Tallahassee Magazine - July/August 2018

Anne & Colin An enduring blend

TALLAHASSEE NURSERIES Still growing after 80 years

TOP SINGLES

Together, they benefit the community

CASE WORKERS

Public defenders strive to break cycles of crime

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Dr. Alfredo Paredes, Jr., is a board certified plastic surgeon whose interests are cosmetic and reconstructive surgery, including breast augmentation, breast reconstruction, facial surgery, and body contouring. Dr. Paredes attended college on a merit scholarship at Emory University, where he graduated first in his class. He attended Emory School of Medicine on another merit scholarship (the prestigious Woodruff Fellowship) and graduated with honors. In 2003 he completed his plastic surgery residency at Emory University and then joined Tallahassee Plastic Surgery Clinic. Dr. Paredes is board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and is a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. He served as president of the Capital Medical Society and serves on other professional boards in Tallahassee.

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Contents

JUL/AUG 2018

Features

78 DYNASTY

Anne and Colin Phipps share stories about their lives, their journeys and the passions behind this powerful family.

by MARINA BROWN

84

JUSTICE FOR ALL

Public Defenders Andy Thomas and Nancy Daniels guard the rights of the poor, the sick, and troubled veterans to ensure justice is not just for those who can afford it.

by MICHAEL MOLINE and ROCHELLE KOFF

90 TOP SINGLES Exotic and worldly, Anne and Colin Phipps find life and love is anything but retiring.

photography by DAVE BARFIELD

Meet 19 of Tallahassee’s most interesting single men and women, photographed in their finery at Hotel Duval.

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Contents

JUN/AUG 2018

63 43 23 HEALTH & FITNESS

PANACHE 43 CITIZEN OF STYLE

28 CHAMPIONS

46 HIS & HERS

Masterful swimmers stay in top form into their 70s.

Dapper and charming, Allen Thompson is downtown’s Mr. Mayor.

Bill’s Trail is well traveled, thanks to John Kalin.

Our canopy roads and coastal byways cry out for convertibles.

32 EDUCATION

For a spring break like no other, local students visit Ghana.

36 PERSONALITY

Doyle Conner Jr. is rawhide poet, wrangler and restorer.

38 RELATIONSHIPS

Ann and Jeff VanderMeer flourish in love and the literary world.

116

50 WHAT’S IN STORE

Fun summer style, vintage jewelry and a new music store.

GASTRO & GUSTO 53 DINING OUT

At The Hawthorne, high-end dining starts with the local harvest.

56 LIBATIONS

No beer pong here. At Warhorse, make it a fine whiskey.

Learn to make root cuttings from hydrangea and other ornamentals.

60 DINING IN

Local bakers share tips for scrumptious, homemade pies.

TALLAHASSEEMAGA ZINE.COM

107 EXPRESSION

ABODES

63 MUSIC Down on Gaines

107 HAPPY 80TH

Street, The Wilbury is on fire with talent.

Tallahassee Nurseries continues growing, into its ninth decade.

68 ART Local

watercolorists go beyond pastels.

112 EXTERIORS

Get back to basics to reclaim your yard from biting bugs.

72 BOOKS In Sneak Thief, Faith Harkey taps into her magical powers.

76 STAGE Film buffs find

IN EVERY ISSUE 16 18 130 143 159 162

PUBLISHER’S LETTER DIRECTOR’S COLUMN SOCIAL STUDIES AGENDA DINING GUIDE POSTSCRIPT

116 GARDENING

Ms. Grow-It-All has cool ideas on shade gardening.

trash is treasure at Cap City Video Lounge.

Anne & Colin An enduring blend

DESTINATIONS 101 QUICK TRIP Jackson

County has sweet spots for fishing, diving, paddling.

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Menus at The Hawthorne change with the season and the local harvest, but high-end quality is always on offer.

TALLAHASSEE NURSERIES Still growing after 80 years

TOP SINGLES

Together, they benefit community

CASE WORKERS

Public defenders strive to break cycles of crime

ON THE COVER:

Anne Lippe Phipps and Colin Sringar Phipps are part of the family dynasty that has contributed greatly to nature conservancy in Leon County and made the Red Hills home to annual international horse trials. Photo by Dave Barfield

PHOTOS BY ALICIA OSBORNE (43, 53, 63), SAIGE ROBERTS (107) AND ANNABREIT / ITSTOCK / GETTYIMAGES PLUS

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Contents

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Special Sections and Promotions

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VETS AND PETS PROFILES

Get to know some of the hardworking and reliable men and women who are dedicated to keeping your furry family member happy and healthy, and check out our directory of local businesses that cater to your pup.

↑ TALLAHASSEE MAGAZINE’S PETS & THEIR PEOPLE Dogs and dog lovers descended on the 14th annual Pets & Their People event, presented by Proctor Subaru. While dozens of people participated in puppy yoga, listened to live music and patronized local vendors, 18 puppies found new homes to celebrate “St. PAWtricks Day.”

105 ↗ FORGOTTEN COAST MAP We orient you to one of the most picturesque and pristine stretches the Gulf Coast has to offer — its merchants, attractions and more.

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Discover a true piece of the old South with this 1800s-era plantation home that was restored in 2017.

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151

FOSTERING PETS Gabrielle Gabrielli and other pet fosters and pet rescuers help find homes for dogs and cats in need of a second chance. Their service helps take the pressure off crowded pet shelters in need of relief.

Research and plan with Medical Profiles and Visit the Beach travel guide.

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PHOTOS BY MEREDITH BROOKS (PETS & THEIR PEOPLE), SAIGE ROBERTS (FOSTERING) AND PHOTODETI / ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS

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TALLAHASSEE MAGAZINE

VOL. 41, NO. 4

JULT-AUGUST 2018

PRESIDENT/PUBLISHER BRIAN E. ROWLAND

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR OF EDITORIAL SERVICES/EDITOR Steve Bornhoft MANAGING EDITOR Laura Cassels STAFF WRITERS Hannah Burke, Erin Hoover DIGITAL EDITOR Janecia Britt CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Lazaro Aleman, Marina Brown, CD Davidson-Hiers, Steve Dollar, Rosanne Dunkelberger, Elizabeth Goldsmith, Rochelle Koff, Michael Moline, Rebecca Padgett, Audrey Post, Liesel Schmidt, Rob Rushin

CREATIVE CHIEF CONTENT OFFICER Lawrence Davidson DIRECTOR OF PRODUCTION AND TECHNOLOGY Daniel Vitter DESIGN DIRECTOR Chi Hang EDITORIAL DESIGNER Charles Bakofsky PUBLICATION DESIGNERS Sarah Mitchell, Sarah Notley, Shruti Shah GRAPHIC DESIGNER Meredith Brooks CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Kim Armstrong, Meredith Brooks, Mila Bridger, Unique Video Creative, Mary Curan, Scott Holstein, Perrone Ford, Michael Moline, Woodland Fields, Steve Saccio, Terri Smith Photo, Selfie Tally, Amelia Tillman, Rachel Smith, McKenzie Lohbeck, Gil Williams

SALES, MARKETING AND EVENTS VICE PRESIDENT/CORPORATE DEVELOPMENT McKenzie Burleigh Lohbeck SALES MANAGER, EASTERN DIVISION Lori Magee Yeaton SALES MANAGER, WESTERN DIVISION Rhonda Lynn Murray DIRECTOR OF NEW BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, EASTERN DIVISION Daniel Parisi DIRECTOR OF NEW BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, WESTERN DIVISION Dan Parker ADVERTISING SERVICES COORDINATORS Tracy Mulligan, Lisa Sostre ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES MaKenna Curtis, Julie Dorr, Margaret Farris, Darla Harrison, Linda Powell EVENTS AND SPECIAL PROJECTS COORDINATOR Mandy Chapman SALES AND EVENTS ASSOCIATE Mackenzie Ligas INTEGRATED MARKETING MANAGER Rachel Smith INTEGRATED MARKETING COORDINATOR Javis Ogden CLIENT SERVICES COORDINATOR Joslym Alcala

OPERATIONS ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES/HUMAN RESOURCE COORDINATOR Melissa Spear CORPORATE CLIENT MANAGER Sara Goldfarb CLIENT SERVICES REPRESENTATIVE/PRODUCTION SPECIALIST Melinda Lanigan CUSTOM PUBLISHING EDITOR Jeff Price STAFF ACCOUNTANT Jackie Burns ACCOUNTANT ASSISTANT Jennifer Sheffield RECEPTIONISTS Charles Shelton, Christie Valentin-Bati TALLAHASSEE MAGAZINE tallahasseemagazine.com facebook.com/tallahasseemag twitter.com/tallahasseemag instagram.com/tallahasseemag pinterest.com/tallahasseemag youtube.com/user/tallahasseemag ROWLAND PUBLISHING rowlandpublishing.com

EDITORIAL OFFICE 1932 Miccosukee Road, Tallahassee, FL 32308. (850) 878-0554 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, Walgreens and at our Miccosukee Road office.

CUSTOMER SERVICE & SUBMISSIONS 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 July 2018 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.

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“

I think that level of comfort motivates you to take care of yourself and the expertise they offer is priceless.

Robin K. Haggins, Associate Professor at Tallahassee Community College Jacquline R. Kimbrough, (Ret) Nursing Administrator

For Robin’s full story please visit DRRAINEY.COM/COMFORT

TALL AHASSEEMAGA ZINE.COM July–August 2018 15 850.385.3700 | 221 E. 7TH AVE | DRRAINEY.COM

from the publisher

Our staff accountant Jackie Burns, after leaving work one day, decided to drive by the golf course near her home. She stuck her arm out the window to feel the breeze and was startled when her wedding ring flew off.

Jackie looked in her rearview mirror, and it seemed that the ring was traveling in slow motion as it bounced off the pavement. She turned her car around and searched for the ring for an hour but found nothing. Darkness set in.

She returned to that spot in the road a day later, but her search again proved unsuccessful and, overtaken by resignation, she was dejected and sad.

Weeks later, another Rowland Publishing staff member, driving that same road, spotted a handwritten sign: LOST WEDDING RING? Call the Killearn Homes Association. The call was made, and the ring was identified and reunited with its owner. It had been flattened, but its diamonds remained in place.

Jackie was unable to contact the finder of the ring. The phone number she was provided was not a working number. So, if you found the ring and are reading this, Jackie and I wish to thank you for your honesty. It would be great if you were to contact Jackie at our offices so that she could personally express her appreciation to you.

To be sure, one of the many reasons that Tallahassee, Florida, is such a fine place to live is its people.

TOP SINGLES On July 14 at the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center, we will again be presenting our signature fundraising event, Top Singles. This extravaganza has grown steadily over the years, and the 2018 edition will showcase 19 motivated professionals who are already underway raising funds for the nonprofit organizations of their choice.

In the last three years alone, Top Singles has raised $250,946 for highly deserving charities in our town. I thank all whose efforts contributed to that success. Annual fundraising totals went from $71,100 to $87,493 to $92,353, and this year we hope to top the $100,000 mark.

Meet this year’s singles at tallahasseemagazine.com/Top-Singles and view a recap video from last year’s event that will help you appreciate the excitement and energy that Top Singles generates.

Then, make your plans to attend Top Singles and enjoy a rockin’ night of entertainment. Tickets are available at 850Tix.com.

Have a stellar summer,

BRIAN ROWLAND browland@rowlandpublishing.com

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director’s column

BIG MAN, BIG HEART A student shows us the way

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July–August 2018

TALLAHASSEEMAGA ZINE.COM

name his lookalike. Unruffled, he promptly responded, “John Salley.” Professional basketball fans will recognize the name. Salley played for five NBA teams after graduating from Georgia Tech in 1986.

For Price to liken himself to Sally is not a particular stretch. While Salley stands 6-11, Price is just three inches shorter than that. And, he is all the more imposing when wearing, as he does frequently, a University of Miami T-shirt and a gold necklace that is about halfway to the U’s sideline “turnover chain.”

Get to know Mr. Price and one finds that his stature is only one of his outstanding qualities.

He is a gentle man with a delicate, cursive hand that itself attests to his age and to the fact that he has always been a good student and, I am willing to bet, the son of highly attentive parents.

Price, who is from Quincy, is unfailingly polite and respectful and ingratiating and humble and, unlike a few too many students, disinclined ever to make excuses. He’s got class in abundance, but he would never let you know that he knows that, assuming he does.

I was especially impressed by what he wrote in completing a writing assignment that required profiling a business, its history, business model, stakeholders, and approach to marketing and public relations. Price chose to write about his employer, a wholesale distributor, and wrote dispassionately, but honestly, in detailing the loss in market share the business suffered following a change in ownership. He attributed that development to laziness and a lack of commitment more than anything else.

Mr. Price, meanwhile, is principled and resolute. He is a man of faith and a restorer of faith, mine at least, in humankind.

When he came through the receiving line following his commencement ceremony in April and swallowed my hand with his, I was immensely proud and I will remain forever curious to discover where Mr. Price’s path leads.

SAIGE ROBERTS

When I went to graduate school, a professor who caused me to learn the Greek alphabet and to translate into English the opening chapter of the Gospel of John employed an exercise that worked for him as a mnemonic device.

On the first night of class, he would ask each of his students to write on a slip of paper the name of a famous person whom he thought he resembled.

In such a way, the prof said, he was helped him to remember the names of his charges. (This was back in the day before you could simply post your photo to an app that generates matches.)

Seems to me that I proffered Bruce Dern as my lookalike, a move I did not consider to be especially self-flattering, but a fellow student called B.S. on that and contended that I most looked like Mr. Wizard — not the cartoon Mr. Wizard who was forever rescuing Tooter the Turtle, but Don Herbert, who hosted a TV science program for children for more than 20 years. She may have said that Bruce Dern is more pleasant than I. If she didn’t, she surely got around to wishing that she had. That was her nature.

I do not recall that student’s name, but I do remember for certain that she was remarkably self-assured, that she was an advertising copywriter for a radio group and that she often wore dark-colored thong underwear beneath white pants.

While scarcely believing what I was seeing, I watched her one night convince the prof that she deserved partial credit on a quiz question that she had failed to answer. She insisted that she had known the answer to the question, but had simply neglected to fill in the blank.

Whether there was a causal relationship between the abbreviated draw’s and the success of the copywriter’s pleading I cannot definitively say, but I am not without suspicions.

Through the eight years I have taught communication classes as an adjunct professor at first Florida State UniversityPanama City and later Flagler College-Tallahassee — I am simply not a main campus kind of guy — I have used the same lookalike exercise that the doctor of ancient languages had used. (Handheld personal devices permitted.)

This past spring, in getting to know students in a public relations campaigns class I taught at Flagler, I was taken aback when a fellow named Dean suggested that he most resembles Ellen DeGeneres. The class, as a whole, was left to respond, rather carefully, in a “now that you mention it” kind of fashion.

Another student, Alvin Price, who had missed the first night of class, was put on the spot on Night 2 and asked to

He will succeed. The Price is right.

Stay thirsty for knowledge,

STEVE BORNHOFT sbornhoft@rowlandpublishing.com

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323

THE

JUL/AUG 2018

Profiling the Pursuits, Passions and Personalities Among Us

HEALTH & EXERCISE

The Water is Fine

Masters swimmers pursue goals one lap at a time

by CD DAVIDSON-HIERS

↗ Juan Sequera, a coach at Florida State University’s Morcom Aquatic Center, leads Club Seminoles Masters swimmers through core-strengthening warm-up exercises.

CHAMPION photography by SAIGE ROBERTS

Trail Maintenance

|| PERSONALITY

Burnishing the Past

|| RELATIONSHIPS

Writer and Editor

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THE

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The eight-lane, 50-meter pool at the Morcom Aquatic Center is of Olympic venue caliber; Club Seminole members range in age from 18 to 70-plus. At top, Masters coach Steve Wood, stopwatch in hand, tracks swimmers’ progress toward their goals.

out in — they’re more than welcome to join our (Masters) club. It’s based on their goals,” said Juan Sequera, one of the coaches on staff at Morcom.

Club Seminole has members ranging in age from 18 to about 71.

“Coach Steve, he really makes sure it’s not just one practice for everyone. It’s really based on what they need. It depends on who attends and how competitive they are,” said Sequera, 24, a 2020 Olympic hopeful.

The Masters Club meets Monday, Wednesday and Friday around lunchtime.

Tuesday and Thursday practices take place just after the regular workday. Saturday

practices run from 10:15 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.

Wood is 28 and has been swimming since he was a freshman in high school. He majored in sports administration and minored in coaching and communications at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale. Wood plans all workouts for the Masters practices.

The club rents out three of the eight lanes in the long course pool for practices. Masters share the lanes and “circle swim” — swimming down one side of the lane and up the other — when necessary.

Wood said the swimmers’ range in abilities does not prevent them from being able to work out together.

PHOTOS BY SAIGE ROBERTS

lorida State University’s Morcom Aquatic Center is a $10.5 million dream-come-true for swimmers, no matter the depth of their commitment to the sport.

The open-air facility, located at 2560 Pottsdamer St., boasts an eight-lane, 50-meter long-course pool; a three-lane, 25-yard shortcourse pool with a diving well and training equipment for divers including trampolines, springboards and gymnastic pads.

An identical facility would not be out of place at an Olympic venue.

Members of Club Seminole Masters Swimming meets here six days a week to train for about an hour and 15 minutes each day. Its name may sound exclusive, but the mission of the club is strongly inclusive: to give “civilians” from various walks of life the opportunity to enter the water.

Masters Swimming coach Steve Wood said club members are united in their desire to swim to stay in shape.

“It’s fun for them “We have to see someone people who used that’s on a differto swim in colent level than they lege and are just for are. And they learn swimming the fitness. Some from each other, are training for triathlons. Some too. They someare training to times are coachdo Masters swim ing just as much meets; some just want to learn as I am, just talkto get slightly ing to each other better at swimin the lanes.” ming,” he said.

Club Seminole Steve Wood, Masters Masters SwimSwimming coach ming members need only to know how to swim and have an enthusiasm for the water. That is, they don’t have to be anywhere near the level of the collegiate athletes who train at Morcom. And, like most anyone, they marvel at divers who leap from the highest 10-meter tall diving platform into the 17-feet deep diving well below.

“Anyone who wants to just get a nice work-

No student athlete achieves success completely on his or her own. There is an entire “team” around us - providing “behind the scenes” support and encouragement. Thank you Seminole Boosters. Your support transforms the dreams of our past into the successes of today, creating a vision for tomorrow.

TERANCE MANN Men’s Basketball

THANK YOU, SEMINOLE BOOSTER MEMBERS S C H O L A R S H I P F U N D E D B Y: Ken Cashin

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(850) 644-1830

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“It’s fun for them to see someone that’s on a different level than they are. And they learn from each other, too. They sometimes are coaching just as much as I am, just talking to each other in the lanes,” Wood said.

Club Seminole fees are either monthly or seasonal and cover the cost of renting lanes, pull buoys and kickboards.

“That’s another thing Morcom does really, really well: There’s enough equipment for daily patrons and Masters swimmers to borrow, and then they just use it for whatever we’re doing that day,” Wood said.

Practices are held rain or shine. The aquatic center observes rules prohibiting swimming during thunder, but other than that, the show goes on.

“There are some days where I’m standing on the pool deck and a random storm comes through and I’m as wet as they are,” Wood smiled.

Motivations among club members vary. Most of the members are not trophy hunters. Wood explained that many of the Masters swimmers are former runners who have taken up swimming as “The coaches a way to stay in shape, attracted by the are very good low-impact nature of the sport. at working with For Elizabeth Laurienzo, 67, the club has been central to a 10-year commityou to change ment to rehabilitation. A car accident she your individual suffered in 1981 at age 24 led to chronic, workout to benefit crippling arthritis.

“The coaches are very good at workthe individual ing with you to change your individual swimmer … Some workout to benefit the individual swimpeople hear the mer,” Laurienzo said. “They will help you swim better at all four strokes. Some word Masters and people hear the word Masters and they they go, ‘Well, I’m go, ‘Well, I’m not that kind of swimmer.’ not that kind of It’s not that you have to be a competitive swimmer to benefit from this class.” swimmer.’ It’s not The larger pool at Morcom is kept at that you have to 80 degrees. There are practices, Wood be a competitive said, where an older member may ask to swim in the 82-degree smaller pool to swimmer to avoid the colder temperature that may benefit from this aggravate a pre-existing injury. In such class.” cases, Wood walks back and forth between the pools to check on the progress Elizabeth Laurienzo, of the separate swimmer.

Swim Master The coach said he knows of a few Masters programs where 20 or so swimmers will go to a meet, but the Tallahassee club is smaller. If a member is interested in competing outside the club, Wood will help him or her sign up and create a workout regimen ahead of time.

Wood noted the beauty of the outdoor facility is a big draw for the Masters program, especially on a Florida spring day.

“It’s such a wide variety of people, but the one thing in common is they just love being outside at this facility and being here at the pool and getting better in whatever way is specific to them.” TM

PHOTO BY SAIGE ROBERTS

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John Kalin, who makes it his business to maintain Bill’s Trail, part of a loop around Piney Z Lake, pauses by the free library along the route.

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CHAMPIONS

IN THE LONG RUN Retired coach maintains a beloved memorial trail for a friend

by ERIN HOOVER

H

ikers, runners and cyclists who regularly make the loop around Piney Z Lake will recognize John Kalin by his embroidered Bill’s Trail hat. A retired athletics coach, Kalin volunteers to keep in shape the singletrack trail between J.R. Alford Greenway and Lafayette Heritage Trail Park.

Sometimes he clips back areas where the trail is overgrown; other times he carries materials for a trail-related project, such as tools to refinish a bench.

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“It’s like being a docent in a museum,” Kalin said.

Winding a path through the live oak and cypress trees with plenty of water birds in sight, Bill’s Trail is well used and well loved. A newcomer might conclude that it had always existed on the north side of Piney Z Lake or had been designed by an experienced trailblazer.

In fact, the trail was created by a Florida State University running coach when the city of Tallahassee temporarily closed the lake’s east levy to construct a pedestrian bridge, closing off a favorite practice run for the women’s cross country team.

To form an alternate route, Karen Harvey cut a trail by hand with a machete during the summer of 2013. It was her first trail.

Carly Thomas, then on FSU’s team, was one of the first to run the new trail. “It was (Harvey’s) pet project,” said Thomas, now the running coach at Chiles High School. “She showed (he runners on the team) as she made progress on it. At first it was a secret. It took her a while to let other people know that she was the one who did it.”

Once the east levy reopened, Bill’s Trail completed a loop of trail around the lake; people could walk, run or bike the 2.7 miles around

↑ A well-supplied Kalin is equipped to deal with

encroaching growth as he makes his way along Bill’s Trail. The footpath is marked by a handmade sign at the trailhead, located near a railroad bridge.

Piney Z without needing to double back.

Harvey named the trail for her father, William Harvey, who had passed away the year before. To mark the trail, she painted a Frisbee with “Bill’s Trail” and attached it to a tree at one end.

According to Kalin, Harvey’s husband surprised her by posting a professionally made sign at the trail’s opposite end, reading “Bill’s Memorial Trail: Designed and Maintained by a Loving Daughter.”

Kalin had been volunteering with the city of Tallahassee to maintain trails since 2001. Gradually, he began to help with Bill’s Trail, too. “I stumbled upon it and did a snip, snip, here or there if I saw something dangerous — things I do on every other trail. I ran into Karen out here in 2014 and we chatted a little bit. I told her about the few things I had done, and she seemed okay with it.”

In March 2015, Harvey asked him to maintain Bill’s Trail in her stead when she decided to leave Tallahassee.

“I said, ‘There’s nothing more I want to do.’ photography by SAIGE ROBERTS

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Dana Dizenso (left) and Leslie Richardson sign a guest book at the little free library at the art lab with Pluto the Boston terrier.

I felt like I was given a gift, not a job to do.”

Over the past three years, Kalin has spraypainted a survey marker in the middle of the path, reinstalled a bench that fell over, and shortened the trail by a few feet in one place to avoid leading people down a steep hill. He sends Harvey photos of any alterations.

Last year he installed a Little Free Library on Bill’s Trail. “Before anyone even put any books in the library, someone left a painted rock there overnight. I was smiling because I like that trend — I think kids must be screaming for more art in their lives, and adults too,” he said. So that visitors to the library could paint their own rocks, he added a station that he calls the Art Lab, a picnic table and utility mailboxes stocked with art supplies.

Families often sit and paint rocks together. Sometimes multiple families will squeeze onto the picnic table bench.

Kalin regularly leaves gallons of water and biscuits for dogs. “That may be too much,” he admitted. “But my heart’s in the right place.”

He said he has an ulterior motive for these modifications, too. “I want people to love doing the loop, which means using Bill’s Trail.”

Kalin is mindful of keeping Harvey’s vision for the trail. When the Frisbee she painted to mark the trail was knocked down, he glued it back together and traced the pattern of the lettering to produce a logo so that if the sign got lost, it could be reproduced. This is the logo on his hat. “I call it the ‘Harv’ font,” he said. “I wanted to make it look like Karen was still here.”

Bill’s Trail is a small enough project for one person, and it keeps Kalin busy. “I remember how excited I was when I first figured out the trail, and I don’t mind helping people. I like that involvement.

Either I won’t be involved at all in something, or I’m going to go way beyond.” TM

PHOTO BY SAIGE ROBERTS

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EDUCATION

Gateway to Africa History lessons come to life as TCC, FAMU students meet state leaders and tour historic slave castles in Ghana

by ERIN HOOVER

I

“ n African-American history class, chapter one is about slavery,” said Dahlia Valles, a pre-med student at Tallahassee Community College.

Valles and several other students had just returned from the spring break of a lifetime — a global immersion trip to Ghana organized by Forster Agama, a professor in TCC’s English Department.

“We learn about African history from the point where slavery started. (Africans) emphasize that there is a long history before that,” said Carson Gaines, a TCC public relations student.

A first for the college’s study abroad program, TCC students joined a larger contingent of students and faculty members from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University for a nine-day trip with stops in Dubai (United Arab Emirates) and in Ghana. Dr. Yussif Mijirah Dokurugu has been leading the trips for FAMU for 10 years.

“At TCC, we go to China, we go to Europe, England and Taiwan, but we’ve never had trips to the continent of Africa. The way things are going now in the world, it’s about

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Above, FAMU and TCC students and faculty pose for a photo on the Adome Bridge, spanning the Volta River. At top, fishing boats docked near Elmina Castle. Over 2 million fishermen, processors and traders contribute to Ghana’s fishing economy.

time we explore the continent, starting with Ghana,” Agama said.

“Ghana is the gateway to Africa. It is a shining star and a beacon of hope, if you will, for the entire continent,” the professor, who is from Ghana, continued. “We have had stable governments since Ghana became an independent

nation in 1957.” He added that because the official language in Ghana is English, students would be able to mingle with locals.

The itinerary included a brief stop in Dubai, then arrival in Accra, Ghana’s capital, as well as the cities of Ho and Kumasi to meet with student groups and Cape Coast where slave castles are located. Working with a travel agency based in Orlando, Agama and Dokorugu planned cultural immersion experiences in marketplaces as well as visits and meals with kings, queens and community elders in Ghana.

A week before the trip, students said that they were most excited about going on a safari at Mole National Park, Ghana’s largest wildlife refuge, and about comparing life in Ghana to life in America.

As students met post-trip to talk about their experiences, they told anecdotes about the cultural differences they noticed — as simple as reversing “thank you” and “you’re welcome” and as complicated as charity. “(In America), if you don’t have enough money to buy food and you go inside Walmart trying to get food, you (can’t) get it. However, in Africa it is different. If you tell them how much you have they will try their best to make a deal. Which is really helpful because if you really don’t have (the money) you know that they will possibly give it to you, because they are so kind,” said Kene Gamble, an accounting major.

Some students praised Ghanaians’ welcoming and open nature, in particular, government officials.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF BEATRICE SHAPIRO (STUDENTS AND FACULTY) / BY ONNES (DOCK) / GETTY IMAGES PLUS

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Student Journals “We arrived to the Governor of the Volta region’s home where he greeted us and allowed us to ask any questions we had. We asked about the advances in agriculture, their universal health care, and the growing possibilities for their youth. Many people view Ghana as an inferior country, but after meeting with this governor my eyes were opened. These people are just stepping into democracy, and from what I have seen they are doing a better job than we did when we were their age.” – SIERRIA GROOM, anthropology student, Day 3

A high point for Michele Johnson (left), an early childhood education student, was meeting the Queen Mother of Ghana’s Central Region, Nana Ama Amissah.

“To start the day we went to the W.E.B. Du Bois museum located in Accra. At the museum they focused on Du Bois’s work in Ghana and his relationship with the first president of the country, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. Through my studies I have only ever known of Du Bois’s work in America, so it was incredibly interesting to discover that he actually renounced his American citizenship and chose Ghana as his final resting place. To make the day even better, later that night we were joined by one of the Queen Mothers of Ghana for dinner. She shared her stories about her path to becoming a Queen Mother and held an open discussion about women’s rights in not only Ghana, but Africa as a whole. What really stuck

For instance, the minister of the Volta region in Ghana welcomed the group to his home, described as a “compound” or “palace” by some of the students. “He told us about himself and he allowed us to ask questions about all topics, including cannibis,” said Valles. “He was really honest, or he seemed to be honest.”

Beatrice Shapiro, who has studied so“My overall favorite cial work at TCC, got a behind-the-scenes aspect of the trip tour of one of the markets. “I liked going was being able to through the markets and seeing all the stuff that everybody makes. They all make it by mingle with the hand. Everything is there — clothes, bracelocals and getting lets, backpacks, shoes, wooden sculptures. to see how different One of the guys who sold me a carved elephant took me back to where they were yet similar their made. I watched his family making drums.” lives are from Despite Ghanaian openness, TCC stuAmericans.” dents sometimes wondered what the people they met really thought of them.

— Beatrice Shapiro, Social “I heard people say when we would walk Work major at TCC through, ‘those are Americans.’ I don’t know if that’s good or bad,” said Valles.

