Tallahassee Magazine - January/February 2012

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You Only Think You Know the Truth About Food Old Stuff Gets a New Life When You Decorate With Repurpose Team Unity Creates Beautiful Jewelry and Jobs 1020 Lafayette: Where Art Meets Workplace The Pain of Pospartum Depression

The Toll of Roads When We Build Streets and Highways, Animals Often Pay the Price

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January–February 2012

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January–February 2012

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January–February 2012

Will finding the hidden Clean

Economical

No, but switching to natural gas will.

Why does Tallahassee’s natural gas utility lead Florida in new customer growth? One reason is AFFORDABILITY: Natural gas is about one-third the cost of electricity and propane would have to be priced at $1.01 a gallon to compare to our rates. Another reason is SAVINGS: Reduced energy cost equals lower utility bills and cost savings.

Natural gas is an investment in your home that will provide you with years of clean, affordable, reliable energy while increasing your home’s market value. To add to your savings, we offer generous appliance rebates of up to $2000 – or more. Install a natural gas water heater or furnace and we’ll provide the natural gas connection for free!

Switch today – start saving tomorrow. Call us today at 891.4YOU (4968) to find out more about saving money and energy with natural gas, or visit our website at www.Talgov.com/YOU.

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Domestic Your Own Utilities’ Energy Smart Plus program encompasses the best qualities of our natural gas service – saving energy and money. Visit our pavilion at the 20th Annual North Florida Home Show to find out more about intelligent choices in home energy. *Enter Raffle Madness, The Sequel to win great prizes at the 20th Annual North Florida Home Show! You can: (1) Find the hidden e+ symbol in the photo above and bring the ad by our booth to enter, or (2) email your name and phone number, along with the location of the e+ symbol, to getgastally@talgov.com and you will be automatically entered in our raffle drawings. Drawings will be held over a 23-hour period during the March 2012 North Florida Home Show.

20TH ANNUAL NORTH FLORIDA HOME SHOW March 2-4, 2012 Tallahassee-Leon County Civic Center Come see the latest in alternative fueled vehicles from Proctor Honda — the 2012 Honda Civic GX CNG — voted Top Greenest Vehicle for 2012 by the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy. Plus visit with your friends from Big Bend Habitat for Humanity — building green with natural gas.

Like us on Facebook at City of Tallahassee Natural Gas Utility.

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January–February 2012

January/February 2012

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IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD

An explanation why animals cross the road, and what us humans can do to minimize fatal encounters with area wildlife.

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PUTTIN’ ON THE GLITZ

Photo courtesy La Belle Fille Productions

Clip-on teeth, thousand-dollar dresses and spray tans — a Tallahassee take on the world of kiddy beauty pageants.

ON THE COVER

Rose, a little screech owl being cared for by St. Francis Wildlife, lost one of her eyes after an encounter with a car. Photo by Scott Holstein.

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contents In Every Issue 19 From the Publisher 21 From the Editor 23 Letters to the Editor 138 The Last World

Quick Reads 25 ONE TO WATCH

Hotel Duval’s Marc Bauer has changed the way we view Tallahassee.

26 FIRST PERSON

After a medical career, it’s back to blacksmithing for Charlton Prather.

28 FYI

In 2012, it’s possible to be 4 going on 16.

30 GEN NEXT

Florida’s Capitol becomes a classroom during Children’s Week.

44 PERSONALITY

60 SOCIAL STUDIES

48 ON THE MOVE

Home & Garden

The Rev. R.B. Holmes seeks to minister to the “body, mind, spirit and soul.”

Opponents become friends after rough-and-tumble rugby games.

52 EDITOR’S CHOICE

Knowing when it’s time to hang up the landline.

Events

It’s an office building! It’s an art gallery! 1020 Lafayette is both!

40 GIVING BACK

Team Unity creates jobs by teaching the craft of jewelry making.

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January–February 2012

Dig pit. Make fire.

102 HABITAT

Creativity and inspiration can turn castoffs into home décor.

109 MS. GROW-IT-ALL

58 BEST BETS

Mind & Body

It’s sure to be a sweet night at Covenant Hospice’s Chocolate Affair.

Bargain shoppin’, face stuffin’, horse ridin’, out-of-townin’ good times.

59 CALENDAR

Nothing to do? We beg to differ.

115 IN FOCUS

Want better vision? We suggest you sleep on it.

116 HEALTH

When post-partum depression goes beyond the “baby blues,” the results can be tragic.

Dining

34 HOW TO

36 ARTS & CULTURE

101 CHECK IT OUT

Prune in February for beautiful roses in the spring.

Red, pink and romantic gift ideas for Valentine’s Day.

Departments

’Twas the season, and here are the festive photos.

57 SPOTLIGHT

32 LIFESTYLE

What’s the deal when you’re selling — or buying — gold.

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123 FIRST COURSE

Prunes every day can keep the osteoporosis away.

124 FLAVOR

Everything you thought you knew about nutrition — debunked.

131 DINING GUIDE

During the cold winter months, find something warm and yummy for your tummy.

Photos by Scott Holstein

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All Pets (and their people) are invited to Proctor Subaru to have their photo taken by Tallahassee Magazine with an opportunity to be featured in the May/June issue!

There will be treats, demonstrations, giveaways and more from the following vendors:

giving away gifts and prizes

with proceeds going to the Leon County Humane Society

holding on-site pet adoptions

performing K-9 demonstrations

serving cupcakes

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Wishing you all the best in 2012.

January–February 2012

Vol. 34, No. 1

Publisher Brian E. Rowland

PROGRESSIVE WESTERN FASHION

Editor Rosanne Dunkelberger

(850) 727-8460 1212 North Monroe Street facebook.com/wowtally

Contributing Writers Amanda Broadfoot, Lis King, Ralna Pearson, Erika Peterman, Audrey Post, Desiree Stennett, Janice Wade-Miller

designer Saige Roberts Staff Writer Jason Dehart

STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Scott Holstein

THE BEST LITTLE STEAKHOUSE IN TALLAHASSEE

Editorial Interns Laura Bradley, Madison Carryl, Kimberly Dantica, Karl Etters

traffic coordinator Lisa Sostre

Sales Executives Lori Magee, Linda Powell, Chuck Simpson Online tallahasseemagazine.com twitter.com/tallahasseemag facebook.com/tallahasseemag

President Brian E. Rowland

Creative Director Lawrence Davidson Director of Linda Kleindienst Editorial Services Production Manager Daniel Vitter

Manager of Finance Angela Cundiff HR/Administration

Director of New Daniel Parisi Business Development Marketing and Media McKenzie Burleigh Development Manager

2011

Administrator of Marjorie Stone Sales and Events

Client Service Caroline Conway Representative Assistant Saige Roberts

Creative Director

BEST STEAKHOUSE

Graphic Designers Jennifer Ekrut, Laura Patrick, Shruti Shah

Production SPECIALIST Melinda Lanigan

Join us for lunch and dinner at our beautiful new location on Apalachee Parkway.

Our steaks are not only the best in Tallahassee, but USDA choice midwestern corn-fed beef, specially selected, aged to our specifications and cut daily. We also serve fresh jumbo shrimp and fish – grilled, blackened or fried. So please join us for lunch and dinner or just meet up for drinks at our fully-stocked bar.

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MARIE LIVINGSTON’S STEAK HOUSE

2705 Apalachee Parkway | Tallahassee, FL | (850) 270-9506

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January–February 2012

traffic coordinator Lisa Sostre

Receptionist Amy Lewis Network Administrator

Daniel Vitter

Web Site rowlandpublishing.com

Tallahassee Magazine is published bimonthly by Rowland Publishing, Inc. 1932 Miccosukee Road, Tallahassee, FL 32308. 850/878-0554.

Tallahassee Magazine and Rowland Publishing, Inc. are not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, photography or artwork. Editorial contributions are welcomed and encouraged but will not be returned.

Tallahassee Magazine reserves the right to publish any letters to the editor. Copyright January 2012 Tallahassee Magazine, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without written permission is prohibited. Partners of Visit Tallahassee and Member, Greater Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce and Florida Magazine Association.

one-year Subscription $30 (SIx issues) (850) 878-0554 Subscribe online at tallahasseemagazine.com or purchase Tallahassee Magazine at Barnes & Noble, Costco, Books-A-Million, Walgreens and at our Miccosukee Road office.

Proud member Florida Magazine Association

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From the Publisher

He Made a Huge Difference in our Corporate Journey don’t need this anymore.” I am now the proud owner of an iPhone 4 and trying to select — and master — the apps that work for me.

Steve Jobs — with his passion and intellect — was decades ahead of most everyone, driving Apple to be the most recognizable brand and the second largest company on Earth today.

He was intimately involved with every Apple product and guided the company to a position today of having an enviable $76 billion in cash reserves.

But Apple is not just a successful moneymaker, the development and success of its products has changed the lives of consumers and corporations worldwide. Rowland Publishing would not be the business it is today without the technology of Apple.

Over the past two-plus decades, I estimate just over 100 people have earned their living at this company.

Hundreds of nonprofits have benefited from our media coverage. Emerald Coast and 850 magazines were developed during this time, serving other markets much like Tallahassee Magazine does here. RPI has made a tremendous, eight-figure economic injection into the regional economy over these two decades. Yes, it has taken a lot of hard work on many people’s part, but none of this could have come to fruition without the vision of Jobs and the products of Apple.

Jobs, who died Oct. 5, and his company were an integral part in the development of the 21st century in general and the success and longevity of Rowland Publishing in particular. I, for one, will miss his visionary ways and his creation of some very cool and smart product lines.

Brian Rowland, Publisher

Photo by Scott Holstein

At an earlier time, Tallahassee Magazine was produced within the walls of the Homes and Land Publishing Corp., a firm that employed about 300 people. Of those, 175 to 200 were in the production department, working two and three shifts a day to keep up with the demands of the expanding real estate industry and the growth of the Homes and Land franchise.

Back then, before the birth of the graphics and computer design industry, it took physical equipment (“cut and paste” for those who may remember) and a sheer volume of human resources to produce magazines. I recall anywhere from five to eight graphic artists were working on Tallahassee Magazine as it moved through the critical design and production cycle.

In late 1989, Homes and Land ordered a slew of first-generation Apple computers developed and designed for the publishing industry.

It was about that time that I acquired Tallahassee Magazine. Part of the deal was continuing the payments on one of these computers —$750 for 18 months. That’s $13,500 for a computer with a fraction of the ability of today’s systems. However, I also got to drive away with one production employee — not eight — for the newly formed Rowland Publishing, Inc. Now, the math was working.

RPI has been using and upgrading its Apple lineup throughout the ensuing years. I’ve tried pretty much all of the Apple laptops, including the slim and lightweight MacBook Air. Once, I tore apart my office looking for that little computer, only to discover hours later that I had closed it inside a folder.

At a meeting, I handed my business card to a client, who held it in front of his iPhone and used one of Apple’s hundreds of thousands of apps. I watched in amazement as it scanned my card and, within seconds, uploaded the information to his contact list. He then returned the card to me, saying “Here, I

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Paul Watts, COO Electronet Broadband Communications and William Hambsh, COO North Florida Women’s Care

RE AL CUSTOMERS . RE AL ISSUES . RE AL SOLUTIONS .

We have been strategic partners with Electronet Broadband Communications for a number of years. Electronet provided our office with Internet access first, and we later added voice and other services that were offered as part of their business bundle solution. We have a very busy practice and our phones and Internet are mission critical to us and our patients. We have been very pleased with not only the performance of Electronet services but the attentiveness and professionalism of their staff. It’s also great to deal with local people instead of 800 numbers and auto attendants. If your business is looking to improve their communications platform, while saving money, Electronet is the answer.

William R. Hambsh

3 4 1 1 C a p i t a l M e d i c a l B l v d . Ta l l a h a s s e e , F L | 2 2 2 . 0 2 2 9 | w w w. e l e c t r o n e t . n e t 20

January–February 2012

From the Editor

Pretty. Ugly.

PHOTO by Kay Meyer

Once people figure out I’m the editor of Tallahassee Magazine, they usually ask something along the lines of, “Who thinks up the ideas for your stories?” or “Who decides what stories get in the magazine?”

Generally, the answer is me. And me.

Some stories are obvious because of the time of year (Christmas, Valentine’s Day, back to school,) while others are perennial (Best of Tallahassee, Top Singles, Great Getaways, Springtime Tallahassee).

But once you schedule all those in, there’s still plenty of room for other topics, and it’s up to me to fill in the blanks.

Sometimes Publisher Brian Rowland and other staff members here make suggestions. I get great ideas from readers who contact me via email or social media — or who I just run into when I’m out and about.

But some ideas percolate and then spring out of my head. (Although having what my life adviser generously calls “focus issues,” I’m afraid some very good ideas have fallen into the abyss.)

Usually, they come to me in one of two ways. First, there will be some issue I’m wrestling with. I figure, if it’s something that piques my interest, other people might be curious too.

This issue’s feature on pageant culture is an example. Many of us got our first glimpse into the world of child beauty pageants 15 years ago when, in the wake of her murder, we saw photos and videos of JonBenet Ramsey vamping it up in heavy makeup and elaborate costumes. Then, in 2009, the TLC network created a sensation with its behind-the-scenes series about “glitz” pageants, “Toddlers & Tiaras.”

Both events evoked commentary — usually ranging from tut-tutting about the costs to accusations of sexualizing children. It’s hard for me to believe any 2-year-old enjoys getting a spray tan or pinning on a wiglet, but is it really all that bad? Are pageant moms ruining their children’s lives or giving them poise and confidence?

Is this any better or worse than people who immerse themselves and spend small fortunes in other subcultures, such as historical reenacting or motorcycle riding or travel sports teams?

My second idea generator is when I become aware of a subject — and want to know more. It was the genesis of the road kill feature. My daily commute from my Killearn home takes me down a long stretch of Centerville Road. Invariably, I see one or more dead critters in the road during my drive, usually low-to-the-ground species such as opossums, raccoons, squirrels and armadillos. They’re usually there one day and gone the next and it makes me wonder: Where do they go? Why do some stretches seem to have more dead things than others? And, of course, why do they cross the road?

Also, it seems like I was forever hearing the so-called “turtle tunnel” on U.S. 27 vilified as a waste of $2.5 million in government dollars. Somebody must’ve thought it was a good idea, and I wanted to know why.

Writers Jason Dehart and Amanda Broadfoot have done a very good job of answering my questions. I hope you enjoy their work and that, like me, you’ve learned something along the way.

And if you have a story idea … please, send it my way.

Rosanne G. Dunkelberger rdunkelberger@rowlandpublishing.com

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January–February 2012

Letters to the Editor THANKS, AND WELCOME HOME Mr. Rowland, I enjoy your publication and wanted to make a quick comment about your observation concerning our troops in the Atlanta airport (From the Publisher, November/December issue). I realize you are much too young to recall the very strong anti-military/Vietnam War sentiment that existed in the late ’60s and early ’70s in our country.

As a young Army captain returning from a one-year tour of duty in Vietnam in September 1968, we were briefed upon our arrival at Fort Lewis Washington to dress in civilian clothes as we continued our journey home on civilian aircraft. I guess I had seen too many John Wayne movies and chose to ignore the advice and traveled home in uniform to Saratoga Springs, N.Y. My recollection of my trip home was receiving some negative looks but wasn’t confronted. I never heard a “Welcome Home” or “thanks for your service.”

Fast forward 30-plus years to the Atlanta airport: As a group of Army troops were walking to their gate, onlookers stood and clapped as the troops passed by. Oh, I was one of the ones who stood and gave them a Whoooahh!

Thanks for letting me share.

— Nick Nichols LTC(RET), US Army

FROM SOCIAL MEDIA HAPPY ABOUT COTON COLORS I just so enjoy reading Tallahassee Magazine and to my delight while reading this month’s copy I was so happy to find you are featuring Coton Colors.

My family and I just adore all their stuff — it is so fun and festive. The kids just love to change out the attachments. I give Coton Colors as gifts to all the members of my family. When I heard about the cookbook I got so excited. I already have my copy and just love it. I have really enjoyed that, although a cookbook, it is a really enjoyable and interesting read.

All of the stories and side notes are just great. I think my favorite part is when Laura talks about her mother, and each granddaughter added their own little tidbits. I know what my family will be getting for Christmas this year.

— Kelly DiMinno Do you have something to say?

If you have a comment about or correction to Tallahassee Magazine, send a message to editorial@rowlandpublishing.com or 1932 Miccosukee Road, Tallahassee, FL 32308.

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January–February 2012

QUICK READS people | items | places

Photo by Scott Holstein

One to watch

» MARC BAUER

Community involvement is in Marc Bauer’s business plan.

It’s something the 45-year-old general manager of Hotel Duval has taken seriously since he first came to Tallahassee three years ago to guide the development of the wildly popular downtown boutique hotel.

“I think it’s important to both give back to the community, but also to ingratiate and incorporate the community into what you’re doing,” he said.

Bauer has enthusiastically jumped on the Tallahassee bandwagon since his arrival.

He has leadership positions in the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association’s state

and local organizations, the Leon County Tourist Development Council, Visit Tallahassee, the Florida State Seminole Boosters and the Council on Culture and Arts.

“We are on the cusp of greatness, and I think from an economic and tourism development standpoint we’ve had some great momentum over the past three years,” he said. “I certainly see us gaining even more forward momentum in the coming years, particularly when the economy improves. Tallahassee is a great environment to do business in, but you’ve got to figure out what works. Community involvement — and immersing yourself in the community so that there is buy-in to your

project and you personally — is very important.

This is a town where you reap what you sow.”

Is there a Hotel Duval franchise in the works?

“I’m embarking on a new business venture along with the owners of Hotel Duval to grow the portfolio of hotels,” he said. “While there probably won’t be another Hotel Duval, there will indeed be other hotels in other markets that will share synergies with Hotel Duval.

The boutique hotel is our sweet spot, but I wouldn’t rule out any opportunity that made sense from both a geographic and financial perspective.”— Jason Dehart

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QUICK READS first person

Doctor Blacksmith Charlton Prather Bookends a Medical Career With Stints at the Forge

By Erika D. Peterman

A

round Mission San Luis, he’s known as “Skeeter,” the volunteer blacksmith. The average visitor probably doesn’t know that the affable and highly skilled craftsman is also one of the state’s most respected physicians — and the man for whom the Florida Department of Health’s E. Charlton Prather building is named.

But long before he wore a doctor’s coat or served as Florida’s State Health Officer, Dr. Charlton Prather, 81, was fascinated by fire and iron.

In the 1930s, the blacksmith shop in his hometown of Jasper, Fla., was one of Prather’s favorite childhood haunts. One afternoon, the shop owner asked if young Charlton and his best friend, Jake, wanted a job putting the tools away.

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January–February 2012

“He promised a nickel a week if we did satisfactory work, and we did,” Prather said.

“Many of the afternoons I did the work by myself, but Jake still got his nickel.”

The shop was the heart of the small community during the Great Depression, and Prather continued to learn at the feet of the owner and the other blacksmiths employed there. By the time he reached high school, he was trusted to take the company pickup truck on house calls.

On occasion, a farmer hooked his plow onto a tractor, drove into a hidden stump and, as Prather put it, “bent the situation.”

“We’d take a portable forge and the necessary tools, then go to the field, literally, in the truck,” he recalled.

When Prather left for the University of Florida to study microbiology in the 1940s, commercially prepared tools had taken a toll on the blacksmithing business. The local shop closed and the physician-to-be didn’t raise a hammer again until he was a medical student at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, N.C. Interestingly enough, it was a medical school course that reunited Prather with the forge.

During a physiology lecture, a professor drew a diagram of a surgical retractor, lamenting that the school didn’t have the instrument. No machinist in the Winston-Salem area seemed to know how to make one, so Prather volunteered.

“I told him I had some experience in bending iron, and I thought I could make that for him.

I said, ‘Draw me an exact scale, and let me see what I can do.’ ” He located a horse farrier in town and asked if he could use his forge. Prather finished the precisely scaled retractor in two hours and the professor was delighted.

“The upshot of it was that the next day, he gave me a check for 50 bucks,” Prather recalled. “That supplied us food for more than a month.”

Prather went on to have a long, distinguished career in public health in Florida, and in 1974 he was appointed State Health Officer. The appointment came at a tumultuous time. A 1975 legislative mandate decentralized Florida’s division of Health, Rehabilitative and Social Services, and many state public health employees were reassigned or relocated from Jacksonville to Tallahassee. Prather and his wife, Lou, moved from Orange Park to Tallahassee in 1976, and he brought his forge and blacksmithing tools with him.

He held that state position until 1979 and was appointed to a second term in 1986. After “35 years, six months, 27 days and one and a quarter hours” in the Florida public health system, he retired in 1987.

“It was a fun career,” he said.

Shortly after retiring, Prather became an active volunteer at Tallahassee’s Mission San Luis. He’s become one of the historic landmark’s biggest supporters and is now on the Friends of Mission San Luis Board of Directors. While the mission employs a staff blacksmith, Prather’s period-accurate handiwork is visible throughout the property.

He made all the mission’s hinges, latches, locks, candle sconces and candelabras, plus many pounds of nails and the 3,200 rivets that hold the doors and shutters together. He installed the rivets himself.

Prather also came up with the idea to relocate the blacksmith shop from its formerly off-the-beaten­-path spot and have it rebuilt with donated materials and labor.

“He said, ‘I’ll supervise the project and we’ll make it first class.’ My job was just to get out of his way,” said Dave Ramsay, who chairs the Friends of Mission San Luis board.

Even during Tallahassee’s sweltering summer months, the good doctor takes fire to metal and practices the craft that became part of his life more than 70 years ago.

“If it’s forged iron, I love doing it,” Prather said.

Photo by Terri Smith Photo

FORGING ON After a career in public medicine, Dr. Charlton Prather returned to the practice of blacksmithing — which he learned as a boy in rural Florida — as part of the living history at Mission San Luis.

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QUICK READS fyi

Fifteen Going on Four For Leap Year Babies, the Most Special Day of the Year Isn’t on the Calendar

By Kimberly Dantica

L

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January–February 2012

A VERY SPECIAL DAY She’s turning 16 this year, but Marisa Thomas will only be celebrating her Leap Year birthday for the fourth time.

In some places, the tradition was only allowed on the Leap Day, also known as Bachelors’ Day. If the man refused the proposal, he paid a penalty in cash or gift.

Everyone doesn’t celebrate Columbus or Valentine’s Day, but they are recognized on calendars. Leap Day, a vital day in everyone’s life, isn’t.

“On Feb. 2, you’ll find the words Groundhog Day; the 14, Valentines Day; the 29, when it’s there of course, nothing — blank,” Dawn says.

“And, it’s the day that makes sure all those holidays land in the same season every year. It’s the day that celebrates the calendar’s accuracy.”

Filling out forms on the Internet and getting a drivers license can be problematic with a birthday that’s not annual.

“She has discovered that sometimes that date is not even an option when filling out forms and such — slightly frustrating, but

creates an awareness,” says Marisa’s mother, Shannon Thomas. On non-leap years, Marisa Thomas celebrates her birthday on Feb. 28.

Brouwer is celebrating his 14th leap year birthday on the beach in Clearwater this year.

“I like to travel,” Brouwer says. “Last leap year, I was in San Francisco, and the year before that I was in China.”

Leap Day Babies throw extravagant parties in Spain, Australia and Texas, and they even have a capital, Anthony, N.M./Texas, where they throw a four-day Leap Year Festival.

“Youthfulness — that’s a theme because we don’t have as many birthdays; we don’t feel that we’re getting as old as everybody else. It makes us feel special,” Brouwer says.

Shannon Thomas concurs. “I think being a Leap Year baby has only helped (Marisa) embrace her individuality and uniqueness among her friends,” she says.

Photo by Scott Holstein, Cake courtesy The Cake Shop.

incoln High School sophomore Marisa Thomas will be celebrating her fourth birthday this year.

No, she’s not a child prodigy.

Marisa is actually turning 16 in 2012, but her birthday, like more than 200,000 other Americans, comes once every four years on Feb. 29.

“My little brother picks on me, saying he’s older than me — even though I am almost 4 years older than him,” she says. “I feel more special because not many people have the same birthday, and when I meet new people they think it’s cool.”

The Earth’s trip around the sun takes exactly 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes and 46 seconds. Adding Feb. 29 every four years keeps the calendar days and months in their proper season.

Ancient Egyptians were the first to figure out the Earth’s rotation around the sun, and a quadrennial calendar day has existed since the time of Julius Caesar. Today’s Gregorian calendar came into existence in 1582, as an effort by Pope Gregory XIII to maintain the Easter season.

“It’s an honor to be born on the day that makes the seasons come every year,” says Peter Brouwer, a co-founder of the Honor Society of Leap Year Day Babies’ website.

“Every year we’d lose a quarter of a day if it wasn’t for the leap year day every four years.”

An old Irish tradition from 1288 allowed women to propose to men during a leap year.

“Leap Year Balls used to be all the rage,” says Raenell Dawn, another co-founder of the Honor Society, which has more than 10,000 Leap Day honorees on its website.

“They provided a safe, romantic setting for a woman to propose to her man, if that indeed was her intention.”

tallahassee

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QUICK READS generation next

A Week for the Children A Cascade of Colorful Handprints and Other Activities Put the Needs of Youngsters Before the Legislature By Laura Bradley

T

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January–February 2012

LIVING CLASSROOM Young Tallahasseeans are invited to participate in Children’s Week activities, including a Town Hall Meeting for teens and a Capitol tour, where they can see 100,000 hanging handprints.

function like a town hall meeting where any young person in the audience may approach the Cabinet with questions and concerns.

