Sarasota Herald Tribune articles from October 2005

Sarasota Herald Tribune archives from October 2005

Dreams of fields; North Port children hoping to play sports find themselves benched, as a shortage of fields limits the number of players.(A SECTION)
October 1, 2005... Byline: LIZ BABIARZ liz.babiarz@heraldtribune.com NORTH PORT -- It's well known among North Port parents that if you want your child to play in the city's youth soccer league, you better be there early to sign up. Just ask Carrie...

Gun law critics fear state will become O.K. Corral; But many praise the law, which goes into effect today, saying criminals will think twice.(A SECTION)
October 1, 2005... Byline: LATISHA R. GRAY latisha.gray@heraldtribune.com Joe Brower says everyday life is like "Wild Kingdom." It's survival of the fittest. And in his world, criminals don't attack people with guns; people with guns are the strong ones....

FROM YOUR READER ADVOCATE.(A SECTION)(Column)
October 1, 2005... Readers want Sudoku. Now. If you haven't heard of Sudoku -- and I hadn't until this week -- I'll try to explain: It's a mix of a numbers game and a crossword puzzle that first appeared in the London Times and is now printed in dozens...

Finding the right balance; It's the art of being a justice -- and of nominating one.(A SECTION)(Editorial)
October 1, 2005... With his swearing in as chief justice of the United States, John Roberts joins a small fraternity. In the nation's entire history, he is but the 17th chief justice. The number speaks to their longevity and the lasting influence they have...

Growing Payne; Redouble efforts to complete downtown park.(A SECTION)(Editorial)
October 1, 2005... Today, the old Sarasota Mobile Home Park -- a vacant tract of land interrupted by piles of sand -- looks like the playground of a giant mole. Eventually, though, this blank expanse on the downtown's southeastern edge will be a pleasant...

A budget grows in North Port; More people, more services demand more spending.(A SECTION)(Editorial)
October 1, 2005... A dozen new firefighters. Twenty-one more police officers. An additional 20 employees to fix pot-holed roads and clogged canals. In all, the fast-growing city of North Port will add 90 positions to its payroll now that the City...

Vibrant Gulf only a memory.(A SECTION)(Editorial)
October 1, 2005... Byline: Laura Sperling Once, as I backstroked through the Gulf of Mexico, a leaping stingray arced right over my head. Then there was the time a porpoise -- about 15 feet from me, in hot pursuit of its prey -- jumped into a midair...

USF sees chance with its defense; Bulls coach Jim Leavitt believes his team has a legitimate shot at beating Miami.(SPORTS)
October 1, 2005... Byline: ALAN DELL CORRESPONDENT MIAMI -- The University of South Florida football team sees tonight's game at the Orange Bowl as a date with destiny. The University of Miami, with its five national championships and string of 93...

Bobcats bolt to 34-8 win.(SPORTS)
October 1, 2005... Byline: PERRY D. PENTZ perry.pentz@heraldtribune.com NORTH PORT -- Lehigh's nickname might be the Lightning, but it was North Port that struck quick and often. The Bobcats scored four touchdowns in the first nine minutes to build a...

'Canes' comeback; Manatee rallies to beat Venice 28-14 and remain unbeaten in district action.(SPORTS)
October 1, 2005... Byline: MICHAEL POLIN CORRESPONDENT BRADENTON -- Manatee High School put itself in prime position for a district football title, rallying from 14 points down to beat visiting Venice 28-14 Friday night at Joe Kinnan Field at Hawkins Stadium....

For Nicholson, game gets easy; After battling through years of injuries, senior linebacker is FSU's tackling leader.(SPORTS)
October 1, 2005... Byline: CHRIS MILTON CORRESPONDENT TALLAHASSEE -- Florida State senior linebacker A.J. Nicholson is seeing things differently this season. "It's almost like things are in slow motion," he said. "I'm seeing things that I don't think...

Urban's plan; Florida coach breaks down each game meticulously before moving on to next game.(SPORTS)
October 1, 2005... Byline: MIC HUBER mic.huber@heraldtribune.com TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Josh Portis knew that Florida football coach Urban Meyer would consider losing the football a grievous error. What he didn't expect was what happened when he trudged to the...

