Sarasota Herald Tribune articles from November 2009, page 8

Sarasota Herald Tribune archives from November 2009

Another 'Carol'? Bah, humbug!
November 5, 2009... Byline: CHRISTOPHER LLOYD Correspondent Do audiences really need an umpteenth cinematic version of Charles Dickens' classic story? This is, after all, a franchise that has been translated dozens of times on film and television, including...

Where beer is king.
November 5, 2009... Byline: Steve Echeverria Sure, the past year or so has seen dozens of pubs, dives and restaurants shutter their doors, leaving plenty of rental space at area strip malls and fond memories for locals. So what better way to celebrate those...

Travolta, Denzel and more.
November 5, 2009... Byline: CHRISTOPHER LLOYD Correspondent What's most interesting about this flick is that director Tony Scott and screenwriter Brian Helgeland manage to make both the protagonist and antagonist equally charismatic. Ryder (Travolta, in a...

Ministering through songs.
November 5, 2009... Byline: ABBY WEINGARTEN Correspondent Drawing from her gospel and Christian contemporary musical roots and Broadway experience, Hill will be preaching through song to a hometown audience on Sunday and Tuesday for the Artist Series of Sarasota...

Ten voices united, in a musical grab bag.
November 5, 2009... Byline: SUSAN L. RIFE Steven Sowden's nickname is The Biscuit. He picked it up while the group was on tour in South Africa. " 'Biscuit' in colloquial South African is 'the village idiot,'" said Sowden in a telephone interview from Germany...

Smaller releases shine.
November 5, 2009... Byline: MARTY CLEAR Correspondent October is a notoriously bad month for new music. Record companies are waiting to release their hottest new albums just before Christmas. Still, if you were willing to look beyond pop or normal...

A Hispanic heritage celebration Saturday.
November 5, 2009... Byline: ABBY WEINGARTEN Correspondent During this free, all-day event at the St. Jude Church/Hispanic-American Center in Sarasota, thousands are expected to congregate for cuisine, Latin beats and family-friendly mirth. There will be live...

Herald Tribune Obituaries.
November 5, 2009... Aug. 4, 1942 - Oct. 27, 2009 James Barnes, 67, of North Port, formerly of Manatee County, died Oct. 27, 2009. Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday at Westside Funeral Home. Services will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at St. John Missionary...

Cine-World Film Fest.
November 5, 2009... Byline: STEVE ECHEVERRIA JR. "We're living proof many people are looking for an alternative from the daily grind of Hollywood films," said Michael Kayatta, marketing director for the Sarasota Film Society, which sponsors the festival. "You...

A Hispanic heritage celebration Saturday.
November 5, 2009... Byline: ABBY WEINGARTEN Correspondent During this free, all-day event at the St. Jude Church/Hispanic-American Center in Sarasota, thousands are expected to congregate for cuisine, Latin beats and family-friendly mirth. There will be live...

New village artist devoted to work.
November 5, 2009... Byline: J. NIELSEN Correspondent Walking into Alfredo Garcia's art gallery is like entering the inner sanctum of a church. His dark works on wood tower over visitors in his small studio in Village of the Arts. Many of the art works are...

Tom Lyons: No shortage of blame, but what share for school?
November 5, 2009... Byline: Tom Lyons But does her lawsuit have a chance? Her daughter, then a 15-year-old sophomore new to the school, walked off campus with other students without permission to get breakfast at a McDonalds. She was caught by school staff....

There's no doubt that they can dance.
November 5, 2009... Byline: Heather Dunhill Those on hand to see Amato take home the title of grand CANDance champion and Jones be named as the top fundraiser were co-chairs Emily Walsh-Parry, Jackie Rogers and event producer Stephen Sieg, Bob Turoff, Nick and...

Major deadline in suit on drywall.
November 5, 2009... Byline: AARON KESSLER One of the biggest challenges for those attempting to sue Knauf Tianjin and other Chinese drywall makers has been the enormous burden of formally serving the company with their lawsuits in China. Doing so is needed to...

