Sarasota Herald Tribune articles from May 2002

Sarasota Herald Tribune archives from May 2002

Museum officials shifting stance; A Thursday public forum invites input on the Bishop Planetarium.(A SECTION)
May 1, 2002... Byline: SCOTT CARROLL scott.carroll@heraldtribune.com ***** CORRECTION: The following correction was published on Friday, May 3, 2002: A march in support of the Bishop Planetarium is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. May 18 at Rossi Park in...

Pros and cons on the half-cent sales tax for school construction.(A SECTION)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2002... Byline: Readers' Response Below are excerpts of responses to our request for comments about the May 21 school sales-tax referendum. Additional comments (of no more than 300 words) are welcome. Please send them to Manatee Forum, c/o...

Turning the page; Changes will help close an ugly chapter in Palmetto's history.(A SECTION)(Editorial)
May 1, 2002... In the opening paragraphs of Palmetto's proposed new policy on racial discrimination and sexual harrassment, there's a declaration that such behavior is "counterproductive to harmony in the workplace and has an adverse impact on the city's...

City asks residents to cut water use; Officials urge those who use reclaimed water to limit lawn-watering to twice a week.(B SECTION)
May 1, 2002... Byline: EARLE KIMEL earle.kimel@heraldtribune.com VENICE -- City officials are urging customers to water their lawns with reclaimed water no more than twice a week. "Reuse is unlimited by law, but we're encouraging people to be...

Dunedin sinks Port Charlotte 5-3.(SPORTS)
May 1, 2002... Byline: DENNIS MAFFEZZOLI dennis.maffezzoli@heraldtribune.com CLEARWATER -- The Port Charlotte High baseball team forced powerful Dunedin to play small ball, but in the end big hits powered the Falcons' attack. Dunedin used a pair of...

iDigi is turned over to receiver; A lawsuit accuses the Sarasota Internet provider of fraud and mismanagement.(BUSINESS)
May 1, 2002... Byline: MICHAEL BRAGA michael.braga@heraldtribune.com SARASOTA -- The U.S. District Court in Tampa has seized iDigi Communications Inc., a Sarasota high-speed Internet provider, and turned over daily operations to a court-appointed...

Sarasota opens new pipeline.(B SECTION)
May 1, 2002... Byline: STAFF REPORT SARASOTA -- Sarasota County officially tapped into a new water supply Tuesday, marking the occasion with a ceremonial opening of a 23-mile-long pipeline to the Peace River. The recently completed pipe links the...

POLICE BLOTTER.(B SECTION)
May 1, 2002... The following information is from Manatee County sheriff's and Bradenton police reports filed through April 29. BRADENTON 59th Avenue Drive West, 900 block, April 27. A home was burglarized. Ninth Street West, 3100 block, April...

Houser tosses 2-hitter, hits HR in Sailor win.(SPORTS)
May 1, 2002... Byline: MIC HUBER mic.huber@heraldtribune.com SARASOTA -- James Houser delivered as advertised Tuesday night with a dominating performance in Sarasota High's 5-0 win over Vero Beach in the Class 6A-Region 2 quarterfinals. But Sarasota's...

Gazpacho is macho.(FLORIDA WEST)(Recipe)
May 1, 2002... Byline: David Grimes Guys go for this liquid salad featuring spring's freshest ingredients. And they make it themselves. Ah, spring, when a young man's fancy turns to... gazpacho? I am a red-meat lover down to my last clogged...

McGrady stoked fire for Hornets.(SPORTS)(Comment)(Column)
May 1, 2002... Byline: Brian Ettkin ORLANDO -- Tracy McGrady this week guaranteed victory, as Joe Namath once did. He tried to be a man of his word. He wasn't, and some people will think worse of him for it. But what should he have said? No way...

Saudi prince arrogant, cheeky.(A SECTION)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2002... Shame on America. Regarding the April 26 article with the heading "Saudi prince talks tough to Bush," which says that Crown Prince Abdullah of Saudi Arabia told President Bush "bluntly" that the United States must "temper its support for Israel...

House fire consumes life savings.(B SECTION)
May 1, 2002... Byline: ROBERT ECKHART robert.eckhart@heraldtribune.com SARASOTA -- Leovigildo Labandeira stood in his pajamas in the shell driveway of his Sixth Street home and watched his life savings burn. The flames were poking out the second-story...

