Old City Life - May 2014

St. Augustine’s Culture & Lifestyle Magazine

Volume 8 Issue 5 | MAY 2014

oldcitylife.com

Small School, Big Moves

Volume 8

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Issue 5

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2014

Castaway Publishing, Inc PO Box 35 St. Augustine, FL 32085 904.461.6773 OCL@castawaypublishing.com Lura Readle Scarpitti

Managing Editor editor@castawaypublishing.com 904-325-5930

Brian Hornung

Art Director brian@rockitinteractive.com

Diana L. Garber

Ad Sales Director oclads@castawaypublishing.com 904-679-1550

LeeAnn Kendall

Advertising Sales • Public Relations Ad Representative ads@castawaypublishing.com 904-501-3917

Voted St. Augustine’s Best “Every Year” 15 Years in a Row!

Distribution

Warren Macbeth Christianne Macbeth Truett Yarbrough John Dattoma Publication Distribution Service Dominion Distribution

Old City Life Magazine publishes 12 issues annually subscription $19.95 | 12 issues

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All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher. All material is compiled from sources believed to be reliable, published without responsibility for errors or omissions. Castaway Publishing, Inc. assumes no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts or photos.

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‛s op e e k Mi me Sh Fra

“We Frame Anything” Moultrie Commerce Park 3440 US 1 South St. Augustine, Fl 32086 Phone: (904)794-9992

mikees.frameshop@gmail.com

Family Owned and Operated David and Carol Kosko

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letter from the editor ear Readers,

You know life is good when your commute to work takes you through downtown St. Augustine every single day. You could choose to bypass King Street altogether, go down US1 and over the 312 Bridge to get to work, but why on earth would you do that?! The drive through the historic section of town is one of my favorites. It’s not that long of a trip-if traffic is flowing, usually only a matter of minutes to get from US1 to over the Bridge of Lions. I actually prefer getting caught by a light or two because it forces me to stop and sit there, among all the old buildings, and really appreciate the inherent beauty of the place that we all call home.

I’ve called St. Augustine home for well over 30 years (even when not living anywhere near the city at times!) and have always been in love with the beautiful architecture of the city. One of my favorite places to get stuck is right between the Lightner Museum and Flagler College, two of the most beautiful buildings in the Ancient City. While stopped, you can’t help but take in all the amazing detail of these two structures. I almost always catch myself lost in some daydream, gazing up at the terra cotta spires of Flagler, the architectural elements of the place, the majestic Lions and the grand arch that frames the entrance to the school. It’s such a romantic old building. As many times as I’ve seen that grand structure, I always seem to discover something new about the building when I do. I love that. And I have a feeling I’m not the only one that does .

Of course this edifice also houses an institution of higher learning. Even though I didn’t personally attend Flagler, sometimes I feel like I did because I have SO many good friends, whom I’ve known for decades, who did-awesome people, each and every one (including Old City Life’s very talented Art Director, Brian Hornung). The school attracts students to its halls for a variety of reasons: it’s small, it’s near the beach, it’s in the middle of a historic city, its main building is a magnificent former grand hotel...and, it’s simply an extremely good school. I won’t list all the accolades and recognition that the school has received over the years, simply because there is not space here. That’s for another issue at another time.

This issue, we wanted to focus on the reach of the school; not just here, but nationally and internationally. Flagler College is an integral part of our diverse community, but there still seems to be a bit of a...partition between the residents and the school. That’s to be understood. It’s a relatively young school and, even though it continues to grow, there’s a bit of mystery there. We want to help put an end to that separation and put a face to some of the students who walked the breezeway, camped out in the rotunda during finals, ate in that glorious dining hall surrounded by priceless Tiffany glass windows and stayed in the same place where former presidents, celebrities, tycoons, and highest of high society once rested their heads (how many people can say that about their college experience?). So many of them have gone on to make their mark in this world, establish themselves in the business arena, the arts, the legal world, and more. St. Augustine should be proud to have played a part in producing some of these, and many other sterling individuals.

To compliment our notable alumni story, we asked Raphael Cosme to tell us a little about the building’s history, and our resident “humorist” and Mayor, Joe Boles, even weighs in on what Flagler and its students mean to him.

Of course, it’s not all about Flagler, and the rest of this month’s issue is jam-packed with great articles on the music, people, art, dining, et-cetera, et-cetera, et-cetera, of our dynamic community.

Life in the Old City is good and we love bringing it to you each month.

Go Saints!, Lura Readle Scarpitti

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4 letter from the editor 6 from our mayor 11 historyt 19 from the porch 25 living 33 music 35 taste 40 spice 42 recipe 47 body 49 community 53 people 55 art 63 beauty 64 wine 66 calendar

contents St. Augustine’s Culture & Lifestyle Magazine

Volume 8 Issue 5 | MAY 2014

oldcitylife.com

Small School, Big Moves

on the cover The iconic building of St. Augustine has evolved into something much more influential than just a fancy hotel over the years...

How many tourists walking downtown have looked up and said,“Wow, that’s a college!?!”

Photo by Ed Taylor

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from our mayor

HENRY FLAGLER,

STILL HAVING AN IMPACT ON ST. AUGUSTINE

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y mother showed me a photograph one day of Henry Flagler having lunch on the veranda of the then Ponce de Leon Hotel. I said, “How lovely and what, pray tell, is the significance of the photo, dearest Mother of mine?” (that’s how we talk to each other, you know!). I have to note here that my mother is an “ACT”, which stands for “A Community Treasure,” as people tell me with regularity. Seriously, no matter where I go someone will ask me (after inquiring about Jane and the kids), “So how’s your Mother? I just love her...she’s a real community treasure!” I always say “She is feisty as ever in spite of the two new knees, new hip and pacemaker!” “ Well give her my best!” And I always do (if I remember).

So anyway, back to the picture of Henry Flagler. My mom says, “Henry Flagler rarely liked to be photographed, but here he is having lunch on the veranda with a whole table of women. He reminds me of you.” Well, I take a closer look at him and he looks about 75 or 80, full head of white hair, a big bushy mustache and dressed in a suit in the summertime having lunch with at least 8 women, all equally unseasonably dressed. I find I am looking closer to see if there are big puddles of sweat under the table staining the poured concrete (while I stand there with my thinning hair, beard, shorts and flip flops) and I say something witty like, “Why yes, the similarities are uncanny!” She says, “No, I mean you are surrounded by women!” I stopped for a moment and she went on: “You are married to a woman; you and Jane have six daughters between you: Kara, Hayley, Emily, Molly, Kirby and Bridey-all women; Jane’s mother and your mother are still living and in this community.”

“And both named Maurine (mine) and Maureen (Janes’s)” I say.

“Right,” she says. “Go on...” say I. “Look at your office. All of your staff have been women over the last 30 years, and there must have been about 10 or 12 of them.”

“You have a sister, Melissa living here. Jane has six sisters living in the eastern part of the US that visit frequently: Madeline, Anna, Stephanie, Mickey and Sarah (God, I hope I got them all!).

Even your dog is a female!”

“Well,” I said , “I do have a brother, Michael, but he lives in Virginia. I do have a stepson, Willie, but since he moved out, we hardly ever see him, much to his mother, Jane’s regret. (Do you hear that, Willie, the sound of guilt swirling around and aroundjust kidding!). So I guess you are right: I am a lot like Henry Flagler with his notorious love for women. But at least I am not marrying them all like old Henry tried to do.”

But that legacy is a tiny one. As I thought about Mr. Flagler, I realized that he wasn’t just the Father of Florida Tourism: he left money and progeny that go on and on and on.

Recently the City Manager, John Regan and the 450th Director, Dana Ste. Claire and I took a brief tour of Whitehall, Flagler’s Palm Beach Mansion. Wow, what a place! But it doesn’t hold a candle to the magnificent structures he left for us, like Flagler College and City Hall. It was through the efforts of the Flagler heirs, specifically Mr. Lawrence Lewis, who have given us the gift of Flagler College which truly seperates us from other destlinations.

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By Joseph L. Boles Jr.

The school, and its deep involvement in the historic fabric of our city, puts us squarely in the company of Williamsburg, (William and Mary), Charleston, Boston, and Savannah with their many, many fine colleges.

Thank you, Mr. Flagler, for the chance to truly have the academic environment that a college brings to a community. The diversity of age, music, entertainment, sports activities are just wonderful. I am sure The Villages is a wonderful place to retire and recreate but I am glad to see young people on our streets (even if they are jaywalking all the time). Yes, they can be noisy, but the quality of person that stays here after graduation and become contributors to all segments of this great city of ours is amazing to me. So, thanks to the current crop of Flagler heirs, philanthropists every one, it seems, and thanks to the quality of the institution that Flagler College has turned out to be and continues to be. Thanks Mr. Flagler, and to quote Cousin Eddie, “For the gift that keeps on giving the whole year through,” and year after year. (Call me if you know where that quote comes from!)

Joe Boles OCL

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Journey

Exploring the city’s African -American experience

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Flagler Alumni

Big things come from small beginnings

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Tattoo you

A family tradition that runs more than skin deep

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Good Taste

The hidden treasure that is Conrad’s Steak House

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Sailing The Grenadines

Old-school-style aboard the S/V Mandalay

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Early Morning St. Augustine Photo by Hookey Hamilton

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history

Flagler College A St Augustine Legacy

by Raphael Cosme photos courtesy of The St. Augustine Historical Society

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lagler College, located at the heart of the Nation’s Oldest City, has more than fifteen years of excellence in higher education, with 29 majors and 34 minors and a current enrollment of 2,847 students. The 42-acre campus is home to one of the Best Regional Colleges in the South, according to U.S. News and World Report. But there is something more to this successful college; it occupies what was once the Ponce de Leon Hotel. Over the past 125 years, its campus has become one of the top historic landmarks in the state of Florida. The glamour and classic architectural of Flagler College invites thousands of tourists to flash their cameras in order to take a bit of history of the old Ponce de Leon hotel with them . Â

Beginnings Henry Flagler, an American industrialist originally from New York, partnered with John D. Rockefeller to found the Standard Oil Company. While Henry worked from Tampa as the head of the company, he and Rockefeller and a group of eleven men formed a development company in 1882. He developed tourism along the East Coast, the Gulf Coast and South Florida and decided to visit St. Augustine with the Rockefellers for oil development.

By advice of his personal physician, Flagler took his ailing wife to St. Augustine for its mild winter, but, sadly, she died in 1881. Two years later he re-married Ida Alice and took her to St. Augustine for their honeymoon at the recently built Villa Zorayda. Flagler offered to purchase it from the hotel owner, Franklin Smith, but Smith declined.

Flagler continues to come back each winter and, in the spring of 1885, he bought seven acres of land on which he wanted to build a very modern, convenient, resort hotel. He broke ground on December first of the same year. On Flagler’s mind was to build the best hotel and bring the best of the Spanish Renaissance Revival architectural style. After attending several local Ponce de Leon festivities in St. Augustine, he decided to name it Hotel Ponce de Leon in memory of the discoverer of Florida.

As he was familiar with the high rises in New England, Flagler knew that it was not going to be easy to match all the building materials. There were a lot of challenges that came with building so close to the Atlantic Ocean and in a state with a large history of tropical storms. He decided to work deep with the building foundation and built the first multi-story major concrete building in the United States. A combination of building materials imported from Germany and locally mined coquina blocks (crushed, earth pressed coquina shells) from the quarries on Anastasia Island were used to build what would become the largest hotel in Florida.

The details and decoration against the solid concrete walls was the second challenge for Flagler in bringing the bright Spanish style. (more })

According to Dr. Leslee Keys PhD., Director of Historic Preservation and Professor of History at Flagler College, who has, for many years, been researching first hand details of construction of the building, “Flagler hired young architects Thomas Hastings and John M. Carrere, who went right out of college to design the hotel, and it was their first major commission as architects.

Hastings’s family was friends with the Flagler family and he knew Thomas Hastings probably since the time he was born.”

Keys adds, “There were a lot of people involved in the construction of the hotel, like interior designer, Louis Comfort Tiffany, who worked with Flagler on the designs, as well as the stained glass windows (many which surround the dining hall). He also hired the best craftsman and artisans from New York, like muralist George Willoughby Maynard. For decorator was firm (the)Pottier and Stymus. The Ponce de Leon was the nation’s first major concrete structure and was one of the first buildings in the nation to have electricity designed by the Edison Electric Company. The team finished major construction in exactly 18 months, and opened the hotel to the public on January 12th 1888.”

Flagler’s vision for the hotel, to bring northern wealthy, and/ or famous, personalities and high-ranking U.S. government travelers to Florida, was realized in high fashion. In its heyday, the Ponce de Leon Hotel regularly played host to the wealthiest of the wealthy (John Astor, John D. Rockefeller), presidents and dignitaries (Theodore Roosevelt, Warren G. Harding, Admiral Dewey), famous people in the arts (writer and satirist Mark Twain, W. Somerset Maugham) and sports personalities (Babe Ruth, Babe Didrikson). Although the era of grand resort hotels eventually faded out, the Ponce de Leon was known as one of the most elegant and opulent of its kind.

In the late ‘40s and ‘50s, people tended to want to vacation in places where they could drive to places like Holiday Inns and motels, and they wanted contemporary design and not the hotels of the gilded age. So, in the spring of 1967, eighty years after the grand hotel opened its doors, the hotel closed and never came back.

Flagler College Opens In the ‘60s, a number of small schools were being started for women who were going to college. Flagler’s great nephew, Lawrence Louis Jr., worked with some other people from the northeast to create a campus on the grounds of the former hotel for one of these schools. It opened in ‘68 as a women’s college only for the first three years. For many reasons though, it did not seem to work. Lawrence Louis stepped down in ‘71 and hired William “Bill” Abare Jr. to serve as President, and Bill Proctor to serve as Chancellor, and they are still there today. The fall of the same year, the college became co-educational and they graduated their first class in ‘72.

When Flagler College took over the property in ‘71, they had to rebuild, repair and restore the building. It now looks better than it ever has, as the college continues to invest money in the repair and preservation of the building every year. Work began on the dorm rooms in the ‘70s and in the ‘80s preparations were made to celebrate the building’s 100th anniversary. The first fundraising campaign was held for work on the dining room, the parlor and the rotunda. The building has new furniture in some places, but 12

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the college still has antique furniture from the hotel which is showcased and reused as much possible.

Some items came with the building and then, over time, as family members or friends have seen that the college is really taking care of the historic pieces, other items have come back to the college on loan or as outright gifts.

Flagler College Division of Preservation does diligent research to make sure that whatever needs to be repaired or restored will be done as accurately as possible. A preservation architect out of Jacksonville assists the students. The same conservation firm that started working for them in the ‘80s does a lot of the interior work for the division. Still involved in the work are some of the original reconstruction firms, for example A.D. Davis Construction. A.D Davis himself, who would now be the grandfather, was the one who fixed the ceiling in ‘71 when it was about to fall.

As a nod to the building’s creator, the college’s logo has a Scottish lion (being the king), which relates to the Flagler family, on top. The Hotel Ponce de Leon, built by Flagler, serves as a reminder of his enterprise, diligence, and commitment to high standards. Because of this, the college is committed to the preservation and use of this historic and architecturally unique campus.

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One note: the students at Flagler appreciate the history of their school as well; so much so that they created and conduct tours of the building open to the public. Flagler Legacy Tours run on the hour between 10a.m. and 2p.m. daily and are $10 for adults, $1 for children, and are free to St. Johns County residents.

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photo: SGS Design & Art

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deas are powerful. Ideas turned into actions are even more powerful and emotional. The creation of the Journey: 450 Years of the African-American Experience exhibition is an idea that took shape through the efforts of hundreds of people and, in turn, is impacting and educating thousands of people.

The idea behind the exhibition began with the knowledge that the national story of African-Americans mirrors the history of St. Augustine, including the clash of Old and New World cultures and the struggle for European control to the growth of colonies on the backs of slaves, and the unending, centurieslong fight for freedom. The hope was to have this idea take shape and share the message that St. Augustine has been part of America since its beginning and Africans-Americans have played a key role in the birth of this nation.

The Journey exhibition idea became a reality, and was created as part of the St. Augustine 450th Commemoration. The exhibition, now on display at the Visitor Information Center in downtown St. Augustine until July 15 of this year, features authentic objects, original documents, powerful photographs, interactive elements and a 22-minute documentary that depict the journey African-Americans experienced from our country’s beginnings until today.

The Challenge

The Journey exhibition was an ambitious undertaking because it required narrowing down 450 years of African-American history into a 4,000-square-foot space. This was achieved through the development of four exhibition themes that volume 8

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(more })

story contributed by the St. Augustine 450th Commemoration

Emanicapation Proclamation Parade in Saint Augustine, circa 1922 - Twine Collection from the St. Augustine Historical Society 15

organized the exhibition in a unique and visitor-friendly way. The themes include: • Genesis of the African-American Experience - The story of the first African beings in St. Augustine.

• Fortress of Freedom-Fort Mose was the first freed Black settlement in America.

• Breaking the Chains-The Underground Railroad ran south to St. Augustine.

• Crossroads of Change-St. Augustine was the catalyst for the passage of the Civil Rights Act in 1964.

The Tour Genesis of the African-American Experience

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started over again. Throughout his life-long research, Bullock didn’t learn about Fort Mose until he was an adult and living here in St. Augustine.

The Fortress of Freedom theme also depicts the conditions slaves endured during transportation to the New World. An 1808 ship layout of the Henrietta Marie, on loan from the Kislak Foundation, shows how 400 slaves were transported. This was considered humane at the time since ships previously carried more than 700 slaves in each expedition.

A slave bill of sale from 1861 is also on display. It shows the sale of Eve at the age of 28, who was deeded to William J. Rheyes when her master passed away. This document is evidence that slaves were sold in the Slave Market that still stands today in downtown St. Augustine in the Plaza de la Constitución.

Breaking the Chains

The exhibition begins with the theme, Genesis of the AfricanAmerican Experience, which showcases unique objects that illustrate the beginning of America in St. Augustine. The theme’s icon is of Isobel de Los Rios, who is considered one of the first female African-American entrepreneurs in the United States. She sold fresh rolls from her St. Augustine home in the late 17th century.

Two powerful documents, on loan from the Catholic Diocese of St. Augustine, are featured in this theme and have never before been on display. One such document is a 1595 baptismal record of the first known African-American child. This document illustrates that Africans became African-Americans in St. Augustine. The second document is a 1598 marriage certificate of the first known Roman Catholic marriage recorded between two AfricanAmericans.

Leonard Pitts Jr., a columnist for The Miami Herald and Pulitzer Prize winner who writes and speaks about culture, race, families, relationships and politics, visited the Journey exhibition in March the day after speaking to more than 800 people at the Lewis Auditorium at Flagler College about race and the South. During his visit to the exhibition, Pitts, who has studied and researched African-American history for numerous years, was captivated by these original African-American documents.