Anthropology student Sierria Groom recalled another student’s NASA shirt attracting notice. “You (pointing at Carson Gaines) were wearing a NASA shirt, and someone thought that you worked there.

They thought it was crazy that we just send people to space.” “(People in Ghana) think it’s crazy what we have time to focus on while

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out to me was that a woman of such high stature in this country was so open with us about any issue we wished to discuss, issues that many politicians in our own country would dance around out of fear of losing voters. We were even lucky enough to see a more personal side of the Queen Mother as she sang for the whole group to close out the night.” – CARSON GAINES, public relations student, Day 5 “We saw where they (the slaves) stayed. We live in Florida, in the South, and it was hard to see.

They (the Ghanaian tour guides) would tell us to get in the slave cells and close the door for 30 seconds to show how bad it was. After the first time of that, I just stayed back and watched.

I would rather die than have had to go through that.” – ION SANCHO, first-year student (undeclared), Day 6 “Being able to go to Africa and visiting Ghana has changed my way of thinking unbelievably … Not only did I make friends with a few Ghanaians, but I was also able to learn more about Ghana through first-hand experience. My overall favorite aspect of the trip was being able to mingle with the locals and getting to see how different yet similar their lives are from Americans. This was truly a blessing being able to attend this trip.”

– BEATRICE SHAPIRO, enrolled student with a degree in social work, Day 7

Sierria Groom at Elmina Castle, one of 40 large European forts built on the Gold Coast and known as an important stop in the slave trade.

they are developing. They mentioned that they’re just trying to get infrastructure up. One gentleman said that they don’t even have time to worry about particular human rights. They see that as a luxury for us,” Gaines said. TM

PHOTOS COURTESY OF MICHELE JOHNSON (STUDENTS AND QUEEN), SIERRIA GROOM (ELMINA CASTLE)

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PERSONALITY

COWBOY PAST PRESERVED IN LEATHER By breathing new life into saddles, restoration expert keeps traditions alive

by LAZARO ALEMAN

C

owboy poet/songster, storyteller, wrangler and museum curator are among the hats that sixth generation Floridian Doyle Conner Jr. has worn or wears.

A history buff with an affinity for Florida’s colorful “Cracker” cowboy past, Doyle sports a bushy beard, favors Western wear and flavors his language with folksy lingo. His poetry, songs and storytelling are his means of keeping alive Florida’s cowboy tradition, which he will tell you dates from 1521, when Ponce de Leon brought the first horses and cattle to the Americas. Doyle counts among his crowning achievements organizing and “trail bossing” a six-day, 80-mile reenactment cattle drive across central Florida in 1995 to celebrate the state’s sesquicentennial, a feat he repeated in 2006 and 2016 and plans to revisit in 2021.

His passion, however, is restoring old saddles, many of which are in private collections or such institutions as the Smithsonian, the Will Rogers Memorial Museum, Cowboy Hall of Fame and the Gene Autry Museum of Western Heritage.

It all started in boyhood, when he was charged with caring for the family’s stable gear.

“It got to where I really liked the old-timey stuff and started collecting antique saddles and all kinds of cowboy things,” he says, noting his family’s long ranching and horse raising history.

His father, the late Doyle Conner Sr., was Florida Agriculture Commissioner for 30 years and owned the Bar-C Ranch in Jefferson

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For Doyle Conner Jr., whose look reflects his passions, every saddle tells a story.

County, just east of Tallahassee. Doyle himself lives in Monticello, in a rambling purple-painted house decorated with Western motifs.

A livestock inspector for the Florida Department of Agriculture, Doyle works on his leather restorations evenings and weekends in a barn on the Bar-C. A restored saddle, he says, can bring anywhere from a few hundred to several thousand dollars, depending on its age, condition and maker.

“When you get into collectibles, a Bohlin Silver saddle, for example, can easily sell for $200,000,” he says, referring to saddle maker Edward H. Bohlin (1895-1980). “And a real

cowboy’s working saddle, made by a premier saddle maker, can bring $2,000 to $10,000-plus.”

A collector himself, Doyle lost all his prized pieces to fire several years ago.

“When the old barn burned, I lost probably 30 saddles made between 1880 and World War I,” he says. “It was one of the best collections this side of the Mississippi.”

Although not commonly found nowadays, especially in Florida, where humidity, mold and mildew destroy leather, antique saddles turn up occasionally out West, where the drier climate tends to preserve them.

That’s when Doyle’s expertise kicks in. photography by GIL WILLIAMS

“If you want your leather restored and it’s in pretty pitiful shape, I’m about as good as the next guy,” he says. “If it can be done, I can do it. I’ve put life back into leather-bound books, furniture, clothing — just about anything leather.”

Slow and methodical, the restoration process employs various techniques, depending on the nature and condition of the leather. It may entail adding or removing moisture; applying oils, cream, and chemicals; or replacing deteriorated parts and aging them to fit unnoticeably.

“It can take years,” Doyle says.

Typically, saddle restorations begin with the tree, or wood-frame foundation. A sound tree makes for a good starting point. If both the tree and leather are fine, all the better, Doyle says. And if the tree and leather are in good shape and the saddle’s maker is famous, “why then it’s a collectible.”

“An old saddle can tell what happened in its life. If it’s got a bent stirrup or spur track across the seat, somebody bit the dust.

The wear and tear in certain areas lets me know if its user was a left or right-handed roper, if he roped with a rawhide riata, rode tied down or dally roped.”

— Doyle Conner Jr.

Doyle has restored saddles dating from medieval times.

“Knights’ saddles and whatnot,” he says.

His favorites, however, are high-back cowboy saddles from 1880 to 1920.

“I don’t care if they’re fancy,” Doyle says. “I like a working cowboy’s main tool. Some of those guys put half a year’s salary in their saddles.

There’s an adage from way back yonder about riding a $40 saddle on a $10 horse. Forty dollars then was a month’s wage. But it was how you made a living. A saddle had to be comfortable and well-enough made that it didn’t sore up your horses.”

It’s the stories the saddles tell that especially fascinate him.

“An old saddle can tell what happened in its life,” he says. “If it’s got a bent stirrup or spur track across the seat, somebody bit the dust.

The wear and tear in certain areas lets me know if its user was a left or right-handed roper, if he roped with a rawhide riata, rode tied down or dally roped. Or how much he dragged cattle, because when dragging cattle, your rope’s tied to your horn and it comes across your leg and rubs across the cantle. The leather’s condition tells me what kind of care this guy took of the major tool in his work chest.”

Doyle pauses.

“I’ve always been one who enjoys stories, whether they’re written, rhymed or sung,” he says knowingly.

Or imprinted on leather, one might add. TM

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Ann and Jeff VanderMeer have, between them, written, developed and edited projects from novels to software.

RELATIONSHIPS

On the Same Page For Jeff and Ann VanderMeer, mutual respect and differences fuel vast creativity

by ROB RUSHIN

W

“

hoa! One of those hawks has a snake.”

Author Jeff VanderMeer is peering through binoculars at Mission San Luis Park in Tallahassee while his wife — Hugo Award-winning editor Ann VanderMeer — continues our interview as if nothing unusual had happened.

That is the way it goes with these two. After living and working together this long, they finish each other’s sentences and toss the thread of their stories back and forth like a beach ball.

Make no mistake: This is a team.

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The VanderMeers are a study in stark contrast and aligning interests. Jeff, raised in the Fiji Islands, is more at home in nature. Ann, a Miami native, is urban all the way. Jeff is the writer, someone with more stories bubbling up from his psyche than he can keep up with.

Ann is the editor/publisher/executive-in-chief who writes only under threat. Together, they have established publishing companies and online magazines and collaborated on anthologies that survey the histories of steampunk, sci-fi and (coming soon) classic fantasy.

They have been creating and collecting and, against crazy odds, publishing the stories that fascinate them for decades. They garnered awards and critical acclaim for years, even as they labored in the underground caves of corporate consulting. Because you cannot eat an award.

Around 10 years ago, Jeff quit his day job to devote himself to writing. It was not easy.

Ann continued her double life — software developer by day, sci-fi editor by night. They had kids to raise, bills to pay. They believed, but they also knew that success would require hard work and focus. As his fascination with bickering hawks demonstrates, Jeff can be, well, a tad distractible. Ann keeps him on the ball.

“I change his passwords and log him out of all social media. I also disable his Wi-Fi. I used to bring the router to my office or hide it in the house until he would call and report his productivity. Then I would tell him the hiding place.”

Even with someone to keep distractions at bay — and the wolf an acceptable distance from the door — the creative life offers no guarantees. photography by SAIGE ROBERTS

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But in 2014, the VanderMeers hit big with Annihilation, the first installment of the bestselling Southern Reach Trilogy; a film version followed in 2018. These hard-earned successes brought financial stability and allowed Ann to finally quit that day job.

“Because I was able to take that plunge and Ann was willing to let me take that plunge, it’s really satisfying now that she could retire and

Their newfound financial stability has also allowed them to support environmental protection organizations. Given the themes of ecological devastation in the Southern Reach books and the follow-up novel Borne, their concern with the environment comes as no surprise.

For anyone who knows them, neither does their generosity.

“We know how difficult it can be for creatives, especially nowadays, and we do everything we possibly can to help. … There were people that helped us along and we don’t forget that. So we’re always paying it forward and pulling the next generation up with us.” — Ann VanderMeer do whatever the hell she wants. Even though she’s still working just as hard on her projects.”

It is hard to imagine either of them retiring.

They clearly love what they do. You sense that they would do this work for almost no money, maybe because they did just that for a very long time. Their work brought them together in the first place, and they are fortunate and grateful to do what they love to do together.

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Ann and Jeff are keen to help other writers hone their craft, as with their participation in Shared Worlds (sharedworldscamp.com), a summer program at Wofford College in South Carolina for teen writers interested in speculative fiction.

“We know how difficult it can be for creatives, especially nowadays, and we do everything we possibly can to help,” says Ann. “When

you have been as blessed as we have been, you want to make sure that you’re giving back.

Here’s the thing: Along the way, back in the early days, there were people that helped us along and we don’t forget that. So we’re always paying it forward and pulling the next generation up with us.”

Literary history is abundant with famous couples like the Shelleys, the Brownings, F. Scott and Zelda. But the VanderMeers’ creative relationship shares little in common with those glamorous, and dreadfully gendered, behind-every-great-man-is-a-woman pairings. The affection and respect these two hold for one another — in life and in letters — shines through on this sunny spring afternoon in northwest Tallahassee.

“It’s not like we don’t argue about some of these decisions and stuff. It’s just, it’s a really deep reservoir of respect, if that makes any sense,” says Jeff. “We also generally tend to be on more or less the same page. There have been very few times where we’ve been in disagreement about the course to take on something.”

Jeff spots a third hawk in the squabble he’s been tracking since he arrived. Back to the binoculars.

“Are they fighting over the snake?”

“No, I think the snake has already been digested.”

Naturally, Jeff is more interested in the avian brawl than in yet another in an endless stream of interviews. As friendly as they are, they are more than content to spend their time alone together. They are itching to hike through the park, a brief escape from the demands of literary fame.

They earned it. Jeff just turned in his next novel and is already at work on the one after that. He has notebooks full of ideas to develop. Borne is destined for the screen. (Big or small? TBD.) Their joint project, The Big Book of Classic Fantasy, is almost finished; the “Big Book of Modern Fantasy” looms behind that deadline.

The reward for good work is more work, and the VanderMeers do very good work.

For now, let them be just another couple with 30 years of shared history, strolling hand-inhand into the park’s interior where they will likely spot an idea that, like Borne himself, will grow into an all-consuming companion.

Because they are always working, even when they are not.

If that ain’t a good life, I don’t know what is. TM

PHOTO BY SAIGE ROBERTS

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Julien also faced a financial barrier to collegiate success. He is the youngest of five siblings born to Haitian immigrants. He lost his mother when he was five. His father, Jacques, worked as a dishwasher at a Miami hotel until his retirement.

But a Bright Futures scholarship has kept alive Julien’s dream of one day working as a pharmacy school professor, preferably at FAMU. “For me, Bright Futures has been a lifesaver,” Julian says. “The scholarship enabled me to focus on my studies when I needed to the most.”

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panache JUL/AUG 2018

Regarding Matters of All Things Stylish

CITIZEN OF STYLE

Uptown Style Downtown For dapper Allen Thompson, it’s always sunny in Tallahassee

by ROSANNE DUNKELBERGER

HIS & HERS photography by ALICIA OSBORNE

Convertibles for Summer

|| WHAT’S IN STORE

Shine, Shimmer and Beethoven

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nyone who’s spent time in Downtown Tallahassee has probably seen him: a smartly dressed Southern gent wearing a Panama hat, colorful bow tie and blazer tooling along the boulevards with a smile for everyone he passes.

Meet Allen Thompson, director of Downtown Experience and veteran of the two-person office of the Tallahassee Downtown Improvement Authority (TDIA), aka Downtown Tallahassee. It’s a relatively small special taxing district bounded by Gadsden Street on the east, the railroad tracks (including Cascades Park) on the south, Tennessee Street on the north and Bronough Street on the west. “And also a panhandle that includes some of the things on Gaines Street (and) the empty lot right next to the Civic Center,” he said.

“Allen is amazing.

I call him ‘Mr. Mayor.’

He buys coffee in a different shop every morning — and will spend his afternoons meeting downtown employees and business owners. He does it with a warm smile, old-school charm and a gentleman’s hat.”

— Chris Dudley, managing partner of Southern Strategies His job includes perambulating around in the district. “I easily do 10,000 steps a day and many times, more,” Thompson said. His walking is not aimless; he’s always on the lookout for a shifting sidewalk, neglected flowerbed or unsightly trash bin. And the district’s denizens are always invited to bend his ear with suggestions or concerns.

“Allen is amazing. I call him ‘Mr. Mayor.’ He buys coffee in a different In downtown Tallahassee, shop every mornAllen Thompson is everying — and will spend one’s natty neighbor. He’s a street walker, typically his afternoons meetlogging about 10,000 ing downtown emsteps a day while seeing ployees and business to it that the city is kept as kempt as possible. owners,” said Chris

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PHOTOS BY ALICIA OSBORNE

Thompson never ventures out without his Panama hat, worn both as a fashion statement and in an effort to prevent skin cancer.

His sartorial touches include a signature bow tie and extend to his footwear.

Dudley, managing partner of the lobbying firm Southern Strategies (which occupies a prime corner at Adams Street and College Avenue) and chairman of the TDIA. “He does it with a warm smile, old-school charm and a gentleman’s hat.”

Thompson’s Panama hat isn’t an affectation; it serves a purpose. After a lifetime spent in Florida and hearing about a friend’s relative who died from melanoma, he decided to visit a dermatologist who told him, “Luckily, you’re good, but I’d wear a hat.” His first hat was a floppy brimmed Tilley, but Thompson felt he needed to up his sartorial game, so he switched to the nattier straw hat, paired with more uptown attire for his downtown strolls.

His family came to Lloyd in the 1840s and “moved around a lot,” living for a short time in Tallahassee and also in the nearby towns of Monticello and Havana. “But I would come to Tallahassee often. It was the big town. I knew every little nook and cranny because I would come into Tallahassee to go to the movies on Saturday,” he recalled, and he attended performances at the Tallahassee Little Theater and Florida State University with his culture-loving mother.

Thompson moved to Nashville for school, and when he returned to Tallahassee around 1979, “things had changed a lot,” he said. “There were a lot of vacancies downtown. There was still some ground floor retail, but since then almost all of the vacancies have been filled with

advocates for different organizations.”

He has worked Downtown Tallahassee for decades, originally for DuBey’s News Center on North Monroe Street. His first connection with the Downtown Improvement Authority occurred more than 23 years ago, when he manned a kiosk representing Black Cat News (the successor store to DuBey’s) at the first Downtown Market events. In its next season, Thompson worked as a contrac-

Six Great Things About Downtown Tallahassee, according to Allen Thompson 1. Because of underground utilities, Downtown

hardly ever loses power.

2. Getting your photo taken in front of the

Tallahassee “postcard” on College Avenue.

3. The biggest cast-iron sculpture in the

Southeastern United States is on the side of the Challenger Learning Center. It’s actually the calculations for the space shuttle’s takeoff.

4. Riding the “T” trolley that runs between

Downtown and Midtown at lunchtime.

5. Taking a break on one of the porch swings.

6. Downtown Market, of course!

tor for the outdoor market, and he has been waking up at 5:30 a.m. most Saturdays ever since, helping vendors find their tent space.

“There were like five or six farmers that very first year. In our busiest times now, we usually average about 50 tents on a Saturday,” he said.

Thompson encourages visitors to take the time to talk to the market vendors, who often have an interesting story to tell, such as the farmers from Grady County and Madison who “basically rearranged their lives” to go back to working their family farms.

For years, it was a part-time gig, but in 2001 working for the Downtown Improvement Authority became his full-time job, with the Downtown Market taking up to half of his work time. With Saturday markets from March through November (and a special show in December), that adds up to 42 events a year. His agency also helps other groups coordinate special events such as the Tallahassee Marathon and Harambee.

Thompson’s job also includes populating the agency’s social media (TLHdowntown on Facebook and Instagram) and serving as a “catalyst.” Many times, he knows the right person to call for quick action if a loose grate is causing a trip hazard, or he weighs in when various agencies are trying to coordinate changes to things like parking meters, signage or streetlights.

“We try to be the peacemaker and the catalyst oftentimes,” he said. TM TALL AHASSEEMAGA ZINE.COM

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This vintage MGA 1500, circa late ’50s-early ’60s, is sophisticated and fun to drive.

HIS & HERS

GOING TOPLESS IN STYLE Convertibles lend joy to summer road trips

by ROB RUSHIN

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PHOTOS BY PAVLO BALIUKH (MGA 1500), VANDER WOLF IMAGES (LAMBORGHINI) / GETTY IMAGES PLUS

S

ee that? That is the 2017 Lamborghini Aventador LP750-4 Super“Driving the MG down Miccosukee canopy roads is one of my favorite Veloce Roadster. This 7-speed, all-wheel-drive sex machine boasts ways to unwind on a lazy Sunday,” Miller said.

750 horsepower and 0-to-60 acceleration of 2.7 seconds. With a Local soft-top fan Alan Hanstein — who drives a 2001 Porsche Boxtop speed of 217 miles per hour, the SuperVeloce offers a thrill ster S (986) — notes that he “keeps the top down pretty much unless it akin to riding atop a Saturn rocket, but with sleeker style and no roof is raining.” He’s all about cruising the canopy roads and spinning down over your head. Who wouldn’t look great driving one of these babies? to the beach.

Yeah, well forget about it. Priced at a cool “The weather here is perfect for a convertible. $535,000, the SuperVeloce is not only the world’s Cool mornings and warm afternoons. Somewhat most expensive convertible, the 600-unit producpredictable weather patterns. I don’t know why tion run sold out years ahead of the actual assembly. anybody would not own a convertible.”

So even if you could afford it, you are out of luck.

Prefer to buy something new? Read on for a Maybe you can find one on the resale market. sampling of the current crop of top-down rides.

Still, the Big Bend is a paradise for convertible For the budget conscious, the Smart ForTwo driving. Lucky for the rest of us there are more reCabriolet offers topless fun at a base price of alistic options on offer. You might want to check around $15,400. Just under 9 feet long, its 89 2017 Lamborghini Aventador SuperVeloce out the used market. Bargains await the diligent horsepower engine tops out at 96 mph, but its fuel Roadster, the world’s priciest convertible. shopper, and the cool-cred factor for classic ragtops rating at 35 miles per gallon beats the SuperVelcannot be beat. oce by a factor of three-plus, so there’s that. You Tallahassee-based software developer and homebrew enthusiast Geo will not win any drag race challenges in the Smart, but it is cute and fun Miller gets his ride on in a vintage 1978 MG Midget. He bought it in to drive and is one of the only viable under-20K topless options around.

1999 and claims he would not trade it for any other car. (I did not tempt You start to see more options when you get into the mid-20s price him with the Lamborghini.) range. Among the more popular at this price point are the Mazda

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Mazda MX-5 Miata Sport (above) and MINI Cooper (below) deliver convertible bliss for around $25,000.

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PHOTOS BY ROMAN BABAKIN (MAZDA), WALLIX (MINI) / GETTY IMAGES PLUS

Full Service Salons and Spas

MX-5 Miata Sport (M6), the MINI Convertible Cooper, and the Volkswagen Beetle 1.8T S, all right around $25,000 base MSRP. The Beetle brings the most power at around 170 horsepower, but the Miata packs a punch at 155 and the MINI brings a respectable 134 horses.

The Miata and the MINI boast standard 6-speed manual transmission, the Beetle a standard 6-speed automatic transmission. But come on. If you sport the convertible vibe, go with the manual option.

There is nothing more fun than shifting up and down through the gear box, clutching like a pro and imagining yourself taking corners like an old-school stock car demon. Then again, the convenience of the Beetle’s automatic is undeniable, and the fact that it is a Beetle might compensate for sacrificing the manual’s hipness vibe. As in all things automotive, your mileage may vary.

All of these cuties tout an mpg rating in the high 20s, depending on how you load them with options. Keep in mind that prices noted are the bare minimum; the sky is the limit for add-ons.

Looking for pure luxury? At 40k and climbing, Audi offers two Cabriolet models and BMW deals out the 230i and 240i series.

BMW offers nine more models costing $50–$100k, Mercedes a half dozen. These sumptious flivvers run a brisk pace, but they mostly tell the world that you already arrived and are in no hurry. Topless and chill, with Corinthian leather, naturally.

Buy American, you say? You can’t get more patriotic than a Chevy.

Both the Camaro and the Corvette offer the kind of all-American styling and performance that helped turn the convertible into the icon it is today. Magnificently engineered with enough sheer power to satisfy the most extreme need for speed, a Chevy just can’t be beat.

Unless someone flies past you in a Lamborghini. Whaddya gonna do? TM

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SUMMERTIME

SHINE

Bannerman Crossing seems to have it all, including SHINE BOUTIQUE, a casual clothing and accessory store brimming with summer goodies. For the beach, check out the CC baseball caps in pastels and jewel tones, or crocheted tops in warm corals and peach, perfect with denim pants — either long or very, very short.

Handmade jewelry is everywhere here: nuggetsize pearls on colored leather thongs, a sterling plated “wave” bracelet to sparkle like sea spray, and pretty beaded ropes that turn a simple T into a statement you’ll want to make.

3427 Bannerman Road | shineboutiquear.com

A roundup of retail happenings throughout Tallahassee

by MARINA BROWN

FRANCESCA’S Specializing in a “personalized” shopping

experience, the intimate boutique near Whole Foods Market wants to be the place where you buy a gift for a friend, pamper yourself or have assistant manager Tonya Green outfit a “girls’ night out” complete with quirky champagne flutes and pearlized unicorn stoppers for the chardonnay. Now also stocked with floral rompers for summer and everything lacy, a girl can buy trendy cork slings and capris or get her jewelry fix with golden bling to match her topper or summer sweater in blue.

1950-M Thomasville Road | robertsjewelry.net

1817 Thomasville Road, francescas.com

NOTES TO SELF

Who says shopping needs to be done at a clothing store? BEETHOVEN AND COMPANY — in its new location at 719 Calhoun St. in Midtown — is a fun place to visit with your musical friends. With sheet music for every instrument, (think saxophone duos, cello solos and piano ragtime favorites), you can stock up your music stand and pick up a biography of Liszt or a tutorial on conducting. Local musicians’ CDs and gag gifts such as musical socks and ties, bass clef glasses and treble cookie-cutters can be had for a song.

719 N. Calhoun St. | beethovenandcompany.com

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF FRANCESCA’S (DRESS, SHOES AND ACCESSORIES), CC BEANIE (HAT) / BY TPOPOVA (MUSIC SHEET), LOOBY (JEWELRY) / GETTY IMAGES PLUS

 WHAT’S IN STORE?

ESTATE JEWELRY

Located in Betton Place, ROBERT’S JEWELRY store can title itself “venerable,” having been a go-to gem hub for the last 24 years. Stocked with estate treasures that range from colored sparklers from the 1900s to fashionable Southwestern turquoise, Robert’s can also custom design and fabricate a piece on site. With a swing to yellow gold for the younger generation, it may be time to update your old white-gold style, and while you’re at it, pop a bigger bauble right in the middle!

(850) 553 3327 / 1350 MARKET STREET

CELEBRATE SUMMER C o t o n C o lo rs i s a l i f e s t y le b ra n d a n d d e s i g n e r o f p ro d u c t s c re a t e d t o i n s p i re a c e l e b ra t i o n e v e r y d ay.

Shop the Tallahassee Coton Colors Flagship Store for all your gifting and celebrating needs.

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gastro&gusto JUL/AUG 2018

FROM THE SIMPLY IRRESISTIBLE TO THE PIÈCE DE RÉSISTANCE

↖

Chefs prepare for an evening’s offerings at The Hawthorn, where menus reflect the season and the local harvest.

DINING OUT

The Hawthorn A refined dining experience, sourced locally

by ERIN HOOVER

LIBATIONS photography by ALICIA OSBORNE

Warhorse Whiskeys

|| DINE IN

Baking Summertime Pies

|| DINING GUIDE

See page 159

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O

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The Hawthorn, named for a local wildflower, is Chef Jesse Edmunds’ third and most high-end restaurant, following Liberty Bar and El Cocinero.

and our bread has a deeper character — it’s almost sourdough-ready,” he said. He’s right about the crusty, soft slices of bread that arrived on my table later that evening: They had a rich and appealing tang.

A chalkboard map announced oysters on offer at the time: Beausoleil, White Stone, Capitol Reserve, Pemaquid and Wild Cat Cove, all served with house-made saltines and distinctive sauces. I opted for Atlantic oysters from New Brunswick, the Chesapeake Bay, and Maine, each with its own characteristic flavor and texture.

When it opened, The Hawthorn’s menu featured items like braised rabbit ragu and wood-fired ribeye, but the menu items change with the seasons. The citrus poached grouper was my choice. Prepared sous vide and served with celeriac velouté, shaved fennel, buttered local mushrooms and fermented carrots, the fish was tender and flavorful.

The seasonal and local nature of the food remains constant. Local suppliers include Ripe City Urban Farm, located just four blocks away from the restaurant; Orchard Pond Organics in Tallahassee; and Full Earth Farm in Quincy. Live herbs in planters hang on the wall near the kitchen, waiting to flavor a dish.

Trained to cook in kitchens rather than culinary school, Edmunds started washing dishes at 14, then began making coffee, then moved on

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ALICIA OSBORNE

n a Friday evening at The Hawthorn, business was brisk, the main dining room full but not crowded. Guests lingered unhurried over glasses of fine wine and carefully crafted dishes.

Jesse Edmunds has described the dining experience at his restaurant as “refined” — a quality signified by attention to detail, but without fine-dining pretensions. “We want people to feel that we genuinely thought of them,” he said.

“We wanted seats that would be comfortable for a three-hour dining experience, so we sat in hundreds of chairs,” he recalled. Tables are spread with double linens to muffle noise, and a live sprig of thistle decorates each one. “We sat at all of the tables and asked ourselves, how does it sound, how does it look, how is the lighting?”

Named for a Southern wildflower in the rose family, The Hawthorn is Edmunds’ third restaurant, after opening Liberty Bar in 2014 and El Cocinero in 2016. Its main dining room seats 54, with additional bar and patio seating. The restaurant shares a kitchen with Liberty Bar, in the former location of Tifeo Italian Tavern/Joe Mama’s Wood Fired Pizza.

This is a convenient arrangement. Sitting on The Hawthorn’s patio, Edmunds described sautéing seasonal vegetables in brown butter to Liberty Bar’s kitchen manager, who popped over with a quick question about the bar’s gnocchi entree.

Edmunds is especially proud of the table bread at The Hawthorn.

The restaurant inherited the prior tenant’s wood oven along with its location.

“We began our own bread starter before we opened, and we use the same one now. The bread is wood-fired at 4:45 every night, so it’s cooling and ready to be cut at 5 o’clock. The starter is now two months old,

THE BEST LITTLE STEAKHOUSE IN TALLAHASSEE

Chef Edmunds is proud to feature select oysters in season and handmade bread baked in The Hawthorn’s wood-fired brick oven.

to plate dishes and fix sandwiches, and finally opened Liberty Bar with two friends from Mockingbird Cafe’s kitchen. Edmunds is now Liberty Bar’s sole owner as well as the owner of El Cocinero and The Hawthorn.

He calls himself a self-motivator. “To learn to debone a chicken, I watched videos of Jacques Pépin deboning a chicken. I bought 12 chickens at Publix and practiced while watching my phone in the kitchen at home,” he said.

The learning curve can be steep in the restaurant business. Every job is different, and every job is important. “A cook is not a chef, and a chef is not an owner,” Edmunds said, recalling how he became a chef, and then an owner, at Liberty Bar. A second restaurant presented new and bigger challenges. “Opening El Cocinero was hands-down the hardest thing I’ve done in my life. With the second restaurant, you have to know how to create and develop a culture, develop managers, delegate and trust. I feel more comfortable with the third restaurant,” he said.

“The team is everything,” Edmunds said of his current collaborators, some of whom have been with him since the early days at the Liberty Bar. “Our people are professionals. We wake up every day and work hard to do our best to serve people.”

“Food-from-scratch is part of the culture now,” Edmunds said. “For people in Tallahassee who want local ingredients and homemade fare, I want to find the business model to serve them.” TM

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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LIBATIONS

WHISKEY, PLEASE Order ‘America’s favorite spirit’ — and pizza — at Warhorse on Gaines

by ROSANNE DUNKELBERGER

W

hile there’s not a specific boundary, there’s definitely a demarcation on Gaines Street between party-hearty CollegeTown and the more artsy All Saints district directly to the east. And although it’s located between Florida State University and Florida A&M University, the Warhorse Whiskey Bar in the Garages on Gaines most definitely identifies with the All Saints crowd.

