Tallahassee Magazine March/April 2023

CHOWING DOWN AT THE SEINEYARD

BAR 1903 ENLIVENS A HISTORIC BUILDING

TALL TIMBERS ADVOCATES BURNING

Wood Works on

PAINTER ANNE HEMPEL DECORATES BOARDS WITH FAMILIAR FLORA AND FAUNA

Keith Urban

APRIL 20, 2023 – 5:30 PM

THE DONALD L. TUCKER CIVIC CENTER AT FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY

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ABOUT KEITH URBAN

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Keith Urban is one of the most popular artists ever to perform at the Golden Gala, and requests for his return to Tallahassee have been constant. One of the most successful and well-respected artists in the world, Keith has won four GRAMMY Awards, 13 CMAs, 15 Academy of Country Music Awards, three American Music Awards, two People’s Choice Awards and celebrated nine consecutive gold, platinum, or multi-platinum albums.

Net proceeds benefit Tallahassee Memorial’s Heart and Vascular Services, which offers one of the most advanced heart and vascular programs in the Southeast.

Tables are going fast! Purchase yours at TMH.ORG/Gala.

Florida Blue is a trade name of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida, Inc. an Independent Licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.

111315 0922

Questions about the gala? Call 850-431-4590

FEATURES

80 BIRDWOMAN

After years spent at the front of elementary school classrooms, Anne Hempel graduated to life as a full-time artist. The transition was a bit scary at first, but Hempel soon found her stroke and her niche. She loves to paint birds and has a special fondness for the pileated woodpeckers that often disturb the peace in her backyard on Imaginary Road. Hempel is not without helpers. Her husband prepares the boards she paints on, and her daughter gathers natural ingredients — leaves and feathers and such — that she imbeds in her pieces.

by STEVE BORNHOFT

86 CAMERAMAN

As a college student, Steven Saccio had in mind a career as a graphic artist until a professor of photography caused him to change course. Today, Saccio owns his own photography business where versatility is a big factor in his success. Professionally, he is comfortable doing portraiture, commercial, fine-art, 360-degree and drone photography. But he relishes, too, opportunities to do his own thing. Left to his own devices, Saccio has been seen to engage in horseplay, experiment with long exposures and devise punny titles for his favorite images.

by STEVE BORNHOFT

↖ 74

CRAFTSPEOPLE

The artists who make up the Master Craftsman Studio at Florida State University have done much to enhance the campus’ reputation as one of the most beautiful in the country. Its mission is a lofty one — “to bring creativity and entrepreneurship together to facilitate sustainable artistic enterprise and education.”

by MARINA BROWN

photography by DAVE BARFIELD

MAR/APR 2023

by adding more public courts. The sport involves more finesse than power and appeals to many, given its social aspects.

38 PERSONALITY For decades, Ned Stacey, the owner of Cosmic Cat Comics, has traded in superheroes. Now, Stacey, whose interest in comics was stimulated by his passion for art, is choosing to focus on his own talents as a creator.

PANACHE

47 CITIZEN OF STYLE

For long-standing FSU football fans, a trip to Doug Ramos’ Picked vintage clothing store can revive memories dating to the early days

of the Bobby Bowden era. The shop, however, has nothing to offer people with an allegiance to a certain reptile.

52 FASHION There is an art to arriving at your perfect hair color, one that will complement rather than compete with your face and overall look.

56 WHAT’S IN STORE

The arrival of spring means that it is time to shed muted colors and extra layers. Tallahassee boutiques can help you freshen your wardrobe for the lush green season ahead.

GASTRO & GUSTO

59 LIBATIONS Bar 1903 has breathed new life into a historic downtown building that was once a library established by Florida’s eighth governor.

66 DINING IN While they may not be recommended for folks who are concerned about cholesterol levels, butter boards are emerging as a popular alternative to meat-andcheese charcuterie presentations.

70 DINING OUT When it comes to restaurant work, Sam Dunlap is having a hard time pushing himself away from the tables. The owner of Seineyard restaurants in Wakulla County and Woodville is addicted to the sounds of his kitchens.

EXPRESSION

97 MUSIC Open mic night at Finnegan’s is a proving ground for aspiring performers and a place where accomplished musicians can get some exercise in front of a reliably appreciative audience.

130

104 BOOKS Prolific mystery writer Michael Lister pens novels with close connections to Northwest Florida news events and to the political dynamic that often overtakes small towns.

ABODES

125 INTERIORS Maybe a walk-in closet isn’t just a closet. Interior designers are finding ways to convert them to “me spaces” well suited to quiet contemplation or focusing on work that requires a little bit of privacy.

140 GREEN SCENE The downside to creeping indigo outweighs its

value as a nitrogen fixer. It contains less dye than other indigo plants.

DESTINATIONS

151 GETAWAYS Writer Liesel Schmidt travels solo to the Emerald Isle where she deals with an amorous cabbie, gets lost on a hike in cliffs country and takes a turn at drums once used by Metallica.

EXTERIORS A persistent homeowner succeeds in trapping the unwanted critter that was slowly turning his yard into a field of craters. Turns out it was a possum, ugly as sin, but seemingly with a theatrical bent.

Anne Hempel is an artist who specializes in depicting animal and plant life that is native to Tallahassee and environs. Indeed, the backyard at her home on Imaginary Road often provides her with all of the inspiration she needs, while music serves her as a liberating muse. Hempel prefers to paint on wood surfaces rather than canvas. As an artist who favors thickly applied doses of acrylics, she relies on wood’s strength and durability.

MAR/APR 2023

134

↑ ENJOYING AL FRESCO

If you are looking forward to lounging poolside, dining on your porch or relaxing in your sunroom, Turner’s Fine Furniture can outfit and enhance your outdoor spaces with products that are aesthetically pleasing and functional.

144 DEAL ESTATE A beautiful brick home situated on the 9th fairway at the Golden Eagle golf course and a waterfront house with panoramic views of Ochlockonee Bay are newly listed.

36 ↑ HOMES FOR ALL The Boulos Corporation is committed to helping ease the shortage of affordable housing. It has partnered with the City of Tallahassee in an ambitious project aimed at making dreams come true for aspiring homeowners.

↑ TO THE MAX D1 Training meets you where you are in order to get you where you want to be. Trainers work with clients whose goals may relate to health and wellness, fitness for sports or looking good on the beach.

42

109 SPRING SOIREE Join in the celebration of Tallahassee’s favorite season with a guide to all the events occurring during the annual Springtime Tallahassee Festival. Back are the Grand Parade and Jubilee in the Park.

NEXT ISSUE

TALLAHASSEESpringtime

148 PREMIER ACREAGE

The Nova Group Realty presents its recently sold prized property, Honey Lake Farms, a 565-acre hunting preserve.

GIFT GUIDE: Your inside scoop on gifts for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and Graduation.

158 CALENDAR   Spring is in full swing with an abundance of outdoor activities and festivals.

Keith Urban

ABOUT KEITH URBAN

Keith Urban is one of the most popular artists ever to perform at the Golden Gala, and requests for his return to Tallahassee have been constant. One of the most successful and well-respected artists in the world, Keith has won four GRAMMY Awards, 13 CMAs, 15 Academy of Country Music Awards, three American Music Awards, two People’s Choice Awards and celebrated nine consecutive gold, platinum, or multi-platinum albums.

Net proceeds benefit Tallahassee Memorial’s Heart and Vascular Services, which offers one of the most advanced heart and vascular programs in the Southeast.

Tables are going fast! Purchase yours at TMH.ORG/Gala.

Questions about the gala? Call 850-431-4590

TALLAHASSEE MAGAZINE

PRESIDENT/PUBLISHER

BRIAN E. ROWLAND

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER

MCKENZIE BURLEIGH

EDITORIAL

EXECUTIVE EDITOR Steve Bornhoft

SENIOR STAFF WRITER Emma Witmer

EDITORIAL COORDINATOR Raemi Creteur

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Paige Aigret, Marina Brown, Hannah Burke, David Ekrut, Ph.D., Les Harrison, Lis King, Rochelle Koff, Rebecca Padgett Frett, Wynn Parks, Liesel Schmidt

CREATIVE

VICE PRESIDENT / PRODUCTION AND TECHNOLOGY Daniel Vitter

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Jennifer Ekrut

SENIOR PUBLICATION DESIGNERS Sarah Burger, Saige Roberts, Scott Schiller, Shruti Shah

GRAPHIC DESIGNER Sierra Thomas

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Dave Barfield, Michael Booini, Carolyn Allen Photography, Mike Fender, Perrone Ford, Pablo Gabes, Jim Smith Photography, Brian Morrison, PTF Photo, Nick Renaud, Saige Roberts, Steven Saccio, Jacob Stuckey, Daniel Vitter, The Workmans

SALES, MARKETING AND EVENTS

SALES MANAGER, WESTERN DIVISION Rhonda Lynn Murray

SALES MANAGER, EASTERN DIVISION Lori Magee Yeaton

DIRECTOR OF NEW BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, EASTERN DIVISION Daniel Parisi

DIRECTOR OF NEW BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, WESTERN DIVISION Dan Parker

ADVERTISING SERVICES SPECIALIST Tracy Mulligan

SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Julie Dorr

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Michelle Daugherty, Darla Harrison

MARKETING MANAGER Javis Ogden

SALES AND MARKETING WRITER Rebecca Padgett Frett

ADMINISTRATIVE & CUSTOMER SERVICE SPECIALIST Renee Johnson

OPERATIONS

CUSTOM PUBLISHING MANAGER Sara Goldfarb

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE/AD SERVICE COORDINATOR Sarah Coven

PRODUCTION EDITOR Paige Aigret

PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION SPECIALIST Melinda Lanigan

STAFF BOOKKEEPER Amber Dennard

DIGITAL SERVICES

DIGITAL EDITOR Alix Black

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EDITORIAL OFFICE 118 N. Monroe St., Unit 401, Tallahassee, FL 32301. (850) 878-0554

SUBSCRIPTIONS One year (6 issues) is $35. Call (850) 878-0554 or go online to tallahasseemagazine.com. Single copies are $5.95. Purchase at Books-A-Million, Barnes & Noble, Midtown Reader 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 March 2023 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.

INCLUSION AND EQUALITY

The continuous pursuit of ideals is an imperative

In recent years, concern for inclusion and equality has been a focal point for discussion often fueled by a tremendous amount of emotional energy. Rightfully so.

From a societal perspective and consistent with the founding principles and ideals of our country, we can agree that all people are equal and should be treated in a similar manner, no matter what their race, ethnicity, religious beliefs, gender and physical abilities may be.

What a wonderful world it would be if it were dominated by tolerance, acceptance and understanding.

Always, there are differences between the real and the ideal. Throughout recorded history, collectives ranging from tribes to alliances of nations have engaged in conflict. Wars are being waged today.

Daily, we see scenes from the war in Ukraine in what has become a prolonged battle. Millions of people have been wounded, killed or displaced. Cities lie in ruins. Refugees flee to destinations unknown. We sympathize with the war’s victims, and wonder, “Isn’t the human race better than this?”

It is easy to become discouraged by or even numbed by the news. Still, we must avoid thinking that war is unavoidable, and we must continuously embrace peace as a goal.

Within our own country, deep divisions exist. People have a

tendency to gather information only from sources with whom they are philosophically and politically aligned, and differences harden. Cooperation, even conversation, becomes difficult.

Absolutely, it is not easy for someone to turn to another and say, “I find some of your actions and opinions to be hurtful. Can we talk?”

The audience for our magazines at Rowland Publishing is diverse, and we make a conscious effort to write stories about people with diverse backgrounds and frames of reference. That is, we are intentionally inclusive. But in being so, it is important that we always consider how any story we publish may affect readers with beliefs and points of view that may depart from those of the subject of a story.

Within the past few months, Rowland Publishing made an error in judgment in allowing a story to run without incorporating an opposing outlook. We should have done better. Because we did not, we appeared to be endorsing one opinion to the exclusion of others.

When I heard from people who were disturbed by the story, I extended them a heartfelt apology and immediately removed the story from our websites.

As an employer, Rowland Publishing strives in every aspect to be inclusive and treat every member of our team in an equal

manner. That is the law, and it is the right thing to do. It is also the smart thing to do. Workplaces are enriched by diversity.

As a publisher, I deliver magazines to more people than I will ever know. But one day, you may be inclined to reach out to me and ask, “Can we talk?” When you do, please know that my answer will be yes.

Respectfully,

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SOURCES OF CONNECTION

Meet people where they live and as they are

As an interviewer and in life, I always have endeavored to meet people where they live. By doing so, I gain a better understanding of people, their motivations and their interests. Too, it’s a way of making people feel comfortable and respected. The best stories result not from journalist-to-source interaction, but from person-to-person dialogue.

When I determined that I wanted to do a story on Sam Dunlap and his Seineyard restaurants, I knew better than to conduct the interview by phone. It was better by far to chat at the table in the far corner of his restaurant near Medart and take in the sights, sounds and aromas of the place.

We discovered immediately that we are contemporaries — I’m three years older than Sam is — and soon found that we have friends in common including his neighbor Jack Rudloe, whose tenacity and commitment to fostering appreciation for bays and estuaries we both admire.

As it turns out, we both like to spend time in North Georgia and both have fond memories tied to Cashiers, North Carolina, where Dunlap, as a boy, thrilled to slide down a smooth, algaecovered rock face into an icy stream.

We talked about how it is that there are so many juvenile snappers in the Gulf that bottom fishermen can’t get their baits past them to the grouper. And, we talked about one-time livelihoods that are fast vanishing — crab pickin’ and oyster shuckin’ and shrimpin’.

And, after a while, we got around to discussing the restaurant business. Sam nearly gave up the recipe for his popular Sticky Shrimp. Next time, I’ll get it out of him. And, he knows, there will be a next time.

I knew in advance that artist Anne Hempel and I would have a lot in common. She is a lover of the natural world and most especially of birds. We spoke for a time about the crow-sized pileated woodpecker; the clatter it makes as it sends bark flying; and its high-pitched, piping call, one that would be as appropriate to a jungle as it is to Tallahassee’s Imagination Road.

I am pleased that Anne paints unglamorous birds like anhingas and gallinules in addition to the far more striking peacocks and spoonbills. Sure, we got around to talking about Anne’s preference for wood over canvas and her painting technique, but mostly we talked about creatures with wings. I was delighted when she called me back just to let me know about her fondness for swallowtail kites. I love them, too.

Meeting people where they live when they are disabled is more difficult, but we owe it to ourselves and to them to try. Recently, I came across an exercise designed to make it possible for me and you to appreciate the mind-body disconnects that many autistic people contend with.

Start by placing a legal pad on the top of your head. Hold it there with your non-writing hand. Then have someone give you, in random order, a series of instructions for drawing a snowman. “Draw a small circle near the top of the paper to represent the snowman’s head,” might be followed by, “Draw a large circle at the bottom of the paper for the snowman’s base,” and then, “Draw a top hat on top of the snowman’s head.” And so on, until the carrot and buttons are placed.

Inspect your work, and you’re likely to find that it resembles something that Joan Miro or Pablo Picasso might have created while smashed on absinthe.

Now, imagine that you had produced that work with the paper in front of you and all of your faculties about you and that the drawing was the best you could do. Finally, imagine someone reacting to your work angrily or disappointedly and telling you that it wasn’t good enough. The exercise is sure to stick with you and one that you will want to share with others.

Meet people where they live. See them for what they can do, not what they cannot.

Be well,

STEVE BORNHOFT, EXECUTIVE EDITOR sbornhoft@rowlandpublishing.com PHOTO BY MICHAEL

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TALLAHASSEEMAGAZINE.COM

GIVEAWAY Win Two VIP Tickets to Springtime Tallahassee’s MusicFest

This year’s Springtime Tallahassee will return to the downtown Chain of Parks March 31–April 1. Head over to TallahasseeMagazine.com/giveaways for your chance to win two tickets to the MusicFest VIP Lounge. The winner will enjoy access to the exclusive outdoor lounge offering the best view of the concert and complimentary food, beer and wine! To enter, visit TallahasseeMagazine.com/springtimetallahassee-2023-music-festival-giveaway.

A LASTING DREAM REALIZED

As a young woman, Brenda Moss worked long hours at a hair salon and then served additional clients at home. As days drew to a close, she’d sketch her dream salon. “My eyes have always been bigger than my pockets,” Moss said. “But my dad was an entrepreneur, being one of the first Black plumbers in Tallahassee to run his own business, so I really felt I could make my dreams happen.” On Jan. 15, Moss and her team celebrated 35 years in business, most of them spent in a salon that Moss styled herself.

TallahasseeMagazine.com/a-lasting-dream-realized

ALLEVIATING FOOD INSECURITY FOR ALL

The Junior League of Tallahassee (JLT) is dedicated to advancing social causes through projects that directly benefit the Tallahassee community. In 2020, it came to the organization’s attention that 20% of children in the Big Bend are unsure where their next meal will come from. More than 9,000 children in the region experience food insecurity. Working with schools in the 32304 zip code, JLT determined that spring break was a time of great need for children who relied upon school lunches.

TallahasseeMagazine.com/alleviating-food-insecurity-for-all

FINAL ROUND VOTING IS UNDERWAY

FREEBIE!

Did you know you can sign up for our exclusive e-newsletter for free? Get the latest news, information, giveaways and more about all the happenings in Tallahassee. Go to TallahasseeMagazine.com/ connect-with-us

@tallahasseemag

Tallahassee Magazine

@TallahasseeMag

Which pet do you think should win the coveted distinction of 2023 Tally Top Pet? You can help decide by voting in the final round! The final two pets will duke it out from March 3–10.

To vote for your favorite, visit TallahasseeMagazine.com/tally-top-pet. May the best pet win.

FIGHTING FIRE WITH FIRE

Tall Timbers is adding a new outlet for its ecological expertise

by EMMA WITMER

photography by DAVE BARFIELD

↖

The Red Hills are alive with crackling fire.

Not the all-consuming conflagrations that have plagued the western U.S. — quite the opposite. These are prescribed fires, started in accordance with a practice that has been around for thousands of years as a way to manage landscapes, promote biodiversity, purify the aquifer, feed the soil and prevent wildfires.

Such stewardship is a founding principle of Tall Timbers, a researchbased nonprofit with an education mission located on 4,000 bucolic acres north of Tallahassee. Since its founding in 1960, Tall Timbers has emerged as the nation’s preeminent voice on fire ecology, one that is recognized on a

global scale. Today, the organization is looking to grow its capacity for outreach, education and training with the construction of the L.H. Perkins Conservation Education Center, slated for completion in late 2024.

“The center will be a place where we can convene with people from around the world to talk about prescribed fire, and hopefully, as almost always happens, they will take little bits of the Red Hills back to wherever they are going,” said J. Morgan Varner, Ph.D., the director of research at Tall Timbers.

Every federal employee who is involved in controlled burns must complete a 20-day, on-site training course with Tall Timbers through its partnership with the National Interagency

Prescribed

Fire Training Center (PFTC). Currently, this training is largely hands-on, but innovation is on the horizon.

Tall Timbers has partnered with several academic institutions throughout the country to develop a first-of-its-kind virtual reality prescribed fire simulator. This technology will incorporate factors ranging from atmospheric changes to fuel level impacts and plug in documented fire behavior to mirror realworld experience. It will also eliminate risks associated with live fire exercises.

“Think of it like a flight simulator,” said Tall Timbers president and CEO William (Bill) Palmer. “You screw up on a prescribed fire in the field, you are more in the irreparable zone, but

↘ FIRE STARTER

Prescribed fire specialists employ techniques, often referred to as “dots” or “dashes,” to apply fire to the ground. They must consider the atmosphere, weather, topography, vegetation levels and more to safely and effectively control a burn.

standing at a computer in a room, you have an escape, you can start over and learn. That’s really powerful.”

Palmer and his team work not only with federal employees but private landowners as well. Tall Timbers provides training and support to landowners through its Prescribed Burn Association program, which enables landowners to reap the benefits of regular prescribed burns as well as benefit the ecology of the region.

The use of low-intensity, highly controlled fire for land management was

prohibited by the United States Forest Service throughout most of the 20th century. Wildfire was a growing concern, so when Tall Timbers founding researcher Herbert Stoddard proposed prescribed fire as a way to boost bobwhite quail numbers, government agencies shut him down.

