A Sarasota Minute

February

28th

2010

The Great Winter of 2010 Puts Damper on Yet Another Local Event

By Robert Frederickson

One of the key attractions promoters point to in their ongoing efforts to develop Nathan Benderson Park into a world class rowing facility is the mild winter weather that allows for its year-round use. But The Great Winter of 2010 put that notion in the deep freeze Saturday as a scheduled rowing event was “called” on account of cold weather.

Rowers compete in last April Florida High School Rowing Association's 2009 Championship Regatta. Photo by R. Frederickson

Rowers compete at Benderson Park in last April's Florida Scholastic Rowing Association's 2009 Regatta. Photo by R. Frederickson

Rowers had arrived from as far away as Texas to compete in the Sarasota Invitational, which got underway as scheduled at 8:00 AM Saturday. But by late morning the combination of wind and rain sweeping down the length of the park’s lake had spectators shivering along the shore and rowers out on the water clearly distressed, with some even exhibiting early symptoms of possible hypothermia. By 11:30 organizers were forced to recognize what had become obvious to everyone in attendance: this was no day for rowing.

Relief mixed with disappointment for participants, some of whom found warmth by wrapping themselves in blankets provided by Sarasota County EMS units, which organizers had presciently pre-positioned at the park.

500 participants had been expected for the event, which was to be a warm-up of sorts for larger events scheduled for later this spring. But in this winter of discontent for local event organizers, it’s another kind of warm-up that’s on everyone’s mind.

Tags: hypothermia, Nathan Benderson Park, Rowing, Sarasota rowing, The Great Winter of 2010, winter 2010
Posted in Florida, Recreation, Sports

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February

19th

2010

New South Tamiami Trail Business Proves “What Goes Around, Comes Around…”

By Robert Frederickson

For audio purists, collectors and nostalgia buffs alike, the opening of a new South Trail business is music to the ears: rich, beautiful, full-bodied music. Recorded and played back as nature intended: in an analog format where sound waves moving air rule over the sterile perfection of digital bits and bytes. At least that’s what the true-believers will tell you.

Rock Roots Records' Neil Kelly talks about some of the rare LPs available at his new South Trail store. Photos by R. Frederickson

Owner Neil Kelly’s Rock Roots Records – 7640 South Tamiami Trail – is part of a small but persistent backlash against the digital tsunami that starting in the mid-1980s washed away the Long Playing album as the dominant format of music delivery. At the time, the new digital compact disc or CD was hailed as a major advancement…by most, but not all. Like a band of hardcore confederate holdouts believing the South will rise again, there was (and remains to this day) an equally committed cadre of Hi-Fi aficionados who never bought into the whole digital revolution.

“For a lot of people, records just sound better,” says Kelly.

His store is an inviting oasis for these musical non-conformists. The business model is simple: bring in your old records and depending on their condition and rarity, he may buy them from you for anywhere from a dollar apiece to $35 or more (for exceptionally rare examples). In fact, I brought in an old Roy Buchanan LP packaged in its original distinctive burlap bag cover that I had purchased back in the early 1970s. Turns out the album, titled “Buch and the Snakestretchers” is rarer than I thought. Kelly offered me $25 for it; but sentimentality won out in the end and I decided to hold onto the memento of my youth. For the albums and 45s Kelly does manage to buy, he figures in his overhead and profit margin and puts them on sale for the musical purists who look at CDs and other digital forms of music the way connoisseurs of fine wine look at a bottle of Beaujolais Nouveau: with utter contempt.

Initially, such purists – known as audiophiles – were dismissed as mere fanatics. But over time, their numbers grew as more and more music lovers rediscovered the virtues of vinyl records played on a quality turntable. Several successful publications and websites have even come along to take up the banner of the cause. At its core, that cause centers on the lack of warmth detractors say typifies CDs and other digital formats; they trace this to the “on/off” nature of distilling music down to a series of zeroes and ones. Digitally recorded music is “clipped” they say, most noticeably in passages of classical performances where a full orchestral crescendo is followed by a much quieter interlude or instrumental solo.

Whatever the merits of the case, there’s no denying the fervor with which the true-believers – with their high end sound systems and well-trained ears – pursue their passion. It’s what has allowed shops like Kelly’s to carve out a niche for themselves in cities coast-to-coast. But they’re usually found in much larger markets. Can Sarasota support a business catering to such an admittedly limited taste?

“When I first came to town I was looking for something music-related for work” said Kelly, who has worked as a musician and on occasion, music producer. “I noticed that there were no other record stores like this around, and Sarasota is a great music town. A lot of people really appreciate music here.”

And so Rock Roots Records was born. The name, by the way, comes from a former reggae band Kelly played in named Rock Roots Reggae.

And though audiophiles make up a good share of his clientele, he also gets a lot of people just looking for an old song or album that they remember from the past but can’t seem to track down in conventional channels. “It’s not just the purists that come in,” says Kelly. “A day doesn’t go by where someone doesn’t come in looking for one particular song or another.”

Is your turntable a distant memory? Well, Rock Roots Records has several available for sale.

There’s an entertainment value to the shop as well…there’s plenty to see and recall in this funky throwback to the record store of year’s past. Albums are available ranging in price from a few dollars all the way up to $120 for a very rare early release of The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. And the large format of the LP with its album art and liner notes is a major source of information and enjoyment as well. The store is the kind of place where folks walk in thinking they’ll be in-and-out and end up milling about for a half-hour or more.

Even the uninitiated who prefer CDs will find something of interest. “I buy and sell them too,” says Kelly; though perhaps it’s telling that as he continues to organize his retail display space some of the CDs have been put to an inglorious use: supporting one of his turntables.

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PARTCULARS:

Rock Roots Records is located at 7640 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota.

Hours: Monday through Saturday, 10:00-6:00. Phone: 941-924-6666

Tags: 45s, Analog vs. Digital music, Audiophile, audiophiles, Beaujolais Nouveau, Buch and the Snakestretchers, CD, Compact Discs, Hi-Fi, long playing albums, LPs, Neil Kelly, Records, Rock Roots Records, Roy Buchanan, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, The Beatles, turntable, turntables
Posted in Business/Finance, Music, Shopping

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February

12th

2010

Stand up and Cheer Sarasota! Winter Finally Brings Something to Celebrate

By Robert Frederickson

In a state where winter usually arrives on a Tuesday and is gone by Thursday afternoon, this year’s installment has been a freakishly persistent affair, overstaying its welcome like a house full of northern visitors who drop by for a “short” visit and are still around a month later.

Frost in Southwest Florida? Local landscapes have paid the price. Photos by R. Frederickson

The two week cold-snap at the beginning of the year was bad enough, with lows in the 20’s bringing frost to windshields and a near-death experience to many local landscapes. But since then, this winter has become the climatological equivalent of the Energizer bunny: It just keeps going and going…

Last month’s “Thunder by the Bay” motorcycle rally and charity fundraiser produced little more than a whimper. People stayed away in droves as daytime highs never got out of the 40’s. Parking spots at Siesta Key Beach have become plentiful at a time when they are usually as rare as…well…freezing temperatures in Florida.

Over the last few weeks, copious Friday rains have added insult to injury, setting the stage for soggy weekends. Hopefully the weather will improve for this week’s offerings that include the Greek Glendi sponsored by Saint Barbara’s Church (it drew 18,000 last year) and Circus Sarasota’s opening performance tonight that kicks off a six-week run.

As long as we’re actually experiencing winter weather this year, perhaps it’s appropriate that the Winter Olympics are opening tonight as well. It’s hard to relate to cold-weather sports when it’s 80 degrees and blindingly sunny outside. No such dilemma this year. Our predicted low temperature of 38 degrees for tomorrow is a full ten degrees lower than the 48 degree reading expected in Vancouver, BC, site of the games. Pretty strange, eh?

A sign of the times: 28 degrees was the coolest temperature recorded in Sarasota in years.

But on the bright side, four of the US Olympic figure skating team’s members have local roots. Two of the pairs – Jeremy Barrett and Caydee Denney and Mark Ladwig and Amanda Evora – have been training at the Ellenton Ice and Sports Complex just up the road in Manatee county for much of the past year. Barrett was born and raised in Venice, while his partner Denney is from Ocala. Ladwig lives in Parrish, not far from he Ellenton rink. So could this be the Sunshine State’s version of the movie “Cool Running” about a long-shot Jamaican bobsled team’s run for Olympic glory? Stay tuned.

The skating pairs short program is Sunday, February 14 at 7:30 pm. The free skate competition is Monday, February 15 at 8:00 pm. Both events will be broadcast live on NBC.

So stand up and cheer Sarasota: winter only comes once a…generation?

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Tags: Amanda Evora, BC, Caydee Denney, Circus Sarasota, Cool Running, Ellenton Ice and Sports Complex, Energizer bunny, Greek Glendi, Jeremy Barrett, Mark Ladwig, Siesta Key Beach, Thunder by the Bay, Vancouver, winter 2010, Winter Olympics
Posted in Florida, Recreation, Sports, Travel

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February

12th

2010

A Sight to Make John Ringling Proud

By Robert Frederickson

Morning commuters crossing the John Ringling Bridge last Thursday morning were treated to a spectacle that would have made the bridge’s namesake circus promoter proud: aerialist Nik Wallenda, great grandson of the famed Karl Wallenda, making a crossing of his own, 200 feet up in the air walking on a cable no thicker than a nickel is round, stretched 600 feet between the rooftops of the One Watergate Building and the Ritz Carlton Hotel.

Nick Wallenda crosses between the rooftops of the One Watergate and Ritz Carlton buildings in downtown Sarasota last Friday. Photo by WFLA-TV8.

The perils of local traffic not withstanding, Wallenda’s feat certainly appeared to be the more death-defying journey. But in reality, it was all in a day’s work for the Sarasota native who will be performing starting tonight with other Wallenda family members as Circus Sarasota opens its annual six week run on the grounds of the Ed Smith Sports Complex on 12th Street in Sarasota.

That the circus tradition is alive and well hereabouts – and not locked away somewhere in the dusty recesses of the Circus Museum at the Ringling Estate north of town – is a testament to just how deeply John Ringling imprinted himself upon this community after arriving here almost a century ago.

In many ways, this remains a circus town. Several branches of the Wallenda family still call the area home, as do a half-dozen circuses. It’s not unusual to see trapeze equipment in backyards in the DeSoto Acres area between Lockwood Ridge Road and Shade Avenue in North Sarasota where many circus families have settled…drawn perhaps by the large five-acre lots that can accommodate the tools of their trade. Occasionally, some exotic animals are spotted in these parts as well. The Police Athletic League’s Sailor Circus continues to promote the circus arts among the area’s youth. The organization stages several youth circus performances each year. It’s a program that began in the late 1940s as an extracurricular sports activity at Sarasota High School.

So as Circus Sarasota opens tonight under its own colorful bigtop, it won’t stand alone. It follows in a long, rich tradition…one filled with the benevolent spirits of circuses past…

…risen from the countless rehearsals and performances at the old winter quarters now occupied by the Glen Oaks subdivision near the intersection of 12th Street and Beneva Road; from generations of shop-talk at the counter of restaurants like Bob’s Place on Central Avenue or social clubs like Showfolks on North Lockwood that cater to circus folk; from the stories passed down by the thousands of locals and circus performers who appeared as extras in Cecil B. DeMille’s academy award winning film “The Greatest Show on Earth” starring Charlton Heston and Betty Hutton, shot right here in Sarasota; from the excitement of the crowds assembled to watch the circus trains roll back into town after many long months on the road…bringing performers and roustabousts alike home to their families…many members of which lined the sidings to greet them; from the pageantry of the parade from the train depot to the winter quarters…elephants trunk-to-tail, lions, tiger and bears in colorful wagons and even more colorful clowns and assorted other characters…there for all to see and greet.

So enjoy yourself Sarasota, the circus is back in town…

As William Faulkner wrote: “The past isn’t dead…it isn’t even past.”

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Circus Sarasota opens February 12 with performances running through March. For ticket information, click here.

Tags: Betty Hutton, Bob;s Place, Cecil B. DeMille, Charlton Heston, Circus Museum, Circus Sarasota, John Ringling, Karl Wallenda, Nik Wallenda, PAL Sailor Circus, Ringling Museum, Sailor Circus, Sarasota Ritz Carlton, Showfolks, The Greatest Show on Earth, William Faulkner
Posted in Florida, History, Travel

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January

22nd

2010

Celebrating 10-years of the High Life at Myakka River State Park’s Canopy Walkway

By Robert Frederickson

Its observation tower rises 75 feet above the floor of the surrounding live-oak hammock, looking almost other-worldly…like something straight out of James Cameron’s film Avatar. Its 85-foot long suspended walkway sways amid the treetops…much to the delight – and sometimes trepidation – of visitors making their way across. The breathtaking view from the top stretches for miles and is unlike any other in this corner of the world.