ON HEELS OF ARREST, MOVING ON.
November 5, 2009... Byline: TODD RUGER As city officials await a report on a mishandled excessive force investigation, the 21-year-old Guatemalan man whose arrest started it all is quietly going on with his life. Juan G. Perez is working at the same...

Flu shots for area's children start soon.
November 5, 2009... Byline: TIFFANY LANKES Preschool and elementary-age children throughout Sarasota can begin to get the swine flu vaccine Friday, and health department officials are hoping turnout will be better than in other areas where clinics have been...

Guide dog training for a local veteran.
November 5, 2009... Byline: TERRY O'CONNOR, Correspondent A blind Sarasota County veteran is closer to receiving a fully trained guide dog after Venice-based Paws for Patriots volunteers paid $10,000 to the Southeastern Guide Dog Association. The U.S....

Habitat is hit hard by collapse of firm owned by Nadel.
November 5, 2009... Byline: KIM HACKETT HOUSING: Nonprofit loses about half of donations it collected last year Habitat for Humanity South Sarasota County thought it had escaped the financial mess from Art Nadel's alleged Ponzi scheme. An $83,000 deposit...

Remembering a woman who vanished a year ago.
November 5, 2009... Byline: HALLE STOCKTON An orchid wreath and two dozen red and white roses drifted in the waters off Anna Maria's coast as the sun set Wednesday in honor of island hotelier Sabine Musil-Buehler, who is presumed dead. About 30 of...

Local investment adviser settles with regulators.
November 5, 2009... Byline: JOHN HIELSCHER The former head of the Stanford Financial Group's Longboat Key office will be out of the securities business for at least six months. In an agreement with the Florida Office of Financial Regulation, Charles J....

Ready or not, here he comes.
November 5, 2009... Byline: TOM BALOG Rookie QB will make debut as starter against Packers It's going to be interesting to watch Sunday how Josh Freeman's play reflects his level of preparation in his first NFL start against the Green Bay Packers and one of...

Braden River makes quick work of 'Horns.
November 5, 2009... Byline: DENNIS MAFFEZZOLI The Pirates also will be home for semis against Lakewood The Braden River High volleyball team did not have a good grasp of Ruskin Lennard. "This was kind of a surprise team that came out," Pirates coach Steve...

Falcons fall in five against Crusaders.
November 5, 2009... Byline: DONNIE WILKIE Correspondent Saint Stephen's battles, but runs out of miracles After what Saint Stephen's pulled off in two of the first four games Wednesday night, a 13-8 deficit in the fifth might not have seemed like much of a...

Guiding Venice, two new voices.
November 5, 2009... Byline: KIM HACKETT CITY COUNCIL: Carlesimo and Bennett may be at odds on many issues City Council member-elect Emilio Carlesimo spent time alone in the council chambers Wednesday morning, the day after a landslide victory for Seat 3. ...

Slump? What slump? For some Realtors, business is thriving.
November 5, 2009... Byline: TOM BAYLES It might be a housing market confused, unpredictable and arguably still in a downturn, but Prudential Florida Realty agent Charryl Youman will have none of that. Her cell phone rings just about every minute. While she is...

Herald Tribune Obituaries.
November 4, 2009... Oct. 18, 1921 - Nov. 2, 2009 Telmo D'Alessandris, 88, of Sarasota, formerly of Orlando and Aliquippa, Pa., died Nov. 2, 2009. Services will be at 9:30 a.m. Saturday at St. Thomas More Catholic Church. Survivors include his wife, Mina; a...

Good to go.
November 4, 2009... Byline: LEE McCALL Correspondent Consider what goes into preparing a single meal: First, you must dream up the menu and purchase the ingredients. Next, bring them home and put them away, only to take them out again when you are ready to...

Italian restaurant more refined than its name.
November 4, 2009... Byline: JACK D. WINNER Correspondent But that's not the case at all. Oh Mamma Mia! actually turns out light, finely crafted versions of traditional dishes. And at very reasonable prices, too. The restaurant, which opened recently in a...