Undeterred, Stoddard formed a relationship with wealthy landowner Henry Beadel, and together, they set out to create Tall Timbers as a home for scientists and a hub for cutting-edge research on fire ecology.

↑ “One of the hallmarks of our work, whether it’s working with quail, longleaf pines or fire, is long-term research,” Varner said. “That’s how we are able to say, ‘Here is the effect of climate change.’ We have a 60-year measurement period, so we know what the effects are.”

So it is that Tall Timbers became a trailblazer. It has compiled the most extensive database on fire ecology anywhere, putting Tall Timbers at the forefront of prescribed fire advocacy and resulting, over time, in a dramatic shift in the national conversation about controlled burns.

“One of the hallmarks of our work, whether it’s working with quail, longleaf pines or fire, is long-term research,” Varner said. “That’s how we are able to say, ‘Here is the effect of climate change.’ We have a 60-year measurement period, so we know what the effects are.”

Too, Tall Timbers has been in a position to track the impacts of nonnative species.

↙ Tall Timbers president and CEO William (Bill) Palmer spearheaded the organization’s return to prominence in 2016, a development that was made urgent by wildfires raging at the time in the western United States. Changing outlooks on intentional fires has proved challenging.

photography

Throughout the ’60s and ’70s, Tall Timbers was very vocal, holding annual Fire Ecology Conferences with some of the world’s leading scientists, but in the ’80s and ’90s, Palmer said, the organization lost momentum. He calls those years the “dark age.” Tall Timbers continued its advocacy work and training, but its efforts were local. Meanwhile, wildfire statistics in other parts of the country ticked up year after year.

“All of a sudden, we realized that we are an example for the rest of the world,” Palmer said. “We are a research station. We study it. We can add a depth of knowledge about using fire that the rest of the world has lost.”

In the last seven years, a reinvigorated Tall Timbers has leveraged its scientific and policy expertise in Florida and beyond. In 2022, it cohosted a prescribed fire conference in Italy, where representatives from the Spanish government approached Palmer. Following a two-day trip to the Tall Timbers facility, Spain completely rewrote its fire policy based on the organization’s work and Florida’s prescribed fire policies.

On a national scale, some areas of the country have been more reluctant than others to adopt healthy prescribed fire policies. California, in particular, has long been stuck in cyclical battles with wildfire. A growing number of wildfires, high smoke levels and dry weather led to hesitancy and concern about burning. That has begun to change.

“They have had a pretty fundamental shift over the last decade,” Varner said.

“Rather than it being a debate between those for prescribed fire and those against, it’s now, ‘We are all for prescribed fire, but what does it look like?’”

Varner sits on California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force. He stands out like a sore thumb among natives of Fresno, Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area, but he commands respect. There and around the country, Varner spearheads policy initiatives that are changing the way the nation thinks about fire. TM

GET INVOLVED

Interested in learning more about how to maintain your property with prescribed fire? Learn alongside your neighbors through Tall Timbers’ Prescribed Burn Associations. Tall Timbers welcomes volunteers in a variety of areas from historical preservation to landscaping. Support its mission at TallTimbers.org/volunteer.

photography by DAVE BARFIELD

↑ President and CEO William (Bill) Palmer and J. Morgan Varner, Ph.D., director of research, survey Tall Timbers’ 4,000 acres, noting the environmental benefits that have resulted from nearly a century of prescribed fire. ↖ Controlled burns serve to remove fuel for potential wildfires and benefit types of wildlife that prefer an uncluttered forest floor.

Say Hello to opportunity when you unlock the

PICKLEBALL FOR ALL

by PAIGE AIGRET

Pickleball. It’s simple. It’s fun. It’s accessible. It’s sociable. And it’s widely recognized as the fastestgrowing sport in the country.

The USA Pickleball Association (USAPA) has reported that the sport has grown nearly 40% since 2018, with 4.8 million players across the U.S. in 2022.

The game combines elements of tennis, badminton and pingpong, according to the USAPA, and is played — singles or doubles — on a badminton-size court with a modified tennis net. Paddles, larger than those for pingpong but smaller than a tennis racquet, are used to strike a plastic, perforated ball similar to a Wiffle ball. Players serve underhand and cross court. The serve must bounce once but never twice, and the “kitchen,” or non-volley zone, is off limits. The game is typically played to a score of 11 or 15.

Although new to many, pickleball got its start over half a century ago in Bainbridge, Washington, as a backyard game created by a few dads with bored children.

So what accounts for its widespread popularity now?

Lenin Mongerie, the tennis and pickleball operations supervisor for the City of Tallahassee, said celebrity influencers including Serena Williams and LeBron James have been a factor; both have invested in their own leagues.

“If all of a sudden a pro football, tennis or any player or person that has stature does something, everybody sees it, right? And you want to try it,” Mongerie said. “That

Players of all ages can handle the heat as long as they stay out of the kitchen

↗ Lenin Mongerie, the director of tennis and pickleball operations for the City of Tallahassee, credits sports superstars Serena Williams and LeBron James with helping to popularize pickleball. The city has responded by adding more public courts.

has played a huge role in pushing the sport forward.”

When pickleball was elevated via celebrity platforms, younger people became interested. But the sport first started gaining traction among the 55-plus crowd. Its ease of play and accessibility appealed to players as a healthy form of exercise that presented less risk of injury than games like tennis.

Pickleball arrived in Tallahassee when the city’s tennis superintendent, Glen Howe, introduced pickleball to the local senior center.

“Without question, one of the biggest benefits is it allows people to get exercise,” Mongerie said. “For people who may not have chosen another sport or maybe found another sport too difficult, it allows them to maximize their ability to enjoy a sport, at the same time getting the benefits of moving around and being social.”

Mongerie said Tallahassee’s USA Pickleball Association ambassador, Carolyn Allaire, has been instrumental in popularizing the sport and introducing it to longtime tennis players.

Mongerie, himself, caught the bug, finding that he enjoyed pickleball’s social aspects.

“Very few people play singles in pickleball; the majority of the game is doubles,” he said. “The socializing is a lot more in the sport than in tennis right now.

“I could go out there and play with you, and we’ll have a fun time. You might not win, but we’ll have fun,” he joked.

For sure, Mongerie would be formidable. He played tennis at Florida A&M and is a United States Professional Tennis Association elite player who has worked as a tennis instructor for 17 years and is now a certified pickleball instructor.

The city recognized pickleball’s growing popularity and adapted tennis courts for use as pickleball courts. Mongerie began overseeing pickleball along with tennis and hosted lessons, clinics and roundrobin tournaments.

Now, the city has 47 courts across Tallahassee’s parks and community centers.

Tom Brown Park stands to be the most popular, with four permanent pickleball courts available and regular open play sessions where anyone can come to learn, play and socialize with other pickleballers. Tom Brown also hosts leagues on Tuesdays and Thursdays for beginners, advanced beginners and intermediate advanced players.

The new Southeast Park at Tram Road and Four Oaks Boulevard will have six permanent courts. Winthrop, Jack L. McLean, Lafayette, Jake Gaither and Walker-Ford parks and the LeVerne Payne

CALL A FRIEND, AND GRAB A COURT!

and Walker Ford community centers have outdoor tennis/pickleball courts. And a number of indoor courts can be found at other community and senior centers.

“There are a lot of grassroots programs that have sprung up that are really all about growing the sport in Tallahassee,” Mongerie said.

Local groups like the Tallahassee Pickleball Association promote the sport through fundraising, volunteering and advocating for court improvements.

Mongerie anticipates that Tallahassee will host national pickleball tournaments.

“I think pickleball is going to be growing and continue to grow,” he said. TM

A TOM BROWN PARK

443-557 Easterwood Drive

4 courts, reserve or first-come

B WINTHROP

1601 Mitchell Ave.

6 courts, reserve or first-come

C LAFAYETTE

501 Ingleside Drive

3 indoor and 3 outdoor courts, business hours only

D LEVERNE PAYNE

450 W. 4th Ave.

2 courts, bring own balls and paddles

E JACK L. MCLEAN JR.

700 Paul Russell Road

3 indoor and 2 outdoor courts, bring own balls and paddles

F WALKER-FORD

2301 Pasco St.

3 indoor and 3 outdoor courts, nighttime play available

G SOUTHEAST PARK

300 S. Adams St. 6 courts, first-come

H JACK GAITHER

801 Bragg Drive

2 courts, can reserve

I SUE HERNDON MCCOLLUM

501 Ingleside Ave. 3 courts, indoor only

J LAWRENCE-GREGORY

1115 Dade St. 3 courts, indoor only

K TALLAHASSEE

SENIOR CENTER

1400 N. Monroe St. 2 courts, indoor only

↑ City of Tallahassee racquet sports operations manager Lenin Mongerie is an accomplished tennis player who played at FAMU. He took up pickleball in part due to the social aspects of the game. Doubles play is predominant in pickleball, which has grown 40% since 2018, especially among older adults.

SEE NATURE. THEN SOAR ABOVE IT.

Spring is the perfect time to visit the Tallahassee Museum and give Tree-To-Tree Adventures a try. This aerial obstacle course includes 16 ziplines and is situated high in the canopy above the museum’s local flora, fauna and history. Book your zipline tickets today and swing by soon.

tallahasseemuseum.org

PHOTO BY DAVE BARFIELD / LONELY FOX

Building Homes on a Foundation of Cooperation

Boulos Corporation - City of Tallahassee partnership tackles urgent needs

In these uncertain times, we are called upon to view our community through a different lens. Business as usual is not, and indeed should not be, an option. Across every Leon County zip code, there are families living paycheck to paycheck.

The shortage of affordable housing in our community has a ripple effect which puts income-restrained families at risk. For those families, home ownership has been an unattainable dream. When you weigh the housing issue in our community against the larger problems in our country, it seems small. Why take the time to fix anything when so much is broken?

The answer to that question is simple: Because we can. So we put pen to paper and started designing a community where the houses were in reach for income-restrained families. With today’s supply chain issues

and soaring interest rates, it wasn’t going to be easy. But with the right partnership, we felt as though there was a path.

Our leadership team met with Mayor John Dailey and City Manager Reese Goad. We asked what the city could do if we were ready to get creative. They challenged us to bring a plan, so the journey began.

For our part, Boulos Corporation needed to commit $10 million to secure the project. Our mortgage partners were able to create a loan program that met the city’s criteria and was also flexible enough to work with the Tallahassee Lenders Consortium, which created additional options for qualified buyers.

After six months of private sector meetings and planning, it was time to present our plan to City Manager Goad. We sat face to face and worked through

the issues, and after evaluating the plan, his team embraced our vision. Utilizing City Commission Policy 1104, which lays the foundation by creating incentives for the private sector to work hand in hand with the city, the partnership was formed and Crescent Gates was born.

Late 2023, 56 Tallahassee families will move into their new homes and for the first time, sleep under a roof that belongs to them. Ribbons will be cut, a few tears will be accompanied by big smiles and kids will be running through their new homes claiming bedrooms.

We want to thank the invaluable efforts of Mayor Dailey, Manager Goad and the city leaders who demonstrated how government can work with the private sector effectively when solving a community issue is the foundation of the discussion.

PHOTOGRAPHY BOULOS

PERSONALITY

NO MERE COMIC SALESMAN

It’s a bird, it’s a plane — no, that’s Ned Stacey

by DAVID EKRUT, PH.D.

photography by DAVE BARFIELD

Ned Stacey can leap stacks of comics in a single bound. His store, Cosmic Cat Comics, is filled to bursting with games, collectibles and graphic novels. With a warehouse of over 80,000 comic books, choosing what to display in his shop is a challenge. But with over 40 years in the business, Stacey has a highly refined gift for understanding trends.

Not unlike an origin story out of the comic books he sells, Stacey discovered his destiny by happenstance. Before opening Cosmic Cat Comics, he followed his passion for art.

“I’ve always done photography,” Stacey said, noting that he received his first singlelens reflex camera from his father at the age of 10. Dad was the director of the medical center at the University of Virginia and had a love of film and photography that he passed on to his son.

Superheroes overcome many obstacles and battle cosmic forces to become who they need to be to best serve their communities — or save the world. Stacey’s journey was shaped by loss at an early age.

When he was 14, his father died suddenly while on a business trip and was discovered a couple of days later, alone in his car on the side of a road. Stacey was motivated to pursue their shared passion for photography for the both of them. He joined the yearbook staff in high school and has studied the arts throughout his life.

Stacey’s grandfather, Alfred E. “Ned” Stacey, was a co-founder of the Carrier Corp., the company that pioneered air-conditioning. When he died in 1975, Alfred left his grandson a sizable inheritance. Stacey used some of that money to purchase a vintage car and another chunk to go to college. He enrolled in the University of Georgia Arts School in the ’70s, intending to become a commercial photographer, but left after his sophomore year.

While he learned plenty of art history, drawing and liberal arts, he had not touched a camera after two years and wanted more hands-on experience, so he left college to open his first business.

↗

Top: Teddy Bear Girl from the first episode of The Walking Dead is a looming presence at Cosmic Cat Comics, a store founded by Ned Stacey as an extension of his passion for art. Bottom: Books in a series of light novels that feature characters from DC Comics.

← This page: Cosmic Cat Comics sells repackaged collectible action figures; a bust of Wonder Woman, who displays an imposing stare; Ned Stacey can be an animated character, himself. Opposite page: A Bally Girl painting by Stacey was featured at the 2022 ArtFields Exhibit in Lake City, South Carolina; a photo by Stacey accompanies a poem, The Little Mouse.

Wanderlust overtook the native of Charlottesville, Virginia, and he began an entrepreneurial journey. He visited many cities across the South but was primarily focused on Florida.

“Once we came through Tallahassee, we pretty much knew we’d stay here,” he said.

The university was a huge draw. There, he found employees and customers. He began his business endeavors by opening a record store, and at the time had no real interest in comic books. Ever the opportunist, however, Stacey acquired some of the inventory of a failed graphic novels store and displayed it at what was then Cosmic Cats Records. As records were replaced with other media, comic books slowly took over, and he changed the name to Cosmic Cats Comics and Records, eventually dropping Records.

He went from having no real interest in comic books to owning tens of thousands, which he will continue to sell online despite his pending retirement.

For years, Stacey would ask customers if they might want a comic book store. He was willing to give them one. Finally, a regular took him up on the offer. He’s giving away the store, but he will continue with artistic endeavors.

He has a son living in Boston and another, a retired Navy man, living in Michigan. With nothing holding him and his wife here, Stacey may embark on a new adventure.

“If we are looking to move anywhere right now, it’s Oregon,” where Stacey would pursue collodion wet-plate photography.

Collodion wet-plate photography involves a process by which a soluble iodide is combined with cellulose nitrate

(collodion). The mixture is used to coat a glass plate where an image is stored until it can be developed in a darkroom. Excess exposure to light will destroy the image. Since it was invented in 1851 and has been largely replaced, few artists continue the practice, but

↑ Designer figures such as this one, My Money Bunny, by Mark Gmehling, form part of the inventory at Cosmic Cat Comics.

photography by DAVE BARFIELD

Stacey recently met with a collodion photographer in Oregon who is willing to teach him the technique.

Stacey is a Southwestern regional artist with paintings and photography on display at the gallery next to his store. He is active in the Council on Culture & Arts and attends regional conferences whenever possible.

“I’ve essentially been shown at every gallery and museum in town,” he said, including shows at FSU and FAMU. He’s also been to Thomasville and Atlanta and did a big show in South Carolina last year.

He received one of his highest honors as a region al artist at the Gasparilla Art Festival in Tampa, where he was named one of Florida’s Emerging Artists.

He describes his contemporary art as “weird,” influenced as it is by his experience in the comic universe. He has also dabbled in contemporary realism. TM

COSMIC CAT COMICS

650-5 Railroad Square (850) 224-5554

Follow them on Facebook @Cosmic Cat Comics

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Maximize Potential With D1 Training

New Tallahassee training facility offers fitness for all

When we watch athletes perform, we often marvel at the power, strength, endurance and agility they possess. D1 Training is designed to provide everyone with tools and training for unleashing their inner athlete.

D1 Training is geared toward your health goals and desired athletic outcomes. Each coach either played college or professional sports or coached at a college or professional level. They are well-versed in the human body and its capabilities.

“Our motto is to take it to the next level,” Chris Carver, general manager of D1 Training Tallahassee said. “From the high school student preparing to embark upon a collegiate athlete journey to the father trying to get off blood pressure medication, no matter your background, at D1, we are going to get you to that next level in your fitness goals.”

The Rookies program for ages 7-11 lays the foundation for coordination and athleticism. Those ages 12-14 participate in a Developmental program that emphasizes power, speed and ageappropriate weightlifting. Prep is for ages 15-18 and is akin to a Division 1 program with power, speed and strength training. Overtime is suited for student athletes

who have specific goals in mind and are furnished with semi-private coaching.

The D1 Adult program, the most popular option, utilizes scientifically based training methods for full body workouts. D1 Overtime is a semi-private training program that targets specific areas to help adult athletes excel in their sport whether you play professionally or for enjoyment. D1-on-1 pairs athletes with a coach who provides customized workouts.

For those on the go, D1toU offers remote coaching and accountability anywhere, anytime, anyplace. The program is easily accessed via a smartphone and provides online workouts and nutrition plans.

For the family who wants to put fitness first, Family Training designs a workout plan unique to your family that encourages a healthy lifestyle, improved physicality and results in quality time spent together.

The Elite Program is specifically for collegiate or professional level athletes seeking to take their training up a notch. The program is backed by sports science and offers the most state-of-the-art equipment available. These programs are tailored to the athlete and have been embraced by more than 100 NFL draft picks, over 1,000 pro-level athletes and over 3,000 collegiate athletes.

The facility contains restrooms fully furnished with showers, lockers and towels. Supplements including pre-workout, protein and hydration options are on hand.

Space can be rented for birthday parties and events. Rentals are for up to three hours, and packages can be customized depending on your needs.

Carver acknowledges that the hardest part of beginning a fitness plan is often just walking through the door, but once you do, you’ll be greeted by coaches committed to your improvement.

“Our coaches bring knowledge, experience and expertise to the Tallahassee community,” Carver said. “We want you to grow, improve and learn so this not just a short-term change, but a long-term investment in yourself.”

CHRIS CARVER, GENERAL MANAGER

Community Foundation of North Florida Invests in the Nonprofit Community

Creating greater impact through new grant programs

The Community Foundation of North Florida’s (CFNF) mission is to enhance the quality of life in the North Florida community through the promotion and support of charitable giving. CFNF has been a part of the fabric of our community for over 25 years. The organization works with individuals, families, and corporations to assist them in determining their charitable passions and working with them to provide support to nonprofit organizations through grant recommendations.

As a part of CFNF’s strategic plan, the organization launched two new grant programs to provide an opportunity for additional funding to nonprofit organizations in the Big Bend Region.

SHARE YOUR STORY VIDEO CHALLENGE

This micro-grant program provides support to nonprofit organizations that serve low-to-moderate income residents of Leon County. It features a unique application process which includes creating a one-minute video to showcase how the organization serves this targeted population. In return, grant recipients are provided flexible, unrestricted funding to further the great work they are doing in our community.

HELPING TODAY, SHAPING TOMORROW (HTST )

This small grant opportunity provides support to nonprofit organizations that

are addressing community needs through programs or services that have the potential for long-term community impact. Grant recipients receive flexible funding to bolster their existing programs or services currently being provided in the Big Bend Region.

Small grants like the two offered by CFNF can have a big impact. Nonprofit organizations are awarded funding to respond to our community’s most pressing needs. They may also leverage these grants to generate additional dollars through larger grants to support the mission of their organization. CFNF is proud to be able to contribute to the increased impact nonprofit organizations continue to add to our community.

a red-tailed hawk, was Sandy Beck’s co-teacher and the spokesbird at St. Francis for 31 years.

Your furniture makes our tail wag!

Donate your gently used furniture to The Fix Thrift Shop.

by EMMA WITMER

→ Doug Ramos, seen here sporting a vintage corduroy jacket and Nike T-shirt, favors comfortable duds. Hanging from his necklace is an FSU gold chain.

He has an FSU women’s basketball warmup suit from the 1980s, a T-shirt commemorating the Seminoles’ first football victory over the Florida Gators, a ’60s letterman jacket from the FSU track and field team and a V-neck, quarter-sleeve sweater so old that it predates Sammy the Seminole.

Doug Ramos is a memorabilia guy, for sure, but he resists the notion that he might be a citizen of style.