“We’re not trying to attract the freshly 21 business,” asserts manager Brian Jones. “A fair number of our clientele are local to the neighborhood. And several of the graduate school students frequent our location.”

As the name implies, whiskey is the star of this bar, with 170 varieties lining the shelves. Whiskey — and its subsets, bourbon, scotch and rye — has had a longstanding popularity that has grown in recent years. “It has a great history,” says head bartender Kate Hudson. “There’s so much you can learn, and there are so many stories you can share. It’s a very social beverage that brings people together.”

In addition to whiskey aficionados, Warhorse also welcomes those who want to learn about or expand their knowledge of “America’s favorite spirit.” Every variety is available in a half-ounce pour so one can sample a particular brand or create a flight to compare flavors. If you have a favorite popular whiskey, the bartending staff also can suggest more esoteric brands with a similar flavor profile.

And if whiskey isn’t your thing, the bar also stocks a variety of other spirits creatively mixed into cocktails by Hudson and the other bartenders, such as Pickle Martinis and Tequila Gimlets.

Warhorse — the name honors FSU’s mascot — is literally connected to Gaines Street Pies, and their entire menu of apps, pizza, calzones, sandwiches, salads and desserts is available to bar patrons. Happy hour happens every weekday from 4 to 7 p.m., with a menu of drinks priced between $2 and $5.

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Kate Hudson, head bartender at Warhorse, serves a julep made with honey (see recipe on Page 58).

While the atmosphere is usually laid back, things get to hopping on Thursdays during trivia night hosted by Hank Saints.

The bar opened on July 17, 2015, and every year Warhorse celebrates its anniversary near that date with a special flight of Pappy Van Winkle bourbons from the Buffalo

WARHORSE WHISKEY BAR

Trace distillery. “It’s rare. Probably a dozen or two bottles make it to the local area every year. It’s not terribly expensive, but it’s hard to get ahold of,” explains Jones. The festivities, set this year for Sunday, July 30, also include a drawing where one person wins a taste of every whiskey on the shelf. TM

603 W. Gaines St., @WarhorseWhiskey, (850) 765-9275 Monday–Sunday 11 a.m.–2 a.m.

photography by SAIGE ROBERTS

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY SAIGE ROBERTS

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gastro & gusto

DINE IN

FRUITS OF SUMMER Pick from the season’s bounty for homemade pie

Blueberries and other summer fruits and berries make scrumptious pie fillings.

“

M

e oh my, I love pie…”

The pie song in the angel-onearth movie “Michael” put to music what most people feel: Pie is heavenly. Their flaky, buttery crusts melt on their tongue. Their perfectly sweet fillings bring taste buds to life. And they’re so, so pretty.

While Christmas and Thanksgiving have deep connections to pies such as pumpkin and sweet potato, the pies of summer seem to delight us most — baked and served in the warmest, brightest days of the year, devoured outdoors on picnic blankets laid upon barefoot-worthy grass.

True summer pies set themselves apart with the vibrancy of their filling and their sweetness — most often the result of the

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fruits and berries so plentiful in summertime.

Peaches, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, huckleberries and more are ripe and ready for the picking, waiting to become the heart of sweetness and tang within a pie.

Fruits and berries seem to top the “it” list for summer pie fillings, as well as classically loved apples that seem to know no season and tropical fruits that bring to mind far-flung destinations with sun and sand. Pineapple tarts, banana crème pie, coconut cream pie, key lime and lemon meringue … the list goes on and the flavor profiles are as diverse as the colors of the rainbow. They can be tart and creamy or sweet and silky, refreshingly cool or piping hot. And even if you’re not a fruit loop, custard and pudding fillings such as

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chocolate silk and vanilla will keep your fork piled with pie and your sunny summer days satisfyingly sweet.

Whatever the pie, there is one important thing foundational to achieving perfection: the crust. Flaky, buttery crusts are key to a great pie, and while you can certainly make a good pie using a premade shell, there’s nothing quite like a crust made from scratch.

“When you’re making a crust using butter, the important thing is to keep all of the ingredients cold to prevent the butter from melting or being absorbed by the flour before it goes into the oven,” says Mark Cross, certified master baker and co-owner of Tasty Pastry Bakery on Market Street. “Cut cold butter into small pieces and add it to the flour

PHOTO BHOFACK2 / ISTOCK / GETTYIMAGES PLUS

by LIESEL SCHMIDT

Blueberry Pie INGREDIENTS ➸R efrigerated pie dough (enough for two crusts) ➸6 cups or 2 1/4 lbs. fresh blueberries ➸ 1 tsp. lemon zest ➸ 1 tbsp. lemon juice ➸¼ cup all-purpose flour ➸½ cup granulated sugar ➸½ tsp. cinnamon ➸ 2 tbsp. cold butter, cut into small dices

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Meanwhile, line a 9-inch pie dish with one disk of refrigerated crust dough and set aside.

In a small bowl, stir together the flour, sugar and cinnamon.

Combine blueberries, lemon zest and lemon juice in a bowl, then add the dry mixture of flour, sugar and cinnamon and stir together to fully coat the berries. Using a large spoon, place the coated blueberries into the unbaked pie shell.

Roll out the second disk of chilled pie dough. Cut into onehalf- to three-quarter-inch-wide strips and place the strips over the blueberries, weaving them to create a lattice top. Fold the dough at the edges over the side and crimp together by pinching between thumb and index finger. Brush the top of the pie with water or egg wash and sprinkle lightly with sugar.

Bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes, then reduce temperature to 350 degrees and bake an additional 30 to 40 minutes until crust is browned and filling is bubbling. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Recipe by Tasty Pastry Bakery

before adding the water, then mix the dough just enough to incorporate the liquid. It’s important not to overwork it, or it will become too tough. Chilling the dough again will let the butter set up and the gluten relax, which creates a flakier crust and prevents it from becoming too tough once it’s rolled out into a pie shell,” Cross advises.

Some of the best summer pies use wet fillings, but no one loves a soggy bottom. To keep the crust dry and flaky, bakers in the know recommend a process called “blind baking.” To blind bake, place a sheet of parchment paper over the raw pie shell and weigh it down with pie weights or dry beans. Once the edges of the crust bake golden, remove the weights or beans and allow the empty pie shell to bake a little longer. Only then should you fill it with the fruits, berries, custards or chilled puddings you’ve chosen. Fruits, most especially those without a great deal of natural pectin, by their very nature contain a great deal of moisture, which releases during the cooking process and can cause the crust to become overly wet.

“Tossing raw fruits in a mixture of tapioca flour or corn starch and sugar before filling the pie with them will help keep the juices from becoming runny when you bake the pie,” advises Treva Pasquarelli, head baker and owner of Treva’s Pastries & Fine Foods on Capital Circle NE. From warm, sweet fruits to cool, creamy custards, fill your summer pies with your family’s favorites, give the kids a spin with the rolling pin, and bake something that will stay in memory long after the dish is empty. TM TALL AHASSEEMAGA ZINE.COM

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PROMOTION

NATHAN ARCHER The Arts Live Here

By Erica Thaler, Council on Culture & Arts (COCA) Nathan Archer

WHAT IS NECESSARY FOR YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS? Coffee! I need at least 20 oz. of straight black java juice flowing through my veins to get going.

WHAT FICTIONAL CHARACTER WOULD YOU LIKE TO BRING TO LIFE AND MEET? I’d love to know what Lois Lane thought of my editorial cartoons and if they’d run in the Daily Planet.

WHAT MUSIC IS PLAYING IN YOUR CAR? Music in the car? No time for that! I’m usually listening to WFSU, trying to get a lead on my next cartoon. But if I put something on at home, there’s a good chance it’s either Billy Joel or Supertramp.

WHAT IS THE LAST BOOK YOU READ THAT HAD AN IMPACT ON YOU? Cartoon County by Cullen Murphy. Written by the son of Prince Valiant cartoonist, John Cullen Murphy, it’s a look back at an era in which dozens of cartoonists and illustrators lived in a closeknit community in southwest Connecticut.

There’s a lot to be learned from those old troublemakers.

IT’S TIME FOR DINNER; WHERE ARE WE GOING TO EAT? I’m extremely indecisive, so choosing a restaurant is an excruciating process. But let’s flip a coin. Heads, Bird’s Aphrodisiac Oyster Shack; tails, El Cocinero.

IF YOU WERE TRAPPED IN A TV SHOW OR MOVIE FOR A MONTH, WHICH WOULD IT BE? Silliness is in my DNA, so I wouldn’t mind spending some time in the absurd world of Angie Tribeca, my latest binge-worthy guilty pleasure.

WHAT SUPERPOWER WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE? Flight. It’d be great to soar above the clouds, but the real payoff is skipping those long TSA lines!

WHAT HAVE YOUR LEARNED FROM FAILURE? Cartooning has taught me that if I fail, there’s another opportunity to succeed right around the corner. Just pick yourself up, dust yourself off and give it another try.

WHAT DO YOU HOPE YOU WILL BE REMEMBERED FOR? People tell me I smile a lot, so if that’s what I’m remembered for I’d consider it a life well-lived.

Want to learn more about Nathan?

Visit tallahasseearts.org/artist/nathan-archer to learn more about Nathan and over 950 artists of all creative disciplines in our Artist Directory.

Visit TallahasseeArts.org for a complete list of arts and cultural events, public art, arts education and more on the Tallahassee Arts Guide.

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PHOTO BY JOE RONDONE (FROM TALLAHASSEE DEMOCRAT)

Nathan Archer has been the Editorial Cartoonist for the Tallahassee Democrat since 2016.

A native of Richmond, Virginia, he’s lived in Tallahassee since 2002 when he came here for graduate school at Florida State University. Nathan loves mentoring students, promoting the art of cartooning and making people laugh wherever he goes.

expression JUL/AUG 2018

KEEPING TABS ON ALL THAT MUSES INSPIRE

MUSIC

SMOKIN’ ON GAINES The Wilbury brings heat with funk, rock and BBQ

by ROB RUSHIN

I

t’s an unseasonably warm Thursday night in February when a coupla hundred people intent on ignoring the looming demands of Friday morning work/school obligations cram together around the stage at The Wilbury on Gaines Street. The occasion? A chance to soak up the quintessential New Orleans sound of the Grammy-winning Rebirth Brass Band.

ART photo by ALICIA OSBORNE

Watercolorists

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expression

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← Rebirth Brass Band brought New Orleans jazz, funk and hip hop to The Wilbury in February for a dancing-roomonly crowd.

The Wilbury celebrated First Friday on June 1 with a free show

by Ray Benton, DJ Felix Flo, JST David and Royce Lovett.

or so tables under the trees. An Airstream trailer, retrofitted to serve as a kitchen, sits beside a wood shack equipped with meat smoker and deep fryer. The patio is a crazy beehive of hard work and hard play.

A couple of local bands got the crowd ready ahead of Rebirth that night, and while the energy was less than the Rebirth-level overdrive, the crowd was enthusiastic and supportive, especially for up-and-coming guitar slinger Hub Chason and his band of Good Little Chickens.

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The Wilbury is shaping up to be a major factor in Tallahassee’s growing live-music scene, offering a mix of local bands and national talent including Cindy Wilson of the B-52s, Wreckless Eric, and Rebirth. Most of the shows have no cover charge, and the national acts are modestly priced. With live entertainment roughly three nights a week and a fully stocked bar with more than a dozen quality craft beers on tap, this latter day juke joint near the intersection of Gaines and Railroad is becoming a crossroads favorite

W Gaines St., thewilburytallahassee.com, (850) 320-6353 11 a.m.–2 a.m.

THE WILBURY 513Monday–Sunday

PHOTOS BY ALICIA OSBORNE (EXTERIOR & RAY BENTON) AND MARY CURRAN (REBIRTH)

Entering their 35th year, Rebirth is an institution, part of the first wave of the NOLA brass band revival begun by the Dirty Dozen Brass Band in the late ’70s. The brass band tradition has been a core element in New Orleans culture and identity since the late 1800s and is arguably the original breeding ground for jazz. Rebirth Brass Band honors that tradition even as it stirs rock, funk, R&B and hip hop into the mix.

The sound system in The Wilbury is very good, and when a few early mix and monitor problems sort out, every instrument comes through loud and clear. The low ceiling and cozy room capacity — around 300 if the fire marshal is to be believed — lends a close and intimate cast to the group. We are all in this cauldron together.

Everybody dances, even spazzo journalists who really should go sit down, but sitting down is impossible in front of the Rebirth funk, so let the critics pound sand. The tables and chairs are pushed against the walls to make way for an audience that, in solid NOLA tradition, is every bit as essential to the evening’s festivities as the band itself. A mostly ignored television is playing Olympic figure skating. Oddly enough, all the routines seem to fit Rebirth’s deep groove.

The place is smoking, but the venue is nonsmoking. No worries about smelling like an ashtray when you leave. For the nicotine inclined, the outdoor patio offers refuge.

The aesthetic is decidedly funky. Due to the club’s proximity to Tallahassee’s Art Alley, colorful graffiti adorns every vertical surface as you approach the entrance. The brick patio behind the club features a dozen

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Out back are a dozen tables set on a brick patio surrounded by wall murals and an Airstream that keeps the barbecue coming.

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of the college crowd and adventurous locals of all ages.

The range of musical genres at The Wilbury is impressive, ranging from blues-rock to hip hop to shoegaze to full-blast, paint-peeling rock.

This diversity is seen too at local clubs like Fifth & Thomas, Blue Tavern, Junction at Monroe, and Indianhead Factory that are taking chances both in their artistic curation and in giving local musicians a supportive place to present their work, sometimes alongside established artists like Rebirth.

Are we witnessing a live music renaissance in Tallahassee? CowHaus Productions’ Brian Giblett has been promoting live music here for 20 years, including this Rebirth show. He spoke about the importance of venues such as The Wilbury to a live music scene that has long suffered for lack of viable stages.

“Well, it’s been harder with there being fewer venues, for sure. But The Wilbury has been stepping up to fill more of that void, and I know they are planning to do more to make shows better there. I think people are getting back into seeing live music a little more now than maybe a year or two ago.”

The Wilbury opened in November 2016, one of several new Gaines Street businesses that followed the streetscape renovation, a surge that turned the district into a polyglot of offbeat hotspots. We asked owner Ryan Smith what he envisioned when he opened his joint.

“We wanted The Wilbury to be a place that preserves the sense of community, art and music that the Gaines/Railroad district has always stood for. We grew up coming to shows and First Fridays in this area, and it provided us countless good times, experiences and memories. We want to hold on to the past and at the same time embrace the future.”

And what does the future hold?

“We hope that the Gaines/Railroad district keeps its sense of identity and expands upon it in a positive direction by fostering personal, cultural and local economic growth. In five years we would love for The Wilbury to be known across the country as the place for up and coming, mid-level and the occasional larger band to come to Tallahassee and play.”

That’s it?

“Oh ... and we’d also like to be known for our fantastic BBQ, badass bartenders and awesome mini-bowling lanes! We aren’t your normal type of place. You can’t get much more Gaines Street than that.”

The Wilbury is open Monday through Saturday from 11.30 a.m. until 2 a.m., making it a convenient place for lunch, a casual dinner or a late-night nosh. And if you need a bite after Sunday go-to-meeting — or if you crave a little hair of the dog — Sunday brunch is served from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. TM

PHOTO BY ALICIA OSBORNE

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expression

ART

Art Collective Watercolor Society’s members share fascination with the imprecise

by ERIN HOOVER

T

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“Iamonia Lotus” by Gail Poteat

Water Media Exhibition opened at Florida State University Museum of Fine Arts in May. Each fall, Tallahassee Watercolor Society presents Brush Strokes, a members-only exhibition, with the support of the Council on Culture & Arts. The group puts together smaller rotating exhibits around town, at Tall Timbers Research Station & Land Conservancy, Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare and Florida Cancer Specialists.

At monthly meetings, members offer up their work for a group critique, and then a local artist presents a technique workshop. McKeown showed the group the image of an older, grizzled man in a red jacket, a painting called “Joe.” “Please, take pot shots,” he said. “I have a thick skin.”

Several in the group responded, with ideas to modify the painting’s green background by adding red, or to “lose some edge” by blending the figure’s shirt sleeve into the trees.

A registered nurse who retired and began painting two years ago, Carol Wilson was attending her first meeting and critique. She said she began her painting “Purple Crane” at Tallahassee Senior Center, where she learned a technique of “wetting paper, using blotches of color and then putting Saran wrap on top” to produce an abstract image, which she used as a background for additional brushwork.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE ARTISTS

allahassee Watercolor Society is one of several dozen city and regional groups founded across the country to promote water media.

Many are very old; the American Watercolor Society, which began soon after the conclusion of the Civil War, recently celebrated its 150th birthday.

Founded in 1980, Tallahassee’s group is regional. Karol Dover Selvaggio, the current president, has been a member of Tallahassee Watercolor Society for eight years and leads some 240 members from Florida and nearby Georgia and Alabama.

“We reach out in the community and help in schools, and we offer free ongoing exhibitions,” Selvaggio said. “A lot of us paint at the senior center,” she continued, referring to the Tallahassee Senior Center.

“Friendships develop out of our monthly meetings.”

For the 30 or so members who attend meetings, open to the public and held on the third Sunday of the month at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, water media is a passion rather than an occupation. Selvaggio studied art at Florida State University, but as office manager What is for a construction company, she found she didn’t watercolor? have time to paint until she retired.

Watercolor is a water-based William McKeown, who began painting in repigment. Unlike tirement, is a member of 10 different watercolor acrylics or oils, societies. He has helped set up exhibits at Montwatercolors create their efford Middle School and said he enjoys talking to fect through the students about watercolor. white backing of “They ask so many questions,” McKeown said the paper. with a chuckle. “The first one is usually, ‘How long did it take you to do that?’”

In March, Selvaggio and other group members were busy gearing up for one of two large annual exhibits: the Tri-State Juried Water Media Exhibition, opening in the spring.

The show’s juror, typically a well-known watercolor artist and member of a national group, selects between 65 and 70 paintings for exhibition from applicants living in Florida, Georgia and Alabama. Selvaggio said she was pleased to have a well-known artist — Jaimie Cordero, based in Miami — choose the paintings this year. The Tri-State Juried

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Among others who commented on Wilson’s painting, Nina Freeman, a participant in many local and regional juried exhibitions, suggested the addition of color to make the crane’s back more pronounced, and repeating the patterned marks found on the right side of the painting on its left. “Repetition of shapes is a good thing,” Freeman offered.

“I’ve never done (a critique) before,” Wilson said, “but I find artists are kind to each other.” Referring to the abstract foundations of her painting, she continued, “It’s a process for me, an experiment.

Any feedback is good feedback.”

Following the critique, Freeman presented a brief workshop. “You go to doctor’s offices, you go to law offices, you’ll see (Nina Freeman’s) work,” said Eva Lynn Powell, the group’s vice president, introducing the artist. “Sometimes we forget “The Thicket” by Nina Freeman that we have rock stars among us.”

A crowd gathered around a large table for a tutorial on creating monoprints with gouache, the process of producing a single print using an opaque watercolor paint. As dozens watched, Freeman applied a coat of gum arabic, a solution used as a binder, to a glass plate, where she then painted an image of flowers using the gouache.

Freeman wet a sheet of hot-pressed watercolor paper and laid it gently against the plate. After using a brayer to apply pressure, she lifted up a print of brightly colored flowers.

Freeman has exhibited with the Experimental Watercolor Society, which she explained is for those who are fans of painting that isn’t “straight up and down watercolor,” such as mixed media and collage.

“If one paints after four glasses of wine, is that experimental?” a voice volunteered.

After explaining how to sign a monoprint — in pencil, below the print — Freeman used a watercolor pencil to enhance its colors. “See how simple it is?” she asked. “And how rewarding.” TM TM

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE ARTISTS

“Explosive Palm” by Rosemary Ferguson

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expression BOOKS

Transcending the Ordinary Fictional Sass, Georgia is infused with magic

S

ass, Georgia, won’t be found on a map, but crack open one of Faith Harkey’s novels and Sass leaps from the page. The rural town is the amalgam of a few places local author Faith Harkey has encountered while traversing the United States.

Recent book Sneak Thief is Harkey’s second venture into Sass’ magical setting. The book was published by Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers and was released in March. Clarion Books published Harkey’s first book, Genuine Sweet, in 2015. Harkey writes for a middle school-aged audience.

Both Genuine Sweet and Sneak Thief have protagonists who possess a, shall we say, heightened proclivity for nudging the present toward their ideal. In Genuine Sweet, Genuine can grant anyone’s wish but her own. In Sneak Thief, Hush Cantrell pulls off elaborate sneaks, borrowing what is not hers to take. Both characters must find ways to balance their magic.

“I think in the real world we can define magic as the fascinating operations of imagination and coincidence,” Harkey said.

The author sat cross-legged on a cushion in her

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writing studio at home. It’s a small room lined with bookshelves. A whiteboard is inscribed with, “Have I imagined enough today?” A computer rests on a table settled low to the ground.

Harkey sits on meditation cushions on the floor to write.

“In literature, I think of magic as the principle of the numinous. …

It takes a narrative to do it. It takes images and characters to enact magic within a story.”

Sneak thief Hush Cantrell is more of an outsider than the protagonist of Harkey’s first book, but it’s a relatable standoffishness.

“Hush’s forcefulness is about her survival. I think asserting herself is very part and parcel of who she is,” Harkey said.

Harkey said the difficulty of writing Sneak Thief was waiting for Hush to appear.

There was a lengthy gap between Genuine Sweet and Sneak Thief that Harkey

↑ Sneak Thief, based in a fictional town

named Sass, is Faith Harkey’s second book for middle-grade children.

PHOTO BY MILA BRIDGER AND COURTESY FAITH HARKEY

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described as a bit nerve-wracking. But once Hush’s voice piped up in the author’s mind, writing the book took about six weeks. Revising was the longer process.

“I think that that gestation phase (between books) is really important and it is part of that final book. The energy of that gestation permeates the whole work, but it was a period of fits and starts,” Harkey said.

She estimated she began 20 stories that didn’t work before landing on the correct tone.

The responsibility of writing for kids “Part of the neat thing about writing for middle-graders is you can kind of live a magical realistic life,” Harkey said. “I like the idea that that’s actually the reality of our world: Most of the time, things are mundane, but sparks of magic can come through.”

Harkey gives a presentation about inspiration and other intangible gifts when on book tour. She often stops in schools, so she has made an effort to mix in practical lessons such as the importance of crediting sources. The presentation could best be described as a TED talk for 9- to 13-year-olds. Harkey said she hopes to help her readers “feel elevated by their own power.” She also noted she does not read adult reviews of her work. She is much more interested in how young readers engage with the stories.

“When I talk to kids, defi“Part of the neat thing nitely, I feel a strong sense of responsibility,” Harkey said. about writing for middle“The thing I know the most graders is you can kind of about and I feel is the most live a magical realistic life valuable thing for a kid to have is the understanding of … I like the idea that that’s finding their inspiration and actually the reality of our using it.” world: Most of the time At one school visit, a young girl presented Harthings are mundane, but key with an index card full sparks of magic can come of questions but left before through.”

Harkey answered.

“I think she answered the — Faith Harkey questions in her imagination,” Harkey laughed.

The author has made a concerted effort to visit small towns with her books.

“There was a gravity there,” Harkey said about rural school visits in Arkansas and Mississippi. “I write about rural stories, so am I really connecting with rural kids? It was an open question.

“I think they received it and they understood it and they felt understood.”

Harkey remarked it is both easier and harder to write for younger audiences. The challenge is authenticity. She has noticed kids have less patience for pretense.

“It’s easier because they do suspend their disbelief more readily,” Harkey added.

She warned against assuming middle-grade novels are written in a simpler way than adult fiction.

“I don’t think you have to and should not tone down language for kids. I think that if you have an authentic character that’s a great character, they’re speaking the right language anyway,” Harkey said. TM

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expression

↖

A shared love of weird cinema is one of the reasons Kevin Cole and Qas Jordan fell for each other.

↑ Like-minded fans of the trash film genre flock

For the Love of Trash Cap City Video Lounge celebrates Tallahassee’s weird side

by ERIN HOOVER

I

n the 1990 horror/comedy film “Troll 2,” vegetarian goblins try to change a family into vegetables in order to eat them. Despite the name, “Troll 2” is unrelated to the more popular film, “Troll”; distributors merely hoped to market the film as a sequel.

“Troll 2” is widely considered one of the worst films ever made, and Kevin Cole loves it.

The West Tennessee Street video rental store and movie theater Cole runs with his wife, Qas Jordan, is dedicated to “the stuff you can’t find anywhere else,” films he calls trash or weird cinema. Films like “Troll 2.”

Cole worked at the now defunct rental store Video 21 for years and curated weekly trash cinema nights at Bird’s Aphrodisiac Oyster Shack before opening Cap City Video Lounge in December 2016. For the record, his favorite movie is the 1969 drama classic Midnight Cowboy”; Jordan is a fan of

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“Harold and Maude” and “Exorcist III.” Asked for a more complete definition of the hard-to-describe “trash” genre, Cole listed a few adjectives: unique, entertaining and endearing. “It’s the thing someone poured their heart into and really wanted to work, but (the film) didn’t necessarily take.”

You’d be surprised who likes trash cinema, he said. “We get everybody. They hear about us through word of mouth or Facebook. For the most part, it’s word of mouth — people want to share Cap City Video Lounge.”

Cole and Jordan moonlight at the business after full days at other jobs, renting VHS, DVD and Blu-rays — a combination of Cole’s personal library and donations from film aficionados with no more room to store prized DVD collections. They screen double features, triple features and Saturday all-day marathons in a comfortable theater with a high-definition projector, professional sound system and seats

to the lounge for screenings, rentals, popcorn popped in coconut oil, dill pickles, Slim Jims and alt ambiance.

trucked north from a Hialeah church.

“We get a lot of people who bring dates here.

It’s always the horror movies, the fright flicks.

You bring a girl or a guy to a scary movie, it brings you closer,” Cole said.

A relatively cheap date option, Cap City Video Lounge charges from $1 to $3 for movie rentals, and screenings run a $5 donation per person. The venue also does a brisk business renting out the screening room for private parties at the very reasonable rate of $1 per minute; guests bring their own refreshments or buy buckets of popcorn popped in sweet coconut oil, or dill pickles and Slim Jims.

Cole said that for an upcoming birthday party, a girl turning 12 planned to screen “UHF”

Cap City Video Lounge 2790-2 West Tennessee Street (850) 765-0147 facebook.com/capcityvideolounge

PHOTOTS BY ALICIA OSBORNE

STAGE

by “Weird Al” Yankovic. “‘UHF’ was Weird Al’s only film,” Cole continued, seemingly impressed by the birthday girl’s choice.

Kids’ parties are popular, but Jordan listed other options: bachelor and bachelorette parties, baby showers, organizational fundraisers, student film showings, professional photo shoots, burlesque auditions — even video game marathons on the big screen. “Our first party was kids who wanted to play Donkey Kong, a week after we opened,” she said. “We can keep it as crazy or as clean cut as you want.”

The screening room has doubled as a stage — hosting, for example, rockabilly group The Living Deads and Snailmate, a band Cole classifies as hip hop techno; a monthly live comedy show on Sundays, Bitches Love Brunch; punk and indie karaoke; and Trivia and a Movie.

Drawn to the quirky side of town Originally from Winter Haven, Florida, Cole moved to Tallahassee in the second grade. He said he’s since left half a dozen times, but that local businesses like Video 21, the Miracle 5 movie theater, and record store Vinyl Fever — all closed — kept him coming back. He wants Cap City Video Lounge to be that kind of place for other people.

“This is a home for film lovers, but also people who like the weird stuff,” Cole said, walking past posters for “Prince of Darkness” and “They Live” signed by one of his filmmaker idols, John Carpenter.

“You go to the movies, and there’s a ton of Marvel and Disney, but where are you going to see ‘The Stuff,’ directed by Larry Cohen, about a sentient ice cream cone that eats people? You have to seek it out.” TM

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Exotic LIVES

W

ALKING INTO A DRAWING ROOM full of people,

each beautifully groomed, each accomplished, each splendid in one way or another, one’s eye would be drawn nevertheless to a singular couple. It would

be so not only because she is a golden-haired beauty and he a movie-star-handsome man of means, nor because their conversation ranges from land conservation to Namibian jewelry, from horse breeding to belly dancing. Instead, Anne and Colin Phipps are alluring simply because they are in love.

They lived rich, exotic lives before they became a couple more than 20 years ago. It is as if two distinct novels were written, one perhaps a romance about a peripatetic young woman who traveled the globe, dancing to exotic rhythms, gathering encyclopedias of facts and languages, following “the energy” of the universe wherever she found it.

The other’s saga would begin in the perfume of another era — one of vast wealth, Grand Tours, African hunts and a blending of old money with an Edwardian sense of responsibility that would be passed down through generations like pedigrees from Exeter and Yale.

Today, Colin Phipps, deeply attentive to the stewardship of familial lands that combined several of the dozens of turnof-the-century hunting plantations dotting North Florida, and Anne, continuing her interest in the arts and her own dancing craft, blend philanthropy, travel, architectural restoration and land conservation within a local/global perspective. And each of them does it with a humanity that draws in those without privilege and that embraces as friends those beginning on life’s ladder.

← Anne Lippe and Colin Phipps married in 1998 after decades of exploring the world, from New Zealand to Colombia and from Egypt to Berkeley.

Anne and Colin Phipps explored the world separately, then blended their lives to become a Tallahassee dynasty

by MARINA BROWN photography by DAVE BARFIELD

The Tallahassee-based couple, with five other residences between them — in Boston, Tampa, Berkeley, West Yarmouth and a ranch in Montana — continues to travel to their homes and across the globe.

