009... Byline: SU BYRON CORRESPONDENT "I was profoundly moved the first time I read it," he said. "It's one of the most moving and life-affirming stories of love and commitment I've seen on the stage in the past 25 years." The play, which...

Sarasota Opera Celebrates 50 Years.
February 1, 2009... Byline: JAY HANDELMAN The milestone is cause for a more low-key party than last season's grand reopening of the historic Sarasota Opera House after a yearlong $20 million renovation. "If you look around the country, about the time that...

Warm stories off the prairie.
February 1, 2009... Byline: SUSAN L. RIFE "I'll come down and talk about winter and Minnesota. That'll cheer them right up, give their lives a new focus and a new purpose," said Keillor in a telephone interview from a hotel in Kentucky last week. Keillor...

Circus dreams up a jungle fantasy.
February 1, 2009... The show is an exotic and sometimes bizarre assortment of creations and routines performed by a cast of 25 aerialists, contortionists, acrobats, jugglers and musicians. The production features more than 150 costumes and a set that creates the...

For Manatee Players, a season, but where?
February 1, 2009... Byline: JAY HANDELMAN The big question is where the new season will be performed. The company is still trying to raise about $5 million to finish its new performing arts center along the Manatee River near downtown Bradenton. The...

HOW MANY HOUSES, IN HOW MUCH PERIL?
February 1, 2009... Byline: AARON KESSLER In the spring of 2006, the cargo ship Great Immensity headed toward Florida's west coast. Its destination? the Port of Tampa. In its hold? More than 16 million pounds of Chinese drywall manufactured by Knauf...

Let's see a game to match the hype.
February 1, 2009... Byline: Doug Fernandes You're tardy for a Super Bowl more memorable than the commercials. You're delinquent in hosting one that doesn't force people onto the lanai by the middle of the third quarter, discussing the latest episode of...

Scam story sounds so very familiar.
February 1, 2009... Byline: Tom Lyons Her lesson was much cheaper. A bargain, really. "It's funny how a bright, intelligent person (like myself) can become victim," she said. "OK -- would you settle for a 'thinking' person?" Comora, a Sarasota...

THE BUZZ.
February 2, 2009... The newly appointed president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York once kicked around the streets of Sarasota while earning his undergraduate degree. William Dudley attended New College of Florida from 1971 to 1974, majoring in economics...

As many contract, some are growing Pawnshops, gyms and hydroponic gardens are hot in north Charlotte.
February 2, 2009... Byline: MICHAEL BRAGA Home builders and retirees are the twin pillars of the Punta Gorda metropolitan area's economy. With the collapse of the home building pillar, it is not surprising that the market, which stretches from Punta Gorda...

Catering to foreign buyers.
February 2, 2009... Byline: Tom Bayles Here's what some of the firms are doing in the international arena. Prudential Palms Realty's international division has added seven agents to its roster. With varying backgrounds, the company's new real estate...

A port in a storm.
February 2, 2009... The lesson that Southwest Florida should learn from the economic crisis -- which is exacerbated here by the dependence on construction and tourism -- is that the region must diversify and take advantage of the collective strength of its natural...

Herald Tribune Obituaries.
February 2, 2009... June 25, 1923 - Jan. 31, 2009 Helen L. Adaline, 85, Venice died Jan. 31, 2009. Visitation will be from 1 to 2 p.m. Thursday, with services to follow, at Farley Funeral Home, Venice Chapel. Survivors include daughters Susan Riley of...

Good deeds.
February 2, 2009... The D.R. Long Foundation Inc. recently donated $10,000 to the Daniel R. Long Foundation Fund for Nursing Education at the Sarasota Memorial Healthcare Foundation Inc. Established last summer with a $20,000 gift, the fund provides nursing...

How do you pick best nursing home for loved one?
February 2, 2009... Byline: DAVID GULLIVER STAFF WRITER The setting was no trendy club, but Bay Village retirement community, and the crowd was two dozen of its nursing home residents, average age 92. That same day, a dozen seniors met in a room at...