(Edgar) Winter hits Punta Gorda.(B SECTION)
May 1, 2002... Keeping cool may be the only problem with the annual Punta Gorda Block Party, but with entertainment like Edgar Winter, the crowd didn't seem to mind the heat. Kids and teens also had a great time on their own "streets," where they played...

Sharks take a bite out of Hurricanes' playoff hopes.(SPORTS)
May 1, 2002... Byline: JODY ROYCE jody.royce@heraldtribune.com BRADENTON -- Manatee High softball coach John Carlock saw his team's roller-coaster season end, but the Lady 'Canes sure did not play like it. Gulf Coast High of Naples turned the little...

OBITUARIES.(B SECTION)(Obituary)
May 1, 2002... CHARLOTTE COUNTY Dorothy J. Allbright Dorothy J. Allbright, 63, Charlotte Harbor, died April 28, 2002. She was born July 31, 1938, in Malone, N.Y., and came to Charlotte County 20 years ago from Utica, N.Y. Survivors include...

MAKING A DIFFERENCE.(B SECTION)
May 1, 2002... For 35 years Bob Eichenberg has been attempting to make the world a better place through teaching. Thirty-one of those years Eichenberg has taught media and television production as the library media specialist at Southeast High School. ...

Our Community.(B SECTION)
May 1, 2002... City, county may settle out of court VENICE - Venice and Sarasota County may head to the bargaining table instead of a courtroom to settle differences over the county's plan to store treated waste water in an aquifer storage and recovery...

Students design new Habitat home; The Charlotte County chapter plans to use a Lemon Bay High trio's award-winning design.(B SECTION)
May 1, 2002... Byline: CHAD BINETTE chad.binette@heraldtribune.com ENGLEWOOD -- Habitat for Humanity will turn to young local talent to design its next Englewood home. Ray Eggermont, Matt O'Brien and Natalia Spargur designed a three-bedroom home and...

Latest honor ranks at top for Bollettieri.(SPORTS)(Comment)(Column)
May 1, 2002... Byline: MIC HUBER Nick Bollettieri has won countless awards over the years but none mean more to him than the one he received in front of family and friends last week. Bollettieri, one of the most recognized names in the game of...

Cinderella Seminoles fall.(SPORTS)
May 1, 2002... Byline: TOM BALOG tom.balog@heraldtribune.com ESTERO -- There were only a handful of fans who ventured from Bradenton to support the Southeast High baseball team for Tuesday night's Class 4A-Region 3 quarterfinal game against Estero. ...

Sarasotan is Ms. Florida Wheelchair.(B SECTION)
May 1, 2002... A pageant exists for the wheelchair bound that is unlike beauty contests such as Miss America and its many spin-offs. Its purpose is to select an accomplished and articulate spokeswoman for disabled Americans. This year's winner in the Ms....

Mooney pounds McKeel.(SPORTS)
May 1, 2002... Byline: STAFF REPORTS LAKELAND -- The Lakeland McKeel Academy pitching staff didn't allow a hit to Cardinal Mooney until the fourth inning of its Class 2A-Region 3 playoff game Tuesday. Still, the Cougars (16-14) led 6-3 at the time...

Dairy-free needn't be complicated.(FLORIDA WEST)(Sampler)(Column)(Recipe)
May 1, 2002... Byline: Linda Brandt Judy Cline, who has discovered that she is allergic to dairy products, wonders if she is out of luck as far as cheesecake and corn pudding are concerned. She is also looking for substitutes for milk, sour cream,...

Students follow the artistic muse.(B SECTION)
May 1, 2002... Lemon Bay High School art students, under the direction of teachers Dawn Matonis and Roy Wiley, are expressing themselves. Some students choose big and bold paintings, while others take to the intricate decor of a miniature house. Several of...

Address the mess; Council should start to untangle City Hall snafu.(A SECTION)(Editorial)
May 1, 2002... Today may finally be showdown day at Punta Gorda City Hall. The City Council is expected to take up the concerns that Councilman Larry Friedman has aired about City Manager Willard Beck. Friedman launched the controversy a month ago. He...

Sarasota blanks Vero Beach 5-0.(SPORTS)
May 1, 2002... Byline: MIC HUBER mic.huber@heraldtribune.com SARASOTA -- James Houser delivered as advertised Tuesday night with a dominating performance in Sarasota's 5-0 win over Vero Beach in the Class 6A-Region 2 quarterfinals. But Sarasota's drive...

Business Buzz.(BUSINESS)
May 1, 2002... Chamber schedules 'Business Connections' The Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce has scheduled its May "Business Connections" event for May 9 at the Radisson Lido Beach Resort, 700 Ben Franklin Dr. The event, which runs from 5 to 7...

