Sarasota Herald Tribune articles from July 2009

Sarasota Herald Tribune archives from July 2009

Herald Tribune Obituaries.
July 31, 2009... Dec. 23, 1945 - July 28, 2009 Richard Glenn Campbell, 63, a lifelong resident of the area, died July 28, 2009. Graveside service will be 11 a.m. Saturday at Palms Memorial Park. Arrangements by Toale Brothers Funeral Homes, Colonial...

Lobster hunter is found dead.
July 31, 2009... Byline: ANTHONY CORMIER DIVER:The cause of death of the diver remains unclear Police say a Sarasota man was one of three people who died at the start of spiny lobster season, a yearly event that draws thousands of divers to Florida's...

Interview tape casts new light on inquiry.
July 31, 2009... Byline: TODD RUGER Two weeks after a police officer kicked him and squirted him with pepper spray during an arrest, Juan G. Perez arrived at home from work about 10 p.m. to find another Sarasota officer at his home. Perez, 21, said he was...

In Sarasota or Cambridge, the key is respect.
July 31, 2009... Byline: Kathy Silverberg Herald-Tribune Columnist Both of these men were arrested and handcuffed, both had unfortunate encounters with police and both could be characterized as members of ethnic minority groups. In the Perez case, there...

Not driven to text in a car.
July 31, 2009... Byline: Laura Sperling Herald-Tribune Columnist TWD is risky -- probably as dangerous as DWI -- but that's not why I refrain from the practice. The real reason is that my texting skills are terrible. Even TWC -- texting while...

Tread carefully when seeking advice on your investments.
July 31, 2009... Byline: Lauren Rudd Herald-Tribune Columnist Unfortunately, in an effort to counteract the ills of today's economy, investors continually chase after phantom opportunities in a relentless search for profits beyond the norm, as evidenced by...

Taking a green outlook to a building rebound.
July 31, 2009... Byline: CHRIS GERBASI Correspondent CONSTRUCTION: Charlotte County ordinance pushes for more conservation It is difficult to build "green" when no one is building much of anything, but Charlotte County is in position for more...

Embarrassing case at an end for Venice.
July 31, 2009... Byline: KIM HACKETT ENVIRONMENT:City dumped waste water and falsified records After three years of federal monitoring, Venice completed sanctions for violating the Clean Water Act, ending one of the most expensive, embarrassing episodes in...

NO ROD SPARED.
July 31, 2009... Byline: DALE WHITE and BILLY COX Herald-Tribune staff writers When Larry Dorman found out he was going to have to shell out money for what he used to enjoy for free, the casual angler was more than a little peeved. "It really upset me,"...

PROPERTY DECLINE IS SLOWING.
July 31, 2009... Byline: DOUG SWORD Property values in Southwest Florida are still sliding this year, but at a slower pace than last year. The region, though, will continue to suffer bigger declines in its tax base than the state average, according to a...

Panel says the region must redo its industry.
July 31, 2009... Byline: KIM HACKETT Southwest Florida will have to retool traditional industries -- not wait for new ones to develop -- to turn around the local economy, business and education leaders said Thursday. They delivered the message at the...

Venice lays off one and cuts other jobs.
July 31, 2009... Byline: TERRY O'CONNOR Correspondent Fourteen city positions were eliminated, but only one person truly lost a job when City Manager Isaac Turner submitted his 2009-10 budget proposal to the City Council this week. Deputy building official...

Palmetto's Byrd commits to Tulane.
July 31, 2009... Byline: ALAN DELL Correspondent Calling it a dream come true, Palmetto High defensive end Kerchal Byrd committed to Tulane University on Thursday during his first visit to the city of New Orleans. "I wanted to commit now and get it off my...

Teacher worked without rest to help underserved.
July 31, 2009... Byline: HALLE STOCKTON Jean Van Delft would tremble as she approached the children she intended to help in rough Harlem, N.Y., neighborhoods more than 40 years ago, her daughter recalled. The children and teenagers grew up around violence,...