Also part of this section is a life-like figure of Juan Diego overlooking the two documents. Diego, who arrived with St. Augustine’s founder, Don Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, represents the lifestyle of a free African-American conquistador in early St. Augustine.

This theme of the Journey exhibition depicts life after the Emancipation Proclamation.

The proclamation, issued

by President Abraham Lincoln providing freedom to slaves, in actuality, freed very few slaves. Instead, the proclamation was a first step in the efforts to make slavery illegal throughout the United States. The icon of this exhibition theme is Frederick Douglass, an advocate for the African-American community and friend of Lincoln. Douglass had a main role in the passage of the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 and visited St. Augustine for one day to speak about the continued struggles of AfricanAmericans after the Emancipation Proclamation.

This section of the exhibition explains continued discrimination faced by African-Americans after the Emancipation Proclamation.

This included Jim Crow Laws mandating racial segregation in all public facilities in southern states, and the Convict Leasing System.

The system was created when slaves became free and there was a need by businesses and plantations for cheap labor. In collaboration with local jails and courts, African-Americans were arrested on exaggerated charges and then leased out to businesses for unpaid labor. This was slavery under another name.

The Breaking the Chains section includes an 1844 curfew pass for a slave named Scipio. It also displays examples of the Convict Leasing System and pictures of the Emancipation Proclamation parade in St. Augustine. In fact, a visitor to the Journey exhibition from Kansas saw her aunt in the Emancipation Proclamation parade photograph provided by the St. Augustine Historical Society.

Fortress of Freedom

This theme of the Journey exhibition showcases how St. Augustine was the catalyst for the passage of the Civil Rights Act in 1964. The icon of this exhibition theme is Andrew Young, a friend of Martin Luther King, Jr. and organizer of non-violent Civil Rights demonstrations. The theme shares the untold stories of St. Augustine during this time of chaos.

This section features the original Woolworth’s lunch counter where the St. Augustine Four staged a sit in. Upon seeing this original lunch counter, Cheryl Williams, a visitor to the exhibition and marketing consultant for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference of Jacksonville, became teary eyed. This exhibition display brought back her childhood memories of sitting at that exact counter where her mother taught her strict manners and later where her community members non-violently sat for equality.

This section also includes a Martin Luther King, Jr. fingerprint card, on loan from the Lincolnville Museum & Cultural

The second theme of the exhibition, Fortress of Freedom, features Fort Mose, the first free African-American settlement in the United States. The icon for this theme is Francisco Menendez, an African-American military leader at Fort Mose who became free by petitioning to the Spanish crown for both his freedom and the freedom of his compatriots. This section of the exhibition includes a model of Fort Mose, on loan from Fort Mose Historic State Park, and explains that African-Americans become free under Spanish rule through conversion to Catholicism and one year of military service.

The story of Fort Mose is one that many people are just learning about, including those in the African-American and St. Augustine community. James Bullock, actor, historian and Freedom Road Production creative producer, grew up with a love of learning. He read encyclopedias for fun from A to Z and then

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Museum, when he was arrested in St. Augustine. The fingerprint card is from the Putnam County Sheriff ’s office because the St. Johns County Sherriff ’s office ran out of fingerprint cards at the time of the arrest. This theme also displays Associated Press photographs during St. Augustine’s Civil Rights demonstrations in the 1960s.

Journey Documentary & Interactive Touchscreens

A must-see at the exhibition is a 22-minute documentary created

by Mummy Cat Productions that includes original footage of Civil Rights Movement events in St. Augustine in 1964. The documentary also shares interviews with Civil Rights veterans, African-American community leaders and noted historians. Visitors are welcome to sit and enjoy the documentary in a theater-style setting within the exhibition.

Another noteworthy element of the exhibition is an interactive touchscreen counter that replicates the original Woolworth’s lunch counter. The touchscreen provides additional African-American educational resources. Visitors can view historic photographs and read more about St. Augustine’s history.

Passport Program

The journey of the Journey exhibition doesn’t end after the exhibition tour is complete. The journey continues through a passport program that connects visitors with an additional 18 locations throughout the city, enabling continued learning about African-American history. Many of the locations are within walking distance from the exhibition. The passport is free with admission into the Journey exhibition.

OCL

If You Go Cost - $5 general admission, free for St. Johns County residents Website–www.Journey2014.com Address–10 W. Castillo Drive, St. Augustine Dates–January 20 to July 15, 2014 Hours–9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily

photo: SGS Design & Art

Visitor Perspectives “Revealing, inspiring and beautifully presented!”-Ontario, New York “Excellent exhibit!”-Miami, Florida “Everyone must see!”-St. Augustine, Florida “Thank you for saving history.”-Humble, Texas “Wonderful! Spent four hours here.”-Ann Arbor, Michigan “Overwhelming on so many levels. Thank you.”-St. Augustine, Florida “Please continue to showcase African-American history!”-Jacksonville, FL “Gave me chills. Thankful and privileged.”-Seattle, Washington “Unbelievable…we’ve come a long way.”-Jacksonville, Florida “Brought back sad and happy memories.”-Colorado “Very informative. Learned something new.”-Jacksonville, Florida “Everyone should see this. Absolutely essential.”-Canada “Incredibly powerful displays. Inspiring bravery of youngsters.”-Vermont

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Ashley & Jared June 22, 2013

Beverly Bennett Photography

Marsh Creek Country Club offers an exclusive, unique and unforgettable location to host your wedding ceremony, reception, or rehearsal dinner.

Imagine your wedding day framed by pristine marshes and accented by a spectacular sunset.

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904.461.1101 ext 234

Catering@marshcreek.com Marsh Creek Country Club 169 Marshside Drive • St. Augustine, FL 32080 www.marshcreekweddings.com 18

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View from the “Porch”

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very now and then I practice what I preach and go out to enjoy some of the amazing events that happen here virtually every day. Recently, Lonesome Bert and I stepped out to Café Eleven and enjoyed the toe-tapping, hip-swinging Cajun music of Michael Doucet and BeauSoleil. Café Eleven is a great small venue for live music, so keep an eye out for future concerts. Then at the invitation of Laura Mongiovi, Associate Professor in the Art and Design Department of Flagler College, I went to the recently restored solarium (magnificent views!) to hear renowned ceramicist Kate Maury speak about her art and show how her travels through India, China and Hungary continue to influence and inspire her work. Egyptian artist and activist Mohamed Abla gave a lecture in the Flagler Room entitled “The Role of Art in the Egyptian Revolution,” which was illustrated by his amazing paintings. The day before, he hosted an interactive art workshop at the Lincolnville Farmer’s Market. I mention these past events not to tease you about missing them but to remind everyone how rich our cultural menu is and that two of the three events were free.

“Welcome back!” to the Lincolnville Farmer’s Market. Under the direction of Nico Recore, the market is open for business at Eddie Vicker’s Park every Sunday from 12p.m-4p.m.. There’s wonderful produce, Pop Terry’s rocking barbecue, delicious Kenyan coffee, Shorty Boy’s Kettle Corn, Bluebird Cookie Company (vegan), Vern’s Peanuts, Dorego’s Bakery and some savory African delights from Jennifer and Ibrahim Mahem, to name but a few reasons why you should get yourself over there to sample the wares.

Goodbye and thank you to Kenneth Pierce, owner and operator of Potbelly’s Cinema. Mr Pierce is retiring after having run several businesses at 36 Granada Street starting in 1977 and all his memorabilia and collectibles will be auctioned off so that new owners, Karla and Bob Wagner can start their renovations on this 125-year old building. Stay tuned for more news and welcome to the Wagners, who plan on reopening the cinema and adding a new place to have lunch. Thanks for keeping our local movie theatre open!

Did you know that our very own St Augustine Singers have been invited by Distinguished Concerts International New York to join a select group of 200 vocalists to sing “World Beloved: A Bluegrass Mass” at Carnegie Hall in June? The invitation came after the singers performed this piece under the direction of Kathleen Vande Berg at a recent First Friday Art Walk and were acclaimed by the performers and audience alike. There is a fundraising effort going on now to help defray travel and hotel costs so if you are a fan of this talented group you can help send the chorus to Carnegie Hall by contacting volume 8

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downtown

by Irene Arriola

Jillian Bos with your donation. Email her at jillianbos@yahoo.com to find out how you can help.

Save these dates:

St. Augustine’s Romanza Festivale of the Arts is being held May 9th – 18th and it promises to be quite the event. Check out all the programs at www.romanzafestivale.com and make your plans accordingly.

Anne Kraft and Jean Rahner of A Classic Theatre, Inc. are kicking off the Festivale with “Alice in Wonderland,” created by The Manhattan Project. The cast is full of familiar names including Olivia Gowan, Frank Riccardo, Kelly McTaggart, Carol Mandel, Eliot and Min Stone. Follow Alice and the White Rabbit down the rabbit hole on May 12th and 13th. Reserve your tickets by calling (904)829-5807 or at aclassictheatre@hotmail.com. Performances will be held in the Gamache Theatre at Flagler’s Ringhaver Student Center.

Next up at the Festivale is the St Augustine Orchestra’s Spring Concert being held at the Lightner Museum on May 16th. Music from Spain, Mexico, Cuba and Argentina will be on the program and David de la Mora will conduct the Andalucia Suite.

Do you like chocolate? If so, here are two things you should be happy to know. The North Florida Women’s Chorale has titled their spring concert “Chocolate and Other Delights,” and will be offering this musical delicacy as part of the Festivale on May 17th at the Memorial Presbyterian Church. All about life’s simple sweetnesses, the chorale will sing about things light and dark and after the program you can sample the real thing during the Chocolate Reception. This is a free event so there are no excuses!

The Chocolate Turtle has opened its doors at 47 Cordova Street serving decadent desserts, coffees, wine and craft beers – quite the food group. Open Sunday through Thursday from 8am - 10pm and till 11pm on Friday and Saturday. Indulge your sweet tooth – remember dark chocolate is good for you.

Speaking of free and wonderful, the Music by the Sea series starts back on May 14th and runs through September 24th every Wednesday from 7p.m. – 9 p.m. at the St Augustine Beach Pavilion.

At 6p.m. each week a local restaurant is on hand to offer $10 meals so pack up your chair and head down to the beach.

Late breaking news – The Ice Plant will be serving lunch Monday through Friday. It’s an easy opportunity to eat something fabulous and see this great building in the daytime.

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Old City

Flagler College Graduates

F

lagler College turned forty-six this year-still a spring chicken when compared to the 125-year old Hotel Ponce de León, one of the most visible and beloved landmarks on the college’s St. Augustine campus. Since its inception, Flagler has turned out more than 15,000 graduates in fields ranging from graphic design and business to sports management, English, science, and more. Many of these graduates have stayed in the area, but even more have spread their wings past the gates of the Oldest City to forge unique careers and passions.

Old City Life caught up with a sampling of Saints alumni to find out what they’ve been up to since graduation.

Andy Ford, ’79, remembers sweating it out in the non-air-conditioned dorms of Flagler’s Ponce Hall back in the day. But that steamy start didn’t stop him from pursuing an impressive career in Florida education and advocacy. Andy is currently president of the Florida Education Association (FEA). In this role, he helps represent more than 140,000 school employees in Florida’s public schools, colleges, and universities.

While at Flagler, the New Jersey-native majored in elementary and secondary education with a minor in social sciences, and his college years in St. Augustine were “one of the most enjoyable times in my life,” he said. “Flagler gives you an opportunity for a higher education in a smaller environment. With my perspective on education today, I can see how it really helps young people grow and develop.”

Theresa Pickett, ‘10, was recently voted one of Nashville,

Tennessee’s top three best actresses in Nashville Scene’s “Best of Nashville” poll. Since graduating with a degree in history from Flagler, she has carved out a robust career as a freelancer both behind the scenes and in front of the camera in over two dozen movies, videos, TV shows, commercials, and photo shoots. Theresa’s favorite project was the short film “Look”, which was profiled in Student Filmmakers Magazine and received a 4-star review from FilmThreat. She is also a certified K-6 teacher, but it’s the writing life that has captured her attention the most through the years. “I have always been drawn to writing,” she said.

“I actually supported myself through college at Flagler writing online how-to articles. In my senior year, I interviewed twelve WWII orphans from the AWON organization, which taught me so much about how to conduct a good interview. Now years later, as I’ve been interviewing children’s authors, I realize how valuable my time at Flagler was.”

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S u cc e ss S to r i e s Make their Mark

Heather Vreeland, ’03, is the publisher and

editor-in-chief of Occasions magazine, an online and print guide for weddings and events across metro Atlanta. Originally from Palm Beach County, Heather graduated from Flagler with a BA in communication.

She stayed in St. Augustine and served as marketing director for Debbie’s Day Spa before striking out for Atlanta and zeroing in on the wedding industry.

The Occasions brand is now one of the Ben Vigil Photographers most respected multi-platform media companies across the Atlanta special events industry. She credits her time at Flagler with helping her to focus her vision and understand her true passions. “My goal was to be Katie Couric,” she said, laughing, “to be an on-screen reporter. But when I had some classes with Professor Rob Armstrong at Flagler, he opened my eyes to the business and marketing side of news and publishing. I’ve never looked back.” Heather’s husband Andrew is an air-traffic controller, and in 2013, the family moved their Atlanta operations back to St. Augustine, where Heather continues to run Occasions from her home

story by Laura Smith

in the Ancient City. On Christmas Eve 2013, the Vreelands welcomed a baby boy, Asher.

Brad Brewer, ’84, is a familiar face as The Golf Channel’s “Daily Brew” online instructor. Since graduating from Flagler, he’s made a successful life as a golf professional and teacher. He cofounded the Arnold Palmer Golf Academies with his long-time friend and mentor, the King of Golf, Arnold Palmer, and he’s the author of the books My Golf Journal, Golf for Everybody, and Mentored by the King. When he isn’t teaching or writing, Brad captures his golf memories on canvas, and he remembers his time in Flagler art classes, notably with professors Don Martin and Enzo Torcoletti, as “second to none. I majored in art at Flagler, but over the years my art had taken a back seat to my golf career. When I finally picked up the brushes again I found it didn’t take long for those skills to come back. I cherish those times at Flagler, being in the old art studios. Those years were formative, to say the least.”

Laura Neal, ‘98, is Vice President of Communications for the PGA Tour. Though she’s proud of her Saints alumni status today, she remembers how close she came to not graduating from Flagler. “I was signed and sealed to go to the University of Florida,” she said, laughing.

“Then I won the Lewis Wiley scholarship at Flagler, which was a full ride, and for a girl from a working-class family in Ocala, that was a real life-changer.” During her final semester at Flagler, Laura completed an internship with LPGA (more })

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Daytona, which launched her into a successful career as a professional in the golf industry. She was awarded the 2004 Golf Writers Association of America Writing Award for a four-day series chronicling Annika Sorenstam’s historic journey at the PGA Tour’s Bank of America Colonial. She was also named one of Golf Magazine’s “40 Under 40” in 2010, which recognized men and women “who have each helped shape, influence or improve the game, both on the course and off, before reaching their 40th birthdays.”

Frank George, ‘87, a lead prosecutor in the Casey Anthony trial, remembers shopping for colleges as a young man and being intrigued by materials Flagler had mailed him. “It seemed very personal. It was near a beach. It just looked good. (When I arrived), I instantly felt relaxed.

My freshman year was one of the best years of my life.

You begin to figure out who you are.” Suspecting he was missing out on a photo-Ed Taylor bigger university experience, Frank transferred to American University after his sophomore year. “But the things I thought I would hate at a big school two years before proved to be true.

It was big, anonymous. I didn’t enjoy it. I knew I belonged back in St. Augustine, and I transferred back after a year.”

After graduation, and law school, he joined the Florida legal system in ‘91, first as Public Defender in Palatka (commuting from St. Augustine, 60 miles each day); then, switching sides at the end of ‘96 and becoming an Assistant State Attorney for Orange County. A short break in ‘01 included working to protect children and unify families as a Senior Attorney for the Department of Children and Families in Orlando, but the rewarding work lacked one thing: jury trials. Rejoining the Orange County SA Office in ‘03, he spent six years in the Sex Crimes/Child Abuse Unit, then prosecuted career criminals.

He joined the Homicide Unit full-time in 2011 after serving as a co-counsel on the prosecution team in the high-profile Casey Anthony murder trial. In his current roll as a Trial Unit Director, he oversees 2 Circuit and 2 County Court divisions.

The next logical step in his successful 20 year (total) career as a public servant? Running for Judge (Orange/Osceola Ninth Circuit Court). As Frank sees it, “Everything that I have done has been in preparation for the bench.”

Susan Schuh, ‘99, works for NASA leading an Operational Habitability Team that collects, identifies, and analyzes data from returning astronauts about life on the space station. The discipline is known as “human factors” analysis, and Susan says it’s a career path she would never have discovered without the influence of the late Dr. Gerald Gamache, a professor of psychology at Flagler. “Dr. G. was like a grandfather to me,” she remembers. “And he absolutely lit up when he was talking 22

about human factors.

He sparked the fire in me.” After her graduation, Gamache encouraged her to enter the Human Factors and Systems Masters program at Embry-Riddle University. Susan has also worked with the U.S. Navy designing displays for damage control systems on destroyers, and with the U.S. Air Force on unmanned air vehicles and air refueling tankers. Susan’s husband, Scott is a NASA rocket scientist. Together with their two-year-old daughter Wilhelmina, they will welcome a new baby in July.

Hamilton Nolan, ’03, is a senior writer at the news and gossip site Gawker. In this role, his no-holds-barred approach to reporting and commentary on media trends, celebrities, and current events has won him the attention—and sometimes the ire—of some of the biggest media outlets and pundits in the nation. The St. Augustine native attended Nease High School and Howard University in Washington, D.C. before transferring to Flagler and graduating in 2003. At that point, and after a stint freelancing for Folio Weekly in Jacksonville, he packed up his clips and headed for New York City, where he soon found himself writing for one of the most buzzed-about blogs on the Internet. He’s been with Gawker since ‘08.

“It’s a good place to be,” he says. “Gawker gives me a lot of freedom as a writer as well as a good audience.

Usually you only get one or the other.”

Sara Pedigo, ’03, is a prolific painter known for stunning works that play with the notions of memory, nostalgia, and idealized reality. After graduating from Flagler she embarked on an MFA from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst.

Sara then returned to St. Augustine and re-joined Flagler, this time as an art professor. She has exhibited throughout the United States, including at the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery in Washington D.C., and in exhibitions at the Cue Foundation, New York and the Naples Art Museum, Naples, FL. St. Augustine residents and visitors should watch for new local shows coming up in the next year, including a show at Plum Gallery from October to January 2014, and a show at the Ponte Vedra Cultural Center in 2015. “Flagler was the best place I could have gone as an undergraduate,” she said. “And volume 8

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it means a lot to me that I was able to come back and teach here. I feel like I won the lottery to be able to be here.” But don’t ask her to talk too much about her own successes; she’s anxious to shine the light back on the students she’s helped mentor through Flagler’s BFA art program.