IN BRIEF.(B SECTION)
May 1, 2002... Fund-raiser to support youth drama program PORT CHARLOTTE - The Society for Entertainment and Arts Development invites the public to "Reach for the Stars" at 12:30 p.m. Sunday at Victoria Estates, 24000 Rampart Blvd., Port Charlotte. ...

SEEN & HEARD.(B SECTION)
May 1, 2002... Swift justice for circuit judge Twelfth Circuit Judge Harry Rapkin proved the wheels of justice aren't always slow when he was recently clocked doing 44 mph in a 30 mph zone. Rapkin, behind the wheel of his black 1999 Infiniti, was...

Hunger knows no season.(A SECTION)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2002... Many of us give food and donations during the holiday season. This is vital to the agencies in Sarasota County that help those in need. We must also understand that children, adults and senior citizens often go hungry all year long. It is...

MAKING A DIFFERENCE.(B SECTION)
May 1, 2002... Name: Theresa Flanders Organizations: Englewood-Charlotte Library and the Knights of Columbus Ladies Auxiliary at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church. How She Makes a Difference: Theresa Flanders has been volunteering at the library...

Abuse scandal hits area churches; A former priest at St. Martha's in Sarasota is accused of molestation.(B SECTION)
May 1, 2002... Byline: MATTHEW DOIG matthew.doig@heraldtribune.com The sexual abuse scandal that has tainted Catholic churches in the Boston area for months is now spreading through Southwest Florida. In the past month alone, accusations against three...

SEEN & HEARD.(B SECTION)
May 1, 2002... Smoke signals family barbecue Firefighters must be prepared for anything when responding to a fire call, even false alarms. The call for their services at a possible structure fire Tuesday went up in smoke when rescue workers stumbled...

Peasants knew a good thing when they tasted it.(FLORIDA WEST)
May 1, 2002... Byline: David Grimes Contrary to rumor, gazpacho was not invented by Bobby Flay. In fact, the dish may trace its roots back to the days of the Roman legions, who made a quick meal by mixing garlic, bread, olive oil and water. ...

Holy Names ousts Mooney.(SPORTS)
May 1, 2002... Byline: ALAN DELL CORRESPONDENT TAMPA -- The Cardinal Mooney High softball team had a chance to salvage its season. But the Lady Cougars, who have made a habit of going to the state final four, couldn't get the timely hitting that has...

Murder defendant's kin testifies.(B SECTION)
May 1, 2002... Byline: JENNIFER SULLIVAN jennifer.sullivan@heraldtribune.com SARASOTA -- Harry Bennett said he wasn't thinking when he pointed a pistol at Joe Lawson's head and pulled the trigger. He fired twice and both times the gun malfunctioned....

A change in strategy; Travel agents respond to cuts in commissions.(BUSINESS)
May 1, 2002... Byline: SCOTT SCHOLTEN scott.scholten@heraldtribune.com Southwest Florida travel agencies, like many of their national counterparts, are responding to the virtual elimination of airline ticket commissions by raising fees, focusing on travel...

Lady Panthers come up short, 4-2.(SPORTS)
May 1, 2002... Byline: PHIL DENIS CORRESPONDENT BRADENTON -- For a while Tuesday, it looked as if Bradenton Christian's recent run of late-inning, game-winning rallies would continue. But it didn't. Bradenton Christian's season came to an abrupt...

Our Community.(B SECTION)
May 1, 2002... Kitchen fire forces evacuation at Quay SARASOTA - A kitchen fire Tuesday at Michael's Mediterranean Grille caused police to evacuate about 100 people from the Sarasota Quay. No one was hurt in the fire, which started at about 4:30 p.m....

HandySource lands big-fish vendor.(BUSINESS)
May 1, 2002... Byline: RICH SHOPES rich.shopes@heraldtribune.com BRADENTON -- Online business-to-business retailer Handy- Source has struck a deal with Maintenance Warehouse, a subsidiary of Home Depot. The arrangement, which starts today, enables...

Police broke up quarrels at home.(B SECTION)
May 1, 2002... Byline: ROBERT ECKHART robert.eckhart@heraldtribune.com SARASOTA -- Police had been dispatched to the home of former opera diva Marthe Errolle several times to break up disputes with her live-in caretaker. The 86-year-old singer died...