COLIN’S STORY Colin Phipps laughs a little at his own middle name, “Srinagar.” He’s told the tale before, but it happily links him to his parents and a way of life that is no more. “I was conceived in Srinagar, Kashmir,” he says. “So, that city and I sort of got mixed up.” Yet to tell Colin’s story, it’s necessary to skip back generations to learn how an office boy and bookkeeper, Henry Phipps, would set the stage for great-great-grandson Colin Phipps’ spark to life in Kashmiri India.

About 1860, the young accountant Henry Phipps was moving up. A born entrepreneur, he formed companies that dealt in powder and iron around the time of the Civil War. TALL AHASSEEMAGA ZINE.COM

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“Dad thought this part of Florida looked like Kenya.

The trees weren’t so big then; there was broom scrub and open spaces. Lake Jackson was like a veldt. He had wanted to live in Africa, but back then, the eldest son needed to stay at home and take care of things, and so Dad did, but he bought what reminded him of Kenya.”

Joining with his neighbor and friend, Andrew Carnegie, the two developed Union Steel Company, eventually called Carnegie Steel, and finally sold it to J.P. Morgan’s United States Steel. Phipps became an extraordinarily wealthy man and with his earnings, he set up family trusts and expanded his businesses into securities and real estate.

Along the way, he built a mansion near his neighbors, the Carnegies, the Flaglers and the Fricks, bought an island on Cape Cod and bought land in Chicago, — Colin Phipps New Jersey and Florida — finishing by essentially owning one-third of the town of Palm Beach. plantations). It is from the tradition of Much of those real estate investments land husbandry and philanthropy that was donated to cities, to land conservanColin Phipps derived his own abiding cies and for parks. Tuberculosis and psyinterests. chiatric hospitals, botanical gardens and And it was about the time when young affordable housing complexes were all Colin, with his parents, was making an philanthropic gifts from Henry Phipps. early trip to Africa that Anne Lippe, the Colin Phipps demonstrates those same future Anne Phipps, was born. sensibilities today.

John H. “Ben” Phipps, Colin’s father, ANNE’S STORY was a businessman, a Yale graduate and a brilliant polo player. He also had a particIn considering Anne Phipps’ life, one may ular affinity for Africa. “Dad thought this have the impression of a buoyant and fearpart of Florida looked like Kenya,” says less sailboat, riding waves with a sense of Colin. “The trees weren’t so big then, discovery and joy. With flowing strawberthere was broom scrub and open spaces. ry-blonde curls and the figure she had at Lake Jackson was like a veldt.

20, it may be that a sense of adventure was “He’d wanted to live in Africa, but with her from the start — its beginning back then, the eldest son needed to stay just took a little time to gather speed. at home and take care of things, and so Born and reared in Tampa, with some Dad did, but he bought what reminded childhood years spent in Birmingham, him of Kenya.”

Alabama, where she helped her parents In the mid ’30s and early ’40s, Ben teach ballroom dance at their Arthur MurPhipps bought not only plantation lands ray franchise, Anne kept busy with her in the Tallahassee area but radio stations, own ballet lessons and maintaining a B+ established a large cattle-raising operaacademic average. tion and a timber company, founded a sea Although dance would play a promiturtle conservancy, and fought the good nent part in her life, she calls her high fight to maintain the century oaks along school years “fallow” regarding theatrics.

Meridian Road. His plantation lands, She laughs, “I didn’t dance at all. Instead once part of Governor R.K. Call’s propsomehow, at graduation I was given the erties, covered nearly 9,000 acres that he Betty Crocker Homemaking Award and called Orchard Pond (it was much later solicited by FSU’s Home Economics divided into Orchard Pond and Ayavalla Department!”

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↗ Colin Phipps, who once raised Paso Fino horses in Colombia, was instrumental in establishing the Red Hills Horse Trials in Leon County.

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Anne Lippe Phipps has been a dancer all her life, specializing in Middle Eastern forms that led her to a dancing career in Egypt.

Slipping out of the “kitchen,” Anne instead headed to a private girls school near Cleveland where she majored in history and absorbed the cultural delights of a large city. One choice foreshadowing her yet-unglimpsed future may have been her selection of “Scheherazade” as music for a modern dance class she took on a whim. The Middle East would come to play a large part in everything Anne would go on to do.

While earning a graduate teaching certificate at the University of California, Berkeley, she was exposed to the culture wars of the ’60s, Vietnam protests and racial boycotts. She went on to work for a year as a social worker until a trip with her mother and brother to Europe led to a driving trip through Turkey and the purchase of a pair of finger cymbals in Morocco that would change her life.

“When I returned, I began to take bellydancing lessons,” says Anne. Soon, she was performing in Renaissance Festivals, Greek restaurants and various nightclubs in the San Francisco and Seattle areas. “I committed,” she says, and began building a performing career on the West Coast that would last the next two years.

But family considerations brought her back to Tampa. By this time, experienced and in demand, Anne began dancing in Tarpon Springs, a locus of the Middle East in middle Florida, and founded the bellydance program at Busch Gardens. Constantly learning and expanding intellectually as well as artistically, she also added Spanish dance to her movement vocabulary.

Still, she was restless. After a short stint working with an Argentinian circus (“I was dressed like a mermaid on top of an opening clam”) and after 10 months belly-dancing in Hawaii, she made a decision. Why not Egypt? Indeed, why not.

COLIN’S STORY In the meantime, Colin, who from the third grade had been educated away at boarding schools, also had gone traveling. Not only did he take regular safari trips with his parents, but in the 1950s, “My cousin and I made a

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round-the-world trip — Fiji, New Zealand, Japan, India, Europe.” But he chose to stay in Florida for university, graduating from FSU with a history degree and settling into the board management of the Bessemer Trust with its lineage back to Henry Phipps’ endowment.

But like the young dancer he hadn’t yet met, Colin was restless. He purchased a large cattle ranch in Colombia, spending most of the year there. He imported elegant, highstepping Paso Fino horses for breeding and became one of the prime movers for the Red Hills Horse Trials that until recently were held on his property. As he consolidated his local land holdings, Colin became even more deeply involved in nature conservancy, gifting 1,000 acres to Tall Timbers, more

acreage for City Park, over 600 acres for Eleanor Klapp Phipps Park, and turning much of the land he owned near Miller’s Landing Road and Lake Jackson into conservation easements. Life was busy for the soft-spoken man with Old World gentility.

ANNE’S STORY Though Anne and Colin each were crossing the globe, their worlds in those years were in different hemispheres. In Egypt, Anne was thriving. With her fair complexion and golden hair, she was a fascination for Egyptian aficionados of Middle Eastern dance. She joined a national folkloric troupe and began touring, often featured as a kind of “Circassian beauty.” She stayed in Egypt for four years, (continued on page 158)

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Right to Counsel Public defenders blend law and social work to reduce crime

by MICHAEL MOLINE

photography by MARK WALLHEISER

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↖ Andy Thomas and Nancy Daniels heeded a call in becoming public defenders, those officers of the court who ensure that criminal defendants unable to afford an attorney are represented in proceedings.

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The docket is full.

It’s 10:05 a.m. in Courtroom 2B in the Leon County Courthouse. Deputies lead five men wearing green jail garb into the room and toward a bench off to one side. They are hunched, because wearing shackles attached by chains to handcuffs requiring them to advance only by tiny steps. They take seats and wait for the proceedings to begin.

Second Judicial Circuit Judge Martin Fitzpatrick takes the bench. One by one, the accused stand before him, flanked by one of the two assistant public defenders in court today — John Knowles and Elizabeth Vallejo. Most are here to enter plea bargains or settle on court dates.

One, awaiting trial on charges of beating up his girlfriend, seeks relief from a restraining order. (Having found she is pregnant, she wants contact; Fitzpatrick doesn’t think that’s wise and says no.)

A

nother day in the life of a public defender.

“You really have to love humanity,” said 2nd Circuit Public Defender Andy Thomas, who took office in January 2017. He supervises 65 staff attorneys, including 23 who work exclusively on appeals, plus social workers, investigators and support staff. The circuit’s 42 trial attorneys cover six counties: Leon, Jefferson, Gadsden, Liberty, Wakulla and Franklin, while the appeals attorneys cover 32 counties from Escambia to Duval to Alachua.

The office shares the Leon County Courthouse’s fourth floor with the 2nd Circuit State Attorney’s Office.

The Public Defender’s office represents 80-85 percent of the accused in circuit court in Leon County — the ones who can’t afford a private attorney who might charge $5,000 to handle, say, a DUI. “The key question when you’re hiring a young attorney is, ‘Do you really want to help poor people? Do you get poor people?

Do you understand what indigent defense is?’” Thomas said in a recent interview.

“You’re going to see some of the nastiest,

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most depressing, unhappy things in this job.

And you’re going to have clients who will yell at you at times because they are maybe mentally ill, maybe jonesing, coming off of drugs. This is not an easy job. It takes some internal fortitude to do this job.”

It helps to take a broad view of criminal defense — to see the client as a complex human being, often with serious problems you need to identify and address. Thomas calls himself “half social worker/psychologist, half lawyer.”

This is the “holistic approach,” pioneered locally by Thomas’ predecessor as public defender, Nancy Daniels. Thomas joined Daniels’ office in 2000 and was her chief assistant for nearly 15 years.

In 1992, Daniels and then-Chief Judge Philip Padovano instigated the creation of a drug court — only the third to operate in Florida. These courts closely supervise drug defendants, making sure they take drug tests, attend counseling sessions and visit court frequently.

Participants who stay clean can win dismissal or reduction of charges. Failure brings immediate repercussions — a night behind bars,

for example. But judges also act as cheerleaders, encouraging participants to succeed.

“It’s more of an emphasis on trying to help the individual and provide therapy and rehabilitation. They expect a relapse. If you’re a drug addict, they know you’re going to use,” said Joel Remland, a retired assistant public defender. “It’s not a punitive court.

It’s a compassionate court.”

The logic wasn’t clear to everyone at the time, but even Willie Meggs, then the 2nd Circuit state attorney and no coddler of criminals, became a fan. The program was extended to cover juveniles, veterans and people with mental illness — although the mental health court has languished for lack of money.

“It’s not just a slap on the wrist,” Daniels said in an interview in the offices of the Florida Association of Public Defenders, where since her retirement she analyzes legislation and writes talking points. “It’s actually much harder. They work. The recidivism rates have held up very well.”

Community mental health resources can’t keep up with the demand. Thomas has added a social worker — bringing the total

“The Florida Bar tells us that if you’re defending someone in a criminal case, they have the right to zealous representation — that we are to argue every arguable point within the bounds of law.

For public prosecutors, their duty is to seek justice. Not convict people. Not put people in prison. Not win every case. Seek justice.”

— Andy Thomas, 2nd Circuit Public Defender

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Beyond Call of Duty Defenders donate their time to help veterans in trouble

by MICHAEL MOLINE

Joel Remland called up a picture on his phone of a handsome, clean-cut young man, taken during a graduation ceremony for a fellow participant in Tallahassee’s Veteran Treatment Court.

“He didn’t look that way when I got him,” Remland said. “He had a beard. He was crying. He had mental health problems, drug problems — you name it. He was very depressed. His father died the year before. His mother had medical problems. He had a girlfriend whose boyfriend was getting out of prison.”

Remland, a retired assistant public defender in the 2nd Judicial Circuit, was working in private practice when he met the client, who faced multiple felony counts.

Because the man was an honorably discharged military veteran, with no prior offenses, Remland realized he’d be a candidate for the veterans court, under Leon County Judge Augustus Aikens Jr. “He goes through this program, does drug counseling and urine testing, to get cleaned up.

He had the GI Bill, so I put him in TCC (Tallahassee Community College) in the nursing program. He meets this nice girl,” Remland said.

He considers the veterans court a “model” for the way every criminal court should run.

“The person is given hope,” he said. “It’s motivational. It’s inspirational. One defendant helps the other defendant. It’s teamwork. It’s compassionate. As somebody who’s cynical — I’ve been through the whole system — I like mental health court, drug court, veterans court. It’s all good.”

Remland recalled the case while waiting for clients in the Tallahassee Veteran Legal Collaborative’s legal clinic, held every Thursday afternoon at the American Legion Hall at Lake Ella.

Volunteer organizers work with active and retired assistant public defenders, private attorneys, Florida State University law students, and experts in navigating the Department of Motor Vehicles, social services,and state-benefits bureaucracies.

“We have anywhere between 12 and 15 (veterans) coming every week,” said Washington Sanchez, an Army Vietnam veteran who serves as vice president of the organization. “Without this, these guys wouldn’t be able to go and get any help. I mean, they can go to the Public Defender’s Office, but they have to get in line with 300 or more civilians.”

Vets need only show up and say what they need help with. Volunteers wait at portable tables to begin solving their problems. The program has been around since February 2017, said retired assistant public defender Dan Hendrickson.

Hendrickson was instrumental in launching an array of legal services for military veterans, including these clinics, the veterans court and the North Florida Homeless Veterans Stand Down. That last program happens every April at the North Florida Fairgrounds.

Circuit Judge Ronald Flury works with attorneys and state and local agencies to help vets clear old cases, secure the driver’s licenses they need to function in society, and get back on their feet.

“If you just put them in jail for a little while and let them out without any services provided, they’re going to keep doing the same things. If you make an effort to give them treatment for the thing that brought them there, you’re interrupting the cycle of crime. You’re helping society and you’re helping the criminal justice system.”

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Law-enforcement agencies maintain their distance, so no one need fear arrest on old warrants.

“We promised them: Nobody gets arrested. It’s a free place. Come, let’s see if we can take care of things,” Hendrickson said.

Similar programs are springing up across Florida, borrowing good ideas from each other.

Tallahassee’s legal clinic, for example, was inspired by a program in Jacksonville. Broward County is another innovator, Hendrickson said.

“For every criminal case, there’s 10 civil problems that these guys face,” he said.

“They don’t tell us about them at first.

One guy came in with a consumer complaint. Sounds minor — we’re referring him to the Attorney General’s Office, Consumer Division. But I encouraged him to go ahead and sit with a lawyer, tell him about everything. I bet you there’s three or four problems he needs help with, all over the United States.”

Edward Williams, who spent 1969 running water treatment facilities for the Air Force at Tan Son Nhat Air Base in Saigon, was homeless the first time he attended a veterans clinic.

“Now, I’m not homeless. I came the second time with some legal problems that I had. Civil stuff. The next one I came to just to meet old comrades, old friends,” he said. “Because they helped me, I’m living in a home. They helped me get my VA benefits, my disability compensation, things like that. I don’t think I would have done it on my own.”

Michael Gagliardi, an assistant public defender in Florida’s 2nd Judicial Circuit, encounters a prosecutor in court.

to three — to identify people who commit minor crimes because of untreated mental illness. One-third of the people held in jail are on psychotropic drugs.

“They don’t necessarily need to be in jail.

They need to be somewhere where they have food to eat and somebody making sure they take their meds,” Daniels said.

It might be easy to mistake these initiatives as soft on crime, but Daniels won’t have it.

“When people get the services they need, they don’t commit crimes so much,” she said.

“If you just put them in jail for a little while and let them out without any services provided, they’re going to keep doing the same things. If you make an effort to give them treatment for the thing that brought them there, you’re interrupting the cycle of crime. You’re helping society and you’re helping the criminal justice system.”

State Attorney Jack Campbell, the 2nd Circuit’s chief prosecuting officer, is convinced the holistic approach reduces recidivism.

“I think it’s great. We look at them as complete human beings, and not just as a summary of the charges or the incident,” he said.

“Some of the best lawyers I’ve ever worked with are public defenders.

I’ve seen outstanding results — and, believe me, I’m the one fighting against them. Often, they’re getting as good if not better representation from a public defender than they would from a private attorney.”

— Jack Campbell, 2nd Circuit State Attorney “If you’re putting the interests of your clients first, you need to recognize that we need to make them not get in trouble again — to make sure this is the only time they come to our office,” Campbell said. “Whether that’s addressing a substance abuse issue, poverty or employment, I think we’re all on the same page.”

Initially, even some defense attorneys were skeptical about drug court, and the approach sometimes runs contrary to a defender’s instincts. What if a client desperately needs drug treatment, but the case deserves to be thrown

out because of procedural error? What truly represents the client’s best interests?

“There’s a lot of common ground between social services provision and legal representation. If there’s a way to help that person get out of the cycle of crime, great. But if it just comes down to legal representation, that always supersedes other things,” Daniels said.

“The social worker’s disappointed because that person didn’t end up in a treatment program. The lawyer’s excited because their motion to suppress was granted and the case was dismissed.”

The pursuit of justice “The Florida Bar tells us that if you’re defending someone in a criminal case, they have the right to zealous representation — that we are to argue every arguable point within the bounds of law,” he said. “For public prosecutors, their duty is to seek justice. Not convict people. Not put people in prison. Not win every case. Seek justice.”

If prosecutors don’t think they have a case, Thomas said, (Continued on page 156) TALL AHASSEEMAGA ZINE.COM

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PROMOTION

TALLAHASSEE’S

2018

PHO TOG RAP HY

BY D AVE BAR FIEL D

PROMOTION

HIGH STYLE,

high energy and high hopes are just a few adjectives to describe the 19 men and women selected to rock the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center stage on July 14. This dynamic and philanthropic group have the goal of raising the largest amount yet for charity. Help them reach it and exceed it on the hottest night of summer!

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2018TALLAHASSEE’S TOP SINGLES

PROMOTION

ARTHUR HUYNH (Far left): 40 MM SS

Heritage Pulsometer Chronograph Watch with Brown Alligator Strap by Longines from The Gem Collection. Ted Baker Suit, sharkskin grey ($795), Andrew J. Dress Shirt, lavender ($145), Magnanni “Saffron,” cognac ($350), Magnanni Belt, cognac ($150), Robert Talbot Neckwear, purple paisley ($98) and Edward Armah Silk Pocket Square “purple paisley” ($75) from Nic’s Toggery. SAMANTHA MARRONE (Center): SS/18k Gold Classic Chain Hammered Drop necklace 16”–18” Wave

by John Hardy ($1,995) and SS/18k Gold Classic Chain Hammered Drop Earrings

by John Hardy ($995) from The Gem Collection. Zaylee Bliss Sequin Dress

by SAYLOR from Elle Market. SAMANTHA LOEBIG (Right): SS Bamboo Hugger Hoops

by John Hardy ($295), Bamboo Silver Kick Cuff by John Hardy ($895) and Bamboo 18k Gold/SS Adjustable Necklace by John Hardy ($1,295) from The Gem Collection.

Twist Front Dress by Karlie ($68) from Elle Market.

ARTHUR HUYNH

Charity: Boys and Girls Club of the Big Bend Age: 32 Occupation: General Manager at Hotel Duval, Autograph Collection

SAMANTHA MARRONE

Charity: City Walk Urban Mission Age: 29 Occupation: Dermatology Resident Physician

SAMANTHA LOEBIG

Charity: Boys Town North Florida Age: 26 Occupation: Marketing Coordinator, Greater Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce

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HAIR & MAKEUP Fuel Salon + Store // VENUE Hotel Duval // VEHICLE Capital

Eurocars 2017 Porsche Panamera, starting at $85,000 (as shown $106, 575)

2018TALLAHASSEE’S TOP SINGLES

PROMOTION

PROMOTION

Heritage Pulsometer Chronograph Watch with Brown Alligator Strap by Longines from The Gem Collection. Ted Baker Suit, sharkskin grey ($795), Andrew J. Dress Shirt, lavender ($145), Magnanni “Saffron,” cognac ($350), Magnanni Belt, cognac ($150), Robert Talbot Neckwear, purple paisley ($98) and Edward Armah Silk Pocket Square “purple paisley” ($75) from Nic’s Toggery. SAMANTHA MARRONE (Center): SS/18k Gold Classic Chain Hammered Drop necklace 16”–18” Wave

by John Hardy ($1,995) and SS/18k Gold Classic Chain Hammered Drop Earrings

by John Hardy ($995) from The Gem Collection. Zaylee Bliss Sequin Dress

by SAYLOR from Elle Market. SAMANTHA LOEBIG (Right): SS Bamboo Hugger Hoops

by John Hardy ($295), Bamboo Silver Kick Cuff by John Hardy ($895) and Bamboo 18k Gold/SS Adjustable Necklace by John Hardy ($1,295) from The Gem Collection.

Twist Front Dress by Karlie ($68) from Elle Market.

ARTHUR HUYNH

Charity: Boys and Girls Club of the Big Bend Age: 32 Occupation: General Manager at Hotel Duval, Autograph Collection

SAMANTHA MARRONE

Charity: City Walk Urban Mission Age: 29 Occupation: Dermatology Resident Physician

SAMANTHA LOEBIG

Charity: Boys Town North Florida Age: 26 Occupation: Marketing Coordinator, Greater Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce

HAIR & MAKEUP Fuel Salon + Store // VENUE Hotel Duval // VEHICLE Capital

Eurocars 2017 Porsche Panamera, starting at $85,000 (as shown $106, 575)

PHOTOS BY DAVE BARFIELD

ARTHUR HUYNH (Far left): 40 MM SS

CHRIS GIARITELLI

Charity: Refuge House Age: 56 Occupation: Director of Sales, Southeast Region CVS Health

MUTAQEE AKBAR

Charity: The Boys Choir of Tallahassee Age: 38 Occupation: Attorney, Akbar Law Firm, PA

TRAVIS POPPELL

Charity: Hang Tough Foundation Age: 36 Occupation: Owner of Tallahassee Lawn Services

CHRIS GIARITELLI (Left): Legend Diver 42 MM Automatic Watch with Milanese bracelet by Longines ($2,400) The Gem Collection.

“Taylor Red” Sport Coat in berry ($595), Ballin Dress Slacks, sharkskin blue ($195), Enro Dress Shirt, white textured ($99.50) Allen Edmond Shoes “Cornwallis,” walnut ($425), Lejon Croc Print Belt, cognac ($98) from Nic’s Toggery. MUTAQEE AKBAR (Center): Byron Sportcoat, taupe windowpane ($695), Hugo Boss Slacks ($195), Bruun & Stengade Shirt, blue/grey/white ($135) and Edward Armah Silk Pocket Square, blue/red paisley ($75) from Nic’s Toggery. Men’s Triple Row SS & Leather Braided Bracelet by John Hardy ($450) from The Gem Collection. TRAVIS POPPELL (Right): “Taylor Red” Sport Coat in blue plaid ($595), Eton Dress Shirt, pink ($285), Edward Armah Silk Pocket Square, blue and vintage gold ($75), Peter Millar Pants, khaki ($145) from Nic’s Toggery.

40 MM SS Heritage Pulsometer Chronograph Watch with Brown Alligator Strap by Longines ($4,200) from The Gem Collection.

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PROMOTION

NATASHA HARTSFIELD

Charity: Tallahassee Museum Preschool Age: 42 Occupation: Vice President of Programs at Tallahassee Museum, Owner/Operator of Sassafras Soapery

BRANDON SIMPKINS Charity: TMH Foundation: Neuro ICU Age: 25 Occupation: Human Performance Coach at Titus Sports Academy

CARLY WATSON

Charity: Donate Life: Florida Age: 22 Occupation: On-Air Radio Personality

NATASHA HARTSFIELD

PHOTOS BY DAVE BARFIELD

(Left): SS Oval Bangle Bracelet by Ed Levin ($99), SS Rockabye Swing Turquoise Bracelet by Ed Levin ($460), SS Turquoise Rockabye Pendant and Chain by Ed Levin ($330) and SS Turquoise Rockabye Ring by Ed Levin ($350) from The Gem Collection. Grive Dress ($98) from Elle Market.

BRANDON SIMPKINS (Center): Two Tone 40.5mm Power Reserve Presage Automatic Watch by Seiko ($525) from The Gem Collection. Hugo Boss Suit, blue ($895), Mizzen & Main, “Whitman” blue, ($125), Colehaan Grand Pro Runner, “heather grey” ($140) and Edward Arman Silk Pocket Square “blue & vintage gold” ($75) from Nic’s Toggery.

CARLIY WATSON (Right): SS Tempo Medium Earrings

by Ed Levin ($209), SS Medium Glimmer Necklace

by Ed Levin ($330), SS & 14k Square Swing Bracelet

by Ed Levin ($374) and SS Petite Love Knot Bracelet

by Ed Levin ($185) from The Gem Collection. Nica Ruffle Top by Show Me Your Mumu ($88), Skippy Shorts by Show Me Your Mumu ($124) Elle Market.

HAIR & MAKEUP Fuel Salon + Store // VENUE Hotel Duval

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PROMOTION

2018TALLAHASSEE’S TOP SINGLES

SARAH STRICKLAND

Charity: Big Bend Hospice Foundation, Inc. Age: 25 Occupation: Inventory Specialist at The Gem Collection

WENDI CANNON

Charity: Girls on the Run of the Big Bend, Inc. Age: 39 Occupation: Director of Information Technology at FSU College of Medicine

JASMINE ADAMS

Charity: Alzheimer’s Project Occupation: Founder and Tournament Organizer for the Capital Canopy Challenge and Realtor for Keller Williams Town & Country

SARAH STRICKLAND (Left): SS & 18k Legends Naga Cuff Bracelet by John Hardy ($1,295), SS & 18k Legends Two Tone Hoop Earrings by John Hardy ($595), Women’s SS & 18k 32” Classic Chain Hammered Y Necklace by John Hardy ($1,650) from The Gem Collection. Veronica M Wrap Dress ($88) from Elle Market. WENDI CANNON (Center): Ed Levin SS & 14k Tendrill cuff

by Ed Levin ($520), SS & 14k gold ball Bindu Pendant with chain by Ed Levin ($330) and SS & 14k gold ball dangle earrings by Ed Levin ($253) from The Gem Collection. Yellow Michelle flutter sleeve max dress by SAYLOR ($220) from Elle Market. JASMINE ADAMS (Right): SS Classic Chain Woven Bracelet with Black Sapphires by John Hardy ($595), SS Women’s Bamboo Lava Medium Black Sapphire hoops by John Hardy ($450), SS Women’s Classic Chain Tassel Necklace with Black Sapphires by John Hardy ($895) from The Gem Collection. Bijou dress

by FRENCH CONNECTION ($220) from Elle Market.

HAIR & MAKEUP Fuel Salon + Store // VENUE Hotel Duval

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2018TALLAHASSEE’S TOP SINGLES EDDIE MARTÍ KRING

Charity: Capital City Youth Services Age: 34 Occupation: Communications (Community Engagement), City of Tallahassee

SHANNON COLAVECCHIO

Charity: Leon County Humane Society Age: 41 Occupation: Senior Director and Wellness Coordinator, The Moore Agency; owner, BA Fitness; Area Manager, Arbonne; Master Trainer, various fitness programs

MONIQUE ELLSWORTH

Charity: Connecting Everyone with Second Chances, Inc. (CESC) Age: 30 Occupation: Executive Director of CESC, Inc.

EDDIE MARTÍ KRING (Left): Legend Diver 42 MM Automatic watch with Milanese Bracelet by Longines ($2,400) from The Gem

Collection. Samuelsohn Sportcoat, Grey Houndstooth w/blue windowpane ($995), Braxx “Pima Cotton” Pant, grey ($198), Magnanni Belt, cognac ($150), Eton Dress Shirt, pink ($265), Edward Armah Silk Pocket Square, pink/blue/multi ($75) from Nic’s Toggery. SHANNON COLAVECCHIO (Center): SS Delano Blue and Black Enamel Ring with White CZ by Belle Etoile ($225), SS Delano Blue and Black Enamel Dangle Earrings with White CZ by Belle Etoile ($225) and SS Delano blue and black enamel cuff with white CZ by Belle Etoile ($525) from The Gem Collection. Seven For All Man Kind ankle Skinny Jean, white ($158), Veronica M. Blue Top $58) and Dolce Vita Halo Heel ($98) from Elle Market. MONIQUE ELLSWORTH (Right): 14k 0.09 CT Diamond Fashion Drop Earrings

by Gabriel ($1,590), 18k .48TDW Sun in Shining Charm by Khai Khai ($1,590), 14k .14ct Diamond Cuff Bracelet by Gabriel ($790) and 14k .14ct Diamond Cuff Bracelet by Gabriel ($805) from The Gem Collection. Cooper & Ella Jane Halter Top ($108), Show Me Your Mumu pants ($78) from Elle Market.

PHOTOS BY DAVE BARFIELD (GROUPS) AND LAWRENCE DAVIDSON (KENDALL)

HAIR & MAKEUP Fuel Salon + Store // VENUE Hotel Duval

BRIAN KENDALL

Charity: Rondald McDonald House Age: 33 Occupation: Owner of The Grounds Guys of Tallahassee

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2018 TOP SINGLES TALLAHASSEE’S

MARKCharity: BONN,RIPITT Ph.D

Foundation Age: 67 Occupation: Professor, Robert H. Dedman School of Hospitality, Florida State University

TORI CRUCE

Charity: Junior League of Tallahassee Age: 37 Occupation: National Director of Clinical Services, Halycon Rehabilitation. Licensed Speech-Language pathologist

JERMAINE MILLER

Charity: Girls2Divas Age: 27 Occupation: Community Advocate

DR. MARK BONN (Left): Seiko

SS 40.5mm Power Reserve Presage Automatic with Black leather strap ($475) from The Gem Collection.

Jack Victor Sportcoat, blue plaid ($650), A.G. Jeans, navy ($189), David Donahue Dress Shirt, white with blue motifs ($135), W. Kleinberg Belt, blue and brown braid ($135) and Allen Edmonds “Arezzo” Loafer, black ($350) from Nic’s Toggery.

TORI CRUCE (Center): SS Dot Disc Chandelier Earrings on French Wire by John Hardy ($595)and Women’s SS Dot Moon Phase Hammered Link Bracelet with push by John Hardy ($1,195) from The Gem Collection. Riya One Shoulder Dress by Misa ($318) from Elle Market.

JERMAINE MILLER (Right): Men’s SS Legends Naga Bracelet 9.5 mm with Blue Sapphire Eyes by John Hardy ($1,200) from The Gem Collection. Strong Suit, blue tonal check ($595), Mizzen & Maine Dress Shirt ($125) and Hanuer Cotton Pocket Square, white with blue trim ($55) from Nic’s Toggery.

