Tallahassee Magazine May - June 2020

TALLAHASSEE MAGAZINE MAY–JUN 2020 TALLY TOP PET

» BEST OF TALLAHASSEE BALLOT » TOP SENIORS

Loved, Fur Sure

Details inside on how to cast your vote for

‘Best of Tallahassee’

A pixie-bob cat named Loic beats a dog-heavy field and is voted our 2020 Tally Top Pet

TALLAHASSEEMAGAZINE.COM

Therapy pets

come in all shapes, sizes and species

Find out who made the grade as our

Top Seniors

A journey to the past with Capital

City Bank

TO ALL OF OUR COLLEAGUES

THANK

FOR YOUR SELFLESS AND

AND MEDICAL STAFF,

YOU.

COMPASSIONATE CARE

IN THESE CHALLENGING TIMES.

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everett thompson design

appointments

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(850) 509-3067 |

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B I G B E N D | E M E R A L D C OA ST | FO R G OT T E N C OA ST | W E L L- C O N N ECT E D. H I G H LY E F F ECT I V E .

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May–June 2020

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“One Team, One Family” 29 Years in Business Financing Available

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Contents

MAY/JUN 2020

FEATURES

81

GETAWAYS

We offer four short-stay destinations for you to consider when the time is right.

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TOP SENIORS

Meet 13 determined young scholars who clearly are going places, perhaps to change the world.

by TEAGHAN SKULSZKI

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↗

114

THERAPY ANIMALS

Tallahassee Memorial program features feathers, fur and friendliness for patients and clients who need them.

TALLY TOP PET

A bob-tailed cat and a wild-eared dog face off in our contest, which aims to help end animal suffering.

by PETER T. REINWALD

by PETER T. REINWALD

photography by DAVE BARFIELD

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Contents

MAY/JUN 2020

35

63 140 GARDENING

IN EVERY ISSUE

23

23 MR. KINDNESS

Bert Pope turns tragedy into a vision of kindness.

28 MEDICAL MARIJUANA

GASTRO & GUSTO

recipes from the founder of Spoonful of Flavor.

68 BOOKS A fast-paced

brings a world of talent and experience to FAMU.

127 INTERIORS/EXTERIORS Tips from Tallahassee experts on how to get your house ready to sell.

look at 125 years of Capital City Bank.

TALLAHASSEEMAGAZINE.COM

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See how we put local meaning into mint, strawberries, oranges and limes.

» BEST OF TALLAHASSEE BALLOT » TOP SENIORS

creation offers a true taste of home.

Twin brothers wear the look of entrepreneurs.

May–June 2020

63 MUSIC Darryl Tookes

ABODES

60 LIBATIONS Our own

40 CITIZENS OF STYLE

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55 DINING IN Try these

brings back the ’70s and other decades.

EXPRESSION

TALLY TOP PET

35 FASHION Vintage style

Seeking spring and summer deals where we can find them.

MAY–JUN 2020

PANACHE

46 WHAT'S IN STORE

PUBLISHER’S LETTER CALL TO ACTION SOCIAL STUDIES DINING GUIDE POSTSCRIPT

TALLAHASSEE MAGAZINE

Amid a growing trend, a FAMU initiative aims to educate.

16 18 160 173 178

Loved, Fur Sure

Details inside on how to cast your vote for

‘Best of Tallahassee’

A pixie-bob cat named Loic beats a dog-heavy field and is voted our 2020 Tally Top Pet

Therapy pets

come in all shapes, sizes and species

Find out who made the grade as our

Top Seniors

ON THE COVER:

A journey to the past with Capital

City Bank

Saylor Honhart, 8, holds Loic, one of four cats in the Honhart household and the winner of Tallahassee Magazine’s 2020 Tally Top Pet Contest.

Photo by Black & Hue Photography

PHOTOS BY SAIGE ROBERTS (23 AND 60), BRUCE PALMER (63), ALICIA OSBORNE (35)

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Lovely landscapes with salt-tolerant plants.

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Contents

MAY/JUN 2020

SPECIAL SECTIONS AND PROMOTIONS

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PROGRESS FOR PETS Be

The Solution ensures safety and shelter for animals through funding of spay and neuter surgeries. The organization began as the result of love for a homeless dog.

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↑ VETS & PETS Our furry friends are more like family. They deserve quality care from compassionate professionals. This section introduces some exemplary veterinarians.

It’s one of the most wonderful times of the year! We bring you the 2020 Best of Tallahassee ballot. Showcase your gratitude and support by voting for your favorite businesses.

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→ SPRING GIFT GUIDE

Put a spring in their step and a smile on their face with a thoughtful gift selected from our spring gift guide.

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GEMS FOR MOM Show her

your love and let her wear it all year long with heartfelt jewelry from The Gem Collection.

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SHAPE SHIFT

Tallahassee Plastic Surgery Center offers procedures that help women regain their prepregnancy shape.

HAPPY HUES

Pink Narcissus predicts that bright and bold patterns are in style for spring, summer and always.

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← FORGOTTEN COAST MAP

Our illustrated map orients you to a historic and picturesque region of the Gulf Coast that shies from the spotlight.

PROMOTION

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Esposito Garden Center offers more than just green thumbs. The company specializes in an array of outdoor and landscape services.

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DEAL ESTATE Two beautiful brick homes seek new owners.

The first, a stately stunner, features spacious rooms, impressive furnishings and a saltwater pool. The other is newly renovated with a private office and a patio perfect for entertaining.

HEART FOR ART

This issue’s COCA Artist Spotlight features Ron Yrabedra, professor emeritus of arts education from Florida A&M University.

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GARDENS GALORE & MORE

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THE PROS This special

section of Professional Profiles highlights skilled companies that are proven performers in their areas of expertise.

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CALENDAR Extraordinary

circumstances are forcing the postponement or cancellation of many events. Here are some that remained scheduled at presstime.

PHOTOS BY SAIGE ROBERTS (44) AND CHENDONGSHAN / ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS (121)

↑ BEST OF TALLAHASSEE BALLOT

136

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Setting the Standard for Beautiful Smiles.

Experience the transformation with a smile designed by Dr. Thomas Oppenheim.

“People compliment me. I’m more self confident. It’s worked wonders in my life!”

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May–June 2020

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TALLAHASSEE MAGAZINE VOL. 43, NO. 3

May–June 2020

PRESIDENT/PUBLISHER BRIAN E. ROWLAND

EDITORIAL EXECUTIVE EDITOR Steve Bornhoft MANAGING EDITOR Jeff Price EDITORIAL INTERNS Devante Carroll, Teaghan Skulszki CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Jennifer Agress, Rebecca Padgett, Audrey Post, Jay Revell, Melissa Spear, Martin S. Thomas

CREATIVE DIRECTOR OF PRODUCTION AND TECHNOLOGY Daniel Vitter CREATIVE DIRECTOR Jennifer Ekrut EDITORIAL DESIGNER Lindsey Masterson SENIOR PUBLICATION DESIGNER Shruti Shah PUBLICATION DESIGNERS Sarah Burger, Jordan Harrison GRAPHIC DESIGNER Sierra Thomas CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Ardency and Arrow Co., Dave Barfield, Black & Hue Photography, Jennifer Ekrut, Shannon Griffin, John Harrington, Scott Holstein, Kay Meyer, Alicia Osborne, Bruce Palmer, Saige Roberts, Matt Sauro, Alex Workman

SALES, MARKETING AND EVENTS VICE PRESIDENT/CORPORATE DEVELOPMENT McKenzie Burleigh 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 COORDINATOR Tracy Mulligan ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES David Doll, Julie Dorr, Darla Harrison, Linda Powell MARKETING MANAGER Kate Pierson SALES AND MARKETING WRITER Rebecca Padgett SALES AND EVENTS MANAGER Mackenzie Little SENIOR INTEGRATED MARKETING COORDINATOR Javis Ogden

OPERATIONS ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES DIRECTOR Melissa Spear CUSTOM PUBLISHING MANAGER Sara Goldfarb PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION SPECIALIST Melinda Lanigan ACCOUNTING ASSISTANT Amber Dennard EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT Caitlin Painter

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, Books-A-Million 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 May 2020 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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HONORING OUR DONORS

V I R G I N I A

G L A S S

TMH Carelink Telemedicine Network Virginia’s gift to the Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare Foundation provided five telemedicine units that have been used in the Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and to help in the response to COVID-19. This is a Q&A with Virginia and Lauren Faison-Clark, administrator for Regional Development, Population Health and Telemedicine:

Lauren, how is telemedicine helping to save lives during COVID-19?

Virginia, why was this gift meaningful for you?

Virginia, what motivates your giving and service?

I had a great nephew who was born premature, and I remember the anxieties his parents experienced. When Lauren demonstrated the equipment, I had a flashback to my great nephew, who is now a freshman in high school and very healthy. I thought, we need to step up and buy these.

Lauren, how does this technology work in the NICU? If your baby is in the NICU for a month, you can’t be there 24/7.

Parents have to go back to work, or they have other children they’re caring for. This is a tablet with a webcam and secure video conferencing. Parents can log in to see their baby and communicate with the nurse or doctor.

With the need to keep people isolated, telemedicine is the perfect tool to protect both patients and healthcare providers.

People can see their doctor from their home, which reduces the risk of potential exposure for everyone.

I keep saying that I’m going to slow down one day, but as long as I’m healthy, needed and wanted, I’m going to continue to try to make a difference. Service is the price we pay for the space we occupy on this earth. Scripture tells us it is more blessed to give than to receive.

“Just listen to the needs.

They’re all around us.”

You r gift to th e TMH Fou n datio n supports TMH Carelink, our telemedicine network, which is saving lives in the response to COVID-19. Give today at TMH.ORG/Giving or call 850-431-5698.

from the publisher

A SALUTE TO OUR PETS

I’m rarely happier than when I’m fishing at the beach with my two Labrador retrievers at my side. The pups enjoy sitting under the umbrella and getting up when the time comes for me to reset my lines or reel in a trout, redfish or pompano.

When people approach us, Stevie and Cody trot in their direction as if to say, “Our beach is your beach.

Come on over! And how about nice pat on the head or rub of the ears?”

Non-dog people respond by protecting their hands, assuming a defensive posture and looking at me as if to say, “How dare you bring your dogs to my beach?” Their bodies remain stiff as they walk past me. Nonetheless, my yellow lab and chocolate lab smile as they trot for a moment beside them, then return to the shade of our umbrella.

The dog person leans into the experience. He or she stops to pet the dogs and chat about the joys of pet ownership and how lucky we are to have dogs, cats or other pets in our lives. Our pets’ unconditional love makes us happier and healthier, and may even help us live longer.

Dr. Dhruv Kazi, a noted cardiologist, has said, “I can totally see how dogs improve our sense of well-being, reduce loneliness, improve self-esteem and boost our physical and mental health.”

I invite you to explore this edition of Tallahassee Magazine as we salute

our pets, including our loving and much-loved cover cat, the winner of our Tally Top Pet Contest. Turn the pages and you'll find adorable Top Pet coverage and our report on Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare therapy animals.

North Florida Animal Hospital, which sponsored Top Pet, and Be The Solution, a nonprofit organization that strives to end animal suffering, joined us as partners in the contest.

Hundreds of folks contributed a dollar to Be The Solution to participate in first-round voting, and we identified our top 16 contestants. Then, in March Madness fashion, additional rounds of voting narrowed the field to eight, then four, then two and finally we had our winner — Loic, a burly, bob-tailed cat owned by Bryan and Kelly Honhart. Incidentally, the Honharts graced our Valentine’s Day cover in 2015.

I hope you’ll join me in saluting Gerry Phipps, the creator and visionary behind Be The Solution, a local resource that spays and neuters pets at a fraction of the regular cost.

I sat down recently with Gerry, who is deeply passionate about dogs and cats and determined to keep them happy and healthy. Since 2007, her organization has “fixed” more than 33,000 animals, greatly reducing the numbers of strays that end up in

SCOTT HOLSTEIN

Unconditionally, they bring their owners love, health and happiness

shelters and the number of animals euthanized — and saving Leon County taxpayers $3.75 million.

None of this could happen without the support of many local veterinary clinics that perform the procedures for no more than the cost to medicate the animals.

Gerry and her associates and the veterinarians who partner with them should be proud. Through their compassion for animals, they remind us of our humanity.

Be well,

BRIAN, WITH STEVIE AND CODY browland@rowlandpublishing.com

DEAR READERS: We entered the final production phase of this issue just as the coronavirus pandemic began to prompt profound changes to all of our lives. We aimed to update our articles to reflect telecommuting, social distancing and temporary store closings, among other actions that might have affected context and timeliness. We worked to do so with sensitivity, especially for our most deeply affected readers, story subjects and neighbors. We much appreciate your patience and consideration, and we sincerely wish you health and safety.

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For more than forty years, the BMW 5 Series stood for uncompromising performance and dynamic driving. Now it takes its place as one of the most interactive and innovative vehicles in the BMW lineup. Gorgeous design and luxurious comfort make the 5 Series more than a statement piece – it’s a work of art. Special lease and finance offers available by Capital BMW through BMW Financial Services.

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call to action

TOGETHER, WE WILL REBOUND Dear Readers: Here at Rowland Publishing, we are all passengers aboard a modest vessel — a small business — that relies upon the support of other small businesses that in turn depend upon you.

For 40 years, we have enjoyed a symbiotic relationship with restaurateurs, jewelers, boutique owners, Realtors, destination and event promoters, community bankers, personal services and health care providers, veterinarians and others who are members of the economic ecosystem that comprise the singular City of Tallahassee and environs.

We spread the word about their businesses and livelihoods while providing an engaging and attractive context for their advertisements and messages. In exchange, they make it possible for us to publish timeless and timely stories and images of our town, and deliver them to you, our readers.

This pandemic, like others before it, too shall pass. In Tallahassee, we are surrounded by the kind of professionalism, expertise, dedication and personal responsibility that will see to that.

We feel a kinship with all small businesses, often seen as the backbone of our local economy. Please, as the pandemic eases and then recedes, keep our advertisers in mind as they keep our team employed.

Patronize them as generously as you can, whenever and however possible. Make it possible for them to right their ships, and this I will promise you: They will return, as swiftly as they can, to their accustomed practice of supporting Tallahassee, each in his or her way making our part of Florida a great place to play, learn, work, raise families and build legacies.

And, they will ensure that you continue to receive the high-quality city magazine that has long been a part of your lives.

To everyone who has supported this magazine with your advertising dollars and to all of you who may have brought a Tallahassee Magazine article that you enjoyed to the attention of others, we offer our heartfelt appreciation. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

We are, indeed, “all in this together.” Never again will those words seem trite. They will register always as truth.

Sincerely,

T HE 31 PUBLISHING PROFESSIONALS AT ROWLAND PUBLISHING

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Here for the moments that matter most.

Here is a place in our heart.

Where caring and sharing build relationships that last a lifetime.

We’re Synovus, and we see banking as an opportunity to lift our community and the people who live here.

1-888-SYNOVUS synovus.com

Synovus Bank, Member FDIC.

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PROMOTION

↓ GIVEAWAY

Festival of the Arts Win TWO TICKETS to the 25TH ANNUAL FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS on Oct. 24–25, hosted by the Mattie Kelly Art Foundation.

The festival features over 100 fine artists from across the country exhibiting their original art, ranging from acrylic and ceramics to graphic printmaking, metal, watercolor and much more.

To enter, visit TallahasseeMagazine.com/giveaways // Offer ends June 30, 2020

If you know the four C’s of diamond grading and how they affect prices, it’s possible to get what you want in a price that fits your budget. Learn more by visiting TallahasseeMagazine.com/style-links.

If you’re going to fertilize once a year, now is the time to do so. Visit TallahasseeMagazine.com/ home-garden-links to access our how-to guide.

THE LATEST IN LASER REMOVAL Picosecond technology makes for safe, effective removal of tattoos and brown spots.

Visit TallahasseeMagazine.com/ beauty-links to learn more.

Best ofTallahassee Online Ballot Voting for Best of Tallahassee 2020 has officially begun, and we have our ballot online and in print for your convenience!

No code is necessary for voting in 2020. Check out page 169 for the rules and regulations, and visit TallahasseeMagazine.com/Best-of-Tallahassee-2020Ballot.

TALLAHASSEEMAGA ZINE.COM

We are so proud of the work your staff has done with Be The Solution and North Florida Animal Hospital for the Tally Top Pet Contest.

Be The Solution has been near and dear to us for over 10 years as we have tried to help them spay or neuter in our community.

Here at NFAH, we continue to perform surgery for as many as five pets per day throughout the week for BTS — all with a belief that if we do our part daily, we will control unwanted pet populations for the betterment of our community.

Alice Malone Hospital Manager North Florida Animal Hospital

IT’S TIME TO FERTILIZE

May–June 2020

Appreciation for Tallahassee Magazine and the Tally Top Pet Contest

With inspiration from Gerry Phipps and Be The Solution, we have embraced the opportunity to help educate the pet owner on the importance of spay and neuter as well as our staff on what it means to provide services as a hospital.

Our veterinarians embody service for the love of pets and the people who love them.

What to Look for When Buying a Diamond

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Feedback

In Memory of an Artist Who Gave Much to Havana Thank you for the article in the latest Tallahassee Magazine, “Havana’s Effort to Rebuild.”

I always enjoy reading your magazine, especially about local history.

I wanted you to know that the article left out the first effort to rebuild Havana, led by the late Lee Mainella in the 1990s.

Lee was a television news anchor and watercolor artist who established the Florida Art Center in Havana. This became the focal point for many artists who established art galleries, as well as a music festival that really built Havana into a tourist destination. Soon antique shops and restaurants followed.

So please give credit to Lee Mainella for starting the Havana rebirth.

Dr. Sarah (Sally) Butzin Author/educator

PHOTOS BY DIAMONDGALAXY (STYLE LINKS), DMYTRO DIEDOV (HOME GARDEN LINKS), MKRBERLIN (BEAUTY LINKS), ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS AND COURTESY OF MATTIE KELLY ART FOUNDATION (GIVEAWAY)

TALLAHASSEEMAGAZINE.COM

FIRST GEN More than half of TCC students are the first in their family to attend college. Their needs are unique and the financial burden can be overwhelming.

This year, TCC’s Alumni & Friends annual online ONE Campaign is focused on creating scholarships for first generation TCC students.

Donate to the ONE Campaign today at ONETCC.COM TALL AHASSEEMAGA ZINE.COM

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MAY/JUN 2020

PROFILING THE PURSUITS, PASSIONS AND PERSONALITIES AMONG US

THE

CHAMPION

Downloading Kindness

↓

After his wife’s death, a father of four aims to make good deeds a central part of an ‘awesome’ movement

by TEAGHAN SKULSZKI

CHAMPION photography by SAIGE ROBERTS

Mr. Kindness

|| EDUCATION

A Growing Issue

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THE

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B

ert Pope wore a smile as big as his bowtie, and he wasn’t about to remove it — certainly not while discussing one of his favorite topics.

“When you do one act of kindness, there’s a feeling of empowerment and satisfaction you get,” he said. “But for the other person, you just made their day more magical, so they also feel great.”

For Pope, kindness is a flat stone skipped across a smooth lake. Kindness creates a ripple effect starting with the person who set it in motion.

Pope aims to create waves of kindness, and he thinks he’s doing so as founder of Awesome Company Worldwide, an organization that synthesizes technology with kindness. From that company, he created the Awesome App, which focuses on sharing and spreading kindness.

Pope accentuates awesome, so much so that he carries a pocketful of “Awesome” coins and hands them out to people when he sees them doing kind, caring or awesome things. At least he did before March and the coronavirus pandemic. His LinkedIn header declares, “I am Awesome. Positivity starts with me.”

Talk with him about it, and he’ll declare in no uncertain terms — in a happy bowtie, for certain — that he’s awesome.

That’s because he wants you to feel awesome, too.

“I want to create channels for people to perpetuate kindness and positivity,” he said.

Dan Ausley, who has known Pope since prekindergarten, called his friend “one of the most positive people I know, always thinking about other people.”

Pope is a third-generation Tallahassee resident who runs Bert Pope & Associates LLC, a real estate company that specializes in luxury homes in the Panhandle area.

He married Jill Yadao in 2006, and they had two boys and two girls — Kent, now age 13; Lilly, 11; Banks, 9; and Blair, 8. In 2016, Jill died at age 33 from injuries in a car accident, leaving her husband to raise their four children, all under age 10 at the time.

Pope said he found himself touched and inspired by the kindness and support that he and his kids received from friends and neighbors, who provided them meals for about three months.

The community’s kindness spoke to him and his children, he said, and he resolved to raise them with an emphasis on kindness, caring and giving. He noted that his wife, a Hawaii native, had lived in a spirit of aloha, meaning love, kindness and compassion.

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→

Bert Pope shows how he feels in the company of his children, from left: Banks, Lilly, Blair and Kent, in downtown Tallahassee.

photography by SAIGE ROBERTS

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THE

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He said he had thought about developing an Awesome type of app even before his wife’s death. Later, he saw it as the engine for his #BeAwesome movement.

Pope said he saw no social media platforms dedicated to kindness. “We have Facebook focused on every type of person and LinkedIn focused on business people. Why can’t we have one focused on kindness?” he said.

The app awards coins and points when users complete challenges or share kind and positive activities. Challenges include becoming a reading volunteer and “thumb wrestling your neighbor.”

To exemplify a task, Pope shared

DOWNLOAD THE APP 26

May–June 2020

with Tallahassee Magazine a post entitled “Parking meter fairy,” in which one of his daughters dressed up as a fairy and added coins to occupied parking meters in downtown Tallahassee.

He launched the app late last year. It reached almost 2,000 users in its first two months, he said.

Pope said he hopes to expand the app and to include geotags with which users can check into a location. He also looks to market the app to businesses, and he’ll do so with a smile.

“It is our right to live, learn, fail, fall on our faces, get up and enjoy the wackiness of the world,” he said. TM

↑ Bert Pope’s daughters Lilly (left) and Blair put coins in parking meters as a good deed in downtown Tallahassee. ↓ Bert Pope shows one of the tasks in his Awesome app, which awards coins and points when users complete challenges or share kind and positive activities.

The Awesome app is available for download on iPhone and Android. Through the app and elsewhere, Bert Pope says he aims to “create channels for people to perpetuate kindness and positivity.”

TALLAHASSEEMAGA ZINE.COM

photography by SAIGE ROBERTS

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THE

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A GROWING ISSUE FAMU initiative emphasizes education and research on medical marijuana

by TEAGHAN SKULSZKI AND DEVANTE CARROLL

I

t’s a new kind of green revolution.

This one isn’t about the environment, though it certainly depends on it.

It’s the legalization of marijuana that has been sweeping through the U.S. over the past several years. Florida residents voted in 2016 to legalize medical marijuana, joining a growing list of states that have legalized the drug for either medical or recreational use.

That inspired Florida A&M to establish the University’s Medical Marijuana Education and Research Initiative, or MMERI, which says it aims to “educate and

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inform Florida’s diverse minority communities about the benefits of medical marijuana and the potential consequences to health and wellbeing from recreational use.”

The university says on its website that MMERI also seeks to establish FAMU as “a touchtone center for marijuana information” that informs policy on the effects of the booming medical marijuana industry.

Patients use medical marijuana to, among other things, relieve pain, stimulate appetite and reduce anxiety and inflammation.

Side effects include, as you might expect, impaired judgment and

↑ Patricia Green-Powell, interim executive director of the Medical Marijuana Education and Research Initiative, says the project marks “an exciting time for FAMU.”

coordination. Doctors and officials say more research on marijuana in health care is needed.

The FAMU initiative stems from 2017 state legislation that called for $10 from every medical marijuana card to go to MMERI’s medical marijuana education and research.

The card fee is $75.

The initiative trumpets FAMU’s status as a historically black university as it reaches out

PHOTO BY SEASTOCK / ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS (MARIJUANA) AND COURTESY OF FAMU MEDICAL MARIJUANA EDUCATION AND RESEARCH INITIATIVE

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to minority communities. The American Civil Liberties Union says on its website that African Americans are almost four times more likely than whites to be arrested for marijuana, despite roughly equal rates of use.

“This is an exciting time for FAMU, and I say that in all honesty,” said Patricia Green-Powell, interim executive director of MMERI. “This is an initiative that is really going to get at empowering our minority communities and Floridians.”

FAMU says the initiative emphasizes communication, engagement, research and education. It organizes community forums near and far that include educators, lawyers, health officials, church leaders and law enforcement officers who discuss, among other things, the science, benefits, risks and laws related to medical marijuana.

