TALLAHASSEE MAGAZINE
When You Need A Doctor, Not An Appointment!
GIFT GUIDE + MASON JAR IDEAS + HOLIDAY CONCERTS
NOV-DEC 2014
Family Medicine • Urgent Care
BEST OF TALLAHASSEE
Since we opened our first medical center in 1989, PATIENTS FIRST recognized your need for a faster and more convenient solution to non life-threatening urgencies. PATIENTS FIRST is available for those times when you need a doctor, not just an appointment. A PATIENTS FIRST visit is perfect for when you can’t wait for medical attention, but you also don’t want to pay the high costs of emergency room visits.
» MASON JAR GIFTING » WORLD WAR II LETTERS
7 Convenient Locations
www.PatientsFirst.com
TALLAHASSEEMAGAZINE.COM
Tallahassee Magazine’s 2011, 2012, 2013 Best of Tallahassee Best Family Practice Winner Three Years in a Row
Dean Gioia’s ‘Illuminating’ New Work
WWII Veterans Donate Letters, Share Memories
For Shooters, Clays Always in Season
TMH is the only hospital between
Anywhere in Tallahassee
New Orleans and Jacksonville to offer it. Most hospitals have limited treatment options for strokes and brain aneurysms. Tallahassee Memorial is one of a few hospitals in the country with neurosurgeons who perform endovascular neurosurgery. These revolutionary endovascular treatments allow our neurosurgeons to remove blood clots and repair brain aneurysms without opening the skull.
Hear from patients at TMH.org/revolutionary.
Matthew F. Lawson, MD Endovascular Neurosurgeon
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TMH.org/Women
The region’s only NICU.
Anna, born at TMH TALLAHASSEEMAGAZINE.COM November–December 2014
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»contents VOLUME 37, NUMBER 6
features
144 The 12 Days
of Mason Jars “Little Miss Mason Jar” Randi Shiver inspires us to make gifts, décor and even meals using these classic glass containers.
130 152 Best of Tallahassee WW II Letters Local veterans donate artifacts — and their memories — to FSU’s Institute on World War II and the Human Experience.
SAIGE ROBERTS
Our readers have spoken and we’re unveiling their 2014 favorite restaurants, service providers and more.
TALLAHASSEEMAGAZINE.COM November–December 2014
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»contents VOLUME 37, NUMBER 6
departments
40
92
170
224
life
style
culture
food
30
SNAPSHOT Fire drills are important at home, too.
74
33
CHAT Wisdom from The Woz.
79
35
THE NUMERATOR Breaking down the FSU/UF rivalry.
37
PARENTHOOD When your child has a holiday birthday.
40
GREAT OUTDOORS For shooters, clays are always in season.
47
PERSONALITY This trio has resurrected the Trans Am.
53
LOOKING BACK Interstate 10’s missing link.
60
LIFE FEATURE Communitybased policing and an interview with the new chief.
71
AGENDA Changes in the business world.
10 November–December 2014
TRENDS New looks for leather.
170 SPOTLIGHT Dean Gioia’s “illuminating” new work.
A BETTER YOU Beauty …
175
81
MIND AND BODY The dangers of energy drinks.
ON THE TOWN You’re invited to celebrate New Year’s Downtown.
178
87
DÉCOR Scent-sational ways to set the mood at home.
CULTURE Get an earful of holiday concerts.
186 CALENDAR Jolly holiday fun.
89
in a box.
MS. GROW-IT-ALL
Find holiday decorations in your yard.
92
HABITAT The Jansen house has nutcrackers galore — and so much more!
122
GETAWAYS The joys of all-inclusive vacationing at Sandals Exuma.
79
TALLAHASSEEMAGAZINE.COM
201 SOCIAL STUDIES Faces from Top Singles, charities and the community.
211
THE BUZZ We make a beeline for good times.
218
FLAVOR Discovering cooks’ holiday food traditions.
224 ON THE MENU Sidecar’s gourmet bar food.
231
ON YOUR TABLE Spicy, exotic and good-for-you ginger.
235 DINING GUIDE Check out our new Best of Tallahassee winners.
in every issue 16 Publisher’s Letter 24 Editor’s Letter 27 Contributors 28 Feedback 242 The Last Word
On the Cover
Moore Communications Group created the concept — and an ambitious plan to engage the community — when it designed the cover for this issue. For more, see pages 16, 18, 20 and 22.
PHOTOS BY MATT BURKE (170), TRISTIN KROENING (224), SCOTT HOLSTEIN (92), VISIT FLORIDA/COLIN HACKLEY PHOTO (40) AND COURTESY BIRCHBOX (79)
Enriching People Every Day ®
First Florida Credit Union Committed to delivering trusted financial products and services to enrich your life. We invite you to visit our website or call to learn more.
(800) 766-4328 ext. 1 Connect with us
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Everyone who lives or works in Baker, Bradford, Broward, Clay, Duval, Flagler, Franklin, Gadsden, Hillsborough, Jefferson, Leon, Liberty, Madison, Miami-Dade, Nassau, Orange, Seminole, St. Johns, Taylor, Wakulla and Union counties can join First Florida. Additionally, state of Florida employees and the employees of CSX Transportation are eligible for membership. TALLAHASSEEMAGAZINE.COM November–December 2014 11
»contents VOLUME 37, NUMBER 6
special sections 102
Holiday Gift Guide
Local businesses offer helpful hints for choosing the perfect present.
DATE PACKAGES SPONSORED BY
106
2014 Top Singles raises more than $63,000 for charity 5th Annual Tallahassee Top Singles Event August 23, 2014, at Hotel Duval The 2014 Top Singles event was a rousing success, with 18 singles raising thousands of dollars for 18 different charities. This year, the event format changed, with each single pre-raising funds prior to the event and then participating in an authentic auction the night of the event. Each single was paired with a date package, which ranged from paintball to horseback riding to a night on the town. Charities benefitting from this year’s event included: Autism Speaks, Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Big Bend, Boys Town, Burn Camp, Capital City Youth Services, Children’s Home Society, Hands and Hearts, Kidz1stFund, Leon County Humane Society, Muscular Dystrophy Association, Pray for Grayson, Ronald McDonald House, Rotary International, Rotary Youth Camp, TMH Foundation to Benefit Diabetes Camp Scholarships for Children, Women of Hope, Women’s Pregnancy Center and YMCA. Photos by Matt Burke. Onstage women’s fashions courtesy of Cole Couture. Hair courtesy of Fuel A Salon + Store and makeup courtesy of JS Hair Lounge. DJ services provided by GT Entertainment.
PRESENTING SPONSOR
Check out tallahasseemagazine.com for more pictures, videos and a social media recap of the event!
Top Singles 2014
A recap of the summer’s hottest event, and the amazing amount raised for 18 charities.
SPONSORED BY
106 November–December 2014
108
SHOP COLECOUTURE.COM 850 553 3327 – 1240 THOMASVILLE ROAD
tallahasseeMagazine.coM November–December 2014
tallahasseeMagazine.coM
107
Deal Estate
Old Town is a classic Tallahassee community. PLUS: The ins and outs of real estate investing.
117 TCC Foundation “Dedicated Companies” help
students with scholarships.
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161 Junior League of Tallahassee Five hundred women helping
children and families, and growing leaders.
2014 Community REPoRt
PRomoting
Volunteerism
TALLAHASSEEMAGAZINE.COM
Changing
Lives
193 TMH Foundation Going pink for women’s breast health.
SPECIAL PROMOTION
12 November–December 2014
DEvEloPing
Leaders
PHOTO BY MATT BURKE (102)
WIN A FSU INDIAN HEAD BOURBON & BOWETIES BRACELET BY BEING THE 7TH FAN TO CALL 850 553 3327 AND SAY 'I BANGLE WITH COLE COUTURE'... READY, SET, GO!
GET HER BACK IN THE JUNGLE
. R E K C I U Q
Kids will be kids. And when the backyard magically turns into a jungle, accidents can happen. So when that inevitable break, cut or bruise occurs, bring them to the ER at Capital Regional Medical Center. Our dedicated pediatric ER is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. So we will have her back to swinging through the jungle in no time. For more information about when to take your child to the ER, talk with our nurses 24/7 by calling 850-325-3627 or visit us at www.CapitalRegionalMedicalCenter.com. Check our current average ER wait time by texting ER to 23000. Message and data rates may apply. For more information, visit TextERHelp.com
Pediatric Emergency Care, 24/7
TALLAHASSEEMAGAZINE.COM November–December 2014
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TALLAHASSEEMAGAZINE President/Publisher
BRIAN E. ROWLAND EDITORIAL Director of Editorial Services LINDA KLEINDIENST Editor ROSANNE DUNKELBERGER Senior Staff Writer JASON DEHART Staff Writers CHAY D. BAXLEY LYNDA BELCHER Contributing Writers ALYSSA BROWN AUSTYN HUMPHREY RENÉE JACQUES TISHA CREWS KELLER KAREN MURPHY TERRA PALMER AUDREY POST AREK SARKISSIAN II RANDI SHIVER CHUCK SIMPSON ANA STOLICA CARLIN TRAMMEL Editorial Interns ALEXIA GONZALEZ MATTHEW HOOPER Production Specialist MELINDA LANIGAN CREATIVE Creative Director LAWRENCE DAVIDSON Production Manager/ Network Administrator DANIEL VITTER Senior Art Director SAIGE ROBERTS Art Director JENNIFER EKRUT
The right choice means everything.
They were there when you scraped your knee and needed a hug. Provided a shoulder to cry on when your heart was first broken. They supported the choices you made in life and gave advice along the way. Now your parents are facing the challenges of aging, and you know they deserve the best care possible. At HarborChase, we focus on providing the highest level of service and care for seniors. With your loved one here you’ll feel secure knowing you made the right choice. Join us for a tour to learn more about our programs. Call toll free: 888-684-0674 or 850-531-0404.
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14 November–December 2014
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Publication Designers SHRUTI SHAH REBECCA SUMERALL Advertising Designers JILLIAN FRY AMANDA HARTSFIELD Staff Photographer MATT BURKE Contributing Photographers DAVE BARFIELD BLAKE GREENE SHANNON GRIFFIN COLIN HACKLEY SCOTT HOLSTEIN BRYAN HONHART TRISTIN KROENING KAY MEYER
NIKKI RITCHER CHUCK SIMPSON TERRI SMITH MARK WALLHEISER
SALES AND MARKETING Marketing and Sales Manager MCKENZIE BURLEIGH Director of New Business DANIEL PARISI Advertising Services Coordinator LISA SOSTRE Account Executives TANYA HEATH LORI MAGEE LINDA POWELL PAULA SCONIERS CHUCK SIMPSON ALICE WATTS DREW GREGG WESTLING Marketing and Sales Assistant CHRISTIE GREEN SPECIAL PROJECTS AND EVENTS Client Projects Coordinator KERRI BRYAN Events and Media Coordinator LYNDA BELCHER OPERATIONS Staff Accountant JOSH FAULDS Accounting Assistant TABBY HAMILTON Receptionist TRISTIN KROENING WEB Digital Services Manager CARLIN TRAMMEL Digital Services Coordinator JENNIFER IRELAND Digital Services Producer CHELSEA MOORE SUBSCRIPTIONS One Year (6 issues) is $30 CALL (850) 878-0554 OR GO ONLINE TO TALLAHASSEEMAGAZINE.COM Single copies are $3.95 PURCHASE AT BARNES & NOBLE, COSTCO, BOOKS-A-MILLION AND AT OUR MICCOSUKEE ROAD OFFICE
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 November 2014 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.
TALLAHASSEEMAGAZINE.COM November–December 2014
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»from the publisher
Rowland’s creative director, Larry Davidson, is constantly surveying the horizon of the magazine industry for new trends and ideas that we can bring to our titles in Northwest Florida. Sometimes it is an image, a story idea or one of the ever-changing trends in publication design, so we can serve up to you an engaging marriage of words and images to captivate and stimulate your senses in each issue. About six months ago, he saw something that was forged by New York Magazine then picked up by San Diego Magazine — and felt it was right for our market. Basically, New York Magazine went to the global ad agencies on Madison Avenue and offered them the opportunity to compete and design one of their covers based on a set of parameters. It turned out to be one of their best covers and was a hit in the industry. So we decided to do the same, reaching out to local ad agencies with “in-house” design departments. Three rose to the occasion and were given a submission date. Of course, we could only select one. However, all were so great we decided to run the other two inside (page 18) so you can see the creative excellence of these agencies. Moore Communications Group was chosen because they took the one-dimensional (cover) assignment and took it to a multidimensional level by integrating several social media and online platforms, along with leveraging a Downtown GetDown community event to engage residents of Tallahassee to express what they feel the Best of Tallahassee means to them personally. The Moore team took a proactive lead in coordinating and executing all aspects of the endeavor in a classy and professional manner. Our teams worked together on the community engagement evening, which brought another benefit to this concept of “team building,” internally and externally. Our “Best of” brand is glowing brighter today than it ever has in its 16-year existence. Thanks to Daryl Green of Compass Marketing and Samantha Strickland of The Pod Advertising for being part of this effort, and our hats off to Moore Communications Group for thinking way out of the box in such a three-dimensional, creative manner.
Brian Rowland, Publisher browland@rowlandpublishing.com
16 November–December 2014
TALLAHASSEEMAGAZINE.COM
SCOTT HOLSTEIN
The Evolution
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Stay & play at the Gulf Coast’s ’s top spot for New Year’s Eve.
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TALLAHASSEEMAGAZINE.COM November–December 2014
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» cover contest
And the winner is … When you unleash the talents of Tallahassee’s creative houses, wonderful things happen. Below are three of our cover contest submissions. On the left, Moore Communications involved the community with custom sticky notes asking the question: “The Best of Tallahassee is … . ” In the center, a chalkboard fashioned by Compass Marketing, with all the things that make our hometown the best. And on the right, The Pod Advertising goes with a word collage that become an homage to one of the very best things about Tallahassee — Seminole football. GIFT GUIDE + MASON JAR IDEAS + HOLIDAY CONCERTS When You Need A Doctor, Not An Appointment!
Family Medicine • Urgent Care
BEST OF TALLAHASSEE
Since we opened our first medical center in 1989, PATIENTS FIRST recognized your need for a faster and more convenient solution to non life-threatening urgencies. PATIENTS FIRST is available for those times when you need a doctor, not just an appointment. A PATIENTS FIRST visit is perfect for when you can’t wait for medical attention, but you also don’t want to pay the high costs of emergency room visits.
BEST OF TALLAHASSEE
» MASON JAR GIFTING » WORLD WAR II LETTERS
» MASON JAR GIFTING » WORLD WAR II LETTERS
7 Convenient Locations
Tallahassee Magazine’s 2011, 2012, 2013 Best of Tallahassee Best Family Practice Winner Three Years in a Row
Dean Gioia’s ‘Illuminating’ New Work
WWII Veterans Donate Letters, Share Memories
For Shooters, Clays Always in Season
www.PatientsFirst.com 14TM_ND_PatientsFirst.indd 1
9/30/14 11:12 AM
WWII Veterans Donate Letters, Share Memories
Your Best of 2014 Winners
Dean Gioia’s ‘Illuminating’ New Work For Shooters, Clays Always in Season
TALLAHASSEEMAGAZINE.COM
TALLAHASSEEMAGAZINE.COM
entsFirst.com
GIFT GUIDE + MASON JAR IDEAS + HOLIDAY CONCERTS
NOV-DEC 2014
NOV-DEC 2014
Tallahassee Magazine’s 2011, 2012, 2013 Best of Tallahassee Best Family Practice Winner Three Years in a Row
TALLAHASSEE MAGAZINE
TALLAHASSEE MAGAZINE
Not An Appointment!
9/30/14 11:12 AM
WINNER
HONORABLE MENTION
HONORABLE MENTION
MOORE COMMUNICATIONS GROUP
COMPASS MARKETING
THE POD ADVERTISING
“Like theater’s imaginary fourth wall, through which the audience sees the action in the world of the play, we sought to design an interactive cover that would appeal to the reader’s senses. We wanted to involve the community, to engage them through social media (#BestOfTally) and create a digital component. Easier said than done! Using the Best of Tallahassee logo as our inspiration we produced Post-it notes and invited Tallahasseans from all walks of life to write what ‘The Best of Tallahassee is …’ for them. The final result is a beautiful photo made up of hundreds of unique messages, a community engagement at an October Downtown GetDown and a series of behind-the-scenes time-lapse videos.” Moore Communications Group team: VICE PRESIDENT: Nanette Schimpf DIRECTOR OF MCG LATINO: Fernando Rodríguez DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL DESIGN: Darren Allen ART DIRECTOR: Justin Smith Others:
PHOTOGRAPHY: Bryan Honhart,
Black & Hue Photography
LOCATION: Urban Outfitters at CollegeTown PLANTS: Tallahassee Nurseries
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TALLAHASSEEMAGAZINE.COM
“We wanted to take a vintage approach with a little bit of modern flare. Over the last few years, chalk art has become more mainstream, appearing in the interior design of some of today’s most popular restaurants, boutiques and even publications such as Time Magazine, Esquire and Cincinnati Magazine. Our goal in this project was to maintain the visual identity of Tallahassee Magazine through a unique medium. Illustrating the Tallahassee Magazine logo typography in chalk ties into the overall design theme of the cover.” Compass Marketing team: ART ILLUSTRATION AND LAYOUT: Andrea Grant CONCEPT AND LAYOUT CONSULTATION: Bobby Riley CREATIVE DIRECTOR: F. Daryl Green
“We have enjoyed producing the (above) artwork for consideration for your November/ December cover. We considered everything that makes Tallahassee special. And let’s face it, when it comes to lifestyle, you might say we’re ‘national champions’ of live, work and play. We are very proud of the work and hope you like it as much as we do!” The Pod Advertising team: CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Samantha Strickland ART DIRECTOR: Melissa Lidsky VP/DIGITAL MEDIA SERVICES: Kristin Petersen
WATCH BEHIND-THESCENES VIDEO OF MOORE COMMUNICATION GROUP’S COVER PHOTO SHOOT AT TALLAHASSEEMAGAZINE.COM.
TALLAHASSEEMAGAZINE.COM November–December 2014
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#BestOfTally 20 November–December 2014
TALLAHASSEEMAGAZINE.COM
On your social media, complete the sentence: “The Best of Tallahassee is...” and hashtag your answer with #BestOfTally. Discover how other Tallahasseans answer at BestOfTally.com. Photo by Brian Honhart, Black & Hue Photography
TALLAHASSEEMAGAZINE.COM November–December 2014
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»all access ONLINE
tallahasseemagazine.com
The annual fun-filled Best of Tallahassee event is coming up on November 18 at Goodwood Museum & Gardens, and tickets for the event are on sale now. If you’re curious who’s been deemed the Best of in past years, head over to our website and browse through the Best of winners dating all the way back to 2007 at tallahasseemagazine.com/ Best-of-Tallahassee.
CARLIN TRAMMEL
A Flip Through Best of Tallahassee
EXTRA CONTENT ONLINE ONLY
VIDEO AND MORE » THE BEST OF TALLAHASSEE IS …
The cover that Moore Communications Group created for this issue is not only engaging, but one-of-a-kind. You can find footage from the photo shoot and Downtown Getdown, as well as all of the handwritten sticky notes on our website.
Join the Club!
Check our website to see how you can sign up for promotions and offers from these local businesses: ▪ Aloft ▪ Benson’s Heating & Air Conditioning ▪ Bob’s Auto Repair & Collision Center ▪ BurgerFi ▪ Capital City Hyundai ▪ The Front Porch
22 November–December 2014
▪ Hopkins’ Eatery ▪ Miller’s Ale House ▪ New Leaf Market Co-op ▪ Polished ▪ Reef Boutique ▪ REMACC ▪ ResortQuest by Wyndham
TALLAHASSEEMAGAZINE.COM
▪ Sparkle by Madison ▪ Tallahassee Downtown ▪ Tallahassee Museum ▪ Walter Green ▪ Weston Trawick
SPECIAL PROMOTION
KAY MEYER
Text TMAG to 20673. Or visit tallahasseemagazine.com and look for the Top of the Town logo to sign up for special promotions, events and exclusive offers. (Text STOP any time to opt out.)
PHOTOS » ALWAYS REMEMBER
View our gallery of the 9/11 Memorial event held earlier this year at the downtown fire station with Chief Michael DeLeo, Sheriff Larry Campbell and Director of the Division of State Fire Marshal Julius Halas.
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TALLAHASSEEMAGAZINE.COM November–December 2014
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»from the editor editor’s pick
The Way We’ve Always Done It
MATT BURKE
I think I have a love/notquite-hate relationship with tradition. And there’s surely no season where tradition is more front-and-center than the November/December holidays. In some ways, tradition makes life easier: No need to plan something for Christmas Eve, I know I’ll be at the Nicklaus house drinking Old Fashioneds, just like I have for the past, oh, 15 years or more. The Dallets will be hosting us once again for Thanksgiving, thank God. We’ve been going to their house for the holiday for 20-plus years — except for the past two, when they left town to spend the week with relatives at a timeshare in Orlando. Lloyd and I were utterly adrift — and missing that cauliflower, cheese and bacon casserole the McCharens always brought to the feast. (My contribution has always been a crowd-pleasing squash/cheese/sausage/pecan casserole.) But tradition has its dark side, too. Like the total exhaustion of putting up six Christmas trees around the house for no other reason than “that’s what I’ve always done.” Or schlepping toddlers and their accouterments downstate in Thanksgiving holiday traffic and eating two turkey dinners because “the Grandmas expect us to be there.” I have decided to heartily embrace tradition — until it becomes a burden, and then I will happily shift gears to something that works better. Take last Thanksgiving, when the Dallets left town and our daughter was off to Tampa to spend time with her soon-to-be in-laws. Not wanting to cook a full-tilt traditional meal for just two people, Lloyd and I took a pleasant drive to Madison County for a buffet dinner at Honey Lake Plantation (followed by a post-prandial perambulation to work off that turkey we stuffed ourselves with). I love my Christmas trees around the house, but I was always a bit resentful that it was up to me to set them up and string the lights all by myself. Last year, husband, daughter and future son-in-law helped out, and the job was done in no time. I believe this will
24 November–December 2014
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become a new tradition in the Dunkelberger household. There’s a lot of tradition in this issue. Although not holiday related, the naming of the “Best of” is an annual tradition for Tallahassee Magazine. You’ll find some perennial winners (Benson’s, Blossoms, Cypress, The Egg and Masa come to mind) as well as some newcomers, including CollegeTown’s Madison S o c i a l , L a u r a Br y a n t Interior Design and attorneys Thompson, Crawford & Smiley. You’ll also find a photo feature about Tim and Stephanie Jansen’s holidaydecorated home and the “Eve of Christmas Eve” party they’ve been hosting for 18 years. It’s become such an anticipated event, Stephanie says they dare not cancel it to do some holiday traveling because guests will surely show up expecting a party! Music, too, is a holiday must-do for many people, and we’ve got a story about what a variety of musical groups, from the Tallahassee Symphony to Bradfordville Baptist’s Singing Christmas Tree, have planned for this year. And aside from the religious solemnity of the Christmas season, perhaps nothing is more traditional than the foods we eat year after year. Audrey Post has caught up with several local cooks who share memories and recipes of their holiday favorites. There are also stories about holiday home fragrances, Mason jar crafting, New Year’s celebrations and those poor folks who have to share their birthdays with Christmas and other annual holidays. I wish a happy holiday season to all of our readers, filled with only the best traditions, even if they’re ones you’ve just created this year!
Rosanne Dunkelberger rdunkelberger@rowlandpublishing.com
HORN TOOTIN’ I’m very pleased to let you know that, once again, Tallahassee Magazine was honored with a statewide award for excellence. At the 20th Annual Sunshine State Awards given by the SPJ Florida Pro Chapter, we took second place in the “Best Single Issue” category, for our September/ October 2013 issue that featured several stories relating to health care. Although I’m up to my neck in wrapping up the 2014 magazines and planning for 2015, it’s nice to be able to take a breath and look back with pride on a job well done. You may have noticed the magazine is growing fatter with each issue; this year we produced several issues that were as big or bigger than in prerecession days of the mid-aughts. I think this speaks to the health of the economy — and our commitment to creating a magazine that is always improving. Our sister businessto-business publication, 850 — The Business Magazine of Northwest Florida, also earned a second place award in the contest for general excellence in the Trade/Special Interest category. While I am honored to be the face of Tallahassee Magazine, my contributions are a small part of what it takes to get the publication in your mailbox every other month. There are now 40 employees here at Rowland Publishing, and the majority of them touch some aspect of Tallahassee Magazine. I give a pat on the back and a heartfelt “thank you” to them all.
TALLAHASSEEMAGAZINE.COM November–December 2014
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»contributors an
lifestyle salon & spa
ANA STOLICA, writer
Ana is currently a senior at Florida State University pursuing her degree in editing, writing and media. Originally from Serbia, she is now proud to call Florida home. She is a voracious reader, lover of cupcakes and aficionado of all things glitter and bows. In her spare time she enjoys crafting, cooking and cheering on the ’Noles. ▪ In this issue, Ana wrote stories about home fragrance, monthly beauty boxes and ringing in the New Year with children.
RANDI SHIVER, author
Randi, also known as Little Miss Mason Jar, is a busy mother and teacher who recently published a cookbook about making meals in mason jars to help ease the dinnertime drama that comes with working fulltime and wanting homecooked meals. Once she discovered the many perks of prepping meals in mason jars, her mason jar madness took over and now she finds many other uses for the jars, such as creating clever crafts and presenting pretty presents. ▪ In this issue, Randi created 12 holidaythemed project ideas using her favorite subject.
JENNIFER IRELAND,
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PHOTOS COURTESY PICTURED INDIVIDUALS
Jen joined the Rowland Publishing team in August of this year and acts as a liaison between Tallahassee Magazine advertising clients and Account Executives to ensure advertisements are designed, correct and on time. She also maintains our social media and works on other digital projects. Set to graduate from Florida State University in December with a Masters in Integrated Marketing Communications, Jen also teaches an undergraduate public speaking course at FSU. In her free time, Jen enjoys baking, yoga and running. ▪ In this issue, Jen helped create the cover image and aided in the completion of several print ads. Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter to see some of what Jen has written.
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Praise and Bipartisan Remembrance Spirit Thank you for the article you published about my pro bono career as Chaplain of the Florida House of Representatives (“Bipartisan Spirit” July/ August issue). I think Marty Merzer did an excellent job of writing the facts and the included vignettes. We were in Maine when the magazine hit the stands, but we received calls from family and friends ... and the magazine from a family member. When I see Tallahassee Magazine, I think of those days with (magazine founder) Jerry Lundquist and the various trials and tribulations. Then I marvel at the magazine today and see a beautiful product. Congratulations on your success. Best wishes for much more. »life PeRSonAlity
Retired Chaplain Bob West Set Politics Aside When Counseling in the Capitol
By Martin Merzer and Arek Sarkissian II
MAtt Burke
If It Is not the Indoor record for Florida Capitol volunteer work, it has to be close. Bob West served the state House of Representatives as its chaplain from 1977 until his retirement this past December. We’ll do the math for you. That’s 37 years of counsel and comfort, solace and serenity, faith in and fidelity to God. For this, West earned not a dime in financial compensation. Instead, he earned the abiding admiration and — let’s just go ahead and say it — the profound love of virtually everyone whose path he joined. “He was a man of faith who brought us together to share our beliefs, our concerns and to pray,” said Rep. Matt Hudson, R-Naples, co-chair of the bicameral Prayer Caucus that West created. “He had a gentle and guiding hand.” Said Sen. Dwight Bullard, D-Cutler Bay, whose mother, former state Sen. Larcenia Bullard, died in March 2013: “My mom considered him a confidant and a spiritual adviser. He was always known as that rock for everyone. What he talks about is nothing political. He’s dealing with the person.” Mary Pankowski, a community leader and retired educator, university administrator and assistant state attorney, agreed. “He is a special guy. He’s one of the people who gets all of us more involved in the community.” As of this year, Room 514 in the House office building, the chaplain’s office, is known as the Bob West Conference Room. And during a special ceremony in March, the House issued a proclamation recognizing West for his “outstanding professionalism and public service” and “his years of invaluable service to Florida’s Capitol and the House of Representatives.” Pulling back a bit after a lifetime of service West, 85, now focuses mostly on his family. He and wife Naomi have five children, 12 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren, with No. 8 on the way. A lay chaplain who is not ordained, West describes his religious affiliation this way: “First of all, I’m a follower of Jesus Christ. Secondly, I’m a Presbyterian. In that order. The denomination is not important.” It would be fair to say that he lives by those words. The Wests reside in a comfortable, but not showy, house in the active-senior community Westminster Oaks. When they moved into
Market Square 1415 Timberlane Rd. 850-597-9319 Mon–Sat 10 am–6 pm Sunday 12 pm–3 pm
their new house about 16 years ago West swiftly attached to the doorpost a mezuzah, the tiny Although he was prayer scroll often displayed by Jewish people never ordained, Bob West ministered to to express their oneness with God. the spiritual needs of The Wests are influential members of the Capitol’s denizens Christians United for Israel, which represents for 37 years before more than one million members and calls itself retiring this spring. one of the largest pro-Israel organizations in the United States. “We have some very dear Jewish friends, and we have a lot in common with them,” West said. “Very few Christians celebrate the (Jewish Passover) seder, either, but we do.” It is this magnitude of inclusion and compassion that defines West, characteristics he inherited from his hardworking parents during a Depression-era upbringing in upstate New York. His was a path not uncommon for the time: high school graduation, U.S. Army, honorable discharge, a business education through the good graces of the G.I. Bill and eventually a relocation to Florida to pursue business interests. In West’s case, that meant the moving and storage business he had learned from the ground up. The path led 40 years ago to Tallahassee, where he bought, developed and ran Capital City Moving and Storage. And here he and Naomi stayed, raising their family, building the business and embedding
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Always Evolving.
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Bob West
We recently asked if anyone knew the youngsters on this cover from 22 years ago. Here are a couple of the responses we received on Facebook. That is my brother Joe Krasinski!! A camera crew came in the day he was born and asked my mom, Kellie J. Baltzer-Krasinski, to sign the release to publish a picture of her baby. We have had a copy of this magazine in our house since it came out! Victoria Zawisza
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Man social media is awesome! (That and this town is super small, lol) Corinn Fitzgerald Have a thought? Write to us at editor@tallahasseemagazine.com, facebook.com/tallahassee or through twitter @tallahasseemag.
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30 November–December 2014
PEOPLE » PLACES » INFO
TALLAHASSEEMAGAZINE.COM
CHAT / THE NUMERATOR / PARENTHOOD GREAT OUTDOORS / PERSONALITY LOOKING BACK / LIFE FEATURE / AGENDA
Snapshot The Importance of E.D.I.T.H.
Imagine a fire burning in your home, with your family fast asleep. Smoke and heat intensify quickly. Every second counts. How do you keep everyone safe? And how will your family escape? Without a plan, you may not know the best route to safety. Lt. Mike Bellamy, Tallahassee Fire Department’s Public Information Officer, suggests that every family in Tallahassee prepare an E.D.I.T.H. (Exit Drills in the Home). Follow these tips, courtesy of Bellamy and the Tallahassee Fire Department, on creating a soundproof E.D.I.T.H. plan: » Figure out alternative routes out of your house if a fire is blocking usual doorways. “Sometimes with a fire your main exits are blocked so you have to have other routes to come up with. How do we get outside? How do we safely make sure everyone’s out?” Bellamy said. » Make sure smoke detectors are installed and working properly in your house. “Smoke detectors give us that early warning that allows us to actually follow a plan,” he emphasized. » Sleep with your bedroom doors closed so the fire does not spread. “It limits the amount of smoke the will travel into that room,” explained Bellamy. “It gives the smoke detector time to go off without affecting you personally.” » If you’re sleeping when the fire occurs, roll out of bed slowly and always stay low to the ground when escaping the house. “A lot of times one breath of the heat, gases and smoke can cause you to not be able to breathe,” he warned. » Designate a meeting place once you are out of the house. “ [It’s important] to designate a spot near the big oak tree or by the mailbox,” said Bellamy. » Know how you will contact the police once you are out of your house, whether you bring a designated cell phone with you or you have made arrangements with a neighbor to call the police.
KAY MEYER
It’s extremely important that families take the time to develop a solid plan if a fire occurs. “These are our loved ones we’re talking about; these are our children, our wives and our husbands,” he said. “These are people we value over the property and Having an exit plan anything else, so it’s vital that and practicing escape people formulate some sort of routes can save your plan or idea and place those most important ideas into action in case of an assets in case of a fire emergency.” // RENÉE JACQUES — your family.
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»life CHAT
Steve Wozniak The Man Who Shaped the Computer Industry
MENTION THE WORD “APPLE” and the name Steve Jobs likely comes to mind. But while Jobs was the public face marketing the computer giant, Steve Wozniak, was the engineering genius — and equal partner — behind him. Together, with an equal third partner who funded their work, they took Apple from a garage to being the second-biggest information technology company in the world. Wozniak, a Silicon Valley icon who helped shape the computing industry with his design of Apple’s first computers, will be in Tallahassee Nov. 5 to talk about that journey and his own story as part of the Power Forward Speaker Series, co-presented by First Commerce Credit Union and the Florida State University College of Business. While he still receives a “small paycheck” from Apple, Wozniak (nicknamed “Woz”) is currently chief scientist for Fusion-io and wrote the New York Times best-selling autobiography, “iWoz: From Computer Geek to Cult Icon.” Earlier this year he was honored with the Hoover Medal, an American engineering prize given for “outstanding extra-career services by engineers to humanity.” Wozniak, who permanently left Apple in 1987, recently spoke with Tallahassee Magazine about Apple, his career, his advice to young entrepreneurs and the role computers should play in the classroom.
“The Woz” says good ideas aren’t enough; they need to be backed up with working models and solid business practices.
NIK HARRISON
By Linda Kleindienst
NO ‘DOGS’ IN APPLE’S FUTURE “Taking phones with keyboards and turning them into a flat panel, that sort of change doesn’t happen very often. It doesn’t happen every year. “Where does Apple get its greatness? Where do they get the royalties from? It’s from brand recognition. It’s what Apple has done over time, which is make one great product after another after another, not take sloppy little intermediate steps that aren’t excellent products. There are no real crappy products, no dogs come out of Apple. “Apple isn’t going to put out something great that can sell. It’s got to be like Steve Jobs used to say, it’s got to be insanely great. It’s got to grab everyone by surprise and be the finest in its class if it’s a new idea. I’m sure that’s going on quite a bit behind the curtains.” ADVICE TO YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS “First of all, it takes a lot of discipline and a lot of professionalism, which you don’t have when you are young. Steve and I were very young, and our funder (Michael Markkula) was really the leader who told us how to establish a company, what sort of people we had to hire, how much expense should go into which department. He really established the business as a business. “Ideas aren’t worth that much, because 10,000 people in the world are having the same idea as you. Go and make working models. Be a builder. Actually make things.
If you are more a thinker … you’d better link up with someone technical, maybe an engineering student, who can build some things and get some demos, even if it’s just a demonstration on a computer screen. “Go after products you want yourself. When it comes from inside your passion, your heart, that’s when you get real great products and the big successes in life and business. “Be willing to take a job. When you are young you have such great mental and physical energy. Put those into your own ideas in your own time; don’t waste your time away when you’re out of work just partying. You’re limiting your chances for success.” CLASSROOM LEARNING “As long as we have a class of 30 kids all learning the same thing, the problems aren’t going to go away just because we have great computers. The school teaches them the measure of intelligence is the score you get on the test that comes Friday, it covers these pages in the book and the right answer is the same as everyone else’s. It’s not your answer from your thinking. “I taught for eight years, elementary to middle school … and I learned that class size is probably the biggest limiting factor in the way schools are run. I thought computers would be the teacher, but a computer doesn’t have a personality; it doesn’t attract a student to believe in it. It’s just a machine.” n
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»life THE NUMERATOR
FSU vs. UF
Putting the Rivalry into Numbers The University of Florida gleefully embraced the
phrase “Free Shoes University,” and Florida State supporters still make fun of UF fans for wearing the jeans shorts known as “jorts.” FSU won a National Championship first, while UF beat the Seminoles in one championship matchup. There’s no love lost in this rivalry as the teams play the 59th matchup in the series at Doak Campbell Stadium Thanksgiving weekend on Nov. 29.
COMPILED BY MATTHEW HOOPER
1
1995 & 1997
FSU ranking in 2013
Years the two teams played a rematch in Sugar Bowl
456
90,454
Total yards FSU accumulated in 2013 game
50
Number of people attending last year’s game in Gainesville
Years since FSU won its first game in the rivalry in 1964
1958
Year the annual matchup began
34-22-2 Overall record of the rivalry (UF leads)
14
Number of Top 10 matchups there have been in the rivalry
31-31
Final score of the infamous “Choke at Doak” in 1995
145
Minutes it takes to drive from Doak Campbell Stadium to UF’s Ben Hill Griffin Stadium
3
Number of National Championships and Heisman Trophy winners at each university
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REBECCA SUMERALL
»life PARENTHOOD
B Birthday Christmas CELEBRATING AT THE CORNER OF
AND
While Having a Holiday Birthday Isn’t Ideal, It Can Still Be All About You By Tisha Crews Keller
irthday party planning is one of the very special perks of being a parent. But when a birthday falls on or near a major holiday like Christmas, things can get complicated for everyone involved. Small kids don’t usually mind that their birthday intersects with another traditional celebration. In fact, many are excited (at first) about the prospect of double gifts. Parents, on the other hand, can quickly get overwhelmed trying to carve out a unique event for their holiday child. Fortunately, there are a few ways to make sure the birthday girl or boy is still the center of attention. Tallahassee mom Eileen Johnson is no stranger to the holiday/birthday intersection. Her own birthday falls near Valentine’s Day; her husband Kevin has a sometime-Father’s Day birthday; oldest daughter Abby was born amidst Fourth of July fireworks; and Eileen was hardly out of her Halloween costume when youngest child Audrey was born on Nov. 1.
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»life PARENTHOOD
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Having birthdays near holidays is hard on everyone in her family, Johnson admits. They often end up having to share the celebration with others because of longstanding traditions. From her own experience growing up, Johnson knows that it can be tough sharing a birthday with thousands of others focused on their valentines. “My birthday is three days after Valentine’s, so I often have to choose whether to celebrate Valentine’s or my birthday,” Johnson says. “I used to make sure I got presents for both, but as I grow older, I find it better to just celebrate my birthday and avoid the restaurant crowds. “Planning a party is the hardest thing about when my daughters’ birthdays fall,” she says. It’s hard to celebrate with classmates during the summer and, unless she wants an endlessly Halloween-themed party, Johnson has trouble carving out special time for her youngest, too. To compensate, Johnson always has a big family dinner for everyone’s birthday. She says it really makes everyone feel special — and they get to pick the meal and the cake. Kara Corbitt’s 2-year-old son, Easton, was born Nov. 28, which often falls on or very near Thanksgiving. “I don’t think he’s going to love having his birthday so close to the holiday,” she admits. “Everybody is usually out of town with family, so it will probably be hard to celebrate with his friends.” However, Corbitt has already begun planning ways to make her son’s annual event a big deal. The Gator-Seminole household is understandably hooked on college football, so they anticipate using the Florida-Florida State Thanksgiving weekend game as a tradition and present for Easton as he grows. Other gifts will likely be downplayed a little bit, she says, because Christmas is right around the corner. It seems that most of the credit for a successful holiday birthday might just be in the birthday boy’s attitude. “For me, having a birthday on New Year’s Eve was great,” says Ronnie Crews. “Sure, I had to wait all year for presents to come along, but it made it that much more special to me.” Crews might be in the minority in terms of selflessness, but he always made the best out of his birthday. He likes having everyone around for his celebration and recognized that it was easier for people to travel — or not have to make a special trip — if they were already in town for the traditional holidays. “Everyone celebrates my birthday,” he jokes. “So, no matter where I go, I can find a party!” And while he usually got smaller gifts for his post-Christmas birthday, Crews appreciated the gesture anyway. For him, being with family and friends was always the best reason to party. “There have been so many great memories, and every year there is another epic story,” he says. “My birthday falls on my favorite time of the year, just because of the weather, the food and the friendship.” So, what’s his advice for parents and kids dealing with the holiday-birthday intersection? Pick out the great things, and don’t dwell on the downside. Presents aren’t important in the long run, and memories are what counts. Whether it’s annual blueberry pancakes for birthday breakfast or a special tradition that means something only for your family, Johnson knows that making the most out of your child’s birthday is the best way to go. “My advice is to make sure the birthday person still feels special,” she says. “Even if you have to eat two cakes in the same day!” n
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»life GREAT OUTDOORS
Clay Pigeons You Can’t Eat These Birds of a Different Feather, But They’re Fun to Shoot
COLIN HACKLEY PHOTO/ VISIT FLORIDA
By Chuck Simpson ON A HILLSIDE BEHIND AN OLD COUNTRY HOMESTEAD in Tallahatchie County, Mississippi, in a pea patch wilted from an early winter’s frost, walked a boy in his early teens. His hands firmly held a shotgun, the barrel pointed at the sky, ready to swing down and forward. With each step he readied himself for the inevitable: a cottontail rabbit bursting forth from beneath his foot or a covey of quail rising before him in a whirlwind of feathers. His young eyes were keen, reflexes fast and his shots true when his quarry did appear. He had practiced on many an old bottle thrown skyward by a companion. Fast-forward 40 years. I stepped from the golf cart, pulled the 20-gauge Beretta shotgun from its case, stepped to the line, loaded two shells, surveyed my surroundings, looked toward the small pond in front of me, nodded and uttered the word “pull.” The first clay pigeon came high from over my left shoulder. I touched the trigger, and the pigeon disintegrated in a puff. At the report of my first shot, the second bird came off my right shoulder and dipped toward the pond. If the clay pigeon had been a duck, it would have bid me adieu as it laughed its way toward the horizon. Like many, I grew up hunting small game, enjoyed it and still do — especially wing shooting. Unfortunately, the days of unlimited access to properties teeming with quail, dove, ducks and rabScott Nelson takes aim on bits are a thing of the past. So, sometimes the sporting clays range my skills wane and my accuracy suffers. In at Honey Lake Plantation Resort & Spa in Greenville. other words, I don’t have a shot at hunting
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COLIN HACKLEY PHOTO/ VISIT FLORIDA
COLIN HACKLEY PHOTO/ VISIT FLORIDA
COLIN HACKLEY PHOTO/ VISIT FLORIDA
»life GREAT OUTDOORS
wild birds like I once could. But there is an alternative — clay pigeons, saucer-shaped targets about 4 inches wide. Shooting clay pigeons fills the need in between the opportunities I have to hunt and those times when no hunting seasons are open. Shooting clay pigeons as a pastime and sport is a longtime favorite among people from all walks of life. It offers the opportunity for fellowship, an introduction to shotgunning, a way to teach gun safety and education, competition and sportsmanship, and is a great fun way to hone your shooting skills. Generally, there are three official types of courses set for shooting clay pigeons: Trap, Skeet and Sporting Clays. And a fourth, the Back Forty Clay version. Each presents unique challenges to master. Trap Shooting, the oldest of the shotgunning sports, dates back to England in the mid 1700s and showed up in America during the early 1800s. Originally live birds were used as targets, but eventually the sport moved to glass balls and then clay targets. In trap shooting, clay pigeons are launched from a single, central location and launched at different angles traveling away from the shooter. The course consists of five sepaMORE INFO rate stations, which shooters move Whether you enjoy hunting between. The game consists of 25 and want to stay proficient clay pigeons and 25 shots, five at in the off season, or just each station. want to shoot clay pigeons, Skeet Shooting, developed in there are several facilities America in 1920 and originally in and around Tallahassee called clock shooting, has evolved to accommodate you. And, slightly from the original game. if you are interested in Now, skeet is shot on a range, competing, there are several associations to aid in getting which consists of seven differyou or your children started ent shooting stations positioned and teaching you the rules in a semicircle with a radius of of the game. 21 yards, and an eighth shooting station halfway between stations OPEN TO THE PUBLIC one and seven. Clay pigeons are » Honey Lake Plantation launched from two opposing Resort and Spa houses — one high, one low. As 1290 N.W. Honey Lake Road shooters change stations, differGreenville, FL 32331 ent scenarios imitating a bird in honeylakeplantation.com flight are presented according to (866) 545-0532 the shooter’s position. The rules » Talon Training and scoring of the game con550 Commerce Blvd. sist of different clay pigeons and Midway, FL 32343 combinations depending on the talontraininggroup.com shooter’s position, which I will not (850) 597-7550 try to explain because it sounds » Coon Bottom Gun Club more complicated than it is. But 1144 Barber Road be assured, this shotgunning game Havana, FL 32333 will test and improve your wing(850) 539-0293 shooting skills. facebook.com/CoonBottom Sporting Clays, one of the most GunClubKraeftGunsmithing popular modern shotgunning MEMBERS ONLY sports, began in the early 1900s in England when British shooting » Tallahassee schools began using clay targets. Rifle & Pistol Club Sporting Clay courses generally (850) 421-3998 consist of around 12 to 15 stations trpc.net
Clays (top) can improve your shooting skills by mimicking the motion of birds and other small game. The clay pigeons are sent airborne with this (above) or other types of launchers. Tim Monahan leads a tour of the sport shooting multiplex (facing page, top) at Honey Lake Plantation Resort & Spa. Two targets gone, spent shells are ejected (facing page, bottom left) during a round of sporting clay practice. Johnny Walkup (facing page, bottom right) tries his hand at shooting the flying targets.