As many contract, some are growing.
February 2, 2009... Byline: MICHAEL BRAGA Home builders and retirees are the twin pillars of the Punta Gorda metropolitan area's economy. With the collapse of the home building pillar, it is not surprising that the market, which stretches from Punta Gorda...

Business people.
February 2, 2009... Karrie DeLay has joined the Sarasota office of Clarke/Eric Mower and Associates as an advertising account executive. Dennis J. Black of Port Charlotte was named National Educator of the Year by the National Association of Fee Appraisers. A...

GRAND OPENING.
February 2, 2009... Jenny and Jim Mulligan have opened a franchise of Home Instead Senior Care at 1720 El Jobean Road, Suite 206, Port Charlotte. The company helps seniors stay safe in their homes or care communities. The company's caregivers -- who are...

Buchanan prepared to beat, not join, Obama.
February 2, 2009... Byline: Jeremy Wallace After speaking with Obama one-on-one about the $825 billion stimulus bill, Buchanan sent out a statewide press release to say Obama had invited him to work out at the White House. "I joked with him that I don't...

MCC splits with Broward CC.
February 2, 2009... Byline: STAFF REPORT Freshman shortstop Taylor Wrenn hit a grand slam home run and was 2-for-3 at the plate to lead Manatee Community College to a 10-2 win and a split of a doubleheader with Broward CC on Sunday at Robert Wynn Field. ...

Firefighter in hospital after blaze.
February 2, 2009... Byline: STAFF REPORT A Charlotte County firefighter was injured while battling a blaze Sunday. He was hospitalized at Peace River Medical Center. The fire in the 4500 block of Larkspur Court in Port Charlotte was called in by neighbors...

Asolo's 'Mr. Green' is worth revisiting.
February 2, 2009... Byline: JAY HANDELMAN First produced by the Asolo in 1999, two years after its off-Broadway debut, "Visiting Mr. Green" has some somewhat dated elements, but it provides two excellent actors a chance to delve into their complex characters....

Etched in steel.
February 2, 2009... Byline: TOM BALOG The new standard of the NFL is black and gold. But not without a red scare. Pittsburgh captured its second Super Bowl in four seasons with a heart-stopping 27-23 win over the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII...

100-yard return turned it around.
February 2, 2009... Byline: DENNIS MAFFEZZOLI Instead of Cards gaining lead and halftime momentum, Harrison's big interception changed things It's hard to believe, but one of the finest plays in Super Bowl history might be an afterthought in Pittsburgh's...

'DRC' has bird's-eye view of TD.
February 2, 2009... Byline: DENNIS MAFFEZZOLI Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie was locked up with Santonio Holmes all night. Rodgers-Cromartie had a bird's-eye view of Holmes' Super Bowl-winning catch in the back corner of the end zone. He was one of...

Pittsburgh takes sixth title in a thriller.
February 2, 2009... Byline: DOUG FERNANDES SPORTS COLUMNIST By a couple of tippytoes, the Pittsburgh Steelers were tops Sunday night in Super Bowl XLIII. And now, they are tops in the history of the National Football League. Ben Roethlisberger's...

Donors dig deeper in harder times.
February 2, 2009... Byline: CHRISTOPHER O'DONNELL Not only was the total a record, but more donors than ever gave money to help families struggling to stay in their homes or pay their bills. Donations were up almost 70 percent from the $344,000 raised last...

Graduates of YMCA program bemoan its loss.
February 2, 2009... Byline: TODD RUGER Bonnie Bornik the teenager did not like to be told what to do, saw no future for herself in college, bounced from job to job, and fought with her parents until she moved out at 18. She found a home at the YMCA-run...

Hey, watch the Super Bowl here!
February 2, 2009... Byline: CATHY ZOLLO Out front, Perry Washington, owner of Perry's Original Roadside BBQ, was manning two round, black smokers full of chicken, pork and melt-off-the-bone ribs. Fragrant wisps of smoke carried for blocks in both...

Fix the food safety net.
February 3, 2009... Peanut butter is as American as apple pie, maybe even more so, since the nutritious spread, a pantry staple in millions of homes, was invented in this country. Thus, the news tying a Georgia manufacturer's peanut paste to a wide salmonella...