“It” is the Canopy Walkway at Myakka River State Park. And this year marks its 10th anniversary.

Dr. Meg Lowman in her element: high in the treetops at the Canopy Walk at Myakka River State Park. Photos by R. Frederickson

Work began on the now iconic Sarasota County landmark in February of 2000. Remarkably, it was built in just ten days, officially opening to the public later that spring. But if things had gone just a bit differently, it might today be located a mere stone’s throw south of downtown Sarasota – drawing ecotourists to the county’s urban core instead of its rural eastern reaches.

“The original idea was to build it at Selby Gardens,” said Dr. Meg Lowman, Director of Environmental Initiatives at New College in Sarasota and driving force behind the project…though she prefers to credit others for much of the success in making the canopy walk a reality.

She points specifically to local commercial realtor Bob Richardson for his fundraising skill and Director Robert Dye (now retired) and Specialist Paula Benshoff of Myakka River State Park for their work addressing the many details and obstacles that accompanied the project. Dye was especially adept at cutting through the seemingly endless red tape encountered at the state level and Benshoff uncovered several local grants that helped provide valuable funding.

The view from the observation deck atop main tower looking down at the suspended walkway.

Countless others in the community were also involved, said Lowman, calling it “a true grassroots effort.” A smile comes to her face as she recalls the dozens of car washes and other fundraising events held to get the project off the ground (in the most literal sense).

But while many can rightfully share in the credit, it was Lowman’s vision that inspired the undertaking throughout.

In the late 1990s, she was the Director of Research at Sarasota’s Marie Selby Botanical Gardens. As for the early idea of placing the canopy walk there, she recalled in a recent interview how the gardens’ senior management at the time – including then director Mark Bierner – passed on the idea. “They were worried about the impact they thought it would have on the grounds,” she said.

The Selby instead opted for a lower profile – though no less intriguing – canopy walk project. Completed in 1999 and called “Walker’s Walk,” it winds through a stand of giant fig trees near Hudson Bayou. Like the Myakka walkway, it offers visitors an intimate, up close view of the canopy habitat. It also has the advantage of being handicapped accessible, something the Myakka walkway is not. But in terms of sheer scale, it intentionally makes a less dramatic physical statement than its east county counterpart…one more in keeping with its Selby surroundings.

The suspended walkway is 25 feet above the ground and spans 85 feet.

The main tower looks like something straight out of James Cameron's film Avatar.

In large part due to its higher profile – call it the “wow” factor – national and international interest in the Myakka version has grown steadily in the decade since it first opened. According to Lowman, many visitors have remarked that they were drawn to Myakka River State Park mainly to take the “canopy-walk,” as it has become known…and to take in those breathtaking vistas that reward a climb up its 115 steps. It has become something of a pilgrimage for travelers looking for a different kind of vacation adventure.

A highway through the treetops...

“Travel writers love it,” said Lowman. “Articles about it have run in papers and magazines around the world.”

Since admission to the park includes access to the canopy walk, it’s difficult to know exactly how many additional visits the walkway contributes to each year’s total. But the park service’s Benshoff recalls doing a study in 2000 comparing park attendance that summer with figures from the previous three. “The increase was significant,” she said in a recent interview. “More than double as I recall.”

She also remarked how she too has heard the now familiar question: “where’s that canopy walk we’ve heard about?” supporting the notion that many park guests are drawn to the park first and foremost by the walkway’s own distinct allure.

“The parking lot by the trail is full year round,” Benshoff added. “It seems as popular today as it was when it first opened.”

Recognized internationally for her research on canopy habitat, Lowman was inspired to bring a canopy walk to her adopted hometown of Sarasota through her experience with one built by her alma mater, Williams College, in Massachusetts. Completed in 1992, that structure was the first canopy walkway built in North America. But unlike Sarasota’s two examples, it was conceived primarily as a research facility. It is not routinely open to the public like the ones here.

That’s not to say the Myakka canopy walkway doesn’t play an important role in research and education as well. The day Lowman was interviewed for this story at the park she was also meeting there with a professor from Baker University in Kansas. Dr. William Miller had come to study microscopic organisms called water bears that live high in the treetops. They are a well-known ‘indicator’ species, so named because they provide valuable insight into the overall health of their surrounding environment.

Lowman also regularly brings her New College students out to the canopy walk for field studies. Even grade school students have gotten involved. Third graders from Mrs. Fugere’s class at Pine View elementary school in Osprey are studying the effects of the invasive Mexican Weevil that has attacked bromeliads that usually thrive in the canopy environment. Mrs. Gould-Olson’s fifth grade class has also used the walkway as an outdoor classroom.

Breathtaking vistas await visitors who make it up the 115 steps to the top of the main tower.

But while research and education are important parts of the canopy walk story, it’s that “wow” factor that has allowed Lowman’s vision to crossover from the world of academia and capture the imagination of a broader public. And that’s no coincidence. Her eyes dance whenever the subject turns to anything that might raise awareness of the natural world that has fascinated her since she was a young girl, prophetically playing with her friends in the tree house behind her Elmira, New York home.

How does the saying go? “The only difference between men and boys is the size of their toys.”

Sometimes, it’s the same for girls.

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Myakka River State Park is located 9 miles E of I-75 at 13208 State Road 72, Sarasota, FL USA 34241. The park is open everyday from 8:00 AM to Sunset. Admission is $6.00 per vehicle.

Marie Selby Botanical Gardens is located at 811 South Palm Avenue in Sarasota, Florida, 34236. Admission is $17 for adults, $6 for children 6-11. Children under six are free. Selby Gardens is open every day except Christmas from 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM

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http://pelicanpress.org/content/1766_1.php

Tags: Avatar, Baker University, Bob Richardson, Canopy, Canopy Walk, Canopy Walkway at Myakka River State Park, Dr Meg Lowman, Dr. Margaret Lowman, Dr. William Miller, Elmira NY, James Cameron, Margaret Lowman, Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, Mexican Weevil, New College, Paula Benshoff, Pine View School, Robert Dye, Treehouse, Walker's Walk, Water Bears
Posted in Florida, Recreation, Travel

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January

7th

2010

Low-tech fun in a high-tech age

By Robert Frederickson

My nephews Jason, seven and Jake, four, want for very little in life. Their parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles adore them beyond measure, lavishing on them what kids need most: attention and love.

But at Christmas, the outward display of all this adoration in the form of presents under the tree reaches dizzying proportions. While most of the family elders long-ago adopted the “Secret Santa” approach to gift-giving, wherein each participant picks a name and buys one gift for the family-member chosen, all bets are off when it comes to the kids. So much so that by late Christmas morning the living room at my sister-in-law’s house looks like the aftermath of an explosion at a Toys-R-Us store.

I cannot begrudge my godchild and his younger brother their good fortune. But I do worry about the price they may pay for their bounty in terms of shortened attention spans. So many toys, so little time!

Seriously though, the incidence of hyperactivity and Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) has risen steadily over the years. Coincidence? I don’t think so. With the many distractions in today’s world, it has become harder and harder for youngsters to concentrate on one thing for any appreciable length of time. Think about it: with hundreds of channels on the TV, DVD players in cars and gadgets of every shape and size delivering all manner of on-line content, is there any room left for a moment of boredom to creep in and force the imagination into action?

Youngsters interacting with their ninetendos instead of eaach other.

Youngsters interacting with their ninetendos instead of each other.

Such boredom can be a fountainhead of creativity. It teaches resourcefulness and new ways of looking at the world. And not least importantly, it helps forge bonds with those similarly afflicted.

The most popular gift this year was the Ninetendo DSI, an electronic game pad the size of an iPhone. Jason and Jake were transfixed by the gizmos. But at a friend’s house over the holidays, I was at first amused and then a bit saddened to note that at one point four of the six children present were self-absorbed in their own virtual playgrounds. A fifth was watching TV, while the sixth, a little girl named Brook – too young perhaps to grasp the strange attraction of the hand-held devices – was playing hide-and-seek with my brother-in-law Jeff. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that Brook was the one seemingly having the most fun (besides Jeff, an overgrown kid at heart). She squealed in delight when she finally found him hiding behind a door in the laundry room.

I usually defer to my wife Kathy when it comes to shopping for the boys. But when she told me what she planned to get them this year, I almost exercised my veto-power (which throughout our marriage I have come to learn should only be employed in the most dire of circumstances). Her gift idea? Potato sacks. That’s right, potato sacks. “They’ll have fun,” she said. “They can have races outside with their friends.”

Well, no one wants to assume the role in a child’s world of the relative who gives the lamest Christmas gift under the tree, but despite my misgivings, I signed off on the idea.

But when Jason and Jake opened their gift it seemed like my original fears were well-founded. They examined the sacks as if they were looking for the ON/OFF button. Yet after listening to their aunt patiently explain the whole idea of the potato sack race they seemed to perk up. And a short while later they were actually outdoors jumping around like over-excited kangaroos.

It didn’t take long before friends from the neighborhood showed up and joined in the fun. Before long races were in full swing with smiles all around…none bigger than Aunt Kathy’s

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Want to watch one of the potato sack races? Follow the link below. In this short clip Jake, four, is about to win his first race when older brother Jason intervenes at the last possible moment…

Click Here to See Jake’s Big Race!

Tags: ADD, Attention Deficit Disorder, boredom, Christmas, hyperactive children, Hyperactivity, iPhone, Ninetendo, Ninetendo DSI, Potato Sack, Potato sack race, secret santa, Toys-R-Us
Posted in Family, Holidays

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December

19th

2009

A Christmas greeting for you and yours…

Click here…and have yourself a merry little Christmas…

Tags: Christmas greeting, Christmas music, Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas
Posted in Music

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December

2nd

2009

A Tale of Two Legends

By Robert Frederickson

Among the 90,000-plus fans, coaches and players on hand for last Saturday’s Florida/FSU match-up, two bona-fide legends stood out: one at the beginning of an already storied career, the other nearing the end of his own. Fittingly, the two men – FSU coach Bobby Bowden and Florida quarterback Tim Tebow – met and embraced at midfield after the game.

It is a testament to both that in that moment – one of unbridled joy for Tebow and of deep disappointment for Bowden – each had the presence of mind to step outside themselves and embrace something greater: fellowship. For a game that has sustained them. For a tradition that has supported and nurtured them. For a life lived with optimism, hope and a sense of boundless possibility.

FSU coach Bobby Bowden and UF quarterback Tim Tebow meet at mid-field after Saturday's showdown.

There aren’t many coaches left cast in the mold of Bowden. He arrived at FSU early in his career and remained there for 33 years, building a home – and a homespun reputation – with his high school sweetheart, his beloved Anne. During his tenure he brought home two national championships and his teams were consistently ranked among the country’s best. His loyalty to FSU is tinged with irony, though, given the sometimes unseemly calls for his forced retirement recently from some FSU fans after several mediocre seasons.

As for Tebow, well, what more is there to say? A Heisman trophy. Two national championships (like Bowden). And an abiding faith in a power beyond himself, again just like Bowden.

Displayed against the backdrop of a game where self-promotion and self-adulation often seem to get the lion’s share of attention, that moment at midfield was especially poignant. One legend accepting the passing of his own glory days with humility and grace while another – still on the ascent to the summit of his own showed the same qualities in paying his respects to the other.

The great sweep of time brings triumph and despair to each of us. It is how we handle both that defines us.

In that moment, both men saw something of themselves in the other: Passion. Humility. And the heart of a champion.

Tags: Bobby Bowden, Florida State University, FSU, Heisman Trophy, National Championship, Tim Tebow, UF, University of Florida
Posted in Sports

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November

22nd

2009

Art Center Sarasota Focuses Wide Angle Lens on Photographic Styles

By Robert Frederickson

If there is an overall theme to a new exhibition that opened last week at Art Center Sarasota, perhaps it’s that early interests and fascinations often lead to life-long inspiration.

The exhibit is primarily of photographs, but at least one series of watercolors is included as well. Everything from traditional landscapes in the realistic style of masters like Ansel Adams and Florida’s own Clyde Butcher to abstract, digitally manipulated images guaranteed to make most card-carrying traditionalists cringe are presented.

But throughout, the individual personalities of the photographers and artists are clearly on display. And their creative focus can often be traced back to their earliest passions. All of which makes for an entertaining experience for the viewer taking in the Art Center’s offerings.

Art Center Sarasota, 707 North Tamiami Trail

The exhibit is really two shows in one. The first displays the work of five featured artists. “They are part of a curated exhibition,” said Art Center’s Lisa Berger last week. “They were selected by our exhibition committee. The balance of the exhibition is juried photography by Florida photographers, both professional and amateur.”

Even before the 119 images competing in the juried exhibit are considered, the five featured artists bring a considerable range of expression and experience to the Art Center’s galleries.