Culinary name game.(Recipe)
November 4, 2009... Byline: Linda Brandt Roasting and baking both are done in an oven with all surfaces of the food evenly exposed to dry heat. No liquid is added to cook the food, and it is cooked uncovered so that it doesn't steam. So the differences between...

Plantation fundraisers support local agencies.
November 4, 2009... Byline: SHELLY OLATOYAN Correspondent Started in 1988, the foundation consists of residents, employees, members and property owners of Plantation Golf and Country Club in Venice. "Golf is known for its charity work, so it's kind of a...

4 homes open for the homeless.
November 4, 2009... Byline: J. NIELSEN Correspondent In a gathering under an oak tree behind Trinity United Methodist Church here, a community of well-wishers gathered to see the product of months of hard work. During a dedication ceremony Thursday for four...

Inductees join honor society at Sarasota.
November 4, 2009... Byline: JODI WALUKONIS Correspondent Society President Rachel Barry welcomed attendees to the Oct. 28 event in the school auditorium that traditionally publicly recognizes new inductees, 180 of them this year. "It is an incredible honor to...

Workshop takes on sustainable building.
November 4, 2009... Byline: ZAC ANDERSON Ben Sasse installed a rainwater cistern in his development to help reduce water consumption -- saving him nearly $1,000 annually on water bills. Joe King decided not to clear-cut his building lots, nestling his homes...

More treats than tricks at Halloween events.
November 4, 2009... Byline: Heather Dunhill While the El Conquistador Country Club served as a beautiful backdrop for dinner and dancing, many revelers were seen taking in the spectacular waterfront views, including Rick Kerby, Eva Slane, Susan and Terry Romine,...

TIP THAWS COLD CASE FROM 1999.
November 4, 2009... Byline: JOHN DAVIS After years without a break, investigators of the 1999 disappearance of 4-year-old Pilar Rodriguez from Punta Gorda got a tip that could help them solve the case. On Tuesday, Charlotte County sheriff's deputies, the FBI...

AREA MAN GOT FEVER FROM TICK.
November 4, 2009... Byline: ANNA SCOTT He has recovered from the first Sarasota County case since 2005 A tick carrying a rare disease infected a Sarasota-area man while he was clearing brush in the southern part of the county, spreading the first case of...

Son testifies in murder case.
November 4, 2009... Byline: TODD RUGER John Allaman III was watching sports and drinking beer with his college roommates in Miami just before he got the word his father had been murdered in Sarasota. Allaman, 19 years old in 1978, flew back to Sarasota the...

Palmetto finds offensive weapon on defense.
November 4, 2009... Byline: ALAN DELL Correspondent Switching Green from cornerback to tailback ignited Tigers After the first three games of the season, Palmetto High football coach Ray Woodie was beside himself. His team had scored only one touchdown and...

Another kicker for Bucs.
November 4, 2009... Byline: TOM BALOG NFL: Barth replaces Andrus; Bryant stays with UFL Tuskers It was pretty much on a whim that the newest Tampa Bay Buccaneer, kicker Connor Barth, landed on the roster Tuesday. Tampa Bay general manager Mark Dominik...

Insurers facing no drywall risk?
November 4, 2009... Byline: LLOYD DUNKELBERGER H-T Capital Bureau Floridians dealing with the mess of Chinese drywall could be facing a double-whammy, the state's insurance commissioner said Tuesday. Not only do the insurers have no obligation to cover the...

County allows pub to expand parking.
November 4, 2009... Byline: DALE WHITE An Ellenton riverfront pub will be allowed to expand. Yet county commissioners have put Woody's River Roo Pub and Grill on notice that they expect it to do all it can to reduce its late-night noise. In a 4-3 vote...

Indians hammer Sickles.
November 4, 2009... Byline: DENNIS MAFFEZZOLI CLASS 5A-REGION 3: Venice moves into semifinals after easy victory Rob Brashear remembers taking his Sickles High volleyball team to Venice during his first year of coaching in 2000. The Gryphons returned to...