USTA Men's 50 event returns Oct. 9-16.(SPORTS)(TENNIS)(Column)
October 1, 2005... Byline: MIC HUBER It has been around for almost 40 years and the tournament at the Sarasota Bath and Racquet Club continues to be one of the most popular stops on the national senior tour. The USTA National Men's 50 Clay Court...

Blazers remain unbeaten.(SPORTS)
October 1, 2005... Byline: STAFF REPORT SARASOTA -- Four players scored goals to lead the unbeaten Sarasota Christian boys soccer team to a 4-1 district win over visiting Bradenton Christian. Jimmy Feid, Jed Hostetler, Matt Mast and Jared Ross each scored...

Property insurer gets rate increase.(BUSINESS)
October 1, 2005... Byline: JOHN HIELSCHER john.hielscher@heraldtribune.com After initially rejecting a larger increase, state regulators have approved a 23 percent rate hike for two homeowners insurers owned by Cincinnati Financial Corp. The Florida...

Minimum wage going up Jan. 1; About 400,000 workers in Florida will receive a New Year's present: a 25-cent-an-hour raise.(BUSINESS)
October 1, 2005... Byline: STAFF REPORT The Sunshine State's minimum wage will get a 25-cent boost come Jan. 1 as a voter-mandated constitutional amendment pushes the figure to $6.40 per hour to account for inflation. Tipped employees, meanwhile, are...

Business Buzz.(BUSINESS)
October 1, 2005... Financial planners schedule free seminar The Suncoast Chapter of The Financial Planning Association will hold a free seminar, "Planning For Success: Build Your Financial Future," from 7 to 9 p.m Tuesday at the Sarasota Cay Club, 7150 N....

Comdial is sold to Mass. company.(BUSINESS)
October 1, 2005... Byline: STAFF REPORT SARASOTA COUNTY -- Comdial Corp., which had filed for bankruptcy protection, has been sold to Vertical Communications, a Cambridge, Mass.-based company. A bankruptcy court has approved the deal, which calls for...

Ferry ride floats to Egmont; For a day trip, try the ferry to Egmont Key.(PLAY!)(Go!)(Column)
October 1, 2005... Byline: THOMAS BECNEL If you're a Florida map freak, like me, you've at least wondered about visiting Egmont Key. It's the mile-and-a-half-long island that guards the mouth of Tampa Bay. The ruins of Fort Dade provide historical...

PLAY BRIEFS.(PLAY!)
October 1, 2005... TRIATHLON Annual Sharks race will be Sunday morning The 21st annual Siesta Key Triathlon, a fund-raiser for the Sarasota YMCA Sharks swim team, will begin at 7:15 a.m. Sunday. It will consist of a 1-kilometer swim, 21-kilometer bike...

Net games; Cardio Tennis pumps up sport with aerobics.(PLAY!)
October 1, 2005... Byline: THOMAS BECNEL thomas.becnel@heraldtribune.com Tennis, one of the most traditional of sports, swings back and forth at its own pace. Even in the most rigorous match, there are pauses between points, breaks between games and changes...

Wisdom from bad experiences.(PLAY!)(Sailing)(Column)
October 1, 2005... Byline: Morgan Stinemetz Last weekend at the Bradenton Yacht Club's Kickoff Regatta, a couple of boats in the non-spinnaker class had a meeting of the worst kind. They collided. It was during the start of Sunday's race in the two-day...

Local snapshots; Brief comments on life and times in our communities.(A SECTION)(Editorial)
October 1, 2005... One good deed leads to another For the second time in three years, Charlotte County sheriff's Deputy Emmitt Merritt has won statewide recognition for his canine work. Deputy First Class Merritt and his bloodhound partner, Liberty, have...

Grand Babcock plan unveiled; A developer delivers his proposal for Charlotte County community of 44,000.(B SECTION)
October 1, 2005... Byline: SARA LUBBES sara.lubbes@heraldtribune.com CHARLOTTE COUNTY -- Picture a community at Babcock Ranch with more than 17,000 homes arranged around a series of commercial centers; a city big enough to require as many as five Charlotte...

