Sarasota Herald Tribune articles from November 2003

Sarasota Herald Tribune archives from November 2003

Programs help poor, homeless students; School districts assist families by offering supplies and tutors.(B SECTION)
November 30, 2003... Byline: ROBERT ECKHART robert.eckhart@heraldtribune.com BRADENTON -- Erik started classes last week in a new elementary school, embarrassed that he's living in a homeless shelter with his mom and convinced that the other kids aren't...

News Updates.(B SECTION)
November 30, 2003... ***** CORRECTION: The following correction was published on Tuesday, December 02, 2003: Correction: * Because of an editor's error, incorrect dates were listed in a Page 1B brief Sunday for the Rotary Club of Englewood's Winter Arts...

A CHANGING TRADITION; The quinceanera continues to be a big part of becoming a young woman.(FLORIDA WEST)
November 30, 2003... Byline: SELINA ROMAN selina.roman@heraldtribune.com ***** CORRECTION: The following correction was published on Tuesday, December 2, 2003: Because of an editor's error, a photo cutline in Florida West on Sunday misstated the...

Watershed moment; A coastal engineer who successfully relocated an inlet in North Carolina readies her proposal to restore the much-contested passage to Little Sarasota Bay.(A SECTION)
November 30, 2003... Byline: TOM BAYLES tom.bayles@heraldtribune.com ***** CORRECTION: The following clarification was published on Thursday, December 04, 2003: Clarification: Bob Waechter, president of the Midnight Pass Society, says that the...

YMCA's permits to be delayed; Work on the 33-acre Englewood site was to have begun in August.(B SECTION)
November 29, 2003... Byline: KARA CHALMERS kara.chalmers@heraldtribune.com ENGLEWOOD -- The Englewood Family YMCA broke ground in April for its new home at 701 Medical Blvd., but because of a bundle of red tape, no work has been done. Delays in...

Hawking trees hard work; But for Roy Baldwin of Nokomis, selling the holiday symbol "doesn't get any better than this.".(B SECTION)
November 29, 2003... Byline: STAFF REPORT NOKOMIS -- This is Roy Baldwin's fifth Christmas selling trees, beginning with an after-school job at his church the year he and his mom moved here from upstate New York. This year, Baldwin is working on...

Some of life's answers are simply too shallow for deep questions.(B SECTION)(Comment)(Column)
November 29, 2003... Byline: Rich Brooks The 12-year-old fell back on the couch next to his mother and folded his arms over his chest. Sitting in my recliner, I watched on television as the Packers broke their huddle and came out in a two-back set. ...

Bulls finish up year; Booker graduate Maurice Jones and Charlotte's Elgin Hicks end careers in Memphis.(SPORTS)
November 29, 2003... Byline: ALAN DELL CORRESPONDENT TAMPA -- University of South Florida head football coach Jim Leavitt believes there is a lot to play for today at Memphis when his team closes out the season. The question is whether his players,...

Heartbreak; Naples scores a fourth-quarter touchdown to end Venice's season with a 7-0 win in the Class 5A-Region 3 final.(SPORTS)
November 29, 2003... Byline: PERRY D. PENTZ perry.pentz@heraldtribune.com VENICE -- The Venice High football team left everything it had on the field in its Class 5A-Region 3 championship game with Naples Friday night. Still, it wasn't enough as the Golden...

Stampede; Terrence Jones storms past Tampa Jefferson by rushing for 310 yards and scoring five touchdowns.(SPORTS)
November 29, 2003... Byline: CHAD BROCKHOFF CORRESPONDENT SARASOTA -- Terrence Jones rushed for 310 yards and scored five touchdowns as Booker High became the first city football team since 1990 to claim a region championship with a convincing 41-14 victory...

Holiday music programs fill the air.(B SECTION)
November 28, 2003... Byline: Francine Milford ***** CORRECTION: The following correction was published on Saturday, November 29, 2003: Correction: * The "Holiday Harmony" concert, featuring the Venetian Harmony Chorus, Ditchfield Family Singers and...