County taps reserves to avoid added cuts.
July 31, 2009... Byline: DALE WHITE Commissioners not inclined to further burden County commissioners started cutting expenses two months ago, but since then the potential deficit in their next annual budget has grown by $800,000. So, rather than...

Off day is calm before storm.
July 31, 2009... Byline: DENNIS MAFFEZZOLI With non-waiver trading deadline today, many players Carl Crawford could not wait for Thursday. "A day off, huh," Crawford said. "I'm always looking forward to that." It has been a whirlwind for Crawford and...

Speaking well for the band.
July 30, 2009... Byline: GEORGE MEYER Correspondent As we all now know, such humble roots flowered into an important part of the South's musical heritage. A nonprofit group has convened to preserve the Allmans' beginnings, and has focused on their rented...

Refreshing 'Days of Summer'.
July 30, 2009... Byline: CHRISTOPHER LLOYD Correspondent There is no contrived meet-cute moment. There is no long and arduous delay before they realize they are in love, with unlikely obstacles preventing the recognition of their passion. There is a big...

Herald Tribune Obituaries.
July 30, 2009... March 21, 1932 - July 24, 2009 Clayton Dahl "Clay" Bacher, 77, of Bradenton, formerly of Mechanicsville, Md., died July 24, 2009. There will be an internment service at the new Sarasota National Cemetery at a date yet to be determined. ...

Here you can drink and speak your mind.
July 30, 2009... Byline: Steve Echeverria Herald-Tribune Columnist It's one I pride myself in not breaking whenever visiting any bar: Whether it's on the clock or "Miller Time" -- never talk religion or politics. Now, that's not to say I haven't broken it...

Funny, until it croaks.
July 30, 2009... Byline: CHRISTOPHER LLOYD Correspondent Yes, this is the movie where the dudes behind "The Waterboy" and "Knocked Up" team up and get all weepie. Sandler plays a thinly disguised version of himself, a massively successful star of...

Catching a wave.
July 30, 2009... Byline: SUSAN L. RIFE "H2O: Paintings, Drawings, Prints" is a collection of Lundy's works fresh from an exhibition at the James Gray Gallery in Santa Monica, Calif. Lundy, who grew up on Siesta Key and graduated from Riverview High School...

Fast, furious, boring.
July 30, 2009... Byline: CHRISTOPHER LLOYD Correspondent Justin Lin, who also directed the third movie, "The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift," delivers an aggressively stupid action film in which all the women are hoochies with ample cleavage and booty...

Cocktails on the bay.
July 30, 2009... Byline: Heather Dunhill Herald-Tribune Columnist The heat didn't matter to attendees, including Ernie and Pat Williams, Carol and Tom Dick, Rose and Bill Sayers, Henry and Karen Miller, Lauren Greenfield, Jhoana Antiquino and Sarah Cowart,...

Drought eases; water flows into new reservoir.
July 30, 2009... Byline: DALE WHITE Significant summer rains enabled the Peace River Manasota Regional Water Supply Authority to open a valve on July 15 and start filling a $62 million second reservoir ahead of schedule. The move will allow the authority...

Golf is tie that binds Slumans.
July 30, 2009... Byline: Chris Anderson Herald-Tribune Columnist And how many other 16-year-olds trade text messages with the man who won the 1995 U.S. Open? Tyler Sluman does. One day he hopes to follow in the footsteps of his uncle, Jeff Sluman, and...

Judge designates drywall lawyers.
July 30, 2009... Byline: AARON KESSLER The federal judge overseeing the combined Chinese drywall lawsuits in New Orleans has named the attorneys who will lead the massive multi-district litigation. Judge Eldon E. Fallon, who earlier this month said that...

Sure, they're called crazy ants. But he's not so crazy about them.
July 30, 2009... Byline: CHRISTOPHER O'DONNELL Home for Ryan Kraus is a one-acre plot on a quiet back street in Parrish. Unfortunately for him and his wife Jillian, it's a home he shares with millions and millions of Caribbean crazy ants, a relentless,...