One panel included a person who had gone to prison for unlawful marijuana use, Green-Powell said.

MMERI Forum “Medical marijuana is Radio provides so new to all of us,” she podcasts that said. “There’s so much we explore topics don’t know, so much in the such as treatment, research that leads to other research, myths questions.” and laws.

According to the Florida Patricia Green-Powell Department of Health, a called the podcasts the brainchild of patient must be a Florida Carol Angela Davis, resident or seasonal resident the initiative’s who has been diagnosed with communications a qualified medical condition liaison. You can listen to by a qualified physician to be the podcasts at mmeri. famu.edu/podcasts. eligible to purchase medical In Tallahassee and in marijuana. Qualified condiGadsden County, the tions include, among others, program airs at 12:30 cancer, epilepsy, glaucoma, p.m. on Fridays and HIV/AIDS and post-trauSaturdays on FAMU’s WANM Radio 90.5 FM. matic stress disorder.

The patient must get entered into a state registry and obtain an identification card. Patients can purchase medical marijuana only from a state-approved treatment center, or MMTC. In the spring, the state’s online search tool showed 10 MMTCs in Tallahassee among 234 statewide.

No, you still can’t legally grow, sell or dispense marijuana without a license. To make that point, the university posted on YouTube a MMERI forum that included Pensacola Police Chief Tommi Lyter.

WELCOME HOME! ↑ FAMU graduate Valeria Robinson-Baker, a registered pharmacist,

PHOTO COURTESY OF FAMU MEDICAL MARIJUANA EDUCATION AND RESEARCH INITIATIVE

participates in a MMERI forum in Orlando last year with state Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith, left, and Dr. Uday Daphtary.

“We’re going to enforce the law as it’s written, and right now, medical marijuana is legal, under very narrow circumstances,” Lyter says in the video, referring to Florida law. “You could have a medical marijuana card (and) buy it from a dispensary, but if you take it out of its packaging or use it while you’re driving, then you can run afoul of the law.”

MMERI conducts forums every few weeks throughout the state and invites participation and questions from community members. That included an October panel at FAMU that “allowed students to ask questions that they would otherwise be afraid” to, said Chloe Lafaille, an officer in FAMU’s Student Government Association. “They learned a lot of things they didn’t know.”

She added, “Most of the issues are a matter of not knowing.”

Green-Powell said in January that plans included visits to neighborhoods to gather information and data.

“As I make my way through these housing areas,” she said, “I should begin to see some common themes about what they know and what they don’t know.

That’s going to inform us even more.”

Green-Powell also pointed to Cynthia Hughes Harris, dean of FAMU’s School of Allied Health Sciences. She coordinators medical marijuana research funded by MMERI mini-grants awarded across various FAMU schools, colleges and disciplines.

The FAMU initiative includes making results of that research available to the public, Green-Powell said.

“That’s a part of our vision,” she said. “We see ourselves as being this place where people can go to for information.” TM

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Looking FOR A DOCTOR?

TMH PHYSICIAN PARTNERS 32

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A primary care physician is your first line of defense. They are essential to help you navigate your health journey, identify risk factors you wouldn't otherwise be looking for and coordinate and manage chronic disease care for a better quality of life. Our TMH Physician Partners primary care practices are here to help you — let's find your doctor today.

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Visit TMHPhysicianPartners.org to find your doctor today.

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DISCOVER TALLAHASSEE’S BEST CHOICE IN SENIOR LIVING

Enjoy a variety of residential and supportive options at Westminster Oaks to meet your changing needs.

Choose from a wide variety of spacious choices in villa homes and garden apartments, all maintenancefree and enriched by access to beautiful campus amenities with services like dining and housekeeping. For those who need a little extra help we offer assisted living, with services including medication management and support with daily living activities. We can also get you back on your feet and doing the things you love with short-term nursing care and rehabilitation.

Learn all there is to smile about at Westminster Oaks

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Ac t ive Liv i ng | Assisted Liv i ng | Sk i l led Nu rsi ng | Rehabi l itat ion 34

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panache MAY/JUN 2020

REGARDING MATTERS OF ALL THINGS STYLISH

FASHION

BLAST FROM THE PAST Fashion sees a vintage revival

←

’80s sweater, $35; vintage ’90s black Levi’s 501 jeans with embroidery, $78; ’90s Chaps flannel shirt, $22; Doc Martens, stylist’s own

by REBECCA PADGETT

clothing from

WONSAPONATIME VINTAGE AND THE OTHER SIDE VINTAGE

CITIZEN OF STYLE photography by ALICIA OSBORNE

Hip to Every Sip

|| WHAT’S IN STORE

Retail Roundup

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panache

I

↑ (Left) Daisy socks and shoes, (Right) pearl barrettes, $5 each, stylist’s own; round pink sunglasses, stylist’s own

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PHOTOS BY ALICIA OSBORNE

’m a ’90s baby. I grew up watching Nickelodeon and MTV. Britney Spears and Backstreet Boys posters were on my walls. I wore hair scrunchies, butterfly clips, mood rings, combat boots and flannel shirts.

I now see high school students, at least 10 years younger than me, wearing the same styles. Many, who don’t know who Kurt Cobain was, wear their Nirvana tees. I now know how my mother felt when she laughed out loud at a window display of bellbottoms and flower crowns.

I’ve noticed that fashion is often based in nostalgia. Whether we lived through a certain decade or longed to, we welcome the resurgence of these trends.

Trends remain cyclical. We rarely see new concepts or pieces. We just style them in new ways.

“I think the recursive nature of fashion is always going to stick around, but what’s magical about the future is the lack of rules and plethora of inspiration,” said Jacqueline Skelding, owner of Curio, a vintage boutique in Tallahassee. “We can cherry-pick the best of the past and reinvent our style over and over again.”

Skelding has been selling many pieces from the ’70s and ’90s, and she credits that to easygoing and effortless styles of both decades, from highwaisted jeans of the ’90s to the boho California cool maxi dresses of the ’70s.

Kathryn Stewart, owner of Wonsaponatime Vintage, agrees that when you look at 2020 runways, you see flashes of ’90s minimalism, ’80s maximalism and ’70s color and flair.

“If you wear a vintage piece, especially one from the ’70s, ’90s or early 2000s, chances are no one will know it is vintage as they are reproducing a lot of

GOING VINTAGE

Victorian-style dress, $46; padded headband, $5; daisy socks and shoes, stylist’s own clothing from

WONSAPONATIME VINTAGE

model

MARTHA SIZEMORE

MIX AND MATCH

For Him: Vintage ’90s/’00s Marimekko striped shirt, $56; ’00s tapestry trousers, $22 For Her: ’60s floral ruffle dress, $172; pearl barrettes, $5 each; knee-highs and shoes, stylist’s own; ’70s clutch, $28 clothing from

WONSAPONATIME VINTAGE AND THE OTHER SIDE VINTAGE

models

BEN MAYHEW AND JANNA MCCABE

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LOUNGE-AROUND WEAR Him: ’80s sweater, $35; vintage ’90s black Levi’s 501 jeans with embroidery, $78; ’90s Chaps flannel shirt, $22; Doc Martens, stylist’s own Her: ’90s Joe Boxer slip dress, $38; ’90s ribbed mock neck knit top, $24 clothing from

WONSAPONATIME VINTAGE AND THE OTHER SIDE VINTAGE

models

BEN MAYHEW AND JANNA MCCABE

KICK-BACK WEAR ’90s does ’70s suede jacket, $68; ’90s GAP denim shirt, $28; ’90s Levi’s 501 jeans, $42; braided leather belt, $18; sunglasses and ’70s boots, stylist’s own clothing from

WONSAPONATIME VINTAGE

model

MARTHA SIZEMORE

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PHOTOS BY ALICIA OSBORNE

the designs from those decades,” Stewart said.

“This is so wonderful and exciting for me because I have the original pieces that are inspiring the trends we are seeing now. It’s so fun to see this on the runways.”

Period-inspired pieces popping up in closets include puff-sleeve tops, minimalist suits and separates, oversized collars, graphic prints, widelegged pants, vintage-inspired band tees and platform shoes, just to name a few.

These trends apply to men’s wear too — flannels, vintage band T-shirts, graphic print collared shirts, aviator sunglasses, turtlenecks, leisure suits, satin shirts and suede jackets.

Maybe you hesitate to experiment with these styles out of fear of looking like you’re attending a costume party. But if you want to rock a psychedelic mini-dress and knee-high white leather boots, go for it. Fashion should always be liberating, but the best way to ease into vintage pieces is to infuse them with your contemporary wardrobe.

Stewart suggests getting style inspiration from Pinterest, Instagram and YouTube. From there, begin to look at pieces in your closet that you can pair with vintage threads. Consider, for example, an ’80s puff-sleeve blouse with jeans and booties, a ’70s-inspired big-collared shirt with a pencil skirt, ’60s platform sandals and sundress, and a ’90s grunge flannel tied around your high-waist jeans.

You can get many of these items at retail chains, but many prefer vintage, secondhand and thrift stores. Buying used items lessens your environmental footprint. Plus, you get the sentimental aspect that shopping vintage can bring.

“Each piece has its own story,” said Skelding of Curio. “Knowing that the dress or jacket that makes you feel fabulous made another fierce woman 30, 50 or 80 years ago feel amazing, too, is something that can’t be beat.” TM

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panache ← Twin brothers Michael (left) and Matthew Nazareth call their shop a “creative space for art, music, studying, networking and community” and for people of various backgrounds, origins and income levels.

CITIZENS OF STYLE

HIP TO EVERY SIP

Twin brothers bring style, culture and creativity to their coffee and kava bar

by TEAGHAN SKULSZKI

Y

ou see Matthew Nazareth sitting on a sofa and jamming on a guitar.

Behind him, you may see Michael Nazareth serving drinks and creating conversations.

This is Serenity Culture Company as it appeared before late March, when the coronavirus pandemic forced a temporary halt to drink-in and eat-in services at Florida establishments. It’s a coffee and

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kava bar where the 23-year-old brothers think they’ve found their niche.

“Business model-wise, coffee has not changed since its genesis,” Michael Nazareth said. “We wanted to innovate that. We had to take tradition, light it on fire and stomp it into the ground and say, ‘What if we did this differently?’”

Matthew and Michael Nazareth call their shop a “creative space for art, music,

TALLAHASSEEMAGA ZINE.COM

studying, networking and community.” They thereby see Serenity as a cultural gathering place that brews acceptance, understanding and change.

Here in Railroad Square, Serenity serves coffee, tea, kava, kratom, kombucha and various juices to people of various backgrounds, origins and income levels in conversation and mutual learning.

Born in Orlando to a mother from Alaska and a father who grew up in Tanzania, the brothers come from a family of “inclusive, accepting people,” Michael said, and they found themselves constantly exposed to different cultures, communities and people.

Michael recalled his grandmother, who lived in Tanzania. She was Catholic, and Muslim children would go to her house and break fast for Ramadan. “It was an environment with so much division,” he said, “but she was able to bring people together.”

Each brother sports a hip vintage look that starts with conspicuous black hair.

From there, the twins take style in different directions, from various places.

“I love bringing different cultures into my style,” Michael said, “and merging style by doing different things in one look.”

He said he also loves “the challenge of looking good on a low budget.”

Vintage fashion reflects the brothers’ values including sustainability, comfort and meaning.

Matthew described vintage as “the nostalgia comforting our generation.” He said he thinks vintage allows us “to grasp to the people we love, helping us take that part of their life wherever we go.”

He uses vintage clothing to establish a look that some might call “sweet grunge.”

“Alternative earth tones with a modernminimalistic twist,” he said.

His staple pieces include suspenders and multi-functional boots, for work in the shop or to complete his rustic look.

The brothers expressed the importance of their look in a business context.

photography by ALICIA OSBORNE

Matthew Nazareth, left, feels at home in a “sweet grunge” look that includes multi-functional boots, while brother Michael loves “the challenge of looking good on a low budget.”

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panache

↑ Matthew Nazareth (above) calls Serenity “an embodiment of who we are.” ↓ Michael says the shop emphasizes “what we were taught.”

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Michael said he sees himself as a “professional lion.”

“I like to feel powerful, diligent and productive,” he said.

The brothers say they got introduced to their industry a few years ago as employees at other Tallahassee coffee and kava shops. They opened Serenity in the spring of 2018.

When you walk in, you notice a synthesis between old and new. Vintage sofas and budding plants adorn the shop. Local art decorates the walls. A chess-board coffee table features a koi pond motif.

“Serenity is an embodiment of who we are,” Michael said.

“It’s what we were taught growing up,” Matthew added.

Inside, you recognize the passions of both.

Acoustic guitars adorns the shop, ready for any customer to play.

Matthew said he uses music to cope with anxiety and wants to give this same outlet to his customers.

“If I had a panic attack …,” he said, “I could put that into the guitar and feel those emotions without feeling like my world was collapsing.”

His creativity spreads through his customers, who sang on couches or painted at the bar during our visit early this year. He also has created most of the bar’s graphics.

“I try to incorporate creativity in my daily life,” Matthew said.

You can see Michael through novels on tables throughout the shop. He writes poetry and reads at least an hour of spiritual, business or personal-growth books every day. That includes the Bible, he said.

“I’m obsessed with the pursuit of wisdom,” Michael said. “One of the amazing things that I think people don’t realize is all of the knowledge and wisdom you need to live a healthy life are in books.”

The men’s values and store coordinate with their style, which emphasizes individuality.

“Being able to express yourself is incredibly important to personal growth,” Matthew said.

Michael added: “I would never want anyone to copy my style, because I want them to focus on being their genuine self.

I want people to look at my style and feel empowered to do that for themselves.” TM photography by ALICIA OSBORNE

Bridal Registry Stationery & Gifts Home Accessories (850) 681-2824 | (800) 983-2266 1410 Market St, C3 | ShopMFT.com Follow us @shopmft

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PROMOTION

Spring

GIFT GUIDE

Spring summons a sense of fresh starts and internal and external growth. In this season of renewal, you might feel inclined to give a friend a gift or gift yourself with some self-care. Whether you’re celebrating Mother’s Day or Father’s Day, sending kindness to a friend or treating yourself, our Spring Gift Guide highlights local products that promote wellness and well-being.

SOLEIL 7 AVEDA LIGHT MOISTURE SHAMPOO, CONDITIONER AND LEAVE-IN CONDITIONER features lightweight superfood blends that quickly absorb for nutrient-powered hydration.

Shampoo $35, Conditioner $35, Leave-in Conditioner $37

FARMER’S DAUGHTER VINEYARDS Knockout This award-winning pinot noir-style red has a sweet and a spicy side with notes of jam and blueberry pie.

Market Street (850) 727-0482 II Lafayette (850) 681-6681 II Soleil7.com

Sand Angel This fruit-forward, dry rosé won Best of Class at the 2018 Los Angeles International Wine Competition.

APPLE PIE MAIDS Save your valuable time and hire a cleaning service.

Let us help you accomplish your goals by setting up a cleaning routine. Leave the cleaning to our trustworthy cleaners.

Serving Tallahassee since 2011!

Bombshell A 2018 Best of Georgia winner, this light white is crisp with hints of citrus, pear and passion fruit. A crowd pleaser!

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(850) 273-9082, ApplePieMaids.com

UPTOWN CAFE AND CATERING Uptown Apricot Smoked Salmon is very versatile for all occasions — from spring holidays to football tailgates, to a quiet evening with a friend and a bottle of wine, or a quick meal on the go. We ship: UptownSalmon.com.

Lilly Pulitzer spring collection: Brighten your spring with a new top, tote and shoes from Lilly Pulitzer’s new collection.

Available exclusively at Pink Narcissus. $128-$198

1325 Miccosukee Road (850) 219-9800, UptownCafeAndCatering.com

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1350 Market St., #100, (850) 597-8201 LillyPinkNarcissus.com

Glycolic 10 Renew Overnight Nighttime glycolic acid cream delivers a true 10% glycolic acid value to promote cellular turnover for healthy, glowing skin. $80 Triple Lipid Restore 2:4:2 A patented anti-aging cream to refill cellular lipids and nourish dry skin. $128 2452 Mahan Drive, Suite 101 II (850) 877-2126, TLHPlasticSurgery.com

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PHOTOS BY SAIGE ROBERTS (FARMER’S DAUGHTER VINEYARDS, SOLEIL 7 AND PINK NARCISSUS)

PINK NARCISSUS – LAURA WITTENBERG

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panache Narcissus This fashion-forward store is making a splash by offering styles from three brands that are new to the store. ➸ Since the debut of Top Gun,

AVIATOR SHADES have been effortlessly cool and classically chic. These Yves Saint Laurent sunglasses are the epitome of cool, even on the hottest days. ➸ POLKA DOTS always hit the

spot. Swim season may have you eyeing a new suit. A Tori Praver bikini combines the classic print with retro elements, like the keyhole top.

➸ BROWN-HEELED SANDALS are a closet staple. These from See by Chloe are a must.

Wooden block heels, ornate designs and gold accents make for shoes that can transition from day to night, from office to pool party. The platform sandals in particular give off ’70s-style vibrations.

From thick to thin, subtle to bold, HEADBANDS are making heads turn as an emerging accessories trend. Padded headbands bring back bygone eras, reflective of styles worn in the ’60s and ’70s.

My Favorite Things

↓

AVIATOR SHADES FROM NARCISSUS

What’s In Store?

A roundup of retail happenings throughout Tallahassee

by REBECCA PADGETT

We are in that sweet spot between spring and summer, where days are getting brighter and clothes are getting lighter.

As we seek ways to stay cool and look cool, we seek spring and summer steals where we can find the latest fashions.

Slip on some stylin’ sunnies and meet us poolside when the time is right.

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The CHIC CHILL HANDCRAFTED ICE AND BEER BUCKETS look cool while keeping drinks cooler. These buckets use an organic cooling system where the ice never has to touch the bottle, which results in a perfectly chilled bottle of wine. The inserts are removable to transform into a beer bucket. This unique design ensures that the bucket doesn’t sweat, making it suitable to sit on any surface.

Inspired by the art of wine and summertime, these buckets are available in copper, brass or stainless steel finishes.

Rebels’ Midtown

Spring 2020 maintains 2020 vision set on ’70s fashion, especially in regard to RETRO CAT EYE SHADES — the bolder and brighter the better.

Rebels’ Midtown invites you to boogie on over to the store in your bell-bottoms to browse its selection of ’70s-inspired styles. Forget a winter whiteout; WHITE LINEN is trending, especially when paired white on white. Try on white linen bottoms with wood button details paired with a bolero tie-front top.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF WONSAPONATIME VINTAGE (HEADBAND), REBELS’ MIDTOWN (RETRO SUNGLASSES), MY FAVORTIE THINGS (ICE BUCKET), NARCISSUS (AVIATORS AND SANDALS)

Wonsaponatime Vintage

Changing lives one Patient at a time Dr. James Walton & Dr. David Cardman General & Cosmetic Dentistry | Implants | Lumineers | Crowns & Bridgework | Invisalign | Sealants | Whitening 1280 Timberlane Rd (850) 893-2136

drswaltonandcardman.com

QR Code Generation and Mobile Websites ∙ CD / DVD Duplication and Full Color Scanning ∙ Oversize Scanning ∙ Photo Scanning ∙ Holiday Cards ∙ Calendars ∙ Invitat ucts ∙ Personalized Letters ∙ Postcards ∙ Bulk Business Mail ∙ “Lumpy” Mail & Fulfi Options (Comb, Coil, Wire, Perfect, Tape, Booklets) ∙ Programs ∙ Presentation Sign Printed Full Color Labels ∙ Retractable Banner Stands ∙ Mailing ∙ Step & Repeat Ba cluding Political Mail) ∙ Newsletters ∙ Flyers ∙ Small Posters ∙ Business Cards ∙ Catal ers ∙ Artwork on Canvas ∙ Backlit Film ∙ Indoor/Outdoor Banners ∙ Foam Board Mou ∙ Posters ∙ Retractable Banner Stands ∙ Static Cling ∙ Window and Door Lettering Code Generation and Mobile Websites ∙ CD / DVD Duplication and Full Color Labe ning ∙ Oversize Scanning ∙ Photo Scanning ∙ Holiday Cards ∙ Calendars ∙ Invitations ∙ Personalized Letters ∙ Postcards ∙ Bulk Business Mail ∙ “Lumpy” Mail & Fulfillment ∙ (Comb, Coil, Wire, Perfect, Tape, Booklets) ∙ Programs ∙ Presentation Signage ∙ Foa Color Labels ∙ Retractable Banner Stands ∙ Step & Repeat Backdrops ∙ Custom La Newsletters ∙ Flyers ∙ Small Posters (12 x 18 or Smaller) ∙ Business Cards ∙ Catalog ∙ Artwork on Canvas ∙ Backlit Film ∙ Indoor/Outdoor Banners ∙ Foam Board Mount Posters ∙ Retractable Banner Stands ∙ Static Cling ∙ Window and Door Lettering ∙ W Generation and Mobile Websites ∙ CD / DVD Duplication and Full Color Label Prin ∙ Oversize Scanning ∙ Photo Scanning ∙ Holiday Cards ∙ Calendars ∙ Invitations ∙ C Personalized Letters ∙ Postcards ∙ Bulk Business Mail ∙ “Lumpy” Mail & Fulfillment ∙ (Comb, Coil, Wire, Perfect, Tape, Booklets) ∙ Programs ∙ Presentation Signage / Fo Full Color Labels ∙ Retractable Banner Stands ∙ Step & Repeat Backdrops ∙ Custo Mail) ∙ Newsletters ∙ Flyers ∙ Small Posters (12 x 18 or Smaller) ∙ Business Cards ∙ Folders ∙ Artwork on Canvas ∙ Backlit Film ∙ Indoor/Outdoor Banners ∙ Foam Board Plans ∙ Posters ∙ Retractable Banner Stands ∙ Static Cling ∙ Window and Door Le

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47

PROMOTION

Back to

Baseline PROCEDURES HELP WOMEN REGAIN PRE-PREGNANCY SHAPE 48

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PROMOTION

F

ollowing a pregnancy, women undertake recovery on emotional, hormonal and physical levels.

Barring intervention, physical changes due to childbearing may be permanent or persist for a long time.

At the Tallahassee Plastic Surgery Clinic, physicians including Dr. Alfredo Paredes help women get back to their baseline — that is, the condition they were in prior to getting pregnant. Breasts and the abdominal area are frequent targets.

“During pregnancy, the abdominal muscles — or what we call the six-pack muscles — get stretched and may become separated so that the belly bulges outward,” Paredes said. That condition, called diastasis, may closely resemble a hernia, but instead occurs due to a weakened abdominal wall.

Doctors perform an abdominoplasty or “tummy tuck” to tighten the abdominal muscles, making it flat and smooth and pushing internal organs back in.

Stitches are used to create a corset-like effect, realigning muscles and eliminating the space between them.

“In some cases, tummy tucks may reduce lower back pain because the core in the front is made tighter, and the back doesn’t have to work as hard to hold things upright,” Paredes pointed out.

“Some people believe that the need for tummy tucks occurs only in people who are overweight, but that is a misperception,” Paredes said. “A bulging belly can occur to women of normal weight. I have done tummy tucks on triathletes, who are in the best shape possible.”

Paredes cautioned that the best candidates for tummy tucks are at or near their ideal body weight.

Otherwise, the procedure is riskier, and complications may develop.

“We recommend that you lose as much weight as you want to lose prior to the surgery to make it safer,” Paredes said.

In conjunction with a tummy tuck, a surgeon may remove extra skin that is left behind after a pregnancy, especially after multiple pregnancies. Stretched out skin may gather in rolls, presenting hygiene problems.

In women who put on a lot of weight during pregnancy and then lose that weight, loose skin may occur at the backs of arms or at the thighs. That unwanted skin, which can make wearing certain types of clothing a problem, can be removed with brachioplasty (arm) and thighplasty procedures.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding may cause breasts to enlarge and droop. Paredes restores baseline conditions with lifts and reductions.

“Lots of patients have significant improvement in shoulder, back or neck pain after those procedures are performed,” he said. “Women may find that they can exercise more easily because their breasts are no longer so long and floppy.”

So-called “Mommy Makeovers” also may involve: restoring areolas, nipples and bellybuttons to pre-pregnancy condition; using liposuction to remove residual fat that remains after pregnancies; and employing topical creams or laser treatments to eliminate hyperpigmentation of cheeks (melasma) produced by hormonal changes during pregnancy.

All assist women in making the next version of themselves the old version of themselves.