“I would never consider myself a fashion expert or a student of fashion,” Ramos said. “I like old things, and I like cool things. Starting a business has definitely changed my view of my personal wardrobe. It changed to fit the business better, but I think I was less inspired by the fashion sense than wearing something that connects you to a time that is gone. I think that’s what inspires me — wearing something that no one else has, that maybe your grandma wore or your dad wore.”

Ramos is the owner of Picked, a vintage shop that is equal parts boutique, gallery and tailgate party. Unlike some other clothing stores, Picked isn’t piled from floor to ceiling with stacks to sort through. Ramos is selective. His weekly merchandise drops are centered on unique and authentically vintage FSU attire.

His preference for hand-picked garb began with his Instagram alter-ego, Junk Man Doug, whose keen eye for vintage duds and antiques earned him a dedicated following. Folks showed up for pop-up shop after pop-up shop until brick and mortar became a reality.

“I love the really obscure, random things,” Ramos said. “You almost have to have a little bit of background knowledge on certain things to really appreciate what they are, but that’s what I really enjoy.”

Despite Ramos’ disinclination to call himself fashionable, his sense of

↘ Doug Ramos models an FSU shirt from the 1990s. The “P” on his hat stands for Picked, not Philadelphia. And, don’t mess with his Travis Scott x Air Jordan sneakers. Ramos’ nostalgic inventory can be memory inducing for longtime FSU fans.

style is undeniable. His whole business is built around having an eye for color, composition and quality. Ramos’ outfits tend toward the simple. Coordinated neutral tones, handmade jackets and eye-catching kicks round out his go-to look for a day in the shop. Ramos avoids trendy clothing items. His clothes may have been made last year or at any time in the last 50 years.

“I want to buy things that are going to work now and in five years,” Ramos said. “I have a really nice handmade denim jacket from a company out in Seattle. I have a waxed canvas jacket from them that I love. The only thing that I buy that is trendy or crazy is that I like wild shoes. I like different colors. If anything is going to pop for me, I like my shoes to pop.”

Ramos is rarely without his signature Picked flatbill hat with its large, script “P” on the front. It is marked “001” in that his was the first to be produced.

Ramos said his employees and customers began clamoring for custom Picked brand merchandise even before the shop opened in October 2021, but he was not convinced.

“People were asking for it, which was really humbling for me,” Ramos said. “I think people view this business as a successful one. That is great, but I am very critical of myself. I’m very critical of my business. I’m very critical of my employees. So for me, no matter how good we do, there is always a way to do better. We can always improve.”

Two months after he began selling house brand merchandise, the inventory was gone and so, too, was Ramos’ hesitancy about it. He has a strong connection to Picked’s mascot, Lu, a dapper, sweater-clad fox created by local artist Carly Berry. Lu is a nod to Ramos’ late father-in-law, who helped get the business off the ground.

Now, Ramos is looking for ways to create his own clothing line while sticking to his love of all things vintage.

“If we are able one day to move into newly produced, vintage-inspired goods, then the same intent that we carry with our vintage stuff is going to carry into that,” Ramos said. “Small runs and low quantities of really high-quality, unique items. That’s my next thing.” TM

Doug’s Favorites

He trends toward clothes that were made yesterday and will work tomorrow.

➺ Simple outfits

➺ Coordinated neutral tones

➺ Handmade jackets

➺ Eye-catching kicks

➺ His signature Picked flatbill hat with its large script “P” on the front

➺ Clothes made last year or at any time in the last 50 years

↑ The Picked vintage shop has adopted Lu the raccoon, a character developed by Tallahassee artist Carly Berry, as its mascot. In triplicate, Lu makes for a hometown store shirt promoting Tallahassee (TLH).

From Root to End A Guide to Haircoloring

by REBECCA PADGETT FRETT

You might be a once-a-year maintenance color or a monthly chameleon; no matter your preference, you’re seeking the boost that a salon visit provides. Salons and stylists throughout Tallahassee are on the cutting edge of what’s trending while acknowledging the ever timeless.

Things are warming up in 2023. Cool and icy tones are getting the cold shoulder while — no matter the base color — warmth is being added.

“Golden and honey blondes are going to be more popular, phasing out the silvery ash blondes of recent years,” said Millennium at Midtown manager Marianne DeBolt. “Additionally, we are seeing a lot of requests for warm browns with dimension, particularly caramel-colored highlights or balayage.”

Warm blondes evoke an other era, often referred to as Hollywood blonde or ’90s yellow-blonde.

Brunettes are finding warmth with a rich brown base accentuated by creamy, golden highlights to add dimension. Hailey Bieber, who has become a bit of a hair and beauty icon, is often seen styled in this look.

Redheads embrace warmth with strawberry blonde or copper highlights. Red hair is having a major moment with darker shades, such as deep burgundy or cherry cola — a delicious merging of brunette and red.

↑ Things are warming up in 2023. Brunettes are finding warmth with a rich brown base accentuated by creamy, golden highlights to add dimension.

↑ Hailey Bieber in 2022 (top) and in 2020 (bottom)

Stylists say warm tones are in, hot tools are out in 2023

Pink is making its way out of the early 2000s, finding inspiration in Avril Lavigne’s iconic cotton candy pink dip-dyed hair and her face-framing and chunky hot-pink highlights.

“The 2023 color trends are moving away from the lived-in balayage look and into a modernized ’90s vibe,” said Stephanie Borras, owner of Soleil 7 Salon. “Highlights are trending toward chunkier blocking highlights.”

If you are not a trendsetter or follower, Borras and DeBolt agree that face-framing highlights are a timeless look.

“Imagine shiny, dark — nearly black — hair with a strong grey focal point in the front hairline, or blonde with bright blonde around the face or brunette with light-blonde gold or light-brown copper highlights accentuating the face,” said Borras.

Trends come and go, but proper hair care is always in style. When investing in hair color, consider investing in quality products to protect and maintain your hair.

DeBolt recommends a salon-quality color-protecting shampoo and conditioner and a thermal protectant any time you use heat on your hair.

With heat being the main culprit of hair damage and dryness, DeBolt encourages clients to reduce hair washing and styling to three times per week. Additionally, the use of a silk pillowcase can keep the hair shaft smoother as you sleep, helping your blowout last longer.

Your hairstylist is your confidante and confidence booster and possibly the only person who could convince you to rock those baby pink highlights you’ve wanted since 2004. TM

↑ Pink, which had its day in the early 2000s, is back, as evidenced by singer-songwriter Avril Lavigne’s iconic cotton-candy, dip-dyed hair and her face-framing, chunky hot-pink highlights.

↑ Warm blondes evoke another era, often referred to as Hollywood blonde or ’90s yellow-blonde.

What’s In Store?

A roundup of retail happenings throughout Tallahassee

by REBECCA PADGETT FRETT

Spring is for all things pastel, pinstripes and floral. After months of cooler colors and temperatures, we shed our sweaters for the lighter and brighter. Treat yourself and boost your mood with a trip to local boutiques to revive your wardrobe.

Pink Pineapple

➸ Living in the Sunshine State, one can never acquire too many sunglasses. The JADE POLARIZED SUNGLASSES feature an attractively oversized aviator shape, a gradient lens and rimless effect while providing 100% UV protection — stylish and sun-safe. As a bonus, a portion of sunglass proceeds goes to benefit the Humane Society.

➸ Put some spring in your step with the RIRI STUDDED HIGH TOP SNEAKER. This pair of sleek sneaks merges the vibe of vintage kicks with a cool rock ’n’ roll attitude. Crafted from faux leather and detailed with metallic studs, these high-top sneakers deliver a hardcore blend of retro style.

➸ Celebrate spring with some bling. The ALL THE GLITZ BRACELETS are a customer favorite for their versatility. Composed of a lightweight material available in gold, silver and rose gold, these bracelets add sparkle to any outfit. Versatile yet timeless in style, these bracelets stretch to fit most wrists.

➸ Want the scent of fresh florals indoors without the threat of seasonal allergies? Shop Pink Pineapple’s line of SWEET GRACE CANDLES AND ROOM SPRAYS. No matter the season, the SWEET GRACE FLOWER DIFFUSER is always in bloom. The flower grows and changes from white to pink, emitting notes of passion fruit, sparkling tea and patchouli for 60 days of lasting fragrance.

Narcissus

➸ TORY BURCH SWIM COVER-UP embodies the easy breezy motto of spring. The transitional look has a timeless sundress silhouette that can easily go from poolside to brunch. Tory Burch’s best-seller MILLER SANDAL is a perfect complement to the beachy dress. The ever-popular sandal is now available with a softer, more cushioned footbed, great for spring strolls through a garden in bloom.

➸ Part of the brand’s classics collection, ALICE AND OLIVIA STRIPED MINI DRESS is ready to take you from work to play depending on how you accessorize. Pair with heels and gold jewelry for the office, then swap for sneakers and a fun clutch for your weekend plans.

➸ Start spring off right with a stunning sundress. Narcissus is thrilled to carry FARM RIO a brand focused on exciting colors and custom prints that bring happiness to the soul. Bold blooms and ruffles create a beautiful look for Easter or any spring-inspired outing.

FARM RIO CASHEW GARDEN MIDI DRESS AT NARCISSUS

gastro&gusto

MAR/APR 2023

FROM THE SIMPLY IRRESISTIBLE TO THE PI É CE DE R É SISTANCE

Bar 1903’s menu of classic cocktails includes an Old Fashioned poured over a customized ice cube. Other favorites include a Sazerac and a Manhattan.

OLD LIBRARY, NEW CHAPTER

Bar 1903 brings new life to a storied space by ROCHELLE KOFF

More than a century ago, this small, brick building was a place frequented by knowledge seekers. Today, it attracts people who appreciate a novel menu of classic cocktails and creative cuisine. The storied David S. Walker Library has embarked on a new chapter.

Bar 1903, named for the year the library was built, is the latest incarnation of the historic setting at 209 E. Park Ave. in downtown Tallahassee.

“I’m definitely proud of the place,” said chef and restaurateur Jesse Edmunds of the Seven Hills Hospitality Group, which owns Bar 1903 and four other local restaurants. “I’m proud that we worked together with a lot of people in the city to make it a reality. It was a team effort.”

Renovating a building that’s listed on the National Registry of Historic Places requires a high level of dedication and commitment.

EARLY YEARS

The David Shelby Walker Library building has been a Tallahassee fixture since the 19th century.

➸ In 1884, Florida’s eighth governor offered the use of upstairs rooms for a library in a building he owned.

➸ After Walker died, his wife donated the adjacent lot for a library. The building was named after her husband. Use of the private library required a subscription.

➸ The Walker building survived downtown development on a few occasions. In 2016, construction began on the Ballard Building, which surrounds the historic structure on three sides. But the Walker library, and its intrinsic elegance, were left intact.

“When I was first told what was going to be in there, I never imagined it being as wonderful as what it is,” said Elizabeth Emmanuel, chief executive officer of the Tallahassee Downtown Improvement Authority. “The level of attention to detail is a testament to their care for and concern for the history of the space.”

Bar 1903 was, in fact, named the Tallahassee-Leon County Historic Preservation Award winner in October. Edmunds managed to retain the building’s historic fabric, said Shannon Kuch, executive director of the Tallahassee Trust.

Walker, the building’s namesake, was the eighth governor of Florida, and offered the use of rooms at his property for a reading room in the 1880s, the first step in launching a library.

In more recent times, the building was the headquarters for Springtime Tallahassee before going up for sale in 2019.

“There was just a little sign saying it was for sale,” said Matthew Cooper, who purchased the building with John Kane, his real estate partner with Skylight Partners LLC, for $350,000.

“I thought it was a really great building,” Cooper said. “We wanted to preserve it.”

He and Kane then found the man they trusted to take over the Walker Library: Jesse Edmunds.

“He had a really cool plan,” Cooper said. “And the building would be open to the public.”

The plan: Bar 1903 — Library of Cocktails.

Renovations were a labor of love. Edmunds and his team hand-milled wood for the top of the bar and built the back kitchen and the bathrooms.

On Feb. 7, 2020, about four months after the acquisition of the space, Bar 1903 opened its doors. But the new business had to close six weeks later when COVID-19 hit.

↑ Clockwise from top: A Knickerbocker, made with rum; the bar awaits its next round of customers; a smiling bartender pours a cocktail without straining a bit; seating at Bar 1903 is limited but worth the wait.

← The David Shelby Walker Library building contrasts, inside and out, with its far more contemporary neighbor on Park Avenue. The building is on the National Registry of Historic Places.

“Bar 1903 opened right before the pandemic, and it was one of the first buildings I wanted to visit after the world opened back up,” Emmanuel said.

The place exudes warmth, decorated in neutral hues, with antique sconces and heart pine flooring. A portrait of David S. Walker hangs over the fireplace. The ceiling is at least 20 feet high with a cupola flanked by small windows.

A narrow staircase leads to a skinny walkway that encircles the main room, but it’s not workable for serving the public, said Edmunds, whose other venues are Liberty Bar & Restaurant, El Cocinero, the Hawthorn Bistro & Bakery and Black Radish.

Bar 1903’s intimate setting does bring challenges. The room can only accommodate 36 people, and there’s no standing at the bar. If it’s filled, the host will keep your place and call your cell when a table is available. You have about 15 minutes to come back and get seated.

The Walker building may have evolved from words to whiskey, but Bar 1903 embraces its library theme.

The spirits selection includes a stellar wine list, regional beer choices, house cocktails and mocktails. The historically themed cocktail compendium gets special attention.

“It’s been inspired by other amazing programs in the country,” Edmunds said.

“It’s an homage to one of my favorite bars on the planet, The Roosevelt Room in Austin.”

Bar 1903’s collection starts with the “Pre-1880s” page titled “The Beginning.” It includes a Sazerac, Prescription Julep and a Manhattan. The “2000-Now Renaissance and Rebirth” section features a White Negroni, the Naked and Famous (with mezcal and Chartreuse) and Trinidad Sour.

“You don’t have to always reinvent the wheel,” said bar manager Austin Conatser. “They’re classic recipes, and there’s a reason they’ve stood the test of time.”

Mixologists may put their personal spin on some classics or trendy drinks.

↖↑ Clockwise from top left: Crafting cocktails at Bar 1903 is an exacting process; a Lucien Gaudin cocktail; Bar 1903 offers a topflight wine list, regional craft beers, cocktails and mocktails.

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

In the heart of DowntownTallahassee

Lunch, Dinner, Sunday Brunch, and Happy Hour

TVs for the Games

Live Music

Catering also available. From weddings to at-home gatherings to office lunches and events.

Catering@AndrewsDowntown.com

228 S. Adams St. | (850) 815-9184

(850) 815-9124 | AndrewsDowntown.com

Bar 1903’s appeal, however, isn’t just about spirits. The seasonal menu is a prime attraction.

Favorites include a roasted vegetable bruschetta, comforting soups, sandwiches on homemade breads, deviled eggs and a choice of boards, whether you prefer an artisan cheese board, burrata antipasto or the chef’s spreads and dips. Don’t miss the flourless chocolate cake or Bar 1903’s take on a Pop Tart.

The food, cocktails and setting combine for a venture that’s extended the history of a beloved building.

“There is truly something special about this place,” said Tyler Sheridan, former general manager. “The interior and the history of the space brings a magic to the city. It’s a really cool place to be.” TM

↑ The food menu includes mostly boards and small plates. Customers choosing to chase a good cocktail with food enjoy burrata antipasto, deviled eggs, dips and spreads, including sun-dried tomato tapenade, creamy spinach and artichoke dip, and pimento cheese dip, served with crostini and accoutrements.

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SPREAD THE WORD

Butter boards stake claim as the new charcuterie

by HANNAH BURKE

While reading a review for one of my favorite horror author’s latest works, I came across the word “wynorrific.”

Google failed me as I researched the word’s etymology, but unfailingly, the Urban Dictionary was there to save the day.

Its entry describes the adjective as suitable for something both lovely or pleasurable, yet simultaneously horrifying. “You can say something is ‘wynorrific’ when something is visually beautiful, but you are scared of that very thing,” it reads. “You are scared not because of its scale or size, but simply due to its horrific characteristic.”

An erupting volcano, for example, is wynorrific. The macabre works of early 19th-century painter Francisco Goya often depict wynorrific, nightmarish scenes.

And then there’s the butter board. The internet’s latest take on the party platter, butter boards replace the cured meats, artisanal cheeses and the often-neglected dried fruit of a traditional charcuterie board with — you guessed it — calorific slabs of butter.

But butter is just the pallid yellow canvas for elaborate smatterings of verdant herbs and veggies and bright jams and seasonings designed to elevate your next bite of bread into art.

The craze took off shortly after TikTok user and recipe connoisseur

Justine Doiron (@Justine_Snacks) posted a clip of herself in what she called “a silly, goofy butter mood,” as she spread two sticks of butter across a small wooden slab. Doiron then accents the spread with “tons” of flaky sea salt, lemon zest, slivers of shallot and bright pops of pink and purple edible flowers. A finishing drizzle of corianderinfused honey made it almost too pretty to eat, but the influencer shamelessly dunked a hunk of warm rye into her creation and claimed, “I love it … it just feels, like, really communal.”

The butter board is, undoubtedly, the conversation piece you’ll want at your next get-together. For once your guests are over the initial shock and horror of god knows how much lard spread across a plank, they’ll

take that first bite and bond over their heightened cholesterol and the vacation their taste buds are taking to Flavortown.

Of course, I had to try this phenomenon for myself. But, as a consequence of “going viral,” butter board recipes are a dime a dozen, with hundreds of would-be chefs determined to put their own spin on the trend.

One formula spices things up with Sichuan peppercorns, chili oil, scallions and crunchy bits of fried garlic and nuts for texture. Another is suited to the sweet tooth, with rivulets of honey, maple syrup, brown sugar and cinnamon.

Then, there’s the best of both worlds: trays featuring figgy jam, goat cheese and freshly chopped sprigs of mint and basil.

DINING IN

photography by SAIGE ROBERTS

↖ CALORIFIC The foundation for Hot Honey Garlic Butter Boards is two sticks of salted butter. Online platforms have fueled the butter board craze, which is giving meat-and-cheese boards a run for their money.

I opted for that happy medium, combining several methods for the sweet ’n spicy spread of my dreams with garlic, red pepper flakes, Parmesan and honey, then pulled out all the stops for this one and splurged on two sticks of Kerrygold Pure Irish Salted Butter.

Before you get to sculpting, you’ll want to make sure your butter is soft and malleable. My extensive research suggested the best way to lay the foundation was by cutting off around a tablespoon at a time. Then, using a cheese knife or the back of a spoon, smoosh little “petals” across your board. It’s aesthetically pleasing, and your accoutrements can pool into the little craters you created to bring on that dip factor.

I heated a thin layer of olive oil on the stove and sauteed my garlic, red pepper flakes, honey and cheese into a thick sauce. Finishing my board was as simple as distributing the blend across the butter, sprinkling an extra layer of Parmesan over the top for good measure and toasting a pre-baked French baguette until it was nice and crunchy.

Remember, whether you choose pita chips, naan, crusty bread or crackers to accompany your masterpiece, it is only a vehicle for that sweet, sweet butter.

It was upon grabbing my third slice of bread that I conceded, “Maybe TikTok was right this time.”

Partly disgusted, but mostly delighted, I embraced the wynorrific. TM

HOT HONEY GARLIC BUTTER BOARD

Serves 1–6, depending on how self-destructive you’re feeling

INGREDIENTS

➸ 2 sticks salted butter

➸ 2 tablespoons olive oil

➸ 2 to 3 tablespoons minced garlic

➸ 1–2 tablespoons red pepper flakes

➸ 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

➸ 2 tablespoons honey

➸ 1 spring onion, green tops finely chopped (optional)

➸ 2 tablespoons roasted peanuts, crushed (optional)

➸ Crusty bread or crackers

INSTRUCTIONS

Allow butter to soften to room temperature. Distribute, one tablespoon at a time, into even “petals” across a standard wood cutting board or mini charcuterie board. Heat skillet of olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic, and saute for a minute, then add crushed red pepper, Parmesan and honey. Mix until thickened and saucy. Drizzle mixture over butter. Top with more Parmesan, roasted peanuts and scallions if desired. Serve with choice of bread, crostini or artisanal cracker. Enjoy!