In fact, from the Fall ‘13 BFA class, she reports, three students were accepted to very reputable graduate programs: Matthew Batty was accepted into Indiana University, one of the top tier studio programs in the country; Brielle Jenkins was accepted into two regional powerhouses, the University of Florida and the University of Georgia; Brianna Angelakis was accepted into the University of Florida, Laguna College of Art and Design in California, the New York Academy of Art and the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.

Zack Strait, ’07, received big news this year. His poem “Another Moon,” a narrative poem written over the summer about a man who plucks bluebells from the surface of the moon, was accepted for publication in the print journal POETRY, one of the most prestigious magazines in the literary world, with its early contributors including T.S. Eliot, Robert Frost, Langston Hughes, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Ernest Hemingway, Alan Ginsberg, and Sylvia Plath. Zack is currently pursuing a MFA at Wichita State University and is working on securing a publisher for his first full-length poetry collection. “I’m hoping to get it taken before I graduate in December,” he said. He still keeps in touch with friends and colleagues from Flagler and St. Augustine, including poet and creative writing professor Liz Robbins.

“Liz is one of the best editors I’ve ever had.

She’s brilliant,” he said.

“In fact, all the creative writing faculty are amazing. They taught me how to love literature in a way I never did before.”

Miranda Lambert, LL Cool J, and the Beach Boys to play post game concerts. “I really credit my baseball coach at Flagler, Dave Barnett, with teaching me a great deal about management and leadership,” he said.

“Dave and I keep up with each other. He really made an impact on me. He led the team by holding everyone accountable and trusting them to do what they did best. I’ve taken those lessons with me a long way.” Brian and his wife Emily have two boys: Cruz, four, and Finn, nine months.

Editor’s note: These 11 names translate into 11 successful careers: 11 actual people who have gone on to make their mark after matriculating at a college that continues to grow, continues to thrive and continues to become a more integral part of the community surrounding it. These respected individuals are only the tip of the iceberg of the wealth of talented, dedicated and hard-working people who are proud to hang a degree from Flagler College on the walls of their offices, homes, and businesses. We hope to expand on their stories and introduce you to the countless other notable alumni in a section we are developing that will be called, simply enough, Flagler Focus. I would like to personally thank all the individuals listed above for their co-operation in making this article possible. You do your alma mater proud. LRS OCL

Brian Killingsworth, ‘00, a former catcher for the Saints

baseball team, is now the vice president of marketing and brand strategy for the St. Louis Rams. Prior to making the leap into the NFL, Brian was Senior Director of Marketing and Promotions for the Tampa Bay Rays for ten years. In that role, he created the Rays Summer Concert Series and brought in more than 40 high-profile acts including ZZ Top, Daughtry, 3 Doors Down,

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home

SaintAugustineLiving

When Old meets New

W

hen a 21st century doctor collaborates with a team of masterful designers and contractors in restoring an early 20th century home, magic can happen. Dr. Van Lilly, a Flagler Hospital Neonatalogist, had a good idea of what he wanted when he moved to St. Augustine two years ago.

Starting with his Realtor, Irene Arriola, and long time designer Rudy York, of Rudy York Design in Jacksonville, Lilly chose a Victorian property ready for updating. With the help of contractor, Gaere MacDonald of Gaere MacDonald Construction and Kevin Apple of Kapple Landscape Design, the Victorian house was transformed into a beautiful modern home greater than Dr. Lilly imagined.

The Charlotte Street property, originally built between 1905 and 1907 by Robert Ranson, a prominent engineer famous for making the map of the City of St. Augustine of 1905 and who was instrumental in the return of the casket of Pedro Menendez de Aviles from Spain to St. Augustine in 1925.

At the south end of Charlotte Street, the property straddles Charlotte and Saint George Streets with Marie Sanchez Lake almost in its back yard. Capitalizing on the location and period architecture,

“The Lilly Home� story by LeeAnn Kendall photos by Justin Itnyre

........the Victorian house was transformed into a beautiful modern home

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the team designed everything around Dr. Lilly’s art and furniture collection. Maintaining the Victorian feel of the exterior structure, they modernized it by moving walls, doors and windows, opening it and taking advantage of the light from the lake. The downstairs flows from porch to porch, from Charlotte through to Saint George Street.

The integrity of the period is in the details. Wall covering from the English designer William Morris. has a depth of colors and rich patterns that evoke the era, as does the collection of California Mission furniture that Lilly collected when living in Pasadena. His extensive collection of English majolica (pottery) and American Arts and Crafts pottery evoke the spirit of the times.

In the dining room, an ancient Chinese bathing bowl with a piece by potter Ken Jensen is the table’s centerpiece. On the wall presiding over the room is what Dr. Lilly calls his “guardian angel.” The model is the wife of world renowned relief sculptor Bill Mack of Minneapolis. Lilly found the piece in Miami over 30 years ago.

The kitchen has a modern feel with indelible touches of designer Rudy York. Oak cabinets, dark green wallpaper and paneled appliances bring in serene green from the outdoor design and give a cool and relaxed ambiance. Light-green-glass-tile backsplash is reminescent of sea glass and exudes a coastal feeling.

Upstairs is more modern and is where Lilly enjoys

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spending time relaxing. With the doors open and the afternoon sun reflecting off the lake, the room is filled with sparkling light.

On one wall is an Ethiopian trough and in the hallway is one of the doctor’s favorite pieces, a Mexican “Dia de Los Muertos” (Day of the Dead) doll atop a Moroccan chest.

The second story was opened up by combining two rooms to make one large room and putting in closets. When I asked Dr. Lilly about the biggest challenge? He laughed and said “paying for it! “ Most surprising about the property is the modern gardens.

Creating a tranquil garden that fuses the outside of home and reflects the lifestyle of the owner was the primary goal. Kevin Apple of Kapple Landscape Design chose an Asian contemporary design. He and Lilly met and were in total agreement from the very first drawing. With Lilly’s attraction to Eastern style, Apple presented the minimalist geometric design and they moved forward. An eclipse is its centerpiece and the use of decorative precast cement helps achieve the goal of balance and harmony.

Lilly loves the garden areas and uses the brightly sunlit Saint George Street side for his outdoor living space.

Everyone involved in this project agrees that the team and the trust from the owner made working together and achieving their goals possible and rewarding. The beauty and the peace of the house reflect this synergy. After a long day at the hospital, Dr. Lilly is happy to return to his beautiful and tranquil home. OCL

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How do you

TATTOO Saint Augustine?

story and photos by Chris Bodor & Susan Johnson

T

he Nation’s Oldest City is different than any other place on Earth. We even do tattoos differently..........

Tattooing the human body is the most difficult art form there is At least that’s what Jesse Britten with Pegasus Gallery thinks.

And he should know. Britton has worked with almost all artistic mediums, including sculpting, oil painting and yes – the fine art of fresh ink!

Pegasus Gallery is located at 215 West King St. Owner Kim Wells set up shop about seven years ago and says the key to her success has been staying “low-key.” Not easy in an industry that is known for creating some very inyour-face body art. “We don’t accept walk-ins, we work by appointment only and we are an art gallery as well as a tattoo business.” Wells has been tattooing for over 14 years in St. Augustine and has an extensive portfolio of intricate designs.

Jesse Britton is now in his 13th year of creating wearable art and says his earlier training

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“Tattooing is not about the tattoo artist, per se: it’s about the person getting the tattoo.

I am merely their vehicle. It’s also not only about the tattoo, but the entire experience the person has getting the tattoo”. in the fine arts field – Sailor Cher has influenced almost every aspect of his work as a tattooist. “I find that I end up approaching body art in the same way I was trained to approach fine art. The difference is that tattooing is much more challenging.” Why? “Because, while the approach is the same, none of the same rules apply. There is no comparison between the lightness or heaviness of a pencil on paper or the viscosity of oil paint on a canvas for a ‘fine artist’ and the psychological barrier a tattooist faces when creating beauty by inflicting physical pain.” And he’s not kidding. According to most calculations, the skin is pricked between 50 and 3,000 times per minute by the needle in the tat machine. Ouch.

We’ve Come a Long Way, Baby While the thought of inflicting pain might bother Jesse Britton, many of us Americans are more than willing to grin and bare it! In fact, over 21% of us have at least one tattoo, more women than men have body art and the 30-39-year-olds are inking up faster than any other age group. All this colorful artwork adds up to one beautiful shade of green...the tattoo industry brings in close to $2.5 billion every year! Most impressive, especially when you consider that, between 1961 and 1997, it was illegal to get a tattoo in New York City. Or, that you could go to jail for tattooing in Massachusetts - right up until the year 2000. to do that is as hard as tattooing. It is the hardest art form that there is”. (more })

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A Family Affair for Sailor Cher A local tattooist with a degree in photography and a background in photojournalism (with the Navy, of course), Sailor Cher and two of her five daughters own and operate Sailor Cher’s Tattoo & Body Piercing, 45403 US1 South. Sailor Cher believes that “tattooing is as much of an art form as any other medium; it’s just done on a living canvas.” She and her daughters, Erin.g and Molly, make more than body art; they have created a little bit of history right here in the oldest city by being entirely family – and female – staffed. Molly manages the day-to-day business part of the family art efforts, while Erin.g, who apprenticed under her mother, has gained a reputation for being one of the best piercers in the area.

On the Wings of a...

Blue-Footed Booby?

Sin*D is an artist with Ms. Deborah’s Fountain of Youth Tattoo & Piercing, 78 Lemon St. in downtown St. Augustine. She created a recent design for newbie Ashley-Marie Bodor, who brought a rendering of a bird – the Blue-Footed Booby to be precise - in for reproduction on her foot. Sin*D explained that bone structure on some body areas can be challenging but, by utilizing her artistic skills and some special ink colors, she was able to enhance the Booby for better visibility.

Always a plus.

Who’s Your Tattie?

Do your homework before choosing a tattooist.

The application itself should be uniform; a puncture that’s too deep can cause unnecessary pain while surface punctures can create uneven borders and lines. Brook Dean, also with Ms. Deborah’s Fountain of Youth, says that everyone considering a tattoo should always ask to see an artist’s portfolio before beginning the process.

“While most people have a general idea of what they want, and some even bring a picture, the majority of my clients appreciate my input on considerations like design, color choices, etc. A talented artist can help you with all those decisions.” Grady Cook was in the chair when I visited Brook Dean at Ms. Deborah’s. This was his fourth tattoo, but instead of getting a new design in a new area, he was covering up an old tattoo with fresh ink. He was one of the few who seemed to know exactly what he wanted and had chosen Brook to engrave the design. “It’s kind of a complicated process, ”explained Grady. ”Instead of removing the older tattoo, I wanted to cover it up using a different design. And, I wanted to include my daughters’ names this time.” How many daughters does he have? Grady laughed. “Just two, thank God!” e 30

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“He who dares not grasp the thorn, should never crave the rose.”

Anne Bronte All tattooists agreed that there is no such thing as a painless tattoo. “There are places on the body that are more sensitive than others” explained Pegasus owner Kim Wells. And, according to Sailor Cher, the time of day and even a person’s emotional state can influence individual pain receptors. “If someone talks you into getting a tattoo on the spur of the moment, you might feel a little more discomfort than you would if you were prepared for the procedure.” Just how painful is it? Brook Dean compares it with a bee sting or a sunburn. So what to do if you’re one of those people who love the look but hate the pain?

“Suck it up” he says. “The results are more than worth it.”

OCL

Staff at family owned Sailor Cher’s Tattoo & Body Piercing (left to right): Molly, Sailor Cher, Erin.g

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music

got rockabilly?

Go Get Gone.

A

one, two, three, four!

That’s what I first heard walking up the boardwalk to The Conch House lounge one Saturday night. What I heard next hit me like the first blow of a Nor’easter in my face, and sent a shiver down my spine.

Is that Rockabilly I’m hearing? Not only one of the coolest genres in music, but perhaps the father of modern Rock N’ Roll.

Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Wanda Jackson-the Queen of Rockabilly, and the King…Elvis Presley, a few names you may be familiar with, are the original Rockabilly Stars. These artists were a huge influence on all contemporary music as we know it.

That influence lives on right here in the oldest city.

Go Get Gone, a Rockabilly trio based in St. Augustine, stays true to its roots, all the way. Straight down to the greased Pompadour haircut and Bettie Page blood red lipstick. But, true most of all, with their music.

Formed in early 2009 by Mike and Angi Edginton, the band was created as an homage to a genre that had made a significant impact on the two from their early childhood years.

Mike has been playing guitar and singing since the age of 3. His first exposure to the Rockabilly sound was through film.

He saw the films American Graffiti and Back to the Future and fell in love with the historical ‘50s soundtracks. His attention to nuance and detail in his performances are so identical to his heroes it’s uncanny. All while doing his “twang-thang” with a Gretch guitar (equipped with a Bigsby tremolo bar, of course), through a Fender amp with the reverb cranked waaaay up.

Banging out a couple classic double stops on his guitar that would make Scotty Moore shy, Mike goes running out in the audience and lands a move that Elvis would be jealous of.

Angi has been picking up different instruments and singing for as long as she can remember, but stand-up slap bass is her passion. Her parents were Rockabilly fans and exposed her to the genre from the day she was born, which led to her very first crush…Elvis. Angi handles the stand up bass like she means business. Her right hand pumps out the rhythm that is the backbone of the band. At one point during their ever accelerating tempo of Duane Eddy’s “Rebel Rouser”, her hand appears to be floating above the bass strings, never touching the surface, her fingers a blur like a pair of hummingbird wings.

“Whapattapabottawhapattapabotta”. Yeah, that’s cool. Waaaay cool.

Emily Ward’s percussion rounds out the trio. Her grandmother is responsible for the initial spark that started

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story by Fond Kiser photoss by Ed Taylor & Bill Kenyon

Emily’s love of music, but her first exposure to Rockabilly, like Mike’s, came from contemporary film. She has learned to play several different instruments proficiently, but when was offered the position as the drummer for Go Get Gone, she could not resist the opportunity. Emily performs with a cocktail drum set. It’s an odd looking scaled down set, but is perfect for the simplistic driving beats of rockabilly. The kick drum and the floor tom are combined in a tall vertical cylinder. The kick is on the bottom with the pedal located beneath it, and the tom is on top with the drumhead tuned accordingly.

As with many contemporary rockabilly bands, there’s an alter ego with this one. It’s called “Psychobilly”. A term coined from a lyric in the Johnny Cash song, “One Piece at a Time”, where a man working in the auto factory takes a part at a time over many years and builds his own Cadillac. The genre is a combination of Rockabilly, Punk, and 70’s horror films. When Go Get Gone flips its cover, they’re called “Twisted in Graves”.

And they do it hardcore. But as Mike says, “You can’t have Psychobily without Rockabilly in its roots.” At the time this story is being written, the band is traveling to a Psychobilly music fest called “Viva Las Vegas” at the Las Vegas House of Blues. I’m sure they’ll rock the house.

Go Get Gone is the real deal and is as close as you can get to the original Memphis beginnings of the Rockabilly genre.

Add an authentic and lively stage show, they’re more than just a rockabilly cover band…they own it.

OCL

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The Heart of Boston The Passion of Spain The Bounty of Conrad’s

Good Taste N

ormally, articles that feature restaurants talk about the food, the drinks, the wine list, the service, and more. But, as you know, most truly memorable restaurants are not just about fabulous food, drink, service, and atmosphere. The truly memorable ones have that little something extra that sets them apart. Of all the ingredients, it’s the human elements: smile, personality, heart, touch, taste, smell and passion that make special restaurants special. You see, restaurants without soul are restaurants without seasoning...read on and you’ll understand why.

A California couple recently found buried coins worth ten million dollars in their backyard. It had been lying there for years.

They had walked that part of their property

story by OCL staff photos by Tammy Harrow

hundreds of times, coming and going, walking right past the spot until one day they saw something reflecting a ray of sunlight. When they investigated they found mint-condition coins worth a fortune…and the rest is history.

Treasures are sometimes like that. They are often close by, hidden in places where we haven’t thought to look. This is one of those stories about hidden treasure, a heart-warming romance, and an opportunity for you to play a role in a happy-ever-after ending.

Here in St. Augustine, if you’re venturing south of town on US 1 South, you might easily have overlooked a small shopping strip mall on the east side of the highway. Even if you saw the shopping center, unless you went all the way to the southern most tip of center, you might (more })

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easily have missed one of the most incredible treasures you’re ever likely to find here in the Old City. As promised, our treasure hunt has a most appropriate romantic twist.

The story begins in Boston in the early 1980’s. Imagine a young woman from a fine family in Boston who is being courted by the son of one of Boston’s most famous doctors. Her parents were excited that this wealthy young man from “the right side of the tracks” had asked permission to ask for her hand in marriage.

But she had reservations. That tiny soft voice inside her gave reason to pause. She, after all, was the sort of adventurous soul that was more interested in love and romance than playing it safe and marrying for money. So, when her young, soon-to-be-doctor suitor proposed marriage, she asked for some time to think. She told him that she was going on a cruise with friends, and that she would give him an answer when she returned. As he patiently waited for her, she set out with her friends on a cruise that would change her life. While what many would consider traditional treasure was waiting safe at home in Boston with money, prestige, a fine home, and financial security, young Mary was searching for so much more. Her adventure would eventually bring her here to St. Augustine (but we’re getting ahead of the story).

The first night on the ship after donning her finest dress and upon entering the dining room her eyes beheld a sight that would change her life forever. There, in front of her, just as she prepared to be seated, a tall, dark, handsome waiter came out of the kitchen carrying a tray filled with food. Immediately, Mary sprang to her feet and requested seating in another section. “I want to sit in the section where that young man is the waiter,” she emphatically told the maître di. As fate would have it, he explained that there had been a last minute cancellation in that section of the ship’s dining room and she was moved to another table. After an enjoyable, if 36

not anxious, dinner that seemed to last an eternity (as it flashed by in seconds), the waiter politely asked in his strong Spanish accent, “Would you like anything else?”

Now when you’re on an adventure, and opportunity presents itself, there’s no place for the faint of heart. Our adventurous young heroine looked into his eyes and said with a smile, “Yes, I want you!” And that, ladies and gentlemen was the beginning of a romance that has lasted more than 32 years.

So you’re wondering…”What about this treasure?” We’re telling a story here: don’t be impatient.

When the cruise stopped at one of those sunny Caribbean beaches, she saw Conrad’s chiseled physique and told a friend, “I’m going to marry that man.”

Now her parents were not exactly excited by this news; after all, our adventurous young woman was trading in a life of certain security (and boredom) for a Spanish waiter whose English was not all that good. But eventually , as they grew to know him, they too came to accept and understand her choice. A portrait of Mary’s skeptical parents hangs on the wall just to the right when you enter the restaurant.