From fast to feast, thanks be to Allah.(FLORIDA WEST)
November 27, 2003... Byline: STEVE HEISLER CORRESPONDENT ***** CORRECTION: The following correction was published on Saturday, November 29, 2003: Correction: As part of Eid al-Fitr, marking the end of Ramadan, Muslim families will share a festive...

MAKING A DIFFERENCE.(B SECTION)
November 26, 2003... Adopt-a-Family's new home Just as some children, after a move, are worried that Santa might not find them since they've moved, a local organization that distributions holiday items to those in need finds itself wondering if a recent...

County clerk Web site offers new feature.(B SECTION)
November 26, 2003... Byline: STAFF REPORT CHARLOTTE COUNTY -- The Charlotte County Clerk's Office has added a new element to its Web site -- online access to plats and condos, according to a press release. The addition, which was launched Nov. 1,...

SEEN & HEARD.(B SECTION)
November 26, 2003... Library gets long-overdue FPL refund When Tingley Memorial Library got its first power bill 10 years ago, John Sandberg thought the charges seemed a little too high. Sandberg, who recently stepped down as library board chairman,...

Moose treat Charlotte Harbor School students, teachers to lunch.(B SECTION)
November 26, 2003... For the 15th year, members of the Moose Lodge #2121 of Port Charlotte and the Women of the Moose Chapter 1619, treated students, teachers and staff at the Charlotte Harbor School to a lunch during the school's fall festival. Women from the...

Hammett to replace Warren on council.(B SECTION)
November 26, 2003... Byline: EARLE KIMEL earle.kimel@heraldtribune.com VENICE -- After an initial deadlock vote, the Venice City Council tapped Fred Hammett on Tuesday to replace Virginia Warren until the November 2004 election. In the first vote, the...

Lady Rams blank Indians.(SPORTS)
November 26, 2003... Byline: STAFF REPORT SARASOTA -- The Lady Rams blanked Venice 5-0 Tuesday to improve to 5-1 on the season. The Lady Rams spread it around with Chelsey Edwards, Natalie Sherk, Daniel Mayer, Roz Satterlee and Jackie Carlson all...

Lemon Bay getting manatee markers; The county funds signs indicating protection zones in the south bay.(B SECTION)
November 26, 2003... Byline: DARLA MCFARLAND darla.mcfarland@heraldtribune.com CHARLOTTE COUNTY -- The installation of manatee protection signs in south Lemon Bay could begin in the next month, clearing the way for dozens of dock- building requests that had...

Expanding waste; Florida needs to control volume of phosphate 'gyp stacks'.(A SECTION)(Editorial)
November 26, 2003... Automobile dealers used to deliberately attract attention to their businesses by advertising that they sell in volume, vo-o-o-o-l-l-l-l-ume, VOLUME! The phosphate industry in Florida has traditionally taken a different approach, claiming...

Net service for schools remains in jeopardy.(B SECTION)
November 26, 2003... Byline: GARY FINEOUT CAPITAL BUREAU TALLAHASSEE -- For the second time in four months, Florida has been turned down for more than $7.6 million it requested from federal authorities to help pay for the Internet service provided to the...

Suspect in shooting pleads not guilty.(B SECTION)
November 26, 2003... Byline: STAFF REPORT PUNTA GORDA -- A Deep Creek man charged with shooting a Halloween prankster last month has pleaded not guilty, according to court documents his defense lawyer filed Monday. Derrick A. Young, 30, is charged with...

Housing market sizzles in spots; The Sarasota-Bradenton area enjoys a big October, while Charlotte-North Port's numbers drop.(BUSINESS)
November 26, 2003... Byline: STAFF REPORT Housing sales skyrocketed in the Sarasota-Bradenton market during October, but dropped 14 percent in the Charlotte County-North Port market, according to the Florida Association of Realtors. The...