SUPPING AT THE SEINEYARD

Seafood sizzles and Sam’s stories come for free

by STEVE BORNHOFT

Sam Dunlap observed with interest the traffic to an Italian restaurant located in a strip center in Woodville and reasoned that he could do just as well or better offering people food they’d really like.

“That place was just busy, busy,” he recalled.

Dunlap, who had been a restaurant employee for much of his life, was working as a seafood wholesaler and knew where and how to go about sourcing fresh fish, shrimp and crab. He would establish the first of the three

Seineyard restaurants he now owns with his wife, Starr, in the space that had been occupied by the seller of pizza, meatballs and red sauce.

“When they finally went out, we went in,” said Dunlap, who vividly recalls his opening night.

“We had really worked hard getting everything ready. We had 40 seats. People were lined up. We had these big, plate glass windows, and they were staring in at us, and it scared me and Starr to death. And we ran out of seafood. I mean, we didn’t have nothin’.”

↗ Sam Dunlap and his wife Starr own three Seineyard restaurants. At 66, he has no plans to retire and says he is addicted to the sounds of the kitchen and the company of customers. A former seafood wholesaler, he recalls well the days when oysters were tonged, not farmed, and sold at restaurants for 80 cents a dozen. photography by DAVE

Tears ran down the couple’s cheeks.

“We said, ‘What have we done?’ But the next day, I went and bought some more seafood, and I made sure we had plenty that night.”

Twenty-eight years later, he’s still making sure.

“We had a good 10-year run at the strip mall,” Dunlap said. “It was really good. The economy was good.”

Then, in 2005, he clambered over the usual permitting hurdles and expenses and built a restaurant across the street. Sam and Starr also co-own Seineyard restaurants in Wakulla County — in Panacea and near Medart.

Tastes vary as you move among the three establishments. In Woodville, which is reasonably convenient to south Tallahassee, the clientele is mostly Black.

“They come for the fried mullet and catfish, oysters and shrimp — simple things,” Dunlap said. “I don’t sell a lot of stuffed flounder or stuffed grouper. Fried fish, grits and slaw. That’s how we made our name up there.”

While governor, Lawton Chiles stopped by Woodville from time to time. FDLE

agents would enter the restaurant first to do a security check while Chiles and other customers waited outside.

“They would check everybody out, want to know who was workin’,” Dunlap recalled. “Then they’d send me outside to let the governor know his table was ready.”

The restaurateur and the governor once joined in a kidding exchange.

“He asked me, ‘Sammy, you got any of them mullet?’ And I told him, ‘Governor, you outlawed them when you signed the net ban.’”

Chiles was not to be outdone.

“He said, ‘Sammy, them bootleg mullet eat better anyway.’”

At Dunlap’s Coastal Highway location at the Wildwood Country Club, the crowd is local — Crawfordville, Shell Point and new neighborhoods in the area of Rehwinkle Road.

Wildwood diners eat a lot of fried shrimp. More than once, the restaurant has won “Best Shrimp Dinner” honors from the Wakulla County News

“We sell a lot of ribeye steaks there, too, and we serve hamburger steak

← FRESH SEAFOOD

From left: Fried shrimp, fresh, locally caught mullet, a grouper-andshrimp combo platter. Lower photo: Oysters on the half shell.

with onions and gravy,” Dunlap said. “Give you a big ol’ roll to sop that gravy up with.”

Wildwood is large enough to accommodate a buffet — what Dunlap calls a “hot and a lot.” He offers them on holidays including Valentine’s Day, “mama day and daddy day.” Diners fill their plates with prime rib, fried shrimp, grilled shrimp, chicken (bone-in and fingers), salad bar sides, casseroles, corn pudding (a popular favorite), squash casserole, broccoli and cheese, and green beans, while somehow saving room for dessert.

In the fall, visiting college football teams that have traveled to play FSU often stay at the Magnuson Hotel located next to the Wildwood Seineyard.

“I work with some FAMU opponents, too, but the ACC and SEC teams, they spend awful amounts of money for food — it’s crazy,” Dunlap said. “And the rule is, you don’t run out of anything. You got 80 players, you bring ’em over here and we’ll feed ’em. They eat two to three times more than regular people, and you gotta charge ’em for it, but it’s good business.”

Sam and Starr live in Panacea on Dickerson Bay-front property that has long been in her family. Their nextdoor neighbor is the specimen collector/ aquarium operator/firebrand Jack Rudloe. At their Rock Landing location, combo plates — stuffed grouper and shrimp — sell well.

“I’d tell you more about our customers there if I ever saw them more than once,” Dunlap said.

“Panacea used to be a little crab-pickin’ town. Now, the tourism business has picked up. People come for the weekend, they come to fish, a lot of Tallahassee

people come down. Some people come to ride the bicycle trails. You can go from St. Marks to Sopchoppy.”

At both Wildwood and Rock Landing, Dunlap moves a lot of “sticky shrimp,” made with pure cane syrup that he obtains from a supplier in Medart.

“You can’t use store bought,” he said. “It won’t caramelize; it won’t cook down. I’ve probably got 40 cases of cane syrup in storage.”

Much has changed since the days when Dunlap sold seafood wholesale. Seafood has become a global enterprise. Japanese buyers pay top prices for the best product caught by American fishermen.

“What happens in Taiwan with the farm-raised shrimp affects what happens in South America and that affects what happens in the United States,” Dunlap said. “The price of shrimp varies like the price of oil.”

Dunlap recalls when runs of hopper shrimp attracted a fleet of trawlers that

lined up from Ochlockonee Bay to St. James. He remembers seeing millions of migrating mullet fall out of the Everglades at Goodland on Marco Island where fishermen used to deploy 1,200foot gill nets and fill the mesh with fish.

“I swear Jesus walked across the water on the backs of mullet,” Dunlap said. Oysters that used to sell for 80 cents a dozen now sell for 80 cents apiece. These days, Dunlap pays $17 to $22 a pound for grouper fillets.

But Dunlap keeps adapting, keeps making sure he has enough. He has his Woodville restaurant listed for sale, but he isn’t ready to retire.

“It’s like they say about people who come to Florida and can’t get the sand out of their shoes,” Dunlap said. “I just like the sound of dishes and silverware clanging. I line-cooked for years, and you don’t cook with just your sight. You use your ears, too. When that oyster gets to cooking, you’ll hear it slow down, and it will go ‘pssshhh’ and even if you’ve got your back turned, you know it’s about ready.”

And Dunlap loves the sound of his own stories.

“You and I are friends. If we were strangers, everything I told you this morning would have been a lie. But being that we’re friends, it’s entertainment.” TM

↗ The Seineyard restaurant at Rock Landing in Panacea attracts tourists who come to the area to fish, ride an expanding network of bicycle trails and get the chatter out of their heads.

photography by DAVE BARFIELD

April 27-30, 2023

Thursday • Winemakers & Shakers • 5pm–7pm

Friday • VIP Wine Tasting Kick-Off • 4pm–6pm

Friday • Craft Beer & Spirits Jam • 5:30pm–8pm

Saturday & Sunday • Grand Tastings • 1pm–4pm

Attendees enjoy such attractions as Spirits Row, Savor South Walton Culinary Village, Nosh Pavilions, Tasting Seminars, Craft Beer & Spirits Jam, live entertainment and more than

→ FSU Master Craftsman Studio lead figurative sculptor Sandy Proctor created a bronze statue of former university president John Thrasher.

Masters of ART

FSU’s Master Craftsman Studio works humbly behind the scenes, blending tradition, craftsmanship and education

STORY BY MARINA BROWN AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAVE BARFIELD

Feel like a stroll through an art museum? How about an open-air sculpture garden or the contemplation of handcrafted stained-glass windows?

If so, a tour of Florida State University may be in order. Spread across 487 acres, the FSU collegiateGothic style campus has, through presidents, deans and devoted alumni, evolved not only as a center of learning but also an environment that calls upon legacy and art to enliven the campus.

conic statues of Seminole princesses, contemplative emeritus presidents, even leaping ballet dancers brave the elements in bronze across the campus. There are artistic memorials to fallen public servants and brave airmen who attended FSU, glorious stained-glass works, basrelief carvings and artwork molded into rounded walls. The Donald L. Tucker Civic Center even features a handcrafted spear sculpture. And all of it fabricated at FSU.

But how did over 50 bronzed forms and other artistic works find their way onto a college campus?

In a less-than-impressive onestory building off the main campus on Gaines Street, you’ll find the director of the Master Craftsman Studio (MCS) John Raulerson, a boyish 50-year-old whose heart beats a Seminole chop.

↑ John Raulerson is the director of the Master Craftsman Studio at Florida State University. Its artists have contributed to making the FSU campus the “fifth most beautiful in the nation.” Statues on campus grounds include one of John Thrasher, right.

He doubles as FSU’s director of facilities and waste management, though his calling has always been art and, especially, its construction. For the past 10 years, Raulerson has overseen the creation of public artworks for the university and commissioned pieces for the community which helps finance the studio’s mission.

Created in 2000 by past president Sandy D’Alemberte and then MCS director Robert Bischoff, Raulerson said the studio’s debut project was the “soaring stained-glass windows” at Dodd Hall Heritage Museum.

Students, staff and faculty handled every aspect from the design of medieval-style crests to fabrication and installation of the commemorative windows. But that was just the beginning. Echoing Raulerson’s own artistic credo that “you should do something with art,” today MCS reflects its initial mission: “to bring creativity and entrepreneurship together to facilitate sustainable artistic enterprise and education.”

And that means teaching students, typically 24 per year, to make beautiful things and operate as professionals.

“When a client arrives with a project, they, the student interns and the staff, sit down to examine the feasibility of design, the engineering, the fabrication, the costs and the time needed for completion — all aspects of a project, not just the artistic ones,” explained Raulerson.

And yet, the artistic challenges are exciting. With both full-time and parttime artists and artisans, Raulerson described “conference table” preliminaries, called “charrettes,” as a place where practicality and vision find unison.

“Juan Comas, one of our designers, can immediately sketch out a concept in such detail that we’re almost ready for shop drawings and blueprints,” laughed Raulerson.

Rick Humphery is a master at precision-lasered letters. Karen Pritzl is a “magician” of stained-glass

↑ Above: Master Craftsman Studio designer Juan Comas works on a large stained-glass piece. Below: The MCS’s debut project was the soaring stained-glass windows at the Dodd Hall Heritage Museum. The MCS serves to “bring creativity and entrepreneurship together to facilitate sustainable artistic enterprise and education.”

PHOTO BY THE WORKMANS

storytelling. Phil Gleason manages the studio. Multimedia artist Maggie Jones manages interns. And Mark Dickson and Sandy Proctor are figurative sculptors.

“Each of them is renowned both at MCS and independently,” Raulerson added.

It is from them that the students learn.

And the community has often tapped into the artistry of MCS through commissioned work.

Stroll past “Declaration,” the glass sculpture across from the MCS at Gaines Street and Woodward Avenue. The City of Tallahassee paid $200,000 to cap off the area’s makeover with a glittering rainbow of lights in the middle of a roundabout. Inside the main workshop, past and

in-process commissions are to be found. A shelf of “skulls,” made for Disney, sits at attention next to basrelief dolphins to be used on license plates. A set of megalithic panels in deep blue and brilliant red glass geometry are being set like jewels for installation at Westminster Oaks.

“These commissions are what keep us going,” said Raulerson.

A second stop on the Master Craftsman tour would quicken the heart of most men who love to tinker and build. Inside yet another nondescript building shared with facilities and a fleet of garbage trucks, Raulerson proudly sweeps his arm across a panoply of machines, gadgets and raw materials that the artisans will turn into art.

A massive, hollow aluminum beam will be turned into “wood” and mounted above a client’s driveway. A stack of lumber from campus trees and even Tully Hall floorboards will be turned into bespoke writing pens handed out on special FSU occasions. And in a corner, wrapped in plastic as if he might spoil, waits a super-life-sized statue of a somber official. Carved at MCS and cast in bronze at the Inferno Foundry in Georgia, the figure patiently waits until the two-ton gantry will lift him up and out, toward a new home.

John Raulerson’s “realm” at MCS, he said, is exactly where he wants to be. Formerly an FSU art professor, he sees what he does now as the vital junction of art and public space — opening it to all.

“This university program is unique in the country. In fact, the head of the art department at the University of Wyoming will be visiting soon to see how we do it.”

With pride, Raulerson glances back at the unimpressive exterior of his workshop, noting that Florida State University has been designated the “fifth most beautiful college campus in the nation.” And with a nod of knowledge and certainty, his smile suggests that it might one day snag first place. TM

↑ MCS sculptor and lead fabricator Mark Dickson cuts plate steel. At left: FSU student and MCS intern Alexander Barr displays an FSU seal carved from part of a cypress tree that was removed from the FSU campus. At MCS, students learn from established, highly regarded artists.

← Opposite page, top: MCS employees, left to right, Julia Zimmerman, Karen Pritzl, John Raulerson, Rick Humphrey, Maggie Jones, Alexander Barr, Juan Comas, Phil Gleason, Mark Dixon. Opposite page, lower photo: Maggie Jones works on stencil used in sandblasting glass that will go into a window. Below: A bronze helmet is part of a memorial honoring U.S. Navy pilot Scott Speicher, an FSU alumnus whose jet was shot down on the first night of the Iraq war in 1991.

story by STEVE BORNHOFT

photography by THE WORKMANS

Paintings reveal themselves on Imaginary Road

This morning, the painting revealed itself to the artist. Anne Hempel was working on a commissioned piece — woodpecker among blooming dogwoods — but she got stuck, unable to see how the painting was supposed to go forward. But the music was right, and emotionally, she was in a positive place and her head was in a good space, and then the moment happened. Everything jelled.

ANNE HEMPEL HAS A KNACK FOR SOLVING PAINTING PUZZLES.

“As an artist, I hope that I will always have that ability to see where I want my art to go,” she said. “Maybe I should have bigger goals, but I just want to keep doing what I’m doing. I just finished painting a peacock, and I’m doing some flamingos and anhingas. I never get tired of painting birds.”

She paints wildflowers, too, and oyster shells and once painted a parade of dancing woodland creatures led by a bear that included a mouse, a porcupine, a rabbit, a frog and a squirrel. But birds demand that Hempel never forget them.

They are all about her at her home on Imaginary Road in northeast Tallahassee.

“I live in a very beautiful, woody, swampy, magical area where I get lots of inspiration,” said Hempel, who has always been close to nature.

“As a child, I was of the generation that went outside to play all day,” she said. “I played in creeks and made mud pies and collected bugs and fireflies in jars. My dad has always been a big fisherman and would take us fishing a lot. We were often at the beach or near water. Those were really foundational experiences in my life. I was awed by sunsets when we were out on the boat and clouds coming in carrying big storms.”

Hempel likes both inland and coastal environments, but she is drawn especially to North Florida woods that are like unfenced aviaries.

“There are a lot of hawks and owls and other screeching birds here all the time,” she said of her home. A graduate of Florida State University, Hempel taught elementary school English for many years at the School of Arts and Sciences on Thomasville Road after teaching preschoolers as a student. For a stint, she taught English in Japan.

While Hempel was teaching, a friend asked her to paint furniture for her. That would prove to be a pivotal experience in her development as an artist.

“I loved painting on the wood. I did lots of layers and used crackle paint and stressed edges and got into the techniques and colors and the process of working with paint,” Hempel said. “I gained the confidence that I could make paintings and sell them. I had never been

“I realized that the painting needed to be backlit in a way that I hadn’t considered,” Hempel said. “Now, I know I’ve got it.”

↑ The pileated woodpecker, a crow-sized bird that sends bark flying when at work, is among artist Anne Hempel’s favorite birds and one that frequents her backyard on Imaginary Road. Her painting, Golden Chambers, measures 16 by 26 inches and has been enhanced with embedded treasures including moss, bits of fern and gold leaf. Hempel paints with acrylics applied to wood. PHOTOS BY THE WORKMANS AND COURTESY OF ANNE HEMPEL (GOLDEN CHAMBERS)

afraid to paint, but I just gave my work away to friends or my parents or used them to decorate my own home.”

Today, she paints on boards prepared by her husband, Todd, a state entomologist.

“I like working on wood because it gives me a durable surface,” Hempel said. “I can dig into the paint when it’s wet and embed treasures in it from nature. The wood holds the thickened layers, and I can drag paintings around; they don’t get beat up like a canvas. I don’t think I would ever be able to work with canvas.”

Those natural treasures incorporated into many of Hempel’s paintings include feathers, butterfly wings, moths, leaves, grasses, ferns and bits of bark. Her daughter Evelyn, age 10, is her chief treasure hunter. About the added plant material, Hempel said, “I try to make it look like it has always been there.”

Abandoning teaching for life as a fulltime artist was rough at first, Hempel said.

“I knew I was going to lose my health insurance and my regular paycheck,” she said. “But it was my best decision ever. I was a good teacher, but I am better at doing art. It is better for me, and I enjoy it more, and my personality is really better suited to being an artist.”

Hempel consults a wildlife photographer for technical advice from time to time but also permits herself flights of fanciful whimsy.

“People may ask me whether a woodpecker really would land on a small tree or if two male cardinals would really share a branch,” Hempel said. “Sometimes I have to tell them I don’t know, and that I just imagined what I painted. I do try to capture the essence of a bird, but it’s not a rule.”

Hempel loves to travel and said she can find inspiration everywhere. She visited Italy last October and was inspired by streetscapes and museums. She has traveled extensively in Southeast Asia. Some people have commented that her art seems to reflect Asian influences.

“Right now, I am looking at a children’s book by Brian Wildsmith called The Little Wood Duck, Hempel noted. “It’s inspired some paintings. I have read it to Evelyn a lot of times, and it’s amazing.”

But it was a backyard bird, the pileated woodpecker, that inspired a painting chosen by LeMoyne Arts as its cover art for this year’s Chain of Parks Art Festival. The painting, Wood Whittlers, will appear on the festival magazine, posters and shirts.

“They’re big, and they’re very loud,” Hempel said of the crow-sized pileateds. “I’ll walk outside, and they will have that loud, echoing sound when they are pecking on a tree. It puts you on alert. Sometimes, I think I would like to add a soundtrack to my paintings.” TM

↑ A large piece, Prancing Peacock, measures 30 by 54 inches. Hempel paints flamboyant boards such as peacocks, flamingos and swallow-tailed kites, but is not averse to devoting one of her birds to a less dramatic species such as the uniformly black anhinga.

PHOTOS BY THE WORKMANS

FESTIVAL ATTRACTS TOP ARTISTS

The LeMoyne Arts Chain of Parks Art Festival will take place April 15–16 at the Bloxham, Lewis and Randolph “Chain of Parks,” located in Downtown Tallahassee. The event is free and open to the public. “The Chain of Parks Art Festival brings some of the nation’s top fine artists to the Capital City,” said festival chair Kelly Dozier. “It’s an opportunity for collectors to acquire new pieces and also serves to introduce fine art to people who may not have experienced it.” For more information on the 2023 Chain of Parks Art Festival, visit ChainOfParks. com. Check out the latest festival social media updates on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Anne Hempel has works for sale at the Signature Art Gallery, 2782 Capital Circle NE. She sells paintings at shows and from her at-home studio. About a third of her work is completed on commission.

Hempel, the cover artist for this year’s LeMoyne Chain of Parks Art Festival, adds a feather from a northern flicker to a painting of a dogwood tree. The piece was commissioned by a woman who asked Hempel to depict a springtime scene that mirrors the spot where her mother is buried. The piece measures 28 by 44 inches.

and Light

Steven Saccio makes elements of photography work for him

story by STEVE BORNHOFT

photography by STEVEN SACCIO

Composition

Three days after his inauguration in January 2019, Gov. Ron DeSantis flew to Fort Lauderdale, where he would suspend the Broward County sheriff in connection with the massacre at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland. The travel did not go as planned.

The governor’s King Air prop plane, described by Steven Saccio as “rickety,” lost cabin pressure while 19,000 feet above the Gulf of Mexico. Masks dropped from the ceiling, and the pilot made a rapid descent to 10,000 feet before making an emergency landing.

Saccio, brand new to his job as the governor’s staff photographer, was on board. He was surprised when the DeSantis team was able to quickly charter a second plane and resume progress to South Florida. While slightly shaken, he completed the trip and documented DeSantis’ interaction with survivors of slain students.