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positioned over several acres that simulate multiple real-life hunting situations. Clay pigeons are launched from hidden trap throwers positioned at different locations throughout the course and, usually, each participant shoots twice at each station. Clay pigeons traveling at different angles, speeds and directions keep participants on their toes when shooting. Sometimes the size of the clay pigeon may vary depending on the setup, and sometimes the clay will bounce across the ground like a rabbit. The more challenging and realistic a course is, the more people like to shoot it. Some venues make a habit of changing the course and moving the trap throwers to keep their patrons guessing and happy. Back Forty Clays are probably the least complicated. For this, just grab a case of clay pigeons and head out to the country with a hand thrower, spring thrower, trailer hitch-mounted or whatever you have at your disposal. There have been plenty of great outings — and youngsters introduced to shooting a shotgun — at the tailgate of a truck with a case or two of clay pigeons. This is an inexpensive, relaxed, low-pressure way to get someone
44 November–December 2014
CHUCK SIMPSON
»life GREAT OUTDOORS
started with a shotgun before being faced with the pressure of shooting clay pigeons on a range. I still regularly enjoy this casual style of shooting with my children and friends as much as I enjoy the range. Any of the previously mentioned versions of shooting clays can be done with any type of shotgun. Twenty and 12-gauges are probably the most popular shotgun bores, but some people do prefer a 28-gauge or .410. The most common shotguns are the over-and-under double barrel, auto loader or pump shotgun.
TALLAHASSEEMAGAZINE.COM
Under the watchful eye of their dad, Molly and Parker Simpson take turns shooting clays at Coon Bottom Gun Club on a fall day.
An over-and-under double barrel in a 12-gauge is preferred for trap shooting. The majority of modern-day shotgun barrels have interchangeable chokes. A choke dictates the restriction of the shot as it leaves the barrel of the shotgun, thus affecting the size and density of the shot pattern down range and the ability of the shooter to break targets at different ranges. If you are new to the sport of shotgunning, it might benefit you to have a discussion with a knowledgeable person regarding choke tubes. n
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»life PERSONALITY
Rebirth of a Legend
SCOTT HOLSTEIN
Trans Am Depot Resurrects Iconic Muscle Car By Karen Murphy
RISING OUT OF THE ASHES, much like the mythological Phoenix gracing its hood, the Trans Am sports car has been reborn. Its rebirth was heralded by screaming Trans Am enthusiasts clamoring for their first look at a car they thought a victim of the death of Pontiac and the financial troubles of General Motors. It came about because of the passion of three men in Tallahassee who just six years ago were working out of their backyard garages, restoring old muscle cars. Today they are delivering the modern Trans Am to eagerly awaiting car enthusiasts all over the world. Brothers Scott and Tod Warmack and longtime friend Jim Dowling are partners in Trans Am Depot (TAD), a custom car conversion company in Tallahassee. Tod says fast cars and success are addictions stronger than any drug, and the trio’s addiction has pushed Trans Am enthusiasts into a frenzy of excitement not experienced since the days of “Smokey and the Bandit.” It all began in 1978, when Tod saw a buddy drive up to Lincoln High School with a blue Trans Am. Two years later, he purchased that
car from his friend. From then on, the Warmacks were hooked. (Left to right) Jim Dowling, By 1997, Tod was raising a family. Scott Scott Warmack and Tod was restoring old Trans Ams. “It was like Warmack have given new life being on crack … get one TA, fix it up, to the iconic Firebird Trans Am. sell it, get another,” said Tod. “There was always one taken down.” Over the next few years, they started showing and winning at regional Trans Am shows and then Trans Am Nationals. In 2006, the Warmacks won first place at Nationals in two different divisions. High Performance Pontiac Magazine did an article on the brothers’ cars and that same year Dowling joined them. Trans Am Depot was born. The image of GM’s upcoming Camaro was released in 2007. Pontiac had not built a Firebird since 2002, so Kevin Morgan, graphic designer, was at the TA Nationals with drawings of what he thought a new TA
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»life PERSONALITY
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would look like if it were resurrected. Tod was inspired and told Scott, “If GM doesn’t do Trans Am — we can do it. We can take the new Camaro and convert it, because it was always built on the same platform.” In April 2008, Tod called Morgan with the idea. Morgan had seen the Warmacks’ work at the shows and agreed to work with them. It was a “completion of his story, completion of his work,” according to Scott. But by 2009, they were struggling with the deal and fearing they couldn’t produce the new Trans Am. GM was tanking, Pontiac was going out of business. Their dream was close to going down in flames. However, “There’s always a way to work through adversity,” said Scott. “Sometimes things seem complex, but there’s really a simple solution.” This simple solution came in the form of a fabricator who called Morgan out of the blue and said he wanted to build the car — and he would do it for free. Now, instead of investors and expensive equipment, all they needed was a car. TAD took Morgan’s designs and shipped a Camaro from California to the fabricator in Nebraska. The fabricator brought the design to life and sent the first prototype to TA Nationals in Dayton, Ohio, in August 2009. “Prior to the show all we saw were images,” said Tod. “We were flying blind. We got to the TA Nationals, we had never seen this car and our necks were on the line.” The scene, he said, was crazy. “They rolled that car out, and we got mobbed in the streets. (There were) 400 people screaming and crowding around the car, standing up on ladders taking pictures. It sucked all the energy from every other vendor that was at the show for hours.” The Trans Am was resurrected. TAD then took the car to SEMA, the largest aftermarket car show in the world. Recounts Tod, “We drew huge crowds. The PR was incredible.” HotRod Magazine put their car on its cover.
we are
local COURTESY TRANS AM DEPOT
strong
“After that show, the market was there. The demand was there. “All the good- The Hurst Edition Trans Am will from GM was there. We started has a custom-designed getting orders, but we didn’t have any interior featuring 78-style, two-tone leather seats. way to build.” Fainter souls would have panicked, but not the Warmacks and Dowling. “People put themselves in a mind prison,” said Tod. “They think they can only do so much, based on (false) limitations that they put on themselves. But you can find people to do the things that you can’t … to get things done that you want to accomplish.” They hired a dedicated staff of craftsmen, comprised of industry leaders in painting and engineering. “They all came to us. And they’re here for the duration,” said Dowling. “They’re riding their dreams.” Added Scott, “They became a part of the vision. They bought into the same vision, so it took on a life of its own. I’ve seen things happen, and I sit back and watch. It’s like it’s alive. Things come out of the blue, come out of the ether … opportunities and phone calls, just when you need it the most. It’s crazy.” Buoyed by success, Tod approached Sport Car Club of America (SCCA) in February of 2010 and asked for exclusive rights to use the iconic Trans Am name. “SCCA had been doing business with GM for 30 years. I thought, ‘They’re not wanting to work with guys working out of a garage in Tallahassee.’ But they did. SCCA had seen the magazine articles and knew our cars, our vision and the quality of the product we were putting out. All we had to do was ask.” These cars are not kit cars. According to Dowling, “The difference between a standard Camaro 2SS versus what TAD offers is night and day.” TAD specializes in the design, fabrication and conversion of the 2010-2013 Trans Am. Based on the Camaro
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platform, they offer a 6T9 version Trans Am, 6T9 Goat (“GTOâ€?), 7T7 Trans Am and the Kevin Morgan designed the Hurst limited edition Hurst Trans Am. TAD starts with a modern Camaro plat- Edition Trans Am, form, strips it down to its shell. Everything which is available in three color from the taillights, rear bumpers and front combinations. grills to vintage-styled interiors is customized. They even use the same font for the interior gauges as was used in the ’78 TAs. But it’s under the hood where the TAD Trans Am earns its muscle car standing. They perform engine swaps and have partnered with Hurst Transmission on a limited number of their cars. Some of their TAs, with twin turbos and nitrous, have gotten over 1,000 horsepower. But their customers usually prefer the supercharger, which delivers between 570 and 650 horsepower. They tweak the fit of each car and adjust any reveals. If there are T-tops, they are adjusted to each individual car. Then each part is individually custom painted in a state-of-the-art facility and reassembled. TAD’s Master Painter Keith Powell explains: “There are so many custom options a customer can choose that chances are there will not be another TA like it in the world.â€? TAD’s customers are serious car enthusiasts, including a professional basketball player and collectors from the Middle East, Canada and all across the U.S. The price ranges between $60,000 to $120,000 per car. As TAD matures, the Warmacks and Dowling want Trans Am Depot to be to Trans Am what Shelby was to Mustang, an iconic brand than stands the test of time. They see TAD morphing into more of a production company and somewhat away from custom conversion. They are currently expanding into a new facility, increasing exports and hiring more staff. TAD currently has nine employees and plans to grow to 25. They will be ramping up production, from approximately 15 cars a year to, ideally, 300 per year in the near future. They are also exploring opportunities to open dealerships in the Middle East. As Trans Am Depot continues to evolve, it becomes more like the mythical Phoenix, resurrecting a sports car thought dead ‌ bringing it out of the ashes of a crumbling car industry and into its rightful place as an iconic muscle car of the 21st century. n
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Services and offer not available everywhere. CenturyLink may change or cancel services or substitute similar services at its sole discretion without notice. Service and features are subject to change and may vary by service area. Requires credit approval and deposit may be required. Additional restrictions apply. Terms and Conditions – All products and services listed are governed by tariffs, terms of service, or terms and conditions posted at www.centurylink.com. CenturyLink® Prism™ TV – Subscription to Prism service in certain Prism territories may require a separate local phone service and preclude customers from purchasing High-Speed Internet services from any third party. Service includes digital channels (including local channels), one (1) or two (2) set-top box(es) (STB), depending upon plan selected, one (1) modem gateway, and up to four (4) standard direct video streams to residence. CenturyLink-provided set-top boxes are required to view TV. Local channel availability varies by market. Wireless set-top box monthly fee applies (or subscription to a Prism package that includes it), requires power and connection to TV; range of wireless signal is limited. With Prism on the Go, most content can be viewed within your home only, requires a subscription to Prism and a qualifying device and Wi-Fi connection. Prism Mobile App – Requires subscription to a Prism TV Package. Most content (certain programs only) can be viewed within your home only. Other functionality can be used from anywhere. Download and watch available for select shows and requires qualifying device and Wi-Fi connection. Terms and conditions available at app store. HBO GO® and MAX GO® – HBO GO® and MAX GO® are only accessible in the U.S. and certain U.S. territories where a high-speed broadband connection is available. Minimum 3G connection is required for viewing on mobile devices. Requires subscription to HBO and Cinemax. Other restrictions may apply. Terms and conditions apply. Additional charges will apply for additional programming packages, movie channel subscriptions (except for Prism™ Premium plan), Pay Per View movies and events, On Demand purchases, and premium services/subscriptions for all plans. © 2014 CenturyLink. All Rights Reserved. The name CenturyLink and the pathways logo are the trademarks of CenturyLink. All other marks are property of their respective owners.
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»life LOOKING BACK
The Missing Link The Birth of Interstate 10 in Leon County was No Dull Drive
Gov. Reubin Askew gestures as he officially dedicates the final link of Interstate 10 across the Apalachicola River on November 1, 1978.
Between 1964 and 1965 alone, four possible I-10 paths were considered. These were narrowed to three after the Federal Bureau of Public Roads (then part of U.S. Department of Commerce) rejected a central route submitted by the Florida Department of Transportation (then the State Roads Department) that would have run parallel to the Seaboard Airline Railroad tracks, just below the Capitol complex. One of the three remaining routes would have run south of the city,
following Orange Avenue in and out of Leon County. This route fell to arguments that the single access point it would provide Tallahassee would lead to traffic woes and cause travelers to bypass the city altogether. A northern path similar to today’s existing route would have entered Leon County south of U.S. 90 at the Jefferson County line and run northwest, near what today is Killearn Estates and through the southern portion of Lake Jackson before entering Gadsden County 4.5 miles above
STATE ARCHIVES OF FLORIDA, FLORIDA MEMORY
IF YOU REMEMBER HEADING WEST on the Big Bend stretch of Interstate 10 in the 1980s, it would be nearly impossible to forget the rhythmic sound heard by every driver from Tallahassee to Pensacola: Ba-bump. Ba-bump. Ba-bump. A fitting soundtrack to play against 200 mind-numbing miles of green trees, grey pavement and straight, yellow lines. In January 1966, that annoying soundtrack was little more than a song waiting to be written. But for Big Bend residents and businesses, announcements about the proposed location of Leon County’s sweep of I-10 had become like a broken record. Ten years had elapsed since former President Dwight Eisenhower had signed into law the legislation creating the National System of Interstate and Defense Highways. West of Tallahassee, the now-iconic 2.5-mile bridge over Escambia Bay was already open to traffic. Drivers to the east could take I-10 from Lake City to Jacksonville. But for EastWest travelers wanting in, out or around the Capital City, Highway 90 was the best available option among the reliable, but slow, existing roads. Beyond inconvenience, Leon County drivers, residents and businesses were angry and embarrassed that their portion of I-10 — dubbed “The Missing Link”— was among the last sections of the cross-country highway to get underway. Over the years, as many as 14 routes north, south and through the center of Tallahassee had been selected for survey, repeatedly raising and dashing the expectations of area residents and businesses.
By Alyssa Brown
TALLAHASSEEMAGAZINE.COM November–December 2014
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»life LOOKING BACK
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the city limits. But opposition to dividing Lake Jackson — as well as a well-heeled, nearby residential area — prevailed. A fourth route was needed. In August 1965, the Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce proposed a northern route circumventing Lake Jackson and the adjacent upscale neighborhood, instead running through a nearby, less-developed area from which fewer families would have to relocate. City and county officials backed the plan, and the State Roads Department (SRD) followed with a decision to study the route. Tallahassee exhaled; it seemed The Missing Link finally had been found. But relief was short-lived. In November 1965, the SRD unexpectedly came forward with new plans to route I-10 south of the Tallahassee city center as part of a proposal supported by then-Gov. Haydon Burns. While on the campaign trail through Northwest Florida in 1964, Burns had championed a southerly route running as near as possible to Panama City. His new proposal drew a bee-line from Live Oak, through Leon County and south of Blountstown to a small, unincorporated city of 200 called Ebro, 32 miles from Panama City and adjacent to Eglin Air Force Base. The SRD responded with an alternate route for I-10 that ran through northern Leon County, dipping sharply south at Blountstown to join Burns’ proposed bee-line in Washington County. Again, the Big Bend’s hopes were dashed. In the wake of another possible eight to nine months of waiting for new survey results, the issue reached a fever pitch. Years of indecision had cost Tallahassee millions in lost industry and jobs in addition to citizens’ countless hours idling in traffic caused by city transportation infrastructure
REMEMBRANCES OF USING AN UNFINISHED HIGHWAY FOR YOUTHFUL ADVENTURES Now often referred to as a dull drive, I-10 once was a wonderland for local children. Rob Vickers, a senior program manager at CDM Smith (formerly Wilber Smith, which recommended an early I-10 route through the city center) lived on his parents’ tract of land, which directly abuts the I-10 corridor. Vickers was 8 years old when construction began. “I was a kid, so I didn’t see a massive infrastructure project happening 200 yards from my house,” Vickers said. “I saw a source of fun.” For Vickers and his siblings, “fun” included exploring the nearby underground cavern created by a “borrow pit” developed by engineers as a source of soil needed at other construction points. As is common in low-lying areas, the borrow pit began to collect groundwater. Vickers remembers water entering the cavern looking “like waterfalls.” After I-10 had been paved, but was not yet open for traffic, it served Vickers’ siblings as a great place for bike riding. Vickers’ father sometimes used the empty stretch for high-speed driving to “blow out the carburetor,” on his 1971 Chrysler Newport. And then, there were the Caterpillars. Caterpillar Earth Movers, that is, parked by the developer on the Vickers’ property. When nobody was watching, Vickers and his siblings often climbed the dirt-hauling vehicles. One day, Vickers’ brother, Mitch, mustered up the gumption to crank one. “We couldn’t turn it off,” Vickers said with a chuckle. “Had it been put in gear, it would have mowed down part of a subdivision directly ahead.” Fortunately, the group was discreetly rescued by Vickers’ uncle, whom he describes as “a mechanic who could keep a secret.” // ALYSSA BROWN
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in need of advancement but also dependent on I-10’s unknown ultimate location for effectiveness. By January 1966, a delegation of city and county officials and Chamber leaders had met in-person with Gov. Burns to underscore support for the previously agreed-upon northern route. By this time, local public concern centered less on where I-10 would be built and more on whether it would be built at all. Though the southern route would be less expensive than its preferred northern counterpart, every day spent considering it exposed Florida to a more costly risk: States were required to have all interstate highways approved, in construction or built by 1972 to qualify for federal funding, which would cover a whopping 90 percent of the cost of building the roads. In the weeks and months following, news reports identified possible causes for the last-minute change. One involved a connection between State Road Board Chairman Floyd Bowen and the Washington County Kennel Club, for which incorporation papers listed Bowen’s brother-in-law, A.J. Dunn, as vice president. The financially embattled dog track was located in Ebro, the westernmost point on Burns’ bee-line before the road turned north toward Defuniak Springs. Other reports pointed States were out the potential for required to have all an easy state purchase of the Leon County interstate highways property along Burns’ approved, in route. Nearly all of it was owned by the St. construction or built Joe Paper Company, by 1972 to qualify part of the Alfred DuPont Estate and for federal funding, managed by Wakulla Springs owner Edward which would Ball, negating the need cover a whopping to obtain right-of-way from multiple, smaller 90 percent of the cost landowners. of building the roads. But the bee-line had a hitch: As drawn, it would have to traverse Eglin Air Force Base. Since the early 1960s, Eglin officials had quietly and consistently refused to accommodate any road that would divide the base or force relocation of its vital functions. Eglin also refused the northern Leon County option that dipped sharply southwest at Blountstown to join the bee-line, citing dangers posed to drivers by close-by, “heavily used bombing and gunnery areas.� Over the 1965 holiday season, progress on a decision had ground to a halt. The Big Bend was exasperated nearly to the point of indifference. In a January 1966 editorial, Tallahassee Democrat Editor Malcolm Johnson captured local sentiment: “All we in Tallahassee want is a fixed route.� Via a March 8 letter to Gov. Burns from the U.S. Department of Commerce, the Big Bend got what it wanted. Burns’ request to defer I-10 development for another study was denied, and the decision to construct the road as planned along North Leon County would stick. Within days of settling the highway’s
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»life LOOKING BACK
Dr. Ronald Cummings
location, in-city wheels of advancement began to turn. With an I-10 route established, City Planner Phillip Pitts announced Tallahassee’s plans to proceed with its major downtown thoroughfare, designed to increase access to downtown Tallahassee, accommodate an influx of students at Florida State University and Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University, and group downtown streets in one-way pairs to reduce traffic congestion and confusion. Though a small number of local citizens expressed discontent with the location of the road, most of the capital city’s general population had abandoned ideals in favor of filling in the Missing Link as expeditiously as possible. By 1970 the gap was fading into history, and ground for I-10, largely as it exists today, had been broken. I-10 opened to traffic between Pensacola and Lake City in 1978. n
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I-10’s most famous construction wrinkle was heard and felt but never seen. For several years after I-10 opened from Tallahassee to Pensacola, drivers unknowingly helped the elements compose the pulsing thump beneath their tires as they drove the 200-mile stretch. By the 1980s, complaints began to rival the bumping itself. Less than 10 years after I-10 opened to the public, the state began construction to address design flaws leading to the tiresome sound. “I-10’s original slabs were made of Portland Cement Concrete laid directly onto an aggregate base on top of clay soil, and were not tied together with reinforcing steel known as dowel pins,” said now-retired, 31-year DOT construction training engineer Gordon Burleson. Also, he explained, the clay soil’s impermeability enabled it to trap water under the pavement. “The weight of passing cars, combined with a soft base caused the slabs to tilt and make a bumping sound as cars moved from slab to slab,” he said. Several methods were used to correct the problem. In some areas, dowel pins were placed in the joint area between slabs and the tilted joints were milled (ground) smooth. In other areas the original Portland Cement Concrete was removed altogether, crushed at a rock crushing plant and used as an aggregate for asphaltic concrete. Another method was to completely crack the concrete slabs transversely every two to three feet and apply a “crack relief layer” of liquid asphalt with rock laid on top, followed by another layer of asphalt and smaller rock with the final layer being an asphaltic concrete riding surface. // ALYSSA BROWN
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»life FEATURE
Policing on the
Street Level Community-Based Cops are Tasked with Rooting Out Drugs and Violence that Plague Tallahassee THE SUMMER SUN HAD JUST DROPPED below the horizon beyond South Monroe Street when Tallahassee Police Officer Wes Winfree sat down to dinner inside a Southside fire station. From the quiet confines of an empty office, Winfree wolfed down the contents of his knapsack and used a computer to watch online rap videos filmed a few blocks away on Texas Street. Each clip showed groups of men who flashed gang signs, advertised drug sales and expressed a general hatred for the police department. Some of the same characters in the videos also told officers faceto-face they had planned to kill them. “It’s definitely something you think about, but you can’t let it get in your head too much,” he said. “We want to make this neighborhood safer for the people who aren’t involved. “A lot of the people who live here are good people.” Winfree was a part of a recently expanded Community-Oriented Policing and Problem Solving Team assigned to clean up the cluster of heavily wooded residential lots north of Orange Avenue long notorious for drug sales and accompanying gun violence. The area became a target for Tallahassee Police Chief Michael DeLeo, who was hired in December and subsequently pledged to reduce gun violence in the city, which had grown to a rate-per-resident that rivaled Miami, according
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NIKKI RITCHER
By Arek Sarkissian II
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to a report by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. The epicenter for crime along Texas Street was Sunrise Place Apartments, which primarily caters to single mothers eligible for subsidized Section 8 housing. The complex has faced years of transient property managers who rarely enforced strict, federally drawn rules. “The calls for service that we researched determined this was one of the areas that needed attention,” said TPD Sgt. Shane Porter, who commands the expanded branch of the COPPS team. “And since we got here in May, those calls — those complaints from the community — have dropped significantly.” In its first two months, the COPPS Team averaged 20 arrests per week and seized large amounts of cocaine, marijuana and MDMA (commonly known as Ecstasy or Molly). “I would say we have been very active down here,” Porter said. A recent tour of the neighborhood with the COPPS team revealed the aggressive, yet simple approach to saturation enforcement. Officers observed drug transactions and then provided teammates with the description of suspects and vehicles. Those officers pulled over vehicles for traffic infractions and conducted roadside interviews. Officers only stopped people or vehicles that had clearly broken a law, whether it was a drug transaction or driving infraction. No guesswork was involved. “As much as you want to make the stop, we have to respect people’s rights,” Winfree said. “Those are rights given to them by the Constitution.” Winfree stopped an Acura sedan after it ran a stop sign and a check of the driver revealed his license was suspended. This cleared officers to perform a search that turned up more than a gram of suspected cocaine. Two children, ages 3 and 5, were escorted from the back seat of the Acura and were distracted with the chance to pet a TPD police dog as officers placed the driver under arrest. Later in the tour, another Acura was pulled over and a search turned up several small bags each containing a white powdery substance. Also in the vehicle were several pairs of cleats and a college textbook on macroeconomics. SCOTT HOLSTEIN
Students learn use-of-force techniques at the Pat Thomas Law Enforcement Academy training in this file photo.
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The Last Resort Officers Learn Techniques for Avoiding Use of Force
A
series of summertime traffic stops conducted by members of the recently formed Tallahassee Police COPPS team yielded repeated questions from suspects who faced arrest and the family members who rushed to the scene to defend them. Although a series of officer-involved shootings and headlines broadcast by Tallahassee’s local media would indicate otherwise, TPD officers — including its Community Oriented Policing and Problem Solving team — undergo annual training that teaches them to use physical contact as a last resort. In other words, all of TPD’s 360 officers, from the greenest rookie to its
public information officer, are taught that wrestling maneuvers and guns are only used when absolutely necessary. “We prefer to end situations without force because — I’ll speak for myself — I don’t want to get hurt,” said TPD Officer Jeffery Mazerac, a defensive tactic trainer for the department. “What we try to train them for is the inevitability that force will be involved, and we’re trying to teach them how to get the best result with the least amount of damage.” Every year, all TPD officers go through in-service training at the Pat Thomas Law Enforcement Academy in Havana for an intense refresher course on responding to a call for service and the countless
issues that may take place upon arrival. At the core of the training are that skills every officer uses to stay calm and make good decisions, no matter what. “What we do here is address that entire course over a call, from start to finish,” said TPD Officer Dan Copelin, a department trainer. “The goal here is to get everyone to think the whole process through.” The in-service training is conducted over four consecutive days and includes driving, defensive tactics, firearms and decision making. The coursework evolves each year to address new standards adopted by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement and other issues that surfaced in the field. “If something happens out there that we need to address, they learn it in here,” Mazerac said. “At any time during the year if a certain situation arises, or if we figure out there is a better way to do something, we’ll augment it in here.”
// AREK SARKISSIAN II
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“This was a slow night for us,” Porter said. “Compared to other nights we’ve had, this was nothing.” The expanded COPPS team was serendipitously assigned to Texas Street the same time a new apartment manager took control of Sunrise Place. The 99-unit complex recently underwent renovations that included new windows, appliances, floors and central air systems, as well as a sophisticated network of surveillance cameras. Most of its tenants receive vouchers from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development that come with rules that were only recently enforced. “You don’t enforce the rules for many years and people start to think that’s the way to do things,” said Sunrise Place Manager Abel Reynoso. “I’m here to tell them the rules will stand.” In just two months, arrests made by the COPPS team led to the eviction of six tenants. However, the wait list for the property is made up of relatives of those who recently were removed. “And that’s where we deal with this as a society issue,” he said. “You can only tell them that the life they’re living is not the way to go about living.” Sgt. Porter said his team soon will spread its enforcement efforts to other parts of Tallahassee’s Southside. Struggling areas such as the 2500 block of Holton Street were also known for drugs and shootings. For instance, the Leon Arms Apartments, which also offers Section 8 housing, was the scene of an early morning July 12 fatal shooting that occurred while young children were present. Like Reynoso, nearby business operators wish there were also more opportunities to lead troubled residents toward lawful living. On a recent Friday night, the K&S Grocery on Springhill Road was the scene of a vicious fistfight between two women. Police arrived to only find a disheveled wig left behind. “People come in here drunk at 2 p.m., and they hassle me,” said K&S employee Hassan Nabulsi. “It’s just frustrating.” Nabulsi said most of his customers were hard workers, but he wanted others to see past the misguided dreams of life in the fast lane. His store was relatively tame during the day compared to the trouble that emerged after sundown. “That’s why we close at 10 p.m.,” he said. “The wrong people come out, and they want to rob us.” The need to educate at-risk residents across Tallahassee was shared by DeLeo, who also created a Community Leadership
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Council on Gun Violence. The group of community leaders, business owners and clergy will meet to identify programs and solutions that lead to better decisions by residents. However, some were more optimistic about enforcement after witnessing the COPPS Team on the city’s north side. The streets of Frenchtown once brimmed with seedy sorts fraught with violence, and TPD made somewhat of a difference. “There were the days when I couldn’t make it on my bike without running in to someone who wanted to start something,” said Jerry Ammons, who recently moved from south Tallahassee to escape the violence. “These days, you can tell things have gotten better.”
“In those days, you told someone to come over to you, they’d come over to you. These days, they’ll give you the finger and walk away. I don’t know how to overcome that — except for enforcement.” — State Attorney Willie Meggs Ammons spent a recent Friday night sipping coffee from the safety of a West Pensacola Street convenience store and shared accounts of his life in the Southside. “If they clean up the Southside the same way, I think that would be great.” Sgt. Porter said the original COPPS team will remain in Northside neighborhoods such as Frenchtown, and his group will cover the Orange Avenue corridor. State Attorney Willie Meggs has spent the majority of his life as a Leon County law enforcement official and recalled the days when doors were never locked. But the city has since grown up, and its two universities and community college now attract up to 80,000 college students every semester. This provides opportunities for criminals to prey on the young temporary population — and each other — just to make an easy buck. “They might not have the drugs someone wants, so they rob someone else to get them,” Meggs said. “Or they might not have the money, so they rob someone, get the drugs and sell them to someone else. “It happens all the time.” Also, as Winfree observed in the online videos from Texas Street, law enforcement is rarely respected. “In those days, you told someone to come over to you, they’d come over to you,” Meggs said. “These days, they’ll give you the finger and walk away. “I don’t know how to overcome that — except for enforcement.” n 66 November–December 2014
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»life FEATURE
He’s All Ears
exhibited during the Christina West case. The 30-year top prosecutor TALLAHASSEE POLICE CHIEF MICHAEL DELEO’S two young boys cautiously sang praises for DeLeo. weren’t exactly sold on the idea of leaving the South Florida community “I think he’s going to do a great job — he’s a blessing to this city,” where they grew up to join their dad in his new job. Meggs said. “I just hope he stays here.” Compared to the City of Plantation that the DeLeos once called In July, DeLeo unveiled a five-point plan to address gun violence and home, Tallahassee is a foreign land of towering trees, rolling hills and accountability of his officers, and he appointed Deputy Chief Darrell plenty of quiet neighborhoods. Trips to the grocery store that once E. Furuseth and Maj. Audrey Smith as took five minutes gave way to longer country drives. his top command staff. He also promoted The nearest traffic light to the DeLeo’s new home off 16 more officers to various command posi“I’ve heard good Centerville Road is about five miles away. tions throughout the department. But the DeLeo family had some visitors on the first things about what “This will create the stability we need to night they moved in, which offered a good sign of new move forward,” DeLeo said. adventures ahead. A deer paid the family a visit in their we’re doing, and The 42-year-old chief said residents front yard, and about a week later five more stopped by then I’ve heard should expect several efforts to reduce the backyard for lunch. crime in Tallahassee that go beyond arrests “For two little boys from South Florida, you only saw some bad things. and prosecution. Not only is Tallahassee deer at a petting zoo,” DeLeo said. “For them it’s a big And we want to hear home to three major post-secondary instideal to have the wildlife — like Animal Kingdom in tutions, it also has its share of poverty. your own backyard.” everything — if we DeLeo said he spent his first year on the Chief DeLeo began his tour leading the city’s police don’t, we won’t know job forging relationships with community department on Dec. 30, 2013, after serving 14 years as agencies and city departments to eventuan officer in Plantation. He is a South Florida native about it (and) we ally raise the quality of life in even the who graduated from Miramar High School to attend can’t make it better.” toughest neighborhoods. the University of Florida, and was hired by Plantation in “I wish we could say, ‘This is the cause, 1994. He ascended the ranks as an investigator and shift and this is what we’re going after,’ ” he said. supervisor and became deputy chief over administrative — Chief Michael DeLeo “But it’s a community approach, and we’ve operations in 2009. got to be collaborative. DeLeo also earned a law degree from Nova Southeastern University “But it’s going to take a while — it’s not just one fix.” in Fort Lauderdale with thoughts of becoming an attorney, but his pro DeLeo said he appreciates the sense of community the city’s residents motions within Plantation and the birth of his two sons superseded his have demonstrated so far. He made a point of attending several public plans to take the state bar exam. Later, he earned a master’s degree in events, which gave him plenty of time to take in suggestions. public management from St. Thomas University. “I’ve heard good things about what we’re doing, and then I’ve heard DeLeo replaced Dennis Jones after he went into early retirement in some bad things,” DeLeo said. “And we want to hear everything — if we September 2013 at the suggestion of Tallahassee City Manager Anita don’t, we won’t know about it (and) we can’t make it better.” Favors Thompson. Jones was at odds with the city manager over the way The chief said his family is still adjusting to his relentless workweek, he communicated the severity of an August 2013 DUI case involving and he still carries a two-way radio just like his street officers. One of Christina West, who suffered a broken cheekbone as officers placed her his officers asked during a Police Athletic League basketball game if he under arrest. (In September, West’s lawsuit against the city was settled ever took a break. for $475,000.) Two months later, TPD was thrown into the national “She asked, ‘Do you sleep in your uniform?’ ” DeLeo said with a spotlight for the way its investigators handled a sexual battery investigalaugh. “I told her it may seem that way, but with the new promotions tion involving Florida State University Quarterback Jameis Winston. things should start moving a bit easier.” DeLeo has not been immune to controversy on his watch, however, DeLeo and his wife, Dina, have put their two sons through Tallahassee’s On Sept. 30, a video and story of a patrol officer shooting a 62-year-old circuit of summer camps. One had attended a basketball camp at Lawton woman in the back with a stun gun made national news. Chiles High School and the other spent a week at the Challenger TPD has seen a good share of criticism from State Attorney Willie Learning Center. And now, both are enrolled in a local school. n Meggs, who was also frustrated with the lack of communication Jones
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KAY MEYER
Michael DeLeo Has Spent His First Year as Police Chief Listening to Suggestions for Reducing Crime in Tallahassee By Arek Sarkissian II
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»life AGENDA AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS ▪ Sonitrol/Redwire of Tallahassee, a leading provider of electronic security to businesses, schools and homes, has been named one of the nation’s top 100 security providers in 2014, according to SDM Magazine. With six locations throughout Florida, Sonitrol/Redwire of Tallahassee is currently ranked as the 59th largest security company in the country. In addition, the Sonitrol/Redwire of Tallahassee Central Station is Five Diamond Certified — one of the nearly 6 percent of U.S. central stations to have been awarded this certification. ▪ Diane Holihan, an English teacher at Chiles High School, is the grand prize winner of the first-ever “Get Set for Life” contest, sponsored by the Independent Benefits Council to encourage Florida’s public school employees to learn how to save for retirement. Holihan accepted her $10,000 prize in June at the FASA Summer Conference. Tallahassee teachers swept second and third place, too. Second Place went to Johnnal Stroud, an engineering technology teacher for the Aerospace and Engineering Academy at Rickards High School, and third place went to Nancy Oakley, a second-grade teacher at Hartsfield Elementary School. ▪ The Apalachee Regional Planning Council has received a 2014 Innovation Award from the National Association of Development Organizations Research Foundation for the Wakulla Environmental Institute project. The Wakulla Environmental Institute, a project of Tallahassee Community College, will develop and train the next generation of environmental professionals, tour guides and park managers. The new campus, located south of Crawfordville, will offer associate degrees and certificate programs. ▪ The Fitch Rating Agency recently awarded Leon County with an “AA” rating, attesting to the county’s quality credit rating of capital revenue bonds. The agency evaluated Leon County’s financial profile and ranked the county “stable” with “strong, prudent, forward-looking budgeting.” Fitch also stated that Leon County has “improving debt service coverage,” a “stable financial performance,” a “low debt burden” and an “unemployment rate below the state and national average.”
PHOTOS COURTESY PICTURED INDIVIDUALS
▪ For the second year in a row, Tallahassee Community College has won the Student Affairs Partnering with Academic Affairs Award from Florida Campus Compact. This year, the award recognizes TCC’s Student Leadership, Involvement and Civic Engagement office. The award is open to all institutions of higher education in Florida. ▪ Grace Robinson, executive director of the Gadsden Arts Center in Quincy, was recently recognized as the Florida Association of Museums Outstanding MidCareer Professional for 2014. This award recognizes a museum speRobinson cialist whose work is a model for institutional improvements and outstanding service to
the community he or she serves. Robinson serves on the Florida Art Museums Directors Association Board of Directors, TCC Ralph Hurst Gallery Advisory Board, Big Bend Association of Fundraising Professionals Board of Directors and Links Art Academy Advisory Board.
Paramore is a past president of the Northwest District Dental Association, a member of the FDA’s Board of Trustees and the chair for Florida’s delegation to the American Dental Association’s House of Delegates. In 2010, she was honored as the FDA’s Dentist of the Year.
▪ The Florida Hospital Association recently received the 2014 Florida Health Care Coalition Community Quality Award, presented during FHCC’s Ninth Annual South Florida Conference in Fort Lauderdale. The award recognizes a Florida organization that has developed successful partnerships designed to improve health care quality and lower costs.
▪ Tallahassee chef Terry White, owner of Sage restaurant, was recently crowned “King of American Seafood” during the Great American Seafood Cook-Off in New Orleans. The winning dish was country ham-crusted Gulf cobia with spiny lobster gyoza, caramelized baby bok choy and a Florida orange and saffron emulsion.
▪ Florida State University graduate student Kyle Baltuch has been awarded the Dr. Neil S. Crispo Fellowship by Florida TaxWatch. The award was established in honor of the late Dr. Neil S. Crispo, former Florida TaxWatch vice president of research and distinguished professor in the Askew School of Public Policy at FSU. As an intern at Florida TaxWatch, Baltuch has focused on local government pension reform in Florida.
PROMOTIONS & ADDITIONS
▪ Alpha Foundation Specialists has earned the coveted 2014 Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics presented by the Better Business Bureau. ▪ Capital City Bank, Rogers Gunter Vaughn Insurance, Moore Communications Group, Radey Law Firm and Sachs Media Group have all been recently ranked by Florida Trend magazine as some of the best places to work in Florida.
▪ Lee Wagner is the new the executive director of the Boys & Girls Club of the Big Bend. Wagner served as the president and CEO at the Boys & Girls Club of Central Georgia where he supervised 27 staff members and more than 100 volunteers. He also established the Boys & Girls Clubs of Thomas County in Thomasville where he served as the executive director, and he’s also served as a club director for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta. ▪ Jen Gaviria is the newest member of the team at Capital City Consulting LLC. Gaviria has nearly a decade of experience with state government and the legislative branch. Before joining the firm she was a legislative aide for three years in both the Florida House of Representatives and Florida Senate for state Sen. Anitere Flores, R-Miami. ▪ Jay Ayers is the new hunt master at Honey Lake Plantation. As hunt master, the native Tallahassean will serve as a personal ambassador to hunting guests by planning and coordinating hunting, fishing and sporting activities. Honey Lake also welcomed Greg Folden and Craig Colton to the hospitality staff. With more than 20 years of culinary experience, Folden is the new executive chef at Whispering Pines, and Colton is the restaurant’s new food and beverage director. He was previously director of food and beverage at Boca Raton Resort & Beach Club and Boca Pointe Country Club.
Zicro Group
▪ Tallahassee-based Zicro Academy announced that two of its four Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu athletes, who competed in the New York Summer International Open by the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF), won first and second place in the championship held in July in New York City. Dr. Jim Whyte, his sons, Dylan and Evan Whyte, and Taylor Dove represented Tallahassee at the IBJJF Championship. Whyte placed first in his class and won the New York Summer International Open. Dove placed second. This is Whyte’s ninth national and international championship, including the Worlds/Pan Am. ▪ Dr. Jolene Paramore was recently named the 2014– 2015 secretary of the Florida Dental Association during the 2014 Florida National Dental Convention in Orlando.
▪ Caitie Mook is the new Northwest Florida Regional manager of Regulatory Compliance Services, a subsidiary of the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association. Mook is responsible for sales, service and administrative functions related to alcohol compliance, food safety training and food protection manager certification in Northwest Florida. ▪ Lisa Garcia of Sachs Media Group has been promoted to senior vice president of public relations. She will be responsible for account management and will contribute to strategy and operations of the firm. Garcia joined Sachs’ public affairs team in 2005 and quickly advanced to the role of director of campaigns and subsequently vice president of operations. ▪ Gabriela “Elle” Piloseno and Dave Aussicker, Ph.D., have joined the staff of Florida TaxWatch, the independent, nonpartisan taxpayer research institute
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»life AGENDA and government watchdog. Aussicker joins the nonprofit as vice president for development, and Piloseno as a research analyst for the TaxWatch Center for Smart Justice and an expert in the field of criminal justice reform. ▪ Leon County District 4 Commissioner Bryan Desloge was elected as second vice president of the National Association of Counties during the 79th Annual Conference and Exposition held in July in New Orleans. Desloge will serve as second vice president for a year and then move up to first vice president the following year. He will take over as association president in July 2016. ▪ GrayRobinson P.A., welcomes F. Philip Blank to its Tallahassee office. As a founding shareholder of Blank & Meenan P.A., Blank brings more than 30 years of legal experience to the firm. Blank spent more than six years with the Florida House of Representatives and acted as the House’s first full-time general counsel. ▪ The Florida business law firm Berger Singerman announced that partner Daniel H. Thompson was named by the Florida Supreme Court as a director of the Florida Bar Foundation, a statewide charitable organization that works on behalf of Florida’s legal profession to expand access to justice. Thompson serves on the firm’s government and regulatory team and dispute resolution team and specializes in resolving concerns clients may have with governmental regulatory matters. ▪ Jeffrey E. Barbacci, CPA, is now the Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants’ 2014–2015 board chairman. He has served on 28 FICPA committees and sections, many of which he chaired, and was the first chair of the Institute’s Young CPAs Committee. He has been a member of the Institute’s Board of Governors for 10 years and has served as an FICPA representative on the AICPA Council. ▪ Stephen Andrews and Myles Rankin have joined the tax services department at Thomas Howell Ferguson P.A., a professional accounting, assurance and tax services firm headquartered in Tallahassee. Andrews has more Andrews Rankin than four years of experience with tax preparation and review. Rankin spent three years in tax services at a CPA firm in Panama City and worked for the Florida Office of the Auditor General. ▪ Samantha Strickland, of The Pod Advertising, and Fred Rabbath, of F.C. Rabbath Creations, have now forged an alliance to create a video production and storytelling service provider based in the capital city. ▪ The Tallahassee Society of Association Executives and the Florida Society of Association Executives — two of Florida’s largest association industry associations — will join forces in 2015 under the FSAE brand. They bring together hundreds of professionals working in the association sector, and more than 400 organizations in the Tallahassee area alone. Although TSAE has a larger membership base, FSAE’s reach includes the entire state of Florida. Many association professionals belong to both, and both are headquartered in Tallahassee.
