Sarasota Herald Tribune articles from March 2009

Sarasota Herald Tribune archives from March 2009

Herald Tribune Obituaries.
March 31, 2009... June 5, 1920 - March 27, 2009 Frank Hartnack of Bradenton died March 27, 2009. Son, husband, father, he was born in Amsterdam, Holland, Frank moved to the U.S. at age four. A U.S. Army veteran of the second World War, a...

Bradenton ready for new role.
March 31, 2009... Byline: TOM BALOG tom.balog@heraldtribune.com Pirates could be only draw in area The Cincinnati Reds' farewell appearance at McKechnie Field in Bradenton on Monday drew the Pittsburgh Pirates' second smallest Grapefruit League home...

Vineland students jump for joy - to raise money.
March 31, 2009... Byline: Betsy Williams "This week is like the climax, or celebration for all the hard work the students have put in each day during their physical ed classes," said Coach Judy Martin, who heads up the fundraiser. Recently the school...

Gala Latina features culture and history.
March 31, 2009... Byline: Wendy Dewhurst Festivities filled the evening at the third annual Gala Latina on Saturday night at the Lakewood Ranch Golf and Country Club. Dr. Walter Moscoso began the event to raise money for scholarships for Latino...

Beyond the cow: Calcium available from other foods.
March 31, 2009... Byline: KARA CHALMERS Correspondent Any discussion about bone health begins with calcium and vitamin D, the two nutrients a body needs for optimal bone health. Calcium is a mineral, and it is best absorbed by the body with adequate...

Keys Rotary recognizes outstanding area youths.
March 31, 2009... Byline: AIMEE CHOUINARD Correspondent The 23rd annual Youth Awards Banquet was hosted by Herb and Ruth Jones with Sarasota Police Chief Peter J. Abbott serving as Master of Ceremonies. Also in attendance was long-time member of the...

Tropicana rolls out new juice with stevia.
March 31, 2009... Byline: Staff Report The product, which uses a new sweetener from the stevia plant called PureVia, replaces Tropicana's Light 'n Healthy orange juice beverage. The juice maker, which does much of its production in Bradenton but is...

Pools and pageants for her.
March 31, 2009... Byline: CHRIS DELL Correspondent SARASOTA For Shiloh Magann, the goals have not changed. A trip to the Junior Olympics for swimming and diving this summer would cap off a season full of gold medals and pageant crowns. ...

Club must tweak plan.
March 31, 2009... Byline: TOM BAYLES Residents opposed to the Longboat Key Club & Resort's $400 million expansion have been looking everywhere to find a way to derail or delay the renovation. In this case they found something hiding in plain sight: the...

Intertape's losses jump in the fourth quarter.(Financial report)
March 31, 2009... Byline: Staff Report That compared with a loss of $700,000, or 1 cent per share, during the same quarter a year earlier. Removing the goodwill charge from the most recent results would have left the company with a loss of $16.1...

Man accused of raping girl.
March 31, 2009... Byline: BART PFANKUCH STAFF WRITER A 12-year-old runaway, who deputies say spent 30 hours with a stranger who gave her whiskey, showed her pornography and raped her repeatedly, played a key role in the suspect's arrest. The girl...

Spending money to save money.
March 31, 2009... Byline: DALE WHITE and DOUG SWORD STAFF WRITERS The money is part of $169 million coming to Florida through the U.S. Department of Energy and authorized by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Sarasota County, Sarasota and...

It took 30 years, but science brings arrest in a cold case.
March 31, 2009... Byline: TODD RUGER The detectives at a Bird Key murder scene collected cigarette butts left around the body, but in 1978, the only hope was to somehow find a suspect who smoked the same brand. Last week, though, the saliva on those...

Damage from wind and water.
March 31, 2009... Byline: ROGER DROUIN Water damage may have caused a piece of stucco to fly off a downtown building during high winds Saturday, and inspectors are trying to determine how extensive the damage is. The developer of the Plaza at Five...

