Sarasota Herald Tribune articles from November 2005

Sarasota Herald Tribune archives from November 2005

Another rate hike looms; The board of Citizens Property Insurance prepares to vote on its second increase in weeks.(A SECTION)
November 30, 2005... Byline: JOHN HIELSCHER john.hielscher@heraldtribune.com Customers of Citizens Property Insurance Corp. who just got hit with a double-digit rate increase should get ready for round two. The state-run insurer of last resort has...

Violent acts drew vague penalties; Richard Henderson Jr. was apparently given many breaks and second chances.(A SECTION)
November 30, 2005... Byline: MICHAEL A. SCARCELLA michael.scarcella@heraldtribune.com Friends said Richard Henderson Jr. usually did what he wanted to do with little respect for the rules. A review of Henderson's court records shows he had a history of...

Family tree house now foreboding.(A SECTION)
November 30, 2005... Byline: CORY SCHOUTEN cory.schouten@heraldtribune.com MYAKKA CITY -- Richard Henderson Sr. and his two sons built the two-level tree house four or five years ago. They constructed it within three oaks behind the family's home. They...

When pirates cause a splash; Cruise ship attack shines light on modern marauders.(A SECTION)(Editorial)
November 30, 2005... Pirates marauding off the coast of Somalia picked on the wrong boat recently. In a failed attempt to board the luxury cruise ship Seabourn Spirit, the plunderers garnered international attention. Let's hope the notoriety backfires and leads...

Bribery in Congress; Influence over national interests is at stake.(A SECTION)(Editorial)
November 30, 2005... A congressman has admitted taking bribes that were so blatant and egregious that Americans should ask themselves some questions: For starters: How did he expect to get away with it, and how much of this goes on in Washington? But...

Tarpons 'D' too much; Charlotte holds North Port to single digits in three of four quarters.(SPORTS)
November 30, 2005... Byline: PERRY D. PENTZ perry.pentz@heraldtribune.com NORTH PORT -- The Charlotte High basketball team's mission this year is to wear opponents out. The Tarpons did just that against North Port as Charlotte's defense limited the...

Bucs must pass big road tests.(SPORTS)
November 30, 2005... Byline: TOM BALOG tom.balog@heraldtribune.com TAMPA -- It is the longest obstacle course of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' season. It has been looming all year, but head coach Jon Gruden chose to ignore it until now. There's no denying...

Venice senior Dumas takes top honor in her class.(SPORTS)
November 30, 2005... Byline: PERRY D. PENTZ perry.pentz@heraldtribune.com VENICE -- After winning the Class 5A state title on Nov. 11, Venice High volleyball coach Brian Wheatley declared that senior Dana Dumas was the Class 5A Player of the Year. He...

Lady Rams pile it on against Sailors.(SPORTS)
November 30, 2005... Byline: CHAD BROCKHOFF CORRESPONDENT SARASOTA -- The play of freshman Shannon Washington and sophomore Rachel Harrison on Tuesday night gave credence to Arthur Larkins' theory that this is not a rebuilding year for the Riverview High...

Sailors get another shutout.(SPORTS)
November 30, 2005... Byline: STAFF REPORT SARASOTA -- Senior foward Devon Consul scored in the 18th minute off an assist from junior midfielder Jon "Speedy" Courtois and junior goalkeeper Josh Zimmer made it stand up as Sarasota defeated Durant, 1-0...

Falcons blank Panthers.(SPORTS)
November 30, 2005... Byline: STAFF REPORT BRADENTON -- Ashley Falkner and Alissa Allen each scored a pair of goals to help Saint Stephen's blank Bradenton Christian 4-0 at home on Tuesday. Dani Scfczek had two assists for the Falcons while teammates...

Lancers fall again, 81-71.(SPORTS)
November 30, 2005... Byline: BRIAN NEWBERRY CORRESPONDENT BRADENTON -- The Manatee Community College basketball team fell to Central Florida CC 81-71 in non-conference action at Hal Chasey Gymnasium on Tuesday night. Gary Godbolt led the Lancers (1-5)...