Just to the left upon entering are the works of Dean Mitchell, the only member of the featured five displaying works in a non-photographic medium. His watercolors capture rural southern landscapes recalled from his youth. They reveal a place where time moves slowly enough for thoughts to roam at their own unimpeded pace – far removed from the modern world of cell phones, twitter and facebook where the inspiration born of boredom has seemingly been forever vanquished. “I have inherited a passion for the simple things of life,” he says. It is a passion clearly evident in the simple but evocative lines of his work.

Across the foyer, two other heartfelt visions from the past draw the viewer’s attention.

Arieh Aizenberg is an Israeli born photographer with a background in architecture and design. That background inspired his fascination with such pedestrian features of modern life as electrical transmission poles and repetitive forms in bridges, walls and angular buildings. His works seem to revel in finding order and symmetry in the most mundane corners of everyday life.

On the opposite wall, an entirely different vision comes to life: scenes of cowboys working a cattle roundup, presumably somewhere out west. But upon closer examination, the viewer notices cabbage palms and palmetto bushes in the background. Could this be Florida? Well, yes, photographer Jim Peters told surprised guests at the exhibit’s opening night reception last Thursday evening. But that surprise only grew when they learned that not only are the scenes from Florida, but that they were captured right here in Sarasota County. And, they’re not from decades past but were actually taken quite recently.

A genuine Florida "cracker" at work as photographed by Sarasota photographer Jimmy Peters.

Just as remarkable is that Peters has only been pursuing photography seriously since he retired two years ago from P. Taylor McHone Advertising here in town. As to his choice of subject matter, he explained he has been fascinated with Sarasota’s cowboy heritage since growing up on a ranch in the Bee Ridge area in the 1950’s and 60s. After he retired, he drove out to the Hi-Hat Ranch near Myakka River State Park one afternoon and asked if he could take some shots of the ranch hands at work. To his surprise, the owners agreed. “They really opened the place up to me,” he said last Thursday. The access allowed him to perfect his black-and-white, realistic style while documenting a side of local life and heritage often overlooked by those living along the coast. In addition to the images displayed at Art Center Sarasota, Peter’s work can be viewed online at http://www.jimpetersphotography.com/.

Sarasota Photographer Jimmy Peters discusses his work with guests at the opening night reception Thursday night of Art Center Sarasota's latest exhibit. Photo by R, Frederickson.

Sarasota Photographer Jimmy Peters discusses his work with guests at the opening reception Thursday evening of Art Center Sarasota's latest exhibit. Photo by R, Frederickson.

Leaving the area’s rural eastern reaches and moving a few steps to the west, the next Art Center gallery is filled with images more attuned to Sarasota’s well-cultivated identity as an arts town. The subject for native New Yorker Richard Brownbill’s display is artistic motion. His photos capture dancers poised between past and future in mid-performance, suspended in the wonderful, rarefied air of endless possibility. Again, it was an early association – with mentor Lois Greenfield – that fueled his inspiration. Greenfield opened her studio to the young photographer, giving him the opportunity to shoot the dancers participating in her many photo sessions. It was an experience that provided the focus for his most powerful and persistent work.

Rounding out the five featured artists is David McGough, who has perfected his own special brand of papparazi art. He grew up in Northern New Jersey and studied art and photography at New York’s Pratt Institute in the late 1970s. While at Pratt, McGough was attracted to the city’s then burgeoning punk rock scene, which he chronicled with photos of The New York Dolls, The Ramones, Talking Heads, The Heartbreakers, Lou Reed and many other musical luminaries of the day. His photos have appeared in such magazines as Vanity Fair, Newsweek, Time, Paris Match and Rolling Stone.

His Art Center offerings attracted quite a crowd Thursday evening, including a characteristically goofy 1982 shot of Ozzy Osbourne holding a gun to his head and one of Mick Jagger taken in 1983 shooting a bird the photographer’s way. McGough now lives nearby on Anna Maria Island.

Many of the photographers participating in the juried part of the show were on hand to discuss their work Thursday as well. Local photographer/videographer Mark Vance produces futuristic images alive with the motion of color and light. His abstract visions are created using long exposures and camera motion to create spirals and trails of light moving across a photographic canvas. But they do not involve multiple exposures or computer generated images. Many of his works take familiar local scenes like the downtown Sarasota waterfront and present them in a new and literally different light.

Vance’s techniques grew out of the boredom he sometimes experienced during down time while traveling and working early in his career with his father, Michael Vance, co-founder of the respected and high profile “Creative Thinking Association” that gave the world such now ubiquitous phrases as “thinking outside the box.”

“We’d be in the hotel in places like New York and to pass time I’d set my camera up in the window and take pictures of the city lights at night,” said Vance.

One of those efforts, “Ghosts of New York,” is on display as part of the Art Center Sarasota show. It reveals Times Square bathed in a fluid movement of light and helped inspire the techniques that have developed into his own personal style.

Vance’s pictures have been used on several television shows, including FOX’s “House,” ABC’s “Private Practice” and CBS’s “Eleventh Hour.” In addition to his display at Art Center Sarasota, his works can also be viewed online at http://markHvance.com.

Artistic awards announced at last Thursday’s reception for the juried portion of the show were as follows: First Place: James Forbush, Second Place: Jay Van Dam, Third Place: Ian Dean. The Nell Rude Award went to John Zeiss, while merit awards were presented to William Vilenski and Betty Perry Glass.

But the talent on display extends far beyond the winning entries. Indeed, if you weren’t able to get a vacation in this year, Art Center Sarasota might offer a measure of relief. Over a hundred photos on display, each one a destination all its own.

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The exhibit continues through January 9th, Viewing hours are Tuesdays through Saturdays, 10 AM until 4:00 PM. Art Center Sarasota is located at 707 North Tamiami Trail in Sarasota.

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Tags: Ansel Adams, Arieh Aizenberg, Art Center Sarasota, Betty Perry Glass, Clyde Butcher, Creative Thinking Association, David McGough, Dean Mitchell, Hi Hat Ranch, Ian Dean, James Forbush, Jay Van Dam, Jimmy Peters, John Zeiss, Lisa Berger, Lois Greenfield, Lou Reed, Mark Vance, Michael Vance, Mick Jagger, Myakka River State Park, Ozzy Osbourne, Paris Match, Pratt Institute, Richard Brownbill, Rolling Stone, Talking Heads, The Heartbreakers, The New York Dolls, The Ramones, Times Square, Vanity Fair, William Vilenski
Posted in Architecture/Design, Art, Florida

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October

27th

2009

Air Force One Returns to Sarasota

The President’s plane touched down on schedule Tuesday morning at 10:45 AM at Sarasota Bradenton International Airport. A crowd of perhaps a thousand spectators were on hand to watch from the shoulders of 15th St. East and Tamiami Trail. Thankfully, the President departed on time as well later in the day. Most long-term residents recall what happened the last time Air Force One left Sarasota. That takeoff was anything but routine. It was September 11, 2001 and the world had just turned on a dime.

It was a decidedly more somber crowd watching the departure that day as Air Force One disappeared into the horizon on a wing and a prayer…headed for parts unknown.

Air Force One touching down in Sarasota, Florida, October 27, 2009. Photos by R. fFederickson

Air Force One touching down in Sarasota, Florida, October 27, 2009. Photos by R. Frederickson

Spectators lined 15th Street East near the airport to watch the Presiden't plane land.

Marine One helicopters on the way to Arcadia with President Obama on board.

Marine One passes above the Honeywell building today on its way to Arcadia, Florida, where the President will tour the nation's largest solar energy site. Photos by R. Frederickson

All rights reserved. This copyrighted content may not be republished without prior permission. Links are very much encouraged.

Tags: 9/11, Air Force One, Arcadia, FPL Solar Energy site, Marine One, President O'bama, Sarasota Bradenton International Airport, September 11
Posted in History, Politics

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October

25th

2009

Blues Fest 2009: If you promote it, they will come…

By Robert Frederickson

A funny thing about the blues: they can be their own best antidote.

Just ask any of the estimated 7000 fans that showed up Saturday for the 19th annual Sarasota Blues Fest at the Ed Smith Sports Complex in Sarasota.

A crowd estimated at 7000 was on hand for Saturday's 19th annual Sarasota Blues Festival.

In the midst of The Great Recession of 2008-2009, with unemployment still rising and real estate prices still way down from their peak, skeptics may have questioned the wisdom of staging such a high profile, risky event.

Just this week, organizers of the Redfish Cup Tournament announced they were canceling this year’s event due to the challenging current economic environment. The series has brought salt water fishing enthusiasts and national attention to the Charlotte Harbor/Manasota Key area in the past and was scheduled to be broadcast this coming spring on the ESPN sports network. And closer to home, organizers of the Sarasota Music Festival have pulled the plug on this year’s event which has run annually for 45 years.

But promoter Barbara Strauss has shown faith where others have wavered. She never seriously considered canceling.

Blues Veteran Floyd Miles performs Saturday afternoon.

“People are looking for a good time,” she said in an interview earlier this month. From the outset she has expressed confidence that this year’s show would be a success – despite the economy.

And she was right.

Her Field of Dreams was already filling nicely by mid afternoon Saturday when Floyd Miles joined the Bruce Katz Band on stage. The veteran Daytona Beach singer showcased the soulful delivery that singer/bandleader Gregg Allman credits with having richly influenced his own singing style early on in his career.

Duke Robillard performs at the 19th annual Sarasota Blues Fest.

“Some people sing from the heart, some people sing from the soul and some people just sing from the mind. Floyd Miles, a friend of mine for 40 years, sings from all three,” wrote Allman for the liner notes of Miles’ latest CD “Crazy Man. “He taught me how to sing the blues and deeply influenced my phrasing and delivery,” Allman continued.

Earlier, the crowd was treated to an energized performance by “Mojo” Myles Mancuso. Those getting something to eat or drink in the concession area or otherwise diverted from the stage when Mancuso lit into his first number could be excused for assuming they were hearing a seasoned professional at work. But Mancuso is actually just 14-years-old. He’s the latest in a succession of blues prodigies Strauss has showcased over the years. Previous standouts have included Derek Trucks, who performed at the tender age of 13 with then 96-year-old Blues icon Diamond Teeth Mary in 1993, and Eric Steckel, also just 13 when he performed a number with the legendary John Mayall during the 2003 Blues Fest.

Paul Barrere, left, and Kenny Gradney of Little Feat, which headlined Saturday's Sarasota Blues Fest.

By late afternoon a cool front had rolled through bringing some welcome relief from what had been an unseasonably warm start to the day. But things were still heating up on stage as guitarist/vocalist Larry McCray picked up on Miles’ soul-inspired performance, injecting his own distinctive brand of rock-and-roll influenced blues into the mix. By now, the practice field behind Ed Smith Stadium was about half covered with lawn chairs and blankets and a steady stream of fans continued to trickle in.

Next on stage was Grammy nominated guitarist, singer/songwriter, producer Duke Robillard. His contribution to the day’s musical history lesson was a decidedly “swing” inspired groove. Performing numbers from his recent CDs “Stomp the Blues Tonight” and “Guitar Groove-a-rama,” Robillard excited the crowd with his rapid-fire runs up and down the neck of his vintage Bigsby vibrato equipped Gibson Les Paul guitar. By the end of his set, Robillard had clearly won the crowd over. “Don’t you try to hurt us with a good time!” yelled one enthusiastic fan.

Little Feat percussionist Sam Clayton. Photos by R. Frederickson

The crowd was now ready for the main course. And Little Feat arrived on stage with the right recipe. Their sound can be described as the musical equivalent of a pot of bayou gumbo cooking slowly on the stove. Their musical influences are rich and diverse: a mixture of all the various styles heard throughout the day Saturday, now simmered to perfection.

In keeping with that image, they opened with a spicy rendition of “Cajun Rage,” from their 1995 album “Ain’t Had Enough Fun.” They followed up with “Fat Man in the Bathtub” and “Spanish Moon,” “Skin it Back,” Dixie Chicken,” “Apolitical Blues,” “Oh Atlanta,” “Cajun’ Girl,” and “Willin’.”

Little Feat keyboardist Billy Payne performs with Little Feat, Saturday in Sarasota. Photos by R. Frederickson

Little Feat keyboardist Billy Payne performs with the band Saturday in Sarasota. Photos by R. Frederickson

After a nearly two-hour set, the band capped the night with a high-energy, extended encore of their hit “Let it Roll.”

And with that, after ten hours of music, the stage went silent. The 19th annual Sarasota Blues Fest was history. But let the skeptics take note: that history remains one of success, good times or bad.

