Sarasota Herald Tribune articles from May 2006

Sarasota Herald Tribune archives from May 2006

Population explosion; Clouds of lovebugs among the thickest ever, local expert says Clouds of lovebugs are thicker than usual.(A SECTION)
May 31, 2006... Byline: HEATHER ALLEN heather.allen@heraldtribune.com Cover your eyes and pass the Windex: There's a lot of love in the air, and it's not a pretty sight. Lovebugs are holding one of their biannual orgies right now, and this year,...

The forgotten front; In Afghanistan, sacrifice, violence and more to come.(A SECTION)(Editorial)
May 31, 2006... While most of America's Memorial Day focus was on the U.S. troops killed in Iraq, let's not forget that at least 235 have died in Afghanistan. That was the Pentagon's official toll, as of yesterday, for a theater of combat that has...

Limited fan appeal; No wonder Bonds' achievement wasn't widely embraced.(A SECTION)(Editorial)
May 31, 2006... Barry Bonds launched a baseball 445 feet in San Francisco on Sunday. Career home run 715 moved the Giants' slugger past Yankees legend Babe Ruth, whose mythic mark stood from 1935 to 1974. Most of the home fans rose to pay tribute. But...

State of affairs; Note to robbers: At least lovebugs don't hurt anyone.(A SECTION)(Editorial)
May 31, 2006... Splat! Here we go again... It's an annoying rite of spring in Florida -- the appearance of lovebugs. The resulting bug-car collisions signal that spring is almost over and another hurricane season looms on the horizon. This year, the...

Growing sentiment; County creates process for examining fertilizer use.(A SECTION)(Editorial)
May 31, 2006... Sarasota County commissioners got serious last week about curtailing the overuse of fertilizers. Now, the broader community should show that same fortitude. Commissioners voted to pursue ordinances that could regulate rainy-season use of...

IT'S SHOWTIME; Milledge gets the call to join Mets at Shea.(SPORTS)
May 31, 2006... Byline: JON STYF jon.styf@heraldtribune.com Lastings Milledge wasn't expecting any important calls Tuesday. But just before noon when the phone rang, he got the one call he had been waiting for his entire life. The New York Mets...

D-Rays name OK for now; Feedback on 'Devil' in team name has new owners eyeing change after 2007 season.(SPORTS)
May 31, 2006... Byline: DENNIS MAFFEZZOLI dennis.maffezzoli@heraldtribune.com ST. PETERSBURG -- While many changes have taken place since the new ownership takeover, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays will remain the Tampa Bay Devil Rays through the 2007 season,...

Affordable Charlotte property waning; A $25.5 million deal may be a sign of things to come for last undeveloped doughnut hole.(BUSINESS)
May 31, 2006... Byline: DEVONA WALKER devona.walker@heraldtribune.com CHARLOTTE COUNTY -- Money from Fort Myers and Naples keeps pouring into Charlotte County, part of a continuing trend of land-hungry developers looking for the region's best deals....

DNAPrint earns more, but also loses more; Sarasota-based genetics company lost $2.8 million in the first quarter, when it spent $2 million on research.(BUSINESS)
May 31, 2006... Byline: STAFF REPORT SARASOTA -- DNAPrint Genomics Inc. saw a big bump in revenues during the first quarter, attributing much of it to the Sarasota-based genetics testing company's personal testing product. Revenues were $678,000...

Business Buzz.(BUSINESS)
May 31, 2006... Business Connections breakfast is Thursday Creative Business Connections of Sarasota will have a breakfast meeting Thursday from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. at The Serving Spoon restaurant, 8215 Lakewood Ranch Blvd. For more information, call Linda...

Feeding that 'spiedie fix'.(FLORIDA WEST)(Sampler)(Recipe)(Column)
May 31, 2006... Byline: Linda Brandt Joy Schroder of University Park remembered spiedie recipes for beef, pork and chicken that appeared in this space several years ago. Somehow she managed to keep the background article, but not the recipes, and she...