Correction.(B SECTION)(Correction Notice)
October 1, 2005... It was incorrectly reported in Friday's Herald-Tribune that the Edison College "Pops at Sunset" concert was canceled last year. The concert was performed, but with The BoogieMen instead of the Charlotte Symphony. Also, the price for a table of...

Mission Unity loses lawsuit; A federal jury decides the county did not discriminate against the organization.(B SECTION)
October 1, 2005... Byline: PATRICK WHITTLE patrick.whittle@heraldtribune.com FORT MYERS -- Charlotte County did not discriminate against an organization that houses recovering substance abusers, a federal jury decided Friday at the U.S. District Court in Fort...

Correction.(B SECTION)(Correction Notice)
October 1, 2005... *The telephone number for DJ's Restaurant at 1296 First St., Sarasota, is 952-5025. An incorrect number appeared in a review in Friday's Ticket.

BRIEFS.(B SECTION)
October 1, 2005... Man charged with attempted robbery CHARLOTTE COUNTY -- Police arrested a 21-year-old Port Charlotte man Thursday night who they say attempted to rob a Chinese-food deliveryman. Andre Shipmon attempted to steal the deliveryman's wallet...

In one-man show 'Make a Joyful Noise,' performer falls short of goal.(B SECTION)(Art Beat)(Column)
October 1, 2005... Byline: Marilyn D. Carpenter Kevin Grant Quattlebaum took the stage at the Cultural Center of Charlotte County Theatre on Sunday afternoon with his one-man show, "Make a Joyful Noise." Billed as dramatist, vocalist, composer and...

Singles set sail with Charlotte club.(B SECTION)
October 1, 2005... Byline: ALISON POSNER alison.posner@heraldtribune.com When Vickie Crossley, an avid sailor for 13 years and a former member of a singles sailing club, moved to Port Charlotte from Fort Worth, Texas, she began looking for a similar club to...

Charlotte public tennis courts back in play.(B SECTION)
October 1, 2005... Byline: STAFF REPORT Charlotte County Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Department has announced that the following tennis courts are now active: In Port Charlotte, Harold Recreation Center, 23400 Harold Ave.; Franz Ross Park,...

Plenty of photo opps at today's Katrina fund-raiser.(B SECTION)(Englewood Scene)(Column)
October 1, 2005... Byline: Sharyn Lonsdale Bob Carpenter, public information officer for the Charlotte County Sheriff's Department, said his agency has not forgotten the kindness it received when 60 to 70 agencies from around the country came to help his...

OBITUARIES.(B SECTION)(Obituary)
October 1, 2005... CHARLOTTE COUNTY Nettie E. Kemp Nettie E. Kemp, 97, Rotonda West, died Sept. 27, 2005, in Englewood. She was born March 26, 1908, in Scott City, Kan., and came to the Englewood area in 1980 from Arkansas. She was a public school...

United Way leader has big plans.(B SECTION)
October 1, 2005... Byline: AMY ABERN amy.abern@heraldtribune.com Cecy Cowger Glenn made up her mind 1 1/2 years ago that it was time to semi-retire. She had just moved to Englewood from Spartanburg, S.C., with a plan to help out at her daughter and...

Extension workers spend day at Cedar Point Park.(B SECTION)
October 1, 2005... Byline: BETSY WILLIAMS CORRESPONDENT Busting the stress out of their jobs and familiarizing Charlotte County Enviromental Extension employees with another county facility was the main goal of the day-long Refresher Course held Friday at...

Club raises money for the fountain.(B SECTION)
October 1, 2005... Byline: KIM HACKETT kim.hackett@heraldtribune.com Scouring their homes for clothes that no longer fit and toys that their children have outgrown, 31 members of the MOMS Club of Venice-South found enough previously loved items to sponsor a...

Senior Expo promotes active, healthy lifestyles.(B SECTION)
October 1, 2005... Byline: FRANCINE MILFORD francine.milford@heraldtribune.com South County seniors can do some one-stop "shopping" for information and services today from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Venice United Church of Christ is once again offering its...