New York woman sues trapeze school in Venice.(B SECTION)
May 1, 2002... Byline: RODNEY CROUTHER rodney.crouther@heraldtribune.com VENICE -- A New York woman claims that a safety net at a Venice trapeze school was improperly secured when she fell through it last summer, according to a civil suit filed Monday in...

SEEN & HEARD.(B SECTION)
May 1, 2002... ***** CORRECTION: The following correction was published on Thursday, May 2, 2002: What's in a name? A lot, but we got it wrong. In the Seen and Heard column Wednesday, a reporter incorrectly stated that Julianna Horton Schoenmaker, the...

Get numbers right on derby purse.(A SECTION)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2002... Regarding the letter Sunday titled "'Mr. Pat' represents quite a gamble": I was in management at major thoroughbred tracks in California and am compelled to set the letter writer straight on the costs of racing Mr. Pat, the Rev. Pat...

IN BRIEF.(B SECTION)
May 1, 2002... Venice will observe prayer day Thursday VENICE - The Venice observance of the National Day of Prayer will be from noon to 1 p.m. Thursday at the Gazebo, downtown Venice. Across America people will be gathering in their communities to...

Police chief may tell plans to quit; Skip Jolly will hold a press conference at 5 p.m. today.(A SECTION)
May 1, 2002... Byline: KEVIN L. McQUAID kevin.mcquaid@heraldtribune.com SARASOTA -- Beleaguered police Chief Skip Jolly is expected to announce plans to step down by June 1 during a press conference this afternoon. Jolly's anticipated announcement,...

Dispute over property settled; Punta Gorda agrees to pay $677,250 to buy out ownership rights for land near city marina.(B SECTION)
May 1, 2002... Byline: MICHAEL SCARCELLA michael.scarcella@heraldtribune.com PUNTA GORDA -- The city's Community Redevelopment Agency and Waltemath Interests Inc. have reached a settlement concerning the remaining undeveloped properties near the city...

Dems criticize Bush maneuver.(B SECTION)
May 1, 2002... Byline: GARY FINEOUT CAPITAL BUREAU TALLAHASSEE -- Partisan fireworks erupted Tuesday as Democrats charged that Gov. Jeb Bush is engaged in a "brass-knuckles" effort to defeat a constitutional amendment that would limit school class sizes...

Sun sets on mobile home park; For seven decades, it was something special.(A SECTION)(Editorial)
May 1, 2002... There were few shadows Monday when sunset fell on the now-closed Sarasota Mobile Home Park. With all the residents and most of the structures gone, the long red rays swept uninterrupted across ground emptied of all but history -- and the sun...

Some GOP lawmakers oppose tax reduction.(A SECTION)
May 1, 2002... Byline: GARY FINEOUT CAPITAL BUREAU TALLAHASSEE -- Two key lawmakers from Southwest Florida say they will probably vote against a $262 million tax cut for corporations, in direct conflict with the wishes of Gov. Jeb Bush. Senate...

Driver charged in fatal wreck.(B SECTION)
May 1, 2002... Byline: STAFF REPORT A 46-year-old man was charged with DUI manslaughter Monday for a wreck that killed two people on Interstate 75 Saturday, Florida Highway Patrol officials said. John Guntor of Hollywood, Fla., was charged in the...

Tax cut loses some support; Two influential area Republican lawmakers say they can't vote for a corporate tax reduction now.(B SECTION)
May 1, 2002... Byline: GARY FINEOUT CAPITAL BUREAU TALLAHASSEE -- Two key lawmakers from Southwest Florida say they will probably vote against a $262 million tax cut for corporations, in direct conflict with the wishes of Gov. Jeb Bush. Senate...

LETTERS FROM OUR READERS.(A SECTION)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2002... Farm bill funds coming from us, all right According to Keith Collins, chief economist for the Agriculture Department, the farm bill agreed upon by the House and Senate "will have little effect on the consumer. The impact is on the...

Facing the challenge.(B SECTION)
May 1, 2002... Byline: COURTNEY CAIRNS PASTOR courtney.pastor@heraldtribune.com BRADENTON -- Early in the school year, one of Laura Dekker's fourth-graders told her there was no way she could read enough books to accumulate 50 points. Children at...

Police say cashier took credit info.(B SECTION)
May 1, 2002... Byline: STAFF REPORT VENICE -- A Home Depot cashier was arrested Monday after admitting to stealing credit information from customers after processing legitimate refunds at the hardware store. Jessica A. Scott, 19, 12000 block Loranza...