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▪ Dermatology Associates of Tallahassee has welcomed Dr. George Cohen to the practice. Cohen is board certified in dermatology and has more than 33 years of experience. He worked in private practice for Kaiser-Permanente and spent many years training dermatology residents. He also served as a flight surgeon in the United States Air Force. // COMPILED BY JASON DEHART
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FASHION » HOME » ESCAPES
A BETTER YOU MIND AND BODY DÉCOR / GARDENING HABITAT / TRAVEL
Trends Leather is a timeless classic, but every year designers scramble to figure out how to reinvent the traditional look and turn it into a more modern fashion statement. This fall and winter season, designers turned the basic wear into a more stylish look by using metallic shine, leather trim and blocking of fabrics. Traditional leather jackets have changed to a more edgy, cool and modern look. Designers did this by using metallic shine to revive the look or by using leather in bright colors. Color blocking has been a trend for a couple years but in this case, instead of mixing colors, different fabrics are combined with leather. Leather accessories like belts, harnesses and boots can add a fashion statement to your outfit, too. Last year the leather harness was a luxury fetish; this year it is a luxury staple. Faux or real, be sure to add leather into this season’s wardrobe. // TERRA PALMER
HOT LOOKS FOR COLD WEATHER (Facing page) Audra is wearing a BCBG white top ($198), BCBG black leather belt ($88) and BCBG leather pants ($158), all from Dillard’s. Her outfit is accessorized by Juicy Couture hoop pave earrings, available online for $40 and a black Swarovski bracelet ($70). Kenzie’s BCBG Jennifer jacket ($588) from Dillard’s features stitching details and a fashionforward look. (This page) Kenzie sports a BCBG luggage Brown leather jacket ($498) and a BCBG Lienna double layer green jade tank dress, both from Dillards ($228)
Photos: Blake Greene (blakegreene.com) Models: Audra Pittman and McKenzie Burleigh Hair: Laura Donaven, Ardan’s Salon (ardanssalon.com) Makeup: V. Viloria (beautifullybrushed.com) Photo stylist: Terra Palmer (terrapalmerdesigns.com)
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»style TRENDS
GETTING WARMER Matching leather trims Audra’s (left) Bailey 44 dress ($99) from Narcissus. Kenzie (top right) goes a little bit Boho with a BCBG Generation tulle skirt from Cole Couture ($178) and a Bailey 44 black leather top from Narcissus ($99). Her vintage necklace and earrings are privately owned. Audra (bottom right) looks fashionable coming or going in this BCBG Lloyd leather jacket ($248), paired with BCBG poppy-colored top ($158) and BCBG camel-colored leggings ($158). All are from Narcissus.
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PHOTO COURTESY BIRCHBOX
Enjoy a Monthly Box of Samples from Birchbox
WHEN I FIRST STUMBLED UPON BIRCHBOX, the idea of having a present of four or five samples of beauty products delivered to me each month was just too good to pass up. I couldn’t wait to sign up for this goodie box. After creating an account, I completed a beauty quiz that would assure a box customized to my tastes. One week later, my first Birchbox arrived on my doorstep in all its hot pink glory. What originally drew me to Birchbox was its ability to expose you to products you wouldn’t have come across on your own. I have been called a makeup snob a time or two, and while I indulge in premium products from Sephora and department store beauty counters, I enjoy drugstore brands as well. Birchbox delivers just that. I loved my first Birchbox — and the ones that followed. While I may not have been a fan of every product in every box, I came across products I continue to use and brands that I follow diligently. Each box comes with a card that describes how to use the items inside. When I fell in love with a sample, I could easily purchase the full-size product on the website — usually with a discount or free shipping. The box includes one “lifestyle” sample each month in addition to the beauty and grooming samples. This can range from granola bars to headphones. Ksumi Tea was the lifestyle sample in one of my boxes, and I drink it to this day. Birchbox is an amazing resource for those who don’t have time to poke around beauty counters or who love to try out new things and add to their beauty routine. Cost is $10 a month — or prepay for the year for $110. Birchbox also has a point system (one point equals $1), and those points can be used to purchase full-sized products. You get 50 points for every friend you refer and 10 points for every sample you review. With five samples a month, it’s like only paying $5 for your Birchbox, because you get $5 back! You can gift the box to a friend, and there is even a box for men with premium shaving, clothing and hair care samples.
By Ana Stolica
If a combo of drugstore and premium products isn’t up your alley, consider a different subscription box service. It’s like getting a birthday surprise every month. Glossybox will send you six to eight premium makeup products, Nature Box will send you wholesome snacks, and the POPSUGAR Must Have Box will send you five full-sized products in beauty, kids, pets, home, fitness, fashion and food. The website subscriptionboxes.com lists dozens of sites and includes prices and customer reviews. n
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»style MIND AND BODY
THE DANGERS OF ENERGY DRINKS Doctors Say These Popular Pick-Me-Ups Can Change the Course of Your Health By Tisha Crews Keller Did you get the “everyone in general” statement? Energy drinks like Red Bull and Monster and “shots” such as 5-Hour Energy are far more than just a quick pick-me-up — and certainly more complex than soda or a cup of coffee. As more and more patients are discovering, these concoctions may have long-term effects on your health. “I would tell people to simply not drink them — ever,” advises a local physician. He’s not alone. Doctors are becoming more and more concerned as the effects of these energy drinks compound at an
alarming rate in America’s emergency rooms. Commonplace on the market, the products are unregulated and have no warning labels, although many, including several local physicians, believe they should. Dr. Sam Ashoo, emergency medicine physician and medical director of Tallahassee Memorial Hospital’s Emergency Services, said that while he doesn’t specifically track this information at the local level, there is a nationwide trend of increased emergency room visits due to these drinks. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention studies, beverages
MATT BURKE
IF ENERGY DRINKS HAD A doctorprescribed warning label, it would read something like this: Product contains caffeine and may also include medicinal herbs. People with anxiety or psychiatric disorders, heart conditions and children should avoid their use. Avoid combining them with alcohol. Everyone in general and elderly people in particular should be cautious using them, especially if the person has a known history of fainting spells, lightheadedness, high blood pressure, diabetes or cardiac rhythm disorders.
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»style MIND AND BODY marketed as energy drinks have become a popular source of caffeine, with some brands containing the caffeine equivalent of one to three cups of coffee or cans of soda. While caffeine is the main active ingredient, energy drinks also include other ingredients that claim to boost physical energy or mental alertness, such as herbal substances, amino acids and sugars. About 6 percent of adolescent and young adult males in U.S. civilian and military populations consume energy drinks daily that can have negative side effects, such as caffeine intoxication, overdose, withdrawal and interactions with alcohol. Dr. Farhat Khairallah, an electrophysiologist at TMH, warns that excessive caffeine can heighten the risk of abnormal heart rhythms, which can have lasting consequences. While there is no clear data that energy drinks cause arrhythmias, Khairallah points out that large amounts of caffeine and sugar can result in palpitations and a sensation of a racing heart. “It seems that a cutoff of six cups of coffee a day is a threshold over which people might be at risk of developing arrhythmias such as
“It seems that a cutoff of six cups of coffee a day is a threshold over which people might be at risk of developing arrhythmias such as atrial fibrillation or other abnormal rhythms.” (That could be as few as two cans of energy drink.) — Dr. Farhat Khairallah, an electrophysiologist at TMH
atrial fibrillation or other abnormal rhythms,” he said. That could be as few as two cans of energy drink. Another problem with energy drinks is how they are used. Most consumers are trying to amp up energy that’s lacking because of a sleep deficit — which has myriad effects on the body. Doctors warn that people should avoid using these drinks to prevent sleep when their body needs rest. Many young people use them as sports drinks and for general hydration throughout the day. Khairallah believes this is a problem because caffeine, as a stimulant, can increase blood pressure and has diuretic properties. That’s why he and other health professionals warn that you cannot consider drinking coffee or energy drinks as adequate hydration. Dr. Muhammad Salman Siddiqi, a neurologist at TMH’s NeuroScience Center, believes that there’s more to the problem than just caffeine. The vitamins and herbal ingredients in energy drinks can have unintended consequences on health. For instance, taurine is an organic acid used in muscles and brain tissue
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»style MIND AND BODY
— it’s one of the body’s building blocks. Too much, however, can be a bad thing. Vitamin B-6 is another common energy drink component. While too little B-6 causes neuropathy — a deficiency of peripheral (such as hand or foot) nerves that results in weakness and numbness — the inverse is also true. Too much B-6 in your diet also can cause neuropathy, and it may not be an easy fix. “The difference between a poison and a medicine is the dose,” Siddiqui says. He sees patients of all ages, including a rising number of college-aged individuals, with seizure activity that can cause permanent cognitive decline — that he believes is associated with energy drink consumption. Besides short-circuiting the brain, these drinks may be linked to sleep disturbances, mood disorders such as anxiety and anger, tremors and increased blood pressure — which could lead to a stroke at any age. One of the main problems with energy drinks from a medical standpoint is how they are marketed. They are almost described as a health food, when in reality it’s more than just the caffeine
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that is worrisome. And because they are classified as “food products,” the FDA does not regulate them as they do medications. However, as Siddiqi points out, additives such as ginkgo biloba and other exotic herbal extracts can have powerful effects on the body. In addition, some of the herbal supplements in many of these drinks are contraindicated with many mainstream prescription medications. Parents, in particular, should make sure children are not consuming energy drinks. Add to that specific warnings for parents of college-aged children who might mix them with alcohol. A simple Google search returns hundreds of recipes for energy drink cocktails, with chilling names such as “The All-Nighter,” “1.21 Gigawatts” and “1-2-3-Floor.” Parents of a Florida State University sophomore sued the makers of Four Loco in 2010 after he drank the high-alcohol malt beverage mixed with caffeine, taurine, guarna and carbonation — sometimes called “blackout in a can” — began acting erratically and accidently shot himself to death. While Four Loco was banned for a time, it is
TALLAHASSEEMAGAZINE.COM
back on store shelves after being reformulated to eliminate the stimulants. Physicians have a special warning for mixing energy drinks with alcohol. “Mixing these drinks with alcohol will have a definite increased risk of cardiac arrhythmias — specifically atrial fibrillation,” warned Khairallah. And adults beware: Older people are more susceptible. The long-term effects of an overuse of energy drinks are not yet known. It appears that more than one drink per day in a healthy individual may be too much, and the health consequences can be deadly if seizure or arrhythmia results. There is no lower age limit on the risk for these conditions, and young people often add in additional risk factors to their consumption. Local physicians hope that energy drinks might one day be regulated as the pharmaceuticals that they really are — with interaction warnings, overdose symptoms and age limitations. Until that day comes, they urge you — with great fervor — to leave them on the shelf. n
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850-385-7363 blossomsflowers.com 541 N. Monroe St. Tallahassee (in Walker Building)
»style DÉCOR
Classic and Clean: 2–3 lemons (sliced or the peel), 3 sprigs dry or fresh rosemary and 2 tablespoons of vanilla extract. Woodsy Wonder: 3 sprigs each of lavender and rosemary, 1 tablespoon each of eucalyptus essential oil and peppermint essential oil, and 2 tablespoons of vanilla extract. Minty Fresh: 2–3 limes (sliced or the peel), 2 sprigs each of dried or fresh thyme and mint, and 2 tablespoons of vanilla extract. Something Sweet: 1 grapefruit (sliced or the peel), 2 sprigs of fresh lavender or 1 cup dried lavender and 3 tablespoons of vanilla extract.
SAIGE ROBERTS
Traditional Thanksgiving: For this recipe, use 2–3 cups of apple cider instead of water. Add 1 can of pumpkin, 2 cinnamon sticks, 1 tablespoon of cloves and nutmeg, and 2 tablespoons of vanilla extract.
Get a
Whiff of This!
Create a Fragrant Mood With Simmmering Stovetop Scents By Ana Stolica
WHEN WE THINK OF DECORATING living spaces, our thoughts often turn to what new chair would spice up the home office or what pillows would brighten up the living room. Rarely, if ever, do we consider what scent we should incorporate into our abodes. Smell is one of our strongest senses and, according to Lauren Teal, owner of My Favorite Things and a local decorating guru, how your home smells is as important as how it looks. “Scents can spark memories, emotions, feelings and they can create memories,” said Teal. “It’s the first thing people will notice when they walk in the door.” Scents can change the feel of your home, and they make a large impact on houseguests because, let’s face it, who wants to smell last night’s meatloaf or the odor of your dog’s wet fur? These DIY stovetop scents are simple enough to use every day to brighten and freshen your home. To create stovetop scents, add ingredients to three cups of water and bring to a boil, then turn to low and let it simmer. Check your pot regularly, and add water if it gets low. For slow cooker scents, add two cups of water to your crockpot, double the ingredients and set on low. n
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7KRPDVYLOOH 5G 7DOODKDVVHH )/ _ ZZZ WDOODKDVVHHQXUVHULHV FRP 88 November–December 2014
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»style GARDENING
st, Ms. Grow-I t-A y Po ll dre Au
Deck the Walls Let Nature Help When It’s Time for Holiday Decorating Q: I’d like to go with a more natural holiday décor this year, but I have no idea where to start or what the best plants are to use. What do you suggest? A: There are quite a few ® trees, shrubs and flowers — ornamental and edible Ms. Grow-It-All ® — that can contribute to a festive atmosphere in your home during the holiday season. Although I think you were referring to Christmas decorations in your question, you can also use nature’s bounty to decorate for Thanksgiving, so let’s start there. For our national harvest holiday, you can build a centerpiece using pumpkins and winter squash from your garden, complemented by flower stalks from ornamental grasses and dried ears of corn from a produce market. Oversized okra pods that dried on the stalk will also add interesting texture, as do dried chile peppers, whether loose or braided together into a ristra. Scatter a few colorful leaves in hues of red and gold down the center of the table. Press them for a couple of days to make them lie flat. If you want a bouquet for a vase, mix branches of Texas tarragon, Tagetes lucida, and pineapple sage, salvia elegans, which really does smell like pineapple when you rub or crush the leaves. Both bloom this time of year, thanks to our mild climate, and the red elongated blossoms of the sage look really nice with the sunny yellow tarragon blooms. I plant them together in my yard for the same striking combination. For December holiday decorations, which often include candles, various kinds of holly can be arranged to showcase the leaves and berries and accentuate the candlelight. On a fireplace mantle or a side table in the living room or dining room, solid green holly or a variegated variety announces the season. There’s also a variegated saw-toothed tea olive, Osmanthus fragrans, which resembles a holly but retains the delightful fragrance that distinguishes tea olive. Most any holly works well with leaves of the Southern magnolia, Magnolia grandiflora. The smaller, more Ms. Grow-It-All
By Audrey Post
®
distinctly ribbed leaf of the loquat tree, Eriobotrya japonica, is another option. Both heavenly bamboo, nandina domestica, and coral ardisia, Ardisia crenata, have become pests and are classified as invasive, but if you have stubborn plants in your yard, take advantage of their distinctive foliage and bright red berries in your decorating. One of my friends swears that by cutting the branches with berries for her Christmas decorating, the birds don’t have a chance to spread them and the plants stay under control in her yard. Plus, she gets a beautiful display of green and red in vases she can place around her home. Camellias, which grow so beautifully in our area, make beautiful cut flowers for the holiday. The stems are usually
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»style GARDENING
parties
PINK!
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too short to display in bud vases, but they look lovely floating in a bowl of water and come in a variety of colors. The bloom season for most Camellia japonica varieties coincides with the holiday season. Citrus, usually a winter-ripening fruit, offers both leaves and fruit for decorating. Kumquats, in particular, make great additions to mantels and wreaths because of their glossy green foliage and colorful small fruits. Persimmons, apples and pomegranates work well, too. Rosemary sprigs provide color as well as fragrance. A bowl of winter fruits makes a great centerpiece. Tuck a few sticks of cinnamon in any arrangement for a burst of Christmas smell. Pinecones of various sizes, either left in their natural state or sprayed with gold November/ or silver paint, can accent December the greenery. Gardening If you have grapevines Events or Chinese w isteria, Wisteria sinensis, an invaNov. 5: Noon, First Friday Brown sive vine with purple Bag Luncheon, Jubilee Cottage, flower clusters in spring Goodwood Museum & Gardens, that people either love 1600 Miccosukee Road. Bring or hate, you can use the your lunch. (850) 877-4202 stripped vines to make Nov. 13: 7 p.m., Tallahassee wreaths. Alone, the vine Orchid Society meeting, Jubilee wreath makes a striking Cottage, Goodwood Museum & silhouette, or you can Gardens, 1600 Miccosukee Road. adorn it with ornaments, tallyorchid.org natural or not. You don’t have to limit Nov. 16: 3 p.m., Tallahassee yourself to what’s in your Area Rose Society meeting, Laundry Cottage, Goodwood own yard. Local nurserMuseum & Gardens, 1600 ies sell wonderfully full Miccosukee Road. Call Mary and fragrant evergreens Maud Sharpe at (850) 878-9625. that don’t survive here — firs and spruces that Nov. 20: 9:30 a.m., Tallahassee grow in the mountains of Garden Club Plant Exchange; North Georgia and North 10:15, Horticulture Program; Carolina. You can get gar1 p.m., Fun with Flowers. The lands, swags and wreaths Garden Center, 507 N. Calhoun St. (850) 224-3371 — as well as Christmas trees — and then build Nov. 21–23: Habitat for upon that evergreen base Humanity’s Festival of Trees, with what you have to creCarriage House Conference ate a holiday theme. n Center, Goodwood Museum © 2014 Postscript Publishing, all rights reserved. Audrey Post is a certified Advanced Master Gardener volunteer with the University of Florida IFAS Extension in Leon County. Email her at Questions@MsGrowItAll. com or visit her website at msgrowitall.com. Ms. Grow-It-All® is a registered trademark of Postscript Publishing.
and Gardens. (850) 574-2288
Dec. 5: Noon, First Friday Brown Bag Luncheon, Jubilee Cottage, Goodwood Museum & Gardens, 1600 Miccosukee Road. Bring your lunch. (850) 877-4202 Dec. 5: 6 p.m., 26th Annual Camellia Christmas, Maclay Gardens State Park, 3540 Thomasville Road, (850) 487-4556 Dec. 11: 4–7 p.m., Tallahassee Garden Club Christmas Tea, The Garden Center, 507 N. Calhoun St. (850) 224-3371
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»style HABITAT
Christmas with
‘Sparkle’
The Merry and Bright Jansen Home is Holiday Party Central By Rosanne Dunkelberger // Photos By Scott Holstein
I
t’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas at Tim and Stephanie Jansen’s house. And we do mean a LOT. That’s because every room, every nook and every cranny in their 6,500-square-foot Highgrove manse contains a nod to the holiday season — from explosion of silver and gold glittery trimmings in the den, to the peacock-themed holiday décor of their doggie room all the way down to the tiny glass creche in the powder room. The Jansens share their decorative efforts, entertaining throughout the holidays, but the high point of the season is the annual “Eve of Christmas Eve” party on Dec. 23. This will be the 18th year they’ve hosted the highly anticipated event, which began as a children’s party when their daughters, Janie, 20, and Annie, 18, were tots. “It started off very small, very casual. Our youngest was a baby,” recalls Stephanie. “We wanted to have a little party where our closest
people could just drop in — no pressure.” Over the years the little ones have grown, but they still attend the party, along with their parents, grandparents, holiday houseguests and more … the guest list has grown to around 300 people. “Anybody and everybody family-wise is welcome. We’ve actually become friends just seeing each other once a year,” she says. Stephanie explains the party’s appeal: “Everyone’s exhausted from the holidays, and by the time it’s the eve of Christmas Eve if you haven’t done what you need to do, you’re up a creek. Just stop and enjoy. Come to our house, and forget about it.” Two aspects of the party are anticipated year after year — nutcrackers and the banister decorations, she says. While each room in their expansive home has different color schemes and themes that change from year to year, you’re sure to find a nutcracker or two — or 10 — everywhere you look. They’ve collected
Last Christmas, Stephanie Jansen opted for the simple beauty of live trees decorated with only white lights in her formal living room.
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MARK WALLHEISER
»style HABITAT
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them over the years, and at last count there were 563 in the house. Guests are sent home with their own nutcracker at the end of the night, although some make calling dibs on their favorite the first order of party business. “It’s hysterical. Some of my closest friends, they’ll come in and … will go right to get theirs and stick it in their purse. I’m like ‘Really? Hi. How are ya? Merry Christmas.’ But I love that they love it.” Elaborate staircase decorations greet guests as they walk in the door and change every year. Last year, Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” was the theme, and the garland included a crutch, a lovely Ghost of Christmas Past and Jacob Marley’s chains — bedazzled with glitter, of course. Stephanie’s love of all things shiny has earned her the nickname “Sparkle” in the Spanish Krewe of Springtime Tallahassee. The Jansens host their krewe’s holiday party, and every year
Even Tim Jansen’s man cave (facing page, top) gets the holiday treatment. Stephanie sorts the nutcrackers (facing page, bottom) that will be given as favors during the Jansen’s Eve of Christmas Eve party. Everywhere you look in the Jansen home (this page) are nutcrackers and a touch of whimsy.
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»style HABITAT
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Party Planning Dos and Don’ts Stephanie Jansen has jotted down a few dos and don’ts she’s gleaned from 18 years of holiday home decorating and party planning. DO: Bring the outside in … the gifts from mother nature will never let you down! DO: Neurotically organize with clear bins only … clear bins are your friend! DON’T: Wait until the last minute … start early so you can enjoy your decorative glory. DON’T: Feel confined to the “typical” Christmas décor … you can never be too witty, clever or outside of the box. This is your one chance all year to be completely over the top!
XXXXXXXXXXXXX
DO: Remember, spray paint and glitter when all else fails!
The staircase banister decorations (facing page, top) change every year. In 2013 it was “A Christmas Carol” themed. Holiday motifs, both modern and traditional (facing page, bottom) are everywhere you look. Even the Jansen pups have special dog-themed décor in their room (this page).
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THE GARDENS AT ESPOSITOS 2743 CAPITAL CIRCLE NE · 531-9001
MARK WALLHEISER
»style HABITAT
has a theme. One year, it was “Mafia” (“I don’t even know how we got there!”), and Stephanie got to work on her holiday mobster theme. “We spray painted red and glittered all these plastic machine guns,” displaying them on the banister garland, she said. “I remember stepping back and looking at it and I thought ‘You know, you can spray and glitter anything at all and make it look like Christmas!’ ” One of her favorite staircases was when she displayed all of the family photographs she saved that had been tucked in Christmas cards they received throughout the years. “I tied them all through the garland and all the kids, who were very tall teenagers by then, were finding themselves as babies,” she recalled. “It was sweet to see the teenagers actually stop and have a melting moment instead of being too cool for school.” The outdoors is also uber-decorated, except for the back lawn. It slopes downhill to a beautiful view of Lake Hall, where, unlike the sparkling overload inside the house, simplicity makes a bold statement. The only ornamentation as you look out
toward the lake is a lone lit Christmas tree on the end of the dock. Tim, Stephanie says, is a “rabid” Gator fan (she’s a Seminole), and on years when the Florida/Florida State game is played in Gainesville it’s game-on for her holiday decorating. “I always start Friday morning when everybody will be gone. I start off three days in my jammies and just rock and roll,” she says. “When they play in Tallahassee it’s hard because we always have company and we can’t very well say, ‘Move out of the way or haul some boxes.’ So I start a little later. Oftentimes we have a party that first or second weekend (in December) so it all has to be done. Which is great. There’s nothing like a party to give you a deadline.” With daughter Annie starting college at Auburn this year, Stephanie has lost a valuable holiday helper (“She was the one that brought all the nutcrackers down from the attic and up from the basement.”), but she can always count on fun and creative times decorating with Everett Thompson, a friend and designer who owns Options by
Stephanie and Tim Jansen (top) provide a warm welcome to guests during the holidays and throughout the year. Santa is the guest of honor (above) in the outdoor gazebo.
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CALL
»style HABITAT
The Good Guys
T O D AY !
Stephanie Jansen and home designer Everett Thompson have fun creating enjoyably eye-catching decorations.
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ET Designs. “We both think out of the box,” she said, “and when you put the two of us together, lord, here we go!” How, one might ask, do you store six-foot-tall nutcrackers, dozens of trees and miles of garland during the other 11 months of the year? Fortunately, says Stephanie, the lowest level of their home is a basement with as much square footage as the first floor. And there’s attic “We both storage, too. Smaller items are stored in about 50 see-through think out of plastic bins. the box and Tim is a well-known defense attorney who was in the news when you put last year when he represented the two of us Heisman-winning FSU quarterback Jameis Winston. together, lord, Stephanie is co-owner of FIT & More, a medical weight here we go!” loss and healthy living center located on Capital Circle — Stephanie Northeast. In addition to the Jansen Spanish Krewe, the couple is active in many civic activities and often opens their home to parties for nonprofits. For several years when their daughters were younger, The Tallahassee Ballet’s holiday party was held at their home. Stephanie estimates they host half a dozen “big, full-throttle” parties annually, including five weddings over the years. “Small ones? They’re constant. We’re always party-ready,” she says. n
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1. PONY EXPRESS TACK & RIDING SHOP Pony Express has all the top brands you are looking for this holiday season. Come in and choose the perfect gift for the Equestrians on your list — and don’t forget the horses! Pony Express, bringing you the best for horse and rider. NEW LOCATION: 1580 Summit Lake Drive, 850.893.2247, ponyexpresstackandridingshop.com
2. THE CALIFORNIA WINE CLUB Share passion. Spoil your favorite people with award-winning wines from California’s best small artisan wineries. They’ll taste the devotion to handcrafted quality in every delicious sip. Since 1990, we’ve made holiday gift giving easy. Gifts start at $39.95
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5. SOUTHEASTERN PLASTIC SURGERY Embrace the winter with skin
Gifting
care products from Results RX. Great for the holidays, give the SPA gift card for products or for a pampering session like a facial with one of the SPA’s highly trained, licensed aestheticians. 850.219.2000, se-plasticsurgery.com
for the Holidays and feature a different winery each month. 800.777.4443, cawineclub.com
3. fab’rik Whether it’s our first-class
customer service or vast selection of clothing, shoes, handbags, jewelry and art, you are bound to be a fab’rik addict for life! Shoes $25–$35. 1817 Thomasville Road, Suite 520 next to Whole Foods, 850.765.6224
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6. UPTOWN CAFÉ AND CATERING
4. THE REFINERY BARRE FITNESS STUDIO Release impurities. Revive into a strong confident one. Retain the new and improved you. Give the gift of strength and confidence. A perfect gift to start the New Year. Gift Certificates sold at studio. 1817 Thomasville Road, therefineryfitness.com, 850.999.8182
For over 30 years, Uptown Cafe and Catering has been serving the Tallahassee community with their Eclectic Breakfast and Lunch items. We also offer our popular Uptown Apricot Smoked Salmon by the full and half sizes too, and we ship our salmon for gifts. Full sides $50, half sides $30. 1325 Miccosukee Road, 850.219.9800, uptowncafeandcatering.com
Photos by Matt Burke (3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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8. COLE COUTURE Reusable bottles that look great and do good! Non-leaking, non-toxic stainless steel keeps your drinks cold for 24 hours and hot for 12 while
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giving back to those in need. $25–$45 1240 Thomasville Road, 850.553.3327, colecouture.com
9. CAKE SHOP BAKERY Baking people happy for over 45 years!
Fulfill your holiday party needs with themed cakes, cookies and cupcakes. We even have gift baskets ready to bring to your next holiday party! Holiday platters $12–$25. 1908 Capital Circle NE, Unit 6, 850.386.2253, tallahasseecakeshop.com
10. VINTIQUE Primitive with present style. An Old World feel with a modern look. Inspirational and fun! Primitives by Kathy. Box signs and pillows, too. 1100 N. Monroe St., 850.577.1162, vintiqueshabbychic.weebly.com
11. CHERRY BLOW DRY BAR
Give her the gift of amazing hair! Pair a gift certificate for one of our world famous blowouts from the Cherry Look Book with a Kevin Murphy product (sold exclusively at Cherry) for the perfect holiday gift. 1815 Thomasville Road, Suite 210, 850.765.6991, cherryblowdrybar.com
12. BELA LILI MONOGRAMMING & GIFTS Sweet, cute and affordable come
together at Bela Lili Monogramming & Gifts, with a wide selection of trendy and unique gifts for all occasions. Company logo embroidery, monogramming, applique, heat press and vinyl services available on our products or yours. FREE monogramming provided for all in-store purchases — ALWAYS! 1350 Market St., 850.329.6083
A GUIDE TO
Gifting for the
Holidays
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holiday season, So Pure Salon & Spa, an Aveda Lifestyle Salon, invites you to give the gift of repair with Aveda’s Damage Remedy Gift Set. Damage Remedy harnesses penetrating plant proteins to help strengthen and repair hair. Let your loved one experience beauty inside and out by adding a gift certificate to So Pure Salon & Spa. 1410 Market St., 850.727.0482, sopuresalon.com
2. SOUTHERN COMPASS OUTFITTERS UGG Australia
boots are an icon of a relaxed, casual fashion lifestyle. We now offer monogram options for your UGG Australia boots! 1817 Thomasville Road, Suite 610 in the Miracle Plaza, 850.765.7172, southerncompassoutfitters.com
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Gifting
for the Holidays 3. MARSHA DOLL BEAUTY, THE MODEL COLLECTION This dual-pump self tanner combines moisturizing and self tanning in one step. Perfect for daily use, it builds a beautiful, natural-looking tan over time. Enjoy the fabulous tropical fragrance, without the harsh chemical smell of most self tanners. 7oz, $32.99. Marsha Doll Beauty, marshadollbeauty.com, 850.656.2600
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4. FUEL SALON + STORE Spoil yourself and your loved ones with a beautiful hair and skin transformation from Moroccanoil. Infused with rich nutrients and antioxidants, these products and services make a luxurious gift. The complete collection of Hair Care and Body Care is available in our store. Gift certificates available. 3425-7 Thomasville Road, 850.894.3835, fuelasalon.com
5. SOUTHERN SEAFOOD Our fresh Gulf seafood makes a great gift for the holidays! Stone crabs and lobster are now in season and are always a hit at any party or at home amongst family and friends. Gift cards are also available. 1415 Timberlane Road in Market Square, 850.893.7301, southernseafoodmarket.com 6. SANDESTIN GOLF & BEACH RESORT Enjoy a getaway at the region’s No. 1 resort. Known for its white sandy beach and emerald water, the 2,400-acre resort features deluxe accommodations, golf, tennis, endless amenities and more. 9300 Emerald Coast Pkwy. West, Sandestin, FL, 877.714.3864, sandestin.com
Photos by Matt Burke (2, 4)
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A GUIDE TO
Gifting for the Holidays 7. TALLAHASSEE AUTO MUSEUM
W.R. Case & Sons produces beautiful knives that make great Christmas gifts. To see a full selection, visit capitalcityknives.com. Better yet, spend an entertaining afternoon at the world famous, locally owned museum and shop our knife collection. 6800 Mahan Drive, 850.942.0137, tacm.com
8. JOHN WESLEY SALON Happy
SCOTT HOLSTEIN
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Holidays from the John Wesley Monticello and Tallahassee Chic Salon. Visit us for all your cut, color and styling needs. Call for a consultation. Two convenient locations. John Wesley Monticello, 225 North Cherry Street, Monticello & Tallahassee Chic Salon, 2372 Capital Circle NE, 850.491.4596 or 850.297.2442 8
MADISON MCDANIEL Owner, Sparkle by Madison Tallahassee Magazine advertiser since 2014
TALLAHASSEE MAGAZINE
works for me “Tallahassee Magazine has a wide variety of readers so it’s a great place to advertise!”
Sparkle by Madison is a pink paradise for women and girls of all ages who love affordable and trendy clothing — but it’s a little off the beaten path in the back of Manor @ Midtown. “Many people who come in tell us they saw our ad in the magazine — and they had never heard of Sparkle!” she says. “The staff worked closely with me to help design an ad that represented my business and brand. They were great to work with and made it so easy to get things done!” Call today and discover how Tallahassee Magazine can work for you.
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2014 Top Singles raises more than $63,000 for charity 5th Annual Tallahassee Top Singles Event August 23, 2014, at Hotel Duval The 2014 Top Singles event was a rousing success, with 18 singles raising thousands of dollars for 18 different charities. This year, the event format changed, with each single pre-raising funds prior to the event and then participating in an authentic auction the night of the event. Each single was paired with a date package, which ranged from paintball to horseback riding to a night on the town. Charities benefitting from this year’s event included: Autism Speaks, Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Big Bend, Boys Town, Burn Camp, Capital City Youth Services, Children’s Home Society, Hands and Hearts, Kidz1stFund, Leon County Humane Society, Muscular Dystrophy Association, Pray for Grayson, Ronald McDonald House, Rotary International, Rotary Youth Camp, TMH Foundation to Benefit Diabetes Camp Scholarships for Children, Women of Hope, Women’s Pregnancy Center and YMCA. Photos by Matt Burke. Onstage women’s fashions courtesy of Cole Couture. Hair courtesy of Fuel A Salon + Store and makeup courtesy of JS Hair Lounge. DJ services provided by GT Entertainment.
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Check out tallahasseemagazine.com for more pictures, videos and a social media recap of the event! SPONSORED BY
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»feature DEAL ESTATE
GO TO TALLAHASSEEMAGAZINE.COM FOR UPDATED LISTINGS
IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD
FACTS AND STATS
Old Town Equals Location
All statistics listed below pertain to sales in July 2014 and are provided by the Tallahassee Board of Realtors, Florida Realtor and the National Association of Realtors.
By Lynda Belcher
LEON COUNTY Leon County closed 271 singlefamily home sales — 59 were paid in cash. 204 were traditional sales, 59 were foreclosures and 8 were short sales. On average, Leon County’s single-family home sales received 93.8 percent of their original list price. There were 378 new listings — a 6.2 percent increase over July 2014. The median sale price for singlefamily homes in Leon County was $182,000 — a 1.6 percent decrease since July 2013. Single-family home inventory (active listings) in Leon County increased by 11.7 percent between July 2013 and 2014.
MATT BURKE
FLORIDA
continued on page 114
On average, Florida’s closed singlefamily home sales received 93.3 percent of their original list price. The median sale price for singlefamily homes in Florida was $185,000 — a 3.6 percent increase over last July.
NATIONAL Nationally, existing-home sales increased in July. The total for existing family home sales was 5.15 million in July, a slight increase from the 5.03 million sold in June. MATT BURKE
WHEN IT COMES TO LOCATION, there isn’t a neighborhood in town that has it better than Old Town. Centrally located — bordered by Mahan and Magnolia drives and Miccosukee and Meridian roads — this community is mere minutes from a wide array of amenities in every direction. “It is in the heart of the city, and you can be almost anywhere in under 20 minutes or so,” said Beverly Frick, local photographer and longtime Old Town resident. Old Town is considered to be one of the last of the original downtown area neighborhoods in Tallahassee. There are a number of homes that are original to their 1930s and 1940s structure and architectural design, which is what makes the neighborhood so visually distinctive. In fact, in the late 1990s, more than 75 homes were identified with architectural significance, allowing for historic preservation district designation. Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare, Leon High School and the stately Brokaw-McDougal House anchor the community. Additionally, there are a variety of small businesses
Florida closed 22,099 singlefamily home sales — 8,331 were paid in cash. 16,242 were traditional sales, 4,549 were foreclosures and 1,308 were short sales.
The national median existinghome price for all housing types was $222,900 in July, down 4.3 percent from July 2013. Compiled by Lynda Belcher
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»feature DEAL ESTATE JUST LISTED
THE LAKE JACKSON AREA is the perfect mix of quiet country-style living with proximity to many of the amenities of city living. Roughly five miles — about a 10-minute ride up U.S. 27 past the I-10 exchange — the Lake Jackson Heights subdivision is characterized by a slew of cozy and affordable homes and a familyfriendly community. This home, located at 2113 Longview Drive, was built in 2001. The three-bedroom, two-bathroom space spans roughly 1,122 square feet but lives big because of the spacious interior floor plan. The home is surrounded by a little over a quarter of an acre of lush green grass, complemented by front and back
porch areas. There is an oversized one-car garage, and the exterior consists of brick and vinyl siding. Entering the home, the cathedral ceilings in the common living areas provide the illusion of even more space, and extend into the dining area and galley kitchen. The home offers new carpet, paint and ceramic flooring. Appliances in the kitchen are Kenmore, with a smooth-top range and a builtin microwave. Moving into the master bedroom suite, there is a walk-in closet, separate tub and toilet and a French door that opens up onto the back patio. This property is move-in ready and is being offered for $125,000. // LYNDA BELCHER
COURTESY LIBBY ALLEN
Charming Lake Jackson Home ‘Lives Big’
QUICK LOOK Address: 2113 Longview Drive List Price: $125,000 Square feet: 1,122 Contact: Libby Allen, Libby Allen Realty, (850) 668-SOLD (7653)
Coldwell Banker Hartung and Noblin would like to wish you & your family a Happy Holiday Season and thank you for 30 plus successful years in Real Estate.
Awarded Coldwell Banker’s President’s Award of Honor and Honor of Successful Afliation for 30 Years.
Residential • Commercial • Corporate Relocation | 3303 Thomasville Rd | coldwellbankertallahassee.com 110 November–December 2014
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COURTESY MARIANA DOSEANU
JUST SOLD
Introducing One of Tallahassee’s Newest Communities, The Preserve at Bucklake with Tricon Builders’ First Model, The Melrose
Amenities Help Sell this Cul-de-Sac Home SITUATED IN THE DESIRABLE Weems Plantation community, the home at 3434 Barnstaple Drive recently sold for $167,000. The threebedroom, two-bathroom space was built in 2004 and spans 1,391 square interior feet; the entire size of the lot is .15 acres. It is one of several houses situated on a cul-de-sac. The home boasts a spacious two-car garage, open floor plan, a covered front porch and brand new roof and gutters. All of these improvements contribute to an increased value on the home, and one less thing that the new homeowners have to contend with in the near future. There are numerous amenities in the home, including a builtin microwave, oven, washer, dryer and refrigerator with icemaker. The kitchen is separate from the breakfast QUICK LOOK nook, and both open up to an expansive living room area. The bedrooms Address: 3434 are all painted in calming, neutral Barnstaple Drive hues, with matching plush carpet List Price: $182,000 throughout. The master bathroom offers double vanities, as well as a garSold Price: $167,000 den tub, walk-in closet and separate Square feet: 1,372 toilet space. Additionally, the laundry Contact: Mariana room is situated within the interior of the house for added convenience. Doseanu, Keller Moving to the back exterior of the Williams Realty, (850) home, there is an enviable backyard 339-5671 space that is perfect for entertaining or just relaxing. There is a screened-in back porch, which opens up to a cozy backyard replete with privacy fence. The span of healthy green grass is easily maintained with the built-in irrigation system. For homeowners with an eye on safety, there is an existing security system, which was included in the asking price of the home. “The selling point of this home was its location,” said Mariana Doseanu of Keller Williams Realty. “Convenience is a strong suit of Weems Plantation, with the Publix-anchored shopping center, WalMart and Costco and Bass Pro Shops on Lagniappe Way and Tom Brown Park, all within walking distance.” // LYNDA BELCHER
4 Bedrooms 3 Full Baths in 2077 sq.ft. Priced at $325,000 850-894-2471 triconbldrs.com Lic# CBC1256557
Lisa Montgomery Calvert 850-556-1226 LisaMCalvert@comcast.net montgomeryrealtyinc.com
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»feature DEAL ESTATE THAT SECOND HOME
Luxurious Custom Home Offers Country Getaway COURTESY HILL SPOONER & ELLIOTT, INC. REAL ESTATE
Ben Vasilinda 850.228.7208 Landscaping & Lawncare, LLC. Licensed & Insured - Commercial & Residential Lawn Maintenance . Tree Trimming Debris Removal . Roof & Gutter Clean-outs Pressure Washing . Overgrown Lot Clean-ups
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JOHN PAUL II CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL A place where faith and community shape character.