In addition to these activities, a wealth of free materials and information will be available for attendees. Crispers will provide 3,500 free lunches to visiting children and families. There will also be free Children’s Week T-shirts and informational materials from more than 90 different booths inside the Capitol rotunda and courtyard. Given the large expected attendance, groups wishing to participate in Children’s Capitol for a Day should RSVP for free lunches and guided tours at info@childrensweek.org.

Beyond celebrating children and families throughout the state, there is another reason for Tallahassee natives to celebrate at Children’s Week: appreciation of the privilege we share as residents of a capital city.

“We’re lucky that folks in Tallahassee here can experience this opportunity once a year,” Zaborske points out. “That they can be reminded that we have a state capitol right here in our backyard … It’s like a living classroom of information.”

Tallahassee Native Illustrates Her First Children’s Book

Tallahassee artist Pam Talley recently illustrated a new children’s book, “Two Foals, a Dash of Sprinkles and a Cherry on Top!” Brittany Bevis, Talley’s niece and a multiple world champion equestrian, wrote the sweet story about how horses get their spots. “The delightful illustrations, family-friendly message and ‘surprise’ twist make this an engaging story and one of those childhood favorites you’ll always remember,” says Lisa Kemp, of No Biz Like Horsebiz and kempequine.com, in a pre-release review. $18.47 hardback edition, $14.47 paperback edition, caballopress.com

Photo courtesy United way of Florida

he 17th Annual Children’s Week will turn the Capitol into a living, breathing classroom for kids, parents and lawmakers alike. The goal of this annual event held during the legislative session is twofold: raise awareness among lawmakers about issues that concern children and families, and promote civic education among Florida’s youth.

“We’re really wanting to educate young people about how they can make a difference — how they can get involved with community outreach projects and make a difference in the lives of others,” explains Jason Zaborske, who coordinates the special event. This year Children’s Week provides many events to promote that education and involvement.

Children’s Week kicks off Sunday, Jan. 29, from 12:30 to 4 p.m., with the Hanging of the Hands, where more than 100,000 paper cutouts of children’s hands collected from childcare centers, schools and organizations across the state stream down through the Capitol rotunda.

The colorful paper handprints are decorated by children and their teachers and remain in the rotunda throughout the week as a stunning artistic display and reminder to lawmakers and advocates of the importance of representing and protecting children.

Locally, children and families are invited to participate and hang their own hand cutouts.

On Tuesday, Jan. 31, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., the Capitol rotunda and courtyard will be transformed into a lively center for fun, interactive civic education. Guided tours of the new and historic state capitols will provide information about their history and the legislative process, as well as offer opportunities to meet local legislators. At the Legislative Reading Corner, policymakers and legislators will be reading to young children and giving away free books. A press conference and the “Hanging of the Hands” Dedication Ceremony at noon will dedicate the art display to the 2012 Florida Legislature.

There will also be a “Teens Only” Town Hall Meeting where youth can ask important questions to members of Florida’s Children and Youth Cabinet. This year, a dozen students will ask questions for broadcast. These 12 students will work with the Cabinet in the following year to address policy issues relating to youth, children and families. After the students finish asking questions, the event will

QUICK READS lifestyle

Red Hot Gifts She’ll Love

We believe Valentine’s Day should be celebrated every day. Top her love chart by presenting a thoughtful gift and your romance will surely stay in the pink during the season of love. Here’s some inspiration to get you started.

Except for the flower arrangement, all items pictured can be found at the At Home shop, located in Betton Place.

This table setting is red,

white and fabulous. It includes a quilted cotton placemat ($9.99) and two-sided napkin ($6.99), a Tag dinner plate ($11.50) and an enameled metal napkin ring by Table Art (four for $62).

Put a little heat in your sweet with

Cranberry, Chili & Pecan Preserves from The Great San Saba River Pecan Company ($8.99).

Sure, you can send red roses, but she’s sure to be dazzled by this impressive arrangement of white calla lilies

The oh-so-soft Cordy Roy Bear by Jellycat ($24)

wears this shiny bauble — a

CZ set in sterling

($64) — to perfection.

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January–February 2012

With its red leather band and topstitching, this bold Tokyo Bay watch can be his or hers ($82).

Photos by Scott Holstein

paired with longlived dendrobian orchids Blossom’s Flowers.

tallahassee

33

QUICK READS how to

Let the Seller Beware When Selling Gold, it Pays to Play it Smart By Jason Dehart

T

he economy is still in the tank, and folks are robbing Peter to Paypal. So what’s one to do when funds are limited and there’s too much month at the end of the money? One solution is to scrounge through all that old jewelry Aunt Bessie bequeathed you, cull the gold pieces, find a reputable dealer and sell them for cash.

With gold prices topping more than $1,700 an ounce, it may be worth it to sacrifice some gold rings or earrings. But to assure you get the best and fairest price, you have to do your homework.

“You need to find someone you are comfortable with and trust to get advice from,” said Mike Bennett, owner of The Gold Mine in Tallahassee. “For me, the first step would be to find someone who has been in business for a good period of time and has a good reputation. Visit them and show them what you have and let them explain the process.”

Not every dealer can be trusted. In 2011, the Better Business Bureau received more than 500 complaints against gold, silver and platinum dealers. So you have to not only appraise your gold items, but the people you want to do business with.

“Many of the complaints we receive stem from false advertising and delivery issues where the consumer ends up being appraised far less than what they thought their gold was worth,” said Stephen A. Cox, president and

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January–February 2012

CEO of the Council of Better Business Bureaus.

Once you’ve found the right firm, the actual transaction isn’t exactly rocket science, Bennett said. “The metal prices are out there in the paper and online. That information is readily available,” he said.

Sellers need to be aware the true price of gold may not be what they actually receive.

An ounce quote is for pure, 24 karat gold only.

The lower the karat, the less gold there is, and subsequently the lower your price. Bennett said each dealer or firm will determine the purity of your gold. But if there is a stone in it, you may just want to keep that. There isn’t much of a market for rocks because “they eat up a lot of capital for buyers,” he said.

The BBB advises not to let jewelry of different karat values be weighed together.

A dealer may weigh all your jewelry together and then pay you for the lowest karat value.

You should also separate your jewelry by karat value before going to a gold-selling party. (Bennett said he generally likes the idea of “gold parties,” but uninvited guests could be tipped off and show up to rob everybody. He suggests gold parties should be invitation-only events held in safe and secure environments.)

Once you find a trusted dealer and determine just how much pure gold you have, the amount you receive will, naturally, be lessened by cuts for the dealer and the refinery that extracts the gold.

Tips for Selling Gold » If you’re mailing gold to a dealer, insure the items and get appraisals, so if lost you have proof of their value. Make a list of what’s in the package and keep a copy for yourself. Take pictures of your things, especially any identifying marks.

» Gold coins might be more valuable to

a collector than a typical gold dealer; the same goes for antique or unusual items made by well-known designers.

» When looking for a jewelry appraiser,

look for an active, accredited member of a nationally recognized organization like the American Society of Appraisers.

» Get an appraisal done for a set fee, not one based on a percentage of the item’s value.

Although people are buying gold as a safe investment, selling can be a good idea too, Bennett said. Especially if you own castoff jewelry pieces you have no real use for.

“I’ve been in the business 32 years, and this is the highest gold has been in my entire career,” he said. “People have always had broken stuff or stuff they don’t use or wear, and this is the best time in the last 30 years to turn those items into useable cash money.”

Calling All Pets ! …and Their People Saturday, March 3 • 9a.m. - 3p.m.

All Pets (and their people) are invited to Tallahassee Magazine’s ninth annual Pets and Their People event. Stop by Proctor Subaru to have a photo taken by Tallahassee Magazine with an opportunity to be featured in the May/June issue!

But that’s not all…

There will be treats, demonstrations, giveaways and more from these vendors and others:

Giving away gifts and prizes

Performing K-9 demonstrations

With proceeds going to the Leon County Humane Society

Serving cupcakes

Holding on-site pet adoptions

Proctor Subaru • 1707 Capital Circle NE • Tallahassee

tallahassee

35

Arts & Culture

AT WORKS OF ART The hallways of the 1020 Lafayette building are filled with artwork created by artists from near and far.

Art Meets Business This Gallery Brings Art to the Office Building By Madison Carryl

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January–February 2012

photos by Scott Holstein

W

hen a nondescript office building at 1020 Lafayette St. was gutted, renovated and remodeled, Majken Peterzen, a friend of the owner and a local artist, made a passing comment during the final touches of the renovation. Asked by the owner, David Barrett, what she thought of the newly finished building, she laughed. “Gee, it looks nice. But it would look better with my art on the walls.”

That simple joke was the start of a unique and successful collaboration.

Peterzen (whose first name is pronounced Micken) and Barrett began discussing the possibilities of artist-inspired decor and over many nights of brainstorming, fully realized the potential of the arrangement.

The office park would double as an art gallery. “It was a place where lots of traffic would see the art every day,” she says.

Now, the gallery is both an inspiring place for those who work there and a

wonderful opportunity for local and international artists to be seen by art aficionados — as well as visitors who might never visit a traditional gallery. The space, open weekdays during business hours and Saturday afternoons, is expansive and airy, leaving endless possibilities for displaying pieces.

The work presented at 1020 Art represents a variety of local, regional, national and international artists working in every medium imaginable — from sculptures and botanical pieces to woven arts and portraits — and always, something unique.

The gallery also carries art-inspired gifts by many artists in the gift shop, including fine jewelry, enamel and glasswork, carved boxes and occasionally even clothing.

At any given time, more than 75 artists are displayed throughout the building’s two floors. Sometimes, artists seeking a place to show their work call Peterzen; other times the gallery will put out a general call. This diversity and openness brings loads of new artists and ideas to the North Florida region from all over the globe.

Overall, about 50 percent of the art shown in the gallery is made by artists within 200 miles of Tallahassee. The other half is national and international work. The choice to split things evenly was simple, says Peterzen. “The goal is to have half of the gallery be filled with the kind of art that Tallahassee has always loved, and the other half to be something edgier. Less traditional work, less conservative. Something to keep the art community here on its toes.”

The space itself is a work of art, with beautifully tiled floors, elegant furnishings and sleek stairways. The constant change of decor keeps the hallways feeling fresh, and creates an atmosphere in the workplace both comfortable and inspiring. The building provides much more space to hang artwork for significantly less money than a traditional gallery. Nationwide, a third of private galleries have closed within the last five years, but with this sweet setup comes the opportunity to showcase even more art in a way that’s not so costly.

On the walls by the staircase you may find an ethnic tapestry or a sculpture of faces with gears and cogs sticking out of them. There are cases full of creative and eclectic jewelry and odd bits of clothing, and botanical pieces with abstract representations of the human form growing up from the greenery. You may find collections of Chinese calligraphy and portraits tallahassee

37

Arts & Culture of Tallahassee landmarks, or mannequins covered in chips of mosaic tile. The art not only varies in medium, but in subject matter, genre and stance as well.

1020 itself is a consignment gallery, meaning the items will hang in the gallery for a previously agreed on amount of time.

When a piece sells, the artist pays a commission to the gallery. This works particularly well for artists who call 1020 their home gallery, who enjoy the benefits of sales from people who work in the office every day, as well as local Tallahassee art fans who attend their showcases and events.

Peterzen insists that artists talk with her before their work is displayed. Together, they will discuss the art, what it stands for and how to best market and present it in the space. A contract is then drawn up, usually a yearlong agreement. For that year, the creator and curator continuously collaborate to produce results beneficial to the artist and the gallery.

“As much as I can, I try to spend time working with the artist,” says Peterzen.

“Meaning that we will meet and brainstorm a new direction of their work, talk about making prints, doing things to make their art more sellable.” She also says she tries to help artists understand the business side of art. “It’s not just about creating something worthwhile. It’s about marketing that idea properly. A lot of students who study art are never taught to market themselves, and that’s just as important to the survival of your art.”

While some artists come and go, about 25 to 30 percent of the artists displayed in the gallery are locals like Dennis Howland who consider it their home base for sales and displays. Currently on display, his art is modern and clever but practical and interactive as well. He creates pieces using functioning QR codes (the square bar codes you can photograph using a smart phone that will redirect you to a photo or website).

One of his large pieces in the gallery is a collage of overlapping and variously sized codes that direct you to a horoscope for every sign, with links that update daily.

Another piece is intended as a working gift of art: a bowl of dog biscuits covered with QR codes linking to dog care, training and fun pet activities. This type of innovation is expected from all the artists that 1020 takes in, and they rarely disappoint.

The building is fluid; almost weekly art is being taken down, sold and put up. The gallery hosts several smaller collections 38

January–February 2012

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and artist showcases throughout the year, and holds three to four larger shows. This November hosted one of their largest shows yet, “Fire and Fiber,” showcasing artists who specialize in clay and weaving.

Artists were challenged to collaborate on designs, resulting in wildly unique pieces in both mediums.

The gallery is also an active participant in the First Friday Art Trolley. The trolley makes its stop at 1020 and several other destinations, scattered throughout Midtown, the Parkway District, Railroad Square and downtown. The destinations include galleries like 1020 as well as other locations offering free wine tasting and live music for an evening of art and good company. “We’re very involved in making this gallery a community gem,” says Peterzen.

1020’s next big showcase runs through the month of March, starting with First Friday on March 2. Entitled “Body of Art,” the show will be all about, by, for and even on the body — literally! There will be live tattooing, body art and physical pieces inspired by or based on the human body.

The show is planned to be raw and unique, with several pieces of performance art as well as more traditional styles. The show will display art from the entire southeastern region, and Peterzen says it will be, as usual, new, exciting and edgy.

The gallery is open to the public Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Saturdays from noon to 6 p.m. The gallery also offers private showings after hours, for a romantic night out or with a few friends as well as single tours, to really experience the art in solitude. n

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39

Giving Back

Think Globally, Bead Locally

T

raveling the world to supply their Havana shop, Wanderings, with jewelry and other eclectic items, Tony Lombardo and Terri Paul purchased items from many co-ops — groups of women who united to learn a unique artistic skill in order to support their families. Working with these groups from impoverished nations inspired the father/daughter team to ask themselves a question: If artisans in countries around the globe can craft jewelry to make ends meet, why can’t people here in the United States?

The answer was Team Unity.

“We figured that we had some of the same problems here that they were facing in Third World countries, Gadsden County being the second-poorest county in Florida,”

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January–February 2012

Paul explains. What’s “normal” for poor people in their store’s community is not what most of us could consider normal.

Many live in houses in disrepair, crowded with family members. “Forget having your own bedroom; forget having your own bed,” she says. It seemed logical to create a co-op where their business is located.

Becoming familiar with wholesale markets while buying jewelry, one of Wanderings’ biggest sellers in recent years, Lombardo and Paul realized the manufacturers and products, as well as the wholesalers themselves, were predominately foreign.

Americans play only a small role in that market — but Team Unity is seeking to change that.

“Over the … last 18 years, we’ve hired a lot of people on a temporary basis to

come in and work for us,” Lombardo explains. “They’re primarily people who don’t have jobs or are very under-employed. And a lot of them have been very good people … and I said, ‘We’ve got this thing going with jewelry. Why don’t we try to train some local people who are unemployed to make jewelry?’”

Lombardo and Paul worked with The Havana Learning Center, a nonprofit organization that helps at-risk, low-income people in the community find employment and develop skills, to recruit Team Unity’s first jewelers. Once the team was selected, they were trained with the help of Lizette Kelly, a local jewelry designer and owner of Lizette’s Beadginnings jewelry store.

The project kicked off in November 2010 with John Anderson Jr., 26, Nicole

photos by Scott Holstein

Havana’s Team Unity Creates Jobs By Creating Jewelry By Laura Bradley

www.amandarobertsphoto.com • 850-933-1700 • amanda@amandarobertsphotography.net

ARTISANS IN TRAINING Wanderings co-owner Terri Paul (second from left) along with crafters (left to right) Nicole Johnson, John Anderson Jr. and Tishana Perry, work on developing new jewelry designs that can be produced for the wholesale market. A “dainty little jingly” necklace (this page) designed by Johnson.

Johnson, 26 and Tishana Perry, 36. The three received instruction and followed designs created by Kelly and Paul, making necklaces, bracelets and earrings from semiprecious stones, including amethyst, onyx, turquoise and tiger’s eye.

In the beginning, all three team members were unemployed or didn’t have enough work to earn a living. Now they are skilled jewelers with supplemental income, allowing them to seek further employment with far less financial worry. Two have found additional work and continue to make jewelry from home.

The jewelers have become so skilled they are beginning to create their own designs. Paul notes that an unexpected bonus of Team Unity’s work has been seeing each team member develop a designing style over time. “As we’ve evolved, their talents have come out,” she says.

While Johnson enjoys creating charm bracelets and necklaces — what Paul calls “dainty little jingly stuff,” Perry likes to make “really big, bold, in-your-face kind tallahassee

41

Giving Back

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January–February 2012

of stuff.” Anderson focuses on more masculine styles, using leather and cords that would appeal to teenagers. He has also developed an FSU-themed line. As the jewelers’ skill increases, so does the jewelry’s quality and value.

It’s not just the members of Team Unity who benefit from the work, either. Members are required to repay each hour of training with an hour-long commitment to community service within Havana. In the beginning, Team Unity painted local park equipment, and there will be more projects when more employees train.

Lombardo stresses that Team Unity is far from a handout or social program.

“We’re trying to create a business that is profitable. There’s no charitable work here,” he insists. “We pay them for what they do and how well they do it. And if they don’t do well, they hit the streets like anybody else. But I’ve been blessed with three exceptionally good people.”

Beyond the additional financial security, Team Unity members are given something else: a skill doing something they have grown to love. As he beaded a bright red and white necklace, Anderson, who comes to work five days a week, noted with a laugh and a shake of his head that Team Unity has turned him into a jewelry freak, explaining, “It’s like it’s all I want to do in my spare time.”

In the future, Lombardo hopes the operation will grow to house more fulltime employees who can handcraft a lot more jewelry. Team Unity has already made steps in that direction. The jewelry’s retail debut in Wanderings last May was a resounding success, and sales continue to look promising.

Team Unity has also begun breaking into the wholesale market, offering its wares at wholesale shows in Orlando and Fort Lauderdale. Late last year, Team Unity had its first wholesale debut outside of Florida at a show in Sevierville, Tenn.

Beyond its wholesale repertoire, Team Unity has also been garnering local attention. In September 2011, they were the primary exhibitor at the Tallahassee Mary Brogan Museum’s Titanic Gala, displaying Team Unity jewelry for sale in vintage suitcases. The displayed collections held to the Titanic theme: the “Lady Astor” set was glitzy and sparkly, while “The Unsinkable Molly Brown” carried a bold, Art Deco theme. The “Titanic” group captured the essence of the arctic, with iceberg-like crystals and pearls.

MISS T’S SETS Gift and Bridal Registry Cooking Demonstrations Personal Gift Service LESSONS LEARNED After buying from crafting cooperatives abroad, Tony Lombardo and his daughter Terri Paul decided to create a similar program in the Havana community.

A unique experience as you shop for dinnerware, flatware, stemware and cookware.

You will be sure to impress your guests!

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Gala attendees showed “lots of interest,” noted Paul. “Everybody was excited to see us there.”

Something else that sets the Team Unity operation apart is the fact that customers who venture to Wanderings in Havana can have jewelry custom-made for them by coming into the store and selecting stones, or even by simply showing clothing that the jewelry should match. With stones of almost every color, the artists are able to create a design to match almost any outfit.

The pieces can incorporate slimmer bead strings or have larger, bolder designs. Earrings, bracelets, anklets and necklaces are all available for those who want a full set.

Prices range from $12–$20 for earrings to $20–$60 for necklaces.

Regardless of its past, present or future plans and accomplishments, the underpinning of Team Unity is an ideology: Given the chance, the American people will seize opportunities and work to the best of their abilities to produce outstanding results. Lombardo contends this can make us competitive anywhere, even in wholesale markets.

“This little community (Havana) was built around the tobacco industry, and it was a cottage industry that everybody in this community worked at. It died because eventually the tobacco industry as they knew it moved to foreign countries.

We need things to replace that. I would love to replace that with jewelry. We’ve gotta get other people to embrace that: ‘Made in the USA.’” n tallahassee

43

Personality

A Businesslike Spirit

I

n times gone by, the church was often the cornerstone of every community, the place where people went to find healing, comfort and security. Today, the Rev. R. B. Holmes is reclaiming that holistic approach and transforming Tallahassee’s Bethel Missionary Baptist Church into an all-purpose corporation designed to meet all the needs of its community.

“You can’t ‘love your neighbor’ when your neighbor is unemployed or hungry,” Holmes says. “I think the church must have holistic ministry. That means we want to minister to the total body, mind, spirit and soul.”

While the historic church building at the corner of Tennessee Street and Martin Luther King Boulevard is unprepossessing, the Bethel name can be found on buildings and businesses throughout Frenchtown.

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January–February 2012

There’s hardly a segment of his church community that isn’t touched by the entrepreneurial endeavors of Holmes himself or the church he leads. There’s a nursing home, a mental health clinic, a counseling service, a radio station, a new paper, until recently a restaurant and soon, perhaps, a credit union.

“Dr. Holmes is a visionary leader,” says Linda Fortenberry, the director of education and institutional development of Bethel. “The Bible says we shall be the owners, not the borrowers. This is an example of that.”

When Holmes left First Timothy Baptist Church in his hometown of Jacksonville 25 years ago to become the pastor of Bethel Missionary Baptist Church, he came with a plan and an unwavering entrepreneurial spirit.

Holmes’ approach to business and leadership was inspired by former General Electric CEO Jack Welch’s “4 E’s of Leadership” — energy, energizers, edge and execute. Holmes, however, has six E’s of his own that are a little more church-centered — evangelism, education, entrepreneurship, encouragement, ethics and excellence.

“We strive to make sure that whatever we do, we do it ethically and evangelically,” he says of his approach to business.

One of Holmes’ greatest accomplishments, of course, is the Bethel church.

Since he became pastor, the congregation has grown to 5,000 members who support his vision, even though the road has not always been easy.

The plan that Holmes and the other church leaders developed when he arrived

Photo by Scott Holstein

The Rev. R. B. Holmes Ministers to All the Needs of His Congregation By Desiree Stennett

HOLISTIC MINISTER The Rev. R. B. Holmes leads a ministry dedicated to meeting more down-toearth needs of his community, as well as the spiritual ones.

in the late 1980s was called “Vision 2000.”

It was a project designed to help revitalize the historic Frenchtown area that at the time was ridden with drugs and crime.

With his new congregation behind him, Holmes took the church that already had a rich history dating back to the 1800s and created a central location for hope in a community in desperate need of it.

“As a historic church, we had to decide: Do we leave the downtown area and build the church up in the suburbs or do we work in the area that needed our strong presence,” Holmes remembers. “We decided to stay and transform the community.”

The ideas behind Vision 2000 led to the creation of the Bethel Christian Academy, an elementary school, and the C.K. Steele Charter Middle School. Then came The Bethel Family Life Center, the Bethel Counseling Center, Bethel Towers, a nursing home for the elderly who have limited income but still require assisted living, and a mental health clinic that sees more than 200 patients a month.

The Bethel Family Restaurant opened in 1995 but was recently leased out to become a Roly Poly franchise.

In addition to his church-related work, Holmes is also the president and CEO of Live Communications, the parent media and broadcast company that heads up Capital Outlook, a minority-owned community newspaper that has taken on the mission of delivering positive news, and Christian radio station WTAL-AM 1450.

And despite doing all that, this entrepreneur has found time to serve on the board of trustees for three historically black colleges and universities: Florida A&M University, Edward Waters College in Jacksonville and Florida Memorial University in Miami Gardens.

Holmes’ most recent endeavor is the establishment of the National Save the Family Now Movement, Inc. The group’s mission is to recognize issues that plague the structure of the family unit, the black family in particular, and find ways to strengthen those weaknesses.

Fortenberry has worked alongside Holmes for eight years with the National Baptist Congress of Education and the

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Nation Baptist Convention. She relocated to Tallahassee after Hurricane Katrina and has been with Bethel ever since, serving as a chief of staff and filling in wherever help is need.

Too often, she says, someone will create a new ministry in a church and be the leader of it until they leave — and the ministry dies. “Dr. Holmes doesn’t let that happen,” she says. “He has a way of finding people’s talent and keeping each ministry fresh.”

Most likely it is the flow of new ideas into Bethel that has kept the church’s ministries current and encouraged innovation.

One example is Carolina Oaks, which was completed in 2006. Part of a Frenchtown revitalization project, the church purchased land and created a small subdivision of 24 homes to help first-time homebuyers find affordable houses they could be proud of.

“We have all kinds of people living out there,” Holmes says. “This project wasn’t about making money for the church. It was about helping people.”

It has long been the mission of the church to bring relief to the crime, poverty, homelessness and hunger that plague the Frenchtown community. And every Saturday, church members head into the Frenchtown area to feed the homeless, physically and spiritually.

“This is not something that we do just for Christmas and Thanksgiving,” Fortenberry says. “We do it every week. This community knows the church cares about them. That’s why we are able to do so much, because the community cares about our vision too.”

And she is right. Everyone from the homeless who the church feeds every week all the way up to the mayor can see the impact Holmes and Bethel Missionary Baptist Church have on the community.

“Rev. Holmes’ dedication and service to the people of our community is evident in all that he does,” says Mayor John Marks. “Tallahassee is truly blessed to be home to a man of such tremendous faith and character.”

With the success of Vision 2000, the church was able to move on to a 2010 plan that allowed them to purchase the property that can now house all of the church’s enterprises. The next step in the church’s vision — the “2020 and beyond plan” — is to establish the Bethel Frenchtown Credit Union and to strengthen the Economic Development Ministry.