Unbeaten Verot ousts Cougars in three games.
November 4, 2009... Byline: DONNIE WILKIE Correspondent CLASS 3A-3: Mooney's six seniors drop match but will be 'friends forever' There weren't many nice things that could be said about Cardinal Mooney High's results in Tuesday night's Class 3A-Region 3...

Future growth, smart growth.
November 4, 2009... Byline: ZAC ANDERSON Ben Sasse installed a rainwater cistern in his development to help reduce water consumption -- saving him nearly $1,000 annually on water bills. Joe King decided not to clear-cut his building lots, nestling his homes...

Leeway sought for residents' golf carts.
November 4, 2009... Byline: DALE WHITE As a resident of the mobile home park Terra Siesta, Bob Denton knows of many elderly and disabled neighbors who have long relied on golf carts to run short errands to stores and banks along busy U.S. 301. Because of...

Memorial for a missing woman.
November 4, 2009... Byline: HALLE STOCKTON Friends of Sabine Musil-Buehler will hold a memorial today to honor the life of the missing island hotelier believed to have been killed a year ago this week. Musil-Buehler was 49 when she was last seen on Nov. 4,...

County to lobby for cart pathway.
November 4, 2009... Byline: DALE WHITE U.S. 301: Commissioners agree to ask state agency for a designated route As a resident of the mobile home park Terra Siesta, Bob Denton knows of many elderly and disabled neighbors who have long relied on golf carts to...

Decision awaited in police inquiry.
November 4, 2009... Byline: ROBERT ECKHART SARASOTA: As investigation wraps up, more voices are beginning to chime in City Manager Bob Bartolotta drove to Hillsborough County on Tuesday to pick up more than 2,000 pages of investigative records that will shape...

Herald Tribune Obituaries.
November 3, 2009... July 29, 1935 - Oct. 30, 2009 Alfred David "Al" Bell, 74, of Sarasota, formerly of Montague, Mich., died Oct. 30, 2009. A memorial gathering will be from 10 to 11 a.m. today, with a memorial service to follow, at Toale Brothers Funeral...

Eat healthy, save money.
November 3, 2009... Byline: LINDA BRANDT Correspondent 1. Use grocery store ads to plan your shopping. 2. Make a menu plan. 3. Write a grocery list. 4. Use unit pricing to determine which size or brand is the better buy. Even if you don't follow any...

Ear research money raised at Dr. Idol event.
November 3, 2009... Byline: AIMEE CHOUINARD Correspondent More than 600 people attended the Oct. 23 event at Michael's on East, and more than $10,000 was raised to help provide a cochlear implant for a patient who cannot hear. Drs. Herb Silverstein and Jack...

Sharing history to keep it alive.
November 3, 2009... Byline: ABBY WEINGARTEN Correspondent It was the 25-member group's first session of "Witness Theater" at the Sarasota-Manatee Jewish Federation. The dramatic journey was designed to retell history through the eyes of World War II victims and...

Charlotte is criticized over shoddy repairs.
November 3, 2009... Byline: CHRIS GERBASI Correspondent Unlicensed contractors descended on Charlotte County in droves after Hurricane Charley hit in 2004 and they kept building officials and law enforcement busy. "It was phenomenal," said Sheriff's Office...

Lyons: A memo so snarky, I wish I had written it.
November 3, 2009... Byline: Tom Lyons But that's all the more reason it was a delight to read what has to be the best city attorney memo ever. The main topic is one that can make cops get a little crazy: Seized cash. Police get quite attached to money they...

Everyone had a blast at the Halloween Bash.
November 3, 2009... Byline: Heather Dunhill Co-chairs Liebe Gamble and Kyla Weiner must be exhausted and exhilarated for they deftly repurposed the PP Safe Sex event, upped the attendance from last year and, most importantly, have everyone talking about this...