NEXT UP: A VISIT TO ED SMITH.
July 30, 2009... Byline: ROGER DROUIN ORIOLES:Team executive is preparing for the move to Sarasota The Baltimore Orioles' director of Florida Operations is scheduled to tour Ed Smith Stadium today, as the team prepares to move its spring ball operation...

Larger gap, tougher choices.
July 30, 2009... Byline: JOHN DAVIS BUDGET: More cuts, higher taxes and reserve spending are all on the table City leaders entered budget talks last month facing the possibility of a large tax increase and more than $20 million in spending reductions to...

Bureaucrats miss point of teachers' fine work.
July 30, 2009... Byline: Tom Lyons Herald-Tribune Columnist Excuse the silly fourth-grade simile. I'll explain later. The teachers I'm talking about worked hard to help fourth-graders improve their writing and do well on the writing part of the Florida...

Cards offered for cheaper drugs.
July 30, 2009... Byline: CHRIS GERBASI Correspondent Charlotte County Commissioner Tricia Duffy received an e-mail from a resident with special dietary needs who had to choose between buying healthy food and medicine. "She said, 'I can no longer afford to...

Mother killed after son dies.
July 30, 2009... Byline: ANTHONY CORMIER Diane Aubut never really got over the loss of her son. Thomas Pinkham was 7 years old, blind and autistic, and lived with his mother in Parrish. One night last March, Thomas opened a porch door, walked toward a pond...

Artist, 97, finds inspiration in seashells.
July 30, 2009... Byline: BILLY COX Slowed by arthritis and carpal tunnel syndrome, he is confronted by an immutable reality: The old Polish immigrant with the walker can't crank 'em out like he used to. Affixing countless seashells and sea-glass particles to...

Series won't make or break season for Rays.
July 30, 2009... Byline: DENNIS MAFFEZZOLI So, in the biggest series of the year for the Rays -- that is, until the next biggest -- the New York Yankees came into Tropicana Field and took two out of three. What does it mean? The Rays are 55-47, 71/2...

Mesoraco rescues Sarasota.
July 30, 2009... Byline: PHIL DENIS Correspondent Sarasota catcher Devin Mesoraco absolutely crushed a 2-0 Dustin Sasser fastball for his seventh home run of the season Wednesday night at Ed Smith Stadium when, for the second consecutive game, the Reds scored...

Political forum discusses faults of gerrymandering.
July 30, 2009... Byline: ZAC ANDERSON Democratic leaders blamed the poor showing on an often overlooked aspect of electoral politics: District boundary lines. The gerrymandering of these boundary lines to benefit one political party over another has drawn...

Police case set for a review.
July 30, 2009... Byline: TODD RUGER City leaders found an outside law enforcement agency to review the mishandled criminal investigation of an officer seen kicking a handcuffed man on video. The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office agreed Wednesday to...

HOLLYWOOD TO PASS ON SARASOTA.
July 30, 2009... Byline: DOUG SWORD and MICHAEL POLLICK Despite offering $32 million plus up to 20 acres of free land, Sarasota lost out on the biggest economic development plum it has ever gone after: a digital video production studio that will employ as...

Off the beaten track.
July 29, 2009... Byline: JACK D. WINNER Correspondent The restaurant itself consists of about a dozen tables. There are hardwood floors and white walls hung with a series of black-and-white photos depicting scenes from the area's past. A service area and...

A defining moment.(Recipe)
July 29, 2009... Byline: Linda Brandt Herald-Tribune Columnist Most of the time, having an idea of a word's meaning is enough, but sometimes it is helpful to be able to explain the differences between words that have similar broad meanings. Often I make a...

Shift in housing help benefits higher-income buyers.
July 29, 2009... Byline: DALE WHITE Florida has shifted money that helped lower-income people buy homes, pay for home repairs or stay in their homes into a new program aimed at helping first-time home buyers who may not need financial help. The state...