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PROMOTION

Thank You A photo shoot with one subject is a lot of work, but a photo shoot with 18 subjects, all with varying personalities and styles, is a feat all its own.

Tallahassee Magazine’s most demanding photo shoot of the year includes: selecting clothing and pairing it with fine jewelry, hairstyling and makeup, a beautiful location, perfect lighting and a luxury car — all while keeping everyone fed, hydrated, comfortable and having fun. For these stunning images, we have an incredible team to thank …

CAPITAL EUROCARS: The photo shoot wouldn’t be complete without the gorgeous 2018 Porsche Macan GTS we borrowed thanks to the generosity of Crawford Adkins of Capital Eurocars.

NIC’S TOGGERY: The clothing experts at Nic’s Toggery ensured that each

PHOTOS BY CHARLES BAKOFSKY

man looked debonair and dapper in the most stylish suits of the season. We thank you, as do our readers!

ELLE MARKET: Owner Carrie McNeill and fashionista Courtney Dunham helped each lady feel confident and beautiful by styling them in on-trend attire. We greatly appreciate their style savvy and continued partnership.

FUEL SALON + STORE: For the ninth year in a row, this team excelled in making our Top Singles camera-ready by doing hair and makeup. Owners

Sherrie Clark and Laura Brewer, as well as their stylists, carefully selected each look to further enhance each single’s good looks.

THE GEM COLLECTION: The jewelry selection experts at The Gem

Collection provided the stunning sparklers and irresistible arm candy.

Thank you, Don and Dorothy Vodicka, for providing the dazzling jewels each of the Top Singles wore.

HOTEL DUVAL: Location, location, location! And oh my, Hotel Duval provides the city’s premier locale, overlooking downtown Tallahassee as the epitome of luxury. We are grateful to the accommodating staff for displaying wonderful hospitality throughout the day. A special thank you to Arthur Huynh, Hotel Duval General Manager, and Melissa Cleveland, Director of Sales, for their expert assistance.

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LO C A L T I C K E T S .

O N E P L AC E .

850Tix is your source for local events across Northwest Florida. From the same trusted award-winning team that has published Tallahassee Magazine for more than 37 years, our goal is to promote the community our readers know and love.

From festivals to tours and sports to the arts, the event choices in Northwest Florida are endless and all on 850Tix.com.

TALLAHASSEE Have an event that needs ticketing and marketing? Call Brian Rowland at (850) 878-0554 or visit 850Tix.com to learn more.

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destinations J UL/AUG 2018

VISITING NOTEWORTHY PLACES NEAR AND FAR

QUICK TRIP

PHOTO BY JOHN STARRETT PHOTOGRAPHY

A Pond with Merit Divers, paddlers and anglers find scenic getaway in Jackson County

by MICHAEL MOLINE

Merritt’s Millpond was formed when Spring Creek was dammed in the 1860s.

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destinations

The vent of Jackson Blue Spring is seen at right near the diving board.

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If You Go ARROWHEAD CAMPSITES 4820 U.S. 90 Marianna, FL 32446 (850) 526-7578 BEAR PAW ADVENTURES 2100 Bear Paw Lane Marianna, FL 32448 (850) 482-4948 bearpawescape.com BLUE SPRINGS RECREATIONAL AREA 5461 Blue Springs Road Marianna, FL 32446 (850) 482-2114 jacksoncountyfl.net/ parks-and-recycling/ blue-springs CAVE ADVENTURERS 5211 Limestone Lane Marianna, FL 32446 (850) 482-6016 caveadventurers.com/ store/index.php

PHOTO COURTESY OF NORTHWEST FLORIDA WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT

leap into the water at Jackson Blue Springs, the first-magnitude natural spring that forms the headwaters of Merritt’s Mill Pond outside Marianna, is beyond bracing.

“It takes your breath away,” said Katie Moore, who has lived and worked on the millpond for all of her 26 years. during the 1860s. An icehouse operated here for many years, That’s good in the triple-digit heat of a and a small hydroelectric generator produced power for most of North Florida summer. “You’ll see little kids, the 20th century. Cypress trees stand hip-deep along the suband they’ll come out and their lips are purple merged creek channel, trailing Spanish moss. (A word to the and they’re shaking but they’re like, ‘I want to wise: Watch your boat speed, lest you run afoul of the many go again!’” cypress knees lurking below the surface.)

The main spring — there are at least six — “It’s peaceful, quiet and serene,” said Edd Sorensen, who has pumps 77 million gallons of crystal clear water lived on the millpond for 15 years. per day into the 202-acre millpond. Water temSorensen owns Cave Adventurers, teaching cave diving and perature at the spring head averages about 68 otherwise catering to the sport’s devotees from around the world. degrees, but the water warms as the pond winds Under an arrangement with Jackson County, he can issue the toward the dam more than 4 miles away. necessary diving permits. He also rents pontoon boats, kayaks The system is fed by rainwater leaching into and canoes. the limestone bedrock in a tear-shaped catchSorensen is a founding member of the International Cave ment zone that extends beyond the Alabama Rescue and Recovery team and travels widely to promote divstate line. ing safety. “I am the only person on the planet that has more People have been repairing to these springs than one cave rescue,” he said. “I have five. Plus lots of body since time beyond counting, local historian Dale recoveries.”

Cox has written — Native AmeriSigns posted near the caves are explicit about cans, the Spanish, the British, the danger to divers lacking the proper training.

“These are very the Americans. Andrew Jackson They feature a drawing of a Grim Reaper with passed through in 1818, during the the skeletal remains of unlucky divers at his feet. beautiful caves.

First Seminole War. Prevent your death! Go no farther,” They’re very white, “STOP. Then, as now, fishing was a they read. compared to a lot major draw. The pond holds One attraction of the local caves is that they the state record for the largof the river caves rarely “blow out” — when heavy rains overest shellcracker, at 4.86 pounds. the usual hydrological dynamic and force that get river wa- come Bass fishing is good, too. Many silt-laden river water into them via reverse flow, ter backwashed in. muddying the limestone. people prefer to kayak or canoe along the millpond. You can Sorensen was so impressed at these wonders Those cave walls launch from a boat ramp on that he sold his home and business in Oregon are yellowy or Hunter Fish Camp Road. to live here. black.”

The dam across Spring Creek “Everybody thought I was crazy,” he said. In — Edd Sorensen, Cave Adventurers that forms the pond went up fact, it was a smart move. Previously, these

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caves were a pit stop for divers on their way to springs country farther east. Now the area is a destination in itself. Divers have visited from every state and 26 countries. “I’ve taught people from Poland, Brazil, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Russia, Mexico,” he said.

“These are very beautiful caves. They’re very white, compared to a lot of the river caves that get river water backwashed in. Those cave walls are yellowy or black.” That almost never happens at the millpond.

“Because it’s controlled by a dam. I think in the 15 years I’ve lived here, it’s reversed twice.”

As for Katie Moore, she helps run the Arrowhead Campsites, down at the dam, which her grandfather opened 48 years ago. “That’s where I learned to swim — throw me off the side of boat,” she joked.

There’s a restaurant, gas station, cabins, space for 200 caravans plus tent sites. And a boat launch. “You’re welcome to bring any boat, and they allow any size motor on the pond as long as it’s not an airboat,” she said.

“We’re extremely busy,” Moore said while taking a break from her restaurant duties on a recent Sunday. “Memorial Day, Fourth of July weekend and Labor Day are the only times we take reservations. But we have the cabins, too, and we take reservations on those.”

Moore has spent summers at Blue Springs since she was a little girl.

Blue Springs Recreational Park, operated by Jackson County, is open between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Admission costs $4, and season passes are available.

“They’ve got a diving board, and they’ve got a volleyball court and a sandy beach. They’ve got the concession stand. They’ve also got a pavilion with picnic tables underneath it that you can rent for birthday parties and whatnot,” Moore said.

“I’ll lay out and get hot and sweaty and then I’m like, ‘OK, let’s go jump in the water.’”

U.S. Highway 90 crosses the top of the dam. On the other side, Spring Creek resumes its natural flow to the Chipola River. A small park features metal walkways from which visitors can launch a canoe, kayak or inner-tube, or just go for a wade (it’s not deep).

Bring your own or rent from Bear Paw Adventures, which maintains an office at the old ice plant site during the summer (and on the Chipola, just south of Interstate 10, throughout the year.) The company offers nine-, five- and four-mile trips and will ferry you back to your car at the end of the day.

“They’re going to see fish, probably snakes,” manager Ricky McAlpin said. “They might see a gator. Birds, turtles. It gets pretty busy in the summer.”

No glass containers or styrofoam on the river, please — they’re banned by county ordinance. TM

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PHOTO BY JOHN STARRETT PHOTOGRAPHY

The main spring pumps 77 million gallons of water into the millpond.

VISIT THE

Forgotten Coast

CRAWFORDVILLE

PLAY • SHOP • DINE • STAY

S

ummer on the Forgotten Coast has a lot to offer anyone wanting to escape city life for a day, a weekend or longer. Along the bays, beaches and byways there are many opportunities to slow down and take it easy. While there, we recommend visiting the following locations:

2

DINING 1

PANACEA

HOLE IN THE WALL

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

ATTRACTION 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

Apalachee Bay

BALD POINT ALLIGATOR POINT

LANARK VILLAGE CARRABELLE

1

Dog Island

EASTPOINT 2

LIVE OAK POINT

APALACHICOLA Apalachicola Bay

St. George Island

Bob Sikes Cut Cape St. George

PROMOTION

CALL ME FOR YOUR NEXT MOVE

Joan H. Raley, REALTOR® CRS, CDPE, SFR, e-PRO, GRI, ABR, CHMS, WCR | Home Economist, Broker/Owner

Mobile & Text: 850.545.9390 | JOAN@JOANRALEY.COM | JoanRaley.com TALL AHASSEEMAGA ZINE.COM

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Local is Best.

Verified Security | Local Monitoring

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VIDEO & CAMERAS

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Access Control Systems, or keyless entry, is one of the easiest, most cost effective ways to protect your physical and intellectual property.

Intrusion Detection Systems protect your business, employees, and assets from intruders using verified and non-verified technology.

Digital Video Surveillance cameras give you the ability to visually monitor and secure the safety of your people, places, and property.

Fire Detection and Monitoring can significantly reduce injuries and property damage. Early detection of heat, smoke or fire is the key to limiting losses.

July–August 2018

TALLAHASSEEMAGA ZINE.COM

Abodes

JUL/AUG 2018

TRENDS FROM FLOOR TO CEILING, FRONT TO BACK

GARDENING

TALLAHASSEE NURSERIES 80 years and still growing

by AUDREY POST

EXTERIOR photography by SAIGE ROBERTS

Reclaim Your Backyard

|| GARDENING

Made in the Shade

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about two dozen more added during peak seasons — Christmas and spring.

“We’re a destination garden center, and it has been that way since Gene redid the nursery in the 1980s,” said Brock, who joined the staff in 1984. “People schedule their vacations around stopping here.”

Ellis children and their pet pose by their parents’ delivery truck in 1948.

Some come to visit the fish in the koi pond.

Others come to admire the Crimson Queen, a showpiece Japanese maple that was dug up, sold and returned to the nursery more than 30 years ago. The thought of digging up a plant for

TALLAHASSEEMAGA ZINE.COM

a customer seems a quaint notion in this day of the ubiquitous black plastic pot, but that’s just one of many evolutions in the nursery trade.

The early days Back in 1938, Guy Winthrop was selling narrow strips of land fronting Thomasville Road, 1 acre wide and 5 acres deep. Eugene and Ruth Ellis bought one of those strips. Eventually, they bought the strips to the north and south, creating a 15-acre parcel. Eugene had grown up in Berkley, California, where he discovered a passion for gardening while working at a nursery. His mother, Caroline Chaires Ellis, had Leon County roots, and young Eugene inherited a farm in the Chaires community when she died in the early 1930s. The decision to move to the north side was fortuitous, positioning the nursery in what would become a growth corridor.

“We were out in the country. Daddy had hogs and chickens,” Gene Ellis recalled. “My sister and I were the last two people the school bus picked up on its way down from the Georgia line. I wonder how many buses it would take to pick up all the kids between the state line and the nursery today.”

PHOTOS BY SAIGE ROBERTS / COURTESY OF TALLAHASSEE NURSERIES (CHILDREN)

E

very year has its claim of “firsts,” and 1938 was no exception: Action Comics introduced Superman. Thomas Jefferson replaced the buffalo on the nickel coin. The Fair Labor Standards Act established the 40hour workweek and a minimum wage of 25 cents an hour.

And out in the country just north of town, on Thomasville Road, Eugene and Ruth Ellis opened a little plant nursery and produce stand in their yard. An ad in The Daily Democrat the last Sunday in November announced the new venture selling “all types of plants and shrubs” and providing landscaping, pruning and spraying services.

Over the next 80 years, Tallahassee Nurseries grew as the city grew. The Ellises’ son, Gene, took over the family business in 1964 after earning a horticulture degree at the University of Florida, embracing changes in technology and horticulture. Along the way, he took on a partner, Dan Prosser, who expanded landscaping services. In 2002, they sold the business to longtime employees, one of them Prosser’s nephew. Today, Paul Brock and Nate Prosser continue to focus on improving the shopping experience with 65 year-round employees and

“We’re a destination garden center, and it has been that way since Gene redid the nursery in the 1980s. People schedule their vacations around stopping here.”

— Paul Brock, Tallahasee Nurseries co-owner The common nursery practice at the time was to dig trees and shrubs out of the ground, wrapping the root ball in burlap. The process required the plants to be dormant, thus limiting the time of year when plants could be safely transplanted to the cooler months.

“We grew nearly everything we sold then, and there wasn’t nearly the selection you have today. Lots of camellias and azaleas,” he said.

“If you look at some of the older neighborhoods, with houses built in the 1940s, you’ll see them.”

The transition to potted trees and shrubs began with 5-gallon “egg cans” containing powdered eggs for commercial baking and cooking.

Paul Brock remembers using a “church key” can opener to poke drainage holes down the sides.

Black plastic pots ushered in a new nursery era, with lighter soil mixes. The development of

↑ A Crimson Queen Japanese maple is a treasured showpiece there.

herbicides created another, less labor-intensive shift in the industry.

Saving the nursery The nursery could easily have been lost before Gene Ellis ever had a chance to run it, he said.

Eugene Ellis was diagnosed with a brain tumor in his early 40s, when his son was in fifth grade. It wasn’t cancerous, but the operation

left Eugene an invalid with memory problems.

Ruth, who had a master’s degree in education, went back to teaching at Kate Sullivan School to support the family and ran the nursery, too.

“She deserves a lot of credit,” her son said.

“We had three employees then, and my mother relied on them.”

Her right hand was Bert Hadley, who had worked at the nursery for years. He, Charlie

← The nursery’s family-friendly work environment helped longtime employee Cathy Peters succeed as a working mother.

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‘A great place to work’ Many Tallahassee Nursery employees have been there 10 or 20 years — or longer. One, Gilbert Cofield, has been there almost 40 years.

“I think we take care of our employees really well,” Brock said. “We offer benefits, including health insurance, vacation and sick leave.”

Flexibility in scheduling was key for Cathy Peters, who joined the staff 28 years ago, and Susan Mertz, who was hired a few months later. Both reared their children while working at the nursery. Peters was a regular customer who had just completed the master gardener training program when Ellis offered her a job. Mertz studied horticulture at Lively Tech.

“He made it very convenient for me,” Peters said. “I would come in early and leave early.”

Calvin Wright has logged 21 years with the nursery, starting out in the landscape division and rising from laborer to crew foreman to supervisor. He left for a short while to open his own business but came back, landing on the retail side. “It’s a whole different world,” Wright said, “but if I had to choose between landscape and retail, I’d stay with retail.”

For a while, Tallahassee Nurseries operated at three locations: the main nursery, which staff called the north location; on Tharpe Street, the west location; and behind the Sears store at Governor’s Square Mall, the east location. Eventually, everything was consolidated back on Thomasville Road.

When Nate Prosser and Paul Brock got the chance to buy the business in 2002, “it was obviously a humongous opportunity,” Prosser said. He had started working there in 1994 and was pursuing a degree

PHOTOS BY SAIGE ROBERTS

WE’LL GO OUT ON A LIMB FOR YOU!

White and Willie Arnold kept things going; Hadley’s sons helped on the weekends. “We owe that family a lot,” Gene Ellis said. “The nursery wouldn’t have been there for me to take over if it hadn’t been for my mother and the Hadleys.”

Dan Prosser joined the staff as an after-school employee through a cooperative training program at Godby High School. After a few years on the job, his work so impressed Ellis that he offered Prosser the opportunity to become a partner and head the landscaping division.

“He was a talented designer and had good knowledge of construction, along with wonderful people skills,” Ellis said. “He played a significant role in the success of the nursery.”

As did the patience of Ellis’ wife, Mary Louise. “You want things to be right, but I spent far too much time at the nursery,” he said.

in business management at Florida State. A class on managing service organizations proved to be the spot where his experience and his education joined forces.

“Obviously, Gene and Dan had a gift for customer service, and I learned from them,” he said. One of the first things Nate and Paul did after buying the nursery was to bring the customer service professor out to talk to the staff. “It reinforced a well-oiled machine.”

Prosser acknowledged that it costs more to run a business the way they do, “but it gives you a better attitude at the end of the day.”

“As far as retaining employees, you need to pay them well, treat them fairly and not get too nitpicky about things,” he said. “We’ve got a big family here.”

Live your style,

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Tile

Knowing your customers Brock said 70 percent of the nursery’s customers are women, and “we came to realize we have to do things with women in mind. Everything needs to be bright and light and green.” The restrooms were upgraded and the gazebo recently painted, its heavy dark hues replaced with a lighter, brighter shade of grayish green.

People like to hang out at the nursery. Some bring lunch and enjoy the vista. Customers like to bring their dogs, so water bowls are placed throughout the property.

Hardwood floors

Laminate

Victory Garden Kids Club was an early fundraiser for WFSU that attracted children and their parents for hands-on gardening lessons while promoting the iconic PBS television show. No longer a fundraiser, the Little Gardeners Grow Club still teaches small fry the joys of gardening. Saturday morning workshops offer guidance on all things gardening, including beekeeping, attracting butterflies and hummingbirds, and growing tomatoes. Before the demonstration gardens were built at the Leon County Extension Office, Tallahassee Nurseries hosted Extension’s trial gardens.

The biggest community event, however, remains Spring Fling, a fundraiser for Big Bend Hospice. Now in its 11th year, it draws about 1,000 people — attendees and volunteers — to the nursery the Thursday evening after Mother’s Day. It has netted more than $1 million since Brock and Laura Glenn, then a Hospice staffer, created it.

Susan Mertz said Gene Ellis taught her the philosophy of “community, not competition,” because no one place can do it all. “Our local nurseries have worked together to turn Tallahassee into a city of gardeners,” she said. “Now, we’re teaching the next generation.” TM

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abodes EXTERIORS

Backyards in Summer

Resist pests but protect beneficial bugs

by AUDREY POST

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The most effective repellents contain an ingredient called DEET, chemical name N,Ndiethyl-meta-toluamide. It was developed by the U.S. Army in 1946 for use by military personnel in insect-infested areas and was registered for commercial use in 1957.

DEET is available in products with varying levels of concentration. For example, OFF! FamilyCare Insect Repellent IV contains 7 percent, Cutter Dry Insect Repellent contains 10 percent, and OFF! Deep Woods Sportsmen Insect Repellent I contains 98.25 percent DEET.

Candles and torches that burn citronella oil (above) make smoke that repels mosquitoes. Ms. GrowIt-All recommends candle buckets on the ground.

Most mosquitoes in your yard hatched nearby.

Fight back by draining sources of standing water, including birdbaths (right), twice a week.

PHOTOS BY LIGHT FIELD STUDIO (WATER), EUNIKA SOPOTNICKA (BACKYARD) AND SHANP (TORCHES) / GETTY IMAGES PLUS

W

inter in North Florida tends to be mild, although it can be chillingly reminiscent of colder climates. Case in point: last winter, which got cold, stayed cold and seemingly refused to go away.

On the other hand, summer in North Florida has no such identity crisis. It gets hot and muggy and stays hot and muggy. And buggy.

Mosquitoes and other biting insects can make it difficult to enjoy leisure time in your yard. Our heat and humidity create conditions that are favorable to pest population explosions. Before you grab that container of industrial strength, broad-spectrum insecticide, think about the unintended consequences of using it. You might be killing your best allies in the war against biting bugs.

“Not all bugs are your enemy,” said Mark Tancig, Leon County horticulture agent at the University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Cooperative Extension Service. “Many are what are called ‘beneficial insects,’ because they eat or prey on the bad bugs that you don’t want.

“Broad-spectrum insecticides kill indiscriminately, taking out your insect friends as well as your insect enemies,” he said.

In addition, overuse of broad-spectrum insecticides can lead to mutations in insects that make them resistant to the poisons insecticides contain, so that they don’t work anymore.

So what should you do to keep mosquitoes and other biting and stinging insects at bay?

The very best thing you can do, Tancig said, is check your yard twice a week for standing and trapped water, which is where mosquitoes breed. “If you’ll check your yard on Monday and Friday and dump the water from empty flower pots and other containers, you’ll keep the population in check,” he said. “The other thing you can do is apply insect repellent.”

DEET is toxic, and some people are not comfortable applying it to their skin. According to Popular Science magazine, 20 years of research studies have all shown that DEET is generally safe to use on your skin, and there’s no direct evidence that it harms the nervous system. However, do not use it on pets; they might lick it off and ingest it.

And don’t let your pets lick you after you’ve applied it to your skin.

If “generally safe” and “no direct evidence”

are a little too iffy and vague for you, there are natural, less toxic alternatives.

Mosquito Beater is applied in your yard with a hose-end sprayer and lasts about a week. Skeeter Screen is a combination of essential oils. Area nurseries, including Tallahassee Nurseries, Native Nurseries and Esposito Garden Center, all carry a variety of bug-control products.

Citronella candles and torches can help; it’s the smoke produced by the candles and torches

that repels the biting bugs. Setting a citronella candle bucket on the ground nearby provides some protection for your feet and legs; just don’t forget it’s there and kick it over.

Don’t waste your time with the electric bug zappers, though. University of Florida research studies showed they actually attract more mosquitoes to your yard but kill mainly beneficial insects. In one study, one zapper killed 10,000 insects, but only eight of them were mosquitoes. TM TALL AHASSEEMAGA ZINE.COM

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abodes GARDENING

Your Monthly Garden Chores

Shade Gardening

JULY

➸ Make root cuttings from

by AUDREY POST

Creating a shade garden will give you a relatively cool place sheltered from sun in which to garden in the heat of summer, sit and enjoy a good book, or string a hammock for an afternoon nap. Remember that nothing will grow in deep shade, so cover those areas with an attractive mulch and focus your energy elsewhere.

1 Determine what kind of shade you

have. If you have shifting, filtered sunlight, such as an area beneath tall pines, you can plant things that call for partial sun and partial shade. If you have an area with morning sun and then shade beginning midafternoon, you really have a full-sun location.

Split-leaf philodendron

2 Shady areas often have tree roots close to the surface, which can be damaged by digging in the soil around them. Adding soil to accommodate new plantings can bury tree roots and kill them.

Container gardens are a good option in shady areas if you have a lot of tree roots.

3 Creating texture with foliage is a great way to add visual interest to your shade garden. The varying leaf shapes and shades of green make ferns, splitleaf philodendron (Monstera deliciosa), variegated shell ginger (Alpinia zerumbet “variegata”), fancy-leafed caladiums (Caladium x hortulanum) and leopard plant (Farfugium japonicum) make a combination.

annual flowers to encourage fuller growth and a new flush of blooms.

➸ If you don’t have a compost

pile going, start one now. Let the heat of summer help your organic waste from your kitchen and your garden break down into a helpful soil amendment.

Fancy-leafed caladiums

from sod webworms. You’ll first notice rapidly thinning patches; a closer look reveals the grass blades appear to have been chewed. Spot treat damaged areas with a lawn insecticide specified for use on sod webworms.

➸ Your summer

the best display in shady areas. Darker flowers don’t show as well. Try the white flowers of oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia) and pink ones of Persian shield (Strobilanthes dyerianus).

Beneficial wasps Beneficial wasps help control more than 200 species of pest insects. There are many different species of beneficial wasps, and most of them are solitary and do not build nests. These tiny guys, so small they are usually invisible to the naked eye, are your friends.

Critters

They attack pest insects such as stinkbugs, aphids, caterpillars and scale insects. They control pests by stinging them, then laying their eggs inside or on the host pest. The venom from the sting paralyzes the host, which stops eating on your plants. The eggs then incubate in the host, the larvae hatch and mature, they chew their way out and then spin a cocoon on the outside of the host. After a week or so of pupating, they

TALLAHASSEEMAGA ZINE.COM

cut an escape hatch in the cocoon and fly away to find a place to start the process all over again.

While you can’t see the beneficial wasp, you can often see evidence it has done its work. The white, fluffy cocoons on the back of a tomato hornworm are evidence a wasp has “parasitized” it — stung it and laid eggs. Either let the hornworm be where it is or remove to a safe place so the wasps can finish maturing and keep the beneficial cycle going.

Wasps are also pollinators, just like bees.

Do not confuse beneficial wasps with predatory wasps, such as yellow jackets or hornets.

vegetable garden has probably produced all it’s going to.

Remove plant debris, which can harbor insects and disease, and get a soil test done to see whether you need to add nutrients. Cover your cleaned bed with mulch and go shopping for seeds to plant in September.

© 2018 Postscript Publishing, LLC, 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.wcom. Ms. Grow-It-All® is a registered trademark of Postscript Publishing.

PHOTOS BY DANIELVFUNG (PERSIAN SHIELD), VERESOVICH (PHILODENDRON), MSPOLI (CALADIUMS), ANNA BREIT (HYDRANGEA), EYEWAVE (ZUCCHINI) / GETTY IMAGES PLUS

AUGUST

Persian shield

July–August 2018

➸ Cut back leggy perennial and

➸ Watch for damage to your lawn

4 Perennials with light-colored flowers make

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woody ornamental shrubs such as hydrangea, viburnum and forsythia. Select a long stem of hardened new growth and remove any flowers. Cut each stem so there are two pairs of leaves on each section, and plant in moist potting soil or vermiculite. Place in the shade and keep moist; plant in the ground next spring.

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PROMOTION

DEAL ESTATE JUST LISTED

Historic, Private Colonial Belle on 70 Acres An 1863 historic plantation home with recent restorations is ideal for the homeowner with distinctive taste who loves the country

by RACHEL SMITH

High atop the hills and surrounded by 70 acres, Tallaway’s beauty can be seen from the moment you enter its private gates and travel down its canopy oak drive. This historic 1863 plantation-style home, built by one of the first members of the Florida Legislature, was carefully restored in 2017. It boasts too many historic and modern features to list, including hand-milled wood floors, custom woodwork, 12-foot ceilings, a spacious floor plan, a covered porch designed for easy entertaining and a sunroom privately situated to take in the view along with gorgeous sunrises and sunsets. A new four-car covered garage with workshop is near established blueberry bushes, pear trees, fig trees, heirloom grapevine and camellia gardens. The property is fenced, crossed fenced and includes a three-stall horse barn, a separate hay barn and a camp house conveniently situated in between 20 acres of planted pines, pasture, dove field, deer plots, duck pond and trails.

LIST PRICE: $699,900 ADDRESS: 3496 High Bridge Road, Quincy SQUARE FOOTAGE: 3,648 BEDROOMS: 4 BATHROOMS: 3.5 YEAR BUILT: 1863

APPEAL: “The finishes that were chosen during this historic home renovation are absolutely stunning. As soon as you turn into the property and go through the wrought iron gates and down the canopy drive, you know you’re in for a treat. As much as I’m excited about the exterior curb appeal and the fact that the house looks like it was taken out of a scene from Gone with the Wind, I love the awesome surprise of finding a top-of-the-line commercialgrade kitchen and à la mode, spa-like bathrooms in this plantation home built during the Civil War. It’s truly old world and new world combined. That’s what makes this property unique, and I cannot wait for the new owner to thoroughly enjoy it.”

CONTACT INFORMATION: Bruce Foster, Your Realtor® for Life…, (850) 386-6160 and Jason Boone, Realtor, (850) 545-0186, ColdwellBankerTallahassee.com.

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PHOTOS BY WADE BISHOP WITH 323 MEDIA GROUP

FEATURES: Gourmet kitchen with a butler’s pantry and side porch; downstairs master suite with dressing room, custom built shower and claw foot tub; hunting room with side entrance; four wood burning fireplaces; separate dining and living rooms; plantation shutters throughout; an upstairs sunroom; hand-milled wood floors; custom woodwork; 12-foot ceilings; a spacious floor plan; covered porch; four-car covered garage; workshop; fenced; three-stall horse barn; camp house and 70 acres.

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PROMOTION

DEAL ESTATE JUST SOLD

Dream Floor Plan and Lake Views Created a Golden Opportunity Private mother-in-law suite and extensive outdoor living and entertainment areas were the cherries on top of this custom-built home

by RACHEL SMITH

This stunning home, built by Tom Ertl, is an exceptional Golden Eagle Golf and Country Club community property.

It includes all the luxuries one needs for a recreational and relaxing lifestyle.

SOLD PRICE: $800,000 ADDRESS: 9018 Shoal Creek Drive SQUARE FOOTAGE: 4,588 BEDROOMS: 5 BATHROOMS: 4 full, 2 half YEAR BUILT: 1996

APPEAL: This breathtaking brick home offered a “dream” floor plan and gorgeous lake views. A mother-in-law suite with its own private entrance and a fabulous outdoor entertaining area were the icing on the cake.