Is Energy Reform Fizzling?
March 31, 2009... Byline: ZAC ANDERSON But as the Florida Senate begins debate today on energy reform, its first proposal classifies nuclear power and certain types of coal plants that capture greenhouse gases as "clean energy" -- moves that allow power...

Senator seeking drywall curbs.
March 31, 2009... Byline: AARON KESSLER The Florida Democrat, along with Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., who jointly introduced the legislation on Monday, also want the Treasury Department and Department of Housing and Urban Development to "take all possible...

Laptop inquiry walks 'fine line'.
March 31, 2009... Byline: ANTHONY CORMIER The investigation started with files erased from a laptop computer used by former Sarasota Sheriff Bill Balkwill, the key witnesses are current or former Sarasota sheriff's deputies, and sheriff's detectives are...

Grant tosses two-hit shutout as Braden River wins 15th.
March 31, 2009... Byline: ALAN DELL Correspondent PALMETTO 2, BAYSHORE 1 It seemed as if Ryan Grant could not get anybody out last year. His ERA was over 10 and he won only one game for Braden River High baseball team. This season, on advice from...

Movies carry a nice tune.
March 31, 2009... Byline: RICHARD STORM Correspondent In a production created by John Goberman's New York-based PGM Productions, excerpts from such iconic movies as "Gone With the Wind," "Ben-Hur," "An American in Paris," "Citizen Kane" and "The Wizard of...

CULTURE SHOCK.
March 31, 2009... Byline: CHARLIE HUISKING Correspondent But the Boston Red Sox slugger gives an enthusiastic thumbs up to "Sugar," a baseball-themed drama to be shown Wednesday at the Sarasota Film Festival. In fact, Ortiz is so impressed with "Sugar"...

Bonanza for the bargain-hunter.
March 31, 2009... Byline: LAUREN MAYK Starting last fall, the business at 5211 S. Tamiami Trail broke from its regular retail prices and began offering more promotions, even knocking down the price on special orders by 15-20 percent. The tactic is one...

Formula for failure.
March 31, 2009... Florida's recession-driven budget crisis provides little time for legislators to think about transforming criminal-sentencing laws and prison policies. But the state's dire straits provide a lot of incentives for overhauling statutes and...

Aching joints? Aging boomers getting new ones.
March 31, 2009... Byline: WALKER MEADE Correspondent Everyone knows someone who has had it done. Olympic champion Mary Lou Retton got her new hip when she was 37. William Shatner got his in February 2008. Martha Stewart got hers on Sept. 10 of last year,...

Herald Tribune Obituaries.
March 30, 2009... July 19, 1920 - March 28, 2009 Sarasota resident Robert A. Bleyer, a native New Yorker, passed away on March 28 at the age of 88. Following his service as a military intelligence officer during World War II, Bleyer became a...

This is government help, isn't it?
March 30, 2009... Byline: AARON KESSLER For-profit companies nationwide are trying to bilk hundreds or even thousands of dollars from unsuspecting homeowners for their "services" to help owners refinance or get loan modifications under the federal relief...

Bad banks' loans are auctioned off.
March 30, 2009... Byline: MICHAEL BRAGA Part of the cure to the nation's financial ills involves selling off loans and other assets from failed financial institutions. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. is the primary actor in this sell-off, and the...

Golden Apple has fun interpreting 'Joseph'.
March 30, 2009... Byline: JAY HANDELMAN It is one of those rare musicals that gains new and extended life because of the way inventive choreographers and directors put new spins on this telling of the Bible story of Joseph, his dreams and his jealous...

Rays jump all over Arroyo.
March 30, 2009... Byline: STEVE GIBSON BASEBALL: Reds starter suffers from carpal tunnel syndrome If Bronson Arroyo had been lifted from Sunday's game against Tampa Bay after three innings, you would have thought the lanky right-hander had experienced...

