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MARCH 2021 941.312.0665 | 27TH STATE MEDIA, LLC RACQUET CLUB NEWS LRC PRESIDENT’S REPORT
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TEEN SCENE
Dylan McCarthy, 16
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EMBRACING OUR DIFFERENCES OFFERS VIRTUAL TOURS OF ITS OUTDOOR ART EXHIBIT THROUGH APRIL 1ST
President’s Report By Norm Olshansky This was a great month. I got my second dose vaccine and the Bucs won the Super Bowl. Hopefully, now with Publix and other local sources providing vaccines, more people in the Landings will be able to get vaccinated. Please continue to be safe and wear masks. Congratulations to our New LMA Board members: Gary Kurnov, Cali Lampton, and Evita Ramberger as well as those reelected to the Board; Jim Goldman, Paul Weiner and Joan Koplin. Rounding out the Board are three members who did not have to run due to terms that have not yet been completed. They are: Jeff Smith, Roger Kidder and Me (Norman Olshansky). This election was the first where we had ballots submitted from 100% of Associations. The new board elected the following officers: President..... Norman Olshansky Vice President.......... Paul Weiner Treasurer................ Gary Kurnov Secretary........... Elita Ramberger As part of our effort to provide a high level of professional board leadership, the new board participated in a Board Orientation
on February 25th. Last month marked the last board meeting for Dick Bayles who has been a mainstay for LMA and our community. We plan to have a special recognition program in his honor in the coming months. He has agreed to continue his involvement on committees and with the transition to our new treasurer. Leaving the board due to term limits were Doug Day and Mike Knupp. Both have been important members of the board and I’m happy to report that they have agreed to continue to serve on key committees. I regret to inform you that
David Jacaruso passed away on January 28th. David had lived in the Landings and also was employed part time by LMA for maintenance work. Our condolences have been extended to his wife Marie and their extended family. Speeding continues to be an issue in the Landings. At our February meeting we suspended the use of the entry/exit decal of one of our residents who had multiple speeding violations within a one month period. Over the next few months we will address the repair to the bridge behind the Cloisters, the erosion by the steps leading to the gazebo, and engineering estimates for future roads work. We are recruiting additional members for our committees. If you are interested, please contact the following committee chairs: Landscaping............ Paul Weiner Security................... Mike Knupp Roads................ Elida Ramberger Drainage.................Roger Kidder Lakes............................ Jeff Smith Social ................... Cali Lampton Communications......Joan Koplin The Eagle........... Gordon Garrett
Budget and Finance................... Gary Kurnov Environmental............... Maralyn Kaufman Nature Trail .........David Osborn and Allison Taylor Nominating..............Joan Koplin Maintenance...............Ron Pierce Website......................Dick Bayles We are also looking for a new chair of our external affairs committee. I’m often asked how I am able to handle all of the issues that are on LMA’s plate. The simple answer is that I don’t. I have been blessed with an excellent board, our very professional property manager (Steve Brockenshire), and most important……. Committee chairs and members who handle the day to day operations of the association. There have been a lot of new people arriving in the Landings. Unfortunately, due to covid, this past year has seen few social events and opportunities for people to get to know each other. Activities at the club have also been limited. Hopefully, we can look forward, by the end of the year, to a return to normalcy.
Getting to Know the Artists at The Landings by Marie-Louise McHugh
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THE WILDLIFE OF MYAKKA STATE PARK
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VALENTINE’S DAY HEART-TO-HEART CONTEST WINNERS
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SAFETY METRICS
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The Covid-19 pandemic has badly impacted the art world. Even here at The Landings, we sadly had to forgo our art shows and concerts last year as well as this year. Nevertheless, our wonderful Landings com mu n it y has come together here and there, in small gatherings. Aren’t you thankful for having patios, parking lots and driveways these days? I also have gotten to know and appreciate so many more of my neighbors and I am truly thankful for this unexpected gift. This is how I heard about Marlene Stowe, an internationally known luxury jewelry designer. Because of the pandemic and social distancing, I found it difficult to visit and write about artists, but I met Marlene, a very elegant and inspiring woman, at a friend’s patio where she brought samples of her amazing creations. Marlene Stowe spent her childhood in Nice, France where her father was a n importer of fabrics. She was educated in Switzerland and she wa nt e d t o b e c om e a doctor. While studying at the Sorbonne in Paris, her father passed away and she had to return to Nice. There she was left with a lot of fabrics, so she decided to t r y
Marlene Stowe and some of her jewelry creations.
her hand at designing clothes. There was a lot of high-end couture on the Cote D’Azur, in Nice and Monte Carlo, where she quick ly became a respected designer. After moving to New York City, she continued designing luxury dresses. As she was Married to a Belgian diamond cutter, she tried her hand at designing jewelry, at first for just a few friends in Houston, Texas. She was so successful with her creations that she decided to make it her business. This led to a 30year career of designing and traveling to promote her luxury creations. Her busi ness was known as “Marlene Stowe-
Atelier Bijoux”. Her jewels were sold at Saks here in Sarasota, Neiman Marcus in Bar Harbor, ME, Fort Lauderdale, FL, and many others in the country. Because she developed t ie s i n S a ra s o t a, she purchased a place at the Landings in 2001 which she only used part time until she became a fulltime resident in 2017. Marlene Stowe showed me a collection of beautifully crafted rings, amazing pins, necklaces and earrings with lots of diamonds, pearls and other gemstones. What caught my attention is the sculptural quality of her work which is elegant and simple in design. It was
created for women who need special and unique pieces for high-end affairs. Ah… the days when you really dressed up to go to out! Today, Marlene enjoys her retirement, but her work is still available in various places: 1stdibs. com has a Marlene Stowe ga l ler y page a s do e s artnet.com.