Volunteer Ombudsmen Advocate for Elderly - Florida`s Long

Transcription

WWW.THEISLANDREPORTER.COM
AUGUST 2010
VOLUME 7 NUMBER 8
SERVING:
BAYWAY ISLES, BACOPA BAY, BROADWATER, DOLPHIN CAY, ISLA DEL SOL, POINT BRITTANY,
MAXIMO MOORINGS, MARINA BAY, PASS-A-GRILLE, ST. PETE BEACH, VINA DEL MAR AND TIERRA VERDE
Volunteer Ombudsmen Advocate for Elderly
By Betsy Judge
Jane Barr greets staff members at the Masonic
Home of Florida with a smile and cheery hello as
she works her way through the facility conducting
an annual assessment; but underneath the pleasant
exterior is a woman whose attention to detail and
dedication to her work is very serious business.
Jane is one of the newest volunteers in this area
for the Florida Long Term Care Ombudsman
Program; a state-wide organization of 400 volunteers who serve as advocates for residents of nurs-
Jane Barr, a volunteer for Florida’s Long-Term Care
Ombudsman Program, checks the accuracy and
currency of medication administration records at the
Masonic Home during an annual assessment July 14.
ing homes, assisted living facilities and adult family care homes.
The Vina Del Mar resident got connected with
the program in February when she became alarmed
at the conditions in the local elder care facility
where her mother resides. As a volunteer at the
facility she made numerous suggestions and
requests for improvements all of which fell on deaf
ears. Something needed to be done, so when a
sympathetic staff member suggested she try the
Ombudsman Program, Jane made the call.
On the other end of the line was Natalie
Clanzy, the ombudsman manager for District 6
which includes Southern Pinellas County. “Jane
contacted us for help with some issues and worked
with our ombudsman Lili who took the complaint,
said Natalie. “She has also gotten active at the facility as an official volunteer, is trying to make a difference, not just complaining about it; and then
she jumped right in to go beyond just her mom’s
facility (as an ombudsman).”
According to Natalie, her district has 25 volunteer ombudsmen, but she could use a lot more for
an area that includes 184 licensed facilities. “We
are recruiting,” she says. When asked how many
new volunteers she would like, she and District
Chairperson Cynthia Floyd, toss around a few
numbers almost settling on 50 when Natalie
Jane chats with resident Mirian Schenk
about her experience at the facility.
VOLUNTEER continued on page 2
Photo of the Month
This image was shot by amateur photographer
Pam Loughery from Ohio who shares a condo with
husband Dennis and two other couples from Ohio in
the Serena Bay complex overlooking Boca Ciega Bay.
Pam writes, “The sunsets from our balcony are so
beautiful that I cannot stop myself from snapping
photos every time; I just got lucky with this one. We
have all visited Treasure Island for years and finally
have a “piece of it.” We absolutely LOVE it, and I
am just happy to be able to share my photo.”
For more information about submitting images
to be considered for the Photo of the Month,
visit www.TheIslandReporter.com and click on
“Photos and Recipes.”
2 - The Island Reporter - August 2010
VOLUNTEER continued from front page
suggests, “Our state ombudsman, Brian Lee, would
say that we would love to have a volunteer for
every facility.”
“We are committed to getting into each facility
for an annual assessment, and we try to do quarterly visits at every facility, or at least the ones where
we identified issues on the annual assessment and
they need the extra follow-up,” notes Natalie.
She believes their annual visits are particularly
important for the 138 assisted living facilities which
only have to be inspected by the state every two
years unlike nursing homes that are inspected
every year. “We are an extra set of eyes giving feedback to the licensing and other agencies that there
are issues.”
Annual assessments are a matter of public
record. “We hope to have them on the Web soon,
but for now, if someone wants information on a
particular facility, all they need to do is call, and we
can provide them with information from the
report or send them a copy,” said Natalie. “If people have narrowed down their search to a few facilities, we can work with them to further narrow their
selection as well.”
When asked how well they are received when
conducting the visits which are unannounced,
Cynthia notes that the administrators at some facilities can get defensive. “If they understand our program and our role as resident advocates, some
appreciate it,” she notes. “But not all administrators
feel that way. In places with issues, we can get a
bristly reception, but the good ones want us to visit
and they appreciate another set of eyes,” she says.
That sentiment is echoed by Lisa Tsotsos, the
administrator at Masonic Home of Florida where
Jane conducted the assessment on July 14. “You
help us tremendously,” notes Lisa talking with Jane
at the end of the visit. “It is good for all of us; the
process is excellent, and we both want the same
thing: good care for the residents.”
Lisa’s care and concern for the residents at her
facility is not missed by the seniors who live there
or the staff who provide the care. Jane notes that
finding genuinely happy residents and employees
who have been at a facility for a long time is an
encouraging sign of a good situation; both are
Jane (right) listens as Masonic Home of Florida
Administrator Lisa Tsotsos provides
an overview of the facility.
present at the Masonic Home.
Jane’s concern is evident as well. She moves
from the nurses’ stations, to the cafeteria, to the
chapel making notations on her checklist. She chats
with the staff, checks to see that medicine logs are
current, looks to see that daily activities, menus and
information on the ombudsman program are posted throughout the home, and goes out of her way
to ensure that her mid-day visit does not disrupt
the staff’s ability to prepare or serve lunch. She
takes time to stop and talk with many residents
explaining that she is their advocate. She actively
engages with them, listening patiently to their comments and laughing with them as they recount
funny stories.
The District 6 volunteers include retired
nurses, physicians, social workers, lawyers and
other family members who are committed to taking care of Florida’s seniors in the facilities they
serve. The group gathers on the third Thursday of
each month at the district office in Largo for council meetings where they can discuss particulars of
their cases in private sessions, take advantage of the
varied expertise among the volunteers and arrange
for joint visits if that would be helpful. Volunteers
also get involved in the resident council meetings
and family council meetings at their facilities and
they also provide training on resident’s rights.
Volunteers must submit an application,
participate in an interview and pass a background
check. Volunteers who are accepted participate in
three days of classroom training coupled with
shadowing a trained ombudsman on an assessment and a complaint. After completing the
training, volunteers continue to shadow on at
least three assessments and complaints and then
according to Natalie, “When they are comfortable and we are comfortable, they get certified
and go out on their own.”
According to Jane she was compelled to
become part of the solution after seeing first-hand
the problems that can occur so quickly in a facility
and how difficult it can be for a resident and the
family to get action.
“The gratification that comes from seeing a facility that is truly a caring home and safe haven for its
residents is heartwarming. Improving the quality of
care and advocating for those being ignored or
neglected redeems my soul,” said Jane. “I would
encourage anyone interested in helping others to
investigate becoming and ombudsman.”
Fo r a d d i t i o n a l i n f o r m a t i o n g o t o
http://ombudsman.myflorida.com, or call
the District 6 office at (727) 588-6912 or the tollfree number (888) 831-0404.
Jane inspects the kitchen area of the Masonic Home
with Tami Vashon, Health Information Director.
THANK OUR ADVERTISERS
WITH YOUR PATRONAGE!
August 2010 - The Island Reporter - 3
Beverage Beat
Cork It or Screw It?
By Jeannie Cox
The debate between screw caps (stelvin enclosures) and cork closures for wine continues.
What really is the best way to keep wine fresh?
What is best for aging wine? What is best for the
environment?
Corks have been used to seal wine bottles for
more than 400 years. They are made primarily
from the Cork Oak (Quercus Suber) tree, which
is found in southwest Europe and northwest
Africa; 50% of corks used for wine bottles come
from Portugal. Corks are a renewable resource.
The trees are not killed; only the bark is stripped,
which will grow back, and corks are easily recycled. Mediterranean Cork Oak forests cover 6.7
million acres of land; employ more than 100,000
people, provide homes for various endangered
species and if lost would probably result in commercial development of the land. With all this
good, what is the problem with cork?
Approximately 10-15 percent of wine goes bad
due to 2, 4, 6-trichloranisole or cork taint - a
chemical compound that is found in some corks.
It can be detected by a moldy, musty smell.
What other industry could accept this percentage
of failure?
So winemakers looking for an alternative solution came up with stelvin enclosures in the late
1960’s which are made up of a screw cap, a long
printable skirt and a liner specifically designed for
contact with wine. There is no way to get cork
taint with this product and it is recyclable. The
use of stelvin enclosures has doubled in the past
few years predominantly in New Zealand and
Australia. In New Zealand a group of wineries
formed the New Zealand Screw Cap Wine Seal
Initiative in 2001. This group’s purpose is to
ensure the quality of their wine in response to the
escalating cork taint problem.
Despite the fact that most wine consumed in
the United States is drunk within eight hours of
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purchase; one of the big questions about using a
stelvin enclosure has been “How will wine age
with a screw cap?” Slow oxygenation is needed to
age some wine and cork is a breathable product
that allows this process to occur. Screw cap producers argue that the residual oxygen in the bottle between the wine and cap also allows for
aging. Some Bordeaux wines are laid down from
5 – 50 years to age. Screw caps have not been
around for 50 years to test their age-ability; however there have been a few studies. The Australian
Wine Research Institute did a 10-year study to
test the effect of 14 different closures (various
corks, synthetic corks, and screw caps) on wine.