The Legacy Trail is a hit.
March 30, 2009... Byline: TERRY O'CONNOR Correspondent The Legacy Trail will likely never be as popular a tourist draw as the area's pristine beaches, but it is coming in a strong second. The big crowd at Saturday's first Legacy Trail anniversary was...

Preparations for the census.
March 30, 2009... Byline: HALLE STOCKTON Before the U.S. Census Bureau can document how the country has changed in the last decade, it needs to find out where to send the questionnaires. Starting today and lasting through July, droves of Census Bureau...

A new advocate for foster care system.
March 30, 2009... Byline: TODD RUGER Laura McIntyre will resolve concerns and complaints from foster parents and children. She will interview caseworkers on the front lines of child welfare. If something goes wrong, she will be the one to find out what...

Sarasota County blocks beach access.
March 30, 2009... Byline: KIM HACKETT In response to visitor complaints that boards blocked access from a walkway to Caspersen Beach, Sarasota County added more of them last week, during the peak tourist season. County officials said they plan to add...

Businesses band together to stay afloat.
March 30, 2009... Byline: LAUREN MAYK The message came from a fellow business owner and it would not be the only call from a local proprietor that LaLone would get during the midday rush. As an informal switchboard operator doling out advice and...

Furloughs may clog courts.
March 30, 2009... Byline: TODD RUGER The public defender's office could close completely as employees take up to 10 days of unpaid leave. Prosecutors are considering six-day furloughs, but the office will remain open. Revenue is also down at the...

Real estate people.
March 30, 2009... Horizon Realty has added the following agents since December: Robert Gray, Mary Clarke, Michal Kohout, Carole Gold, Flavia Nguyen, Doreen Perra, Chris Bruns, Jim Frost, Kirk O'Konski, Selma Dyer, Tom Dyer, Susan Chandler, Brenda Tipton, Joey...

Real estate deals.
March 30, 2009... Danny Chris Emmert D.C. P.A. has leased space at 6155 26th St. W., Bradenton, from Hawa Enterprises LLC. Stan Rutstein of Re/Max Alliance Group handled the transaction. Davria Enterprises LLC/Max Muscle Sports Nutrition has leased 1,375...

Good deeds.
March 30, 2009... Silvestry Travel LLC presented a check for $1,200 to the Sarasota Garden Club in February. The money was raised from a trip the Sarasota Garden Club Travelers took to Greece in 2008. Jewish Family & Children's Service of Sarasota-Manatee...

How to pick a good exchange-traded fund for your portfolio.
March 30, 2009... Byline: Dr. Robert Stepleman While there are can be important differences, they are, at least for the earliest offered ETFs, outweighed by their similarities. In this I feel somewhat like Juliet in Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" when...

Realtors are stuck in the middle.
March 30, 2009... Byline: Tom Bayles Only 14 percent of homeowners think that the listing prices recommended by their Realtors had properly valued their homes while 63 percent believe their Realtors undervalued their homes. Of those, 45 percent thought...

Plans for new bank on hold indefinitely.
March 30, 2009... Byline: John Hielscher The organizers of a new Sarasota bank have terminated their stock offering of up to $23 million. Chairman and chief executive Tony Leo sent word to potential investors that the proposed Consumer First Bank...

Careful with nursing home cuts.
March 30, 2009... Two local legislators have introduced bills designed, they say, to reduce duplication and save the state money on nursing home inspections. In this time of fiscal austerity brought on by the collapse of the state's housing industry and...

Business buzz.
March 30, 2009... First Bank employees served as volunteers for the Southeastern Guide Dogs Walk A Thon on Feb. 28 at the Manatee County Fairgrounds in Palmetto. The 23rd annual event raised $280,000. The First Bank team sold $762 in raffle tickets during...

Business people.
March 30, 2009... C.J. Fishman, president of Fishman & Associates Inc. in Venice, was appointed to the executive board of NISSCO Restaurant Dealer Group, a nationwide network of independent wholesale dealers of food-service equipment, supplies and design. ...