The house that thrift built; A North Port church asked for builders' leftover materials; now it has walls, and 800 blocks left over.(B SECTION)
October 1, 2005... Byline: CHRISTOPHER O'DONNELL chris.odonnell@heraldtribune.com NORTH PORT -- In these days of soaring construction costs, a North Port church has found a way to shave expenses on a new building: It's using scrap materials donated from...

Teenage bands to compete today at Venice YMCA; The contest is a first step -- 3 winners, playing original music, will compete again; the winner advances and could get a shot at touring.(B SECTION)
October 1, 2005... Byline: KIM HACKETT kim.hackett@heraldtribune.com VENICE -- Ten teenage bands will compete at the South County Family YMCA today, hoping to catch the eye of a talent scout and perhaps win a record contract. Most of the bands playing...

Recent trip to big city reinforces the need for villages.(B SECTION)(Column)
October 1, 2005... Byline: Kim Hackett Fresh back from a trip to New York City and it's apparent to me that the American experiment with suburbanization has been a disaster. We should hold a funeral and bury all those 1950-ish community-design "plans"...

Learning Center collects change for Mississippi students.(B SECTION)
October 1, 2005... Byline: BETSY WILLIAMS CORRESPONDENT Even though it was the staff, students and parents at Achievements Learning Center who raised money for the Salvation Army's hurricane relief efforts, it was the school's executive director expressing...

An elected official's duty; Bemis Smith owes his constituents an explanation.(A SECTION)(Editorial)
October 1, 2005... Bradenton City Councilman Bemis Smith isn't saying much about what happened in the hours leading up to the arrival of police at his house last weekend. He says he can't talk about it yet without risking more problems for himself. To a...

Drawing boaters downtown; Explore proposals of docks and ramp for Bradenton.(A SECTION)(Editorial)
October 1, 2005... Rossi Waterfront Park and its pedestrian and biking trail along the Manatee River have been underutilized for many years. But they may be on their way to becoming a larger part of the revitalization of downtown Bradenton. Three high-rise...

Southeast gamble works.(SPORTS)
October 1, 2005... Byline: ALAN DELL CORRESPONDENT BRADENTON -- Southeast High head football coach Paul Maechtle admits he is on the conservative side. But with some of the playmakers the Seminoles have on their roster, he's occasionally willing to roll...

Jesuit holds off Palmetto, 21-13; Tigers take the lead then can't respond after surrendering it on the ensuing kickoff.(SPORTS)
October 1, 2005... Byline: BRIAN NEWBERRY CORRESPONDENT PALMETTO -- Palmetto High's lead -- and most of its momentum -- were lost in 15 seconds Friday night. Joe Hills' 53-yard interception return gave the Palmetto football team a 13-7 advantage....

Suspicious crash poses problems; Police say a crash involving a Bradenton city councilman was alcohol-related, but hours passed between the accident and the driver's questioning by officers.(B SECTION)
October 1, 2005... Byline: MICHAEL A. SCARCELLA michael.scarcella@heraldtribune.com BRADENTON -- Been drinking? Get into a wreck? Run away and you might limit your chance of getting slapped with a DUI arrest. Trying to prove a DUI case against a driver...

Palmetto looks at housing laws; The City Commission is trying to create affordable housing.(B SECTION)
October 1, 2005... Byline: DALE WHITE dale.white@heraldtribune.com PALMETTO -- Manatee County's second-largest city is drafting what could become the most stringent affordable housing law in this area. At a work session and a regular meeting Monday, the...

School Board may add civility to rules.(B SECTION)
October 1, 2005... Byline: JENNY LEE ALLEN jenny.allen@heraldtribune.com MANATEE COUNTY -- It shouldn't be hard for School Board members to abide by proposed written guidelines that urge them to be civil. But the part asking them to be brief in their...

LOCAL BRIEFS.(B SECTION)
October 1, 2005... Deputies: woman sets man on fire MANATEE COUNTY -- A woman was arrested Thursday on aggravated domestic battery charges after reportedly setting a man on fire. Lisa A. Kingery, 30, poured denatured alcohol on the man and then flicked a...