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NESTLED IN THE HEART of Jefferson County at 273 Springfield Road, this QUICK LOOK second home option provides the perAddress: 273 fect getaway for a weekend — or more — in the country. Situated on four Springfield Road acres of lush green space and abutList Price: $479,000 ting a pine tree farm, this custom-built home, listed for $479,000, is located Square feet: 3,444 just a few minutes from I-10, making Contact: Hettie it just as convenient an escape as it is Spooner, Broker/Owner, aesthetically pleasing. Hill Spooner & Elliott The exterior of the home is simple, Inc. Real Estate, (850) with an endless carpet of green grass 509-4337 or Lindsay extending to the property line. There Elliott, Realtor/Partner, is a shaded cobblestone paver porch with a pathway to the detached three(850) 545-2463 car garage. “This custom built home offers relaxed luxury with a Southern flair,” said Lindsay Elliott of Hill Spooner & Elliott Inc. Real Estate. “It is nestled on a four-acre home site for ultimate privacy and seclusion just minutes from town. This retreat offers many low-maintenance features that make it a perfect option for a second home.” The interior of the home is nothing short of spectacular. Stained pine heartwood flooring runs throughout, accompanied by 11-foot ceilings and Pella windows. There is recessed lighting in the kitchen, complemented by a six-burner stove with custom hood, Dacor refrigerator and custom zebrawood and Cambria quartz countertops. The kitchen opens right into the living area, which is spacious, with plenty of room to be creative in terms of room design and décor. There are two bonus rooms in this three-bedroom, four-bathroom house. The master suite also offers access to the patio through two glass French doors, and each of the bedrooms boast walk-in closets and private bathrooms. The master bathroom offers separate spaces for bathtub and shower, with a combination of mirrors and custom tiling around the tub space. While the home has a number of amenities built in to the custom design, there is still a great deal of opportunity for a buyer to initiate touches to personalize it further. // LYNDA BELCHER
GO TO TALLAHASSEEMAGAZINE.COM FOR UPDATED LISTINGS
SHOW ME THE $
Investment Properties POPULAR TV SHOWS like “Flip This House” and “Income Property” often paint a rosy picture of the real estate investment process and what a lucrative income stream it can represent. However, Steve Wright, broker/owner of Investor’s Realty, says of investment properties: “If it were easy, everyone would be doing it.” Real estate investment properties are those that are not purchased as a primary — or even secondary — residence for the investor. Rather, they offer an opportunity to create an additional form of revenue. Real estate investors make the initial financial investment in a property, and then offer up additional time, effort and money on repairs and aesthetic improvements to raise the property’s value to rent or re-sell for a profit. Real estate investing took a nosedive when the market crashed several years ago; however, it has since begun to rebound, creating more opportunity than there was a few years ago. “We are not back to pre-2007 levels just yet,” said Wright. “But for the enterprising investor, there are higher hopes now than there have been since the market was booming. People are just looking at investment properties with a more critical eye now. They want more out of their purchase, particularly since obtaining financing is not as easy as it has been in the past.” Depending on the health of the market, becoming a real estate investor does require a hefty financial outlay. In addition to the down payment on the property (provided there is financing involved), investors must pay for repairs, upgrades, additions and any other elements of upkeep on the property. Moreover, there is always the possibility that the property in question could sit vacant before rental or re-sale. “Investors have to be able to financially withstand the downtime that happens when a property sits vacant,” said Wright. “You need the stomach and the cash flow to support a property during these lean times; if you can’t, then it’s not a good enterprise.” There are some things to keep in mind when it comes to investing in property: » Stay in your financial comfort zone: As a general rule, you shouldn’t buy more house than you afford for a primary residence; follow the same rule for an investment property. » Ask for help: The process of investment is more than just making repairs and bowing out. The property itself needs maintenance and upkeep, which is where a good property manager can be useful. Not only do they have experience in managing, “banks generally don’t want to deal with investors that don’t have property management experience or an experienced property manager lined up to assist with the property,” said Wright. » Location, location, location: In Tallahassee, many investors look to the FSU/FAMU campus region for potential properties in order to capture the student market. However, investment properties are valuable around the city, so be willing to look elsewhere, depending on what you might want in a buyer or tenant. » Create capital: Talk to a financial planner prior to making an inquiry so you know what you need to have in hand before approaching a bank for financing. It is also important to have several months of mortgage payments saved as well as money for emergency repairs in the event that the property sits vacant for some time. // LYNDA BELCHER
“Because Safe Need Not Be Ugly”
BEFORE
eddion.com 850.386.5664 Lic #CBC045240
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»feature DEAL ESTATE 635 CHANCEY LANE
450 SELLING PRICE (IN $100K)
sprinkled throughout, including local eateries Uptown Café and Miccosukee Root Cellar. A recent addition to the small swath of businesses in Old Town is the Purple Martin Nurseries Outpost, which is both a nursery and garden gift shop. The location is just part of the appeal of this charming neighborhood. The homes frequently attract passers-by looking to take a peek at Old Tallahassee in all of its charm, which is found in each of the distinct homes in the neighborhood. Each of the houses has a unique character and range from spacious estates to quaint cottages. Towering charter oaks shade the community, and blooming dogwoods create a stunning effect in springtime. The mix of people found within this neighborhood is another part of what attracts potential buyers. “The neighborhood is richly diverse, with deans and graduate students, young families and retirees, mansions and cottages, and homes built over a span of a hundred years,” said Frick.
MATT BURKE
continued from page 108
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2006
2012
YEAR
2014
The home at 635 Chancey Lane is characteristic of the beauty of the Old Town area. Just off of Magnolia Drive, the two-story home is situated on a cul-de-sac and offers hardwood flooring throughout (with the exception of the bedrooms), large porch and fenced-in backyard with work shed. The master bedroom is on the first floor, with a walk-in closet and separate shower and tub. The home was sold in 2006 for $375,000 and again in 2012 for $268,000. It is currently listed for $300,000.
Thanks Tallahassee, for voting NAI TALCOR the BEST Commercial Real Estate Company! 1018 Thomasville Rd, Suite 200A (850) 224 2300 talcor.com Serving North Florida since 1990, NAI TALCOR is the largest, locally owned Commercial Real Estate Company. 114 November–December 2014
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COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT INVESTMENT SALES REAL ESTATE BROKERAGE
IT’S JUST BUSINESS
PROPERTY MANAGEMENT
NORTH AMERICAN PROPERTIES
Stadium Centre Grocer
Coming Soon ▪ North American Properties and Uptown Rental Properties have announced plans for the development of Stadium Centre along the Gaines Street Corridor. The Centre will include three mixed-use retail and residential developments, which will have an economic impact of $17 million, including the creation of more than 150 jobs, according to the project developers. The Deck, flagship property of the Centre, will be located at the corner of Gaines and Gay streets. The Block is situated just to the west of The Deck and The Axis, at the corner of Woodward and St. Augustine. ▪ The Ferber Company is developing Magnolia Grove at the southwest corner of Magnolia Drive and Park Avenue East. Retailers slated to be in this development include Starbucks, Blaze Pizza, Smashburger, Mattress One, Oishii Bento Pan Asian & Sushi, Which Wich and Stanton Optical. The property was recently sold to the Ferber Company and closed in August 2014. The 9.27-acre parcel will also include a 134room, Home 2 Suites by Hilton hotel, with a targeted opening for the 2015 football season. The Ferber Company is a privately held development and investment company headquartered in Ponte Vedra Beach.
▪ Rounding out the slew of new tenants in the remodeled Miracle Plaza Shopping Center is 4 Rivers Smokehouse, which is the last tenant to fill the shopping center. The restaurant will lease out 4,200 square feet of space located directly at the front of the plaza, with frontage on Thomasville Road. 4 Rivers serves Texas-style smokehouse fare and has a flagship office in Winter Park; additional locations are in Gainesville, Jacksonville and Longwood. It is the first 4 Rivers location in Northwest Florida. Chef and 4 Rivers owner John Rivers is a graduate of the FSU College of Business.
Our goal is to institute a business which offers a wide variety of real estate services including commercial brokerage, land development and investment opportunities in the North Florida and South Georgia market areas. LICENSED IN FLORIDA, GEORGIA AND ALABAMA
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Recently Opened ▪ Chicken Salad Chick, a popular fast-casual restaurant concept focusing on variations of chicken salad-based recipes, has opened another location in Tallahassee in the Gulf Winds Shopping Center at 1498 Apalachee Parkway. The first Tallahassee location will remain open in the Market District. The company was established in Auburn, Ala, in 2008 and was founded by Stacy Brown. The second location is just minutes from the downtown area and will offer a custom-fit chicken salad experience with more than 15 flavors from which to choose, along with soups, salads and desserts.
Design Services | Shop at Home Free Estimates Mon–Fri 9–6 | Sat 10–3 1516 Capital Circle SE 850.877.6600 | BuyAbbey.com TALLAHASSEEMAGAZINE.COM November–December 2014
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Commercial Real Estate Development and Sales. In an effort to meet the needs of their clients, REMACC, LLC continually delivers positive results within the Southeast. Through a mix of expert talent, knowledge and collaboration, the REMACC team has seen huge successes. Through the guidance of CEO Acey Stinson and President Kay Eubanks, the team has been involved in over $2.5 billion in real estate transactions in their 35-year career, and this is an accomplishment the team is very proud of. Past successes for team members include No. 1 office in Florida, No. 1 office in the Southern Region, No. 1 office Nationally and No. 1 office Internationally for a national franchise. Services include site selection and property acquisition, construction services, leasing and management and many other services. REMACC has built their team with top architects, engineers, landscape architects, land planners, designers and sales associates. With these services and outstanding teamwork, REMACC has the ability to assist with any of your real estate needs.
remaccproperties.com | remaccllc.com | 850.309.7368 116 November–December 2014
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November/December 2014
A Newsletter for the TCC Foundation
A Message from Jim Murdaugh WTXL and Dedicated Companies Award Multiple Scholarships
T Jim Murdaugh, President, Tallahassee Community College
T
his has been another exciting fall. As they do each year, thousands of new students and thousands of returning students have filled our labs and libraries, our lecture halls, and our online classrooms. By being here, each one of them is taking a step closer to the dream of a college education and a meaningful career. Many of those students would not be here at all if it were not for the generosity of TCC’s alumni and friends. The scholarships that you have supported have made a tremendous difference in the lives of so many students over the years and have helped to make our college a place where access and excellence go hand-in-hand. Last year, the TCC Foundation awarded more than $220,000 in scholarships to approximately 350 students and was able to create eight new scholarships. I think you will enjoy meeting several of our scholarship recipients in this issue. I hope their stories will remind you why you chose TCC — either as a student, a staff member or a supporter. And I hope that will inspire you to strengthen your ties with the college as we approach our 50th anniversary in 2016. TCC’s golden anniversary will be an exciting time filled with great events for all members of the TCC family. At the center of the action will be the new Tallahassee Community College Alumni and Friends Association. The Association will provide opportunities for members to network with each other and reconnect with the college — and interact with our current students as mentors and role models. As always, thank you for your continuing support of our college and our students.
his fall four TCC students, each pictured below, are the proud recipients of the Dedicated Companies Scholarship, created by WTXL and established to help ensure that students who dream of attending college have the opportunity to do so. Each of these students has made sacrifices and worked hard to get to TCC. And each of them is thankful for the benefits offered by the scholarship. WTXL’s dedicated companies include Gold’s Gym, Kraft Nissan, Home Instead Senior Center, Rowe Roofing and the Tallahassee Board of Realtors. TCC will match those
contributions. As per the scholarship requirements, each of these students is either a veteran, a single parent or a first generation college attendee. “We are immensely pleased to partner with WTXL and the Dedicated Companies to provide scholarships to these deserving students,” said Jim Murdaugh, TCC president. For more information on the Dedicated Scholarship and other scholarship opportunities at TCC, please contact Ranie Thompson at the TCC Foundation, thompsor@tcc.fl.edu or (850) 201-6064.
Army veteran Jennifer Jones is a single mother of three who trained as a combat medic. She is taking online classes through TCC so that she can work full time and “be there for my family while still furthering my skills and education.” Jones plans to go on for a bachelor’s degree and has set a goal of eventually owning and operating a home daycare facility.
Despite dropping out of school at 15, Cheryl Calvert always encouraged her four children to go to college and a year ago accepted the challenge from her daughter to do the same. She is thankful for the scholarship because her enrollment at TCC proves that “dreams can come true, and that anyone can overcome difficulty and move forward with their goals and their lives.”
“I want to truly thank Dedicated Companies for this scholarship. I promise to make the best of this help,” explained TCC freshman Cesar Castillo. Castillo, who grew up in Miami, is the first person in his family to attend college. He is studying to be a Pharmacy Technician so that he can help change the lives of others in positive ways.
William Laberee served five years in the U.S. Marine Corps and is now working toward an AA and eventually a degree in marine biology. Laberee is grateful for the financial support and says that one day he plans to return the favor. “The generosity of a stranger to better my education has inspired me to do the same,” he noted.
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Scholarship Recipient Nuria Hernandez Has Big Dreams
Nuria Hernandez, the first recipient of the Dream Big Scholarship, is pictured with, from left to right, Jean and Douglas Batchelor as well as TCC District Board of Trustee Karen Moore and her husband Richard. The Moores have established the Dream Big Scholarship in honor of her grandmother and Douglas’ mother, Pearl Lamb Bachelor. The scholarship is only available to GED recipients who wish to continue their education at TCC.
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uria Hernandez has big dreams. And despite the obstacles she has faced, Hernandez continues to believe in herself and in the power to make those dreams come true. For Hernandez, one of those dreams was earning her general equivalency diploma (GED) at Tallahassee Community College. “I can still remember the day my high school diploma came in the mail. My heart was filled with excitement and my eyes with tears. At that moment I knew my academic path needed to continue,” explained Hernandez in her application for the Dream Big Scholarship. Established by TCC District Board of Trustees member Karen Moore and her husband Richard, the Dream Big Scholarship is in memory of Karen’s grandmother Pearl Lamb Batchelor. “My grandmother dropped out of school in the fifth grade to
pick tobacco. Because she had the financial means and the drive, she was able to return to school in her 70s and finally earn a high school diploma. Richard and I established this scholarship for those who don’t have that financial backing — and to honor her memory,” Moore said. Moore has long been a proponent of TCC, having served as Chairman of the TCC Foundation Board of Directors and chair of the college’s first capital campaign. She believes that TCC plays a vital role in supporting education, training and workforce development and that it is a significant asset contributing to the quality of life in our area. According to Moore, “Access to TCC is one of the greatest treasures in our community.” Thus it was that the Moores established the Dream Big Scholarship exclusively at TCC and exclusively
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TCC Foundation 2014–2015 Board of Directors OFFICERS:
DIRECTORS:
Greg Thomas, President Pamella Butler, President-Elect Curtis Richardson, Vice President R. Randy Guemple, Secretary Kimberly S. Dixon, Secretary-Elect C. Wayne Edwards, Treasurer Patrick H. Dallet, Treasurer-Elect L. Finley Cook, At-Large Officer Michele Shapley, At-Large Officer Susan Payne Turner, Past President
Pamela S. Aveling Monte C. Bradwell J. Breck Brannen Sherwood L. Brown Walter E. Colon, II Tom H. Deison Michael Illers Pamela A. Johnson Kim Kelling Engstrom Steven M. Leoni David Miller Randy B. Nelson Mary L. Pankowski Hemant Patel Almena H. Pettit
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Russell B. Rainey Brian Rowland Jimmy Suber Allison Tant Richard Beth A. Tedio Marcia D. Thornberry D. Christine Thurman Sherry VanLandingham Kevin Vaughn
EX-OFFICIO: Jim Murdaugh, TCC President Donna G. Callaway, District Board of Trustees Liaison Randy Pople, District Board of Trustees Liaison
for GED graduates. “We wanted GED graduates to know that they have the opportunity to make their dreams come true at TCC,” Moore concluded. Nuria Hernandez is the first recipient of the Dream Big Scholarship. Today she is working hard toward an Associate of Arts degree and plans to attend FSU to earn a bachelor’s degree in nursing. As for her career choice, “My biggest motivation has always been helping others and extending my hand to people in need. That is the reason I chose nursing as my future career.” Hernandez is the first person from her family to attend college. She knows that earning the Dream Big Scholarship will impact her life tremendously. “When I found out I was the first recipient of the Dream Big scholarship, I felt excited and blessed. The scholarship is motivating me to continue my education path, to hopefully one day have my bachelor’s in nursing in hand and to be able to say this is where it all started. These are the people that helped me to become a professional.” Hernandez would advise others who might be facing obstacles to never give up on their own dreams. “I feel like as long as you try, and try and try, all of your dreams can come true. You have to believe in yourself at all times. “I would like to give Richard and Karen Moore a big thanks and tell them that earning this scholarship is really a dream come true to me. It will help me grow as a person and as a student. I will just never forget this moment in my Iife,” Hernandez concluded. To learn more about the GED program at TCC, please contact Veronica Ashley, ashleyv@tcc.fl.edu. If you are interested in providing scholarship assistance to students like Nuria Herandez, please contact Ranie Thompson at the TCC Foundation: thompsor@tcc.fl.edu or (850) 201-6064.
TCC District Board of Trustees Frank Messersmith, Chair Donna G. Callaway, Vice-chair Jonathan Kilpatrick Eugene Lamb, Jr. Karen B. Moore Randolph Pople Kevin Vaughn
Jasmine Allen ‘Take Stock in Children’ Recipient and TCC Alumna
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asmine Allen was born and raised in Quincy. She knew from an early age that she wanted to go places and do things no one in her family had ever done. She also understood that to make those things happen she would have to push herself. So at the tender age of 12, Allen made a decision and a commitment to the Take Stock in Children (TSIC) program. It has changed her life. Begun in 1995, the TSIC program offers lowincome youth a unique opportunity to escape the cycle of poverty through education. Those who qualify are asked to sign a performance contract as early as sixth grade. They are then required to meet minimum GPA standards, to remain alcohol, crime, and drug-free, and to graduate from high school. Students who fulfill all the requirements are offered a fully paid college scholarship. Tallahassee Community College serves as the Program Partner for TSIC in this area, and thus it was that Allen first came in contact with TCC faculty and staff. As a young person enrolled in the program, she participated in summer enrichment activities arranged by TCC. During her high school years Allen was an active student: vice president of her class, a cheerleader and a track athlete. In addition, she maintained her grades and kept her weekly commitment to meet with her TSIC mentor. They worked together to ensure that Allen would be able to successfully transition to TCC. “I loved TCC; I wanted to be a part of everything,” says Allen. “I met lifelong mentors, coaches and friends at TCC,” she continued. Allen counts among them Calandra Stringer, now dean for curriculum and instruction, and Wilbert Butler, associate professor of biology, both of whom she says helped mold her into the success that she is today. “They pushed me; each of them served as a great example to follow.” Not only did Allen make that successful transition to TCC, but she was an outstanding student. “Jasmine was a very determined young lady. She was always willing to go the
Jasmine Allen as an elementary school student and at her TCC graduation.
extra mile to make sure that she was prepared for class. Jasmine was also a class leader and a model student. I am very proud of her and her achievements,” commented Stringer. While at TCC Allen was able to set aside money she would later use for graduate school. She also made the decision that once she graduated she would continue her education at Florida A&M University in the physical therapy program. Allen had become interested in the sciences and the medical field as a TCC student, but it was her grandmother’s less than positive experience with physical therapy that helped her settle on a major. Two years after finishing at TCC, Allen graduated from FAMU with a bachelor’s degree in health sciences with an emphasis in physical therapy — an accomplishment that did not surprise her former instructor Wilbert Butler, who noted, “I will always remember her for her drive and ability.” Displaying that same drive, Allen began pursuing a graduate degree. Unfortunately, the TSIC program does not provide support in graduate school, so after completing her first year in the program, Allen has taken a break
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“I loved TCC; I wanted to be a part of everything,” says Allen. “I met lifelong mentors, coaches, and friends at TCC,” she continued... “They pushed me; each of them served as a great example to follow.”
from her studies. She is working full time in the hopes of returning to graduate school in January to earn a doctorate in physical therapy. Barring that, Allen will enroll to become a physical therapy assistant. Ultimately she sees herself owning her own practice that specializes in physical therapy and wellness for the elderly population. All of course, in her grandmother’s memory. As for the Take Stock in Children program, Allen says it gave her “…the opportunity of a lifetime. Through the program I learned that regardless of where I come from, or what I look like, I can be successful.”
If you would like to help other students like Jasmine Allen earn all of the opportunities an education will allow, please consider giving to the Take Stock in Children Scholarship. To do so, contact Ranie Thompson at the TCC Foundation: ➢ thompsor@tcc.fl.edu ➢ (850) 201-6064.
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Signature Seat Program Expands Thirteen Scholarship Students Enrolled This Fall
Chase Cashion as Officer Lockstock in TCC’s Spring 2014 production of Urinetown.
T
allahassee Community College Foundation officials were pleased recently to announce the expansion of the Signature Seat program, one of the oldest and most distinguished donor groups on campus. The program offers theater tickets and receptions with show directors to a small group of donors. Program contributions provide scholarships to theater students. Historically, the program has been open only to lifetime members. However, supporters may now join as annual members. For a gift of $100 for one season ticket or $150 for two
season tickets each year, they will enjoy all the same benefits as lifetime members. “By opening up the Signature Seat program to new members, we hope to be able to provide additional scholarship support to outstanding students in the awarding winning theater program,” noted Ranie Thompson, interim director of the TCC Foundation. This fall there are 13 Signature Seat scholarship recipients, some receiving as much as $750 a semester. Chase Cashion is a second-year student in the theater program who took a lead role in last Spring’s production of “Urinetown.” Cashion originally planned to major in music education, but his exposure to theater at TCC has him considering a career in theater or musical theater. “The Signature Seat scholarship has had a significant impact,” Cashion said. “The less I have to worry about finances, the more I can concentrate on my theater and my coursework.” Another Signature Seat scholarship recipient is Gerald Djajaputra, who noted, “The Signature Seat scholarship is a tremendous help. A huge financial burden has been lifted for both me and my parents. I am driven to work harder to keep the scholarship for that reason.” Djajaputra, who is co-captain of the TCC forensics team, made his way to the semifinals in each of his three solo
events at the national competition last April. He plans to major in political science and economics and work in policy development. “Each of these young men is a deserving winner of the Signature Seat scholarship, and each is representative of those that we plan to continue to help support with funds from the program,” Thompson concluded. For more information on the Signature Seat program and other scholarship opportunities at TCC, please contact Ranie Thompson at thompsor@tcc.fl.edu, or (850) 201-6064.
Gerald Djajaputra
A Charlie
Brown
Christmas By Charles M. Schulz | Stage Adaptation by Eric Schaeffer Based on the t.v. special by Bill Melendez and Lee Mendelson
Book by Terrence McNally | Based on the DreamWorks Motion Picture Music by Marc Shaiman | Lyrics by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman
Nov. 20-22 & Dec. 4-5 | 8 p.m. Dec. 6 | 10 a.m. & 8 p.m.
March 26-28 & April 2-4 | 8 p.m.
Theatre TCC will be kicking off the 2014 holiday season with a new stage musical that captures the humor, charm, and innocence of Charlie Brown, Snoopy and the entire Peanuts gang in their 1965 Christmas TV special. A shorter run-time makes this production suitable for even the youngest family members.
Based on the hit DreamWorks film and the incredible true story that inspired it, Catch Me If You Can is a high-flying, dazzling musical that was nominated for 4 Tony Awards, including Best Musical. Follow teenager Frank W. Abagnale Jr., as he runs away from home in search of a glamorous life. Theatre TCC is proud to be presenting the North Florida premiere of this vibrant show!
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NOVEMBER 18, 6 PM AT GOODWOOD MUSEUM AND GARDENS
Please join Tallahassee Magazine for an evening of FOOD, MUSIC, FUN and ENTERTAINMENT as we celebrate the 2014
BEST OF TALLAHASSEE WINNERS as voted by the readers of Tallahassee Magazine
TICKETS ON SALE AT TALLAHASSEEMAGAZINE.COM
presented by:
&
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»style GETAWAYS
Slip into
Sandals Exuma’s Emerald Bay All-Inclusive Resort Offers Luxury, Adventure — and Swimming Pigs! By Jack Macaleavy
IMAGINE STREAKING ACROSS the crystal-clear Caribbean water in a 35-foot cigarette-style boat with three, 300-horsepower engines. You are just off the coast of Great Exuma and rounding one of the Out Islands into a secluded cove. All of a sudden, six 200-pound pigs come running out of the underbrush straight into the water, swimming out to the boat 30 yards offshore. Jump in the water, and you’ll quickly be surrounded by these snorting friends looking to be fed the hot dogs and buns given to you by the boat captain of the Thunderball 007, named after the James Bond film shot in the area in the mid ’60s. After 30 minutes of interaction, you’ll jet off to the next Out Island’s secluded beach. This time, dozens of one- to two-foot-long prehistoric-looking iguanas come to the
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PHOTOS COURTESY SANDALS EMERALD BAY GOLF RESORT & SPA
DESTINATION: GREAT EXUMA ABOUT A 40-MINUTE FLIGHT FROM GEORGE TOWN, BAHAMAS
Enjoy one of three luxurious swimming pools at Sandals Emerald Bay, or take an excursion to interact with swimming pigs (far left) or visit an island teeming with friendly iguanas.
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Coastal views are part of the resort’s Greg Norman-designed golf course (facing page). As one of Sandals’ all-inclusive resorts (top left), the Exuma property offers guests golf (middle left) and a wide variety dining options (bottom left), as part of their package of amenities and activities.
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PHOTOS COURTESY SANDALS EMERALD BAY GOLF RESORT & SPA
beach waiting for you to walk ashore and feed them grapes. Get close up and capture these unique images — and a once-in-a-lifetime experience. After a full day of ocean adventure, it’s back to the dock to return to the luxury of the Sandals Emerald Bay Golf Resort & Spa, Great Exuma, Bahamas. Sandals Resorts have been the benchmark that all other all-inclusive resort destinations have emulated since its first property opened in Montego Bay in 1981. Gordon “Butch” Steward, now chairman of Sandals Resorts International, had an idea to create a destination where one would arrive and never have to deal with money or tips — while having a plethora of dining and entertainment options to choose from. This simple concept has allowed Sandals Resorts to grow to 15 properties. The latest, Sandals LaSource Grenada, opened in December 2013. One of the more recent new properties opened in 2010 after Sandals acquired the Four Seasons in Exuma, Bahamas. This 245-room property was quickly transitioned over to Sandals’ style and is the premiere destination on the very simple and undeveloped island in the Grand Bahama chain. From the moment you arrive, their 600-person staff is focused on one objective — to make your experience personal and luxurious. There are 21 room categories — all with a view of the crystal-clear waters of Emerald Bay. Many of the room categories come with an English-style butler service. An individual is assigned to unpack and pack your bags, attend to your wardrobe, serve you meals on your private terrace and provide 24-hour room service. Each room comes with a fully stocked bar and
»style GETAWAYS
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»style GETAWAYS
Luxuriate in a master suite (above) or relax in the crystal-clear Caribbean waters off the appropriately named Palm Island.
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PHOTOS COURTESY SANDALS EMERALD BAY GOLF RESORT & SPA
refrigerator filled with beverages, mixers and water, and it’s restocked daily. The linens are of the highest thread count, furniture is mahogany and the bathrooms are granite. The resort offers seven dining options, highlighted by reservation-only French and Italian restaurants. From elegant to casual beachside dining under the stars, one will never lack for options and culinary experiences. There are three pools, one with a swim-up bar, six tennis courts with complimentary lessons each day and an 18-hole Greg Norman-designed course that runs along the oceanfront and is comparable to California’s Pebble Beach. Guests can enjoy a complimentary round of golf each day. Exuma is a very easy journey, but a world away from North Florida. Fly American Airlines to Miami then 55 minutes to Exuma — all for around $500 round trip. Now is your chance to experience this very remote island the Sandals way before big development arrives. For more information about the resort and reservations, visit sandals. com or call (888) SANDALS. n
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Light up THE NIGHT.
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PANDORA Store
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14004 US Hwy. 19 South; #117 Thomasville, GA 31757
th
hassee is… The Best of Talla
EL JALISCO
MEXICAN/LATIN AMERICAN RESTAURANT #BestOfTally
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BEST O F TALL A HAS S EE 2 014
You voted — and, ladies and gentlemen, the results are very much in. This year, we have an exciting mix of old and new when it comes to our “Best of Tallahassee” awards. From first-timers to old favorites, these restaurateurs, service providers and shop owners have worked tirelessly to win your loyalty and trust. Now it’s your turn to be a good neighbor. Come celebrate all their hard work at our annual Best of gala, held at Goodwood Museum & Gardens’ Carriage House Nov. 18. Wander on over to tallahasseemagazine.com for all the details and to purchase tickets to the main event.
FOOD AND BEVERAGE APPETIZER
BONEFISH GRILL
Seriously, who can resist the scrumptious Bang Bang Shrimp appetizer at Bonefish? Next time you’re in, give the Ahi Tuna Sashimi or Twisted Edamame Hummus a spin. You’ll be glad you did. Honorable Mention — 101 Restaurant
ASIAN RESTAURANT
SHANNON GRIFFIN
MASA
Located in the bustling Midtown neighborhood, Masa is an Asian-inspired seafood and sushi restaurant with a touch of elegance. Perfectly suited for cultured taste buds, Masa’s modern take on Eastern flavors has turned
it into a local favorite. A great choice for lunch with co-workers or dinner for two. Honorable Mention — Azu Lucy Ho’s Restaurant
BAKERY
THE CAKE SHOP
Whether you’re in the market for a single dainty cupcake or a towering five-tier wedding cake, the folks at The Cake Shop have you covered. Beloved for their innovative cupcake flavor combinations (like salted caramel, strawberry white chocolate cream and German chocolate), a trip to The Cake Shop is a great way to celebrate all the delicious moments life
has to offer. Honorable Mention — Tasty Pastry Bakery
BAR
MADISON SOCIAL
In its first year in business, this CollegeTown watering hole became THE place to have a libation. Can’t beat the view of Doak Campbell Stadium and patrons enjoy the rustic/industrial vibe that includes garage doors that are rolled up on pleasant days and ice-filled troughs in the patio picnic tables to keep bottled drinks icy cold. Honorable Mention — Sidecar Gastrobar
BARBECUE
SONNY’S BBQ
If you’re on the hunt for some down-home cuisine,
look no further than one of Sonny’s three Tallahassee locations. With a diverse barbecue menu featuring everything from juicy smoked pulled pork to chargrilled chicken, and pit master-crafted spare ribs, there’s no need to travel far to indulge in a taste of true Southern-style dining. Honorable Mention — Piggy’s BBQ
BREAKFAST
THE EGG CAFÉ & EATERY
Indulge in a home-style meal at The Egg. With a selection of hearty entrees (may we recommend one of their numerous omelets, a variation of their tasty Eggs Benedict or a classic bowl of grits) and beautiful baked goods, this casual
café is the stuff breakfast dreams are made of. Honorable Mention — Canopy Road Café
BRUNCH
THE EGG CAFÉ & EATERY
If the early morning hours have dwindled away, fear not — The Egg also serves up a delicious brunch. Featuring an adaptable menu, patrons can expect the same friendly service and cozy atmosphere, with a burst of flavor. Favorite brunch items include the savory Croque Madam, a slice of homemade quiche or a sizzling skillet entrée. Honorable Mention — The Front Porch
CAJUN RESTAURANT
COOSH’S BAYOU ROUGE
Authentically Cajun and perpetually delicious, Coosh’s serves up some of the Bayou state’s most classic dishes. Every day is Mardi Gras with Louisiana favorites such as jambalaya, muffalettas and seafood gumbo. Try a taste of New Orleans with their popular cheesy shrimp and grits layered in a savory cream sauce with a side of perfectly crisp hush puppies. Honorable Mention — Harry’s Seafood, Bar & Grille
CASUAL DINING
CHICKEN SALAD CHICK
For a relaxed meal that’s served quicky-quick, nothing in town beats the Chick. It’s fun to grab a scoop or a sandwich and settle in to the brightly lit
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O F TA LL A H A S S E E 2 0 14
restaurant — now with two Tallahassee locations to catch up with friends. The only hitch is the 15 different varieties of this Southernstyle classic to choose from — it may take several visits to find your favorite! Honorable Mention — Ted’s Montana Grill
CATERING
KLASSIC KATERING
Once again, Klassic Katering has nabbed the No. 1 spot as one of Tallahassee’s most beloved catering companies. With a rich history in the region and a lifetime of culinary insight, the masterminds behind the delicious concoctions emerging from the Klassic kitchen will surely cater to whatever needs your event requires. Honorable Mention — Chicken Salad Chick
CELEBRATION/ SPECIAL OCCASION RESTAURANT
CYPRESS RESTAURANT
Cypress is known around town as the place to go for any special occasion. Embracing a totally divine, farm-to-table take on gourmet, Cypress’ impressive menu and authentic recipes will give you cause to celebrate. And with an intimate and upscale atmosphere, there’s just no going wrong. So, bon appetit! Honorable Mention — Sage Restaurant
COFFEE SHOP
STARBUCKS
Looking for a caffeine pickme-up? Look no further than Starbucks! From the most decadent java creations (Mocha Cookie Crumble Frappuccino anyone?) to a refreshing iced vanilla latte, this coffee house is world-renowned for its handcrafted, quality beverages. For those of you simple coffee addicts don’t fret; you can still pick up a cup of freshly roasted espresso at anytime throughout the day. Honorable Mention — RedEye Coffee
DELI
PUBLIX
While Florida’s own grocery store has a great selection of meats and cheeses in its deli (and now an online preordering service so you don’t have to grab a number and wait), anyone with a nodding acquaintance with social media knows the “Pub Sub” is the Publix deli’s main attraction. Pleasant attendants are at the ready to create a deli-licious sub or sandwich to your exact specifications. Honorable Mention — Hopkins’ Eatery
DESSERT
THE CAKE SHOP
When you’ve finished a delightful meal, the icing on the cake is … well, icing on the cake! The Cake Shop offers a delightful array of gourmet cupcakes, as well as cookies, and other sweet bakery treats,
including cakes — sized from little rounds for four to special occasion cakes serving hundreds. Honorable Mention — Food Glorious Food
FINE DINING RESTAURANT
CYPRESS RESTAURANT
Whether your arranging a romantic dinner for two or an upscale business meeting, Cypress’ quality ingredients and attention to detail puts them into a class all their own. As evidenced by their multiple “Best of” victories for 2014, this gem of an establishment is dedicated to providing their guests with an exceptional culinary experience each and every time. Honorable Mention — Sage Restaurant
HAMBURGER
VERTIGO BURGERS & FRIES
With no fancy signage or decoration, Vertigo simply offers unique and unexpected flavor combinations that result in some amazingly tasty burgers. Take a bite of the wild side and try their Dizzy Duck burger with ground duck meat, blue cheese, arugula and cherry compote. You definitely can’t go wrong with the Tremor burger, a crafty take on the classic American beef patty topped with truffle tremor cheese, applewood bacon, sautéed mushrooms and roasted garlic dijonaisse. Honorable Mention — BurgerFi
HAPPY HOUR
101 RESTAURANT
Whether you like your martini straight up or with a twist, 101 has got you covered. With two happy hour specials, one from 4 to 7 p.m. perfect for a post-work cocktail, and another for the night owls from 10:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m., there really is no excuse to not indulge your fixation for a libation. Weekdays or weekends, you can always find a friendly face during 101’s happy hour. Honorable Mention — Madison Social
HIBACHI
OSAKA JAPANESE HIBACHI STEAKHOUSE & SUSHI BAR
Japanese fare and entertainment go hand in hand at Osaka. This Hibachi emporium serves up top-quality ingredients with the personalized attention of a chef preparing your meal right before your very eyes. Teppanyaki favorites chicken, shrimp, beef and scallops are paired with a starter salad, soup and a side of rice, noodles and veggies — leaving any guest feeling satisfied. It’s the perfect location for large groups or special occasion meals. Honorable Mention — Japanica Steakhouse
ITALIAN RESTAURANT
BELLA BELLA
Italian classics take on new life at Midtown’s own Bella Bella. A family-owned and operated business,
TALLAHASSEEMAGAZINE.COM
LOCALLY OWNED RESTAURANT
KOOL BEANZ CAFÉ
Kool Beanz’s artful flavor combinations, attention to detail and approachable vibe make it the epitome of gourmet in Florida’s capital city. Deliciously eclectic and locally sourced, their selection includes scrumptious creations like the boneless duck breast in a blueberry-demi glace sauce and linguini with crawdad tails and tasso ham. Honorable Mention — Bella Bella
LUNCH
CHICKEN SALAD CHICK
This fast-casual eatery is a must-do for the Ladies Who Lunch. While creamy chicken salad is the star of the menu, Chicken Salad Chick offers soups and turkey, roast beef and ham deli sandwiches as well as another Southern staple on bread — pimento cheese. Pick your side, too. We’re partial to the Broccoli Salad. Honorable Mention — Hopkins’ Eatery
MARTINI/COCKTAIL From left: Chicken Salad Chick (Casual Dining), Cypress Restaurant (Celebration/Special Occasion Restaurant), Vertigo Burgers and Fries (Hamburger)
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Bella Bella’s creative menu includes eggplant rollatini, Sicilian lasagna and chicken parmesan. With a cozy, fun interior, convenient location and exceptional service, Bella Bella is a sure bet. Just don’t forget to start the meal off with an order of their bubble bread! Honorable Mention — Riccardo’s Restaurant
101 RESTAURANT
No one does happy hour quite like 101. Offering patrons an ultra cool atmosphere and an impressive assortment of cocktails to choose from, 101 and the adjacent Mint Martini Lounge are a libation
PHOTOS BY SCOTT HOLSTEIN (CHICKEN SALAD CHICK, VERTIGO ) AND NIKKI RICHER (CYPRESS)
BE ST
B EST
OF TALL AHAS S E E 2014
FOOD AND BEVERAGE
lover’s dream destination. 101 is the ideal spot for unwinding after work or a night out on the town with friends. Cheers! Honorable Mention — Bonefish Grill
MEXICAN/ LATIN AMERICAN RESTAURANT
EL JALISCO
Although Cinco de Mayo only comes once a year, the folks at El Jalisco give us a reason to celebrate all through the week! With daily two-for-one margarita specials, traditional menu items like the Chile Rellenos, Shrimp Fajitas, and Carnitas with corn tortillas, you don’t have to leave Tallahassee to get a little taste of the Mexican beachside. Honorable Mention — La Fiesta
OUTDOOR DINING RESTAURANT
THE FRONT PORCH
If dining under twinkling lights and majestic oak trees is part of your M.O., then The Front Porch is the place for you. Located in the heart of Midtown, The Front Porch’s aesthetic components and delicious fare are pleasing in every way. Their Southern twist on seafood dishes combined with their idyllic locale makes them a favorite in the hearts of many. Honorable Mention — Sage Restaurant
PIZZA
MOMO’S PIZZA & BREW
The Best of Talla hassee is…
DAVID BARFIELD
Whoever said that size doesn’t matter was sadly mistaken — at least when it comes to pizza. Momo’s is the only place where you can devour a “slice as big as your head!” This hole-in-the-wall pizza joint prepares their delicious
THE FRONT PORCH
OUTDOOR DINING RESTAURANT #BestOfTally
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pies in true New York style pizzeria fashion. The diverse craft beer selection, laid-back atmosphere, and made-from-scratch pizza have made Momo’s a favorite spot of students and locals alike. Honorable Mention — Brickyard Pizzeria
SEAFOOD MARKET
SOUTHERN SEAFOOD MARKET
The seafood connoisseurs at Southern Seafood make it easy to find the freshest assortment of fish in town. With new varieties of fish brought in daily, there’s no need to purchase frozen or imported fish. With a great variety of seafood on ice and prices acceptable on any budget, it’s definitely worth a shopping stop. Honorable Mention — Mike’s Seafood & Oriental Market
SEAFOOD RESTAURANT
BONEFISH GRILL
Bonefish Grill combines family-style dining with delicious food made with top-notch quality seafood. The never frozen, preparedto-order dishes reflect the freshness of ingredients such as cold water lobster tails, Chilean sea bass, wild Gulf grouper and rainbow trout. All of the market-fresh fish is cooked to perfection and accented with your choice of a complimentary signature sauce. Honorable Mention — The Seineyard Seafood Restaurant
SPORTS BAR
MIDTOWN PASS
hassee is… The Best of Talla
MATT BURKE
You won’t miss a single play from your favorite team when you have access to over 20 high-definition televisions and three massive projector screens. Thanks to their extensive
SOUTHERN S E A FO O D MARKET SEAFOOD MARKET
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From top: Masa (Sushi), Marie Livingston’s Steakhouse (Steakhouse)
STEAKHOUSE
MARIE LIVINGSTON’S STEAKHOUSE
Without Marie Livingston’s, life in Tallahassee would be missing something wonderful. It has all the necessary ingredients for a fine evening: upscale, yet comfortable atmosphere, helpful, accommodating staff and quality cuts of beef with a house steak sauce that’s too savory for words. Honorable
Mention — Outback Steakhouse
SUSHI
MASA
For yet another year, Masa has earned honors as the spot for Tallahassee’s top sushi. The proof is in the pudding — or should we say sashimi — when you taste the freshness of every raw or cooked ingredient in their specialty sushi rolls. Try their unique spin on the classic California roll, served with blue crab and mango sauce, or have the best of land and sea with the Surf and Turf roll, consisting of extra-large shrimp, cream cheese and avocado, topped with seared beef tenderloin. Honorable Mention — Kiku Japanese Fusion
WINE LIST
SCOTT HOLSTEIN
THE WINE LOFT WINE BAR
Selection is paramount at The Wine Loft. Situated in the heart of Midtown, it offers its patrons one of the finest assortments of exquisite wine and tapas in the city, plus a view to match. Sip and swirl your beverage of choice from the second-floor balcony and prepare to relax. Honorable Mention — Clusters & Hops
WINGS
SCOTT HOLSTEIN
WINGSTOP
Wingstop has the art of chicken wings down pat, with equally delicious wings being served at all three of their Tallahassee locations. All of the juicy and crisp chicken wings are hand tossed and sauced ensuring a flavorful kick with every bite. From Hickory Smoked BBQ to Atomic Hot, these wing experts have a flavor for every palate. Don’t forget to order a side of fries with
“extra shake” for additional zest. Honorable Mention — Buffalo Wild Wings
SERVICE PROVIDERS AIR CONDITIONING/ HEATING
BENSON’S HEATING & AIR CONDITIONING
Benson Green started his company as a one-man operation in 1981 and, over the decades, it has grown to a successful company employing 90 people. Benson’s has loyal customers who appreciate the firm’s prompt, 24-hour service and knowledgeable technicians who take the time and care to do a first-class job. Honorable Mention — Keith Lawson Company
ALTERATIONS
HELGA’S TAILORING AND ALTERATIONS
Behind every sharpdressed man — or woman — are the skills of talented tailor who makes sure his clothing fits to perfection. Our readers trust Helga’s for everything from adjusting hems and sleeves to custom tailoring an entire outfit. Honorable Mention — Alterations Etc.