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Tags: Barbara Strauss, Bigsby Vibrato, Billy Payne, Bruce Katz band, Charlotte Harbor, Derek Trucks, Diamond Teeth Mary, Duke Robillard, Eric Steckel, Floyd Miles, Gibson Les Paul, Gregg Allman, John Mayall, Kenny Gradney, Little Feat, Manasota Key, Mojo Myles Mancuso, Paul Barrere, Redfish Cup, Redfish Cup Fishing Tournament, Sam Clayton, Sarasota Blues Fest
Posted in Business/Finance, History, Music

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October

20th

2009

A Bit of Old Morocco in Gulf Gate Village

By Fred Roberts

Looking for a bit of dining adventure at a reasonable price? How about a taste of old Morocco, right here in Sarasota?

You’ll find that and more at Atlas Foods in Gulf Gate Village, though upon entering the storefront at 6606 Superior Avenue you might think you’ve taken a wrong turn. The store’s deli case and menu board are filled with Italian favorites, from sausage subs to homemade pastas to fine Italian meats and cheeses. But when you catch a whiff of something exotic wafting in from the kitchen, you’ll know you’re in the right place.

Samira Elouardi of Atlas Foods in Gulf Gate Village.

The Italian connection comes from the store’s former life as The Italian Deli Grocery. After Samira and Hachem Elouardi bought the business last year, they wanted to keep the store’s regular customers happy, so rather than replacing the existing Italian menu with the traditional fare of their native Morocco, they simply added to it.

Those additions are based on the Tajjin style of cooking Samira and Hachem grew up with. It takes its name from the traditional Tajjin pot used to slowly cook meats and poultry in their natural juices. The result is fall-off-the-bone tenderness for dishes like their Chicken Tajjin, with its garlic, lemon and onion flavoring throughout or equally savory, Lamb Tajjin topped with plum and sesame seed.

Soups are also a mainstay of Moroccan cuisine, and the Elouardi’s feature a flavorful example with their Harira soup, as aromatic as it is appetizing with a pairing of onion, tomato, celery, chick peas, lentils, rice and assorted spices.

Prices are remarkably reasonable, ranging from $5.99 for the Chicken Shawarma to $8.99 for the Lamb Tajjin.

Samira studied political science back in Morocco, but she confessed last week during a brief visit that it has always been her dream to have a restaurant of her own. After arriving here in 2001 with Hachem, that dream is finally a reality.

Moroccan cuisine has been shaped down through the ages by the confluence of cultures drawn to the region by its importance as a trading center. So perhaps it’s fitting that Samira’s dream has taken root here, in America, another land of diversity…and for many, still a place of dreams.

Atlas Foods, 6606 Superior Avenue, Sarasota

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Tags: Atlas Foods, Hachem Elouardi, Harira soup, Moroccan cuisine, Morrocco, Samira Elouardi, Tagine, Tajin, Tajine, Tajjin, Tajjine
Posted in Dining, History

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October

11th

2009

Little Feat and Blues Fest share similar formula for success

By Robert Frederickson

The band Little Feat – like the annual Sarasota Blues Fest the group will headline on October 24th – is a survivor.

Both the band and the festival have gathered a strong following over the years by appealing to a broad cross-section of the population. Look closely at an audience attending a Little Feat concert and you won’t be surprised to find a large turnout of the boomers that fueled the band’s early success in the 1970s. But you’ll also find a healthy showing of Gen X-ers who signed on in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s as the group came to follow the more improvisational, jazz influenced approach of keyboardist Billy Payne. Also in the mix, even younger fans, drawn by the energetic, jam inspired vibe of the group’s legendary live performances.

Sarasota Blues Fest Promoter Barbara Strauss hangs a poster promoting her event at the Midtown Plaza Starbucks.

It’s a remarkably similar breakdown to what you’ll find with a typical Blues Fest audience. In a town where much of the arts community has stratified into mutually exclusive niches, the Blues Fest has developed a crossover appeal that has sustained it even as other long-running area events like the Sarasota Musical Festival have gone on hiatus due to a rough economy.

But then, the event’s promoter, Barbara Strauss, has never been one to play it safe.

Rather than hunkering down and trying to ride out the current tough times she has “doubled down,” so to speak, by going after and landing a bigger name act to headline this year’s event than her booking budget usually allows.

“Marquee value is what sells shows,” Strauss said in a recent interview. “And Little Feat has that.”

She explained that she has tried to land the band in the past, but always came up just a bit short. “I have tried many times. But we could never agree on compensation, or there were scheduling conflicts” she said.

“A lot of businesses have cut back,” she continued, “but I thought it was important to step up.” So this year, she dug a little deeper, paying a bit more to put on the type of show she thought would be right for the times. “The buzz on the street is great,” she explained. “I think everyone is looking forward to it.”

Though signing up Little Feat may have cost Strauss more, as an extra bonus for fans, the band will play a longer set (at least two-hours) instead of the usual 1:15 minutes of past headliners.

As legend has it, Little Feat was formed in 1969 after Frank Zappa heard one of the guitarists in his band –The Mothers of Invention – playing a song the band member had recently penned. That guitarist was Lowell George and the song was Willin’, which later became a hit for Linda Ronstadt. As the story goes, Zappa was so impressed with George’s songwriting that he suggested the slide guitarist set off on his own, knowing his opportunities would be limited with the Mothers, which was, after all, a showcase for Zappa’s own musical talents.

George took Zappa’s advice, taking fellow Mothers of Invention band-mate Ron Estrada with him. Drummer Richie Hayward and keyboardist Billy Payne were added shortly thereafter and Little Feat’s original lineup was set.

George’s exposure to the groundbreaking if not somewhat skewed musical vision of Zappa and The Mothers helped shape Little Feat’s early success, though it was channeled in a less campy, over-the-top direction than Zappa pushed it. Still, with early songs like Fat Man in the Bathtub, Dixie Chicken and Trouble, musically and lyrically, Little Feat sounded like no one else.

Concert goers at the 2007 Blues Fest enjoy the music and a beautiful fall day. Photos by R. Frederickson

By the time the band’s third album “Dixie Chicken” was released in 1973, the group was a critical hit and had developed a cult following among fans and fellow musicians alike. A second guitarist, Paul Barrere, an old high-school friend of George’s, had by this time been added to the lineup, along with renowned percussionist Sam Clayton.

Mainstream commercial success would prove elusive however. So the group sustained itself by concentrating on its live performances, following the model of bands like The Grateful Dead and more recently Phish, Widespread Panic and The Dave Mathews Band.

With the death of George in 1979 from an apparent heart attack, most thought it was the end of Little Feat. And for the better part of the decade to follow, it was. But the band’s eight albums continued to sell and their cult status grew even larger over time. So in 1987 the band re-formed, adding singer songwriter Craig Fuller, formerly of the short-lived but popular Pure Prairie League. In 1993 Fuller was replaced with Shaun Murphy who remained until just recently. The current lineup includes Payne, Barrere, Clayton and Hayward, along with Ken Gradney on bass and Fred Tackett on guitar.

Little Feat has continued to record over the years, scoring modest success with releases like “Let it Roll” “Shake Me Up” and “Chinese Work Songs.”

Their most recent effort “Join the Band,” released last year, was coproduced by Jimmy Buffet. The effort features performances by a dozen singers and musicians who share a long standing reverence for the band. The list includes Dave Mathews, Bob Seeger, Brooks and Dunn, Sonny Landreth, Vince Gill, Chris Robinson, Emmylou Harris, Sam Bush, Inara George, Craig Fuller, Bella Fleck and even Buffet himself. Each “guest” joins the band for a track, handling the vocals on one of the group’s signature songs backed by the band itself. It was a labor of love for Buffet, who has been a Little Feat fan from the band’s earliest days when he was a struggling song smith trying to make a living in Nashville.

While fans are grateful for the band’s recordings, they know the real place to appreciate Little Feat is as a member of the audience at one of their live shows. It’s a theory that can be put to the test on Saturday the 24th at the Ed Smith Sports Complex on 12th Street in Sarasota.

And if you go, take a look around at the crowd and judge for yourself the relative merits of two other competing theories: namely, whether Strauss and her Sarasota Blues Fest or the Sarasota Music Festival has the right approach when it comes to responding to tough times.

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Particulars:

•The 19th Annual Sarasota Blues Festival will be held Saturday, October 24th, 2009 at the Ed Smith Sports Complex on 12th Street between Tuttle and Euclid Avenues in Sarasota.

•Tickets are $20.00 in advance and $25.00 day of the show. They are available at Rossiter’s Harley Davidson (Sarasota and Bradenton locations) and the Five O’Clock Club on Hillview Street in Sarasota. They are also available online by following this link. https://t4.clicknprint.com/tix/SilverStream/Pages/pgIndex.html?siteID=2271

•Gates open at 11:00 AM, music starts at noon.

•Sharing the bill with Little Feat: Blues Music Awards Winner, guitar virtuoso, singer, songwriter and bandleader Duke Robillard. Also, blues/rock guitarist Larry McCray, jazz/blues keyboardist Bruce Katz and his band with special guest Floyd Miles. Local favorites The Allstars, Mojo Myles Band and Fogt’s Jr. Allstars will kick things off.

•Food and beverage vendors available on site.

•A portion of proceeds will benefit the PAL Sarasota Sailor Circus.

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Tags: Barbara Strauss, Bella Fleck, Bill Payne, Billy Payne, Blues Fest, Bob Seeger, Brice Katz, Brooks and Dunn, Bruce Katz band, Chinese Work Songs., Chris Robinson, Craig Fuller, Dave Mathews, Dave Mathews Band, Dixie Chicken, Emmylou Harris, Fat Man in the Bathtub, Floyd Miles, Frank Zappa, Fred Tackett, Grateful Dead, Inara George, Jimmy Buffet, Join The Band, Ken Gradney, Larry McCray, Let it Roll” Shake Me Up, Linda Ronstadt, Little Feat, Lowell George, Mothers of Invention, Nashville, Paul Barrere, Phish, Richie Hayward, Ron Estrada, Sam Bush, Sam Clayton, Sarasota Blues Fest, Sarasota Blues Festival, Sarasota Music Festival, Shaun Murphy, Sonny Landreth, The Grateful Dead, The Mothers of Invention, Trouble, Vince Gill, Widespread Panic, Willin'
Posted in Art, Music

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October

4th

2009

Sense and Color…in a Sarasota Minute

By Robert Frederickson

With just a hint of autumn in the air on the heels of a recent cool front, thoughts have turned to the changing of the seasons. And many locals again long for the brilliant burst of color much of the nation witnesses this time of year.

But to catch a little color you need not endure the crowds, expense and occassional sneers in places like North Carolina, where some natives only half-jokingly refer to the influx of Floridians this time of year as The Return of the Floridiots (a reference, perhaps, to our ponderously slow driving speeds and perplexing maneuvers on their local byways as we marvel at the scenery they have come to take for granted). While the displays hereabouts may not be as broad or the vistas as vertically impressive as in places like the Nantahala and Maggie Valley regions of Western North Carolina, there’s plenty of local color to be found in Sarasota. And besides, subtlety is a virtue to be prized, often revealing extraordinary treasures in ordinary places.

Local color on display.

Like driving through town, making a turn and happening upon a magnificent Golden Rain tree ablaze in a glory of yellows set against a rich, deep blue October sky.

Or looking up to witness a splash of green flashing by out of the blue on the wings of a flock of wild parrots that frequent the skies north of town. Or in those same skies witnessing an exploding halo of violet and green from behind one of those giant cumulous clouds – now receding like battleships returning to port – that block the sun throughout most of our summer afternoons.

As for the cyclical progression of color, well, the leaves may change up north with the seasons, but here colors change by the moment with the movement, angle and intensity of the sun. You can walk along the beach or bayfront and watch the water turn from turquoise to green to azure blue to deep indigo, all in a Sarasota minute.

October sky.

And speaking of the beach, our white sugar sand proves the perfect backdrop for a varied, high-contrast display of fashion and color from around the globe. From Europeans in speedos to midwesterners in their loudest Hawaiian floral prints, modesty and fashion sense become minor concerns against such a spectacular expanse of earth, water and sky. Add sailboats on the horizon, multihued beach umbrellas and billowing para-sails pulling intrepid thrill seekers aloft and you have all the ingredients for a vibrant, shifting canvass of color and motion…the perfect inspiration for any would-be impressionist painter. In fact, you recall learning long ago that much of the impressionist movement drew upon the particular quality of light and color found in places like the south of France and the French West Indies. No coincidence there, you think. Van Gogh, Gauguin, Renoir…they could just as easily have perfected their art here.

And though you still miss the reds of the maples and yellows and browns of the oaks in your native Western New York, somehow, watching our ubiquitous parade of local color pass by, the lyrics from that old Rolling Stones song drift to mind: “You can’t always get what you want…

——- —…but if you try sometime, you just might find,

——- ————you get what you need…”

Summer's last gasp...Photo by R. Frederickson

Summer's last gasp...Photos by R. Frederickson

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Tags: Art, Autumn, Fall, Florida, France, French West Indies, Gauguin, Golden Rain, Impressionism, Maggie Valley, Nantahala, North Carolina, Renoir, Rolling Stones, Siesta Key Beach, South of France, speedos, sugar sand, Van Gogh, Western New York, You Can't Always Get What you Want
Posted in Art, Florida

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September

20th

2009

Travel Channel’s Richman Meets Match in Sarasota

By Robert Frederickson

Sarasota was in the spotlight last Wednesday night as the Travel Channel aired an episode of its popular show “Man vs. Food” shot here last spring. The episode featured three area restaurants, The Old Salty Dog, Yoders and Munchies 4:20 Cafe.