The wine chosen for the study was a 1999 Clare
Semillon. Once a year the wines were tasted and
analyzed and after 10 years a blind tasting determined that the wine sealed with the screw cap
showed an appealing aged character while still
retaining freshness and was chosen as the best
wine. It also retained the best visual clarity and
color.
There are also synthetic or plastic corks, but
most consumers do not favor these because they
are hard to remove and there have been complaints about tasting “plastic taint.” Also, plastic
corks may lose elasticity over time making them
less suitable for aging wines.
In closing I think you will see more and more
wineries using stelvin enclosures for their wines.
Many upscale wineries, like Napa’s PlumpJack,
are beginning to us them on all their wines.
Today a good bottle of wine does not have to
have a cork to be fabulous!
Jeannie is the wine manager at Tostis Spirits &
Fine Wines owned by Ellen Capitosti. She is a
Certified Specialist of Wine (CSW), a certified
sommelier and a member of the Court of Master
Sommeliers.
PET OF THE
MONTH
Reggie
8 month old male
August 21st is National Animal Homeless
Day, which began in 1992 to publicize the
epidemic we have in America of homeless
animals, like Reggie. This cute, loyal 8month-old Australian Shepherd/Chihuahua
Mix loves to run, play with toys and snuggle
in a warm lap when he’s tired is just one of
the many SPCA Tampa Bay adoptable dogs
waiting for their second chance at a forever
home. If you have room in your heart and in
your home for a new canine companion,
then stop by SPCA Tampa Bay in Largo
today and find your new best friend. For
additional information about Reggie, adoptable animals, adoption specials, spay/neuter
programs or the Animal Behavior Helpline,
visit or call 727-586-3591. Shelter Location:
9099 130th Ave N, Largo. Hours: TuesdayThursday 11 am to 7 pm; Friday 11 am to 6
pm; Saturday 11 am to 5 pm; Sunday Noon
to 5 pm and Monday Closed.
From The Publisher
By Betsy Judge
www.TheIslandReporter.com
August can be a quiet month; lazy days at the
lake as a child in Michigan; the calm before the
storm when I worked in our nation’s capital,
because Congress went home for the “Summer
District Work Period; and here in the South Gulf
Beaches tourism in August is at its lowest point
of the summer and that is without a major oil
spill in the Gulf. Despite no oil on our shores
the threat of oil has been a concern to officials
who watch the tourism industry including Robin
Grabowski, President and CEO of the Tampa
Bay Beaches Chamber and the rest of the chamber staff. So if you find yourself sitting around
in the quiet of August call your out-of-town
friends and relatives and tell them that our
beaches are beautiful and invite them for a visit.
You can also consider being a volunteer
ombudsman. I had the distinct pleasure to
spend a few hours with elder care ombudsman
Jane Barr during a visit to the Masonic Home of
Florida for our cover story on the Florida’s Long
Term Care Ombudsman Program. Jane and 24
other volunteers spend their free time working as
advocates on behalf of residents of elder care
facilities in Southern Pinellas County. Jane has
only been an ombudsman for a few months, and
we talked about how rewarding that type of work
must be, but it wasn’t until after I finished the
article that she emailed me saying she had just
done two more assessments and noticed something driving home − “I just smile. What a great
feeling to do a job and walk away happy and
feeling good about your day.” If you have extra
time on your hands and want to feel good about
helping others, this might be for you.
If you noticed the beautiful sunrise photo on
the front page, you were looking at the first Photo
of the Month debuting with this issue along with
the recipe of the month. Consider sharing your
great images or recipes with TIR readers. For
more information and details on how to participate go to www.TheIslandReporter.com
It is also the debut of Island Toons by local
artist Bruce Norris featured on The Puzzle Page.
Bruce has been a free-lance caricature artist since
1975 and has been selected by Tampa Bay
Magazine as the best caricature artist of the year
for the last two years. His quirky characters are
sure to bring a smile to TIR readers.
And last but not least, I heard from TIR reader, Mike Greiger, who noticed that I missed a key
point in last month’s From the Publisher about
why we celebrate the Fourth of July. Mike wrote:
“We celebrate the Fourth of July as the day the
Second Continental Congress approved the
Declaration of Independence which is the document that explains why the 13 American
colonies broke from the oppressive rule of Great
Britain.” … He asked me to remind TIR readers: “that the roots of our country stem from our
Founding Fathers. They articulated the exquisite
words that are in the Declaration of
Independence, and that is why we celebrate the
Fourth of July.” Thanks Mike for taking the time
to write and happy August.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Beverage Beat.....................................3
From the Publisher .............................4
Collectible Bits & Pieces ....................6
Business Feature ................................7
Financial News ...................................8
Florida Author.....................................9
Island Decor ......................................10
Artist Feature....................................11
In the Spotlight .................................12
Pride & Joy ........................................13
Kid’s Corner.......................................14
Weather .............................................14
Real Estate Update...........................15
Classifieds/BC Directory ..................15
Maximo Moorings News..................15
Puzzle Page .......................................16
TIR Cartoon .......................................16
Recipe of the Month .........................16
Feature Story.....................................17
TIR Picture Page ...............................18
Tierra Verde News ...........................19
Publisher
Betsy Judge
Web Master
Betsy Judge
Graphic Design
Lorrie Bellinger
Contributing Writers
• Libby and Ron Salamone,
Real Estate
• Wayne Shattuck, Weather
• Jackie Minniti, Author Series
and Pride & Joy
• Lorraine Franckle,
In The Spotlight
• Amy Diaz, Kid’s Corner
• Paul Leaser, Collectible
Bits & Pieces
• Jeannie Cox, Beverage Beat
• Rich Lauterwasser,
Maximo Moorings News
• Betsy Judge, Tierra Verde
News and Features
• Jack Kern, Financial News
• Bruce Norris, Cartoonist
• Arlene Kitchin, Artist Feature
• Linda Parker, Island Decor
• Antonino Fabiano,
Features
Contents of The Island Reporter may not be reproduced or copied
without the written permission of the publisher. This includes photocopying and electronic or mechanical reproduction of any form.
Editorial expressions herein are not necessarily those of the publisher.
We are not responsible for ads that are late or incorrect. The Island
Reporter, it’s staff, advertisers, and owners, make no representation
or warranty of any kind for accuracy or content. Views expressed in
The Island Reporter are those of the authors and do not necessarily
reflect those of The Island Reporter’s staff, advertisers, or owners.
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
The Island Reporter
727-631-4730
[email protected]
Communities Served:
Bayway Isles, Bacopa Bay, Broadwater, Dolphin Cay,
Isla del Sol, Point Brittany, Maximo Moorings, Pass-aGrille, St. Pete Beach, Vina del Mar and Tierra Verde.
Monthly Distribution:
Delivered to homes in the communities we serve.
Single copies are available from advertisers
featured in this issue and various other locations.
Editorial Deadline:
Press releases and community event announcements
submitted on behalf of nonprofit organizations, as well as
story ideas are welcome! Please submit via email by the
first of the month for inclusion in the following month’s
issue. Submissions of this nature run on a space available
basis at the discretion of the newspaper.
Submit to: [email protected]
For Advertising Information,
contact Betsy Judge, 727-631-4730 or
email [email protected]
Please Support Our Advertisers With Your Patronage!
We Now Accept Discover,
MasterCard and Visa.
The Island Reporter Wishes To Welcome The
Following New And Returning Advertisers …
Bruce Norris
Maximo Mini
Caricatures
Storage
Janis D. Froelich
The Allegro
• All Precious Pawz
• Bamboozle*
• Bay Way Marine
• Beth Brennan, Realtor
• Blessed Trinity
Catholic Church
• Brandy’s Interiors
• Central Animal Hospital*
• Century 21
Coast to Coast*
• Decor Studio 1
• DiMarino Signature
Floor Studio
• Gary the Car Guy
• Golden Beauty Salon*
• Jack Kern & Associates
• John H. Penney, D.D.S.*
• Latitude 27
Marine Service
• Oscars Restaurant*
• Pet Sitter Barbi
• Poodle Palace*
• Project June Bug
• RE/MAX Bayway Islands*
• Solutions Insurance
Group*
• St. Petersburg
Country Club*
• Sun & Moon
Dry Cleaners*
• The Carpet Store
• The Island Chapel*
• Tidal Tales
• Tierra Verde
Island Aire, LCC
• Tierra Verde Marina
• Tosti’s Spirits
& Fine Wines*
Look for their ads in this issue and view them online at www.TheIslandReporter.com
(*) Indicates a pick-up location for
The Island Reporter. Please Thank Our
Advertisers With Your Patronage!