ASSISTED LIVING FACILITY
WESTMINSTER OAKS
Life is what you make of it, and at Westminster Oaks you can make it pretty good inside this quiet, wooded setting. Residents make new friends, take lifelong learning courses and enjoy a host of amenities on this beautiful campus. You’ll feel right
at home. Honorable Mention — HarborChase of Tallahassee Assisted Living and Memory Care
AUTO REPAIR
JEFF’S AUTOMOTIVE SERVICE CENTER
Be prepared to be treated like family here. Jeff stays busy at his full-service repair shop, thanks to clients who view him as honest, reliable, trustworthy and friendly. Honorable Mention — P3 Automotive
AUTOMOBILE DEALER
THE PROCTOR DEALERSHIPS
While they’ve been selling cars in Tallahassee for more than 100 years, the folks at Proctor’s car dealerships say they’re really in “the people business” by meeting customers’ needs and exceeding their expectations. Proctor Dealerships sell all of Honda, Subaru and Acura’s new makes and models and also offer a wide selection of quality used cars. Honorable Mention — Legacy Toyota
BANQUET FACILITY
GOODWOOD MUSEUM & GARDENS
If you’ve been to a local wedding or fundraiser, chances are very good that you’ve enjoyed the hospitality of Goodwood. The Midtown gem offers the beautiful backdrop of a historic home, mature trees and antique-plant gardens combined with a rustic gathering hall that features all the modern conveniences that make an event enjoyable for guests. Honorable Mention — University Center Club
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FOOD AND BEVERAGE/SERVICE PROVIDERS
selection of more than 80 bottled beers and over a dozen on tap, you will certainly find a beverage to put you in a celebratory mood. Not only does Midtown Pass boast a full liquor selection, they serve up some of the best bar munchies around! Honorable Mention — Miller’s Ale House
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BE ST
The Best of Talla hassee is…
BENSON HEATING &’S AIR CONDITIONIN G
AIR CONDITION ING/ HEATING #BestOfTally
BANK
three states. Honorable Mention — BB&T
There is a difference between having a bank, and knowing your banker — a commitment to the individual that only valued relationships can provide. During its 119-year history, providing a friendly, personal touch remains the core mission of this neighborhood bank. Selected as the best financial institution for another year, Capital City Bank has 70 offices in
CARPET CLEANER
CAPITAL CITY BANK
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STANLEY STEEMER
Look at the mess on the carpet! Better get Stanley Steemer on the phone. Their gentle hot-water extraction methods can take care of that soiled area in no time. But they do more: Stanley Steemer can take care of your hardwood floors, tile and even the air-conditioning ducts. They can also get rid of
TALLAHASSEEMAGAZINE.COM
the dust bunnies on your furniture and clean up any water damage. Honorable Mention — Bowden’s Carpet Cleaning
CHILD CARE PROVIDER
GROWING ROOM CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTERS
Children simply flourish at the Growing Room Child Development Centers. Embracing an innovative and fun approach to learning, this locally owned business was founded by
a registered nurse and is dedicated to the health and welfare of their clients’ children. With multiple locations throughout the county, the Growing Room provides nurturing care for children, from infancy to 10 years. Honorable Mention — Annsworth Academy Child Development Center
pain-free back makes for a healthy and happy quality of life. Dr. Jenkins can provide that for you through great care and plenty of exercise. Live your life without limitations. Honorable Mention — Dr. Christopher Lowery/Lowery Chiropractic Center
CHIROPRATOR
CREDIT UNION
We all need to be straightened out every now and then. A healthy,
Not just the best in Tallahassee, the League
DR. GENE JENKINS
FIRST COMMERCE CREDIT UNION
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CIVIC CLUB
THE ROTARY CLUBS OF TALLAHASSEE
The six Rotary Clubs in town meet morning, noon and night to fulfill their volunteer missions — to combat hunger, improve health and sanitation, provide education and job training, promote peace and eradicate polio. Local members of Rotary Clubs and around the U.S. and the world subscribe to the motto “Service Above From left: Goodwood Museum & Gardens (Banquet Facility), The Proctor Dealerships (Automobile Dealer)
Self.” Honorable Mention — The Junior League of Tallahassee
COMPUTER REPAIR/ SERVICES
ON CALL COMPUTER SOLUTIONS LLC
markets —NAI TALCOR tackles them all. Honorable Mention — Structure Commercial Real Estate & Property Management
trust him to craft a beautiful smile that will light up the world around you. Honorable Mention — Drs. Glenn and Marci Beck
to satisfy your demands in a timely and efficient manner. Honorable Mention — Mathers Electric Co. Inc.
DANCE STUDIO
DERMATOLOGY PRACTICE
FAMILY PHYSICAN/ PRACTICE
Too much fun in the sun? Dry skin got you down? Adult acne rearing its obnoxious head again? Whatever the culprit, your dermal layer will thank you after a trip to Dermatology Associates of Tallahassee. Their highly trained team of dermatologists are second to none and are skilled at detecting potential problems before they surface. Honorable Mention — Southeastern Dermatology
Owned and operated by physicians, TPCA began in 1997 and today has more than 40 physicians, 250 staff and 80,000 patients. The practice offers a wide range of specialties, including aviation medicine, women’s health, endocrinology, sports medicine, geriatrics and even diving and hyperbaric medicine. Honorable Mention — Patients First
SHARON DAVIS SCHOOL OF DANCE
Confused by the Cloud? Aggravated by the spinning beach ball? Or, worst of all, facing your computer’s Blue Screen of Death? On Call is, well, on call to troubleshoot your problems and create IT solutions. And, to prove their value, the company offers a free two-hour introductory service call or consultation. Honorable Mention — Aegis
The Sharon Davis School of Dance has been a pioneering dance institution in the city of Tallahassee for 37 years. The studio offers classes for children and teens in the genres of ballet, en pointe, tap, jazz, lyrical and hip hop. Honorable Mention — The Tallahassee Ballet School
DAY SPA
COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE AGENCY/AGENT
MILLENNIUM NAIL AND DAY SPA
NAI TALCOR
A full-service salon and spa, Millennium pampers away the stress in your life with top-notch services, ranging from massages to manicures. Customdesigned spa packages make great gifts to yourself or that special someone. Check out what their body spa experts can do for you. Honorable Mention — So Pure Salon and Spa
Tallahassee-based NAI TALCOR is a major mover in the world of commercial real estate for North Florida. From making prestigious, highly publicized deals (like the 2013 sale of Hotel Duval) to staying abreast of local happenings in the retail, agricultural, multi-family, industrial and investment
DENTIST PRACTICE
RUSSELL B. RAINEY DMD
SCOTT HOLSTEIN
If you’re not happy with your teeth, smiling isn’t something you’re fond of. But Dr. Rainey understands how bad teeth can affect quality of life, and you can
SCOTT HOLSTEIN
SERVICE PROVIDERS
of Southeastern Credit Unions named First Commerce as their Credit Union of the Year. Loyal members praise the many locations throughout town, the helpful staff and a wide array of financial services to fit any financial need. Not to mention convenience of an array of Eservices, including mobile deposits. Honorable Mention — Envision Credit Union
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DRY CLEANER
BLUE RIBBON
It might cost a bit more than other dry cleaners in town, but the family-owned Blue Ribbon cleaners prides itself on quality services, well-trained employees extra attention to detail and customer satisfaction at its three Tallahassee locations. Honorable Mention — O’Brien’s Shamrock Cleaners
ELECTRICAL COMPANY
LAWSON AND LAWSON ELECTRICAL SERVICES
Family-owned, professional and multi-talented, Lawson & Lawson has the perfect blend of experience and service you’re looking for. If you have a home, business, apartment, shopping center or any other industrial, commercial or residential building, the electricians in this company will work quickly
TALLAHASSEE PRIMARY CARE ASSOCIATES
FINANCIAL ADVISOR
SIX PILLARS FINANCIAL ADVISORS
Caring for your financial health is the goal of Six Pillars, whether you’re looking for financial planning services, portfolio management and asset allocation, retirement tax, trust and estate planning, or life insurance and longterm care planning. Team members are committed to offering services keyed to an individual or business’ goals and backed by rocksolid research. Honorable Mention — North Florida Financial Corporation
FINANCIAL INSTITUTION
FIRST COMMERCE CREDIT UNION
After 70 years, First Commerce has evolved into an award-winning credit union offering a full array of financial services to 40,000 members from several state-of-the-art
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service centers and 24/7 online. First Commerce also offers free money management seminars and generously gives back to the community, including sponsoring the Discovery playspace at Cascades Park. Honorable Mention — Capital City Bank
FITNESS INSTRUCTOR/ CENTER
PREMIER HEALTH & FITNESS CENTER
Conveniently located in the Market Square District, Premier is the epicenter for physical fitness in Tallahassee. From their innovative fitness classes
to their relaxing sauna, membership at Premier promises personal attention and a custom approach to fitness with the luxury of big-gym accommodations. Honorable Mention — Sweat Therapy Fitness
FLOORING
BRIAN BARNARD’S FLOORING AMERICA
Whether you like the comfort of cushy carpet between your toes, the cool clean look of tile or the elegance of timeless hardwood floors, Brian Barnard’s expansive
warehouse and showroom are well equipped to address all your underfoot needs. Honorable Mention — ABC Flooring Center
FLORIST
BLOSSOMS ON MONROE
They’ve moved a little bit further south and across the street, but Blossoms is still on Monroe Street and still offering some of the most creative floral designs for any special occasion or “just because.” They also have specials like Good Neighbor Tuesday, when you can send a dozen premium roses to a friend for half the
price! Honorable Mention — Designs by Darin
HAIR SALON/STUDIO
GYM/HEALTH CLUB
In recent years, So Pure Salon & Spa has won oh-so-many Best of victories. Teeming with talented stylists, the So Pure hair studio is renowned for coifing creative dos with their environmentally responsible line of Aveda products. Cut, color, highlights or body wave — So Pure does it all and so much more. Honorable Mention — Millennium Nail & Day Spa
PREMIER HEALTH & FITNESS CENTER Thinking about getting fit? Premier is truly a one-stopshop to an active, healthful life. With an emphasis on next-level fitness, their 55,000-square-foot facility provides the latest in state-of-the art equipment, exclusive amenities and expert knowledge. And did we mention there’s a pool? Honorable Mention — Gold’s Gym
SO PURE SALON AND SPA
HOTEL
HOTEL DUVAL
Classy, chic, artsy, elegant and modern, Hotel Duval
llahassee is… The Best of Ta
M MILLENNIUD N NAIL A DAY SPA NAIL SALON DAY SPA
,
MATT BURKE
ly #BestOfTal
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SERVICE PROVIDERS
From left: So Pure Salon and Spa (Hair Salon/Studio), Blossoms on Monroe (Florist), M&M Monogramming (Monogramming/Embroidery Services), Sharon Davis School of Dance (Dance Studio)
has an upscale attitude in a downtown location. A great place to host and impress your out-of-town visitors, and Shula’s 347 Grill means you don’t have to go far to find a great steakhouse. Honorable Mention — Aloft Tallahassee Downtown
INSURANCE AGENCY
DEMONT INSURANCE AGENCY & FINANCIAL SERVICES
PHOTOS BY MATT BURKE (SO PURE) AND SCOTT HOLSTEIN (BLOSSOMS, M&M MONOGRAMMING, SHARON DAVIS)
An eight-time winner of the Best of award, this family-owned-andoperated insurance agency has been providing Florida residents with insurance for almost 50 years. Demont provides life insurance, as well as coverage on automobiles, homes, boats and other recreational vehicles. Honorable Mention — State Farm
INTERIOR DESIGN FIRM
LAURA BRYANT INTERIOR DESIGN
Perfecting an interior space can be tricky. Sometimes an expert’s touch is just the thing to pull it all together. From sleek and contemporary to rustic and traditional, Laura of Laura Bryant Interior Design is all about blending an eclectic and beautiful design with the reality and needs of her clients’ everyday lives. Honorable Mention — Mary E. Solomon Interiors
LANDSCAPING/ LAWN SERVICES
CAPITAL CITY LAWN CARE & LANDSCAPING
Longevity, quality, professionalism and a commitment to continuing education are the hallmarks of this company, established by Ben Gunter in 1977. A wide range of services keeps the grounds of your home and business looking sharp and inviting. They have the solutions you need for the landscape challenges you have. Honorable Mention — Esposito Lawn & Garden Center
LAW FIRM/ATTORNEY PRACTICE
THOMPSON, CRAWFORD & SMILEY
The folks over at Thompson, Crawford & Smiley really know their stuff. From commercial law and litigation to automobile accident claims, from family law to real estate, this Tallahassee-based firm represents their clients’ needs wherever they are. And with a motto of “tough effective representation,” you’ll be glad to have them on your side. Honorable Mention — Barrett, Fasig & Brooks
LIMO SERVICE
MIKE’S LIMOUSINE
Let’s get the party started. A Tallahassee favorite, Mike’s can get you there with style and panache with a fancy fleet of buses and
custom limos designed to make a statement. With Mike’s, the party begins once you take a seat, and it doesn’t end until after the last guest is dropped off at home. Honorable Mention — Classic Limo and Sedan Service
MAID SERVICE/ HOUSE CLEANING
that truck. And that’s why readers chose AMWAT as their top pick in the moving company category. In addition, operators Dean and Gloria Pugh are active in local business organizations and generously donate to many charitable causes. Honorable Mention — Mike’s Moving Tallahassee
THE MAIDS OF TALLAHASSEE
NAIL SALON
MONOGRAMMING/ EMBROIDERY SERVICES
Nothing gives you a “polished” look like a good manicure, and Tallahassee lassies flock to Tammy Nguyen’s Millennium to put a shine on their fingers and toes in a relaxed, luxurious spa environment. You’ll find even more mani-pedi options at Nguyen’s other locations, Millennium at Midtown and The Nail Bar. Honorable Mention — Royal Nail
Gone are the days when wasted weekends were spent scrubbing and dusting. Thanks to The Maids of Tallahassee, today a clean home is only a phone call away. Utilizing their custom “22-Step Healthy Touch” deep cleaning system, The Maids are able to clean away even the dirtiest of grime. Honorable Mention — Molly Maid of Leon County
M&M MONOGRAMMING
Hats and scarves, totes and necklaces, backpacks and bows, phone cases and wine glasses … you name it, and M&M will make it your own with a monogram. M&M has two Tallahassee locations, or order online. Honorable Mention — Full Press Apparel
MOVING COMPANY
AMWAT MOVING
It’s imperative to find a moving company you can trust — after all, it’s your life they’re loading up into
MILLENNIUM NAIL AND DAY SPA
OBSTETRIC/GYNECOLOGICAL PRACTICE
NORTH FLORIDA WOMEN’S CARE
Women’s health is the top priority at North Florida Women’s Care, and the practice is geared toward making the experience as easy and pleasant as possible, whether you’re seeking well woman care, treatment for a medical issue or having a baby. The group, which includes 11 physicians, encourages communication with an online Patient Portal where patients can ask questions
via email, pay bills or make appointments. Honorable Mention — Drs. Hall and Morales
OPTOMETRY/ OPTHALMOLOGY PRACTICE
EYE ASSOCIATES OF TALLAHASSEE
So often we take good vision for granted. We don’t know what we have until it’s gone, or seriously impaired. Eye Associates can help keep your eyes in the game. They can treat serious vision problems like cataracts and glaucoma, set you up with contacts or glasses, and even perform the groundbreaking iLasik procedure. Honorable Mention — The Hour Glass
PAINTER
MARLIN COATING INC.
A fresh coat of paint can make all the difference when revamping your space. When it comes to commercial jobs, the Picassos at Marlin Coatings, Inc. are well equipped for all jobs both big and small. Locally owned and operated since 2006, this Tallahassee-based company averages 200 happy customers each year. Honorable Mention — Superior Painting
PEDIATRIC PRACTICE
TALLAHASSEE PEDIATRICS (TPCA)
As part of Tallahassee Primary Care Associates, physicians aligned with
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Tallahassee Pediatrics have a wealth of resources and collective knowledge at their fingertips. Their pediatric staff has received training in areas that relate to child growth and development and aim to provide total medical care in a relaxing and comfortable environment. Honorable Mention — North Florida Pediatrics
PEST CONTROL SERVICE
CAPELOUTO TERMITE & PEST CONTROL
Got pests? Don’t just reach for the Raid. Get the job done right the first time with Capelouto. This family-owned company has been a mainstay of pest protection in Tallahassee for 50 years and is your front-line soldier in the war against termite damage and other problems caused by destructive household pests. Honorable Mention — Paul’s Termite & Pest Control
PHONE SERVICE PROVIDER
VERIZON WIRELESS
Hello? Are you hearing this? Verizon Wireless has nabbed the Best of spot with their crystal-clear service. With an abundance of cellular devices to choose from and an up-and-coming residential business, this 4G service provider is keeping clients happy and heard. Honorable Mention — Century Link
PHOTOGRAPHER
KIRA DERRYBERRY PHOTOGRAPHY
If you want fabulous photos of your kids, family or perhaps something
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glamorous to share with your significant other, Kira Derryberry has the vision to capture the essence of your life and its keepsake moments. Honorable Mention — Long’s Photography
PLUMBING SERVICE
KEITH MCNEILL PLUMBING CONTRACTORS INC.
This company is all about plumbing, and their dedication to creating a perfect experience shows — from 24/7 service to the continuing education they offer to the staff, all the way down to the booties their technicians wear to keep their clients’ houses clean while they’re working. Honorable Mention — White’s Plumbing Inc.
POOL REPAIR/SERVICE COMPANY
BARKSDALE CUSTOM POOLS INC.
When the weather is hot, nothing’s better than a dip in the pool. But if your pool needs a little TLC, or you want to build a new one, Barksdale has you covered. Barksdale has 15 years of experience building and renovating pools in the Tallahassee area. Top quality products and the latest techniques ensure the best possible result for customers looking to stay cool. Honorable Mention — Terry’s Pool Service
hallmarks of this family business, which has been around for more than 25 years. While other printing shops might see a client’s request as a complex project, the folks at Karmanos see it as a challenge, and will commit their high-tech methods and professionalism to making sure the end product is dazzling and amazing. Honorable Mention — Target Copy
PRINTING/COPYING SERVICES
RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE AGENCY/AGENT
Full-service printing, graphic design and personal, one-on-one customer service are
The residential real estate masterminds at Hill Spooner & Elliot Inc. have been trusted members of the Tallahassee community
KARMANOS PRINTING & GRAPHICS
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HILL SPOONER & ELLIOTT INC.
for decades. With an eye toward the future, an acute awareness of the regional market and listing inventory, these folks have the reputation of being some of the top producers in town. Honorable Mention — Coldwell Banker
ROOFING REPAIR/ SERVICES
ROWE ROOFING
Tallahassee summers are famous for their monsoonlike thunderstorms, and your roof bears the full brunt of nature’s fury. But your roof is only as strong as its weakest seam, and leaks are bound to occur. Rowe Roofing is your Johnny-on-the-spot repair and replacement resource when the dripping starts. Don’t wait! Honorable
Mention — Stubbs Roofing Company
SECURITY SYSTEM
SAFETOUCH SECURITY OF TALLAHASSEE
Life isn’t getting any easier for the comedic thief in the SafeTouch commercials. He hates SafeTouch with good reason — the company features a 45-second guaranteed response time, smash-and-grab protection and two-way voice communication activated when the alarm is triggered. Honorable Mention — Redwire LLC
SIGN COMPANY
FASTSIGNS OF TALLAHASSEE
Signs aren’t just letters on a billboard or poster.
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SURGICAL PRACTICE
TALLAHASSEE PLASTIC SURGERY CLINIC
Walk in to the Tallahassee Plastic Surgery Clinic and you’d think you were in the lobby of an upscale day spa. Whether you’re there to have a skin tag snipped off or have some sun damage repaired, you’ll be put at ease by the kindness of the staff and the steady hands of the physicians. Honorable Mention — Southeastern Plastic Surgery P.A.
The Best of Talla hassee is…
KEITH MCNEILL PLUMBING PLUMBING SERVICE
#BestOfTally
TREE SERVICE KAY MEYER
MILLER’S TREE SERVICE
Trees are nice and shady, but older trees can be ticking time bombs waiting to collapse on your property. That’s why you have to have them checked periodically, and Miller’s
Signs drive business and commerce, and the folks at FASTSIGNS know all too well how important it is for your brand to be seen. From a humble yard sign to flags, banners, 3D signs, sophisticated “monument” signs, vehicle decals and much, much more, FASTSIGNS delivers consistent value. Honorable Mention — Apogee Signs
Tree Service can get the job done. Miller’s can help you take proactive action, or they can clean up the mess after the fact. Honorable Mention — AAA Tree Experts
show-stopping site and have the creative foresight to bring the whole thing together — and, they’ve got a portfolio full of local businesses and an impressive resume to prove it. Honorable Mention — Brick Launcher LLC
VETERINARY CLINIC
NORTH FLORIDA ANIMAL HOSPITAL
WEDDING VENUE
GOODWOOD MUSEUM & GARDENS
Your pets deserve all the special care, treatment and pampering due any other member of your family, and North Florida Animal Hospital offers many services geared toward the health and happiness of your furry friends — including dental care, boarding, grooming, illness prevention, vaccinations and hydrotherapy. Honorable Mention — Paws & Claws Veterinary Hospital
There are many gardened and splendorous settings to hold your dream wedding in Tallahassee, but the historic Goodwood — with its gracious charm and atmosphere, along with a Carriage House that’s perfect for receptions — remains a popular, romantic and iconic venue. Honorable Mention — Honey Lake Plantation
WEB DESIGN
WEIGHT LOSS/ CONTROL PROGRAM
In today’s technologydriven marketplace, a quality website is a must. The masterminds at Cueno Creative Consultants know the logistics of building a
When your jeans don’t fit, it might be time to visit FIT, where they will create a medically supervised weight loss program tailor made for you. The “and
FIT WEIGHT LOSS & MORE INC.
CUNEO CREATIVE CONSULTANTS
more” includes other services and treatments — such as supplements, bio-identical hormone replacement, and spa and beauty services — so you’ll look good and feel good as well. Honorable Mention — Healthy Solutions Medical Weight Loss
SHOPPING ANTIQUE SHOP
KILLEARN ANTIQUES MALL
Whether on the hunt for collectable art, jewelry, crystal glassware or a unique keepsake from the past, you’ll find it here. This antiques wonderland holds a plethora of treasures that would appeal to any curious individual with a keen eye. The knowledgeable staff will guide you toward that perfect piece of furniture to be repurposed, or simply assist you as you spend time looking through the many special items in
From left: North Florida Animal Hospital (Veterinary Clinic), Killearn Antiques Mall (Antique Shop)
SPORTS/PHYSICAL THERAPY
MATT BURKE
Employees are the athletes of any organization. Any kind of muscle pain or injury can lead to lost productivity. So when you need to get the problem healed
SCOTT HOLSTEIN
TALLAHASSEE ORTHOPEDIC & SPORTS PHYSICAL THERAPY
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SERVICE PROVIDERS/SHOPPING
up quickly, the therapists at TOSPT can show you how to relieve the pain and prevent further injury. You’ll be back in the swing of things in no time. Honorable Mention — Centre Point Health & Rehabilitation
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the Killearn Antiques Mall. Honorable Mention — Chandler Market
COSMETIC VENDOR
SEPHORA
Located in the Governor’s Square Mall, Sephora offers one of the most extensive and diverse ranges of beauty supplies within the capital city. With everything from makeup, cosmetics, skincare and perfumes, this is a one-stop shop for all your beauty product necessities. Honorable Mention —So Pure Salon & Spa
EYEGLASS STORE
THE HOUR GLASS
This locally owned business offers a selection that surpasses even the biggest box retail stores. At The Hour Glass, hundreds upon hundreds of frames line the expertly illuminated shelves. And, their highly skilled lab technicians will have your eyewear ready and out the door in just one hour. Honorable Mention — Eye Associates of Tallahassee
FURNITURE STORE
TURNER’S FINE FURNITURE
Turner’s Fine Furniture has been assembling the best brands in our region for four generations. Stocked with beautifully crafted designs from 50 of the world’s top manufacturers, their showroom is ready to fill your home or office with quality furniture. Plus, Turner’s eclectic and savvy styles are sure to fit any taste and budget. Honorable Mention — Haverty’s
llahassee is… The Best of Ta
THE HOUR G L AS S EYEGLASS STORE
ly #BestOfTal TERRI SMITH PHOTO
GIFT STORE
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MY FAVORITE THINGS
Whether checking off your Christmas List or looking for the perfect engagement
B EST
NIC’S TOGGERY
“Generations of Southern style” have been purchased from Nic’s Toggery. A true Tallahassee institution, Nic’s is where stylish men suit up and prepare to truly dress to impress. From measurements to composing just the right ensemble, Nic’s embodies the Classic American look with the greatest of ease. Honorable Mention — Kevin’s Fine Outdoor Gear and Apparel
JEWELRY STORE
THE GEM COLLECTION
The Gem Collection’s impressive jewels have been dazzling Tallahassee since 1977. As the place to go for all of those, shall we say, special purchases, Gem Collection’s selection of engagement rings, fine jewelry and Pandora accessories is utterly unmatched. Next time you’re in, take a looksee at the Nina Nguyen, Yael Designs or Alwand Vahan cabinet for something fresh, too. Honorable Mention — Tallahassee Diamond Center
NURSERY/GARDEN CENTER
TALLAHASSEE NURSERIES
Life is always in bloom at Tallahassee Nurseries. Since 1938, their green thumbs and horticultural dexterity have been keeping Tallahassee’s residential and commercial properties alike looking lush and fabulous. From the perfect houseplant to a total backyard redesign, Tallahassee Nurseries’ massive selection is sure to have just the thing. Honorable Mention — Esposito Lawn & Garden Center
KIDS CLOTHING
PINK NARCISSUS
Take any fashion-forward little lady to Pink Narcissus to get her Lilly Pulitzer jam into high gear. At this fabulous boutique, located in the bustling Market Square District, fun patterns, bold colors and flattering silhouettes are a must for fashionistas of all ages. Honorable Mention — Tres Chic
SPORTING GOODS STORE
ACADEMY SPORTS + OUTDOORS
Academy took the Tallahassee sporting world by storm when it opened two years ago and has remained popular ever since. It provides one-stop shopping for
LOCALLY OWNED STORE
SCOTT HOLSTEIN
PINK NARCISSUS
Kids aren’t the only one who can find cheerful Lilly Pulitzer designs at Pink Narcissus. A locally owned boutique, Pink Narcissus is brimming with top-of-theline clothing and accessories destined to liven up any occasion. Honorable Mention — Cole Couture
running, shooting, camping, grilling, fishing, team sports, boating, clothing and much, much more. If you need it, chances are they’ve got it. Honorable Mention — Kevin’s Fine Outdoor Gear and Apparel
TEEN CLOTHING STORE
CHAMELEON
Shopping for tweens can certainly cause growing pains considering their constantly evolving style and sizes. However, Chameleon makes it easy to purchase the most stylish clothing for any girl in sizes 7–16. The only boutique catering to tweens in Tallahassee, Chameleon offers the cutest garments that will surely please you and your growing girl. Honorable Mention — Cole Couture
WOMEN’S ACCESSORIES/SHOES
NARCISSUS
Narcissus is definitely the place to shop for Tallahassee fashionistas. With everything from swimwear to formalwear from designer brands such as Tory Burch, Rebecca Minkoff and Trina Turk, Narcissus keeps the ladies of the capital city glamorous and up with the latest fashion trends. Honorable Mention — Cole Couture
WOMEN’S CLOTHING
NARCISSUS
If a new outfit or a session of retail therapy is what the doctor orders, visit the Market Square District’s own Narcissus. Kate Spade, Tori Burch and Alexis Bittar all call this boutique’s posh walls home. The stylists
of Narcissus will have you decked out in the latest and most flattering styles imaginable. Honorable Mention — Cole Couture
ENTERTAINMENT COMMUNITY EVENT
SPRINGTIME TALLAHASSEE
Tallahassee winters are often cold, rainy and bleak. And then spring rolls around, and it’s a whole new world of light and color. That’s why Springtime Tallahassee is so popular; it’s family friendly, it attracts more than 70,000 spectators, the Springtime Krewe floats are fun and cheery, and kids have a blast. Honorable Mention — Tallahassee Symphony Pops in the Park at SouthWood
GOLF COURSE
SOUTHWOOD GOLF CLUB
A beautiful golf course surrounded by a Tallahassee neighborhood, the SouthWood Golf Club offers fun and challenging holes for players with any level of proficiency. The wide fairways and fast greens are maintained in excellent condition and set amongst picturesque rolling hills, pastureland and ancient oak trees draped in Spanish moss. Take a break between rounds at the golf club’s restaurant, which offers delectable bites with a view. Honorable Mention — Golden Eagle Golf & Country Club
ENTERTAINMENT VENUE
CASCADES PARK The Gem Collection (Jewelry Store)
Tallahassee has gained a true gem with the opening
of Cascades Park in the spring of 2014. Offering visitors a sprawling campus of outdoor and recreational amenities, including a state-of-the-art amphitheater, interactive water fountain, children’s play area, Smokey Hollow Commemoration and miles of multi-use trails, the entertainment and event options at Cascades are almost limitless. Honorable Mention — The Donald L. Tucker Civic Center
PLACE TO BE SEEN
SO PURE SALON & SPA
Pampering is limitless at So Pure Salon & Spa. Treat yourself to a facial or massage, mani or pedi, a new set of highlights or a fancy updo. Or, better yet, make a day of it with the fabulous So Pure team of stylists and aestheticians. By the time you leave, you’ll feel just as great as you look. Honorable Mention — Level 8 Lounge
PLACE TO TAKE THE KIDS
TALLAHASSEE MUSEUM
Ranked as one of the top museums in Florida, The Tallahassee Museum is a 52-acre paradise full of Florida native flora and fauna. The museum offers nature trails, luscious blossoming gardens and even a zip lining course! Zip liners can glide through the cypress swamp from tree to tree 60 feet above the ground. Don’t miss out on the living exhibits, which allow visitors to observe Florida wildlife in environments similar to their natural habitat. Honorable Mention — Cascades Park n
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SHOPPING/ENTERTAINMENT
MEN’S CLOTHING
gift, My Favorite Things’ unbelievable (and unbelievably beautiful) selection of merchandise is sure to do the trick. Peruse an assortment of rustic, European and chic home good creations from designers like Vietri, Simon Pearce and Salisbury. Honorable Mention — Blue Abaco
OF TALL AHAS S E E 2014
12
THE
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DAYS
Mason
Jars of
Brighten the Holidays With Gifts, Food and Decor Utilizing These Glass Kitchen Classics
H
istory tells us that, in order to feed a hungry army, Napoleon offered a prize to the person who could create a method for preserving food. The result was a heated and boiled airtight glass jar sealed with cork and wax. It worked — but not perfectly. In 1858, John Landis Mason would create a more practical product, consisting of glass jars that utilized a rubber seal. The five Ball brothers would further refine the product and, in 1903, the Kerr company would come up with today’s ubiquitous canning jar — featuring a wide mouth and a two-part lid that included a gasket permanently attached to the lid and a screw-down ring. Canning would be the purview of farmer’s wives for many years. But the skill took on a new life during World War II, when tin for cans and foodstuffs were rationed and housewives were encouraged to plant food “Victory Gardens” and preserve their bounty by canning. In the ’50s and ’60s, canning would fall out of favor as the freezer became the
favored method for conveniently keeping food fresh. But the mason jar is no longer consigned to obscurity, thanks to Martha Stewart, Pinterest and creative crafters everywhere. While some back-to-the-earth sorts are reviving old-fashioned water bath canning, others have come up with 1,001 uses for the classic jar that have nothing to do with making jelly or preserving tomatoes. Tallahassee lassie Randi Shiver wrote the book on the versatility of these kitchen classics — really, it’s called “Little Miss Mason Jar” — and you can buy it in several shops around town. Her mason jar obsession started as a convenient method for her to have a ready supply of lunches and dinners for her busy family. Shiver’s book includes dozens of recipes for creating meals and other uses for canning jars. Here, Little Miss Mason Jar shares a dozen creative ways to use these kitchen favorites for food, gifts and home décor throughout the holiday season. // ROSANNE DUNKELBERGER, STYLING AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY SAIGE ROBERTS
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1
Play, Doh!
Perfect for kids. Pick your recipe for homemade holiday play dough — peppermint or gingerbread. Fill a mason jar with the dough and attach a Christmas cookie cutter with a piece of twine to the jar.
Ingredients 1 cup flour ½ cup salt 2 teaspoons cream of tartar 1 cup water 1 teaspoon vegetable oil Spices: allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger (start with one tablespoon of each and add more to get desired color and scent) 146 November–December 2014
Directions Stir dry ingredients together. Adjust the spices as needed until you get the perfect color and scent. Mix water and oil together. In a medium pot over medium-low heat, mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and cook for 3–5 minutes, stirring constantly. The dough is ready when it pulls away from the
TALLAHASSEEMAGAZINE.COM
pot and forms a ball. Carefully turn dough out onto a cutting board and knead the dough until it comes together. Let cool and store in a mason jar.
2
Let’s Go to the Movies
A Merry Christmas is coming to a theatre near you when you give a movie in a mason jar. Fill the jar with popcorn kernels or fresh popcorn, and place a movie gift card inside along with candy.
3
Merry Manicure
Pack a jar with a manicure set, nail polish, a small bottle of lotion, cotton balls, and/or a gift card for a manicure.
4
In Joy Mint
Fill a jar with homemade peppermint sugar scrub. Attach a loofah or a small nail file to the jar.
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6
5
How the Cookies (Won’t) Crumble
Stack already-baked cookies in a mason jar.
7
Salad on the Go
The Latte Lover
A mason jar is filled with either whole coffee beans or chocolate-covered espresso beans, mini biscotti cookies and a coffee shop gift card. A paper coffee liner would be perfect to place under the lid of the jar to make a cute presentation.
Take a break from shopping with a light and healthy lunch. Caprese Salad fits in with the Christmas season because it is the perfect colors — red tomatoes, green basil and white mozzarella cheese.
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8
Chili and Cornbread Put prepared
chili into a mason jar and add cornbread batter on top. The jar is then baked to create a perfect combo to keep warm during dinner on a cold December night.
Ingredients 1 cup onion, chopped ¾ cup green bell pepper, chopped (any color pepper will do) 2 cloves garlic, minced (or 1 tablespoon prepared garlic/garlic powder) 1 pound lean ground beef 1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed 1 15-ounce can kidney beans, drained and rinsed 1 15-ounce can hominy, drained 1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes with juice 1 tablespoon chili powder 1 tablespoon cumin ½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon pepper 2 ½ cups beef broth For the Cornbread 1 8.5-ounce package of cornbread mix ¾ cup corn (canned or frozen) 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded 3 green onions, sliced ¾ cup milk 1 egg Directions Cook onion, pepper, garlic and ground beef over medium-high heat for 10 minutes or until beef is no longer pink and vegetables are soft. Drain grease if needed. Return beef mixture to a large pot and add the remaining ingredients — beans through broth. Simmer over medium-low heat for 15 minutes. In a bowl, stir cornbread mix, corn, cheese, green onions, milk and egg. Carefully spoon chili into pint-size mason jars, filling halfway. Add 1/3-cup cornbread mix to the mason jars. Bake chili and cornbread in the oven at 400 degrees for 15–20 minutes or until cornbread is golden brown. Remove from oven carefully and let sit for 10 minutes before serving.
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9
White Christmas
A snow globe in a mason jar is a fun family project.
You can make these with the jar upright or turned upside down. Both look cute! Decide on the scene you want in your snow globe (ex: snowman, small trees, small animals, etc‌) You can find these items in the Christmas section of the craft store and also in stores that sell dollhouse furniture and toys. Hot glue the figurines into the jar. If using the jars upright, use chopsticks to help get them down in to the jar. If turning the jar upside down, hot glue the figurines onto the bottom of the mason jar lid so the jar can fit over it. Consider using spray paint and glitter to perk up the figurines going into the jar. The glitter will stick to the wet paint and provide the perfect sparkle. Sprinkle fake snow into the jar to cover the bottom of the snow globe scene.
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11
Float Your Boat
To create floating candles, fill a large mason jar with Christmas tree trimmings and fresh cranberries. Cover them with water and add a floating candle on top.
10 Cocoa-zy Up
Create Hot Chocolate Mix in a mason jar by pouring cocoa powder in and topping it with mini marshmallows, chocolate chip morsels or crushed candy canes.
12 All is Bright
Glittery candles will light up your dÊcor. Paint mason jars with glitter on the outside and pop a tea light inside. You can do stripes, solids or polka dots with the glitter in red, green, gold or silver. TALLAHASSEEMAGAZINE.COM November–December 2014
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letters HOME A Window Into World War II From Those Who Served
By Linda Kleindienst // Photos by Matt Burke
W
ayne Coloney has a family military history dating back to the Revolutionary War, when his great-great-greatgrandfather served on George
Washington’s staff. In more recent history, the family men — including his father, his uncle and one of his grandfathers — had served in the Navy. So, no surprise that when Coloney graduated from high school in 1943 his plan was to join the Navy. But it was not to be. He went to war as an Army private. “The Navy wouldn’t have me because my eyes were so bad,” said Coloney. Then, with a chuckle, he added, “So the Army took me and made me a tank commander!” At the same time his tank was helping lead Gen. George Patton’s armored strike into the heart of Germany, Coloney’s father was serving in the Pacific, landing in places like Okinawa. Both wrote frequent letters home and to each other — and Coloney’s mother saved every one. Today those letters live on in binders preserved for posterity by The Institute on World War II and the Human Experience, housed in the Department of History at Florida State University. Established in 1997, the Institute began acquiring collections of personal letters, diaries, manuscripts, military documents, unit histories, oral histories, photo books and more from war veterans and their
families. In the beginning years the collection grew by 500 a year but that has slowed to about 100 annual donations. Now there are about 6,700 collections — making the Institute one of the largest non-federally funded repositories on the social and military history of the era. The collection becomes even more important as the population of U.S. World War II veterans dwindles more each year. Now in their twilight years, they are dying at a rate of approximately 555 a day, according to The National WWII Museum. Most are in or close to their 90s, men and women who joined up as teens, many of them drafted just as they graduated from high school. Of the 16 million who served, a little more than 1 million are still alive today — including 96,967 in Florida. The Veterans Administration predicts none will be left by 2036. Next year, 2015, marks the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II. In honor of that major milestone, and the annual recognition of Veterans Day on Nov. 11, Tallahassee Magazine spoke with a handful of veterans who still live in our area, read transcripts of interviews they gave for the Reichelt Oral History project and reviewed the letters they donated to the Institute on WWII. They served in Europe, the Pacific and Washington, D.C., on Liberty Ships, in tanks, on foot and in offices. Each one contributed his or her share to the victory that was earned by what we have come to know as the Greatest Generation.
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»feature LETTERS HOME
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COLLECTIONS AT THE INSTITUTE ON WORLD WAR II AND THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE, FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY: JANET WELLS COLLECTION 99.0123; HAROLD ODUM COLLECTION 99.0284
HAROLD ODUM
Born in Bainbridge, Georgia, in 1926, Harold Odum was 2 years old when he moved to Tallahassee. He graduated from Leon High School in 1943 and immediately enlisted in the U.S. Merchant Marine. He was 17 ½ years old, and his parents had to give their approval for him to serve. “I was flag-waving and young and looking forward to some adventure, so I joined the Merchant Marine,” he said in a Reichelt Oral History recorded in 1999. On his first voyage, to Italy, his ship carried 8,000 tons of bombs and ammunition in the hold and a deck filled with vehicles for the Air Force. Out of his 75-ship convoy, one was lost. “When the convoys would go through the Straits of Gibraltar all those Spanish fishing ships would be out … and they were doing a little bit more than fishing,” he said in the oral history interview. “They’d size up the convoys, the number of ships, the escorts … and get in touch with the Germans. And the next night we could always count on an air raid going through there.” Odum counts himself lucky he never lost a ship — one of every 24 merchant mariners died. A constant fear of submarine attack kept crews on edge, and for good reason. According to the U.S. Maritime Administration, 733 cargo ships and 8,651 crewmen were lost during the war. By Dec. 1, 1944, Odum wrote to his mother, “Your son is no longer a boy, Mom. Maybe in age, but that’s all.” And in another letter, “I feel so old and tired I can’t seem to get rested up.” During the war, Odum’s ships delivered material for the military. When it was done, they helped shuttle the war-weary troops back home. Today, at the age of 88, Odum remembers his service as “scary sometimes, exciting sometimes and boring sometimes.” He sailed across the Atlantic, the Mediterranean and the Pacific, where he remembers seeing one Irving Berlin “This is the Army” USO show. When “White Christmas” was sung, “there wasn’t a dry eye in the place.” Odum returned to Tallahassee after the war and opened an architectural firm. “I was lucky,” he says now. “I got in toward the end of the situation. Otherwise I don’t know if I’d be talking to you today.”
JANET WELLS
After graduating from Florida State College for Women with a degree in physical education, Janet Wells decided it was time to enlist. She signed up with the Navy and reported for duty in January 1944. “It seemed like the thing to do,” the 93-year-old said recently from her Tallahassee home. “I didn’t tell my
Undated and unmarked photo and file (opposite page) of Janet Wells, part of the collection at FSU’s World War II institute. (This page) Harold Odum’s Sept. 17, 1945 letter to his mother and a Training Division 301 photo show Odum in the second row, second from the right. A photo of the Liberty ship David Lubin.
family. But when my mother learned, she said, ‘Oh, I’m so glad you did. I thought you were a slacker.’ ” Wells said she joined the Navy in part because she didn’t like the uniform worn by Army WACs but also that their reputation was “a little rough.” She was ultimately sent to Arlington Farms, in Northern Virginia, where there were barracks for military personnel working at the nearby Pentagon. She was attached to the Naval barracks as a recreational and personnel officer and was a drill officer for her group, although admittedly not very experienced at it. In her Reichelt Oral History interview, Wells recalled one incident where her drill skills failed her. “I was company commander and not very experienced at drilling, and we had gone to a lecture and my commanding officer … was late getting back. So I had to march the company out and I distinguished myself by marching it out backwards,” she said. “You may
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know that the small ones are supposed to be at the front and the big ones at the back when you march. Mine came out the big end forward.” When asked what the Navy taught her, the Palatka-born Wells said, “The world is different than it is in the South. When I came to school (in Tallahassee) we were all middle class, nice girls. A lot of people live differently. That was good for me to learn.” After leaving the Navy in 1946, Wells taught at the University of Florida and then Florida State University. She was also a physical education supervisor for Alachua County Schools before coming back to FSU. She retired in 1989.
WAYNE COLONEY
Less than two months after graduating from Leon High School, 19-year-old Wayne Coloney was in the Army. He chose armored over infantry, joking that, “I would much rather ride.” From one of his training camps, Coloney wrote home about learning hand-to-hand combat.
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“Learned today how to break four types of holds in which your assailant is choking you and at the same time (you) kill (your) attacker. We are taught no holds here, only means and blow for killing and maiming the enemy.” Arriving in France in November 1944, he saw his first combat one month later. By January 1945 he had been jumped from private to sergeant and was given command of a tank. Coloney was a member of the 12th Armored “Hellcat” Division, which helped seal the Colmar pocket and ended German resistance in the Alsace region of France before driving north to join Patton’s thrust toward the Rhine and deep into Germany. All told, he had three Sherman tanks under his command — the average combat life for each tank was 50 days. “You really didn’t have time to think,” Coloney said recently. “Once we got to France and saw our first combat, we had only one period of R and R (rest and relaxation), just
A notebook of Wayne Coloney’s letters (top), including a June 12, 1944 epistle to “Warren & Mother” written on Hellcats’ letterhead. A cloth two-sided map (inset) of the Pacific owned by Wayne’s father.
COLLECTIONS AT THE INSTITUTE ON WORLD WAR II AND THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE, FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY: ANNE & WAYNE COLONEY COLLECTION 06.0076; GEORGE LANGFORD COLLECTION 97.0064
»feature LETTERS HOME
This collage (above) is centered with a recent photo of George Langford surrounded by World War II-era photos of himself, his brothers and sister, all of whom served in the military. A telegram dated Aug. 2, 1945 (below), notifying family of the death of Langford’s brother, Bill.
over a week. In five months we had just one shower. It was constant.” From March 18 to March 25, the Hellcats captured dozens of towns and more than 6,000 prisoners. On March 27, 1945, Coloney wrote home. “My birthday came, and I didn’t realize I was 20 until the next day we were so busy,” he penned. “I wish I could tell you where I was and what I was doing, but I can’t. I can say tho (sic) that was one day I will never forget and that it was the most exciting birthday I’ve ever had.” The minute he could get out of the Army, Coloney did. He went to Georgia Tech to get an engineering degree and then eventually came back to Tallahassee, where he formed an architectural firm. Asked what he learned in the Army, Coloney said, “Determination. Stay with it. Don’t give up. Doesn’t matter how bad things look. One night I could look out my periscope and see 13 tanks burning at one time. But you don’t give up.”