The treasure? Mary saw it right away, but it would take time and many years of training at Hotel Schweizerhof and Hotel Savoy in Switzerland for Conrad to perfect his forté as a chef. Today, Conrad’s Steakhouse is the embodiment of Mary’s dream. Like diamonds and gold, Conrad and Mary Martin have operated one of St. Augustine’s finest restaurants, hidden away for over four years at the south end of the Shoppes at Moultrie Creek, a couple miles south of the Old City limits. Mary will greet you at the door, and Conrad will smile and wave from the kitchen where he and his staff prepare food that literally melts in your mouth.

You see, Conrad’s Steakhouse is the culmination of lovers’ dreams.

It’s a business that they share in an intimate space with friends who appreciate excellent food and wine. Open six days (closed Tuesdays), reservations are recommended in the evening because apparently someone left a copy of the local treasure map lying around and the restaurant is regularly full.

Want authentic paella prepared by a Spanish native whose favorite football team is Barcelona? How about a succulent steak prepared to your precise specifications? Salads, vegetables and deserts to-die-for are prepared with love…but then what would you expect from a couple of star-struck romantics who have found a way to share their passion with Old City residents and visitors from around the world.

Conrad has been recognized as one of the top chefs in America, and Conrad’s Steakhouse is among the finest restaurants in the Old City. With all this talk of treasure, it has to be noted that their prices won’t rob you of your fortune.

Mention this story when you meet Mary and Conrad Martin.

They’ll fill you in on some of the details of their romantic life adventure and you’ll enjoy one of the best meals you can imagine, prepared just the way you like it.

Conrad’s (family-owned) Steakhouse is located at 4010 US1 South in The Shoppes at Moultrie Creek. Their menu is available on their website, www.ConradsSteakhouse.com, and you can call (904)794-9440 for reservations. And, for goodness sake, pay attention…there are all kinds of treasures just waiting to be discovered here in the Nation’s Oldest City!

OCL

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Dining Guide Symbol Key Beer and Wine breakfast Courtyard/outdoor Dancing Diner Entertainment Full Liquor Bar Happy Hour Kids Menu Late Night Menu Lunch Organic Ingredients Parking Party/Banquet Facility Raw Bar Reservations Required Sunday Brunch Take Out Tiki Bar Waterside Dining

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n Amici

1915 A1A South • Saint Augustine, FL 32080 (904)461-0102 • amicistaugustine.com Amici is one of the true Italian restaurants in northeast Florida, where ambience and cuisine are authentically Italian. Vito Arena has been sharing his family’s old-world legacy of remarkable Italian dishes to fall in love with, while he and his sister, Benedetta make each dining moment and private party unforgettable. It is no wonder that Amici has been voted “Best Italian Restaurant” consecutively, year after year by the residents of Saint Augustine.

n The Raintree Restaurant & Steakhouse

102 San Marco Avenue • Saint Augustine (904)824-7211 • raintreerestaurant.com Enjoy casual dining at its finest at The Raintree Restaurant & Steakhouse, recognized nationally and internationally as one of Florida’s top destination restaurants. The Raintree is renowned for consistent, award-winning menu, wine list and full bar served in the warm, intimate atmosphere of a restored 1879 Victorian home with live music in our courtyard.

n The Reef Restaurant

4100 Coastal Highway • Saint Augustine (904)824-8008 • thereefstaugustine.com The Reef, originally called Comptons, was built by the Usina family on a beautiful piece of oceanfront property in tranquil North Beach, three miles north of the Usina Bridge, on land owned by the family for generations. Comptons opened in 1989 and enjoyed great success for the next ten years. It closed in 1999 due to the ill health of Mr. Compton and hurricane damage. The Reef was opened in 2002, under the direct ownership of the Usinas. Since that time the restaurant has worked hard to produce fine food and beverages, professionally served, all accompanied by unsurpassed views of the magnificent Atlantic Ocean. It has steadily built a reputation as one of the most popular dining destinations in Saint Augustine.

Remembering Ours & Honoring Yours on

Mother’s Day

with a piece of our

Chocolate Kalhua Cake Reservations 12 to 8pm

4010 US1 South South--St. St.Augustine, Augustine,FL FL 4010 US1 794-9440 www.conradssteakhouse.com 794-9440 ••www.conradssteakhouse.com

n South Beach Grill

45 Cubbedge Road • Saint Augustine Beach (904)471-8700 • southbeachgrill.net “Fresh local seafood and aloha service since1997” This popular restaurant is one of only three direct oceanfront eateries in Saint Johns County. While the oceanfront location is unique, one thing that sets the restaurant apart is the absolute resolve to source and procure 100% fresh fish. All fish arrives at the restaurant “on loin” where it is skillfully skinned, weighed and cut into fillets. The promise of fresh is evident not only in the fish selection but across the entire seafood menu as well. South Beach Grill is open 7 days a week.

Lunch 11a.m.-4:30p.m., Dinner from 4:30p.m. to 9:30p.m., serving breakfast Saturdays & Sundays from 7:30-10:30.

n Sunset Grille

421 A1A Beach Blvd • Saint Augustine Beach (904)471-5555 • sunsetgrillea1a.com Most Award Winning Restaurant in Saint Augustine Beach, 29 time winner of The Great Chowder Debate. Have won Awards for our Datil Pepper Wings, Baby Back Ribs, Coconut Shrimp, Crab Fondue, Lobster Ravioli, Shrimp and Grits and Brownie Volcano Dessert. Our Key West atmosphere and kids menu makes us fun for the whole family. Celebrating our 22nd Anniversary!

n The Tasting Room

25 Cuna Street • Saint Augustine (904)810-2400 • thetastingroomfl.com A contemporary Spanish restaurant. Vibrant splashes of art complement a colorful array of “Tapas,” delectable little dishes designed for sharing and socializing. Iberianaccented entrées infused with fresh, local flavor and created with ingredients imported directly from Spain sail hot to your table. From curvy sofas cozying up to a Flamenco red fireplace, award-winning Wines lining an entire wall, and live Latin music nights, The Tasting Room is fueled by a passion for authentic Spanish food and wine.

Reservations are not required, but recommended. Courtyard Dining, Private Dining Room available that seats up to 20. For more information please email us or call, make online reservations at tastetapas.com.

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FULL SERVICE CATERING

Open for lunch Monday – Friday 11 am – 3 pm

Delicious dining with the freshest ingredients 9E South Dixie Highway • 904.829.2727 www.culinaryoutfitters.org volume 8

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n Conrad’s Steakhouse

4010 US1 South Saint Augustine, Florida (904)794-9440 • conradssteakhouse.com Conrad Martin, from Spain, was recently voted one of the best chefs in America. Conrad’s Steak House is known for its outstanding service and generous portions, along with keeping a Spanish flair in Conrad’s cooking.

Conrad’s paella and codfish in green sauce are delicious. The restaurant also offers chicken, seafood, pastas and salads. Conrad is in the kitchen, Mary, his wife, controls the front of the house. This “gem” of restaurant is a “Feast of quality and taste” with great food and hospitality.

Lunch every weekday 11:30a.m.-2p.m. • Dinner every night, 5pm-9pm Closed Tuesdays.

n 386 A Fusion of Fine eating

5949 N. Oceanshore Blvd, Palm Coast, FL, 32137 (386)246-0070 threeeightsix.com Nestled among the majestic oak trees in “The Hammock” alongside scenic A1A, lies 386, A Fusion of Fine Eating. Residing in a building reminiscent of “Old Florida”, 386 embodies the local spirit while invoking a worldly feel with cuisine.

The menu boasts a fusion of American favorites from East to West, local fresh seafood in Southern favorites like shrimp-n-grits, aged steaks as one would find in the West, and scallops recalling time spent on the North Eastern shore.

The menu is complimented by a wide selection of wines from around the globe and a generous selection of beers on tap. 386 is the realization of a dream for a husband and wife team who are committed to serving the freshest of ingredients and living by the motto “do the right thing” for our patrons. Experience Palm Coast’s very own culinary escape

n Captain’s BBQ

5862 N. Oceanshore Blvd.Palm Coast, FL 32137 (386)597-2888 Offers some of the best TRUE SOUTHERN BBQ, we only use the best quality meats and ingredients. Our meats and side dishes are slow cooked in our special wood burning smoker. Although smoking is a very slow, time consuming process it is worth every second. The result is moist, juicy meats, infused with a delicious smoked wood flavor. Come try Captain Chris’s almost famous Ribs, Chicken, Pulled Pork, Turkey Breast and Brisket which are available daily with exciting additions of daily specials. All of our side dishes are homemade, Macaroni Salad, Sweet Corn Bread, Baked Beans and Cole Slaw. on beautiful and scenic A1A at Bing’s Landing in the Hammock of Palm Coast. Captains BBQ is also accessible by water (29.615°N 81.205°W) just south of channel marker red “108” captainsbbqbaittackle.com

n DOLCE Café

210 St. George St. St. Augustine, FL, 32084 Trying to accommodate everybody’s needs, DOLCE Café has something to offer for everybody, the locals and tourists, big and small and everybody who is up for something delicious. GLUTEN FREE Crepes, Gourmet organic coffee, french pastries, desserts, gourmet ice cream, real fruit smoothies, milkshakes, fresh deli sandwiches and many more. When in the St. Augustine area, come visit our landmark and café. Sip the atmosphere of old world continental coffees and savor the smell of our freshly baked crepes. Open 8a.m. - 8p.m.

n Donovan’s Irish Pub

7440 US-1 North * Saint Augustine (904)829-0000 DonovansIrishPub.com “If you walk in as a stranger, you will leave as a friend.” Stop in for an Irish feast of genuine Irish recipes, award-winning desserts, lunch and dinner menus, signature dishes, weekly specials, a vast selection of wines and beer and much more. Customers enjoy our surrounding TVS or hanging out in the adjoining Danny’s place for a game of pool or darts. Conveniently located near the World Golf Village, on US 1. We’re open 7 days a week from 11a.m. to 11 p.m.

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spice

Fit to a (Tea)

by Colleen Messner

L

ike boiling water, making iced tea isn’t too difficult...if you know how to do it. Why not take a new look at some of your favorite hot teas and brew up some delicious iced tea using them?

Start with this easy tea brewing method that won’t heat up your kitchen-cold brewing!

Choose your favorite loose leaf tea, grab a 16 ounce glass container (with a lid) and bottled or filtered water. If you have an infuser ball or large tea filter they are helpful, but not necessary.

I’m making Mango Green Tea but remember, there aren’t any rules: go crazy and make what you like! Be daring and try a new tea that you’ve never had iced.

Different types of teas steep for different amounts of time so I’ll give you the basic brewing instructions and then I’ll give you guidelines for each type.

Put your tea in an infuser or tea filter, if you have one. If you don’t have one, you can put your tea in the glass container loose. Add 16 ounces of bottled or filtered water and don’t use water for your tea that you wouldn’t drink plain. Good water makes good tea!

Cover your container and place it in the refrigerator.

When the time is up, remove the tea infuser ball or filter from the tea and enjoy! If you placed your tea leaves directly into the container simply strain the tea through a fine sieve or layered cheesecloth into a second container. That’s it! The hard part is waiting, but once the time is up, you will have a delicious iced tea with very minimal work.

As promised, here is more detailed brewing information for each type of tea: Black Tea/Flavored Black Tea: 3 level tsp to 16 oz. water • Steep Time: 18hrs – 21hrs Oolong/Flavored Oolong : 2 tsp to 16 oz. water • Steep Time: 9hrs – 12hrs Green Tea/Flavored Green Tea: 2-2 1/2 level tsp to 16 oz. water • Steep Time: 6hrs – 9hrs White Tea/Flavored White Tea: 2 1/2-3 tsp to 16 oz. water • Steep Time: 6hrs – 9hrs Rooibos/Herbal: 3 tsp to 16 oz. water • Steep Time: 18hrs – 21hrs Once you have your delicious, cold brewed tea, you may sweeten if you’d like or just enjoy the way it is!

Get creative: add some herbs, spices or even pieces of fruit with the tea leaves and be sure to enjoy your tea within a few days for the freshest flavor.

Finally, a culinary destination has come to the Hammock

for reservations call 386-246-0070 5949 N. Oceanshore Blvd. Palm Coast

Tell us your favorites-we’d love to hear!

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Not the only water view in town...

...simply the most spectacular

904-824-8008 4100 Coastal Highway St. Augustine, FL 32084 thereefstaugustine.com

Fresh Seafood, Wild Game Exotic Specialties Offering Daily Chef’s Specials

Lunch: Tues-Sat: 11-3 Dinner: Tues-Thur 5 - 9 Fri-Sat 5 - 10 Open Holidays!

Sun 5 - 8 Sunday Brunch 10-3

904.824.3282 • 58 Charlotte Street www.LaPentolaRestaurant.com volume 8

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by Chef Sheery Gaynor photos by Tammy Harrow

Le Macaron - Baiser de Mousse

T

hough the French macaron has only recently become wildly popular to Americans, its history dates back to where culinary arts took root. The French are credited with origination of gourmet cuisine, and the macaron; however, it is the Italians who deserve credit. The French were prolific in documenting culinary processes and sharing knowledge and methodology. This recipe, along with the practice of eating with forks instead of savagely piercing food with knives, made its way over to France from Italy with Catherine de Medici when she married the Duc d’Orleans, who later became King Henry II, in the mid 1500s.

Italians, or more historically specific, the Sicilians, modified recipes they learned from Arabs from modern-day Tunisia who landed in Sicily in the 800s bearing almonds, spices, and recipes using almond paste, including a similar cookie, found in a 13th century Baghdad cookbook, called Kitab al-Tabikh (The Book of Dishes). The macaron has since made its way around the world, and developed to the filled version we know, in the 1900s

by Parisian Pastry Chefs. Luxembourg adopted the recipe and named them “Baiser de Mousse” which translates to “Foam Kiss”. Finding this too embarrassing to order for many, they

are also known commonly as “Luxemburgerli”, though Baiser de Mousse is admittedly more alluring.

There is more than one method which can be used for preparing macarons. I found this recipe, which uses Italian meringue and a “hybrid” Italian/French buttercream to be both sturdier and more historically coherent. The blend of almond paste and confectionary sugar, also known as icing sugar (as long as it does not contain added cornstarch), is so common in France, it has a name of its own: tant-pour-tant. Likewise, the method of folding the meringue into the almond paste, whether it’s a cooked or uncooked meringue, is referred to as macronage. The macronage plays a critical role in the production of the macaron, as there is a delicate balance in the mixing time. Fold the meringue in thirds with about 8-10 folds to produce a thick “lavalike” consistency. Allow piped cookies to dry for a minimum of 15 minutes before baking and bake each sheet individually in the center rack for best results. The recipe can be scaled down, though it will be harder to get a clear read on the thermometer with such small amount of syrup. Macarons should be served at room temperature, wrapped airtight and keep for 1-2 weeks refrigerated and up to 3 months in the freezer.

recipe

Yields approximately 100 / 1.25” cookies Equipment:

Electric mixer: either handheld or countertop 1 quart saucepan with lid Pastry brush 1 candy thermometer 5 pastry bags (or as many colors as you plan to use) 1 small straight pastry tip (#12) 6 /12”x18” sheet pans Parchment paper 5 shades of gel food coloring (optional-as many or few as preferred)

Fillings

Whipped White Chocolate Vanilla Bean Ganache 2 oz. heavy cream 3 oz. white chocolate 1 tsp. vanilla bean paste or scraped seeds from ½ vanilla bean 1. Chop white chocolate into chip-sized bits if not using chips or discs.

2. Heat cream to boiling.

3. Add vanilla bean paste or seeds to hot cream.

4. Stir in white chocolate.

5. Cool until room temperature (over ice bath to speed up process) 6. Whip mixture until light and thick.

Macaron Shells

9 oz. almond flour 9 oz. confectionary sugar ½ c. egg white (1st measure) 10 oz. granulated sugar 2 oz. water ½ c. egg white (2nd measure) 1. Line pans with parchment paper and preheat oven to convection bake 320˚F or 350˚F conventional oven.

2. Prepare bowls and pastry bags for as many colors as you plan to make, outfitting one bag with the pastry tip.

3. Prepare tant-pour-tant: sift almond flour and confectionary sugar twice.

4. Add 1st measure of egg whites to mixture to tant-pour-tant to make paste.

5. Combine water and granulated sugar in saucepan: stir only enough to moisten sugar, cover with lid.

6. Begin whipping egg whites with wire whip(s) until light, thick, and dry.

7. Brush sides of pan with pastry brush dipped in water to prevent crystallization.

8. Cook sugar to 248˚F. 9. While whipping, pour sugar syrup in a thin stream into whipped egg whites.

10. Continue mixing at medium high speed until mixture is coolbowl will feel cool to the touch.

11. Prepare the macronage by folding cooled meringue into almond paste in thirds.

12. Divide into separate bowls and fold in color.

13. Fill pastry bag and pipe discs 1” in diameter.

14. Dry and bake 12-14 minutes.

Chocolate Ganache

4 oz. heavy cream 4 oz. bittersweet chocolate 1. Chop chocolate into chip-sized bits if not using chips or discs.

2. Heat cream to boiling.

3. Cool to room temperature.

Buttercream

2 oz. water 4 oz. sugar 4 oz. eggs 1 lb 2 oz. unsalted butter, room temperature 1 Tbsp. clear vanilla 1 tsp. liquid flavoring agent per 1 c. buttercream 1. Boil sugar and water to 248˚F. 2. Brush sides of pan with pastry brush dipped in water to prevent crystallization.