Charlotte Commissioner Cummings won't seek 3rd term.
July 29, 2009... Byline: CHRIS GERBASI Correspondent Charlotte County Commissioner Adam Cummings announced on Tuesday that he will not seek re-election in 2010, and the name of at least one candidate to replace him has already emerged. Punta Gorda City...

Complaints mount after University Club's closing.
July 29, 2009... Byline: KEVIN L. McQUAID With the final sunset at the University Club came Champagne, tears and shared memories among members and staff. But in the month since the private dining club atop the Bank of America Building in downtown Sarasota...

FOR ACTION ON DRYWALL.
July 29, 2009... Byline: AARON KESSLER Florida Democrat Bill Nelson, who has largely led the effort in Washington to deal with the tainted drywall issue, asked the White House to assert a more active leadership role. "What urgently is needed now is White...

Charlotte aids homeless shelter for teens.
July 29, 2009... Byline: CHRIS GERBASI Correspondent Ministry donates unfinished house and land to Charlotte A ministry's shelter for homeless teenagers stalled by lack of money could open by the end of the year through an agreement with Charlotte County....

More than just a coach.
July 29, 2009... Byline: TOM BALOG Raheem Morris takes 'front porch' community approach Raheem Morris has much to learn as he embarks on his first season as head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. But he already has a full grasp of one important facet of...

Deputies say man abused his mother.
July 29, 2009... Byline: ANTHONY CORMIER 82-year-old woman says he did not hurt her Deputies arrested a 52-year-old man and accused him of abusing his ailing mother and fighting with paramedics who tried to help her. Elliot J. Weinstein has been jailed...

$300,000 settles tiff over rentals in Venice.
July 29, 2009... Byline: KIM HACKETT City Council accepts deal to avoid further litigation The city put an end to a costly five-year battle with a property owner over short-term rentals. An attorney told the city council she negotiated the best...

Don't give up on Scott Kazmir just yet.
July 29, 2009... Byline: Doug Fernandes Herald-Tribune Columnist A strikeout of leadoff hitter Derek Jeter, another of Mark Teixiera, and don't forget the second-inning punch-out of Jorge Posada. All things considered, a wonderful start to a most important...

Reds win in last of 9th, 3-2.
July 29, 2009... Byline: PHIL DENIS Correspondent Jason Louwsma's line drive single into the right-center field gap with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning brought in the winning run Tuesday night when the Sarasota Reds rallied for a 3-2 victory over...

Senators press for action on Chinese drywall.
July 29, 2009... Byline: AARON KESSLER aaron.kessler@heraldtribune.com A flurry of letters headed out Tuesday from the U.S. Senate to three federal agencies and President Barack Obama himself. The topic: Chinese drywall. Florida Democrat Bill Nelson, who...

Herald Tribune Obituaries.
July 29, 2009... July 8, 1927 - July 27, 2009 Wayne Lyle Aitken, 82, of Sarasota, died July 27, 2009. Visitation will be from 1 to 2 p.m. Friday at Palms-Robarts Funeral Home, with internment to follow at Palms Memorial Park. Survivors include his wife,...

'I just need a break, man'.
July 29, 2009... Byline: THOMAS BECNEL Staff Writer Unemployed father struggles to find work and provide for his family Between drags from a Marlboro cigarette, Keith Hoefer exhales anger and frustration. He lost his job. He cannot find another one. He...

Changing of the guard at film festival.
July 29, 2009... Byline: JAY HANDELMAN The resignations illustrate differences between some longtime board members and board president Mark Famiglio, who took over as de facto head of the festival last year amid financial problems. The resignations also...

Index bolsters housing hopes.
July 29, 2009... Byline: MICHAEL BRAGA and AARON KESSLER Staff Writers The nation's housing market got its third dose of good news within a week with word that a closely tracked measure of housing prices showed its first monthly increase since summer 2006. ...