Yoder's sends a message of thanks to the Travel Channel for its recent publicity.

For those not familiar with the program, it mixes travel, dining and adventure as it follows host Adam Richman in his coast-to-coast quest for new culinary challenges. That quest centers not only on the quality of the food featured each week (and how it is prepared), but also on the quantity consumed. Indeed, Richman likes to say of himself: “I’m just a regular guy with a serious appetite.”

Each episode opens with picture post card shots of area landmarks to set the scene. For instance, a recent segment in San Antonio, Texas, opened with Richman in front of the Alamo. The Sarasota show opened with a shot the local chamber of commerce had to love: an expansive view of Sarasota Bay and the Ringling causeway captured in the long, low light of a Florida sunrise. Other brief segments showcased area beaches with Richman singing the praises of their powdery fine sugar sand.

But so much for the travel part of the formula. Next up came the real star: food.

Richman started his local dining odyssey on City Island at The Old Salty Dog Restaurant. After talking with several of the customers about their meals (interspersed with mouthwatering shots of blackened grouper and other assorted plates brimming with the restaurant’s fare) it was on to the kitchen where he met food manager Stephen Fox and was introduced to the house specialty, “The Salty Dog.” Cameras detailed the step-by-step preparation of this beer-battered, fried hot dog smothered with onions, mushrooms, sauerkraut, bacon and four varieties of cheese: Swiss, American, pepper jack and cheddar. The Old Salty Dog’s owner, Phillip Needs calls it “a heart attack on a bun.”

No matter to Richman. The segment concludes with him in the throes of hopeless rapture after sampling the concoction while engaged in another chamber-of-commerce moment: soaking up some rays on the restaurant’s deck surrounded by captivating views of New Pass and Sarasota Bay.

Next, it was on to another local culinary treasure: Yoder’s on Bahia Vista Street in the Pinecraft section of town. Here, Richman began by briefly chronicling the restaurant’s local history…how it started in 1975 when Levi and Amanda Yoder brought their family recipes to Sarasota, opening a modest restaurant featuring fresh ingredients and reasonable prices and how it quickly grew to occupy its present revered place in the heart of the area’s Amish/Mennonite community, though its renown extends much farther.

Richman even interviewed Amanda Yoder herself. The unlikely pair chat for a few minutes about their common interest: food. Did you know Yoder’s bakes 125 pies per day? And that they have 25 different varieties? The most popular? Peanut Butter Cream.

Munchies 4:20 Cafe in Gulf Gate Village, site of the showdown.

Quite the contrast these two, the blue collar “everyman” Richman in his worn jeans and leather jacket and the modestly attired Yoder with her long traditional Mennonite dress and prayer veil.

Once again, Richman ends the segment with both belly and heart full.

Now it’s on to the show’s coupe-de-grace, the famous third and final segment that features the “adventure” part of the formula. Here, while the quality of the food is still important, it’s the quantity and/or spiciness that brings the real drama.

In a recent episode filmed in Amarillo, Texas this slot was occupied by a restaurant known as The Big Texan. Their challenge? A dish from the menu also named The Big Texan: a massive 72 ounce steak (that’s a hunk of meat bigger than a football). Eat it in less than an hour and not only is your meal free but you’re immortalized with a picture on the wall alongside the few other hearty souls to have accomplished this Texas-sized gastronomic feat.

But for Richman it was all in a day’s work. He finished the challenge with 15 minutes to spare.

So what would be the third segment challenge awaiting him in Sarasota? That would be revealed at a small storefront restaurant in Gulf Gate Village named Munchies 4:20 Cafe. It’s a late night hangout for restaurant and bar workers, night-owls and those who for whatever reason come down with a case of the midnight munchies. The “4:20” portion of the name hints at the source for those munchy attacks, but on a more literal level refers to the hours of operation – 4:20 PM till 4:20 AM.

Owner J.D. Chester’s challenge for Richman was deceptive in size but diabolical in detail…just a normal portion of chicken wings. The secret in this case was in the sauce, accounting for the dish’s cautionary name: “Fire In Your Hole Wings,” made with the infamous ghost chile.

Richman describes it as “the sauce from hell. Habaneros, hot sauce, chile powder, cayenne pepper, crushed red pepper and…” (cue the scary music) “…a liberal dose of ghost chile extract (100 times hotter than the Jalapeno), all blended into a fiery inferno.”

And so the challenge begins.

The Travel Channel's Man vs. Food host Adam Richman found finds his Waterloo here in Sarasota.

The Travel Channel's Man vs. Food host Adam Richman found his Waterloo here in Sarasota.

The erstwhile host takes a bite and instantly looks to be in trouble. He exhales heavily. Beads of sweat appear on his brow. Tears start running down his face.

“Only two wings in and I’m on the verge of passing out,” he says.

A crowd of perhaps thirty urges him on with a chant of “MAN VERSUS FOOD! MAN VERSUS FOOD!”

But it’s no use. Richman never makes it to the third wing. Instead of his picture on the restaurant’s “wall of fame,” it now hangs on its “wall of shame” with the words “I hate you so much” scrawled along the bottom.

“That was without question the hardest, most painful challenge I ever faced” he said.

The show closes with Richman, still perspiring, saying “Today in Sarasota, Florida, at Munchies 4:20, in the battle of man versus food, food definitely won.”

One can only imagine Amanda Yoder shaking her head in pity while watching the scene and thinking to herself: “Poor thing…he really should have stayed here with us…”

Tags: Adam Richman, Amanda Yoder, Dining, food, J.D. Chester, Levi Yoder, Man vs. Food, Munchies 4:20 Cafe, New Pass, Phillp Needs, Ringling Causeway, Sarasota Bay, Stephen Fox, The Old Salty Dog Restaurant, The Travel Channel, Yoder's Restaurant
Posted in Dining, Florida, Travel

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September

20th

2009

New Store Focuses on Timeless Essentials

By Fred Roberts

What do you do when you move to a new country and find that familiar household items you’ve come to take for granted aren’t readily available?

For Nadja Moeller, an expatriate German, the answer is simple. You open a store that makes you feel right at home while at the same time offering local shoppers something unique and unusual: time tested, quality household items that simplify a multitude of everyday tasks.

"Nessentials" held its grand opening Saturday. The name is short for necessary essentials, says owner Nadja Moeller.

The store, “Nessentials,” 2332 Gulf Gate Drive, opened Saturday to customer reactions that ranged from curious surprise to smiles of recognition at seeing a brush or some other household utensil that was as familiar to an Aunt or Grandmother as an iPod is to a teenager of today.

“What’s this?” asked one patron holding up a curved piece of wood with wooden balls at each corner making it look like a child’s toy car. “It’s for back massages,” replied Moeller.

Another asked about a long handled brush with a curved end that looked like a shepherds staff. “It’s for cleaning the crack between your refrigerator and the cabinets,” the owner explained.

Indeed, there are brushes of every size and shape at Nessentials, from old standbys like your grandfather’s shaving brush to those designed for more modern applications. Take for example the “PC brush,” perfect for cleaning computer keyboards.

There’s even a brush disguised as a hedgehog designed to rest attractively on the front stoop awaiting muddy boots in need of a quick dust-off before entering the home.

“In Germany fine brushes are in every store like the Wal-Mart or Home Depot,” said Moeller. “You can’t find them here, though.”

But high-quality brushes are just part of the store’s inventory. There are kitchen aids of all shapes and sizes, oils and scented candles that impersonate delicious looking cakes and pastries and look good enough to eat.

The store is a refreshingly low-tech oasis in today’s high tech-world, where simple solutions can be found to age-old matters of managing home and hearth.

Ironically, the only items in the store Saturday that didn’t perform as advertised were the high tech electronic cash register and the internet connection for processing credit-card transactions.

There just might be a lesson in that.

Brushes for PCs, boots, books and vegetables along with scented candles and an eclectic collection of helpful household items can be found at Nessentials. Photos by R. Frederickson.

Brushes for PCs, boots, books and vegetables along with scented candles and many other helpful household items can all be found at Nessentials in Gulf Gate Village. Photos by R. Frederickson.

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Nessentials, Things You Need, is located at 2332 Gulf Gate Drive in Sarasota. Phone: 941-928-9048

Tags: brushes, german, germany, Moeller, Nessentials, Shopping
Posted in Shopping

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September

12th

2009

Health Care Revue Takes Center Stage at Van Wezel

By Robert Frederickson

The Van Wezel has showcased some unique performances over the 40 years of its existence. There’s been comedy from Lucille Ball to George Carlin, music from Itzhak Perlman to the Black Crowes and dance from the refined precision of the Joffrey Ballet to the percussive, street-fueled cacophony of Stomp.

Representative Vern Buchanan, R. Longboat Key, listens to comments from Richard Olsen of Manatee County.

Congressman Vern Buchanan, R. Longboat Key, listens to comments from Richard Olsen of Manatee County.

But it was something completely different on display at the storied performing arts hall Friday afternoon as Vern Buchanan, R. Longboat Key, brought the national healthcare debate to the cultural heart of Sarasota.

The 1700 area citizens who answered Friday’s casting call filled the hall to capacity. And there were strong performances on both sides of the controversial issue, though far more read for the conservative, “non-supporting” roles than the liberal “supporting” cast parts aligned with the plot-line President Obama outlined in his address to Congress last Wednesday night.

Even those without speaking parts got into the act, coalescing into something of a traditional two-part Greek chorus, strophe and antistrophe alternately raising their voices in support and derision of the lines being delivered by their respective heroes and villains. Though again, local demographics being what they are, the chorus of non supporters vastly outnumbered and out-voiced the smaller reform minded group of supporters, though the latter made up for its lack of numbers with admirable enthusiasm.

Richard Olsen of Manatee County was the first to speak: “How will spending a trillion dollars save money on health care?” he asked as Buchanan, producer of the revue, looked on.

But like many of the actors playing a part in Friday’s event, Olsen wasn’t so much looking for an answer as merely building up momentum for the remainder of his soliloquy:

“Jesus himself could come down from Heaven and give us a perfect health care plan and the government wouldn’t be able to to administer it decently,” he continued to a roar of approval from the “non-supporter” chorus.

Olsen, clearly inspired by the crowd, finished with a firm and rising voice so as to be heard over the crescendo of cheers: “I can’t think of a single thing the government can do well…except raise taxes!” he shouted.

1700 area citizens filled the Van Wezel to capacity for Friday's Healthcare Town Hall.

More applause and a Van Wezel rarity: a standing ovation.

From the other side of the hall (and the issue) a woman asked Buchanan if he would debate someone who supports the proposed legislation.

“It’s important that your constituents hear both sides of the issue. Will you debate one of your democratic colleagues?” she asked.

Buchanan’s reply: “We’ll look into that. Maybe we can put something together with Kathy Castor (D. Tampa Bay).”

An unemployed man had another suggestion for Buchanan:

“My name is Dennis and I’m in construction. There’s no work. You don’t know what it’s like…there’s nothing out there. Why don’t you take a pay cut?”

While not embracing a cut in pay, Buchanan said he supported a freeze on Congressional salaries until the budget is balanced.

Both questions raised the spirits of the minority chorus a bit, but soon, the comments of a retired gentlemen had the non-supporters feeling flush again:

“The U.S. Postal Service began in 1823. Now it’s broke. Fannie Mae started in 1938. Now it’s broke. The war on poverty started in 1964. It’s broke…In 2009 we had Cash for Clunkers…now…” (crowd joining in) “IT’S BROKE!”. Applause and another standing ovation at the Van Wezel.

Young and old expressed their opinions on healthcare reform outside the Van Wezel.

Shortly before the curtain was to fall on the proceedings, Earl Bloom of Sarasota stepped up to the mic and made the intriguing announcement that he had a plan that would unravel the whole Gordian knot of healthcare reform. “It might take more than a few minutes to cover though…” So in the interest of time Buchanan instead invited Bloom to his office for a face-to-face meeting to lay out all the details.

It was an intriguing turn: A kind of “Mr. Bloom Goes to Washington” plot twist with the prospect of saving the union from financial ruin and partisan divide.

Unlikely yes, but one can always dream. After all, the script of this passion play remains unfinished.

Signs of the times outside the Van Wezel.

