What to Do on Anna Maria

BRADENTON – Anna Maria Island is a quiet island north of Longboat Key and just south of the entrance to Tampa Bay, known for its laid-back residents and unchanged atmosphere. A few things to do on Anna Maria.

Beaches

From the north tip of Anna Maria to Coquina Beach, Anna Maria is a continuous strip of about seven miles of beachfront following Gulf Drive. While the beaches connect, they have different amenities and identities:

Bayfront Park: A beachfront park at the north end of the island in the city of Anna Maria, with playground, fishing and restrooms. 310 North Bay Boulevard

Holmes Beach: A wide beach between around 27th St., off Gulf Drive Read more

Eat Chifles Plantain Chips From Tampa

Tasty Chips from Plantain

TAMPA – If you like potato chips, do get Chifles Plantain chips the next time you are in Florida. They were created by Segundo Argudo, a native of Ecuador, where plantain chips are plentiful, and his wife Peggy in 1963.

Read more

Petition for Panther Habitat

23 Panthers died in 2008

NAPLES – The Conservancy of Southwest Florida Jan. 21, 2009 filed a petition with Secretary Salazar of the United States Department of the Interior to provide additional legal protection for the endangered Florida panther.

Only an estimated 90 to 100 Florida panthers remain today, almost all within South Florida. The Conservancy petition seeks to designate those lands needed to preserve the panther by asking the Interior Department to utilize best available science and designate the Florida panther’s critical habitat.

In 2006 the primary zone, which covers a portion of eastern Collier, Lee and Hendry counties, was defined by scientists as the minimum area essential to support the existing panthers. The Conservancy also seeks designation of lands currently defined as “secondary” and “dispersal zones,” which scientists have determined to be necessary for establishment of expanded populations for the long-term recovery of the panther.

“This designation is long overdue,” said Conservancy President Andrew McElwaine.

“Designation of critical habitat should form the basis for management decisions that affect the panther,” said Jennifer Hecker, natural resource policy manager.

Twenty-three panthers died in 2009 and three have been killed in the past three weeks.

The Conservancy advocates for protection of the panther’s primary zone and has opposed projects such as the proposed 3,700-acre Town of Big Cypress, which would destroy more than 3,400 acres of primary panther habitat.

About the conservancy

The Conservancy of Southwest Florida and Conservancy Nature Center are located in Naples, Florida at 1450 Merrihue Drive, off Goodlette-Frank Road at 14th Avenue North. For information about the Conservancy of Southwest Florida, call 239-262-0304 or www.conservancy.org.

Brief: Florida Depends on Small Business

SBA Profile Says Florida Biz is Small Biz

WASHINGTON – Florida’s economic recovery will depend on small business. That message is driven home in the newly updated Florida Small Business Profile released today by the Office of Advocacy of the U.S. Small Business Administration. The most recent data show that the state has 426,073 small employers, and they employ 99.0% of the state’s workforce.

“Florida depends on small business for jobs and economic growth,” said Shawne McGibbon, Acting Chief Counsel for Advocacy. “During this time of financial stress and economic instability, policymakers need to remember that the state’s small businesses provide the economic base for its families and communities.”

To further highlight the importance of small business, the updated profile notes that small businesses created 58.7% of the state’s net new jobs from 2004 to 2005 (latest available data).

Not only does the state’s economy depend on the health of its small businesses, so too does the economy of the United States.

The U.S. has slightly more than 6 million small employers, or 99.7% of all employer firms, and they provide 50.4% of its private sector employment. These firms created 78.9% of the nation’s net new jobs from 2004 to 2005, and they generated more than half of the private non-farm gross domestic product.

The Office of Advocacy, the “small business watchdog” of the federal government, examines the role and status of small business in the economy and independently represents the views of small business to federal agencies, Congress, and the President. It is the source for small business statistics presented in user-friendly formats, and it funds research into small business issues.

For more information and a complete copy of state and territory small business profiles, visit the Office of Advocacy website at www.sba.gov/advo.

Jet Blue Sets NY-Orlando-Bogota Service

Some Entry Level Fares $49

ORLANDO – JetBlue Airways (Nasdaq: JBLU) on Jan. 29 began Orlando’s first and only nonstop daily service to El Dorado International Airport in Bogota, Colombia. Flights will originate at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport, providing convenient one-stop, same-plane service between Bogota and New York. Colombians traveling through Orlando will have seamless connections to 17 other cities including Boston, Newark and Washington.

Beginning Sunday, February 1, the New York-based carrier will continue its expansion plans in Latin America and the Caribbean from Central Florida with daily nonstop service to Nassau, Bahamas. Daily service to San Jose, Costa Rica will also begin March 26, 2009, subject to receipt of Costa Rican government operating authority. See www.jetblue.com

Canada Calling on Florida Radio

Radio News Program targets Canadians in Florida

TORONTO – One of the great pleasures of being a Canadian emigre to Florida during the winter is the radio program Canada Calling. In fact, even if you AREN’T a snowbird from Canada the show is a great little window into news from up north. Frankly, if we hadn’t heard it, we wouldn’t know that Canadian newspaper baron Conrad Black is actually in a Florida prison!

The show is hosted by radioman Prior Smith, who will be in Venice, Florida Feb. 3 for an open house, which includes music from the Bob Zimmerman orchestra. See www.canadacalling.com.