TALLAHASSEE PLASTIC SURGERY CLINIC

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May–June 2020

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PROMOTION

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gastro&gusto MAY/JUN 2020

FROM THE SIMPLY IRRESISTIBLE TO THE PIÈCE DE RÉSISTANCE

↗

Ashley Cote credits her grandmother for her penchant to cook from scratch. She relies on that for her Spoonful of Flavor enterprise.

DINING IN

FLAVOR

BY THE SPOONFUL ↓

Owner of food-based website emphasizes food but avoids fame

by DEVANTE CARROLL

DINING IN photography by SHANNON GRIFFIN

Spoonful of Flavor ||

LIBATIONS

Taste of Tallahassee

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gastro & gusto

↑ Instant Pot Chicken & Rice INGREDIENTS

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since she was a little girl, and it shows in her creative process.

She credits her grandmother for her passion. When she was little, she’d help pick vegetables from her grandmother’s garden.

Then they’d go into the kitchen and cook.

She shares on her website: “Every single time I bite into a homemade peanut butter cookie, I remember standing in my grandmother’s kitchen as a child watching the fresh cookies come out of the oven.”

Cote told Tallahassee Magazine: “Cooking from scratch was the way my grandmother was, and it followed me in my adult life.”

From southeastern Connecticut, Cote moved to Tallahassee in 2006 for graduate school at Florida State University, where she graduated with a master’s degree in economics. While in school, Cote began looking up recipes to cook for herself and saw that other students were doing likewise.

“That’s when I figured I could start a website that caters to recipes people want, plus more,” she said.

DIRECTIONS

Generously season chicken with salt and pepper on both sides: set aside. Preheat Instant Pot by pressing the sauté button. Heat olive oil, then sear chicken for 3 to 4 minutes on both sides.

Remove and set aside on a plate. Deglaze pot with ¼ cup of chicken broth, scraping the brown bits from the bottom. Add onion and carrot and sauté 2-3 minutes until softened, stirring often. Add garlic and cook an additional 30-60 seconds until fragrant. Press cancel. Add remaining chicken stock, lemon juice and zest, peas, rice and parsley, stirring well to combine.

Place chicken thighs on top, but do not stir. Close and seal the lid.

Cook on manual-mode high for 7 minutes, allowing a 10-minute natural release, then releasing the remaining pressure by flipping the valve. Remove the lid and shred the chicken with two forks.

Mix everything together, then serve topped with additional parsley, a crack of black pepper and lemon wedges.

photography by SHANNON GRIFFIN

PHOTO COURTESY OF ASHLEY COTE (RECIPE)

C

onsider your typical food entrepreneur.

She or he might start with recipes, become a celebrated author and maybe even open a restaurant.

Not Ashley Cote, creator of Spoonful of Flavor, a blog site that has inspired a national craving.

“I’ve had offers to write my own cookbooks, but I always decline because I don’t want a celebrity status,” she said. “That’s not the life for me.”

Judging by the fan club she has amassed, Spoonful of Flavor provides spice for many.

She touts more than 43,000 followers on Instagram and even more on Pinterest, including about 3 million monthly viewers.

Her site caters to anybody looking for a recipe even if you don’t know how to cook or you’re in the beginning stages.

Her passion for travel inspired her to pair recipes with places. Her travel section includes, among other things, a “Foodie Guide to Fort Myers and Cape Coral” and a “Foodie’s Weekend Guide to Savannah.”

Cote has been passionate about food

➸ 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts ➸ Kosher salt to taste ➸ Freshly ground black pepper to taste ➸ 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil ➸ 2 cups low sodium chicken broth divided ➸ 1 small onion diced ➸ 1 carrot diced ➸ 8 cloves garlic minced ➸ 1 lemon juiced ➸ 1 teaspoon lemon zest ➸ 1 cup fresh or frozen peas ➸ 1 ½ cups uncooked white rice rinsed and drained ➸ 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped, plus more for garnish

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gastro & gusto She started Spoonful of Flavor as its lone employee in 2013. After graduating, she worked jobs in state government, including as a research economist and legislative analyst. She later quit to run her business full time while working fewer hours.

Her blog blossomed via web traffic and advertising over the last three years, she said. That allowed her, in 2017, to start assembling a staff mostly of contracted freelancers, including photographers, graphic designers, social media marketers and technicians.

As sole owner, Cote still handles some of the recipes and maintains a presence on social media.

She said she commits to four hours a day and lets her team handle the rest. That allows her to do things she enjoys, such as traveling and spending time with her husband and child.

By May, she said she planned to launch a similar project with a plant-based food focus. At some point, she said, she’ll look to sell both, allowing her to relax and enjoy the fruits of her labor.

She writes on her website that she started her business about seven years ago “completely unaware that it would bring me to where I am today.” TM

← Mexican Street Corn INGREDIENTS

DIRECTIONS Preheat an outdoor grill to medium-high heat.

Brush the grill grates with oil and then grill corn, turning occasionally until cooked and lightly charred, about 10 to 12 minutes. While the corn is cooking, mix together the sour cream and mayonnaise in a small bowl. Place the butter in a separate bowl and melt. Then combine the chili powder and cayenne pepper in another small bowl. Set all three bowls aside. Remove the corn from the grill and brush with melted butter. Spread the sour cream mixture over the top of each corn. Sprinkle with the cheese and chili mixture. Garnish with freshly chopped cilantro and serve with lime wedges on the side.

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To keep up with Ashley Cote and her recipes, visit SpoonfulofFlavor.com or connect with her on Instagram, Pinterest or other social media platforms.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ASHLEY COTE

➸ 4 ears of corn husked ➸ 3 tablespoons Mexican crema or sour cream ➸ 1 tablespoon mayonnaise ➸ 2 tablespoons salted butter melted ➸ ¼ teaspoon chili powder ➸ ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper ➸ ¼ cup cotija cheese or queso fresco crumbles ➸ ¼ cup cilantro chopped ➸ 4 lime wedges

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SPIRIT OF TALLAHASSEE

Here’s a toast to our city — a drink that symbolizes and refreshes

by TEAGHAN SKULSZKI

A

s a relative newcomer, I’ve found Tallahassee a city of myriad colors, flavors and symbols — so many that you almost want to taste it.

As a part-time bartender, I thought that sounded good, so I set out to create a drink that represented the Capital City.

I took many things I’ve learned about our city as a student at Florida State University and turned them into ingredients. I saw the deep red bricks on

Proof Brewing Company’s Mango Wit represents our love of football, game days and good local beer.

campus as splashes of cranberry juice, for example.

I got in touch with Devin Baker, director of food and beverage at Aloft Tallahassee, which houses the W XYZ Bar. He agreed to work on the “Tallahassee Drink” with me.

We painted a mental portrait of our drink, and we handed the easel to Carla Colbert-Renfroe, a bartender at W XYZ. She led us in turning our vision into spirit.

Give it a try. It’ll taste like home.

Mint represents a calm drive on one of our canopy roads

Orange juice adds balance Cranberry juice resembles FSU’s garnet Orange vodka represents Florida’s citrus tradition

Orange and lime represent FAMU’s school colors

Simple syrup creates a sweet sensation

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Strawberries represent the seeds of education and learning, hallmarks of our city TALLAHASSEEMAGA ZINE.COM

Capital City Concoction* INGREDIENTS

➸ orange slice ➸ two strawberries ➸ lime slice ➸ mint leaf ➸ s plash of simple syrup ➸ s plash of orange juice ➸ s plash of cranberry juice ➸ 1 oz sweet tea vodka ➸ 1 oz orange vodka ➸ l ocal Tallahassee honey ➸ Proof’s Mango Wit DIRECTIONS

Honey the rim of the glass by pouring honey onto a plate and dipping each side.

Muddle the orange, one strawberry and simple syrup together.

Add sweet tea and orange vodkas. Add a splash of cranberry and orange juice.

Shake. Add ice to the glass. Add the contents of shaker (unstrained) into the glass. Top with Mango Wit for a fizzy floater. Squeeze lime juice into the drink as another floater.

Garnish with a mint leaf and strawberry.

Where to Try It

Sweet tea vodka symbolizes our Southern roots

Honey represents our Southern hospitality, our beekeepers and FSU’s gold

↓

LIBATIONS

Devin Baker, director of food and beverage at Aloft Tallahassee, said he planned to add our beer-cocktail creation to the W XYZ Bar menu but wasn’t sure when. “I enjoyed it,” he said of helping to make and of trying out the drink. He noted the drink’s body and flavor. *We’ll get back with you on a name.

photography by SAIGE ROBERTS // illustration by LINDSEY MASTERSON

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Building Stronger Communities Since 1895 For 125 years, your Capital City Bankers have proudly delivered tailored financial solutions and exceptional client experiences to individuals, families and businesses. We value loyal clients who make it possible for our bankers and our company to help build a stronger future for Tallahassee and beyond.

Thank you for being part of our story.

www.ccbg.com

expression

MAY/JUN 2020

KEEPING TABS ON ALL THAT MUSES INSPIRE

MUSIC

In Tune With FAMU ↓

Darryl Tookes brings his musical passion and experiences to his alma mater

by DEVANTE CARROLL AND MARTIN S. THOMAS

↖

In Darryl Tookes, Florida A&M University landed a singer, writer, producer, performer, collaborator and teacher.

MUSIC Darryl Tookes || BOOKS Building and Maintaining a Tallahassee Institution photography by BRUCE PALMER

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expression

←

When it comes to performing with others, Darryl Tookes says, “I’m just thankful that we’re touching people and having a chance to do that. What a gift that is to us.”

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A&M Magazine. “Her work as FAMU’s PBX switchboard operator made her the unofficial voice of FAMU for decades.”

Tookes graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in physics from FAMU in 1977.

He moved to New York and turned to singing and songwriting.

He has remained a teacher, singer, writer, producer, collaborator and performer. In November, he performed with the Javacya Elite Chamber Orchestra and other musicians in a “Poppin’ at the Pops” concert at FAMU. After he came on stage, he greeted fellow performers with hugs, handshakes, fist-bumps and fist pumps, underscoring an appreciation and a passion for his art.

“I don’t even notice it,” Tookes told Tallahassee Magazine. “I’m so happy to be there. You know, we’re all on the same team, and I’m just thankful that we’re touching people and having a chance to do that.

What a gift that is to us.”

About a year and a half into his job as director of music industry studies in FAMU’s Department of Music, Tookes shared his thoughts on a variety of topics, including: ››

↓

FUN FACT

In 1989, Tookes scored a hit record with Lifeguard, which reached No. 3 on the Billboard adult contemporary music chart.

photography by BRUCE PALMER

PHOTO COURTESY OF AMAZON.COM

M

ore than 30 years ago, Darryl Tookes advanced his career in music with a hit record.

He has worked with Quincy Jones, Lionel Richie, Roberta Flack, Burt Bacharach and Christina Aguilera, to name a few. He counts Sting, Michael Bolton and George Benson among his friends.

He has performed at Radio City Music Hall, the Apollo Theater and the White House. He has sung in London, Oslo and Tokyo. And he has taught at Lagond Music School and New York University.

All that means he has brought a world of talent and experiences to Florida A&M University.

“It’s just something I couldn’t say no to,” he said.

He said he wanted to return home and help make a mark, just as his parents did. His father, Hansel Tookes, served as athletic director at FAMU, founded the FAMU Sports Hall of Fame and oversaw the university’s transition to NCAA Division I athletics. His mother, Leona Washington Tookes, “was a professional singer who filled their home with music,” Simone Williams wrote in the fall 2019 edition of Florida

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KEITH

expression His singing voice, which “has been described as angelic,” according to FAMU …

“I grew up in a house with a mother who truly did have the voice of an angel, and she played the piano, and she was beautiful, and she could dance, and she was my confidant. My mother was a soprano. My maternal grandmother was a contralto, and she starred in an all-black musical on Broadway called The Green Pastures, which won the Pulitzer Prize (for drama in 1930). And my mother’s sister was an operatic mezzo-soprano.

So I grew up around some great singing. I went to New York and started finding that my voice was catching on as a vocal arranger. I just know my voice is real. It’s me.

“The other day in my office, a few students came in, and I was demonstrating a song with them, hooking up some gear and playing and singing along. And one young lady says, ‘Wow. The whole time you’re singing, we’re just sitting here with chills.’ What a daunting gift that is, to hear someone say those kind of things.”

His decision to accept the FAMU position …

“I had been on target to teach voice at Berklee College of Music (in Boston), and I had never taught at Berklee. My home is in Connecticut, and I went up on Amtrak, a leisurely ride, and I said, ‘You know what? I can spend a few days a week here and work with these local students … and see where it takes me.’ I was really excited about it. And when I realized my background and my love for FAMU, the fact that I’d been away from FAMU for so long, in spite of my family’s legacy here, I couldn’t say no to the opportunity to come here and try to build this program in a way that could create sustainability.

“My dream would be that it’s working so well that whoever’s the next director could be looking at a program that’s very well endowed and is perpetually endowed the same way the Carnegie Foundation or any other high-level arts initiative globally is endowed.”

His work at FAMU …

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“I’m teaching jazz history, which I have lived, and I’m teaching some classes in music industry, which I have lived. So I’m really teaching the life that I’ve lived professionally. I use textbooks and I use anecdotes, and it’s constantly changing.

It’s more of, let’s try to have a holistic approach to having a solid education at an accredited university, an HBCU, that is within a conservatory approach — and entrepreneurship has got to be the bottom line.

“The people who I’ve seen at the very top with whom I identify most greatly are the people who keep that wonder about everything but have kept their feet on the ground. So that’s been my initiative, to make sure the students have their feet on the ground and that they still dream big dreams and do the work, and I’m hoping that I can convey to them that there’s true reward in doing the work.” TM

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expression

↖ Founding directors John P. Roberts, far left, and W.A. Rawls, far right, stand in front of the bank’s new building in 1905. ↑ Bank associates strike poses circa 1925 inside that same building, which adjoined the original location.

BOOKS

BUILDING AND MAINTAINING A TALLAHASSEE INSTITUTION

New book shares the 125-year-old story of Capital City Bank ABOUT THE AUTHOR

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Julie Bettinger’s new work follows several books, including Encounters with Rikki: From Hurricane Katrina Rescue to Exceptional Therapy Dog. TMH hails Rikki, who died in 2017, as an animal therapy pioneer in Big Bend hospitals, courtrooms and other places.

See our related story that begins on page 114. Bettinger previously worked as editor of Tallahassee Magazine. JulieBettinger.com

TALLAHASSEEMAGA ZINE.COM

PHOTO COURTESY OF CAPITAL CITY BANK

T

his was before water coolers and air conditioning and long before television. This was 1895, when Tallahassee bustled with about 3,000 residents and George W. Saxon opened Capital City Bank with three associates.

About five years ago, Brooke Hallock found herself reflecting on the significance of that year. “I just woke up in the middle of the night and realized, ‘Oh gosh, we’re going to have our 125th anniversary,’” said Hallock, Capital City Bank’s chief brand officer.

She also realized: What a perfect time for a book. Hallock hired Tallahassee-based author Julie Strauss Bettinger, who spent about five years researching and writing Unwavering: Stories from 125 years of Capital City Bank.

Bettinger produced a fast-paced work of storytelling that emphasizes the ups, downs, family, culture and community at the heart of a Tallahassee institution as stable as a live oak. In its 125th year, the bank stands as a publicly traded company that boasts $3 billion in assets and more than 50 locations in three states.

The book isn’t available for purchase, but Hallock said she plans to give copies to libraries and bank associates and to customers who request them, because she wants people to understand the “camaraderie and culture” of the bank’s history.

“I just hope that when the bank celebrates its 300th anniversary, that book is on the CEO’s desk,” she said.

The following is an excerpt that Bettinger and Capital City Bank provided, with a focus on longtime president Godfrey Smith and son Bill Smith, current chairman, president and CEO of Capital City Bank Group. ››

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mary goal is to develop and execute the best-looking and most effective ad possible for your business. We seek your cooperation and understanding in TALL AHASSEEMAGA ZINE.COM May–June 2020 fing your ad. Please give us all your comments/corrections and copy changes so the 3rd proof is the final proof. We sincerely value and appreciate

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expression

↑ Patsy Kelley, second from right, joins fellow bank associates, circa 1950s. ↗ During its early days at its current Monroe Street location, the bank featured a modern design by 1957 standards. The name on the building reflects one of a few adjustments to the company name over the years.

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hand, and thanked him. He waved to Mr. and Mrs. Gavalas as he sped off on his bike.

Days later, Godfrey told his son he had some news. Nic Gavalas had been to the bank that day and opened a small savings account; he had his father’s permission to get that shirt.

At the January 1958 shareowners’ meeting, Bill Smith was represented by proxy for his shares of stock. He was four years old. At age eleven, he attended his first shareowners’ meeting, which—luckily for him—was held after school hours. Of the fifty-six people present, Bill was among the largest shareowners.

He even held more stock than his mother.

“My dad [went] back to work almost every night, and he was my best friend, so I came with him,” Bill said. “There was a ››

Godfrey Smith

Bill Smith

PHOTO COURTESY OF CAPITAL CITY BANK

B

ill Smith was on a mission. The twelve-year-old steered his Schwinn out of the family’s driveway and started pedaling south on Magnolia Drive. It was late afternoon on a Saturday, and by his calculations, Mr. Gavalas would be home from Nic’s Toggery, a men’s clothing store, by now.

Bill had his mother’s high forehead, almond-shaped chin, and heavy-lidded eyes, which brimmed with affection when he smiled. At this moment, however, his boyish brows were knitted in concentration, as Bill had some important business ahead of him. He’d made sure to wear one of his cleaner button-down collared shirts tucked into belted shorts, but he had decided to forgo the tie.

Janet Gavalas answered the door and welcomed Bill into the house. Nic Gavalas, a man of small frame and strong teeth, met the boy with a hearty laugh and, hearing that he had some business to discuss, invited him into the living room.

Bill said he had a problem. You see, at Elizabeth Cobb junior high/middle school, all the boys were wearing Gant shirts, “and Nic’s Toggery is the only store in town that carries them.” Bill had asked his father about visiting the store to buy one, but Godfrey had told him, “They don’t bank with us. If you can get Nic to bank at our bank, you can get one of those shirts.” Bill knew that Gavalas was on the board of another bank, but he was there to ask for Nic’s business on behalf of Capital City.

Gavalas listened intently, not betraying his amusement. After Bill finished, he looked at the boy with the spray of freckles on his nose and told him he appreciated his dilemma and he would definitely think about opening an account. Bill stood up, met Nic Gavalas’s eyes like his father had taught him, shook his

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expression There are few businesses in America more exciting, more glamorous or with more potential than the banking industry.

—Godfrey Smith, president’s annual report, 1986 father. “We used to have iced milk [for dessert],” Bill said.

“That’s because ice cream was more expensive. So I had iced milk, and I didn’t know the difference. We saved [S&H] green stamps. And when the fair came to town, my dad would bring home a two-dollar roll of nickels.” Bill and Bob pitched nickels for china at the fair, “and we ate off of [those plates] at home.”

Their father was the model of frugality. “He wore a clipon tie,” Bill said. “He and [jewelry store owner] Lester Moon were the only two guys I knew who wore a clip-on tie.” Godfrey owned one formal suit, which was reserved for weddings and funerals, and he refused to get a new one until it was threadbare.

He also modeled loyalty, Bill recalled. He bought cars from Proctor’s and Tallahassee Motors because both of those owners banked with Capital City and served on its board of directors.

“Mom drove a Cadillac, and Dad drove a Ford.” When the family took trips out of town, Godfrey Smith would delay as long as possible filling up with fuel on the return until they crossed the Leon County line “because chances are good we can probably buy from someone who banks with Capital City.”

There were other lessons too.

“The dinner table [we] grew up with [required] a coat and tie … every night.

You came home from Little League ball practice and took a shower and put on your coat and tie for dinner. Every night but Sunday.” When the boys turned nine or ten, their father gave them a topic to study and talk about at dinner with no notes. “Now, sometimes, the subject matter was Babe Ruth,” Bill said. Then he added, “I think I was the only ten-year-old that actually had some understanding of what the Cuban missile crisis was in Florida. I’m not sure I really did at the time, but I at least knew why we had water and canned goods in the basement.”

After Godfrey assumed the title of president of what was then called Capital City National Bank, he began delivering similar lessons to the 248 shareowners and 17 directors through the annual president’s report. He always included a fact or figure related to world—or at least U.S.—events and ↑ A teenage Bill Smith stands with his father, Godfrey Smith, second from right. They’re at a business related it to the bank’s performance. ›› gathering with Herschel Williams, left, and Frank Smathers, of United Bancshares of Florida.

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PHOTO COURTESY OF CAPITAL CITY BANK

table in [the boardroom] where I learned to spell and do math problems because he came back to read the paper or get away from Mom or do whatever it was, and I came with him. So I literally and figuratively grew up in [Capital City Bank].”

Bill’s monthly allowance was earned through chores at the bank. “My first job was emptying the trash cans on the first floor,” he said. “My second job was wrapping coins in the basement.”

Patsy Kelley recalled Bill coming to the walk-up teller windows after regular banking hours. His head just crested the counter as his little hand slid the passbook to her, along with a few small bills. “Godfrey made his boys save a little bit of their allowance,” she said. Patsy posted the deposit, noted it in his passbook, and returned the small booklet to the boy.

When Bill’s younger brother, Robert Hill (Bob) Smith, came along, he was given an equal number of shares in the bank. He accompanied his father to the shareowners’ meeting when he turned eleven as well.

Both boys received subtle training in thriftiness from their

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expression He gave hints on practicing good money management and appealed to their sense of loyalty to bring in business.

In January 1961, Godfrey had some good news and some bad news. The previous year, loans had increased, but deposits had decreased. That meant the bank’s loanto-deposit ratio was off, and they would have to be more selective in granting credit. “As many of you probably recall, when the June 30, 1960, financial statements of the Tallahassee banks were published, we were first in deposits, first in loans, first in capital structure, and first in total assets,” Godfrey said. “On December 31, our competitor on Calhoun Street moved ahead in both deposits and total assets.” He urged the shareowners to do their part by recommending Capital City National Bank to their friends and to advise bank personnel when they heard of a new business moving to town.

There was a reason that the “competitor on Calhoun Street”— Tallahassee Bank and Trust—had become more aggressive beginning in the fall of 1960. The daughter and son-in-law of former governor Caldwell had moved back to Tallahassee. Fred McCord’s name was soon showing up in classified ads offering great deals on auto loans, and he was featured on other business solicitations as TB&T’s new vice president and cashier.

“Banks didn’t really compete very much against each other until [TB&T] came to town,” McCord said. “We were the new kid on the block, and … the only place we could get [business] was from competitors. So we worked like heck trying to get [clients] away from them.

It was a lot of fun. I liked competition, and selling was really my forte.”

Soon, the former ceramic-tile salesman set his sights squarely on Capital City National Bank—and Godfrey in particular. “I used to get my group together, everyone at the bank … and say, ‘Today we’re going to beat Godfrey Smith. Today we’re going to take his pants off.’ And everybody in the bank worked on that, and we had a lot of fun doing it.” He said his employees started making note of the endorsements on checks they had written to see where they were being deposited. “And if it wasn’t [TB&T], they would go after them. That helped tremendously in competing.”

McCord was strategic in his efforts, including arriving early at the F&T Restaurant for breakfast.

“That’s where you’d see the electrical, plumbing, and other contractors. I got more credit information having breakfast with and listening to the subcontractors than you could get from the credit bureau.” He volunteered on chamber-of-commerce committees, joined civic clubs, and helped launch an effort that became Tallahassee’s Downtown Improvement Authority. He ››

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expression

PHOTO COURTESY OF CAPITAL CITY BANK

didn’t have the deep community roots that the Lewis brothers and Godfrey had, but he managed to wrestle business away from them through sheer determination.

“I had great respect for Godfrey as a friend and as a banker,” McCord stated. They often sat together for lunch at the Exchange Club, a men’s civic group that met every Friday. “I loved working against him. He was a formidable foe too.” McCord liked that Godfrey acknowledged his efforts. “We had a good time fighting each other—more so than Lewis State—Godfrey was more formal than anybody else was. He pursued every avenue and worked at it very hard. Every time we made a move, he made a countermove.” For Capital City Bank, that meant jingles on the radio, bigger newspaper ads, and additional services, including a travel agency to coordinate business air travel, cruises and other vacations for clients of the bank.

But mostly Godfrey counted on those vested in the bank—the shareowners—to grow its market share. He frequently gave tips at the annual meetings about small steps they could take that would benefit the bank and assure continued dividends in their future: encouraging their friends to get their next auto financed through Capital City, passing along the names of newcomers to officers and staff members, and recommending the bank’s new trust department for wills or estate planning.