CONTACT INFORMATION: Hettie Spooner, Broker/Owner, Hill Spooner & Elliott Real Estate (850) 509-4337 hettie@hillspooner.com, hillspooner.com

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF NICK RENAUD AT 323 MEDIA

FEATURES: Towering ceiling heights, gleaming hardwood floors, extensive millwork, kitchen renovation in 2017, huge master suite, mother-in-law suite with private entrance, pool and hot tub, summer kitchen, fire pit and lake views.

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PROMOTION

DEAL ESTATE SECOND HOME

Humble, Luxurious Gem Set in Emerald Bay Sweeping views of Choctawhatchee Bay in a quiet, pleasant, family- and dog-friendly beach neighborhood

by RACHEL SMITH

Discover the humble luxury of this unique bayfront masterpiece, located in the Baywinds phase of Emerald Bay. Practically brand new, this custom one-level gem was built in 2014 and features a private pool, a dock with a boat lift, a bay-front master suite and an open concept floor plan.

SOLD PRICE: $1,350,000 ADDRESS: 1164 Emerald Bay Drive, Destin SQUARE FOOTAGE: 3,093 BEDROOMS: 3 BATHROOMS: 3.5 FEATURES: Bayfront, private pool, dock, boat lift, ample outdoor living and entertainment space, open concept floor plan, one level, office space/library, golf course community, gated neighborhood.

APPEAL: “This property is one-of-akind and offers the true luxuries of bayfront living on the Emerald Coast. This home features ample outdoor living and entertainment space and offers sweeping bay views from the moment you walk through the front door.”

CONTACT INFORMATION: Sarah Timmons, Realtor, ResortQuest Real Estate, (256) 996-1169 sarahtimmons.net sarah@sarahtimmons.net

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PHOTOS BY LISA TURNAGE, COURTESY OF EMERALD COAST REAL ESTATE PHOTOGRAPHY

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PROMOTION

JULY 14

Tallahassee Top Singles Join the community’s most eligible bachelors and bachelorettes at the hottest event of the summer. Tallahassee’s Top Singles will gather at the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center to help raise funds for charity. Each single will be paired with a getaway or experience package, and that package will be auctioned off to raise funds for each single’s selected charity. Last year’s event raised almost $93,000. Cocktail hour is from 6-7 p.m., with the event to follow. This is not a singles event; everyone is invited. Come help us break our fundraising record and help give back to our community.

For tickets and more information, visit tallahasseemagazine.com/Top-Singles.

For tickets and more information, visit tallahasseemagazine.com/Top-Singles.

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by SAIGE ROBERTS

TALLAHASSEEMAGA ZINE.COM

calendar PHOTOS BY LARRY DAVIDSON (TOP SINGLES) / COURTESY OF WAKULLA COUNTY TOURISM AND DEVELOPMENT (SOPCHOPPY), 850 MAGAZINE (PINNACLE AWARDS), PURPLE WILLIE JAM (BAND)

PROMOTION

JUL/AUG 2018 For more events in Tallahassee, visit TallahasseeMagazine.com.

AUGUST 11

Purple Willie Jam

event will take place at the Myron B. Hodge City Park in Sopchoppy from 11 a.m. until the last boom from our dazzling fireworks display.

→ This fourth annual event is an evening of great, live, local music to benefit the Tallahassee Walk to End Alzheimer’s and the Alzheimer’s Association, all held at the Krewe de Gras Midtown Tavern. Bands include Rags and Tinder and the Fried Turkeys. Other bands are TBA. Event includes a full bar, a silent auction and a 50-50 raffle. Doors open at 6 p.m., music begins at 6:15. Pre-admission is $15; $20 at the door.

Learn more at visitwakulla.com/events/sopchoppy-4th-of-july-celebration.

For preadmission sales and other information, go to PurpleWillieJam.com.

REGIONAL

JULY 4

SOPCHOPPY 4TH OF JULY

→ Join us for the annual Sopchoppy 4th of July celebration. This

REGIONAL

AUGUST 22

Pinnacle Awards Luncheon

→ 850 Business Magazine’s Pinnacle Awards honor 10 outstanding women from an 18-county region of Northwest Florida. The award honors leading women in business who hold themselves to high standards and contribute to the betterment of the community.

This is the fifth annual awards luncheon to be held on August 22 at the FSU Panama City campus. The luncheons are always excellent networking opportunities, and this year’s keynote speaker is Debbie H. Calder, Executive Vice President of Greater Pensacola Operations for Navy Federal Credit Union.

Learn more at 850businessmagazine.com/pinnacle-awards.

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PROMOTION

calendar

JUL/AUG 2018

CELEBRATE AMERICA JULY 4 Put on your red, white and blue and head to Tom Brown Park for festivities including the Naturalization Ceremony,

8 p.m., following an old-time jam that starts at 4:30 p.m. 1206 N. Monroe St. (850) 212-5204 bluetaverntallahassee.com

HYPERPHLYY, AT FIFTH & THOMAS JULY 14 With roots in New Orleans, Hyperphlyy delivers stylings from dance grooves to melodic standards, reflecting the band’s love of musical things sweet, sexy and Southern. No cover. 21+ only. Fifth & Thomas Kitchen & Musichouse, 1122 Thomasville Road. (850) 391-9553

AUGUST 25

GRAPE HARVEST FESTIVAL

→ Celebrate family, food, fun and agricultural discovery at the Grape Harvest Festival. Featured activities include live entertainment, the popular grape-stomping contest, a kids petting zoo, water slides, a grape-throwing competition, grape picking, grape and wine sampling and more than 60 exhibitors and vendors. Event will be held from 8 a.m.–4 p.m. at the FAMU Center for Viticulture and Small Fruit Research.

For more information visit famunews.com/grape-harvest-festival.

two stages of entertainment, food vendors, arts/crafts/exhibitors and a children’s activity area. Free. Tom Brown Park, 1125 Easterwood Drive. 5-10 p.m. talgov.com/parks/july4.aspx

CNS FIREWORKS JULY 4 Thomasville celebrates Independence Day with a fireworks show, lawn games, family-friendly activities, food vendors, musical entertainment and watermelon.

Free. Thomasville Park and Amphitheater, 131 S. Stevens St. 5:30-10 p.m.

fifthandthomas.com/events/2018-07

PAW PATROL LIVE: GREAT PIRATE ADVENTURE JULY 21–22 All paws on deck! This action-packed musical is based on the popular preschool series “PAW Patrol.” The production follows the adventures of pirate pups on the search for hidden treasures. $22-$127. Donald L. Tucker Civic Center, 505 W. Pensacola St. 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. shows. tuckerciviccenter.com/events

thomasvillega.com/calendar

REVIVAL, AT FIFTH & THOMAS

‘THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ANDRÉ’

JULY27

Filmmaker Kate Novack explores the life and career of fashion journalist André Leon Talley. This special film showing is presented by the Tallahassee Film Society. $9. All Saints Cinema, 918 Railroad Ave. Friday 6 p.m., Saturday 7 p.m., Sunday 5 p.m. tallahasseearts.org/event/gospel-according-andre

SWAMP STOMP JULY 14

REGIONAL

SEPTEMBER 8

SWIM. BIKE. RUN. 32ND ANNUAL SANDESTIN TRIATHLON

→ The 32nd Annual Sandestin Triathlon will lure more than 700 participants for a half-mile Gulf of Mexico swim, a 20-mile bike ride along the coast and a four-mile run through Sandestin’s beach and bayside community. Proceeds will benefit the Sandestin Foundation for Kids.

Learn more at sandestintriathlon.com.

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Stake out a spot in the shade of an oak tree and enjoy hours of acoustic performances by a variety of singer/ songwriters. The music selection offers folk, blues, contemporary, ballads and more. Free. Tallahassee Museum, 3945 Museum Drive. 9 a.m.–5 p.m. (850) 575-8684. tallahasseearts.org/event/swamp-stomp-2018

Drawing from rich traditions of oldfashioned rock ‘n’ roll, blues and gospel, Revival features some of Tallahassee’s most accomplished musicians, including the likes of Avis Berry, Jeff Davis, Dillon Bradley-Brown, Chris Skene, Mason Margut and Allijah Motika. With soaring vocals and guitar, rich harmonies, and a sinewy, laid-back rhythm section, the group crafts a dynamic and beautiful soundscape. Fifth & Thomas Kitchen & Musichouse, 1122 Thomasville Road.

(850) 391-9553 fifthandthomas.com/events/2018-07

BLUE TAVERN: SAM PACETTI JULY 14

WWE LIVE SUMMERSLAM

Sam Pacetti brings his fingerstyle guitar wizardry and songwriting talent to the Blue Tavern for a live show at

World Wrestling Entertainment brings to the main ring WWE stars Roman Reigns,

JULY 28

PHOTOS COURTESY OF SANDESTIN GOLF AND BEACH RESORT, FAMU (FESTIVAL), BOWSTERN (CASCADES PARK) /

BY DAVE BARFIELD (FIFTH & THOMAS), SCYTHER5 (FLAG) / GETTY IMAGES PLUS

JULY 6–8

SUNDOWN SUMMER CONCERT SERIES JULY 21 Listen to the tunes of River Whyless with Neighbor Lady under the stars at the Capital City Amphitheater in Cascades Park in downtown Tallahassee. Enjoy the concert, family-friendly activities, food trucks and park amenities. Free. 1001 S. Gadsden St. 7-10 p.m. (850) 224-3252. tallahasseedowntown.com

Braun Strowman and Bobby Lashley vs. Jinder Mahal, Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens. There will also be opportunities for meet-and-greets with the wrestlers. $15-$100. Donald L. Tucker Civic Center, 505 W. Pensacola St. 7:30 p.m. tuckerciviccenter.com/events/detail/wwesummerslam-heatwave-tour

LEMOYNE ARTS SUMMER CAMP: TOYS THROUGH THE DECADES JULY 30–AUGUST 3 Join LeMoyne to play through the decades and see which of the ages’ beloved toys and games remain timeless.

The camp is for students grades K-7, ages 6-12. Each group will have four classes every day: decorative arts, 2D arts, 3D arts, and ceramics. LeMoyne Education Annex, 125 N. Gadsden St. 7:45 a.m.-5:30 p.m. lemoyne.org/lemoyne-summer-art-camp-2018

FIRST FRIDAY AT RAILROAD SQUARE AUGUST 3 Railroad Square’s 50-something studios, galleries and small shops stay open late for an open house and street party monthly on each First Friday. This is a chance to visit with the sculptors, weavers and other makers and merchants after hours, while strolling with friends among food vendors, live music and performance art. Railroad Square Art Park is at 602 McDonnell Drive. 5:45 - 11 p.m. railroadsquare.com

SUMMER SUNDOWN CONCERT SERIES: RANDALL BRAMBLETT WITH RACHEL HILLMAN

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AUGUST 18 The final free concert in downtown Tallahassee’s Summer Sundown Series features Randall Bramblett with Rachel Hillman, live at Capital City Amphitheater in Cascades Park. Partake in familyfriendly activities, food trucks and park amenities. 1001 S. Gadsden St. 7-10 pm.

(850) 224-3252. tallahasseedowntown.com

NIGHT PROWL AUGUST 25 See the Tallahassee Museum at night as a guide leads you to spot nocturnal animals that call the Florida Wildlife Trail home. You will have the opportunity to view a nighttime creature up close.

Tallahassee Museum, 3945 Museum Drive. 7-8:30 p.m. (850) 575-8684. tallahasseemuseum.org

BLUEBIRD RUN FOR BROOKIE B SEPTEMBER 3 The Bluebird Run for Brookie B is presented by NAMI Tallahassee (National Alliance on Mental Illness) as an occasion to raise awareness about suicide prevention and postvention. The events are a 5K Run/Walk and a 1 Mile Fun Run/Walk. $25 to include timing and shirt. J.R. Alford Greenway, 2500 Pedrick Road. Events start at 8 a.m.

BluebirdRun.com

a.m. break WITH

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Thursdays 10:30 am Fox 49

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NOW INTRODUCING THE ALL NEW 2019

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SOCIAL STUDIES Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare Golden Gala APRIL 19 Golden Gala, Tallahassee’s premier black-tie event hosted by the Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare Foundation, was held Thursday, April 19.

Featuring Daryl Hall & John Oates — the No. 1 best-selling duo in music history — this event benefited TMH’s Animal Therapy Program. The only one of its kind in the region, the Animal Therapy Program has fostered the therapeutic bond between people and animals since 2005.

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1 Eric Friall, Dr. Andrea Friall, Angela Adams Suggs and Darryl Jones 2 Linda Evans and Steve Evans 3 Ed Murray, Jr. and Michelle Eubanks 4 Mark O’Bryant and Diana Love Cureton

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5 Dr. Joe Soto and Dr. Cauelley Fonvielle Soto 6 Dr. Hardeep Singh and Dr. Jayati Singh 7 John and Sam Lester 8 Gentle Littles and Dr. Alma Littles

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SOCIAL STUDIES Boys Town North Florida’s Spirit of Youth Gala: ‘A Living Work of heART’ APRIL 13 Over 400 guests attended Boys Town North Florida’s Spirit of Youth Gala: “A Living Work of heART, ” on Friday, April 13. The theme of the gala was “An Evening at THE MET” designed after NYC’s MET Gala. The gala celebrated the children and families served and the guest stars that help them. Edgy works of fashion were on display, designed by hometown heroes: Alexandra Pijut, (who featured her Supima Collection shown at NYC Fashion Week and Paris) and Daniel Wingate, who donated a celebrity gown for the Live Auction. Boys Town children Henry and Jose warmed the room with an inspirational speech and invocation.

The Gala is Boys Town North Florida’s largest fundraiser of the year, providing direct support to the most severely at risk children and families in our area.

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1 Juli Downs, Kelly Pettit, Diana Cureton, Monique Wood, Morgan Lewis, Nancy Click, Sean Pittman, Audra Pittman, Emory Mayfield, Autumn Mayfield, Charisse Fuller, Shanna Daniels, Wendy Kerr, Rob Kerr, Laura Ervin, Mary Jayne Sokolow, Dena Sokolow and Dena Strickland 2 Autumn Mayfield, Megan Sgan and Diana Cureton

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3 Emory Mayfield and Chris Diamantis 4 Dr. Armand Cognetta, Suzanne Cognetta, Martin Proctor and Susan Proctor 5 Dr. Tyler Baldock, Rhonda Baldock, Garrett Robinson and Mike Robinson 6 Dena Strickland, Ken Cashin and Lisa Chase 7 Tim Jansen, Julie Montanaro and Zack Gibson 8 Angelo Crowell, Kim Crowell, Audra Pittman and Sean Pittman

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SOCIAL STUDIES Pets & Their People

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MARCH 17 The 2018 Pets & Their People event was a day of pet-friendly activities, libations from GVO, brunch from Street Chefs, puppy yoga, live music and pet adoptions from the Leon County Humane Society. Vendors were on-site to promote, pamper and educate about pets. A tailwagging good time was had by all. photography by SELFIETALLY

1 Cecily Armengol, Charlee, Stella and Drew Wolter 2 Sandra and Michael Smith, Sami and Jade 3 Fran, Daisy, Pumpkin and Paula Jamross 4 Steve, Aspen and Priya Hiraga 5 Sinatra, Terrie Sneed and Reyes 6 Swiper and Rogue Woods 7 Alice Malone and Bentley 8 Morgan Hicks and Sadie 9 Ellen Pearson, Kirby and Tucker

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radiant

results

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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Ben J. Kirbo, M.D. ~ Laurence Z. Rosenberg, M.D. ~ Chris DeRosier, M.D.

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850.219.2000

2030 Fleischmann Rd. ~ Tallahassee, FL

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Toughness. A powerful element in fighting cancer.

Lara Stachow, Logistics Specialist 1st Class, has always been a fighter. Not only did she pass every Navy Physical Readiness Test, she did so while going through aggressive chemotherapy in her battle against cancer. As an accomplished veteran, she is accustomed to working in a team environment. She wanted the best doctors in her corner — both from a scientific standpoint and emotionally — to help guide her through this life-affirming journey. Lara will tell you it’s because of her doctors at Florida Cancer Specialists and her dogged determination that she survived.

“The team at Florida Cancer Specialists is incredible.

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Proud to serve patients at our two Tallahassee locations.

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Tallahassee East: 1600 Phillips Road, Suite 300, Tallahassee, Florida 32308 Call: (850) 877.8166

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Tallahassee North: 2626 Care Drive, Suite 200, Tallahassee, Florida 32308 Call: (850) 219.5830

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SOCIAL STUDIES Tallahassee Tennis Challenger APRIL 21–28 The 2018 Tallahassee Tennis Challenger had new seating for sponsors in a stadium seating structure, which provided excellent viewing of amazing ATP tennis pros playing singles and doubles matches all week. Our sponsors were also treated to a private player party at the home of Susanne and Chris Dudley and invited to a Ladies Fashion Show and Luncheon hosted by Pink Narcissus. Tournament proceeds benefit the Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare Vogter Neuro ICU.

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1 Karen Vogter – Tennis Challenger Tournament Director, Julie Dybendahl – Food & Hospitality Chair, Noah Rubin – Singles Champion, Marc Polmans – Singles Runner Up 2 Kimberly Criser, Cay Ford, Mary Owen Thames, Barclay Wilhoit, Ashley Sniffen and Stephanie Pichard 3 Erik Crepaldi, Andreas Siljestrom, Dr. Farhat Khairallah, Kris Khairallah and Dr. Tony Weaver 4 Julie Connell Smith, Jill Carraway, Robin Shiver, Leslie Allen and Ida Thompson

Capital Medical Society Celebration Awards Dinner MARCH 29 Held at the University Center Club at Florida State University, this annual awards dinner was held in honor of Doctors’ Day and celebrated the profession of medicine. Two annual awards were presented. Duncan Postma, M.D. received the 2018 I.B. Harrison, M.D. Humanitarian Award, and John Mahoney, M.D. received the 2018 Outstanding Physician Award. photography by BETSY BARFIELD PHOTOGRAPHY

1 Dr. David Dixon, Dr. Ray Bellamy, and Dr. Duncan Postma — recipent of the I.B. Harrison, M.D. Humanitarian Award 2 Dr. David Dixon, Dr. John Mahoney — Recipent of the Outstanding Physician Award and Dr. Michael Forsthoefel

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SOCIAL STUDIES Tallahassee Songwriters Festival

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MAY 20 The 2018 Songwriters Festival was a rockin country time featuring artists Brett Wellman, Drew Tillman and Jason Byrd. During this annual festival, artists share and experience the faces, voices and stories behind the songs they perform.

This festival is presented by Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association. photography by AMELIA TILLMAN

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1 Chris Balding, Brett Wellman, Randy Barnhill, Drew Tillman and Jason Byrd 2 Jason Byrd 3 Randy Barnhill and Drew Tillman 4 Chris Balding and Brett Wellman

Holy Comforter Episcopal School Casino Royale Gala 2018 MARCH 3 Holy Comforter Episcopal School hosted the annual Gala and Auction on March 3. The James Bondthemed Casino Royale Gala welcomed guests to a one-of-a-kind experience as they enjoyed a night of fellowship, casino games and silent and live auctions benefitting Holy Comforter School.

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1 Josh and Georgia Jordan, Jayme Roper, Lori and Dean Blissit 2 Jamie Yarbrough, Jennifer Granger, Jackie Russo, Lisa Umana, Kelly Reichelderfer, Jayme Roper, Emilee Applegate, Morgan Raney, Kristen Krizner, Chryssy Moor, Amy Templeton and Melissa Templar 3 Michelle and Peter Klekamp 4 Kelly and Marc Reichelderfer 5 Slater and Sara Bayliss

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SOCIAL STUDIES LeMoyne Chain of Parks Art Festival APRIL 21-22 Downtown Tallahassee’s Chain of Parks were filled with artists displaying their original fine art, visitors from near and far, children creating art, engaging performances and delicious food during LeMoyne’s 18th annual Chain of Parks Art Festival in April. LeMoyne Arts thanks the sponsors, volunteers, artists and visitors who created and grew Chain of Parks Art Festival to the No. 1 fine arts event in the country.

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1 Jack and Alice Diestelhorst, Sarah and Jerry Mallot, Sophie Smith, Bill and Paula Smith 2 Kristin Dozier and Vanessa Rowse 3 Debbie Blinderman, Sheri Sanderson and Kelly Dozier

Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra’s Pops in the Park APRIL 28 TSO Pops in the Park is a springtime tradition of outdoor music overlooking SouthWood’s Central Park Lake.

Concertgoers celebrated the arrival of Tallahassee’s glorious spring under a clear sky while sounds of the TSO serenaded them from the stage. Children spent the evening playing and dancing on the lawn while adults enjoyed picnic dinners from home or purchased on-site. photography by PERRONE FORD

1 Pops in the Park attendees 2 FAMU Marching 100 3 Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra 4 Pops in the Park attendees

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TALLAHASSEE MEMORIAL HEALTHCARE

FOUNDATION Trustee Spotlight WALTER E. HALEY Walter “Walt” Haley is the president and CEO of FMI Printing and Distribution. After graduating from the University of West Florida with a B.S. in Marketing, Walt worked for National Cash Register (NCR) Corporation as a salesperson before working his way up to zone manager, and eventually district manager. When Walt’s job brought him to Tallahassee, he fell in love with the city and saw an opportunity to start his own business.

Walt started FMI in 1978 when he had the idea to offer a full line of printed products, complimented by an in-depth inventory management program. FMI has since grown to include branch locations in Albany, Ga. and Hattiesburg, Miss. and today also offers services that include digital on-demand printing, office products, office furniture and promotional products.

“I’ve always loved my work and what I do,” said Walt, “but I really love being able to truly be a part of the greater Tallahassee community, and even more so, finding ways to give back to the community.”

Walt is highly active in the Tallahassee community and has been involved in the Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce; served as the president of the Leon High School Foundation;

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served as a member of the FSU Foundation; lectured at both Tallahassee Community College and Leon High School to business classes on entrepreneurship; coached little league baseball and youth football; and served as both a past chairman and a current member of the Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare (TMH) Foundation.

“I’ve been involved with the TMH Foundation for about 20 years now,” said Walt. “Being a Trustee lets me help people in the community. When you’re involved with the TMH Foundation, you’re not just helping those who are sick, but you’re also helping the overall wellness of the community – and that gives me a good feeling.”

When Walt isn’t enjoying the various fundraisers and activities of the TMH Foundation – such as the annual golf tournament, Tee Off for Tots – you can find him spending time with his family.

Together, Walt and his wife Carolyn have three children, John, Brian and Nicole, and seven grandchildren. In his free time, Walt enjoys traveling, reading, hunting, fishing and woodworking.

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Gift

IN ACTION

On August 22, Chuck Urban, 51, woke up thinking it would be a typical Tuesday, but that morning he felt anything but normal.

Despite being nauseous and having a headache for no apparent reason, Chuck got out of bed to help his boys, ages 10 and 12, get ready for school just like he would on any other weekday. While he tried to push through his symptoms in order to complete his morning routine, they continued to worsen.

“I started slurring my words, not all of them, but every once in a while. I wasn’t speaking right and felt weak in general, specifically on my left side,” he said. “It was scary.”

He confided in his wife, Katy, about his on-set symptoms and together made the quick decision to go to Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare (TMH), home to the region’s only Comprehensive Stroke Center.

When they arrived, Chuck was rushed for a CT scan and Siddharth Sehgal, MD, neurologist, provided a rapid diagnosis. Chuck was having an ischemic stroke, a literal “brain attack.”

When a stroke happens, saving time means saving brain. Significant advancements have been made in the field of stroke treatment in recent years; however, these treatments

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are most effective in the first few minutes to hours after a stroke.

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He’s an integral force in supporting the acquisition of cutting-edge technology that will benefit many patients for years to come.

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Calling 911 and getting medical attention immediately has been proven to improve access to treatments and to minimize brain injury from the stroke. Stroke treatment options include tPA, the “clot-busting” medicine and mechanical thrombectomy, a minimally invasive procedure that removes blood clots without opening the skull.

While Chuck arrived at the hospital outside the treatment window to receive tPA or mechanical thrombectomy, he spent the next two days in acute care and then began intensive inpatient rehabilitation at the Tallahassee Memorial Rehabilitation Center (TMRC).

“I basically lived there for two weeks – I got help and therapy right away, which was key to my recovery honestly,” said Chuck.

Nine months after his graduation from inpatient rehabilitation, Chuck’s journey continues at the Tallahassee Memorial Neuro Rehabilitation Clinic, which resides within TMRC. Twice a week he receives intensive outpatient physical and occupational therapy with two of his therapists from the very beginning, Lauren Pelham, PT and Sue Bodziak, MOT, OTR/L.

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Throughout Chuck’s stroke care, he’s demonstrated incredible perseverance and strength, both emotionally and physically, largely in part to the dedicated support of his team of therapists. It was evident that his progress was their passion, and the Urbans knew they wanted to show a small token of appreciation.

“Chuck and Katy are extremely generous – they donated vouchers for approximately 40 pairs of very nice running shoes for TMRC therapy teams. Colleagues simply presented their vouchers at a local retailer and were able to choose any shoe in the store. It was amazing,” said Sheree Porter, Director of Therapy Services. “Chuck told us that he noticed we are on our feet a lot and that being comfortable was important.”

But his generosity didn’t stop there.

Last October, Chuck participated in a trial of a new robotic arm system during occupational therapy. This technology, designed to enhance neurological therapy for stroke care, wowed Chuck and patients alike with immediate results after just one session.

“My therapists thought it would be helpful to their patients,” said Chuck. “I was in a position to help with the recovery process of other

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The TMH Foundation strives to connect with grateful patients, like Chuck Urban, who have a passion for helping the Foundation to support the hospital’s mission of transforming care, advancing health and improving lives.

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patients’, not just stroke survivors, but anyone who needed the device to assist in their recovery.”

With the help of the TMH Foundation and other generous donors, the Urbans gifted a sizeable donation for the acquisition of a robotic arm system – making TMRC the only rehabilitation center in North Florida to offer the use of robotics, the most advanced technology in rehabilitation for neurological diagnoses.

“Chuck’s hard work ethic is only surpassed by his generosity,” said Sheree. “He’s an integral force in supporting the acquisition of cuttingedge technology that will benefit many patients for years to come.”

The TMH Foundation strives to connect with grateful patients, like Chuck Urban, who have a passion for helping the Foundation to support the hospital’s mission of transforming care, advancing health and improving lives.

If you’re a grateful patient, or know someone who is, and would like to share your story, please reach out to the TMH Foundation at Foundation@TMH.ORG.

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Celebrating 10 Years of Philanthropy Leon High School is celebrating a special anniversary this year – one that has an impact on the entire community. For 10 years, Leon High has partnered with the Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare Foundation to raise funds for the Tallahassee Memorial Cancer Center. This year, Cameron Fink, Leon High Student Body President and Caroline Englert, Community Service Chair, have led the effort. Over the last 10 years, students, faculty and administrators have raised more than $220,000 for the Cancer Center. The successful efforts of the Leon students have not only made a difference to the lives of many cancer patients, but it has provided lessons in how to give back to the community. On behalf of Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare’s Foundation and Cancer Center, as well as the community, thank you Leon High School for your participation over the last 10 years!

SAVE THE DATE Electrotech, LLC presents the

13th Annual Cards for a Cure

Benefiting the Tallahassee Memorial Cancer Center & Cancer Programs

in honor of Betsy Burgess

October 6, 2018 | 7 pm - 11 pm | Donald L. Tucker Civic Center Entertainment by: All In One | Sponsor information: Janet.Borneman@TMH.ORG or 850-431-4048 |TMH.ORG/CardsForACure

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SPRING GARDEN Party

Gordon and Mary Owen Thames

The Spring Garden Party was started in the early 1980s by a group of compassionate Tallahassee women as a way to contribute and help those people in the Big Bend region who were dealing with cancer. The event has grown from a small gathering to an annual cocktail buffet for over 250. Generous hosts have opened their homes and gardens for the annual spring event. All proceeds are utilized locally and over the past few years have funded things such as music therapy at the Tallahassee Memorial Cancer Center for patients going through chemotherapy, providing and styling wigs for cancer patients, and providing iPads and specialty chairs for cancer patients to use during visits. Thank you to everyone who joined us this April for the 37th annual Spring Garden Party, hosted by Gordon and Mary Owen Thames.

Autumn Mayfield, Stacey Kenny, Ali Kelly, Josie Gustafon

Pat Conn, Cassie Conn, Corinna Strayer, Sarah Bayliss

Theo Proctor and Guy Thomas

Jerry and Cay Ford

Sarah Ball Miller and Mary Owen Thames

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“THE GIVING TREE” AND OUR COMMUNITY

Mickey S. Moore, TMH Foundation President

Every night when putting our boys to sleep, my wife and I read from a selection of books – varying from children’s bibles to famous fairy tales to superhero stories. Recently while I was reading to my son Shane, he requested I read The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein. Surely, many of you have heard of this book and its “debatable” intentions or interpretations. Since the book’s publication in 1964, it has been widely considered to be divisive and controversial.

For me, I couldn’t help but be drawn to the interpretations centered on selfless giving and unconditional love expressed by the tree and the unfortunate lack of gratitude displayed by the boy as he aged through the years. Perhaps it is because I am involved in the gift-giving business that I was so drawn to this book and felt encouraged to share my personal view of the book and how I think it relates to our community.

In his childhood, the boy enjoys playing with the tree, climbing her trunk, swinging from her branches, carving “Me + T (Tree)” into the bark and eating her apples. However, as the boy grows older, he spends less time with the tree and visits her only when he wants material items at various stages of his life, or the boy brings a friend along to visit (such as when he brings a lady friend to the tree and carves “Me + Y.L.” (her initials into the tree). In an effort to make the boy happy at each of these stages, the tree gives him parts of herself, which he can transform into material items, such as money (from her apples), a house (from her branches) and a boat (from her trunk).

With every stage of giving, “the Tree was happy.”