GRAND OPENING.
March 30, 2009... Karen Robbins has opened Random at 8141 Lakewood Main St., Suite 102, Lakewood Ranch. Random offers clothing and accessories for women, tweens and teenagers, with the average price from $18 to $25. Everything in the store is priced under...

Business buzz.
March 30, 2009... New York Times writer David Pogue's personal technology column, "State of the Art," becomes a regular feature in Business Weekly starting today. Pogue's technology column has appeared each week in The Times since 2000. Pogue also is an...

How many banks will fail?
March 30, 2009... Byline: JOHN HIELSCHER Seventeen of the banks based in Sarasota, Manatee and Charlotte counties lost money in 2008. Only three managed to turn a profit. In a year when the U.S. banking industry posted its first money-losing quarter...

Mud flying fast and furious in the capital.
March 30, 2009... Byline: Joe Follick, Lloyd Dunkelberger Despite the historic pall of fiscal gloom hanging over lawmakers, there appears to be no shortage of political-fueled mudslinging in Tallahassee. Last week's prime-time rumble featured two...

Festival fireworks light up the stars.
March 29, 2009... Byline: Heather Dunhill More than 800 poured into the Van Wezel grand foyer, overflowing onto the patio, where the crowd was surprised by a captivatingly dramatic fireworks display. Seen mingling out and about in the crowd with celeb Joe...

Energy for free (some fees may apply).
March 29, 2009... Byline: Tom Lyons The writer was reacting to a proposal that would have the county offer to install solar water heaters in homes, and then bill the homeowners a monthly charge. How much would residents pay? Significantly less than...

In growth plan, there is reason for worry.
March 29, 2009... Byline: Eric Ernst Not true, at least not now. The latest version of the state-mandated comprehensive growth plan lets condo property owners rebuild for any reason, and at heights greater than normally allowed if new building codes...

The Director's Cut: Sarasota Film Festival honors Hal Ashby.
March 29, 2009... Byline: SUSAN L. RIFE Ashby, after all, had been one of the pre-eminent directors of the 1970s and '80s, along with Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola, Norman Jewison and John Boorman - directors who were changing the way movies were...

Charlotte County Transfers.
March 29, 2009... Alfonso, Frank C., and Alfonso, Mary T., to Sniffen, Thomas, Lot 2, Block 2, Port Charlotte Industrial Park, $520,000. Baldwin, Ann M., and Baldwin, Edward, to Hamilton, William E., Lot 18, Block 5094, Section 95, Port Charlotte,...

Hal Ashby: Innovator, individualist, icon.
March 29, 2009... Byline: SUSAN L. RIFE Among the directors profiled in the book, subtitled "How the Sex-Drugs-and-Rock 'N Roll Generation Saved Hollywood" was Hal Ashby, whose movies "Harold and Maude," "Coming Home," "The Last Detail," "Being There" and...

Manatee County property transactions.
March 29, 2009... Aldrink, Diana, to Smith, Bradley B., Lot 3 Block 19 Cortez Beach, $415,000. Anhorn, Brent M., to Sherman, Adam M., Lot 3150 Lighthouse Cove at Heritage Harbour Unit 2, $145,000. Barach, Michael, to Cantolino, Christopher, Lot 10 the...

Sarasota County property transactions.
March 29, 2009... Adams Homes of Northwest Florida Inc. to Bentley, Jamie R., Lot 9, Block 203, 6th Addition, Port Charlotte, $133,900. Adams Homes of Northwest Florida Inc. to Brownie, Jason M., Lot 46, Block 407, 9th Addition, Port Charlotte, $139,700....

High style, low cost.
March 29, 2009... Byline: MARSHA FOTTLER CORRESPONDENT Vern Yip, celebrity TV interior designer, was in the Sarasota area recently to demonstrate that high style can be achieved at low prices if you know how and where to shop. Working with two carriage...