“As a historic church, we had to decide: Do we leave the downtown area and build the church up in the suburbs or do we work in the area that needed our strong presence.”

— Rev. R. B. Holmes

“Humbly speaking, all that God has given us to do, we’ve been able to do and hopefully, we’ll be able to do more,” Holmes says. “Tallahassee needs strong ministry and as people of faith and people of color, we need to lead that.”

The next item on the agenda for Holmes will be to establish an operational Save the Family Now chapter to develop a positive and proactive agenda for holistic programs, events and activities designed to rebuild, reenergize and stimulate the family structure in 25 cities by 2012. Holmes and a host of churches he has inspired across the country are banding together to recreate the holistic ministry that he has managed to create here.

“As minorities, we should own some things,” Holmes says. “But it’s not about profit, it’s about prophesy. This movement will teach people that we can have results and the church can quietly change America.

“We’re trying to transform lives for the glory of God and the goodness of the people.” n

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“Through the Economic Development Ministry, we want to somehow empower people to become entrepreneurs and we want the church to somehow lead the way through evangelism and strong moral and ethical standards,” Holmes says.

The establishment of a credit union to serve all of Tallahassee is in its final stages and is awaiting approval before construction can begin. When it gets the green light from regulators, the building will be located across from the church in the shopping plaza on West Tennessee Street and Martin Luther King Boulevard.

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On The Move

Scrum Fun

W

hen it comes to sports, Tallahassee is all about football. But what came before the yellow goal posts and shoulder pads is making a comeback in the community. Thirty years ago, Tallahassee was home to a thriving rugby team — and now it’s back in action.

Started at the end of the 18th century at the Rugby co-ed boarding school in the central United Kingdom, the classic sport has become one of the world’s most loved games.

The team re-formed in the summer of 2009, with the help of Eric Neiberger, a 27-year-old assistant attorney general.

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January–February 2012

The club that originally started in the ’70s, was given a new life by former members of the collegiate Florida State rugby team.

These men had graduated but weren’t ready to part ways with the sport they’d spent so much time playing. One of the others who helped bring the team to life in 2009, Aaron Eckerd, now plays professionally in Holland for the Rugby League European Federation.

Starting the club back up was not easy.

For starters, so many athletic teams exist in Tallahassee already, it was difficult to find a place to practice. For the first season back in action, the team “squatted” at Tom Brown Park, playing when they could

and getting as much practice as possible.

“As a new club,” Neiberger says, “it’s hard to have a following. It’s also hard to get a field because youth soccer is so large here.”

After a successful first season, one of the team’s original members was able to secure a consistent practice field — an empty lot at Fairview Middle School.

Although the field has no overhead lighting, players are glad to have a home field.

The team’s diverse membership has a variety of day jobs and the age range runs from 17 to 60. While the club is centered around the sport, not all members play the game.

“We like to hold ourselves out as more than just a bunch of guys playing rugby,”

Photo by Scott Holstein

Tallahassee’s Rugby Club Makes An Action-Packed Comeback By Madison Carryl

GETTING PHYSICAL Rugby players say the sport is energetic, aggressive and physical, but friendships are cultivated once the game is over.

says Neiberger. “We’re open to anyone who wants to join us, men and women.

They can play, come to the matches or just join in after for drinks.”

Twenty-four-year-old Brandon Clark works with autistic children and has played on the team for almost two years. He feels it’s good to have such an eclectic group of people playing together, adding more variety to the mix. “If I had to describe rugby to someone who was interested, I’d call it controlled chaos. It’s energetic, it’s aggressive, it’s competitive.” While respectful of traditional football, he says it just doesn’t offer the same level of excitement for him as rugby. “The game never stops, not like downs and tackles in football. The ball never stops moving.” Football was derived from rugby, but there are some key differences between the sports.

Unlike football, where a tackle ends the play, rugby keeps the ball in play for two 40-minute periods. When the game starts, it’s with a “scrum” rather than a kickoff.

Members of both teams bind together as one force and push against each other, trying to force the other team away from the ball so their runner can pick it up. “It’s basically two masses colliding, and only one will end up with the ball,” says Clark. “It’s very intense, feeling that opposing force physically against you.” Once a team has possession, the game begins. The players may run toward their goal, but are only allowed to pass the ball to someone behind them. That means no interceptions, but it also means the ball is always in someone’s hand.

“The game doesn’t stop when someone gets tackled,” explains Mike Rosana, who anchors the team’s wing position. “We have a ruck, which is basically when someone is tackled, and the other team will form sort of a blockade over them with their bodies, trying to keep them down and retrieve the ball at the same time.” When a goal is scored, the opportunity to score two more points by kicking through the goalpost is called a “try.” Different from football, rugby players aren’t equipped

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January–February 2012

with pads and helmets. The game is raw energy, and there are a lot of emotions pumping throughout the game.

Rugby also includes penalty punishments — more similar to hockey than to football. If a player is yellow carded for breaking a rule, they earn themselves time in the penalty box, or “the sin bin.” In this way, the viewers become more attached to their players. The rule-breaking directly affects the offender, rather than the whole team, which keeps the players aware of their integrity. No one wants to sit in the penalty box when they could be out on the field helping the team.

Being part of this club is more than just a pastime for its members. “It’s kind of a counterculture, in a way,” says Clark, the team’s No. 8 man. “It’s not a mainstream sport yet, but we hope it will be, one day.” The team has ambitious goals, and members are dedicated to the sport and each other.

“Playing club rugby is really something unique. Once you’ve been involved in it, immediately you have friends wherever you go,” says Neiberger, and that’s why the team is important. “We try to offer ourselves as an alternative for people in Tallahassee who need recreational activities.” The tight-knit club is welcoming, and always eager to turn someone else’s attention to the sport.

Rugby is a social game, more so than many others. One of the biggest draws to being involved in the sport is the networking, says Rosana. “If you play on any rugby team anywhere, and you meet someone out of town, and you mention rugby, they’d invite you to play along.” There aren’t enough rugby teams for a league in most cities in the U.S., so committing to a team means more than just a few hours once a week. Club members travel together, usually on weekends, to play matches against other rugby clubs but say they don’t have any real “rivals,” only friends.

The teams they play include Gainesville, Pensacola, Panama City and New Orleans.

Most trips, the team will carpool to the neighboring city and spend the weekend there. It’s a bonding experience that’s just part of being a team player.

After the game has finished, it’s tradition for the home team to take the visiting club out for dinner and drinks at their “home bar.” The event is called a “social,” and it’s just as much a part of the experience as playing the game. Rosana explains that the bond goes beyond one’s own team.

“You’d never imagine getting dinner and a drink with the team you just played against, but that’s what makes rugby such a social sport. It’s different than anything else.” The Tallahassee team’s home bars are St. Mike’s and Pug Mahone’s, and the club throws a social for every team that travels to play here.

“It’s an atmosphere modeled after an old European aspirational set of values,” says Neiberger. “You play because you represent the city of Tallahassee and your neighbors and your friends. It’s not about winning; it’s about excelling and pushing yourself toward the best possible result. And you can beat the crap out of the

“… You can beat the crap out of the guys on the other team, but after you finish, you’re going to go out for drinks and network, and you’re going to make some great friends.”

— Mike Rosana

guys on the other team, but after you finish, you’re going to go out for drinks and network, and you’re going to make some great friends. There’s no other sport in the U.S. with this kind of atmosphere.”

The team is welcoming, and if you ask any of them, they’d gladly invite you to try out. “We want to turn people’s heads, because it’s an awesome sport,” Clark says. “It’s a great bonding experience. I didn’t know anybody before I came out, and now these guys are some of my best friends. I play with them; I travel with them.” Rosana agrees: “It really is like a brotherhood. I’d be there for all of these guys, if a situation arose, and they’d be there for me too.” n

Want to Give Rugby a Try? Spring practices start soon, and tryouts are open to all. For more information, visittallahasseerfc.com.

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Editor’s Choice

Hanging It Up For Good The New Generation, and Some of the Old, are Deciding to Ditch the Landline

By Kimberly Dantica

B

efore there was a ring tone, there was a dial tone.

But the number of homes where the old landline delivers that dial tone is shrinking.

The ’80s introduced U.S. markets to the Motorola DynaTac mobile phone that weighed in at a hefty two pounds and had an even heftier price tag — $3,995. Three decades later, anyone across the world can keep up with the Joneses with cell phones that are often given away for free with a service contract.

There are now more than 3 billion cell phone users globally. More than a billion landline users haven’t yet cut the cord — but many are thinking about it.

Many Gen Xers and Millenials have segued into their adult lives without ever having a phone installed in their home. It’s their parents who are now considering going to a cellular-only lifestyle.

After weighing the pros and cons, one busy 58-year-old Tallahassee woman — let’s call her Susie — and her 66-year-old husband took the plunge last year, and the couple has no regrets.

Before cutting off the home phone, “we would forget to check our messages, and the only thing we got off it was robo-calls. We got nine out of 10 calls on our mobiles,” she said. She prefers to remain anonymous because there was one thing she didn’t consider — when they dropped the landline, it also cut off their security alarm, which required a phone line to function. For now, they’re 52

January–February 2012

Cut the cord? Alarm services, fax machines and a directory listing are reasons why some maintain their landline in the cell phone era.

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going alarm-less — while saving about $150 a month for the phone and security services.

Susie and her husband are not alone.

She recalls a recent conversation between six friends: “Two of us had cut off and four were really thinking about it.”

BlackBerrys, Androids and iPhones have introduced a new generation of multifunctional cellular technology that includes computer capabilities you can’t find on a traditional phone.

“Cell phones are now everything; you can access the Internet,” says 24-year-old Florida A&M University student Mike Jones. “It’s information at your hand; it’s a computer in your pocket.”

The UPS pre-loader from Chicago goes on to say, “The disadvantage of a house phone is people know where you were after talking to them.”

Despite all the “oohs!” and “ahhs!” about a cell phone, some members of the older generation would rather stay loyal to their landlines.

“My dad doesn’t really like cell phones at all,” says Regina Calhoun, a human resource customer service advisor at Northgate Arinso. Although her father, a 49-year-old veteran, has a cell phone, he says he prefers a landline because he doesn’t like the idea of people being able to reach him anywhere at anytime.

“My dad is like, ‘No, you can call the house and leave a message, and if I feel like calling you back, I will,’ ” Calhoun says.

Adam Kirkland, a 34-year-old manager at Taco Bell agrees: “A cell phone is a collar that’s worn right around the neck.”

He doesn’t think a child younger than 18 should have one.

Coworker Clifford Gainous wasn’t willing to go that far, saying, “I wouldn’t say that; there are the cases of emergencies.”

Which begs the question: In case of an emergency, which is better to use when calling 911?

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January–February 2012

“A landline is going to be more precise, but the cellular is good,” says Jeanine Gauding, Tallahassee Police Department’s public safety communications supervisor.

“The problem with the cellular is if you’re in a moving vehicle, it’s always moving.”

Currently, 75 to 80 percent of emergency calls made to TPD are cellular.

“A small percentage of that is what they call a voice over IP (Internet protocol) which is through a computer line,” says Gauding, who personally has both a landline and cell phone. “It looks like a hardline phone at your house, but Comcast is going through a wireless carrier.”

Cell phones may be more convenient, but the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society website says they annually cause about 2,600 deaths and 330,000 injuries in driving accidents.

While Florida may not have a law that prohibits talking on a cell phone while you’re driving, you can get pulled over in 34 other states.

“We don’t recommend any activity that takes your attention away from the roadway,” says David Northway, TPD public information officer. “It’s certainly not recommended by the police department in any way, shape or form.”

Unlike beepers and payphones, there are advantages to landlines that keep them from becoming obsolete.

For example, homes and offices with fax machines and alarm systems usually require a landline connection to work.

Also, Internet and cable packages are offered with landline connectivity, and oftentimes, those bundled services are more affordable to consumers. And for those who want to keep a high profile, landline phone numbers are listed in directories to allow people and operators to locate you and your company.

“The standard landline is very reliable, and you don’t have to worry about minutes left on your cell phone plan or what to do when the cell phone battery dies,” says Carmen Butler, North Florida/Alabama regional spokeswoman for CenturyLink, which provides landline phone service.

“There are many areas where wireless phones simply do not work due to limited or spotty coverage; landline phones provide clear connections.”

For Susie, one of the most compelling reasons for keeping her home phone was sentimental. “You have to decide if you’re going to let go of that phone you’ve known all your life,” she says. When asked if she

regretted her decision to cut the cord, she replied, “No, not at all. I had my phone number for 25 years. You can give it up in a heartbeat.”

Despite the “yays” and “nays” for each type of phone, the future holds new advancements for both communication outlets.

“In the future, you’re going to be able to text to 911,” Gauding says. “If you witness a robbery and have a picture, you’re going to be able to send all that to us, which you certainly couldn’t do on a landline.”

“In the future, you’re going to be able to text to 911. If you witness a robbery and have a picture, you’re going to be able to send all that to us, which you certainly couldn’t do on a landline.”

— Jeanine Gauding

On the other hand, as customers choose to disconnect their landlines, phone companies are making efforts to provide better and more services.

“CenturyLink recognizes the importance of broadband and is focusing its efforts on providing high-speed Internet services bundled with voice and TV services that can save customers money,” Butler says. “In addition, part of our business is providing wireless phone companies with access to our fiber network (and) giving smart phone users the additional bandwidth needed to receive and send data.”

In June 2010, the National Center for Health estimated one out of every four Americans has given up their landline phone and is now exclusively using a cellular phone.

“I have one (landline phone),” Gainous says. “Eventually, I guess, I’ll just get tired of it.” n

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January–February 2012

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SPOTLIGHT

» A Rendezvous With Chocolate

This year will be the third Chocolate Affair Covenant Hospice invites Tallahassee to enjoy, and with its new date close to Valentine’s Day, it’s sure to be a sweet night.

Attendees will enjoy hors d’oeuvres, a cash bar and, of course, delicious dessert samples from local bakeries, caterers and restaurants.

Desserts will be judged by a panel, but the most fun part for guests will undoubtedly be judging the treats themselves for People’s Choice.

“It’s a fun excuse to get dressed up, taste some wonderful desserts from around town,

maybe try desserts from restaurants people haven’t been to before, and have a nice night on the town,” says Lydia Claire Brooks, Covenant Hospice’s development manager.

Previous years’ Chocolate Affairs have been in the fall season, but this year the event will occur right before Valentine’s Day on Feb. 4, just in time to get Tallahassee in the romantic spirit. “Maybe it’ll give guys some ideas about what to do for Valentines Day,” Brooks muses.

“Get everyone in the mood.”

The University Center Club will be the venue

for this sugar-filled night, and entry will be $35. The event begins at 6 p.m. and will last until around 9 p.m.

Based in Pensacola, the not-for-profit Covenant Hospice provides a wide range of health and support services for patients with life-limiting illnesses and their families.

Covenant’s Tallahassee Team serves an eight-county area including Leon and seven surrounding counties. — Laura Bradley

tallahassee

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Best Bets

Tallahassee Magazine is a proud Media Sponsor of the following upcoming community events:

Jan. 20-22 | Women for FSU Inaugural ENCORE Event This year’s ENCORE will be a weekend in Sarasota to remember. Attendees will be treated to a host of private tours of such places as the Ringling Mansion, art museum and conservation lab, as well as private meals and cocktails in venues like Ringling’s terrace overlooking Sarasota Bay and the Asolo Theatre. Attendees will also view a play at the Asolo and enjoy dessert with the FSU student performers afterward. In addition, there will be a ribbon-cutting event at the Tyball Circus Museum as well as a final brunch at an alumni house with tennis star Martina Navratilova. Contact Pat Ramsey, (850) 567-8742, for more information.

Feb. 18-19 | Pigfest Barbecue Competition/Music Festival This year’s Pigfest at the North Florida Fairgrounds will have a lot more than pigs! A Florida BBQ Association-sanctioned competition with $8,000 in cash prizes kicks off the event Saturday from 10 a.m.–5 p.m., along with a music festival featuring bands from throughout the Southeast. Sunday from 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m. the Battle of the Bands will give away $2,500 in cash prizes, along with a surprise for the winning band. A Classic Car show will also offer a stroll down memory lane. Both days feature an Arts and Crafts Marketplace and Kids Zone.

Tickets are $6 adults, $3 children, free under 5. Proceeds benefit Capital Area Community Action Agency. Contact Diane Haggerty, (850) 222-2043, diane.haggerty@cacaainc.org, for more information.

Feb. 26 | 27th Annual Chef Sampler More than 40 of Tallahassee’s finest restaurants and caterers will be preparing their culinary creations to share at the Tallahassee Mall from 7–9 p.m. And, as always, live entertainment will complement the experience. The Annual Chef Sampler was the first of its kind in Tallahassee, and is still going strong. Tickets are $50 and can be purchased at chstallychefs.com. Proceeds benefit Children’s Home Society’s North Central Division, which has served more than 4,200 children and families in the Big Bend area. Contact Rebecca Amnott at (850) 921-0772 ext.

4206, chstallychefs.com.

Feb. 26 | FSU Night at the Oscars Party Celebrate the film industry with a lively Night at the Oscars! This year marks the fifth annual celebration, with festivities sure to entertain. VIP entrance begins at 7 p.m. with an hour-long open bar, gift bags and more. General admission begins at 8 p.m. with a silent auction featuring vintage and Oscar-related memorabilia. Guests can also enter the Oscar pool and have photos taken. Paradigm Lounge will host with a big screen to watch the Oscars along with food, raffles and trivia during commercial breaks. Tickets are $50 general admission and $75 for a VIP pass.

Proceeds benefit FSU’s film school. For more information, contact Sabrina Reisinger at (850) 644-0453 or visit film.fsu.edu.

March 3 | Cattle Baron’s Ball Git out yer boots, Stetsons, denim and diamonds for the American Cancer Society’s western-themed Tallahassee chapter fundraiser. Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam Putnam is the event’s honorary chairman and he will be joined by WCTV personality Julie Montenaro as emcee for the evening’s festivities. The party will feature dinner provided by Catering Capers, live and silent auctions featuring products and services donated by local businesses, live entertainment by Bed Head Betty, games and dancing. There will also be a VIP Party for sponsors on Jan. 21. This year’s goal is to raise $60,000 for the American Cancer Society, which provides funds for cancer research as well as filling the needs of cancer patients throughout the Big Bend area. The party will run from 6–11 p.m. at the Tallahassee Antique Car Museum. Tickets are $125. For more information, contact PJ Kanline at (850) 668-8876, pj@buildingsongs.com.

58

January–February 2012

calendar January & February Compiled by Laura Bradley

Jan. 6–22 Art Across All Ages This year’s exhibition, Textile Stories, will feature art by children in grades K–5 based on an earlier exhibition, Thread of Life, featuring textile art by Faith Ringgold. FREE. FSU Museum of Fine Arts. Mon–Fri 9 a.m.– 4 p.m. Sat and Sun 1–4 p.m. Contact Viki Wylder at (850) 644-1299, mofa.fsu.edu Jan. 12, Feb. 9 Tots on Trails Kids will love the ranger-led walks offered

by St. Marks Wildlife Refuge. Activities are age-appropriate for children ages 1–4, and children can enjoy the trails with parents on foot or in strollers. Registration must be completed the Monday before the hike. FREE. St. Mark’s Wildlife Refuge, Nature’s Classroom next to visitor center. 1255 Lighthouse Road, St. Marks. 11 a.m. (850) 925-6121, stmarksrefuge.org Jan. 13–15 Third Annual 30A Songwriters Festival Songwriters from across the country will gather on Florida’s Scenic Highway 30A for a three-day festival featuring more than 125 musicians and over 250 performances in venues ranging from intimate listening rooms to spacious outdoor amphitheaters.

Featured artists include The Bangles, Indigo Girls, Shawn Mullins, Rodney Crowell, Joan Osborne, Matthew Sweet and Sam Bush, among others. $100 for a three-day festival pass. Santa Rosa Beach. (850) 622-5970, 30asongwritersfestival.com Jan. 14–15 Seminole Classic This intercollegiate tournament will feature bowling teams from colleges across the South.

Collegiate teams only may participate, but the event is open to spectators. FREE. Capital Lanes, 820 Capital Circle N.E. Sat noon–6 p.m., Sun 9 a.m.–2 p.m. Contact Michael Fine, (850) 644-1819, union.fsu.edu/crenshaw Jan. 15 Campfires & Cocktails Enjoy upbeat music, live entertainment, silent auction and a cash bar while you spend a night with Florida State’s stars at this event which benefits Kids Across America, a faith-based organization that seeks tallahassee

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SOCIAL STUDIES

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Eldercare Oktoberfest: 1. Christy Cameron and Gabe Landry 2. Dennis Barton, Colleen Barton, Katty Searcy, Buddy Underwood and Duane Underwood 3. Linda Kleindienst and David Bruns 4. Maxine Sweet, Ether Harvey and Beth Myles 5. Larry Davidson, Gabe Hanway and Daniel Vitter 6. Rogers and Linda England 7. Susan Warren and Bill Moncreif World Ballet Dining at the Plaza: 8. Rachel Jones, Danielle Faherty, Vanessa Radzimski, Samantha Sole, Anna Kaji, Abbey Phillips and Henry Hernandez 9. Jeannie Sole, Mike Sole, Samantha Sole and Sandra Sole [Photos by Caroline Conway and World Ballet] 60

Januaryâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;February 2012

events calendar to encourage urban youth to have an impact on their communities through summer camp and other experiences. Hotel Duval.

8 p.m.–midnight. $75. For tickets, visit campfiresandcocktails.eventbrite.com.

INDULGE. ENLIGHTEN. RELAX.

Jan. 21 Tallahassee Fitness Festival Join your neighbors in a day dedicated to fitness, health and beauty for all ages.

Activities include free health screenings, health and fitness information, and product samples. There’s a Kids Korner for children, cooking demonstrations, door prizes and lunchand-learn classroom presentations, too. $5, FREE for children younger than 12. Tallahassee-Leon County Civic Center, 9 a.m.–3 p.m.

(850) 487-1691, tallyfitnessfestival.com Jan. 27 Havana Nights It may be the middle of winter, but this night benefiting Kids Incorporated is going to be hot, hot, hot with live music, dancing, gaming, tasty hors d’oeuvres, a silent auction and great fun! $50 per person.

Capital City Country Club, 7:30–11:30 p.m.

(850) 414-9800 ext. 104, kidsincorporated. org/events

The Space is a unique concept pairing wellness, arts and festive events with people. Come experience one of our fabulous events! The Space is also available for unique board retreats, office parties, birthday parties, weddings, receptions and non-profit events.

6500 Miccosukee Road Tallahassee, FL 32309 850.459.3473 thespaceatfeatheroaks.com

Jan. 28 Unity 7 Concert The Tallahassee Community Chorus is set to take Ruby Diamond’s stage again for its 7th Annual Winter Unity Concert, representing Tallahassee’s community and musical talent with pride. $50 adults, $32 senior citizens, $15 students. FSU Campus, Ruby Diamond Concert Hall. 8 p.m. (850) 597-0603, tcchorus.org Jan. 28 Gadsden Arts Center Winter Gala With a name like “Last Chance Saloon,” there’s no doubt this year’s rendition of the annual Winter Gala fundraiser will be anything but a “rip-roarin’ good time.” $75 individual, $775 reserved table for eight.

Gadsden Arts Center, 13 North Madison, Quincy. 6:30–11 p.m. Contact Grace Maloy, (850) 627-5020, gadsdenarts.org Jan. 28–Apr. 22 Black Wings: American Dreams of Flight This touring Smithsonian exhibition charts the groundbreaking, history-making and patriotic paths of some very valiant men and women. FREE. Museum of Florida History, R.A. Gray Building 500 S. Bronough St. Mon-Fri 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Sat 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m., Sun noon–4:30 p.m.

Contact Wanda Richey (850) 245-6400, museumoffloridahistory.com tallahassee

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Mary Brogan Museum of Art and Science â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Titanic Gala: 1. Andrea Friall, Audra Pittman, April Jones, Angela Hardiman-Cole, Charisse Fuller, Natasha Simon, R.Jai Gillum and Jane Marks 2. Akashi and Ritu Ghai, Ann and Collin Phipps 3. Greg Follensbee, Lowell Lytle and Marcia Follensbee 4. Shondra Knight and Triston Sanders 5. Tom Derzypolski, Chucha Barber, Trish Hanson, Audra Peoples and Stephanie Derzypolski [Photos by Kallen M. Lunt]

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Januaryâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;February 2012

events calendar Feb. 4 7th Annual Daddy-Daughter Dance This fabulously fun charity event sponsored by the Northside Rotary Club is a great way for dads (or grandfathers/uncles) and daughters (granddaughters/nieces) to celebrate an evening of dance together. Preorder $40 per couple, $15 per additional daughter, $50/$20 at the door. The Moon, 1105 Lafayette St. 6–9 p.m. Contact Sondra Brown, (850) 514-6243, rotaryddd.com Feb. 4–April 1 Seven Days of Opening Nights This FSU event spans more time than its name implies, and this year it will return to a reinvented Ruby Diamond Concert Hall with the Golden Dragon Acrobats and Joan Rivers headlining a host of renowned artists in music, dance, theatre, art, film, literature and more. Prices and times vary. For tickets call (850) 644-6500. sevendaysfestival.org Feb. 5 38th Tallahassee Marathon and Half Marathon Enjoy cool weather and cash prizes while running for a good cause. Half the net proceeds will benefit the American Lung Association of Florida. $75 marathon, $50 half marathon. FSU Campus, Chieftan Way in front of the FSU Circus. 7:30 a.m. Contact

Feb. 9-11 Whale of a Sale Love shopping until you drop? Try the Junior League of Tallahassee’s “garage” sale extravaganza at the Tallahassee Mall!