Payday at the end of the month was the busiest time for bank tellers. Customers lined up across the lobby and out the door; some sat on couches waiting for a teller. Patsy Kelley, who started at the bank when she was twenty years old and remained for forty years, said, “There wasn’t even time to sort change when it came in.

You had to wait on the next person. I remember just bags of silver all over.”

One college professor, whose check was deposited directly to his account, called Patsy monthly on payday.

He would tell her, “Mrs. Kelley, I’ll be in at lunchtime and need to cash a check.” It was pocket money, a few hundred dollars. After the call, she’d go to the vault and collect bills in the denominations she knew he preferred. Like clockwork, around lunchtime, she’d see the professor walk past the long lines and sidle up to her teller window. She’d casually reach over and hand him the cash, Patsy Kelley “and he’d be out the door.” TM

Email Parson.kendra@ccbg.com if you’re a Capital City Bank customer and would like a copy of the book.

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RON YRABEDRA Artist Spotlight

Ron Yrabedra is Professor Emeritus of Art Education from Florida A&M University, where he taught for 34 years. His teaching career spanned 41 years, beginning with teaching children during the Civil Rights Movement in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

Teaching children provided him with information that led to his doctoral studies at Florida State University, his specialty of teaching teachers about children’s art, and to his turn as a lecturer on discipline-based art education for the Florida Institute of Art Education, sponsored by the J. Paul Getty Institute of California. Ron was the director for LeMoyne Center for the Arts from 1982– 86, when he received a sabbatical from FAMU to research the photographs by Alvan Harper, an early Tallahassee photographer, and of Harper’s photos of African Americans in the late 19th century. Ron has had a painting studio in Railroad Square Art District since 1981 and had hundreds of exhibits of his works in painting, drawings and ceramics.

Want to learn more about Ron? Visit tallahasseearts.org/artist/Ron-Yrabedra to learn more about Ron and over 950 artists of all creative disciplines in our Artist Directory.

This content is provided by the Council on Culture & Arts, the capital area’s umbrella agency for arts and culture.

PHOTO BY BOB O’LARY

By Erica Thaler, Council on Culture & Arts (COCA) Rainforest (2000)

WHAT IS NECESSARY FOR YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS? Art comes from personal

IT’S TIME FOR DINNER; WHAT ARE WE GOING TO EAT? Since I never learned to

WHAT FICTIONAL CHARACTER WOULD YOU LIKE TO MEET AND BRING TO LIFE?

IF YOU WERE TRAPPED IN A TV SHOW OR MOVIE FOR A MONTH, WHICH WOULD IT BE? Pride and Prejudice, directed by Joe

experiences — psychological and physical.

It is the transformation of human ideas, feelings, emotions and ideals into symbolic form. The history of humans is written in their creations of art, and these inspire new interpretations by the artist. Continual study and analysis of the values of the artist provides inspiration, technique and actual construction of works of art.

cook, let’s go to Il Lusso and experience Terry White’s genius. I love the French cuisine introduced to Tallahassee by Rainey and Pierre Vivier, but I also love the farm-fresh vegetables served in many local restaurants. I love lunch on the patio at Jeri’s Midtown Café … they named a soup after me.

Quentin Compson, a character in William Faulkner’s novels Absolom, Absolom! and The Sound and the Fury. I grew up in Mississippi and Alabama hearing stories and language that were so similar to the written stories and novels of Faulkner.

Wright. Someone wrote the 18th century had the best clothing, music, architecture, portraiture and conversations — what fun to be part of that.

WHAT MUSIC IS PLAYING IN YOUR CAR?

da Vinci. Leonardo was interested in everything from the human body to mathematics and was able to make masterworks from mere observation — using red chalk, black chalk and ink. I saw a major exhibit of his drawings in New York, and every one seemed a miracle.

A wide range from Dixieland to classical and folk music, but most often Johann Sebastian Bach. As a violin student during my childhood, I learned works by the great composers and have continued finding new meaning in these expressions.

WHAT IS THE LAST BOOK YOU READ THAT HAD AN IMPACT ON YOU? Degas

in New Orleans. The Impressionist Edgar Degas spent part of a year visiting his mother’s relatives in New Orleans.

He produced a number of painting masterpieces while visiting.

WHAT SUPERPOWER WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE? The ability to draw like Leonardo

WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED FROM FAILURE?

Failure for me is slipping into chaos. Success is working my way back to order — one is always moving between the two.

WHAT DO YOU HOPE YOU WILL BE REMEMBERED FOR? Kindness.

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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Our Urge to Travel is

IRREPRESSIBLE This has been a spring rather silent.

PHOTO COURTESY OF GOLDENISLES.COM

But it has loudly provided reminders that our wanderlust in incurable and that Leon and neighboring counties are very much in bed with the hospitality and tourism industries. They were hit first by the pandemic, and the first cut was the deepest.

Here, we have longed through much of this year to regain our freedom to move about the country. And we can trust that many thousands of people from all over have been frustrated by the need to postpone plans to visit our region and state.

Nothing prevents us from planning our next excursion, of course, and on following pages, we profile destinations of merit for you to consider. As for the Sunshine State, Dana Young, the president and CEO of Visit Florida, reminds us that it has a history of bouncing back far more quickly from crises and disasters than other parts of the country. Young says about herself that she is a fan of the Real Florida, including places like Wakulla Springs, and often asks people not about their favorite amusement ride, but their favorite swimmin’ hole. Tallahassee has a way of keeping it real. Real fine. — Steve Bornhoft

Gould’s Inlet, St. Simons Island

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Great Getaways

Golfing, walking, winemaking, boutique shopping, racecar driving, or doing nothing at all — we found just the place for all of those and more. We share destinations at which you — when the time is right — could arrive on a Friday night and return Sunday or Monday, perhaps refreshed and probably rewarded. Get away. Just make sure that you come back.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF GOLDENISLES.COM (BEACH), KESSLER COLLECTION (WINE TABLE), ALPHARETTA CVB GEORGIA (SHOPPING), STREAMSONG GOLF RESORT AND SPA (GOLF)

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MEET BIRMINGHAM’S CHARMING NEIGHBOR

by JENNIFER AGRESS

Visit this upscale neighbor of Birmingham,

Alabama, and you’ll find the best of everything.

Mountain Brook’s restaurant and bar scene alone is worth the visit. But it offers much more, including a zoo and a bevy of vast gardens, plus a range of charming boutiques and big-name department stores. Perhaps most notably, it offers motorsports.

There’s no better place to stay than the Grand Bohemian Hotel Mountain Brook. Part of the always impressive Kessler Collection, this opulent but relaxed, art-inspired hotel feels like a cozy escape, just a 15-minute drive from Birmingham.

When you visit Mountain Brooke, be sure to try these fantastic five experiences: ➸ Make your own wine at Grand Bohemian Hotel Mountain Brook.

Take advantage of Grand Bohemian’s five-star amenities — especially its wine blending class.

Thanks to the Classes by Kessler program, this boutique hotel boasts on-site wine blending classes and a cooking school. For 90 minutes, let the hotel’s in-house sommelier teach you about winemaking, its history, grapes, tasting and aging techniques and more. From there, you’ll get to make your own unique wine by blending your favorite Kessler Collection reds.

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Birmingham Botanical Gardens

Mountain Brook, Alabama

➸ Don’t miss Alabama’s largest farmers market. Every Saturday, Pepper Place hosts an

indoor-outdoor market where 100-plus food and gift vendors sell their Alabama-made, Alabamagrown goods. The people behind the booths are the harvesters, farmers and creators, themselves.

From 7 a.m. to noon, browse tables of fresh fruits and vegetables, herbs, homegrown plants, fresh meats, cheeses, pastries, candles, homemade jams and more; watch live cooking demos or listen to live music. Tip: If That Cheesecake by Tammy Smith is there, you want to get that cheesecake.

➸ Visit the motorcycle museum that got a Guinness World Record. Race car driver

The Market at Pepper Place

George Barber had a passion for all things fast, so in 1988, he started curating what would become the world’s largest motorcycle collection. Today, Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum is home to 1,600-plus motorcycles, all made in the last 100 years by 200 different manufacturers in 20 countries. And while you can take the driver out of a race car, you can’t take the race car out of the driver. Barber also holds the world’s most extensive Lotus collection and a slew of hardto-find race cars. Fun fact: In 2014, the museum became recognized as the largest motorcycle museum in the Guinness Book of World Records. ➸ Go “full throttle” at Barber Motorsports Park. After you see all those

Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum

speed devils, hop in another one. Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum is connected to the 880acre Barber Motorsports Park, which has a worldclass, 17-turn, 2.38-mile racetrack. Stop by the official Porsche Sport Driving School, where a professional driver will race you around the track in a Porsche 911 at 120 mph.

➸ Enjoy a mouthwatering, five-course dinner — at a brewery. From the outside,

Back Forty Beer Co. is a cool brewery. Go inside, and it’s your new favorite. Outside of yard games and playful brews like the Freckle Belly IPA, Back Forty throws a weekly beer-pairing dinner with farm-to-table plates whipped up by executive chef Russ Bodner.

Grand Bohemian Hotel Mountain Brook

Destination: Mountain Brook, Alabama \\ Driving Time: About 5 hours Distance: 300 miles \\ When you go: Grand Bohemian Hotel Mountain Brook 2655 Lane Park Road, Mountain Brook, Alabama, (205) 414-0505

MOUNTAIN BROOK, ALABAMA

PHOTOS COURTESY OF BIRMINGHAM BOTANICAL GARDENS, THE MARKET AT PEPPER PLACE, BARBER VINTAGE MOTORSPORTS MUSEUM AND KESSLER COLLECTION

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A SLOWER EXPERIENCE THAT WILL SUIT ALL YOUR SENSES

by MELISSA SPEAR

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I adore saltwater. I practically

live to smell it, to float on it and perhaps especially to look at it.

So when I visit the ocean, I don’t care to see tourist attractions, amusement parks and blocks upon blocks of boutiques, coffee houses and chic restaurants.

I want to see the beach.

That’s what brought me to St. Simons Island, a community of about 12,000 people in southeast Georgia’s Golden Islands — and I hardly left disappointed.

I stayed at The King and Prince Beach & Golf Resort, which

gave me an unobstructed view of the Atlantic Ocean in all its splendor. This part of the coast serves as home to, among other species, jellyfish, sea turtles and marine mammals, including the near-extinct North Atlantic right whale.

Amid the vastness of the Atlantic, you feel a welcome sense of remoteness, yet not isolation.

The coastline lacks the high-rise resorts and the crowds of so many coastal beaches, allowing for quiet strolls alongside talkative surf and seagulls.

St. Simons Island, Georgia PHOTOS COURTESY OF GOLDENISLES.COM (DRIFTWOOD BEACH ) AND THE KING AND PRINCE BEACH & GOLF RESORT

Make note of the tides. During my visit, their extremes left either a massive beach or no beach at all, the later of which meant more saltwater for me.

When the tide recedes, you never know what it’s going to leave behind. Take Driftwood Beach, on nearby Jekyll Island. It’s aptly named for its driftwood — beautiful and, you might say, otherworldly. I found the beach hard to find but certainly among the highlights of my three-day visit.

You’ll get my drift on this: Three or four days of tranquility isn’t for everybody. If that’s the case, remember that you’re smack between Jacksonville and Savannah and can reach either city in fewer than 90 minutes.

Chances are, though, you’ll want to stick around.

St. Simons Island and Glynn County feature head-turning saltwater and freshwater marshes that locals boast as national treasures. Poet Sidney Lanier put a spotlight on them in the poem, The Marshes of Glynn, in which he wrote: “Oh, what is abroad in the marsh and the terminal sea?

“Somehow my soul seems suddenly free” The island also touts the Avenue of the Oaks, a double row of 160-year-old oak trees that leads to the entrance to Sea Island Golf Club, a top-ranked destination in a regional golf mecca.

But St. Simons Island exudes neither a resort-focused nor touristy vibe. You experience a historic community that retains its charm.

Its downtown remains a small strip of old buildings that house restaurants, shops, an ice cream parlor, even a quaint little barber shop.

The island also boasts several worthy sites, including a World War II museum at its historic Coast Guard station and a museum

at an active historic lighthouse, which offers visitors blue coastal views.

The King and Prince resort is a short drive from the lighthouse museum or to the downtown strip. It’ll give you every reason to stay put, including seaside pools, ocean-view balconies and oceanfront dining.

The resort touts Echo restaurant as the island’s only indoor/outdoor oceanfront dining spot. I’ll add that it offers great food and gorgeous presentations.

Salt? No worries there.

St. Simons Island gave me my fill.

→ The King and Prince Beach & Golf Resort offers

seaside views and oceanfront dining in an area of remoteness where you don't feel isolated. The island features a downtown strip and worthy sites, including a World War II museum at its historic Coast Guard station.

Destination: St. Simons Island, Georgia \\ Driving Time: About 3.5 hours Distance: 240 miles \\ When you go: The King and Prince Beach & Golf Resort 201 Arnold Road, St. Simons Island, Georgia, (800) 342-0212

ST. SIMONS ISLAND, GEORGIA

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SHOP AND SIP THROUGH THIS CHARMING CITY OF RETAILERS LARGE AND SMALL I observed smiling boutique

owners as I strolled, peach tea in hand, through a Saturday farmers market. Later, I dined on creatively curated dishes in a historic house that now serves as a hip restaurant.

Then I joined other picnic-blanket sitters in a performance by the city’s symphony orchestra.

That’s Alpharetta, Georgia — a city of note with cheer, taste and charm.

Alpharetta offers a beautiful blend of old and new that I often find in Southern cities on the rise. It features distinct shopping districts, a creative culinary scene, award-wining parks and plenty of communitybased activities.

A suburb north of Atlanta, Alpharetta moves at a slower pace than much of the sprawling metropolitan area. You’ll want to go with the flow and walk the city for its shops — more than 250 of them.

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They range from locally owned boutiques to nationally renowned luxury retail brands.

You can explore Alpharetta by its five points — Downtown District, North on Main District, Windward District, Avalon District and North Point District — each with individualized character and culture.

The North Point District contains North Point Mall, which is anchored by department stores Von Maur and Macy’s, while boutiques such as Sugarboo & Co. and Society Boutique offer fashion pieces and home décor.

I reverted to girlhood upon entering the American Girl Boutique & Bistro, complete with a doll hair salon and a café equipped with tea for your girl and her doll. You should end your day in the North Point District with a concert at the 12,000-seat Verizon Amphitheatre, which hosts mainstream performers throughout the year.

The serious shopper should devote a day to Avalon, which merges shopping, dining, entertainment, living and working in an aesthetically pleasing hub that centers on Avalon Boulevard. The district also boasts one of three Chanel Fragrance and Beauté boutiques in the U.S., offering personalized makeup, skincare and fragrance experiences.

Elsewhere, create custom jewels at the Kendra Scott Color Bar, stock

PHOTOS COURTESY OF ALPHARETTA CVB GEORGIA

by REBECCA PADGETT

Alpharetta, Georgia

↑ The serious shopper should devote a day to the Avalon District, where you can dine and carry to-go wine. ← The

district also offers spaces that encourage lounging and enjoying live entertainment, especially with a sweet treat.

up on pretty paper products at Paper Source, and enjoy lunch at Cru Food & Wine Bar. Take your wine in a to-go cup and continue exploring.

You’ll find green spaces that encourage you to kick back and enjoy live entertainment. You can do so with a sweet treat from Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams.

You can tell a lot about a city from its business district. In Alpharetta, my downtown favorites included Korner Soak’s luxurious bath products, All Inspired Boutique’s heartfelt mission of gratefulness and sharing, Comeback Vinyl’s impressive selection of records old and new, Clothes Horse Men’s Apparel & Gifts’ quality selection of guys’ clothing and Magnolia Moon’s fashion forwardness. I also appreciated the customized wine tasting at Fermented and exemplary food presentation at Restaurant Holmes.

Alpharetta doesn’t worry about those Atlanta skyscrapers. It simply soars with heartfelt Southern hospitality.

Destination: Alpharetta, Georgia Driving Time: 5 hours Distance: 300 miles When you go: Courtyard Marriott Alpharetta/Avalon 11700 Amber Park Drive Alpharetta, Georgia, (770) 475-9955

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THE PERFECT GOLF RETREAT, IN A PLACE THAT FEELS FAR FROM HOME

by JAY REVELL

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Streamsong PHOTOS COURTESY OF STREAMSONG GOLF RESORT AND SPA

The first thing that struck me about

← Streamsong

Resort’s three golf courses offer surprising elevation changes, expansive playing corridors and sweeping vistas, and all three ranked in the top four among Florida courses in Golfweek’s Best Courses You Can Play for 2019.

Streamsong Resort is how it is far off the beaten path.

It’s detached from prominent tourist hubs, providing a different take on vacationing in Florida, including for a long weekend.

You’ll find no expressways or interstates leading to the front door. My route to Streamsong featured two-lane country roads that offered a taste of old Florida. I found strangeness and delight in arriving at such a place in the middle of nowhere.

Set in Polk County about 45 miles southwest of Tampa and about five hours from Tallahassee, Streamsong feels a world away from the hustle and bustle of Florida’s population centers. It occupies land that was once home to a massive phosphate mining operation. That land now trumpets a worldclass resort featuring three of Florida’s toprated golf courses, with excellent dining and interesting excursions.

For me, it was the perfect place to get off the grid for a few days.

It all begins with golf.

First, a little background: The idea for Streamsong originated when executives at The Mosaic Company sought a creative way to reclaim land after decades of mining. In a bold and imaginative move, The Mosaic Company hired acclaimed course designers Tom Doak, Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw and set out to build an ambitious resort.

Opened in 2013, Streamsong debuted with both of its original courses, Streamsong Red and Streamsong Blue. Both courses are routed through massive sand dunes and deep freshwater lakes that were left on the property as a result of mining operations.

The resort since has added Streamsong Black, designed by golf course architect Gil Hanse, and the Red, Black and Blue courses ranked Nos. 2, 3 and 4 among Florida courses in Golfweek’s Best Courses You Can Play for 2019.

They’re certainly unique, with surprising elevation changes, expansive playing corridors and sweeping vistas of Florida’s wild side. I found myself transfixed by this unique Florida golf experience.

After golf, I turned my attention to other resort offerings. They include the Streamsong Lodge, which features 216 guest rooms, an eclectic mix of amenities and restaurants that stay on their game. You’ll find the casual P2O5 great for breakfast or lunch between activities and the chic SottoTerra ideal for a special dinner. SottoTierra’s braised beef was possibly the best dish I’ve ever had on a golf trip.

The Lodge also features the cavernous AcquaPietra Spa, an unrivaled rooftop lounge called Fragmentary Blue and a glimmering infinity pool overlooking one of the property’s many lakes. With such places to pass time and relax, even a day with no golf can be quite the treat.

I tapped the staff for guidance on other area adventures. They offered numerous options. Guests can depart from the lobby on excursions for bass fishing and sporting clays, which pair well with miles of scenic trails onsite. I also suggest an early morning on a boat with seasoned fishing guides.

Take it from me: You can get lost in everything this place has to offer.

Destination: Streamsong \\ Driving Time: About 5 hours \\ Distance: About 300 miles When you go: Streamsong Golf Resort, 1000 Streamsong Drive, Bowling Green, Florida, (888) 294-6322

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MEET 13 TALLAHASSEE MAGAZINE SCHOLARS ON A MISSION TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE

T

hey’re eager to explore the world. Most of all, they’re determined to change it.

Tallahassee Magazine’s Top Seniors for 2020 aspire to careers in law, writing, teaching, science, health care, pharmacy, therapy, diplomacy, urban planning, military service, environmentalism and veterinary medicine.

Florida High’s Nicholas Kraemer says he wants to start by learning more about the world. “I want to find solutions to complex problems and expand the extent of human scientific knowledge,” he said.

Some plan to champion women’s issues or to use an advanced degree, including in law, to help protect the most vulnerable. In response to a question about the person who inspires them the most, two named Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai of Pakistan.

All became our Top Seniors based on nominations from 13 high schools in Tallahassee and Thomasville, Georgia. We asked a guidance counselor from each of those high schools to send us the name of a graduating senior of good character who was well rounded in academics and extracurricular activities — and who was going places, as we put it.

story by TEAGHAN SKULSZKI

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We then asked each Top Senior to complete a questionnaire that asked general questions including: post-graduation plans, serious questions including a local, national or global problem they’d like to solve; and light-hearted questions, including what they considered their spirit animal.

“Sometimes I’m like a bottlenose dolphin, analytical and caring, but other days I’m like a black tip shark, a little bit feisty and willing to fight till the end,” wrote Leon High’s Lily Rogers.

You’ll find some of the Top Seniors’ responses, edited for length and clarity, on the following pages, and you’ll find their full responses at TallahasseeMagazine.com.

Some of our favorite responses came from our question about whether the students saw the world as a glass half empty or half full. Our group of thinkers and scientists taught us a thing or two.

Wrote Madeleine Roberts of Maclay School, who listed professor as her dream job: “Technically, the glass is completely full; let’s not forget the nitrogen, oxygen and other miscellaneous gas molecules bouncing around.”

photography by SAIGE ROBERTS

handlettering by LINDSEY MASTERSON

Post-graduation plans: To major in biochemistry with a focus on marine and ecological sciences. Dream job: In a perfect world, I would be a mix of a field marine biologist, conservationist and environmental policy maker. Favorite high school memory: Sitting on the infamous hill of Leon High during my freshman year, playing music with my friends and just enjoying lunch. Those lunches were some of the best times because that was before we were all stressed out by the future. Where she sees herself in 10 years: Hopefully working at a job where I can work to help the environment and marine life. Definitely living somewhere near the water. I also see myself a lot wiser. Hopefully my 20s will teach me a lot more about the world and I will have traveled a lot. One person, dead or alive, to have dinner with: Carl Hiaasen, my favorite author. I love his books because he shows the truth behind the politics of Florida and the issues on the way people treat our environment.

Also, I am a sucker for his tragic heroes. Favorite Tallahassee characteristic: Without a doubt, the canopy roads.

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Post-graduation plans: To attend Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University and work toward my doctorate in physical or occupational therapy. Dream job: Opening my own clinic in Tallahassee or Orlando. Favorite high school memory: The feeling I had the first day of school in my senior year: feeling accomplished.

One problem he’d like to solve: To help bridge the gap between teen life and adulthood. Many times, teens have dreams and goals but don’t know how to pursue them, whether it’s school, learning a trade or military service. One person, dead or alive, to have dinner with: Gabrielle Union. Best advice he has received: Never cheat yourself, always try your best. Person who inspires him most: My grandfather and mom. Favorite Tallahassee characteristic: The people.

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Post-graduation plans: To attend the University of Central Florida and enroll in its pharmaceutical program. Favorite high school memory: Exploring different cultures overseas, such as Costa Rica and Panama. Where she sees herself in 10 years: As an established pharmacist and a well-traveled individual.

One problem she’d like to solve: As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, I wish to change the oppression of individuals who relate to me. I want the world to be more accepting of people who express themselves in a “non-conventional” way and to believe in equality for everyone. I strongly believe in being understanding and nonjudgmental. One person, dead or alive, to have dinner with: My auntie, Laurie Lynn Moldenhauer. Best advice she has received: Never give up. Favorite person to follow on social media: My twin sister Mya, on Instagram.

Glass half empty or half full? Half full because I never give up. Hardship and challenges never detour me from doing what I want. Who inspires her the most: My grandma. Favorite Tallahassee characteristic: Diversity.

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Post-graduation plans: Ideally to attend Auburn or the University of Florida and to study biology or animal sciences as a pre-vet student. Dream job: To work as a small-animal vet in my own clinic.

Favorite high school memory: My first high school camping trip. It was pouring rain. Everyone was soaking wet, but we had a huge fire going and we were all sitting around the fire laughing. One problem she’d like to solve: Alcohol and drug addiction. I’ve seen the effects of both on so many people and their families. It’s a huge problem in our country, and I would love to fix it. Glass half empty or half full: It doesn’t really matter to me, because you still have the same amount of water.

Most excited about: Moving somewhere new and starting my own adventure. Who inspires her the most: My mom. She is the most amazing woman I know. She’s so selfless, constantly putting others before herself. Favorite Tallahassee characteristic: The drive to improve it, from downtown renovations to new communities.

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Post-graduation plans: Attend a four-year university and major in either public policy or urban studies.