Holy mackerel! These books are in debatable taste.(FLORIDA WEST)
May 31, 2006... Byline: LINDA BRANDT linda.brandt@heraldtribune.com I laughed until tears ran down my cheeks as I read through "The Amazing Mackerel Pudding Plan: Classic Diet Recipe Cards from the 1970s." Its author, Wendy McClure, found a stack of...

Babcock Ranch fire out of control; The 300-acre ranch blaze is the largest of several blamed on Monday's lightning.(B SECTION)
May 31, 2006... Byline: PATRINA A. BOSTIC patrina.bostic@heraldtribune.com Firefighters raced to contain several wildfires Tuesday evening, as dry weather and the hot sun combined with winds to create ideal conditions for a blaze. The largest fire...

Family's pleas touch judge; Letters written on 23-year-old's behalf save Matthew Poulin from two life terms.(B SECTION)
May 31, 2006... Byline: KRISTEN KRIDEL kristen.kridel@heraldtribune.com PUNTA GORDA -- Family members of a man convicted of binding and beating a couple in their own home saved the offender a lot of time in prison by speaking on his behalf, said...

SEEN & HEARD.(B SECTION)
May 31, 2006... No license, no food this time Perhaps Robert Foster of Rotonda West was inspired by the Checkers motto: "You gotta eat!" On Monday evening, Foster, 43, hopped into a Pontiac Firebird, even though he doesn't hold a driver's license. A...

BRIEFS.(B SECTION)
May 31, 2006... 2-year-old boy dies after falling into pool PORT CHARLOTTE -- A 2-year-old died Saturday evening after falling into a pool at his residence, according to a Charlotte County sheriff's report. Megan Lee Dume, 26, of the 300 block of...

Well-done farce ends season.(B SECTION)(Art Beat)(Column)
May 31, 2006... Byline: MARILYN D. CARPENTER Michael Parker's farce, "The Sensuous Senator," epitomizes that old adage, "Politics makes strange bedfellows." The playwright's deft integration of a wide array of comedic devices -- double entendre,...

BEST BETS.(B SECTION)
May 31, 2006... TODAY Just a trim, please: Learn all about pruning landscape trees and shrubs from 10 a.m. to noon at the Charlotte County Extension Service, 25550 Harbor View Road, Port Charlotte. For more information, call 764-4340.

Artistic Gourmet owner exiting.(B SECTION)
May 31, 2006... Byline: ALISON POSNER alison.posner@heraldtribune.com After almost four years on West Marion Street, The Artistic Gourmet's owner has decided to pack up his culinary expertise and relocate. President Mark Weiner and his wife, Deb,...

Program explores the body, mind and soul.(B SECTION)
May 31, 2006... Byline: ALISON POSNER alison.posner@heraldtribune.com The Genuine Living Wellness Center will offer a summer program for children and teens to help prepare them emotionally, physically and academically for the next school year. The...

OBITUARIES; CHARLOTTE COUNTY.(B SECTION)(Obituary)
May 31, 2006... Phyllis M. Brooks Phyllis M. Brooks 90, Port Charlotte, died May 26, 2006. She was born July 13, 1915, in London and came to Port Charlotte from Fort Lauderdale in 1979. She was a homemaker and a member of St. Charles Borromeo...

Corrections.(B SECTION)(Correction notice)
May 31, 2006... Read to the Dogs is planned from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Monday at the Elsie Quirk Public Library, 100 W. Dearborn St., Englewood. A photo caption in Monday's Community Calendar listed the wrong day. For more information, call 861-1212.

BEST BETS.(B SECTION)
May 31, 2006... TODAY "The Sensuous Senator": Senator Douglas is running for president on a "morality" platform, but, when his wife leaves town, the pol's hypocrisy comes to the fore. The Charlotte Players present the comedy at 8 p.m. Thursday, Friday...