Father's home is central to bond.
November 3, 2009... Byline: MICHAEL POLLICK The younger Diamond is seeking a plea bargain on federal charges that he looted his Diamond Ventures investors out of $38 million, according to a new filing from his lawyer, Tampa attorney Lori Palmieri. Beau...

New investors acquire more than half of bank.
November 3, 2009... Byline: JOHN HIELSCHER Federal regulators have finally approved an investor group's bid to acquire a majority stake in Community Bank of Manatee. Unlike other local banks that are struggling -- and some failing -- to find fresh capital,...

Lombardi was one fast and crazy Guy.
November 3, 2009... Byline: Chris Anderson Has there ever been a father more fun than Guy Lombardi? His daughter, Gina Tidwell, remembers how the neighborhood kids would squeeze into the trunk of his car, and he would sneak them into the drive-in on Saturday...

Manatee JV has unbeaten season.
November 3, 2009... Byline: CHRIS DELL Correspondent BRADENTON The Manatee High JV football team is all business. On game days players dress in a suit and tie to support the team's business-like attitude. "We dressed like businessmen for the players to...

Long after a killing, the trial.
November 3, 2009... Byline: TODD RUGER More than 31 years after John Allaman Jr. was stabbed to death in his Bird Key home, a jury will decide this week if police finally found the murderer. At the defense table, Kenneth P. Auringer, 60, looks more like a...

Agassi's open book comes from the heart ... and into the wallet.
November 3, 2009... Byline: Mic Huber It's difficult to get through an hour of the day without seeing, hearing or reading about a tennis player who has not been relevant in the game for years. Television, radio, the Internet. Everybody is talking. Which,...

MANATEE ELECTIONS ARE TODAY.
November 3, 2009... Byline: DALE WHITE Voters in Bradenton and three beach communities decide today whether to keep several incumbents in office or back their challengers. Here are a few tips for Election Day. Three Bradenton races Three incumbents on...

New year, with same teacher.
November 3, 2009... Byline: TIFFANY LANKES But this year, Alta Vista Elementary fifth-grade teacher Laura DiMatteo jumped right into her lesson almost on day one because she already knew the students in her class and how best to help them learn. DiMatteo...

Ceddia, Mooney boys win title.
November 3, 2009... Byline: PHIL DENIS Correspondent 1A-DISTRICT 8: Cougar senior picks up four first-place finishes Cardinal Mooney's Patrick Ceddia was a dominating force during the Class 1A-District 8 Swimming & Diving Championships over the weekend,...

Another species of python is raising concern in region.
November 3, 2009... Byline: KATE SPINNER If thousands of Burmese pythons slithering through the Everglades are not worrisome enough, wildlife experts are now warning of another invasive reptile found as close as east Sarasota. This one -- the African rock...

Florida drivers' gas tax flows far.
November 3, 2009... Byline: DALE WHITE For years, county and city commissioners in this area have griped about the loss of those dollars -- now estimated at roughly $300 million a year statewide. So they are highly interested in federal legislation that, if...

Vote will decide Venice's direction.
November 3, 2009... Byline: KIM HACKETT Two City Council seats are at stake today; the polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. City voters head to the polls today in an election that is viewed as a referendum on the City Council's approach to development, the...

County workshop set on beach access limits.
November 3, 2009... Byline: DOUG SWORD While signs and barricades apparently aimed at turning the public away from certain sections of the beach have been a sporadic problem on Siesta Key, county commissioners are considering the law because of fears the...

City pushes ahead on ballpark bond.
November 3, 2009... Byline: ROBERT ECKHART The $31 million deal for Baltimore Orioles spring training was built to require little from the city: Just hand over the keys to 20-year-old Ed Smith Stadium, clean up any mess from an old dump, and pass along state...

Moving in for the kill.
November 2, 2009... Byline: MICHAEL BRAGA THE ECONOMY: Lexjet is hiring and boosting its marketing spending at a time when the rest of the industry is still hunkering down When the U.S. economy entered the Great Recession in late 2007, the advertising...