Additional Pick-Up Locations
for The Island Reporter:
Tampa Bay Beaches Chamber of Commerce
WWW.THEISLANDREPORTER.COM
Island Shop/Post Office
to Sing “Bye, Bye, Verde”
The Island Shop/Post Office which opened
almost five years ago to provide residents of
Tierra Verde with more convenient postal
services and retail shopping will close for business Aug. 4.
“The store never reached its potential for
either of these services,” said owner Charlotte
Fritchie. “Additionally slow summer sales,
loss of postal business to the internet, and
high credit and debit card fees, contributed to
the closing.”
According to Fritchie Tierra Verde/Isla Del
Sol is a beautiful place to live, but it is not a
haven for small business. “With numerous
part time residents and restrictions on short
time rentals, the five months of summer has a
severe negative impact to the bottom line,
said Fritchie.
“In the time that we’ve been open, we have
said goodbye to four restaurants, three deli’s,
two gyms, and two coffee/ice cream stores.
How sad! I’m glad the community is relooking at redevelopment,” she concluded referring to the new Tierra Verde Community
Association Revitalization Committee.
Fritchie and manager Ken Orosz want to
give special thanks to the loyal customers who
have supported the business noting “the entire
staff will miss serving you.”
Collectible Bits & Pieces
S’more Toys
By Paul J. H. Leaser
Pictured here among others are two of my
favorite character toys; Popeye and Felix the Cat
(I even have a black and white cat, which I
named Felix).
At an early age, we learned to ferret out the
best part of the fat Sunday newspaper the
“funny” pages. During the 1920s and 30s, toy
makers were quick to capitalize on this young
hero worship of our favorite comic strip characters and turned out an amazing line of comic
toys; now so esteemed by collectors.
Mickey Mouse led the volume parade to be
SPSPS Boating
Classes
The St. Petersburg Sail and Power Squadron
will present the United States Power Squadrons
Seminar Series: Onboard Weather Forecasting on
Wednesday, Aug. 18, 7-9 p.m. The seminar comes
with a Captain’s Quick Guide to keep on your
boat. There is a $20 charge per family for materials. There is a maximum of 20 students and preregistration required. Contact: www.boatingstpete.org or call 727-525-0968.
On Monday, Sept. 13, the squadron will begin
the 7-week America’s Boating Course. Graduates
are eligible to join the squadron and take advantage of all the other great educational opportunities afforded to SPSPS members. Cost of materials is $25.00 per family. The two-hour class is
held on Mondays from 7-9 p.m. Pre-register at
www.boating-stpete.org or call 727-498-4001.
SPSPS classes are held at the St. Petersburg
Sailing Center, 250 2nd Ave SE, Demens
Landing, St. Petersburg.
challenged by
P e a n u t ’ s
“Snoopy” in a
later-day market. Today, the
super heroes
dominate the
toy realm.
Besides the
United States,
Germany and
Japan produced
voluminous amounts of fine, if somewhat
inaccurate, comic character figures before
World War II.
Most cherished by collectors is the springwound variety. The “wind-ups” were somewhat later than my childhood fancies, but I am
intrigued when I come across a
Tooneville Trolley or a Barney
Google Spark Plug.
Many years ago, I was traveling
through the New England states
when a detour took me through a
neighborhood wherein inorganic
trash day was taking place. I passed a
house which had at its curbside a
peach basket filled with wind-up toys
from the 1930s and 40s. I resisted
taking or asking if I could take the
“refuse.” Instead, I gave the occupant
of the house the name of an auctioneer whom I knew, located in a town
nearb y .
S o m e
months
later, I
received a
phone call
from the
w o m a n
who said
she had gotten my number from the auctioneer friend, thanking me for my
advice; she had realized $1,600
from the sale. In the 1960s, that
paid a lot of bills for her.
People today are more
apprised, and the chance of that
happening again is practically nil.
But keep looking!
Business Feature
Oscar’s - Where “Good Cookin’, Good Eatin’,
Good Lovin’ … is More Than a Slogan
By Betsy Judge
Oscar and Barbara Moreno, owners of Oscar’s
on 75th Avenue, have a goal for their restaurant,
actually several goals: provide excellent food at
reasonable prices, offer a comfortable place that
caters to local people, and help aspiring artists
and musicians showcase their talent.
It starts with Oscar’s definition of fine dining.
“Fine dining does not come from ‘fine’ prices;
fine dining comes with good atmosphere, good
service, excellent food and reasonable prices,” he
That philosophy is reflected in a menu
says.
which features appetizers, entrées and desserts
many with Latin and Mediterranean influence,
but all under $7. You hear it in the gentle music
that wafts through the restaurant every evening,
but even at 10 a.m. during an interview. And you
see it in the lush deep colors Barbara and Randy
the bartender/piano player painted portions of
the interior as well as in the local artwork hanging on the walls.
“I want people to be able to leave here and say
‘I went out and had great food and a great time
and it didn’t cost a lot’,” said Oscar. “And we
don’t settle for good food, we want excellent
food; and we don’t settle for good service, we
want to provide excellent service,” he added.
Barbara and Oscar Moreno, owners of Oscar’s
on 75th Avenue at behind the bar in their restaurant.
They opened formally on June 4 and operate on the
premise that fine dining is not about fine prices,
but about good atmosphere, good service,
excellent food and reasonable prices.
They are also adamant that people should not
be rushed. “I want people to sit here and relax
and enjoy the music and enjoy the food and
enjoy the ambiance,” said Oscar.
Barbara added that one of the best complements they have received came from a woman
Oscar’s owners say they strive to provide dinners with a friendly comfortable atmosphere
along with excellent food and great music for a relaxing, leisurely dining experience.
who was by herself at the bar. “She came in and
she sat there, she ate and she said she felt safe,
comfortable and she was out of her apartment.
She stayed here two hours and then she said ‘OK,
I’m going home now; see you next week.”
According to Oscar it is particularly important
that singles enjoy dining there. “A lot of our customers are singles, and we are going to take good
care of you if you are alone or with a group of
six,” he said.
They offer a venue for aspiring musicians who
don’t have regular places to play and will open
the restaurant and offer light appetizers periodically on Monday evenings for artist showings.
The events will give artists an opportunity to talk
about, display and sell their work. The first
showing is Aug. 5 at 5 p.m. featuring local artist
Mirella Cimato.
Cooking and food service are not new for this
couple who met and married in Las Vegas. Oscar
owned an Italian restaurant in New York for several years and Barbara owned a restaurant and
lounge in Los Angeles for 17 years. From 19942003 they ran “A Elvis Chapel,” in Vegas, and
while the focus was on marital unions, they often
catered events for the wedding parties.
After moving here in February, the couple
intended to open a coffee house in downtown St.
Petersburg, but while on their first trip touring St.
Pete Beach, they took a chance that 75th Avenue
would get them home; turned the corner and saw
the “for lease” sign on the building. “It was
meant to be,” said Oscar, “We talked to the
owner, Bob Mattioli and his partner, Joe
Delvecchio, and it was not hard to get along with
them.”
Barbara echoes that sentiment saying they
have great landlords. “They have helped us get
so many things done,” she said. And with 30
days from the time they got the lease until the
formal opening on June 4, there was probably
plenty to do.
Oscar’s has music each night and is open
Tuesday – Saturday 12 p.m. until 10-11 p.m.
depending on the crowd. You can also call ahead
and order food for take-out.
Go to
www.oscar75.com or call 727-258-4948 for more
information.
Financial News
The Difference Your Business’ Method of
Financial Reporting Can Make
By Jack Kern
In the June issue of The Island Reporter I talked
about problems people can create when they do
their own internal accounting, but do not know
whether they are actually profitable, and the
importance of knowing this in order to survive the
recession. In this article I will talk about how using
proper accounting method can reap some major
benefits for your small business.
First some background. In my “previous life,” I
was a commercial lending officer in the banking
industry. In this position I saw many gimmicks
used (legitimately or not) by business loan applicants to reduce taxes, particularly cash basis
accounting which can cause a company to show a
loss on paper. The problem can impact your ability to secure a loan as when you provide this information to a bank, the people who are analyzing
your financial statements are not there to re-do
your accounting, or even tell you how they want it
done to improve your chances of getting a loan.
They don’t want to meddle in your business that
way because banks are concerned about lender liability in case something doesn’t work in your
favor. Therefore, they often just take whatever you
give them at “face value” and either approve your
loan, or decline it without a full explanation. In
the latter case, you are then left to wonder what
just happened.
That is what I encountered with one of my first
clients as a consultant when I was referred to a 27year-old private ambulance business that was having trouble getting approval for a $30,000 bank
loan to buy two wheelchair transport vehicles.
When I met with the owner, I asked to see the
information that she gave to the bank. It was a classic situation of what I described above, compounded with multiple business entities and extensive
intercompany transactions — no one really knew
what was going on. In the meantime another business adviser using this same information was telling
her that she needed to let go of several paramedics
— the life blood of her company, because her direct
labor costs were “too high.” And ironically, at the
same time, management was complaining about
not being able to attract and retain quality employees from the local labor market.