In the final pages, both the tree and the boy seem somber in their realizations around their “giving” and “taking” natures. When only a stump remains for the tree, she is not happy - but the boy does return as a tired elderly man to meet the tree once more. She tells him she is sad because she

cannot provide him shade, apples or materials like in the past. He ignores this and states that all he wants is “a quiet place to sit and rest,” which the tree, who is weak from being just a stump, could provide. With this final stage of giving, “the Tree was happy.”

When I think about our community, I certainly see the joy of giving across many interests and areas of need. Some seem to give until they can give no more – or at least you would think they couldn’t. Some have such an unconditional love for a specific charitable cause that you can practically see it stamped on their forehead and hear it loud and clear in every passionate word they speak about the cause. The tree gave all and found great happiness in it – and we are fortunate to have so many in our community that feel the same way every day.

When it comes to gratitude – well, the boy could have done better, much better.

Although no one is perfect when it comes to expressing gratitude, we should all do our best to acknowledge any/all gifts we receive – big or small, old or new, success or failure, unrestricted or designated, etc. A simple, handwritten thank you note or a jumbotron thank you – either way is impactful and makes a difference. Attention to detail with thank you expressions are key in relationship retention – personally and professionally. Key in the fact that if you do it consistently and meaningfully, the more likely you are to receive the gift again… or not. Let’s not take for granted the gifts we receive in life – up to, and including, waking up every day, spending time with friends and family, investing in our nonprofits, volunteering for local boards, mentoring, and doing random acts of kindness – and be sure to express some gratitude. I, for one, am grateful to be a part of this giving community.

“ The tree gave all and found great happiness in it – and we are fortunate to have so many in our community that feel the same way every day. “ The TMH Foundation Update is produced by the Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare Foundation 1331 East Sixth Avenue, Tallahassee, FL 32303 | 850-431-5389 | Foundation@TMH.ORG

To make a secure online donation, we invite you to visit TMHFoundation.ORG.

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agenda APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR ▪ Jacquelyn L. Newman was appointed by Gov. Rick Scott as Judge of Compensation Claims for the Tallahassee District. Newman is an attorney with Pennington, P.A. She received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida and her law degree from Florida State University. Newman fills the vacancy created by the resignation of Judge John Lazarra.

▪ James “Lee” Marsh was appointed by the governor to the Second Judicial Circuit Court.

Marsh currently serves as Chief Assistant Attorney General in the Office of the Attorney General. He previously served as Judge Advocate in the U.S. Navy. He received his bachelor’s degree from the U.S. Naval Academy and his law degree from the University of Florida. Marsh fills the vacancy created by the resignation of Judge Charles A. Francis.

NEW & NOTABLE ▪ Pennington, P.A. announced its newly elected Board of Directors and Officers: Brandice Dickson, president & CEO; Adrienne Love, Brandice chief financial officer; Dickson Gerald (Jerry) Bryant, secretary; William Horgan, assistant chief financial officer; and Board of Directors J. Breck Brannen, J. Wiley Horton, E. Murray Moore, Brian A. Newman and Stacy E. Yates. Pennington also announces new shareholders Ben A. Andrews and Kathryn (Kathy) L. Hood, as well as Andre Sesler and Matthew E. W. (Matt) Bryant being named partners.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF INDIVIDUALS PICTURED

▪ Capital Regional Medical Center, an affiliate of HCA North Florida Division, recently named Alan Keesee, FACHE, as CEO. Keesee began his new role with the 266-bed acute care hospital on March 1. Keesee is returning to Capital Regional as CEO after serving as chief operating officer 2013–15.

▪ CAMPUS USA Credit Union opened its newest location in Tallahassee at the Mahan Village Shopping Center. CAMPUS USA Credit Union serves over 90,000 members in Alachua, Clay, Columbia, Gadsden, Jefferson, Lake, Leon, Madison, Marion, Sumter, Suwannee and Wakulla counties.

▪ AR Workshop, a franchise, opened a new location on Thomasville Road. AR Workshop

Holland and Knight; and Melissa VanSickle, Florida Bar Board Of Governors representative, Broad and Cassel LLP.

provides a boutique setting where customers can participate in do-it-yourself classes, led by instructors, to create custom decor.

▪ The Legal Aid Foundation of Tallahassee celebrated its 50th anniversary by announcing the winners of the fourth annual Thunderdome Tallahassee awards, which recognize outstanding members. Hunter Hendrix received the Elizabeth “Bib” Willis Outstanding Thunderdome Mentor Award, for dedication to pro bono service. Natalia Thomas received the Tallahassee Young Lawyers’ Section Outstanding Thunderdome Participant Award, for extraordinary dedication to pro bono legal service, professional growth and community leadership.

Maureen Anders and Adria Ruff

AWARDS & ACCOLADES

▪ Gov. Rick Scott recognized small business Cornerstone Tool & Fastener with the Governor’s Business Ambassador Award.

Cornerstone Tool & Fastener is a Floridabased company that distributes diverse tools and fasteners to the commercial, industrial, institutional and residential construction markets. The company employs 15 Floridians in its Tallahassee and Crawfordville locations.

▪ The Mitchells Advertising Agency won 18 awards during the AAF Tallahassee 2018 American Advertising Awards (ADDY) ceremonies. The team was honored for their work on behalf of clients including Tropical Smoothie Cafe, Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare, FMB Bank, Tin Drum Asian Kitchen and Florida State University. The Mitchells also accepted a Best of Show award for their Cover Your Cough print campaign for TMH and a Judge’s Choice Award for their UFO Crash billboard.

▪ The Tallahassee Bar Association elected its 2018-19 officers and board of directors.

Officers include: President Eric Milles, Milles Law; President-elect John Sawicki, Forensic Data Corporation; Treasurer Greg Noonan, The Corry Law Firm; Treasurerelect Lorence Bielby, Greenberg Traurig; and Secretary Joe Bodiford, Bodiford Law. The directors are Mutaqee Akbar, Law Office of Mutaqee Akbar; Nick Bader, Bass Sox Mercer; Sidney C. Bigham III, Oertel, Fernandez, Bryant & Atkinson, PA; Jami Coleman, Williams & Coleman, P.A.; Christine Graves, Carlton Fields; G.C. Murray II, Florida Justice Association; Jerry L. Rumph Jr., Sweeting & Rumph, P.A.; Erin Tilton, Hopping Green Sams; Richard Greenberg Sr., representative, Rumberger, Kirk and Caldwell; Cayelen Loucks, TBA Young Lawyer Section representative, State Attorney’s Office.

Ex-officio: Sean Desmond, immediate past president, Department of Environmental Protection; Brittany Dambly, Legal Aid Foundation representative, Florida Department of Management Services; Larry Sellers, Florida Bar Board Of Governors representative,

(From left) Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, Gov. Rick Scott, Steve Trainor and Mark Foltz, co-owners of Cornerstone Tool & Fastener, Florida CFO Jimmy Patronis and Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam

HAPPENINGS ▪ Veterans Florida, the leading non-profit corporation dedicated to helping veterans transition to civilian life, announced it has awarded more than $1 million in grant funds to Florida businesses to help hire and train veterans in high-growth, high-wage industries.

▪ Secretary of State Ken Detzner announced that the Leon County Health Unit Building and the WPA Building, both located in downtown Tallahassee, are listed on the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places.

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Puppy PROMOTION

Love

At Pets & Their People, Cuteness Rules the Day

On Saturday March 17, 2018, Tallahassee Magazine hosted its 14th annual Pets & Their People event with presenting sponsor and venue host, Proctor Subaru and beneficiary Leon County Humane Society (LCHS).

P R ES E NT E D BY

PR ESEN TIN G SPO N SO R

BEN EFIT TIN G

SPONSORED BY

a.m. break WITH

AUDRA

BE THE SOLUTION, INC. | PETAGON INT. INC. | CAPITAL VETERINARY SPECIALISTS | NUBERRI | PURE BARRE | COMPASS MARKETING BRADFORDVILLE PAWS & CLAWS VETERINARY HOSPITAL | SWEAT THERAPY FITNESS | NORTH FLORIDA ANIMAL HOSPITAL BUCKLAKE ANIMAL HOSPITAL | PET PARADISE RESORT | TALLAHASSEE NURSERIES | TALLAHASSEE MEMORIAL ANIMAL THERAPY LEON COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE K-9 UNIT | CREATION’S CARE PET SITTING | ELLE MARKET | OAKWOOD ANIMAL HOSPITAL TALLY CAT CAFE | PEPSI | CAMPUS USA CREDIT UNION | KILLEARN ANIMAL HOSPITAL | SALTWATER SEAFOOD & COCKTAILS SELFIETALLY | CHARLA’S SCHOOL OF DANCE

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PHOTO BY MEREDITH BROOKS

ANN

PROMOTION

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PHOTOS BY MEREDITH BROOKS, SELFIETALLY (ST. PATRICK’S DAY IMAGES), RACHEL SMITH (BOOTH), MCKENZIE LOHBECK (COUPLE)

E

ighteen lives were dramatically changed.

And that’s not to mention the people and families who did the adopting.

A dozen-and-a-half eminently adoptable puppies began their St. PAWtrick’s Day — at least that’s what we’re calling it — at their current foster homes and concluded them as the centers of attention at their new forever homes.

Again this year, the adoptable proved irresistible at Tallahassee Magazine’s 14th annual Pets & Their People, conducted on Saturday, March 17, at Proctor Subaru, the presenting sponsor of the event.

An estimated 500 people went to the dogs this year, learned about the work of the Humane Society, sipped bloody marys and mimosas served up by bar sponsor GVO (Good Vibes Only), and munched on brunch prepared by Street Chefs, whose owner, Rebecca Kelly-Manders, is a new Pets & Their People sponsor. Sodas and VitaNourish, a vitamin-rich puppy water, were distributed from a Pepsi truck.

“We love the Humane Society, love the work that they do and are always happy to come out and support them,” Kelly-Manders said.

Twenty-two people joined in puppy yoga, sponsored by Sweat Therapy Fitness. While the bi-pedals involved stretched, performed strength moves and worked on their balance, the puppies clambered, scampered and even snuggled. Yoga participants stretched their faces, so broad were their gins, while onlookers oohed and aahed in response to a showroom full of cuteness.

All about the Proctor campus, dogs big and little led their owners around and met fellow canines. South of Echo provided live music and, appropriately enough, a recording of “Who Let the Dogs Out” was heard when the musicians took a break.

Attendees, sponsors and event vendors were united in their desire to help the Humane Society. Table vendors included Be the Solution, Bradfordville Paws & Claws, Buck Lake Animal Hospital, Campus USA Credit Union, Capital Veterinary Services, Charla’s School of Dance, Creation’s

VETS AND PETS PROFILES

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

WHAT SERVICES DO YOU PROVIDE? We provide specialty veterinary surgery, internal medicine, oncology, cardiology, dermatology and ophthalmology care to companion animals in North Florida and South Georgia.

WHAT SETS YOUR OFFICE APART FROM OTHERS? We are the only veterinary specialty center in the Big Bend region, and we work with primary care veterinarians to provide advanced specialty veterinary care to our community. By working with primary care veterinarians, we can maximize the care and support for our pet owners and their furry family members.

WHAT DO YOU HOPE THAT PETS AND THEIR OWNERS EXPERIENCE? We want every owner to obtain a clear and accurate understanding of the illness or injury their pet is experiencing. Dealing with this is our No. 1 priority. Once we understand the disease or injury process accurately, we can then work toward treating, and, in most cases, providing a cure for the pet. In our practice, owners experience efficient, accurate and compassionate specialty veterinary medical and surgical care.

WHAT DO YOU THINK IS SO SPECIAL ABOUT THE OWNER/PET RELATIONSHIP? The human-animal bond is one of the strongest connections there is. It is an unspoken bond between us and our pet, an understanding of love and support that both the pet and owner feel. It is what we cherish most in our animal companions and why we strive to enhance the health and comfort of our patients. That connection can get us through the most difficult times in our life and enhances our quality of life.

WHAT IS YOUR OFFICE KNOWN FOR? We are known for specialty veterinary medicine and surgery. We can accommodate any illness or injury and have state of the art imaging — MRI, CT, ultrasound — and perform state-of-the-art procedures — joint surgery, fracture and wound surgery, arthroscopy, laparoscopy, colonoscopy, cancer therapy, dermatology, eye surgery and therapy for complex medical conditions.

WHAT ARE SOME MEMORABLE CASES YOU’VE HAD? A very interesting case we operated here was a young bulldog with a gunshot injury. The pet was shot in the front arm defending the family from a home intruder. The police were able to arrest the intruder and the pet was brought to us for surgery. The young bulldog had a completely shattered radius and ulna, and with a minimally invasive approach we were able to remove the bullet and repair the limb with a plate and pin fixation technique. He is back home with his family running and jumping again!

1615 MAHAN CENTER BLVD. | (850) 597-9764 | CAPVETSPECIALISTS.COM

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PROMOTION

Care Pet Sitting, Elle Market, Killearn Animal Hospital, the Leon County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit, North Florida Animal Hospital, Nuberri Frozen Yogurt, Oakwood Animal Hospital, Pet Paradise, Petagon Inc., Pure Barre Tallahassee, Saltwater Seafood, Tallahassee Nurseries, Tally Cat Café, TMH Animal Therapy, Proctor Subaru and Tallahassee Magazine.

The Selfitally “fur friendly” photo station proved to be especially popular. Pups were placed on a table and had their digitally framed “pug shots” taken along with their owners.

(Check out #TmagPets on Instagram and see the photo library.)

Local businesses combined to contribute more than $3,500 in door prizes. Proctor Subaru purchased and supplied gift cards from Axios, Hearth & Soul, Sky Zone, Starbucks and Tallahassee Nurseries. Elle Market, Nuberri, Pure Barre Tallahassee, Saltwater Seafood, Tallahassee Magazine and Killearn Animal Hospital contributed giveaway items.

Barbara and Glen Doran of Tallahassee were among the folks who left the event as new pet owners. They lost their last dog four years ago and were ready to bring a pooch back into the family. At Pets & Their People, they found a pup they agreed upon and soon were taking turns holding it their arms.

Tallahassee Magazine looks forward to presenting the event’s proceed check to the Leon County Humane Society.

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VETS AND PETS PROFILES

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

NORTH FLORIDA ANIMAL HOSPITAL CELEBRATING 30 YEARS

A

passion for the care of animals has been a lifelong dedication for Dr. George Simmons. He has been able to immerse himself through the creation and subsequent practice of veterinary medicine at North Florida Animal Hospital (NFAH). NFAH celebrates its 30th anniversary by continuing his legacy of excellent customer service and the best veterinary medicine for Tallahassee’s beloved fur friends.

After an undergraduate degree from UGA and graduate degree from Auburn, Dr. Simmons began work for Dr. Lee, whose hospital was established on the outskirts of town in 1951. Dr. Simmons purchased the practice in 1988 and would later welcome fellow Auburn graduates Dr. Randy Fullerton in 1990, former technician Dr. Burkhead in 1996 and Dr. Hagood in 1999.

It is a point of pride for the practice today that they employ 10 DVMs that are able to collaborate on diagnoses and share their areas of interest.

Each client and patient in turn might receive a more customizable experience. Their 12 years in a row of being nominated Tallahassee’s “Best of” is a testament to their dedication to excellence.

Dr. Simmons is a tireless and faithful supporter of the community. He has devoted countless hours over the years to the Animal Shelter Control Board, St. Francis Wildlife and many rescue groups. He was instrumental in the implementation of an allied emergency hospital group for our community serving as its president until 2013. He is an active member at Christ Presbyterian Church. With a lifetime of appreciation for the outdoors, Dr. Simmons has also served for over a decade on the board of Tall Timbers, whose mission is fostering exemplary land stewardship though research, conservation and education.

NFAH is a stalwart supporter of Be The Solution, a provider of spay and neuter procedures to help reduce overpopulation and abandonment of pets. Their support of this vital program is due in part to Dr. Simmons having served as a founding board member. He and all of the DVMs perform as many as 100 voucher procedures a month in support of pet owners who need BTS assistance.

Following Dr. Simmons’ example, all of the doctors at NFAH have served on many boards and participate in programs throughout our community.

NFAH proudly offers comprehensive wellness plans, a variety of services from complicated orthopedic surgery to high-quality boarding using the highest standards required to be an AAHA accredited practice.

Please call, stop in for a visit or go online at NFLAH.com to see all they can do for you and your pet.

“Pets are the most giving things on earth,” said Dr. Simmons. “And I am fortunate to have the ability to help heal them and provide services to keep them well through our NFAH team.”

We are so proud of Dr. Simmons’ 30 years!

2701 N. MONROE ST. | (850) 385-5141 | NFLAH.COM

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VETS AND PETS PROFILES

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

CUMBERLAND ANIMAL CLINIC WHAT SERVICES DO YOU PROVIDE? Cumberland Animal Clinic is a full-service, small-animal clinic. We provide surgical, internal medicine, dental, preventive care, boarding and much more. Our state-of-the-art hospital has digital X-rays, cold laser therapy, pharmacy, in-house laboratory testing and ultrasounds.

WHAT SETS YOUR OFFICE APART FROM OTHERS? Our clinic provides outstanding customer service, client education and patient care. We treat each pet as if they were one of our own. Cumberland clients feel like they are part of this clinic, just as much as the doctors and staff.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO CHOOSE A VET THAT BEST FITS YOU/YOUR PETS? Veterinarians are an important part of your health team. It is very important that you work with a veterinarian that you trust, because they will be making recommendations and decisions on a family member.

WHAT IS THE BEST PART ABOUT BEING A VET? There isn’t a single thing that makes being a veterinarian great but rather a conglomeration of things. We love problem-solving, helping people and, of course, helping animals. Meeting new clients, new pets and seeing cases go home feeling better are only a few perks of the job.

DR. ANDREW SIMMONS AND DR. CONTESSA BOWMAN

5902 SHADY REST ROAD, HAVANA | (850) 562-0531 | CUMBERLANDPET.COM

BUCK LAKE ANIMAL HOSPITAL WHAT SERVICES DO YOU PROVIDE? Buck Lake Animal Hospital is owned and operated by a husband and wife team, Dr. Varela and Dr. Anderson. It is a full-service veterinary clinic that offers routine wellness exams, vaccinations, boarding, nutritional counseling, in-house diagnostics, digital radiography, surgical services, dental care, hospice and pain management.

WHAT DO YOU HOPE THAT PETS AND THEIR OWNERS EXPERIENCE? We want people and their pets to feel like a valued partner in the care we provide. We realize your time is just as valuable as ours, and we make every attempt to see appointments at the scheduled time. We want you and your pet to feel like family when at Buck Lake.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO CHOOSES A VET THAT FITS YOU AND YOUR PET? It is critical that our customers share our mission and values. We want our clients to feel at ease and free to share opinions, discuss treatment plans, schedule appointments, ask questions and look forward to bringing pets to visit and stay at our hospital. If a pet owner is happy, the pet will be happy.

WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO BE A VET? Both of us always had animals growing up. We share a value that animals are living things that must be cared for, and, as humans, society has the responsibility to cherish and value them. Both of us believe pets are members of the family.

DR. BLAIR ANDERSON AND DR. CARLOS VARELA

3514 MAHAN DRIVE | (850) 878-4799 | BUCKLAKEAH.COM

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↖ Gabrielle Gabriella, left, cuddles a litter of puppies while Vicky Verano gets acquainted with the one she’s taking home.

Providing Sanctuary Volunteers foster hope for strays of Tallahassee

As a leadership coach and speaker, SCUBA instructor, aviator and cyclist, Gabrielle Gabrielli is a jack of all trades and master of many. She’s not picking favorites, but according to her track record of welcoming over 680 cats and dogs into her home for foster care, we may have an indication.

by HANNAH BURKE

photography by SAIGE ROBERTS

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abrielli first contracted foster fever 14 years ago from Kate MacFall, director of the Florida Humane Society of The United States. The two were classmates at Leadership Tallahassee when Gabrielli was inspired by MacFall’s efforts with animal rescue foundations and, following her example, started fostering herself.

Not every stray that scampers through our local shelters is the tail-wagging, tongue-lolling model of what a family pet should be. Often, they’re leery, sick, stressed or completely unsocialized. That’s where the backbone of the animal rescue community steps in, establishing

a system of trust, love and positivity in a foster environment with the sole goal of affording each rescue a second chance at life.

“I’m one of those people who have an equal love for cats and dogs, so initially, I had a dog, then a cat, and then a dog and a cat at the same time, until suddenly, I was fostering 13 at a time,” Gabrielli laughed. “It suddenly became this meaningful calling in my life, where they helped me while I helped them find that perfect connection to their adoptive parents, so it’s a win/win/win in my opinion.”

While caretakers, fosters are ultimately matchmakers, as it’s their role to learn the distinct (and

River Spencer specializes in fostering newborn kittens, having tended to more than 180 at last count.

sometimes eccentric!) personalities of each animal to determine which household he or she is best suited to.

Gabrielli’s dog Bodi helps her in cultivating traits that help strays grow, heal and find new homes. While Gabrielli hosts a litter of bottlefed kittens who have yet to open their eyes, Bodi isn’t just sitting on his paws.

“While I’m feeding one kitten, my Golden Retriever, Bodi, will take care of the rest,” she beamed. “Grooming them, stimulating them and just acting like their mom in every way he can. He’s great for nurturing and socializing all of my fosters, which really helps them thrive in their new home.”

Like Gabrielli, River Spencer specializes in fostering newborn kittens. Unlike Gabrielli, Spencer lost count of how many she’s reared after hitting the 180 mark years ago.

A nurse at Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare with a background in home health care, Spencer says animal foster care is second nature for her.

“I often take in sicker kittens since I’m comfortable administering medication and fluids, but I also have a knack for what we call “hissyspitty” kittens, the kind you have to wear gloves for just to pick them up and show them some love,” Spencer said. “If you’re a new foster parent, remember to be persistent with the affection. I can’t tell you how many of these problem kittens I’ve watched transform into the most snuggly, lovable cats ready to go to their new home. It’s our job to make it happen.”

To achieve this, Spencer begins the search for adoptive homes by posting pictures of the litters on animal rescue Facebook pages, such as

Get Involved Companion Animal Rescue Endeavor careintallahassee.org/helpcare Best Friends Dog Rescue bestfriendsdogrescue.net Tallahassee Big Dog Rescue bigdogrescue.com Foster Pets Needing Adoption facebook.com/groups/fosterpets Last Hope Rescue lasthoperescue.org/get-involved

Smitten with Kittens facebook.com/SmittenWithKittens Aloft Tallahassee Downtown fosters dogs in its hotel. Through May, 24 were adopted.

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PHOTOS BY SAIGE ROBERTS

Leon County Humane Society lchs.info/foster_program

VETS AND PETS PROFILES

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

OAKWOOD ANIMAL HOSPITAL AT OAKWOOD ANIMAL HOSPITAL, WE PRIDE OURSELVES ON PROVIDING EXEMPLARY VETERINARY CARE. Our hospital provides signature medical and surgical services for cats and dogs. We are accredited by the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) and represent the highest standard of veterinary care. Our hospital is a provider of medical services, including internal medicine, dermatology, ophthalmology, oncology, cold laser therapy and many other forms of pain management. Our surgical services offered include soft tissue surgery and comprehensive dental procedures.

Our five brilliant doctors of veterinary medicine lead a team of highly dedicated professionals. We are devoted to continuing education for all of our doctors and staff, as we aspire to keep informed on the constant developments and improvements in the world of veterinary medicine. Our doctors and staff work daily to better the lives of animals, educate our clients and enhance the humananimal bond.

We recognize every client and patient as a member of our growing Oakwood family. When you enter our clinic doors, you are always greeted with a smile and a family-friendly atmosphere. We are also committed to improving our community by working closely with several local animal service organizations and rescue groups to fulfill our missions.

At Oakwood Animal Hospital, pets are our passion — and keeping your pet healthy is our No. 1 priority!

DR. MELISSA BECKER, DR. JOSH GOODSON, DR. AMBER DEESE AND DR. MATTHEW WANOUS

2528 W. THARPE ST. | (850) 386-1138 | OAKWOODANIMAL.COM

CRAWFORDVILLE AND OX BOTTOM ANIMAL HOSPITALS Coastal Veterinary Group is a locally owned company that specializes in offering state-of-the-art veterinary hospital care to your family cats and dogs. Dr. Lauren Jernigan is the medical director and veterinarian for Crawfordville Animal Hospital on Crawfordville Highway. She provides signature internal medicine services, dermatology, soft tissue surgery, dental/oral surgery, preventative care and more. She graduated from Auburn University and lives with her two wonderful Weimaraners, Pepper and Latte.

Their second veterinary clinic is Ox Bottom Animal Hospital, located just off North Thomasville Road on Ox Bottom Road. Dr. Lauren Combs will be the primary veterinarian and medical director of this beautiful, brand new facility, which will open in the fall of 2018. It will offer primary care services, luxury boarding, grooming, internal medicine, dermatology, dental and soft tissue surgery and more. A graduate of the University of Florida, Dr. Combs is a Tallahassee native, and she lives with her husband, David, her new baby girl and her furry family of four cats and a dog.

DR. LAUREN COMBS AND DR. LAUREN JERNIGAN

CRAWFORDVILLE ANIMAL HOSPITAL 2807 CRAWFORDVILLE HIGHWAY | (850) 926-2089 | CRAWFORDVILLEANIMALHOSPITAL.COM OX BOTTOM ANIMAL HOSPITAL 2728 OX BOTTOM ROAD TALL AHASSEEMAGA ZINE.COM

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Tending newborn strays and helping them find homes is happy work for Gabrielle Gabriella.

the Leon County Animal Service Center and Smitten with Kittens, and by visiting adoption fairs every weekend until she guarantees they find a family.

And, yes, she cries every time she says goodbye.

“When we started fostering, I made a promise to my husband that we weren’t going to be foster failures and adopt any kittens, otherwise we couldn’t foster,” she said. “You fall in love with every litter that passes through, but you have to bear in mind that if you keep them for yourself, you won’t be able to create space for future kittens who depend on you to live a happy, full life.”

Gabrielli only gave in once — with her cat Ziggy, who she found zigzagging through traffic on Capital Circle — but otherwise she adheres to Spencer’s mindset. For her, there’s nothing more rewarding than witnessing the love at first sight (or sniff) between her foster animals and their new best friends.

“We really have a dire, dire need for more foster parents,” Gabrielli stressed. “Our local rescues are incredible, and as a foster parent it’s an honor to be able to help them in their mission to protect our animals. Not every shelter has the space and resources, so by fostering, you’re absolutely saving a life.” TM SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

VETS AND PETS PROFILES

KOOL BEANZ CAFE

Eat where the local “Foodies” eat! In a vibrant setting of dark pastels and modern art, the friendly and energetic staff serve tantalizing entrees.

Outdoor seating is available for you and your pup!

Make sure you stop by for lunch or dinner ... it’s fun, quick and delicious. Pet friendly!

921 Thomasville Road | (850) 224-2466 koolbeanz-cafe.com

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THE PUPPY LADIES

The Puppy Ladies is a dog training business for the whole family. We specialize in puppy classes designed for puppies 8-20 weeks old.

We only use humane training methods, and all of our trainers are certified.

(850) 309-1593 thepuppyladies.com

PHOTOS BY SAIGE ROBERTS

“It suddenly became this meaningful calling in my life, where they helped me while I helped them find that perfect connection to their adoptive parents, so it’s a win/win/win in my opinion.” — Gabrielle Gabrielli

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For additional sponsorship opportunities, contact Mandy Chapman at mchapman@rowlandpublishing.com

TALL AHASSEEMAGA ZINE.COM

HONORING THE OUTSTANDING WOMEN

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1379 timberlane rd brushandpalettestudio.com info@brushandpalettestudio.com

Summer Art Camp painting drawing collage mixed media sculpture Tie Dye

Accepting children who have completed Kindergarten-age 15.

Offering full and half-day camps.

See website for full camp listings.

TALLAHASSEE

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Go to tallahasseemagazine.com/newsletter and sign up today!

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“They ought to drop it. That doesn’t always happen, and we have to try those cases.”

The fact is that fewer than 5 percent of the cases lodged locally go to trial. The rest settle through plea bargains. Daniels estimated that as many as 15 percent end in dismissal of charges.

“You can’t set every case for trial. The dockets simply can’t accommodate it,” she said.

“As it is now, cases that come through would typically be set for trial five or six months from now. That’s a very long time to have pre-trial incarceration. If the case drags on and on, it’s a hard situation. People have a lot of incentive to resolve their cases as soon as possible.”

She added: “Most people, in my experience, prefer certainty to uncertainty. A jury trial is always uncertain.”

The attorney-client relationship hinges on trust.

“How are people on the street, using our services, going to trust us to advise them that that this is a good way to go — that this is a good disposition, or maybe you should go to a trial, or maybe you should take this deal — if they don’t know us?” Thomas said. “They don’t know us from Adam.”

Thomas and others say the answer includes recruiting more minority attorneys and community outreach. For outreach, Thomas acquired $35,000 from the Florida Legislature for a van that will take volunteers into neighborhoods — to “take services where the people are,” he said.

“If you have a case and you’re having a hard time getting to our office, come see us (at the van). If you don’t have a case, you have a question, or you’re worried about warrants, we can give you free advice.”

Daniels believes the approach pays off in community support — from the Leon County Commission; from Big Bend Community Based Care, the big social services provider; from the NAACP; from the ACLU. Activists learned the office would work with them when possible, she said.

On the other hand, there’s the suspicion in some quarters that defense lawyers scheme to let the guilty go free.

“Some prosecutors and some outside forces think that defense lawyers are just evil and that we would do anything in the world to get

PHOTO BY MARK WALLHEISER

893-1960

children‘s

our clients off,� Daniels said. “It’s so untrue, because we operate under a code of ethics. “For one thing, we cannot nor would we ever want to allow a client to commit perjury. We cannot put forward false evidence. We cannot do anything that would demonstrate lack of candor to the court. The ethics are the floor — professionalism is way above that.