On Thursday at 6 p.m., the Preview Party’s food, drinks, live music and auction items are sure to impress.

The sale kicks off Friday 5-9 p.m. with Early Bird Shopping with $5 entry. The Saturday Shopping Extravaganza will finish the sale weekend from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. with $1 entry. Preview Party Tickets are $35 individual/$60 couple in advance, $40 individual/$70 couple at the door.

Attendees gain free entry to the Friday and Saturday shopping events. Whale of a Sale funds the Junior League’s programs, allowing them to offer more help to children and families in the community. jltallahassee.org. tallahassee

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The Naumann Group: 1. Lisa Graganella, Kevin Davis, Darla Grant, Andrea Owens, Beth McGrotha, Michelle Hayse and Shannon Summerlin 2. Anson Hollifield, Darla Grant, Matt Ayres, Pat Smith and Nate Cross Potluck Party: 3. Kenneth Arnold and Bob Soni [Photos by Stephanie Sunday and Bob Soni]

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events calendar

the race directors at tallahasseemarathon@ gmail.com. tallahasseemarathon.com Feb. 14 Serenades for Your Sweetheart The Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra Chamber Players will perform a conductor-less concert, allowing the audience to enjoy the musical empowerment that comes from mutual trust and admiration. $30. Thomasville Cultural Center, 600 E. Washington St., Thomasville Ga. 8 p.m.

(850) 244-0461, tallahasseesymphony.org Feb. 17–26 ‘The Full Monty’ The FSU Theatre School’s production tells the story of six unemployed steelworkers who resolve to reclaim their lives by baring it all for one electrifying night after seeing women go crazy at a Chippendale’s show. $20 adults, $18 senior citizens, $10 students. FSU Campus, The Fallon Theatre. Feb. 17–18, 22-25 8 p.m., Feb. 19, 26 2 p.m. theatre.fsu.edu Feb. 18–19 Italian Family Festa Enjoy two days of Italian food, culture and fun. Now in its second year, organizers have added even more activities, which will include a 5K Tomato Trot, wine tastings, cooking demonstrations, folk dancing, a bocce tournament, fireworks and a sidewalk chalk art contest. Fun for the bambinos include a pizza dough toss, grape stomp and marionette performance. $5, children 12 and under FREE. John Paul II High School, 5100 Terrebone Drive. Feb. 18, 10 a.m.–9 p.m.; Feb. 19, noon–5 p.m. tallahasseeitalianfesta.com

Feb. 18 Tallahassee’s Top Salon Thirteen of the area’s premier beauty establishments are in the running, but only one will be named Tallahassee’s Top Salon at this second annual competition, sponsored by Tallahassee Magazine.

Enjoy cocktails and hors d’oeuvres as the models for each salon are unveiled on the runway to show off their head-to-toe transformations. $40, $50 after Jan. 15.

University Center Club, FSU Campus. 6 p.m. topsalontlh.com tallahassee

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Florida State University Legacy Ball: 1. Eric Byrd, Kristin Godwin, Joe Hawn, Nick Kent, Adam Corey and Jordan Kirby 2. Bridget and Jill Chandler 3. Brittany, Kathy and Bob Stahl 4. Scott Atwell and Mike LePorin 5. Charyl and Ray Schroeder Tallahassee Sunrise Rotary Brewfest: 6. Greg Tish, Nick Williams, Daryl Green and Park Broome 7. Stephanie and Tim Jansen and Glenda Cato [Photos by Chadwick Morris, Bill Lax and Dan Parisi] 66

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Feb. 24–Mar. 2 ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ Performed by the Young Actors Theatre, this gripping play is told through the voice of Scout Finch and illustrates the heroism and courage of one man in the face of blind, violent hatred. $18 adults, $16 students and seniors, $14 children under 12. Young Actors Theatre, 609 Glenview Drive. Feb. 24 and 25, Mar. 1–4 7:30 p.m.; Feb. 26, Mar. 4 2 p.m. (850) 386-6602, youngactorsthreatre.com Feb. 25 Stomping Out Type 2 Diabetes According to Leon County Schools, nearly one third of students are at risk for developing type II diabetes. This fun family event was created to increase education about the risks associated with childhood obesity and encourage families to embrace healthy lifestyles. The morning’s activities include a 5K Run and 1-Mile Family Fun Walk, bike rides, wellness screenings, a Celebrity Athlete Activity Challenge and a free healthy lunch and smoothies.

FREE. Tom Brown Park. 8 a.m.–noon. foundationforlcs.com Feb. 25 Fast Cars and Mason Jars The Tree House of Tallahassee’s 6th annual Southern Sampler event is sure to wow the crowd with cocktails, dinner, silent and live auction, and a new additional afterparty. The Farm Equestrian Center, 4300 N. Meridian Road. 5:30 p.m.

Feb. 25 North Florida Travel Expo Travel industry experts will gather to show Tallahassee a great time with samples of international cuisine, live entertainment, shopping and information sessions, as well as chances to win trips and great prizes!

Complimentary makeovers will allow guests to apply for their passports with the perfect picture. FREE. FSU Campus, University Center Club. 10 a.m. (850) 590-2277 or (850) 656-4019, northfloridatravelexpo.com Feb. 11 Saturday Matinee of the Arts Local area artists will gather as vendors and performers in this matinee celebration of Seven Days of Opening Nights. At the same time, the Tallahassee Museum continues its own entertainments with trail tours, animal encounters, living history interpretations and more. FREE. 3945 Museum Drive, Tallahassee. 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Contact tallahassee

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events calendar

save the date Mar. 9-11 Red Hills International Horse Trials The Red Hills trials are sure to be a treat for everyone. The event will host the United States’ Pan-American 3-Day Eventing Team and London 2012 Olympic hopefuls. Day One will be Dressage on the flat. Day Two features cross-country jumping, and Day Three will be formal show jumping. Vendors will sell jewelry, clothing, food and more. Botanical tours will show off the Elinor Klapp-Phipps Park and Colin Phipps’s private arboretum.

Kids can enjoy pony rides and a play area.

The trials run from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day, with a requested donation of $15 per day or $25 for all three days for adults.

Call (850) 580-4019 for more information, or visit rhht.org.

Natasha Hartsfield, (850) 575-8684 ext. 136, tallahasseemuseum.org Feb. 27 Swing into Spring Golf Tournament The Springtime Tallahassee Charitable Foundation’s golf tournament offers a lot more than golf; a poker run, raffle drawing, awards reception and prizes for the top three teams are all additional reasons to tee up for a good cause. $100 individual, $500 four-player team. SouthWood Golf Club, 3750 Grove Park Drive. 9 a.m. Contact Julianna Nichols, (850) 224-5012, springtimetallahassee.com March 3 Pets and Their People Bring your favorite non-human companion for a photo shoot and enjoy food vendors and pet-related displays and demonstrations at this event presented by Tallahassee Magazine. FREE (Pet supply and food donations are welcome.) Proctor Subaru, 1707 Capital Circle N.E. 9 a.m.–3 p.m.

March 21–April 7 Tallahassee Tennis Challenger Save the date to enjoy world-class tennis at

this USTA Pro Circuit Event with $50,000 in prize money for singles and doubles play.

Now in its 13th year, proceeds from the Challenger benefit several funds, including the Vogter Neuro-Intensive Care Unit at Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare, the Sharon Ewing Walker Breast Health Center at TMH and the Tallahassee Friends of Our Parks Foundation.

Daily ticket prices range from $5 to $20, or buy a tournament pass for $50. Forestmeadows Tennis Complex, 4750 N. Meridian Road. tallahasseechallenger.com April 21-22 Chain of Parks Art Festival Circle the third weekend in April, because you won’t want to miss one of the year’s signature art events. Organizers from the LeMoyne Center for the Visual Arts have planned the 12th annual festival to include the 100-plus visual artists vying for $10,000 in cash prizes and added even more fun to the mix. Both days will include hands-on art education for kids as well as enhanced entertainment by musicians and theater troupes, making the event a true “fine art affair.” The festival runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days and admission is free. chainofparks.org n

Azalea Women’s Healthcare Women taking care of women

Adrienne George, MD Anitra Brown, MD Jamell Walker, MD Regina Lewis, ARNP, BS Deborah White, CNM Kimberly Morphet, CNM Erin Schleicher, CNM OBSTETRICS & GYNECOLOGY 1219 Hodges Dr. • Tallahassee (850) 877-5767 68

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Night of Flight: 1. Kory Ickler, Christy Pardieck, Amie Boulineau, Shari Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;donnell and Paul Dickson 2. Katrina Rolle, Melissa and Rob Wright 3. Bruce Oglesby, Brad Oglesby, Marissa Walton and Bryant Wade 4. Heidi Abernethy, Robin Spillias, Merrie Jo Noeman and Leigh Anne Foster 5. Christy Maurer, Jen Albaugh and Helen Ervin Belt Buckle Ball: 6. Stephanie and John Nicholas 7. Heather and Ken Mears 8. Drew and Stacey Smith 9. Mike and Joanna McIver [Photos by Caroline Conway] tallahassee

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Tallahassee Museum Zoobilee: 1. Ashley Hanson, Andrew Jarmicki and Carmen Calabrese 2. Robin Yeatman, Jessica Tice and Cindy S. Dick 3. Evan and Marguerite Martin 4. Cecilia Homison, Russell Daws, Rivers and Jean Buford 5. Ivan and Mary Barineau Benjamin Mooreâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Color Care Across America: 6. Eli Fenenbock, Daryl Parker, Dale Freed and Parker Knapp 7. Gerard Lamothe, Scott Eppes, Mayor John Marks, Marty Fehl, Abby LaMothe and Gerard Lamothe Sr. [Photos by Rosanne Dunkelberger and Lori Magee] tallahassee

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dance for Accepting Registrations through January 2012

LIFE

WE ARE TALLAHASSEE’S EXCLUSIVE SCHOOL OFFERING THE AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE NATIONAL TRAINING CURRICULUM

FREE ADMISSION

Win trips and great prizes!

2028 North P Point Boulevard (850) 562-1430 (8 pactdance.com p

Photo: AJ Abellera | Dancer: Haley Iliff (student since 2000)

Discover the world in one day and find your next getaway!

@ PERFORMING ARTS CENTER OF TALLAHASSEE

Excite your taste buds and sample international cuisine Enjoy live entertainment, shopping and info sessions p Apply for your passport p Explore international and U.S. destinations p Meet representatives from resorts, cruise lines, airlines, ground transportation, tour operators and travel agencies p p

It’s not too late

to join us and perform in

“Destination Dance”

our June Annual Performance!

Classes for Children and Teens in Ballet, Pointe, Jazz and Pre-Ballet

Saturday, February 25 University Center Club 10 a.m.–3 p.m. www.northfloridatravelexpo.com (850) 590-2277

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Franklin FranklinCounty CountyUpcoming Upcoming Events Eventsand andActivities Activities

Franklin Franklin County County Tourist Tourist Development Development Council Council www.anaturalescape.com, www.anaturalescape.com, www.saltyfl www.saltyfl orida.com orida.com 1-866-914-2068 1-866-914-2068 (toll (toll free), free), 1-850/653-8678 1-850/653-8678 (Fran (Fran Edwards) Edwards) P.O. P.O. Box Box 819, 819, Apalachicola, Apalachicola, FLFL 32329 32329

First First Ever Ever SGI SGI Home Home Tour Tour Planned Planned forfor February February 2012 2012 If you’ve If you’ve ever ever wanted wanted to glimpse to glimpse inside inside some some of the of the magnifi magnifi cent cent beach beach homes homes on on St.St. George George Island, Island, thisthis spring spring you’ll you’ll getget your your chance. chance.

TheThe first-ever first-ever St.St. George George Island Island Tour Tour of of Homes Homes willwill be be held held Feb. Feb. 3-4, 3-4, 2012.

2012.

Sponsored Sponsored by by thethe St.St. George George Lighthouse Lighthouse Association, Association, Inc., Inc., thethe twotwo dayday event event willwill feature feature lectures lectures andand tours. tours.

Tickets Tickets cost cost $15$15 in advance in advance andand $20$20 thethe dayday of the of the event. event.

“We “We have have a great a great selection selection of homes of homes from from thethe Plantation Plantation to the to the East East End End andand from from thethe beachfront beachfront to the to the bay,” bay,” said said Dany Dany Ray, Ray, event event co-chairperson. co-chairperson.

“We “We have have modern modern andand traditional traditional beach-front beach-front homes, homes, bay-front bay-front homes homes andand historic historic homes. homes.

This This is the is the firstfirst andand best best chance chance for for people people to get to get a total a total view view of the of the island island lifestyle lifestyle from from inside inside some some of our of our best best andand most most interesting interesting homes.” homes.”

January–February January–February

Tickets Tickets areare available available at at thethe Apalachicola Apalachicola Chamber Chamber of of Commerce, Commerce, 122122 Commerce Commerce St.,St., Apalachicola; Apalachicola; Gardens, Gardens, Inc., Inc., 149149 Commerce Commerce St.,St., Apalachicola; Apalachicola; St.St. George George Lighthouse Lighthouse Museum Museum andand thethe Visitor Visitor Center, Center, St.St. George George Island; Island; andand by by telephone telephone at (850) at (850) 927-7744 927-7744 or toll-free or toll-free at (888) at (888) 927-7744.

927-7744.

TheThe St.St. George George Lighthouse Lighthouse Association Association is aisnot-for-profi a not-for-profi t Florida t Florida corporation corporation organized organized to preserve, to preserve, maintain maintain andand promote promote thethe Cape Cape St.St. George George lighthouse, lighthouse, which which was was restored restored on on 2008 2008 after after collapsing collapsing in 2005. in 2005.

SLGA SLGA also also built built a replica a replica of of thethe original original lighthouse lighthouse keeper’s keeper’s house house which which is now is now a museum a museum andand giftgift shop. shop.

SLGA SLGA continues continues to to raise raise funds funds for for thethe on-going on-going maintenance maintenance of of thethe light, light, thethe keeper’s keeper’s house house andand St.St. George George Lighthouse Lighthouse Park.

Park.

Concert Concert 4 p.m.

4 p.m.

Visiting Visiting FSUFSU Professor, Professor, David David Kalhous Kalhous hashas appeared appeared as as soloist soloist with with international international orchestras orchestras worldwide. worldwide.

Carrabelle Carrabelle History History Museum Museum exhibit exhibit of “The of “The Last Last Voyage Voyage of the of the S.S.S.S. Tarpon.”

Tarpon.”

TheThe Carrabelle Carrabelle History History Museum Museum is located is located at 106 at 106 Avenue Avenue B, S.E. B, S.E. ELVIS ELVIS & Friends & Friends dodo thethe DIXIE DIXIE | The | The Todd Todd (850) (850) 524-1153.

524-1153.

Open Open Friday–Saturday, Friday–Saturday, 10a.m.–4p.m., 10a.m.–4p.m., or or by by appointment. appointment.

Allen Allen Show Show Dixie Dixie Theatre, Theatre, Apalachicola, Apalachicola, Jan. Jan. 27–29, 27–29, January January Events Events Fri–Sat Fri–Sat 8 p.m., 8 p.m., Sun Sun 3 p.m.

3 p.m.

Spectacular Spectacular tribute tribute artist artist Todd Todd Alan Alan Herendeen Herendeen andand Florida Florida Girls Girls hishis Follow Follow That That Dream Dream Band Band have have become become oneone of the of the Dixie Dixie Theatre, Theatre, Apalachicola, Apalachicola, Jan. Jan. 6–8 6–8 Dixie Theatre’s Theatre’s most most popular popular shows. shows.

Elvis Elvis is joined is joined In the In the tradition tradition of Lily of Lily Tomlin, Tomlin, Nancy Nancy Hasty Hasty brings brings Dixie Johnny Johnny Cash Cash andand RoyRoy Orbison Orbison among among others. others. herher one-woman one-woman show show with with 15 15 hilarious hilarious true-to-life true-to-life by by characters characters to the to the Forgotten Forgotten Coast Coast of Florida. of Florida.

January January – Crooked – Crooked River River Lighthouse, Lighthouse, Carrabelle.

Carrabelle.

Ilse Ilse Newell Newell Concert Concert Series Series Looking Looking forfor a unique a unique New New Year’s Year’s Fitness Fitness Trinity Trinity Church, Church, Apalachicola, Apalachicola, Jan. Jan. 8, 8, Resolution?

Resolution?

Who Who needs needs a step a step machine machine when when Concert Concert 4 p.m.

4 p.m. you’ve you’ve gotgot a lighthouse? a lighthouse?

JoinJoin thethe Carrabelle Carrabelle Adam Adam Kossler, Kossler, Guitar Guitar —— Back Back by by popular popular demand, demand, Lighthouse Lighthouse Association Association thisthis month month andand your your Adam Adam Kossler Kossler is aisdoctoral a doctoral candidate candidate at FSU at FSU andand $15$15 annual annual membership membership buys buys youyou a weekly a weekly award-winning award-winning classical classical guitarist. guitarist. cardio cardio work work outout with with a big a big reward reward at the at the top!top!

The The Second Second Annual Annual Oyster Oyster Cook-Off Cook-Off crookedriverlighthouse.org crookedriverlighthouse.org Apalachicola, Apalachicola, Jan. Jan. 13–14 13–14 February February Events Events Friday Friday evening evening event event willwill be be a preview a preview of the of the oyster-related oyster-related silent silent auction auction items, items, along along with with Bob Bob Milne Milne Ragtime Ragtime Piano Piano a sampling a sampling of the of the Apalachicola Apalachicola Bay’s Bay’s tasty tasty Dixie Dixie Theatre, Theatre, Apalachicola, Apalachicola, Feb. Feb. 1–5, 1–5, bivalves. bivalves.

Cook-off Cook-off on on Saturday Saturday beginning beginning at 10 at 10 show show times times to to bebe determined determined a.m.; a.m.; contestants contestants areare encouraged encouraged to enter to enter with with TheThe toptop ragtime/boogie-woogie ragtime/boogie-woogie pianist pianist today, today, their their favorite favorite recipe. recipe.

All All forms forms of oysters of oysters willwill be be BobBob delights delights audiences audiences with with hishis piano-playing piano-playing available available to taste: to taste: raw, raw, steamed steamed andand fried. fried.

Other Other pyrotechnics pyrotechnics andand hishis infectious infectious enthusiasm enthusiasm for for food food items items andand refreshments refreshments willwill be be available available for for thethe music music andand thethe history history behind behind thethe music. music.

At At purchase purchase also. also.

TheThe day’s day’s activities activities willwill include include thethe Dixie Dixie for for hishis 13th 13th year! year! livelive music music andand dancing dancing performances. performances.

Margo Margo Anderson’s Anderson’s Tribute Tribute to to Patsy Patsy Cline Cline

Tour Tour of of Homes Homes

St.St. George George Island, Island, Feb. Feb. 3–4, 3–4, 10 10 a.m. a.m. until until Dixie Dixie Theatre, Theatre, Apalachicola, Apalachicola, Jan. Jan. 13–15, 13–15, 4 p.m.

4 p.m.

Fri-Sat Fri-Sat 8 p.m., 8 p.m., Sun Sun 3 p.m.

3 p.m.

Sponsored Sponsored by by thethe St. St. George George Lighthouse Lighthouse Accompanied Accompanied by by herher talented talented Country Country Gold Gold Band, Band, Association, Association, Inc.Inc. Tickets Tickets cost cost $15$15 in advance in advance andand Margo’s Margo’s clear, clear, powerful powerful voice voice willwill captivate captivate youyou as as $20$20 on on Feb. Feb. 4. 4. willwill herher warm, warm, sensitive sensitive interpretation interpretation of Patsy’s of Patsy’s Snowbird Snowbird Day Day down-home down-home witwit andand timeless timeless songs. songs.

St.St. George George Island Island , Feb. , Feb. 7 7 Pas Pas dede VieVie Ballet Ballet Sponsored Sponsored by by thethe St. St. George George Island Island Business Business Dixie Dixie Theatre, Theatre, Apalachicola, Apalachicola, Jan. Jan. 20–22, 20–22, Association.

Association.

TheThe county’s county’s winter winter visitors visitors areare show show times times to to bebe determined determined invited invited to spend to spend the the day day on on St. St. George George Island.

Island.

Tallahassee’s Tallahassee’s premier premier ballet ballet company company returns returns If you If you consider consider yourself yourself a visitor a visitor to the to the area, area, to the to the Dixie Dixie after after a fabulous a fabulous standing standing ovation ovation you’re welcome welcome to participate! to participate!

Events Events willwill include include performance performance in 2011. in 2011.

It will It will take take your your breath breath away. away. you’re a raffl a raffl e “run” e “run” to the to the local local businesses, businesses, fishing fishing David David Kalhous, Kalhous, Piano, Piano, Ilse Ilse Newell Newell tournament, tournament, lighthouse lighthouse climb, climb, state state park park entry entry Concert Concert Series Series andand hike, hike, island island tour, tour, bridge bridge walk, walk, bingo, bingo, a visit a visit to the to the new new Estuarine Estuarine Nature Nature Center Center andand dinner dinner Trinity Trinity Church, Church, Apalachicola Apalachicola Jan. Jan. 29,29,

with with a cash a cash bar.bar.

Register Register at any at any St. St. George George Island Island vacation vacation rental rental company. company.

Jerry Jerry LeeLee Lewis Lewis Tribute Tribute with with TheThe Todd Todd Williams Williams Band Band

Dixie Dixie Theatre, Theatre, Apalachicola, Apalachicola, Feb. Feb. 1010 Piano Piano Man Man Todd Todd Williams Williams is aisking a king of tributes of tributes andand plays plays thethe piano piano with with everything everything imaginable, imaginable, occasionally occasionally he he plays plays with with hishis fingers! fingers!

The The OldOld Folkie Folkie - Ken - Ken Sizemore Sizemore

Dixie Dixie Theatre, Theatre, Apalachicola, Apalachicola, Feb. Feb. 1111 Back Back for for hishis 19th 19th appearance appearance at the at the Dixie, Dixie, KenKen Sizemor Sizemor sing sing all all your your favorite favorite folkfolk tunes tunes from from thethe ’50s, ’50s, ’60s ’60s andand ’70s ’70s as as wellwell as as some some finely finely crafted crafted originals. originals.

Annual Annual Forgotten Forgotten Coast Coast Chefs Chefs Sampler Sampler Apalachicola, Apalachicola, Feb. Feb. 12,12, 6–9 6–9 p.m. p.m.

Chefs Chefs from from all all over over thethe Forgotten Forgotten Coast Coast willwill prepare prepare their their most most creative creative dishes. dishes.

Gabriel Gabriel Russo Russo

Dixie Dixie Theatre, Theatre, Apalachicola, Apalachicola, Feb. Feb. 17–19, 17–19, Fri–Sat Fri–Sat 8 p.m., 8 p.m., Sun Sun 3 p.m.

3 p.m.

Summerwind Summerwind —— an an intimate intimate evening evening with with Frank Frank Sinatra, Sinatra, starring starring Gabriel Gabriel Russo.

Russo.

MyMy Nobel Nobel Destiny Destiny

Dixie Dixie Theatre, Theatre, Apalachicola, Apalachicola, Feb. Feb. 22–26 22–26 Written Written andand performed performed by by Beth Beth Blair, Blair, thisthis inspirational inspirational look look at the at the lifelife of Nobel of Nobel Prize Prize recipient recipient Marie Marie Curie Curie takes takes us us on on thethe journey journey of her of her fascinating fascinating life,life, love love andand scientifi scientifi c c achievements. achievements.

H’Cola H’Cola African African American American History History Festival, Festival, Apalachicola, Apalachicola, Feb. Feb. 18–19 18–19 TwoTwo dayday festival festival in Apalachicola in Apalachicola showcasing showcasing African African American American history, history, art art andand culture. culture.

Features Features parade, parade, exhibits, exhibits, music, music, entertainment, entertainment, food food andand inspiration. inspiration.

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“We figured out quite a while ago what draws a lot of predators and prey to the road, and that is people throw a lot of food out their car windows, from chewing gum to French fries. It makes a lot of little animals come out into the road.” Sandy Beck

ugly dead things Road Kill Takes a Toll on Species Large and Small — And Why You Should Care

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By Jason Dehart Photos by Scott Holstein Illustrations by Saige Roberts t a ll a h a ss e e

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why did the chicken cross the road? To show the ’possum how it’s done.

Road kill jokes are a staple of dark humor in our culture. In reality, it’s not very funny. Especially when you consider the carnage that happens daily on our roads, streets and highways. In Florida, highway mortality is worthy of concern in a state with many threatened species. For example, the estimated population of Florida panthers is between 80 and 100. But 15 of those rare and beautiful cats were killed by vehicles in 2007.

In general, road kill is a phenomenon that has caught the attention of biologists all over the United States, and numerous reports and papers have been written about the ongoing clash between human transportation corridors and animal movement.

“One of the things we learn is that, in general, roadways across the U.S. have a tremendous negative impact on wildlife populations from very small animals like frogs and salamanders all the way up to large carnivores like bears and panthers,” said Matthew Aresco, a wildlife biologist, director of Nokuse Plantation in Walton County and prime mover for the muchmaligned Lake Jackson Ecopassage.

“Bears are starting to show up in Leon County, but in Wakulla County and Jefferson County and the Apalachicola National Forest, that whole area has a lot of bears and quite a few get killed around Eglin Air Force Base.”