3. Mix eggs at medium speed while sugar boils.

4. While mixing, pour sugar syrup in a thin stream into egg mixture.

5. Mix egg mixture until bowl is cool to the touch.

6. Add room temperature butter and vanilla and mix until smooth, silky consistency.

worship Abbey of Castle Otttis (Ah-tis) (Interdenominational) Prayer on Sunday Mornings Adults and Mature Children only Vilano Beach | 824.3274

Chapel of Our Lady of La Leche (Catholic) 8:30am, 5pm, Holidays 8:30am, 3pm 27 Ocean Avenue | 824.2809 Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints Call for Services 500 Deltona Blvd | Shores | 797.4412

Anastasia Baptist Church Sunday 9:30am Contemporary 11am Traditional 1650 A1A South | Anastasia Island | 471.2166

Christ Our Savior EV Lutheran Church Christian Formation 9am Divine Service 10:30am (deaf interpreted) 21 Milton Street | Uptown | 829.6823

Anchor Faith Church (Word of Faith) Sunday 11am, Wednesday 7:30pm 1764 Tree Blvd | St Augustine | 797.6363

Church Of Christ Sunday Bible Class 9am Sunday Worship 10am, 6pm, Wed 7pm 2900 Lewis Speedway | 824.1800

Ancient City Baptist Church Sunday School 9:30am Sunday 10:45am, 6pm Wed 6:30pm Bible Study and Prayer 27 Sevilla Street | Downtown | 829.3476

Church at Vilano (Baptist) Bible School 9:30am, Sunday 10:30am Wednesday Prayer and Bible Services 7pm 121 Meadow Ave | Vilano Beach | 827.0477

Berea Seventh Day Adventist Church Sabbath School 9:15am, Worship 11am Prayer Meeting 7:30pm 151 M L King Ave | Downtown | 824.9145

Community Bible Church Equipping Hour (classes for all ages) 9:30am Fellowship Worship Service10:30am Wed (school schedule) Word of Life Clubs, ages 4 thru High School, Bible Study 6:30pm 3150 US 1 South | St Augustine | 797.3875

Bethany Baptist Church Call for Services 5465 CR 208 | Bakersville | 824.5169 Bethel Baptist Church Call for services 222 Riberia St | Downtown | 824.5304

Corpus Christi Catholic Church Daily Mass Mon-Sat 9am • Sat Vigil Mass 4pm Sunday Mass 8:30am, 9:45am & 11:00am 6175 Datil Pepper Rd | Shores Area | 797.4842

Bible Baptist Church Sunday School 9:30am Worship 10:30am & 5pm 2485 Old Moultrie Rd | 797.3999

Congregation Sons of Israel (Jewish, Conservative) Services Friday 7:30pm & Saturday 10am 161 Cordova St | Historic District | 829.9532

Bridge of Life Christian Center (Full Gospel Assembly of God) Sunday Worship 10:30am Wed 6:30pm Bible Study Lewis Point Plaza | 797.0669

Crescent Beach Baptist Church Sunday School Bible Fellowship 9:30am Worship 11am, Sunday Worship 6pm 885 SR 206 E | St Augustine | 794.7777

Cathedral-Basilica Parish (Catholic) Saturday Vigil Mass 5pm Sunday Masses 7am, 9am &11am, 5pm Daily Mass 7am Monday - Saturday 38 Cathedral PL | Historic Distict | 824.2806

Dawson Chapel Christian Methodist Episcopal Sunday School 9:30am, Sunday Worship 110am, Bible Study Wednesday 7pm 225 N Orange St | St. Augustine | 824.8049

Celebration Church-St Augustine 10:30am Sundays St. Augustine High School Auditorium Childcare and Youth Services are provided 3205 Varella Ave | 737.1121 | celebration.org Center for Spiritual Living Call for Services 1795 Old Moultrie Road | 825.3600

Family Worship Center (Christ Centered Worship) Sunday 10am, Thursday 7pm 2040 SR 207 | 819.9970 First Church of Christ Scientist (Christian Science and Reading Room) Sunday School and Service 10am Wednesday Service 5:30pm 2555 Old Moultrie Rd | 797.8882

First Baptist Church Sunday School 9:30am, Worship 10:45am Monday Word and Action Bible Study 6:45pm Wednesday Prayer Service 12 noon 89 St Francis Street | Downtown | 824.6590 First United Methodist Church Sunday 8:15am & 11am - Traditional Worship Sunday 9:30am - Contemporary 118 King Street | Downtown | 829.3459 Grace United Methodist Church Sunday School 9:30am, Worship 8:30am, 11am Junior Church during 11am Carrera St at Cordova St | Downtown | 829.8272 Good News PCA (Christian) Sunday Worship 9am & 10:30am Nursery provided for all services 1357 Wildwood Drive | 819.0064 Heritage Baptist Church Bible Fellowship 9:30am Sunday School 10am Sunday Worship 11am & 6pm Wed 7pm prayer meeting 1480 Wildwood Dr | 824.8888 Hineni Messianic Fellowship (Messianic - Jewish & Non Jewish Believers) Friday Shabbat 7:30pm Tuesday Bible Study 7:30pm 1797 Old Moultrie Road | 827.9731 Holy Cross Charismatic Orthodox Sunday 10am 110 Masters Drive | 810.0535 Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church of St Augustine 2940 CR 214 | 829.0504 Homeport Christian Church Sundays 9am Traditional 10:45am Contemporary Wednesday 6:30pm 5605 US 1 S | St Augustine South | 797.8921 Hurst Chapel AME Church (Methodist) Call for Services 28-1/2 Bernard St | Downtown | 824.0500 Jehovah’s Witness Kingdom Hall South Cong.- Sunday 4pm & Thur 7:30pm North Cong. - Sunday 1pm & Wed 7:30pm East Cong. - Sunday 1pm & Thursday 7:30pm 735 Kings Estate Rd | 797.7599 Lighthouse Church of God Sunday School 9:30am, Worship 10:30am Sunday Evening 6pm, Wed Evening 7pm 1230 Kings Estate Road | 797.6996

Helping Families and Friends Honor Their Loved One We will assist in every aspect of the funeral or cremation service.

As St. Augustine’s only full service funeral home and cemetery, we can handle all the details for you.

“Four generations of the Craig family Just one call - one location!

serving the areas families”

1475 Old dixie HigHway • St. auguStine • (904) 824-1672 • www.CRAIGFUNERALHOME.com 44

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Mc Dowell Baptist Church 16 Bayview Drive | St Augustine Call for Services 829-8388 Memorial Lutheran Church of the Martyrs Sunday School Sundays Traditional 8am Contemporary 10:30am 3375 US 1 South | 797.4377 Memorial Presbyterian Church Sunday 8:30am Informal, 9:30am Church School 10:50am Pipe Organ Prelude, 11am Worship 36 Sevilla St | Historic District | 829.6451 Mill Creek Baptist Church Sunday Bible Service 10am, Sunday Worship 11am, 6:30pm, Wed 7pm 6019-A State Rd. 16 | Mill Creek | 940.3130

Saint Photios National Shrine (Greek Orthodox) Monday - Saturday, Sunday Service Friday 11am 41 St George St | St Augustine | 829.8205 San Sebastian Catholic Church Saturday Vigil Mass 4pm Sunday Masses 8am,10am, 12 noon Spanish Daily Mass 8am Tues - Friday 1112 SR 16 | 824.6625 Seventh - Day Adventist Church Sabbath School 9:30am, Worship 11am 555 State Road 16 | St Augustine | 824.5855 Shiloh Baptist Church Call for Services 271 West King St | Downtown | 824.3913

1475 Old Dixie Highway • St. Augustine Tabernacle Baptist Church Call for Services (904) 824-1672 280 Duval St | aigFuner DowntownalHome.com | 829.2041 www.Cr

Temple Bet Yam (Jewish Reform) Services First and Third Friday 7:30pm 2055 Wildwood Rd | St Augustine | 819.1875 The Village Church (Interdenominational) Bible School 9:00am Services 9am & 11am, Children’s 11am Adult Bible Study 10am, Youth 5pm 4225 Pacetti Rd | World Golf Village | 940.6768

Miracle Center Ministries (Non-Denominational) Sunday 10:30am 1797 Old Moultrie Road | 824.9673

Saint Augustine Shores United Methodist Church Sunday School 10am, Traditional 9am Contemporary 11am 724 Shores Blvd | St Augustine Shores | 797.4416

Moultrie Baptist Church Sunday School 9:45am Service 11am, 6pm, Wed 6:30pm 3699 US 1 S | Moultrie Creek | 797.9005

Saint Cyprian’s Episcopal Church Sunday Holy Eucharist 10am Third Sunday 5:30pm 37 Lovett Street | 829.8828

New Life Baptist Church Call for Service Times 346 Varella Avenue • Near SR 16 | 823.9537

Saint Francis In-the-Field Episcopal Church 9am, Sunday 10am 895 Palm Valley Rd | Ponte Vedra | 543.0112

Turning Point at Calvary Baptist Church Sunday School 9:40am Worship 9:40am, 11am, 6pm 3500 SR 16 • 829.9795

New Saint James Missionary Baptist Church Sunday School 9:30am, Worship 10:30am 135 Rodriquez Street | 824.6500

Saint Luke AME Church African Methodist Sunday School 9:30am Sunday Worship 11am 694 W Pearl St | Downtown | 824.6120

Unitarian-Universalists Fellowship of St. Augustine Sunday 10:30am 2487 A1A South | St Augustine | 471.2047

Saint Mary’s Baptist Church Call for Services 69 Washington St | Downtown | 824.1314

Wards Creek Baptist Church Sunday Services 7am, 10:45am 7pm Home Bible Studies Wednesday Youth 6pm - Service 7pm 7730 County Rd 13 N | Wards Creek | 522.0128

Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Church Saturday Vigil 4:00pm Sunday masses 8am, 10am, 12 noon Daily mass Tue 8:15am, Thurs 8:15am 5950 SR 16 | 824.8688 Pentecostal Fellowship Center Church Sunday Schoool 10:00am Worship 11am, 6pm | Youth Thursday 5:30pm 1065 Kings Estate Rd | Kings Estates | 797.6040

Saint Paul AME Church Sunday School 9:30am, Worship Services 10:45am Bible Study Wednesday 6pm 85 ML King Avenue | 829.3918

Trinity Episcopal Parish Holy Eurcharist 7:30, 9am Family Service & 11:15am Wednesday 10am Holy Eurcharist and Healing Service followed by Bible Study 215 St. George St | Historic District | 824.2876

Zion Baptist Church Call for Services 94 Evergreen Ave | St Augustine | 826.1424

Pilgrim Church (United Church of Christ) Service Sunday 10am 5880 US 1 South | St Augustine | 797.5187 Radiant Family Church Sunday Worship 10:45am, Wednesday 6:30pm 1515 CR 210 | 808.7390 Saint Anastasia Catholic Church Saturday 4pm, Sunday 8am & 10:30am Daily Mass 9am Monday-Friday 5205 A1A South | Anastasia Island | 471.5364

“Our Family Serving Your Family Since 1915” 4th Generation

1475 Old dixie HigHway • St. auguStine • (904) 824-1672 • www.CRAIGFUNERALHOME.com volume 8

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904.794.0779

Boarding • Training & Lessons Guided Trail Rides Forest Buggy Rides & Beach Rides Events • Horse Sales & Leasing EVENTS Open House May 17th • 12-5pm Demos, Refreshments & More 3-Day Clinton Anderson Clinic November 14th -16th Sign up soon....Space is Limited!!

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Cross-Country Course 8000 US 1 South • St. Augustine, Fl 32086 I www.bellamiastables.com

The Equine Pre-Purchase Exam

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by Cindy Norman and Dr. Erin Emmans-Ouellette

t is always a good time to ride horses in St. Augustine. However, with the onset of our gorgeous spring weather, the pressure mounts to dust off our boots and saddle up. This is the perfect scenario for those of us with healthy horses that are ready to ride.

For those in the market to buy, particularly their first horse, the rush to find that perfect horse tempts them to cut corners.

All horse buyers, from the recreational pleasure rider, to the serious competitor, need to know if the horse is capable of doing what the buyer wants. This month, I have asked Dr. Erin EmmansOuellette of Atlantic Veterinary Hospital to join us in discussing the pre-purchase exam for a horse.

trained eye of the veterinarian. Something that might be obvious to veterinarian might not be to the buyer. On several occasions my clients have been told they were buying a young horse, only for me to find during an oral examination, that it was an aged one. A thorough lameness exam evaluates not only the horse’s natural gait, but how they will perform during work and under stressful conditions. It is also important to have a non-biased opinion of the overall condition of a prospective purchase. This exam is done strictly for the buyer.

The information which is determined can only be discussed with the buyer, unless the buyer gives the veterinarian permission to discuss it with other parties.

Dr. Emmans-Ouellette, what is an equine prepurchase exam?

What additional costs may be required?

It is a thorough physical and lameness exam done by a veterinarian, for the buyer, prior to purchasing a horse, in order to determine if the horse is capable of performing the tasks needed or wanted by the buyer.

Why do you recommend all horse buyers have a prepurchase exam performed?

It is important to first make sure any and all medical conditions are addressed, so the buyer knows what to expect when taking care of this horse. For example, bug allergies are common in Florida. If the horse has bug allergies, I want to make sure the buyer is aware and prepared to care for that condition. During a physical exam, all aspects of the horse, from nose to tail, are examined by the 46

If a lameness or abnormal gait is observed further diagnostics are often suggested. This may include radiographs and/or an ultrasound. Scoping can be performed to evaluate the airway and/ or stomach, and blood work or fecal tests may be recommended to look for further abnormalities. Overall, the pre-purchase exam is very unique to each individual horse. Good communication between buyer and veterinarian is important to make sure all needs are being met. This is an important step to ensure a long happy relationship between the horse and the new owner.

For more information on an equine pre-purchase exam, you may contact Dr. Erin Emmans-Ouellette of Atlantic Veterinary Hospital at 904-7388391. For more information on Cindy Norman, Professional Trainer, call 904-545-3970 or visit her web site at www.riverhorserun.com. volume 8

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Counting Calories “

body Story by Kim Miller Photos by Justin Itnyre

Does Not Work

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work out like a mad person in the gym. I often burn upwards of 1000 calories on the elliptical alone. I’ve been doing this for as long as I can remember but I just don’t seem to lose weight!”

Statements such as these, I hear all the time from new clients prior to health coaching with me. They often feel like they have been spinning their wheels for far too long and not getting anywhere. Certainly as a trainer and health coach, I am aware of the effects of exercise on the body and how people who are 10 – 25 lbs overweight can still be incredibly fit in the cardiovascular, muscular strength, and health numbers areas.

The Problem Certainly a high percentage of those being personally trained, or who train consistently on their own show higher energy levels, better health numbers, and more energy than their under-exercised peers; but when it comes to deepdown feelings regarding weight loss, they really desire a lean body. Who can blame them? We all want to look the part of a healthy, lean, high-energy person. It is a lot more than just having great health numbers. It is like working but not reaping the full benefits one deserves.

The number one reason why new clients come to me is that they want to lose weight. It is a scientific fact that we cannot lose weight by exercise alone, so I put them on a health coaching program as well as a physical training program.

If you want to get real about weight loss, you gotta get your head straight and eat right. Here is one of my top 10 ways to

What are high-quality calories? A good example is whole foods, fresh foods, foods like great-grandma made....... ditch the fat and lean up the body. Implement it, and you will see dramatic results in your weight and body composition.

Wrap Your Head Around This The idea that as long as we burn more calories than we consume, we will lose weight is dead wrong. There is countless research to back this up. The common fallacy is that losing weight is all about energy balance, or calories in versus calories out. Just eat less and exercise more is the mantra we hear from the food industry and government agencies. As discussed in my previous article, it is not all about moderation. Eating “junk food,” even in moderation, will pile-on fat. The truth is there are good and bad calories. Reaching and maintaining a desirable weight is more than the simple mathematical process of balancing calories consumed with calories burned.

When we eat, our food interacts with our biology, which is a complex adaptive system that instantly transforms every bite. Every bite affects our hormones, brain chemistry and metabolism. Sugar calories cause fat storage and spikes hunger.

Protein and “good” fat calories promote fat burning. What really counts are the QUALITY of the calories.

What are high-quality calories? A good example is whole foods, fresh foods, foods like great-grandma made: good, (more })

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Improve your health for yourself and your family

quality protein found in grass-fed animal products (not factory farmed), organic eggs, chicken, small wild fish, nuts and seeds; good carbs in vibrantly colored vegetables, the brighter the better, and in fruits like wild berries, apples and kiwis; super foods like chia and hemp seeds; good fats like avocado, extra virgin olive oil, nuts and seeds, coconut butter and omega-3 fats from fish.

Call for an appointment with

Christopher J. Zub, D.O. Board Certified Family Practice

The Challenge: Keep It Clean and Simple Take today’s information and combine it with my last article on “Why Moderation Does Not Work”, which pointed out that eating junk food made from refined sugar and refined flour on a daily basis, even in moderation, will inhibit weight loss.

Accept this challenge and then watch your body weight plummet!

One additional note: consuming good quality foods does not nullify poor choices.

Weight loss rarely occurs when the bloodstream is loaded with sugars. If you have a sugar addiction (and most people who do, do not know it), you’ll find this information difficult to follow. Do what you can. It is a process of implementation, rather than knowledge, that will result in weight loss. The most successful losers have kicked the sugar habit. This could be you. If you need a little help, don’t be afraid to ask. This summer is for you and I want you not only feeling good, but looking good!

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Growing Confidence THE PLAYERS Championship

Boys & Girls Clubs of St. Augustine

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he common idiom, “One reaps what one sows,” is not only applicable to spring and summer gardening, but has an equally appropriate application in our community. The staff of THE PLAYERS Championship Boys & Girls Club of St. Augustine is keenly focused on planting seeds of hope and nurturing self-esteem and confidence in the children and teens who walk through its front doors. When asked to describe the work of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Florida, youth advocate and community liaison, Jennifer Tesori, likes to share a favorite quote by President Franklin Roosevelt who once remarked, “We can not always build the future for our youth, but we can build our youth for the future.”

A majority of the children who eagerly hop out of the Boys & Girls Club vans in the afternoon, excited to enter the Boys & Girls Club center at 5555 West King Street in St. Augustine, are not growing up in traditional households.

Most come from broken homes and are being raised by single moms or grand-parents. Many come from financially distressed households where their parent, or parents, works multiple jobs or are facing a long-term illness.

The bright yellow painted walls and relentless encouragement provided by Boys & Girls Club staff are intended to offer an after-school sanctuary for youth who need a positive place to stay, learn and play after they leave school. THE PLAYERS Championship Boys & Girls Club is open after school every day from 3 to 7 p.m. and provides fun, structured programs and activities which allow more than 200 youth members to experience a few stress-free hours each day.

“It’s a safe place where kids can actually be kids,” states

story by Carol Saviak photos by Justin Itnyre, courtesy of THE PLAYERS Championship Boys & Girls Clubs

Tesori. She is quick to add “While our programs and games are fun, they are designed to teach critical life skills such as teamwork and responsibility.”

Through over 40 specialized programs that intertwine sports, fine arts, character building and fun, the Boys & Girls Club provides youth the ability to see that there is another way to live life.

“Without the club, many of our kids would be at home alone or potentially out on the streets,” Tesori states. “Smart decisions support their success. Our focus is giving youth solid tools for life, sprinkled with love, and the sky’s the limit.”

The Boys & Girls Club currently serves 266 members ages 5 to 19. Every new child is enrolled as a member and given an official “membership card” with their names written on the card which helps instill pride and a sense of belonging. 67 percent of the youth served by THE PLAYERS Championship unit are minority or multi-racial youth. 61 percent come from households where a single parent, grandparent or foster parent is the primary caregiver.

37 percent are teenagers.