Fourth-graders move up in style.(B SECTION)
May 31, 2006... Byline: SHARYN LONSDALE sharyn.lonsdale@heraldtribune.com The fifth-graders may have been the focus of the end-of-year activities at Myakka River Elementary School, but the fourth-graders seized the spotlight on the last day of school....

Comedy + caffeine = Loads of laughs.(B SECTION)
May 31, 2006... Serenity Coffee House is anything but serene on the occasional Friday nights when local and not-so-local comics take the microphone to perform to a packed house. Emceed by Johnny Hobbs, who keeps everyone laughing between acts, the two...

BEST BETS.(B SECTION)
May 31, 2006... THURSDAY A Caregiver Time Out Support Program is offered from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. Thursdays at St. Mark's Episcopal Church, 513 Nassau St., Venice. This support group provides caregivers the opportunity to make emotional and supportive...

Raku art featured in VAC exhibition.(B SECTION)
May 31, 2006... Byline: FRANCINE MILFORD francine.milford@heraldtribune.com Now through June 15, you can view a variety of student work in Raku, Horse Hair Firing and Pit Firing at the Venice Art Center. All students of Venice Art Center instructors...

FPL aims to make system stronger, less vulnerable; The utility urges vendors to pitch ideas and products as the storm season nears.(B SECTION)
May 31, 2006... Byline: LAUREN MAYK lauren.mayk@heraldtribune.com As hurricane season approaches, Florida Power & Light is looking for new ways to make its power system stronger and less vulnerable to storms. One option is making distribution poles...

Battle of the bands; After mix-up, North Port group performs instead of Venice High.(B SECTION)
May 31, 2006... Byline: LAURA GREEN laura.green@heraldtribune.com VENICE -- Monday's memorial service at Veterans Park in Venice featured a battle of the bands, but only one ended up playing. Thirty students from the Venice High band arrived at the...

Venice bank robbery suspect nabbed fast; An unarmed man was arrested on Laurel Road less than 30 minutes after the Wachovia branch was hit.(B SECTION)
May 31, 2006... Byline: CHRISTINA E. SANCHEZ christina.sanchez@heraldtribune.com VENICE -- The Wachovia bank branch on U.S. 41 Bypass was back to business Tuesday afternoon hours after an unarmed man handed a bank employee a note and demanded money....

SEEN & HEARD.(B SECTION)
May 31, 2006... Cape Codder falls for jetty in Nokomis Residents of Cape Cod, Mass., are notoriously defensive about their beaches and waterfronts. That said, a column in a Cape Cod newspaper extolling the Nokomis jetty is no faint praise. Dana...

Center for teens forced to close; Facility unable to find steady revenue.(B SECTION)
May 31, 2006... Byline: HEATHER ALLEN heather.allen@heraldtribune.com ***** CORRECTION: The following correction was published on Friday, June 2, 2006: Casey Bartram's name was misspelled in photo captions in Wednesday and Thursday's...

BEST BETS.(B SECTION)
May 31, 2006... FRIDAY Ukrainian American Dinner. 4:30 to 6 p.m. Fridays at Ukrainian Catholic Church parish center, 1078 N. Biscayne Drive, North Port. Chicken breast or chicken leg, Ukrainian varenyky (pierogies), holubtsi (cabbage rolls), borscht...

Education Foundation hands out awards.(B SECTION)
May 31, 2006... Byline: STAFF REPORT The Education Foundation of Sarasota County Inc. recently honored its scholarships and awards recipients for the 2005-2006 school year with a ceremony and reception in the Sarasota County School Board Chambers. ...

Resident accused of illegal dredging; Neighbors on Braden River Road watch, shocked, as a heavy machines cut a channel to Evers Reservoir.(A SECTION)
May 31, 2006... Byline: CHRISTOPHER O'DONNELL chris.odonnell@heraldtribune.com MANATEE COUNTY -- The noise began early Saturday. Neighbors climbed stepladders to find out what was going on behind the 8-foot-high fence that surrounds two properties on...