Dream job: Urban planner: They have a unique opportunity to shape communities on a very personal level. A good urban planner is creative, makes relationships within their district and works hard to improve people’s lives —— all things I’m excited to do. Favorite high school memory: Last summer when I traveled down to the Florida Keys with my friends. The car was cramped, we got stormed on, we were on a shoestring budget and we had a blast. One problem he’d like to solve: Our lives, by all measures, should be getting better. But in the middle of exponential improvement, our mental health has been left behind: Depression and anxiety are hitting record highs, and life satisfaction is decreasing to alarming levels. I want to let people know it’s OK to have these problems, personal well-being is important, and that there is always a way forward. Being successful without being happy is, in my eyes, a missed opportunity to live life to the fullest. Favorite Tallahassee characteristic: Our diversity. I’m forever thankful for all the people I met living here.

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Post-graduation plans: To major in Arabic or political science as preparation for law school.

Dream job: Author. Favorite high school memory: Practicing BrainBowl at lunch. Where he sees himself in 10 years: As a lawyer and part-time writer and poet, with at LEAST one large dog. One problem he’d like to solve: Injustice, especially the injustices perpetrated against those who cannot afford to hire lawyers or express themselves well.

I would like to use my language skills to ensure justice for the unjustly accused and that there is fair representation of the actions of the accused.

One person, dead or alive, to have dinner with: William Blake. Glass half empty or half full: Half full. We’ve been given a lot in this life. A focus on fullness and contentedness tends to breed gratitude and satisfaction. Who inspires him the most: T. S. Eliot, whose work is as rich and sweet as honey.

Favorite Tallahassee characteristic: The smalltown atmosphere, especially the easy knowledge that you’ll cross paths with friends again even if you happen to part ways.

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Post-graduation plans: To decide what to study. I’m thinking economics, classics, chemistry and/or math. Dream job: Being a professor, which would allow me to conduct cool research, teach subjects I’m passionate about and never stop learning. Favorite high school memory: My history teacher jokingly told me I could exempt his midterm if I built a working time machine, so I constructed an apparatus that spit out a jar of ground thyme. He thought it was really funny (and gave me the exam anyway). Where she sees herself in 10 years: Probably working on a Ph.D. with no discernable end in sight, knee-deep in student debt but for the most part having a ball. A problem she’d like to solve: Close the financial literacy gender gap. No school for a day.

What to do? Call my best friend for a ride, steal a cherry red 1961 Ferrari 250 GT, watch a commodities exchange trading floor, visit an art museum, sing “Danke Schoen” in a parade and bounce over a fence in slow motion. (Or just sleep and eat pancakes.) Who inspires her the most: My dad, a wellspring of goofy jokes and profound wisdom. Favorite Tallahassee characteristic: The canopy roads.

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Post-graduation plans: To attend Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University to obtain my BSN in nursing. I dual enrolled there.

Dream job: Nurse practitioner specializing in pediatrics. One problem she’d like to solve: Gun violence. It’s heartbreaking to see families lose sons and daughters at such a young age due to this problem. It is heartbreaking to see my peers losing their lives to ignorance because of miscommunication. Over the past few years, we’ve lost more teenagers and young adults than I can count on TWO hands, and it seems like people are just ignoring it. The teenagers in my community are in desperate need of guidance and a positive outlet. One person, dead or alive, to have dinner with: My cousin Remiah, who passed away in October. I just want the chance to talk to her one last time. Glass half empty or half full: Half full. I’m a firm believer in “Nothing lasts forever,” good or bad, and there’s power in the tongue, so you must speak greatness over your life versus negativity. Favorite Tallahassee characteristic: The parks and gardens (Dorothy B. Oven and Maclay). They’re so beautiful once the flowers have bloomed. They’re so peaceful and perfect places for pictures.

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Post-graduation plans: To attend the University of Florida and be part of its honors program. I am considering a double-major, possibly in physics and chemistry. I aspire to earn a Ph.D. Dream job: Researching science and learning more about how the world works. I want to find solutions to complex problems and expand the extent of human scientific knowledge.

I also want to apply my discoveries. I want to have new ideas, create new things and improve modern technology.

Where he sees himself in 10 years: Participating in scientific research. I will see how something happens.

I will ask “Why?” then strive to find the answer. I will pursue discovery and never stop learning, because the world never stops teaching. One problem he’d like to solve: To help solve the problem of man-made waste.

Waste and pollution, plastics in particular, are causing irreversible damage to the world we all live in. The oceans, which are crucial to the heath of the planet and the air we breathe, are highly polluted with plastic. I want to either find a replacement for plastic to stop further pollution, or a way to remove the waste and dispose of it in a better way. One person, dead or alive, to have dinner with: Isaac Newton.

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Post-graduation plans: To earn a bachelor’s degree in political science with a certificate in international relations or public affairs Dream job: To work as a United Nations diplomat.

I strive to be the one who negotiates treaties and international agreements while collecting information that could help protect millions of innocent people.

Favorite high school memory: As a member of Chiles’ Black History Board, I helped host a Culture Festival that showcased the diversity we embody and allowed students to experience cultures they’ve never encountered.

One problem she’d like to solve: Our lack of empathy for each other. By continuing to highlight and appreciate the uniqueness of those around me, I hope to shift the perspective of those with bounded mindsets. Favorite person to follow on social media: Humans of New York on Instagram, which highlights the stories of thousands of random people on the streets of New York City. Who inspires her the most? Malala Yousafzai, from surviving an assassination attempt by the Taliban at age 15 for her efforts to improve women’s education in Pakistan to becoming the youngest person to win the Nobel Peace Prize at 17.

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Post-graduation plans: To serve in the U.S. Army as an officer, military intelligence. I want to serve my country and protect the people I love.

I admire the camaraderie that makes it all work, as well as the great discipline it takes to become an officer. After serving my country, I plan on retiring and becoming a professor or museum curator. Favorite high school memory: To have been part of the homecoming court at NFC my senior year. My mom and I bonded over getting dressed up and ready, and she was so happy to see her little girl all grown up. Walking out on the field with my dad was a surreal moment. I grew up watching the homecoming courts of past years as a little girl, so finally being part of that tradition felt magical. One problem she’d like to solve: The discrimination of girls. One person, dead or alive, to have dinner with: Queen Elizabeth II … an inspiration for women who aspire to lead.

Who inspires her the most: Malala Yousafzai.

She stood up for girls’ education in an area where girls do not get much education at all.

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Post-graduation plans: Attend a university and major in history on a pre-law track. The University of Georgia and Duke University are my top choices. Dream job: To become a lawyer and move back near Thomasville.

I hope that I can assist impoverished people and communities in protecting their rights.

Favorite high school memory: Beating the Westwood girls’ basketball team my junior year. The Westwood girls were on a 35-game win streak. Our friends, parents, coaches and teachers all rushed the court after the game was over. One problem she’d like to solve: The disenfranchisement of minorities and people in more impoverished communities. I hope to be able to better protect these communities from being stripped the right to vote. I aspire that each and every person have their voices heard.

One person, dead or alive, to have dinner with: Napoleon. What excites her most: The idea of meeting new people with different worldviews and backgrounds, as well as exploring various parts of the world I’ve never seen. Who inspires her the most: My mom.

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Post-graduation plans: To major in history and then attend law school.

Dream job: A lawyer specializing in corporate and/or copyright infringement law. Favorite high school memory: Receiving an award from my geometry teacher in the 10th grade. The award was in recognition for how I would always stay after class for tutoring and to do homework. The award helped give me the confidence to pursue higher levels of math and reminded me that even if I struggle with a subject, I can master it if I work hard enough. One problem he’d like to solve: Global warming. The scientific evidence shows that if this issue is not addressed, it will have adverse effects on our food supply, give insects like ticks and mosquitoes more time to spread diseases and potentially wipe out millions of plants and animals that cannot adapt to such a rapid change in environment. One person, dead or alive, to have dinner with: Ulysses S. Grant. A performer he’d like to see in concert: Weird Al Yankovic. Who inspires him the most: My grandfather, Walter Dunsby.

Favorite Tallahassee characteristic: How politically active many of the residents are.

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‘King’ of the Capital Loic the cat scratches past Roxy the dog in a Tally Top Pet battle for our magazine cover STORY BY PETER T. REINWALD PHOTOGRAPHY BY BLACK & HUE PHOTOGRAPHY

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hen they met him, fell in love with him and rescued him about two years ago, his shelter-given name was Wasabi.

“We immediately changed it,” Kelly Honhart said.

They changed it to Loic, a French boy’s name.

They also lovingly call him royalty, or royauté, perhaps especially now that Loic graces our cover as the winner of Tallahassee Magazine’s 2020 Tally Top Pet contest. In doing so, he follows his owners. Honhart and her husband, Bryan, made our magazine’s January/February 2015 cover, which featured Valentine’s Day and explored how the couple met — long before they owned a celebrity cat.

“That cat is the king of the castle,” said Kelly Honhart, referring to Loic’s standing in a house of four cats. “He’s the king.”

You bet he is.

Loic, a 2-year-old pixie-bob with a furry nub tail, clawed his way to the top of a dog-heavy contest that benefitted Be The Solution, a nonprofit organization that provides vouchers for reduced-cost spaying and neutering in an effort to decrease homeless pet populations and animal suffering.

Online voters determined the results of a bracket-style contest that we conducted in the spirit of the NCAA men’s and women’s

basketball tournaments. North Florida Animal Hospital served as contest sponsor, and it remains Be The Solution’s top partner as a provider of lowcost spaying and neutering services.

Loic was among three cats that prevented our Final 16 from being purely Mutt Madness, and he was the only feline in our Final Fur.

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↑ Eight-year-old Saylor enjoys a moment with 2-year-old Loic, a pixie-bob cat whom their mom declares “king of the castle.”

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In a final head-to-head battle in March, online voters chose Loic over Roxy, a bulldog mix who sports an underbite and unruly ears and, as of early April, remained remained in the Wakulla County Animal Shelter. So our ultimate matchup spotlighted one rescue pet and one pet who awaited rescue.

Ivanhoe Carroll, Wakulla County’s director of animal services, said she entered Roxy in the contest in an attempt to draw attention to the dog’s plight and to get her adopted.

A family found Roxy, previously known as Roxie, in the Apalachicola National Forest in late 2018 and brought her to the Crawfordville shelter, Carroll said. After about four months, a woman adopted Roxy but returned her last July, meaning that the dog has spent at least a quarter of her estimated life of four years in a shelter.

Carroll said she aimed to make Roxy “the ambassador for all the pets like her who are sitting in shelters all over the world.”

Kelly and Bryan Honhart said Loic — or Wasabi — had been left at the Tallahassee Animal Shelter as a kitten about a half hour before their visit. They said they immediately fell in love with him.

To his human parents, who own Black & Hue Photography, Loic literally would become a model cat. And picture this: He carries around a Chinese jump rope in his mouth, performs an animated ritual of sorts to get a treat, lets 8-year-old Saylor hold him like a doll and follows the three family members all over the house. He even plays fetch with a hair tie.

“We never had a cat that played fetch before, and now he does all of that,” Kelly Honhart said. “He’s crazy.”

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He carries around a Chinese jump rope in his mouth, performs an animated ritual of sorts to get a treat, lets 8-year-old Saylor hold him like a doll and follows the three family members all over the house.

He even plays fetch with a hair tie.

He’s king of the house because he’s bigger and tends to play rough with the other cats. When a visitor comes inside, though, he doesn't rule. He runs, at least at first.

Yet while Kelly held him, Loic allowed a stranger/reporter to rub his belly and to experience his fluffiness. Loic calmly but cautiously looked at the reporter as if to say, “Dude, you’re killing me here.”

“Since his affection has to be earned, it means more to me,” Bryan said. “That’s part of what makes me love him so much.”

He certainly gets special attention.

“I give him what I call ‘butt cuts,’” Kelly said. “Sometimes his nub gets a little weird-looking, so I reshape it.”

Kelly said in March, during the Final Two voting, that she sometimes found herself hesitating as she helped lead the cheers for Loic. Given the potential home-giving power of a magazine cover, which Tallahassee Magazine pledged to the winner, the couple said they simultaneously held a place in their hearts for Roxy.

The Wakulla County Animal Shelter has news for them — and all of us.

If Roxy doesn’t soon get adopted, Carroll said, she now has a lifeline.

A Central Florida facility plans to take her as part of a life-skills program that pairs at-risk dogs and institutionalized men.

“So she’s going to be OK,” Carroll said. TM

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PROMOTION

T

Seeds of Progress

BY TIM PHIPPS

he things we do can sometimes have unlikely beginnings. In the case of Be The Solution, it started with a dog.

Beau was a bedraggled hound dog on the side of the road in Franklin, North Carolina. Hungry, stinky and full of ticks — we called him Beau because of the sound he made when he barked. My wife, Gerry, happened upon him on her morning run while we were on vacation; when he first approached, her eyes were drawn to the large tick on his cheek. She picked it off, and he went howling off into the bushes, but he knew a good thing when he saw it and followed her home anyway. Try as I might to run him off, his resolve was stronger than mine. Thus began our foray into the world of animal rescue and adoption. We searched three counties to find a shelter that could take him. Most of them were no-kill shelters

and had waiting lists of two-to-three months to place a dog. We called vets, rescues, shelters, humane societies, animal control — everybody we could think of.

At the end of our vacation, Beau moved back to Tallahassee with us.

During the following three months, we learned way more about the animal rescue scene in Tallahassee than we had ever wanted. The stressed-out, maxed-out, overworked agencies and their exhausted volunteers were treading water in the flood of unwanted pets.

There were struggles on every front concerning money, manpower and time, all of which were limited. But there seemed to be no limit to the stream of stray animals.

When we finally found Beau a home with the help of many different groups, we decided to see what we could do to help them all. It was obvious that the

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| (850) 545-2043

solution to the problem was to reduce the supply of homeless pets. That led to the start of “Be The Solution,” which funds spay and neuter surgeries.

Beginning with a small funding effort in 2007, our organization has steadily grown. To date, we have funded over 30,000 surgeries to help prevent accidental litters. This ongoing effort is aided by a cast of thousands — vets, donors, rescues, city and county agencies, volunteers and too many others to name.

I hope you will all go to our website to see all of our indispensable partners; many of them are people you know.

To date, this group has brought about an astounding change to the pet welfare landscape. Animal shelter intakes are down by more than 50%, and shelter euthanasia is down by 80%.

We would like to thank everyone who has helped make this happen.

|

BETHESOLUTION.US

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Every Gently Used Item sold at The Fix Thrift Shop funds Be The Solution

With Be The Solution, You Can Get an Affordable Spay/Neuter Voucher for Your Pet

Your Pet is Fixed for Life!

Support Be The Solution by Shopping or Donating to the Fix Thrift Shop 1208 Capital Circle SE, Unit D Tues. - Fri.11 am - 6 pm & Sat. 10 am - 6 pm 850.298.1129 BeTheSolution.us/TheFix TALL AHASSEEMAGA ZINE.COM

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e h T er of w o P

Pets Tallahassee Memorial therapy animals bring smiles to the people they serve and fulfillment to the people who own them story by PETER T. REINWALD photography by DAVE BARFIELD

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THEY DON’T TAKE YOUR BLOOD PRESSURE,

wear stethoscopes around their necks or ask you to stick out your tongue and say “ahhh.” But they’re health care workers just the same. They’re merely cuter than most, except for maybe The Good Doctor. They’re the cats, dogs, birds and beasts of Tallahassee Memorial Animal Therapy, a cuddly and caring clinical department of Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare.

The department engages about 180 animals and their handlers in therapy for patients and facilities throughout the region. Volunteers and their pets visit schools, hospitals, hospices, universities, rehabilitation centers, assisted living facilities and more. »

ROCKIE Species: Umbrella cockatoo (or white cockatoo) Age: 28 years old (perhaps middle-aged) Weight: 1 pound Owner/handler: Sharyn Yesner About Rockie: She’ll cuddle with anybody, especially with bearded men — she’d go bonkers over Santa — and women who have long hair. She stays calm, even when she senses danger. Once, while perched on a boy’s arm, she puffed herself into a feathery ball upon seeing a kitten enter the room. She didn’t bite or freak out. She just puffed. “I got rid of the threat,” Yasner said. “She went right back to doing what she was supposed to do.”

Rockie at work: “A lot of people are surprised that there’s a bird in the program,” Yesner said. “I’ve had students walk past me and say, ‘There’s a bird. Let’s just go to the dog. We don’t want to do a bird.’ And then they watch people interact with Rockie and say … ‘Can we please hold the bird?’” Birdie bonus: Rockie gives Yasner a signal when she needs to go outside and do her thing. “When you’re holding her,” Yasner said, “you’re not going to get pooped on.”

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As listeners, they assist reluctant student readers in a Reading Education Assistance Dogs, or R.E.A.D., program. As social workers of sorts, they help traumatized victims give court statements and testimony. As friends, they bring patients warmth, smiles and perhaps even relief.

According to the Mayo Clinic, animal therapy, also called pet therapy or animal-assisted therapy, “can significantly reduce pain, anxiety, depression and fatigue in people with a range of health problems.”

Stephanie Perkins, director of animal therapy at TMH, pointed to studies that underscore the human benefits of contact with animals. For one thing, she said, it releases oxytocin, the so-called love hormone, which reduces stress, promotes relaxation and is linked to lower blood pressure.

That’s what makes animal therapy good for not only patients but for students before an exam.

Animal therapy comes in various forms, fur and feathers. At TMH, the department includes agreements with volunteer owners and handlers of dogs, cats, birds, bunnies, a miniature horse and even an alpaca named Cookie, who looks like a llama and walks into a room like a rock star.

“The alpaca is wildly famous right now because it’s new and sort of novel,” Perkins said.

Perkins and others said no one species performs its job better than others. Still, some patients and clients express their favorites, from the friendly to the funny to the especially furry.

“The program director does reach out to us individually and

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says, ‘Hey, there’s someone asking to see the rabbits,’” said Jennifer Veal, who volunteers with her husband, Chris, and their therapy bunnies, Cocoa and Lucy.

Otherwise, she said, she and her husband might let Perkins know that they’d like to visit a certain facility at a certain time on a certain day. Once they arrive at a facility, she said, a staff member provides a list of rooms in which patients might enjoy seeing a pet.

Tallahassee Memorial therapy animals must pass a brief screening in which evaluators assess basic obedience skills and friendliness toward strangers.

Pet handlers whose pets pass the screening take an eight-week course that includes the basics of animal behavior and, with their pets, simulations in facility settings. Handlers and their pets then undergo a formal evaluation.

“As handlers, we have to be trained to read the dog’s body language and to just be familiar with what the different facilities are requesting us to do,” said Nancy Upthegrove, owner of Marvel, a Great Dane in Tallahassee Memorial Animal Therapy.

That also goes for the body language of a cat, bird, bunny and horse, of course. Some are rescue animals who, whether they realize it or not, are giving back. Sharyn Yesner rescued Maddie, a terrier mix, from a shelter. Now they work as teammates in Tallahassee Memorial Animal Therapy.

Also in the program: Rockie, Yesner’s cockatoo.

“People think that only dogs can bring joy,” Yesner said.

“They all bring the same type of joy to people.”

MARVEL Species: Great Dane Age: About 10 years old Weight: 110 pounds Owner/handler: Nancy Upthegrove About Marvel: Upthegrove says she rescued Marvel from a shelter about two years ago.

She guessed that he was about 8 years old at the time. “I think he’s amazing, and I think the name that was given to him at the shelter perfectly fits,” she said. “He is a marvel. He’s a gentle giant, and he has a sweet spirit about him. He’s just happy to be with you.”

Marvel at work: At one facility, Upthegrove observed: “The staff is really who needed and adored him.” At another facility, “He’ll kind of say hi to everybody,” as he always does, she said. Then he’ll make a beeline for “Miss Mona,” a client, and sit on her lap. “It’s the funniest thing,” Upthegrove said. “If you’ve ever seen a Great Dane sit in somebody’s lap, it’s rather comical.”

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SNUGGLES Species: Dwarf miniature horse Age: 6 years old Weight: 95 pounds and no taller than many average-size dogs Owner/handler: Lindsay Barrack About Snuggles: Barrack shared with Tallahassee Magazine email correspondence that confirmed Snuggles’ entry into the Guinness Book of World Records consideration for shortest living female horse.

Upon seeing her, “Most people are just in sheer disbelief,” Barrack said.

“They’re like, ‘There no way that’s a horse.’” Snuggles’ dwarfism affects, among other things, her legs, facial structure and breathing. Because she can’t walk far on hard surfaces, Barrack sometimes pulls her around in a wagon. Snuggles has a halfsister, Bella, with whom Barrack also does volunteer therapy work.

Snuggles at work: Barrack recalled a visit to a facility that housed patients with dementia. She and Snuggles spent time with a woman who’d spent an extended period there. “She started telling me about the horses she had growing up,” Barrack said, “and the nurses just couldn’t believe it, because they said she hadn’t spoken since she’d been at the facility.”

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That includes the owners and handlers themselves, who find rewards and fulfillment in the magic of their pets and what some consider the miraculous moments they create.

“I’m such a busy, go-go-go kind of person, so when I go on these visits, they’re actually kind of therapeutic for me,” said Lindsay Barrack, who volunteers with her dwarf miniature horse.

“I get to slow down and relax and watch people really enjoy the relationship. I’ve seen it really change somebody’s day or week.”

Said Yesner, owner of the therapy cockatoo and dog: “This program is the best thing that happened to me.” She recalled a hospital visit in which she brought her dog into the room of a patient who’d been crying. Within a short time, she said, the patient was “talking to the dog, smiling, laughing.”

Yesner added of the patient: “She disregarded everybody else in the room except for that dog. We left with this person in a totally different state of mind. And I walked out of the room with tears in my eyes.” TM

COCOA AND LUCY Species: Netherland dwarf and Holland lop rabbits Ages: About 4 years old and about 3 years old Weight: 3 pounds and 4 pounds Owners/handlers: Jennifer and Chris Veal About Cocoa and Lucy: They’re litter-box trained house rabbits who have a big space at home in which to hop around.

The Veals adopted them as a pair. “They do everything together,” Chris Veal said. He added: “They’re just these two little bitty adorable things.”

In a hospice setting, he said, “You can imagine the difficult situations … and how having something small, something cute and furry and soft and very friendly might change your outlook for just that time that we’re there.”

Cocoa and Lucy at work: “When we go to senior living facilities, almost everybody we come in contact with identifies” with youth, Chris Veal said.

“And a lot of folks back in the day had some farm animals, so they associate rabbits with their childhood. You see smiles come over people, and they engage and talk about their childhood and the pets that they had.

That’s kind of what it’s really all about for us.”

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9/5/19 8:37 AM

SPEC IA L A DVERTISIN G SECTION

Vet Pet & Profiles Felines, canines, birds and bunnies are more than furry and feathered friends. They are family. You insist on only the best doctors for your loved ones, and the same standards apply when you seek a vet for your pet. In this special section, we profile veterinary specialists who are not only highly skilled and trained but also show care and compassion toward all creatures.

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Vet

Pet & Profiles

North Florida Animal Hospital

N

orth Florida Animal Hospital knows that your pet is family. And we know you wouldn’t send a family member to a doctor or dentist who didn’t inspire your trust and confidence. The Doctors of Veterinary Medicine at North Florida Animal Hospital are here to help you make this important choice for every stage of your pet’s life.

NFAH is an all-inclusive AAHA-certified hospital offering a complete wellness visit, in-house and referral diagnostics including ultrasound or ECG, and all minor and major surgical procedures, from soft tissue to orthopedics. Our clients also enjoy the comfort of the hospital environment partnered with our boarding and grooming facility. As a certified catfriendly practice, we educate staff and clients on the best way to offer effective and stress-free feline visits.

We are also proud of our No. 1, decades-old, community service project Be The Solution, which supports affordable spays and neuters. Partnering with them has helped to drastically slow the pace of unwanted pregnancies and the eventual sheltering of such animals by over 50%. We are also proud sponsors of Tally Top Pet this year (see this issue).

An animal hospital with nine DVMs and a great number of support staff, we are able to offer a wide range of services, help you find your pet’s favorite veterinarian, and offer extended hours and readily available same- or next-day appointments. We are available when our clients need us most.

2006-2019

2 7 0 1 N . M O N R OE ST. | ( 8 5 0 ) 3 8 5 - 5 1 4 1 | N FL A H . COM

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SPEC IA L SPEC IAGL A DVERTISIN A DVERTISIN G SECTION SECTION

Capital Veterinary Specialists

PHOTOS BY JOHN HARRINGTON AND ALEX WORKMAN (NFAH - BOTTOM)

T

allahassee’s premier multidisciplinary veterinary specialty and urgent care center has been busy serving the Big Bend Region since 2012. Our specialists partner with your primary care veterinarians to maximize care and quality of life for your family member pets. We offer specialty care in the fields of surgery, medicine, cardiology, oncology, dermatology, ophthalmology, radiology and rehabilitation.