For 18 months, Saccio would shadow the state’s chief executive until the demands of the job and its extensive travel requirements became incompatible with the needs of his growing family. News developed quickly during

the height of the COVID-19 crisis, and Saccio found that he was constantly on call.

It had come time for him to return to the photography business he had launched before catching on with DeSantis.

Saccio has always been drawn to art. He has sketched and painted since childhood and studied graphic art at the University of North Florida, where he was influenced by the head of the photography department. He took elective photography courses and so impressed the professor that he was advised to ditch graphics and pick up a camera.

After working for Disney “doing whatever jobs they had for me” for eight-plus years, Saccio and his wife, Lydia, moved to Tallahassee, where he had grown up. Lydia went to work at the state Division of Retirement — she now works at

the Leon County Supervisor of Elections Office — and he started Steven Saccio Photography. The couple has two children.

“The first year in business was rough, but after that, I had established a network of people who helped me, and things started kicking into gear,” Saccio said.

He is engaged in commercial photography and portraiture along with fine-art, 360-degree and drone photography.

“Commercial work pays the bills, but it’s the artistic side that really does it for me,” Saccio said. “I like to get out and do my own thing.”

Previous page: A high school ROTC student from Mosley High School posed for a senior portrait in silhouette. Top: Gov. Ron DeSantis, joined by personnel from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission and the South Florida Water Management District combined to lift a Burmese python captured as part of a program to eradicate the invasive species from the Everglades. Lower photo: DeSantis and his wife, Casey, greeted students at the North Florida School of Special Education in Jacksonville. Opposite page: DeSantis shakes the hands of members of the 125th Fighter Wing of the Florida National Guard who had been deployed to Southeast Asia. Lower photo: DeSantis conducts a press conference held to discuss the first confirmed COVID-19 cases in Florida.

Top: Steve Saccio’s photo, Stand Off, won a statewide creativity award from the Florida Professional Photographers, Inc.

Bottom: A Saccio photo of the state capitol was intended to “portray the building as an imposing figure.” Opposite page: Reborn Through the Water earned him a Best in Show award from the Tallahassee Professional Photographers Guild.

Bottom: Saccio’s shot of Charlie Wilson performing at Cascades Park won a statewide award for social event photography.

Competitions provide an outlet that way.

In 2014, Saccio won Best in Show honors for a photo of a baptism that he submitted to a competition sponsored by the Tallahassee Professional Photographers Guild. He has won awards for social events photography and creativity at statelevel Florida Professional Photographers events. In January, he received his master of photography degree from the Professional Photographers of America during the organization’s annual convention in Nashville.

Top: A long-exposure shot created the silky appearance of the waterfall at Cascades Park.

Bottom: Lake Jackson at dusk.

Saccio spent seven years earning the degree, which is awarded based on credit earned through peer-juried image reviews.

Asked what qualifies photography as an art form, Saccio was quick to respond.

“It is an interpretation of light that involves composition and putting multiple things together to form an image that is appealing to the eye and thought-provoking,” he said.

Saccio has a photo of oxygen masks on a plane. It’s not especially artful, but it does make you think. TM

Saccio describes his Sharing Some Air as “dystopian and post-apocalyptic”; in Pony Up, one of the poker-playing horses has already lost his pants; a drone photo of Tallahassee at dusk.

Steven Saccio

EMPOWERING WOMEN TO ACT AS AGENTS OF SOCIAL CHANGE.

A nonprofit organization of women committed to improving the lives of children and families through effective action and leadership of trained volunteers.

The Junior League of Tallahassee trains members to be effective volunteers and leaders in our community. As a member, you will meet motivated, civic-minded women, learn about your community, and have opportunities to participate in projects and hone your skill set.

GET INVOLVED. MAKE AN IMPACT.

JLT PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS:

The Junior League of Tallahassee’s volunteers are actively working to address our community’s most pressing needs by providing services and creating opportunities for families experiencing poverty and food insecurity through League-run programs like Mighty Meals, Kids’ Boutique, and Done in a Day, as well as through strategic partnerships with the Big Bend Homeless Coalition’s HOPE Community and Sabal Palm Elementary.

WE ARE THE JUNIOR LEAGUE. JOIN US.

Applications for prospective members are due June 1, 2023. Visit tallahassee.jl.org/join-us for more information or email join@jltallahassee.org

IN THE 2021-2022 LEAGUE YEAR, MEMBERS SERVED OVER 9,200 HOURS IN 2022 MIGHTY MEALS DISTRIBUTED NEARLY

NEARLY 30,000 MEALS IN 2022 KIDS’ BOUTIQUE SERVED

247 LEON COUNTY ELEMENTARY STUDENTS

RightStepUp

Musicians

by EMMA WITMER ↓

↙ Undaunted, Louis Meyerson performs a song while playing emcee George Maddox’s guitar. Maddow generously loans out his prized Taylor acoustic while knowing that broken strings happen.

Finnegan’s Wake is small enough that you might mistake the open mic night stage for a hostess stand cordoned off in the corner of the warmly lighted Irish pub. A crowd of 15 or so regulars ranging from their mid-20s to their early 60s, all within earshot, shared jokes with the bartender and vented about work or final exams.

I’d opted for the bar stool nearest to the stage, perfectly situated to take in the performances to come. Two stools away, a girl of about my age raised an eyebrow at my notebook, said hello and introduced me to others nearby. Minutes later, I was one of the gang. There are no strangers at Finnegan’s, I learned, and no one escapes the place without throwing back at least one of Hunter the bartender’s raspberry lemon drop shots.

“Y’all still do open mic night Thursdays, right? 8:30?” I asked Hunter.

“Yeah, but we don’t start until after 9,” he replied while pouring a round. “Honestly, it doesn’t really pick up until after 10.”

During my last trip to Finnegan’s open mic night, I had been treated to acoustic country anthems and karaoke enthusiasts, as expected, but there were also spindly hipster bands playing alternative rock and a group of FSU math students, known as Wendy and the Chicken Tenders, who featured a tuba player and performed a full set of Taylor Swift’s biggest hits. The crowd ate up the Tenders.

“Sometimes an old Irish guy comes in with bagpipes, but usually it’s more of an acoustic thing,” Hunter said. “We open it up to whoever. The public is pretty talented.”

I had kilts and big brass instruments on my mind when a young man approached the stage, adjusted

↑ Finnegan’s regulars relish both professional grade performances and musical comedy.

From Taylor Swift on tuba to Southern sirens, open mic night delights.

his sound equipment and tuned his guitar. My new friends gestured to the dark-haired, plaid-clad player. Someone said he has a voice like country singer Morgan Wallen. His name was George Maddox, insurance wholesaler by day, musician after sundown and, for the last year, emcee for Finnegan’s open mic night.

Maddox propositioned the crowd: Perform a song, get a free drink.

Maddox, himself, has taken stages from Greenville, South Carolina, to Apalachicola. No matter the venue, he said, something almost always goes wrong in a live performance. You forget the words, strings break, sound

equipment fails, people don’t listen. It’s all about rolling with the punches.

“Finn’s is a lot different than most places,” Maddox told me. “A lot of open mics seem to be like listening rooms. Everyone is supposed to be quiet, but that’s not how it actually is in a bar when you play your own gig. People are there to drink. If you’re good enough to grab their attention, that’s awesome.”

As a bar singer, Maddox told himself that if he could get people listening and tipping, he could play live and make money doing it.

Maddox kicked off the night with a set of alternative country anthems

↖↑ David Ruffin performs as George Maddox and friends look on. Performers take deep breaths and take the stage in the order in which they volunteer — not without some small incentive. They are compensated for their courage with beer or booze.

from the likes of Zach Bryan, Jason Isbell and Tyler Childers. His voice contained a gritty soulfulness, and he kept time by drumming on his acoustic Taylor guitar, his eyes closed. When he wrapped up his set, Maddox passed his guitar to the next performer in line and melted into a seat with a beer in his hand and his back to the bar. We listened together for the rest of the night, chatting about Finnegan’s and the challenges of breaking into the music industry today.

FINNEGAN’S WAKE

Finnegan’s open mic night is held every Thursday. George Maddox kicks things off around 9 p.m. and keeps the party rocking until after midnight. Other weekly events include bingo, trivia and Sunday brunch.

For aspiring, unpolished musicians, Finnegan’s nurturing, no-pressure environment is a place to gain confidence, learn and have fun.

Maddox is their mentor. He knows how it feels when things go wrong. At a performance on St. George Island with his band, the Apalachicola Sound, Maddox had to restring his guitar out on a dock and lost a peg to the water below. He found a stick, whittled it into shape and got through the set.

The show must go on. TM

↑ When George Maddox isn’t working as an open mic night emcee, he performs with The Apalachicola Sound. Maddox’s band can be seen at breweries, bars and bandstands all over the city.

BOOKS

BLOODY WORK IF YOU CAN FIND IT

Novel relives Ted Bundy’s terrifying grip on Florida

by WYNN PARKS

Michael Lister is not just a writer; he’s an enterprise! This Wewahitchka boy’s milieu, as a mystery-crime novelist in Northwest Florida, features the folks next door, characters from beach to bayou to piney woods.

Over the past 25 years, Lister has created two series of crime novels and recently has undertaken a third.

But wait, there’s more: a “Meanings” series of his own reflections on life, plus — fingers crossed — Lister has optioned the film script for his book Double Exposure to writer-director Jason Hreno. Lister also heads Michael Lister Charities and, if one cares to look, can be viewed performing original songs on YouTube.

Lister was born in Tallahassee in 1968 to a mom who taught grade school and a dad who was an entrepreneur and owned a hardware store. He grew up playing Little League baseball, but in high school switched to basketball.

“I’m only 6 feet tall, but I still get down on the court with my kids and grandkids,” he said. “I’ve got a killer mid-range jump shot!”

After high school, Lister earned two degrees in theology, instinctively specializing in myth and narrative, and served for a decade as a prison chaplain. Then, in 2000, he departed ministering and took up writing.

If Michael Lister books were films, they’d lean toward docudrama. His “Blood” series of 28 novels (Power in the Blood, Blood of the Lamb, et al.) seems to reflect Lister’s sojourn spent spiritualizing with inmates at three different state prisons.

Whether his fascination with dark tales from the American criminal justice system was induced by those 10 clerical years or his fascination with the works of Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler, cold cases and serial killers inhabit his “Blood” fiction world, presented through the eyes of John Jordon, a kind of Gulf Coast “Father Brown.”

Blood Work, the 12th book in the “Blood” series, opens with a prologue that traces serial killer Ted Bundy’s rampage through Florida from 1978 until 1989, when he was executed in Florida’s electric chair.

In Blood Work, some 40 years after Bundy’s murder spree, the reader encounters John Jordon, the chaplain for the Gulf Correctional Institution and consultant-investigator for the Gulf County Sheriff’s Department, in bed with Anna, his lady love.

A phone call interrupts the couple’s precious spiritual rites with a plea from a local publican — one to which Jordon reluctantly responds and which takes him to a local watering hole where he removes his drunken brother Jake from the premises.

↙

Author Michael Lister at his Wewahitchka home. For 25 years, he has been pumping out titles in his “Blood” series, in which investigator John Jordan is the recurring main character. In Out for Blood, Lister’s 27th book, Jordan works to identify suspects in the beating of his niece and another teenager.

Nearly

Dr. Lauren Combs and Dr. Melanie Brewster

PHOTO BY JENNIFER G PHOTOGRAPHY

↑ The prolific Michael Lister developed a love for language and Southern storytelling at a young age. Before becoming a full-time novelist in 2000, he taught high school, worked as a college professor and inspirational speaker, owned and operated a bookstore, wrote a popular syndicated column, served as a newspaper editor, operated a community theater, wrote plays and screenplays, and worked for a production company.

Out of work since his father, “Sheriff Jack,” lost reelection, Jake has become his dad’s keeper-in-misery. Jack is haunted by the disappearance, on his watch, of a local high-school belle, Janet Leigh Lester, who’d gone missing on her prom night. No body was found, only blood scattered on the inside of her car. At the time, because of a contemporary string of murders from Tallahassee to Pensacola and the girl’s victim profile, Sheriff Jack had concluded that Janet Leigh Lester met with foul play at the hands of one Ted Bundy.

Years later, the unresolved case still hangs like a dark cloud over the whole community, while protagonist John Jordon witnesses his father lost in an empty retirement, agonizing over whether his conclusion about Janet Leigh Lester’s fate had been too easy.

The old man’s sense of failure over time has led him to alcohol, and his relationship with his sons, John and Jake, has grown problematic. Thereby hangs not only a murder mystery, but the tale of how John Jordon, special investigator and dutiful son, revives the cold case of Janet Leigh Lester’s disappearance and comes to the aid of a father from whom he’s become estranged.

Essentially, Lister’s Blood Work is a tale with a Southern touch that unearths old mysteries, reveals generational secrets and that, at its best, reveres the notion of the circle being unbroken between generations.

Lister is unbelievably prolific. The New York Times puts him on its list as a best-selling crime-mystery author. His insights into the criminal psyche are often spot-on. Not exactly what the Beatles had in mind in Paperback Writer. Lister’s already made it there, in spades. TM

An experience as great as your smile.

We are proud to be considered one of Tallahassee’s most respected practices of its kind. Our goal is to provide the kind of professional, personalized periodontal and dental implant care you need to ensure beautiful, healthy smiles for a lifetime.

WILLIAM T. BALDOCK, JR., DMD, MS

INSIDE YOUR GUIDE

PUBLISHED BY: Rowland Publishing, Inc.

PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY:

Ivory Fine Art Portraits

“SPRINGTIME UNITED” LOGO DESIGN:

Matt Scaringe, Springtime Member

Springtime Tallahassee would like to thank Tallahassee Magazine for their time and effort while putting together this year’s Festival Guide. Thank you for your hard work!

MATT SCARINGE, PRESIDENT, AND KIM CRAMER, GENERAL CHAIR

PRESIDENT AND GENERAL CHAIR’S WELCOME

Welcome to the 55th annual Springtime Tallahassee Festival! Our Springtime Tallahassee United family is excited to kick off festival weekend starting March 31 with the ninth annual Music Fest on Kleman Plaza. Bring your friends and family for a free music concert showcasing a nationally acclaimed entertainer, food vendors and a beer garden. On Saturday, April 1, join us for the Grand Parade and Jubilee in the Park. The parade begins at 10:30 a.m. and the Jubilee goes on throughout the day. Visit our many craft vendors, community stages, food court and Children’s Park and enjoy a day with your family and friends. A special addition to this year’s Jubilee in the Park will feature an enhanced Music Stage, including popular local entertainers along with a nationally known artist!

The Springtime Tallahassee Festival events would not be possible without the support and assistance of many people in our community. Thank you to our many sponsors in the business community, organizations and the media. Please support the businesses featured in this publication, they make this weekend possible and are committed to giving back to the community they serve. And thank you to the members of Springtime Tallahassee who donate hundreds of hours to bring this event to life. Springtime Tallahassee members truly love our great city and work year-round to showcase all that Tallahassee has to offer.

If you would like to learn more about Springtime Tallahassee and how to become a member of this great organization, please visit our website at SpringtimeTallahassee.com. Please join us for the Springtime Tallahassee Festival, March 31 and April 1, to celebrate Tallahassee with your family and friends. Come out and enjoy the music, fun and festivities!

Tallahassee 2023

Gather, Discover & Shop

2023 SPONSORS

FESTIVAL PARTNERS

PREMIER MUSICFEST SPONSORS

PREMIER JUBILEE SPONSORS

CHAMPION SPONSORS

SIGNATURE SPONSORS

JUBILEE STAGE SPONSORS

CHILDREN’S PARK SPONSORS

SUPPORTING SPONSORS

2023 SCHEDULE OF SPRINGTIME FESTIVAL EVENTS

MARCH 8

BREAKFAST ON THE MOON

6:30–10 a.m., The Moon

Join us for a delicious breakfast while mingling with old friends. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased in advance or at the event.

MARCH 31

MUSIC FESTIVAL ON KLEMAN PLAZA

6–10:30 p.m., Kleman Plaza

Featuring national entertainment! Unwind at the Beer Garden as we ROCK the plaza for this free festival event! Beer, wine, Coca-Cola products and food will be available for purchase.  Make sure to arrive early to enjoy the opening acts, as this event will get packed quickly.

APRIL 1

THE SPRINGTIME ROAD RACES

The Springtime Races (10k/5k/1M) came back to life as in-person races in 2022 after being virtual in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic. The start of the races has moved to Suwannee Street next to Cascades Park in beautiful Tallahassee, Florida. The good news is the start and finish loop begin and end in the same place. The 1-mile race will begin at 7:30 a.m., and the 10k and 5k races will start at 8:00 a.m. All race finishers will receive a medal!

APRIL 1

GRAND PARADE

10:30 a.m.–noon, Monroe Street

Being one of the largest parades in the Southeast, the Springtime Tallahassee Grand Parade needs no introduction. Come see over 100 colorful units and floats, marching bands, dance groups, Springtime Krewe floats and much more!

APRIL 1

JUBILEE IN THE PARK

9 a.m.–5 p.m., Downtown Tallahassee

With more than 125 arts, crafts and food vendors from around the country, this event is represented by some of the best. You can expect artists displaying original, handmade masterpieces and find cuisine with international flavors to ignite anyone’s taste buds!

APRIL 1

CHILDREN’S PARK

9 a.m.–5 p.m., Downtown Tallahassee

This fantastic day of fun-filled activities includes face painting, clowns, sirens and a host of other magical experiences that provide culture, education and recreation for the whole family! This magical area will be sure to unleash the imagination of all ages. Springtime Tallahassee and Tobacco Free Florida are working together to reduce your child’s exposure to secondhand smoke. The Children’s Park is designated as a tobacco-free zone.

JUBILEE IN THE PARK ENTERTAINMENT

SATURDAY, APRIL 1

PRE-PARADE ENTERTAINMENT PONCE DE LEON PARK

9:30–10:30 a.m.

Tallahassee Community College’s Capital City Band

COMMUNITY STAGE

Noon–5

Inc.

2:10–2:30 p.m. Killearn Kids Dance Troupe

2:40–2:50 p.m. Dance Electric Dance Academy

3:00–3:15 p.m. Mau’oli’oli Dancers

3:25–3:40 p.m. Tallahassee Supersquad

3:50–4:20 p.m. Timberlane Arts & Dance Academy

4:30–5:00 p.m. Capital Celtic Dancers

JUBILEE MUSIC STAGE

Noon–5 p.m., Jefferson Street & Adams Street

If you love good music, the Jubilee Music Stage is the place to be on Saturday afternoon! A special addition to this year’s Jubilee in the Park will feature an enhanced music stage, including popular local entertainers along with a nationally known artist. Check our website at springtimetallahassee.com for entertainment updates.

SPRINGTIME TALLAHASSEE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

• President — Matt Scaringe

• General Chairman — Kim Cramer

• President-elect — Sean Marston

• General Chair-elect — Cristina “Kiki” Slaton

• Secretary — Wendy Harley

• Treasurer — Randy Nunn

• Governor — Bob Thornberry

• Immediate Past President — Trey Faulkner

• Immediate Past General Chair — Becky Scaringe

Krewe Chiefs:

• Spanish — Angela Miller

• American Territorial — Michell Smith

• American Statehood — Gregory Handzel

• War & Reconstruction — Hal Mardenborough

• 20th Century — Melinda Daniel

Board Representatives:

• Spanish — Kathy Maus

• American Territorial — Bonnie Fisher

• American Statehood — Fred Varn

• War & Reconstruction — Brady Squires

• 20th Century — Brian Flynn

• Parliamentarian — Scott Smiley

Springtime Tallahassee Staff:

• Executive Director — Blake Moore

Board of Directors

For more information call (850) 224-0825 or visit our website gfwcwomansclubof t allahassee.or g

Nestled among the oak trees at the entrance to Los Robles is a top venue for parties and events. Plan ahead and save on your next celebration!

GOVERNOR AND FIRST LADY

GOVERNOR AND FIRST LADY/ GENTLEMAN HISTORY

To promote the rich history of our community, Springtime Tallahassee annually selects two members to portray the governor and first lady or first gentleman, reflecting the role of government in Florida’s capital city of Tallahassee. They serve, together with the president and the general chairman, as representatives of the organization.

The governor’s staff is composed of members of the five krewes, having been selected by each krewe for a five-year active term. The staff is a marching unit and participates not only in the Springtime Tallahassee Parade, but also in a number of festivals throughout Florida and other states.