Mets call on Milledge; Lakewood Ranch baseball star gets his first career hit Tuesday evening.(A SECTION)
May 31, 2006... Byline: STAFF REPORT Palmetto native Lastings Milledge, 21, got the telephone call he had been waiting for his entire life Tuesday -- an invite to play right field for the first-place New York Mets. Milledge, who flew to New York...

Creating blight; In east Bradenton, unwelcome boards and borders.(A SECTION)(Editorial)
May 31, 2006... Bradenton's planning staff has objected to major elements of a proposed development east of the city's downtown. Despite the objections, the city is acting as though it's only a matter of time before the plan is approved. Developers have...

Friends grieve loss of star athlete; Jody Friedman died after diving off a boat into shallow water.(B SECTION)
May 31, 2006... Byline: MICHAEL A. SCARCELLA michael.scarcella@heraldtribune.com BRADENTON -- Jody Friedman picked up a baseball glove at the age of 5, and he soon showed he had a good arm. Within a few years the right-hander was throwing so hard...

Felon arrested in string of store robberies; Man charged with robbing one of five county convenience stores.(B SECTION)
May 31, 2006... Byline: MICHAEL A. SCARCELLA michael.scarcella@heraldtribune.com BRADENTON -- A 22-year-old felon is under arrest on an armed robbery charge in connection with at least one in a series of five holdups Sunday and Monday at convenience...

SEEN & HEARD.(B SECTION)
May 31, 2006... Don't object too vigorously Anyone using the Lynn N. Silvertooth Judicial Center in Sarasota County on Tuesday morning found a shocking welcome sign at the security checkpoint. With the photo of a Taser pointed at them, firing the...

POLICE BRIEFS.(B SECTION)
May 31, 2006... Man dies from injuries he suffered in crash A 23-year-old Bradenton man died Monday from injuries he suffered in a weekend vehicle crash on Interstate 275 in Pinellas County. The sport utility vehicle in which Konstantine "Dean"...

NEWS OF RECORD; DIVORCES; MANATEE COUNTY; MAY 17-23.(B SECTION)
May 31, 2006... Aguirre, Jose R. and Adriana Rincon. Armour, Joe Monroe and Marlene Sue. Byrd, James C. and Evelyn. Cortis, Barry and Valerie. Couser, James R. and Jean M. Duffy, Dan and Marie. Francis, Norman Charles and Marcia...

BEST BETS.(B SECTION)
May 31, 2006... TODAY Summer programs for teens are offered at 5:30 p.m. Wednesdays at the Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach. This week, Heidi Harley, dolphin researcher at Mote Marine Laboratory and psychology professor at New...

'Dog Whisperer' leads the pack.(B SECTION)
May 31, 2006... Byline: NANCY KONESKO CORRESPONDENT BRADENTON -- TV's "Dog Whisperer" made Bradenton his only stop in the Southeastern United States to talk about his philosophy of rehabilitating dogs and retraining their owners. Cesar Millan's...

West Manatee Fire Rescue promotes two firefighters.(B SECTION)
May 31, 2006... Byline: STAFF REPORT The West Manatee Fire Rescue District recently promoted Lt. Rich Jasinski to the rank of captain and firefighter Darren Vollmer to the rank of lieutenant. Jasinski began as a volunteer firefighter with the Anna...

OBITUARIES; MANATEE COUNTY.(B SECTION)(Obituary)
May 31, 2006... Hollis B. Hayman Hollis B. Hayman, 90, Palmetto, died May 28, 2006. He was born March 14, 1916, in Palmetto and was a lifelong resident. He was the director of fruit procurement at Tropicana for 13 years and retired from the Juice...

Correction.(B SECTION)(Correction notice)
May 31, 2006... Kyle Jackson should have been included in a Memorial Day story about servicemen from the region who have died in Iraq. Kyle Jackson Army Chief Warrant Officer Age: 28 Died: Jan. 13, 2006, city of Mosul, about 225 miles...