Tags: Black Crowes, George Carlin, Health Care, Healthcare, Itzhak Perlman, Joffrey Ballet, Lucille Ball, Sarasota, Stomp, Van Wezel, Vernon Buchanan
Posted in Politics

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September

9th

2009

Sailor and Lipmate have Shore-Leave Extended

By Robert Frederickson

"Unconditional Surrender," Sarasota, Florida

Well, the vote is in and wonder of wonders, Sarasota city commissioners voted yesterday evening to accept Navy veteran Jack Curran’s $500,000 conditional gift of the controversial statue “Unconditional Surrender,” though they did add some conditions of their own; namely, a review of liability and engineering issues related to the safety and security of the larger than life statue before the deal is finalized. But by a 3-to-2 margin, the commission voted to keep the sailor and his lip-mate on extended shore leave (for at least 10-years) along the city’s bayfront as Curran had stipulated. It was a decision hailed by fans of the work as a triumph of popular taste over high-brow snobbery.

Tags: Art, Bayfront, Jack Curran, Statue. sculpture, Unconditional Surrender
Posted in Art, Politics

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September

8th

2009

Unconditionally Uncommitted?

City set to Review Statue offer

By Robert Frederickson

One of the agenda items when the Sarasota City Commission meets later today is whether or not to accept Navy Veteran Jack Curran’s conditional gift of the controversial statue “Unconditional Surrender” (the condition being it must remain on Sarasota’s bayfront instead of being tucked away in some “undisclosed location” as preferred by its detractors in the arts community). But the outcome of today’s vote will likely be nowhere near as definitive as the historic event the statue memorializes: the end of WW II with the unconditional surrender of Japan and the spontaneous celebration that followed.

City leaders may kick the can down the road by appointing a “blue-ribbon” panel to further study the matter. This is what politicians do in situations like this: empanel a committee to deflect the heat of a tough decision.

They’ve already tried this once, though the result was less than they might have hoped for. The city’s advisory panel on public art voted unanimously last month against accepting Curran’s donation, at least insofar as it relates to keeping the oversized statue of sailor and nurse locked in passionate embrace where Curran thinks it belongs: near the water on the city’s bayfront.

"Unconditional Surrender"

But does the panel’s view represent public opinion at large, or just the rarefied perspective of Sarasota’s art crowd? Judging by the frequency and passion of the opinions expressed on the subject in letters-to-the-editor published in the local press, it would seem most folks see the statue as a suitable, even welcome addition to the bayfront, regardless of whether it conforms to any arcane notion of “art.”

Which brings us to the dilemma city commissioners will face this afternoon. Ordinarilly, the art advisory panel’s vote would be enough to absolve the commissioners of responsibility for a “no” vote on accepting Curran’s bayfront condition.

But given the hue and cry that is likely to follow such a vote, my money’s on a further “review” of the matter, addressing such questions as “Is this the best location?” and “What does the public REALLY think?”

And so this long simmering controversy may not be resolved just yet .

It’s a good thing the war in the Pacific wasn’t managed with this same mentality, otherwise the celebrated kiss depicted in “Unconditional Surrender” might never have taken place.

§§§

Late-Breaking News: Sailor and Lipmate Stay!

11:00 PM: Well, the vote is in and wonder of wonders, Sarasota commissioners have approved Curran’s conditional gift, though they did add some conditions of their own, specifying a review of liability and engineering issues related to the safety and security of the larger than life statue. But essentially, they agreed to keep the sailor and his lip-mate on the bayfront as donor Curran had stipulated. It was a decision hailed by fans of the work as a triumph of popular taste over high-brow snobbery. (Frankly, I didn’t think the commissioners had it in them).

As far as my betting is concerned? I think I’ll stick to the greyhounds and the ponies from here on out…

Tags: Art in public places, Jack Curran, Unconditional Surrender
Posted in Art, Police

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September

2nd

2009

No charges filed against SPD officer Childers

By Robert Frederickson

The State Attorney’s Office of the 12th judicial circuit has decided not to press charges against Sarasota Police Officer Christopher Childers who was videotaped kicking suspect Juan Perez behind the County jail on June 26th. Perez had been arrested on charges of public intoxication, as recounted in a report posted here on July 20th. The suspect had climbed out of the window of Childers’ parked patrol car behind the jail just prior to the videotaped kicking incident.

According to the State Attorney’s report, Childers’ kicks were part of an effort to subdue the handcuffed Perez who reportedly suffered no injuries from the blows. It notes that Perez was covered in bodily fluids at the time, which accounts for the officer’s’ use of his feet instead of his hands.

The State Attorney also concluded that eyewitness reports that said cuts on Perez’s face were inflicted by Childer’s were incorrect. Those injuries were determined to have taken place before Childers arrived on the scene, as the officer described in his incident report.

An independent investigation of the Saraota Police Department’s handling of the incident and its aftermath continues. That investigation is being conducted by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Department.

Sarasota Police Chief Peter Abbott remains on administrative leave pending the outcome of that investigation.

Posted in Police

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September

1st

2009

Sarasota Blues Festival announces 2009 lineup

By Robert Frederickson

Much was made last month of the 40th anniversary of the Woodstock Music and Arts Festival held in Bethel, New York in August of 1969. In addition to feature stories on national news programs like Dateline NBC and 60 Minutes, a new movie – Taking Woodstock – is now in theaters. Publishing houses have also recently released dozens of new books on the subject.

It would seem the cultural ripples of that watershed event are still very much with us.

Buddy Guy performs at the 2007 Sarasota Blues Fest. Photo by R. Frederickson

While Woodstock was a bit before her time, local music promoter Barbara Strauss – like so many of her generation – was clearly influenced by the cultural currents of the Woodstock phenomenon. Her largest annual event, The Sarasota Blues Fest, features many of the same key ingredients that made the original Woodstock festival so successful: good music from a diverse group of performers, an outdoor setting where audience members are free to mingle and wander about, and not least of all, an affordable ticket price. Indeed, on an inflation adjusted basis, a ticket to this year’s Blues Fest is actually less than the $8.00 price of admission to Woodstock all those years ago (at least before a youthful tidal wave of music lovers turned the event into a “free” concert).

But over the years, Strauss has worked to smooth out some of the rough spots that are frequently forgotten in many nostalgic remembrances of Woodstock. She always makes sure there are plenty of restrooms or port-o-lets on hand at the host venues, that there is plenty of parking available and that vendors provide ample food and drink choices for the crowd. Oh, and in another turnabout from ‘60’s sensibilities…Strauss has no cultural aversion to turning a profit. In fact, she has put together a remarkable string of successful events since taking a small loss on her first Blues Fest back in 1993.

Short on experience and working on a shoestring budget her inaugural effort – while a critical success – came up a bit short on the bottom line. “I lost $1,000 and was devastated,” she said. She questioned the wisdom of staging another event given the prospect of financial ruin that hangs like a sword of Damocles over the notoriously risky business of concert promotion.

John Mayall was all smiles at the 2003 Blues Fest after performing a number with 13-year-old guitar phenom Eric Steckel. Photo by R. Frederickson

But when former Sarasota resident and old friend Gregg Allman heard about the rookie promoter’s reluctance to keep the event going, he offered to help out by performing at the following year’s festival…if she would agree to keep it alive.

She did and that 1994 show was an overwhelming success.

The Sarasota Blues Festival had arrived. Since then, such renowned performers as Solomon Burke, John Mayall, Delbert McClinton and Buddy Guy have taken the stage at her shows.-

This year’s event will be held October 24th at the Ed Smith Stadium complex on 12th Street in Sarasota.

The headliner will be Little Feat, whose cajun/blues/rock stylings have made the band a fan favorite since the early ‘70s when they released such influential albums as “Dixie Chicken” and “Sailin’ Shoes.”

Also on the bill this year: Duke Robillard, Larry McCray, Bruce Katz and Floyd Miles. And, oh yes, local favorites The Sarasota Allstars and “Mojo” Myles Band will also be performing.

In these tough economic times, Strauss’ talent as a businesswoman is every bit as important as her knack for booking crowd-pleasing talent and successfully managing the countless details that attend an event like this.

Grammy award winner Solomon Burke was an imposing presence seated in his throne on the Blues Fest stage in 2003. Photo by R. Frederickson

Grammy award winner Solomon Burke was an imposing presence seated on his throne on the Blues Fest stage in 2003. Photo by R. Frederickson

“Fortunately when I have a great year I put some aside to balance the years that might need some help,” she said last week. “Hopefully keeping the ticket price low and the quality high, this year’s Blues Fest will be the much needed escape everyone is looking for.”

Indeed, it’s worth remembering how the original Woodstock promoters took a financial bath in 1969, sealing the festival’s fate as essentially a “one and done” event.

But after 18 years both Strauss and her Sarasota Blues Fest are still going strong, much to the satisfaction of local music lovers.

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Tickets for the 2009 Sarasota Blues Fest are $20 in advance and $25 on the day of the show. They can be purchased on line by following this link.

They are also available at Rossiters Harley Davidson (Sarasota or Bradenton locations) and the Five O’Clock Club on Hillview St., Sarasota.

Gates open at 11:00 AM on day of show.

Tags: Barbara Strauss, Blues, Buddy Guy, Gregg Allman, John Mayall, Little Feat, Music, Sarasota Blues Fest, Solomon Burke
Posted in Music

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August

22nd

2009

Fear and Loathing on the Suncoast:

-

Residents Vent at Local Healthcare Town Hall

By Robert Frederickson

Against the fitting academic backdrop of Braden River High School, a real life civics lesson unfolded this past Thursday as over a thousand area residents attended a town hall meeting on health care sponsored by Representative Vern Buchanan, R Longboat Key.

Buchanan’s staff clearly learned some valuable lessons from similar health care meetings held recently by other members of Congress. Several such gatherings – including one hosted by Representative Kathy Castor, D Tampa on August 6 – deteriorated into shoving and shouting matches amid frustration over people being turned away due to crowds well beyond the seating capacity of the host venues. One individual at the Castor meeting was allegedly assaulted in a melee outside the meeting hall.

The auditorium at Braden River HS accommodated 700, but arrangements were made beforehand to use the school’s cafeteria to handle any overflow. Those arrangements proved prescient, as an additional 400 attendees quickly filled this space as well where a video screen had been set up to provide a live feed of the proceedings. But even with the cafeteria, an estimated 200 were still turned away, though unlike at Castor’s event, there were no disturbances reported outside the doors. Had there been, a fairly robust law enforcement presence would likely have quickly restored order. All told, about a dozen Manatee County Sheriff’s Department deputies were on hand.

All was not sweetness and light once the event got underway, however. It quickly became apparent that the majority of those present vehemently opposed the bulk of the various health care proposals now before Congress…especially those featuring the so-called “public-option” that would provide the choice of a government administered health care plan as an alternative to private plans.

An overflow crowd watches a live feed of Town Hall proceedings in the nearby auditorium from the Braden River HS cafeteria on August 20.

An overflow crowd in the Braden River HS cafeteria watches a live feed of proceedings as they unfolded in the nearby auditorium Thursday, August 20.

Of 20 speakers overall, only four spoke in support of the various initiatives. In each case jeers from the crowd quickly drowned those speakers out.

“Most of what you’ve heard is in the bill isn’t really even in there,” said one middle aged man before a chorus of boos rose to a crescendo that rendered his words unintelligible.

“Sit down, sit down!” shouted several in the audience.

In each case, Buchanan appealed to the crowd to respect basic First Amendment values:

“Wait, wait, this is America, everyone has a right to be heard,” he said.

The man was able to continue, finishing with: “Read the bill, just read the bill!” But the crowd was having none of it.

Another supporter lashed out at one particularly persistent heckler after several interruptions.

“Do you have something to say while I’m talking?” he said. “You must be pretty stupid.”

More jeers. “Why don’t you move to Canada?” was one man’s response.

On the other side of the issue, those speaking in opposition to the various proposals were met with rousing ovations. Here are a few of the comments receiving the most applause:

From a female senior citizen: “I just had a kidney transplant. If this plan was in place I probably wouldn’t have gotten it. I’m too old.”

From a middle aged woman: “I’m a capitalist. I’m a conservative. And I’m very afraid.”

From a male senior citizen: “Why do we have to rush through this? This is one-sixth of our economy…”

From another middle aged woman: “This is our personal business and we don’t want the government in it.”

There were sign messages as well:

Joy Goodspeed, Sarasota, lets her position be known.

“Pull the Plug on Congress” read one. Another: “More Groucho, Less Karl.”

Toward the back of the Cafeteria, Joy Goodspeed, an employee of Sarasota Memorial Hospital, quietly held her own simple sign throughout the entire 80 minutes of the meeting. It read “HR 676 Universal Healthcare NOW.”

But it’s unlikely any of the signs or comments changed any minds at Thursday’s event, such was the stridency displayed on both sides of the issue. If legislators and the President are looking for common ground on health care reform, they will clearly need to look elsewhere.