The first thing we did was go back two fiscal
years and recast the accounting on an accrual basis
as I discussed in June, while simultaneously making improvements in their financial reporting that
eliminated all of the confusion created by intercompany transactions. The end result revealed a
company that exhibited strong earnings, but slowly turning accounts receivable creating a severe
strain on cash flow. Moreover, when we compared
our numbers to an industry study we obtained
from the ambulance association, we discovered
that as a percentage of revenues, our direct labor
costs were actually lower, not higher than the
industry average. At this point, we slammed on
the brakes to review exactly what was going on.
The outcome of all of this was almost unbelievable. First we wrote a business plan based on the
revised numbers and obtained approval in only
two weeks for bank financing totaling $650,000.
This included a working capital line of credit, and
a revolving line of credit to enable the company to
purchase vehicles with just a phone call to the
bank. We then looked into the accounts receivable turnover issue and discovered a production
bottleneck in the billing department, which was
quickly addressed and eliminated.
Finally, and perhaps most amazingly, we did a
survey of the labor market and discovered that the
company’s wage rates were far below the competition, which explained why the company was having a difficult time attracting and retaining quality
employees. And the employees that were left had
found ways to get around this by helping each
other to abuse the company’s overtime policy.
The remedy? We gave the employees an acrossthe-board pay raise and simultaneously cracked
down on overtime abuses, and in the end, everyone came out ahead.
None of this would have been possible without
first correcting the company’s method of accounting and financial reporting. And by the way, the
company’s method of reporting for tax purposes
was left unchanged.
In my next article, I will talk about some specific financial reporting procedures that QuickBooks
users can create that paint the wrong picture of
your companies’ financial health.
Jack Kern is a financial consultant for Kern &
Associates CPA, P.A., a Tierra Verde CPA firm
owned by his wife, Marianne Kern CPA, and specializes in small business accounting, bookkeeping,
and tax services.
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He’ll Take Manhattan
WINNER OF 12 BOOK AWARDS
By Jackie Minniti
This article is part of a series based on
exclusive interviews with Florida authors.
Sergeant John Mackie
had that. Eventually,
was a cop’s cop. A 17the luck caught up.”
year veteran of the
In July, 2002, Mackie’s
NYPD, he was a rising
first published novel,
star in the department.
“Manhattan South,”
He’d earned more than
hit bookstore shelves.
36 medals and commenA story of a triple
dations, including the
murder in a chic midprized Medal of Valor.
town bistro, the book
Even though he was
introduces Sergeant
assigned to the tough
Thorn Savage, a hardStreet Crime Unit, he
boiled detective in the
loved the job and the
Manhattan South
people he worked with.
homicide squad.
One day, when Mackie
Thorn and his crew
was on his way to meet a
return in three subsedecoy, an elderly lady
quent mystery novels:
missed a stop sign and
“Manhattan North,”
plowed into his car. The
“East Side,” and “West
injuries he suffered as a
Side.” Praised by
result of the accident
Publishers Weekly
forced Mackie into early
as “High Intensity,”
retirement.
Mackie’s stories are
“I left the NYPD
based on real-life
kicking and screaming,”
experiences and
Mackie says. “Afterward,
imbued with a grittiI needed a change,
ness and edge that
so I moved to North
makes them ring true.
Carolina.” He served a
“Authenticity is really
short stint as a county
important to me,”
undersheriff, then
Mackie explains. “I
“decided to do what
know the characters
every good New Yorker
well. They’re based on
must eventually do – I
guys I worked with. I
moved to Florida.”
try to show them in
Since he was an avid
their true light, for
Dodger’s fan, he settled
better or worse. They
in Vero Beach. A long
aren’t superheroes.
and futile job search
They’re true folks who
sent Mackie into a dark
deal with unusual cirbout of depression. Still
cumstances. And the
in his forties, he decided
reader has to like the
to do something he’d
characters, identify
always wanted to do –
with them and believe
write a book. “That terriin them. And dislike
ble period wound up
the bad guys.” The
being the dawning of a
fifth novel in the
new day,” Mackie says.
series is finished and
“I spent ten years writawaiting publication.
ing. I reinvented myself.
Tentatively titled “To
I was no longer ‘John
Kill a Queen,” Mackie
the Cop’ or ‘John the
describes this book as
Depressed Mope;’ now I
“sheer terror.”
was ‘John the Writer.’”
Although he
A high school dropenjoys traveling and
out who failed English,
spending time with
Mackie faced some forhis wife, Bonnie, four
John Nacjue
midable challenges. But
grown children and
challenges were nothing
five grandkids, he sets
new to this tough ex-cop. He joined writers
aside time every morning for writing. “I look at
groups and took adult education writing classwriting as the efforts of one for the delight and
es. He tried his hand at many different writing
amusement of many,” he says. “I hope my readformats and wrote, rewrote, and published his
ers will be entertained and amused and feel that
work. “You need three things to get published,”
their time with me has been well spent.”
he says, “Talent, perseverance, and luck. The
Author photo by Tracie Van Auken
most important is perseverance, and I knew I
A novel by
Jackie Minniti,
writer for the
Island Reporter
Autographed copies available!
Call 727-360-4368
Experience whet.n you
need it mos
Libby & Ron Salamone
In today’s market, you need
every advantage you can get.
RE/MAX
Bayway Islands
Sales, Rentals &
Property Management
Office: 727-867-3100
Direct: 727-560-6676
Island Decor
Summertime!
By Linda Parker
We, as well as a good portion of the southern
states have “enjoyed” 90+-degree weather since
the end of winter. Most permanent and part-time
residents chose Florida for many reasons and
warm summer weather is part of the package,
therefore, we swing into summer mode and
adjust our lives accordingly. Part of our summer
routine and that of most of our clients is focused
on outside activities that usually involve swimming, boating, outdoor cooking and entertaining. To me, the most beautiful parts of the day
are early mornings and evenings; sitting on the
lanai or patio with a morning
cup of coffee and enjoying our
beautiful sunsets with a beverage
of choice, friends and family.
Outdoor furniture is part of
this package and should be an
extension of your home. After
all, Floridians use their outdoor
spaces more than residents of
many northern climes; why not
design your outdoor space to
reflect your lifestyle.
I have been collaborating with a delightful
couple who just purchased a beachfront property,
and we are now ordering furniture, rugs and
accessories for their second story lanai. The second floor houses the kitchen, living area and several bedrooms. The beach is their backyard and
they want to enjoy breakfast outside, and BBQs
and sunset cocktail hours. The furniture for this
space is really important,
as it is where they will live
in the beautiful weather
times of the year, which is
most of the year in
Florida.
We chose outdoor
wicker and have designed two areas for their large
lanai. The first, right off of the living room, has
a seating group with two club chairs, ottoman,
loveseat and coffee table. These will sit on a colorful outdoor rug to define the space.
The adjacent space, off of the kitchen,
becomes the dining center. A 48 inch round
table with a stone top and four armchairs will suf-
fice for this family.
Combining the seating
availability, we can accommodate nine friends and
family for larger gatherings.
Now the fun part, we
have chosen a coffee colored outdoor wicker in a
transitional design; the
cushions will be a brightly
colored stripe on the seats
and a coordinating buttercup yellow for the backs. I
will welt the solid yellow
cushions with the stripe to
“marry” the two and select
a solid green rug underneath all (deep lime green
is part of the stripe pattern). We’ll add some large
terracotta and colored pots with either cactus or
artificial (outdoor) greenery to complete the look.
Fun and festive!
We really were fortunate to find the furniture
we liked and happened into an unknown sale
from one of our manufacturers who had decided
to get out of the exterior furniture business. This
does not happen every day, but timing is everything and, of course, helped with the investment.
This family will have many years of enjoyment
from their outdoor furniture which cost them
approximately $5,800 (normally around $7,250)
DECOR continued on page 19
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Artist Feature
Rick Yearick - An Artist and So Much More
By Arlene Kitchin
Rick Yearick’s love of art is displayed throughout his exquisite waterfront home in Tierra Verde
where he has resided for the past decade. But
Rick is not anchored here, as his love for travel
and adventure has taken him and his sketch book
across Europe to the Far East as well as a recent
holiday in Ireland.
“My sketch books are filled with drawings,
watercolors and notes from my travels across
North America and to places like India, Tibet,
Spain, Sweden and Austria,” he said. “It is
intriguing to experience the diversity of cultures,
architecture and scenery. From sketches and
research, I begin a painting with a plan and then
explore the color and compositional elements so
that the final version may be more interesting.”
In addition to his international travels, Rick
has creative drawings and designs from many
Rick Yearick in his St. Petersburg Studio
where he spends many hours designing
and creating his works of art.
Show and 1st Prize for his paintings. “Art gives
me much enjoyment, and I encourage others I
meet to create in the medium of their choice for
the joy of it!” All this and he still finds time to
play golf.
You can see his work at his studio in St.
Petersburg, by appointment only at 727-864-6191
or online at www.rickyearick.com.