Learning away from home.(B SECTION)
October 1, 2005... Homeschooled students are taking lessons in a new visual arts program in downtown Bradenton. "ArtSmarts: Visual Arts Exploration for the Home-Educated," is offered to 6- to 15-year-olds at ArtCenter Manatee, 209 Ninth St. W., Bradenton....

OBITUARIES.(B SECTION)(Obituary)
October 1, 2005... MANATEE COUNTY Mona E. Garvin Mona E. Garvin, 99, Sarasota, Manatee County, died Sept. 28, 2005. She was born Nov. 8, 1905, in Allston, Mass., and came to Manatee County 31 years ago from Manchester, N.H. She was a retired artist....

Residents get $71.2M offer; A developer has a bid to buy Gulfshore mobile home park on Longboat Key and pay owners $400,000 each for their trailers.(A SECTION)
October 1, 2005... Byline: MICHAEL BRAGA michael.braga@heraldtribune.com LONGBOAT KEY -- Lore Swieca sold her mobile home in Gulfshore mobile home park for $180,000 at the beginning of September. It seemed to be a great price, but Swieca wishes she had...

Booker steals last-play win.(SPORTS)
October 1, 2005... Byline: JODY ROYCE jody.royce@heraldtribune.com TAMPA -- The Class 3A-District 11 opener Friday night between host Robinson High and Booker High was two games in one. A chess match, then a prize fight. Booker was able to get the final...

Drawing a blank; Cardinal Mooney produces first regular-season shutout since October 2002.(SPORTS)
October 1, 2005... Byline: CHAD BROCKHOFF CORRESPONDENT SARASOTA -- If Cardinal Mooney advances to the postseason, it can look back at one play made by Chris Muldoon in the second quarter of Friday night's 24-0 win over Class 2B-District 6 rival Frostproof...

Graham runs wild.(SPORTS)
October 1, 2005... Byline: DONNIE WILKIE CORRESPONDENT PLANT CITY -- A year ago, Antwan Graham was a starting defensive back on Sarasota High's 10-2 team that reached the state quarterfinals. Scoring touchdowns, for the most part, seemed to be Mike Ford's...

Sharks hang on to beat Rams; Riverview stops itself with 100 yards in penalties as it drops its Class 6A-6 opener, 21-17.(SPORTS)
October 1, 2005... Byline: STEVE GIBSON steve.gibson@heraldtribune.com RIVERVIEW -- Penalties ruined the Riverview High football team's chance for a victory here Friday night at J. Vince Thompson Stadium as the Rams fell 21-17 to Hillsborough Riverview...

Katrina has hard lessons for us all.(B SECTION)(Comment)(Column)
October 1, 2005... Byline: Rich Brooks Hurricane Katrina's devastation of the Gulf Coast region held a lesson. And officials in Galveston, Texas, were listening. Even before Hurricane Rita formed just south of Florida, city officials in Galveston were...

Debt may hurt Democrats' hopes; State party is short on money, lacks the big fund-raisers of the GOP.(B SECTION)
October 1, 2005... Byline: JOE FOLLICK CAPITAL BUREAU TALLAHASSEE -- For much of the past month, Florida Democratic Party Chairwoman Karen Thurman has viewed her television as a crystal ball for her party's future. On the news channels, she sees...

Police arrest man as 'person of interest' in disappearance.(B SECTION)
October 1, 2005... Byline: STAFF REPORT SARASOTA COUNTY -- Deputies arrested a man Thursday whom Michigan police are calling a person of interest in the disappearance of a 78-year-old woman. Deputies arrested Dannie Gayheart, 53, on two Sarasota County...

'Our little way of showing we care'; Students make items and open store to benefit Hurricane Katrina victims.(B SECTION)
October 1, 2005... Byline: PATTY ALLEN-JONES patty.allen-jones@heraldtribune.com Chrissy Catlin uses a rolling pin to flatten the red clay and a cookie cutter to make hearts. Sarah Morin and Payton Abbott decorate the hearts with Chinese symbols before the...

Dutton wins first leadership excellence award.(B SECTION)
October 1, 2005... Byline: NANCY CHAPMAN CORRESPONDENT It wasn't hard for organizers to pick the first recipient of the "Award in Excellence in Nonprofit Leadership," presented by the Stewart W. Stearns Leadership Fund of the Community Foundation of Sarasota...