Venice agrees to pay $300,000 to settle dispute over rentals.
July 29, 2009... Byline: KIM HACKETT City Council accepts deal to avoid further litigation The city put an end to a costly five-year battle with a property owner over short-term rentals. An attorney told the city council she negotiated the best...

Despite cuts, city may raise tax rate.
July 29, 2009... Byline: TERRY O'CONNOR Correspondent Finance director wants to boost reserves for unexpected expenses Laying off city employees and slashing the city budget by $8.4 million may not be enough to forestall a property tax rate increase this...

Herald Tribune Obituaries.
July 28, 2009... July 16, 2009 Patrick Kelley Almond, infant, of Venice, died July 16, 2009. Survivors include his father and mother, Jason and Lisa of Venice; a sister, Makaylynn; grandparents Barbara Mills and James Lempka of Venice and Nancy Gerack and...

Island's sea life extends to library.
July 28, 2009... Byline: J. NIELSEN Correspondent Pam Fortenberry's murals depicting sea life have become a mainstay of Anna Maria Island, her home for more than 20 years. Her love of dolphins led her here and her artistic talent depicting them have made...

KIDS PROFILE: Manatee's 13-14s 10-1 entering State.
July 28, 2009... Byline: CHRIS DELL Correspondent Team unity has played a pivotal role for the Manatee West Junior All-Stars this season. The 13-14-year-old squad recently captured its first-ever Section 5 Championship with a 9-2 win over Land O' Lakes to...

Toni Whitt: Some glow-in-the-dark amusement at the mall.
July 28, 2009... Byline: Toni Whitt Westfield Sarasota Square has done just that by putting miniature golf in the former Steve and Barry's space. But this is not your typical mini golf -- it glows in the dark. The concept, which uses black lights and golf...

A good stadium name: Wish You Were Here.
July 28, 2009... Byline: Tom Lyons Skeptics, myself included, think those touted benefits are overestimated. But many baseball fans, myself included again, can't help but be happy that spring training won't disappear from Sarasota and that the takeover at...

Nardelli denied sentencing delay.
July 28, 2009... Byline: MICHAEL BRAGA It would have been the third delay in Nardelli's sentencing. Nardelli's court date already had been moved to Aug. 10 because his attorney, Ray C. Lopez of Tampa, had asked for the delay because he was vacationing in...

Florida tax base falls 15 percent.
July 28, 2009... Byline: DOUG SWORD More than $360 billion leaked out of Florida property values last year, more than the entire value of Miami-Dade County. The figures come from county property appraisers, who recently reported their appraisals on about...

I-75 crash kills recent North Port graduate.
July 28, 2009... Byline: ANTHONY CORMIER A North Port teenager died when a car crashed into a trailer Sunday night on Interstate 75. Florida Highway Patrol troopers say Ashley Cafaro, 18, was a passenger in a Toyota Camry heading south near the State Road...

First State Bank told to raise capital.
July 28, 2009... Byline: JOHN HIELSCHER Deadline is given to replenish funds or find a merger partner Federal regulators have hit First State Bank with a new deadline to either raise fresh capital or find a merger partner or buyer. Sarasota-based First...

CORRECTIONS.(Correction notice)
July 28, 2009... Florida's attorney general cannot conduct criminal investigations of mortgage flipping fraud, but the attorney general's office can file criminal charges, bring attention to statewide issues and work to coordinate enforcement efforts around the...

'Meanest' python captured.
July 28, 2009... Byline: TIFFANY LANKES Snake expert pulls angry 14-footer from East Manatee pipe Most Burmese pythons are calm, but the 14-foot snake Justin Matthews has in solitary confinement at his Manatee home is downright sassy. When Matthews...

Police investigation stuck in neutral.
July 28, 2009... Byline: TODD RUGER Sarasota city manager looks for a credible agency to lead the inquiry With the police chief on administrative leave, city leaders have not yet decided how to get to the bottom of the mishandled investigation of an...