Hydrocodone theft rising; Walgreens workers' arrests highlight popularity of the drug.(B SECTION)
May 31, 2006... Byline: LATISHA R. GRAY latisha.gray@heraldtribune.com SARASOTA -- The euphoric, carefree high lasts for hours. Detoxing from it can take a week or more, which is longer than alcohol or cocaine. Some say the illegal use of...

POLICE BRIEFS.(B SECTION)
May 31, 2006... Couple face weapon and drug charges SARASOTA -- Police arrested a couple after undercover detectives said they found heroin and a handgun in their home last week. Detectives searching the home found about a pound of heroin and 13...

Trail may have its own 'Renaissance'.(B SECTION)
May 31, 2006... Byline: DALE WHITE dale.white@heraldtribune.com ***** CORRECTION: The following correction was published on Thursday, June 1, 2006: * An article Wednesday about Innovation41, a plan to revitalize the North Tamiami Trail, included an...

BEST BETS.(B SECTION)
May 31, 2006... THURSDAY Take a trip back to the '80s and help Every Child Inc. From 7:30 to 11:30 p.m., the nonprofit is hosting School Daze, a party at Payne Park Auditorium to raise money to buy mandatory school supplies for underprivileged area...

Community donations sought for youth retreat.(B SECTION)
May 31, 2006... Byline: STAFF REPORT Second Chance -- Last Opportunity is planning "Standing in the Gap," its first retreat, June 23-25 for youths in grades 7 to 12 in Manatee and Sarasota counties. The event will include life management workshops...

OBITUARIES; SARASOTA COUNTY.(B SECTION)(Obituary)
May 31, 2006... Benjamin Burgess Benjamin Burgess, 23, Venice, died in an accident April 19, 2006. Survivors include his mother, Shelby "Jean" of Venice; and a brother, Robby of Venice. Memorial services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at The...

PALMER RANCH; Theatrical community; It's an innovatice concept, having a theater collective withing a retirement neighborhood. Glenridge auditions draws actors of all sorts.(H-T SOUTH)
May 31, 2006... Byline: ABBY WEINGARTEN CORRESPONDENT Some hadn't acted since grade school. For others, it had been 30 years. They slipped on their reading glasses and surveyed the scripts, enriching each sentence with heart and gusto. Teenagers shared...

COMMUNITY BRIEFS.(H-T SOUTH)
May 31, 2006... Duplex issue to be discussed today Residents can meet with county planning and zoning staff today to learn about the changes the Sarasota County Commission is considering in the zoning ordinance. The change that's drawn the most...

WHO'S IN TOWN; Riverview student wins Duke scholarship.(H-T SOUTH)
May 31, 2006... Julia Fogleman's story begins with her international toilet paper roll collection. "It's representative of what's real from the places I've been -- something more than resorts or tourist attractions," she said. Of her 150 rolls,...

Trail deemed safer than old railroad bed.(H-T SOUTH)
May 31, 2006... Byline: CAROL E. LEE carol.lee@heraldtribune.com Because Rails to Trails will allow unannounced pedestrians access through some of the gated communities on Palmer Ranch, some residents are worried about safety. But officials at the...

PALMER RANCH; Volunteering a family affair.(H-T SOUTH)
May 31, 2006... Byline: AIMEE CHOUINARD CORRESPONDENT The Heymann family first got involved as volunteers with the American Red Cross four years ago, after Stephen Heymann, then 15, was selected by Pine View School for the Gifted to attend a Red Cross...

Neighbors help recover runaway foster dog.(H-T SOUTH)
May 31, 2006... Byline: CONNIE PFAHLERT CORRESPONDENT Twenty dogs left homeless after Hurricane Katrina were brought to the Humane Society of Sarasota County in hopes of finding a second chance. One particular dog, a Lab/Vizsla mix named Mattie, was...

Upgrade deadline looms.(H-T SOUTH)
May 31, 2006... Byline: CAROL E. LEE carol.lee@heraldtribune.com Some small hotels that have been cornerstones in the lackadaisical vibe on Siesta Key have three months left to bring their swimming pools in line with state and county health codes or...