While these children may be faced with significant life challenges, the impact of the encouragement they receive at the Boys & Girls club is tangible. A 2013 survey showed several positive outcomes. 93 percent of members who attended 60 days or more were promoted to the next (more })

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grade level before summer school and 100 percent of members who attended 60 days or more were not involved in any criminal activity.

One of the slogans of the Boys & Girls Club is “Great Futures Start HERE.” One of their advertising campaigns features a photo of twenty-two well-known celebrities whose lives were positively impacted at Boys & Girls Club centers.

The list includes actors like Denzel Washington, Jennifer Lopez, Martin Sheen, Cuba Gooding, Jr., and sports superstars such as Shaquille O’Neal and Earvin “Magic” Johnson. Johnson remarks in his video interview that “It gave me so many life experiences…I started off as Earvin Johnson, but the Boys & Girls Club helped create ‘Magic’ Johnson.”

One of the generous private entities who helped to fund the construction of the St. Augustine center was THE PLAYERS Championship. The unit proudly boasts THE PLAYERS name on its colorful façade. However, THE PLAYERS tenyear financial commitment to funding the construction and launch of the St. Augustine center is slated to end this year.

Tesori reports that 85 percent of the center’s modest $295,000 operating budget comes from corporate and individual donors.

They rely heavily on donations and the proceeds of several special events hosted by local businesses and organizations.

Two of their most important events are the Rock & Roll Bash hosted by Bozard Ford-Lincoln, which will be held on May 24th of this year, where 100 percent of the ticket proceeds and donations go directly to the Boys & Girls Club. The St. Augustine Independent Restaurant Association (SAIRA) also hosts its popular annual Food & Wine Festival on September 28th, which also benefits the club.

Tesori indicates, “We have the capacity to serve another 50

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100 youth at this location, but we need additional financial support to be able to provide transportation, as well as additional staffing to oversee youth activities.”

With their sunny and compassionate dispositions, Tesori and the other staff members are natural advocates for the club, but like many non-profit leaders, she prefers to keep the focus on the children and families they serve. Tesori shared a recent letter from a self-ascribed “single working mother” to the Boys & Girls Club staff which began, “My first experience walking into the Boys N Girls Club was being greeted by a beautiful smile by Ms. Beth.” The letter ended with the following lines, “Thank you so much for making a difference in my son’s life. I noticed a huge change with your help. I agree, it takes a village to raise a child and thank you for being part of me and my son’s village. God Bless.”

Unsolicited affirmations like this are evidence that great futures are indeed being sown at THE PLAYERS Championship Boys & Girls Club in West Augustine.

For more information on how you can support or volunteer with Boys & Girls Clubs, St. Augustine, please call (904)824-1875 or visit the website at www.bgcnf.org/bgcsjc.aspx OCL

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photo: Christina Arias 52

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A Little Beauty

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story by Susan Johnson

Goes a Long Way!

hat does beauty mean to you? Most of us are conditioned to feel a certain way about physical beauty. Don’t believe it? Think beauty pageant.

Now think Miss California Beauty Pageant. See it? The blonde hair, blue eyes, poise, privilege, confidence...and of course, the swimsuit competition!

At first glance, former St. Augustine resident Christina Meredith fits the image of a California beauty to a smiling, carefree, sun-kissed “T”! Every strand of her golden blonde hair is gleaming, there is a natural sparkle in her bright blue eyes and she is graceful, elegant and perfectly composed. Judging strictly by appearance, she seems to be a very charming young woman whose equally charmed young life has led her to where she is today – the reigning 2013 Miss California beauty queen.

Except that appearances are often deceiving and there is no such thing as a charmed life.

Christina grew up with eight brothers and sisters in a household where beauty was in short supply. The ugly reality for her and her siblings was one of physical, sexual and emotional abuse that lasted from the time she was very young until she was finally removed from her home and placed in foster care while a student at Nease High School. “The most difficult part was that my brothers and sisters and I were separated. I haven’t seen some of them since I was fourteen!” She is now 27.

After graduating from high school and “aging out” of the foster care system, Christina spent the better part of a year homeless and living in her car. “I was working as a cashier and heard through the grapevine that my birth mother, who had moved away from St. Johns County, was on her way back to St. Augustine. That’s when I decided I had to get away. As it turns out, I was driving out of town on the same day my mother was driving back in!”

Christina headed for Ventura, CA hoping for a new life as a fitness model. “The person in charge of one of my auditions suggested I try out for the Miss California Pageant. I did what any no-heels, no-frills, flip-flops-and-sandals type of girl would do. I laughed at him. And then I did a little research.” What she found out surprised her. “This pageant was all about community service, volunteer work and helping others.” She entered. “I didn’t want the crown; I wanted the platform. I wanted the chance to talk to other young women like myself who struggle with similar circumstances and can’t find a way out. I wanted to use this pageant to bring hope and love and a sense of peace to girls who have been too accustomed to abuse to see any beauty in their own lives. I wanted to be considered beautiful just long enough to allow beauty to make a difference.”

The girl who had once lived in her car began talking to the people of Ventura, California. One business owner offered to pay her entrance fees and another loaned her a gown. Even her competitors in the pageant were kind, supportive and encouraging. “They really embraced me and wished me well.

The fact that my dress was borrowed didn’t matter to them at

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all. Each girl in that event truly embodied the concept that the Miss California pageant is centered on inner beauty and on what a young woman is planning to give back to her community.

When my name was called that night, it was a dream come true.

Being Miss California has given me a stronger voice.”

Christina is now using that voice to help other women find theirs. “I have started a non-profit organization called ‘Strength for Our Daughters’ because I want to help girls like me grow and learn and discover the real world. The trauma from abuse is so deep that it takes much longer to adapt.

The coping skills utilized to survive in an abusive home don’t translate well in situations outside that home. These girls need new tools to help them successfully navigate their new worlds.

My organization will address those needs and many others” Once she relinquishes her duties as Miss California, Christina plans to focus more fully on raising support for “Strength for Our Daughters.”

Karen Klayla serves as State Director for the Miss California Pageant and believes that Christina’s efforts to help others will be nothing short of an unqualified success story.

“Christina is the example that not only fuels my personal life but my basis for me being the State Director of the pageant” explains Klayla. “I know life can be difficult for girls of every age. I try to open doors for them and ‘push them through’ if needed, and help them build on a great future. Even after all she’s been through, Christina still had that spark to succeed. I wanted to make sure she had a chance to pick herself up yet again and be the woman she was meant to be. I saw the desire, the willingness and the good heart to fight the good fight. Now she’s out there helping others to do the same. She’s the perfect person for that job!”

An inspirational book entitled “Walking Toward Streets of Gold” is also in the works and is slated for release in 2015.

“My book is geared towards removing the victim mentality for all girls and women who are suffering. Because the truth is that we are not victims: we will conquer, we will heal, we will be successful and we will help others to do the same.” Both the book and the non-profit organization will focus on offering hope, motivation and resources for daily living to girls who are either in, or removed and recovering from, abusive situations.

To learn more about “Strength for Our Daughters”, Christina Meredith, and her book “Walking Toward Streets of Gold” please visit www.chrismere.com or email Christina@chrismere.com To learn more abourt working with St. Johns County youth involved in the child welfare system may contact the Family Integrity Program at (904)209-6131 or visit www.sjcfl.us/fip.

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Hookey Hamilton

Joel Bagnal, Goldsmith

Fine Art and Portrait Photographer

11B Aviles Street, St. Augustine, Fl 32084 Phone: 904.614.4706

11B & 11C Aviles St St. Augustine, FL 32084

Email: jbagnal@joelbagnalgoldsmith.com Web: joelbagnalgoldsmith.com

Phone: 904.728.4957 Email: hookey@hookeyhamiltonphotography.com

Web: hookeyhamiltonphotography.com

Commemorating life’s special occasions and relationships with custom designs in precious metals and gemstones. Complete client design and production involvement by email from any location.

Hot Shot Bakery and Cafe

Open for breakfast and lunch daily freshly-baked goods, coffee, catering and custom wedding/all-occasion cakes

8 Granada Street - Saint Augustine (904) 824-7898 54

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Painting the past

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art

by Ashley Bates

Painting and Travel with Roger & Sarah Bansemer

ith six seasons of “Painting and Travel with Roger & Sarah Bansemer” complete, 20 states visited and now 175 PBS television stations airing the show across the country, Roger and Sarah are just as passionate about painting and storytelling as ever.

“It’s really both of our passions to go out and travel and film and come back here to St. Augustine and be part of the community,” Roger said.

The couple loves taking viewers with them on their travels, all while painting and exploring new landscapes, and meeting new and interesting locals who tell the story of the community.

“Painting and Travel with Roger & Sarah Bansemer” has explored many historic areas of St. Augustine, Devil’s Tower, Wyoming, The Forgotten Coast and Apalachicola, along with many other historic locations. Each episode focuses on Roger teaching viewers how to paint a new subject, whether it’s an old barn, seascape or mountainscape. The smaller portion of the show is the “travelogue” portion with Sarah, who interviews locals in each town they visit. “We usually spend the winter months here in St. Augustine doing a few of our shows locally.

It takes a long time to edit these programs because we do all the filming and editing ourselves,” Roger said. “We spend the winter months editing and I do new paintings, too. Then in the summer months we travel out of state. Recently we had a show called ‘La Florida,’ which featured a lot of paintings here in St. Augustine with the Bridge of Lions and the hotel downtown.”

“Painting and Travel with Roger & Sarah Bansemer” airs on WJCT locally several times throughout the month and the

couple is currently working “I think St. Augustine on production of season six is just the best, a which will begin airing in the great place to not fall. only live but a great “(The show) is a nice place to paint” combination of programming on painting and travel. Sarah chooses all the locations and I’m generally good at going on location and painting anything at hand. She really sets up the schedule and our programs are 90 percent spontaneous,” Roger said. “We’ll be driving along and we’ll see an interesting museum or interesting old barn and we’ll stop and get some information and permission and we’ll set up and do a show. The television show has certainly broadened our scope of what is available to us. It opens up a lot of doors. If we want to visit a certain area or paint a certain place, interview somebody, the television show will open those doors for us.”

Roger and Sarah moved to St. Augustine from Clearwater about three years ago and have quickly become part of the fabric of the community. The duo promotes the beauty of the Northeast Florida coast, along with other locations, and Roger teaches art workshops for the St. Augustine Art Association when he has the chance. In his April workshops, students came from as far away as Canada, Texas and North Carolina.

Roger is a graduate of Ringling College of Art in Sarasota and throughout his career his art has focused on abstract works, representational paintings of landscapes to nautical themes. He is an author of eight books including “Journey to Titanic” with the forward by “Titanic” filmmaker James Cameron. (more })

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Romance & Adventure!

Enjoy the beauty of our historic waters on your Private Sunset Sail!

• Captained charters • ASA Sailing Classes • Sailboat Rentals • Small boat Sailing Club • Sail time Memberships • Fleet of 22 to 49ft !

St. Augustine Sailing Enterprises www.sta-sail.com • 904.829.0648

3076 Harbor Drive, Camachee Cove Yacht Harbor St. Augustine, FL 32084 photo: Addison Fitzgerald

Treat Yourself......

To a FUN filled Day on the Water

“I’ve been out on two expeditions to see the Titanic.

I was out in 2000 and 2005,” Roger said. “That was an incredible experience. More people have been to outer space than have been down to the Titanic.”

Sarah is co-producer of “Painting and Travel with Roger & Sarah Bansemer” and studied music and drama at the Interlochen Center for the Arts in Interlochen, MI. She also is an author and just completed her first children’s book, “What Teddy Likes.”

As co-producer, Sarah chooses the locations and subject for each episode. Season six includes an episode filmed on El Galeon, the 16th-century reconstruction of a Spanish galleon that will call St. Augustine home until July, with an interview with Chad Light who plays the captain on the ship.

“We do make a lot of friends and it’s so nice to bump into people that you are on the same wavelength with,” Sarah said. “Last summer we went to Devil’s Tower (Wyoming).

It’s quite a long trip and I met a man named Frank Sanders who turned out to be a rock climber. He’s climbed Devil’s Tower more than 2,000 times. In the winter and he took his bicycle to San Diego and he drove here to St. Augustine. In fact we made a little film of his arrival here in St. Augustine at the beach.”

Roger has found that St. Augustine truly embraces his art and he opened a studio near the historic St. Augustine Lighthouse.

“I think St. Augustine is just the best, a great place to not only live but a great place to paint,” Roger said. “The subjects are everywhere, at least for my style of painting; it really holds my interests.”

Sarah added, “It’s definitely a town that puts art on the forefront. “ Roger’s work is on display locally at Georgia Nick Gallery on 11 Aviles Street.

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Watercraft Rentals Jet Skis Motor Boats Pontoon Boats Paddle Boards Kayaks

@ the CONCH HOUSE Call today to reserve for this weekend! 904.829.5001 www.ragingwatersports.com • Like us on FaceBook 56

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Poetry

Ancient City Poets

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by Chris Bodor

lorida-themed poems and prose are being collected until July 31st for the inaugural issue of a St. Johns County literary magazine. Scheduled to debut in November, the print book project will be edited by Chris Bodor and published by the St. Augustine-based imprint, Poet Plant Press. Each issue will feature poetry and prose, as well as special sections such as “Found in Florida”, “Moment In The Sun” (Florida author profile), “In Memoriam”, and a haiku section edited by Michael Henry Lee from the Haiku Society of America and Coquina Haiku Circle.

The format of this project will be modeled after Florida Speaks, a 111-page anthology recently published by Poet Plant Press.

Prose and poetry containing Florida themes and references will be reviewed from May 1st to July 31st, 2014 for possible publication in the inaugural issue. Photos, drawings and images relating to Florida will also be considered. Please email your images (300 dpi jpeg) as attachments, and words as a RTF word attachment to poetplantpress@yahoo.com during the reading period.

On Sunday, May 25th join the Ancient City poets for an afternoon of poetry. Poets and poetry lovers are invited to Plant-A-Poem with the Ancient City Poets at The Gallery Café of St. Augustine (1974 US-1 S, in the old Staples Plaza). Please resister at the door at 1:45p.m. There is a small $10 charge to cover the cost of endless coffee and sweet treats. The hour long workshop begins at 2p.m. Then, travel a short way up US-1 for “St. Augustine Speaks,, a community open mic gathering held at City Coffee Company (1280 N. Ponce de Leon Blvd, near Village Inn). Share a poem or two with a warm and supportive crowd, or just listen and soak in the spoken word scene. The readings are held on the last Sunday of each month. They start at 3p.m. and are held “renga style” with no emcee or sign-up sheet. The events conclude when all presenters have had an opportunity to share.

For My Mum

by Steven Michael Shields Fair mystical banshee, Awakens me from my lethargy Aquamarine eternal soul Ever vigilant Deniability thinned by the rain of God Love and honor reborn She is real Not imagined Under my skin she speaks to me I hear her feathers Feel her counsel in my core I reach for her love Humbled By her passion from beyond for me From her I came With her I remain Without her a shell of a man Wherever I am, she resides in me Wherever I am, is now my home.

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Flagler Hospital Anderson-Gibbs Bldg 301 Health Park Blvd. Suite 219 St. Augustine

Davis Dhas, MD Dr. Dhas is Board Certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology and has been in practice in St. Augustine since 2009.

Reda Alami, MD Dr. Alami is Board Certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology and has recently been named a “Top Doc” in Jacksonville and St.Augustine.

Gloria Lelaidier, ARNP Certified Nurse Midwife, has her Masters in Midwifery from the University of Florida and has brought more than 2000 St. Johns residents into this world.

Anah Marks, ARNP

Anah is a graduate of Florida State University. She has been in obstetrical nursing since 1997, and a NurseMidwife since 2001. Anah is knowledgeable, caring and loves the relationships that she builds with her patients over years of care.

Call Us At (904) 819-9898 Monday thru Friday 8:00 am to 5:00 pm 57

NORTH of The Plaza 1. LOVE’S ART EMPORIUM: 8 CATHEDRAL PLACE 2. TRIPP HARRISON GALLERY & studio: 22 CATHEDRAL PLACE 3. ST. AUGUSTINE PHOTOGRAPHIC ARTS: 35 HYPOLITA #105 4. METALARTZ: 58 HYPOLITA STREET 5. HIGH TIDE GALLERY: 51A & B CORDOVA STREET 6. THE STARVING ARTIST: 28 CUNA STREET 7. #7 ROHDE AVENUE GALLERY: 7 ROHDE AVENUE

SOUTH of The Plaza 8. GALLERIA DEL MAR: 9 KING STREET 9. BRILLIANCE IN COLOR: 25 KING STREET 10. PLUM GALLERY: 9A AVILES STREET 11. AMIRO ART & FOUND: 9C AVILES STREET 12. GEORGIA NICK GALLERY: 11A AVILES STREET 13. JOEL BAGNAL GOLDSMITH: 11B AVILES STREET 14. AVILES STREET GALLERY: 11C AVILES STREET 15. PASTA GALLERY: 214 CHARLOTTE STREET 16. ST. AUGUSTINE ART ASSOCIATION: 22 MARINE STREET 17. LOST ART GALLERY: 210 ST.GEORGE STREET #C-1 18. GRACE GALLERY: 47 KING STREET 19. GRAND BOHEMIAN GALLERY: 49 KING STREET 20. SPEAR HOUSE GALLERY:149 CORDOVA STREET 21. ABSOLUTE AMERICANA ART GALLERY: 77 BRIDGE STREET

Art Galleries of St. Augustine is an association of many diverse and eclectic galleries located in the city. From local artist owned businesses to exhibition halls and museums, these galleries offer collections of local, regional, national and facebook.com/artgalleriesofstagustine international artists.

EAST of Downtown 22. SIMPLE GESTURES: 4 WHITE ST. E. & ANASTASIA BLVD. 23. THE ART STUDIO OF ST. AUGUSTINE BEACH: 370-A A1A BEACH BLVD. 24. ISLAND FRAMERS AND GALLERY: 4106 A1A SOUTH

The ART GALLLERIES of St. Augustine is an association of the many diverse and eclectic art galleries located in the nation’s oldest city.

From local artist-owned businesses to elegant exhibition halls and museums, these galleries offer outstanding collections of local, regional, national and international artists.

WEST of The Plaza 25. LIGHTNER MUSEUM: 75 KING STREET 26. CRISP-ELLERT ART MUSEUM: 48 SEVILLA STREET 27. 130 king fine art: 130 KING STREET 28. BUTTERFIELD GARAGE ART GALLERY: 137A KING STREET. 29. space:eight: 228 W.KING ST.

First Friday 5-9 pm On the first Friday of each month the galleries offer new art exhibits and lively receptions to the public.

Start your FREE self-guided tour at any of the Art Galleries, most within walking distance to each other.

Hop aboard the FREE Art Walk trolley that runs throughout downtown.