Now your four-legged family members can get the same advanced care you enjoy, right here in Tallahassee. We offer specialized care and imaging including MRI, CT, interventional ultrasound, minimally invasive surgery, ACL repair, cancer treatment, open chest surgery, and all

forms of endoscopy and laparoscopy.

By staying on the forefront of medicine and surgery, we can diagnose, manage and treat all forms of trauma and disease — enhancing the quality and length of your pet’s life.

Our Urgent Care Service is available

seven days a week for critical care monitoring and emergency situations and supports our local veterinary community.

This advanced care helps to maintain and restore the human animal bond that enriches and completes our dayto-day lives.

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Vet

Pet & Profiles

Ox Bottom Animal Hospital WE PUT THE TREAT IN TREATMENT

I

magine a vet visit from your pet’s perspective: You are not fed, you are put into a small crate, carried to a hot car and then driven to a strange hospital where nurses hold you still while they stick you with needles … terrifying.

Unfortunately, this is the veterinary experience many pets face. These veterinary visits are full of fear, anxiety and stress (FAS), but they do not have to be. Dr. Lauren Combs and her team at Ox Bottom Animal Hospital have taken many steps to provide fear-free veterinary care.

The first step as a pet parent is learning to recognize FAS. Check out FearFreePets.com

for great resources. What can you do to help alleviate your pet’s fear? Call and request anxiety medicine, introduce the carrier a week before, heat or cool your car the day of and bring their favorite treats or toys with you. As a Fear-Free certified veterinarian, Dr. Combs has trained her staff in proper handling techniques, creating quiet, calming environments and working with owners to reduce FAS. We are a Gold Standard Feline Friendly certified hospital and have had advance training in reducing feline FAS. Reducing FAS in our patients and our pets is a huge passion of ours. Together we can “take the pet out of petrified” and “put the treat into treatment!”

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akwood Animal Hospital knows that your pet would much rather be at home cuddled up with you or in the yard playing fetch — anything but making a visit to the vet. Keeping this in mind, they aim to have a stress-free and inviting environment by approaching each furry friend with positive reinforcement and a healthy dose of treats.

Oakwood strives to be not just your vet, but your “other family doctor.” Their goal is to form lasting relationships by getting to know you while watching your pet grow, progress and maintain a happy, healthy life.

“Our staff fosters relationships by being friendly, inclusive and personable,” said Josh

Goodson, DVM. “We come to think of your pets as a part of our family. Our staff often knows your pet’s favorite treat and unique aspects of their personalities in order to make them feel most welcomed.”

The staff also knows that if pets might have stress, so can their owners. Owners often come in worried about their pet’s health and diagnosis and anxious about the possible price. The staff meets each customer on an equal level to ensure their comfort with treatment plans, prices and future care.

“The most fulfilling part of being a vet is being able to advocate for animals who can’t always tell us why they feel bad and then, restoring them to health,” said Goodson.

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PHOTOS BY JOHN HARRINGTON

Oakwood Animal Hospital

SPEC IA L SPEC IAGL A DVERTISIN A DVERTISIN G SECTION SECTION

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NORTH FLORIDA ANIMAL HOSPITAL

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Capital Veterinary Specialists provides exceptional specialty care to the pet owners of North Florida and South Georgia. As the only specialty veterinary center in the Big Bend region, they provide solutions to complex medical and surgical diseases. They work with compassion to ensure the health of your family pet member.

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OAKWOOD ANIMAL HOSPITAL

FEAR FREE & FELINE FRIENDLY

TALLAHASSEE REGIONAL ANIMAL HOSPITAL

Founded in 1973, Oakwood holds the reputation of having loyal relationships with clients founded on their knowledge, compassion and service. Your furry family is part of our family when you step into Oakwood Animal Hospital.

We are a locally owned, full-service companion animal hospital that provides fear free and feline friendly veterinary service to Tallahassee and surrounding areas. It is our goal to provide the highest quality and most up-to-date care.

Dr. Charles Quarterman and the staff present a calm and comfortable fullservice clinic offering emergency, surgical, dental and routine care.

They are experienced in all types of treatments, ensuring the best for your pets.

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2728 Ox Bottom Road | ( 850) 329-7340 OxBottomAH.com

2205 Danshire Drive | (850) 386-2854 TRAnimalHospital.com

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INTERIORS/EXTERIORS

Selling Your Home

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How to: Salt-tolerant Plants for the Beach

Abodes

MAY/JUN 2020

TRENDS FROM FLOOR TO CEILING, FRONT TO BACK

INTERIORS / EXTERIORS

SMOOTH SELLING Basic tips from experts on getting your home ready for the market

by PETER T. REINWALD

PHOTO BY IRINA88W / ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS

↓

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abodes

S

o you’re getting ready to sell your home.

Now get ready for what a Realtor might tell you: Change the way you think about it. And while you’re at it, change the way you live in it.

“They need to realize they’re marketing,” said Joan Raley, broker/owner of Joan H. Raley, Realtor. “They’re sharing their house with the public. They need to think in terms of, ‘We’re opening this to the public so we can show it and get it sold.’”

That means taking most or all of yourself and your family out of your home, Raley and other Realtors say. You want to depersonalize it — and that starts with family photos — so that potential buyers could see themselves, not you, in it.

You might think in terms of a furnished model home.

“There’s artwork, but there are no personal things,” Raley said.

“There are no toys — maybe one stuffed elephant in the corner. But you just need to have it cleared out. And I’ve had people say to me, ‘This looks sterile.’ Well, we’re trying to sell your house.”

We talked with Raley and other Tallahassee-based Realtors on steps you can take to get your home ready to sell.

Realtors often call it staging.

That can involve professional staging services, some of which might suggest rented furniture to enhance the appeal of your home.

We’ll stick with the basics.

Realtors suggest that you:

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➺ DECLUTTER

PHOTOS BY KATARZYNABIALASIEWICZ (LIVING ROOM), IPGGUTENBERGUKLTD (MAIL) AND JUNCE (TOYS) / ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS

Get rid of stuff that you don’t consider essential. That will make your home appear bigger and more livable. In your living room, you might keep, depending on the size of your family, your sofa, a chair or two, a coffee table and a couple of lamps.

Otherwise, “Go ahead and move it out,” said Priscilla Tharpe, a realtor at Coldwell Banker Hartung & Noblin.

“You’re going to have to move it anyway.”

That especially goes for mail, documents, knick-knacks and other stuff that takes up space and distracts.

Use your garage, if you have one, for storage. Potential buyers will understand.

If you have children who have lots of toys, bust out the boxes.

Raley suggests packing two-thirds of them. If the kids feel as though they really have to have those toys, rotate the boxes and give them a feel of often getting something new.

“It’s like Christmas,” Raley said. ››

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“I always tell my clients, ‘Your buyer needs to be able to see themselves living there,’” said Melissa Spear, a realtor with Weichert Realtors - The H2 Group and the director of administrative services at Rowland Publishing, owner of Tallahassee Magazine. “So I like to advise them that, first of all, you should remove everything personal.”

Out with photos, awards, diplomas, yearbooks and trophies — anything that bears your name, face or attachment to your home.

Well, depending on the realtor, maybe not everything.

“I’m OK if you walk in and there’s a family picture,” Tharpe said.

“But it’s the repetition that just (distracts) people so they’re not really looking at the house. They’re just looking at pictures. That’s why I say keep it down to a couple” of photos. ››

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abodes ➺ PAINT AND REPAIR

Fix anything that’s noticeably broken. That includes a doorknob that doesn’t turn, a light that doesn’t turn on, a door that doesn’t open or a faucet that doesn’t shut off.

“Fresh paint — it’s the cheapest way you can get the biggest bang” for the buck, Tharpe said.

Emphasize the living room, dining room and kitchen, she said, and make sure everything is clean.

Also consider what a relatively small amount of money will add to the selling price of your home.

“I would say that if the average person would spend just $1,000 at the beginning, their house could (gain) $10,000 to $20,000 in value,” Tharpe said. “That’s with some homeowner sweat equity” — cleaning, fixing and painting, for example.

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➺ AIR IT OUT

Before showing your home, open blinds and drapes to allow in as much natural light as possible. While you’re at it, do what you can to air it out, especially if you have an older home that might give off a musty smell, even if you can’t detect it, said Spear of Weichert Realtors - The H2 Group.

“One thing that we take for granted is that all of our houses have a unique scent, and your scent may be off-putting to someone else,” she said. That goes for your pets, laundry detergent, bath and body items and any food that you recently cooked.

Keep closet and pantry doors closed, but keep

TALLAHASSEEMAGA ZINE.COM

open any door that leads to an adjoining room.

Spear offered that tip as a principle of Feng Shui, a traditional Chinese practice of harmonization that has gone mainstream in homes and real estate.

“That will lead your eye to create a more open space if you can see into the next room without having the blockage of a closed door,” she said.

Keep in mind the time of day that you’re showing your home. If it’s in July or August and you’ll be walking the property, you won’t want to do it at noon.

Likewise, Spear said, accentuate the positives. If a room in your home offers a great sunset, seize the opportunity. ››

PHOTOS BY KATARZYNABIALASIEWICZ (ROOM), SASINPARAKSA (DOOR), PHOTOVS (PAINTING) / ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS

“All of that conveys to a buyer that things are not being taken care of,” Tharpe said.

Apply a fresh coat of paint, at least on the trim, or do touch-ups to problem areas. Spear and other realtors emphasize neutral tones such as beige, taupe and gray.

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abodes ➺ DON’T FORGET THE EXTERIOR

Start with the front door.

Raley urges clients to paint it, regardless of whether they think it needs it.

“When we walk up to the front door, we stand there, and all that ‘impression’ stuff is coming in,” she said. “So if the house looks like it’s not been taken care of on the exterior, then you start wondering about the internal parts of the house.”

Replace any broken or rotten wood on your fence or deck, both of which might need a good pressure washing.

Trim plants and shrubs so that they’re beneath your windows.

Clean out those gutters.

➺ DON’T STOP THERE.

And, by all means, get the roof cleaned. You might not notice all of the dirt, tree stains and mildew that accumulated over the years, but a potential buyer will.

“Some people won’t even go in if they don’t like the outside,” said Tharpe of Coldwell Banker Hartung & Noblin. “If it looks battered and beat up, they just say, ‘We can’t deal with that.

We’re too busy.’” TM

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PHOTOS BY IRINA88W (DOOR), BOGDANHODA (LEAF BLOWER) AND JJ GOUIN (GUTTER) / ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS

“Blowing off all of the walkways that lead to the home right before showing is really important,” Spear said.

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PROMOTION

Beyond the Garden Esposito is a one-stop shop for your landscaping project

BY SHANNON RUARK

I

recently had the pleasure of chatting with Ralph Esposito, local gardening expert and owner of Esposito Garden Center, which has been in Tallahassee since 1969.

I already knew that the company offered a vast selection of gardening supplies, an immaculate Christmas display and a budding floral department, but I was excited to learn more about what else they have to offer.

Ralph let me know that the company also places an emphasis on services and installation, including, but not limited to, grounds care, irrigation, nightscapes, landscapes, hardscapes and an array of spray services, including insect control, fertilization and weed control. The takeaway from our conversation: If it’s outdoors (and it isn’t a pool), Esposito’s team will make it happen.

Ralph attributes his company’s success in branching out to an ability to take on bigger jobs and having a licensed general contractor on board. Dean leads a team of masons, electricians, plumbers and painters, making big goals — such as elaborate outdoor kitchens or spectacular pergolas — achievable.

I asked Ralph why he decided to offer such an array of services rather than stick to the basics. “The average homeowner,” he says, “has no idea who to call for, for example, driveways, gutters, irrigation services and so on. … Why not offer them a one-stop shop?

This way there is one person responsible for the entire project. We install gutters weekly; subsequently, small projects like this are often difficult to find reliable contractors for. We wanted to make the process as easy as possible for our customers.” Esposito Garden Center considers itself a part of the community and doesn’t hesitate to evolve with its needs.

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Contrary to what you might expect, standing water — and what to do with it — is the most important element in all landscape projects, Ralph told me.

His first thought during every job is, “Where does it come from? Does it pool, flow or seep?”

“Strangely, we often look upwards to the roof,” Ralph said. “We need to assess where the runoff from the roof is landing and what happens once it gets there.” He listed a number of solutions available for solving these all-too-common drainage problems — ranging from gutters to

French drains and piping systems — each with their own benefits.

So, what is the goal of the landscaping team? Ralph said his team strives to look beyond the initial request, asking, “What can this project become and how do we get there?” If there is a way to make your design easier to care for, or more exciting in any way, Esposito will always present the option. The landscape design department head, Anna Dickey, has helped several repeat clients grow from landscaping starter homes to dream homes.

PROMOTION

What’s next? According to Ralph,

outdoor kitchens are the next big trend because people are becoming interested in spending more time outdoors enjoying the Florida sunshine. “Everything is entirely customizable,” he says. “The stone, the grills, the wood stain, you name it. We fine-tune your outdoor room so that it blends with the style of the house perfectly.” He credits the garden center and home goods departments for helping these outdoor rooms really come together. The designers have access to all of the resources you need to make an outdoor space feel personal and ready for enjoying.

Esposito Lawn & Garden Center 2743 Capital Circle NE, Tallahassee | (850) 386-2114 EspositoGardenCenter.com

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MAYS-MUNROE & the sleep center THE ONLY NAME YOU NEED TO KNOW!

(850) 385-9495 2791 CAPITAL CIRCLE NE SHOWROOM HOURS MONDAY–FRIDAY 9–6 SATURDAY 9–5 SUNDAY CLOSED

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SELECTION

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SATISFACTION

SINCE 1936

WE’LL GO OUT ON A LIMB FOR YOU! 5 CERTIFIED ARBORISTS ON STAFF | RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL TREE SERVICE ASK US ABOUT TREE FERTILIZATION AND PINE BEETLE TREATMENTS

2009–2019

24-HOUR EMERGENCY SERVICE MillerTreeSrv.com admin@millertreesrv.com 4951 Woodlane Circle

850-894-TREE (8733)

License # CGC1527383

Residential Commercial Repairs Remodels

(850) 251-2652

Craig Ross, General Contractor RossConstructionAndDesign.com RossConstructionAndDesign TALL AHASSEEMAGA ZINE.COM

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abodes GARDENING

Your Monthly Garden Chores

HOW TO: SALT-TOLERANT PLANTS FOR THE BEACH

shrubs such as azaleas if you haven’t already.

Waiting too late in the year to prune risks removing next year’s flower buds.

AUDREY POST, MS. GROW-IT-ALL®

➸ Fertilize citrus trees.

WHETHER YOU ARE FORTUNATE ENOUGH to have a place on the coast or just want to create a

beach vibe in your inland backyard, salt-tolerant plants will help you create a lovely landscape.

Palm trees are the iconic choice, but other plants can also create a coastal effect. Since we do get some freezing weather in North Florida and the Panhandle, be sure to take cold tolerance into account. Include a beach chair, an umbrella, and a small table to hold your favorite “beach read” and a cool beverage, and you’re all set.

➸ Plant heat-loving

vegetables, including okra, peppers, sweet potatoes and eggplant. Cherry and grape tomatoes do better than larger varieties in mid-summer heat.

JUNE

➸ Hurricane season is

1

Sea oats (Uniola paniculata)

2

3 Spanish bayonet

4

This Florida native once blanketed the beaches along the southeastern United States because they are great dune stabilizers. Coastal development has wreaked havoc on sea oats, but they are still a great choice. They grow 5 to 8 feet tall.

is a spreading perennial that also reseeds, so a cold winter won’t necessarily kill it. It has 2-inch daisylike flowers that follow the sun all day, and it’s attractive to butterflies.

is a tropical-looking tree that can reach 12 to 15 feet tall and often grows into multi-trunk clumps. Its sharp needles can pierce clothing, so plant it away from walkways. It’s a good security screen in front of a vulnerable window; just be sure to plant something softer in front of it.

is a great choice for a beachy landscape. Just be sure to plant it where small children and curious pets can’t get to it, as all parts are toxic. One way to do that is to prune it into a tree form with multiple trunks. The flowers come in many colors, adding a tropical feel.

PESKY PESTS

Beach sunflower (Helianthus debilis)

(Yucca aloifolia)

Oleander (Nerium oleander)

Critter: Tomato pinworms

Tomato pinworms (Keiferia lycopersicella) are tiny worms that feed on tomatoes and other members of the nightshade family, such as potatoes and eggplant. Small gray-brown moths lay eggs on the underside of plant leaves. They’re often so tiny they’re TOMATO hard to notice. Once the eggs hatch and the larva start tunneling PINWORM through the leaves, the damage is easier to spot. The worms also burrow into the fruit, leaving tiny holes near the top of the fruit and creating rotten spots. And these little critters reproduce like crazy, up to eight generations a year. Pests such as tomato pinworms are one of the primary reasons you should remove plant debris from your garden, because pinworm pupae overwinter at the soil’s surface in dead plant material. Another way to avoid an environment hospitable to pests: Rotate your crops — that is, don’t plant the same thing in the same space year after year. Remove leaves with “mines,” or evidence of tunneling, and handpick any worms you see. If the worms are still on the leaves and haven’t started on your tomatoes yet, you can spray with Bt, an organic pesticide that targets caterpillars.

Greenhouses are a favorite place for tomato pinworms, so make sure you buy tomato plants from local growers or start your own plants from seed.

↓

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upon us. Check trees in your yard and remove or prune any that pose a threat. Consult a certified arborist if you’re not sure what to look for.

➸ Plant heat-loving

herbs such as basil, Mexican tarragon, oregano and rosemary.

➸ Water your lawn and

garden if rainfall is scarce.

Be sure to water deeply, at least 1 inch of water, once a week instead of turning on sprinklers for 15 or 20 minutes daily. Frequent light watering merely encourages shallow root growth, which makes plants more susceptible to drought damage.

©2016-2020 PostScript Publishing LLC, all rights reserved. Audrey Post is a lifelong gardener and has been a certified Master Gardener volunteer with the University of Florida/ IFAS Extension in Leon County for the past 15 years. Email her at Questions@MsGrowItAll.com or visit her website at msgrowitall.com.

Ms. Grow-It-All® is a registered trademark of PostScript Publishing.

PHOTOS BY FORESTRYIMAGES.ORG / COMMONS.WIKIMEDIA.ORG (PINWORM), JK78 (TOMATOES), ZILBER42 (SPANISH BAYONET), ANDRIU92 (SUNFLOWER), KSUSHSH (OLEANDER), FRANCOIS-EDMOND (BASIL), TRACEY PATTERSON (SEA OATS) / ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS

by

MAY

➸ Prune spring-flowering

ooted in Tallahasse Garden Shope South’s Be st Garden Shop Voted #1 by Southern Living!

Full Service Garden Center & Landscape Division Full-Service Garden Center & Landscaping Department

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PROMOTION

DEAL ESTATE

JUST LISTED

Stately Brick Home Features Gorgeous Details and a Sparkling Pool Nestled on a 1-acre lot, this home features tons of Southern charm on prestigious Live Oak Plantation Road. The main floor offers a stunning foyer, separate dining and living rooms and a study. The family room features a wood-burning fireplace and wet bar, and the spacious eat-in kitchen boasts a breakfast area and granite-top island. The downstairs master has a large bath plus dual walk-in closets, and the home includes three additional bedrooms and a large playroom upstairs.

LISTED PRICE: $897,000 ADDRESS: 1147 Live Oak Plantation Road SQUARE FOOTAGE: 4,200 BEDROOMS: 5 BATHROOMS: 3 Full, 2 Half YEAR BUILT: 2003

APPEAL: Elegant, yet comfortable and convenient to restaurants, shops and I-10.

CONTACT INFORMATION: Hettie Spooner hettie@hillspooner.com (850) 509-4337 Calynne Hill calynne@hillspooner.com (850) 545-6140 Hill Spooner & Elliott, Inc.

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PHOTOS BY LAUREN WOMBLE PHOTOGRAPHY

FEATURES: Well appointed with beautiful moldings, extensive millwork, impeccable finishes, large windows, plantation shutters, 10-foot ceilings, hardwood flooring and new carpeting. Includes wood-burning fireplace, wet bar and a eat-in cook's kitchen. The large screened-in porch overlooks a heated saltwater pool with a covered summer kitchen for private outdoor entertaining.

guiding you home for over 40 years!

CBhartung.com

D L SO

Highest Priced Sale in Tallahassee for 2019!

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PROMOTION

DEAL ESTATE

JUST LISTED

Amazing Custom Pool Home in Bobbin Trace This home features a newly renovated kitchen, formal living and dining rooms, custom molding and millwork throughout the house, plus a separate family room with built-ins and a gas fireplace. The large master suite boasts a newly updated master bath and a huge walk-in closet. The home also includes a separate office with custom built-ins, laundry room with sink and built-in desk, plus a huge bonus room with kitchenette, a large stone gas fireplace, full bath and a separate entrance. Other features include a beautiful private backyard with concrete pool, large covered patio, outdoor shower and an outdoor kitchen area perfect for entertaining.

LISTED PRICE: $1,150,000 ADDRESS: 3815 E. Millers Bridge Road SQUARE FOOTAGE: 4,740 BEDROOMS: 4 BATHROOMS: 5 YEAR BUILT: 2003 FEATURES: Newly renovated kitchen, formal living room and dining rooms, open floor plan, custom molding and millwork, three-plus car garage, 9-foot ceilings, patio, privacy fence, in-ground concrete pool, and outdoor kitchen.

CONTACT INFORMATION: Lisa Montgomery-Calvert LisaMCalvert@outlook.com (850) 556-1226 Coldwell Banker Hartung

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PHOTOS BY 323 MEDIA

APPEAL: Gorgeous pool home in Bobbin Trace has the perfect private backyard and a large covered patio perfect for entertaining guests.

To Find the Right Realtor, Just Look for a Sign New name and logo in 2020!

2015-2019

EVERYTHING FOR THE BACKYARD BIRDER BIRD FOOD | FEEDERS | GARDEN ACCENTS | UNIQUE GIFTS

2098 Thomasville Road | (850) 576-0002 WBU.com/tallahassee TALL AHASSEEMAGA ZINE.COM

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Specializing in ONLINE GROUP ORDERING. School Fundraisers Awareness Campaigns Booster Groups Blending Integrity with Technology, Character & Honesty

CONSULTING

REPAIRS

SALES

2743 Capital Circle NE #108 | 850-894-3622 | MacandMoreSystems.com

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Employee Uniforms fullpressapparel.com aiafullpress.com

850.222.1003 find us on &

SPEC IA L A DVERTISIN G SECTION

PROFESSIONAL PROFILES Tallahassee is a wonderful place to live and work largely because of the businesses and companies that keep it thriving. We entrust the business professionals in our community with helping us make financial, health care, economic, personal and promotional decisions. Choosing the right company to trust is essential. In this special section of Tallahassee Magazine, we profile selected, highly regarded professionals who have proven accountable, dependable, trustworthy and dedicated to improving the lives of those they assist.

Turn the pages to meet them.

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Morgan Stanley

CHARLIE MINTER, STACY ADAMS & FEDI GAMBINERI FINANCIAL ADVISORS

A

s your financial advisors, Morgan Stanley can help you define and strive to meet your goals by delivering a vast array of resources in the way that is most appropriate for how you invest and what you want to achieve. Working together, they can help you to preserve and grow your wealth.

You’ll have access to some of the world’s most seasoned and respected

investment professionals, a premier trading and execution platform, and a full spectrum of investment choices.

Two of these financial advisors include Charlie Minter and Fedi Gambineri.

Charlie grew up around the business because his father was an institutional advisor in New York. While attending FSU, Charlie interned on Wall Street and eventually decided to stay in Tallahassee as a financial advisor. Fedi’s

mother worked as a sales assistant for Morgan Stanley when he was growing up. The success of both the clients and the advisor that she worked for was something he found to be very interesting and inspiring.

Stacy was born and raised in Tallahassee, where she attended high school and college. She has been in the industry since 1988 and at Morgan Stanley since 2009.

With many years in the industry, their goal is to bring a transparent and honest approach to a business that is often confusing to the average investor.

They aim to be recognized as a financial advisory team that provides the highest level of personal service focused on helping clients feel confident about their financial future.