GEORGE LANGFORD
“When I look back now … my attitude at that time was that … everybody wanted to be a part of that war. It was not like other wars that we’ve been in where we had no common
denominator,” George Langford said in the interview he gave to the Reichelt Oral History program. All four Langford children joined the military. Two brothers were in the Army, one brother and his sister were in the Navy. In fact, people in their hometown of Thomasville were suspicious of those who didn’t go into the service. George Langford turned down a chance to go to Officer Candidate School and an opportunity to go into the infantry, “for obvious reasons. I didn’t want to push my luck.” As a sergeant in the Corp of Engineers, he landed in Europe late in the war and recalled with joy how his unit helped destroy German vehicles by dumping them into the Rhine. “We would drive these jeeps and German military vehicles and put it in gear and jump out of it and dump it in the river,” he told the interviewer. “Which was a great joy.” When the war in Europe ended, instead of heading home for a family reunion with his siblings, Langford found himself on a ship headed for the Pacific. But on the way, the announcement came that the U.S. had dropped the first atomic bomb on the Japanese homeland. His ship turned around and headed back toward Norfolk, Virginia. George Langford made it to the reunion, along with his sister and one brother, who both served in the Navy. But his brother Bill,
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»feature LETTERS HOME
Gene Jenkins Chiropractor
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a 25-year-old infantry captain in the Philippines who commanded a mortar platoon, didn’t make it. He was killed 10 days before the Japanese surrendered on August 14, 1945, because his return home had been delayed. In his last letter home from Mindanao, dated July 9, 1945, Bill Langford wrote his mother: “I was all in hope I would get home in the next month or so but it is very doubtful now. I had been told that I would go home (with) the first bunch but … they sent only one officer. I would not be so mad and discouraged if they had not told me I was going home right away.” Only a month earlier he had told his mom, “I am glad that I could be given a chance to fight and would take nothing for the experience I have had, but I would not go back in for any amount of money.” Bill Langford was killed by a grenade thrown by Japanese soldiers who had snuck into the camp where he and several other officers had been waiting to catch a plane ride home. When George Langford came home, he went to college, earning his law degree at the University of Virginia. In 1951, he founded the Municipal Code Corporation, a legal publishing firm and largest U.S. codifier of municipal codes, in Tallahassee. “I came out a whole person, physically sound of mind and body, with an aggressive outlook on life,” he said. “And I’ve enjoyed everything since.”
PETER DURLAND
Life is good for Peter Durland, who celebrated his 92nd birthday in October. He still plays tennis several mornings a week (weather permitting) and enjoys life to the fullest. “Enjoy it and participate in it and, when the time comes, go with a smile,” says the one-time combat infantryman who has been a lawyer and an FBI agent (for 27 years) and ran the state law enforcement academy in Gadsden County for several years. Born in Norfolk, Nebraska, in 1922, Durland was drafted for service in 1943. He went to Officer Candidate School in Fort Benning and in August 1944 got his orders to ship overseas. It came as no surprise. He figured the Army would need more second lieutenants in the aftermath of the Normandy landings on D-Day, June 6, 1944. In his Reichelt Oral History interview, Durland recalled a vivid memory from the week he was given to go home before leaving for Europe. “I was scared, but I was proud,” he said. “I was also naïve. I didn’t quite know what was going on … Mother cooked all my favorite meals … I can close my eyes still and picture the faces of my mother and father as I got on the train to go. They knew what was going on. That memory is always going to be with me.” Durland was assigned to the 29th Infantry Division out of Virginia (also known as “Blue and Gray”) and, on arrival, was put in the replacement pool with four captains and four second lieutenants. On the first day, six were sent up front. Two were killed and one lost his leg. When he got up to the front, Durland told the interviewer, “Capt. Rabbit, our company commander, told me no rah-rah talk. He just said, ‘The lieutenant before you had his foot blown off by a mine.’ I was either the seventh or eighth (lieutenant) for that platoon.” He led his troops during the breakthrough of the Siegfried Line, earning a Silver Star when his platoon ended up capturing about 60 German prisoners. “We went in with grazing fire,” he said recently. “You don’t think you’re going to make it, but you get tired and punchy and kinda
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American-made, custom-designed, lifetime-guaranteed furniture Now two locations!
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dirty and thirsty. You aren’t heroic. You get the order, you gotta go.” A 1946 photo of Peter One of the prisoners, a German corpo- Durland walking behind ral who had been a schoolteacher before General Watson in the war, told Durland the Americans were Prague and Military Tribunal papers. poor soldiers. They follow the leader, don’t spread out and should all have been killed, the German told him. Durland’s reaction? “I wanted to punch him in the nose.” As the war began to wind down, Durland found himself an aide to Brig. Gen. Leroy Watson, who later became commander of the International Military Tribunal Command for the Nuremburg trials. Watson had requested a combat officer as his aide. Looking back today, Durland insists he was no hero. “I was lucky to just be alive and to be in one piece,” he says. All his combat pals have since passed away but, “I came out fine. The percentage of that was very low. It was just a matter of luck. I had good luck.” n Tallahassee Magazine would like to thank the Institute on World War II and the Human Experience for access to its files. Much of the information in this article came from letters donated to the Institute by veterans and their families and from interviews conducted by the Reichelt Oral History Program. The Institute and the oral history program are located at Florida State University. Further information on the Institute can be found online at ww2.fsu.edu. The website for the Reichelt Oral History Program is ohp.fsu.edu.
COLLECTIONS AT THE INSTITUTE ON WORLD WAR II AND THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE, FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY: PETER DURLAND COLLECTION 99.0166;
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2014 COMMUNITY REPORT
PROMOTING
Volunteerism
DEVELOPING
Leaders
CHANGING
Lives
PRESIDENT’S LETTER
Welcome! Bring out the candles and cake! The Junior League of Tallahassee (JLT) celebrates 55 years of creating positive change within our community. The JLT has never looked better, which, in part, is due to the rich history of the women who have invested their time and energy throughout the years. This commitment can be seen today through the 500 JLT members who make a difference in the lives of children and families in our area. The women who make up the Junior League of Tallahassee are diverse in their backgrounds, experiences and roles as business owners, attorneys, mothers, teachers and more; but our strength is most evident when each member joins together to create a strong network. When each woman uses her time, talents and treasures to meet a need, the sky is the limit of what we can accomplish together. As you will see in the following pages, we spent 3,000 hours serving the community and touched the lives of more than 2,700 children in the past year. This is accomplished year after year through our signature projects of Kids’ Boutique and Operation Prom Dress, and through partnerships with Boys & Girls Club of the Big Bend, Girls on the Run of the Big Bend and many other not-for-profit organizations in town. Not only do we spend time volunteering, but we also invest in training tomorrow’s leaders today so we are ready to address the changing needs and demands of our community as they arise. We are so proud to be part of this dynamic community and are thrilled to continue our work to make Tallahassee an even better community for children, families and future generations.
JUNIOR LEAGUE OF TALLAHASSEE 404 EAST SIXTH AVENUE TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA 32303 (850) 224-9161 | www.jltallahassee.org
MISSION
The Junior League of Tallahassee is a nonprofit organization of women committed to improving the lives of children and families through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. Its purpose is exclusively educational and charitable.
2014–2015 BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND MANAGEMENT TEAM PRESIDENT Rebekah Dorn PRESIDENT-ELECT Kelly-Ann Fasano SECRETARY Molly Bader TREASURER Meghan Brown MANAGEMENT TEAM DIRECTOR Alison Voorhees SUSTAINER MEMBER REPRESENTATIVE Molly Kellogg-Schmauch ACTIVE MEMBER REPRESENTATIVE Jennifer Stanford NEW MEMBER REPRESENTATIVE Alexis Phillips VICE PRESIDENT OF DEVELOPMENT Eva Horton VICE PRESIDENT OF NOMINATING Cassie Brooks MANAGEMENT TEAM MANAGEMENT TEAM DIRECTOR Alison Voorhees COMMUNITY DIRECTOR Taylor Hatch
Sincerely,
FUNDING DIRECTOR Elizabeth Boyd MEMBERSHIP DIRECTOR Parker Sullivan FINANCE DIRECTOR Ceil Parramore
REBEKAH DORN, PH.D. 2014–2015 President Junior League of Tallahassee
ASSISTANT FINANCE DIRECTOR Katherine Fleming PLACEMENT DIRECTOR Brooke Spicer COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR Erin Choy TRAINING DIRECTOR Jillian White
The JLT was named the 2013 Volunteer of the Year by the Boys & Girls Club of the Big Bend. We are proud to be a partner with this outstanding organization.
PUBLICATION DESIGN, PRODUCTION AND MANAGEMENT ROWLAND PUBLISHING, INC. PRESIDENT/PUBLISHER BRIAN E. ROWLAND GRAPHIC DESIGN REBECCA SUMERALL CLIENT SERVICES REPRESENTATIVE KERRI BRYAN
From my participation as a member of the Junior League Community Advisory Council, I’ve witnessed a spirit of camaraderie from generations of Junior League members that is inspiring and motivational to me. I am grateful for my engagement on the Community Advisory Council and look forward to a continuing partnership with the Junior League in their good work for our neighbors. —State Representative Alan Williams, JLT Community Advisory Council Member
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2014–2015 PROJECTS OVERVIEW What They’re Saying This year marked the 4th Annual Back to School Fashion Show for Heart Gallery North Florida where local celebrities are paired with children available for adoption and participate in a fashion show with clothing and accessories provided by local merchants. The Junior League of Tallahassee, through the help of the Done in a Day Committee (DIAD), has played an exciting and integral role in this event since its conception! Junior League has had a longstanding relationship with Heart Gallery North Florida and when the time came for a formal Heart Gallery committee within JLT to end, the outpouring of love, generosity, and moreover service from DIAD was amazing! DIAD had provided this event each year with amazing volunteers who helped make this event a success. They do all of this in the JLT off-season… many haven’t even begun their formal committee placements yet, but they come out anyway, eager to interact and serve with these amazing children. I assure you, this event, which is not a fundraiser, but to solely raise awareness about the importance of foster care and adoption in our community, would not exist and would not have grown to the depths that it has without the love and dedication of the DIAD team! —Donna Wright, President, Heart Gallery of North Florida
It’s really eye-opening because you don’t realize how much need is in the community in so many different areas until someone tells you about it. Because you kind of live in a totally different world and you don’t realize that there are people out there who don’t have enough to eat and don’t have enough to drink. It’s been an amazing chance to meet so many new people, both adults and teens my age, who are interested in helping the community. —Rachel Rivers, Teen Board Member
Broadening Community Impact by Strengthening and Growing Partnerships with Nonprofits JLT’s community projects focus on providing at-risk children with opportunities to succeed in school. An emphasis is given to projects that teach and promote healthy lifestyles, build self-esteem and provide basic needs.
BOYS & GIRLS CLUB EDUCATIONAL ENRICHMENT COMMITTEE Now in its third year, the Junior League of Tallahassee’s partnership with the Boys & Girls Club of the Big Bend will provide structured events to support the core focus areas of the national organization. Throughout the year, we will host events at each of the schools served by the Boys & Girls Club in the areas of career and academics; healthy living; character and leadership; sports, fitness and recreation; and the arts.
DONE IN A DAY During the Boys & Girls Club events, students and their families learn about the importance of health and nutrition.
The JLT’s Done in a Day Program (DIAD) partners with other organizations to help execute short-term events that have a significant impact on the Tallahassee community. Through this program, the JLT provides volunteers or funding to assist other organizations. In the past, organizations such as Grace Mission, Fostering Hope, Tallahassee Memorial Hospital, Pediatria, Leon County Public Libraries, PACE, Heart Gallery of North Florida and the Refuge House have benefited from the presence of trained JLT volunteers through this program.
Over the summer DIAD was hard at work! In June, the League partnered with AMWAT Moving Warehousing & Storage and Second Harvest for an inaugural summer food drive to feed Leon County’s hungry children. This effort generated 6,597 pounds of food and more than 8,000 meals! We are so grateful for our amazing partners who made this possible and to the community for making it a success.
GIRLS ON THE RUN OF THE BIG BEND This year, the JLT announced the selection of Girls on the Run of the Big Bend GOTRBB as one of their signature community partnerships. Understanding the importance of providing more opportunities for girls to build self-esteem and healthy lifestyles, we are teaming up to help empower girls to live healthier and more joyful lives. The partnership will help expand and enrich services to more elementary schools throughout Tallahassee.
KIDS’ BOUTIQUE Through our annual Kids’ Boutique event, JLT provides at-need children with not only much-needed tangible items, but also a sense of self-esteem and pride to start the school year. For 18 years, JLT members have taken local elementary school students back-to-school shopping at our Kids’ Boutique event each August. In partnership with Kohl’s on Apalachee Parkway, JLT purchased essential school clothes and shoes for 120 students this year and provided each child with a backpack full of school supplies.
OPERATION PROM DRESS For many young women prom is an important but costly part of the high school experience. At Operation Prom Dress, the JLT invites local and neighboring high school women to attend a one-day boutique-style shopping event in the spring where prom dresses, shoes and accessories are provided at no cost.
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2013–2014 BY THE NUMBERS Community Advisory Council In 2012, JLT formed its inaugural Community Advisory Council, comprised of well-respected individuals who live, work and serve in the Tallahassee community. These individuals have graciously agreed to serve a two-year term as advisors to advocate for the League, helping spread the word of the organization’s impact while providing feedback to identify ways JLT can improve our efforts.
8,000 dollars donated to provide backpacks of nutritious food each weekend for students who receive free or reduced lunch at Bond Elementary in partnership with Second Harvest of the Big Bend. We also provided 738 hours of volunteer time to stuff backpacks.
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Community organizations and nonprofits the JLT worked alongside in the 2013–2014 year
300 OPERATION PROM DRESS
SHOPPERS
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monthly dinners and programs held for Boys & Girls Club children and their parents
2014–2015 Junior League of Tallahassee Community Advisory Council Members
2,700
SHEILA COSTIGAN Executive Director, Foundation for Leon County Schools
children in our community whose lives were touched by JLT, from back-to-school shopping at Kids’ Boutique in August to dancing the night away at the Gretchen Everhart Prom in May
LAUREN FAISON Service Line Administrator over Population Health, Regional Development, and Telemedicine Tallahassee Memorial Hospital DR. BEN KIRBO Physician and Owner, Southeastern Plastic Surgery Center
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KELLY OTTE Executive Director, Pace Center for Girls GLORIA PUGH Owner, AMWAT Moving Warehousing & Storage
total children served at the fall and winter Kids’ Boutique events
LAURA ROGERS JLT Past President, Program Director, Leadership Tallahassee BRIAN ROWLAND President/Publisher, Rowland Publishing
3,000 hours volunteered by JLT members during the 2013–2014 League Year
The Honorable WANSLEY WALTERS, Former Secretary, Florida Department of Juvenile Justice The Honorable ALAN WILLIAMS, Florida House of Representatives GIL ZIFFER Commissioner, City of Tallahassee
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FUNDRAISERS & GETTING INVOLVED Thank you to our 2013–2014 Junior League of Tallahassee Sponsors! As we come to a conclusion of a successful 2013–2014 Junior League year, we would like to extend a special thank you to our amazing sponsors. It is a shared vision for helping the community of Tallahassee and their belief in the Junior League of Tallahassee which has led to such a great partnership. EMPOWERMENT ($10,000+) AMWAT Moving Warehousing & Storage Southeastern Plastic Surgery Esposito Lawn and Garden Center LEADERSHIP ($7,500) Rowland Publishing American Audio Visual Holy Comforter Episcopal School DEVELOPMENT ($2,500) Growing Room Child Development Centers Jason’s Deli Karmanos Printing and Graphics Seminole High Performance Tennis INVESTMENT ($1,000) Earth Fare Full Press Apparel Loli & the Bean North Florida Financial Corp. Sean Stuyverson Tallahassee Mall Tallahassee Nurseries Terri Smith Details FRIEND OF JLT ($250–$1,000) AB James DJ Barberitos - A Southwestern Grille & Cantina Bella Bella Bragg Events Brown’s Distributing Coosh’s Bayou Rouge Costco Dave’s Pizza Garage Dunkin Donuts Elks Lodge of Tallahassee Kanvas Marco’s Pizza Mattice and Mattice Real Estate McGraw Hill Education Painting with a Twist Piggy’s BBQ Purposeful Planning Tallahassee 2-Way Radio Tharpe Construction & Remodeling The Heinz Family The Refinery Tri-Eagle United Healthcare Community Plan Walgreen’s
Funding the Mission Through the Support of the Community Each year, the women of JLT devote countless hours to organizing, promoting and hosting successful fundraisers that help improve the lives of local children and families. By attending our fundraisers and supporting our membership, community members and local businesses play a vital role in our efforts to make Tallahassee a better place to live, learn and grow.
A WHALE OF A TRADITION A signature JLT fundraiser since 1974, the Whale of a Sale has grown into a Tallahassee tradition — and the community’s largest garage sale event. The sale features a variety of gently used, high-quality items, ranging from furniture and housewares to clothes, electronics, books, movies and much more. Whale of a Sale functions both as a community project and fundraising event; providing high-quality items to the community at a low cost while also raising funds that go directly back in to the community through League projects. Join us next spring to celebrate our signature fundraiser and this Tallahassee tradition, at our Friday evening preview party. Enjoy food from local food trucks, a beer garden and early bird shopping!
BREAKFAST WITH SANTA JLT’s annual Breakfast with Santa is a fun-filled family event for all ages. Join us to kick off the holiday season with a festive breakfast, activities for the kids and pictures with Santa. This event is a great tradition for all families that also helps support our community projects. Breakfast with Santa will be December 13, 2014. This year we are excited to partner with our host for the event, Holy Comforter Episcopal School.
A THYME TO CELEBRATE COOKBOOK This beautiful cookbook is the second installment in the JLT cookbook series and contains more than 230 recipes generously shared by local residents, restaurants and notable Tallahasseeans. This award-winning book, which has been proclaimed the official cookbook of Tallahassee, represents the diversity of our Southern community. The JLT encourages the Tallahassee community to celebrate life at any “thyme!” With recipes for drinks, appetizers, entrées and delectable desserts, this is the cookbook to help turn all celebratory moments into lasting memories. Visit www.jltallahassee.org for a list of retailers carrying the JLT cookbooks, or purchase your copy directly through the website. By purchasing our cookbook, you can celebrate the Tallahassee community while contributing to the training and organization of volunteers to better the lives of local children and families.
TO BUY TICKETS OR FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT JLT’S FABULOUS FUNDRAISERS, VISIT JLTALLAHASSEE.ORG OR CALL (850) 224-9161.
How To Get Involved... INTERESTED IN JOINING? Each spring, JLT holds a membership drive to recruit the next class of community-oriented women committed to volunteerism and who are interested in making Tallahassee a better place to live. JLT is open to women of all races, religions and national origins between the ages of 23-45 at the time they join. For more information, visit jltallahassee.org. INTERESTED IN SUPPORTING JLT? JLT works with top-notch partners and sponsors that make it possible to further our mission. We are grateful for their involvement and support. To learn how you can become a Junior League of Tallahassee sponsor, please contact Lindsey Crowell and Lindsay Volpe, Sponsorship Co-Chairs, at JLTsponsorship@gmail.com.
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Thank you Junior League of Tallahassee for making a difference in our community! Award-winning doctors, Ben J. Kirbo, M.D., Laurence Z. Rosenberg, M.D. and Chris DeRosier, M.D., are dedicated to providing outstanding patient care, in a quiet, relaxing environment.
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*not actual patients LEAGUEJUNIOR OF TALLAHASSEE 2014 COMMUNITY REPORT 8 JUNIOR Annual Report LEAGUE OF TALLAHASSEE 2012
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ON THE TOWN THE ARTS CALENDAR SOCIAL STUDIES THE BUZZ
Spotlight
Suspended
Reality Home-Grown Artist Dean Gioia has a Knack for Capturing Photographic Detail in His Scenic Paintings By Tisha Crews Keller
D
MATT BURKE
ean Gioia (pronounced joy-ya) is one of Tallahassee’s most authentic and treasured artists. His work, gracing walls from the SouthWood Plantation house to private homes, ranges from intricate landscapes to haunted renderings of the mind. His latest hardcover collection, 12 years after the beautiful “Turn of Light” was published, is aptly titled “Illuminated.” Gioia’s muse is landscape, but his haunted childhood perhaps made its debut in this gorgeous collection-worthy volume. The collection includes paintings that revolve around the artist’s own spirituality/mysticism. Themes such as life after death and duality of personality are depicted in signature detail and form. Gioia says the paintings are reminiscent of his own childhood. “Around the age of 4, I was plagued with illnesses that left me hospitalized for long periods, yet without clear diagnoses,” he explains. “During this period, I spent a lot of time in what I can only describe as a ‘spirit’ world. It was not a warm and fuzzy place, but a place with malevolent beings that seemed to want something. That evolved into a psychic awareness, an ability to see and know on other levels. When I later became enamored with painting the landscapes around me, I couldn’t help Dean Gioia lives with his art in his but imbue the work with a sense of home gallery. the mystic —what was beyond and
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»culture SPOTLIGHT
beneath the physical — because I felt as “Illuminated Creek,” though I had seen it; I had known it.” In much the same way, the new collection is the cover art for is infused with egrets, meaningful in a very Dean Gioia’s latest book, and like many personal way to the artist. of the works it “The egrets,” Gioia says. “Yes. Perhaps contains, the image they are symbols of freedom, flight, transcen- features the play of dence. I love painting anything white that is light on an egret’s illuminated by sunlight. Inserting beautiful, white feathers. sunlit egrets into a landscape changes it into a place that is aware of itself. They symbolize the land as a living thing.” Gioia began his art as a desire to, “express what often feels inexpressible.” He describes the beauty and the visual thrill of “light falling on stuff,” which evolved into a sort of business. Admittedly, he knows he’s fortunate. “People have always appreciated and wanted the paintings I do,” Gioia says. “I am grateful for that.” While his work is available in the conventional form of gallery shows, his favorite way of selling his art are open houses. He and his wife, Dr. Amy Wetherby, have a spacious home that lends itself to showing a lot of art and accommodating a lot of people. To Gioia, these events are very satisfying because he is able to interact directly with collectors. “It’s very personal and very rewarding,” he explains. “And I can offer some great deals out of my studio. It’s a fun thing.” This second collection isn’t the closing bookmark on Gioia’s work. He says there is another world of images to tackle; things that have been brewing in him for decades that haven’t yet been fully explored — perhaps a deeper look into a depiction of spirit. “Doing this book got me thinking about another book,” he says. “One where we use the pages in a more provocative way to explore other aspects of what I see in life: a place less solid, a place without defined edges — the darker corners needing illumination.” n
The paintings of Dean Gioia and his books are available locally and directly from the artist, but that will expand quickly to other towns and cities. Learn more at deangioia.com. The new hardcover, priced at $25, is offered at: LeMoyne Center gift shop Gadsden Arts Center gift shop Baden-Baden Strauss Gallery 172 November–December 2014
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St. Marks Refuge gift shop Black Dog Café Thornebrook Gallery in Gainesville
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»culture ON THE TOWN
Downtown Rocks New Year’s Eve No Need to Go Far for a Good End-of-Year Party By Jason Dehart GET READY TO HAVE A BLAST at the biggest, loudest, most upscale evening of the year as several thousand of your closest friends and neighbors dress up and party down during Tallahassee’s downtown New Year’s Eve celebration. “Last year we had 15,000 folks gathered downtown for three bands and a fireworks display. This year we’re planning on four bands, two stages and a 15-minute firework show at midnight,” said Curt Reilly, president of the Downtown Business Association. Clock-watchers and partygoers will start to fill a four-block area around Duval Street and Kleman Plaza starting at 7 p.m. Judging by the tremendous response the event has received since the inaugural festival in 2012, this year’s party ought to be just as successful. It’s living proof that downtown streets don’t have to automatically roll up at closing time, and that the downtown area is a beautiful place to live and work. Reilly said the family-friendly event will once again feature live bands, the downtown restaurants will be open and the Growing Room will sponsor a Kidz Zone complete with a kids’ DJ, climbing walls, bounce houses, games and other activities from 7 to 10 p.m. Meanwhile, adults will enjoy music from local bands and a national headliner. The title sponsor this year is Dale Earnhardt Jr. Dealerships. At the stroke of midnight, a massive video board will show the broadcast of the Times Square Ball dropping live from New York City. Then, a 15-minute fireworks show will illuminate the evening. More musical entertainment, food and drink will follow shortly after. “The last two years the event has been fantastic. The first year featured Sister Hazel, and last year it was the Little River Band,” said Jay Revell, executive director of the Tallahassee Downtown Improvement Authority, which has provided a $9,000 grant to support the event.
Event parking is free, and organizers are working with local taxi companies to provide transportation for those who might have partied a little too hardy, as it were. Meanwhile, if you can’t park nearby, you can drop your car off at Governor’s Square Mall. Organizers are making arrangements with StarMetro and at least one local establishment to shuttle people from the mall to the event and back again. Among the downtown businesses helping to ring in the New Year is Aloft Tallahassee Downtown, which has established a New Year’s Eve package as part of its partnership with the Downtown Business Association. According to Laurin Robinson, Aloft’s sales and marketing director, the package features a complimentary shuttle ride, two complimentary drinks and an appetizer at the hotel’s “w xyz” lounge prior to the celebration. “We are very excited for the festivities,” Robinson said. n
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»culture ON THE TOWN
How to Ring in the New Year With the Kids If you’re spending New Year’s Eve with youngsters, why not enjoy it? Instead of driving yourself crazy trying to book a babysitter on the most popular night of the year, make it an exciting time for your children. After all, how many more years are they going to want to stay in and celebrate with you? To ensure a fun celebration for them (and keep you sane) here are some tips on how to party with the youngsters. MIDNIGHT OR ‘MIDNIGHT’?
Unless your children are teenagers, you may not want them to stay up until midnight (cranky kids do not a fun New Year make). Instead, let them stay up an hour past their regular bedtime and pick a different time zone that correlates with that time. That way, the celebration is still special for them and they get to be a part of the whole shebang. Duo Kathleen Brennan and Claude Hendon have dubbed their party “New Years at Nine.” This married couple knows how to throw an amazing event — and be in bed by 10. “It came as this huge flash of insight,” Brennan reminisced. “Time is different all over the place, so let’s just say it’s midnight and treat it like that. They don’t know any better, they can’t tell time. What they want is the buildup and the party and the countdown.” Complete with sparkling apple juice, noisemakers, fireworks and a kid’s craft table, this party is the place to be on New Year’s. Try throwing your own party this year, and make sure it’s a hit with some advice from the party-planning duo. “With multi-age parties, keep little ones in mind,” said Brennan. “We always have crafts and toys that they can safely do on their own or with minimal supervision.”
GET FANCY
Just because you are staying in doesn’t mean you have to celebrate in sweatpants and a slouchy tee. Why not get dressed up? The kids will have a lot more fun if they are wearing sequined clothes and party hats. A special night requires a special wardrobe!
ARTS AND CRAFTS
Keeping kids entertained with various art projects will keep them out of your hair. Make decorations for the house, such as streamers, your own countdown ball or noisemakers (a hallmark of New Year’s celebrations), even party hats. Break out the glitter and glue, there is no such thing as too much sparkle on New Year’s!
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POP BOTTLES … OF FIZZY GRAPE JUICE
Let the kids in on the fun. Use fancy glasses and pour fizzy fruit juices in them. Find recipes for mocktails and use sparkle sugar to rim your glasses. Kids of any age will have fun pretending they are grown up.
RECORD THE YEAR
Go through memories of the past year and write down your favorites, then read everyone’s memories aloud. Write down favorites from the year (animal, color, etc.) and put them in a time capsule with other goodies to open next year and see what has changed. Record your child’s hopes for the New Year and help to make them happen. Chronicling these moments makes for everlasting memories.
FUN AND GAMES
Play board games, sing karaoke or play charades. Listen to your inner child, what did you like to do when you were a kid? Make a night of it, go outside for cocoa and stargazing, or camp out inside with forts, movies and microwaved s’mores.
COUNTDOWN
Make the countdown fun and keep the kids interested with something special every hour. Fill balloons with glitter or confetti and pop one on the hour, or make activity bags with a new fun activity for every hour of the countdown. New Year’s Eve is a time to reminisce about the memories of the past year but also an opportunity to make some new ones. Whatever you decide to do this New Year’s, make sure it’s worth remembering. // ANA STOLICA
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»culture THE ARTS
PHOTOS COURTESY TALLAHASSEE COMMUNITY CHORUS AND BRADFORDVILLE BAPTIST CHURCH
Seasonal Sounds MUSIC AND SINGING HAVE ALWAYS been integral parts of the Christmas holiday season, and Tallahassee’s local choirs and musical groups add a joyful noise to this beloved time of year. The plethora of options in Tallahassee gives audiences a chance to find their own flavor of entertainment. For those who prefer the musical ornaments of a classic Christmas season, look no further than Bradfordville Baptist Church’s Singing Christmas tree tradition. Others who are looking to go to well-established events with musical audience participation should consider the Tallahassee Music Guild. The 50-year-old group of music lovers is celebrating their 26th Messiah Sing-Along this year. They will perform excerpts from Handel’s famous “Messiah,” according to Guild President Peggy Snapp. “Regardless of race, background or creed, the Messiah Sing-Along brings the community together. It’s about spontaneity and having the audience sing with the group; not even the singers practice together before they go on stage,” Snapp said. The Tallahassee Music Guild also makes a point to help their fellow musicians in the community. In keeping with the spirit of giving, the Guild awarded 25 scholarships to rising musicians from Florida State University and Florida A&M University last year on the Sing-Along’s 25th anniversary. “We spend every penny on scholarships,” Snapp said. “The Sing-Along will also be followed by a reception and other Christmas songs (here) at Faith Presbyterian Church, which everyone is invited to attend.” Florida State University has successfully created its own following during the winter months. FSU’s PRISM concert includes an array of music groups from around campus. Named in honor — and in pursuit of — how sounds mirror light’s reflection through a glass pyramid, 30 ensembles play back and forth during the concert. Each provides music from their repertoire to make an unparalleled symphonic sound. It’s a fun, nonstop format: a brass
Tallahassee’s Diverse Music Scene Kindles the Holiday Spirit By Austyn Humphrey
For a concert that is both musically and visually impressive, visit Bradfordville Baptist Church’s Singing Christmas Tree (above). The Tallahassee Community Chorus will be presenting its “Seasonal Celebration” with the FSU Choral Department at Ruby Diamond Concert Hall (left).
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»culture THE ARTS
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ensemble might suddenly appear in a balcony while the stage could be taken over by tuba players. The concert takes place in the Ruby Diamond Concert Hall, the artistic heart of FSU’s campus. The acoustics allow the sound to reverberate from various ensembles such as Jazz Percussion, Wind Orchestra and others. The Marching Chiefs delivers the grand finale, making this concert a must for any Seminole fan or alumnus. If the sounds of the PRISM concert aren’t your particular cup of eggnog, there are more traditional avenues to explore. Steve Jacobsen, president of the Tallahassee Chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society (aka the Capital Chordsmen), is part of an international fraternity of barbershop singers ranging from the United States to New Zealand. Naturally, these men are passionate about their music and their audiences. “We have a unique sound in barbershop harmony,” Jacobsen “We have a explains. “We strive for a fournote chord that … has overtones unique sound on top of overtones.” in barbershop Jacobsen said the unique sound has kept barbershop groups rel- harmony. We evant and well liked over the strive for a fouryears, and their love for the sound will show in the Capital note chord that … Chordsmen’s Seventh Annual has overtones on Holiday Harmony Concert. The concert is divided into top of overtones.” two parts. The first tells the story of Christmas with sacred – Steve Jacobsen, selections and readings, while president of the the second is a musical spoof of “The Night Before Christmas.” Capital Chordsmen The juxtaposition of reverence and comedy provides an enjoyable experience to those attending this family-friendly event. As the jovial Jacobsen explained, “It’s not the holiday season until you’ve seen our show.” Tallahassee even has shows for locals who prefer more instrument-based entertainment that is traditional but still utilizes audience interaction. For example, Tallahassee’s Bach Parley will focus on playing the music of the famous composer and his family. This year, the Bach Parley presents “C.P.E. Bach at 300,” which will honor Bach’s son Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach on the tercentennial of C.P.E.’s birth by performing only the younger Bach’s music. The concert will cover C.P.E. Bach’s music in a variety of ways, including cello concertos, symphonies and sonatas. During a musical “parley,” every piece of music is explained to the audience in its historic context. Music Director Valerie Arsenault said, “The word ‘parley’ in French means discussion, and a key element of Tallahassee Bach Parley concerts is the commentary offered by our music director to engage and enlighten our audience with historical background about the composers and their world.” One of the most inclusive groups to be performing during the holiday season is the Tallahassee Community Chorus in concert with FSU’s choirs. Under the direction of FSU professor Dr. Andre Thomas, the ensemble requires no audition and includes more than 200 FSU students and people of all ages from throughout the community. Its “Seasonal Celebration” concert is set for Dec. 6 and 7 at Ruby Diamond Concert Hall.
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»culture THE ARTS Other local groups worthy of consideration include the Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra, the Boys’ Choir of Tallahassee and the Tallahassee Civic Chorale. The TSO’s “Holiday Magic!” concert promises to play both “timeless classics and sentimental favorites” in an “anything-goes” atmosphere. As part of its holiday efforts, The Boys’ Choir of Tallahassee will host its second annual “Cheer for the Choir” Dec. 4 at Goodwood Museum & Gardens. Also, the Tallahassee Civic Chorale will use its fall concert to commemorate the 1914 Christmas Truce of World War I, a fitting way for families to honor the fallen on the conflict’s centennial observation. No matter what holiday sound you prefer, Tallahassee is sure to offer something to accommodate you. So make your plans, gather your family and friends, and experience Christmas the way it was meant to be — in the community. n
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A Season of Musical Delights Just a sampling of the musical programs you can enjoy throughout the holidays. NOV. 23
Tallahassee Bach Parley Presents C.P.E. Bach at 300 3 p.m., St. John’s Episcopal Church. $10 suggested donation, childcare available. tallahasseebachparley.org
DEC. 2
Tallahassee Music Guild’s 26th production of George F. Handel’s Messiah Sing-Along 7:30 p.m., Faith Presbyterian Church on Meridian Road. $10 for adults, $5 for students and children ($5 rebate when your return the score). For more information, call Peggy Snapp or Doris Pollock at (850) 893-5274.
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DEC. 2–5
FSU PRISM 2014 7:30 p.m. Dec. 2–4, 8 p.m. Dec. 5. Ruby Diamond Concert Hall, Florida State University. $18. Reserved seating. Purchase tickets through the College of Music Box Office (850) 645-7949 starting Oct. 6.
DEC. 4
Tallahassee Boys’ Choir Goodwood Museum & Gardens. theboyschoir.org (850) 224-9934
DEC. 6–7
Tallahassee Community Chorus Seasonal Celebration 7:30 p.m. Dec. 6, 6 p.m. Dec. 7, Ruby Diamond Concert Hall, Florida State University. tcchorus.org
DEC. 9
Tallahassee Civic Chorale Tallahassee Community College Turner Auditorium. $9 for adults, $7 for seniors and non-TCC students. Free for TCC students, faculty and staff (850) 942-1893
DEC. 11 AND 18
Capital Chordsmen 7 p.m. Tallahassee Senior Center. $12.50 for adults, $10 for seniors, $5 for students. For tickets, visit capitalchordsmen.org or purchase tickets at the door. (850) 224-7729
DEC. 12–14
Bradfordville Baptist Church’s Singing Christmas Tree Tickets are free, offerings are accepted. (850) 893-0893
DEC. 19–20
Tallahassee Symphony Presents ‘Holiday Magic!’ 8 p.m. Ruby Diamond Concert Hall, Florida State University Campus. $10 to $47 tallahasseesymphony.org/ December2014
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»culture BEST BETS
So Many Ways to Enjoy the Holidays // COMPILED BY CHAY D. BAXLEY
events
Market Days
December 6 and 7 Market Days, one of the Southeast’s most extensive arts and crafts shows, offers Tallahasseeans the opportunity to find that perfect handcrafted holiday gift. It features the unique creations of 300 artists hand-selected from across the nation. Offering an array of works including fine art pieces, ceramics, furniture, stained glass, woodwork, jewelry, sculpture, clothing, photography and much more, this unique compilation of artisan creations is sure to check nearly every box off the ol’ Christmas list. Visitors are invited to enjoy locally made foods and libations while they browse at this extensive two-day event. Market Days has been a happy local tradition benefiting the Tallahassee Museum for nearly 50 years. For more information, call (850) 575-8684 or visit tallahasseemuseum.org/ marketdays. Tickets are $6 for adults and $4 for children. The event is held at the North Florida Fairgrounds, 441 Paul Russell Road. Saturday 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Sunday 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
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» events
‘A Symphony of Homes in Holiday Colors’
Best of Tallahassee
December 5 and 6 Kick
COURTESY TALLAHASSEE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
» events
the month of December off with one of the most festive events of the year. As part of the 22nd Annual Tour of Homes, patrons are invited to meander through four beautifully decorated holiday dream houses. Hosted by the Tallahassee Symphony Society, each unique residence will feature live music in tune with the season and an array of fine foods for purchase. Houses will be kept secret until tickets are purchased. Prepare to be inspired. Proceeds benefit the Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra.
Entrance fee is $25 per person and includes tours of all four homes. Tours will be held 10 a.m.–4 p.m. both days, with a boxed lunch available for purchase between 11 a.m.–2 p.m. Tour tickets may be purchased at any of the symphony’s many business partner outlets, including Beethoven & Company, Esposito Garden Center, Native Nurseries and Tallahassee Nurseries, as well as from TSS members, and at the door of each gorgeous home on the tour. For more information, call the Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra at (850) 224-0461.
» events
The Nutcracker December 13 and 14 One of Tallahassee’s most cherished
COURTESY TALLAHASSEE MUSEUM
holiday traditions, The Tallahassee Ballet’s rendition of the “The Nutcracker” is truly a feast for the senses. Hosted annually at the Ruby Diamond Concert Hall, this performance is nothing shy of extravagant. Just as in years gone by, The Tallahassee Ballet Orchestra will accompany this season’s evening shows. Suitable for all ages, patrons are invited to relive every magical second of this classic favorite — from the Rat King to the dancing snowflakes.
Tickets range from $20–$45 for the three performances, including a child-friendly abbreviated program Saturday morning. For more information, including ticket purchasing and show times, please visit tallahasseeballet.org or call (850) 224-6917.
November 18 The who’s who of local businesses is gathering to celebrate the results of Tallahassee Magazine’s annual reader’s poll. Presented by Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare, the event will feature delicious fare by Klassic Katering, music, an awards ceremony and more! The fun starts at 6 p.m. at Goodwood Museum and Gardens. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased at tallahasseemagazine.com or $30 at the door.
» regional events
Power Forward Speaker Series Nov. 5 Apple Computer
co-founder Steve Wozniak is this year’s featured speaker when First Commerce Credit Union presents its second annual Power Forward Speaker Series at the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center at Florida State University. Wozniak will share some of his experiences in the tech sector, including achievements that have affected the way in which personal computers have evolved. The event, moderated by Andy Serwer, former managing editor of Fortune Magazine, is presented in partnership with the College of Business at Florida State University. Wozniak’s talk, which kicks off eMonth (the “e” stands for entrepreneurship), will be followed by a networking opportunity. The event starts at 3:30 p.m. Tickets are $45 in advance, $65 for priority seating and $75 at the door and can be purchased at ticketmaster.com
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»culture CALENDAR // COMPILED BY ALEXIA GONZALEZ AND CHAY BAXLEY
THROUGH DEC. 31
2014 Top Salon
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Capital City Hop-On, Hop-Off Tours Tour Florida’s capital city in a comfortable and electric CitECar. Stops include the capital’s museums, art galleries and various historical attractions. Hop-on and hop-off at your leisure, or stay for the complete narrated tour loop. Downtown walking tours and regional driving tours are also available. $17.50. 10:15 a.m.–4:15 p.m. (850) 212-2063, toursintallahassee.com
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Downtown Marketplace Tallahassee’s Downtown Marketplace is the perfect spot to wind down on a sunny Saturday morning. For the past 20 seasons, local vendors have gathered to offer fresh, organic produce along with homemade goods and confections. Explore handmade art and jewelry by local artisans or indulge in a personal book reading by some of the city’s best writers. Every week boasts a different theme or special event aimed at enhancing our local culture. FREE. 115 E. Park Ave. 9 a.m.–2 p.m., downtownmarket.com
NOV. 6–16 2522 Capital Circle NE #5 Tallahassee, Florida 32308 850-727-0792 JSHairLounge.com
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North Florida Fair The largest agricultural fair in the region is back and better than ever! Bring friends and family to enjoy the many carnival rides, exhibits, shows, arts and crafts, live entertainment, games and food during the fair’s 10-day run. Visit the all-new gypsy themed Cavallo Equestrian Arts Show, featuring a variety of high-energy stunts and acrobatics to entertain viewers of all ages. $7 adults, $4 children ages 6–12, free for children under 5. North Florida Fairgrounds, 441 Paul Russell Road. (850) 671-8400, northfloridafair.com
NOV. 7
Wreaths and Sweets Consider yourself cordially invited to Wreaths and Sweets — a Tallahassee Senior Center event. Attendees will enjoy early access and bidding on beautiful, one-of-a-kind wreaths and aprons made available to the general public at Deck the Halls on Dec. 5. Leon High School’s guitar band will be the evening’s entertainment. 6–8 p.m. FREE. Tallahassee Senior Center, 1400 N. Monroe St.
NOV. 7
Downtown Getdown Enjoy this pre-game tradition and mingle with friends and family in the Downtown area with activities for children and adults, delicious local food and drinks, street performers, live music and much more. FREE. 8–11 p.m., Adams Street Commons. tallahasseedowntown.com/events/ downtown-getdown
NOV. 7 AND DEC. 5
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First Friday Gallery Hop Stimulate your creative side and join Tallahassee’s most exciting gallery hop at Railroad Square Art Park’s First Friday celebration. Explore the park’s many art studios, galleries and shops with a backdrop of live musical entertainment and local food vendors at this monthly event. FREE. 567 Industrial Dr. 6–9 p.m., railroadsquare.com
NOV. 15
Literary Locals and Their Homes The famed Knott House Museum and Litchgate Cottage have partnered to bring a literary program that highlights this pair of local writers, their legacies and historic homes. Catch an entertaining presentation about Luella
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»culture CALENDAR The Nutcracker
Dance at the Dixie
Spotlight on Dance
Lee Hall November 29–30
Dixie Theatre January 17
Ruby Diamond Concert Hall May 9–10
Knott’s poetry at the Knott House followed by a glimpse into Laura Jepson’s world of fantasy tales at the Litchgate Cottage. FREE. Noon–4:30 p.m., Knott House Museum, 301 E. Park Ave. Call Bea Cotellis at (850) 922-2549.