For more info, visit us www.ArtGalleriesofStAugustine.org

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LOVE’S ART EMPORIUM: 8 CATHEDRAL PLACE TRIPP HARRISON GALLERY & studio: 22 CATHEDRAL PLACE ST. AUGUSTINE PHOTOGRAPHIC ARTS: 35 HYPOLITA #105 METALARTZ: 58 HYPOLITA STREET HIGH TIDE GALLERY: 51A & B CORDOVA STREET THE STARVING ARTIST: 28 CUNA STREET ROHDE AVENUE GALLERY: 7 ROHDE AVENUE

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GALLERIA DEL MAR: 9 KING STREET BRILLIANCE IN COLOR: 25 KING STREET PLUM GALLERY: 9A AVILES STREET AMIRO ART & FOUND: 9C AVILES STREET GEORGIA NICK GALLERY: 11A AVILES STREET JOEL BAGNAL GOLDSMITH: 11B AVILES STREET AVILES STREET GALLERY: 11C AVILES STREET PASTA GALLERY: 214 CHARLOTTE STREET ST. AUGUSTINE ART ASSOCIATION: 22 MARINE STREET .

LOST ART GALLERY: 210 ST.GEORGE STREET #C-1 GRACE GALLERY: 47 KING STREET GRAND BOHEMIAN GALLERY: 49 KING STREET SPEAR HOUSE GALLERY:149 CORDOVA STREET ABSOLUTE AMERICANA ART GALLERY: 77 BRIDGE STREET

EAST OF DOWNTOWN 58

22. SIMPLE GESTURES: 4 WHITE ST. E. & ANASTASIA BLVD. 23. THE ART STUDIO OF ST. AUGUSTINE BEACH:370A A1A BEACH BLVD.

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Facebook.com/ArtGalleriesofStAugustine

GALLERIES

904.824.8460 • amiroartandfound.com

11C Aviles Street • 904.823.8608

904.826.8530 • flagler.edu/crispellert

904-825-4577 • ButterfieldGarage.com

904.827.9997 • simplegestures@live.com

ArtGalleriesofStAugustine.org

904.342.2186 • GeorgiaNickGallery.com

904.824.6322 • metalartzgifts.com

P.A.S t . A Art Ga l l e r y

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904.824.0251 • pastaartgallery.net

904.829.5003 • NeffJewelers.com

904.827.1899 • ArtfullyGraceGallery.com

904.829.6880 • grandbohemiangallery.com

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travel

Jammin’ on...

Sailing the Grenadines on the S/V Mandalay

Story and photos by Adam Shockey

T

he New World, rich with exotic spices, silver, and the promise of far-flung enterprise, enticed the most ambitious of sailors through the centuries. St. Augustine was a final stop on the fabled “treasure route” which stretched all the way down the Caribbean and around South America before vessels braved the Atlantic to return to Europe with their valuable cargos.

Today, travelers can experience a taste of that old-world nautical adventure aboard the historic S/V Mandalay. Built in 1923 by financier E.F. Hutton for his wife Marjorie Merriweather Post, this 3-masted schooner’s impressive pedigree includes ranking as the epitome of luxury and glamor in private yachts, serving as a US Merchant Marine training ship, and circumnavigating the globe as a research vessel which helped to confirm the theory of continental drift-all that before she became part of a commercial sailing fleet in the early ‘80s.

In 2012, Sail Windjammer acquired the S/V Mandalay and restored the ship to all her authentic glory. Passengers can now experience first-hand the feeling of teak under their feet, wind filling the sails and the maritime spirit of eras gone by. Weekly sailings through the Grenadines offer a chance to see postcard-perfect islands that have been relatively untouched by the modern day mega cruise lines. An easy flight from Miami to the Mandalay’s home port island of Grenada becomes the gateway to emerald waters, pristine beaches, and vibrant coral reefs just steps from shore. Here you’ll still find quaint beach bars playing reggae music and offering all the rum “painkillers” you can drink. Local fishermen smile and wave as they bring in the day’s fresh catch. The scent of nutmeg and flowers punctuate the breezes, and life in general seems to somehow move much closer to the natural rhythms of the sea.

A Sail Windjammer experience is all about relaxing and getting

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into the “downisland” groove at your own pace. With only 29 cabins you’ll never feel like just another face in the crowd.

And all of those 29 cabins have their own private “head” inside, which is just a nautical term for what we landlubbers call a bathroom (you’ll learn a few more sea-worthy sayings along the way).

But don’t let the relaxed atmosphere fool; you, there’s still plenty to do on the ship when you’re not island hopping or just working on your tan while under sail. Some of the best memories are made during crab races and trivia games on the top deck, or sailing classes and stargazing classes taught by the skilled crew. Of course, there are always the Five O’Clock Snacks & Swizzles each day, where the rum flows freely as you sample local delicacies. The ship’s Captain and Purser will also arrange fascinating island tours and cultural heritage excursions for you throughout the week.

A genuine barefoot experience, there is no need to pack much more than some beach clothes, sunblock, and perhaps a book for those lazy afternoons under sail on the deck. Don’t be surprised volume 8

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when the friendly West Indian crew members greet you by name each morning with their charming accents and sincere smiles, while serving the most delicious fresh cuisine made from scratch in the ship’s galley. One of the most cherished aspects of a Sail Windjammer cruise is the camaraderie between the crew and the passengers. Many life-long friendships have been formed onboard with fellow sailors, and even a few romances leading to marriage are part of the Windjammer story.

It’s hard not to fall in love with the S/V Mandalay and her idyllic local stomping grounds in the Grenadines. With over 600 islands making up this Windward Island group at the bottom of the Caribbean, no two sailings are ever the same. Unlike many other Caribbean destinations, it’s not uncommon for your shipmates to be the only other visitors you’ll encounter at some of the glorious beach stops. Each week the Captain adjusts the itinerary so that the wind will guide you to secret hideaways. Calm seas and clear tropical sunshine become almost therapeutic.

While chatting with fellow passengers you will frequently discover that some have sailed 5 times, 10 times, or even more- an experience like this gets in your blood.

Some favorite ports of call often include the island of Bequia, where boat-building is still a tradition and nights ashore include Max’s world-famous lobster pizza. The Tobago Cays are everything you image when you think of paradise- small, palm covered deserted islands where you can actually snorkel surrounded by sea turtles, and the protected white sand beaches host only a few picnic tables and hammocks left by the park rangers. Scenes from the Pirates of the Caribbean movies were actually filmed in this island group. A short sunset sail from the Tobago Cays will take you around the corner to Mayreau, where the evening may include a “Windjammer Cultural Walk,” aka Pub Crawl, led by the Captain and crew. Dance the night away with the friendly locals and you’ll never want to leave. Alas, another exotic island waits in the morning for you and your shipmates to explore. The local souvenir to get in Carriacou (if you dare!) is 99 Proof Jack Iron Rum, and an invigorating dip in the turquoise waters off of the tiny Sandy Island will make you feel like you’ve discovered the Fountain of Youth.

There are truly very few travel experiences in the world that offer what Sail Windjammer does. Whether you’re a salty sailor or a novice just seeking simple relaxation on deck, this is the ultimate vacation for anyone who loves off the beaten path authenticity.

For more information about the S/V Mandalay, visit www.SailWindjammer.com or call (888)972-7245, ext. 101

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Flamingo Travel

Certified Sandals Specialist Full Service Luxury Travel Agency 2730 US 1 South, Suite A St Augustine, FL 32086

904-461-4333

Attend our Special Sandals Presentation on August 5th and receive a Sandals gift.

904-461-4333

Lynne@cruiseflamingotravel.net

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event

Honoring a favorite son

Romanza presents the Rays Charles Tribute Show, story by Sue Agresta starring Frank Rondell

B

orn Ray Charles Robinson (last name was dropped so as not to be confused with the fighter, Sugar Ray Robinson) in 1930 in the panhandle town of Greenville, the legendary singer arrived at the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind in the St. Augustine at the age of 7. Poor, orphaned and suffering from congenital juvenile glaucoma, the now totally-blind Charles was tutored in braille by local instructor Deacon Otis Knowles. The Florida School for the Deaf and Blind (FSD&B) believed strongly in teaching blind students classical music, establishing a solid foundation for Charles’ monumental music career to follow.

An irrepressible appetite for music soon led Charles outside the walls of school. In Lincolnville, the city’s historic black neighborhood, the under-age Ray snuck into clubs to listen, and later play, the blues and jazz. In fact, you can view the local Elks Club piano played by Charles during his forays, now situated in the Lincolnville Museum on Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue.

Known as “R.C.”, Charles worked at local radio station WFOY after school, absorbing big band, country and popular sounds of the day. Though proficient in music, Charles was found to be an “unsatisfactory student” and was expelled in 1945.

Young and alone, Charles was taken in by a childless couple, Lena May and Fred Thompson, and played Jacksonville clubs for $4 a night. Moving around Florida he became a pianist for a white country and western band in Tampa, later moving to Seattle, to get as far away from Florida as he could.

Fellow great Aretha Franklin called Ray Charles, “the voice of a lifetime,” his music spanning soul, rock and roll, R&B, country, jazz, big band and the blues. Once famous, Charles donated money to the FSD&B and many decades later students still study his distinctive

style. In fact, during the ‘80s, a group of these blind young musicians performed at the Kennedy Center in D.C. in his honor.

Ray Charles died June 10, 2004. B.B. King, Glen Campbell, Stevie Wonder, and Wynton Marsalis performed musical tributes at his funeral.

Willie Nelson performed a teary rendition of Charles’ “Georgia On My Mind,” but joked about losing chess games to the sightless Charles. At his last loss he asked Ray, “Next time can we play with the lights on?”

This year, 50 years after the passage of the Civil Rights Act, St. Augustine’s 2014 Romanza Festivale of the Arts seeks to honor Ray Charles and the quest for racial equality by presenting the music that served as its inspiration.

Ray Charles’ brilliance will be brought back to life in the persona of Romanza’s headliner, Frank Rondell, star of “The Legend Lives On…A tribute to the Genius of Ray.” A gifted singer and performer in his own right, Rondell is in constant demand appearing at international resorts, casinos and theatres in major world capitals including Berlin, Athens, Lisbon, Rome, Sydney and Tokyo. Drawing on 40 years of performing experience, Rondell is dedicated to spreading the soulful music of Ray Charles the world over.

Now, we can all relive the magic of Ray Charles’ music in a fabulous full-production show featuring 3 backup singers— the fabulous Roulettes—and a 5-piece band, Saturday, May 10th, 2014, at 7:30p.m., at the Lewis Auditorium of Flagler College. Tickets are $30 at the door; $25 in advance. For reservations and more information, visit RomanzaFestivale. com Romanza is a nonprofit grass-roots community arts and culture organization. Its mission is to promote and produce events that showcase St. Augustine’s vibrant living culture that enhance the quality of life for residents, and that create a positive lasting impression on vistors of the Nations Most Romantic City.

Romanza Festivale of the Arts is sponsored in part by the St. John’s County Tourist Development Council, by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs, and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture. It’s not one thing...it’s everything.

OCL

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beauty

Put the SPRING back in your skin

Join us on the water Drinks, Food & FUN!

by Dr. Douglas Johnson

S

pring is finally here and after a long, cold winter it is time to rejuvenate our skin! It may be time to consider a nonsurgical facial rejuvenation procedure called Ultherapy. This procedure uses ultrasound and the body’s own natural healing process to lift, tone and tighten loose skin on the brow, neck and under the chin. The only FDA-cleared procedure to lift skin on these hard-totreat areas, Ultherapy uses the safe, timetested energy of ultrasound to stimulate the deep structural support layers of the skin, including those typically addressed in a surgical facelift, without disturbing the surface of the skin.

With Ultherapy, there is no downtime, no foreign ubstances, no radical change: just a healthy revvingup on the inside for a natural, noticeable effect on the outside. You can go about your day after a single, 60-190 minute in-office procedure. Results will unfold over the course of 2-3 months and some patients have reported continued improvement for up to 6 months; including lifting and tightening of the skin in the areas treated. Ultherapy has proven to be an inviting alternative for those who are not yet ready for surgery.

The use of Ultherapy in conjunction with many other non-invasive and minimally invasive procedures can rejuvenate ones appearance without downtime. Ultherapy offers significant and satisfying non-surgical results, making it appealing to a wide range of adults looking to exert some amount of control over their skin as it ages, particularly those who may not be ready for an invasive brow lift or face lift. Whether you are between surgeries, using a non-invasive treatment regimen or looking for an entry-level way to put collagen in the bank as “skinsurance,” Ultherapy is a great option.

OCL

Our New Sunday Brunch 10am - 1pm includes, Prime Rib, Crablegs, Shrimp, Unlimited Mimosa’s and more

Hurricane Patty’s

69 Lewis Blvd St. Augustine 904.827.1822

Dr. Douglas L. Johnson Board Certified Maxillofacial Surgeon Fellowship Trained in Facial Cosmetics Harbor Island Executive Center 1301 Plantation Island Dr • Suite 101 St. Augustine

904-460-0505 www.FloridaFaceDoc.com volume 8

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Kiwi wine (not the fruit)

T

he wine industry in New Zealand is making great strides in focusing on sustainable viticulture, and aims to ensure its vineyards are environmentally friendly.

By the time New Zealand’s wine industry took off in the 1990s, the country had already embraced viticulture and winemaking advances that allowed it to sidestep a lot of the growing pains other New world region. New Zealand winemakers work to unify with a large imprint in the global marketplace In 1995, Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand (SWNZ) set up a voluntary framework of industry standards to insure winegrowers fulfill consumers’ increasing ecological expectations. Currently, 94 percent of the country’s vineyards have signed on to the evolving program.

An independently audit system of annual certification keeps winegrowers informed on “best practices.” Soil, water, air, energy, chemical use, biodiversity, even corporate responsibility standards have to be met yearly for continuing accreditation. Part of the program’s success lies in its flexibility, with room for different degrees of going green. Not every grower chooses to combat leaf roller caterpillars with parasitic wasps instead of pesticides, but the level of commitment to the environment is impressive.

Seven percent of these SWNZ accredited vineyards

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wine

by Jeanne Maron

also happen to be certified organic, and a fraction of those are biodynamic, a holistic approach that includes planning vineyard work by the lunar calendar.

New Zealand’s level of organic production is keeping up with that of similar-minded wine countries, but growers are aiming higher. In 2011, Organic Winegrowers New Zealand kicked off a campaign to get 20 percent of the industry certified organic by 2020. They may succeed. Industry-wide initiatives, such as the near-complete switch to bottling wines with screw caps, have worked before.

Some New Zealand wine properties are even looking at carbon neutrality—aiming to reduce carbon emissions from their operations, or offset them by buying carbon credits to wipe out any net contribution to greenhouse gases. A handful of New Zealand wine estates have managed to pull this off.

With all these kinds of on-going initiatives, the New Zealand wine industry is well on its way to becoming the greenest wine country on the planet. To experience the Kiwi way, The Gifted Cork will taste some green wines from New Zealand, as well as some pleasing Australian wines throughout the month. Stop in and taste the difference!

Visit Jeanne Maron at The Gifted Cork, 64 Hypolita Street in downtown St. Augustine, FL. Call for more information at (904) 810-1083.

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gardening

Spring into action

JOSEPH L. BOLES JR.

A

ELDER LAW GENERAL PRACTICE

By Kimberly Leonardi

fter another freezing cold and late winter, Spring has sprung! If you haven’t already trimmed up your damaged foliage, it’s past time to get it done! Pinch expired blossoms on your annuals to keep them blooming and remember to keep the lawn mowed at three inches for St. Augustine sod. Be on the lookout for pests in the lawn and garden and eradicate early.

It’s also a good to keep an eye on your citrus foliage for leaf miner.

If you see a “tunneling” affect in the foliage, then you most likely have this common pest of citrus. Luckily, leaf miner doesn’t damage the fruit of citrus, but it can distort the foliage and make and unsightly tree. We recommend trimming damaged foliage and treating with an oil spray or an organic systemic treatment. One positive outcome from a severe winter is that it can help control pest populations, so hopefully we’ll see less mosquitoes and other pests this season!

If you have palms, they may be deficient in potassium, so it’s a good time to fertilize them with palm fertilizer, which also provides minor elements for palms, and it’s also a good time to fertilize your Sago, Coontie & Cardboard palms with Manganese, especially if they present with a “frizzle-top”. As you plant new shrubs and trees you’ll want to keep them watered in well at the base of the plant. Without rainfall, you’ll want to water about three times per week until establishment. A general rule of thumb is when you see new foliage, leaves or flowers, it’s typically a sign of establishment.

There are many different plants and many different soil types here in North Florida due to development, coastline and inland areas, etc., so keep that in mind as well and ensure to choose the right plant for the right place for maximum efficiency. If we receive regular April showers, adjust irrigation systems so you are not over watering your lawn, as this may cause as much damage as under watering. Adding a rain gauge to your irrigation system is an economical way to ensure your sprinklers don’t run when it’s raining outside. Rain gauges can also reduce environment woes from runoff of your lawn into our rain gutters, and ultimately our waterways.

The flowers look so bright and beautiful this spring: Bush Daisy, Angelonia, Marigolds, Vinca, Salvia, Gaillardia, and Pentas have already put on beautiful color so far this Spring season (and they are also fantastic butterfly attracters), which makes it a good time to plant your Spring flowers and veggies and spruce up those beds, gardens and containers. Your peppers and tomatoes should be well under way at this point so you can get a good yield before temperatures get to warm.

Maybe as you prepare for Mother’s Day in May, consider a the gift that keeps on giving with a beautiful and elegant orchid, or maybe a fabulous Hydrangea. Another idea is to plant a bush or tree from a child or grandchild that could give Mom a smile every time she looks at it. If your Mom is no longer with you, maybe a memorial tree of some sort could give you peace and comfort for years to come. Speaking of Moms, I hope all of you Moms out there have a wonderful Mother’s Day. I’m sure many of you feel the same as me; that our children are our greatest assets!

OCL

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ATTORNEY AT LAW

• WILLS • TRUSTS & ESTATES • PROBATE AVOIDANCE & ASSET PROTECTION • MEDICAID ELIGIBILITY • REAL ESTATE • BUSINESS LAW “FREE WILLS FOR OVER 65”

NO CHARGE FOR INITIAL CONSULTATION

Joe Boles Attorney at Law Mayor, City of St. Augustine Chairman, Council on Aging

19 RIBERIA STREET • ST. AUGUSTINE

904-824-4278

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poetry

May Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

22nd Annual 04 Monkey’s Uncle Race St. Augustine Yacht Club

05 THE PLAYERS Championship May 5-11 Skippers meeting is held at SAYC TPC Sawgrass, 110 Championship Way, Ponte Vedra Beach on May 4 @ 10:00 am staugustineyachtclub.com

Schooner Freedom Mother’s Day Sail

“Alice In Wonderland” 12 Lewis Carroll’s classic with a twist at 7:30 p.m. at the Gamache-Koger Theater in the Ringhaver Student Center. flagler.edu/crispellert

11

111 Avenida Menendez Slip 86 schoonerfreedom.com

Schooner Freedom 19 Privateers and Pirates Set Sail 111 Avenida Menendez Slip 86 schoonerfreedom.com/

2014 18 Race of the Century St. Augustine Yacht Club 10:00 Skippers meeting at SAYC clubhouse staugustineyachtclub.com

25 Concert Old Crow Medicine Show St. Augustine Amphitheatre 8pm Open Mic Poetry Reading

Concerts In the Plaza 26 Concerts in the Plaza 2014 season kicks off at 1 p.m.