North Port builders name first director.(BUSINESS)
November 30, 2005... Byline: JOHN HEYS john.heys@heraldtribune.com NORTH PORT -- In another sign of the city's growth, the North Port Contractor's Association has named its first executive director and decided against merging with other builders groups in...

Business Buzz.(BUSINESS)
November 30, 2005... Anderson Group moves to Towles Court area The Anderson Group, a Sarasota-based public relations and advertising agency, has relocated to 315 Julia Place, in the historic Towles Court area of Sarasota. Mac users meet today at...

Blitz torte is present for Mom.(FLORIDA WEST)(Sampler)(Recipe)(Column)
November 30, 2005... Byline: Linda Brandt Margaret McComb is celebrating her 90th birthday Dec. 13 and is coming all the way from Midland, Mich., to be with daughter Barbara Jones of Venice. Jones was hoping to find a recipe for a blitz torte similar...

PURVEYOR+; SYSCO transports food, equipment, supplies and even chefs to businesses throughout North America.(FLORIDA WEST)
November 30, 2005... Byline: KATE PURSELL CORRESPONDENT If you think the crab cakes are tasty, wait until you sample the Orange Blossom Pie (think Creamsicle). Homemade? The pies come from 90-year-old recipes "that have been handed down for three...

Sarasota chef takes a chance on chocolate wedding cake.(FLORIDA WEST)
November 30, 2005... Byline: LINDA BRANDT linda.brandt@heraldtribune.com A six-tier chocolate and raspberry wedding cake won first place in Food Network's Wedding Cake Challenge for Ritz-Carlton Sarasota Chef Daniel Mangione and his partner, Marina Sousa, of...

Takeout is hit or miss at Venice's Thai Bistro.(FLORIDA WEST)
November 30, 2005... Byline: SHARYN LONSDALE sharyn.lonsdale@heraldtribune.com If you live south of Sarasota and crave Thai food, there aren't a lot of options: one restaurant in Punta Gorda, one in Port Charlotte, zero in Englewood and at this time, one in...

Lee OKs Babcock document; The agreement describes the steps needed to build a city.(B SECTION)
November 30, 2005... Byline: SARA LUBBES sara.lubbes@heraldtribune.com FORT MYERS -- The Lee County commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday in favor of signing a document that outlines steps developer Syd Kitson will follow to try to build a new city on...

SEEN & HEARD.(B SECTION)
November 30, 2005... Another snowbird is back in town As predictably as the cool breeze blows over sunny Lemon Bay, those big-mouthed Northerners are back in Southwest Florida for the winter. No, not those big-mouthed Northerners. The endangered American...

Father wants teacher arrested for shoving daughter; School officials say the Murdock Middle School student, who has ADHD, was being aggressive with the teacher.(B SECTION)
November 30, 2005... Byline: ANNA SCOTT anna.scott@heraldtribune.com PORT CHARLOTTE -- The father of a Murdock Middle School special education student claims a teacher battered his daughter, and he wants the teacher arrested and kicked out of the classroom....

Trucks, trailers reported stolen.(B SECTION)
November 30, 2005... Byline: STAFF REPORT PORT CHARLOTTE -- Two sets of trucks and trailers used by separate businesses were reported stolen from the Harborview Road area Monday, according to the Sheriff's Office. Foreman Donald P. Kettle told...

Performers deliver a mosaic of musical magic.(B SECTION)(Art Beat)(Column)
November 30, 2005... Byline: Marilyn D. Carpenter Pianist and vocalist Brian Gurl and violinist Lenny Ski had the rafters rocking and the audience enthralled Nov. 22 with "Classic Pizzazz," the first program of the Englewood Area Performing Arts...

Punta Gorda Boat Club has a long history.(B SECTION)
November 30, 2005... Byline: ANN HENDERSON CORRESPONDENT Fifty-four years ago the Punta Gorda Boat Club honored its first commodore, John Rose, at its Commodore's Ball in the old community hall in Laishley Park. There were 56 charter members. This year...