NOV. 16
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The Kingdom of Sweets In anticipation of their upcoming performance, the cast of The Tallahassee Ballet’s beloved Nutcracker will be frolicking through The Kingdom of Sweets. Children of all ages are invited to join in on the sugary fun. Make candy crafts, fill a bag from the colorful candy buffet, be dazzled by a special preview performance and take portraits with Santa. $20 per person, free for children 18 months and younger. The Carriage House at Goodwood, 1600 Miccosukee Road. 1–3 p.m. For tickets, visit tallahasseeballet.org.
NOV. 20 AND DEC. 18
Meet the Masters Are you a beginning painter, art aficionado or simply a lover of all things artistic? Here’s your chance to explore your creative abilities and learn from the best. The monthly “Meet the Masters” program at the LeMoyne Center for Visual Arts examines the works and techniques of various international artists, as well as teaching students how to recreate some of the artist’s most iconic pieces. $35 for LeMoyne members and $45 for general public. 417 E. Call St. 6–8:30 p.m., (850) 222-7622, lemoyne.org
NOV. 22
Bradley’s Fun Day Come and enjoy a day full of family fun and activities at Bradley’s Country Store! Held annually on the Saturday before Thanksgiving since 1970, this event boasts live music, clogging, cane grinding, syrup making, wagon rides, arts and crafts as well as pony rides and a petting zoo for the kids, not to mention delicious foods such as Bradley’s famous pork sausage. FREE. 10655 Centerville Road. (850) 893-4742, bradleyscountrystore.com
NOV. 22–23
Plantation Wildlife Arts Festival The Plantation Wildlife Arts Festival welcomes more than 65 of the top sporting and wildlife artists to Thomasville for one of the nation’s premier art shows. Purchase handmade creations directly from some of the best artisans in the field, and aid in the continued funding of the Thomasville Center for the Arts, which provides exposure to the fine arts in the surrounding community. Take part in social events, lectures, exhibits and presentations featuring master zoologists, anglers, wildlife professionals and artists, such as the 2014 featured painter Eldridge Hardie. $15–$200. Thomasville Center for the Arts, 600 E. Washington St. Thomasville, Georgia. Call Lizzie Jones at (229) 226-0588, pwaf.org
NOV. 29
Giving Thanks: 17th Century Apalachee and Spanish Cooking Learn how the New and Old Worlds came together to create a crosscultural cuisine. Watch demonstrations of traditional food preparation and observe outdoor cooking with native and European plants from the site’s own gardens and fields. There will be demonstrations of meat and fish smoking on the barbacoa and traditional dish preparation, as well as activities for children. $5 adults, $3 senior citizens, $2 ages 6–17, FREE for active duty military. 2100 W. Tennessee St. 10 a.m.–4 p.m. (850) 245-6406, missionsanluis.org
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Deck the Halls Tallahassee Senior Foundation and Capital Health Plan present the annual “Celebration of Wreaths” event with Deck the Halls. Guests will enjoy fine food and beverages while they peruse the Tallahassee Senior Center’s
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»culture CALENDAR selection, appreciating the beautiful craftsmanship found in every wreath. Be sure to check out their well-stocked silent auction, too. Proceeds benefit Tallahassee Senior Services. $45. 6:30 p.m. 1400 N. Monroe St. (850) 891-4003
DEC. 6
Winter Festival Come and take part in the celebration of lights during the annual welcoming of the holiday season in the Capital City. Sign up for the 3K Jingle Bell Run or enjoy live entertainment, an interactive parade, arts and crafts, and the crowning lighting ceremony, which transforms Tallahassee’s Chain of Parks into a bright winter wonderland. FREE. 912 Myers Park Drive, 3–10 p.m. (850) 891-3866, talgov.com/parks/ parks-winter.aspx
DEC. 6
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Museum of Florida History Holiday Open House As part of the Tallahassee Festival of Lights, the annual Holiday Open House is a traditional local celebration, which transports visitors to a Victorian Christmas Eve. Spectators can enjoy breathtaking holiday decorations, hot cider, delicious cookies and live entertainment featuring classical yuletide music. FREE. Donations accepted. Museum of Florida History, 500 S. Bronough St. 6–9 p.m. Call Gary Pettit at (850) 245-6400.
DEC. 7
World of Sports Event Kids can learn to cast a fishing rod, watch a boxing exhibition, even learn how to fix a bicycle at this huge event, which will include sports demonstrations; sports workshops and seminars; sports films, athletes, coaches and personalities; food and a massive silent auction with more than 450 items. Organizers expect 200 volunteers and 2,000 participants for the sports extravaganza, created to raise funds for the PJ Library, a literacy program that donates beautifully illustrated bedtime storybooks to help increase quality time parents spend with their children. FREE. Temple Israel, 2215 Mahan Drive. 2 p.m.–6 p.m.
DEC. 13–14
Downtown Marketplace Holiday Art Festival The 19th Annual Holiday Art Festival at the Downtown Tallahassee Marketplace celebrates the talents and works of artists in the local area. Enjoy a holiday-themed celebration featuring artisans, jewelers, painters, crafters, food vendors, farmers and musicians. Chain of Parks, Downtown Tallahassee. FREE. 9 a.m.–4 p.m. downtownmarket.com
DEC. 14
Winter Solstice Celebration Take part in this historic holiday tradition that combines the celebration of both Native American and Spanish cultures. Activities include a commemorative Mass, a drum circle, live Muskogee stomp dancing, sun and stargazing, and storytellers. Visitors can also directly observe the annual “sun standing” at its southernmost point in the sky. $5 adults, $3 senior citizens, $2 children, FREE for active duty military. 2100 W. Tennessee St. 10 a.m.–8 p.m. (850) 245-6406, missionsanluis.org
DEC. 31
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Downtown New Year’s Eve Celebration Ring in the New Year in style with this family-friendly street party in downtown Tallahassee, featuring live musicians, food and drinks, and even a kids party zone. The celebration concludes with the ball drop at midnight followed by a fireworks show. FREE with special VIP tickets available. Downtown Tallahassee area. 6:30 p.m.–1:30 a.m. downtowntallahasseenewyearseve.com n
November / December 2014
The Chrome Divas of Tallahassee Celebrate 13th Annual Poker Run
Serving A Woman’s Place at Tallahassee Memorial The Chrome Divas of Tallahassee, a local women’s motorcycle group, hosted its 13th Annual Breast Cancer Poker Run on Sunday, October 12, 2014. The Poker Run started at the Tallahassee Harley-Davidson on Capital Circle North West and ended with lunch, festivities, music and prizes at Shucker’s Oyster Bar on Lake Jackson. Local celebrity, WCTV Meteorologist Rob Nucatola, served as Master of Ceremonies. Pat Kossmann, Chrome Divas of Tallahassee 2014 Director, explained the Divas’ passion for the event, “The Divas partner with the TMH Foundation and A Woman’s Place each year and feel passionate about helping women in the community who are diagnosed with breast cancer or those who are recovering, surviving and needing support. All the Divas were very excited to plan, organize and host the event while celebrating thirteen years of success.” Many of the Divas — through personal experience — understand how important it is to have resources, education and support beginning with diagnosis and throughout treatment and recovery. Diva member Lisa Vince, who was diagnosed with breast cancer during the summer of 2014 and is now recovering from surgery, said, “It is truly a blessing to be a member of the Chrome Divas and to help with the Poker Run this year, particularly since I have been personally effected by this disease and benefited from the support of family, friends, and TMH.”
Left to Right: Divas Director Pat Kossmann, Linda Wright and Georgie Reffner smile for the camera while serving lunch during the Poker Run festivities.
A Woman’s Place at Tallahassee Memorial is fully accredited by The American Board for Certification and Orthotics, Prosthetics and Pedorthics, Inc. to serve women who require breast prosthesis, mastectomy bras and post surgical garments related to mastectomies, lumpectomies, reconstruction or other breast surgeries. Certified Mastectomy Fitters provide personal and private fittings. Other products available are hats, wigs, and skin care products for those receiving chemotherapy and radiation treatment and compression garments for those diagnosed with lymphedema.
Left to Right: A Woman’s Place Manager Sherry Kendrick, TMH Foundation Director of Annual Giving Judi Taber and TMH Administrator of Women’s and Children’s Services Connie Styons.
Lymphedema occurs when the lymph vessels are unable to transport lymph fluid back into circulation and it accumulates in specific areas of the body. Since there is no cure, the treatment for lymphedema is achieved by Complete Decongestive Therapy (CDT) and the wearing of compression garments. Surgical procedures such as mastectomies, lumpectomies with radiation and/or removal of the lymph nodes are the most common causes of lymphedema; usually in the arms but may also develop in the chest and legs.
The Chrome Divas were honored at the 2007 National Philanthropy Day celebration by the Big Bend Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals as the Outstanding Fundraising Organization in the region for efforts within the community on behalf of women and children. Judi Taber, TMH Foundation Director of Annual Giving, said, “ The TMH Foundation is honored to continue a partnership with all the Chrome Divas of Tallahassee each year and admires their extraordinary efforts to raise funds to help those individuals served by A Woman’s Place.”
Divas Director Pat Kossmann (center) and Divas members Teddy Watson (left) and Hestia Warren (right) share a laugh with a Poker Run participant.
Sherry Kendrick, A Woman’s Place Manager, concluded, “Proceeds from the Poker Run provide generous funding for women who do not have either the financial resources or insurance and are in need of breast prosthesis, mastectomy bras and compression garments. Our patients are truly grateful for this wonderful gift of support from this unique local organization.” For further information or to make a donation to benefit A Woman’s Place, please contact Judi Taber at judi.taber@tmh.org or call 850.431.5904.
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Curtains
for a Cause
“Curtains for a Cause” is an annual Valentine’s Day event with proceeds designated for the Brian Jackson Dystonia Research and Discovery Program under the auspices of the Florida State University College of Medicine and its clinical partner Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare. The Program’s Director is Pradeep G. Bhide, Ph.D. who explained, “This research initiative has already made remarkable strides. Notable among its accomplishments is the discovery of novel brain mechanisms contributing to dystonia, the development of genetic screening and stem cell based research, and the establishment of a Movement Disorders Center and Clinic at Tallahassee Memorial.” The University Center Club ballroom at Florida State University is the site for this entertaining and fun-filled event that combines the talents of our wonderful community of actors and students with a hilarious musical comedy and a gourmet meal prepared and served by the Club’s award-winning staff. A Champagne toast for all and a rose for each lady are included. Tickets are $100 each — $50.00 covers food, beverage and entertainment — the remainder may be claimed as an income tax charitable deduction. This year’s musical is ARE WE THERE YET? – a roller coaster ride through the lives of modern American families. This merry musical romp includes everything from hysterical family car trips and mothers praying for hits at their sons’ baseball games, to fathers sitting through ballet lessons. This lively musical portrays the love and challenges of the old adage, “You can pick your friends but you can’t pick your family.” One thing is for sure, you will definitely relate to this family musical and “enjoy the ride!” For tickets and sponsorships, please contact Mark A. Marple at TMH Foundation, 850.431.4080, mark.marple@ tmh.org or visit www.curtainsforacause.com to order online. Seating is limited so order now. It’s the perfect romantic Valentine’s Day evening that CAN SAVE LIVES!
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Scottsdale Academy Gives Back to the Community with Toy Drive to Benefit the Tallahassee Memorial Children’s Center Scottsdale Academy and its owners Jennifer and Roy Keister — in collaboration with teachers, families and friends — decided to implement a second week-long celebration of giving with a toy drive to benefit the Tallahassee Memorial Children’s Center as a part of its “give back to the community” program. The toy drive was in the spring of this year and culminated with a program presented at both Scottsdale locations – Mahan Drive and Southwood – by Tallahassee Memorial Child Life Specialist Lauren Sherrill and TMH Foundation Director of Annual Giving Judi Taber. Ms. Sherrill discussed the services the Children’s Center provides for its patients and shared information with the children using a medical toy kit. Ms. Taber thanked Mr. and Mrs. Keister and the Scottdale Academy staff, parents and children for their gifts to benefit hospitalized children and their families at TMH and then read to the Scottsdale students the book, “Baxter Gets an X-ray.” Scottsdale Academy’s generous gift included clothing, books, puzzles, playdough and other positive distractions to benefit hospitalized children. Mrs. Keister concluded, “This is the second year that Scottsdale Academy made the decision to give back to the community at both of its locations to benefit the Tallahassee Memorial Children’s Center. The Scottsdale Academy’s gift represents the generosity of educators, proud parents and grandparents who are very passionate about this project. The children and teachers at Scottsdale also enjoy the visits and presentations by the TMH Foundation and the Tallahassee Memorial Children’s Center.”
(Above) Scottsdale Academy owner Roy Keister, TMH Foundation Director of Annual Giving Judi Taber, Scottsdale Academy owner Jennifer Keister, TMH Child Life Specialist Lauren Sherrill and Scottsdale Academy Southwood Director Krysten Grimes. (Left) Ms. Sherrill reviews the contents of a medical toy kit with Scottsdale Academy students.
TALLAHASSEE MEMORIAL HEALTHCARE AND ITS FOUNDATION SALUTE AND HONOR THE
21st Annual Tee Off for Tots Golf Tournament/Dinner Carnival & Raffle Donors whose generous support benefits the Proctor Endowment for Children with Diabetes and Pediatric Programs at Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare MEDICAL SPONSORS
MAJOR MEDIA SPONSOR
DINNER SPONSORS
TOURNAMENT GOODIE BAG SPONSOR
FLORAL DECORATIONS SPONSOR
SIGN SPONSOR
BREAKFAST SPONSOR
Randy Guemple GOLF BALL SPONSOR
COURSE BEVERAGE SPONSOR
LUNCH SPONSOR
TOURNAMENT HOST
TOURNAMENT PRINTING SPONSOR
TOWEL SPONSOR
TM
TOURNAMENT SPONSORS Don Veller Seminole Golf Course Garcia Hamilton & Associates, L.P. Golden Eagle Country Club Hilaman Park Municipal Golf Course Killearn Country Club Nic’s Toggery Pepsi Cola Company Play It Again Sports Smith Family Chiropractic Southwood Golf Club Summerbrooke Golf Club Tallahassee Coca-Cola Bottling Co. USAble Life Brendon Vavrica, Thistle Asset Consulting L. Gary Wright DONATIONS Bass Pro Shops Sportsman’s Warehouse Busch Gardens Bonefish Grill CDW
Chelsea’s Salon Vickie and Sam Childers Murl Cruce Donald L. Tucker Civic Center/ Florida State University The Gem Collection Harry’s Seafood North Florida Animal Hospital June Phelps Premier Health & Fitness Center Robert’s Jewelry & Design SeaWorld/Aquatica Strauss Gallery TMH Gift Shop Walt Disney World Wild Adventures Theme Park GOLD TEAM SPONSORS — $2,000 Aristoi Childers Construction, Inc. Gresham, Smith & Partners kW Control Lewis & Thompson Electric, Inc. Peter Mitchell Associates, Inc.
Publix Super Markets Charities Southeastern Dermatology Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc. TEAM SPONSORS — $1,200 BB&T Landrum Yeager/ Coker Consulting Big Bend Hospice Cabling Technologies, Inc. Capital Health Plan CDW Clemons, Rutherford & Associates, Inc. Culpepper Construction Company Florida Blue General Dynamics Team 1 General Dynamics Team 2 Golden Eagle Country Club GTO, Inc. Healthcare Performance Group Hi-Tech Systems Associates, Inc. Inspired Technologies, Inc. Mad Dog Construction MMHP Investment Advisors
Special Thanks to our Presenting Sponsor & Sponsor of Automobile
Nic’s Toggery North Florida Women’s Care Refreshment Services Pepsi Regions Bank Residential Elevators RT Electric, LLC Southern Medical Group, P.A. Tallahassee Orthopedic Clinic Transamerica Retirement Systems
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TALLAHASSEE MEMORIAL HEALTHCARE AND ITS FOUNDATION SALUTE THE
2014 Cards for a Cure Sponsors, Donors, Volunteers, Committee and its Honoree, Glenda Thornton BAR SPONSOR:
TITLE SPONSOR:
AUCTION SPONSOR: ACCRETIVE HEALTH, INC.
BAND SPONSOR: TMH PHYSICIAN PARTNERS RADIATION ONCOLOGY SPECIALISTS Philip Sharp, MD, Raj Bendre, MD and Ovidiu Marina, MD
Barbara Alford, RN, BSN
Laurie and Kelly Dozier
Elyzabeth Anderson
Kim L. Ellison
Anesthesiology Associates of Tallahassee
PHOTO SPONSOR: Gina and Jean-Paul Tran, MD WINE GLASS SPONSOR: TMH PHYSICIAN PARTNERS, CANCER & HEMATOLOGY SPECIALISTS Tim Broeseker, MD, Janice Lawson, MD, Jeannine Silberman, MD, Iman Imanirad, MD, and Amit Jain, MD, MPH
Steffany Lendon & Steve Halderman
Abby Smith
Figg Engineering
Lewis Longman & Walker
Southern Cardiac & Vascular Associates
Florida State University School of Theatre
Linens by Sharon
Gary and Joan Stout
Cecilia and Peter Loeb, MD
JoAnne Suggs
Florida Surplus Lines – Gary Pullen
Roger Luca and Bernadette Kearney
Summit Group
FMI Business Systems
Mainline Information Systems
Shelby Blank, MD and David Burday, MD
Jana-Bures Forsthoefel, MD and Mike Forsthoefel, MD
Mark Marple
Tallahassee Magazine
Blue Abaco
Paula Fortunas
Jimmy and Coleen Minor
Tallahassee Memorial Heart & Vascular Cath Lab Staff
Janet Borneman
Missy Gunnels Flowers
Patty and Chuck Mitchell
Tallahassee Neurological Clinic
Mildred and A. J. Brickler, MD
Brian Haley
Moore Bass Consulting
Tallahassee Woman Magazine
Kathleen Brennan
Hancock Bank
The Naumann Group: Greg Nelson, Realtor
Team 1 Orthopaedics, Inc.
Kathy Brooks
Sarah Nan Haney
Shelly Nelson
Melissa Bruce
Judy and Myron Hayden
North Florida Women’s Care
Giles Toole
Julie Campbell
Woody Hayes
Rebecca Parrish
Darcy Cavell
Latasha and Ed Jackson, MD Erwin and Stephanie Jackson
Preventive Cardiology & Internal Medicine Associates
Amy Townley
Centre Pointe Health & Rehabilitation
Prime Meridian Bank
Amy Cooksey
United Solutions
Rachel Jones
AstraZeneca Mary and David Bellamy, MD Benson’s Heating & Air Conditioning
Marie Cowart
Kimberly Jones
Frances Davis
Kristine and Farhat Khairallah, MD
Chase and Michelle Dickson
Katie’s Cakes and Catering
Chollet Dunbar
Mike and Nicole Koski
Residential Elevators Mara and Christopher Rumana, M.D. Sachs Media Group Laurie Shelfer Matt and Nita Sherer
Sonia Lee
Tallahassee Democrat
Thomas, Howell, Ferguson, PA Top Hat Limo and Sedan Service Mallory Tucker University Physical Medicine Chiropractic & Medical Care Vegas Nights WCTV Ann and Andrew Wong, MD
A Special Tribute of Thanks to the Students, Faculty, Staff, and Administration of Leon High School, Maclay School and Robert F. Munroe School
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“PAINT IT PINK”
FSU Women’s Athletics Salute The Sharon Ewing Walker Breast Health Center “Paint it Pink enters its sixth season in partnership with Tallahassee Memorial to support the hospital’s Sharon Ewing Walker Breast Health Center,” announced Vanessa Fuchs, FSU Senior Associate Athletics Director, at a September 22 press conference. This announcement was punctuated with the presentation of a check in the amount of $14,593 to Maye Walker, champion of breast cancer awareness and co-founder of the Center, and Paula Fortunas, President and CEO of the TMH Foundation. “This gift represents the proceeds from the fifth Paint it Pink season. By the close of the sixth season, we anticipate that more than $75,000 will have been donated as a result of the Paint it Pink campaign,” noted Ms. Fuchs. During the Paint it Pink campaign, each of the FSU women’s sports teams hosts a “pink” game/event. Teams don such items as pink shoe laces, swim caps and jerseys with all proceeds designated for the Sharon Ewing Walker Breast Health Center. Encouraging support for the campaign, Mrs. Walker said, “The funds raised through this concerted effort will help the Center reach more women with its comprehensive array of services that include mammography, early diagnosis breast cancer counseling, patient navigation, and image recovery services.” Mrs. Fortunas concluded, “Tallahassee Memorial is profoundly grateful to the FSU Department of Intercollegiate Athletics, to each of the women’s teams’ coaches and to the student athletes. Paint it Pink is powerful. It simultaneously generates funds for breast cancer detection and treatment and heightens breast cancer awareness among the college-age population.”
SCRAPBOOK The Ninth Annual
CARDS FOR A CURE Benefiting the Tallahassee Memorial Cancer Center
Cards for a Cure Honoree
Glenda Thornton is surrounded by family and friends. Left to Right: brother Kelvin, mother Bette and father Levon Thornton, Glenda Thornton, Neal Morris and son Johnathan Morris.
Andrea Rossetto and Raj Bendre, MD
The Cards for a Cure Committee from Left to Right. Front Row: Mallory Tucker, Darcy Cavell, Kathy Brooks, and Laurie Shelfer Back Row: Kimberly Jones, Janet Borneman, JoAnne Suggs, Amy Townley and Mark Marple
Pam and Billy Epting, Principal of Leon High School
Zaneta Batchelor and Wayne Batchelor, MD
Gloria Nixon, Cancer Center RN and Tim Broeseker, MD
Mildred Petty Brickler and A.J. Brickler, MD
Gina and Jean-Paul Tran, MD
PHOTO BY RYALS LEE/FSU ATHLETICS
Left to Right: Co-Founder, Sharon Ewing Walker Breast Health Center Maye Walker, Swimming & Diving Assistant Coach Katie Gardocki, Soccer Head Coach Mark Krikorian, Senior Associate AD/SWA Vanessa Fuchs, Sand Volleyball Head Coach Danalee Corso, Indoor Volleyball Head Coach Chris Poole, TMH Foundation President/CEO Paula Fortunas and Softball Head Coach Lonni Alameda.
Donya Salmasinia and Inman Imanirad, MD
Philip Sharp, MD (standing) with Iraida and Sam Miller and Melody Steck
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Protocols for Philanthropy “The Most Generous Time of the Year” Traditionally, as the year draws to a close,
the TMH Foundation expresses its gratitude for your generosity and offers gift planning information for consideration with your family and professional advisors. And, 2014 is no exception. Your kind and generous acts and Paula S. Fortunas gifts have again positively influenced the President/CEO hospital and the care of its patients and their TMH Foundation families, along with the health of the community at large. TMH is profoundly grateful to you, one and all, and respectfully requests your continued support.
While taxes are rarely the primary motivation for a charitable gift, tax considerations may influence the size, timing and form that a gift takes. Consequently, it is important to become familiar with the pertinent tax law provisions, their role and bearing on your charitable planning goals.
Timing and type of asset donated really matter with respect to
favored tax treatment and can often significantly reduce the donor’s “cost” of making the contribution. To illustrate, gifts of property such as stocks, bonds and real estate that have increased in value can result in extra tax savings. If such assets are held for longer than one year, the donor can give them and claim an income tax charitable deduction for the full fair market value. Furthermore, the donor incurs no tax on the capital gain. If one owns securities that have decreased in value, selling those securities and making an income tax deductible gift of the cash proceeds should be explored. The sale creates a loss which may be deductible from other taxable income.
Toward the end of the year is also a good time to review long-range estate and financial plans. Wills, living trusts, life insurance policies, retirement accounts and other planning vehicles frequently offer exceptional opportunities for leaving a lasting legacy. Many donors prefer to fund meaningful future gifts while retaining a life income and enjoying immediate income tax savings and other benefits. Honor Family, Friends and Business Associates
Evidence points to increased giving to charities in lieu of traditional holiday presents. If that is your choice, the TMH Foundation will welcome your contributions and will promptly and appropriately notify each honoree of your generosity on their behalf. Also, during the season of special giving, you may want to make a gift in memory of a family member or friend you have lost.
A Reminder
December 31 is the last day to make a contribution for which you may claim a 2014 income tax charitable deduction. If mailed, gift checks must be postmarked by December 31 and the deadline for online donations is 11:59 p.m. on December 31. To make gifts other than cash, such as securities or real property or to discuss a gift within your estate plan, please call or e-mail the TMH Foundation – contact information appears below. Note: The contents of this article and any materials you request and receive from the TMH Foundation are general in nature and are not intended as either legal, financial or tax advice. You should consult your own professional advisors before making a final decision with respect to gift plans and agreements.
Fifth Annual GOLF SKILLS CHALLENGE The TMH Foundation is pleased to host the Fifth Annual TMH Golf Skills Challenge, a unique golfing event to benefit the Tallahassee Memorial Cancer Center. The Challenge will be held on Sunday, November 2, 2014 at the Southwood Golf Club. “This is not your typical golf tournament,” said Paula Fortunas, President and CEO of the TMH Foundation. “The event features 20 golf ‘challenges’ that will test the skills and abilities of participating golfers.” Individual and team points will determine a team champion, as well as, men’s and women’s individual champions. An awards program will follow the Challenge. Steve Rogers, founder and Chair of the Golf Skills Challenge Committee, is a fourteen-year survivor of pancreatic cancer. “While undergoing treatment, and in the intervening years, Steve has worked tirelessly to raise awareness and funds to fight cancer,” said Mark A. Marple, TMH Foundation Major Gifts Program Director.
“As a cancer survivor I’ve always thought that it was my duty to give back to others who are waging their fight to survive. My wife Wendy, also a cancer survivor, and I do everything that we can to help others, and with this golf event we are combining our passion for golf with our desire to serve others. I can’t thank my golfing buddies and sponsors enough for jumping on board to help make this such a great event. It is my intent to hold the Golf Skills Challenge for many years to come.” Sonny’s Bar-B-Q is again the presenting sponsor and will be teaming up with other great sponsors including Red Elephant, Tri-Eagle Sales, IBM, Prime Meridian Bank, Kraft Nissan, Jimmy John’s, Miller Glass, Mainline Information Systems, Newk’s Express Café, Camp Creek Golf, Mellow Mushroom and Subway. For information about entering a team or becoming a sponsor, please contact Mark A. Marple at the TMH Foundation at 850-431-4080 or Mark.Marple@tmh.org or online at www.golfskillschallenge.org.
1331 East Sixth Avenue, Tallahassee, Florida 32303 Telephone: 850.431.5389 Facsimile: 850.431.4483 E-Mail: paula.fortunas@tmh.org 198 November–December 2014 TALLAHASSEEMAGAZINE.COM Website: www.tmh.org/foundation
To Make a Secure Online Donation: Please visit www.tmh.org/foundation. Click on Make a Donation and then Click on Donate Now.
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»culture SOCIAL STUDIES Cards for a Cure September 29, 2014 Things were “in the pink” at the ninth annual Cards for a Cure fundraiser, held Sept. 27 at the Tallahassee Automobile Museum. Throughout its history, the evening of dining, dancing, auctions and “funny money” gambling has raised more than $500,000 for the Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare Foundation to help provide mammograms, treatment and transportation to breast cancer patients who otherwise couldn’t afford the services. Attorney and community leader Glenda Thornton was the night’s honoree, who shared the story of her cancer journey, giving a shout out to her parents, aunt and uncle, who had traveled from Mobile, Alabama to join her. // PHOTOS BY CHAY BAXLEY
Scott and Janet Zust and Steve Evans
Glenda Thornton and Neal Morris
Bryan and Laura Lee Henry and Jesyca and Benson Turner
Aloft Downtown Celebrates Five Years September 10, 2014 Aloft Downtown celebrated its 5th anniversary with a lively birthday party, with proceeds from bar sales benefitting Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Big Bend. Local musicians Boyd & Wood provided the music and there were samples on hand from Grasslands Brewery. The Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce did a ribbon cutting and guests enjoyed door prizes and a lively atmosphere. // PHOTOS COURTESY ALOFT
Row 1: Mark Raciappa, Tom Morgan, Martina McDowell, Todd Middleton, James Gordon and Keith Alexander. Row 2: Kristin Samulkewitsch, Chelsea Pittman, Laurin Robinson and Kevin Futch. Row 3: Jake Nowakowski, Lucie Manley, Allison Higdon, Joe Branton, Bnen Schmauch and Chris Petterson.
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»culture SOCIAL STUDIES FSU Film School Gold Carpet Gala August 2, 2014 The FSU Film School held its annual Gold Carpet Gala fundraiser at Ruby Diamond Concert Hall. The evening marked the silver anniversary of the College of Motion Picture Arts. In the past 25 years, FSU student films have won 38 Student Oscars and Emmys, the pinnacle awards for student filmmakers. // PHOTOS COURTESY FSU FILM SCHOOL
Knight Creative Communities Initiative (KCCI) Unveiling September 11, 2014 KCCI held a celebration at Old School to unveil plans for further engaging citizens around the Big Bend in the future. The event brought out numerous KCCI catalysts and other supporters of the initiative, celebrating some its recent successes, including Get Gaines Going, Identify Tallahassee and Cultivate Cascades. // PHOTOS BY MATT BURKE
Mike Pate and Betsy Couch
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»culture SOCIAL STUDIES Dr. Bass Large Mouth Open Golf Tournament Benefitting Big Bend Hospice September 8, 2014 Big Bend Hospice’s patient and family support programs got a boost from the Dr. Bass Large Mouth Open Golf Tournament, the organization’s annual fundraiser. The event was held at Golden Eagle Golf Club and offered two flights of golf in which attendees could participate. // PHOTOS COURTESY BIG BEND HOSPICE
Tom Haney and Raleigh Rollins
Michael Kramer and Connie Palmer
Big Brothers Big Sisters Big Bash August 15, 2014 About 300 people came out to support Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Big Bend at Hotel Duval for the annual Big Bash event. The swing era-themed event offered guests a good time with free-flowing champagne, tasty hors d’oeuvres and plenty of dancing. // PHOTOS COURTESY BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS OF THE BIG BEND
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»culture SOCIAL STUDIES Tallahassee Magazine’s Top Singles August 23, 2014 Billed as the sexiest event of the summer, Top Singles was held at Hotel Duval. Presented by Patients First, the event saw partygoers flouting the summer heat in favor of supporting their favorite Singles and charitable causes. This year’s celebration featured an authentic date auction, with bids ranging from $250 all the way to $1,700. // PHOTOS BY CHUCK SIMPSON Ashley Moore, Alyssa Martin and Cecily Armengol
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»culture SOCIAL STUDIES Distinguished Leadership Awards September 18, 2014 Leadership Tallahassee honored Kim B. Williams and other community leaders at the 20th annual Distinguished Leadership Awards ceremony at the University Center Club. This award ceremony recognizes individuals who have made contributions to the Tallahassee community through substantive achievements in the career and community arenas.
Melanie Lee, Stu Bevis, Khanty Xayabouth, Kim Smiley and Kim Kelling-Engstrom
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Sundiata Ameh-El, Andre Holmes and Charlene Hardy
FAMU Grape Harvest Festival August 23, 2014 The 14th annual Grape Harvest Festival was held at the FAMU Center for Horticulture. The event boasted grape and wine sampling, grape stomping, a kids’ petting zoo, hula hoop competition, grape throwing competition and live entertainment. // PHOTOS COURTESY FAMU
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Buzz
WELCOME TO THE BUZZ, Tallahassee Magazine’s column created to share who’s where and what they’re doing. While we try to flit around with all of Tallahassee’s social butterflies, the Buzz can’t be everywhere. Send the skinny on your next soiree to buzz@tallahasseemagazine.com. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Florida State’s College of Motion Picture Arts ends the year with elan at it’s Golden Gala celebration fundraiser and screening of the best-of-the-best films made by its Master’s of Fine Arts students. Interim FSU President Dr. Garnett Stokes joined the party along with her husband, Dr. Jeffrey N. Younggren. Film School Dean Frank Patterson and his wife, Leslie France (who’s also on the Film School faculty as an acting teacher), were there too, along with Assistant Dean Fred Salancy and his wife Ann. Also on hand were Wes and Samantha Strickland, Don Hinkle and Mimi Graham, Jerry Kutz and Vera McKinney, George Cuneo, Paul and Gayle Gari Cohen and Colin and Ann Phipps. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
It was a haute August night at the nightclub Recess in CollegeTown as a bevy of beautiful coeds modeled game day and seasonal fashion to support the good work of the Kidz1stFund in battling Fanconi Anemia. Haute Headz — which opened its second location, Haute Headz on Campus on nearby Gaines Street the same week — did all the models’ hair and makeup as they modeled clothes from the Trending Now boutique. Pulling the show together was director Nancy Cohen. Seen in and around the Haute Headz cabana during the event were owners, managers and stylists including Darcy Cavell, Monique Wood, Nikki Clark, B Kaufmann, Somkit Thompson and
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CABARET is produced by arrangement with, and the music and dialogue material furnished by TAMS-WITMARK MUSIC LIBRARY, INC. 560 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10022
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»culture THE BUZZ William Jones. Trending Now owner Ann Moore was also there along with her husband Guy Moore, who owns the ultimate game day store, Garnet and Gold. Also on hand to enjoy the show were Eliza LePorin, Cameron Ulrich, Dan Parisi, Angie and Maddie Avery and Steve Harley, who won a football autographed by Jimbo Fisher in the raffle. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
For Sybil Englert’s surprise announcement of her baby’s sex, her aunt, Carrie Englert Zimmerman, arranged a WOW gender reveal event. Longtime friend Cozy (Montgomery) Bixler, and husband, Tommy, hosted family and friends at their home. A 15-minute “boy or girl prediction” video with commentary by the voice of FSU football, Gene Deckerhoff, was then played which included country superstar Jason Aldean and FOX + Friends NY anchor Ainsley Earhardt announcing the baby’s gender after family and friends offered their own “votes.” The baby boy news was shared with family — Sybil’s parents, Roger and Colleen Englert, her sister, Caroline Englert, grandmother, Alice Englert, and aunt, Alice Bonn — and friends: Brett and Brady (Cureton) Thompson, Jay and Bri (Davis) Smith, Lance and Michelle (Royster) Hart, Brandon and Abby (Miller) Brooks, Sheila Simpson, Paul and Ann (Dorsey) Rubin, AnneMarie (Lewis) Singleton and Christy Daly. Sybil’s boss — Tallahassee Memorial Hospital CEO Mark O’Bryant — contributed his thoughts on video and then, as a grand finale, country superstar Reba McEntire wished Sybil good luck with the upcoming birth of her baby boy, due in early February. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
One of the first tenants of the newly constructed Miracle Plaza Shopping Center was the boutique fab’rik, and owner Jennifer Benners and friends recently celebrated the shop’s first anniversary in style. Tallahassee fashionistas rejoiced over fab’rik’s on-trend clothing, shoes and accessories — as well as their after-hours shopping parties and generous donations to local nonprofits. Among those congratulating the boutique’s success were Rodger and Debbie White, shopping center neighbors Taryn Griffin of Cherry Blow Dry bar and Kathy Newlin from The Refinery, Kenzie Burleigh, Kerri Bryan, Christie Greene, Terri Jackson, Sherman Rosier and Gabby and Claudia Parisi.
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Knight Creative Communities Institute (KCCI) volunteer “Community Catalysts” gathered at the Old School club during the cocktail hour to give themselves a pat on the back for a job well done and to get a preview of what the future holds for the organization. TALLAHASSEEMAGAZINE.COM November–December 2014
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»culture THE BUZZ Since 2007, more than 200 community members have joined together to envision and implement several projects — including Gaines Street improvements, film and music festivals and promoting Cascades Park when it opened — aimed at making Tallahassee a more livable community. KCCI Executive Director Betsy Couch told the assembly that while its original funding had ended, the organization was able to raise enough money to continue KCCI’s mission on a smaller scale. Among those on hand to hear the good news — many of them former and current catalysts — were Mike Pate, who was instrumental in the creation of KCCI, and his wife, Judy, Chris Heacox, Ed Murray, Lee Daniel, Julie Loveless, Betsy Barfield, Chucha Barber, Bill Berlow and Shelly Gomez. Also on hand to enjoy libations and snacks from 101 Restaurant, as well as good conversation, were Julia Casseaux, Berenice Cox, Alyce Lee Stansberry, John Van Giesen, Candy Munz, Anthony Gaudio, Peggy Bielby, Lauren Pace, Laura Rogers, Blair Gregg, Nancy Miller, Les Abbinger, Liz Joyner, Shelia Costigan, Mike Campbell, Sandy Poreda, Rick and Jessica Minor, Tiffany Baker and Johnathan Grandage, Allison DeFoor and Allison North Jones. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
First Lady Jane Marks is about to wrap up her threeyear stint as Tallahassee’s “shopper-in-chief” when husband Mayor John Marks leaves office. But her Sept. 13 Local Shopping Saturday event at Miracle Plaza Shopping Center drew some special guests, the leaders of Tallahassee’s three major institutions of higher learning — FAMU President Elmira Mangum, FSU Interim President Garnett Stokes and TCC President Jim Murdaugh. Shoppers started out at Southern Comfort Outfitters and worked their way down the row of shops from Walter Green to fab’rik to Franchesca’s to a sweet stop for samples at Peterbrooke Chocolatier. The group would move on to Betton Place for a final stop at As You Wish, a new clothing and home boutique owned by Courtney Glazer with the more mature, but always fashionable, woman in mind. Among the local shoppers were several women who have joined Jane as she took the group to more than 300 shops and businesses over the years. The “girls,” who always wear a “pop of red” for these shopping expeditions, include Thelma Nolan, Beth Miller, Tawana Hay, Brandy Sealey, Jayne Burgess, Lonnie Wesley, Linda Miles and Donna Gabordi. Also seen scouring the racks were Dena Strickland, Cheri Raney, Florence Snyder, Tina Williams, Sue Tucker and Sara Murdaugh. n
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VISIT THE
Forgotten Coast PLAY • SHOP • DINE • STAY
F
all is here and the Forgotten Coast has a lot to offer anyone who just wants to escape city life for a day, a weekend or longer. Along the bays, beaches and byways there are many opportunities to slow w down and take it easy. While Whiile there, we recommend visiti ing visiting the following locations:
CRAWFORDVILLE
3 2
LIVE OAK POINT
PANACEA
MEXICO BEACH LANARK VILLAGE
St. Joseph Peninsula State Park
SUPPLIES
5
St. Joseph Bay
4 7
PORT ST. JOE
6
Apalachee Bay
BALD POINT ALLIGATOR POINT
1
CARRABELLE Dog Island
EASTPOINT
APALACHICOLA Apalachicola Bay
Cape San Blass St. Vincent Island San Blas Bay
St. George Island
TALLAHASSEE
Bob Sikes Cut Cape St. George
1 LANARK MARKET Fuel, boat fuel, ice, bait, beer, drinks and snacks. Outdoor patio, bathroom and showers. (850) 697-2111 2348 Hwy. 98 E., Lanark
ATTRACTION 2 GULF SPECIMEN AQUARIUM A unique experience to get up close with sharks, sea turtles, starfish, octopus and other sea life from the Gulf of Mexico. One of the largest touch tanks exhibits in the U.S. (850) 984-5297 gulfspecimen.org 222 Clark Dr., Panacea
3 T-N-T HIDE-A-WAY Kayak, canoe and paddleboard rentals. Open 7 days a week. Located on the Wakulla River. (850) 925-6412 | tnthideaway.com 6527 Coastal Hwy., Crawfordville
DRIVING DIRECTIONS FROM TALLAHASSEE
Head south on South Monroe Street toward Apalachee Parkway. Turn right onto East Orange Avenue, then take the first left onto South Adams Street and continue onto Crawfordville Road. Turn right onto US-319 South and continue for about 50 miles.
SHOPPING
DINING
4 GO FISH CLOTHING & JEWELRY LRY
6 HOLE IN THE WALL
We off offer unique, handcrafted items by talented artisans from developing nations. talente tions. Support those who are less fortunatee by Suppo purchasing a few of their creations. purcha (850) 653-1333 shopgofish.com 25 Avenue D, Apalachicola
Seafood market and raw bar. Family owned and operated. Serving fresh locally caught seafood. Open Tuesday through Saturday. (850) 653-3222 23 Avenue D, Apalachicola
5 CRUM’S MINI MALL One-stop shopping for all of your coastal needs. Extensive tackle and bait selection. Ice, snacks, drinks, beach supplies and clothing. (850) 984-5501 | crumsminimall.com 1321 Coastal Hwy., Panacea
7 UP THE STAIRS A distinctive upscale atmosphere for the 21+ crowd with quiet dining, extensive martini and wine lists, signature cocktails and a variety of bottled craft beers. (850) 653-4888 upthestairsfl.com 76 Market St., Suite F, Apalachicola TALLAHASSEEMAGAZINE.COM November–December 2014
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DINING » FEASTING » ZESTY BITES
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ON THE MENU ON YOUR TABLE DINING GUIDE
Flavor
Tastes of the
Season Cultural Culinary Traditions Flavor Holiday Meals By Audrey Post
T
he culinary traditions of the holidays create unforgettable tastes and smells, the foundation of treasured memories. Certain dishes take on mandatory status, and without them the holiday just doesn’t seem right. And while there are particular dishes that have become linked to the end-of-year holidays, different cultures add a unique spin to old standards and offer new tastes, as well. Throughout the country, turkey at Thanksgiving is standard, even though historians say turkey wasn’t served at the first Thanksgiving. Here in the South, where most anything that can be eaten can be improved by immersion in boiling oil, deep-fried turkey often takes its place alongTurkey with all the side roasted bird. Ample trimmings is the leftovers provide the basis traditional fare for for sandwiches, and the carThanksgiving and many Christmas casses create aromatic soup. tables, but a family’s In coastal states, oysters in culture can add some various forms accompany the delicious differences bird, including fried oysters to the menu. and oyster dressing. On Christmas Eve, oyster stew is a favorite supper; simple fare in advance of the huge meal to come the next day. The main event on the Christmas table is often turkey again, but serving ham or roast beef instead is gaining popularity.
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»food FLAVOR SOUTHERN, WITH A TWIST
Janie Nelson, a former editor and writer at the Tallahassee Democrat renowned for her cooking, enjoys the best of both for her end-of-the-year meals. Thanksgiving is celebrated with family and a traditional turkey dinner, but Christmas is spent with friends. She cooks beef tenderloin or a standing rib roast, with mashed potatoes, green beans tossed with butter and almonds, cranberry relish and corn salad. For more than 40 years, she’s been making white fruitcake from a recipe in “Joy of Cooking.” She said she switched to using dried fruit last year, and this year used mainly fruits she and her husband, Ron, grew and dried themselves — figs, blueberries and pears, as well as store-bought dried apricots. Her cranberry relish recipe came from National Public Radio’s Susan Stamberg, who got it from her mother-in-law years ago and shares it with listeners every year. It can be found online at npr.org. Nelson’s corn salad recipe came from a French cookbook she found at a yard sale. “It can be made the day before, which is awfully handy,” she said. Holiday food traditions don’t have to be limited to lavish meals. For the past 25 years, JoAnn Bixler and Anne Rowe have hosted a Ladies’ Christmas Coffee in December. The two lifelong friends split the duties: Anne gets her home ready for the party, and JoAnn prepares all the food. “We usually have 100 to 150 people,” said JoAnn, director of rentals and special events at Goodwood Museum & Gardens. “You can hear us all the way up the block.” The date has always varied, depending on Anne’s teaching schedule before her retirement from Florida State University and JoAnn’s workload when she operated The Carriage Shop on Market Street. But the refreshments remain consistent year to year: toffee, sugar cookies and Plains Cheese Ring, former First Lady Rosalynn Carter’s special recipe.