Reflecting on shame of a nation.
March 29, 2009... Byline: SUSAN L. RIFE "One, I was born German, and two, yes, the Holocaust is a legacy of all Germans," said Bradley, whose memoir, "The Way Home: A German Childhood, An American Life," goes beyond her recollections of her childhood to...

Background influences the fore.
March 29, 2009... Byline: Jay Handelman Technology has made it possible for designers to create all sorts of worlds and locales in small spaces that weren't possible decades ago. But it's the creative part of the process, and the way a design makes...

'Ladies' farce now playing in Venice.
March 29, 2009... Byline: JAY HANDELMAN In "Leading Ladies," the theater world isn't far off as two down-and-out Shakespearean actors prepare for the roles of a lifetime. Leo and Jack, who have been performing Shakespeare in Moose halls, read about a rich...

A joyous masterpiece.
March 29, 2009... Byline: WALKER MEADE Correspondent It has the emotional force to reach the hearts of audiences no matter what their origins or politics. It has opened festivals everywhere -- even opera seasons -- and has been transcribed for piano by...

Music for the eyes as well as the ears.
March 29, 2009... Byline: SUSAN L. RIFE The idea came to Artistic Director Leif Bjaland while he was doing a children's program about music and imagination in which he asked his young audience to visualize what the composer was trying to express. "It...

Diversity display opens today on the bayfront.
March 29, 2009... Byline: PATTY ALLEN-JONES Correspondent Her original quote was submitted and one of 39 chosen for this year's Embracing Our Differences, an outdoor exhibit of local, national and international works of art and written expressions that...

Desperate times call for tax increases.
March 29, 2009... Byline: With revenues dismal and cuts already deep, Legislature must step up Yet, desperate times call for desperate measures: State economists recently informed lawmakers that Florida's revenues fell this year for the fourth year in a...

Herald Tribune Obituaries.
March 29, 2009... June 30, 1919 - March 24, 2009 Mr. William D. "Bill" Devenpeck, 89, of Sarasota, formerly of Cooperstown, N.Y., died March 24, 2009. Services will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday in the chapel at the First United Methodist Church, 104...

Wind sends stucco flying, injuring woman.
March 29, 2009... Byline: STAFF REPORT A woman was injured Saturday when she was struck by a section of stucco torn by wind gusts off a high-rise building near Five Points Park in downtown Sarasota. The winds pried the piece of stucco, which was at...

Authorities search for 12-year-old girl.
March 29, 2009... Byline: STAFF REPORT Authorities are searching for a 12-year-old girl who was last seen Saturday morning at her Bradenton home and is believed to be endangered. Sarah Norton, 12, was last seen around 10 a.m. Saturday at her residence...

Theater is this family's tradition.
March 29, 2009... Byline: PATTIE MIHALIK Correspondent "At four, I was already putting on plays for my family," said the Englewood resident. "When I was in grade school I started creating costumes and writing little plays. It was something that just...

Rays wait to decide on fifth starter.
March 29, 2009... Byline: DENNIS MAFFEZZOLI BASEBALL: Jason Hammel battles Jeff Niemann for the last spot in the starting rotation With a week remaining in spring training, the Rays still have not decided on their No. 5 starter. If the race ended...

Arrest of player's wife shows stars can be prey.
March 29, 2009... Byline: TOM BALOG PIRATES: Prospect Jose Tabata says he didn't know the background of his wife The misfortune of Jose Tabata illustrates how vulnerable professional athletes can be to exploitation. Tabata, a 20-year-old...

Time, once again, to let us know which comics soar, or fall flat.
March 29, 2009... Byline: Mike Connelly Executive Editor Every weekday, the Herald-Tribune publishes 23 comics, four puzzles and five other features on its comics and puzzles pages. On Tuesday, three editors spent the morning browsing through dozens and...