Below is the list of radio stations that air Canada Calling from their website:

• WGUL-AM (860), Tampa Bay, Florida Gulf Coast, Brooksville to Fort Myers, Zephyrhills, Dade City, Spring Hill: 12:30PM
• WTAN-AM** (1340) Clearwater to New Port Richey, Largo, St. Petersburg: 9:00AM and 12:00 Noon
• WDCF-AM (1350) Dade City, Zephyrhills, Spring Hill: 9:00AM and 12:00 Noon
• THE DOVE – Mon-Sat 9am & 12 Noon
  WSDV-AM (1450) Sarasota, Bradenton, Lakewood Ranch, Longboat Key & Anna Maria Island; WDDV-AM (1320) Sarasota, Venice, Osprey, Nokomis, Englewood, Southwest Gulf Coast, Lower Florida Keys, Marathon to Key West
• WTMY-AM (1280) Sarasota: 12 Noon
• WWPR-AM (1490) Bradenton, Tampa Bay: 12:00 Noon
• WZZS-FM (106.9) Arcadia, Sebring, Lake Placid: 10:00am
• WKII-AM (1070) Port Charlotte, Punta Gorda, Fort Myers, Naples, Southwest Gulf Coast: 12:00 NOON
• WBZT-AM (1230), Ft. Lauderdale, Hollywood, Palm Beaches, South Florida: Monday to Friday: 8:50AM and 12:00 NOON
• WSTU-AM (1450)**, Stuart, Jupiter, Port St. Lucie, Fort Pierce, Florida Treasure Coast, Vero Beach: Monday to Friday: 6:50AM
• WMEL-AM** (1300), Melbourne, Titusville, Cocoa Beach: 9:00AM
• WIXC-AM (1060) Titusville, Kennedy Space Center, Florida Space Coast, Palm Bay, Vero Beach, Port St. Lucie: 10:00AM
• WSBB-AM (1230) New Smyrna Beach, Atlantic Coast, Cape Kennedy to St. Augustine: 9:05AM
• WROD-AM (1340), Daytona Beach, New Smyrna Beach, Ormond Beach: 11:30AM
• WWBF-AM (1130), Bartow, Lakeland, Lake Wales, Winter Haven: 8:50AM
• WLBE-AM** (790) Central Florida, Leesburg, Orlando, Ocala: 12:06 (Mon-Fri), 4:30pm (Sat)
• WWJB-AM (1450) Brooksville, Spring Hill, Homosassa Springs, Crystal River, Florida’s Nature Coast: 8:40AM
• WLTG-AM (1430) Panama City, Panama City Beach: 9:00AM
• WDIZ-AM (590) Northwest Florida, Panama City to Fort Walton Beach, Florida’s Emerald Coast: 9AM and 12 Noon

Note: two asterisks (**) beside a time (i.e. WMEL-AM) means you should check with the station for Saturday broadcast time.

Todd English Eatery at Macy’s

MIAMI - One of the country’s most acclaimed celebrity chefs, Todd English, is serving up his renowned Mediterranean-style fare in a brand new restaurant at Macy’s at The Gardens Mall.

Here, in a setting created for Macy’s, English will open his third Figs eatery – the first for Macy’s – in a sit-down restaurant that is a throwback to the department stores of yore. Read more

Gator History and Picture Book Released

GAINESVILLE – One of the largest universities in the United States, the University of Florida is home to 17 colleges and more than 150 research centers and institutes. Researchers at the University of Florida are credited with creating the famous sports drink Gatorade.

With fact-filled photo captions and chapter introductions by Steve Rajtar, Historic Photos of the University of Florida rediscovers the fascinating past of one of America’s great universities through nearly 200 rare photographs culled from the Florida State Archives; University of Florida Archives, Department of Special and Area Studies Collections; George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, all showcased with exceptional clarity and beauty.

From adopting the orange and black “Gator” team and becoming coed, to rabid football enthusiasm and national prominence in academics, and much more, the University of Florida enjoys a distinguished history, captured here in vivid black-and-white photography.

“What this book might do is surprise people who only know the campus as it appears today, who don’t realize that the school had roots elsewhere and had early training focused on agriculture and military science,” says author Rajtar.

Historic Photos of the University of Florida is part of Nashville-based Turner Publishing’s Historic Photos series.

Historic Photos of the University of Florida, By Steve Rajtar, Turner Publishing, $39.95
ISBN 13: 978-1-59652-517-7, www.turnerpublishing.com

Brief: Sarasota Magazine 30th Anniversary

SARASOTA – Sarasota Magazine has been celebrating the best of this region with readers, advertisers and the community for three decades, and 2009 officially marks the magazine’s 30th anniversary.

“Getting to this milestone has been an extraordinary journey. We’ve traveled the road with many long-time readers, advertisers and organizations that helped us become what we are today, and we are truly grateful for their ongoing support,” said Jeff Lawenda, executive publisher. Read more

Pixels and Graphic Design Jan. 21

MIAMI -  On Jan. 21, AIGA Miami presents “Moving Pixels,” the second event in its Parallels series. For “Moving Pixels,” three top interactive designers will review their best work and engage in a roundtable discussion on the interplay between art, technology and new digital landscapes in design.

For this event, AIGA Miami proudly welcomes Jose Reyes, Creative Director at Sapient; Giovanny Gutierrez, Director of Interactive Media for Tinsley Advertising; and Dan Rubin, Principal of Sidebar Creative. Read more

Next Page »