BOB THORNBERRY, GOVERNOR MARCIA THORNBERRY, FIRST LADY

PHOTOS BY IVORY FINE ART PORTRAITS

Governor Staff

First Lady Staff

CHIEFS

SPANISH KREWE CHIEF: ANGELA MILLER

Angela spent most of her life in Tallahassee and moved back home from Jacksonville five years ago. She graduated from SAIL High School in 2002, then from the University of North Florida with a bachelor’s degree in accounting. Angela has worked as a tax accountant for 16 years and currently works at James Moore & Co. Angela has two children. This is her fourth year in Springtime Tallahassee as a member of the Spanish Krewe. Angela originally joined Springtime because of her love for the Belles and Gents program and has been serving as Junior Belles and Gents sponsor since she joined. She has come to love Springtime and making lots of great friends along the way. She also has a passion for helping with programs that assist people with special needs and has enjoyed being a part of the Night to Shine Special Needs Prom for the past several years.

AMERICAN TERRITORIAL KREWE: MICHELL MASON SMITH

Michell has been a member of Springtime Tallahassee and the American Territorial Krewe since 2004. Michell moved to Tallahassee to attend Florida State University where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering, with an emphasis in environmental engineering. Michell is currently an environmental administrator with the State of Florida, Department of Environmental Protection. She has maintained a very active role in the American Territorial Krewe, Governor’s Staff and Springtime Tallahassee. She initiated and developed the current Springtime Tallahassee Junior Belles and Gents program and served as the Sponsor for four years. Her daughter went on to represent Miss Springtime Tallahassee 2016–2017 after eight years in the program. Michell and husband KW have served as transportation officers for four governors and were chief of staff for the governor and first lady XXXVII. Her most prestigious honor with Springtime has been serving as First Lady XLII.

AMERICAN STATEHOOD KREWE: GREG HANDZEL

Greg and his family moved from Minnesota to Tallahassee in 2016. He graduated from Irondale High School in 1980 then from University of Minnesota with a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering in 1985. His career has focused on industrial thermal processing systems and commercial air conditioning. Greg and his wife of 34 years, Lynn, have two daughters and one son. Greg manages the North American heating, ventilation and cooling test lab for the global company Danfoss, a position he’s held since moving to Tallahassee. He is an ardent Indy 500 and IndyCar fan. In Minnesota, he loved to grow large pumpkins, twice winning the World Pumpkin Confederation weigh-off in the 1990s. Greg has been in Springtime Tallahassee for four years as part of the American Statehood Krewe. He believes it is a great experience to be part of Springtime Tallahassee, having met so many new friends.

WAR & RECONSTRUCTION KREWE: HAL MARDENBOROUGH

Hal grew up in Coral Gables, Florida. He attended high school in South Florida and undergrad at Clemson University from 1985–89. The forever-plan of law school brought him to Tallahassee in 1989. Hal’s wife Angela, a Tallahassean since 6 years old, attended Leon High School and then Florida State University. They have four children between them, from ages 22–27. Hal is a personal injury lawyer here in town, recently changing firms to practice locally again, after working mostly in Bay County for the last six years. Angela works for the Department of Management Services in human resources. Hal and Angela joined Springtime five years ago. Angela grew up in Springtime as a Belle and her mother, Gayle, and stepfather, Bill (Manley), were active members. Hal is now all-in with Springtime and War & Reconstruction.

20TH CENTURY KREWE: MELINDA DANIEL

Melinda moved to Tallahassee from Miami to attend Florida State University, where she later graduated with a master’s degree in social work. She continued her education at TCC and received an associate and bachelor’s in nursing from Thomas University. She has specialized in residential, rehabilitation and psychiatric inpatient services. She now works at Elder Care Services as a licensed clinical social worker and registered nurse. She is married to Randy Nunn and has five children, two sons-in-law, two future daughters-in-law and three grandsons. Melinda has been part of the Springtime Tallahassee 20th Century Krewe for over a decade, has served in leadership roles and enjoys participating in and chairing fundraising endeavors. Outside of Springtime, Brehon is near and dear to her heart, as they support women in the community who are pregnant and homeless by offering them safe housing and access to education, medical care and childcare.

Chief Angela Miller

Chief Michell Mason Smith and husband Kenneth Smith

Chief Greg Handzel and wife Lynn Handzel

Chief Melinda Daniel and husband Randy Nunn

Chief Hal Mardenborough and wife Angela Mardenborough

MR. & MISS SPRINGTIME TALLAHASSEE

BRADEN BONNEY, MR. SPRINGTIME

LONDYN HENDRIX, MISS SPRINGTIME

PHOTOS BY IVORY FINE ART PORTRAITS

BELLES AND GENTS

Springtime Tallahassee’s Belles and Gents program is made up of young men and women from grade 9 through grade 12. Throughout the year, the Belles and Gents, along with the Jr. Belles and Gents, grades 5 through 8, develop poise, proper etiquette and self-confidence while studying the history and traditions of Florida, Springtime Tallahassee and the city of Tallahassee. Along with learning about our history, the Belles and Gents participate in several community projects that give back to our community. Springtime Tallahassee is very proud of the Belles and Gents and the wonderful way they care about our community.

School of Dance

Belles and Gents

photo by Scott Holstein

Medical Spa also available with an extensive service list, the latest technology, and personalized skin care lines to promote beauty, wellness, health, energy, weight loss and more.

Hannah Walker, APRN and Timothy Walker, MD

abodes

If COVID-19 lockdowns taught us anything, it’s the importance of a little privacy. We all need a dedicated space where we can go to score some solo time.

Surveys confirm this, with “me time” among Pinterest’s latest trend predictions and with an incredible 84.5 billion views on TikTok. The reading corner is a mega trend worldwide.

Not all online trends translate well into real life, but this one certainly does, says Jennifer Taylor, an award-winning Tallahassee interior designer.

“Our clients are definitely looking for peaceful corners in their homes,” she says. “This is especially important since so many of us live with open floor

plans; we crave a place away from the bustle of the house to enjoy a book, write a letter or just wind down with a cup of tea.”

Taylor tells about the conversion of a client’s formal living room to a space that fits the new reality of working at home with a place to unwind at the end of the day. Formal furniture is replaced by a beautiful desk, a pair of comfortable chairs and a wide credenza.

“During the day, they get work done efficiently,” she says, “yet, they have a great space to relax with a glass of wine when the workday is over. For another client, we also converted a formal space by adding a bookcase and comfortable sofa and then painting the space dark

blue. It’s now a cozy place to escape with a book, take a nap or chat with a friend.”

Of course, it isn’t necessary to devote an entire room to “me space.”

Taylor says she often merely adds a cozy reading chair, a good light and a small table to a bedroom. Your private space can be any quiet corner of the house.

Easily convert a cozily padded window seat or any corner by a window where you can fit a chair and small table, the space under the staircase or a closet, and a day bed or rocker on the porch to a space that is meant just for you.

Carving out ‘me space’

The shift toward working from home has led many people to create a home

↗ Elements such as a bookcase or a comfortable sofa can make a room less formal. Wall colors, too, can affect a room’s mood. Blue makes for a cool effect.

office, notes interior designer Anna Osborne of Designs

By Studio A in Tallahassee, and that has taken away much potential me space.

A home office can also provide a kind of me space, she contends. After all, we need a functional, private place to work. If limited on space, you can carve out room in shared common places.

“Think of converting a closet into a private workspace,” Osborne suggests. “Remove the doors or install bifold doors. Most closets are deep enough to fit a desk and already have shelving to store supplies. You can even paint or wallpaper the closet in something bold or neutral, so it sets your desired vibe.”

Whether you want a place to work, dabble in watercolors, scrapbook, have tea and scones with your BFF, read or just relax, Osborne recommends that you start with a list of items, such as furniture and equipment, that you’ll need to make this dedicated area work for you.

“Next, think about where you’ll feel most productive, inspired or relaxed,” she adds. “You’re looking for a place that sets the tone. You’ll possibly need to re-home existing items or declutter to make space, which could be difficult. Remember, change is good, and clutter isn’t helping your overall well-being.”

Osborne prefers a guest room for that extra me space.

“It can easily double up as an office, reading nook, crafting area or meditation space,” she explains. “Invest in flexible pieces of furniture, like a Murphy bed, daybed with a trundle, or a task chair that serves as a side chair during guest visits.”

You may start to look at your home a bit differently, no matter the floor plan. Consider rooms as multipurpose zones.

Flexibility is key, and Osborne suggests investing in movable furniture, adjustable lighting and creative storage.

And then there’s the bathroom, which Osborne calls an inherent me space because there’s a door — and hopefully a lock — and a sense of privacy. That’s absolutely the place to make a personal retreat. Design your bathroom as a luxurious spa surrounded by candles, some music and a glass of wine handily within reach. TM

↑ Think creatively and you can find places suitable as improptu office spaces, advises interior designer Anna Osborne of Tallahassee. For Osborne, rooms are best thought of as versatile spaces suited for multiple purposes.

TALLAHASSEE’S BEST CHOICE IN ACTIVE SENIOR LIVING

TALLAHASSEE’S BEST CHOICE IN ACTIVE SENIOR LIVING

Enjoy an active lifestyle emphasizing wellness and lifelong learning opportunities at our Life Plan Community on 140 acres of rolling hills in Tallahassee. At Westminster Oaks, every residence is maintenance-free, so you can take a wellness class in the fitness center, savor a chef-prepared meal, or enjoy the many walking and biking paths nearby instead of keeping up with your home. You’ll love the wide variety of spacious residences available, all with great services and amenities to enhance your lifestyle, like housekeeping, scheduled transportation and 24-hour security. Best of all, you’ll find safety and security for the future with our full continuum of healthcare services, including Assisted Living, Nursing Care, Memory Care and more, should your needs change.

Enjoy an active lifestyle emphasizing wellness and lifelong learning opportunities at our Life Plan Community on 140 acres of rolling hills in Tallahassee. At Westminster Oaks, every residence is maintenance-free, so you can take a wellness class in the fitness center, savor a chef-prepared meal, or enjoy the many walking and biking paths nearby instead of keeping up with your home. You’ll love the wide variety of spacious residences available, all with great services and amenities to enhance your lifestyle, like housekeeping, scheduled transportation and 24-hour security. Best of all, you’ll find safety and security for the future with our full continuum of healthcare services, including Assisted Living, Nursing Care, Memory Care and more, should your needs change.

Call (850) 813-0978 today to learn more.

Call (850) 813-0978 today to learn more.

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EXTERIORS

OUTWITTING WILDLIFE

Persistence pays off for DIY trapper

by STEVE BORNHOFT

Ialerted my neighbor, Doug the Umpire, to the burrowing activity taking place at a side of the house he rents from two active-duty military women, who decided to rent rather than sell the place when they were deployed to Hawaii. An unknown life form had excavated a considerable hole beneath a pile of sandbags that the very much absentee landlords had been prepared to use if neighborhood flooding ever neared their garage door.

Doug is a congenial sort who works as a salesman for a refrigerated trucking line begun by his father and who moonlights as an official at youth and high school baseball, basketball and football games. He moved from Texas to Panama City Beach, and for that, he says, there is a woman to blame. In his home state, he gained some experience calling balls and strikes at collegiate games. At that level, he confessed, he was unable to track some of the pitches crossing the plate and would instead react to the ball hitting the catcher’s mitt. He texted me the other day and asked me to recommend an eye doctor.

Doug and I jointly inspected the burrow, and he later contacted one of those pest removal outfits whose critter gitters might move about in vans wrapped with designs that include all manner of vermin. The eradicator baited a large live trap with a gooey substance that looked like roofing cement and, unaccountably to me, placed it right on top of the burrow. Days passed and nothing happened. Then Doug discovered evidence of digging in his front yard, and a second trap was placed near that activity. Finally, on a Saturday morning, I noticed that the door of the trap that had been set first was tripped. What might I find there? An armadillo? A rabbit? A gopher tortoise? A nutria or some other invasive species? Imagine my disappointment when I encountered nothing at all exotic, but instead a fiercely pissed off house cat that was throwing itself against the sides of the trap.

I notified Doug.

“Please let him out,” he texted back. “I’m doing youth football until 4 p.m. or so.”

With some hesitation, I donned leather gloves and straddling the trap with my back to Doug’s house managed to free the cat unharmed. By that I mean that I was unharmed. A day or two later the pest control dude picked up his traps. Maybe his contract had run out. Maybe he had just declared victory and cut out.

It was about this time that I discovered shallow holes in the ground near my tea olive bushes and extending into the yard of my other neighbor, Ian the Insurance Man. And then, while filling a bird feeder at the perimeter of my property, I spotted it — a burrow in the face of a slope where my lot drops off into what used to be known as a swamp and is now known as a conservation area. The trapper dude had succeeded only in causing the earth mover to relocate.

As the holes in my yard multiplied, I grew determined not to stand idly by. Scenes from Caddyshack danced in my head as I drove to a nearby Lowe’s, where I would purchase my own live trap.

My working assumption was that I was dealing with an armadillo. I baited my

Chase and Keith McNeill

new Havahart with an open container of fish bait (earthworms) — a suggestion gleaned from a Google search — and placed it near the entrance of the burrow. Days elapsed. Nothing. I retooled my strategy.

Trusting that my adversary was home, I ditched the worms, placed the trap close to the burrow entrance and so surrounded it with boards and an old cooler lid that my quarry could not possibly leave the house without getting caught.

In all of this, I was reliving an element of my North Country youth, when my brothers and I set live traps of various sizes in the late afternoons — peanut butter proved to be a universal bait — and checked them in the morning, then to find creatures ranging from mice and voles to chipmunks and skunks and the greatest prize of all, raccoons. We maintained detailed catch records, presuming that they would be of value to science.

A day after repositioning my trap, I’d had no luck, but something told me to keep the faith and leave the trap where it was. Sooner or later, thirst would force the burrow dweller to move.

On a Saturday afternoon, newly returned from a fishing trip, I looked toward the trap and — Yes! — it had been tripped. Success!

But, hmmm, this armadillo lacked a scaly hide and instead had gray hair that appeared to be thinning. Its tail was naked, it had a white face and it was equipped with needle-sharp fangs.

I loaded the trap into my truck and headed across the Hathaway Bridge over St. Andrew Bay to the campus of Gulf Coast State College. I set my catch free near the edge of a pond surrounded by high vegetation. But rather than head for cover and a refreshing drink, it ambled across an asphalt parking lot and scrambled up concrete steps to the Amelia G. Tapper performance center. There, I suppose, to play possum. TM

CRITTER GITTERS

For anyone desiring to leave wildlife removal and other pest control services to the pros, here are a few options in Tallahassee.

BLACKTHUMB SERVICES, INC.

1421 Stevenson Drive (850) 445-2256

PEST ANIMAL REMOVAL TALLAHASSEE

2022 Fleishmann Road (850) 541-9184

VARMINT EVICTION WILDLIFE REMOVAL SERVICES

4356 David Court (850) 544-2883

Outdoor Oasis YOUR

At Turner’s Fine Furniture

Spring arrives, and you just want to be outside. It’s the perfect time to get your outdoor space or sunroom ready for relaxing and entertaining. Whether it’s at home, the beach, the lake or wherever you choose to enjoy spring, creating a top-notch outdoor oasis is easy with the beautiful inventory at Turner’s Furniture. And by shopping local, you get the added benefit of having a dedicated design expert to help you find the right pieces, determine the most functional arrangement and complete the look with rugs, accessories and more for a space that’s sure to impress! Are you ready to enjoy the great outdoors in style?

2151 US Hwy 319

10 minutes north of Chiles High School (850) 210-0446

TurnerFurniture.com

Alfresco living is easy to love with this outdoor furniture set. Resin wicker over a rust-free aluminum frame lends an upscale aesthetic that’s downright durable. Clean lines and slim track arms give a little more of a contemporary vibe.

Above: High-style meets comfort and function with this sectional in a durable, light, neutral fabric and natural wood.

Middle and Left: Wrought iron is a great choice for outdoor living. It’s versatile and never goes out of style. And, as your patio evolves, it’s easy to pair wrought iron with other pieces.

Adirondack chairs are very popular this time of year. These come in multiple colors and are perfect for a variety of spaces.

From comfortable sofas and chairs to dining sets, find the best selection of quality outdoor furniture at Turner’s.

CREEPING INDIGO

A weed to give homeowners the blues

by LES HARRISON, UF/IFAS EXTENSION AGENT EMERITUS

A Hole in the Wall

Xylocopa micans Lepeletier, as the large carpenter bee is known scientifically, builds their nest by burrowing into dead wood.

This usually means deadfall timber of almost any sort. Nesting sites include wooden timbers and siding in areas with human structures.

Nests are home to a single female which lays eggs in a segmented tube. The nest’s openings are a nearly perfect 5/8-inch (16 millimeter) hole.

Carpenter bees are labeled as solitary bees. There may, however, be several nests in close proximity.

Each nest has only a single opening with multiple tunnels branching off the main passage.

While you will often find small quantities of sawdust under a carpenter bee nest, the bees do not eat the wood, but merely remove it to create nest channels.

Carpenter bees are very close in behavior, coloration and size to bumblebees. The easiest way to differentiate these insects is by their abdomen, the body segment furthest from the head.

Creeping indigo (Indigofera spicata) is a weed with many adverse traits and should be removed. This usually overlooked exotic invader does not get the attention of the long list of infamous invasive plants in Florida.

This species’ root system may have a good nitrogen fixing capacity, but the negative features of this plant cannot be overlooked.

As early as 1933, agricultural researchers were concerned about the plant’s toxic effects on domestic animals and wildlife.

Creeping indigo is a low growing plant, potentially reaching six feet in length, easily hiding in flowerbeds and within vines.

Leaves contain seven to nine hairy leaflets and a hairy stem. Summer brings numerous pink blooms of flowers appearing at the base of the leaves.

Most of the Indigofera species is used for production of indigo dye with its deep blue shades despite creeping indigo containing less dye than other species in its genus.

The straight inch-long seed pods are densely packed in groups of one hundred pods per stalk. These downward-pointing clusters are bright green when immature but dry to a matte black. The pods easily shatter when bumped and scatter the tiny seeds.

Bumblebees have an abdomen thickly covered in fine hairs. Carpenter bees have a shiny abdomen and lack the fine hairs.

While the damage caused by carpenter bees can be quite expensive, they may attract an even more destructive predator. Woodpeckers, especially the native pileated woodpecker, dine on carpenter bee larvae at every opportunity.

When discovery of the larvae is confirmed, the woodpeckers attack with a ferocity seldom seen in nature.

MUCH

Lichens can be found in a variety of North Florida locations, some appearing on the surface of shrubs and trees. They are composed of algae and fungi living together in a symbiotic fashion, beneficial to both organisms but not necessarily the host plant. The fungi play an important role in nutrient recycling and organic residue decomposition. They are responsible for the accelerated decay of organic materials, converting them into a useable form for other organisms. The algae process atmospheric carbon dioxide into organic carbon sugars to supply nutrients for both organisms. By working together, albeit unconsciously, both are able to prosper in environments where they would fail individually. Lichens are blamed for the decline of a host plant or tree, but the reality is the opportunistic nature of lichens completing a natural cycle. In most cases, if a shrub has a growing population of lichens, it will soon die. Some plants in home landscapes, like crepe myrtles, have lichens growing on their bark which peels away. This activity does not damage the plant and consumes the dead bark. If the lichens were not on the job of consuming dead organic matter, something else would be aiding the decay of the material.

Les Harrison is a retired University of Florida/ Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Wakulla County extension director.

GREEN SCENE

TO LIKE ABOUT LICHEN

THANKS FOR VOTING US TALLAHASSEE’S BEST PAINTER FOR 12 YEARS.

Interior/Exterior • Pressure Washing Carpentry Wood Repair • Wallpaper Removal

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Licensed

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SuperiorPainting.net

As we celebrate our 24th year in business, we thank all of our customers for their continued support. (850) 297-1882

JUST LISTED

Golf Course Living!

This incredible custom brick home is located on the 9th fairway at the prestigious Golden Eagle Golf Course. This home has a beautiful one-of-a-kind marble and brick entry, a spacious family room with wood beams, soaring ceilings and beautiful millwork. It admits lots of natural light, and nothing is better than gathering around a woodburning brick fireplace. This fivebedroom, five-bathroom home is spacious and great for all of your entertaining needs.