3520 THOMASVILLE ROAD, SUITE 100 | (850) 422-8770 | FA.MORGANSTANLEY.COM/THEMINTERGAMBINERIGROUP

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PHOTO BY JENNIFER EKRUT (MORGAN STANLEY)

PROFESSIONAL PROFILES

SPEC IA L A DVERTISIN G SECTION

RECON Restoration & Reconstruction, LLC STEVEN WRIGHT, OWNER/PRESIDENT & ASHLEY GILL, OWNER/VICE PRESIDENT

PHOTO BY JOHN HARRINGTON (RECON RESTORATION & RECONSTRUCTION, LLC)

What services do you provide?

Mold remediation, fire/smoke damage restoration, full-service cleaning, demolition, repairs, contents and packouts, trauma and crime scene clean up. (Lic#MRSR3457 and CRC1332557)

What sets your company apart?

Quality work and excellent customer service!

What is your background?

We both grew up in military families and have built our careers using military

values in customer service and sales over the past 20+ years. Our background includes real estate, high volume sales, business management, and government contracting and training.

What impact do you hope to make on the community?

We hope to make an impact in a way that includes trust and doesn’t throw off life balance for our customers. We want our customers to always feel they are in good hands.

How do you define success?

Our success is accomplished through our employees and customers — the feeling and acknowledgement that we have done our best for our employees, customers and business partners.

What do you hope customers gain from working with your company?

We offer a customer-focused experience: seamless communication, competitive and fair pricing, highly skilled and trained technicians, and solid, quality work — every time.

What is some background/history on the company?

RECON was founded in 2018 after the devastation encountered from Hurricane Michael. We recognized the need to assist our neighbors in the Florida Panhandle, as being “first responders” to the aftermath of property damage and loss.

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Hill Spooner & Elliott, Inc.

J

ust as you invest in your home, Hill Spooner & Elliott, Inc. invests in you.

Since 2005, Hill Spooner & Elliott, Inc. has worked hard to make their group of experienced professionals among the highest producing brokerage firms in the Tallahassee area. They are a boutique real estate firm with expertise in every aspect of Tallahassee’s dynamic real estate market.

Whether it’s marketing your home for sale or helping you find a new home, Hill Spooner & Elliott, Inc. has the influence, savvy, resources and experience to personally

guide you from contract to closing.

Hill Spooner & Elliott, Inc. can find unexpected opportunities for you.

You can trust their team to answer your questions and make your real estate transaction an easy process.

You deserve and should expect your REALTOR® and your real estate office to be able to pull all the elements together for a successful transaction.

Additionally, with over 30 experienced real estate agents, Hill Spooner & Elliott, Inc. is here for YOU.

1390 TIMBERLANE ROAD | (850) 907-2051 | HILLSPOONER.COM | WEBMAIL@HILLSPOONER.COM

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From left to right: Kristi Holland, Service Specialist (Killearn); Alex Gonzalez, Service Center Manager (Governor’s Crossing); Traci Poucher, Regional Manager; Kendalyn Gordon, Service Center Manager (Mahan).

CAMPUS USA Credit Union

PHOTO BY JOHN HARRINGTON (CAMPUS USA)

C

AMPUS USA Credit Union is a people helping people type of business. As a not-for-profit cooperative, they are owned by their members to best serve the interests of their members. With 18 service centers in North Central Florida, they serve over 100,000 member-owners as a full service financial cooperative offering a multitude of consumer and business services — such as checking and saving accounts, auto and home loans, credit cards, investment services and more. Their shared vision is to empower their employees to make a positive difference in the financial lives of their members and in the communities they serve.

What sets your business apart?

At CAMPUS, you’re not just a member — you own the place. Profits are returned to member-owners in the form of no-and low-fee financial services and best-of-market rates on deposits and loans. Since our members own CAMPUS, we can never be bought, nor can we merge with another institution without our members’ approval.

What impact do you hope to make on the community? We want to be

seen as a committed partner in the communities we serve. CAMPUS invests hundreds of thousands of dollars every year — these funds are donated directly

to local organizations that impact the community in a positive way.

What do you hope customers gain from interacting with your company? Most members are surprised that when they bank with us, it feels more like being a part of a big family rather than just “banking.” We hope our members always call us first when making big financial decisions — that’s why we’re here.

Most people don’t know this but …

CAMPUS started like many small businesses — by a group of people who wanted to make a difference. The Credit Union started with nine members who each bought a $5 share account, which is the same price as a “share” today when a member opens an account.

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PROFESSIONAL PROFILES

Coldwell Banker Hartung Exciting News For over a century, Coldwell Banker has stood for something unique in the world of real estate — a star, shining bright and blazing with passion, integrity and a commitment to excellence. This year, Coldwell Banker is rebranding its 114-yearold logo and corporate identity. From yard signs to business cards, the Coldwell Banker® brand has been completely updated to reflect a modern, forwardthinking image that respects its rich heritage as it focuses confidently on the future. The new North Star symbolizes two distinctive elements: the mark of excellence and a beacon that explorers have used to guide them to a place they cherish most: home. Look to our North Star for a future of brilliant possibilities.

What services do you provide?

We are a full-service real estate company specializing in residential sales, commercial sales and leasing, corporate relocation and

investment property sales. We serve North Florida and South Georgia.

What sets your business apart?

First and foremost — integrity. Chip Hartung, the broker/owner, and our agents have built our business on high standards and principles. Our success is due in large part to the relationships we’ve built with our customers and the reputation we have earned and maintained.

Secondly, we operate with only fulltime agents. This provides our company with highly experienced agents that are both committed to their career and helping our customers, whether it’s selling their property or finding a place to call their own.

Lastly, our partnership with the Coldwell Banker brand gives our brokerage a national platform, which helps attract high-quality agents, clients and customers. Coldwell Banker is 114 years old, and their practices have proven tried and true. Coldwell Banker Hartung has

served the Tallahassee, North Florida and South Georgia area for over 40 years.

What impact do you hope to make on the community?

Working as a real estate agent, our community is our place of work. All of us at Coldwell Banker Hartung hope to make Tallahassee a better place by giving back to the place we call home.

We are proud to participate in many community events, volunteer programs, organizations and fundraisers all over the Big Bend, such as: Adopt-A-Pet, the Joanna Francis Living Well, Second Harvest of the Big Bend, The Kearney Center, United Way and many more.

What is the best part of working for your company?

We pride ourselves on our family atmosphere. Real estate is a competitive business, but at Coldwell Banker Hartung, we encourage collaboration and teamwork.

Experienced agents are willing to share knowledge with newer agents, while Chip and our managing broker, Joy Blomeley, continue to offer support through all transactions. When you join Coldwell Banker Hartung, you become family.

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Doug Croley Insurance MARY KATHARINE (CROLEY) LAWLER PRESIDENT/AGENT

M

ary Katharine Lawler is a seventh generation Tallahassee native whose company and work ethic are a result of her family’s many decades of dedication to serving their community.

Doug Croley Insurance Services is an independent insurance agency offering business, personal, life, and group health insurance. Her father began the company in 1978, and over 40 years later, they take pride in the fact that even with dramatic growth over the years, the company still

has many of its original clients, as well as second- and third-generation clients.

These long-standing relationships stem from many factors — honest perspectives, education, and experience in the industry, and the belief that they treat clients how they wish to be treated.

“A family’s insurance needs change as they buy their first home, have their first kid and then the kids move away,” said Lawler.

“The same is said for a business that grows and expands and then transitions to the next generation. Our clients benefit from our

holistic view of insurance and managing risk.

We truly customize insurance, not just for the client, but also for their needs yesterday, today, and tomorrow.”

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Synovus Bank S

ynovus is a financial services company based in Columbus, Georgia. For 130 years, we’ve stayed true to the concept of banking as a service to our communities and to the people who live here.

Our local knowledge combined with the expertise and resources of a large financial services company allow us to help our customers with their banking, lending and investing needs.

With more than $32 billion in assets, Synovus provides commercial and retail banking services in Georgia, Alabama, Florida, South Carolina and Tennessee.

For more information on Synovus products, services and locations, please visit synovus.com.

Banking products are provided by Synovus Bank, Member FDIC.

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PROFESSIONAL PROFILES

M

idtown Insurance is an independent insurance agency with a wealth of resources and experience. We specialize in the personal lines of insurance such as homeowners, auto, boat, motorcycle, RV and umbrella policies. We also have some great markets for small businesses. Being an independent agency requires us to truly understand the resources of multiple companies and enables us to develop solutions for our clients that meet their unique situations.

The agency was founded in 2012 by Gaye Johnson with

the approach that treating your employees and clients well provides the best foundation for a healthy and long relationship. This approach has led to a dedicated team that works hard to ensure we provide the best service possible.

In 2017 Midtown Insurance relocated, and we are proud of our new home and permanent location on 6th Avenue.

The building was originally built in 1935, and after a year of renovations it has been transformed into a beautiful workplace for both its employees and clients to enjoy.

We invite you to stop by for a visit.

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PHOTO BY MIGNON DESHAIES

Midtown Insurance

MULTI-FUNCTION PRINTERS (SALES & SERVICE) | 3D PRINTING | BUSINESS PRINTING | CUSTOMER SERVICE

“COPYFAX goes above and beyond in both customer service and product solutions. Over the past 10 years, COPYFAX has grown with our business and exceeded our expectations at every turn. The personal touch brought by every member of their team speaks to our continued partnership.”

- Kristal Franklin, President of Gallop’s Family Center, Inc. KRISTAL FRANKLIN

3135 ELIZA ROAD, TALLAHASSEE, FL 32308 | 850-671-6663 TALL AHASSEEMAGA ZINE.COM

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PROMOTION

SAVE THE DATE OCTOBER 2-3

Digital Graffiti

↓

Digital Graffiti at Alys Beach is a one-of-a-kind projection art festival where artists use the latest digital technologies to project their original works onto the iconic white walls of Alys Beach. Each year, the festival attracts digital artists, filmmakers, interactive designers, photographers, VJs, and fans of art, design, technology and architecture. Thousands of dollars in cash prizes are awarded to artists, with digital submissions received from as far away as Israel, Austria, Canada, Germany, London, India, France, Italy and China.

Visit DigitalGraffiti.com for more information.

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calendar PROMOTION

MAY/JUNE 2020 For more events in Tallahassee, visit TallahasseeMagazine.com. compiled by JAVIS OGDEN and REBECCA PADGETT

SUMMER 2020

Turning Pointe

→ Tallahassee Ballet’s Turning Pointe Dance Intensive workshop program will feature world-renowned faculty, including veterans from the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, the Dance Theatre of Harlem and The Juilliard School.

Visit TallahasseeBallet.org/summer-intensive for more information.

REGIONAL JUNE 17-21 PHOTOS COURTESY OF DIGITAL GRAFFITI, THE TALLAHASSEE BALLET AND EMERALD COAST BLUE MARLIN CLASSIC AT SANDESTIN®

Emerald Coast Blue Marlin Classic → Taking place in one of the

most productive fisheries in the United States, timed to coincide with the peak of the Gulf Coast’s blue marlin season and located at the South’s No. 1-ranked resort destination, the Emerald Coast Blue Marlin Classic at Sandestin (ECBC) has set the precedent for world-class sport fishing tournaments. For the angling teams, there are the deep blue waters of the Gulf of Mexico, red-hot billfish action and cool green cash.

For more information, including how to register for the tournament, visit FishECBC.com.

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

Events listed here are likely to be impacted by the swiftly evolving pandemic crisis. Check event websites for latest information.

HAVE AN EVENT YOU’D LIKE US TO CONSIDER?

Send an email to sbornhoft@rowlandpublishing.com.

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Specializing in ONLINE GROUP ORDERING. School Fundraisers Awareness Campaigns

MAY/JUN 2020

PANACEA BLUE CRAB FESTIVAL

HISTORY HAPPY HOUR

MAY 1-2

Visit The Grove Museum after hours for conversation and cocktails. The program will focus on the process of interpreting historical landscapes tied to slavery and emancipation in Tallahassee history. This ticketed event includes appetizers and libations.

Your mouth will water for this Southern seafood experience. The 46th annual festival in Panacea along Dickerson Bay boasts a parade down U.S. 98, a crab pickin’ contest, mullet toss, live music, historical demonstrations, children’s crafts and, of course, the opportunity to eat your weight in crab. bluecrabfest.com

DERBY AT DOAK MAY 2

Booster Groups Employee Uniforms fullpressapparel.com aiafullpress.com

850.222.1003 find us on &

SCOTT BROUWER PHOTOGRAPHY

The Kentucky Derby races into to Tallahassee as you watch it live on the jumbotron from the terraces at Doak Campbell Stadium.

Sip on complimentary mimosas, mint juleps and Derby fare all while dressed in your finest Derby attire.

The bigger the hat, the better! facebook.com/UCCatFSU

TAILS AND TRAILS MAY 2 Tallahassee’s Animal Shelter Foundation is hosting its 19th annual race, Tails and Trails.

Whether you’re up for a 1-mile, 5K, 10K or half-marathon race, this event invites all runners and animal lovers. Created by volunteers, ASF is a nonprofit organization that benefits the animals at the Tallahassee Animal Shelter. animalshelterfoundation.org/event/tails-trails

SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARK MAY 7-10 The Southern Shakespeare Company presents free performances of William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night and The Taming of the Shrew. The performances, full of comedy and delight, will take place on the Capital City Amphitheater stage in Cascades Park. southernshakespearefestival.org

TEEN CHALLENGE TALLAHASSEE CHARITY GOLF TOURNAMENT MAY 18

WORLD CLASS FEATURES & SERVICE (850) 999-8182 1894 THOMASVILLE ROAD CAPITAL PLAZA REFINERYBARRE.COM

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MAY 20

thegrovemuseum.com/history-happy-hour

INFINITY CON TALLAHASSEE JUNE 6-7 Infinity Con is a family-friendly comic book, sci-fi, fantasy, gaming and pop culture convention. You can expect vendors selling comics and collectibles, a Kid’s Con area, panels, gaming and more. infinitycontally.com

‘PLAZA SUITE’ JUNE 11-28 Theatre Tallahassee presents Neil Simon’s Plaza Suite, a portrait of three couples occupying a suite at The Plaza Hotel. Meet three vastly different couples with varying dilemmas in this heartfelt comedy. theatretallahassee.org

WATERMELON FESTIVAL JUNE 14-15 Nothing says summer quite like the first bite of a juicy watermelon.

Every June, Jefferson County invites attendees to devour delicious watermelon, listen to live music, enjoy the pageants, sip from the beer garden and enjoy sweet summertime with the season’s favorite fruit. everfest.com/e/jefferson-county-watermelonfestival-monticello-fl

‘SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN’ JUNE 19-28 The Young Actors Theatre will delight in the stage performance of one of the most celebrated films of all time, Singin’ in the Rain. You know the plot, characters and of course, the song! youngactorstheatre.com

CELEBRATE AMERICA JULY 4

The 11th Annual Teen Challenge Tallahassee Charity Golf tournament offers an opportunity to impact teens by donating through various scholarship opportunities or by gathering a team to participate in the tournament at Golden Eagle Golf course.

Get your sparklers ready for this annual patriotic event. Located at Tom Brown Park, this fun-filled event is perfect for the family. Snack on local cuisine, jam out with local artists and linger in the beer garden. This red, white and blue night will surely get you celebrating America.

eventbrite.com

talgov.com/parks/july4.aspx

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PROMOTION

SOCIAL STUDIES First Commerce Credit Union Power Forward Speaker Series FEB. 4 Global entrepreneur Peter Diamandis spoke to an audience of over 1,000 business leaders, students and entrepreneurs in Tallahassee during the First Commerce Credit Union Power Forward Speaker Series. Diamandis, recently named one of the World’s 50 Greatest Leaders by Fortune magazine, was the seventh speaker in the series, which has become Tallahassee’s largest annual business event.

1

PHOTOS BY KAY MEYER

1 Cristina Paredes, Jeremy Cohen, Ellie McCall, Jerry Osteryoung, Dr. John Marincola, Laurel Fulkerson, Vivian Roden, Steve Roden, Peter Diamandis, Donald Peaks, Lester Hutt, Yuh-Mei Hutt, Cecilia Homison and Kim Howes 2 Julie Montanaro and Rick Kearney with Peter Diamandis 3 FSU President John Thrasher and Peter Diamandis

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SOCIAL STUDIES Beethoven’s Fifth JAN. 18 The Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra kicked off 2020 by celebrating Beethoven’s 250th birthday. Sponsored

by Legacy Toyota, the concert featured the composer’s iconic 5th Symphony with cupcakes, libations and Beethoven himself in the lobby. The orchestra accompanied a special birthday singalong for audience member DeLos Detar, who turned 100 years old.

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF MICHAEL SWARTZ

1 Charlie Stratton, Linda Fuchs, Ben Gunte and Susan Stratton 2 Larry Peterson and Ben Gunter 3 Ben Gunter and DeLos Detar

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Canteens & Camo JAN. 24 The Capital Area Chapter of the American Red Cross — along with presenting sponsors Legacy Toyota and Kraft Nissan & Infiniti — held its 2020 Red Cross signature event, Canteens & Camo, at Flightline. This fundraising and networking event raises funds to support our local chapter’s vital programs and services to the Big Bend Community.

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF CHAOS CREATIVE MEDIA

1 Les Akers, David Sparks, Phil Sollecito and Ruth Akers 2 Paula Deboles-Johnson, Sandi Poreda, Marcia Warfel, Carla Juarez and Ted Smith 3 Chuck Minter with Kim and Stuart Lee

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PROMOTION

SOCIAL STUDIES Fast Cars & Mason Jars A record-breaking crowd gathered at The Phipps Farm for the annual Fast Cars and Mason Jars fundraiser benefiting Tree House of Tallahassee. Tree House is a nonprofit that serves thousands of children throughout Tallahassee and the surrounding nine counties by providing an emergency shelter and safe home during times of crisis. All the funds raised throughout the event will provide the necessary clothing, bedding, toys, food and more to the children aided through Tree House.

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PHOTOS BY MATT SAURO, DIGITAL EYES STUDIOS AND DES TALLY

1 Louis Poskey, Bill Giddens, Tracey Grant, Mark Yealdhall, Ashley Chaney, Allison Harrell, Slater Bayliss, Jimmy Fasig, Kate Simmons, Meredith Strange, Marlene Williams, Christina Riccardi, Julian Smith, Allie VanLandingham, Dan Sherraden and Melanie Black 2 Drs. Josh and Kate Simmons, Dr. Wade Skinner, Maria and Mark Yealdhall, Kimmy and Dan Hogan Justin with Dorothy Thames

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3 Justin and Dorothy Thames 4 Jimmy and Janette Fasig 5 Angie Rogo, Matt Cohen and Tricia Smith 6 Senator Aaron Bean, Jimmy Fasig, Melanie Black, Mark Yealdhal and Laura Wittenberg

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May–June 2020

165

PROMOTION

SOCIAL STUDIES The Divine Sisterhood of the Costume Closet This fundraiser and “all-girls party” raised money for The Tallahassee Ballet’s costumes and sets. This year’s theme was ’70s Disco Fever. The event was held at Lisa Graganella’s home and featured dinner by Blu Halo, an open bar from On the Rocks, and entertainment by the Fred Astaire dancers.

FEB. 22

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF MEGAN BROWN

1 Tiffany Stuart, Stephanie Cornais, Kim Nalker and Barbara Uchino 2 Michele Kiker, Khanty Xayabouth and Rebekah Davis 3 Jamie Moore, Teresa Watson and Pauline Anderson

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National Eating Disorders Association Tallahassee Walk MAR. 7 The Tallahassee National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) Walk is held annually on the first Saturday of March at Cascades. The event brings awareness to eating disorders and promotes having healthy relationships with food and exercise. Over 200 participants came out in 2020 to smash scales, listen to inspiring speeches, do art, listen to music and fight stigma.

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF MARK YOUNG CREATIVE

1 Attendees of the 2020 Tallahassee NEDA Walk 2 Caitlyn Bergman 3 NEDA Walk attendees participate in the splatter paint art activity put on by the FSU Art Therapy Association. Once finished, the artwork read, “Hope, Strength, Recovery.”

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TA L

2020

S E’

EE MAGA ASS ZI H N LA

BEST TA L

of

L A H A SSE

E

Our capital city is a resilient and enterprising place where parents raise children, students earn degrees, elected officials shape Florida’s course and men and women pursue business and professional success. We work and play together in a place we are proud to call home. Recent events may have slowed Tallahassee’s progress and its economy, but they have done nothing to curb its resolve. We look forward to the opportunity to again experience all of the many businesses that enhance the quality of Tallahassee life with their outstanding service, products, professionalism and personalities. Express your appreciation for the businesses that you support and admire by casting your online ballot in the 2020 Best of Tallahassee reader’s choice awards.

CAST YOUR VOTE ONLINE TallahasseeMagazine.com/Best-of-Tallahassee-2020Ballot OR

Fill out the ballot on the adjoining page based on the rules for the printed ballot.

All online and paper ballot votes will be combined for final tabulations.

Voting periods

Online Ballots: May 1–30, 2020 | Paper Ballots: May 1–20, 2020

PRESENTING SPONSOR

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2020 OFFICIAL BEST OF TALLAHASSEE BALLOT

RULES To preserve the integrity of the voting process, the following contest rules must be observed in order to cast a ballot and ensure it is included in the voting tabulation process. These rules are for the printed ballot only, otherwise visit TallahasseeMagazine.com/Best-of-Tallahassee2020Ballot to vote online: • Only ballots printed on original Tallahassee Magazine pages will be accepted; no copies or facsimiles of the ballot will be counted as a vote.

• Ballots must have votes marked in at least 10 different categories in order to be counted.

• Each vote must list the name of a business/company.

Individual names alone will not be counted.

• All votes must be cast for locally owned businesses in and around Tallahassee. Votes for any business located outside of a 30-mile radius from the city limits will not be counted.

• Locally owned and operated companies are defined by the owner or a managing partner living in Tallahassee or within a 30 mile radius the of Tallahassee city limits.

2020

S E’

SSEE MAGAZ HA IN LA

TA L

PRESENTED BY

BEST TA L

of

L A H A SSE

E

• Only ballots cast for locally owned and operated companies will be counted.

• Only one ballot per envelope is permitted.

• All ballots must be mailed directly to Thomas Howell Ferguson P.A. CPAs, a third party organization responsible for processing the ballots. The firm’s address is: Thomas Howell Ferguson P.A. CPAs C/O: Best of Tallahassee P.O. Drawer 14569 Tallahassee, FL 32317 • Ballots must be postmarked by May 20, 2020.

• Obvious attempts at ballot stuffing will be disqualified.

• Any winning business must be in good standing with Rowland Publishing, Inc. in order to be promoted as a “Best of” winner and still in operation by the date of the results printed in the magazine.

Once ballots are counted, all tabulations are final.

Tallahassee Magazine will recognize the results of the winners and honorable mentions for every category in the Nov/Dec issue.

Rules apply for winners and honorable mentions.

The business must offer the product or service the category states as “best,” otherwise that business will be disqualified from winning that category. A business can win the “Best of” award in no more than two categories. If a business is the leading vote-getter in more than two categories, that business will win only the “Best of” award for the two categories in which it received the most votes.

FOOD & BEVERAGE Appetizer_________________________________ Asian ___________________________________ Bakery___________________________________ Bar_____________________________________ Barbecue_________________________________ Breakfast_________________________________ Brewery/Craft Beer___________________________ Brunch __________________________________ Cajun Restaurant____________________________ Casual Dining______________________________ Catering _________________________________ Celebration/Special Occasion Restaurant____________ Coffee Shop_______________________________ Dessert__________________________________ Ethnic Restaurant___________________________ Fine Dining Restaurant________________________ Food Truck________________________________ Frozen Treat_______________________________

Hamburger________________________________ Happy Hour_______________________________ Hibachi__________________________________ Hotdog__________________________________ Italian Restaurant ___________________________ Juice Bar/Smoothie__________________________ Lunch___________________________________ Martini/Cocktail ____________________________ Mexican/Latin American Restaurant_______________ Outdoor Dining Restaurant _____________________ Pizza____________________________________ Sandwich_________________________________ Seafood Market_____________________________ Seafood Restaurant__________________________ Southern Cuisine/Food________________________ Sports Bar________________________________ Steakhouse _______________________________ Sushi____________________________________ Wine List/Wine Bar___________________________ Wings___________________________________

TO CAST YOUR VOTE ONLINE VISIT TALLAHASSEEMAGAZINE.COM/BEST-OF-TALLAHASSEE-2020BALLOT

Printed ballot votes will be counted based on sample size determined by total mail-in quantity.