Road mortality is one of the most insidious impacts on wildlife the world over because its population consequences are largely hidden, said Dr. D. Bruce Means, an adjunct professor of biological science at Florida State University and president and executive director of the Coastal Plains Institute and Land Conservancy.

“One animal here, another there seen dead on the road do not give a proper impression of the entire impact on animals.

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Besides reducing numbers, highway(s) also have a strong impact on animal behavior, making especially small animals loath to cross the open, often hot, coverless concrete or asphalt,” he explained.

“Four-lane (and greater) interstate highways are the worst of all. Probably the most devastating impact of roads is habitat shrinkage. As more roads are built, habitats shrink to sizes so small that the habitat fragments cannot support viable animal populations.”

Road kill and loss of habitat may have contributed to the disappearance of at least one important snake species. When Means came to Tallahassee in 1961, the harmless and beautiful eastern indigo snake was a not uncommon sight in this area. He said he gathered several records of them along State Road 20 to the Ochlocknee River, off Tram Road east to Wacissa and elsewhere in North Florida.

“I witnessed the decline and last days of the Eastern indigo snake in the eastern

“I witnessed the decline and last days of the Eastern indigo snake in the eastern Panhandle.” Dr. D. Bruce Means

COLLISION SURVIVOR Cedar has been cared for by Sandy Beck for the past 22 years. The barred owl lost its left wing after being hit by a car and cannot live in the wild because of the injury.

Panhandle,” he wrote in “Between Two Rivers: Stories From the Red Hills to the Gulf.” “In the early 1960s I recovered a couple of road kills on the Blountstown Highway in the vicinity of Fort Braden School. About 1968 a big black beauty was brought in to me from just west of Wacissa. The last one I personally witnessed was with a wetlands ecology class in 1985.”

Now, they are practically unheard of in this neck of the woods. Means has heard of no verifiable sightings around Tallahassee for at least two decades.

“This large snake has a huge home range so that the habitat in prime condition necessary to support a viable breeding population of 50 or more adults is nonexistent today. Over the years I have witnessed the decline of many other local species such as salamanders, snakes and frogs,” Means said. “I know from road kills I have seen

that highway mortality has been abundant, but without a lengthy field study I cannot say if road mortality is the prime cause of their decline ... but I suspect that it is substantial.”

Searching for Snacks and Nests In some cases, an animal is probably just trying to cross the road. But some are attracted there because motorists like to toss food garbage out the window as they roll down the highway. Sandy Beck, education director for Tallahassee’s St. Francis Wildlife Association, said it’s this kind of behavior that attracts animals onto the road to begin with. That’s another lesson road kill teaches us.

“We figured out quite a while ago what draws a lot of predators and prey to the road, and that is people throw a lot of food out their car windows, from chewing gum

St. Francis cared for 1,300 wild birds, mammals and reptiles during the first half of 2011. Of those, 182 had been hit by a car. Most injuries are attributed to cars; attacks by domestic cats are the second most encountered problem, followed by disturbed or destroyed nests. t a ll a h a ss e e

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to French fries,” Beck said. “It makes a lot of little animals come out into the road. mice, ’possums and all kinds of animals nibble on what we throw out.”

Beck said raptors like hawks and owls have altered their hunting styles to take advantage of man’s highways, which is dangerous for them as well as their prey.

These birds are often seen strategically perched nearby, scanning the short grass on the side of the road for signs of small animals living in the grass below. When they spot something and swoop in to make a kill, they sometimes wind up getting hit by passing cars.

“Their mothers never taught them to look both ways before crossing the street,” she said. “When an owl or hawk sees an animal on the side of the road, they are so focused on that animal they’re not watching out for cars, and they’re going to die if a car is coming at the same time.”

Aresco agrees with Beck about the problem of food being thrown out windows. But he also said animals become “trapped” on the side of road when they make a nest in a nice, grassy right-of-way.

In scientific terms, he said, a road is an ecological trap for animals.

“For various reasons, either the construction of the roadway or the conditions actually attract different species to the roadway and then they are killed. You have animals scavenging food along the roadway, and (roadways) are perfect for a turtle to lay eggs because they’re open and sunny with sandy or sandy clay soil on the edge,” Aresco said. “They see an area of open grass and it’s perfect for egg incubation, and of course they get killed in the process.”

They get killed because the female turtles wander around the roadside looking for just the right spot to put their eggs, Aresco said. With single-minded intensity they will dig many test holes and inadvertently wind up on the road itself.

“That’s why you’ll see females dead on the highway between the months of April through July,” he said. “That’s their nesting season. And if they are successful in putting the nest in the ground, in the springtime or fall you’ll see dead hatchling turtles because they’ll wind up in the road as well. Over the years I’ve found hundreds of hatchling turtles crushed on the highway.”

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From 2000 to 2008, 11,270 reptiles and amphibians from 61 different species were recorded either trying to make the crossing or found dead.

Slow-moving turtles are especially vulnerable.

MAKING TRACKS Although commonly known as the “turtle tunnel,” one can see the tracks left by several animal species in the Lake Jackson Ecopassage, which runs under U.S. Highway 27 at Lake Jackson.

While motorists can’t do anything about where roads are constructed, Beck simply says they shouldn’t toss their trash and they should keep a garbage bag handy for the banana peels and apple cores. And if they see an animal in distress on the side of the road and attempt to rescue it, use caution.

“If you see an animal and it’s alive, then you need to call St. Francis Wildlife, and if you can move it off the road that is a good thing for the animal,” she said. “Cars will try to avoid it and that will cause an accident, and predators will come to scavenge it. If there is an owl, hawk or eagle, you don’t want to just pick them up. Use gloves or a blanket or a thick towel to drop over them.”

St. Francis cared for 1,300 wild birds, mammals and reptiles during the first half of 2011. Of those, 182 had been hit by a car. Most injuries are attributed to cars, attacks by domestic cats are the second most encountered problem, followed by disturbed or destroyed nests.

Deadly Divisions and Safe Passages Unfortunately, when it comes to road kill, the name Lake Jackson sends a palpatation through the heart of biologists and environmentalists. That is, until recently.

For many years, thousands of animals of many different species were killed trying to cross a particular three-quarter mile stretch of U.S. Highway 27 that separates the big lake from Little Lake Jackson.

Aresco started monitoring and collecting data on the U.S. 27 road kills back in February 2000 as a graduate student at Florida State University. In 2002, serious work began to lay the groundwork for a permanent solution to the problem — a long guide wall with special culverts designed to allow animals to pass back and forth. Construction of the $2.5 million Lake Jackson Ecopassage was completed in 2010 and Aresco said it has made a huge difference already.

“I monitored it over the last several months and it’s working exactly as it was intended,” he said. “Animals are using it back and forth (through) the culverts, and they’re staying behind the barrier wall.

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They’re not being killed on the highway.

I haven’t seen any mortality in the area, which is quite a difference to the situation we had prior to the construction.”

For the local denizens of the swamp and lake, the highway was previously all-butimpossible to cross because 24,000 vehicles fly by every day. Animal migration is high in this particular spot because the big lake is prone to periodic dry downs, which force them to seek higher water in Little Lake Jackson.

From 2000 to 2008, 11,270 reptiles and amphibians from 61 different species were recorded either trying to make the crossing or found dead. Slow-moving turtles are especially vulnerable. According to the Lake Jackson Ecopassage Alliance, 2,710 turtles attempt the crossing every year, perhaps the highest number recorded worldwide.

Aresco said collecting data is difficult to do on a large scale, but hotspots like the mile-long stretch of fill bisecting the two lakes have provided reams of information over the last 10 years. But it’s not just this

the highway was built across Lake Jackson, resulting in thousands and thousands of animals being killed over the years because the highway was built across the lake,” he said. “Just in the sixyear period that I studied it, over 12,000 animals attempted to cross that 1-mile stretch of highway. They died, or I was able to save them as they attempted to cross. So, because of poor transportation planning decades ago, thousands of different animals were killed over the years.

And it also poses a significant traffic safety hazard,” Aresco added. “So the critics can say what they like about how federal money is spent, but this project was a real bargain because of the benefits to wildlife and to motorist safety.”

The plight of Lake Jackson’s animals has gained some degree of notice worldwide.

A 2009 article in the British newspaper The Guardian asks, “Is road kill a viable meat source?”

“The first rule of sustainability is that humanity should use abundance, and there

not keep data. “As for the disposal of the carcass: If it is in a rural area without a residence nearby we may drag the animal into the woods for natural decomposition.

If the carcass is located within an urban area we will bury the animal in one of our local pits.”

For many years the DOT has tried to mitigate road kill in several ways, including environmental education, motorist education, reduced speed limit signs in certain areas and the construction of animal crossings. The first crossings were built along State Road 46-A in Central Florida back in the 1950s. These took the form of large box culverts designed for the Florida black bear since vehicle-related deaths are the primary killer for these bears, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Wildlife crossings were also built along South Florida’s Alligator Alley.

Aresco said that countless smaller species are the “invisible” victims of collisions. He recalled counting more than 4,000 dead green tree frogs on U.S. 27

“There is a wildlife-vehicle collision every 26 seconds in this country, with each costing the consumer an average of $7,000.”

Trisha White, director of the Habitats and Highways program at Defenders of Wildlife

one area that is “special,” he said. High road kill numbers can be found anywhere a road was planned poorly and placed in the wrong location.

“If they had built a bridge there, it wouldn’t have been such a problem but instead they filled in with dredge material and put the four-lane right through it,” Aresco said, regarding U.S. 27’s particular flaw.

The Ecopassage has been a perennial whipping boy for columnists, bloggers and letter-to-the-editor writers who hold the project up as Exhibit A in the wasteful spending of federal stimulus money. But Aresco is unapologetic, saying it’s only appropriate that a problem caused by a federal highway should be solved with federal money.

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is sadly an abundance of road kill; at one famed US junction (Highway 27 at Lake Jackson near Tallahassee) a turtle has a 98.86 percent chance of being squished,” wrote columnist Lucy Siegle, who notes that the United Kingdom has its own road kill woes. “On our roads the People’s Trust for Endangered Species estimates that 1-2 percent of the national population of hedgehogs, around 15,000, is killed on roads each year.”

Make no mistake, though, dead animals are found along every highway and byway, not just along Lake Jackson’s shores. Perhaps the most common ones encountered are dogs, deer, opossums and armadillos, according to Ian Satter, spokesman for District 3 of the Florida Department of Transportation.

Dogs and deer may be the most frequent, but that’s only Satter’s guess; the state does

just south of Lake Jackson. They were attracted to the road because a nearby storm water swale had filled up.

“Although they are not often seen as road kill because they’re so small, amphibians, snakes and turtles probably (account for) the highest number of road kills,” he said. “You see the larger animals because they’re the most visible.”

Impact on Humans Unfortunately, humans aren’t immune to becoming road kill, or from being injured in wildlife-vehicle collisions. This is especially true if the accident involves a large enough animal like a deer, or even an alligator.

“Large alligators pose a significant traffic safety hazard,” Aresco said. “They can weigh hundreds of pounds and they’re low to the ground, and they move at night, mostly. Even large turtles can pose a risk.

The More You Know People see something large in the road and it could be a truck tire, rock or turtle, and the instinct is to swerve and not hit it and that can cause problems.”

According to the Defenders of Wildlife, collisions causing human deaths rose 67 percent from 1994 to 2006. There are 725,000 to 1.5 million wildlife-vehicle collisions in the U.S. every year. Two hundred people are killed and 29,000 are injured on roads across the United States each year, and collisions cause $1 billion in property damage. Two percent of deer-car collisions, and 85 percent of deer-motorcycle collisions, result in a human death.

To raise more awareness of this problem, governors have proclaimed the third week in September as “Watch Out for Wildlife Week.” To date 21 governors, including Gov. Rick Scott of Florida, have signed proclamations marking this occasion, according to Trisha White, director of the Habitats and Highways program at Defenders of Wildlife.

“People need to realize that wildlifevehicle collisions can put a major dent in their wallets as well as their fenders,” White said. “There is a wildlife-vehicle collision every 26 seconds in this country, with each costing the consumer an average of $7,000. The economic toll is staggering, to say nothing of the toll it takes on wildlife. But there are solutions to reduce this damage. From innovative overpasses to adjusted speed zones, highway and wildlife agencies are working to make safe passages for animals. Drivers have the responsibility to do their part as well, by watching out for wildlife when behind the wheel.”

Gov. Scott’s proclamation states in part that the “success of wildlife movement and survival in Florida remains dependent upon continued public education and increased understanding of the essential role migration corridors play in wildlife movement.”

Indeed, maintaining the integrity of those corridors is the main goal of an organization called The Florida Wildlife Corridor, a collaborative group of national and statewide conservation interests dedicated to connecting remaining natural lands, waters, working farms and ranches all the way from Jacksonville down to the Everglades.

In January, wildlife photographers and conservationists are expected to pack their gear for a 1,000-mile, 100-day expedition

Just in case you’re tempted to turn a road kill into a “hunting” trophy, there are some rules.

According to myflorida.com, the online information portal, you have to get a permit if you want to have a taxidermist mount an animal or bird (other than specimens of game birds, game mammals, fox squirrel, otter, fox, bobcat or mink) that was found as road kill.

Even then, some species can’t be used for private display.

Hawks, owls and all songbirds are protected by federal laws and classified as “protected migratory birds.” No citizen is eligible for a permit to mount these birds for private display.

Other prohibitions and rules for evaluation and issuance of permits for mounting wildlife are specified in the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Rule 68A-12.004, Florida Administrative Code. You can look up the rule at: flrules.org/default. asp. Requests for permits must be submitted by letter to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Division of Law Enforcement, 620 S. Meridian St., Tallahassee FL 32399-1600.

Non-profit educational or other institutions should use official letterhead when submitting a request.

If you believe the animal is a state or federally protected species, such as a bear or panther, report it to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. A listing of the commission’s regional offices is on its website at: myfwc.com/contact/ staff-contacts/regional-offices.

Kind-hearted motorists who want to help injured animals found along the road should contact the St. Francis Wildlife Association at (850) 627-4151 or go to stfranciswildlife.org for more information.

from the Okefenokee National Forest in southern Georgia down to the Everglades National Park in an effort to generate support for this work.

Cleaning It All Up Road kill doesn’t just go away on its own over time. It gets picked up by city or county work crews.

Reginald Ofuani, general manager of Tallahassee Solid Waste Services, said the city sends crews out to clean up road kill within the city limits.

“Picking up and disposing road kill

has been one of those services we provide for the health and safety of the people,” Ofuani said.

On the county level, the task of dead animal removal from roadways is usually handled by one of two work program crews/ litter crews fielded by Leon County Public Works, according to Dale Walker, director.

“The primary responsibility of these crews is litter control with dead animal removal being a secondary responsibility.

In the event of large animals (such as) livestock, the task falls to one of our other crews using heavy equipment,” Walker said. n

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Puttin’ On

The life of a toddler in a tiara can be Quite different From what you see on reality TV

One simply has to search for “glitz pageants” on YouTube to be confronted with video after video of preschoolers in costumes; they’re singing, dancing, twirling — and even lasso-ing — their little hearts out, made up, costumed, high-heeled and wigged. You might find some clips from “Toddlers & Tiaras,” featuring wild-eyed “pageant moms” obsessing over clip-on teeth or babies crying during spray tans.

“Those shows represent about 2 percent of the reality of pageant life,” says 24-year-old Victoria Ratliff Harris, Miss Florida Teen USA 2005 and the founder of Victoria & Company, a Jasper-based business with services ranging from fitness to pageant coaching. “They catch parents at their absolute worst moments and then sensationalize that. Who hasn’t been stressed out when their child is competing?”

She has a point. But the thriving pageant subculture is difficult for those outside its circle to understand — perhaps in the way it’s difficult for non-fans to understand professional wrestling or Pokemon. Pageant enthusiasts

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Photo courtesy La Belle Fille Productions

By Amanda Broadfoot

TIME TO SHINE Wearing makeup, nail polish, a bedazzled dress and a sky-high hairdo, 4-year-old Savanna Parker works to impress the judges at a glitz pageant.

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have their own jargon, uniforms, competition season and favorite competitors. They hire coaches, train, travel to compete and, in some cases, earn thousands of dollars.

And some of them do all this before the age of two.

“I competed in my first pageant when I was nine months old,” said Harris. “Of course I don’t remember it.” Her mother began entering her in pageants, said the smalltown girl, because she wanted her daughter to have more opportunities. A singer and dancer, Harris said she enjoyed every minute of the glitz pageants, where she got to showcase her talents and gain confidence in front of an audience.

“Glitz” refers to the kind of pageants you see on “Toddlers & Tiaras”; in fact, Harris said she competed in many of the same pageants featured on the TV show when she was a child. The National Gold Coast Pageant is the real competition featured in the movie “Little Miss Sunshine,” while Universal Royalty, another major circuit pageant, proudly advertises its association with “Toddlers and Tiaras” reality show on its website.

Encouraging makeup and glamorous clothing, glitz pageants generally judge their young competitors — some of whom are barely walking — in categories from swimsuit to talent. Contestants may appear with clip-on teeth, fake hair, false eyelashes and elaborate costumes bedecked with plenty of “bling.”

Hundreds or even thousands of dollars in prize money may be up for grabs, but the upfront investment can be so steep that few pageant competitors actually expect to come out in the black. Pageant entry fees can run from $100 to more than $1,000 for participation in all categories offered for competition — and that’s just the fees to enter.

“It is a very costly process,” said Dr. Debra Maddox, a pageant producer whose granddaughters are regular competitors.

Maddox also owns Miss Florida Capital City, Inc., a nonprofit pageant system supporting Breast Cancer Awareness.

Maddox went on to explain: “Pageant coaching can cost from $75 to $200 an hour, plus expenses of the coach traveling, if one is not located in your area, which Tallahassee does not have. Dresses for glitz pageants can cost from $500 to 92

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Lots of Looks Sisters (above, left to right) Savanna, Madysen and Ashtyn Parker show a variety of looks, depending on the day and the pageant. The top row features their everyday look during a practice session in their grandmother’s garage “studio.” The middle row shows off their highly retouched glitz pageant photos while the bottom row of photos was shot for a natural pageant. (Next page) Former Miss Florida Teen USA Victoria Ratliff Harris travels to Tallahassee from her Jasper hometown to coach the Parker girls for their next pageant.

$3,000.” Altogether, she said, it’s easy to spend $8,000 to $10,000 to get one girl ready for a glitz pageant, depending upon the scope of the competition categories.

“It really costs what you want to put into it,” explained Harris. “But that’s the same with any hobby. Look at baseball: You can spend $300 to $500 on a baseball bat for a serious player.”

“Natural” pageants, in contrast to glitz, generally ban makeup on girls under the age of 13. While there may be a talent portion to the competition, competitors will win no points from judges for dressing as a prostitute (an actual costume from an episode of T&T) and will lose no points for the occasional ageappropriate missing tooth.

Some natural pageants have cash prizes and most, such as America’s Junior Miss, have some academic or social outreach

Photos by Scott holstein (top three and opposite page) and courtesy Cindi McDaniel of Studio EnVogue (Glitz) and Anna Travis (Naturals)

Glitz vs. Natural

component for which girls can earn recognition or even scholarships. Many emphasize mentorship, such as the Miss America Organization’s Princess Camp.

A Crowning Achievement

Harris said she competed in glitz pageants from the age of 7, but didn’t win a single title until she was 14 years old. “I didn’t know what I was missing!” she said, and explained that she had fun even when she didn’t bring home a crown.

She also pointed out that her parents never forced her to compete in pageants: “If I wanted to compete, they wanted me to. But I didn’t have to.” Her older sister, who also started out in pageants, chose to

stop competing, Victoria explained, when she was teased about it by friends at school.

Harris continued to compete, but while she came close a couple of times, she never won. Then her dad made a bet with her, she said. “He used to dip tobacco, and he said, ‘If you win Grand Supreme, I’ll quit.’”

Harris did, in fact, take the crown and top honors at her next pageant. “But he said because it was just based on facial beauty and no modeling; it didn’t count.”

She had to win Grand Supreme at two more pageants before her dad finally threw in the towel and gave up tobacco for good.

She won the titles in such pageants as Cover Miss, Fabulous Faces and Glamour Dolls.

And by that point, Harris had a taste

for winning. In 2005, she was crowned Miss Florida Teen USA, a preliminary to the live, televised Miss Teen USA pageant.

Now Harris coaches girls as young as 18 months old to compete in pageants in the glitz circuit, as well as mentoring girls of all ages on wellness. There is one important factor, she said, that helps girls — and their parents — learn how to compete in pageants and keep a healthy perspective about themselves and their hobby.

“You can’t make ‘winning a pageant’ a goal, because you can’t control that,” she explained. “You have to relinquish that desire for control.” She tries to make sure her tiny clients understand that they can only control their own actions and performance,

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not how other people perceive them — an important lesson for any child to learn.

She also thinks it’s important for them to learn how to take constructive criticism. “Getting score sheets back that say things like, ‘Smile more,’ or ‘Have better eye contact,’ teaches them how to do better next time.”

Beauty From the Inside Out?

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All Dolled Up In this contest (above), Madysen Parker channels Audrey Hepburn’s “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” persona, Holly Golightly. Savanna (right), vamps it up in her Hello Kitty costume.

was about 7 or 8, we stopped doing that, because we couldn’t afford it any more.”

By the time Katie was about 10 years old, Smith said, she was a “little chubby” and some people, even some family members, teased her about it. The constant focus on “being skinny” drove her daughter into a downward spiral, Smith said. “If she didn’t do well at a pageant, she was convinced she was fat. If anything bad happened to her, she thought it was because she was fat.”

Former Miss Florida Allison Kreiger (2006) understands Katie’s struggle. For years, Allison battled an eating disorder, an

illness which she describes as a “silent killer.” No one in her close-knit family knew that she was struggling until the end of her junior year of high school, when she finally started treatment. Kreiger had been a competitive baton twirler for 18 years and said it was her competitive nature and desire for

Photos courtesy La Belle Fille Productions

“Good sportsmanship and positive self-esteem are two great benefits [of pageants],” said Maddox. “If the parent or grandparent instills these skills of good sportsmanship behavior in their children or grandchildren, it is much like a sport.” And it must be said that while “Toddlers & Tiaras” makes sport of crazy pageant moms, one doesn’t have to spend too long on the sidelines of a Little League game to find a few obsessive parents.

“I’ve only seen Madysen get upset, when Savanna won and she didn’t, at one pageant,” said Maddox. “She showed signs of jealousy over the prize Savanna won, not the crown — the prize was a Barbie doll!”

It’s also easy for an outside observer to point to examples like the toddler dressed in the “Pretty Woman” costume and question the role of pageants in objectifying young women, even children. But according to Maddox, a pageant “is not — or should not be — a contest of who is the most beautiful.

A pageant system should strive to project their pageant image as one that sees the ‘total package.’” She points to the benefits her granddaughters — ages 2, 4 and 6 — have gained in learning to walk, speak and perform on stage in front of a crowd.

Tallahassee mom Sarah Smith* has a different perspective. Her 14-year-old daughter, Katie,* started competing in pageants when she was 2 years old and continued competing until last year. “She used to watch all the big pageants on TV,” said Sarah. “She wanted to be Miss America.”

Last year, Katie was hospitalized twice because of anorexia.

“I’m not saying beauty pageants gave her an eating disorder,” explained Sarah.

“I know it’s not that simple. But I don’t think it helped.”

Smith said she first entered Katie into pageants just for fun, but as Katie started to win, “we all got caught up in it.” She said she spent more than $10,000 one year in travel expenses alone to take Katie to obscure out-of-state pageants. “When she

control that drove her eating disorder — not a desire to be skinny.

“I had always looked up to the [pageant] titleholders in our community as role models,” said Kreiger. “For me, competing in pageants represented a goal, because I had to get healthy enough to compete.” Naturally, her closest friends and family were concerned the pressure of pageant competition would cause her to relapse and her eating disorder to resurface.

In fact, she said, she found her voice through pageants. “My crown became my microphone,” she explained. “I was able to mentor not only my peer group but

“I’ve only seen Madysen get upset, when Savanna won and she didn’t, at one pageant. She showed signs of jealousy over the prize Savanna won, not the crown — the prize was a Barbie doll!”

— Dr. Debra Maddox young women involved in pageants. I was able to encourage them and advise them against yo-yo dieting or crash dieting before pageants. I realized I wanted to find a way to mentor young women about living a healthy lifestyle.”

Out of this experience, HOPE was born.

Helping Other People Eat, Inc., is the charitable organization Kreiger started to focus on prevention and awareness of eating disorders. As a result of her passionate work, she was not only crowned Miss Florida in 2006, but also received the Miss Florida Community Service Award and the Miss America State Community Service Award.

Now, in addition to finishing her last semester of law school, she travels the country as a motivational speaker and advocate for people with eating disorders. She will also give birth to her first child, a daughter, in February.

“I probably won’t encourage my daughter to compete in glitz pageants,” she confessed. “But I will absolutely encourage her

A PAGEANT PRIMER Butt glue: Spray adhesive that holds swimsuits — and other costumes — in place on stage.

Cupcake Dress: A style of pageant dress with many ruffled layers that resembles a tutu.

Fall: Attached to a pageant contestant’s real hair, this hairpiece cascades down and is normally curled.

Flippers: Detachable dental veneers placed on top of one’s natural teeth. Covers unsightly missing teeth and evens out spacing of the pearly whites of aspiring toddler queens.

Natural: No makeup or any other false enhancements on competitors. Pride their competitions on the “kids who look like kids are beautiful” philosophy.

Glitz: Pageants encouraging “glamour,” even among the youngest competitors. Makeup, costumes, and fake teeth and hair are highly encouraged.