Is drywall on radar for Obama?
November 2, 2009... Byline: Aaron Kessler But something else was also likely visible to those aboard the plane as it came in for a landing: homes affected by contaminated drywall. The building boom transformed former pastures into sprawling subdivisions, and...

Market goes sour on entrepreneur.
November 2, 2009... Byline: MICHAEL BRAGA Bill Daly swept down from Massachusetts two years ago with the goal of expanding his Dunkin' Donuts franchise. For $11.15 million, he was able to buy a majority stake in the largest Dunkin' Donuts chain on Florida's...

A group for builders gets refocused.
November 2, 2009... Byline: TOM BAYLES The members of the Home Builders Association of Sarasota-Manatee's have had a tumultuous year and Dave Wick hopes he can help right the ship as the group sails into 2010 as its newly elected president. "Obviously what we...

Herald Tribune Obituaries.
November 2, 2009... July 25, 1935 - Oct. 30, 2009 Alfred David "Al" Bell, 74, of Sarasota, formerly of Montague, Mich., died Oct. 30, 2009. A memorial gathering will be from 10 to 11 a.m. Tuesday, with a memorial service to follow, at Toale Brothers Funeral...

RENEWED SEARCH FOR KILLER.
November 2, 2009... Byline: ANTHONY CORMIER The boyfriend, Glen Chambers, was arrested and convicted in Weeks' murder. But Chambers eventually escaped from prison, and for nearly two decades he has been on the run from police. Now, a popular TV show is...

Baseball face-off at meeting tonight.
November 2, 2009... Byline: ROBERT ECKHART A watchdog group threatening a lawsuit and warning of pollution under Ed Smith Stadium has focused attention on tonight's City Commission meeting and a key vote on spring training baseball. Sarasota Citizens for...

Horse sanctuary looking for land good for grazing.
November 2, 2009... Byline: JOHN DAVIS SHELTER: The phone rings at least once a week. But the pasture is already full. When the Sarasota YMCA shuttered its Bowman Ranch youth foster home, about a dozen young people had to go elsewhere, but the ranch's 10...

Sarasota rethinks growth.
November 2, 2009... Byline: DOUG SWORD But recession, the end of the building boom and a future made uncertain by the growing options of retirees has turned the old economic development model on its head. The change was foreshadowed last December when County...

The 'C' will stand for 'charter' next year.
November 2, 2009... Byline: CHRISTOPHER O'DONNELL Starting next school year, the Bibles, crosses and religious pictures will be removed from Palmetto Christian School. In addition, the school will take on a new name and receive its funding from a new source:...

Arvida fee was earned, says son.
November 1, 2009... Byline: Harold Bubil Berger, now 75, was just starting his real estate career in 1959, working for his father, Fred Berger. He told me he had an office in Sarasota for 30 years. Harold Berger took exception to a sidebar that appeared with...

HARDY BOYS FOR GROWN-UPS.
November 1, 2009... Byline: SUSAN L. RIFE That's an apt description of James Lessor and Skip Moore, two guys in their mid-20s living in a fictional Florida town and bumbling through amateur private-eye adventures in "Stuff to Die For," "Stuff Dreams Are Made...

Midlife meets madcap.
November 1, 2009... Byline: Susan Rife That Old Cape Magic. By Richard Russo. Random House Audio, $28. Unabridged, 9 hours 7 minutes. Read by Arthur Morey. Downloaded from audible.com. Inspired by a glowing review I heard on NPR, I was eager to start...

All in the family.
November 1, 2009... Byline: MARSHA FOTTLER Correspondent Recently, he joined forces with an Illinois friend to build a huge home that would be vacation central for the two couples and a total of six youngsters. They planned to use the Casey Key house...

Squirrelly problems.
November 1, 2009... Byline: David Grimes My feelings about squirrels have been well documented in this space over the years, so it's safe to say that my vote would fall solidly on the "pro" side of the controversy, assuming the issue has reached the level of a...