Gale West takes over H2U program.(B SECTION)
November 30, 2005... Byline: ALISON POSNER alison.posner@heraldtribune.com Timing is everything. Gale West never expected to have a second chance at the job she turned down five years earlier. West was faced with a tough decision then of taking on a...

After slow start, art show finds an audience.(B SECTION)
November 30, 2005... Byline: BETSY WILLIAMS CORRESPONDENT The Englewood United Methodist Church Missions Committee's first EUMC Fine Arts Show got off to a slow start last weekend, but things picked up and the group plans to be back next year. "We are...

Singer/songwriter to shine on the Walk.(B SECTION)
November 30, 2005... Byline: FRANCINE MILFORD francine.milford@heraldtribune.com We never realize the gems that we find while walking along the avenues in downtown Venice. Not just the stunning little sandals or the new golf shoes, but the talented...

Baldwin piano finds new home at Venice Art Center.(B SECTION)
November 30, 2005... Byline: FRANCINE MILFORD francine.milford@heraldtribune.com Light filtered into the Clearwater home and danced on ivory keys that once traveled around the world sharing the gift of music. The 7-foot Baldwin grand piano sat untouched...

Proposal for 3 intersections could lead to development; The idea is to add a crossing on S.R. 681 at every mile, opening up a large undeveloped block of land.(A SECTION)
November 30, 2005... Byline: DOUG SWORD and WILL ROTHSCHILD STAFF WRITERS LAUREL -- A road that today is as pain-free as any you'll find in Sarasota County could become another stop-and-go headache between U.S. 41 and Interstate 75 if a new plan is approved....

Sting operations target alcohol sales to minors; About 60% of targeted county stores sold to an underage customer.(B SECTION)
November 30, 2005... Byline: ERIN BRYCE erin.bryce@heraldtribune.com NORTH PORT -- Attempting to cut off teen-age drinking at the source, the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office has intensified its undercover sting operation, hitting 58 stores in the past two...

Venice church rebounds from flooding; Saturday reopening set for Union Missionary Baptist Church.(B SECTION)
November 30, 2005... Byline: PAUL QUINLAN paul.quinlan@heraldtribune.com VENICE -- After a city sewer backup heavily damaged Venice's only black church, flooding the place with raw sewage, the rebuilding effort turned into a two-and-a-half year struggle...

SEEN & HEARD.(B SECTION)
November 30, 2005... Can you spell 'casino' without 'sin?' Bingo and raffles have long been fund-raising staples for religious groups... so why not a casino? The North Port branch of Knights of Columbus, a Catholic fraternal organization, has found...

Children's prank leads to man, 92, bringing out pistol.(B SECTION)
November 30, 2005... Byline: STAFF REPORT NORTH PORT -- Children playing a prank on a neighbor learned a tough lesson one night last week. North Port police received a call from a neighbor of Frank Visjevic, 92, of the 5800 block of Spearman Circle....

Affordable housing left out of North Port land auction.(B SECTION)(Column)
November 30, 2005... Byline: Kim Hackett Affordable housing by any other name doesn't have the same meaning to elected officials. Either that or they'd just rather pay lip service to the notion of building homes for folks who can't afford the average...

Tails, tales mix at North Port Library.(B SECTION)
November 30, 2005... Byline: BETSY WILLIAMS CORRESPONDENT Reading to dogs is not as easy as it looks, especially when your listener demands some extra attention. Madison Adams, 9, found this out firsthand at the North Port Library on Saturday. ...

Obituaries.(B SECTION)(Obituary)
November 30, 2005... CHARLOTTE COUNTY Salvatore F. Ciarcia Salvatore F. "Sam" Ciarcia, 83, Englewood, died Nov. 28, 2005, at Englewood Health and Rehabilitation Center. He was born Oct. 31, 1922, in Brooklyn, N.Y., and came to the Englewood area in...