There’s a lot you have to do to keep your license and to practice with professionalism.�

While defenders and prosecutors often cooperate, elbows sometimes fly in the heat of a court fight. “In trial, it’s not unusual for things to get pretty visceral and personal, because these are incredibly important things,� Campbell said. “They’re fighting for a client who’s looking at possibly, sometimes, going to his death, or to spend the rest of their lives in prison. We’re fighting for victims who we care deeply about and want to protect.

Definitely, sometimes things get chippy and adversarial.�

Yet the two offices stage friendly competitions on the softball field, he said. And weddings between prosecutors and defenders are not unheard of. “Some of the best lawyers I’ve ever worked with are public defenders,� Campbell said. “I’ve seen outstanding results — and, believe me, I’m the one fighting against them. Often, they’re getting as good if not better representation from a public defender than they would from a private attorney.�

It’s not about the money Certainly, the motivation isn’t money — pay starts at around $40,000, and felony attorneys might earn $50,000 or more. For that, a misdemeanor defender may handle 150 cases at any given time, and a felony attorney between 40 and 80. “Which is a lot of serious cases to be juggling at the same time,� Daniels said.

Turnover in the Public Defender’s office “can be 14 to 20 percent, depending on the year,� Thomas said. ​ To help with retention, the new state budget increases the salaries of assistant public defenders and assistant state attorneys b​ y $2,000 to $4,000 depending on years of service.

Meanwhile, the system is increasingly strained with homicide cases. As of May, the Public Defender’s office was handling 14 murder cases circuitwide: 10 from Leon, four from outlying counties. “They’re coming in at an unprecedented rate,� Thomas said. The Public Defender’s office now has three lawyers working capital trials and one in capital appeals.

Most people who need a public defender “have not hurt people,� he said. “So many come in broken and need help.�

What deeply motivates defenders is “truly understanding how important it is that if we allow the government to infringe on the least of our citizens’ rights, that they will eventually infringe on ours,�

Thomas said. “That’s the way every monarchy, fascist, whatever you want to call it, centralized government works when it wants to take over everything. First we’ll get rid of the gypsies. We’ll get rid of the blacks.

We’ll get rid of these people or those people. We’ll go after the poor people first. We’ll go after their rights. We’ll suspend Fourth Amendment rights so we can stop your car for any reason,� he said. “If we’re not protecting our people from that, we’re not protecting the rest of you either.� TM

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LIVE! In Tallahassee is the weekly entertainment show that keeps you updated on what’s happening in our region.

Rochelle Koff contributed to this report.

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Southwood

Exotic (Continued from page 82)

Newest phase of SouthWood Southwood

Exotic LIVES

W

ALKING INTO A DRAWING

850-545-4747 “You say where, I’ll be there!”

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ROOM full of people, each beautifully groomed, each accomplished, each splendid in one way or another, one’s eye would be drawn nevertheless to a singular couple. It would be so

not only because she is a golden-haired beauty and he a movie-star-handsome man of means, nor because their conversation ranges from land conservation to Namibian jewelry, from horse breeding to belly dancing. Instead, Anne and Colin Phipps are alluring simply because they are in love.

They lived rich, exotic lives before they became a couple more than 20 years ago. It is as if two distinct novels were written, one perhaps a romance about a peripatetic young woman who traveled the globe, dancing to exotic rhythms, gathering encyclopedias of facts and languages, following “the energy” of the universe wherever she found it.

The other’s saga would begin in the perfume of another era — one of vast wealth, Grand Tours, African hunts, and a blending of old money with an Edwardian sense of responsibility that would be passed down through generations like pedigrees from Exeter and Yale.

Today, Colin Phipps, deeply attentive to the stewardship of familial lands that combined several of the dozens of turnof-the-century hunting plantations dotting north Florida, and Anne, continuing her interest in the arts and her own dancing craft, blend philanthropy, travel, architectural restoration and land conservation within a local/global perspective. And each of them does it with a humanity that draws in those without privilege and that embraces as friends those beginning on life’s ladder.

← Anne Lippe and Colin Phipps married in 1998 after decades of exploring the world, from New Zealand to Colombia and from Egypt to Berkeley.

Anne and Colin Phipps explored the world separately, then blended their lives within a Tallahassee dynasty

by MARINA BROWN photography by DAVE BARFIELD

The Tallahassee-based couple, with five other residences between them — in Boston, Tampa, Berkeley, West Yarmouth and a ranch in Montana — continues to travel to their homes and across the globe.

COLIN’S STORY Colin Phipps laughs a little at his own middle name, “Srinagar.” He’s told the tale before, but it happily links him to his parents and a way of life that is no more. “I was conceived in Srinagar, Kashmir,” he says. “So, that city and I sort of got mixed up.” Yet to tell Colin’s story, it’s necessary to skip back generations to learn how an office boy and bookkeeper, Henry Phipps, would set the stage for great-great-grandson Colin Phipps’ spark to life in Kashmiri India.

About 1860, the young accountant Henry Phipps was moving up. A born entrepreneur, he formed companies that dealt in powder and iron around the time of the Civil War. JoinTALL AHASSEEMAGA ZINE.COM

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learning Arabic, and was embraced by her Egyptian colleagues and admirers.

But on a break back home, a friend asked her to fill in for some performances in Boston. Anne’s life again took a turn when she fell in love with the city, and for the next 13 years she created authentic Middle Eastern dance exhibitions in and around Massachusetts, even going on to own her own “belly-gram” business that allowed her to have fun with comedic skits, do impressions, and of course, dance.

“I didn’t like things that were boring,” she says.

Unknown to her, any chance of boredom was about to evaporate.

Her world and that of Colin Phipps were about to converge.

THEIR STORY After being introduced two decades earlier by Anne’s sister Melinda Proctor and her husband, renowned Tallahassee sculptor Sandy Proctor, a subtle courtship began between Colin and Anne, both divorced.

Colin says there was “this little spark.”

Anne still lived in Boston; Colin had a house on Cape Cod. The stars finally seemed to align. On a visit to New England, in the way that many mature couples make big decisions, Anne remembers that Colin asked her, “Do you wanna get married?” Well, she answered, that would be all right.

FREEDOM The Tallahassee-based couple, with five other residences between them — in Boston, Tampa, Berkeley, West Yarmouth and a sprawling ranch in Montana — continues to travel to their homes and across the globe. Locally, Anne practices flamenco steps at the dance studio on the grounds of The Farm on Meridian Road. The stables until recently boarded riding and dressage champions; for the moment, they house the couple’s three horses and a few visitors. They have a host of animals to love: two dogs, a cat, two rabbits, a flock of chickens and four exotic birds in their own elegant house.

But even those are not what make a rewarding life, Anne and Colin will tell you. For them, the reward is in learning, creating, changing things for the better, making contributions where you can by serving on boards or through philanthropy — and doing it with humility and grace.

STEPHEN C. HUGGINS For the Phippses, the respect they hold for the arts, for their land, Senior Vice President for the greater good of the community, both at home and afar, is demFinancial Advisor Someday you’ll stop working, and at that onstrated on a smaller, though no less important scale with each other.

3520 Thomasville Rd, Suite 100 Two different 850.422.8707 point, you’ll have to depend on your retirement people from two different worlds, who can occasionally be caught gazing at each other with respect, love and admiration. © 2013 Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC. income.

Member SIPC.To work toward building that income, “I have the best wife in the world,” says Colin almost shyly. “We CRC588469 (12/12) CS 7338805 MAR013A 03/13 blended just perfectly together.” TM

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Stephen Huggins

Senior Vice President

With more than 26 years of experience, I

dining guide AMERICAN ANDREW’S CAPITAL GRILL AND BAR

After 40 years, Andrew’s is still an energetic, casual, see-and-be-seen spot. House favorites include a popular lunch buffet, hamburgers, sandwiches, salads and pasta dishes. Downtown delivery. Mon-Thurs 11:30 am-10 pm, Fri-Sat 11:30 am-11 pm, Sun 10:30 am-9 pm.

228 S. Adams St. (850) 222-3444/Fax, (850) 222-2433. $$ B L D

AVENUE EAT & DRINK

This downtown restaurant offers a melting pot of flavors fresh from the South, served in scrumptious dining presentations. Sunday brunch is a not-to-be-missed treat. MonFri 11 am-10 pm, Sat 9:30 am-10 pm, Sun 9:30 am-9 pm. 115 E. Park Ave. (850) 224-0115. $$$ B L D

CORNER POCKET BAR & GRILL

This locally owned and operated sports bar serves a wide variety of beers, ciders and microbrews, along with wings, burgers, wraps, hot sandwiches and homemade potato salad.

Plus lots of huge TVs, games and a stage that features top local bands on weekends. MonSun 11 am-2 am. 2475 Apalachee Pkwy #201.

(850) 574-2724. $$ L D

CYPRESS RESTAURANT

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 2014–2017 as

Best Celebration/Special Occasion and Best Fine Dining restaurant. Mon-Thurs 5-9:30 pm, Fri-Sat 5-10 pm, Sun Closed. 320 E. Tennessee St. (850) 513-1100. $$$ D

DOG ET AL

For the ultimate in comfort food, Dog Et Al offers hand-held deliciousness for the “down to earth” and “uppity” dogs in us all.

Foot-long and veggie entrees alike grace this award-winning menu. If the entire family is down for the dog, be sure to ask about their incredibly valued family packs. Mon-Fri 10 am-7 pm, Sat 10 am-6 pm, Sun Closed.

1456 S. Monroe St. (850) 222-4099. $ L D

THE EDISON

A Tallahassee relaxed fine dining establishment, The Edison is so much more than just a pretty face. Equipped with a beer garden, wine cellar, casual café, open-air alternatives and a gorgeous view, this historic building and restaurant has quickly become a Tallahassee favorite. Mon-Thurs 11 am-11 pm, Fri 11 ammidnight, Sat 10 am-midnight, Sun 10 am-11 pm. 470 Suwannee St. (850) 684-2117. $$/$$$

FOOD GLORIOUS FOOD

The name says it all! This restaurant boasts a palate-pleasing combination of personalized service, eclectic ambiance and award-winning cuisine and is the Best Desserts winner for 2017. Tues-Thurs 11 am2:30 pm, 5:30-9 pm; Fri-Sat 11 am-2:30 pm, 5:30-9:30 pm; Sun 10 am-2:30 pm, 5:30-9 pm.

1950 Thomasville Rd. (850) 224-9974. $$ L D

HOPKINS’ EATERY

Hopkins’, a Best of 2017 winner, provides more than just your average sandwich. Favorites such as the Ultimate Turkey and the Linda Special, and a variety of salad meals keep customers coming back for more. And the food is healthy, too! Multiple locations. Hours vary. hopkinseatery.com. $ L

ISLAND WING COMPANY

Get baked! Tally’s Best Wings 2017 won’t serve you up greasy, fried wings; instead, they bake them and prepare them fresh. They don’t stop at wings, either: Try the mac ‘n cheese, burgers and tacos paired with a cold beer. Mon-Thurs 11 am-12 am, Fri-Sat 11 am-2 am, Sun 11 am12 am. 1370 Market St. (850) 692-3116. $/$$ L D

JUICY BLUE

Located in the Four Points by Sheraton Downtown, this cool lobby restaurant offers breakfast, lunch and dinner. Unique dishes include tapas with a twist, such as the Georgia peaches with caramel. Sandwiches, salads and a nice variety of seafood, pasta and chicken dishes round out the menu. Mon-Fri 7 am11 pm, Sat-Sun 7 am-midnight. 316 W. Tennessee St. (850) 422-0071. $ B L D

KOOL BEANZ

Eclectic and edgy, both in menu and atmosphere, Kool Beanz delights in art present both on the walls and your plates. This offbeat alternative won Best Casual Dining in Tallahassee.

THE KEY

★ 2017 Best

of Tallahassee Winner

Dinner Mon-Sat 5:30-10 pm, lunch Mon-Fri 11 am-2:30 pm, brunch Sun 10:30 am-2 pm.

921 Thomasville Rd. (850) 224-2466. $$ L D

LIAM’S RESTAURANT

Part restaurant, part cheese shoppe, part lounge — Liam’s features locally grown and harvested foods, expertly made cocktails, craft beer, artisan wines & cheeses and friendly service. Lunch: Tues.-Sat., 11 a.m.-2 p.m.; Dinner: Tues.-Sat., 5 p.m.-close; Lounge: Tues.-Fri. 5 p.m.-late., Sat.: noon-midnight. 113 E. Jackson St., Thomasville, Georgia. (229) 226-9944. $$/$$$ L D

MADISON SOCIAL

Whether it’s for a social cocktail, a quick lunch or a place for alumni to gather before home football games, Madison Social offers something for everyone. Madison Social earned Best Happy Hour honors in 2017. MonFri 11:30 am-2 am, Sat-Sun 10 am-2 am. College Town, 705 S. Woodward Ave. (850) 894‑6276. $$ B L D

PAISLEY CAFÉ

Guilt-free lunch has never been easier now that Paisley serves up food fresh from the bakery and a garden full of wholesome treats.

Mon-Fri 11 am-3 pm, Sat-Sun 10 am-3 pm.

1123 Thomasville Rd. (850) 385‑7268. $$ L

SAGE RESTAURANT

Sage’s menu masterfully melds regional influences, including Southern and French.

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.

B L D

Breakfast/ Brunch Lunch Dinner

Outdoor Dining Live Music Bar/Lounge $ Inexpensive

$$ Moderately

Expensive

$$$ Expensive

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ASIAN

The setting is gorgeous but cozy, and the outdoor patio sets a charming, romantic tone for a relaxed evening. Mon Closed; Tues-Sat 11 am-3 pm, 6-10 pm; Sun 11 am-2:30 pm. 3534 Maclay Blvd. (850) 270-9396. $$$ B L D

BENTO ASIAN KITCHEN + SUSHI

Bento serves bold, flavorful pan-Asian fare, seasoned with sauces crafted in-house with ingredients prepped daily. Dishes are prepared by hand according to time-honored traditions but have fresh interpretations that give Bento its reputation for innovation. The lunch and dinner menus include sushi, wok-fired noodles, Asian salads, sweet boba teas and much more.

Sun-Thurs 11:30 am-10 pm, Fri 11;30 am10:30 pm, Sat noon-10:30 pm. (850) 765-3991, 1660 W. Tennessee St. $$ L D

TABLE 23

This “Southern porch, table and bar” is cozied up among oak trees on one of Tallahassee’s favorite street corners. Serving lunch, dinner, Sunday brunch, fabulous cocktails and craft beers. Lucky Goat coffee-rubbed ribeye and Schermer pecan-crusted chicken are among the regional-produce offerings. Mon-Tues 11 am-2 pm, 5 pm-9 pm, Wed-Fri 11 am-2 pm, 5 pm-10 pm, Sat 5 pm-10 pm, Sun 10 am-3 pm.

1215 Thomasville Rd., (850) 329-2261. $$$ L D

KIKU JAPANESE FUSION

From tempura to teriyaki and from sushi to sashimi, Kiku Japanese Fusion fuses vibrant flavors with fresh ingredients. There’s a reason Kiku was voted Best Sushi in 2017. Mon-Sat 11 am-1 pm, Sun 12-11 pm. 800 Ocala Rd. (850) 575-5458. $$ L D

UPTOWN CAFÉ

Uptown Cafe and Catering, locally owned and operated for more than 30 years, is famous for its all-day brunch menu and lunch fare. Specialties at the bustling, family-run café include apricot-glazed smoked salmon, one-of-a-kind omelets, banana bread French toast and flavorful sandwiches. Mon-Sat 7 am-3 pm, Sun 8 am-2 pm.

1325 Miccosukee Road (850) 219-9800. $ B L

THE WINE LOFT WINE BAR

MASA

Chosen as a Best of winner in 2017, Midtown’s Wine Loft offers a superb wine list, creative cocktails, quality beer and tasty tapas. Mon-Thurs 5 pm-2 am, Fri-Sat 4 pm-2 am, Sun Closed. 1240 Thomasville Rd., #100. (850) 222-9914. $$ D

VERTIGO BURGERS AND FRIES

Vertigo is 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 served with a fried egg, applewood bacon, grilled jalapeños, sharp cheddar and Vertigo sauce. Mon-Sat 11 am-9 pm, Sun 11 am-6 pm.

1395 E. Lafayette St. (850) 878‑2020. $$ L D

In 2017, Masa earned the title of Best Asian in town — and with good reason. Their menu offers a creative blend of Eastern and Western cuisines. Mon-Fri 11 am-3 pm, 4:30-9:30 pm; Sat-Sun 12-3 pm, 4:30-9:30 pm. 1001 N. Monroe St. (850) 847-0003. $/$$ L D

OSAKA JAPANESE STEAKHOUSE AND SUSHI BAR

Rated Best Hibachi for 2017, Osaka provides dinner and a show, with the 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. Sun-Thurs 11 am-10:15 pm, Fri-Sat 11 am-10:45 pm. 1690 Raymond Diehl Rd. (850) 531-0222. $$$ D

SIAM SUSHI

Thai one on at this fine eatery and you will be left wanton more. An expansive menu includes starters, soups, salads, fried rice, noodles and a

host of signature dishes — some ducky, some not — ranging from “Rock the Wok” to Chirashi Sumocombo, a substantial, edible work of art. Mon-Fri 11 am-10 pm, Sat-Sun 12-10 pm.

1700 N. Monroe St. (850) 391-9021. $$$ L D

BBQ

ingredients, and they were voted Tallahassee’s best 15 times, including the 2016 award for Best Breakfast. Light breakfast fare is available at The Egg Express, a second downtown location in the R.A. Gray building. Tues-Sun 7 am-2 pm. In Evening Rose at 3740 Austin Davis Ave. (850) 907-3447. $$ B L

CAJUN

SONNY’S REAL PIT BAR-B-Q

Nothing satisfies a rumblin’ stomach quite like a plateful of hot, savory barbeque; and if you’re looking for the tastiest grilled dishes, 2017 Best Barbecue winner Sonny’s has them in spades.

Hours vary. Multiple locations. $ L D

WILLIE JEWELL’S OLD SCHOOL BBQ

Smoked for hours and served in minutes, Willie Jewell’s promises the best BBQ experience you have ever had. Platters, sandwiches or by the pound, Willie Jewell’s offers smoked brisket, pork, turkey, sausage, chicken and ribs with a bevy of Southern sides. Daily 11 a.m.9 p.m. 5442 Thomasville Rd. (850) 629-4299. $ LD

COOSH’S BAYOU ROUGE

This Best Cajun Restaurant winner for 2017 brings the best of the Bayou State right to your table. The menu is jam-packed with Louisiana-style dishes, including 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. Mon-Tues 11 am-10 pm, Wed-Fri 7 am-10 pm, Sat 8 am-10 pm, Sun 8 am-9 pm.

6267 Old Water Oak Rd. (850) 894‑4110. $$ B L D

CATERING BREAKFAST/ BRUNCH/BAKERY CANOPY ROAD CAFÉ

Traditional breakfasts, fluffy omelets, skillets, French toast and sweet potato pancakes keep customers coming back. Breakfast is the main event but Canopy goes all out on lunch favorites, too, including salads and steakburgers.

Mon-Sun 6:30 am-2:15 pm. Multiple locations.

(850) 668-6600. $ B L

THE EGG CAFÉ AND EATERY

When you’re looking for breakfast favorites, even if it’s lunchtime, The Egg is the place to be. Their made-to-order items use the finest

TASTEBUDZ CATERING

Their slogan is, “Holler if you need your taste buds tantalized.” Cases in point: Moroccan chicken with lemon spinach, beef tips with burgundy mushroom sauce, and Caribbean sweet potato and black bean salad. Serving lunch and dinner. Open daily. 2655-12 Capital Circle NE. (850) 309‑7348. $$ L D

GREEK SAHARA GREEK & LEBANESE CAFÉ

Sahara’s fusion of Greek and Lebanese cuisines is unmatched in the area. A large

2-4-1 DRINKS SEVEN DAYS A WEEK Lunch under $5 Monday–Friday!

SouthWood, 727-0094

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Capital Circle NE, 385-9992

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North Monroe, 878-0800

Kerry Forest, 668-1002

Crawfordville, 926-4329

menu and friendly staff cater to all tastes.

And don’t forget to order the falafel! MonWed 11 am-9 pm, Thurs-Fri 11 am-10 pm, Sat 12-10 pm, Sun Closed. 1241 E. Lafayette St. (850) 656‑1800. $$

ITALIAN/PIZZA BELLA BELLA

Take your taste buds to Italy with a trip to Bella Bella, voted Best Italian in 2015 and 2017. This locally owned and operated restaurant has a cozy atmosphere and serves all the classics to satisfy your pasta cravings. Mon-Fri 11 am-10 pm, Sat 4-10 pm, Sun Closed. 123 E. 5th Ave. (850) 412-1114. $$ L D

MOMO’S

After devouring a slice “as big as your head” at this 2017 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. Multiple locations. Hours vary. (850) 224‑9808. $ L D

MEXICAN EL JALISCO

In the mood for sizzling enchiladas and frozen margaritas? Make your way to the 2017 Best Mexican/Latin American Restaurant, El Jalisco, where they do Mexican cuisine to perfection. Multiple locations.

Hours vary. $ L D

PEPPERS MEXICAN GRILL & CANTINA

Serving only the finest quality Mexican food made fresh every day. This North Florida chain offers lunch and dinner menus boasting favorites such as tacos, burritos, fajitas, chimichangas, quesadillas — including fish and vegetarian options — and a lengthy drinks menu. Mon.-Thurs: 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Fri.-Sat: 11 a.m.-11 p.m., Sun: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Multiple locations. (850) 877-2020 or (850) 536-6800. $-$$ L D

TACO REPUBLIK

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 its bold flavor combinations and wallet-friendly prices.

Mon-Thurs 11 am-9 pm, Fri-Sat 11 am10 pm, Sun Closed. 1122-8 Thomasville Rd. (850) 559‑5464. $ L D

TIN LIZZY’S

The definitive neighborhood taqueria.

Grab a refreshing margarita or some of our delicious FlexMex cuisine, featuring tacos, skillets, quesadillas and more. Thur: 11 a.m.-midnight; Fri-Sat: 11 a.m.-2 a.m.; College Town, 619 S. Woodward Ave., (850) 558-5592. $/$$ L D

SEAFOOD/ STEAK THE BLU HALO

Blue Halo is a high-end culinary experience featuring dry-aged steaks and fresh seafood along with fine wines and a martini bar. The gourmet farm-to-table menu selections include a wide variety of small-plate appetizers and high-end chops. A private dining room for up to 20 guests is available. Mon-Thurs 4-10 pm; Fri 4 pm-close; Sat 8 am-2 pm, 4 pm-close; Sun

8 am-2 pm, 4-10 pm. 3431 Bannerman Rd., #2 (850) 792-7884. $$$ L D

BONEFISH GRILL

Bonefish is devoted to serving great seafood including shrimp, oysters, snapper and swordfish in a vibrant setting, along with top-shelf cocktails and housemade infusions crafted by expert mixologists.

Mon-Thurs 4 pm-10:30 pm, Fri 4 pm-11:30 pm, Sat 11 am-11:30 pm, Sun 10 am-9 pm.

3491 Thomasville Road Ste. 7, (850) 2970460. $$ L D

CHOP HOUSE ON THE BRICKS

This family-owned, upscale restaurant serves local organic and sustainable meats, seafood, poultry and produce. Craft beers, fine wines and specialty drinks complement dishes such as the Bone-In Ribeye, Plantation Quail and Chop House Burger. Their Knob Creek Bourbon Bread Pudding is a dessert favorite. Tues-Sat 5-9:30 pm, Sun-Mon Closed. 123 N. Broad St., Thomasville, Ga. (229) 236-2467. $$ D

GEORGIO’S

If George Koikos is in the house, you can count on a visit from him to your table during your meal. His hands-on commitment to quality, food, service and a personal touch have kept his restaurants in business for more than 50 years. Mon-Sat 4-10 pm, Sun Closed. 2971 Apalachee Pkwy.

(850) 877-3211. $$$ D

HARRY’S SEAFOOD BAR & GRILL

Harry’s Seafood Bar & Grille, established in 1987, serves Southern, cajun and creole flavors in classic and modern dishes. Full bar is available at each location and offers beer, wine, liquor and unique cocktails.

Sun-Thurs 11 am-10 pm, Fri-Sat 11 am-11 pm, and holiday hours. 301 S. Bronough St., in Kleman Plaza. (850) 222-3976. $$ L D

HOME OF THE

Every Night Happy Hour 4–9 p.m.

Thursday Night all wines 2 for 1 4–9 p.m.

Killearn Shopping Center • Ocala Corners WWW.KIKUFUSION.COM

MARIE LIVINGSTON’S STEAKHOUSE

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 2017 Best Steakhouse winner is a Tallahassee tradition, and newcomers owe it to themselves to make it a priority to visit. Mon-Fri 11 am-2 pm, 5-9 pm; Sat 5-9 pm; Sun Closed. 2705 Apalachee Pkwy.

(850) 562-2525. $$ L D

SHULA’S 347

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 a premium Black Angus beef burger or a gourmet salad, or opt for one of their signature entrées — a “Shula Cut” steak. Reservations are suggested.

Sun-Thurs 5-10 pm, Fri-Sat 5-11 pm. 415 N. Monroe St. (850) 224-6005. $$$ L D

SOUTHERN SEAFOOD

Whether you’re looking for fish, shrimp, oysters, scallops, crab or lobster, these guys have you covered. The 2017 Best Seafood Market winner brings the ocean’s freshest choices to Tallahassee’s front door. Mon-Fri 10 am-7 pm, Sat 10 am-6 pm, Sun 12-6 pm.

1415 Timberlane Rd. (850) 668‑2203.

WHARF CASUAL SEAFOOD

The Wharf, a Tallahassee classic, serves Southern-style seafood in a casual setting in two Tallahassee locations. Shrimp, crab claws and fish tacos are big favorites, along with fried green tomatoes and collard greens. Plus lovely salads packed with veggies and fruit. Mon-Sun 11 am-8:30 pm.

4036 Lagniappe Way #3. (850) 668-1966. $$ L D

Visit our comprehensive, searchable dining guide online at tallahasseemagazine.com/Restaurants

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TRYIN’ TO MAKE A HUNDRED

by CHUCK BOWEN

L

ong ago, I found a weekend job at a radio station in Augusta, Georgia. There, my wife-to-be kept the coffee cups filled while we both enjoyed watching the soulful choirs who filled the air waves on Sunday mornings.

The song that quickly became our favorite and that has remained fresh in my memory was an old spiritual:

Tryin’ to make a hundred, Tryin’ to make a hundred, Ninety-nine just won’t do — Just won’t do.

It seemed to me, then — and even more so now — that the peppy little tune reflected efforts the world over to “keep on keeping on” despite intimidating odds. Today, after a quarter-century in public education, I am troubled that the strivings of students to “make a hundred” are complicated by factors including parental neglect, poverty, drugs and a pervasive “Gotta have it now” attitude.

Just today, first-grader Frankie tormented his teacher with assorted misbehaviors and a stubborn refusal to learn anything. Her patience exhausted, the teacher marched him to my office with a frenzied, “Something has got to be done!” I pushed aside a stack of halfcompleted reports, told Frankie to pick up his

sweater and his books, signed him out, and we drove to his residence — a rusting mobile home on the edge of town.

Frankie’s grandmother listened patiently as I explained his teacher’s complaints and frustrations.

She then confided a shocking account of abuse and neglect that had plagued Frankie’s early years in another state.

“He was in such terrible shape when I got him,” she said. “It’ll take a while, but I’ll get him back on track.”

Listening to her story, I not only marveled at Frankie’s capacity for survival, but I also became even more deeply aware of something I had known for a long time: Much of the wisdom of the world can be seen in the eyes of grandmothers.

By the time I arrived back at school, it was almost dismissal time and raining, and my fellow assistant principal asked me to drop off Timothy at his house. His mother was working late again.

Timothy is one of those kids every staff member knows. He lives only a few hundred yards from school, but more often than not, he trudges in late for his fifth-grade class prepared with a not-so-plausible excuse. As soon as he was in my car, the conversation started.

Timothy’s house appeared dark and sad. The steps to the door were in disrepair. Timothy shuffled across the narrow yard, his shoulders hunched against the rain. He waved quickly before disappearing behind the unpainted door. Was it warm inside? Would there be after-school snacks? Would he be frightened at home alone?

Next, I was off to a dentist’s office to pick

up Quandrell. He finally emerged from the treatment room, trying to smile with a trace of blood at each corner of his mouth.

His home made Frankie’s and Timothy’s seem palatial. In the continuing rain, I joined Quandrell in a dash for his front door. His mother greeted me warmly and thanked me for bringing her son home. I surveyed the home’s sparsely furnished interior. A sheet hanging on a wire served as a room divider. There couldn’t have been more than four rooms altogether, including the kitchen, and there were at least seven family members.

I wanted to weep. My world was full of helpless kids with frightening, demeaning needs and nobody, myself included, was doing a heck of a lot about it.

Looking for a bright spot for my thoughts to land, I reflected on the start of the school day when 20 kindergartners assembled outside my office.

Urgently and nearly in unison, they asked, “Mr. Bowen, have you seen those gingerbread boys? They have run away!”

I glanced at their teacher standing in the hall just outside the doorway. She was suppressing an all-telling smile.

“Surely those gingerbread boys are here somewhere,” I told the students. “Please find them as fast as you can!”

After an appropriate interval, the gingerbread boys were found in the Media Center on the far end of campus. But more importantly, they had found me.

There was a mystical buoyancy in recalling those eager faces and then the words of the old spiritual came drifting back to me. “Making a hundred” in my profession is unlikely, but my optimism had been rekindled, and my heart said, “Sing it again! Sing it again!” TM

Chuck Bowen, 87, is a retired educator who lives in Thomasville, Georgia. He wrote this column in 1990 while serving as an assistant principal at Pelham Elementary School in Georgia.

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July–August 2018

TALLAHASSEEMAGA ZINE.COM

ILLUSTRATION BY ARTPHOTO13 / GETTY IMAGES PLUS

postscript

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