MUSICAL MOMENT.(B SECTION)
November 26, 2003... Above, Veronica Hernandez, 8, a student at Good Shepherd Day School, plays the violin during a Winner of Winners awards assembly at Myakka River Elementary School in Englewood on Tuesday. At left, Conor Peters, 6, Nicolas Hernandez, 5,...

News Updates.(B SECTION)
November 26, 2003... Holiday closings All city and county government offices, libraries and schools in Manatee County will be closed Thursday and Friday for Thanksgiving. Post offices will be closed Thursday. County and Bradenton garbage scheduled...

Seeking information on the stories you want to read.(B SECTION)(Editor)(Column)
November 26, 2003... Byline: Jay Roland There has been a lot of talk in our newsrooms lately about readership and the kinds of stories readers want in their newspaper. An organization called the Readership Institute, affiliated with Northwestern...

News Updates.(B SECTION)
November 26, 2003... Holiday closings All government offices and libraries in Charlotte and Sarasota counties, and in Punta Gorda and Englewood, will be closed Thursday and Friday for Thanksgiving. Post offices will be closed Thursday. Sarasota...

POLICE BLOTTER.(B SECTION)
November 26, 2003... Compiled from Charlotte County Sheriff's Office and Sarasota County Sheriff's Office reports filed through Nov. 25. South Indiana Avenue, 100 block, Nov. 20. Several landscaping stones were reported stolen from the grounds of a dentist's...

OBITUARIES.(B SECTION)(Obituary)
November 26, 2003... SARASOTA COUNTY John W. Addley John W. Addley, 84, Sarasota, died Nov. 21, 2003. He was born Aug. 31, 1919, in Hudson, N.Y., and came to Sarasota in 1999 from St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. He was director of conferences,...

Musical variety show to spotlight area kids; "Just Kids, Just Music" hits the stage in North Port on Dec. 6.(B SECTION)
November 26, 2003... Byline: AMY ABERN amy.abern@heraldtribune.com. NORTH PORT -- The Sarasota Youth Foundation will present a 14-act musical variety show, "Just Kids, Just Music," at 2 p.m. Dec. 6 at the North Port Performing Arts Center. The free...

Extended family; Venice coach Nick Coleman has assembled a close-knit staff.(SPORTS)
November 26, 2003... Byline: PERRY D. PENTZ perry.pentz@heraldtribune.com Venice -- VENICE Five years ago, Nick Coleman took over as head coach of a Venice High football program that had not made the playoffs in 19 years. Since then the 34-year-old...

Making A Difference.(B SECTION)
November 26, 2003... toys to area kids Lois Westerfield began playing Santa on a Thanksgiving Day in 1981. She was helping feed the homeless in the Sarasota Salvation Army mess hall and learned that the agency had more children registered for Christmas toys...

'Timeline' rewrites history, lacks logic.(FLORIDA WEST)(Review)
November 26, 2003... Byline: PHILIP BOOTH CORRESPONDENT Who has the time or inclination for thoughtful explorations of quantum physics when love is all around? That must have been the mantra repeated by director Richard Donner and screenwriters Jeff...

MAKING A DIFFERENCE.(B SECTION)
November 26, 2003... Name: Leslie Edwards has lived in Englewood all her life. She married her high school sweetheart and settled down in Englewood, near her parents and grandparents. She has a six-year-old daughter, Taylor, works as a realtor and as a dental...

Atkins charged with violating law; State elections officials say City Commissioner Fredd Atkins accepted illegal cash campaign contributions.(B SECTION)
November 26, 2003... Byline: LISA RAB lisa.rab@heraldtribune.com SARASOTA -- City Commissioner Fredd Atkins accepted illegal cash campaign contributions totaling $1,960, according to state elections officials, and now faces a civil misdemeanor charge that...