MAKING A DIFFERENCE.(B SECTION)
May 1, 2002... Mary Flewelling, 69, has lived in Florida for 40 years, including in Sarasota and, the past 27 years, in Port Charlotte. She is originally from New York State. She has been a volunteer at the Murdock Public Library for about the past six years...

SEEN & HEARD.(B SECTION)
May 1, 2002... Justice's wheels can spin swiftly Twelfth Circuit Judge Harry Rapkin proved the wheels of justice aren't always slow when he was recently clocked doing 44 mph in a 30 mph zone. Rapkin, behind the wheel of his black 1999 Infiniti, was...

Our Community.(B SECTION)
May 1, 2002... Bush vetoes local bill for fire district MANATEE COUNTY - Gov. Jeb Bush vetoed a local bill designed to set rules for the Cedar Hammock Fire Control District on Tuesday. In vetoing the bill, the governor said he wanted fire districts to...

'Canes advance to region semifinals.(SPORTS)
May 1, 2002... Byline: JODY ROYCE jody.royce@heraldtribune.com BRADENTON -- For its first playoff game in four years, Manatee High had to shake off some rust Tuesday night. Once the Hurricanes' game was polished, they got a few breaks in the late...

Crash sends truck airborne, killing driver; The man was pinned under his truck after it landed on its side.(B SECTION)
May 1, 2002... Byline: EILEEN KELLEY eileen.kelley@heraldtribune.com ELLENTON -- A Manatee County electrician was killed Tuesday when his truck hit a car, went airborne and landed on another vehicle. Don Whitcomb, 54, was pinned under his truck after...

OBITUARIES.(B SECTION)(Obituary)
May 1, 2002... SARASOTA COUNTY Neva E. Alford Neva Ethel VanHouten Arthur Nelson Alford, 85, Englewood, died April 29, 2002. She was born Nov. 23, 1916, in Lake Arthur, La., and came to Englewood from Port Charlotte and was raised in Fort Ogden....

Falcons rally to win in 8th, 9-8.(SPORTS)
May 1, 2002... Byline: PERRY D. PENTZ perry.pentz@heraldtribune.com NAPLES -- Saint Stephen's overcame seven unearned runs and five errors to escape with an eight-inning 9-8 win over host St. John Neumann Tuesday in the Class A-Region 3 quarterfinals....

Woman guilty of sex with boy.(B SECTION)
May 1, 2002... Byline: STAFF REPORT PUNTA GORDA -- A 37-year-old Port Charlotte woman pleaded guilty Tuesday to a charge that she had sex with a 13-year-old boy. Judge Donald Pellecchia accepted the plea by Marie Louise Howe to a charge of lewd...

IN BRIEF.(B SECTION)
May 1, 2002... County ceremony marks new pipeline SARASOTA - Sarasota County officially tapped into a new water supply Tuesday, marking the occasion with a ceremonial opening of a 23-mile-long pipeline to the Peace River. The recently completed pipe...

Mayor: Manager's job on the line today; She says the vice mayor intends to fire him; the vice mayor won't say what he plans to discuss.(B SECTION)
May 1, 2002... Byline: MICHAEL SCARCELLA michael.scarcella@heraldtribune.com PUNTA GORDA -- Vice Mayor Lawrence J. Friedman may propose the immediate dismissal of City Manager Willard Beck or call for his resignation during today's City Council meeting,...

Shondel lifts Lady Tigers.(SPORTS)
May 1, 2002... Byline: CHRIS ANDERSON chris.anderson@heraldtribune.com PALMETTO -- The Palmetto Lady Tigers found themselves in perhaps the toughest region in the state, and after Tuesday night's game, they're still in it. In a battle of...

Our Community.(B SECTION)
May 1, 2002... School to reward high achievers PUNTA GORDA - The Charlotte High School Renaissance program will give away $10,000 worth of prizes on Thursday to students for academic achievement. The prizes will include a Jeep Wrangler; tickets to...

Stites, Community School of Naples, blank Thunder.(SPORTS)
May 1, 2002... Byline: JASON SWANCEY jason.swancey@herald-tribune.com NAPLES -- Out-of-Door Academy ace Jordan Keen just wasn't herself Tuesday. As a result the backstop at Franco Field got peppered with high fastballs, Keen 'only' fanned 14 and the...

POLICE BLOTTER.(B SECTION)
May 1, 2002... The following information is from Charlotte County Sheriff's Office and Punta Gorda police reports filed through April 30. PUNTA GORDA Villa View Drive, 6000 block, 6:10 p.m. April 29. Man reported child removed his dog's electronic...