Tags: Braden River High School, health insurance, Healthcare, Kathy Castor, Public Option, Town Hall Meeting, Vern Buchanan
Posted in Florida, Police

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August

14th

2009

Les Paul Always Searched for Just the Right Sound

Writer’s note: As far as I know, Les Paul had no obvious connection to Sarasota…except perhaps insofar as his music and inventions surely influenced many area residents, myself included. The following piece was written before his death this week at the age of 94. It was conceived as part of an effort to raise awareness about the importance of persistence and commitment in dealing with both the physical and emotional impacts of hearing loss. It is offered now as a tribute to this modern renaissance man. Paul never retreated from life and living, even when faced with a dimming of perhaps his greatest instrument: his hearing. He continued performing right up until the end. Beyond his exceptional musicality, it was this quality that made him a personal hero of mine.

By Robert Frederickson

When legendary guitar virtuoso Les Paul started losing his hearing a few years back, he experienced the same sense of frustration as the millions who annually face this unsettling and unwelcome reality for the first time. There were the missed conversations with family members and friends, especially in noisy locations like restaurants and other crowded public places. There was the “running-together” of dialogue while watching television or attending a movie. And there was the embarrassment of having to continually ask people to repeat themselves. So too, there was the risk of isolation that follows when one begins to retreat inward rather than face such potentially embarrassing encounters.

But for a Grammy award winning composer and performer who spent most of his life “shaping” sound, perhaps the hardest part of the experience was the feeling of being disconnected from his art. Here was a man – who along with his first wife Mary Ford – had recorded such memorable hits as “How High the Moon,” “Bye, Bye Blues” and “Vaya Con Dios.”

In the late 1930s he developed a prototype of the solid body electric guitar that made the blistering, overdriven tones of modern rock and roll possible. Today that guitar’s successor, the Gibson “Les Paul,” remains one of the most popular models ever produced, played over the years by such seminal artists as Eric Clapton, Pete Townshend and Duane Allman. It is a top seller even today. Vintage models from the 1950s sell for upwards of $15,000 or more.

Paul also pioneered many of the recording techniques that made modern multi-track recording possible.

So this latter-day renaissance man was not about to go quietly into the night when his most precious instrument – his hearing – started to fail. But like so many others dealing with hearing loss, Paul soon discovered that there is more to the remedy than just “turning up” the volume.

Unlike correcting for the vision loss of near or farsightedness where the process is more-or-less a straightforward matter of determining the correct level of light-refraction to bring vision back into focus, correcting hearing loss is a more nuanced process. That’s because the perception of sound is not merely a mechanical process. It is also governed by the brain’s interpretation of the signals received. There are elements of both memory and individual learning involved.

The result is that those with hearing loss can’t expect to simply go into a hearing aid center, sit down for a test and walk out a short time later with a device that brings their hearing back to “normal.” Any approach that promises such a result will ultimately leave one dissatisfied and even more frustrated than when they started.

Instead, a successful plan will be more of a collaboration, in much the same way as musicians like Paul collaborate with other performers, recording engineers and producers to get their music just right. Rarely is a great song an “instant” success. The arrangement must be refined, the lyrics tweeked, the performances rehearsed.

So too, a hearing aid professional should work with you for as long as it takes to get “your” sound just right. He or she will ask you how you’re doing in various social situations with different levels of background noise and then make adjustments to your device’s settings as needed. Your satisfaction should determine when the process is complete, not some predetermined number of visits.

Les Paul found such a dedicated professional after initially struggling with his first hearing aid. A member of the audience at one of Paul’s performances in New York a few years back noticed the trouble he was having with his aid. Paul finally removed the device in the middle of his show rather than deal with its distractions. Instead of helping, it was clearly interfering with his ability to produce and hear the music as he “knew” it should sound. That audience member happened to be a hearing professional and after the show offered to help Paul get an aid that would better help him both on stage and off.

The meeting paid off. At the age of 94, Paul is still making beautiful music, performing most Monday nights at the Iridium Club on Broadway in New York City. But now, his hearing aid remains in place, thanks to yet another in a long line of successful collaborations.

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Postscript: Paul’s last performance at the Iridium Club was three weeks ago.

Tags: Duane Allman, Eric Clapton, Gibson, Guitar, hearing, hearing aids, hearing loss, Les Paul, Music
Posted in Art, Music

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August

3rd

2009

Tijuana Flats Fires the Imagination

By Robert Frederickson

Colorful wall murals add to the flavor at Tijuana Flats Burrito Company, across Tamiami Trail from Sarasota Memorial Hospital.

Have you ever found yourself watching a movie where you can’t seem to figure out just when and where the action is supposedly set?

The props and settings are familiar, but still, you can’t quite put your finger on the particulars.

The device is used by directors to draw audiences in by making them feel at once comfortable and curious, familiar with the film’s surroundings yet intrigued by them.

If the local dining scene has an equivalent of the experience, it’s Tijuana Flats Burrito Company in Sarasota.

The music is decidedly retro, with hits from the 60s through 80s playing in the background but at a volume loud enough to be heard and appreciated instead of turned down to the point of being unrecognizable.

The colorfully painted walls give the place the laid back feel of a 1960’s era college hangout like the Mellow Mushroom in Gainesville or the old Jabberwocky Cafe in Syracuse, New York on the Syracuse University campus. But the service is reminiscent of an even earlier era. Customers are greeted by the help as they enter. It’s a throwback to an easier time, perhaps a family run diner from the ‘50s, even though piercings, up-to-date fashions and modern hair stylings clearly place the servers and counter help in the here and now. It’s a refreshing contrast that adds to the retro-mod vibe of the place.

And the food? Well, the tacos, burritos, quesadillas and other south of the border favorites served at Tijuana Flats are head-and-shoulders above what usually passes for Mexican fare in these parts. And the “Hot Bar” puts this casual dining destination in a class by itself by adding a combustible, user definable flavor to the fare with an assortment of hot sauces that range in fieriness from the altogether tame “Sissy Sauce” to the five-alarm “Smack My Ass and call me Sally!”

Also adding to the “can’t quite pigeonhole it” quality of the place is the variety of clientele Tijuana Flats attracts. Students, doctors, lawyers, office workers, cops…they all seem to feel at home here.

So while many restaurants struggle to regularly reinvent themselves to keep their concept fresh, Tijuana Flats retains its uniqueness day-in-and-day-out by keeping it simple and just being itself…different, in a strangely familiar kind of way.

Tags: Dining, hot sauce, hot sauces, Mexican food, Sarasota dining, Tijuana Flats
Posted in Business/Finance, Dining

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July

20th

2009

From Bad to Worse for Sarasota Cop Shop

By Robert Frederickson

Anyone old enough to remember the original Andy Griffith show set in the idyllic, fictional town of Mayberry, North Carolina no doubt recalls the lovable town drunk Otis Campbell. He was such a regular “customer” at the Mayberry jail where he regularly slept off his alcohol fueled indulgences that he qualified for “frequent flyer” miles of a sort. One of his perks was even “express check-in” service. After a night on the town, Otis would summon the last remaining sliver of his good judgement, stumble down to the jail, grab the key’s off the hook on the wall and lock himself up in his regular cell to sleep-off his stupor, no help needed from Andy or his high-strung deputy, Barney Fife.

But anyone who has ever had to deal with a real drunk – even one counted as a friend or family member – knows it’s usually not that easy. The “impairment” is such that reason and common sense are generally the first casualties. And the affliction can quickly spread to those who find themselves having to deal with the unruly, even aggressive behavior often exhibited by those too long in the company of demon rum, whiskey or any other assortment of adult beverages.

That’s why the police are often called to handle such situations. They are trained to deal with the impaired. But even trained professionals are sometimes pushed to the limits of their patience when dealing with an uncooperative drunk. Think of a five-year-old having a meltdown over not wanting to do one thing or another – getting ready for bed, putting on their socks and shoes, getting in the car – all the while screaming, fussing and just generally making life miserable for those charged with their care. Now add 150-to-200 pounds and a brain addled by alcohol to the mix and it’s enough to try the patience and physical strength of even the most seasoned and well conditioned of professionals.

Just ask Sarasota Police Officer Christopher Childers. It certainly appears that he let his frustrations get the better of him after he arrested and transported Juan Perez to jail on June 26th in the aftermath of what the officer and witnesses alike describe as a display of public intoxication by Perez.

But the suspect’s alleged impairment is perhaps the last point of general agreement in this case. The officer reported that Perez’s face was already bloodied when he first encountered him. Two witnesses – one a former police detective from North Carolina (yes, a real officer, not one from Mayberry) – dispute this account, saying that the injuries to Perez ’s face occurred during his arrest. If true, for many this alone would be evidence of an impairment of officer Childers’ Judgement equal to or surpassing that of Perez’s own alleged impairment. After all, Childers was stone-cold sober at the time. And as a cop, he’s sworn to uphold the law and abide by rules of professional conduct. Moreover, aren’t the police trained in other methods of subduing uncooperative subjects short of blows to the head? Pepper spray, tasers, a call for back-up all come to mind. But in fairness, perhaps Childers felt threatened to the point where physical force was seen as the only way to effectively subdue an uncooperative suspect and assure his own personal safety. Yes, it may be a stretch. But it’s a tough job and it’s naive to expect that incidents like this will invariably come to as neat and tidy a conclusion in the real world as they always seemed to for Sheriff Taylor in Mayberry. Indeed, according to media reports, even though troubled by the officer’s conduct, the former officer who witnessed the arrest and recounted the blows to the face did not feel compelled to come forward and file a formal complaint about the matter at the time. Her concerns only came to light later in the course of an internal SPD investigation of the incident.

That investigation was prompted by video surveillance footage released to the Herald Tribune at their request. It is that video – captured by cameras behind the County Jail where Childers had transported Perez after his arrest – that has landed the officer in hot water, and set him adrift, receding ever farther beyond the reach of any “benefit of the doubt” lifeline one might be inclined to throw his way. That’s because the blows the footage show – kicks to Perez’s body while he was on the ground – would have occurred well after Perez had been subdued. Indeed, he was handcuffed at the time.

But as bad as the video looks, the department’s reaction to its release is at least as troubling, if not more so. You would hope the officer assigned to investigate the matter would be solely concerned with sorting out the underlying truth of what happened, not only to protect the rights of a citizen, but also to keep the department’s moral bearing true to course. But that does not appear to be the case here. Instead, media reports indicate that at the behest of department superiors, including top cop Peter Abbott, that officer engaged in face saving negotiations with an apparent victim to head off costly and potentially embarrassing litigation. In a meeting with Perez the investigating officer reportedly offered him $400 from the department in return for his signature on a release essentially stating the whole unfortunate incident – though justified – was regrettable. But language barriers, the absence of an attorney to represent his interests and an ingrained cultural apprehensiveness toward the police common among those of his Guatemalan descent left Perez at a relative if not absolute disadvantage in this “negotiation.” It’s hard to imagine the SPD wasn’t aware of this disadvantage.

Just as it is by definition difficult for an officer of the law to justify the need for continued force after a suspect has already been subdued, so too it is by definition implausible if not impossible to expect that a police department can conduct a thorough and unbiased investigation of an incident while the investigating officer assists in negotiations with the alleged victim to settle the matter.

The result? Instead of an isolated incident, the impression now is of a much broader problem.

Tags: Alcohol, Andy Griffith Show, Barney Fife, Juan Perez, Otis Cambell, Public Intoxication, Sarasota Police Department
Posted in Police

2 Comments »

July

8th

2009

Where have all the Live-Aboards gone, Buffalo?

by Robert Frederickson

Following up on the June 30th post “Star-Spangled Sendoff for Bayfront Live-Aboards” (#mce_temp_url#), here are a few additional observations on the subject.

Boats litter the shores of Sarasota's bay front in the aftermath of Hurricane Frances in September, 2004. Photo by R. Frederickson

First, if Sarasota County can cite the legal principle of “customary use” in defending the public’s right to public beach access where private property owners have aggressively sought to deny such access, why can’t bayfront live-aboards make a similar argument in advancing their cause against the city for continued, unrestricted access to the near shore waters along the bayfront? After all, boats have moored in these waters for as long as most residents of the area can remember. Perhaps the city’s legal counsel correctly calculated that the live-aboards lack either the will and/or financial wherewithal to challenge the city’s plan to establish a fee-based mooring field for the area.

Secondly, the state legislature recently passed new rules that allow municipalities to remove unregistered vessels greater than 15 feet in length. So in the aftermath of a storm that leaves boats strewn across the shore – like Hurricane Frances did in 2004 – the city can now remove the wrecked vessels without worrying about questions of liability. The new rules effectively render the point of the city’s mooring field plan moot.

Third, has anyone carefully considered the unintended consequences of removing the live-aboards from the protected, near shore waters of Sarasota’s bayfront? Where will these folks go? They won’t just disappear. More likely, they’ll simply move farther from shore where their vessels will be less protected and in even greater danger of breaking free from their moorings and causing damage and possibly injury. Also, the greater distance to shore will increase the peril of crossing open waters in small dinghies to gain access to land.