LISTED PRICE: $987,000

ADDRESS: 2970 Golden Eagle Drive

SQUARE FOOTAGE: 4,104

BEDROOMS: 5

BATHROOMS: 4.5

YEAR BUILT: 1987

FEATURES: This home has a formal living room, office and dining room. There is also a flex space that would make a perfect second office, art studio or sewing room overlooking the courtyard and fountain. Roof installed in 2018. A second master bedroom that can easily be converted to an in-law suite. There is an additional bonus room upstairs with a private bath, a large closet and extra storage. The home is hard-wired for a Generac generator.

APPEAL: Outdoor entertaining is easy with a heated saltwater pool and outdoor kitchen that overlooks a huge backyard with lush landscaping, a golf course and views of Lake Diane.

CONTACT INFORMATION: Lesa Hart (850) 443-7919, Lesa.Hart@comcast.net Coldwell Banker Hartung

Waterfront Home with Stunning Views

This custom waterfront home boasts breathtaking views of Ochlockonee Bay, the Gulf of Mexico and Bald Point State Park from multiple decks, a screened porch and spacious patios. Enjoy all that the gated community of Tradewinds has to offer, including a club house, community pool and hot tub, deep-water canal and a fishing pier. The home includes a covered boat slip with a boat lift just steps away.

LISTED PRICE: $1,300,000

ADDRESS: 49 Top Sail Way, Wakulla

SQUARE FOOTAGE: 3,103

BEDROOMS: 4

BATHROOMS: 3.5

YEAR BUILT: 2010

FEATURES: Featuring panoramic views, vaulted ceilings, crown molding, a woodburning fireplace, open-concept kitchen with custom cabinetry, concrete countertops, bar seating, dining area, walk-in pantry, several seating nooks, dumbwaiter and elevator.

APPEAL: This is a great home for boaters who would like to keep their boat within walking distance of their home. Easy Gulf access by boat. Ride a golf cart to the world-famous Angelo’s restaurant. Amazing views. Private, gated small community with clubhouse, community pool, hot tub and deeded boat slips in a deep-water canal.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Katie Searcy, Broker Associate (850) 766-1444, Kate@KatieSearcy.com

Jason Naumann, Broker/Owner (850) 933-0328, Jason@NaumannGroup.com

The Naumann Group Real Estate, Inc.

#1

Honey Lake Farms

Honey Lake Farms is a one-of-a-kind, turnkey hunting preserve with 565 acres of magnificent beauty. You will find exotic animals such as buffalo, eland, black buck, scimitar oryx and warthogs roaming throughout the property within the big-game high fence. The main lodge was built in 2020 and is 5,000 square feet with a gourmet chef’s kitchen and summer kitchen, 7 bedrooms, 5.5 baths, plus a guide’s quarters with 6 additional beds. The property also consists of 4 additional luxury campsites ranging from 2,200–2,500 square feet with 4–5 bedrooms and 3 baths each. There are a total of 26 bedrooms and 18 bathrooms on the property, which can sleep 56+ adults. After a day of exploring and hunting, you can unwind by one of six Carolina Kettle fire pits throughout the property with a glass of wine and watch the sunset. This property was sold in November of 2022 at a record-breaking price for the area of $5.4 million by Broker Amber Renaud with The Nova Group Realty.

SOLD PRICE: $5,400,000

ADDRESS: 1086 NW Honey Lake Road, Greenville, Florida

ACRES: 565

SQUARE FOOTAGE: 14,300

BEDROOMS: 26

BATHROOMS: 18

YEAR BUILT: 2020

FEATURES:

» Turnkey

» Fully furnished

» 5,000-square-foot main lodge

» 4 luxury campsites

» Gated entrance

» High-fence hunting preserve

» Exotic animals

» Carolina Kettle fire pits

» Guide’s quarters

» Walk-in refrigerator and freezers

» Hunting stands, blinds, food plots, feeders

» Cleaning stations

» Garden house

AMBER RENAUD

Broker/Owner

The Nova Group Realty

850-570-8242 Amber@TNGRealty.com

TNGRealty.com

TO FIND THE RIGHT REALTOR, JUST LOOK FOR A SIGN

MAR/APR 2023

VISITING NOTEWORTHY PLACES NEAR AND FAR

BLUFFS & BLARNEY

An American in Ireland resists a cabbie’s advances and with cliffs takes chances ↓

by LIESEL SCHMIDT

↖

The Cliffs of Moher, located in the Burren region in County Clare, Ireland, extend for about nine miles. They are named after a fort, that once stood on Hag’s Head. The fort was demolished in 1808 to provide material for a lookout tower used during the Napoleonic wars.

GETAWAY

My love affair with Ireland began the minute I heard Delores

O’Riordan’s haunting voice singing Zombie. Her impassioned lyrics and the unmistakable sound unique to the Cranberries became part of the soundtrack of my adolescence — despite my mother constantly asking me to listen to something “less depressing.”

Twenty-odd years later, I may not be playing the Cranberries on a constant loop, but my fascination with them, and with Ireland, is as strong as ever. So when I discovered in October that round-trip airfares to Ireland were running just a smidge over $600, I couldn’t hit the “Book Now” button fast enough. Add an Airbnb for a week in Dublin, and I was set.

One layover and a seven-hour transAtlantic flight later, I landed at Dublin International Airport where, oddly, cows are pastured right alongside the runways.

Unfortunately, as my wireless carrier is not one that offers international

roaming, I was left to figure things out the old-fashioned way, largely without internet access or any semblance of phone coverage. Outside of the airport terminal, I had nothing, which meant I couldn’t book a taxi or use Google maps to navigate the public transportation system. What I could do was join the queue for taxis outside the airport.

After 10 minutes of waiting in very chilly, very damp air, I settled into the backseat of a black Mercedes. I gave the cabbie the address for my Airbnb, happy to be out of the cold drizzle and on my way to somewhere I could get my bearings. The apartment where I would be staying had internet access, which meant I could formulate some sort of game plan for my stay.

I am not one to sit silently in the back of a taxi, and I was happy when my driver struck up a conversation without prompting.

“So, what brings you to Dublin?” he asked in a thick Irish brogue.

“I’ve always wanted to come to Ireland, and I thought now would be the perfect time to do it,” I replied.

“What will you do while you’re here?”

As many times as I’d been asked this question after telling people I was taking a trip — by myself — to Ireland, I still didn’t have an answer better than, “I’m not really sure.”

His eye caught mine in the rearview mirror. “You’re winging it, then,” he said with a chuckle.

“Pretty much,” I agreed.

“My, you must be rich,” he said. “Tell me, are you married?”

I laughed because I am neither rich nor married.

“No, I am not,” I said, shaking my head.

“Well,” he said with a grin. “Would you like to be? I would make you the happiest woman in all the world.”

“I’m sure you would,” I said in jest.

“So is that a yes, then?”

↑ Dame Street, located in central Dublin, stays busy, day and night. It is a five-minute walk from the shops of Grafton Street and 10 minutes from O’Connell Street.

↘

The Temple Bar Pub’s existing license, according to its website, was issued in 1835 after Cornelius O’Meara, a grocer and tea, wine and spirits merchant, acquired its location adjacent to a thriving brewery. The pub occupies a coveted spot near the administrative center of Dublin and close by the River Liffey. In 2011, David Browne, playing at the pub, set a record for the world’s longest guitar session, a feat surely fueled by ale.

← At the Irish Rock ’n’ Roll Museum Experience, visitors may get the chance to try on a drum kit once used by Metallica when the band practiced there. Tour guides address contributions made by Irish performers including Thin Lizzy, the Pogues, the Cranberries and, of course, U2.

“I’ll think about it.”

And as we sped toward the Airbnb, Seamus, as I’d come to call him, and I swapped stories and got to know one another.

When the ride came to an end, he removed my suitcase from the trunk and handed it to me with a tip of his cap.

“I’ve grown used to rejection, love,” he said. “My heart can take it. Enjoy your stay in Dublin.”

While without a plan, I did just that, exploring City Centre after dumping my bags at my Airbnb in Clongriffin and taking the bus to all the action of Dublin. I popped into a corner store for a quick bite of local cuisine — a curry chicken puff pastry. I ate it as I wandered down Dame Street, marveling at the crush of people, the insanely historic setting and the jarring presence of modern stores in such an ancient place.

Like a typical tourist, I shopped for wool scarves and hats for family members and tees emblazoned with “Dublin” before stumbling onto something absolutely marvelous: the Irish Rock ’n’ Roll Museum Experience.

I bought a ticket for a €14.99 tour of this place, which I came to discover was a combination working recording studio, music venue and museum.

For starters, I was the only person on the tour, led by a delightful little bearded and bespectacled Dubliner named Alan. The tour began with a wall of gold records that featured top-selling Irish musicians including Thin Lizzy, the Pogues and two of my favorites — Enya and, of course, the Cranberries. Alan told me stories about each band — where they’d started, how they’d risen to fame and how many of the people whose names were on the wall had met untimely ends. I learned that I was standing in the very place where the Cranberries had practiced and recorded. I was thrilled.

We were soon joined by a Brit whose interest centered on Thin Lizzy. He was in luck, as the owner of the studio had had a close personal relationship with the performer. We watched a video that described contributions made by Ireland and especially U2 to the music world. As we neared the end of the tour, we stopped in a room with a raised platform and a drum kit as well as two amps and a pair of guitars, along with a microphone.

At Alan’s behest, I sat on a stool behind the drum kit and followed his instructions: two taps of my foot on the pedal and one beat of my drumstick, to be done in a repeating loop. As I began to realize where we were going with this, Alan took the mic and began singing the opening lines of Queen’s We Will Rock You. And then came the kicker.

“You’ve just played on the very drum kit on which Metallica practiced when they were here,” Alan said.

I concluded my day with a half-pint at the famed Temple Bar, where I was seated next to a lovely couple from New Jersey. As I sipped my Guinness, I listened to threads of conversations around me and noticed that there were a number of American accents.

I spent the week taking solo excursions that included a hike along the scenic cliffs of Howth. A

little fishing village just outside of Dublin, Howth is spectacularly picturesque and a very popular place to go hiking and trail running.

I lack much of a sense of direction, but the trail, I was told, was clearly marked. All I had to do was follow the purple arrows. It was simple, my South African triathlete Airbnb host said. She dropped me off at the trailhead on her way to work one morning and bid me a nice hike.

Along the trail, I stopped frequently to take photos. The cliffs, the water, the sheer beauty of this place all had an ancient feel. It was almost overwhelming — and completely disorienting.

Past a point, I ran out of purple arrows and stopped seeing other hikers, so I turned around and tried to retrace my steps. Eventually, I gave up on my

↑ Throughout much of its length, a hiking trail along the cliffs of Howth is well marked and easily followed. But proceed beyond the area marked with purple arrows and it’s possible to become lost in a landscape that suddenly seems to be featureless.

O’Brien’s Tower marks the highest point of the Cliffs of Moher. History has recorded a couple reasons for the tower’s construction. One version holds that it was built as an observation tower and teahouse for tourists. Another says landlord Cornellius O’Brien erected it to impress women.

planned path, turned around and hiked back to where I’d started. Even at that, I had logged 10 miles on my Apple Watch and was ready to find food.

I dined at a little restaurant, the Brass Monkey, recommended by my host. After refueling with soup and brown bread, I resumed walking and passed the home of William Butler Yeats with the Cranberries’ Yeats’ Grave playing in my head. I had enjoyed a long, adventurous day. Determined to end my trip with a bang, I booked a day trip to the Cliffs of Moher and Galway to be followed on my last day with a tour of Trinity College. Rising at 4:30 a.m. to make the Moher tour bus, I rode through the pre-dawn streets of Dublin in a cab I’d booked on FreeNow, Ireland’s version of Uber. After we boarded the bus, Peter, our tour guide, regaled us in his thick brogue with colorful commentary on the things we saw as the sun rose and we made our way to Moher. At one point, he directed our attention to a bright yellow deer crossing sign ahead.

“I recall once an American country music singer came to Dublin on tour and had a radio interview,” he said. “As she spoke to the radio host, she asked why we put our deer crossing signs in such dangerous places, as it gives the deer the mistaken impression that it’s safe to cross there.”

Later, he pointed out the window at some massive rocks strewn about a field.

“I welcome questions, and we get some very interesting ones,” Peter said. “For instance, those rocks. One tourist asked me why we have rocks like that in the fields in Ireland. I told him we just like to put them where we please. Then the tourist asked why there were sheep around the rock. ‘Oh, the sheep are guarding the rock to keep it from going anywhere,’ says I.”

We spent two hours walking the cliffs and drinking in the spectacular scenery — the cliffs, O’Brien’s Tower, the vast expanse of sea that stretched into eternity. Again, I was struck by how small and seemingly insignificant I felt in this place.

IRELAND FAST FACTS

➸ Ireland has been the most successful participant in the Eurovision Song Contest, begun in 1956.

➸ Halloween was invented in Ireland.

➸ Ireland has the highest concentration of red-haired people in the world.

➸ Ireland is the only country in the world to have a musical instrument (the harp) as its national symbol.

➸ It is estimated that there are 30,000 castles and ruins in Ireland.

Source: nordicvisitor.com

After Moher, we stopped at a field that was once one massive rock, now broken into immovable pieces that could fit together like a puzzle. From there, we visited the ruins of a castle tower near a church and graveyard with markers so old that inscriptions had been worn away. Lastly, before we made our way back to Dublin, we rode to Galway and toured the Eyre Square Shopping Centre, basically a mall where a section of the Medieval Galway Wall runs smack through the middle of things. The shopping center was permitted on the condition that the wall be incorporated into the design.

A few of us followed Peter through to the Latin Quarter and a pub where Columbus had his epiphany about sailing to the West Indies after the body of an Inuit washed ashore in the remnants of a small fishing boat.

On we walked through an intensifying rain to a cathedral with an irreverent stained-glass window that depicts Jesus as a small, redheaded boy handing Joseph a cup of tea while Mary sits knitting a traditional Aran sweater. Only in Ireland.

The next day, I rode a bus to the City Centre and legged it the rest of the way to the campus of Trinity College. There I met up with a small tour group and our guide, an affable and animated Italian named Antonio whose wild, curly hair made him stand out in a crowd. He led us through the college where we toured the Book of Kells exhibit.

The incredible work of artistry took 800 monks working over 75 years to complete, in part because certain inks used to illustrate it were highly poisonous and deadly. The book has survived 1,400 years, having been kept safe from Viking raiders as well as from Oliver Cromwell, who destroyed all of the Catholic iconography and relics he could find. To protect it, the Book of Kells was hidden at Trinity College, a Protestant institution and consequently

not a place Cromwell thought to look. There it stayed.

Next, we walked through the Long Library, the longest library in the world and home to a copy of every book ever published in Ireland. According to Antonio, we were a lucky bunch, because the library would be closing at the end of the year to begin a five-year restoration project. It was incredible

to behold, stunningly beautiful and overwhelmingly vast.

We left the campus and made our way to Dublin Castle and then through the City Centre to see memorial gardens and the bronze statue of the fabled Molly Malloy, whose ample breasts showed evidence of all the hands that have rubbed them.

Over the course of a week, I learned that my love of Ireland was not misplaced. TM

↑ Clockwise from top: The grounds at Trinity College; a statue of the chesty Molly Malloy; and the Long Library. The library is home to the Book of Kells, a project whose completion required the efforts of 800 monks who worked on it for 75 years. It is said about the Malloy statue that it is often fondled.

Michael J. Ford, MD, FAAD

Board Certified Dermatologist

Dr. Michael J. Ford is a board certified dermatologist who graduated in 1982 from the University of Florida Medical School with Alpha Omega Alpha honors society membership. He completed his internship and family practice residency at the University of Alabama. He then completed a dermatology residency at the University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill) where he served as Chief Resident. Dr. Ford joined the faculty at the University of Florida (Shands) where he was a professor from 1991 to 1999. He was instrumental in helping start the University of Florida Dermatology Residency. In 1999, he entered private practice in Tallahassee. He loves teaching and continues to share his knowledge with family practice residents, internal medicine students and FSU medicine students. Outside of Southeastern Dermatology, Dr. Ford enjoys mountain biking, hiking, and spending time with his family. He and his wife, Elaine, have two children and two grandchildren. Dr. Ford is affiliated with the following organizations:

• American Academy of Dermatology (Fellow)

• American Society for Mohs Surgery (Fellow)

• Florida Medical Association (Member)

• Capital Medical Society (Member)

Brandon Bergschneider, PA-C Chris Jones, PA-C

David Yorio, PA-C Lauren Bachtel, PA-C Justine Lorenzo, LME

APRIL 15–16

Chain of Parks Art Festival

Stroll through Tallahassee’s beautiful downtown oak-lined parks while viewing diverse original works of art at the Chain of Parks Art Festival. The annual two-day fine art festival delights visitors with over 150 artists from all over the country, live entertainment, craft beer, local food trucks and many interactive cultural experiences for the whole family. For more information, email ChainofParks@lemoyne.org.

SOUTH WALTON BEACHES WINE & FOOD FESTIVAL

→ The finest winemakers, distillers, mixologists and culinary artists come from around the world to make Grand Boulevard in South Walton the epicenter of the wine world for one weekend in April. With over 600 wines presented by knowledgeable industry leaders, delectable small bites from the best restaurants and chefs in the area, educational seminars, celebrity guests and live music, this is not an event to be missed. The festival welcomes all wine lovers, foodies, cocktail enthusiasts, IPA connoisseurs and anyone with a taste for the finer things in life. This fabulous three-day, award-winning charity event is an invitation to savor and enjoy all that the beautiful beaches of Northwest Florida have to offer.

For tickets and more information, visit SoWalWine.com.

MARCH 29

Jay Leno

→ Acclaimed TV late-night show host, admired standup comedian, best-selling children’s book author, TV and movie voice-over artist, and pioneering car builder Jay Leno is widely characterized as “the hardest working man in show business.” Secure your tickets and head to Ruby Diamond Concert Hall at Florida State University as part of this season’s Opening Nights series on March 29 for an intimate night of laughs and life lessons.

For tickets and show details, visit OpeningNights.FSU.edu/events/jay-leno.

ZODIAC TRIO

MARCH 3

Formed in 2006 at the Manhattan School of Music in New York, the Zodiac Trio has commissioned dozens of new works and presented them in numerous new music residencies and concerts at institutions across North America. openingnights.fsu.edu/events/zodiac-trio

CLEAVER AND CORK SIGNATURE DINNER WITH IRON CHEF

MICHAEL SYMON

MARCH 3

share his catalog of classics with the world.

visittallahassee.com/events/willie-nelson

MEL BROOKS’ YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN

MARCH 9–26

A young neurosurgeon, Frederick Frankenstein (pronounced FRONK-ensteen) inherits the castle of his grandfather, the famous Dr. Victor von Frankenstein. Young Frankenstein does not believe in the work of his grandfather, but when he discovers the book in which the mad doctor describes his reanimation experiment, he suddenly changes his mind.

MARCH 31–APRIL 1

SPRINGTIME TALLAHASSEE

→ The annual festival marking the arrival of spring in Tallahassee is back. Springtime Tallahassee will once again bring food, entertainment, krewes and fun when it returns March 31-April 1. Enjoy all of the festivities that this highly anticipated event has to offer. MusicFest, Jubilee in the Park, the Grand Parade, the Children’s Park and more are back and bigger than ever in what is sure to be a fantastic continuation of this yearly Tallahassee tradition. Visit SpringtimeTallahassee.com to learn more.