LOCAL BRIEFS.(B SECTION)
November 26, 2003... Teenager pleads guilty in burglary case PUNTA GORDA -- A teenager with alleged gang ties in Englewood pleaded guilty Tuesday to armed burglary and two counts of grand theft. Gerald Bilhardt, 16, will be sentenced in January as a...

EDUCATION NOTES.(B SECTION)
November 26, 2003... Holiday vocal concert The Venice High School Choruses will present a free holiday vocal concert at 7 p.m. Dec. 4 at the VHS Auditorium, 1 Indian Way. Donations are appreciated and help sponsor the music students' many concerts and trips....

Hearing airs sides on USF expansion.(B SECTION)
November 26, 2003... Byline: SELINA ROMAN selina.roman@heraldtribune.com SARASOTA -- University of South Florida leaders this week are trying to convince state officials to let them expand the Sarasota campus onto historic, undeveloped land. Neighbors...

SEEN & HEARD.(B SECTION)
November 26, 2003... Principal's modeling career is short-lived If you were looking for Lemon Bay High School Principal Dan Jeffers in his office Thursday afternoon, you wouldn't have found him. Jeffers had abandoned his suit and tie for more casual...

News Updates.(B SECTION)
November 26, 2003... Offices will close over Thanksgiving SARASOTA -- All Sarasota County, city of Sarasota and Longboat Key government offices will be closed Thursday and Friday for the Thanksgiving holiday. Federal offices also will be closed Thursday....

Festival ends Ramadan.(B SECTION)
November 26, 2003... Biby Neesha Khan, above right, of Port Charlotte, welcomes the spirit of Eid al-Fitr, which means "festival of breaking (the fast)," with open arms by hugging Kamaroon Khan as area Muslims gather in the female section of the Islamic...

North Port rezones club's golf course.(B SECTION)
November 26, 2003... Byline: DAVID HACKETT david.hackett@heraldtribune.com NORTH PORT -- Facing the threat of a $15 million lawsuit, the City Commission didn't blink Monday night. Instead, in a move cheered by about 200 red-clad residents at the North...

Year later, Babcock issue undecided.(B SECTION)
November 26, 2003... Byline: JAMIE MANFUSO jamie.manfuso@heraldtribune.com CHARLOTTE COUNTY -- A year after state officials began discussing the possible acquisition of the 91,000-acre Babcock Ranch, the Charlotte commissioners have not decided whether they...

Fall festival offers fun for community.(B SECTION)
November 26, 2003... To stage a successful fall festival, members of St. David's Episcopal Church, 401 S. Broadway, Englewood, did a lot of planning and hard work. The festival included food, entertainment, games, lots of hand-crafted items for sale and a...

Lady Sailors cruise past 'Canes.(SPORTS)
November 26, 2003... Byline: STAFF REPORT SARASOTA -- Brittany Crenshaw finished with a triple-double to lead Sarasota over Manatee 55-29. The junior recorded 38 points, 10 steals, 13 rebounds and added eight blocks for the Lady Sailors 1-1. ...

OBITUARIES.(B SECTION)(Obituary)
November 26, 2003... CHARLOTTE COUNTY Marjorie E. Ameling Marjorie E. Ameling, 81, Grove City, died Nov. 20, 2003. She was born Dec. 17, 1921, in Cincinnati, Ohio, and had been a resident of Grove City Manor since 1982. She was a member of St....

This 'Jesus' is no Superstar.(FLORIDA WEST)(Review)(Column)
November 26, 2003... Byline: JAY HANDELMAN jay.handelman@heraldtribune.com SARASOTA -- Try as I might, I don't know how to love the touring production of "Jesus Christ Superstar." Yes, there are some strong singers and some possibly moving moments, but...

OBITUARIES.(B SECTION)(Obituary)
November 26, 2003... MANATEE COUNTY Daniel Anderson Daniel Anderson, 77, Manatee County, died Nov. 21, 2003. He was born May 21, 1926, in Mobile, Ala., and came to the area in 1964 from Paducah, Ky. He worked at Johnson Controls for 32 years, and...