Semi-glitz: Might ban certain tools — like flippers and revealing costumes — while allowing moderate cosmetics.

Wiglet: More than a “fall” (see above), less than a wig; usually placed on the crown of the contestant’s head.

POTENTIAL PAGEANT BUDGET Entry fee: $50–$500 Additional categories (casual wear, talent, etc.): $25 each Coaching: $75–$ 100/hour Dresses: $600–$1,500 Shoes: $100–$200 Outfit of choice: $200–$500 Wiglet: $50–$350 Flipper: $250–$300 Hair and makeup: $65–$150 Spray tan: $25

to participate in organizations like the Sunshine Princess program, which is founded on mentorship.”

But Kreiger was quick to point out that she has mentored many young women who spent many happy years in glitz pageants

when they were younger. “It was their hobby and they loved it,” she said. “For many of them, it helped them refine skills they already had, skills that they have strengthened and used throughout their lives.”

Do Pageants Still Have Legs?

Pageants have survived and evolved, despite the fact that many have predicted their extinction. Nielsen ratings show a steady decline in viewership of traditional televised pageants, like Miss Universe and Miss America, since the 1970s. That being said, reality programs like “Toddlers & Tiaras” have breathed new life into the glitz pageant circuit. And the Internet has given rise to online photo contests and new marketing avenues for smaller pageants.

“I feel the pageant industry is definitely growing,” said Maddox. “I see pageants springing up all over Florida and other areas and systems being created for great causes. I think they can also be great local fundraisers if they partner with organizations and civic functions.”

Maddox’s granddaughters currently compete in one or more pageants a month and love every minute of it, she said. “[Two-year-old] Ashtyn has only been in one pageant but she is already showing very strong signs of being very stageworthy having watched her sisters become successful,” she said. “She was in the Miss Snowflake Queen pageant last year in March and came in first runner-up and best dressed.” The older girls, Madysen and Savannah, have about 20 crowns between them, including the 2011 Tiny Miss Snowflake Queen and the 2011 Wee Miss Black Eyed Peas.

Miss Capital City, Maddox’s local pageant for girls from 1 month to 24 years old, will take place on February 25 at Tallahassee Community College. The pageant will have a “Pretty in Pink” theme to emphasize breast cancer awareness.

Katie Smith won’t be competing in that pageant, or any others, this year. She is in a private treatment facility for her eating disorder and is getting healthier every day, her mom said. She will return to high school soon. “She’s smiling a lot more and starting to talk about college,” explained Sarah. “But even after everything we’ve been through, she still says she wants to be Miss Universe one day.” n *Names have been changed to protect minors mentioned.

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PRESENTING SPONSOR: DR. RUSSELL B. RAINEY D.M.D.

FEBRUARY 18, 2012 | 6PM AT THE UNIVERSITY CENTER CLUB Thank you for your nominations! Thirteen of the area’s most popular salons have been selected to compete for the title of Tallahassee’s Top Salon! Now the competition begins.

Competing salons will make over a model and the transformations will be unveiled in a runway show. The salons and their models are featured on the following four pages. A panel of judges and all attendees will cast votes to determine the Top Salon of Tallahassee.

Tallahassee’s Top Salon wins an advertising campaign developed by Rowland Publishing and a year-long ad campaign in Tallahassee Magazine. Plus, a portion of the proceeds will benefit the winner’s charity of choice.

Tickets are $40 in advance ($50 after Jan. 15) and include one drink coupon, heavy hors d’oeuvres and automatic entry to win a luxurious beach getaway and complimentary use of a BMW convertible from Capital Eurocars to drive there in style.

Come ready to bid on this year’s live and silent auction items.

There will be something for everyone!

PRESENTING SPONSOR:

Daniel Lewis We welcome Guest Star, Daniel Lewis, from Shear Genius Season 2 to Top Salon Tallahassee as our Emcee for the evening.

SPONSORED BY: Ta l l a h a s s e e

Plastic Surgery Clinic & Physicians’ Skin Care Clinic

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Visit TopSalonTLH.com to purchase your tickets before they sell out!

PRESENTING SPONSOR: DR. RUSSELL B. RAINEY D.M.D.

Before ATHENA SALON & SPA Model: Christina Underwood Charity: Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Association

Before CABELLOS HAIR & NAIL STUDIO Model: Rebekah Landbeck Charity: Refuge House

Before CHELSEA SALON Model: Sarah Kerr Charity: Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re Not Alone Transitional Housing for Women and Children

Model makeovers revealed on February 18 at The University Center Club. To purchase your tickets visit TopSalonTLH.com tallahassee 97 Photos by Katrice Howell

PRESENTING SPONSOR: DR. RUSSELL B. RAINEY D.M.D.

Before COCO’S HAIR SALON Model: Chris Taul Charity: Big Bend Hospice

Before ENVY SALON & SPA

ATHENA SALON & SPA

Model: Allison Cruz Charity: Making Strides Against Breast Cancer

Model: Christina Underwood Charity: Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Association

Before FUEL A SALON Model: Jennifer Fountain Charity: Ronald McDonald House

Model makeovers revealed on February 18 at The University Center Club. To purchase your tickets visit TopSalonTLH.com 98

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Photos by Katrice Howell

PRESENTING SPONSOR: DR. RUSSELL B. RAINEY D.M.D.

Before GREEN PERIDOT Model: Glenda Roudabaugh Charity: Chelsea House

Before HAIR ON EARTH Model: Alex Diaz Charity: Refuge House

ATHENA SALON & SPA Model: Christina Underwood Charity: Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Association

Before HAIR WORKS SALON Model: Terri Stancil Charity: Big Bend Hospice

Model makeovers revealed on February 18 at The University Center Club. To purchase your tickets visit TopSalonTLH.com tallahassee 99 Photos by Katrice Howell

PRESENTING SPONSOR: DR. RUSSELL B. RAINEY D.M.D.

Before HAUTE HEADZ SALON Model: Sybil Englert Charity: Breast Cancer Society

Before MILLENNIUM NAIL & DAY SPA Model: Leah McCarthy Charity: Progressive Pediatrics

Before NEXT LEVEL FULL SERVICE SALON Model: Juanita Barsh Charity: American Diabetes Association

Before SO PURE SALON & SPA Model: Ratna Krishnan Charity: Ronald McDonald House

Model makeovers revealed on February 18 at The University Center Club. To purchase your tickets visit TopSalonTLH.com 100

Januaryâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;February 2012

Photos by Katrice Howell

home&

GARDEN

CHECK IT OUT

» LIGHT YOUR FIRE

Stay toasty outdoors for a change. A fire pit is a great decoration for the backyard and can be made easily and inexpensively.

To begin, consult city and neighborhood regulations regarding fire pits; then, select an area away from bushes and trees.

Plant a stake in the center of your future pit and attach a string with the desired radius. A good radius is 1.5 to 2 feet. Circle the stake, pulling the string taut while marking where it reaches.

Clear the area and dig the pit about 9 to 12 inches into the ground. With Florida’s rain, it’s a good idea to dig an additional small, foot-deep hole in the center to further assist drainage.

Fill the small hole and the bottom 4 inches of the pit itself with pea gravel. Coat with about 3 inches of sand to prevent fires from moving into the ground. The sand should not reach the top of the pit to prevent it from washing out of the pit during rainstorms.

design | tips

Outline with landscaping stones or pavers stacked evenly until the structure stands at least 2 feet high. Avoid stones that have been immersed in water; trapped water can turn to steam with heat, causing the stone to explode. Do not seal the stones with adhesives; they can easily melt and give off toxic fumes.

You are now ready to light a fire, tell some stories and make some s’mores.

— Laura Bradley

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REINCARNATION A rusty water pump becomes a focal point fountain in the yard of avid repurposers Ric Feld and Randy Ziffer.

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To Everything a

(Renewed) Purpose

Creative Ingenuity Gives New Life to Old Cast-Offs

By Laura Bradley and Lis King

Photo by Scott Holstein

I

f you’re a home fashionista, try stopping in at a junkyard. There you might encounter such delicious finds as a sheet of rusty corrugated tin, a dented locker or a one-wheeled lawn mower.

Shaking your head in disbelief? Then you haven’t seen “Picker Sisters,” the new hit show on the Lifetime network. Here, two top designers take a trailer truck to the hinterlands, rummaging through salvage yards for stuff to be transformed into high-priced home furnishings back at their studio.

Nor have you encountered Randy Ziffer and Ric Feld, a Tallahassee married couple who love repurposing cast-offs, including items so decrepit most of us wouldn’t give them a second look. With imagination and ingenuity, they turn old fireplace facades, bird cages, water pumps and heaters into attractive, cohesive home décor with a stylish flair.

One of Ziffer’s coolest projects was that old metal fireplace facade. Despite being covered in rust and grime, Ziffer remembers that it called to her. After cleaning it up and discovering it was made from copper and brass, with some

woodwork and paint, the couple turned it into a small buffet.

Bare Bones While they might not look like much when they’re sitting on the side of a road or in a junk or salvage yard, old building materials can provide any room with a touch of character. Found wood, especially, can be a treasure.

Salvaged wood is nothing like the stuff you’ll find in stores. There, wood is held to a standard with straight grain and no quirks or imperfections. While this can make great painted furniture, old, weathered wood makes for far more interesting naked pieces.

Lucas VanSickle, artist and carpenter, has a shop filled to the brim with salvaged wood discarded by lumber mills, scraps from the side of the road — even tree stumps. From these, he crafts beautiful and unique cutting boards, tables, sculptures, bowls and anything else the materials inspire.

“Found wood is the stuff with all the character in it,” he explains. “It’s the stuff that’s been beaten and used, and you can see where it’s been worn, and you know it’s old. It’s the best stuff.”

For VanSickle, his work is more of a mindset, an addiction. On his normal errands, he’ll take a side road just to see what he can find. “An hour later I’m out in the woods, or like, somebody’s trash dump or something picking up random pieces of wood.” Unlike most of us who

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see an old stump covered in moss and bugs and cringe as we hurry past, VanSickle sees potential; the intricate, erratic grain inside tree stumps makes for breathtaking bowls.

“Most of the time the worst shape is the best. Because a lot of times when it’s the 104

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worst-looking you can start getting down into it, start cutting it … underneath is where all the beauty lies.”

His first big piece was a little unexpected. Before he even knew he’d be doing woodwork, he helped someone take apart

Photos by Scott Holstein

Reused Found objects large and small are an integral part of the décor in Randy Ziffer’s SouthWood home, from the large window transformed by her mosaic work (above) to the rustic scale that serves as an artwork pedestal.

a huge old trailer bed made from really nice oak. “Most of it was punky and crap and had to be thrown away,” he remembers. “But I realized how good it was and yanked some of the pieces off.”

The result was wildly beautiful.

“They’re solid chunks, all crazy shapes, still have these old bolts stuck in them and years’ of different oils, like gasoline, hydraulic fluid that seeped into the grain, so once I planed it all down underneath it, it was just these weird black crazy lines all through it …”

His parents now own the resultant coffee table, and the other product — VanSickle’s career — is still blossoming as he begins incorporating other materials into his work, such as old cast iron pedestals and water mains (perfect bases for rustic wood coffee tables) and perhaps even marble tabletop pieces discarded by factories.

Whatever materials he incorporates, it’s safe to say he’ll never abandon salvaged wood.

“It’s a journey, you know, it came from someplace and now it’s here. Now I’ll make it into something and give it back.”

Found Objects Another way to make a decorative statement can be through repurposing found objects from antique stores, estate sales and flea markets. All it takes is a little creativity. In addition to her miscellaneous projects, Ziffer also makes three-dimensional mosaics out of string instruments, giving them a second life as they age beyond playability. Guitars, violins, mandolins, banjos … anything goes.

Ziffer enjoys doing mosaics because of the dramatic change she sees in the objects she reincarnates. “You can take something that needs to be thrown away, I guess, and give it another life … Doesn’t matter if it has a hole in it … because you can mosaic right over it, and that’s the beauty of it, it really is.”

Local artist and executive director of The Sharing Tree, Carly Sinnadurai, also does extensive work with found objects.

One of her latest projects has been a series of antique windows she received as a donation. Sinnadurai has been turning these windows into works of art by painting, sculpting and collaging on them.

After receiving the donation, Sinnadurai decided she wanted to recognize and

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preserve the windows’ uniqueness by dressing each one up differently. “They were really fabulous; they’re all really unique to one another, and obviously the material in and of itself inspired me.”

As an artist, Sinnadurai stresses the importance of reusing and repurposing as a creative exercise. Artifacts, she says, stand out from ordinary, transient items because of their durability and timelessness. She also notes the growing popularity of repurposing, and bubbles with enthusiasm as she explains: “A lot of artists are jumping on this train, which is interesting to me but it’s also very exciting. I do think it’s a very fabulous skill for our world to start looking at materials in a different way, and I guess valuing them more, and that’s exciting not only for creativity but also for our environment as well.”

A Trend Is Born As antiques go, oddball found objects are a new phenomenon. It began in the late 1900s when living in vintage industrial or commercial spaces became the height of chic in big cities. Those large spaces called for oversized, gritty-style furnishings — and what could be better than the pieces that made them function in the first place? Stainless steel worktables and giant work lights moved in and were immediately declared gorgeous by home magazines.

Soon the high-ceilinged rooms and large windows characteristic of urban lofts became popular in new housing everywhere, and stainless steel, commercial-grade appliances became kings of the kitchen.

Some industrial items, such as wheeled foundry trolleys and tripod lamps, have even gone so mainstream that they’re being reproduced by companies like Restoration Hardware and Pottery Barn.

Since those early days of the loft revolution, the world of industrial antiques has undergone a huge expansion. It now also encompasses furnishings, fixtures, building elements, equipment and tools from virtually any commercial establishment or institution.

Current favorites include shelving, anything with wheels and gears, Singer sewing tables and stools, carts from the days preceding the conveyor belt, dipping baskets, pallets and lockers.

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architectural salvage, such as cast iron columns; institutional lighting; gates and fencing; and stone statues, planters and benches.

Interior designer Julian Mathis is also no stranger to reusing and repurposing. His entire building and home, Midtown Design Center, is a repurposed building; originally a sheriff’s office, it now serves as a home, office and rental space that houses a bakery, boutique and café.

Many of his design projects involve the use of antique, repurposed materials to add visual interest. His most recent project, Paisley Café inside the Midtown Design Center, involves a lot of repurposed materials. Antique pine doors form the base of a copper-countered bar, with large old doorknobs attached to hang women’s purses. Salvaged wooden tables cut in half now line walls as intimate seating for diners. An old basin sunk into a table top forms an outdoor drink container, ready for display on the building’s patio.

When asked where he finds these vintage treasures, Mathis replied with a laugh, “I’ve been known to pick them up on the side of the road.” He also adds that most antique shops offer a good selection of items to be taken, reworked and even repurposed.

Another local place he gives a lot of credit is Southern Chicks. Located on South Monroe Street, this store specializes in salvaged, repurposed furniture and provided many of the materials Mathis used in designing Paisley Café.

Mathis has reused and repurposed items for almost any room imaginable. Bathrooms, he says, are surprisingly easy places to incorporate repurposed items. One of his most creative ideas involved using a vintage dentist’s cabinet for vanity storage.

He likes the character added by these finds, explaining, “They add originality. They add interest and a conversation piece.”

But is all this a fad? Will reused and repurposed materials go the way of so many collectibles that were hot for a few years, then dropped off the radar screen?

Mathis doesn’t think so. While more contemporary designs tend to go out of fashion as quickly as they came, he notes that there is always a cycle of revival. “Antiques or old architectural things will never go out of style, I mean they’ve been here forever … They will always, I think, come back around.” n

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Gardening

Valentine’s Day Reminds Us It’s Time to Prune Those Rose Bushes Q: My rose bushes are quite overgrown and bedraggled. How and when is the best way to prune them?

A: The best time to prune roses in our area, which is USDA Zone 8b, is mid to late February. Spring comes early here — if you welcome the seasons using a standard calendar — and our dormant plants start waking up weeks before the snow melts in northern regions. Pruning triggers new growth, so time your cuts to take advantage of the local change of seasons.

The easiest way to remember when to prune roses in Northwest Florida is to think about the connection between roses and romance, and what a boon St. Valentine’s Day is for florists.

To get the job done with minimal injury to you or the rose bushes, you’ll need a few standard tools. First, make sure you have a thick, sturdy pair of gloves to protect your hands and arms. Thorns are the bush’s natural protection, and they do their job really well. Gloves are available that are made specifically for handling roses, but a set of heavy fireplace gloves works well, too. Just make sure they cover your forearms. If you’re pruning on one of those beautiful warm February days, resist the temptation to wear short sleeves.

You’ll need a hand-pruner to cut most stalks, called canes, as well as long-handled loppers for cutting the larger, thicker ones.

Most cutting tools are either bypass, which means one blade crosses over or “bypasses” the other to make the cut, or anvil, in which the two blades meet to make the cut.

Bypass cutters tend to make cleaner cuts than anvil cutters, but either will work.

Make sure your cutting tools are sharp; otherwise, you’ll tear the canes instead of cutting them, which not only looks ratty but also invites pests and disease. If you

Once you have removed the dead and damaged canes, you can start to shape the overall plant. Cut back the healthy canes to the height you prefer but no lower than 18 inches, and prune to achieve the shape you desire — round, vase-like, whatever.

Throughout the year, you can do minor touch-up pruning to keep the bush in shape and healthy, but save any major whacking for the next February.

Ms. Grow-It-All

By Audrey Post don’t have sharpening tools, or the inclination to tackle the job, many garden centers offer tool-sharpening services for a nominal fee.

In addition, you’ll need a bucket with a 5 to 10 percent bleach solution — bleach and water — so you can dip your pruning tool into the bucket after every cut. Using 5 or 10 percent bleach is a matter of preference: Because roses tend to be susceptible to fungus, I tend to use the stronger solution to make sure I’m not spreading spores or other disease that might be on the canes.

Remove spent canes all the way back to the ground, cutting first the dead and damaged ones and then any that are crossing and rubbing. The spots where two canes rub create ideal places for disease to gain entry. Make sure you remove the dead and damaged canes from the middle of the plant, as well as the outside, because this will allow more sunlight to reach the middle of the bush and improve air circulation. Try to remove no more than onethird of the canes in any one year.

© 2011 Postscript Publishing, all rights reserved. Audrey Post is a certified Advanced Master Gardener volunteer with the University of Florida IFAS Extension in Leon County. E-mail her at Questions@MsGrowItAll.com or visit her website at msgrowitall.com. Ms. Grow-It-All® is a registered trademark of Postscript Publishing.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY TO-DO LIST » Anytime, plant cool-season vegetables such as lettuce and other salad greens, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, beets, onions, spinach, collards, turnips, kale, carrots and radishes. » Plant potatoes in mid-February. » Prune roses in February. » Prune dormant trees such as crape myrtles. » Plant fruit trees. » Get soil tested for spring planting beds; amend as test indicates. tallahassee

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January/February Gardening Calendar » Jan. 6 First Friday Brown Bag Lunch Lecture Series, noon to 1 p.m. in the Carriage House Conference Center at Goodwood Museum and Gardens, 1600 Miccosukee Road. Anna Dickey, landscape designer at Esposito Garden Center, will share tips for protecting your garden tools and maximizing their efficiency. Free. Bring your lunch. goodwoodmuseum.org » Jan. 10 Gardening Friends of the Big Bend, 6:30 p.m. at the University of Florida’s North Florida Research and Education Center, Quincy. Horticulture Professor Gary Knox will discuss his trip to Cuba. thegfbb.com

» Jan. 14 & 15 Tallahassee Camellia Show, sponsored by the Tallahassee Camellia and Garden Club, 1–5 p.m. Sat. and 1–4 p.m. Sun. at the Doyle Conner Agricultural Center. Free. Come Saturday for freshest blooms. Questions? crmaphis@comcast.net

» Jan. 19 Tallahassee Garden Club’s plant exchange, 9:30 a.m. at The Garden Center, 507 N. Calhoun St. Horticultural program, managing deer in the garden, 10-11:30 a.m. tallahasseegardenclub.com

» Jan. 19 Tallahassee Area Rose Society monthly meeting, 7 p.m. at the Jubilee Cottage at Goodwood. Pam Greenwald of Angel Gardens in Alachua will present highlights of her work in Europe last summer. tallahasseearearosesociety.org

» Jan. 21 Florida Arbor Day Tree Planting, 9 a.m. at Lake Henrietta Park, 3305 Springhill Road. Volunteers needed to plant 100 trees along a paved pedestrian/ bicycle trail and install establishment irrigation. Funded by the Leon County Tree Bank.

» Feb. 3 First Friday Brown Bag Lunch Lecture Series, noon to 1 p.m. in the Carriage House Conference Center at Goodwood Museum and Gardens, 1600 Miccosukee Road. Dan Miller presentation about the Trout Lily Nature Preserve near Cairo, Ga. Free. No reservations required. Bring your lunch. goodwoodmuseum.org

» Feb. 11 20th Annual Goodwood Old Garden Roses Sale, 9 a.m. to noon, next to the Virginia McKee Greenhouse. Sale continues every Friday and Saturday, same hours, until all the roses are sold. Proceeds used for the restoration and maintenance of the rose gardens at Goodwood. goodwoodmuseum.org

» Feb. 16 Tallahassee Garden Club’s plant exchange, 9:30 a.m. at The Garden Center, 507 N. Calhoun St. Horticultural program, plant, identification, 10–11:30 a.m. tallahasseegardenclub.com

» Feb. 16 Tallahassee Area Rose Society, 7 p.m., Jubilee Cottage at Goodwood. Sue Hansen will present a profile of her gardening efforts, the second in the series of garden profiles. tallahasseearearosesociety.org tallahassee

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Photo by Adrianna Juran

Hotel Duval and Tallahassee Magazine, along with the Exquisite Beginning Dream Team, surprised one lucky Tallahassee couple with an unforgettable experience to begin their lives together.

The Exquisite Beginning Wedding Giveaway allowed individuals in the Big Bend area to nominate their favorite affianced couple to receive the 2012 wedding of the year: an all-expense-paid event including invitations, venue, catering, photography, flowers, cakes, formalwear, music, invitations, limo and even the honeymoon.

To announce the winner, Hotel Duval hosted The Reveal ceremony October 16 for all of the finalists and their family and friends. After narrowing down the many worthy applicants, Alana Chambers and Paul Adrianse were named the winning couple. The deserving couple is planning their wedding to take place on Sunday, April 22, 2012, at Hotel Duval with every aspect of the wedding being donated to create this once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Chambers is a Tallahassee preschool teacher, and Adrianse works as a managing partner of Tuff Play and Kitchen Crafters.

Adrianse popped the question after two years of dating. While originally planning a wedding in May 2011, a family tragedy halted their plans. In March, Chambers’ father suffered a heart attack and massive stroke. The incident caused many physical obstacles, and the couple decided to postpone the wedding until they could celebrate their marriage with her father. Chambers told her father she would not get married until he could walk her down the aisle.

While her father was in rehab, Chambers and Adrianse, along with other family members, began repairing and making her father’s home easier for him to navigate with a wheelchair and walker.

Since Adrianse works in the construction field, he took charge and worked long hours to help his bride-to-be’s family. The home 112

January–February 2012

renovations were completed in time for her father to enjoy when he came home from rehabilitation.

“I always knew that Paul was perfect for me,” said Chambers, “but when he guided and helped my family through this difficult time, I knew he was one of the most giving and loving individuals I would ever meet.”

The bride- and groom-to-be will work with the Exquisite Beginning Dream Team, a group of wedding sponsors who have donated their services to help give Chambers and Adrianse a magical wedding. Sponsors making this event possible include Hotel Duval and Duval Signature Events, John Gandy Events, Emerald Grande at Harborwalk Village, Silver Sands Shops in Destin, Shula’s 347 Grill Tallahassee, Capital Valet, She Boudoir Photography by Kira Derryberry, Pure Platinum Band, Connie Duglin Linen, Randi Buchanan & Company Makeup Design, Top Hat Limo and Sedan Services, Kay Meyer Photography, Missy Gunnels Flowers, Teri Smith Photo, Woodland Fields Photography, Vocelle’s Bridal Shop, Silver Lining Linens, Designs By Darin, Green Peridot, The Golf Club at Summerbrooke, Karmanos Printing, Robert’s Jewelers and Narcissus, with more partners joining the efforts every day.

As wedding plans begin, Chambers and Adrianse already have some ideas on how to make their wedding day unique to them, including traditions from her Japanese heritage, and special involvement of close friends and family.

To follow the couple on their exciting journey, visit weddings.hotelduval.com.

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mind&

BODY

In Focus

your life | well-being

» BETTER EYESIGHT WHILE YOU SLEEP

Contact lenses, we have been told time and again, should never be worn at night and they’re definitely not for children.

Local optometrists, including Dr. Robert Orsillo of Orsillo Vision Care, are turning that advice on its head. Special lenses to correct nearsightedness — myopia — do their work overnight and can actually keep youngsters’ sight from getting worse With Orthokeratology, Ortho-K for short, the doctor “maps” a patient’s eyes and then prescribes hard contact lenses that reshape the corneas while he sleeps. When the user wakes up and takes out the lenses, he should

be able to see clearly for the next day or more without needing glasses.

“When you close your eye, you don’t feel it,” he says. “It’s like a retainer.”

Orsillo has been prescribing Ortho-K to his patients for the past 10 years. Chris Conley, 24, got his Ortho-K lenses eight years ago.

Conley wore them until about six months ago but switched to daily disposable contacts. “I ended up not wearing them when I was supposed to,” he says. “I did really like them when I was wearing them correctly.”