Plaza De La Constitucion plazaconcerts.com

City Coffee Company, St. Augustine 3-5pm • bodor.org

First Sunday: 01 St. Augustine Vintage Car Tour of Mission Nombre de Dios 21 Orange Street

Open Mic Night with Smokin Joe at Ann O’Malleys 23 Orange Street

St Augustine, FL 7pm

Open Mic Night with Smokin Joe at Ann O’Malleys

13

23 Orange Street

St Augustine, FL 7pm Concert 20 Jack Johnson St. Augustine Amphitheatre 8pm staugAmphitheatre.com

Open Mic Night with Smokin Joe at Ann O’Malleys

27

23 Orange Street

St Augustine, FL 7pm

02

03

staugustinevintagecartours.com

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City Calendar 2014 For a complete listing of area events, go to OldCityLife.com

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

01

Saturday

St. Augustine Chalk Walk Festival 02 May 2-4 staugustinechalkwalk.com 1st Friday Artwalk, Downtown St. Augustine

St. Augustine Yacht Club 07 Wednesday Night Race 5pm staugustineyachtclub.com

Free Movie: “Ray” St. Augustine Municipal Marina

Concert 08 The Head and The Heart Ponte Vedra Concert Hall 8pm pvconcerthall.com

“Romanza Festivale” 09 May 9, 2014 to May 18 Various Location in St. Augustine RomanzaFestivale.com

The Fab Four Concert Ponte vedra ConcertHall

8:30pm

pvconcerthall.com

Sunset/Moonrise 14 at St. Augustine Lighthouse 81 Lighthouse Ave. St. Augustine

staugustinelighthouse.org

2nd Annual 15 St. Augustine Maritime Heritage Foundation Pig Roast 11 Magnolia Ave staugmaritimeheritage.org

St. Augustine Orchestra 16 Spring Concert Lightner Museum 8PM staugustineorchestra.org

Sunset Celebration at the Vilano Beach Pier

03

260 Vilano Road, St. Augustine 2pm-dusk

vilanobeachfl.com

Romanza Parade City Gates through St. George St 1pm

10

romanzafestivale.com

Second Saturday Plant Sale Washington Oaks Gardens State Park Dine on the Wild Side 999 Anastasia Boulevard hawkewildlife.org

17

Third Saturdays Nocatee Farmers’ Market 245 Little River Road, Ponte Vedra, FL

21

St. Augustine Yacht Club Wednesday Night Race 5pm staugustineyachtclub.com

Music By the Sea Concert Series

Open Mic Night at Tradewinds Lounge

22

124 Charlotte St. St. Augustine, FL

27 28

Every Wednesday night through September 24, live concerts take place from 7 - 9 p.m. at the St. Augustine Beach Pier

04

5-8pm tradewindslounge.com 904-829-9336 Open Mic Night at Tradewinds Lounge

Concert 23 STYX & Foreigner St. Augustine Amphitheatre 8pm

29

124 Charlotte St. St. Augustine, FL

staugAmphitheatre.com

30

42nd Annual National Beach Paddle Tennis Tournament Matanzas Ave., Butler Beach, St. Augustine May 24,-25 paddletennissa@gmail.com

24

Uptown Saturday Night 31 San Marco Avenue, St. Augustine

5-8pm tradewindslounge.com 904-829-9336

June oldcitylife.com

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Beauty Appliances

Great Gift Ideas

Dee Lexandra, PhD, MSW, LCSW

Certified Addiction Professional & Parent Coordinator

Practicing more than 25 years!

Specialties: Relationships, Recovery, Military & Life Changes S.E.A., LLC, Individual, Couple & Family Therapy 2200 N. Ponce De Leon Blvd. Suite 4

904-302-7303

Client Centered Solutions Lead to Positive Change!

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Soul Style

T

fashion

by Auretha Callison

he magic of St. Augustine, for me, lies within its people, its history, its physical features and its architecture. The diverse community it attracts and houses creates an eclectic mix of styles and tastes that seduced me from a much less diverse community in the American West.

I’ve been drinking deeply of the mix of rich Southern flavors in art, food, music, dance, and the area’s natural wonders since my move here in February. I’m excited to bring a new piece of the artistic pie to this fine city.

Welcome to my new Fashion & Style column, in which I will be offering both helpful and spirited advice and news for the fashion friendly. I hope to both report on, and inspire you towards the creativity and satisfaction that can be found through expression of your own “Soul Style.”

I’ve spent over 10 years in the business of personal brand and image transformation: from makeup and closets, to website and dating profile makeovers. I can tell you that it’s easy to write off fashion as decadent, impractical and a consumer-driven pre-occupation with keeping up with trends. I can assure you that although fashion will get a respectful nod, this column will be something much more interesting and richer than that.

It’s high time we start calling “getting dressed” by another name. How we express our individualism through what we wear and purchase is our own personal daily art form.

In this fabulous city, I will be exploring my unfolding as an artist, speaker and stylist, and an observer of some of the world’s most interesting and lively folk.

I have a passion for Aviles Street and its occupants. While relishing my March Art Walk, I immediately honed in on a young seamstress and designer and her beautiful, hand-sewn slacks. A local fashion and design student, Jaclyn Jubert inspired me to sign up for my local sewing class.

Until next month, make your day and dress enjoyable and shine your most brilliant, beautiful self to the world. OCL

Come join us on the river & Enjoy Sunset Cocktails, Dockside!

Cottages RV Sites Charter Boat Tours Full Liquor Bar

1001 Front Street, Welaka Florida 32193

386-467-7171

www.welakalodge.com

Facials Clinical Skin Care Spa Manicures & Pedicures Individual & Couple's Massages Body Treatments Hair Salon Bridal Packages Gift Cards

This Year Give Mom The Perfect Card!

Auretha Callison is a Visibility Expert & Soul Stylist. For over 10 years she’s been transforming people from inside to outside, from closet to mindset, image and brand.

Have questions you’d like her to answer in this column or on our blog? Please contact Auretha at Auretha@gmail.com , 801.694.8092, or at her website at www.Auretha.com. volume 8

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904.824.6220 • 800.824.9899 I 9 Sanchez Avenue • St. Augustine, FL

smallindulgencesdayspa.com 69

Saint auguStine Camera Club

seen

T

he Saint Augustine Camera Club’s 3rd Annual Juried Member Show was held at the Art Studio of St. Augustine Beach First Friday Artwalk, April 4.

Photos by: LeeAnn Kendall

Photos Left to Right: Jan & Wim Heusdens • Jeff Lucas & Paul Slava, Art Studio President • Joan Pappas, Frank Hoven & Ted Pappas • Joe Rocco • Byron & Amy Capo, Tracy & Chris Glochau • Laryssa Gobets & Justine Marrero • Dale & JoAnn Potter • Gail & Mark Jordana • Trish Thomas & Rob Bethel

red sable grand opening

seen

T

he Red Sable art supply store, St. Augustine’s new locally owned art supply store held their Grand Opening recently. The store, owned by Melissa Roby, is located at 107 King Street inside of St. Johns Printing.

Photos by: OCL Staff

Photos Left to Right: Stephanie Hatcher, Tersa Howey • Damon Roby, Joel Esposito, Emily and Jumgen Palaj • Paul and Terre Smith • Ruthanne Chapman, Virginia Chapman • Brenna Weathington & Tonya Bennett • Doug, Bobbie Joe and Emmie Combs • Felipa Benavides and Jordanne Ryan • Scott Waters, Michael Clark, Jean Drayovitch • Jared Rush, Josh and Lena Hull • Bryan And Elorah Collins

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Photos by: Melissa Roby

seen St. Jude’S Gala

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Photos left to right - Lisa Chrismark, Candy Johnson • Linda Mignon, Bob Graham • Mike Donnelly, Mike Chismark, Thom Mitchell • Greg Siewiorek, Holly Sheets, Andrea Shah, Nee Nad Shah • Mary & John Golly • Joe and Linda Sabatella • Fred and Barbara Olmsted • AJ and Gail McGuinness • Geoff Hemmen, Stacey McFarland, Carol Blomgran, Steve Miller • Bill Douglas, Celeste Kyall, Chris Klinge, Nicole Tristan • Keith Wernick, Shannon Jones • Andrea Shak, Judy Scott • Peter & Susan Sabo • Lisa Bond, Cathy White, Diane Watson, Tessie Manucy, Donna Matthews, Karen Race volume 8

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he inaugural Miracle on the Bayfront Gala fo St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital was held at the White Room April 3rd. Special guests included families from St. Jude’s who shared their heartwarming stories of hope and survival. For more information about this worthwhile organization and the event go to www.stjude.org/ miracleonthebayfront 71

Photos by: Bill Kenyon

seen

T

Photos left to right - Victoria & Shannon Ogden • Jaquelyn Wright, Trisha Meyers • Karen Sheridan, Bill & Marcia Pappas, Tony & Phyllis Andrade • Joan & Bill Whitson, Rae Lund, Aldana Duarte • Steve Schuyler, Joy Gossett, Bill Lanni, Joy Gossett • Chris Clark • Ryan, Kim & Clint Hickox • Kirsten Immel, Kim Carubia, Jordan Hall • Phoebe & Joe Cranford, Casey & Amanda Austin • Kim & Robert Mickey, Jake & Libby Parham • Stacy Somerville, Kathy Demeo, Lisa Carusoi • Rochelle Murphy, Katie Collier, Christina Guiriba, Tammy Capps, Malea Guiriba, Alonzo Gallop, George A. Hall • Tom & Suzanne Keenan • Brandon Seymore, Tim Bryan, Jeff Collins, Andy Moscaso 72

he St. Augustine Sunrise Rotary presented the 19th Annual Rhythm & Ribs Festival April 4-6. A late Saturday rain shower couldnt dampen the spirits of this year’s festival-goers who enjoyed award winning Bar BQ, music and arts & crafts. Rhythm & Ribs was founded by St. Augustine Sunrise Rotary in 1995 as an event from which all proceeds are donated to charitable organizations for local and international service oriented projects, as well as providing a fun filled weekend for the whole community. volume 8

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relay for life wine tasting

seen

T

he Bailey Group held a wine tasting at San Sebastian Winery on April 17th in support of the company’s Relay for Life team.

Proceeds went to the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life event scheduled for May 17th

Photos by: Bill Kenyon

Photos Left to Right: David Upchurch, Dan Greene, Robert Mathis Jr • Clint Andrews, Angie Beach • Chris & Hannah Chester • John Bailey Sr., Sabrina Crosby • Ellen Dixon, Allsion Profitt, Anne Curtis, Julie Ritter • Kelly Slaughter, Mr. Slaughter, Bart Piniaz, Hillary Childs, Karla Fernandez, Donna Folor, Jamie Sanders • Natailia Damboa, Deena Capulano, Lori Driggers, Kris herod, Julie Ronah, Gail Calvo

photo by Jim Stafford

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contributors Joseph L. Boles, Jr. moved to Saint Augustine with his parents in 1967. He graduated from Saint Augustine High school in 1970 and went on to the University of Florida, where he earned a degree in Law and a degree in Design. He has seven wonderful children and a beautiful wife named Jane. He serves as Mayor of the City of Saint Augustine and is also a member of Memorial Presbyterian Church. His hobbies are golfing, fishing and painting.

Tammy Harrow is an avid world traveler, photographer and writer. She loves to journey around the globe searching for beauty and inspiration. She has created portraits throughout the US. Since relocating to St Augustine, Tammy has expanded into commercial photography and has a special place in her heart creatively photographing culinary dishes for local restaurants.

She has a degree in Journalism, is nationally published and has trained with some of National Geographic’s top photographers.

Sherry Gaynor is a Certified Executive Pastry Chef (CEPC) and Certified Culinary Educator (CCE). She is a long-time resident of Saint Augustine and serves as a Chef Instructor for First Coast Technical College who is assigned to teach at Florida School for the Deaf and Blind. Sherry is from New Orleans, attended culinary school through Delgado Community College’s apprenticeship program and recently acquired her bachelor’s degree in Career and Technical Education: Workforce and Program Development, from the University of West Florida. She was recently awarded Teacher of the Year 2013-14 Ashley Bates is a professional writer and social media manager. An Orlando native, Ashley graduated from the University of Central Florida. and then moved to Saint Augustine from Gainesville, Ga. She got her start in journalism writing sports articles for The (Gainesville, Ga.) Times and moved onto writing arts and entertainment, food and religion features. She was lucky enough two receive two awards from the Georgia Press Association for “Writer of the Year” in religion reporting. Today her hobbies including spending time with family and enjoying good food and wine.

Originally from Hagerstown Maryland, Justin Itnyre’s photographs have been featured on several covers of local magazine Old City Life. His architectural photography has been published in Homes & Land Jacksonville Magazine, Unique Homes, and the book, Historic Sites of St. Augustine and St. Johns County. Internationally arete images hit the press for Volvo Powertrain, New Beauty Magazine, and Blue Green Corporation. www.justiniphoto.com

Adam Shockey traveled the globe extensively developing exotic cruise line itineraries and port operations, before investing in St. Augustine’s tourism industry in 2009.

He acquired several prominent companies including Tour St. Augustine Inc., City Walks Food & Wine Tours, and the original Ghost Tours of St. Augustine Inc. He is a past recipient of both the St. Johns County Tourism Employee of the Year Award, and the Chamber of Commerce Member of the Year Award.

Jeanne Maron, owner/operator of The Gifted Cork, has been at her location for two years, specializing in fine wines from around the world. Maron is the Vice Charge-de-Presse of North Florida Chapter’s Chaîne des Rôtisseurs. She also serves as Chairman of the Board of Children’s Home Society, Buckner Division, in Jacksonville. To have Jeanne answer your questions about wine call 810.1083 or visit thegiftedcork.com.

Susan Johnson has been a resident of St. Augustine for over 30 years. She is a freelance writer whose work has been published in a variety of local and national newsmagazines.

She the recipient of the 2011 Outstanding Media Award, the 2012 Quality Senior Living Award for Media Vision and the 2011, 2012 and 2013 Constant Contact All Star Award for Exceptional Content. Susan is the proud parent of three wonderful young men (Peter, Daniel and Herschel) and her hobbies include photography, exercise and music. Contact via email to sznjohnson1@yahoo.com

Fond Kiser recently moved to St. Augustine from Austin, TX. and is a professional singer/songwriter and guitarist. He’s written music for PBS and Ford Motor Company. Fond’s music has been featured on XM/Sirius radio and Indy-Americana stations across the U.S. He’s performed with comedian Ron White, The Mother Truckers, The Band of Heathens, and was the lead guitarist for Texas legend Jimmy Lee Jones. He’s written and produced advertising campaigns for the ad agencies TBWA Chiat-Day, Cramer-Krasselt, and the Jacksonville based St. John & Partners.

Laura Lee Smith’s first novel, Heart of Palm, was released

by Grove Press in 2013. Her short fiction was selected by guest editor Amy Hempel for inclusion in New Stories from the South: The Year’s Best, 2010. Her work has also appeared in The Florida Review, Natural Bridge, Bayou and other journals. Shelives in Florida and works as an advertising copywriter.

Carol Saviak manages government relations for the St. Johns County Chamber of Commerce. Previously, she managed a state public policy organization where she authored a weekly column and special editorials. She is a former political campaign manager with experience in public opinion polling. She enjoys freelance writing and the opportunity to profile the extraordinary people and exceptional quality of living in St. Johns County.

Chris Bodor moved here in 2003, after working in New York

Colleen Messner, owner of The Spice and Tea Exchange of Saint Augustine, is a Director on the Historic Saint Augustine Area Chamber of Commerce, Director in Saint Johns Business Network, Advocate with Home Again Saint Johns & Homeless Coalition, and the Sea Turtle Patrol.

Contact her at 826.3770 to blend-up a special seasoning that you would enjoy.

City for ten years. He received the Board of Education Creative Writing Award from Weston (CT) High School in 1985 and had his first poem published nine years later. A founding member of Ancient City Poets, a group that has been holding poetry reading in the Nation’s Oldest City since August, 2009, Chris runs his own book imprint, Poet Plant Press, with his wife Mary Beth. Their latest title is Florida Speaks, featuring thirty writers musing on the Sunshine State.

Cindy Norman is a professional trainer, clinician and personal equine coach. She owns Norman Natural Horsemanship, where she teaches horsemanship to humans and develops horses using natural horsemanship techniques. Cindy is a member of the St Johns County Horse Counsel and a Board Member of the Northeast Florida Equine Society. She lives on her St. Augustine farm River Horse Run (www.riverhorserun. com) and travels around the US training horses and people.

Dana Ste.Claire, director of the St. Augustine 450th Commemoration, leads the conceptual development of the City of St. Augustine’s multi-year anniversary celebration. Ste.Claire’s areas of expertise include heritage visitor behavior, organization of the visitor experience, destination perspectives and interpretive programs. Prior to his current position, Ste.Claire served as the City of St. Augustine director of heritage tourism and historic preservation.

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Kimberly Leonardi and her husband Kevin have run Leonardi’s Nursery for more than twenty years and strive to give back to the community that has supported Leonardi’s for the past 48 years. They are members of the Florida Nursery Growers Association and the Florida Native Plant Society. Please feel free to send any questions or comments to leonardisnursery@msn.com.

Kim Miller has been in the health field her entire adult life. A full-time personal trainer and wellness coach, she holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Health and Physical Education, certified as a personal trainer through the American Council on Exercise and a certified wellness coach with Wellcoaches. She is owner of Bodysmart Inc, and blogs on health and wellness on her Bodysmart Fitness Through The Ages site bodysmartinc.com or 904.501.6002.

Raphael Cosme earned a Master Degree in Archaeology from the Center of Advance Studies of Puerto Rico and later a degree in communications and public relations. In 1978, he discovered the Ponce de Leon site in Puerto Rico. He is specialized in Museum Management Collections from the Smithsonian Institution. A historian who has written hundreds of articles about Pre-Columbian and Spanish Colonial Art, moved from the Old San Juan, Puerto Rico and has found in Saint Augustine the mirror of his Spanish heritage. He and his wife Perla have three children: Angela, Samantha, and Raphael, Jr. volume 8

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