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SERVICE PROVIDERS

SHOPPING Cosmetic Vendor ___________________________ Eyeglass Store______________________________ Furniture Store_____________________________ Gift Store_________________________________ Jewelry Store______________________________ Kids Clothing ______________________________ Men’s Accessories ___________________________ Men’s Clothing _____________________________ Nursery/Garden Center _______________________ Sporting Goods Store_________________________ Teen Clothing Store__________________________ Women’s Accessories ________________________ Women’s Clothing ___________________________ Women’s Shoes ____________________________

ENTERTAINMENT Band____________________________________ Business’ Social Media to Follow__________________ Community Event___________________________ Entertainment Venue_________________________ Golf Course _______________________________ Nightlife/Live Music Venue______________________ Park_____________________________________ Place to Take the Kids_________________________ Radio Personality____________________________ TV Personality______________________________

TO CAST YOUR VOTE ONLINE VISIT TALLAHASSEEMAGAZINE.COM/BEST-OF-TALLAHASSEE-2020BALLOT

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Printed ballot votes will be counted based on sample size determined by total mail-in quantity.

✁

Air Conditioning/Heating ______________________ Alterations________________________________ Assisted Living Facility________________________ Auto/Body Shop ____________________________ Automobile Dealer___________________________ Bank____________________________________ Banquet Facility_____________________________ Carpet Cleaner_____________________________ Cell Phone and Computer Repair_________________ Child Care Provider__________________________ Children’s After School Program__________________ Chiropractor_______________________________ Commercial Real Estate Agency__________________ Counseling/Therapist_________________________ Credit Union_______________________________ Customer Service____________________________ Dance Studio______________________________ Day Spa__________________________________ Dental Practice_____________________________ Dermatology Practice_________________________ Dry Cleaner _______________________________ Electrical Company__________________________ Event/Wedding Planner _______________________ Family Physician Practice ______________________ Financial Advisor____________________________ Fitness Studio______________________________ Flooring (carpet/tile/etc) ______________________ Florist___________________________________ Gym/Health Center __________________________ Hair Salon/Studio ___________________________ Hair Wax/Laser Services _______________________ Holistic Medicine ___________________________ Insurance Agency ___________________________ Interior Design Firm__________________________ Landscaping/Lawn Services ____________________ Law Firm/Attorney Practice _____________________ Life Coach/Speaker__________________________ Limo Service_______________________________ Maid Service/House Cleaning ___________________ Medical Spa _______________________________ Monogramming/Embroidery Services ______________ Moving Company____________________________ Nail Salon_________________________________ Nonprofit Organization________________________ Obstetric/Gynecological Practice_________________

Optometry/Ophthalmology Practice_______________ Orthodontic Practice_________________________ Pediatric Practice____________________________ Pest Control Service__________________________ Photographer______________________________ Plumbing Service____________________________ Pool Repair/Service Company___________________ Printing/Copying Services______________________ Residential Builder/Contractor___________________ Residential Painter___________________________ Residential Real Estate Agency___________________ Roofing Repair/Services_______________________ Security System ____________________________ Sign Company _____________________________ Physical Therapy ____________________________ Surgical Practice____________________________ Tree Service_______________________________ Weight Loss/Control Program____________________ Wedding Venue_____________________________

TALLAHASSEE

AMWAT MOVING WAREHOUSING STORAGE BEST MOVING COMPANY | 2 0 1 4 – 2 0 1 9

AMWAT is one of Florida’s most trusted moving companies with a global reach. We set the standard by providing efficient, reliable and cost-effective local, national and international awardwinning moving services. FL IM 1026

REDWIRE BEST SECURITY SYSTEM | 2 0 1 6 - 2 0 1 9

KIKU JAPANESE FUSION BEST SUSHI | 2 0 1 6 - 2 0 1 9

Thank you for voting Kiku as Tallahassee’s best. Please remember to vote for us in 2020.

3491 THOMASVILLE RD, SUITE 12 850. 222 .5458 | KIKUBOGO.COM

1136 THOMASVILLE ROAD 8 7 7. 3 7 1 . 9 4 7 3 | R E D W I R E . C O M

319 ROSS ROAD 8 5 0 . 8 7 7. 7 1 3 1 | A M W A T M O V E R S . C O M

SOUTHERN SEAFOOD BEST SEAFOOD MARKET | 2 0 0 2 - 2 0 1 9

Redwire is your local provider of expertly installed, monitored and serviced residential and commercial security solutions. Our team is proud to have been recognized by our neighbors as Tallahassee’s best for several years running.

SUPERIOR PAINTING BEST PAINTER | 2 0 0 8 , 2 0 0 9 , 2 0 1 0 , 2 0 1 1 ,

TASTY PASTRY BEST BAKERY | 2 0 1 6 , 2 0 1 7, 2 0 1 8 , 2 0 1 9

2 0 1 2 , 2 0 1 3 , 2 0 1 7, 2 0 1 8 & 2 0 1 9 Looking for that perfect Alaskan wild salmon or mahi-mahi filet to throw on the grill? Or maybe some fresh stone crabs or Gulf shrimp? Boats of local fishermen are daily unloading the freshest finfish and shellfish in town. A perennial favorite, Southern Seafood has a wide variety of fresh seafood that will satisfy the most discriminating palate.

Thank you all for voting Superior Painting as Tallahassee’s Best Painting Company. We take pride in being the area’s preferred painting company, and we couldn’t do it without all of your support. Please remember to vote for us in 2020, and thanks again.

2184 WEST LAKE HALL ROAD 8 5 0 . 2 9 7. 1 8 8 2 | S U P E R I O R P A I N T I N G . N E T

Thank you for voting Tasty Pastry as Tallahassee’s best bakery. Tallahassee’s original cakery celebrating over 50 years! Stop by ­— we have it all.

1 355 M A R K E T ST. # A 5 8 5 0 . 8 9 3 . 3 7 5 2 | T A S T Y P A S T R Y B A K E R Y. C O M

1415 TIMBERLANE ROAD IN MARKET SQUARE 8 5 0 . 8 93 . 7 3 01 | SO U T H E R N S E A FO O D M A R K E T.CO M

TURNER’S FINE FURNITURE BEST FURNITURE STORE | 2 0 1 7, 2 0 1 8 , 2 0 1 9

For Tallahassee’s best furniture and mattress selection, come to Turner’s Fine Furniture. Shop the area’s best brands with many unique looks you won’t find anywhere else. Plus, enjoy free interior design assistance and immediate delivery on in-stock items. Thanks for choosing Turner’s as your furniture destination!

2151 US HWY 319 | 850. 210.0446 | TURNERFURNITURE.COM

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A fresh take on Pan-Asian cuisine and sushi. Join us for lunch & dinner.

Extensive selection of wine, beer & sake

Masa 1650 N. Monroe St. (850) 727-4183 Little Masa 619 S. Woodward Ave., #105 (850) 727-8909 MasaTallahassee.com

Specializing in locally sourced seafood and USDA prime steaks Full bar and lounge | Locally owned and operated Private dining | Banquet rooms available Celebrating over 50 years serving Tallahassee 2971 Apalachee Parkway | (850) 877-3211 georgiostallahassee@gmail.com | georgiostallahassee.com

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Great Food Great Friends

3740 Austin Davis Ave. Tues-Sun 7am-2pm (850) 765-0703

Visit Our New Location Kleman Plaza Tues-Sun | 7am-2pm (850) 907-EGGS (3447)

dining guide AMERICAN ANDREW’S DOWNTOWN

After 40 years, Andrew’s is still an energetic, casual, see-and-be-seen spot.

House favorites include a popular lunch buffet, hamburgers, salads and pasta dishes. Downtown delivery.

(850) 222-3444/Fax, (850) 222-2433. $$ B L D

BACKWOODS CROSSING ★

Sit down for fresh gourmet food at Tallahassee’s farm-to-table, destination concept restaurant featuring locally caught and produced soft-shell crabs, sausage, duck and blueberries.

6725 Mahan Dr. (850) 765-3753. $$ L D

BUMPA’S LOCAL #349

Featuring burgers, sandwiches, pastas, fried ribs, tacos and wings, this new neighborhood bar and grill has something for everyone. 2738 Capital Circle NE. (850) 599-8652. $ L D

DOG ET AL ★

Foot-long and veggie entrees alike grace this award-winning menu. Also ask about their incredibly valued family packs. 1456 S. Monroe St. (850) 222-4099. $L D

THE EDISON

This relaxed fine dining establishment is equipped with a beer garden, wine cellar, casual café, open-air alternatives and a gorgeous view that has become a Tallahassee favorite. 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 2017–19.

1950 Thomasville Road. (850) 224-9974. $$ L D

HOPKINS’ EATERY ★

A Best of 2019 winner, Hopkins’ provides favorites such as the Ultimate Turkey, the Linda Special and a variety of salads to keep customers coming back. Multiple locations. Hours vary. $

ISLAND WING COMPANY ★

Get baked! Tally’s Best Wings for 2019 won’t serve you up greasy, fried wings; instead Island Wing bakes them fresh.

1370 Market St. (850) 692-3116. $ L

THE KEY ★ 2019 Best

of Tallahassee Winner

Brunch Lunch Dinner

2018

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.

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.

921 Thomasville Rd. (850) 224-2466. $$ L D

LOFTY PURSUITS ★

This old-fashioned soda fountain serves ice cream, milkshakes and candy — plus brunch dishes and a selection of vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options.

1355 Market St., A11. (850) 521-0091. $ B

MADISON SOCIAL ★

Whether it’s for a social cocktail, a quick lunch or a place to gather before home football games, Madison Social offers something for everyone. 705 S. Woodward Ave. (850) 894‑6276. $$ B L D

OVER UNDER BAR

Two experiences under one roof, OverUnder features specialty cocktails plus curated food and drink pairings.

1240 Thomasville Rd. (850) 597-7552. $$

ROOTSTOCK

With an ever-changing menu of unique flavors, Rootstock offers shareable plates, artisan cocktails and a selection of 25 wines by the glass. 228 South Adams. (850) 518-0201. $$$ D

SAGE RESTAURANT ★

Sage’s menu masterfully melds regional influences, including Southern and French. The setting is gorgeous but cozy, and the outdoor patio sets a charming, romantic tone for a relaxing evening.

3534 Maclay Blvd. (850) 270-9396. $$$ B L D

SAVOUR

Downtown fine dining with a vision for seasonally inspired, regionally sourced and creatively prepared cuisine, such as bourbon-brined pork chops, Gulf Coast bouillabaisse or miso marinated grouper. 115 E. Park Ave. (850) 765-6966. $$$ D

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. $$ Moderately B Breakfast/ Outdoor Dining L D

THE BEST LITTLE STEAKHOUSE IN TALLAHASSEE

Live Music Bar/Lounge $ Inexpensive

Expensive

$$$ Expensive

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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dining guide TABLE 23 ★

Fast casual eatery serving Sushi Burritos, Ramen, and various Bowls.

This “Southern porch, table and bar” is cozied up among oak trees on one of Tallahassee’s favorite street corners. Lucky Goat coffee-rubbed ribeye and Schermer pecan-crusted chicken are among the regional offerings. 1215 Thomasville Rd, (850) 329-2261. $$$ L D

UPTOWN CAFÉ

Specialties at the bustling, family-run café include apricot-glazed smoked salmon, one-of-a-kind omelets, banana bread French toast and flavorful sandwiches. 1325 Miccosukee Rd, (850) 219-9800. $ B L

VERTIGO BURGERS AND FRIES ★ Home to some of the funkiest burgers in town. Favorites include the Vertigo Burger — a beef patty served with a fried egg, applewood bacon, grilled jalapeños, sharp cheddar and Vertigo sauce. 1395 E. Lafayette St. (850) 878‑2020. $$ L D

ASIAN "The Caveman" Rice Bowl

(850) 270-9253 | 1861 W. Tennessee St. Unit 290 Follow us @BoruBoruTally for Daily Deals

AZU LUCY HO’S ★

Enjoy an extensive array of classic dishes with a modern flare, including gyoza dumplings, crab rangoon, General Tso’s chicken and szechuan beef, all in a relaxed setting. 3220 Apalachee Parkway, Suite 13. (850) 893-4112. L D

BORU BORU

A fast casual eatery inspired by Japanese cuisine, featuring sushi bowls, poke bowls and sushi burritos. 1861 W. Tennessee St., #290. (850) 270-9253. $$

BREAKFAST/ BRUNCH/BAKERY CANOPY ROAD CAFÉ ★

Traditional breakfasts, fluffy omelets, skillets, French toast and sweet potato pancakes keep customers coming back.

Canopy also goes all out on lunch favorites.

Multiple locations. (850) 668-6600. $B L

THE EGG CAFÉ & EATERY

When you’re looking for breakfast favorites, even if it’s lunchtime, The Egg is the place to be. Second location now open in Kleman Plaza. Multiple Locations. (850) 907-3447. $$ B L

TASTY PASTRY BAKERY ★

Tallahassee’s original cakery features fresh breads, bagels, pies, cakes and catering. Mon–Sat 6:45 am–6 pm.

1355 Market St., No. A-5. (850) 893-3752. $ B L D

THE BADA BEAN

Greeting sunrise with Tallahassee residents for over 10 years, find your favorite breakfast, brunch and lunch specials any time of day. 2500-B Apalachee Pkwy. (850) 562-2326. $B L

TREVA’S PASTRIES AND FINE FOODS

Specializing in sweet treats, cakes, pastries and croissants, this bistro-style pastry shop and fine foods store also uses 100% natural ingredients to make savory sandwiches, salads and soups. 2766 Capital Circle NE. (850) 765-0811. $$ L

KIKU JAPANESE FUSION ★

Spreading Love with Food for over 35 years 1325 Miccosukee Road (across from TMH) (850) 219-9800 www.Uptown.Cafe Mon.-Sat. 7 AM to 3 PM Sun. 8 AM to 2 PM

REAL MORNINGS with GREG TISH and BOBBY MAC

From tempura to teriyaki and sushi to sashimi, Kiku Japanese Fusion, voted Best Sushi in 2019, fuses vibrant flavors with fresh ingredients. 800 Ocala Rd. (850) 575-5458, 3491 Thomasville Rd. (850) 222-5458. $$ L D

MASA

A previous Best of Tallahassee winner, Masa’s menu offers a creative blend of Eastern and Western cuisines.

1650 N. Monroe St. (850) 727-4183. $/$$

NAGOYA STEAKHOUSE & SUSHI Dine in or takeout, Nagoya offers a wide variety of authentic Japanese cuisine, including hibachi, salads, sushi and sashimi. 1925 N. Monroe St. $/$$ L D

OSAKA JAPANESE STEAKHOUSE AND SUSHI BAR ★ Rated Best Hibachi for 2019, Osaka provides dinner and a show, with the chefs seasoning and preparing your meal right in front of you. 1489 McClay Commerce Dr. (850) 900-5149. $$$ D

BBQ

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WILLIE JEWELL’S OLD SCHOOL BBQ ★

Platters, sandwiches or by the pound, Willie Jewell’s offers smoked brisket, pork, turkey, sausage, chicken and ribs with a bevy of Southern sides. 5442 Thomasville Rd. (850) 629-4299. $ L D

CAJUN COOSH’S BAYOU ROUGE ★

This Best Cajun Restaurant winner for 2019 brings a menu jam-packed with Louisiana-style dishes, including favorites like jambalaya, crawfish etouffee, po’boys and seafood gumbo. Multiple locations.

(850) 894‑4110. $$ B L D

CATERING BLACK FIG ★

Whether you’re planning an event for five or 500, Black Fig offers a bevy of dining options, including catering-to-go. 1400 Village Square Blvd., #7. (850) 727-0016.

CUBAN GORDOS

Tallahassee’s top Cuban spot for over 30 years, Gordos features favorites such as croquetas, papas rellenas, empanadas and pressed sandwiches like their classic Cubano.

1460 Market St. Suite #3-4. $ L D

GREEK LITTLE ATHENS GYRO ★

Across from FSU’s campus, find

Live Music Specialty Cocktails Food & Drink Pairings

Mix it up in Midtown

1240 Thomasville Rd, Tallahassee, FL 32303 OverUnderBar.com

Great moms deserve the best!

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 TALL AHASSEEMAGA ZINE.COM

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freshest!

Hibachi Tables • Sushi Bar • Happy Hour Private Dining • Large Parties Welcome

OPEN DAILY FOR LUNCH AND DINNER

BESTIN DESTIN VIP DESTIN MAGAZINE READER CHOICE AWARD

2019

Asian Cuisine

Hibachi

Asian and Hibachi

DESTIN 34745 Emerald Coast Pkwy | (850) 650-4688 TALLAHASSEE 1489 Maclay Commerce Drive | (850) 900-5149 • (850) 531-0222 PANAMA CITY BEACH 15533 Panama City Beach Parkway | (850) 588-8403

WWW.OSAKAHIBACHIANDSUSHI.COM

2018

our mission is the same as our passion: to serve the most delicious mexican cuisine at five great locations. we invite you to stop by for our world-famous fajitas.

southwood

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727-0094 |

capital circle ne

TALLAHASSEEMAGA ZINE.COM

385-9992 |

north monroe

878-0800 |

kerry forest

668-1002 |

crawfordville

926-4329

dining guide your fix for Greek, Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine. 666 W. Tennessee St., #5. (850) 222-2231. $ L D

SEAFOOD/STEAK

SAHARA GREEK & LEBANESE CAFÉ

THE BLU HALO ★

Serving great food since 2000, Sahara serves everything from gyros and falafel wraps to lamb kebabs and homemade hummus. 1135 Apalachee Pkwy. (850) 656-1800. $$ L D

Blu Halo is a high-end culinary experience featuring dry-aged steaks and fresh seafood along with fine wines and a martini bar. A private dining room for up to 20 guests is available. 3431 Bannerman Rd., #2 (850) 999-1696. $$$ L D

BONEFISH GRILL ★

INDIAN MAYURI INDIAN CUISINE

Featuring Indian classics such as tikka masala, naan and curry, Mayuri also offers an assortment of vegetarian and vegan options. 1324 Simpson Ave. (850) 402-9993. $L D

ITALIAN/PIZZA BELLA BELLA

Voted Best Italian in 2015, 2017 and 2018, this locally owned and operated restaurant has a cozy atmosphere and serves all the classics to satisfy your pasta cravings. 123 E. 5th Ave. (850) 412-1114. $$ L D

MOMO’S ★

After devouring a slice “as big as your head” at this 2019 Best Pizza winner, chain pizza simply is not gonna cut it. Multiple locations. (850) 224‑9808. $L D

RICCARDO’S RESTAURANT

A Tallahassee tradition since 1999, Riccardo’s features savory Italian classics, from pasta and pizza to homemade subs and calzones — plus a wide-ranging selection of wines and craft brews. 1950 Thomasville Rd. (850) 386-3988. $$ L D

Z. BARDHI’S ITALIAN CUISINE ★

With delicious Italian cuisine in a fine dining atmosphere, Z. Bardhi’s has been family-owned and operated for over 20 years. 3596 Kinhega Dr. (850) 894-9919. $$ L D

MEXICAN EL JALISCO ★

In the mood for sizzling enchiladas and frozen margaritas? Make your way to the 2019 Best Mexican/Latin American Restaurant, El Jalisco, where they do Mexican cuisine to perfection.

Multiple locations. $ L D

EL PATRON MEXICAN GRILL & CANTINA

Find all your authentic Mexican classics such as tacos, quesadillas, fajitas and burritos, or take a sip of a yardstick margarita. 1170 Apalachee Pkwy.

(850) 656-7264. $$ L D

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. 3491 Thomasville Rd., Ste. 7. (850) 297-0460. $$ L D

GEORGIO’S FINE FOOD & SPIRITS

George Koikos has over 50 years of experience in Tallahassee restaurants, and his hands-on commitment has made this upscale restaurant a local favorite featuring local seafood, prime steaks and banquet rooms for private parties. 2971 Apalachee Pkwy. (850) 877-3211. $$$ D

HARRY’S SEAFOOD BAR & GRILL

Serving Southern, Cajun and Creole flavors in classic and modern dishes since 1987. Full bar is available at each location. 301 S. Bronough St., in Kleman Plaza. (850) 222-3976. $$ L D

MARIE LIVINGSTON’S STEAKHOUSE ★

Not just a restaurant that serves up savory cuts of prime rib or marbled steaks, this 2019 Best Steakhouse winner is a Tallahassee tradition. 2705 Apalachee Pkwy.

(850) 562-2525. $$ L D

Market Square 1415 TIMBERLANE ROAD

850.893.7301 | SOUTHERNSEAFOODMARKET.COM

SHULA’S 347

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 suggested. 415 N. Monroe St. (850) 224-6005. $$$ L D

SOUTHERN SEAFOOD ★

Whether you’re looking for fish, shrimp, oysters, scallops, crab or lobster, the 2019 Best Seafood Market winner brings the ocean’s freshest choices to Tallahassee. 1415 Timberlane Road. (850) 668‑2203.

WHARF CASUAL SEAFOOD

A Tallahassee institution, the Wharf will fill your need for the coast with fresh seafood, salads, seafood tacos and po’boys. Also available for catering.

3439 Bannerman Rd. and 4036 Lagniappe Way. (850) 765-1077 and (850) 668-1966. $$ L D

WAHOO SEAFOOD GRILL ★

Bringing the coast to Tallahassee, fresh seafood options mix with steak and classic Cajun dishes. 2714 Graves Rd. (850) 629-4059. $$ L D

Visit our comprehensive, searchable dining guide online at TallahasseeMagazine.com/restaurants.

TALL AHASSEEMAGA ZINE.COM

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postscript

THE DEPTH OF LOVE How a near tragedy formed a forever bond

by BY REBECCA PADGETT

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TALLAHASSEEMAGA ZINE.COM

meaning, hope and empathy. This is what I have found and know.

I know that I will never forgive myself for not calling an ambulance when he first experienced back pain. My grief courses through me strongest at night when I turn to God in hopes of stopping the trembling. I alternate between asking Him why and thanking Him for saving Zan’s life.

I know that anger flares inside me when I think of the first two doctors we visited. One told us that Zan merely had bronchitis. The other suggested Zan was faking the pain in order to obtain pain meds.

I know that I have never been more thankful for a person than the third doctor, who diagnosed Zan, ultimately saving his life. This doctor and many great nurses instilled in me a deep respect for those in the health care industry — their strength, compassion and intelligence.

I thought that I would never be more scared than when I saw Zan white-faced and his body racked with pain. I now know the most terrifying moment would come when the doctor calmly said Zan was lucky to be alive.

I had loved Zan deeply for years. I did

not know the unwavering and completely committed love I had for him until I struggled to find enough flesh to pinch together on his body, which had lost 14 pounds in a matter of days, to give him a shot that was keeping him alive.

He needed me. Even more so, I needed him.

I’d often heard the saying, “Live each day like it’s your last.” I dismissed it as a cliché until I learned that each day is not a promise. Of course, we find it difficult to live each day like it’s our last. We are humans with emotions and tempers and annoyances and very average days.

But each day, I am grateful to love and be loved.

On Aug. 6, Zan proposed to me. I will care for him in sickness and in health. I would give him my lungs so that he can breathe. I would let my own blood course through his veins. And, on Dec. 12, I will reiterate, in front of our families and dearest friends, my commitment to him: love that will never waver. TM Rebecca Padgett is editor of Northwest Florida Weddings, a sister publication of Tallahassee Magazine.

PHOTO BY ARDENCY AND ARROW CO.

B

lood has never made me queasy or faint or even disgusted. It’s possible that my grandfather, a phlebotomist, passed this trait to me. I was not afraid of blood until the man I love began coughing it up in March of 2019.

Forever imprinted in my mind are the coagulated deep red, almost purple, clumps that lined our sink basin and floated down our shower drain. The blood presented itself in globular and swirling patterns like an ink blot test with the most terrifying answers.

Zan radiates energy. When we met four years ago, he drew me in with his charismatic nature, a feeling that once experienced, I knew I never wanted to be without. Not to mention he plays bass for a high-energy rock band. At 28, he was vibrant, healthy and strong.

Flipping through pamphlets the nurse handed me and frantically reading online searches, I saw that he did not fit the criteria of someone who would experience blood clots, yet he had one in his lungs — a bilateral pulmonary embolism.

I sat trembling in a leather jacket, holding the hand of the person I love most in this world, searching for answers, for a reason.

After a year of scans, bloodwork, countless doctors’ visits and mounting medical bills, we still don’t have that answer.

The journalist in me wants answers, facts and truth. The writer in me needs

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