OBITUARIES.(B SECTION)(Obituary)
October 1, 2005... SARASOTA COUNTY Timothy Joel Bellan Timothy Joel Bellan, 54, Argyle, Texas, and formerly of Sarasota, died Sept. 28, 2005. He was born April 15, 1951, in Cleveland and lived in Sarasota from 1952 to 1980. He was the owner,...

Mustangs hold off Pirates.(SPORTS)
October 1, 2005... Byline: JON STYF jon.styf@heraldtribune.com MURDOCK -- The ball trickled out of Port Charlotte High receiver Greg Mandile's hands after he bobbled it twice and it headed toward the ground. But Lakewood Ranch linebacker Shane Ayala...

A changing landscape.(HOME & REAL ESTATE)(Letter From Home)(Column)
October 1, 2005... Byline: Harold Bubil It's on a corner lot. That's so appropriate. Houses on corner lots get plenty of attention -- all that street frontage, you know. And for a house that's intended to be as much a teaching tool as a home, the corner...

Going the extra yard; With planning, you can install an eco-friendlylandscape that's easy and inexpensive to maintain.(HOME & REAL ESTATE)
October 1, 2005... Byline: HAROLD BUBIL harold.bubil@heraldtribune.com ***** CORRECTION: The following correction was published on Tuesday, October 4, 2005: Correction: * A caption in Saturday's Home & Real Estate section misidentified Aztec grass as...

Thinking globally about holiday lights.(HOME & REAL ESTATE)(Column)
October 1, 2005... Byline: Art Levy No offense to anyone who is, but I'm not a mega-store kind of guy. I'm actually embarrassed to walk into one of those places. I guess I don't want anyone thinking that I'm capable of buying 32 rolls of toilet paper...

LaBelle pounds Mantas; Matt Davidson rushes for 345 yards and 6 TD's to lead Cowboys to victory.(SPORTS)
October 1, 2005... Byline: CURTIS WILLIAMS CORRESPONDENT ENGLEWOOD -- Senior fullback Matt Davidson rushed for a career-high 345 yards and six touchdowns as LaBelle High coasted to a 41-13 Class 3A-District 13 football victory over Lemon Bay High Friday...

Bulldogs hand Devils 1st loss; DeSoto's smothering defense forces four turnovers in the victory in its district opener.(SPORTS)
October 1, 2005... Byline: DENNIS MAFFEZZOLI dennis.maffezzoli@heraldtribune.com ARCADIA -- The DeSoto County High football team threw a blanket over Avon Park. A smothering defense forced four turnovers and stopped the Red Devils for no gain on a...

One city's approach to affordability; A land trust in Burlington, Vt., has Sarasota County interested.(A SECTION)
October 2, 2005... Byline: DALE WHITE dale.white@heraldtribune.com BURLINGTON, Vt. -- Metereologically and politically, this New England town offers a strikingly different climate from balmy, largely conservative Sarasota County. When it comes to...

Renters say Venice man dashed their home dreams; At least a half- dozen tried but couldn't buy houses they rented from Rod Khleif in lease-to-buy arrangements.(A SECTION)
October 2, 2005... Byline: BOB MAHLBURG bob.mahlburg@heraldtribune.com Tricia and Keith Arnett rented homes for years but wanted to buy a house for their growing family. They were thrilled when they found a canal-front home in Port Charlotte they could...

GATORS SKINNED; Alabama dominates a Florida team Meyer calls unprepared.(SPORTS)
October 2, 2005... Byline: MIC HUBER mic.huber@heraldtribune.com TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Urban Meyer could still hear the chants of the Alabama crowd in his ears as he tried to make sense out of what had just happened to his team. Meyer stood and looked for...

Unbeaten 'Noles crush Orange; Weatherford passes for 3 TDs and scores another in convincing win over 1-3 Syracuse.(SPORTS)
October 2, 2005... Byline: CHRIS MILTON CORRESPONDENT TALLAHASSEE -- Florida State took full advantage of miscues that Syracuse could ill afford to make while gliding to a 38-14 conquest of the Orange on Saturday afternoon. Four Syracuse turnovers set...