United States locations including the Pacific
Northwest, the mountains of Colorado and
Vermont, New York City and the Florida Gulf
Coast. He brings a piece of every place home
with him captured on canvas.
Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, and educated on a
scholarship at the Columbus College of Art &
Design, he went on to advanced studies at the
Chicago Art Institute and the Kansas City Art
Institute. His business career took him to
Hallmark Cards, Crayola, Norcross and
Sangamon, where he created and managed all the
while evolving as an artist. He also served as president of two limited edition art print companies,
Somerset House Publishing and American
Masters Foundation.
Rick’s expressive blue eyes twinkle as he talks
about and shows his work. He is even excited
about the business side of art noting with pride,
“I have had my own business for ten years, licensing art and photography images to publishing
companies worldwide.”
For several years, he has had an exhibition
booth at the prestigious licensing International
Show in New York City. His most recent works
are in Giclée (pronounced “zhee-clay”); a new
term to describe the process of making fine art
prints from a digital source using ink-jet printing. These works are extremely colorful and seem
to jump off the wall; they really demand your
attention.
Rick has a long list of exhibits to his credit
along with personal awards including Best of
Rick Yearick in his art-filled Tierra Verde
home displaying a recent painting with his four
seasons prints done in an individually produced,
high-resolution reproduction created with a
special inkjet printer which makes colors that
are more true, vibrant and longer lasting.
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In The Spotlight!
The Spotlight Is On … Whitney James
By Lorraine Franckle
I first heard Whitney James, a fresh new
voice in the female jazz-singer circuit, in
January when she sang to a standing-room-only
crowd at the Side Door Jazz venue of the
Palladium Theater in downtown St. Petersburg.
She had just released her first CD, “The Nature
of Love,” amid rave reviews from online music
critics. Jakob Baekgaard wrote in All About
Jazz, “the sculpted lines of her sensual, smoky
voice could be mistaken for those of a seasoned
diva who knows exactly when to break into the
higher register and how to create intimacy
through a whisper.” Descriptions of her vocalizing in reviews printed after her CD premiered
included: “a class act,” “her voice wraps itself
around a song like a sheer silk scarf.”
Dancing since age five, she began vocal lessons at 10. At 13 she became hooked on jazz
when she received a Sarah Vaughn recording
from her mother. Whitney studied dance and
music through her teen years in the San
Francisco Bay area and received a bachelor of
arts in music from The Cornish College of the
Arts in Seattle, majoring in vocal performance.
She performed in Seattle for a few years before
moving to New York City where she joined
with old friends jazz pianist Josh Wolff, drummer Jon Wiken, and flugelhorn and trumpet
player Ingrid Jensen to begin work on her CD.
She has had two subsequent performances at
the Palladium Side Door, both to a full house.
Her audience seems to love the same things
about her that keep me coming back: her total
immersion in her performance, her wide vocal
range, and her creation of sounds that express
the meaning of the song more clearly than the
lyrics. She loves to perform new renditions of
old standards like “East of the Sun, West of the
Moon,” and “Softly as in a Morning Sunrise;”
beautiful music for listening.
You may cross paths with Whitney on Tierra
Verde. Many of her morning vocal exercises
begin with a jog to Ft. Desoto. She lives with
her husband Steve in a newly renovated condo
on Pinellas Bayway. I hope that means she will
stay in the neighborhood for a long time. After
you’ve sampled her singing on her website, you
will certainly want to order her CD. It will provide you with a wonder backdrop to a candlelight dinner for two right in your own home.
Email her at [email protected].
In The Spotlight, showcasing local arts
performances and venues, is a regular feature in The Island Reporter. If you are an
artist (or, are aware of someone who is),
or if you know of an event or venue that
should be “in the spotlight,” contact
Lorraine Franckle at (727) 698-3643 or
[email protected].
Whitney James
Pride & Joy
Healing Hands
By Jackie Minniti
When Suzanne Cummings of St. Pete Beach
discovered the lump in her left breast, she
thought her 35-year career as a registered nurse
in psychiatric and mental health counseling
was over. The intense rounds of high dose
chemotherapy and radiation, followed by a
stem cell transplant, left her physically debilitated and cognitively weakened. But her personal health challenges only intensified her
desire to help others heal, and when she was
introduced to Healing Touch, an internationally-approved training program with courses
offered at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Tampa,
Suzanne knew this was a “perfect fit” for her.
Over the next two-and-a-half years, she completed the rigorous training and certification
requirements to become a Certified Healing
Touch Practitioner.
Healing Touch is an energy-based modality
that works in tandem with traditional medicine. It has been endorsed by the American
Holistic Nurses Association. A nursing diagnosis (“Energy Field, Disturbed”) has been
approved by the North American Nursing
Diagnosis Association, establishing professional credibility and standards of practice for this
ever-growing field of energy medicine. Healing
Touch treatments, usually 20-50 minutes a session, restore and balance energy depleted by
stress, illness, surgery or medical procedures.
The process uses both contact and non-contact
techniques to influence the body’s energy system, stimulating the body’s innate ability to
heal itself. According to Suzanne, “It isn’t necessary to be in the medical profession to practice this healing art. We all possess the Godgiven ability to direct our heartfelt intentions
for another’s highest good.” She has even
taught some of the techniques to her 10-yearold granddaughter, Carlie, who has used them
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on her injured classmates with amazing results.
Suzanne has been a long-time Healing
Touch volunteer at St. Joseph’s C ancer
Institute and often responds to physicianordered consultation requests in other areas,
including the intensive care unit and orthopedics. She has also provided treatments for family, friends, and clients hospitalized at St.
Anthony’s, St. Joseph’s Women’s, and Palms of
Pasadena hospitals. Recently, as part of a medical mission team sponsored by Harborside
Christian Church in Safety Harbor, she had
the opportunity to provide and teach several
Healing Touch techniques in Nicaragua. “It
was a truly humbling experience”, she says.
“We were able to treat over 900 patients and fill
more than 2,000 prescriptions during our five
days in the Nicaraguan countryside. People of
all ages walked for miles and stood in the heat
for hours waiting to be seen. I was struck by
their patience, gratitude, and kind, gentle
natures, in spite of their difficult circumstances. Being able to teach them Healing
Touch techniques that are so simple, yet so
empowering, was wonderful.”
Suzanne recently attended an interactive
training program that uses holistic tools to
help patients who are undergoing surgical or
medical procedures. The goal of the Beyond
Surgery Program is to have Healing Touch
practitioners present in surgery and recovery
rooms and involved in pre- and post-operative care. As the benefits of this healing therapy become increasingly well-known, this
goal is becoming a reality. “For me,” Suzanne
says, “Healing Touch is a miracle waiting to
happen. I know. I have seen and experienced
miracles of my own, as well as those of others,
on this journey.”
For more about St. Joseph Hospital’ s
Suzanne Cummings
Healing Touch program, call Tammy Dragel
a t 8 1 3 - 8 7 0 - 4 7 6 6 o r e - m a i l Ta m m y a t
[email protected].
For more about Healing Touch International,
go to www.HealingTouchProgram.com or
www.HealingTouchInternational.org.
The South Gulf Beaches are home to
lots of people doing things they can be
proud of. If you’re one of these people
(or know someone who is), we’d like to
hear from you. E-mail Jackie at [email protected] (please put
Pride & Joy in the subject line) or call
727-360-4368 for details.
Kid’s
Corner
By Amy Diaz
Vampires,
Werewolves and
Wizards, Oh My!
Walking through a book store, library, or
even the halls of a school, you see the thick
black books, with silver or red embossed
script; or eerie pictures of mythical creatures.
You see the T-Shirts with sayings like “Bite
me.” You hear the topics of discussion narrowed down to two things: “Team Edward”
or “Jacob”?
What’s with this new fad? You can probably agree that the Twilight Saga (a series of
four vampire–based fantasy romance novels) was what triggered the chain of events
leading up to the conversation of
choosing sides between two fans of Twilight;
one with fake vampire teeth in her mouth,
the other wearing a “Sorry Edward, I’m Team
Jacob” T-Shirt. But then there are the television dramas “The Vampire Diaries,” and
“True Blood.” Not to mention the appearances of those blood sucking and howling
creatures on children’s shows such as
“Wizards of Waverly Place.”
I’m not sure what it is about these books
that grabs readers and pulls them into a vast
world of mythical creatures. Is it the normal
girl that the female readers relate to in hope
of finding someone to love them with the
intensity, say of Edward’s to Bella? Or perhaps, it’s the idea of these creatures lurking
among us at this very moment, us none the
wiser. Either way, the books, the t-shirts, and
the television shows all lead to the fact that
just as much as kids love silly bands, skinny
jeans and ice cream, we love our fictional
world of biters and howlers.
So, whether you’d prefer to howl at the
moon, eat the flesh of unsuspecting humans,
or wave your magic wand, we all seem to
share a common interest: the unreal. Or is it?
About the Author: Amy is twelve-years-old
and is enrolled in a full-time gifted program.