UF-FSU rivalry born in 1958.(SPORTS)(Comment)(Column)
November 26, 2003... Byline: Chris Anderson Jimmy Dunn's holding up well these days. Looks remarkable, too, considering he has to be about 118 years old. "I've had conversations with people and they can't believe there was a time when Florida and Florida...

Venice Housing Authority Board gets new blood.(B SECTION)
November 26, 2003... Byline: JANEL STEPHENS janel.stephens@heraldtribune.com VENICE -- While there are still no takers for the job of running Grove Terrace Apartments, the Venice Housing Authority on Tuesday reorganized in hopes of creating a more stable...

Toledo Blade science fair tests some hypotheses.(B SECTION)
November 26, 2003... If you've ever wondered how a marshmallow reacts under pressure or whether you can fit an egg into the opening of a wine bottle, check with the kids in D'Arcy Denis's science class at Toledo Blade Elementary School. Last week's science...

Business Buzz.(BUSINESS)
November 26, 2003... Kirk-Pinkerton firm elects shareholder Julie A. Horstkamp, who specializes in commercial and real estate law, has been elected as a shareholder of the Sarasota-based law firm of Kirk-Pinkerton. Before earning her law degree from...

DeBoer to remain commission chairman.(B SECTION)
November 26, 2003... Byline: STAFF REPORT CHARLOTTE COUNTY -- Matt DeBoer will spend another year as chairman of the Charlotte County Commission. And Tom D'Aprile will continue as the board's vice chairman. Both votes to confirm them Tuesday were 4-0,...

Reality bites; Threat of food-borne illness undermines benefits of fresh produce.(A SECTION)(Editorial)
November 26, 2003... The Thanksgiving tradition perpetuates the image of subsistence farmers raising free-range turkeys and growing organic vegetables for their families and friends. And once the harvest is safely gathered in, they dine together on this national...

Board gives itself a pay raise; The 2.4 percent pay increase will raise School Board members' salaries to $29,584 a year.(B SECTION)
November 26, 2003... Byline: CHRISTINA DeNARDO christina.denardo@heraldtribune.com CHARLOTTE COUNTY -- School Board members agreed to follow the Florida School Board Association's salary recommendations and give themselves a 2.4 percent pay increase to...

Earthly delights; Of young musicians and secret butterflies.(A SECTION)(Editorial)
November 26, 2003... Music in the making In music as in life, it's important to play well with others. And that's just what the youth orchestras did Saturday in a free concert at the Florida West Coast Symphony's Holley Hall in Sarasota. Even the...

County attorney to receive pay raise.(B SECTION)
November 26, 2003... Byline: JAMIE MANFUSO jamie.manfuso@heraldtribune.com CHARLOTTE COUNTY -- County Attorney Renee Lee received a 5 percent pay raise after county commissioners gave her generally high marks in her annual performance evaluation. The...

North Port hospital could be delayed; If Bon Secours appeals a rival's certificate, the process could last years.(B SECTION)
November 26, 2003... Byline: DAVID HACKETT david.hackett@heraldtribune.com NORTH PORT -- Although the City Commission on Monday rejected Bon Secours' bid to build North Port's first hospital, the chain is likely to have a big say about when -- and even if --...

From bovines to brokers; Former dairy farmer rides herd over realty firm.(BUSINESS)
November 26, 2003... Byline: STEPHEN FRATER stephen.frater@heraldtribune.com PORT CHARLOTTE -- As a second-generation dairy farmer from Upstate New York, Leo K. Gravesen, 79, got used to working for himself. However, by the late 1970s, he decided that...

County to study costs of sewer on islands.(B SECTION)
November 26, 2003... Byline: DARLA McFARLAND darla.mcfarland@heraldtribune.com CHARLOTTE COUNTY -- Sewer service on the bridgeless barrier islands is inevitable, a county commissioner said Tuesday, with the only question being who will provide it. In a...