Part of the signature event, Cleaver and Cork, presented by the Tallahassee Community College Foundation, this exclusive experience features a four-course, wine-paired meal curated by Iron Chef Michael Symon. visittallahassee.com/events/cleaver-andcork-signature-dinner

CLEAVER AND CORK FOOD AND WINE FESTIVAL

MARCH 4

Cleaver and Cork is a culinary experience expertly curated by the Tallahassee Community College Foundation. Tasting tents featuring food and libations will serve up tastes from across North Florida. All proceeds directly fund student scholarships. visittallahassee.com/events/cleaver-andcork-food-and-wine-festival

EMMYLOU HARRIS

MARCH 4

Emmylou Harris shook up country radio in the 1970s and established herself as the premier songwriter of a generation, selling more than 15 million records and garnering 14 Grammy Awards, three CMA Awards and four Americana Awards. openingnights.fsu.edu/events/ emmylou-harris

theatretallahassee.org/2022-2023season/mel-brooks-young-frankenstein

NEW YORK GILBERT & SULLIVAN PLAYERS, THE MIKADO MARCH

11

Don’t miss this new and critically acclaimed production of The Mikado. Gilbert’s lyrics and Sullivan’s melodies, which have delighted comic opera lovers for over 135 years, are still as fresh as “the flowers that bloom in the spring.” openingnights.fsu.edu/events/the-mikado

PEBBLE HILL POLO CLASSIC

MARCH 18

Head to the Red Hills to enjoy a women’s polo match, children’s activities, fine food and spirits and more. The event benefits Pebble Hill’s Preservation Fund, dedicated to the continued care and restoration of the historic 3,000-acre estate and its more than 60 structures. visittallahassee.com/events/ pebble-hill-polo-classic

THE JUNGLE BOOK

MARCH 23

REGIONAL APRIL 13–16

Sandestin Wine Festival

→ The 36th annual Sandestin Wine Festival will take place April 13–16, at The Village of Baytowne Wharf. Named the Best Annual Event by Destin Magazine, these four days of unique events open up a wide range of experiences including celebrity chefs, event previews and wine tastings showcasing hundreds of excellent varietals. Learn more by visiting sandestinwinefestival.com.

WILLIE NELSON & FAMILY IN CONCERT

MARCH 4

After a seven-decade career, Willie Nelson still has plenty of stories to tell through song. Nelson is a highly awarded performer, songwriter and author who continues to

Children and families will enjoy this musical production of the cherished story, The Jungle Book. The Panto Company brings to life Rudyard Kipling’s tale with great scenery, cool costumes, original modern songs bursting with excitement, and of course, a happy ending. Join Mowgli and all his pals for an adventure of learning, growth and fun in this all-new production. openingnights.fsu.edu/events/ the-jungle-book

America the Beautiful

→ Join your Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra for a concert featuring American music that connects us to our shared national history.

Buy your tickets today at TallahasseeSymphony.org.

JOHN ENSOR PARKER

APRIL 13

John Ensor Parker is an inter-media artist and curator who works in painting, drawing, interactive design, lighting,

video, sound and largescale projection mapping. Parker’s mechanical engineering degree from the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering provided the foundation for his journey with art.

openingnights.fsu.edu/events/johnensor-parker

TALLAHASSEE PRIDE FEST: PRIDE IN THE PLAZA

APRIL 15

Join with members of Tallahassee’s LGBTQ community in a celebration at Kleman Plaza. Free and open to all, the event includes live entertainment, food vendors and family-friendly activities.

visittallahassee.com/events/ tallahassee-pridefest-2023-pride-inthe-plaza

PRISM

APRIL 16

Packed with performances ranging from small ensembles to the worldrenowned Marching Chiefs, PRISM is an annual favorite. The program showcases the immense talent boasted by Florida State University’s College of Music students and faculty. Known for blending traditional fare with more recognizable popular tunes, PRISM is a gem for music lovers of all kinds. openingnights.fsu.edu/events/prism

BEN FOLDS IN CONCERT WITH THE TALLAHASSEE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

APRIL 21

Ben Folds will perform his genre-bending works with the immensely talented

Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra. For over a decade, this chart-topping artist has performed with some of the best orchestras in the world. visittallahassee.com/events/ben-folds

WORD OF SOUTH FESTIVAL

APRIL 21–23

Writers, musicians and artists explore and celebrate the relationships among these disciplines by combining spoken word and live music performances. wordofsouthfestival.com

HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS

APRIL 25

The Harlem Globetrotters 2023 World Tour has upped its game with amazing basketball skills and outrageous athleticism that awes audiences. Witness the Globetrotters go head-to-head with the Washington Generals. visittallahassee.com/events/harlemglobetrotters

PIANO BATTLE

APRIL 25

German piano geniuses Andreas Kern and Paul Cibis deliver enchanting classical pieces in an effort to win over audience members, who cast votes to determine a winner. This show features Ludwig FUN Beethoven, which showcases Beethoven’s seminal works, witty banter and fun facts about the great composer. openingnights.fsu.edu/events/ piano-battle

TICK, TICK … BOOM!

APRIL 27–MAY 7

This autobiographical musical by Jonathan Larson, the Pulitzer Prize- and Tony Award–winning composer of Rent, tells the story of an aspiring composer who questions his life choices on the eve of his 30th birthday. theatretallahassee.org/2022-2023-season/ tick-tick-boom

APRIL 17–23

TALLAHASSEE TENNIS

CHALLENGER

→ The 23rd Challenger event in the 30-year history of professional tennis in Tallahassee will begin with qualifying round play on April 16 at the Forestmeadows Tennis Center. Main draw play will take place April 17–23. This tournament features professional men’s tournament action in singles and doubles. Notable past participants include Tommy Paul, Taylor Fritz, Frances Tiafoe, Sebastian Korda, J.J. Wolf and Daniil Medvedev.

Pass for the week is $80. Sponsorships are available; contact Jessica Ziegler at (850) 431-5389. Tournament benefits the D. Mark Vogter Endowment for Neuro Intensive Care at Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare and Tallahassee Parks Recreation & Neighborhood Affairs.

Presented by Visit Tallahassee

SOCIAL STUDIES

WINTERFALL

NOV. 17 WINTERFALL , A Night of Giving takes place each November in the beautiful gardens at Esposito Garden Center. Outstanding food, wine and beer, a live auction and live music from the Tobacco Rd Band added up to a memorable and meaningful evening. In 2022, the Apalachee Center was the featured charity, and Winterfall raised over $35,000 for their children’s mental health services. Sponsors, volunteers and participating restaurants all contributed to a successful event.

1 Roy Rosacia, Marilyn Coughlin and Terry Kelly

2 Xiomara Pelham, Dr. Arasi Thangavelu, Lori Magee Yeaton, Renee Johnson, Gene Deckerhoff and Tanya Weaver

3 Johnny Jordan, Gene Deckerhoff, Rusty and Kellye Connell, Matt Cohen, Angie and Chris Rogo, Barbie Jordan and Dennis Scott

PHOTOS BY JIM SMITH PHOTOGRAPHY AND COURTESY OF LORI MAGEE YEATON

Pre-Concert Experience

2022 Symphony-goers enjoyed an enhanced experience, thanks to the Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra’s pre-concert entertainment. Patrons enjoyed live music, a cash bar and a friendly atmosphere. Many took advantage of the “Chat with Darko” to learn more from the maestro about the music for the evening.

1 Concertgoers had the opportunity to meet and greet before the shows began.

2 The John S. and James L. Night Lobby served as a fantastic social area prior to showtime.

4 TSO staff informed attendees on everything there is to know about the 2022–23 season.

“Chip” Hartung,

PHOTOS BY PERRONE FORD

3 Anita Bushnyakova, Keith Bowers and Mary Kelsay

dining guide

AMERICAN ANDREW’S DOWNTOWN

After 50 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. 228 S. Adams St. (850) 222-3444. $$ B L D

BACKWOODS CROSSING ★

Sit down at this 2022 Best of winner 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

BAR 1903 ★

Located in the historic Walker Library, Bar 1903 honors the history of mixology while pushing the boundaries of the cocktail experience. Small plates, snacks, bar sandwiches, sweets. Intimate setting, 36-seat capacity. Voted Best Bar and Best Martini/Cocktail for 2022. 209 E. Park Ave., (850) 354-9739. $$ D

CHARLIE PARK

Tallahassee’s first rooftop cocktail experience offering small plates and shareables has an innovative and exciting menu built around plates to share and experience with others. The specialty craft cocktails are inventive, and the views of Tallahassee’s downtown and beyond are spectacular. 801 S. Gadsden St. (850) 759-4300. $$ 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 cafe, open-air alternatives and a gorgeous view that has become a Tallahassee favorite. 470 Suwannee St. (850) 684-2117. $$/$$$ B L D

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 2017–22. 1950 Thomasville Rd. (850) 224-9974. $$ L D

HOPKINS’ EATERY ★

A Best of 2022 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. $ L D

HORIZO NS BAR & GRILLE

Classic, homemade American cuisine along with a full bar serving premium liquors, local craft beers and wine. 3427 Bannerman Rd., Ste. 104. (850) 329-2371. $$ B D

HOT BIRDIE’S CHICKEN

Serving chicken sandwiches made with the best available chicken breasts. Signature sauces, the Hot Mess Cookie, Honey Slaw, Gooey Mac & Cheese, Spicy Pickles and seasoned breading are all housemade. Enjoy tasty waffle fries and signature milkshakes. Catering services available. 1898 Thomasville Rd. (850) 765-9184 $ L D

ISLAND WING COMPANY ★

Get baked! This 2022 Best of winner for Best Wings won’t serve you up greasy, fried wings; instead Island Wing bakes them fresh. 1370 Market St. (850) 692-3116. $ L D

JUICY BLUE

Located in the Four Points by Sheraton Downtown, this cool lobby restaurant offers breakfast, lunch and dinner. Unique dishes include tapas with a twist, such as the Georgia peaches with caramel. 316 W. Tennessee St. (850) 422-0071. $ B L D

LIBERTY BAR AND RESTAURANT

Carefully crafted unique cocktails mixed with a gourmet menu that features fresh, local produce. 1307 N. Monroe, Unit No. 2. (850) 354-8277. $$ 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

MA’S DINER

No one does it like Ma! Ma’s Diner serves family-style food in a familyfriendly setting. Homestyle classics are served for breakfast and lunch with quick, attentive and friendly service. 6668-9 Thomasville Rd. (850) 765-1910. $ B L D

OVERUNDER BAR + LOUNGE

Two experiences under one roof, OverUnder features specialty cocktails plus curated food and drink pairings. 1240 Thomasville Rd. (850) 597-7552. $$

PROOF BREWPUB

Tallahassee’s first brewery, Proof’s brewpub in downtown offers shareables, such as sliders and fried oysters, plus burgers, sandwiches and tacos to pair

with their tasty craft brews. 1320 S. Monroe St. (850) 577-0517. $$ D

R&R EATERY

Located in Hotel Indigo, R&R Eatery is a modern American restaurant with fresh takes on classic dishes and a mix of signature craft cocktails. 826 W. Gaines St. (850) 210-0008. $$ B D

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 S. 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

TABLE 23 ★

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 cafe 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 ★

Vertigo is home to some of the juiciest, funkiest burgers in town. The modern building provides a no-frills setting to enjoy such favorites as the Vertigo Burger — a beef patty served with a fried egg, applewood bacon, grilled jalapenos, sharp cheddar and Vertigo sauce. 1395 E. Lafayette St. (850) 878-2020. $$ L D

WALK-ON’S SPORTS BISTREAUX ★

Not your usual sports bar, this import from Louisiana offers seafood, traditional Cajun cuisine and burgers built for two hands — plus 40 beers on tap and wall-towall TVs for the big games. 3390 Capital Circle NE. (850) 597-7736. $$ L D

ASIAN

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 Pkwy., Ste. 13. (850) 893-4112. $$ L D

DAO RESTAURANT ★

Asian fusion restaurant and a Best of Tallahassee 2022 winner in the Best Asian category. Indulge in lobster, blue crab, spicy prawns, Peking duck or a grouper filet with mapo tofu. 3425 Bannerman Rd., (850) 999-1482. $$ L D

KIKU JAPANESE FUSION ★

From tempura to teriyaki and sushi to sashimi, Kiku Japanese Fusion, voted Best Sushi in 2022, fuses vibrant flavors with fresh ingredients. 800 Ocala Rd. (850) 575-5458, 3491 Thomasville Rd. (850) 222-5458. $$ L D

MASA

Masa’s menu offers a creative blend of Eastern and Western cuisines. 1650 N. Monroe St. (850) 727-4183. $/$$

OSAKA JAPANESE STEAKHOUSE & SUSHI BAR ★

Rated Best Hibachi for 2022, Osaka provides dinner and a show, with the chefs seasoning and preparing your meal right in front of you. 1489 Maclay Commerce Dr. (850) 900-5149. $$$ D

ROCK N ROLL SUSHI

This American-style sushi chain born in Mobile offers fresh rolls, salads and hibachi — all with a rock-and-roll theme. 1415 Timberlane Rd., #305. (850) 999-1748

$$ L D

WILLIE

BARBECUE

JEWELL’S OLD SCHOOL BBQ ★

Platters, sandwiches or by the pound, Willie Jewell’s, the 2022 Best Barbecue winner, offers smoked brisket, pork, turkey, sausage, chicken and ribs with a bevy of Southern sides. 5442 Thomasville Rd. (850) 629-4299. $ L D

BREAKFAST/ BRUNCH/BAKERY

CANOPY ROAD CAFÉ ★

Traditional breakfasts, fluffy omelets, skillets, French toast and sweet potato pancakes keep customers coming back to this 2022 Best Breakfast winner. Canopy also goes all out on lunch favorites. Multiple locations. (850) 668-6600. $ B L

LUCKY GOAT COFFEE ★

Coffee roaster, wholesaler, distributor, online retailer and cafe serving highquality beverages. Flavored coffees include pumpkin spice and Southern pecan. Best Coffee winner as voted by the readers of Tallahassee Magazine in 2022. Multiple locations including Bannerman Crossings. (850) 727-4769.

REDEYE COFFEE

Serving locally roasted coffees, highquality teas and hand-blended cocoas. Also serving pastries, chocolates, platters and grazing boards. Committed to local-centric business practices and sustainability. 1122 Thomasville Rd. and 1196 Capital Circle NE, (850) 999-8278.

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 and 2022

Best Bakery winner features fresh breads, bagels, pies, cakes and catering. Mon–Sat 6:45 a.m.–6 p.m. 1355 Market St., Ste. A-5. (850) 893-3752. $ B L D

CAJUN

COOSH’S BAYOU ROUGE ★

This Best Cajun Restaurant winner for 2022 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

CATERING CAPERS

Offering meals, bar services and more,

Catering Capers makes entertaining and planning corporate events, weddings or private parties in Tallahassee easy.

2915 E. Park Ave., Unit 4. (850) 385-5953.

SIMPLY ENTERTAINING ★

The Best of Tallahassee Catering winner for 2022 as well as a coffee roaster, wholesaler, distributor, online retailer and cafe serving high-quality beverages. Serving as a “onestop shop” for intimate parties. Committed to making events simple by taking care of everything. Also offering Simple Dinners on Tuesday and Thursday nights.

1355 Market St., (850) 668-1167.

ITALIAN/PIZZA

BELLA BELLA ★

Voted Best Italian in 2022, this locally owned and operated restaurant has a cozy atmosphere and serves all the classics to satisfy your pasta cravings. 123 E. Fifth Ave. (850) 412-1114. $$ L D

GAINES STREET PIES

Locally owned and open since 2012, Gaines Street offers fresh ingredients and inventive pies, such as the Metal Mike with Sriracha. 603 W. Gaines St., # 3, (850) 765-9275; 1184 Capital Circle NE, Ste. E, (850) 329-2141; 1122 Thomasville Rd., # 4. (850) 765-4120. $$ L D

IL LUSSO ★

Homemade pasta, local seafood and a choice of prime steaks define this downtown fine dining experience. 201 E. Park Ave., Ste. 100. (850) 765-8620. $$$ D

LITTLE

PARIS ★

Executive chefs Herve and Loic Alcesilas have reimagined casual French dining with an amazing menu and extensive French wine list. The brothers grew up in Charleville-Mezieres and began their careers in the same restaurant. In Tallahassee, they love providing unique flavors and experiences and were voted as having the Best Fine Dining restaurant in 2022. 1355 Market St., (850) 765-7457. $$ L D

MOMO’S ★

After devouring a slice “as big as your head” at this 2022 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

MEXICAN EL JALISCO ★

In the mood for sizzling enchiladas and frozen margaritas? Make your way to the 2022 Best Mexican/Latin American Restaurant, El Jalisco, where they do Mexican cuisine to perfection. Multiple locations. $ L D

THE IRON DAISY

Made-to-order Mexican food with a Florida flair, The Iron Daisy blends traditional cast-iron cooking with the funky vibe of the Arts District. 507 W. Gaines St. (850) 597-9997. $$ L D

MARIA MARIA

Fast casual restaurant serving homemade Mexican food. Named for owner Edgar Gomez’s mother and grandmother, Maria Maria never cuts corners — dishes are never prepped ahead of time. Choose the Taco Dorado, Maria’s Tostada or Chicken Mole and be assured that it has been created with the freshest ingredients. 1304 N. Monroe St., (850) 270-9057. $ L D

SEAFOOD/STEAK

CRAFTY CRAB

Offering the freshest seafood and most authentic recipes in the area, including crab, crawfish, calamari, lobster, oysters, mussels, scallops and more. 1241 Apalachee Pkwy. & 2226 N. Monroe St. (850) 671-2722. $$ 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 & GRILLE

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

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 entrees — 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 2022 Best Seafood Market winner brings the ocean’s freshest choices to Tallahassee. 1415 Timberlane Rd. (850) 668-2203

TALLY FISH HOUSE & OYSTER BAR ★

Explore four types of topped oysters, load up with stuffed grouper or opt for “turf” with a chef’s choice cut steak. Serving brunch on Saturday and Sunday. Voted Best Seafood restaurant winner in 2022. 6802 Thomasville Rd., (850) 900-5075. $$ L D

TED’S MONTANA GRILL ★

Voted Best Steakhouse winner for 2022, co-founders Ted Turner and George W. McKerrow imagined a restaurant that would provide friends and family with an experience founded on the ideals that made America great — simplicity, honesty and authenticity. And nothing is more authentically American than bison. 1954 Village Green Way, (850) 561-8337. $$ L D

THE SEINEYARD

Fried, grilled or blackened, the area’s best and freshest seafood is found at The Seineyard. Grab your basket or mix it up with a plate of grouper, catfish, shrimp, oysters, scallops and more. Multiple locations. (850) 421-9191. $$ L D

DO THE BRIGHT THING

Better your community by shining your light

While visiting my hometown in Utah recently, I went with my family to listen to a special performance by the Tabernacle Choir. Being home, I enjoyed a warm feeling despite the cold temperature outside, and we greatly looked forward to a presentation that would include a guest, the English actor Sir David Suchet.

Suchet shared the story of Sir Nicholas Winton, who as a 29-year-old stockbroker from London, assisted in the rescue of 669 children from Czechoslovakia on the eve of World War II. Winton, along with the parents of these mostly Jewish children, feared the grave risks posed by the Nazis.

The parents took steps to create the impression that their children’s travel to Britain was part of a holiday celebration. Had they been told the truth, they would have resisted being separated from their parents, who knew they were likely never to see their children again.

Winton overcame many obstacles and challenges to ensure that the children could be moved safely and legally to Britain. He worked to find sponsors and homes for each of them.

For decades, Winton never disclosed his heroic actions to anyone, including his wife Grete. Fifty years following the rescues, he and Grete were cleaning out their attic when she discovered a photo album that contained a list of all the children her husband had saved.

When she inquired about the album, Winton rather casually shared the story of the rescues. Grete couldn’t believe no one knew of the selfless humanitarian acts her husband had accomplished. He didn’t believe he had done anything especially praiseworthy. In his mind, he believed that he simply did what needed to be done.

In 1988, Winton appeared on a BBC television program before a live audience. Unbeknownst to him, the BBC had tracked down as many surviving children as it could and invited them to attend the airing along with their spouses and children. Many enthusiastically did, enjoying for the first time the chance to meet, thank and hug the man who had saved them.

There are more than 6,000 people alive today thanks to Winton’s efforts to save those 669 children. And, Winton’s story, now that it is known, has impacted many thousands more.

At the conclusion of his presentation, Suchet invited Winton’s son Nick to the stage. Nick shared the values his father instilled in him and many others, chief among them the importance of being actively good — that is, taking actions that benefit your community as a way to share your light.

We each have a light to shine. Throughout this year, let’s find ways to make impacts, even if one life at a time. Let someone in during heavy traffic, hold a door for a stranger at the grocery store or get involved with local charities. Many organizations in our communities can use more volunteers and the resources you have to offer.

Give of your heart and enjoy the returns.

Much love,

MCKENZIE BURLEIGH, ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER

mburleigh@rowlandpublishing.com

To watch a condensed version of the BBC program “That’s Life,” visit: youtu.be/ PKkgO06bAZk

PHOTO BY SEAN MURPHY

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