UPSCALE SOUL FOOD
Genice Harris comes from a large family, and she married into a large family, so juggling family dinners at holiday time is a necessity. “We’ll spend Thanksgiving with my family and Christmas with my husband’s family one year, then switch holidays the next year,” said Harris, a program assistant at the Leon County/UF IFAS Extension Service. While poultry is usually the main event, the accompaniments are traditional African-American side dishes, including collards. Her sister Regina is responsible for the dressing, which is made from crumbled cornbread, celery, onion, bell pepper, lots of black pepper and enough chicken broth to make it soupy. It bakes into a moist, soft cake of deliciousness. Whether she’s with her siblings on Thanksgiving or Christmas, she’s expected to bring two cakes, a Peanut Butter Cake she bakes using their late mother’s recipe, and a Lemon Bundt Cake from a recipe a friend gave her. “I always have to bring both,” she said. “They’re a little greedy.”
HANUKKAH TREATS
Marty and Marion Merzer moved to Tallahassee from South Florida several years ago to be closer to their only child, Allie Merzer Fleming, and her family. They found themselves
Mais en salade (Serves six) Ingredients » 1/3 cup olive oil » 6 scallions, minced » 2 garlic cloves, minced » Juice of one lemon » 1 tablespoon salt » 2 bay leaves » 1 teaspoon thyme » 1 16-ounce can corn, drained (or use 4 fresh corn ears, cut off the cob) » 1/2 cup dry white wine
Directions Heat olive oil in heavy-bottomed pan and add the scallions, garlic pieces, lemon juice, peppercorns, salt, bay leaves and thyme. Cook over high heat for five minutes. Lower the heat and add corn and wine. Simmer uncovered for five more minutes. Chill for at least three hours.
MIX IT UP Janie Nelson said, “I also add sautéed chopped green and red bell pepper to make a seasonal statement — it also makes it taste better.”
Plains Cheese Ring Ingredients » 1 pound of sharp cheddar cheese, grated and softened » 1 cup chopped pecans » 1 cup mayonnaise » 1 small onion, grated » Black pepper to taste » Dash of cayenne pepper
Directions Combine all ingredients in food processor. Form into a ring and fill center with strawberry preserves. Serve with Ritz crackers.
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»food FLAVOR organizing holiday dinners for their family and included Allie and husband John’s friends, whether Jewish or not. To them, it was just part of family life, so they were taken aback a bit when they got an inquiry from one of last year’s guests wanting to know the date of this year’s Hanukkah party. They turned to each other and said, “We’re having a Hanukkah party?” That pretty much settled it. Marty, a retired Miami Herald reporter, and Marion, a retired university administrator, both enjoy the opportunity to share the holiday with friends who have become extended family, even though Hanukkah is not a major Jewish holiday. Hanukkah commemorates the rededication of the Temple of Jerusalem after it was retaken from the Greek Syrians in the Maccabean revolt about 200 B.C. Although there was only enough uncontaminated oil to light the candelabra for one day, the light burned for eight days, the amount of time needed to prepare new oil under conditions of ritual purity. An eight-day festival celebrates the miracle. Last year, Marion gathered her collection of menorahs on the kitchen island, and she and Allie led the prayers as members of each family present gathered together to light one of the menorahs. “It was a nice moment,” Marion said. Latkes, or fried potato pancakes, topped with applesauce or sour cream are usually served at Hanukkah gatherings. Some families serve a beef brisket or fancy filled latkes, but Marion likes to keep things simple. “I make latkes from a recipe handed down from my grandmother,” she said. “She was a magnificent cook and taught me how to make chicken soup, matzo balls … traditional food. We do a simple meal before (the celebration), a dairy spread, tuna, deviled eggs.” One thing has changed over the years, though. “I started out with a manual grater, trying to keep the knuckles out of the way,” she said. “Now, I use a food processor.”
A LATIN-FLAVORED CHRISTMAS
José de Jesús Fernandez, a native of the Dominican Republic who grew up in New York and Massachusetts, said Dominicans eat plenty of rice all year long, accompanied most of the time by red beans and thin steaks. But on Christmas Eve, he said, most people from the Dominican Republic, as well as natives of Cuba and Puerto Rico, “will have a pork dinner with all manner of trimmings and sides, such as rice, yucca, salads, breads and desserts, along with an abundance of drinks such as wines and beers.” “We don’t have a Thanksgiving holiday in the Dominican Republic, but as we migrated to the United States, we have adopted the Thanksgiving Day tradition,’ he said, “including the use of a turkey, but in many households, the turkey is not the only offering as pork is also on the menu.” This practice of retaining the traditional foods while adding new flavors extends to side dishes, he said. Latinos will keep the mashed potatoes but also serve white rice. Pumpkin pie is on the menu as well as flan, a steamed custard with a caramel sauce. There is one traditional American side dish that hasn’t really appealed to Latin palates, Jose said, and that’s cranberry sauce. n
G-Ma Merzer’s Traditional Potato Latkes Ingredients » 2 potatoes » 1 small onion » 1 teaspoon salt » 1 egg » pinch of pepper » 1 tablespoon oil » 2 tablespoons matzo meal » oil for frying
Directions Using a food processor, grate one onion per two medium peeled potatoes. Mix in an egg, salt, pepper, and oil. Add matzo meal to thicken mixture. (Increase ingredients for a mixture made of more onions and potatoes.) Heat oil in frying pan. Drop mixture by spoonfuls. Flatten slightly to cook thoroughly until brown and crispy. Drain on paper towel. Serve hot with applesauce and sour cream! L’chaim!
English Toffee Ingredients 4 sticks butter 2 cups sugar 2 tablespoons water 12 Hershey bars 1 cup of chopped nuts Directions Boil butter, sugar and water, stirring constantly, until candy thermometer reads 300 degrees. Pour mixture onto cookie sheet with sides. Immediately place Hershey bars over hot mixture and spread smooth with a knife. Press nuts on top and let stand overnight, then crack into pieces.
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»food ON THE MENU
A Bar With a
Twist Market Square’s Sidecar Puts the ‘Gastro’ in the ‘Bar’ By Rosanne Dunkelberger Photos by Tristin Kroening
WHEN IT COMES TO BARS, food is pretty much an afterthought. Peanuts, pretzels, popcorn … and if there’s a menu, it’ll probably feature chicken wings and tater tots. Not so at Sidecar Gastrobar, a watering hole located next to Kitcho Restaurant in the Market Square Shopping Center. There are bar nuts, but they’re good-sized cashews with a sweet and spicy glaze. Popcorn too. Pick between six varieties, including Cajun spice and vinegar, cinnamon chocolate or Parmesan truffle. And the wings? No medium buffalo sauce here. Sidecar’s wings are sweet tea brined and grilled with a spicy lemon honey glaze. Chef Dan Bales presides over a menu that definitely has a Southern accent, from the pickles, fried okra and pimento cheese appetizers to the shrimp and grits and chicken and “dumps” small plates.
You can make a meal when you order up an assortment of appetizers and meat and cheese boards (left) at the gastrobar. A variety of patrons (facing page, top) enjoy the “Cheers”-like vibe of Sidecar, as well as it’s gourmet-style small plates (facing page, left) and hand-crafted cocktails (facing page, right).
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»food ON YOUR TABLE
TAKE CONTROL
OF YOUR HEALTH AND YOUR
LIFE!
DR. RYAN FENN, CHIROPRACTOR 1989 Capital Circle NE Unit 1 850.386.7700 • fennchiro.com
Twitter.com/FennChiro Facebook.com/FennChiro
There’s a healthy-sized list of sandwiches and cheese and charcuterie boards to choose from as well, all presented with flair and a little something extra, like the tomato soup shooter that accompanies the Pork Belly BLT Panini. Most of the ingredients are locally sourced — including seafood from Southern Seafood and sandwich breads from Au Peche Mignon, located in the same shopping center — and pretty much everything from aiolis to pickles to corned beef is made from scratch. Bales grew up in Tallahassee, attending SAIL High School, and worked at Jasmine Café with Bobby Cleek, the chef who opened Sidecar in December 2012. The two went their separate ways. Bales would head west, attending the Oregon Culinary Institute and cooking in several West Coast venues, including a time working under chef Kenny Giambalvo at the celebrated Bluehour Restaurant in Portland’s Pearl District. When Bales decided to return to his hometown in mid 2013, pairing up with his old restaurant cooking partner was a natural fit. “It was funny because he was doing a lot of the same things that I had been doing (out West), and so it all made sense — the charcuterie boards, the braising of meats, the fresh seafood and all these fresh flavors … it clicked very well,” Bales said. Sidecar and Kitcho share an owner as well as the Japanese restaurant’s menu, so patrons can order sushi or other Japanese specialties along with their Moscow Mule (vodka, lime juice and ginger beer). In addition to its foodie’s delight menu, Sidecar doesn’t stint on the “bar” part of its offerings. Bar manager Kristina Matheson said many of the specialty drinks offered there are “classic cocktails,”
206 E. 6th Avenue Corner of Monroe & 6th in Midtown Mon-Sat 10-6 (850) 894-8372 thegreyfoxonline.com
The bar’s setup (above) includes a variety of bitters and other ingredients to create cocktails “with a twist.” On the charcuterie boards (left), you’ll find an assortment of meats and cheeses as well as homemade pickles and sauces.
One-stop shopping! 206 E. 6th Avenue Corner of Monroe & 6th in Midtown Mon-Sat 10-6 (850) 894-8372 thegreyfoxonline.com
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01 YOU
Enjoy Fair Trade, organic coffee in an earth friendly or reusable cup, served to you by a barista earning a living wage.
02 US Our coffee is grown by small farmers who are paid a fair price through certified organic cooperatives.
Net-profits go to local and global humanitarian efforts.
03 TOGETHER DRINK COFFEE LOCALLY. CHANGE LIVES GLOBALLY.
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»food ON YOUR TABLE
BEST STEAKS & SEAFOOD IN TOWN
From Business Lunch to Holiday Parties, Game Day to Family Dinner, whatever the occasion, Meet at Miller’s Ale House!
Miller’s Tallahassee Ale House 1/4 Mile from the State Capitol 722 Apalachee Pkwy. | Tallahassee, FL 32301 850-222-0364 | MillersAleHouse.com /millersalehouse | @millersalehouse | #millersalehouse
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such as martinis, negronis, margaritas, mojitos and four versions of its namesake cocktail, the Sidecar — with what she calls “a twist.” There’s also an extensive offering of beer cocktails, from the simple “Angry Balls” (Angry Orchard Apple Cider paired with a shot of Fireball whiskey) to the “Steam Roller,” which includes Kirin beer, bitters, liqueurs, juices and rye whiskey. “There are all these cordials and liqueurs ... and even bitters,” Matheson said. “We try to incorporate things that people would not normally make at home.” Sidecar also has an ever-changing roster of 11 beers on tap as well as about 50 other bottled varieties. Sidecar seats about 100 people and has an industrial design paired with a few leftovers from its original incarnation as the Velvet Lounge, including the traditional wood bar and velvet There’s also couch. And then there’s an extensive Matheson, who worked offering of beer as the solo bartender at Velvet for several years cocktails, from and notes the different the simple vibe today. “It was more dark and intimate,” she “Angry Balls” recalled. “A lot of people (Angry Orchard didn’t know about Velvet, but the people that did Apple Cider came every day.” paired with a With word-of-mouth, shot of Fireball a collection of good Yelp reviews and specials, whiskey) to the Sidecar is hopping most “Steam Roller,” nights of the week, appealing to a much broader which includes clientele, from young hipKirin beer, sterish sorts to gatherings of baby boomers, and bitters, liqueurs, there’s usually a celebrajuices and rye tion of some sort going on whiskey. at the larger tables, which can be reserved. Sidecar is only closed on Mondays, and it offers special attractions on most days of the week: Tacos on Tuesdays, half-price appetizers on Wednesday, Kill the Keg on Thursdays, $2 Fireball shots on Fridays and a very popular Sunday trivia night. But even when there’s a crowd, there’s definitely a “Cheers”like vibe in the gastrobar. “Everyone definitely knows everybody,” said Bales. The entire food menu is served until midnight during the week and 1 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. “We have a whole lot of chefs and hospitality folks in general,” who enjoy a late-night nosh, he said. “When they get out of work, instead of just having to get Wendy’s or Steak ’n Shake, they can come here and actually get decent food.” n
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a lad S b b o C e T h a t H o p k i n s’ E a t e r y
Family owned and operated for more than 30 years Mon-Fri: 11am-9pm | Sat: 11am-5pm Capital Circle Open Sundays hopkinseatery.com NORTH 1660-9 N. Monroe 386-4258
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»food ON YOUR TABLE
gin·ger (/'jinjər/) noun A hot fragrant spice made from the rhizome of a plant. It is chopped or powdered for cooking, preserved in syrup or candied. A Southeast Asian plant, which resembles bamboo in appearance, from which this rhizome is taken.
GINGERED BEET AND APPLE SALAD Ingredients » 1 pound beets, peeled » 1 apple » ¼ cup carrots, peeled » ½ cup fresh parsley, minced » 2 tablespoons apple cider » 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar » 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced » 2 tablespoon olive oil
The Magical Root
» Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Spicy and Soothing, Ginger Puts a Zing in Your Family’s Meals By Chay D. Baxley YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW IT, but ginger — yes, shimmering, grossly bulbous, wonderfully pungent ginger — has a pretty rich history. Indigenous to southern China, ginger came to the western world on the carts and ships of exotic spice dealers roughly 4,000 years ago. Boasting fanciful tales of their aromatic bounty, merchants were able to charge a premium for the dried and often powdered root, attributing its rarity to the cruel dispositions of the “winged beasts” who guarded it. Not surprisingly, the delicious combination of intrigue and tingling flavor quickly catapulted ginger into the hearts of many, establishing it forever as the darling of the spice trade. After a few centuries, the Spaniards figured out how to cultivate the stuff, and voilà! (or, more appropriately, ¡y ahí está!) — today, we’re able to have year-round access to this warming, spicy treat.
Despite residing in our pantries for eons, many domestic cooks still view this mysterious, lumpy root as nothing more than an accent to Asian cuisines, which in a way, kind of makes sense. “People there have been using ginger much longer, so you would find ginger in their dishes more often,” said Meagan Lagasse, local chef and owner of the Soup Swift restaurant. “We cook with ginger every fall with pumpkin pie and molasses cookies, or what have you, though. Those all have powdered ginger, which is actually the same root.” See? No reason to be nervous: Ginger’s already firmly inside the west’s slowly-but-surely expanding comfort zone. If considering incorporating fresh ginger into an upcoming meal, look for a long and relatively smooth piece with minimal numbs. The smoother the exterior, the easier it will be to peel
Using the shredding blade of a food processor or a grater, shred the beets, apples and carrots. Mix well with the remaining ingredients. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately or refrigerate to let flavors blend. Recipe courtesy of New Leaf Market and strongertogether.coop.
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and slice. Remember to slice against the grain (or lengthwise) for a cleaner cut. “If it’s wrinkly at all, and if it’s not hard, then it’s not fresh,” advised Lagasse. She also recommends buying organic whenever possible. In her kitchen, she finds that organic ginger results in a more distinct flavor. But alas, all ginger is not created equally. As a result, sometimes improvisation is required. “It’s a natural product,” emphasized Lagasse. “Some ginger is spicier than other ginger. You can’t really regulate that. Sometimes, even though last time when you made the recipe maybe you needed a thumbs length, maybe you’ll get a (piece of) ginger that’s more mild the next time, you might actually need two thumbs length. So it’s important to get a nice, long piece.” Ginger isn’t just fun for our taste buds. Recent research proves it’s actually good for us. And health care professionals are taking notice, too. “Certainly the known benefits (deal with) nausea, A good morning sickness in pregnant women and motion alternative sickness,” explained Heather Fisher, a dietician with to many of Florida State University’s our more Health Promotion. “Those are commonly known. The disadvantageous ones that are receiving more seasonings (yes, evidence in literature would be for improvements with salt, we’re talking symptoms from osteoarthriabout you), tis pain, rheumatoid arthritis and muscle and joint pain in ginger is often general.” recommended A good alternative to many of our more disadvantageous ... to boost their seasonings (yes, salt, we’re flavor factor talking about you), ginger is often recommended without ginning for people subscribing to a Dietary Approach to Stop up their sodium Hypertension plan (comintake. monly known as DASH diets) to boost their flavor factor without ginning up their sodium intake. For the calorie conscious, ginger is also an easy substitute. The root’s hot, almost peppery flavor tends to weaken as it’s cooked. Once reduced, the softer texture lends itself to variety of recipes — from artisan libations to seafood entrees, vegetarian and vegan dishes and gourmet desserts. “Green smoothies are very, very popular now,” added Cristin Burns, marketing and project manager director for New Leaf Market Co-op. “People are using them to get more of their daily fruits and vegetables, specifically leafy greens. A lot of green smoothies incorporate greens, fresh ginger and lemon juice. It’s real bright and refreshing … and the ginger adds a little kick. And there’s certainly a digestive component to that.” n
Celebrate the Holiday season with good wine and great friends LET US CATER YOUR HOLIDAY PARTY! Tallahassee’s Best Wine List Creative Cocktails, Craft Beers Outstanding Small Plate + Dessert Menu Only Balcony Bar in Tallahassee Great Venue for Celebrations Big & Small
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»food DINING GUIDE Gourmet Specialty ANDREW’S 228 American, Italian. A chic urban restaurant serving signature blends of creative American and Italian cuisine in stylish surroundings. Private rooms are available for banquets and meetings. 228 S. Adams St. (850) 222-3444. $$$ D AVENUE EAT & DRINK American Fusion. A chic restaurant offering a melting pot of flavors fresh from the South, served in scrumptious dining presentations. Sunday brunch is a not-to-be-missed treat. 115 E. Park Ave. (850) 224-0115. $$$ B L D CYPRESS RESTAURANT H New Southern. To make a special evening a cut above the rest, bring the celebration to Cypress. Known for its sophisticated take on Southern cuisine, this restaurant won readers’ votes in 2014 as Best Celebration/Special Occasion and Best Fine Dining restaurant. 320 E. Tennessee St. (850) 513-1100. $$$ D FOOD GLORIOUS FOOD American. Choose from several savory soups, nearly a dozen salads and a great selection of sandwiches and pastas with hot entrées representing a variety of world cuisines. Heavenly dessert concoctions will please even the most discriminating diner. 1950 Thomasville Road. (850) 224-9974. $$$ B L D THE FRONT PORCH H Southern, Seafood. Located in the heart of Midtown, The Front Porch mixes Southern comfort with fresh seafood to make for one of the finest casual dining experiences in Tallahassee. Stop by for dinner or special Saturday/Sunday brunch. The spacious “front porch” under the oaks earned the restaurant Best Outdoor Dining honors in 2014. 1215 Thomasville Road. (850) 521-5821. $$$ L D GEORGIO’S American. If George Koikos is in the house, you can count on a visit to your table from him during your meal. His hands-on commitment to quality, food, service and a personal touch have kept his restaurants in business for more than 45 years. 2971 Apalachee Parkway. (850) 877-3211. $$$ D MICCOSUKEE ROOT CELLAR Fusion. With its hand-hewn décor, organic menu items and seemingly endless supply of artisan crafted beer and wine, the Miccosukee Root Cellar is the place to go when a fresh twist on tradition is what the taste buds order. 1311 Miccosukee Road. (850) 597-7419. $$ D SAGE RESTAURANT American. Fine dining is about both flavors and atmosphere. Sage’s menu masterfully melds regional influences, including Southern and French, to produce some of the finest cuisine in town. The setting is gorgeous but cozy, and the outdoor patio sets a charming, romantic tone for a relaxed evening. 3534 Maclay Blvd. (850) 270-9396. $$$ B L D
The Key
The restaurants that appear in this guide are included as a service to readers and not as recommendations of the Tallahassee Magazine editorial department, except where noted. Best of Tallahassee 2014 Winner Breakfast/Brunch Lunch Dinner Outdoor Dining Live Music Bar/Lounge $ Inexpensive $$ Moderately Expensive $$$ Expensive ★ B L D
You don’t need to travel to Japan when Kiku is right around the corner corner.
Specialty 101 RESTAURANT H American. Readers say 101 has the Best Happy Hour and cocktails, whether you work 9 to 5 or just want to enjoy a night out with friends. Guests can choose from two happy hours, a selection of delectable martinis and cocktails, two-for-ones and a bevy of other drinks. 215 W. College Ave. (850) 391-1309. $$ B L D ANDREW’S CAPITAL GRILL AND BAR American. A Downtown landmark for 40 years, Andrew’s is an energetic, casual, seeand-be-seen spot. House favorites include a popular lunch buffet, hamburgers, sandwiches, salads and pasta dishes. Downtown delivery. 228 S. Adams St. (850) 222-3444/ Fax, (850) 222-2433. $$ B L D 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. Diners also will find a full bar and the freshest sushi. 3220 Apalachee Parkway. (850) 893-4112. $/$$ L D BELLA BELLA H Italian. Take your taste buds to Italy with a trip to Bella Bella, voted Best Italian by Tallahassee Magazine readers in 2014. This locally owned and operated restaurant has a cozy atmosphere with all the classics to satisfy your pasta cravings. 123 E. 5th Ave. (850) 412-1114. $$ L D BROOKLYN WATER BAGELS AND PIZZA American. Using the freshest ingredients and an exclusive water treatment process, renowned Brooklyn bagels, coffee and pizza made famous in their original location can now be found in Tallahassee. CollegeTown, 815 W. Madison St. (850) 765-1058. $ B L D THE CAKE SHOP H Bakery. From your plain vanilla and chocolate to specialties like Snicker’s Candy Bar and Chunky Monkey, The Cake Shop provides delicious cakes, cookies and cupcakes for special occasions or just to satisfy your sweet tooth. It earned honors for Best Bakery and Best Dessert in our 2014 readers’ choice poll. 1908 Capital Circle NE. (850) 386-2253. $
Two Locations to enjoy Kiku Killearn Shopping Center 3491 Thomasville Rd, Suite #12 850.222.5458 Ocala Corners 800 Ocala Rd, Suite #370 850.575.5458 www.kikufusion.com Gift Certificates available! Buy a $100 Gift Certificate and receive a $20 bonus card TALLAHASSEEMAGAZINE.COM November–December 2014
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(850) 574-9464
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(850) 219-9464
6668 Thomasville Rd., Suite 111 at Bannerman and Thomasville Road
»food DINING GUIDE CARRIE ANN & CO. American, Catering. No reservation required for Carrie Ann & Co.’s Tuesday Night Dinners at the Mays House, a charming, historic 1922 residence in Monticello. Or head downtown to their Rosemary Tree Café & Gift Shop for coffee and daily specials on wraps and sandwiches. Custom catering available. The Mays House, 925 E. Washington St. (850) 544-2427 or (850) 544-1582. Rosemary Tree Café, 170 N. Jefferson St. (850) 997-2106. $/$$ B L D (Tuesdays Only) (Mays House only) COOSH’S BAYOU ROUGE H Cajun. This Best Cajun Restaurant winner for 2014 brings the best of the Bayou State right to your table. The menu is jam-packed with Louisiana-style dishes, favorites like jambalaya, crawfish etouffee, po’boys and seafood gumbo. Not in a Cajun mood? Coosh’s also offers classic hamburgers, salads and chicken wings. 6267 Old Water Oak Road. (850) 894-4110. $$ B L D THE EGG CAFÉ AND EATERY H American. When you’re looking for breakfast favorites, even if it’s lunchtime, The Egg is the place to be. Made-to-order items use the finest ingredients. Voted Tallahassee’s best 11 times, including the 2014 awards for Best Breakfast and Best Brunch. In Evening Rose at 3740 Austin Davis Ave. (850) 907-3447. Light breakfast fare is available at The Egg Express, a second downtown location in the R.A. Gray building. 500 S. Bronough St. Room G-22 (850) 907-3447. $$ B L EL JALISCO H Mexican. In the mood for sizzling enchiladas and frozen margaritas? Make your way to the 2014 Best Mexican/Latin American Restaurant, El Jalisco, where they do Mexican cuisine to perfection. 2022 N. Monroe St. (850) 878-0800; 2915-301 Kerry Forest Pkwy. (850) 668-1002; and 2481 Crawfordville Hwy, Crawfordville. (850) 926-4329. $ L D HASU Asian. Hasu offers carefully prepared sushi that comes with a great, welcoming atmosphere for those dining in as well as carrying out. Two convenient locations. 3551 Blairstone Road, Suite 132 (850) 671-4278; 1400 Village Square Blvd., Suite 14 (850) 893-4278. $$ L D JOE MAMA’S WOOD FIRED PIZZA Italian. Crisp toppings. Freshly prepared pizza dough. Traditional Tuscan wood-fired oven. What more could you ask for? Joe Mama’s offers quintessential casual Italian dining. 307 N. Monroe St. (850) 577-1231. $ L D 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. (850) 222-5458. $$ L D KLASSIC KATERING H American, Southern, Italian. The culinary masterminds behind Klassic Katering know
how to transform an event from drab to fab. With a ton of flavor and a pinch of panache, this Best of Tallahassee winner will cater to all of your foodie needs. 2207 Bannerman Road. (850) 894-0423. KOOL BEANZ CAFÉ H Fusion. This colorful, casual spot has been serving up gourmet dishes so tasty and creative it was named Best Locally Owned Restaurant in 2014. Diners can expect delicious modern American cuisine, as well as dishes influenced by the worldwide travels of the kitchen staff. Menus change daily. 921 Thomasville Road. (850) 224-2466. $$/$$$ L D
NATURAL
LOCAL ATTRACTION
LEVEL 8 Nightclub. This modern downtown rooftop bar at the Hotel Duval is the perfect setting for any get together. The upscale environment sets the bar high, so dress in your best attire. 415 N. Monroe St. (850) 224-6000. $$ LIBERTY BAR & RESTAURANT American. No detail is too minute for the chefs and skilled alchemists over at Liberty Bar & Restaurant. A fairly new addition to the Midtown neighborhood, Liberty’s full menu and artisan twists on old favorite cocktails are sure to inspire. 1307 N. Monroe St., (850) 284-7966. $$ B L D MADISON SOCIAL H American. Whether it’s for a social cocktail, a quick lunch or a place for alumni before home football games, Madison Social offers something for everyone. Madison Social earned Best Bar honors in 2014. CollegeTown, 705 S. Woodward Ave. (850) 894-6276. $$ L D MASA H Asian Fusion. For another year, Masa earned the title as the Best Sushi and Best Asian in town — and with a good reason. This Japanese fusion restaurant packs bold, delicious flavors into each finely crafted, authentic roll. 1001 N. Monroe St. (850) 847-0003. $/$$ L D MORELIA’S Mexican. Try delicious house specialties like Quesadilla de Camar’on (shrimp) and Tacos de Carne Asada (grilled steak) at dinner along with all the traditional favorites. Lunch specials daily and a kids’ menu. 1355 Market St. (850) 907-9173. moreliasmexican.com $ L D OLD TOWN CAFÉ American. Southern hospitality is embedded throughout this family-owned restaurant. Mom’s meatloaf with mashed potatoes and green beans makes you feel like you’re home, not to mention their world famous prime rib, which slowly roasts all day. 1415 Timberlane Road. (850) 893-5741. $$ L D OSAKA JAPANESE STEAKHOUSE AND SUSHI BAR H Japanese. Rated Best Hibachi for 2014, Osaka provides dinner and a show with
TALLAHASSEE
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BurgerFi.com © 2014 BurgerFi International, LLC. BurgerFi® and the BurgerFi® logo are registered trademarks of Restaurant Development Group, LLC. All rights reserved.
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THE BEST LITTLE STEAKHOUSE IN TALLAHASSEE
»food DINING GUIDE chefs seasoning and preparing your meal right in front of you. It’s a meal that’s sure to leave you satisfied as well as entertained. 1690 Raymond Diehl Road. (850) 531-0222. $$$ D PAISLEY CAFÉ American. Guilt-free lunch has never been easier now that Paisley serves up food with seven natural ingredients or less. This charming Midtown spot boasts a fresh bakery and garden full of wholesome treats. 1123 @ Midtown on Thomasville Road. (850) 385-7268. $ L CANTINA TALLAHASSEE Mexican. The menu includes all your South of the Border favorites — tacos, burritos, chimichangas, quesadillas and more — along with $5 and less fast food options as well as sharing-sized Platos Con Amigos. College Town, 705 S. Woodward Ave. (850) 273-4002. $ L D TACO REPUBLIK American/Worldwide Fusion. An authentic taqueria, Taco Republik specializes in creating tacos and burritos in abstract and delicious ways. Located in the heart of Midtown, this restaurant is beloved for bold flavor combinations and wallet-friendly prices. 705 S. Woodward Ave., (850) 559-5464. $ L D THE WINE LOFT WINE BAR H American. When it’s part of your name, of course you’re going to be named as the Best of in 2014. Midtown’s Wine Loft features a variety of worldly wines and bartenders who love to experiment. The Wine Loft is ready to help you relax and enjoy the evening. 1240 Thomasville Road, Suite 100. (850) 222-9914. thewinelofttallahassee.net $$ D
Join us for lunch and dinner at our beautiful 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.
F
MARIE LIVINGSTON’S STEAK HOUSE
2705 Apalachee Parkway | Tallahassee, FL (850) 270-9506
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Family/Casual BURGERFI American. BurgerFi uses all-natural, freerange beef and is dedicated to sustainable practices. Their menu is packed full of tasty, savory and creative hamburger and hotdog creations as well as fresh cut french fries and gigantic onion rings. Vegetarian options, frozen custard, beer and wine are also available. 1817 Thomasville Road, No.7. (850) 629-4333. $ L D CANOPY ROAD CAFÉ American. Combine fresh ingredients, made-to-order dishes and a welcoming staff, and you have the components of a deliciously successful restaurant. This casual, family-style restaurant proclaims itself a “greasy-spoon diner meets modern Southern cafe.” 1913 N. Monroe St. (850) 668-6600; 2202 Capital Circle N.E. (850) 893-0466. $ B L CHICKEN SALAD CHICK H Southern. Chicken Salad Chick exceeds expectations with 15 different chicken salads to choose from served in a bright setting that earned it Best Casual Dining honors in 2014. There are also deli sandwiches, side
items and soups, and a cookie of the day. 1410 Market Street, D-3. (850) 894-2502. $L D HOPKINS’ EATERY American. This deli provides more than just your average sandwich. Favorites like the Ultimate Turkey and the Linda Special and a variety of salad meals keep customers coming back for more. And it’s healthful, too! 1660 N. Monroe St. (850) 386-4258; 1415 Market St. (850) 668-0311, and 1208 Capital Circle S.E. (850) 325-6422. hopkinseatery.com $ L JUICY BLUE American Tapas. In the new Four Points by Sheraton Downtown this cool newcomer offers breakfast, lunch and dinner. Unique offerings include tapas with a unique twist like the Georgia peaches and caramel. Sandwiches, salads and a nice variety of seafood, pasta and chicken dishes round out the menu. Local coffee bar Redeye is located in the lobby. 316 W. Tennessee St. (850) 422-0071. $ B L D MERV’S MELT SHOP American. Welcome Merv to the neighborhood. This new daytime cafe specializes in homemade breakfast and handcrafted sandwich melts. Enjoy one of their gourmet sandwich creations or make your own. Fresh bread is baked daily, and they even make their own chips. 825 Railroad Ave. (850) 320-6287. $B L D MIDTOWN PASS H Sports Bar. Watch the game while you nosh on some of the best wings to be found in town, and wash it down with one of the 32 beers on draft (and 80 bottled varieties). Voted Best Sports Bar in 2014 by the readers of Tallahassee Magazine. 1019 N. Monroe St. (850) 597-9614. $$ L D MOMO’S H Pizza. After devouring a slice “as big as your head” at this 2014 Best Pizza winner, chain pizza simply is not gonna cut it. From the black-and-white photos to the bathrooms decorated in album covers the restaurant has an unmistakable and enjoyable “hole in the wall” vibe. 1410 Market St. (850) 412-0222; and 1416 W. Tennessee St. (850) 224-9808. $L D PUBLIX DELI H Casual . The delis at Publix Super Markets have a certain reputation around these parts. A 2014 Best of winner, these convenient eateries are beloved not only for their tasty “Pub subs,” cold cuts and graband-go meals, but also for their exceptional customer service. Multiple locations. SONNY’S REAL PIT BAR-B-Q H Barbecue. Nothing satisfies a rumblin’ stomach quite like a plateful of hot, savory barbeque; and if you’re looking for the tastiest grilled dishes, 2014 Best Barbecue winner Sonny’s has them in spades. 3101 Dick Wilson Blvd. (850) 878-1185; 2707 N. Monroe St. (850) 385-2167; and 1460 Timberlane Road (850) 906-9996. $ L D
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Creekstone Farms Beef
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STARBUCKS H American. Whether you’re craving a Caramel Ribbon Crunch Frappuccino or a simple cup o’ joe, Starbucks provides a wide variety of beverages that will satisfy even the most adventurous caffeine addict. The 2014 Best Coffee Shop winner also offers free Wi-Fi. 2264-1 N. Monroe St. (850) 386-2417; 3425 Thomasville Road. (850) 894-7005; and 2120 Apalachee Pkwy. (850) 671-2041. $B L SWEET RACK RIB SHACK American. This locally owned, awardwinning barbeque establishment is known for its sweet, succulent, fall-off-the-bone pork ribs. But that’s not their only game in town — Sweet Rack also offers their diners wings, burgers and totally scrumptious seafood platters. 1814 W. Tennessee St. (850) 270-9061. $ L D THE LUNCH BOX American. This iconic little café conveniently nestled at the corner of Mahan and Magnolia offers up home-style breakfasts and plenty of lunch items to choose from. Dine in, take out and outdoor seating is available. 295 N. Magnolia Drive. (850) 942-9766. $ B L
We wish you and your family a
Happy Holiday Season!
THE TIN COW American. The Tin Cow boasts an impressive mix of canned craft beer, spiked milkshakes and mammoth build-yourown burgers. A new-to-Tallahassee bar and eatery, this lively establishment is situated near FSU’s main campus where AJ’s once hailed. 1800 W. Tennessee St. (850) 681-0731. $/$$ D TOMATOLAND American. This takeout-only deli offers comfort food staples for breakfast and lunch such as quiches, a variety of salads and sandwiches, and a daily blueplate special. 1847 Thomasville Road. (850) 425-8416. $ L D TUCKER DUKE’S LUNCHBOX American. An original Emerald Coast, Southern-style lunch counter eatery, Tucker Duke’s is known for dishing out a ton character served with pure attitude. From quality craft burgers to their signature “blue light special” and gourmet sides, Tucker Duke’s is steaming with delicious home cookin’ in a fun and familyfriendly atmosphere. 224 E. College Ave. (850) 765-1554. $/$$ L D
Thank you for voting us the BES T in Tallahassee!
1908 Capital Circle NE 850-386-2253 | TallahasseeCakeShop.com Mon–Fri 8:30 a.m.–6:00 p.m. | Sat 8:30 a.m.–noon 240 November–December 2014
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UP IN SMOKE PIT BBQ Barbecue. While their barbecue is certainly succulent, Up in Smoke’s other menu options — including fried green tomatoes, meatloaf and grilled salmon — cater to even the pickiest of palates. 402 Tennessee St. (850) 597-7964. $B L D VERTIGO BURGERS AND FRIES H American. The No. 1 spot for hamburgers in 2014 went to Vertigo, home to some of the juiciest, funkiest burgers in town. The modern building provides a no-frills setting to enjoy such favorites as the Vertigo Burger
— a beef patty with fried egg, applewood bacon, grilled jalapenos, sharp cheddar and Vertigo sauce. 1395 E. Lafayette St. (850) 878-2020. $$ L D WINGSTOP H American. After being voted Best Wings in town for the ninth year in a row, it’s safe to say that this joint is the ultimate source for chicken wings. Wingstop offers a variety of homemade sides and 10 mouthwatering flavors for their wings. 1964 W. Tennessee St. (850) 574-9464; 3111 Mahan Dr. (850) 942-9464; and 6668 Thomasville Road. (850) 219-9464. $ L D
Steak/Seafood BONEFISH GRILL H American. With countless perfectly cooked, succulent seafood items to choose from, in addition to delicious “turf” options for those who do not enjoy their food from the “surf,” it’s no wonder Tallahassee Magazine readers selected Bonefish Grill as its favorite restaurant for seafood and appetizers in 2014. 3491 Thomasville Road. (850) 297-0460. $$$ D CHOP HOUSE ON THE BRICKS American. This family-owned upscale restaurant serves local organic and sustainable meats, seafood, poultry and produce. Craft beers, fine wines and specialty drinks complement house specialties like Bone-In Ribeye, Plantation Quail and the Chop House Burger. Their Knob Creek Bourbon Bread Pudding is a dessert favorite. 123 N. Broad St., Thomasville, Ga. (229) 236-2467. $$ D MARIE LIVINGSTON’S STEAKHOUSE H Steak. Dining at Marie Livingston’s is upscale yet comfortable and always a special treat. Not just a restaurant that serves up savory cuts of prime rib or marbled steaks, this 2014 Best Steakhouse winner is a Tallahassee tradition, and newcomers owe it to themselves to make it a priority to visit. 2705 Apalachee Parkway. (850) 562-2525. $$ L D SHULA’S 347 Steak. The legendary Miami Dolphins’ head coach brings the quest for perfection to the dining table at his namesake restaurant, located in Hotel Duval. Keep it light and casual with Premium Black Angus Beef burgers or a gourmet salad or opt for one of their signature entrées — “Shula Cut” steaks. Reservations are suggested. 415 N. Monroe St. (850) 224-6005. $$$ L D
SOUTHERN SEAFOOD H American. Whether you’re looking for fish, shrimp, oysters, scallops, crab or lobster, these guys have you covered. The 2014 Best Seafood Market winner brings the ocean’s freshest choices to Tallahassee’s front door. 1415 Timberlane Road. (850) 668-2203. Visit our comprehensive, searchable dining guide online attallahasseemagazine.com/Restaurants
caliente 2 for 1 drinks all day every day (except Friday 6-10) SouthWood 727–0094 • North Monroe 878–0800 Kerry Forest 668–1002 • Crawfordville 926–4329
16 Fiery Hibachi Tables • Spectacular Seafood Combinations Fresh Sushi Bar • Expert, Experienced Chefs Cocktail Lounge with Exotic & Local Favorites Private Dining for Groups up to 70
Open Daily • Lunch 11am – 2:30pm • Dinner 2:30 – 10:30pm 850-531-0222 • 1690 Raymond Diehl Road TALLAHASSEEMAGAZINE.COM November–December 2014
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»the last word
The Straight Man How I Got a Laugh on Letterman — and Got It All on Tape
MATT BURKE
IT WAS EARLY FALL OF 1992, I was 15 and a junior in high school. I was taking driver’s ed, and once a week during study hall I could get some extra driving training in with the instructor, Mr. Fisher. For some reason, the teacher didn’t want to go on these driving excursions with only one student. We needed a driving partner in order to get this extra time in. However, no other current driver’s ed students had a study hall or PE class when I was free. My chance to get these extra hours in during school time was in peril. Being a huge fan of David Letterman and especially the Viewer Mail segment, I had the idea to write to Dave to see if he could come down to central Illinois and be my driving partner. Great solution, right? I sent the letter off to Letterman and was told by my friends and family, “Dave will never read that on the show.”
242 November–December 2014
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Of course he wouldn’t. I figured he got thousands of letters — and that was assuming what he read was even real in the first place. I never expected him to read my letter. But it was fun to send it anyway. A couple months went by and the driving situation resolved itself in time for me to get my license on my mid-November birthday. I was in drama when I was in high school, and our fall play was Friday, Nov. 6. We had done a version of the musical “Working” but stripped out all the music and done as more of a spoken form poetry. Each of us had to play several parts. It was exhausting. I got home that night after the play and sat down to watch some television, looking forward to my usual routine of Viewer Mail. But I was beat. I just wanted to go to bed. So I stuck a tape in the VCR and set it to tape that night’s Letterman. Next day, I wake up. Not much was on the Saturday morning cartoon schedule of interest to me, so I rewind the tape from the night before to watch Letterman. I must reiterate to you at this point ... I HAD NO IDEA WHAT WAS ABOUT TO HAPPEN! Really, it’s mostly a blur up until Dave got to “letter number two.” He comes out, does his monologue, heads over to his desk, makes some jokes with Paul and then starts Viewer Mail. The first letter resulted in him playing some footage of barn owls eating mice or something. Then he says, “Ah ... letter number five, no letter number two ... woooooo.” There’s my life before that sentence was uttered, and there’s my life after. Dave begins to say words that seemed very familiar to me. And the image on the screen was ... my letter? MY LETTER?! IS THAT MY LETTER?! IS DAVID LETTERMAN READING MY LETTER?!?! Then he ends it by saying, “This comes to us from Carlin Trammel, Philo, Illinois.” It was surreal.
By Carlin Trammel
He proceeds to then say, ‘You know Carlin, I get so many requests like this ...’ ” HE SAID MY NAME! HE SAID MY NAME TWICE! Dave pulls out a cardboard cutout of himself, “Dave the Scared Passenger,” that is his replacement since he is unable to go around the country and help teenagers learn how to drive. There were lots of laughs and then he proceeds on to the next letter. I was — and 21-plus years later I still am — dumbfounded. But it was shortly after the letter was read and my bit was over that I realized something even more amazing: I HAVE THIS ON TAPE!! Who’s going to believe this happened? How was I ever to see it again? Those are questions I never had to ask. Remember, this is well before the days of video on demand. If I had seen it live, I presume I would have contacted the local affiliate immediately and tried to get a copy somehow, but I didn’t have to. I had no warning this was going to happen. No heads up from anyone at Late Night or NBC. It was a series of events that just worked out perfectly. And it’s a memory I’ve been able to treasure ever since. People ALWAYS ask me, “Did they send you the cardboard cutout?” No, Dave gave it to Tony Randall on the show. I don’t know what happened to it after that. I assume Tony Randall is buried with it. To which those same people usually reply, “Ah man, they should have sent it to you!” I disagree. Of course I would gladly have accepted that cardboard cutout of “Dave the Scared Passenger,” but I don’t need it. Having the letter read was more than enough. To be a part of Late Night with David Letterman, no matter how small, to have heard Dave say my name on national television, and to have been a punk 15-yearold kid that had a chance to set Dave up for a joke ... asking for anything more would just be selfish. n
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