Studies have shown youngsters can get an additional benefit from the lenses, which can

slow or stop the deterioration of eyesight.

Ortho-K is more expensive than glasses or traditional contact lenses — Orsillo charges $1,550 for adults and $1,250 for children — but about a third of the cost of Lasik surgery.

It’s usually considered an elective procedure and is only minimally covered by health insurance and vision plans. The charge, he says, covers the initial mapping of the eye, the corrective lenses and any follow-up required to make sure the lenses are working correctly.

Once the original work is complete, the patient should only require regular annual checkups, Orsillo says. — Rosanne Dunkelberger

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INCOMPLETE FAMILY Jason Henderson and his now-toddler son lost a wife and mother after his wife committed suicide while she was suffering from post-partum depression.

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His Plea: Shine a Light Postpartum Depression is Real, and the Results Can Be Tragic By Jason Dehart

Photo by Scott Holstein

J

ason Henderson describes his world as a living nightmare. Grief stricken, he has spent nearly every waking moment of the past year wondering what he could have done differently to save his wife from making a horrible, irreparable decision.

“I thought we did everything we could do,” laments Henderson, 33, an information technology/network administrator.

Amy (not her real name) was diagnosed with postpartum depression after the birth of their son in February 2010. Many mothers get the “baby blues” as they settle in to a new life of making adjustments and coping with change, and Amy was no exception. But behind the happiness of holding a new life was an unrelenting sadness that just wouldn’t go away.

She received psychiatric help in the form of monthly counseling sessions and antidepression medication. She fought the illness hard and had good days and bad days.

On the bad days, Jason and Amy would work through the emotions together until she felt better. Throughout it all, her motherly love never faltered.

“She was a very kind, a very loving, wonderful mother,” Henderson said.

But somehow, she lost the battle against the shadow looming over her. Some little voice, or perhaps a tugging sense of unworthiness, or an unexpected drug interaction, or a combination of many things, allowed a mountain of depression to suddenly collapse on her. Seven months after giving birth, she succumbed to depression and took her life in 2010 — just a day short of her 30th birthday.

Since then, Henderson has racked his brain asking himself two questions. The first: Was there something else I could have done? The only thing that answers back in the night is a voice that tells him no. The proper steps were taken. They had help. Other couples have gone through this and come out fine. The fog was just beginning to lift.

The second: Why? What would drive a loving, caring and nurturing woman to become so depressed that she’d do something that couldn’t be taken back? Henderson said Amy did have her share of depression issues before the pregnancy (a risk factor for PPD), but in his wildest nightmares he never imagined it was a depression that could lead to such a drastic action.

“It was always something that was short-lived, and typically she was out of it within a day or so,” he said. “She’d snap out of it and be back to her normal self, and was generally pretty happy.”

The Pendulum Begins to Swing

Amy had a rough time when she was pregnant with their son, Henderson said. When she was six months along, the car she was driving was hit and flipped by a drunk driver, causing t allahassee

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her minor injuries and requiring a hospital stay. But she and the baby came out of that OK, he said. Then, she had some problems with pancreatitis, followed a month later by pre-eclampsia, a condition where the mother’s blood pressure spikes out of control. Because of her blood pressure, it was decided to bring the baby into the world a month early.

“But he was fine and didn’t have to spend any additional time in the hospital,” Henderson said. “Everything was good … for the first few days. After that, she kind of developed what most people considered to be the baby blues. That’s where the hormones you sustained throughout pregnancy are cut off, and your emotions crash. And we thought, ‘OK, this is normal, baby blues happen to a lot of women.’

This was a week, maybe. Feeling down, but still very interested in the baby, still mothering him; she was an amazing mother.”

At a follow-up checkup with her doctor about a month after childbirth, Amy revealed she just wasn’t feeling like herself. She was referred to a psychiatrist, which led to monthly counseling sessions.

Henderson said she was also put on anti-depression drugs, which helped. But when she started to flag, the meds were changed, and she went back to being her old self again.

As time went on, however, she continued on a roller coaster of highs and lows. A tooth infection followed by dental surgery didn’t make her feel any better. Finally, on a Monday in September, she went to work but was so upset that she decided to return home for the day. Henderson said he could hear in her voice that something was dreadfully wrong.

“We talked on the phone that morning. I asked her not to do anything to hurt herself,” he said. A short time later, he called his wife again. No answer. Again. No answer. Worried sick, he left work and headed home to be with her.

But it was too late.

The Aftermath

Henderson doesn’t want another family to go through what his has gone through. He’s making it his mission to make people aware how serious an illness postpartum depression is.

“It’s a living nightmare. It’s surreal,” Henderson said about his life in the wake of Amy’s suicide. “I don’t think people know how bad (PPD) is or how quickly it can turn. But when it goes bad, it goes bad quickly.”

When he made Amy’s funeral arrangements, Henderson decided that instead of flowers, family and friends could make contributions to the postpartum support group jennyslight.org, a Minnesotabased, family-run nonprofit founded in 2007. The organization was established after its namesake — Jennifer Gibbs Bankston — suffered silently with PPD and tragically took her life, as well as the life of her month-old son, in 2007.

Jenny’s Light is a clearinghouse of information on postpartum depression, according to Executive Director Randy Gibbs, Jenny’s brother.

“Jenny was searching online for information in the weeks before she was a victim,” Gibbs said. “That’s why we decided we needed to put together a place for people to find information, whether they’re a woman, a mom, a doctor or a family member wanting to learn more about perinatal mood disorders and what can happen if they go on untreated long enough.”

Unlike Jenny, Amy recognized what was happening, got help and tried to recover. Sometimes, though, victims of PPD may not recognize what’s happening or take steps early enough to stop it. The

key in both situations is to get some kind of help A PPD Checklist as soon as possible.

Any of these symptoms could indicate “Not getting help a woman has a form of perinatal mood means it’ll escalate into or anxiety disorder, such as postpara deeper form of PPD,” tum depression. While many women Gibbs said. “The thing experience some mild mood changes about it is, just like any during or after the birth of a child, 15 mental issue, there is a percent to 20 percent of women expestigma attached. They rience more significant symptoms of don’t want people to depression or anxiety. think they are a weirdo or they’re not a good mom. A lot of times it is 1. Are you feeling sad or depressed? out of the blue, the moth2. Do you feel more irritable or angry er doesn’t want people to with those around you? know what she’s feeling.

3.

A

re you having difficulty bonding It’s a huge stigma.” with your baby?

Getting past that shame is perhaps one of 4. Do you feel anxious or panicky? the biggest challenges in 5. Are you having problems with helping a mom to recogeating or sleeping? nize there is a problem 6. Are you having upsetting thoughts and get help. that you can’t get out of your “Depression, unfortumind? nately, still carries negative connotations in our 7. Do you feel as if you are “out of society and many are recontrol” or “going crazy?” luctant to seek help,” said 8. Do you feel like you never should Dr. Chris Sundstrom, have become a mother? an OB/GYN at North Florida Women’s Care in 9. Are you worried that you might Tallahassee. “Plus, there hurt your baby or yourself? is the perception that once the baby is born Source: Postpartum Support everything is wonderful.

International When a new mom then feels sad, depressed, overwhelmed or inadequate they think they are a bad mom. This is simply not true. Up to 80 percent of women experience these feelings and about 10 percent to 20 percent actually develop postpartum depression.”

Sundstrom said at North Florida Women’s Care all patients are screened before their baby is born for risk factors that contribute to postpartum depression.

“We also screen all of our patients after delivery for signs of depression. Treatment depends on the severity of symptoms. If depression is suspected, I usually treat my patients with a six-month course of antidepressant medication,” he said. When it becomes necessary, the physicians in his practice use psychiatric services provided at the Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare Behavioral Health Clinic.

It is important for new mothers to know that they are not bad people if they experience these feelings, Sundstrom said.

“There are a unique combination of factors accumulating after delivery that create a perfect storm for depression,” he said. “The body and all of its systems adapted to allow a pregnancy to take place over the last 10 months. Now, in a few weeks, the body is transitioning back to a non-pregnant state. Couple this with a lack of sleep, stress from a crying baby and the emotional drain it can be

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Health to have someone 100 percent dependent on you 100 percent of the time and it’s easy to see why postpartum blues and depression is so common.”

Henderson said Amy, “a very private person,” was afraid of what people would think if they knew what she was going through. But he doesn’t think anyone should suffer in silence.

“Shout it from the rooftops, don’t be ashamed. Don’t be afraid. Find support.

Anybody. Don’t hide it. (Amy) was afraid people would think she was crazy. She obviously was not,” he said.

Nor was actress Brooke Shields, who opened up to the world about her battle with PPD after the birth of her daughter Rowan in 2003. Shields’ struggle with the illness became a hot topic when fellow actor Tom Cruise openly criticized her for her “misguided” use of antidepressants to treat her PPD. In an op-ed she penned for The New York Times in 2005, Shields said she was hoping to avoid such a confrontation but felt compelled to speak out for not only herself but for the “hundreds of thousands of women who have suffered from postpartum depression.”

“I couldn’t believe it when my doctor told me that I was suffering from postpartum depression and gave me a prescription for the antidepressant Paxil,” Shields wrote.

“I wasn’t thrilled to be taking drugs. In fact, I prematurely stopped taking them and had a relapse that almost led me to drive my car into a wall with Rowan in the backseat. But the drugs, along with weekly therapy sessions, are what saved me and my family.”

Shields went on to write a book about how her experiences fighting PPD and received thanks from many women who appreciated her shedding light on an illness that doesn’t enjoy much discussion.

“Since writing about my experiences with the disease, I have been approached by many women who have told me their stories and thanked me for opening up about a topic that is often not discussed because of fear, shame or lack of support and information,” she said. “Experts estimate that one in 10 women suffer, usually in silence, with this treatable disease.

We are living in an era of so-called family values, yet because almost all of the postnatal focus is on the baby, mothers are overlooked and left behind to endure what can be very dark times.” n

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» OSTEOPOROSIS-FIGHTING FRUIT

An apple a day? That is so last year! Recently, a Florida State University research group conducted a study that strongly suggests dried plums — more commonly known as prunes — are a strong deterrent to bone fractures when consumed daily.

During the 12-month study, one group of women was told to eat 100 grams of prunes (about 10) every day, while another group did the same with dried apples. All participants also received a daily dose of calcium and vitamin D.

In the end, the prune group had considerably higher bone mineral density in the ulna (one of two long bones in the forearm) and spine than the dried apple group. Lead researcher Dr. Bahram H. Arjmandi attributes this difference to prunes’ ability to suppress the rate at which bones degrade, which tends to exceed the rate of new bone growth as people age.

While consuming so many prunes each day might seem intimidating, those looking for a way around eating all that dried fruit be warned; prune juice and other prune parts

won’t necessarily provide benefits. “When you take them separately, they may have some effect, but not as much as the whole,” Arjmandi noted.

Prunes have about 21 calories each and may be cooked in a variety of ways and recipes. If you want to give prunes a try, slowly build up to 10 a day, starting with two or three and adding more from there. Otherwise, their effects could be — ahem — uncontrollable.

— Laura Bradley

ttaALLAHASSEE llahassee

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nutrition myths demystified

By JANICE WADE-MILLER Consumers today are bombarded by claims about food during the course of our lives â&#x20AC;&#x201D; but nutrition misinformation confuses and frustrates all of us in our pursuit of a healthier lifestyle.

Some myths will be disproved and discarded along the way, but others remain as persistent as a nasty bill collector. Still more myths will surface over time, spreading faster and farther through smart phones, social networks and mass advertising. They affect what food we buy, how we cook and even when we eat. So now is a good time to debunk some of the junk.

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ILLUSTRATIONS BY LAURA PATRICK

Flavor

Which of these 10 food myths have caught your attention?

“Calories eaten at night are more fattening.”

Whether calories are consumed during “Good Morning America” or “The Letterman Show” doesn’t matter because no connection exists between caloric intake and the clock. It’s the quantity of calories and the level of physical activity during a 24-hour period that determines whether weight is gained, lost or maintained. A late-night snack is fine as long as healthy foods are chosen and a healthy weight is maintained. The bottom line is, if more calories are eaten than our bodies need for fuel each day, those extra calories will be stored as fat.

“ALL FATS ARE BAD.”

The fact is fats are an essential nutrient, just like carbohydrates and protein.

Fats help our body absorb vitamins and minerals, assist with nerve transmission and maintain cell membrane strength. But when fats are consumed in excessive amounts, they contribute to weight gain, heart disease and certain types of cancers.

Fats are not created equal. Some are beneficial and others can cause long-term health problems. The goal is to reduce the consumption of saturated fat found in animal sources like red meat, poultry and full-fat dairy products, and increase monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats like those found in vegetable oils such as olive, corn and peanut oil. A rule of thumb to follow: Saturated bad fats are usually solid and the unsaturated good fats are liquid at room temperature.

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“Low-fat means low in calories.”

This myth can be a bit tricky. Low-fat foods, especially those marketed as fat-free, may have the same number of calories as the regular version of that same product. Fat adds flavor. When a food manufacturer removes fat from a product, it often adds sugar (and salt) to make it taste better. The extra sugar increases calories, sometimes offsetting the calories removed from fat.

Whenever the word “low” appears on the package, it’s a clue to look more closely at the Nutrition Facts label. The bottom line is that low-fat or fat-free foods don’t give us license to eat all we want because the extra sugar can add up to more calories than we might expect.

“SUGAR CAUSES DIABETES.”

It is true diabetes is related to high blood sugar levels, but eating sweets or highsugar foods does not cause diabetes. This is an important distinction.

Sugar and carbohydrates are closely linked in the body. Carbohydrates get broken down to their simple form, glucose, by stomach acid.

Think of it this way: Glucose acts like gasoline in a car engine. To get the energy we need to survive, our body converts some of the food we eat into sugars, also known as glucose. As blood sugar (glucose) levels rise, our pancreas creates a hormone called insulin. Insulin acts like a key, opening the “gas cap” in every cell wall to allow the cell to absorb that glucose and use it for fuel. But people with diabetes don’t produce enough insulin, or the body has become resistant to it. As a result, the cell gas cap stays locked and the glucose remains in the blood. Too much glucose in the blood damages organs and starves cells of their fuel.

Diabetes develops as a result of being overweight, a combination of genes with diabetic tendencies, inactivity and a diet too high in calories. So, while sugar does not cause diabetes, blood sugar levels do need to be managed carefully as part of a wellthought-out meal plan when diabetes does appear. In truth, a meal plan for a diabetic is not much different from the meal plan that non-diabetics should be eating to remain healthy. The important difference for a diabetic meal plan is to take care not to eat too many carbohydrates at one sitting. This prevents blood sugar levels from rising to an organ-damaging level.

“USING HONEY IS HEALTHIER THAN REFINED SUGAR.”

Actually, our bodies can’t tell the difference whether we squirt from the honey bottle or scoop from a sugar bowl. Honey, refined sugar and even high fructose corn syrup get broken down into glucose and fructose in our stomachs. Honey is a little sweeter than refined sugar so people may use less of it and, as a result, consume fewer calories. This may be where the myth got started.

Raw sugar, brown sugar, cane sugar, beet sugar, corn syrup, dextrose, invert sugar, turbinado sugar, etc., are basically the same.

“brown eggs are more nutritious than white eggs.”

Eggshell color can vary from white to cream to brown, but the color has nothing to do with the quality, flavor, nutritive value or cooking characteristics of an egg. The color depends only on the breed of the hen. According to the Egg Nutrition Council, “White-shelled eggs are produced by hens with white feathers and white ear lobes, and brown-shelled eggs are produced by hens with red feathers and red ear lobes. There is no difference in taste or nutritional content between white- and brown-colored eggs.” “eating eggs raises your cholesterol.”

This myth got started because an egg yolk has the most concentrated amount of cholesterol of any food. New research from the U.S. Department of Agriculture shows that eggs contain a lot less cholesterol than they did a decade ago. Today’s egg has about 185 milligrams (mg) cholesterol, down from 213 mg. Numerous other studies have proven that eggs are one of the most nutrient-dense foods available.

Overall, the average American consumes about 317 mg of cholesterol per day from all food sources, a bit higher than the American Heart Association’s daily recommendation of fewer than 300 mg. The goal is to monitor the overall intake of cholesterol, not to eliminate eggs from your diet if you enjoy eating them.

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Flavor

“multigrain breads are whole grain breads.”

No, the terms are not synomymous — even though some food manufacturers might like you to believe otherwise.

All grains start out as whole grains. If, after milling, they still contain all three parts of the original grain — the starchy endosperm, the fiber-rich bran and the germ — in their original proportions, they still qualify as whole grains. The food industry’s term “made with whole grain” can actually mean it contains very little.

In fact, a multi-grain bread may have as little as 5 percent whole grains by weight, with the rest being refined grain.

The only way to know for sure if you are eating whole grain is when the word “whole” leads the ingredient list in front of every grain mentioned. If bread, rolls or pasta say “multigrain, made with whole grains” or even “7-grain” in big letters on the front, do not assume the food contains only whole grain flour.

JIM SMITH

•

“THE BROWNER THE FOOD, THE MORE WHOLE GRAINS IT CONTAINS.”

Actually, brown dyes and additives can give foods the deceiving appearance of whole grain. Common color additives, such as molasses or caramel, can make a product appear healthier to the shopper! Some whole-grain foods are actually light in color. Cheerios is a good example.

To be perfectly honest, just-picked vegetables and fruits do provide more vitamins and minerals — if you are lucky enough to get just-picked produce. The problem is that fresh produce starts losing its nutrients within hours of picking. It is not unusual for produce to take a full week or longer to arrive on a store’s shelves. The beauty of frozen vegetables and fruits is they are flash frozen immediately after picking in order to preserve the nutrients. With bagged frozen fruits and vegetables you can easily remove just the amount you need and store the remainder in the freezer for another meal.

©Aveda Corp.

“FRESH VEGETABLES ARE MORE NUTRITIOUS THAN FROZEN.”

FEEL BEAUTIFULLY CARED FOR Have you found that what you thought you knew about food and nutrition might need some tweaking? If so, join the crowd. Misperceptions abound in the field of nutrition. As a nutrition educator, I have to continually update my own knowledge about what is true and what is not.

Look a little deeper and do some research when learning a new fact about food or nutrition, and you’ll be well on your way to becoming a more informed consumer.

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Janice Wade-Miller has a master’s degree in food and nutrition from Florida State University. In her role as a health educator, she has worked with all age groups, from young children to senior citizens. She can be reached at jan3mail@aol.com. n

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Great Food • Great Friends • Warm & Inviting Atmosphere Upscale Tastes at Affordable Prices

Tuesday - Sunday 7AM - 2PM 3500 Kinhega Dr. (850) 907-EGGS (3447) F: (850) 907-8258 3740 Austin Davis Ave. (850) 765-0703 F: (850) 765-0706

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dining guide 2011 Best of Tallahassee. . . . . . . . . . . . .

Breakfast/Brunch....................................

Lunch......................................................

Dinner.....................................................

Takeout Available...................................

Outdoor Dining......................................

Live Music..............................................

Bar/Lounge.............................................

Reservations...........................................

Credit Cards Accepted.. . . . . . . . . . . . .

Up to $10............................................... $ $10 – $15................................................$$ $15 and up.......................................... $$$

Gourmet Specialty A LA PROVENCE $$$ French. A rich décor and graceful atmosphere create a memorable dining experience, offering French-Mediterranean cuisine, including Crepes De Mer and Escargot de Bourgogne. A complimentary amuse bouche, a bite-size appetizer, allows chefs to show off their culinary skills to guests. 1415 Timberlane Road. Lunch 11:30 a.m.– 2 p.m. Mon.–Fri., Dinner 5:30–9:30 p.m. Mon.– Sat. (850) 329-6870 $$$ Andrew’s 228 American and Italian. A chic urban restaurant serving signature blends of creative American and Italian cuisine in stylish surroundings.

Named one of the Top 20 Restaurants in Florida three years in a row by Florida Trend. Private rooms are available for banquets and meetings. 228 S. Adams St. 6–10 p.m. Mon.–Thu., 6–11 p.m. Fri.–Sat. (850) 222-3444.

Anthony’s $$ Wood Fire Grill American and Italian. After 26 years in Betton Place, restaurateur Dick Anthony has returned in a new location with a new menu featuring grilled chicken, steak, fish and hamburgers. Italian favorites that made the original Anthony’s so popular have returned on the “First Loves Second Chances” portion of the dinner menu. 1355 Market St. Lunch 11 a.m.– 2 p.m. Mon.–Fri., Dinner 5–9 p.m. Mon.–Sun., Brunch 11 a.m.–2 p.m. Sun. (850) 224-1447, anthonyswoodfiregrilltallahassee.com $$$ Avenue Eat & Drink A chic restaurant offering a melting pot of flavors fresh from the South, served in scrumptious dining presentations. Sunday brunch is a not-to-be-missed treat. Refine your meal with a glass of wine or a cocktail at the onyx bar.

115 E. Park Avenue. Brunch 9:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m.

Sat.–Sun., Lunch 11 a.m–4 p.m. Mon.–Sat., Dinner 4–10:30 p.m Mon.–Thurs., 4–11 p.m. Fri.– Sat., (850) 224-0115

$$$ CHEZ PIERRE French. French and Southern hospitality converge at Chez Pierre. From the signature Crepes Poulet to delicious grilled duck breast and freshground Australian lamb burgers, the restaurant repeated “Best Happy Hour” and “Best Outdoor Dining” honors from the readers of Tallahassee Magazine in 2011. Live music accompanies your meal most nights of the week. Sun.–Thurs.

11 a.m.–10 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 11 a.m.–11 p.m. 1215 Thomasville Rd. (850) 222-0936.

Cypress Restaurant $$$ New Southern. Voted “Best Fine Dining” and “Best Celebration/Special Occasion” by Tallahassee Magazine readers in 2011. Sophisticated Southern regional dining in a contemporary, metropolitan setting. Menu features chef-cut fish and aged meats, fresh in-house preparations, a comprehensive wine list and full bar. Valet parking available at night. 320 E. Tennessee St. Dinner only Tues.–Sat. Open at 5 p.m. (850) 513-1100.

Food Glorious Food $$$ American. Choose from several savory soups, nearly a dozen salads, and a great selection of sandwiches and pastas with hot entrées that represent a variety of world cuisines.

Heavenly dessert concoctions — voted “Best Dessert” in 2011 by Tallahassee Magazine readers — will please even the most discriminating diner. 1950 Thomasville Road. Lunch 11 a.m.–2:30 p.m. Mon.–Sat., Dinner 5:30– 9:30 p.m. Tues.–Thurs. and Sun., 5:30–10:30 p.m. Fri.–Sat., Closed Mon. for dinner. Sun. Brunch 10 a.m.–2:30 p.m. (850) 224-9974.

Georgio’s $$$ American. If George Koikos is in the house, you can count on a visit to your table from him during your meal. His hands-on commitment to quality, food, service and a personal touch have kept his restaurants in business for 44 years.

Now with two locations. 3425 Thomasville Road.

Opens 5 p.m. Mon.–Sat. (850) 893-4161 or 2971 Apalachee Parkway. 4–10 p.m. Mon.–Sat. (850) 877-3211.

Kitcho Japanese Restaurant $$ Japanese. Its specialty, sushi, was named the best in Tallahassee in 2006. Step inside Kitcho’s Velvet Lounge for a sip or two of sake as you sit comfortably while waiting for your table. 1415 Timberlane Road. 11:30 a.m.–2 p.m. and 5:30– 10 p.m. Tue.–Fri., 5:30–10 p.m. Sat., 5:30–9 p.m.

Sun. (850) 893-7686.

Liam’s Restaurant $$$ American. Located in historic Downtown Thomasville, Ga., Liam’s serves delicious sustainably sourced, natural, organic foods. The menu changes based upon what the owners find to be the best available ingredients from small artisanal producers. Look for a catch of the day along with great tasting beef and pork dishes.

A large selection of cheeses is a specialty here.

113 E. Jackson St. Lunch 11 a.m.–2 p.m. Tues.– Fri. Dinner 5:30 p.m.–close Thurs.–Sat. European Breakfast 9 a.m.–1 p.m. Sat. (229) 226-9944 $$$ The Melting Pot Fondue. This restaurant offers a variety of fondues including cheese and chocolate dessert.

The Melting Pot earned two “Best of” awards in 2010, for “Best Romantic” and “Best Celebration/Special Occasion” restaurant. 2727 N. Monroe St. 5–11 p.m. Sun.–Thu., 5 p.m.–midnight Fri.–Sat. (850) 386-7440. $$ Mockingbird Café Fusion. Enjoy hand-cut steaks and Gulf seafood along with American regional, Mediterranean, Asian and Middle Eastern dishes in an upscale refined atmosphere. Food is fresh, locally purchased and seasonal, made from scratch by talented in-house chefs. Diners will also enjoy delicious seasonal desserts, nightly food and drink specials and live music on weekends. 1225 N. Monroe St. Lunch 11 a.m.–2:30 p.m. Mon.– Sat., dinner 5:30–10 p.m Mon.-Sat. Bar/lounge 5:30 p.m.–2 a.m. Mon.–Sat. Brunch 11 a.m.– 2:30 p.m. Sun. (850) 222-4956.

Specialty A.J. Sports Bar & Grill $ American. This hangout spot — named “Best Sports Bar” by Tallahassee Magazine readers in 2011 — is known for its sandwiches, backyard burgers and flavored wings. Watch sports from one of their 50 flat screens, shoot some pool or play darts, or enjoy happy hour. 1800 W. Tennessee St. 5 p.m.–2 a.m. Mon.–Fri. and noon–2 a.m.