She loves art, writing, math, and science, and
in her spare time she is teaching herself to play
the piano.
Sun Spots and
Hurricanes?, Disputed
Island Sinks, Seed Vault
Blooming … And More
By Wayne Shattuck
SUN SPOTS AND HURRICANES? …
Research by Florida State University has found
the probability of three or more hurricanes hitting the U.S. goes up drastically during low
points of the 11-year sunspot cycle, which we
have now. In fact, our sun is just beginning to
slowly crawl out of the lowest period for
sunspots in a century. The findings say years
with few sunspots and above normal ocean temperatures spawn a less stable atmosphere and,
consequently, more hurricanes. Years with more
sunspots but still above normal ocean temperatures yield a more stable atmosphere and thus
fewer hurricanes. What they are really talking
about is the temperature of the upper atmosphere, and with fewer sunspots there is less energy reaching the upper atmosphere so it is cooler
and more unstable. When that happens building thunderstorms, growing over warm tropical
waters can grow taller and stronger, and are
more likely turn into hurricanes. And just the
opposite happens when there are more
sunspots. Then we have a warmer upper atmosphere resulting in fewer thunderstorms growing
into hurricanes. The scientists involved in the
research studied the frequency of hurricanes and
sunspots from 1851 to 2008, adjusting for other
hurricane influencing factors such as El Nino
and changes in sea-surface temperatures. Their
findings are not yet being used by hurricane predictors like Dr. William Gray at Colorado State
or the National Hurricane Center in Miami.
Both say they need to see more evidence.
DISPUTED ISLAND SINKS … For nearly
30 years India and Bangladesh have argued over
the ownership of a tiny rock island in the Bay of
Bengal. They don’t have to argue anymore.
Rising sea levels in the bay have plunged New
Moore Island in the Sunderbans completely
underwater and its disappearance has been confirmed by satellite and sea patrols. Apparently
what these two countries could not achieve
from years of talking, has been resolved by a
warming planet. Scientists at the School of
Oceanographic Studies at Jadavpur University
in Calcutta have noted what they call an alarming increase in the rate at which sea levels have
risen over the past decade in the Bay of Bengal.
Until 2000, the sea levels rose about 0.12 inches
a year, but over the last decade they have been
rising about 0.2 inches annually. Another nearby island, Lohachara, was submerged in 1996,
forcing it inhabitants to move to the mainland.
Bangladesh, a low-lying delta nation of 150 million people, is one of the countries most affected by global warming. Officials estimate 18% of
Bangladesh’s coastal area will be underwater and
20 million people will be displaced if sea levels
rise three feet by 2050, as projected by some climate models.
SEED VAULT BLOOMING … Two years
after receiving its first deposits, a doomsday seed
vault on an Arctic island has amassed half a million different seed samples, making it the
world’s most diverse repository of crop seeds,
housing at least one third of all of the world’s
varieties. Located in Norway’s remote Svalbard
archipelago, 620 miles from the North Pole, the
Svalbard Global Seed Vault is a safeguard
against wars or natural disasters which could
wipe out food crops around the globe. It was
opened in 2008 as a master backup to the
world’s other 1,400 seed banks, in case their
deposits are lost. And that’s not a bad idea
because war wiped out seed banks in Iraq and
Afghanistan, and another bank in the
Philippines was flooded in the wake of a
typhoon in 2006. Its designers say the Svalbard
bank is built to withstand global warming,
earthquakes and even nuclear strikes.
BUT THAT’S NOT ALL … August is
“Purple Ribbon Month - Never Leave a Child
Unattended in a Car.”
For the latest weather information go to
www.abcactionnews.com/weather.
Real Estate Update
Cool
Moves
Before
You Move
By Libby &
Ron Salamone
CRS, CRB
Certified Real Estate Brokers
A good starting place before you buy is to
make a list of what you “need” to have in
your new home and what you would “like” to
have, and do not confuse them. Be very honest with yourself and be prepared to modify
your list as you see what is available in your
price range.
Decide how you plan to finance your new
home. The three most popular ways are cash
- and if that is your choice, be certain the cash
is readily available; refinancing an existing
property to free up cash; or obtaining a new
mortgage.
If you decide to obtain a mortgage, start by
finding a local lender, someone you can talk
with in person, who knows the local market
and who knows all the programs, including
local ones that may benefit you. If you do not
already live in the area in which you are purchasing, talk to your current banker to see if
they will lend in your new area.
Get pre-approved for a loan so you will
know how much house you can buy and have
available documentation about your qualifications to present with an offer to purchase.
Educate yourself. Lean about the neighborhoods, school systems, transportation,
taxes, fishing, waterways, and medical facilities — whatever is important to you. Take the
time to narrow down the neighborhood or
area so when the right house comes up you
are certain it is in the right place for you.
When you know the taxes, and any assessments of an area, you can factor those into
your potential monthly payments.
Do some research; don’t necessarily take
the first agent who happens to “be on floor”
when you walk in a real estate office. Don’t be
shy about interviewing several agents. Ask
how the realtor will represent you and choose
the one you trust to represent you and your
interests. Find a realtor who specializes in the
neighborhood or area where you want to live.
Often local realtors will know of someone
who is “thinking” of selling and may be able
to find the house that is “just right” for you,
even if that house is not yet on the market.
Make certain the realtor is a full time committed realtor and is currently successful in
this market. Realtors who are doing well in
this market are the ones who have sharpened
their skills, broadened their resources and
confirmed their commitment to their clients.
They will be your best resource to find your
next home.
Be prepared to act quickly. Sometimes
the first property you see really is “the right
one” for you. If you like it, chances are
someone else will like it too. Good deals still
go quickly.
Libby and Ron Salamone are Broker/
Owners of RE/MAX Bayway Islands.
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Classified Ads: $20 per month or $50 for 3 months (20 words maximum)
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Maximo Moorings News
By Richard Lauterwasser
Editor, Maximo Moorings Beacon
I’ve been looking a lot at the colors in our
neighborhood. We’ve been painting our house
recently, and if you who have gone through
this process you know what a joy it is to look
for colors, discuss colors, try sample colors,
and pick colors.
In some communities, you can paint your
house any color you want, as long as it’s one of
their three shades of beige. Now, I have nothing against beige, there are some very nice
shades of brown and beige in our neighborhood, but our house wasn’t one of them. It
may be harmonious, but it’s somewhat monotonous. Our civic association has no such rules,
so it’s left up to the home owner to be the
arbiter of good taste. For the most part, we do
a pretty good job.
What I’ve noticed in this area is that the
closer one gets to a beach community, the
more colorful the houses become. We didn’t
have many violet houses up north. Northern
colors are more subdued. Southern colors are
more vibrant. The vibes tend to get cooler as
you head further north. This is not a bad thing;
it’s just the way it is. People who live above the
41st parallel tend to have a more stoic view of
life. Cold weather will do that. I once had a
friend who moved from upstate New York to
Socorro, New Mexico, bought a defunct roller
rink and turned it into his home. The first
thing he learned was that the word “Mañana”
does not mean “tomorrow,” it means “not
today.” Hot weather will do that. And, speaking of hot weather, I meant to paint the house
last winter, but instead I’ve been working in 95
degrees and high humidity. My theory is: if
you’re going to live in Florida, you should benefit from the full experience.
As I wander about our local streets, I see
many neighbors doing what they can to make
our little area a pleasant place to live. I do
appreciate the colors of our neighborhood: the
houses, the cars, the people, and the pets
should all be different colors. It’s the diversity
that keeps our world interesting.
Richard is a construction consultant. He
and his wife, Linda, moved to Maximo
Moorings in the spring of 2008. He can be
reached at [email protected].
Recipe Of
The Month
Arlene’s Quick & Easy
Chicken & Broccoli
Casserole
(I don’t measure; you don’t need to)
Ingredients:
4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
trimmed of all fat and veins
(you can use whole or sliced or
cubed but, I cut them in thirds
or halves so they cook more
evenly.)
1 head of broccoli cut into pieces
(more for a bigger casserole)
1 head of cauliflower cut into pieces
(optional)
½ box of sliced fresh mushrooms
2 cans of cream soup (mushroom,
chicken, celery or whatever
you like)
Grated cheese (you can use any kind,
but I use Mexican three flavored
cheese)
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Sauté and season the chicken.
Remove the chicken and sauté the
mushrooms in the same pan.
Blanch or steam the broccoli and
cauliflower pieces (everything is
cooked lightly, because after you
assemble it you bake it).
Layer the veggies in bottom of pan,
cover with chicken pieces and add
the soup.
Pop into the oven for 20-25 minutes;
during the last few minutes, remove
the dish and cover it with grated
cheese then return it to the oven to
melt the cheese.
ISLAND TOONS
Remove and let stand for 15 minutes
or more so it won’t be runny when
you serve it.
I serve it over rice.
Submitted by Treasure Island resident and
TIR contributing author Arlene Kitchin.