New home sales accelerate in June.
July 28, 2009... Byline: AARON KESSLER Sales of new homes pushed to their fastest clip in eight years last month, a sign that buyers see their opportunity to capture bargain prices, low interest rates and a federal tax credit for first-time home buyers as...

Pollution still feeding Gulf dead zone.
July 28, 2009... Byline: KATE SPINNER The vast oxygen-starved dead zone in the northern Gulf of Mexico shrunk by more than half its typical size this year, but scientists see nothing to celebrate. The dead zone -- an area so low in oxygen that it hosts...

Donation and apology settle case.
July 28, 2009... Byline: TODD RUGER A Bradenton businessman who was arrested on an extortion charge has settled the case with a $250 donation and an apology. The charge was based on a letter that Dennis Kim, 62, sent to attorneys who sued his spa on behalf...

Endeavor envisions an untainted Trail.
July 28, 2009... Byline: DALE WHITE Sarasota County, Manatee County and the five cities along that historic highway intend to jointly apply for federal and state programs that provide money and incentives to clean up properties that possibly hold...

An experienced hand on the tiller.
July 27, 2009... Byline: MICHAEL BRAGA JOE HEMBREE: Past lean times help prepare him for the current slump Anyone can sell, lease or manage commercial real estate in the middle of a boom. The difficult task comes when buyers and tenants are hard to come...

Concession construction unabated.
July 27, 2009... Byline: KEVIN L. MCQUAID Next month, developer Kevin Daves and his Core Development Inc. will unveil the next phase of the Concession's progress, a 33,000-square-foot clubhouse that will be twice the size of a typical country club epicenter....

And now, the top 5 in real estate sales SHE'S NO. 1: Judy Kepecz-Hays sold $17.4 million by mid-July.
July 27, 2009... Byline: TOM BAYLES Coldwell Banker Previews International sales agent Judy Kepecz-Hays was the No. 1 Realtor in Sarasota County in terms of sales for the year by mid-July, with $17.4 million worth of property sold. She had an average sales...

An experienced hand in a tough era.
July 27, 2009... Byline: MICHAEL BRAGA JOE HEMBREE: Past lean times help prepare him for the current slump Anyone can sell, lease or manage commercial real estate in the middle of a boom. The difficult task comes when buyers and tenants are hard to come...

Drywall was just the start.
July 27, 2009... Byline: Aaron Kessler It's bad enough that victims of contaminated Chinese drywall already have to contend with houses that are deteriorating and unsellable, not to mention potentially hazardous. Now it appears some can add another worry...

Herald Tribune Obituaries.
July 27, 2009... June 7, 1921 - July 19, 2009 Ruth Glidden, 88, Nokomis died July 19, 2009. A memorial service will be at 4 p.m. today at Venice Macometh United Methodist Church, with Ralph Burton officiating. Survivors include her husband of 71 years,...

Nascent film company sees Florida as an ideal setting.
July 27, 2009... Byline: JOHN DAVIS Floridian and former world kickboxing champion Don "The Dragon" Wilson has joined three area businessmen to form Florida Films, a company that wants to bring film productions to the Sunshine State and specifically to...

And now, the top 5 in real estate sales.
July 27, 2009... Byline: TOM BAYLES Coldwell Banker Previews International sales agent Judy Kepecz-Hays was the No. 1 Realtor in Sarasota County in terms of sales for the year by mid-July, with $17.4 million worth of property sold. She had an average sales...

PUSH IN VENICE FOR DISTRICTS.
July 27, 2009... Byline: KIM HACKETT With three City Council members living close enough to borrow a cup of sugar from one another, some say elected officials do not represent the interests of the entire city. Unlike surrounding communities such as Punta...

SEEKING GRANTS, THEY GET CAVEAT.
July 27, 2009... Byline: ZAC ANDERSON All 30 slots filled up quickly and 14 people were turned away last week. But Hopkins has mixed feelings about nonprofit leaders' growing interest in grant writing, as they look to slow downward budget trends in a rough...