Crusty's has more to offer than pizza.(H-T SOUTH)
May 31, 2006... Let's talk bar food. Crusty's Pizza has lots of it. All of it, as far as I'm concerned -- nachos, cheese sticks, Buffalo wings. And burgers, hot dogs, subs. And pizza, spaghetti, lasagna. And chili, chicken sandwiches and salads. ...

GULF GATE; Sarasota Lutheran students enjoy a day in the field.(H-T SOUTH)
May 31, 2006... Out on the school yard at the Sarasota Lutheran School last week, eighth-graders cheered 3- and 4-year-olds in pingpong ball relay races, leapfrog contests and hula hoop show downs. Field Day, a long-time favorite activity for grade...

Life of Riley event raises funds.(B SECTION)
May 31, 2006... Byline: KAZUAKI NAGATA CORRESPONDENT ***** CORRECTION: The following correction was published on Thursday, June 1, 2006: Correction: * Jim Moore finished the Life of Riley 5K race in 20:13. A story in Wednesday's Community...

Post bingo founder takes break.(B SECTION)
May 30, 2006... Byline: SHARYN LONSDALE sharyn.lonsdale@heraldtribune.com For 28 years, Edie Stephens has heard "bingo" more times than she can count. Now she hopes she'll get to actually say it a few times. Stephens started and ran penny bingo...

Katrina heats up digital debate; Officials see the Internet as a refuge from storms that destroy vital records.(A SECTION)
May 30, 2006... Byline: CORY REISS H-T WASHINGTON BUREAU WASHINGTON -- Hurricane Katrina looms in the minds of disaster officials facing a hurricane season that starts Thursday, partly because of the havoc it wreaked on the vital records of thousands...

Stop! Or we'll have to warn you again; Sarasota has no muscle to enforce rules.(A SECTION)
May 30, 2006... Byline: DOUG SWORD doug.sword@heraldtribune.com SARASOTA COUNTY -- Mark O'Connor hits the brakes and says, "There's one." About 200 yards down Cottonwood Trail a water sprinkler is running. At 8:30 a.m., on a Wednesday. Clearly a...

Walk this way; Teaching schoolchildren the joys of hoofing it.(A SECTION)(Editorial)
May 30, 2006... If you walked to school when you were a kid, raise your hand. If "neither rain, nor snow, nor heat" stayed you from the appointed daily trudge -- books in tow, gym clothes rolled up and reeking -- raise both hands. Now clap them...

New benchmarks for mining; How to dig region out of a bottomless pit.(A SECTION)(Editorial)
May 30, 2006... The phosphate industry was handed another olive branch last week. The Charlotte County commissioners voted 3-2 to withdraw their request for a federal hearing to review a permit that would allow mining on the Altman tract, a 2,300-acre...

Growth, Chicago-style; Southwest Florida could learn from 'greenest city in America'.(A SECTION)(Editorial)
May 30, 2006... Oaks, palms, jacarandas and other trees flourish in Southwest Florida's warm, coastal climate. Frequently, though, trees are taken for granted and destroyed by residential and commercial developers. And local governments too often let it...

Stockbarger advances to NCAAs.(SPORTS)(Column)
May 30, 2006... Byline: Dennis Maffezzoli Wes Stockbarger captured a spot at the NCAA Track and Field Outdoor Championships with a fifth-place finish in the discus at the NCAA East Region Championships at the Irwin Belk Track at North Carolina A&T State...

St. Martha's golfers go undefeated.(SPORTS)
May 30, 2006... Byline: ALAN DELL CORRESPONDENT SARASOTA -- Thanks to three eighth-graders who put the program on the map, the boys golf team at St. Martha's Catholic School has known nothing but success the past three years. Saint Martha's recently...