Dead tide; The dreaded algae bloom could end up killing more than just manatees and popular saltwater fish species.(SPORTS)(Outdoors)(Column)
October 2, 2005... Byline: Steve Gibson Red tide is a problem that just won't go away. Even when the dreaded bloom is seemingly gone from our waters, you can bet it will return. Again and again and again. The fish-killing algae is nothing new....

New-look Rays only sure thing.(SPORTS)
October 2, 2005... Byline: DENNIS MAFFEZZOLI dennis.maffezzoli@heraldtribune.com ST. PETERSBURG -- One link to the puzzle officially is missing with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays buying out the final year of manager Lou Piniella's contract. Another piece...

Gruden calls plays, keep 'em guessing.(SPORTS)
October 2, 2005... Byline: TOM BALOG Tom.balog@heraldtribune.com TAMPA -- Jon Gruden barks into his headset microphone a sequence of words that filter into the helmet speakers of his quarterback. Brian Griese repeats what he just heard to the other 10...

Benfield, Perna shoot 71s to share top spot.(SPORTS)
October 2, 2005... Byline: PHIL DENIS CORRESPONDENT VENICE -- Shane Benfield and Dave Perna each shot 1-under par 71 Saturday to lead 11th annual Venice City Golf Championship Tournament at Lake Venice Golf Club. Five golfers shot par or better over a...

Korszen coasts to victory.(SPORTS)
October 2, 2005... Byline: CURTIS WILLIAMS CORRESPONDENT PORT CHARLOTTE -- With the district cross country meets coming up at the end of this month, area coaches are emphasizing the importance of the entire team running well rather than just individuals....

Decision on Allied Capital is a close call.(BUSINESS & MONEY)(The Rational Investor)(Column)
October 2, 2005... Byline: Dr. Robert Stepleman Today's column is the 11th in my recent continuing series of reviews of the 12 stocks in the "moderate" investor's portfolio. The portfolio, formulated in 2002, has performed very well, but the individual...

Valero Energy's stock accelerates rapidly.(BUSINESS & MONEY)(Streetwise)(Column)
October 2, 2005... Byline: Lauren Rudd Yes, October is upon us once again. That time of the year when trees display their fall colors and pumpkins debut as pumpkin pie. It is also when the country will have to begin to come to grips with closed refineries...

Exercise remains matter of opinion.(FLORIDA WEST & TRAVEL)(Column)
October 2, 2005... Byline: David Grimes I was at the doctor's office the other day in hopes of adding two or three pills to the 25 I already take each day when out of nowhere the guy with the stethoscope says to me, "Do you exercise?" First off, you...

New Era, New Leader; FSU/Asolo Conservatory director Greg Leaming hopes all the drama in the acting program is onstage from now on.(FLORIDA WEST & TRAVEL)
October 2, 2005... Byline: CHARLIE HUISKING charlie.huisking@heraldtribune.com In a classroom at the FSU/Asolo Conservatory last month, Greg Leaming was discussing the Trojan War and helping students analyze the texts of Sophocles and Euripides. But the...

Saks gets a jump on the fun and fund-raising season.(FLORIDA WEST & TRAVEL)(Column)
October 2, 2005... Byline: Marjorie North The season hasn't even started yet, but Saks staffers have been in high gear for awhile already. GM David Sofo, Sally Schule, Eric Cross and others have given more charity fund-raisers in the past month than any...

Beachys celebrate 50 years.(FLORIDA WEST & TRAVEL)
October 2, 2005... Abe and Martha (Yutzy) Beachy of Sarasota celebrated their 50th anniversary Sept. 29, 2005. They were married Sept. 29, 1955, in Plain City, Ohio, and have lived in Sarasota for 33 years. They are the parents of Vernon R. Beachy and...

Edbergs celebrate 50 years.(FLORIDA WEST & TRAVEL)
October 2, 2005... John and Maggie (Lusch) Edberg of Englewood celebrated their 50th anniversary Sept. 10, 2005. They were married Sept. 10, 1955, in Monroe, Mich., and have lived in Englewood for 12 years. They are the parents of David Edberg of Canton,...