WR Lee made his chances count.(SPORTS)
November 26, 2003... Byline: DENNIS MAFFEZZOLI dennis.maffezzoli@heraldtribune.com TAMPA -- Charles Lee was the final Buccaneer to leave the field, a sign he was in demand. As he exited Raymond James Stadium, Lee held the game ball in his right hand,...

Rangers' Markkanen blanks Bolts.(SPORTS)
November 26, 2003... Byline: JODY ROYCE jody.royce@heraldtribune.com TAMPA -- TheTampa Bay Lightning's scoreless streak stretched to 148 minutes 32 seconds Tuesday night after a 2-0 loss to the New York Rangers in front of 16,034 at the Times Forum. ...

Montessori School has fun Fall Festival.(B SECTION)
November 26, 2003... Parents and children participated in the third annual Fall Festival, held Saturday at the Island Village Montessori School, 2001 Pinebrook Road, Venice. The event featured game booths, rides, food, bounce house, crafts and a hayride. ...

MAKING A DIFFERENCE.(B SECTION)
November 26, 2003... Name: Five years ago, Charles Rodriguez and his wife Nilda moved to Harbour Heights from Warwick, N.Y. Six months later they moved to North Port. Background: When Charles Rodriguez, now 65, was a little boy growing up in Harlem, N.Y.,...

Riverview picks up first win by shutting out Sarasota.(SPORTS)
November 26, 2003... Byline: DONNIE WILKIE CORRESPONDENT SARASOTA -- A tough district sprinkled with Tampa-area powers has left Riverview's and Sarasota's boys soccer teams with a rather simple goal this season. Learn and improve. But as Riverview...

A week of fabulous phone calls.(FLORIDA WEST)(Sampler)(Column)
November 26, 2003... Byline: Linda Brandt Martha Minster's request for a recipe for Dutch bonket resulted in two of the nicest phone calls. Dawn Heyer, formerly of Holland, Mich., praised her sister-in-law's culinary skills in making this wonderful- sounding...

News Updates.(B SECTION)
November 26, 2003... Pub will serve free Thanksgiving dinner ENGLEWOOD -- Fat Katz Pub will serve a free Thanksgiving dinner beginning at 2 p.m. Thursday at 125 S. Indiana Ave. The menu will include turkey, ham, oyster dressing, mashed potatoes, green bean...

POLICE BLOTTER.(B SECTION)
November 26, 2003... Compiled from Charlotte County Sheriff's Office and Punta Gorda Police Department reports filed through Nov. 25. PORT CHARLOTTE Conway Boulevard, Rochester Avenue, Nov. 23. Robert J. Benuzzi, 41, was charged with sale and delivery of...

Motorcyclist charged with fleeing.(B SECTION)
November 26, 2003... Byline: STAFF REPORT PORT CHARLOTTE -- Authorities arrested a motorcyclist who allegedly led them on a high-speed chase early Sunday, according to a Charlotte County Sheriff's Office report William T. Campbell, 18, was charged with...

Pirates name Taylor coach.(SPORTS)(High School Volleyball)(Column)
November 26, 2003... Byline: DENNIS MAFFEZZOLI dennis.maffezzoli@heraldtribune.com MURDOCK -- When he was a senior at Port Charlotte High School, Rodney Taylor became interested in volleyball through then varsity coach Don Wendell. Now, 18 years later,...

Redesigning Laishley Park; Punta Gorda should turn vision into reality.(A SECTION)(Editorial)
November 26, 2003... Punta Gorda's two-day design workshop for Laishley Park culminated in a presentation of ideas developed by public input and expert opinion. It would have been hard not to feel a sense of optimism in the room as the consultants who led...

News Updates.(B SECTION)
November 26, 2003... Beautification group gets $100,000 grant VENICE -- Close to $300,000 worth of grants and scholarships from the Kathleen K. Catlin Fund of the Community Foundation of Sarasota will go to South County organizations. Venice Area...