No rebuilding needed; Riverview beats up Sarasota to improve to 2-0 in district play.(SPORTS)
November 30, 2005... Byline: CHAD BROCKHOFF CORRESPONDENT SARASOTA -- The play of freshman Shannon Washington and sophomore Rachel Harrison on Tuesday night gave credence to Arthur Larkins' theory that this is not a rebuilding year for the Riverview High...

Barry adjusts, rolls in straight sets after delay.(SPORTS)
November 30, 2005... Byline: BRIAN NEWBERRY CORRESPONDENT BRADENTON -- Ellen Barry had to wait an extra day to play her first match in the United States. Barry, the No. 13 seed, made the adjustment and rolled to a 6-1, 6-4 victory over Alexandra...

Port Charlotte holds off Venice.(SPORTS)
November 30, 2005... Byline: STAFF REPORT PLANT CITY -- Senior John Richardson scored 19 points as Riverview defeated Plant City 62-57 in a district matchup Tuesday night. Senior Tony Davis scored 17 points and recorded 10 rebounds for the Rams. Davis...

Fulmer steers Mustangs to victory.(SPORTS)
November 30, 2005... Byline: STAFF REPORT LAKEWOOD RANCH -- Kristen Fulmer led the charge with 26 points, five steals and 12 rebounds as Lakewood Ranch edged Manatee 45-41 in a district matchup Tuesday. Jennifer Tobar scored 11 points and recorded six...

Roff wins Ward 3 by 165 votes; Only 9 percent of Bradenton voters turn out for council runoff.(B SECTION)
November 30, 2005... Byline: JULIA GLICK julia.glick@heraldtribune.com BRADENTON -- Patrick Roff, an activist who helped clean up his neighborhood, won the Ward 3 Bradenton City Council seat in a close runoff race Tuesday. Roff squeaked by Roger Lawson,...

SEEN & HEARD.(B SECTION)
November 30, 2005... A little bit of old-school one-upmanship When it comes to school grades, teacher salaries and spending, Manatee and Sarasota school officials are quick to compete. When Manatee approved a starting teacher salary of $35,000 earlier...

BRIEFS.(B SECTION)
November 30, 2005... Guard shoots, kills man who pointed pellet gun BRADENTON -- A security guard shot and killed a man suspected of car burglary early Tuesday who authorities say was armed with a pellet gun. No charges have been filed against the guard,...

AROUND THE REGION; News from Sarasota and Charlotte counties.(B SECTION)
November 30, 2005... SARASOTA -- Housing letter wasn't an eviction Families in the Cohen Way public housing complex are being offered other apartments managed by the Sarasota Housing Authority. Yet some of them have misinterpreted that offer as an eviction...

Plantation puts on its Christmas best.(B SECTION)(Column)
November 30, 2005... Byline: Bubbles Greer For two days this weekend, the Gamble Mansion will be lavishly decorated throughout in the style of Christmas in the 1850s and '60s. The theme "Visions of Sugar Plums" was chosen for the annual Plantation...

At G.WIZ, toys demonstrate scientific principles.(B SECTION)
November 30, 2005... Byline: NANCY CHAPMAN CORRESPONDENT Parachutes were falling in the lobby of G.WIZ in Sarasota on Friday. Ravi Vemuri, 9, even tried dropping one in an inverted position. He found that it fell faster, and that it righted itself on the...

DIVORCES.(B SECTION)
November 30, 2005... DIVORCES MANATEE COUNTY NOV. 9-15 Crampton, Frank and Cindy L. Huttenhower, William and Anita. Jeannite, Jean D. and Romeline C. Joseph, Whitfield and Lavon. Link, Jeffrey Michael and Tricia Lynn. Mendez,...

Obituaries.(B SECTION)(Obituary)
November 30, 2005... MANATEE COUNTY Ruth Frey Ford Ruth Frey Ford, 91, Bradenton, died Nov. 26, 2005. She was born Nov. 25, 1914, in Milton, Pa., and came to Manatee County in 1976 from Allentown, Pa. She was a retired registered nurse, a member of...