Which brings to mind a case many will recall from the Buffalo, New York area back in the mid 1990s. The city’s metro transit system had repeatedly been denied permission to drop off passengers at the upscale Walden Galleria Mall located in a mostly white suburb outside of town. This denial came despite the fact that charter buses from Canada filled with affluent shoppers were regularly allowed to conveniently drop off their passengers right in the mall’s parking lot. The city buses were relegated to a spot on the other side of a busy nearby thoroughfare. According to community activists, the mall management was worried about the easy-access to the mall the city busses would bring for inner-city youths. As with the supposed impact of Sarasota’s less than upwardly mobile live-aboards on downtown Sarasota’s public image, the mall’s management feared that the city kids congregating in-and-around their property would sully its glamorous image. According to a Time Magazine report at the time, the owner of a shoe store in the mall said that during lease negotiations a representative of the mall’s management told him: “You’ll never see an inner-city bus on the mall premises.” Well, the unintended consequence of the bus stop’s less than ideal location was altogether tragic. On December 14, 1995, Cynthia Wiggins, a 17-year-old single mother commuting from predominantly working-class Buffalo to her job in the mall’s food court was struck and fatally injured by a dump truck while crossing the busy street after getting off the bus and trying to make her way to the mall. Snowplows working in the aftermath of an early winter storm had left large piles of snow along the road’s shoulder, obstructing the view for drivers and pedestrians alike. A lawsuit, much regret and untold sorrow for Wiggins’ family were the results.

Is it too much of a stretch to envision a similar unintended consequence if a quick moving squall were to catch a dinghy-rowing live-aboard unaware while trying to get back to their vessel after a day on land? The aftermath could be much the same as it was in Buffalo…at least the sorrow and regret part. The city has likely covered itself from a legal standpoint with a clever conceit, namely that the new mooring field will be open to all…as long as boat owners can pay the required monthly fees. However, as mentioned in the original post on this subject (#mce_temp_url#), most of those who have moored in the area in the past won’t be returning because most can’t. The fees are just too far beyond their reach. Kind of like a certain mall was for Cynthia Wiggins on a cold winter’s day outside of Buffalo.

Tags: Bayfront, Buffalo, customary use, Hurricane Frances, Mooring Field, New York, Sarasota Bay
Posted in History, Politics

2 Comments »

July

4th

2009

On the 4th, recalling the few who inspired the many

Photo by R. Frederickson

by Robert Frederickson

On this the greatest of national holidays, pundits and ordinary citizens alike rightfully sing the praises of the remarkable and then revolutionary idea Thomas Jefferson committed to parchment on July 4, 1776: “That all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.”

But as powerful as those words were and are, they become meaningless without the weight of human action behind them. That is as true today as it was then, a thought that should give each of us pause before every election in which we cast a vote.

The idea of equality is perhaps not as revolutionary nowadays as it was in the late 18th century, at least not in the west. But for much of the world, equality in practical terms is every bit as elusive today as the very idea of it was revolutionary back then.

In many places, women still have no legal standing. Children are made to work in deplorable conditions. Political dissent is a crime punishable by death.

But ideas alone cannot change such circumstances. One need only look to the recent aftermath of the presidential election in Iran as evidence. The collective, grassroots embrace of the ideals of freedom was clearly evident in the spontaneous outpouring of outrage over what supporters of the declared losing candidate, Mir-Hossein Mousavi, viewed as a patently government engineered outcome to the election. Tens-of thousands of demonstrators poured into the streets in protest.

Hopes ran high among the opposition for a second Iranian revolution. But now, mere weeks later, that opposition is in disarray. Hundreds if not thousands have been arrested. Mousavi has all but disappeared and – most damaging of all – no one has risen to take his place. Leadership, in the form of respected, high-profile patriots willing to risk all in furtherance of the cause of liberty, is the missing ingredient.

So on this Fourth of July as we celebrate the idea of equality that gave birth to the freedoms that have become our birthright, we should also be mindful of those leaders that pledged their very lives “and sacred honor” to make that idea a reality.

Without men like Jefferson, Adams, Washington, Franklin, Hamilton, Madison and many more, the American Revolution would today likely be a mere footnote to history – like the now sputtering Iranian effort seems destined to become. Instead, it remains a shining example of what a powerful idea, powerfully led, can become.

Tags: 4th of July, American Revolution, Fourth of July, George Washington, Iran, Thomas Jefferson
Posted in History, Holidays

2 Comments »

June

30th

2009

A Star-Spangled Sendoff for Sarasota’s Bayfront Live-Aboards

By Robert Frederickson

For the live-aboards being evicted by the City of Sarasota from the waters between O’Leary’s and Selby Gardens, the fireworks bursting over Bayfront Park this Saturday night to celebrate the Fourth will no doubt illuminate a bit of irony along with the night sky.

For several generations now the protected cove has drawn free spirits to this one particular harbor where many have found their very own Margarittaville. They have enjoyed rent-free mooring just a short dinghy trip away from all Sarasota has to offer. O’Learys is nearby for libations and perhaps a bite to eat and the company of nautical neighbors and friends. The view is unparalleled. The living is easy. The overhead is low. Who among us hasn’t at one time or another longed for such a simplified, stripped down existence, free from the entanglements of mortgages, car payments and the banalities of modern life?

There’s a certain charm to it all. Local color, if you will. Renegade pirates living in the shadow of the Ritz Carlton. Sea battered ketches sharing the waters with Hatteras yachts, their skippers trading tales over a cold one at O’Leary’s. It’s something straight out of a novel. One written perhaps, by someone like John D. MacDonald or McKinley Kantor, both of whom – like many other artists – drawn to Sarasota at least in part by its colorful cast of characters.

But along with the charm comes the nuisance factor. Some of the characters are perhaps a bit too “colorful” for Sarasota circa 2009. There have been many complaints from neighbors about noise from late night revelry along the shore, mostly at the southern end of Bayfront Park adjacent to Selby Gardens. It is no doubt the case that many of the live-aboards lack the social graces of Sarasota’s Volvo-driving/Chardonnay-sipping set. And so the City is now in the final stages of turning the cove into a mooring field, administered by the city through proxy by the same folks that run the nearby Marina Jack’s Restaurant and Marina. The live-aboards have been given until the end of the July 4th weekend (mere coincidence, mind you) to haul anchor and sail-away. Of course, they can all return when the mooring field is completed, with a few conditions…no discrimination here, you see. The city has done its homework well. The conceit? Well, most won’t. Most can’t. Not with the monthly fees that will now be charged for the right.

Kantor and MacDonald might be surprised by just how ”tidy” this town has become. A little eccentricity was once something of a given. Just the way it was…as true as the tides washing across the shore.

But in tired times like these, things can’t simply be what they are. They must have purpose. They must somehow be useful and serve the greater good.

Another Bayfront Park issue comes to mind here: Seward Johnson’s larger than life “Unconditional Surrender” statue memorializing VJ Day.

It’s not enough that the statue is popular and meaningful to so many.

If it is not deemed “Artistic” and “Significant” by those who know about such things, it’s “off with its head” as the red queen would say.

Sarasota is, after all, an “arts” town.

But just exactly where, one might ask, do the members of the Art Advisory Committee, the City Commission, and all those in love with Sarasota’s artistic heritage think art comes from?

From what wellspring do those colorful characters of the writer’s imagination come to life?

What is it, exactly, that makes Sarasota an art town? The fact, or the fiction?

Tags: 4th of July, Art, Fourth, John D. MacDonald, Marina Jack's, McKinley Kantor, Mooring Field, Sarasota bayfront
Posted in Art, Holidays, Politics

1 Comment »

June

24th

2009

In Praise of Thunder

by Robert Frederickson

If you place your finger above Florida on a globe, spin it and then bring your finger down to stop the rotation, wherever your finger comes to rest over land, you’re likely to find either a desert or at the very least an extremely arid part of the earth.

At similar lattitudes you’ll find the bone dry hills of central Mexico, the Saharan desert of Western Africa and the endless sand blown plains of the Middle East. Florida clearly stands out with its lushly green landscapes.

The difference, of course, is the water that surrounds us. The Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean are never far from even the most remote interior portions of the state. Moisture from these great seas – swept by the prevailing summer easterlies or near shore sea breezes – provides predictable relief from the oppressive heat and drought conditions that afflict less opportunistically situated land masses.

It is a marvelously engineered, self-regulating system that results in the spectacular thunderstorms that define our primary weather pattern this time of year.

Sign of the times: A thunderhead rises near I-75 north of University Parkway. Photo by R. Frederickson.

Usually…

We had a taste recently of what life would be like in these parts this time of year without those storms. And it wasn’t pretty. For the better part of a week, a stagnant high pressure system directed winds along the length of the state rather than across it. The result: a lack of the moisture needed to set the whole storm producing mechanism in motion.

That mechanism lifts the day’s accumulated, land-heated moisture to phenomenal heights – up to 50,000 feet. At such altitudes it is cooled, condensing into water droplets. Robbed of it’s heat and the updraft that has carried it so far, the day’s moisture cascades back to earth in the form of refreshing, life giving rain. Without these storms, the alternative would be akin to what we faced last weekend and earlier this week: a relentless heat that takes your very breath away. In no time at all, Florida would end up looking like the arid plains of the southwest.

So the next time your plans are changed by one of our summer storms, or you’re drenched trying to dash to your car in the Publix parking lot, don’t curse the thunder…just consider the alternative.

Tags: heat, Sarasota, summer, thunder, thunderstorms
Posted in Florida

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June

16th

2009

Sarasota’s Roundabout Quest…

May the Force be with You!

By Robert Frederickson

Okay. So now that the transition to digital TV has been completed without the planet spinning off its axis, Sarasota has announced plans for the next Great Leap Forward: roundabouts.

Beloved by traffic engineers and Europhiles alike, these thoroughly continental marvels of perpetual motion promise everything from more pedestrian friendly thoroughfares to freer flowing traffic to a clearer picture on your new digital TV. Well, maybe not that last part, but if claims can be believed, your commute home after a long day of widget making will be shortened to the point where you’ll never again have to worry about missing the start of “Wheel of Fortune.”

And here’s the kicker: you’ll actually arrive home sooner by driving slower! Solve that puzzle, Vanna!

Actually, it’s no puzzle at all for disciples of the New, New, Newer Urbanism.

“Life moves in a circular motion” said renowned New, New, Newer Urbanism guru Pandre Luany. “Traffic circles simply capture this natural life force and propel us forward with little regard to the laws of quantum mechanics…”

Still, some remain skeptical of the city’s proposal to add six roundabouts along a stretch of US 41 between US 301 and Fruitville road.

“I like the idea of slowing down traffic near Island Park” said former Sarasota Mayor Mack Burney, a frequent visitor to the area, especially the section of the park in-and-around O’Leary’s.

“It was during my term as Mayor that Island Park was redesigned,” he added. “Anything that makes it easier to get to O’Leary’s, er… I mean Island Park, well that’s a good thing. But I’m just not sure Sarasotans are ready for this many roundabouts.”

Indeed, a recent study by GMAC Insurance ranked Florida drivers 43rd nationally in their understanding of the rules of the road. The results are based on a 20 question test given to drivers across the country. Wisconsin drivers came in first. Yet interestingly, when Wisconsin drivers come to Florida, their driving prowess melts away like an ice cream cone on a summer day in Miami. Testers speculate this has something to do with them wanting to fit in with their new neighbors. Nobody likes a showoff, dontcha know.

For anyone needing a good laugh, you can take the test yourself by following this link: #mce_temp_url#

Anyway, the point would seem to be that drivers in Florida are…well, “different.” Traffic studies that predict less time on the road when traffic circles replace traffic lights are likely based on “average” drivers. Florida drivers have proven themselves anything but. Remember the frequency of drivers turning left into the bay upon leaving the Van Wezel parking lot before the city put up barriers?

And then there’s the experience of the city of Clearwater. A few years back the city unveiled a brand new roundabout at the west end of the primary causeway linking Clearwater to Clearwater Beach. Here too, predictions called for less traffic congestion and easier access to the city’s major tourist destinations.

“It was an unmitigated disaster when we opened that thing,” said the city’s Traffic Control Officer, Fritz Cabino. “We had people circling for hours…”

“One lady went around 347 times. Finally, she pressed her Life Alert® button and told the operator : ‘I’ve merged and I can’t get off!’“

“Poor thing. It took us 45 minutes to get her outta there. Traffic was backed up all the way to US 19.”

Reflecting on the experience later from the safety of home, she remarked: “The worst part of it all? By the time I got home, I’d missed “Wheel of Fortune.”

Tags: Andres Duany, New Urbanism, Roundabout, Sarasota, Traffic
Posted in Architecture/Design, Politics

2 Comments »

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