Artist was a prisoner in WWII.(B SECTION)(Obituary)
November 26, 2003... Byline: HILDEGARD SCHEIBNER hilde.scheibner@heraldtribune.com SARASOTA -- Theadora Schilt Govaars, 84, a Sarasota artist who was imprisoned with her children for 3 1/2 years by the Japanese in the Dutch East Indies during World War II,...

Bush rejects slate for judge seat.(B SECTION)
November 26, 2003... Byline: STAFF REPORT CHARLOTTE COUNTY -- Gov. Jeb Bush has rejected the slate of nominees for a 20th judicial circuit judge seat after learning that contradictory notices about applying for the position were published. According to...

Access to court records restricted.(A SECTION)
November 26, 2003... Byline: ROBERT PATRICK robert.patrick@heraldtribune.com The Florida Supreme Court, citing concerns about fraud and identity theft, issued an order Tuesday restricting electronic access to public court records for at least 19 months. ...

LOCAL BRIEFS.(B SECTION)
November 26, 2003... Man pleads not guilty in prankster shooting PUNTA GORDA -- A Deep Creek man charged with shooting a Halloween prankster last month has pleaded not guilty, according to court documents his defense lawyer filed Monday. Derrick A....

EPA denies state request; The state had asked for an extension on dumping waste water in the Gulf.(A SECTION)
November 26, 2003... Byline: VICTOR HULL victor.hull@heraldtribune.com Federal officials Tuesday refused the state's request to continue dumping treated phosphate waste water in the Gulf of Mexico under an emergency permit after Nov. 30. As a result,...

Firefighters track vapor cloud.(B SECTION)
November 26, 2003... Byline: MICHAEL A. SCARCELLA michael.scarcella@heraldtribune.com PUNTA GORDA -- The back of a city garbage truck started smoking Tuesday morning, prompting an investigation by the city and county fire departments. A green liquid in...

Mustangs upend Manta Rays.(SPORTS)
November 26, 2003... Byline: STAFF REPORT NORTH PORT -- Lakewood Ranch jumped out to a big halftime lead and held off Lemon Bay, 65-48, Tuesday night in the North Port Classic at the Bobcats gym. Adam Azar scored 15 points for the Mustangs, which...

SEEN & HEARD.(B SECTION)
November 26, 2003... For years, Judi Roberts was a recluse after a stroke left her speaking with a British accent. But this week, the Sarasota woman sat next to Dianne Sawyer, telling her story for four minutes on ABC's nationally televised morning show. The...

SEEN & HEARD.(B SECTION)
November 26, 2003... Abandoned sculpture to be adopted A half-ton marble sculpture left at the curb in South Venice may have found a new home on Venice's Intracoastal Waterway. The piece was sculpted by Milorad Damnjanovic, an artist of some renown in...

What's 'Missing' is crucial chemistry between characters.(FLORIDA WEST)(Review)
November 26, 2003... Byline: PHILIP BOOTH CORRESPONDENT Is there anything Cate Blanchett can't do? The Australian actress was perfectly cast as a smart and sexy crusading Irish journalist in the recent "Veronica Guerin," and she's turned in similarly...

Low-carb diets mean skinny O.J. sales.(BUSINESS)
November 26, 2003... Byline: MICHAEL BRAGA michael.braga@heraldtribune.com The possible link between declining orange juice sales and the spreading popularity of low-carbohydrate diets has prompted the Florida Citrus Commission to take action. The...

14 arrested in marijuana bust; Police forces from two states work together and seize more than $1 million in cash and drugs combined.(B SECTION)
November 26, 2003... Byline: JULIAN PECQUET julian.pecquet@heraldtribune.com SARASOTA COUNTY -- Drug busts in the past two months resulted in the arrest of 14 people, disrupting drug rings that control more than 75 percent of the marijuana trade in Sarasota...