Sat.–Sun. (850) 681-0731 Andrew’s Capital $$ Grill and Bar American. Andrew’s, a Downtown landmark for nearly 40 years, is an energetic, casual, see-andbe-seen spot. House favorites include a popular lunch buffet, hamburgers, chicken quesadillas, Mediterranean Pasta, Cedar Plank Salmon and Chicken Fiorentina. Downtown delivery. 228 S. Adams St. 11:30 a.m.–10 p.m. Mon.–Thu., 11:30 a.m.–11 p.m. Fri.–Sat., Brunch 11 a.m.– 2 p.m. Sun. (850) 222-3444/Fax (850) 222-2433.

The Egg Café $$ And Eatery American. Made-to-order items using the finest ingredients, cooked to your liking. Voted Tallahassee’s best nine times, including the 2011 awards for “Best Breakfast” and “Best Brunch.”

In Evening Rose at 5740 Austin Davis Ave. and 3500 Kinhega Drive. 7 a.m.–2 p.m. Tue.–Sun. (850) 907-3447.

AZu — a Lucy Ho’s $/$$ restaurant Asian. Serving Tallahassee since 1970, Lucy Ho’s offers Japanese style cooking with Cantonese, Sichuan, Hunan, Peking and Taiwanese influences. tallahassee

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2011

BEST ASIAN RESTAURANT/ BEST SUSHI

BEST CAJUN RESTAURANT

Ready To Eat Market Items EAST MEETS WEST A Fresh Take on Pan-Asian Cuisine and Sushi Join us for Lunch & Dinner Extensive Selection of Wine, Beer & Sake

• Gumbos • Boneless stuffed chicken • Casserole • Lasagna • Enchiladas • Soups • Cajun (But not Spicy Hot) • Family-friendly • Coosh Cool • Former Co-owners of the Mill • Muffins are back on Saturdays and can be pre-ordered

Come pass a good time!

1001 N. Monroe St. (850) 847-0003 | masatallahasee.com

850-894-4110 | Cooshs.com 2910 Kerry Forrest Parkway

The Perfect Location for a Romantic Evening

HERE, YOU’RE AMONG FRIENDS. 2011

BEST CASUAL DINING BEST LOCALLY OWNED RESTAURANT

MODERN AMERICAN CUISINE LUNCH: MON–FRI, 11–2:30 DINNER: MON–SAT, 5:30–10 SUNDAY BRUNCH: 10:30-2

921 THOMASVILLE RD. (850) 224-2466 WWW.KOOLBEANZ-CAFE.COM 132

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• Thank you Tallahassee for voting our wine list the BEST in 2011!

• Two full liquor bars • FREE wine tasting every 1st & 3rd Wednesday of every month • Happy Hour every day, including Saturday!

• Chic lounge setting • Outstanding small plate menu and desserts • Tallahassee’s only Balcony Bar overlooking Midtown • Great venue for large and small parties 1 20 0

www.thewinelofttallahassee.net facebook.com/winelofttallahassee 850.222.9914 Open Mon–Thur 5pm ’til | Fri & Sat 4pm–2am Located at the Orleans@Midtown 1240 Thomasville Rd.

The corner of 6th Ave & Thomasville Rd.

2011

Dining Guide

Lucy Ho’s has moved back to the Apalachee Parkway, just east of Capital Circle Southeast, to better serve its customers. Diners will also find a full bar and the freshest sushi. 3220 Apalachee Parkway. Weekdays, 11 a.m.–10 p.m.; Sat., noon– 10 p.m.; Sun., noon–9 p.m. (850) 893-4112. $$ Bella Bella Italian. Cozy home-like atmosphere and authentic homemade traditional Italian food made this Midtown dining hotspot the “Best Italian” winner in 2011. Try their famous Bubble Bread and delicious pasta specials. Catering available. 123 E. 5th Ave. Lunch 11 a.m.–3 p.m. Mon.–Fri., Dinner 5–9:30 p.m. Mon.–Thu., 5–10 p.m. Fri.–Sat. (850) 412-1114. $$ EL JALISCO Mexican. With two–for–one margaritas most nights of the week, where can you go wrong?

And the food, named “Best Mexican/Latin American” in 2011, is great too. Endless chips and salsa complement any menu item; the chicken quesadillas and beef tamales will keep you coming back for more. Mon.–Sat. 11 a.m.– 12 a.m. Sun. 11 a.m.–10 p.m. 2022 N. Monroe St. (850) 878-0800; 2915-301 Kerry Forest Pkwy.

(850) 668-1002 and 6497 Apalachee Pkwy. (850) 402-0733. $$ Jonah’s Fish & Grits American Southern. This Thomasville, Ga. restaurant serves good food made fresh daily in an alcohol-free, family friendly atmosphere. Soups, salads, pastas and specialty sandwiches focused on fish and seafood with a Southern twist are featured at lunch and dinner. Dinner also includes a more extensive selection from their wood-burning grill including their signature Gingersnap Salmon. Made-from-scratch Hush Puppies are a house specialty. Low-fat and Kids menus are available. 109 East Jackson St. Lunch 11 a.m.– 2 p.m. Mon.–Fri. Dinner 5–9 p.m. Mon-Fri. Open Sat. 11 a.m.–9 p.m. (229) 226-0508 $$ Kiku Japanese Fusion. With a wide selection of sushi rolls and traditional Japanese dishes, Kiku caters to a variety of tastes. 3491 Thomasville Road Suite 12. Open Mon.–Thurs.

11–2:30pm, 4:30–10 p.m., Fri. 11–2:30 p.m., 4:30–10:30 p.m., Sat. 12–10:30 p.m. and Sun. 12–10. (850) 222-5458. $$/$$$ Kool Beanz Fusion. As winner of Tallahassee Magazine’s 2011 “Best Locally Owned” and “Best Casual Dining” restaurant, this colorful and casual spot has been serving up gourmet dishes since 1996.

Diners can expect delicious modern American cuisine, as well as dishes influenced by the worldwide travels of the kitchen staff. Menus change daily so guests can expect something new with each visit. 921 Thomasville Road.

Lunch Mon.–Fri. 11 a.m.–2:30 p.m., Dinner Mon.– Sat. 5:30–10 p.m. (850) 224-2466.

$ LUNA’S ITALIAN FOOD Italian-American. Gourmet deli sandwiches and pasta dishes to take home. Large selection of imported wine, cheeses, sauces and Italian grocery items — plus Italian gelato. 1122 Thomasville Road. 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Tues.–Fri., 10 a.m.–3 p.m.

Mon. and Sat., Closed Sunday. (850) 421-5862.

Masa $–$$ Asian Fusion. This sister restaurant to Lucy Ho’s serves up a creative menu with items such as Chilean Sea Bass with mango salsa, Tropical Fruit, Sweet and Sour Chicken and a Fried Cheese Cake Roll. In 2011, Masa repeated wins in the “Best Asian” and “Best Sushi” categories.

Enjoy an extensive selection of wine, beer and sake in a dark, original and casual dining setting. 1001 N. Monroe St. 11 a.m.–9:30 p.m. Mon.– Fri., Noon–10 p.m. Sat.–Sun. (850) 847-0003.

Moonspin Pizza $ Moonspin offers gourmet pizza and calzones, salads and desserts. Its toppings are fresh from local farms in the South Georgia and Tallahassee area. 113 N. Crawford St., Thomasville, Ga. Lunch 11 a.m.–2 p.m. Wed.–Sun, Dinner 5–9 p.m.

Wed.–Sun. (229) 226-4488 Old Town Café $$ American. Southern hospitality is embedded throughout this family-owned restaurant. Mom’s meatloaf with mashed potatoes and green beans makes you feel like you’re home, not to mention their world famous prime rib, which slowly roasts all day. Timberlane Road. 11 a.m.–9 p.m.

Mon.–Thurs. 11 a.m.–10 p.m. Fri. and Sat. 4–10 p.m.

(850) 893-5741 Osaka Japanese Steakhouse and Sushi Bar $$$ Japanese. Knives flash and patrons gasp as talented hibachi chefs “play” with your food while creating delicious chicken, steak and seafood dishes in front of you. Voted “Best Hibachi” by readers of Tallahassee Magazine. 1690 Raymond Diehl Road. Open daily 11 a.m.–10 p.m. (850) 531-0222. Private parties.

Sakura $$$ Japanese. Sleek interior design mixed with amazing dishes equals a spectacular meal experience. This new and exciting Japanese cuisine rewards not only your taste buds but also your eyes with its beautifully prepared dishes of sushi and other traditional Japanese fare. 1318 N. Monroe St. Lunch 11:30 a.m.–3 p.m. Mon.–Sat., Dinner 5–10 p.m. Mon.–Thurs., 5–11 p.m. Fri.– Sat., 4:30–10 p.m. Sun. (850) 222-9991.

THE WINE LOFT Wine Bar $$ American. Enjoy delicious items off the small plate menu and a vast selection of wines in a chic, sophisticated atmosphere downstairs or on the balcony overlooking Midtown. The Wine Loft boasts a generous array of more than 50 wines by the glass and more than 70 by the bottle that earned it “Best Wine List” honors in 2011. 1240

Thomasville Road. Open 5 p.m. Mon–Thu., 4 p.m.–2 a.m. Fri. and Sat. (850) 222-9914. thewinelofttallahassee.net

Family/Casual Chick-fil-A $ No, there’s not a farm in the back of their restaurant, but one could easily assume it with the fresh, crispy taste of their famous chicken. Voted “Best Fast Food,” Chick-fil-A’s chicken sandwiches, salads, wraps and nuggets are an on-the-go treat for the ready-to-roll eater. Four locations, 8:30 a.m.–9 p.m. Mon.–Sat., closed Sundays.

Coosh’s Bayou Rouge $$ Voted “Best Cajun,” Coosh’s Bayou Rouge offers the best of Louisiana with its signature crawfish, po’boys, gumbo, muffalettas and jambalaya. 2910 Kerry Forest Parkway, 11 a.m.–10 p.m.

Mon.–Fri., 9 a.m.–10 p.m. Sat., 11 a.m.–3 p.m.

Sun. (850) 894-4110 The Crepevine $ French Fusion. Delicious signature crepes are stuffed with fillings that make them savory or sweet. You can order from the menu, or create your own. Breakfast-style crepes are served all day long. The menu at this casual bistro also includes salads and yogurt bowls. 2020 W. Pensacola St., (850) 562-7373; 1304 N. Monroe St., (850) 329-6754. thecrepevine.com Earley’s Kitchen $ American Southern. For 33 years, Earley’s has been dishing up “good ole Southern” country cooking for breakfast and lunch at its restaurant inside Henry’s Meats. A second location now open in SouthWood serves fried chicken, pork chops, made-from-scratch vegetables, desserts and more, as well as a few extra Savannah-style dishes like shrimp and grits. The SouthWood restaurant also serves a Sunday brunch buffet. At the 1812 S. Monroe St. location: Mon.–Fri., 6:30 a.m.–3 p.m.; Sat. (breakfast only) 7 a.m.–noon. (850) 224-7090.

The SouthWood location at 3196 Merchant’s Row Blvd.: Mon.–Sat. 7 a.m.–3 p.m.; Sun. 7 a.m.– 1 p.m. (850) 692-3491. five Guys BURGERS & Fries $ Burgers. Five Guys was a quick hit with the readers of Tallahassee Magazine, who named its burgers the best in 2010 and 2011. Serving up made-to-order burgers and hot dogs with your choice of Cajun or home-style fries, it’s no wonder this restaurant has customers coming back for more. 1872 Thomasville Road. Mon.– Sun. 11 a.m.–10 p.m. (850) 597-7514 Hopkins’ Eatery $ American. Sandwiches, salads, delicious sweets and more. Voted “Best Deli” and once again voted the best place to have lunch by the readers of Tallahassee Magazine in 2011. 1660 N. Monroe St. and 1415 Market St. 11 a.m.–9 p.m. tallahassee

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2011

BEST LIVE MUSIC/ ENTERTAINMENT VENUE

FINNEGAN’S WAKE Northern Florida’s only Authentic Irish Pub Live music & Full bar Guinness, Bass and Smithwick’s on tap Watch real football on flatscreen TVs Open 3 p.m.-2 a.m. Everyday 850.222.4225 | thepubfromireland.com Facebook: Finnegans Wake Irish Pub

1122 Thomasville Road, Manor@Midtown

Live Music Dance Music Provided by Greg Tish/GT Entertainment 37 Draught Beer Taps Two Full bars with spirits, wine and beer Open Thursday, Friday and Saturday Nights Located next door to Finnegan’s Wake 850.222.4225 | Facebook: Fifth-Avenue-Tap-Room 1122 Thomasville Road, Manor@Midtown

2011

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Dining Guide

Exceeding Expectations for more than 20 years

Mon.–Fri., 11 a.m.–5 p.m. Sat. (850) 386-4258, (850) 668-0311. $ MOMO’S Pizza. Boasting the largest pizza you’ll find in Tallahassee — and possibly the Southeast — Momo’s offers big flavor that’s gotten a “Best of” award in 2011. Fill yourself up with a slice for yourself or order a pie to share. Now with two locations: Sun.–Thurs. 11 a.m.–9 p.m. Fri.–Sat. 11 a.m.–10 p.m. 1410 Market St. (850) 412-0222 and 1416 W. Tennessee St. (850) 224-9808.

Blue Plate Specials • Burgers & Salads Wraps & Pasta • Fresh Seafood Baby Back Ribs • Prime Rib

1415 Timberlane Road (at Market Square) 893-5741

$ One Fresh Stir Fry Choose your cooking style, pick your starch, pick the meat and vegetables and finish up your bowl with sauce and garnish. Toss it in a pan and you have a tasty stir-fry meal, One Fresh style. They also offer a variety of hoagies, sushi, burritos, tacos and barbecue. Three locations, 11 a.m.–9:30 p.m. Mon.–Sun. Pepper’s Mexican $ Grill & Cantina It’s a fiesta every day at Pepper’s. Enjoy mariachi music as you chow down on fajitas, enchiladas, quesadillas and other Mexican specialties served with their homemade sauces. 1140 Capital Circle S.E. 11 a.m.–10 p.m. Mon–Thurs., 11 a.m.–10:30 p.m. Fri.–Sat. 11 a.m.–9 a.m. Sun. (850) 877-2020 $ Red Elephant PIZZA AND GRILL American. Enjoy a fresh, fast and filling meal that will satisfy your taste buds and your wallet. The casual atmosphere is perfect for social gatherings with friends and family, say readers of Tallahassee Magazine, who voted Red Elephant “Best Casual Dining” and “Best Family Friendly” restaurant. 2910 Kerry Forest Pkwy Suite C-3., Sun.–Thu. 11 a.m.–9 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 11 a.m.–10 p.m. 1872 Thomasville Road Suite A., Sun.–Thu. 11 a.m. 9:30 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 11 a.m.– 10 p.m. Kerry Forest (850) 668-7492. Midtown (850) 222-7492. $ Sonny’s Real Pit Bar-B-Q Barbecue. Enjoy Sonny’s “feel good” barbecue and special sauces. Voted “Best Barbecue” in 2011. 3101 Dick Wilson Blvd., 2707 N. Monroe St. and 1460 Timberlane Road. All locations 11 a.m.–9 p.m. Sun.–Thu., 11 a.m.–10 p.m. Fri.– Sat. Dick Wilson Blvd. (850) 878-1185, N. Monroe St. (850) 385-2167, Timberlane Road. (850) 906-9996. Catering available. $ Wing Stop Wings. Named “Best Wings” winner in 2011, Wing Stop offers freshly made wings sauced and tossed in a choice of nine flavors. Savor something sweet with the Hawaiian sauce or something zesty with the Hickory Smoked BBQ. 1964 W. Tennessee St., 3111 Mahan Drive, 6668 Thomasville Road. All locations 11 a.m.–midnight Tennessee St. (850) 574-9464, Mahan Dr. (850) 942-9464, Thomasville Road (850) 219-9464.

New Mobile Wood-Fire Pizza Oven Available for Catering

G ourmet Panini Sandwiches • Artisan Breads Global Wines • Imported Italian Pasta & Other Market Items Family Size Meals To Go • Lunch & Dinner Items Tailgating Specials & Catering Available 1122 Thomasville Road, Suite 4 | 421.5862 | lunasitalianfood.net Tues-Fri 10am-6pm, Mon & Sat 10am-3pm, closed Sun CASH, MASTERCARD, VISA, AMEX

Join us for sizzling fajitas and frozen margaritas!

DINE

WITH US

1140 Capital Circle SE #15, Tallahassee, FL | (850) 877-2020 peppersmexican.com/locations/tallahassee

VISIT US AT ALL LOCATIONS 530 Centre St. Fernandina Beach, FL 32034 (904) 277-2011

13475 Atlantic Blvd.

Jacksonville, FL 32225 (904) 221-2300

129 City Smitty Dr. St. Mary’s, GA 31558 (912) 576-3055

794. S. Atlantic Ave. Ormond Beach, FL 32176 (386) 673-7668

96098 Lofton Square Ct. Yulee, FL 32097 (904) 491-6955

224 Reid Ave. Port St. Joe, FL 32456 (850) 229-8540

2061 MLK Jr. Blvd.

Panama City, FL 32405 (850) 785-2227

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food bites Don’t hibernate: Get out of the cave and find something warm and yummy during the cold months.

DINNER | Ray’s Steel City Saloon

For a zesty and fresh taste of the Orient, give the Asian Tuna & Calamari a try. Pan-seared rare Ahi tuna, layered on top of homemade wonton crisps and Asian slaw is served with calamari salad flavored with fresh ginger and spices. This “small plate” treat comes with a savory Asian dipping sauce. $14.95.

ENTRÉE | Up in Smoke Pit Bar-B-Q

If it’s hard to decide between classic meatloaf or a plate of tasty barbecue, Up in Smoke has solved your dilemma. Ma’s Smoked Meatloaf is both! Two thick slices of smoky meatloaf get an extra kick from the homemade chipotle ketchup. It comes with two sides. We suggest the cole slaw and mac and cheese topped with crushed pretzels. $12

BREAKFAST/LUNCH | Bagleheads

To make their Bagel Sticks, Bagelheads takes their homemade bagel dough, sprinkles it with olive oil and parmesan cheese and gives you a choice of three different combo fillings. Think of it as a bagel calzone! We tried the Sausage and Pepper Jack at breakfast and then shared a Ham and Cheese, and Turkey and Provolone at lunch another day. All three were delicious and a bargain at $3.49 each.

VooDoo Dog’s PB&B Burger

Ray’s Steel City Saloon Asian Tuna & Calamari

SANDWICH | Tropical Smoothie

If you’re in the mood for a fast and tasty lunch, try the Wasabi Roast Beef Sandwich. Tropical Smoothie’s version features a generous stack of roast beef topped with pepper jack cheese, romaine lettuce and a unique wasabi/caesar dressing that provides some bite without too much heat. It’s all served up on a toasted ciabatta bun. $6.79 or $9.99 as a combo with a smoothie and your choice of chips, fruit or a cookie.

9

2010

Authentic Mexican Restaurant

2011

BEST MEXICAN RESTAURANT

2 FOR 1 MEAVREGRAYDRITAYA!S (850) 878-0800 2022 N. Monroe St.

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(850) 668-1002

2915-301 Kerry Forest Pkwy.

NEW LOCATION!

(850)) 402-0733 6497 Apalachee Pkwy.

Photo By Scott Holstein

NOW THREE LOCATIONS

Dining Guide

Soda Fountain • Toys • Victorian Candy VILLAGE PIZZA AND PASTA $$ Pizza/Pasta. Made-from-scratch New Yorkstyle pizza is a favorite at this casual Italian spot, but its mouthwatering pastas with secret marinara sauce are close behind. One of its most popular choices, the Village Special, includes enough fresh toppings such as pepperoni, sausage, broccoli and mozzarella, to satisfy any pizza lover. Not to mention homemade garlic rolls. 1400-33 Village Square Boulevard.

11 a.m.–6 p.m. Mon.–Sun. For catering call (850) 893-9001.

Steak/seafood BONEFISH GRILL $$$ Steak/Seafood. Although a chain, Bonefish works hard to make each restaurant—and each meal—unique with an array of seafood and sauces that can be mixed and matched to diners’ tastes. The restaurant earned 2011 “Best of Tallahassee” honors for its appetizers (Can you say Bang Bang Shrimp?) and the star of its menu, seafood. Mon.–Thurs. 4–10:30 p.m., Fri.– Sat. 4–11:30 p.m., Sun. 4–10 p.m. 3491 Thomasville Rd. (850) 297-0460.

PRODUCING AND DISTRIBUTING FRESH, HIGH-QUALITY COFFEE LOCALLY

Wake UP your LUCK!

Harry’s Seafood Bar & Grill $$ Cajun. A New Orleans dining experience you won’t soon forget! Delicious Creole cuisine, fresh seafood and steaks, rich pastas, sensational salads and more. “Great Food, Great Service; Good Value, Good Times.” 301 S. Bronough St. 11 a.m.–10 p.m. Thu.–Sun., 11 a.m.–11 p.m. Fri.–Sat. (850) 222-3976.

WHOLESALE • RETAIL • PRIVATE LABEL • CORPORATE GIFTS • FUNDRAISING

luckygoatcoffee.com | brooke@luckygoatcoffee.com

Marie Livingston’s Steakhouse $$$ Steak. This restaurant specializes in steak — named Tallahassee’s “Best Steakhouse” once again in 2011 — but also serves seafood such as shrimp and fish. Marie Livingston’s has moved to a new location with a sophisticated decor, but the quality and value remain the same. 2705 Apalachee Parkway. Lunch 11 a.m.–2 p.m. Mon.– Fri. Dinner 5 p.m. daily (850) 562-2525.

Shula’s 347 $$$ Steak. The legendary Miami Dolphins’ head coach brings his philosophy for winning football games — the quest for perfection — to the dining table at his namesake restaurant, located in Hotel Duval. Keep it light and casual with Premium Black Angus Beef burgers or a gourmet salad or opt for one of their signature entrées — “Shula Cut” filet, New York strip or Cowboy steaks. Reservations are suggested. Sun.–Thurs.

5–10 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 5–11 p.m. 415 N. Monroe St. (850) 224-6005. n

2011 BEST LUNCH BEST DELI

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The Last Word

Big Time Tallahassee When You Live in a Rural Community, A Trip to the Capital City is a Treat

By Ralna Pearson

T

allahassee is only an hour away from Bainbridge. Growing up, I was always grateful for this fact.

Bainbridge is rural and quiet.

It sits in the southwest corner of Georgia, just above the state line. There’s not much to do there and nowhere to go. When I was a kid, there was no real mall, no decent restaurants, no Chuck E. Cheese. But Tallahassee was always the opposite — lively, lots of stores, a greater diversity of people.

So whenever an adult would say, “I’ve got to go to Tallahassee,” I would perk up, hoping they would ask, “You wanna go?”

My mom and I would ride along with a one of her girlfriends to Tallahassee a couple of times a month. I’d look forward to the trip from the moment I found out we were going. We’d get ready that morning, ironing, hot curling, choosing the right outfit. You couldn’t go just any old way.

The trips were always the same — shopping, followed by dinner at Morrison’s Cafeteria in the Tallahassee Mall or Quincy’s Steakhouse across the street. If we went to Governor’s Square, a real treat, I’d

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get to see the tall buildings downtown. I’d gaze up at them from the back seat, happy that something resembling a big city existed this close to me. As we headed down Apalachee Parkway, I’d look back at all the cars coming down and going up the hill in front of the Capitol. Big city traffic — almost, anyway.

Leaving always made me a little sad.

As we drove out of town, I’d look out the back window at the cars on North Monroe, headlights and taillights glowing in the dark of the night, and the neon signs fronting all the stores. As a teen, I imagined it must favor the famous big city strips — Lakeshore Drive, Broadway, Sunset Boulevard, Peachtree Street.

I knew it wasn’t the real thing. New York City, Atlanta, Chicago … those were the genuine articles, not Tallahassee. But its allure was about more than its resemblance to some big city. It was a real lifesaver to me, and thousands of southwestern Georgians. Want to see a movie? Shop for new school clothes? Need major surgery? See a college game? Attend college?

Go out for a decent dinner? Get a higherpaying job? Most everyone headed to Tallahassee. They still do.

Those who live in self-sufficient cities don’t know how good they have it. Be anywhere you want at a moment’s notice with no need to get all dolled up or fill up the gas tank. Run to the mall to exchange that pair of pants, see your therapist on your lunch break, pick up some wheatgrass at New Leaf. It’s all done without much forethought or planning.

Living in Bainbridge — or any small town — you make daily sacrifices. Some people accept this reality easily. Others fail to see the sacrifice at all. And then there are those like me, who pout and sulk, throwing temper tantrums, vowing never to return. I’ve lived in cities bigger and smaller than Tallahassee since those starry-eyed trips as a kid. Now that I’m back home — so much for the vow — I’m still thankful for the lifeline Tallahassee extends to its neighbors to the north.

And I still perk up when someone asks, “You wanna ride to Tallahassee?” n

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“WE PUT YOUR FAMILY IN OUR FAMILY MEDICINE.” At Patients First, we believe family medicine and urgent care can be provided within the same atmosphere.

Every service we provide strives toward providing the Tallahassee community with quality, long-term patient care for your entire family. Sometimes you just can’t wait for an appointment, walk-in urgent care services always available. Visit patientsfirst.com today for a complete list of our seven convenient locations, including our night and weekend hours.

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2011

BEST FAMILY PRACTICE

Thank you Tallahassee for voting Patients First as Best Family Practice.