13 speak on Smith's behalf, none family; It's unlikely Joseph Smith's mother will be called as a final witness in the penalty phase.(A SECTION)
November 30, 2005... Byline: TODD RUGER todd.ruger@heraldtribune.com SARASOTA -- The 13 witnesses who testified on behalf of Joseph P. Smith Tuesday didn't include his mother, his brother, his ex-wife or three daughters. Those who took the stand in an...

Midnight Pass dredging hits snag; Objections by the EPA and Corps could be a major blow to the pass reopening.(A SECTION)
November 30, 2005... Byline: WILL ROTHSCHILD will.rothschild@heraldtribune.com SARASOTA COUNTY -- Four regulatory agencies, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, have signalled their opposition to the...

Fire department official broke ethics rules, audit finds; A business owned by his son-in-law and daughter did $60,600 in work in violation of county policy.(B SECTION)
November 30, 2005... Byline: DOUG SWORD doug.sword@heraldtribune.com SARASOTA COUNTY -- A fire department supervisor violated county ethics policies by helping his son-in-law's company land $60,600 in taxpayer-funded work, an audit shows. Among the...

Public housing families feared letters an eviction.(B SECTION)
November 30, 2005... Byline: DALE WHITE dale.white@heraldtribune.com SARASOTA -- Families in the Cohen Way public housing complex are being offered other apartments managed by the Sarasota Housing Authority. Yet some of them have misinterpreted that offer...

Gift-wrapping funds ORT programs.(B SECTION)
November 30, 2005... Byline: NANCY CHAPMAN CORRESPONDENT Chris Mayer loves to wrap Christmas presents. So much so that last year, the busy mother and first-grade teacher called the manager of the Westfield Southgate Mall to see if she could work at the...

At G.Wiz, toys demonstrate scientific principles.(B SECTION)
November 30, 2005... Byline: NANCY CHAPMAN CORRESPONDENT Parachutes were falling in the lobby of G.Wiz Friday. Ravi Vemuri, 9, even tried dropping one in an inverted position. He found that it fell faster, and that it righted itself on the way down. ...

AROUND THE REGION; News from Manatee and Charlotte counties.(B SECTION)
November 30, 2005... BRADENTON Guard kills man he says was armed A security guard shot and killed a man suspected of car burglary early Tuesday who authorities say was armed with a pellet gun. No charges have been filed against the guard, Pablo...

Obituaries.(B SECTION)(Obituary)
November 30, 2005... SARASOTA COUNTY Helen M. Ahrens Helen M. Ahrens, 90, Sarasota, died Nov. 27, 2005. She was born Aug. 31, 1915, in Brooklyn, N.Y., and came to Sarasota from there 35 years ago. She was a bookkeeper for Consolidated Tea in New...

More homes listed, but sales, prices softening; Agents agree market is improving for buyers.(A SECTION)
November 29, 2005... Byline: MICHAEL POLLICK michael.pollick@heraldtribune.com Sarasota-Bradenton real estate agents sold 19 percent fewer homes in October than they did a year earlier, but agents report prices are softening in the face of listing inventories...

'Brutal, very brutal'; Accused described as defiant but loyal.(A SECTION)
November 29, 2005... Byline: MICHAEL A. SCARCELLA michael.scarcella@heraldtribune.com MANATEE COUNTY -- Richard Henderson Jr. once inscribed the headboard of his bed with the initials of people he wanted revenge on, his wife said. He wouldn't tell his...

Defense focuses on killer's 'good qualities,' addiction.(A SECTION)
November 29, 2005... Byline: TODD RUGER todd.ruger@heraldtribune.com SARASOTA -- Joseph P. Smith battled depression and drug addiction for years before abducting, raping and killing 11-year-old Carlie Brucia, defense attorneys said Monday. Smith went...