Check a counselor's qualifications.(A SECTION)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2002... Regarding the article Saturday on a phony counselor: The statement from Deborah Kostroun, chief operating officer for Manatee Glens mental health service, may have been somewhat misleading. She suggested that potential clients ask...

OBITUARIES.(B SECTION)(Obituary)
May 1, 2002... MANATEE COUNTY Grant J. Breckenridge Grant J. Breckenridge, 85, Bradenton, died April 27, 2002. He was born Dec. 16, 1916, in Akron, Ohio, and came to Manatee County in 1980 from there. He was a production manager for Firestone...

Fresh Del Monte reports record profits.(BUSINESS)
May 1, 2002... Byline: MATTHEW SAUER matthew.sauer@heraldtribune.com Fresh Del Monte Produce, one of Port Manatee's largest tenants, posted record profits for the first quarter as it continued to cut cost and reduce debt. The Coral Gables-based...

Our Community.(B SECTION)
May 2, 2002... ***** CORRECTION: The following correction was published on Friday, May 3, 2002: Sarasota County will hold a free FireWise class May 15 under the pavilion at the Florida House, 4600 S. Beneva Road. Because of incorrect information...

Higher impact fee was in order.(A SECTION)(Letter to the Editor)
May 2, 2002... ***** CORRECTION: The following correction was published on Tuesday, May 7, 2002: Norman E. Nelson, the author of the Thursday letter "Higher impact fee was in order," wrote that the organization of which he is Manatee County chairman...

Republicans fill Hyatt for Lincoln Day dinner.(FLORIDA WEST)(Column)
May 2, 2002... Byline: Marjorie North ***** CORRECTION: The following correction was published on Sunday, May 5, 2002: Correction U.S. Senator Fred Thompson is stepping down after serving two terms, not two years, as reported in my May 2 column. ...

Letting nature take its course is often the most humane decision.(MAINSTREET ENGLEWOOD)(Column)
May 2, 2002... Byline: LOUIE PIERSON MAIN STREET COLUMNIST "Ashes to ashes, Dust to dust." The ashes part makes sense but in today's over-populated world, the dust part no longer means what it used to mean. I got into a "discussion" this past weekend...

Chewing on the issue of collectibles.(FLORIDA WEST)(Column)
May 2, 2002... Byline: David Grimes Now that a Wisconsin man has paid $10,000 for a wad of gum chewed by baseball player Luis Gonzalez, I am pawing through my wastebaskets and groping under my car seats for items I can sell for big bucks on the Internet....

Fans rave about the Veggie Patch.(MAINSTREET ENGLEWOOD)
May 2, 2002... Byline: LAUREN MAYK lauren.mayk@heraldtribune.com Food is a family business for local Veggie Patch Produce owner Sari Middaugh. The fresh, and more than reasonably priced, fruits and vegetables in the store at 232 N. Indiana Ave. in...

Tarpon fishing is beginning to pick up in the passes.(MAINSTREET ENGLEWOOD)
May 2, 2002... Byline: VAN HUBBARD MAIN STREET COLUMNIST Fishing has been great, but the word is out and there are crowds of anglers on the water. Last weekend, the Placida boat ramp overflowed with boats and trailers parked from Gasparilla Marina...

End of enclaves; Venice's annexation of isolated county parcels is warranted.(A SECTION)(Editorial)
May 2, 2002... A deal to abolish Sarasota County enclaves within Venice city boundaries is both logical and warranted. While some of the enclave property owners may object, none of them should say they didn't see the change coming. The enclaves were...

Everything's for sale at thrift store.(H-T EAST)
May 2, 2002... Byline: DEBI SPRINGER debi.springer@heraldtribune.com EAST MANATEE -- Silver anniversary champagne glasses, a porcelain picture frame and a wedding album etched in gold graced the top of a small, wooden table at Braden River United...

Beach projects to escape Corps review.(B SECTION)
May 2, 2002... Byline: CORY REISS WASHINGTON BUREAU WASHINGTON -- The Army Corps of Engineers is compiling a list of projects to be "paused" while the agency reviews their merits, but people who follow the corps said Wednesday that they expect few...

MILITARY NEWS.(B SECTION)
May 2, 2002... Delayed entry Nikolas R. Kummer joined the Army under the Delayed Entry Program. He will report to Fort Benning, Columbus, Ga., for basic training. He is the son of Lorlei E. Stepp of Sarasota and John M. Kummer of Portland, Me., and is...