Tough times on the Trail.
March 29, 2009... Byline: LAUREN MAYK The economy has changed the Trail. There are fewer dinners out, smaller staffs and weakened sales. At one beauty salon in North Port, there is even a post office. When customers started stretching out the time...

Van Wezel fees drive ballet away.
March 29, 2009... Byline: BILL HUTCHINSON "We can't afford it," said ballet director Iain Webb, who calls the 1,700-seat city hall's fee structure "unreasonable" and "unfair" to Sarasota's performing arts nonprofits. The Van Wezel, Sarasota's...

COUNTING ON GRANT.
March 29, 2009... Byline: DOUG SWORD Police chiefs in North Port, Bradenton, Sarasota, Longboat Key and Palmetto all say they are hoping to win grants from a reinvigorated Justice Department program that will fund salaries of an estimated 5,500 newly...

Suncoast ABT will hold 'Beat the Board' handicap tourney.
March 29, 2009... Byline: Bill Herald A Beat the Board handicap singles and doubles tournament -- which means high scores cash, with no semifinals or finals -- will be held both days, with hourly squads starting at 3, 4, 5 and 6 p.m. Sweepers will also be...

Gottfried has lot more than tennis to offer.
March 29, 2009... Byline: Mic Huber The cadre of players crowded along the side of the indoor court at the IMG Academies, watching Brian Gottfried hit shots and talk tennis. If they watched close enough, they could learn a little about the game that...

Alex Sink raising public profile.
March 29, 2009... Byline: GARY FINEOUT H-T Capital Bureau Correspondent While meeting recently with Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink in the basement of the state Capitol, a woman from the town of Edgewater complained about insurance companies leaving...

Blaze destroys 3 homes.
March 29, 2009... Byline: HALLE STOCKTON A 150-acre blaze driven by high winds and dry conditions destroyed three homes and scorched three others off U.S. 41 in south Punta Gorda on Saturday. Saturday's brush fire was the first in more than 20 years...

Sudden death inspires classmates.
March 29, 2009... Byline: CHRISTOPHER O'DONNELL This is how Dustin Ray's classmates learned about death. One day Dustin was there, the always-smiling kid who loved shooting hoops. The next he was gone, a sudden death no one could explain. The...

Lancers rout Polk, 16-6.
March 29, 2009... Byline: Staff Report The Lancers jumped out to a 5-0 lead after the first inning and never looked back Saturday en route to a 16-6 win over Polk County Community College. A seven-run sixth inning put the final nail in the coffin. ...

Gurry's triple lifts ODA.
March 29, 2009... Byline: Staff Report Tony Gurry's three-run triple highlighted a four-run third inning as Out-of-Door Academy overcame five errors to beat host Canterbury School 7-5 Saturday. Gurry's triple gave the Thunder (9-5) a 4-2 lead. Taylor...

BRIGHT FUTURES' CLOUDED FUTURE.
March 29, 2009... Byline: LLOYD DUNKELBERGER H-T Capital Bureau Bright Futures is one of Florida's success stories, but the free ride it has provided hundreds of thousands of college students may be ending. With the state in the midst of an economic...

Workshop geared for tenants and landlords.
March 28, 2009... Byline: Harold Bubil Now, after seven years as an attorney, she's had to school herself in the intricacies of that segment of real estate law. That's how common foreclosures have become in the past year or so. Last month, when the Young...

Herald Tribune Obituaries.
March 28, 2009... March 18, 2009 - March 25, 2009 Lily Ann Cahill of North Port died March 25, 2009. Private services will be held. Farley Funeral Home North Port Chapel is handling the arrangements. Survivors include her parents, Jeff and Sarah...

Church helping feed hungry.
March 28, 2009... Byline: PATTIE MIHALIK Correspondent As the number of hungry and homeless people grows, so do those who try to help. East Englewood Church of Christ has opened a food pantry in response to the economic crisis that has increased the...