Suspect named in 2001 plot Report says he planned to shoot classmates.(A SECTION)
November 29, 2005... Byline: BART PFANKUCH bart.pfankuch@heraldtribune.com Four teens had an ominous plan in the spring of 2001: Get guns, pull a fire alarm at Lakewood Ranch High School and shoot as many students as possible before killing themselves. ...

Family shattered: 'He deserves the electric chair'.(A SECTION)
November 29, 2005... Byline: JULIA GLICK julia.glick@heraldtribune.com EAST MANATEE -- Jeffrey Stringer sits alone at the table where he ate Thanksgiving turkey with his sister and her family on the day they were brutally murdered. He points at the...

Defense wants trial shut for testimony.(A SECTION)
November 29, 2005... Byline: TOM ARTHUR tom.arthur@heraldtribune.com SARASOTA -- Defense attorneys want to close the Joseph P. Smith murder trial to spectators and reporters for the testimony of two child witnesses. The defense is trying to show jurors...

Opening up Babcock; If state purchase goes through, public access should be expedited.(A SECTION)(Editorial)
November 29, 2005... If and when the state closes on a deal to buy nearly 74,000 acres of Babcock Ranch, it will be years before the public can set foot on most of the property. Since state taxpayers would finance this purchase, the public deserves as much...

Local snapshots; Brief comments on life and times in our communities.(A SECTION)(Editorial)
November 29, 2005... Holiday cheer for the troops Many U.S. troops will be spending the holidays in a cold, foreign, violent country. The experience will be about as far from a Hallmark moment as a person can get. But for the 150 men in Alpha Company...

The cost to business; Employers are recognizing impacts of housing prices.(A SECTION)(Editorial)
November 29, 2005... Florida employers recruiting out-of-state workers used to offer two compelling incentives: free, abundant sunshine and a low cost of living. The sun still shines at no cost. But, as the Herald-Tribune's Christopher O'Donnell reported...

Tarpons hit road to Tennessee.(SPORTS)(Column)
November 29, 2005... Byline: Dennis Maffezzoli During his first year as coach of the Charlotte High boys basketball team, Tom Massolio arranged a trip to Boone, N.C., to play in the Culvert Oil Classic during the Christmas break. This weekend, the...

Strained relations; Injury may have played a part in missed field goal.(SPORTS)
November 29, 2005... Byline: TOM BALOG tom.balog@heraldtribune.com TAMPA -- A week after Matt Bryant was given a standing ovation by teammates for his game-winning field goal in Atlanta, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are trying out kickers. Not because...

Fraser's patience on and off court pays off.(SPORTS)
November 29, 2005... Byline: BRIAN NEWBERRY CORRESPONDENT BRADENTON -- Emily Fraser did not mind a small delay in her opening-round match of the Eddie Herr International Tennis Tournament. The 16-year-old had been waiting a long time to get her chance to...

Huge Charlotte rally turns back Southeast.(SPORTS)
November 29, 2005... Byline: DENNIS MAFFEZZOLI dennis.maffezzoli@heraldtribune.com PUNTA GORDA -- Four games into his coaching career, Mike Robishaw has one for the archives. The Charlotte High girls basketball team rallied from a 17-point deficit in...

Shawnee ends Redskins' year 10-0.(SPORTS)
November 29, 2005... Byline: CHRIS DELL CORRESPONDENT SARASOTA -- Head coach Kenny Howard used the words "One team, one heartbeat" to describe his football team's camaraderie on the Sarasota Redskins Field this year. By playing as a team and by each...

Spam e-mail offers real estate pitch with overseas twist.(BUSINESS)(Charlotte Business)(Column)
November 29, 2005... Byline: John Heys It's no secret that waterfront property in Southwest Florida is a highly sought-after commodity these days, demanding a rising premium from buyers. But for those willing to look a little further afield, say, halfway...

Bookstore's new owners are locals.(BUSINESS)
November 29, 2005... Byline: MICHAEL BRAGA michael.braga@heraldtribune.com SARASOTA -- Sarasota News & Books is being sold again, but this time neither of the buyers are felons. When the deal closes Thursday, Andrew Foley and his sister, Meghan, will...

