Winter Party – Young Artists Studio Concert

MIAMI BEACH – Surround yourself with art and beauty Mar. 3 at 7 p.m. as you listen to selections from the upcoming productions of Don Giovanni and Cyrano as sung by members of Florida Grand Opera’s Young Artist Studio. A wine and cheese reception follows immediately in the lobby sponsored by SAVE Dade.

This event is FREE and open to the public, sponsored by The Miami Foundation. The Wolfsonian-FIU, 1001 Washington Avenue, Miami Beach, FL 33139

Florida Tightens Up on Anchoring

TALLAHASSEE – At its meeting Wednesday in Apalachicola, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) selected three sites for an anchoring and mooring pilot program. Two more will be chosen in April.

Following staff recommendations, Commissioners voted to select the cities of Sarasota and St. Petersburg and Monroe County as sites for the mooring field pilot program. A mooring field is a controlled area where boaters tie their vessels to a floating buoy, which is secured to the bottom of the waterway.

Under Florida statute, the FWC, in consultation with the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), must establish a pilot program regulating anchoring and mooring outside of marked public mooring fields.

“We hope the project promotes safe public access to Florida’s waters, protects the marine environment and deters improperly stored, abandoned or derelict vessels,” said Maj. Jack Daugherty, leader of the FWC’s Boating and Waterways section.

By July 1, 2011, the FWC must have selected all locations for the pilot project. The requirements include two on the east coast of Florida, two on the west coast and one in Monroe County, so the remaining selections must be on the east coast.

The FWC staff began work on the program in October 2009, when it sent out letters of solicitation. Fourteen counties and municipalities responded with letters of intent to participate.

“Our staff worked with DEP to gather data to determine appropriate sites for the project,” Daugherty said. They analyzed geographic characteristics of the area, services provided at the mooring field sites, usage fees and the average number of boats inside and outside of the mooring fields.

At its December meeting, the Boating Advisory Council, which makes recommendations to the FWC and the Department of Community Affairs regarding issues affecting the boating public, advised FWC staff to move forward with the site recommendations on the west coast and in Monroe County.

Wednesday, staff presented recommendations to the Commission on those recommended sites on the west coast and in Monroe County. Commissioners approved FWC staff-recommended sites and a request for more time to collect and analyze more data regarding anchoring and mooring on the east coast.

FWC staff will present the data to the Boating Advisory Council in March for recommendations, and then return at the April Commission meeting with suggestions for the two remaining east coast pilot sites. The Commission also directed staff to work with the city of Stuart in an attempt to be added as a third pilot program site.

Please visit MyFWC.com/Boating or call the FWC’s Boating and Waterways Section at 850-488-5600 for more information.

Do readers have any thoughts on this program? Comment below:

Meet Mimo: The Miami Modern Conference March 11

MIAMI – Join local civic leaders and renowned historians for a conference on Miami Modern architecture, set for March 11-12, 2011.

This international conference on Miami’s Mid-Century Modern architecture and design, called Meet Mimo, will feature national and local experts on Mid-Century Modern architecture.

Mimo came after World War II, and translated the style of International Modernism into innovative designs with tropical exoticism, glamour and fun. Read more

Palm Beach Jewelry, Art and Antique Show Feb. 18

PALM BEACH- More than 180 dealers sell art, jewelry, furniture and textiles at this show. At palmbeachshow.com or 561-822-5440

Gardenhouse Grows in West Palm Beach

WEST PALM BEACH – Photographer Cheryl Maeder-Antonio rus the garden furniture shop Gardenhouse in West Palm. She loves to find classic terrace furniture for repainting and refurbishment particularly iron. At 437 Northwood Road, West Palm Beach FL 561-832-8260 or gardenhousedecor.net

Visit the Panhandle’s Freeport, Home of Zeus and Roxanne

FREEPORT – Ever since Flipper, families have associated friendly dolphins with Florida.

One sometimes forgotten family movie about dolphins is Zeus and Roxanne, which is a 1997 HBO film filmed in Florida. Starting Steve Guttenberg and Kathleen Quinlan (she being best known as the steadfast wife Marilyn Lovell in Apollo 13), it has all sorts of good values, and a mean villain too.

Great animal training, and partially filmed in the Panhandle town of Freeport, a small town in Walton County near Miramar Beach, Valpariso, Destin and Niceville.

Come for Healing In Sarasota

SARASOTA – For generations, visitors have come here for general “healing” from the warm, white sands of Siesta Key. But there is a more practical sort of healing that goes on in Sarasota with churches and healing teams who assist pilgrims in search of spiritual healing. Read more

Fresh Regional Fare at Libby’s Cafe and Bar

SARASOTA – One of the top restaurants in this Gulf Coast city is Libby’s Cafe and Bar. Read more

New World Centre Opens for New World Symphony

MIAMI – A Frank Gehry designed concert hall opened this month for the New World Symphony.

The symphony was founded in 1987 by Michael Tilson Thomas as an academy to train young musicians. The new concert hall has a wide selection of performances; most notably its location will allow display of video of performances in the nearby park. They call them “Wall Casts.” Read more