Smarts.
February 3, 2009... Byline: STEVE GIBSON SARASOTA They're 17-5 overall and 9-1 in Class 6A-District 8, so it's understandable that Sarasota High girls basketball coach Amy Mazner does not dwell on her team's youth. To call them the Baby Sailors just...

Four area players commit.
February 3, 2009... Byline: ALAN DELL CORRESPONDENT Venice High running back Dri Archer has always believed his teammate, defensive lineman Ben Steele, was a good tackler who moved well for a big man. Now Archer will get a firsthand look under game...

DRYWALL FRACAS.
February 3, 2009... Byline: AARON KESSLER The suit from the Miami-based home builder over the drywall issue comes on top of two class-action suits filed on behalf of homeowners in Sarasota County and North Fort Myers. Gases being emitted from the...

Basking in glow of victory, Tomlin plays down future.
February 3, 2009... Byline: TOM BALOG SUPER BOWL: Steelers coach won't hear any talk of repeating The Pittsburgh Steelers basked in the glow of their record sixth Super Bowl title Monday, and credited the team's ownership. "It's arguably the best...

Nadel ordered to New York.
February 3, 2009... Byline: JOHN HIELSCHER U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Pizzo also affirmed his decision on Friday that Nadel should remain in custody pending trial. "The evidence against the defendant is overwhelming and, at the age of 76, he faces what...

REGULATORS QUESTION INSURER'S DIRE CLAIM.
February 3, 2009... Byline: PAIGE ST. JOHN Company officials say they are losing $20 million a month. After being denied a 47 percent rate increase late last year, continuing to operate in Florida "would have resulted in insolvency," said State Farm Florida...

Hurricanes extract a little bit of revenge.
February 3, 2009... Byline: ALAN DELL CORRESPONDENT BOYS BASKETBALL: They avenge loss earlier in the season to Braden River The Manatee High boys basketball team has been waiting more than two months to get back on the floor with Braden River. When...

MCC drops fourth straight Suncoast game.
February 3, 2009... Byline: BRIAN NEWBERRY CORRESPONDENT A sluggish second half sent the Manatee Community College basketball team to a 95-83 loss to Pasco-Hernando CC at Hal Chasey Gymnasium on Monday night. It was the Lancers' fourth consecutive setback...

Onufrak paces ODA.
February 3, 2009... Byline: STAFF REPORT RIVERVIEW55, PALMETTO39 Juniors Jamie Onufrak and Steve LaFrance led Out-of-Door Academy to a 68-44 win over Southwest Florida Christian Academy on Monday night. Onufrak paced the Thunder with 15 points while...

A new voice will lead state House.
February 3, 2009... Byline: JOE FOLLICK H-T CAPITAL BUREAU The short and controversial tenure of House Speaker Ray Sansom is over after a frenzied weekend of legal analysis and political reality led his former supporters to discard him Monday. Facing a...

Herald Tribune Obituaries.
February 3, 2009... Jan. 17, 1917 - Jan. 30, 2009 Joseph M. Bergen, 92, Sarasota, formerly of Poughkeepsie, N.Y., died Jan. 30, 2009. Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. today at Packer Funeral Home. A funeral Mass will be noon Wednesday at Incarnation...

Gliding through the city's streets.
February 3, 2009... Like a newfangled version of the horse and carriage ride, a modern mode for sightseeing is entertaining tourists and delighting locals1/2-hour package includes an adult admission pass to the South Florida Museum, Parker Manatee Aquarium and...

Foundation's luncheon to celebrate philanthropists.
February 3, 2009... Byline: STAFF REPORT The "Celebration of Giving" luncheon, the fourth annual event, will begin at noon Wednesday at Bradenton Municipal Auditorium, 1005 1005 Barcarrota Blvd., Bradenton. A reception begins at 11:15 a.m. "Manatee County...

Cotillion graduates make shining debut.
February 3, 2009... Byline: BETSY WILLIAMS CORRESPONDENT The girls, dressed in long white gowns and long gloves with tiaras carefully placed in their hairstyles, and their escorts, dressed in tuxedos and high-polished shoes, opened the evening with a waltz....