Correction.(BUSINESS)(Correction Notice)
November 29, 2005... Colonial Bank recently appointed Mark Rosenthal to vice president and business banker for the Sarasota and Bradenton markets. An item in Wednesday's paper said Rosenthal had been promoted.

New name for J.P. Igloo is break with past turmoil; Owner MJ Squared to hold ice rink's grand reopening on Saturday.(BUSINESS)
November 29, 2005... Byline: STEPHEN FRATER stephen.frater@heraldtribune.com MANATEE COUNTY -- J.P. Igloo, as a name, is no more. The formerly troubled 115,000-square-foot Ellenton ice rink, which cost almost $20 million to build less than a decade ago,...

Business Buzz.(BUSINESS)
November 29, 2005... Prudential team helps paint house Prudential Cascade Realty recently participated in the county's Brush Up Sarasota. The Sarasota Association of Realtors' Community Outreach Committee coordinated the participation of Prudential Cascade's...

Brasota managers submit bills of more than $1 million.(BUSINESS)
November 29, 2005... Byline: KATHLEEN McLAUGHLIN kathleen.mclaughlin@heraldtribune.com BRADENTON -- The professionals in charge of recouping money for investors of Brasota Mortgage Co. are billing more than $1 million for six months of work. The team...

Watch the Smiths go bang.(FLORIDA WEST)(DVD Watch)(Column)
November 29, 2005... Byline: Philip Booth Once upon a time -- 20 years ago, to be exact -- John Huston turned in a practically perfect dark-tinted romantic comedy about a loving couple who were secretly contract killers assigned to ice each other. ...

Toy Story; These road show dealers don't appraise your collectibles, they find you bids from collectors.(FLORIDA WEST)
November 29, 2005... Byline: ABBY WEINGARTEN CORRESPONDENT Nostalgia often wears a lavish price tag. To many people, old toys represent more than just raggedy playthings -- they're that elusive link to childhood reverie, locked in the scents of celluloid...

'Swan' pairing made in heaven.(FLORIDA WEST)
November 29, 2005... Byline: BARBARA LEVERONE CORRESPONDENT Last season's "Midsummer's Night Dream" by the Sarasota Ballet of Florida gave us a hint of the star potential in Kyoko Takeichi and Saneyuki Kawashima, and last weekend's "Swan Lake" confirmed it....

Nothing rough about Diamonds on the Diamond.(FLORIDA WEST)(Column)
November 29, 2005... Byline: Marjorie North It was a night of applause when the Sarasota Area Sports Authority held its first Diamonds on the Diamond fund-raiser at Ed Smith Stadium the other night, naming top athletes and the winner of a $10,000 diamond...

Local snapshots; Brief comments on life and times in our communities.(A SECTION)(Editorial)
November 29, 2005... Uninsured residents strain resources The number of people without health insurance continues to soar in Southwest Florida. That, combined with an increase in underinsured residents, is putting extraordinary demands on state-run health...

Courses speed teacher training; Edison offers one of 17 programs to quickly prepare new teachers.(B SECTION)
November 29, 2005... Byline: ANNA SCOTT anna.scott@heraldtribune.com CHARLOTTE COUNTY -- If you have a bachelor's degree, a little time and $1,400, you could be a teacher in Florida's public schools by August. Edison College on Monday announced a...

Charlotte County losing visionary.(B SECTION)(Comment)(Column)
November 29, 2005... Byline: Eric Ernst For 20 years, Dick Ford put together multimillion-dollar deals in the high-stakes, high-pressure field of commercial real estate in Charlotte County. But the money never seemed to mean that much to him. He took...

Ex-deputy arrested over repairs.(B SECTION)
November 29, 2005... Byline: STAFF REPORT PORT CHARLOTTE -- A former sheriff's deputy was arrested Thursday after authorities say he worked as a contractor without a license. Kevin George Brightman, 29, of the 1400 block of Shields Street, is accused...