No need to ask anyone out for 'Date Movie'.(FLORIDA WEST)(DVD Watch)(Column)
May 30, 2006... Byline: Philip Booth What hath the "Scary Movie" franchise wrought, other than a fourth installment that suggested the series' creativity was running on fumes? The short answer: "Date Movie," written and directed by Aaron Seltzer...

Love is in the air... from Sarasota to Alaska.(FLORIDA WEST)(Column)
May 30, 2006... Byline: Marjorie North The Rev. James McWhinnie of First United Methodist Church pronounced Jane Summerville and Bob Kiebitz husband and wife at a beautiful outdoor ceremony the other noon, with nearest and dearest attending. Bob's...

Holiday trip to the beach.(B SECTION)
May 30, 2006... For the first time since returning from Iraq in March 2005, Port Charlotte residents Randolyn Roberts and boyfriend Jonathan Haley enjoy Englewood Beach on Monday with their 9-month-old son, Aidan Haley. Roberts is a specialist in the Army...

BEST BETS.(B SECTION)
May 30, 2006... TODAY American Legion Post 113 will have a memorial service at 11 a.m. at 3436 Indiana Ave., Rotonda West. Rick Ellis will be the speaker. There will be an honor guard. The service will be followed by a buffet luncheon open to those who...

Program music director to retire.(B SECTION)
May 30, 2006... Byline: ALISON POSNER alison.posner@heraldtribune.com Children shake maracas, bang on tambourines and clap their hands. They march, jump, stretch and throw multicolored scarves in the air to the "Beanbag Boogie" song. These are the...

27 graduate from Storybook Too school.(B SECTION)
May 30, 2006... Byline: ALISON POSNER CORRESPONDENT Twenty-seven children from Storybook Too graduated Wednesday in a ceremony at the Punta Gorda Woman's Club. Storybook Too this year implemented Florida's Voluntary Pre-kindergarten education in its...

Bike-car crash kills teen.(B SECTION)
May 30, 2006... Byline: STAFF REPORT PORT CHARLOTTE -- Police on Monday still had not identified a 15-year-old who died Sunday night when a car struck a tricycle he was riding. The car struck the tricycle, which another 15-year-old, Robert Marfil...

Obituaries.(B SECTION)(Obituary)
May 30, 2006... CHARLOTTE COUNTY Phyllis M. Brooks Phyllis M. Brooks, 90, Port Charlotte, died May 26, 2006. She was born July 13, 1915, in London and came to Port Charlotte in 1979 from Fort Lauderdale. She was a homemaker and a member of St....

Vineland fifth-graders prepare to ship out.(B SECTION)
May 30, 2006... Byline: BETSY WILLIAMS CORRESPONDENT Parents of Vineland Elementary fifth-graders turned the school cafeteria into a cruise ship atmosphere to celebrate their children's last lunch at the school. The 2006 graduation theme was...

BEST BETS.(B SECTION)
May 30, 2006... THIS SUMMER Sarasota County Parks and Recreation Department announces its annual Kids' Summer Beach Runs beginning today at Siesta Key Beach, Sarasota, and on Wednesday at Caspersen Beach near the Venice Fishing Pier, 1600 S. Harbor...

Jacaranda Library hosts architecture event.(B SECTION)
May 30, 2006... Byline: FRANCINE MILFORD francine.milford@heraldtribune.com The Frances T. Bourne Jacaranda Public Library is presenting a multimedia presentation at 6 p.m. today, featuring Venice resident Peter Lizon, Ph.D. Lizon is a retired...

Board presents service awards to agents.(B SECTION)
May 30, 2006... Byline: STAFF REPORT Several members of the Venice Area Board of Realtors were recently honored with service pins for years of membership. Pins were presented in 5 year increments as follows: * 5 Years: Franz Biedermann, Katy...

Strausbaugh is first team All-SoCon.(SPORTS)(At Home)(Column)
May 30, 2006... Byline: Perry Pentz No sophomore slump for Venice's Steve Strausbaugh. After receiving numerous awards after his first year as an outfielder for the Division I-AA Western Carolina University baseball team, Strausbaugh has followed it...