Sports and animal lovers rally for Humane Society.
February 3, 2009... Byline: KHARLI ROSE CORRESPONDENT Nearly 200 people bid on items such as Tampa Bay Rays tickets, an autographed Martina Navratilova tennis ball and a pearl necklace. Proceeds from the event go toward efforts by the Suncoast Humane Society...

Local violinist takes on the rock world.
February 3, 2009... Byline: SHELLY OLATOYAN CORRESPONDENT Ratzenboeck first picked up the violin around the age of nine and the instrument has found a familiar place on his shoulder ever since, helping him ear both a bachelor's and a master's degree in violin...

Through women's eyes.
February 3, 2009... Byline: Heather Dunhill The festival is the primary fundraiser for the Gulf Coast Chapter of the U.S. National Committee for UNIFEM, the United Nations women's fund, with proceeds going to UNIFEM's Safe Cities for Women program. Joanne...

Proper Form.
February 3, 2009... Byline: Mare Petras CORRESPONDENT "Sometimes it's not the weight we carry, it's the way we carry our weight," says Sarasota resident Helen Fleder, a former professional dancer who trained with the late George Balanchine, ballet pioneer and...

E-MAIL SEARCH IS HALTED.
February 3, 2009... Byline: KIM HACKETT Anthony Lorenzo will have to take a lawyer's word that Venice Vice Mayor Sue Lang has submitted all of the public records required, a judge ruled Monday. Lorenzo, who is suing current and former Venice officials...

MCC wants to expand library with county help.
February 3, 2009... Byline: DALE WHITE Manatee Community College would like the county to be its partner in an expansion of its Bradenton campus library -- not just to share expenses but to create a new public library accessible to everyone. County...

CAUGHT IN A QUANDARY.
February 3, 2009... Byline: JOHN DAVIS A modest mobile home park's quest to survive could force it under the umbrella of one of the city's most upscale developments. While the move offers the aging neighborhood badly needed utility service, it could also...

A profit? Breaking even is all he wants.
February 3, 2009... Byline: Tom Lyons But since so many people are in much the same spot, he believes he knows what lots of other people will soon be forced to do. And if he's right, and unless the government and financial institutions make some big changes,...

No one's knocking Sarasota's Bello now.
February 3, 2009... Byline: JAY HANDELMAN Nock is an impressive daredevil, but his comedy elements always seemed to lack detail, nuance or the kind of comic zest that more traditional clowns bring with them. But I'm not knocking Nock after watching him...

Lecture series shown on cable.
February 3, 2009... Byline: Kevin McQuaid The simulcasting, on Comcast Channel 19, comes amid the third consecutive soldout year at the 525-seat Players Theatre, where the lectures are held from January to March. Plymouth Harbor will broadcast SILL's...

Federal agents arrest Sarasota CEO.
February 4, 2009... Byline: TOM BAYLES FBI agents arrested Gary Brown at his Boca Pointe Drive home Tuesday on charges of artificially inflating the share price of a wireless communications business he headed. Brown, 60, was charged with conspiracy to...

Business buzz.
February 4, 2009... Restyled Rags, the resale boutique operated by the Women's Resource Center of Manatee, is now open Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. while the farmers market in downtown Bradenton is operating. The boutique is at 417 12th St. W. ...

Herald-Tribune cuts jobs and some home delivery.
February 4, 2009... Byline: MICHAEL POLLICK Forty-eight Herald-Tribune employees were laid off, including 31 SNN News 6 staffers who received severance packages Tuesday after being furloughed a week ago. In November, the Herald-Tribune announced that it...

Three R's in Venice.
February 4, 2009... Months of wrangling over alleged violations of Florida's Government-in-the-Sunshine Laws have disrupted Venice city government and distracted council members and the public. So we sympathize, to a degree, with Councilwoman Vicki Noren...

Bucs add another defensive line coach.
February 4, 2009... Byline: TOM BALOG The Buccaneers had trouble getting pressure on quarterbacks late last season with one full-time defensive line coach, so maybe two coaches can make a difference. Robert Nunn, who had the same job with the Green Bay...