For more information about
submitting recipes to be considered for
the Recipe of the Month, visit
www.TheIslandReporter.com and click
on “Photos & Recipes.”
TIR Cartoon is by Bruce Norris,
a free-lance caricature artist since 1975.
“Pump Boys and Dinettes” Launch the
New American Theater Inaugural Season
By Antonino Fabiano
Opportunities for live entertainment in St.
Petersburg will expand in October when the New
American Theater takes the stage with its first
musical performance. “Pump Boys and Dinettes.”
The musical tale about friendship, romance, and
life‘s simple pleasures will be performed at the
Hough Concert Hall at the historic Palladium
Theater in downtown St. Petersburg.
The NAT will produce four musicals this season, including seven performances of Pump Boys
and Dinettes on October 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, 9, and 10.
According to Brian Becker, Artistic Director and
CEO of the NAT, the pump boys sell high octane
fuel on North Carolina’s Highway 57. The sassy
dinette sisters run the Double Cupp diner next
door. Between changing tires and baking pies,
Becker says, is an assortment of “down-home mix
of country western, rock ’n’ roll, and blues.”
Becker said he and his partners formed the
NAT because the St. Petersburg area lacked a
musical theater. “I was surprised that such a cul-
turally rich area didn’t have a theater that concentrated on (just) musicals.”
In total, nearly 40-people are involved in the
production in various capacities. For the first
show, Becker chose to keep the set and costumes
simple for the 13 cast and crew members. The set
is designed by a local artist, and the actors are
mostly local, as well. By keeping it simple, the talent and the entertaining storyline can easily carry
the show. “The actors sing, dance, and play instruments, including multiple percussion instruments
(played) by the dinette girls,” said Becker.
The goal of the NAT is to produce a range of
shows that will cater to all demographic groups in
the local area, from musical “classics” to “lively
and powerful, thought-provoking” new works.”
Thinking ahead, Becker already has a number of
ideas for musicals in the second season, but is
keeping the names of the musicals under wraps.
Although Becker is in search of corporate
sponsors and season ticket holders to support the
Brian Becker,
founder of
New American
Theater in
St. Petersburg
has been
involved in
theater since
the age of five,
and has worked
in every facet
of theater.
He has taught
a variety of
theater classes
and workshops
focusing on
musical and
technical
theater. He is
employed by
EmCare for
his day job as a medical administrator. He is actively
involved in the community and volunteers
with the Palladium Theater, Tampa Theater,
and the Stageworks Theater.
(Photo courtesy of the New American Theater)
Members of the New American Theater’s “Act Up” perform “Remembering Putca” in July at Shimberg Playhouse.
Act Up provides high school students the opportunity to write their own musical from start to finish, while learning
advanced techniques in all related disciplines. Pictured from left 1st Row: Ryan Desort, Andrea Bush, Victoria Brodie,
Caitlin Slater; 2nd Row: Charlotte Pickard, Anna Marie Boromei (Photo courtesy of the New American Theater)
not-for-profit start-up theater, to date, the
investors in the company include Becker and his
partners, Aegon and Bright House Networks. He
is confident, however, that the theater will be a
success in the area. “Everyone loves musical performances, and we are here to provide them in a
way that only regional theater can.”
The community has already reached out to
the NAT by working to establish theater workshops. The first workshop, held in July, covered
what to expect in an audition, and how to perform them better. The workshop was led by Tony
Award-winning director, Michael Leeds. Becker
said he plans to work with the community on
other workshops and they will be open to people
of all ages, he said.
When Becker started his new theater group
last year he chose to start with a season of four
musical with the hope of expanding the number
of musicals as the NAT expands. Beside Pump
Boys, the three other musicals for the 2010-2011
season are: “A Closer Walk” about Patsy Cline in
February; “Songs for a New World” in April; and
“The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee”
in June.
Tickets for the October performances start at
$30.50. To order tickets or to learn more about the
New American Theater’s inaugural season, visit
www.newamericantheater.org.
The Island Reporter Picture Page
Tierra Verde 4th of July
Residents of Tierra Verde along with family and friends
would not let it rain on their Fourth of July spirit as they
gathered and prepped cars and trucks in festive red,
white and blue for the annual parade. Parade participants
were serenaded with patriotic music from loud speakers
mounted on vintage fire trucks, and they stopped their
work to place their hands over their hearts and sing
The Star Spangled Banner. Post-parade munchies
at Billy’s were provided courtesy of Solutions Insurance.
Pass-a-Grille
4th of July Parade
The Pass-a-Grilled parade
scheduled to begin 9 a.m.
was a definite wash-out
on July 4, but the following
Saturday offered blue skies
and plenty of sunshine.
Children received a free
custom T-Shirt courtesy of
Bamboozle sporting
a design called
“Free America” by
7 year-old Dominic Marone
along with a grab bag
with meal offers from
Sea Critters and
Chick-fil-A. Adults received
“Support Our Troops”
shirts and a raffle
to support that
organization raised $200.
Peg’s Café
The Treasure Island Chamber
of Commerce held a ribbon cutting
ceremony July 15 to celebrate
the opening of Peg's Café located
at 124 197th Ave. on Treasure
Island. The café is open for breakfast and lunch, and the menu
includes specialty crepes,
croissants, French toast and
New York bagels for breakfast,
and grouper reubens,
lettuce wraps and take-out
“beach bag” lunches are among
the lunch options.
(Photos by Joe Martin)
Tuesday Morning Fresh Market
Merchants selling everything from produce, cheeses, breads and seafood to jewelry, soaps, and thoughts etched in stone line Beach Blvd. S. in
Gulfport each Tuesday for the Tuesday Morning Fresh Market. Music serenades shoppers as they stroll from one brightly colored booth to
the next. According to the merchants the market, open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., is the only market in Pinellas County that operates all year long.
Tierra Verde News
New Committee to
Focus on Commercial
Revitalization
By Betsy Judge
Member TVCA Long Range Planning Committee
[email protected]
The Tierra Verde Community Association
Board of Directors approved the establishment
of an ad hoc Revitalization Committee at the
monthly meeting on July 12. According to
TVCA Director Ray Krepfle who will be the
committee chair, the group will focus on
exploring options to support and enhance the
commercial-zoned property on the island in a
manner that complements and supports the
Tierra Verde Community Overlay that is contained in the Pinellas County Comprehensive
Plan.
Krepfle said that Tierra Verde has not been
spared from the difficult financial times, noting
that the owners of the northern commercial
properties are in serious financial trouble and
Downtown Tierra Verde commercial property
owners are also suffering financially.
“The goal is to focus the energies of the
committee to work with the county and the
commercial property owners to get a balance
between revitalization and the spirit of the
overlay plan,” he said. Citing laws and bureaucracies, he acknowledged that it would be a difficult task, but if the properties do well it will be
good for the property owners and good for
island residents.
Charlotte Fritchie, manager of The Island
Shop/Post Office which is closing Aug. 4 due
to lack of business, could not agree more.
“Unless people get realistic about Tierra
Verde as a resort area, small business owners
will continue to struggle for survival,” she said
noting that commercial building restrictions
prevent such additions as a quality hotel and
other more lucrative businesses.
The establishment of a committee for revitalization comes on the heels of a July 3 ruling
by Administrative Law Judge Bram D.E. Canter
that rejected St. Petersburg redevelopment
plans for the annexed portion of Tierra Verde.
According to the St. Petersburg Times, the
plans, submitted in December 2008, would
have allowed the building of 691 hotel rooms
and up to 518 homes, and did not take into
account the vulnerability of the island to hurricanes; nor were they consistent with the city’s
overall long-term growth plan or the development standards that requires new buildings to
be compatible with existing structures.
Krepfle introduced Monte Cristo resident
Gary Renfrow, president of Alden Enterprises,
who will be on the committee noting that
Renfrow has a long and storied history in commercial real estate. “He has consulted on hundreds of individual real estate engagements and
is very familiar with balancing act between zoning and commercial interests,” said Krepfle.
Jack Parker, TVCA director and former chair
of the TVCA Overlay Committee will also be
part of the group. Krepfle said that Parker
gained a reputation with the county commissioners and the planning department while
working on the overlay plan. “He will also be
valuable in ensuring the spirit of the overlay
plan is followed,” noted Krepfle.
TVCA
Board of Directors President Paul Murray is an
ex-official member per the association bylaws.
According to Krepfle, one of the first orders
of business is to project to the commercial
property owners and the county that the island
is not anti-business. “We want our businesses
to be profitable, he said. “In the past we have
been focused on restrictions, but now that we
have an overlay plan, and an annexation battle
and an economic crisis on our hands it might
be good for one committee to focus on the
commercial aspects of the island.”
Geri Raja, TVCA Director and a member of
the Pinellas County Pedestrian Transportation
Advisory Committee, briefed the board and
attendees on the need to use the new crosswalks
and obey the crossing signals at the Madonna
Boulevard and Bayway intersection. According
to Raja, people who do not obey Florida
statutes related to crossing streets may be fined
$62.50. Pedestrians must obey crossing signals
if present and use crosswalks, and drivers may
be ticketed for not yielding to pedestrians in the
crosswalk. “There is going to be a period of
learning and everyone needs to be careful and
safe,” said Raja.
Director Matt Gasper briefed the board on
progress related to the community center proposal noting that he was working with the
county on a long-term lease option at the recreation complex, but the project is not yet ready
for a community presentation.
DECOR continued from page 10
and pricing for outdoor furniture. There is a
huge selection!
We would love to address any subject that
you have on remodel, design, colors, fabrics
and related subjects. Email: [email protected]
We have chosen to offer a wide variety of
manufacturers, as outdoor living is primary in
Florida and we like choices, wide selection of
materials and price points.
So … it is summertime and we are designing
and building outdoor kitchens, refurnishing
balconies, pools, cabanas and lanais to create
fun and beautiful spaces, which will be, used
most of the year in Florida.
There are many things to consider when you
tackle your own outdoor space project. Plan
carefully before you embark on a design adventure. I hate to spend any money without careful consideration, no value there.
Next month, we’ll discuss styles, materials
This is YOUR column and I am
happy to address any questions or issues.
We would love to hear from our readers
about interior/exterivor design subjects
that you would like to explore. Email
your thoughts and comments to:
[email protected]. After all, this is
about you!
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WILL YOU
SURVIVE
THE
EGMONT
PASSAGE?
The highly anticipated sequel to Tale Of The Seventh Mystery
is now available at: Haslam’s Bookstore,
the Tierra Verde Hardware and Ft. DeSoto Gift Shop
Explore our web site: www.tidaltales.com
727-452-7392
THINKING OF SELLING?
COMMERCIAL CORNER
Looking for a place for your business? Check these commercial
listings out:
1. 9,974 sq. ft. Mol. warehouse on 1st Ave. South near the Dome.
$629,000, Owner Financing, Will Lease/Lease Option at $4 per
square ft. Air conditioned.
2. 3,543 sq. ft. Mol. Former Restaurant on Gandy Blvd. near 4th Street.
Vacant, ready to redevelop. 17 parking spaces, Zoned CCS,
Price slashed to only $299,000 by bank servicing company. OWTB
to qualified buyer with 20% down and terms negotiable.
3. Tierra Verde Offices. For Rent
starting at $300 + tax per month.
Rent one or all 9 offices. Building
is also for sale for $1,000,000.
Call Randall K. Ierna, GRI,
Managing Broker/Associate
at 727-647-0813.
“WELCOME HOME”
Is the feeling you get when entering this
3 bedroom townhome. You can enjoy the
updated kitchen with new cabinets and
granite countertops. This two story townhome offers a family atmosphere. Enjoy the
community pool and screened lanai.
Priced at $238,900 you are getting a lot for
your money! Call Smitty or Cheryl Schmidt
727-647-4071.
ISLAND LIVING ON MONTE CRISTO
Call today to preview this well maintained
home in Tierra Verde. This home has
4 bedrooms, 3 baths including a large
master suite. The pool and jacuzzi are heated so you can enjoy them year-round. The
open floor plan makes it easy to entertain or
have family gatherings. Priced at $485,000.
Call Smitty or Cheryl Schmidt 727-647-4071.
UNBELIEVEABLE REDUCTION: THE PRESERVE
A wise Real Estate investor once told me,
“You make your profit when you buy.”
This large .8 acre ESTATE SIZED LOT is located in
Tierra Verde’s only gated single family home
community: “The Greenland Preserve.” There
are only 9 lots and this one fronts on Tampa
Bay. Common elements include walkways,
dock and gazebo. This lot comes with it’s own
boatslip in the private marina, with views of
the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. If you want quiet,
privacy, peace and solitude, build your
dream home with Carriage House here, or
hold for the future. Reduced from $999,000
and now only $675,000. Hurry and call:
Pattie Hutchinson, Realtor, 727-492-7366
or Randall K. Ierna, Realtor 727-647-0813
AFFORDABLE RESORT STYLE LIVING
ON TIERRA VERDE
Spacious 1/1.5 waterfront condo close to
elevator. Amenities include tennis courts,
heated pools, clubhouse w/fitness room,
gated 24/7. Furnished and move-in ready
at $175,000. Call Judy Bader at 727-698-3831
Deciding to sell your Real Estate is a decision that cannot be taken lightly. With so
much information and mis-information out there, it is imperative that you choose an
Agency that can sell your home in the least amount of time, with the least amount
of inconvenience and for a fair market price. Our Agency offers many benefits to our
listing clients.
1. Location: Our high visibility location attracts walk-in and call-in buyers and our
signage promotes the "Best Buys."
2. Century 21: Our franchise includes a network of more than 7,000 offices worldwide, and the brand is the most recognized name in real estate.
3. Internet Marketing: Our listings are featured on www.century21.com,
www.realtor.com, The Pinellas Realtor Association MLS, Listing Book, and are
sent to many other real estate sites including The Wall Street Journal, The New
York Times, Zillow, Hotpoint, Fine Homes and Estates and many others.
4. Phone-a-Home: Allows prospects to call 727-541-2000 and receive information on
ANY home listed for sale. This new technology drives more buyers to your home.
5. Advertising: Our company features our listings in many periodicals including
The Island Reporter, The Tierra Verde Bulletin, and Homes and Land. In addition,
Century 21 advertises in movie theaters, radio, TV and national magazines.
6. Promotions: We participate in various promotions including the Giant Open
House Week, and currently the "Connect 2 the 1" listing campaign.
7. Our Realtors: Our professional staff of 32 realtors are well trained and ready to
assist sellers to achieve their goals.
Additional things to consider are the historically low interest rates and the
upcoming home selling season. Prices have stabilized and buyers are ready,
willing and able to buy well located desirable Real Estate.
So, if you are thinking of selling, just give us a call and we will analyze your Real Estate
and recommend a plan of action.
TIERRA SHORES - BOATERS DELIGHT!
This fabulous 3BR/3BA 2140 sq. ft. waterfront
townhome is absolutely “move-in” ready
and offers all the amenities of a single family
home. Breakfast bar, center island, fireplace,
oversized 2+ car garage, deeded boat slip
with a 16,000 lbs. lift and remote. Pet friendly
community! A must see! Priced at $450,000.
Call Gabrielle Bettig 727-385-9017.
OPEN WATER VIEWS
BOCA SANDS - NEW PRICING! Enjoy beautiful
sunrises and sunsets from this luxurious, well
appointed 2500 sq. ft. 3BR/3BA/2car garage
waterfront residence with high ceilings, crown
molding and porcelain tile floors. The residence
offers two guest suites (with balcony), which
can be used as bedroom, den, or office.
Enjoy the resort style pool, spa and cabanas
overlooking the open water of Boca Ciega Bay,
or simply take a leisurely walk along the beautiful
white sandy beaches. Priced to sell at $779,000.
Call Gabrielle Bettig 727-385-9017.
TIERRA SOUND - CORNER UNIT
This well appointed townhome has a great
floor plan offering two bedrooms upstairs,
a guest suite on the lower level with its own
private patio for easy access to the pool
and spa. Eat-in kitchen, center island, solid
surface counters, formal dining and living room
with wood burning fireplace. Master suite with
vaulted ceilings, bay window, his and hers
closet; luxurious master bath with jetted tub,
skylight and separate shower. Central vacuum
system, 2 car garage. Perfect vacation home:
minutes from Ft. De Soto Park and beaches.
$389,900. Call Gabrielle Bettig 727-385-9017.
SUNSHINE SKYWAY VIEW
From this top floor, Isla Del Sol, Palma Del Mar,
H Building, Condominium. This 2 bedroom split
plan includes a balcony overlooking Tampa Bay
with an outstanding panoramic view of the
Skyway, as well as views of St. Petersburg and
Tierra Verde. Amenities include covered
parking, large clubhouse with library, kitchen and
pool table, and fantastic pool area with spa.
Owner will consider an exchange for a St. Pete
home. Quick move in. Best value and priced to
sell at $255,000. Call Julia Paulsen, Realtor at 727463-4853 or Randall Ierna, Realtor at 727-647-0813.
JUST REDUCED AND READY FOR A BUYER
This light and bright 7th floor condo in popular
and totally up graded Bldg. 6 at Point Brittany
has water views from every room. Walk-in closet,
extra storage, 4 pools, tennis courts, fishing pier,
boating. Gated community on Bayway Isles
minutes to beaches, downtown, I-275,
shopping and restaurants. Don’t miss this one.
Call Betty Gardner at 727-871-7799.
GOOD PROPERTY MANAGEMENT SAVES YOU MONEY
At the same location for 30 years. Call our Rental Division today and speak
to our professional Rental Agents. Largest inventory available with seasonals
starting at $2200.00 per month and annuals starting at $850.00 per month.
Our team of trained agents are standing by to help you fulfill all your real estate needs. Call 727-867-8633.

Volunteer Ombudsmen Advocate for Elderly - Florida`s Long

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