THE NEXT VP?




IN THE THICK NOONISH WARMTH that blankets West Miami’s warren of tight streets, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio’s shiny blue Ford F-150 pickup looks somehow sleepy, like a tired dog tagged only with a grinninggator University of Florida license plate and two telling initials: MR. He’s nosed the truck into the driveway of an oak-shaded, two-story confection flanked by similar homes […]

Elite swimmers train in Southwest Florida for Olympic Trials




They start in the pre-dawn darkness, these seven elite swimmers belonging to T2 Aquatics in Naples. Someday soon, perhaps, they might belong to all of America. They might be 2012 U.S. Olympians, swimming in the London Games. Stroke after stroke. Lap after lap. Back and forth. Relentessly. Continously. Yard after yard. Then more yards, thousands a day. Most motorists zipping […]

The debt problem




I am now in debt. The amount is difficult to determine, since it’s a debt I accumulated off the ledger, in a barter of my own reckoning, based on the arbitrary calculus of sharing — of heart and mind exchanges that snap and pop like live-wire sparks. First, I owe U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio for having the foresight to be […]

Unleash Biden!




Joe Biden is performing a public service, God love him. Out on the stump, he renders the case for President Barack Obama’s re-election in all its populist crudity. No dulcet tones. No faux sophistication. No charm. C’mon, man! There’s no time for that when Mitt Romney is descending on America promising to commit the most heinous acts in the history […]

Long may she wave

GUEST OPINION

GeeGee was a handsome man, straight and tall. His steel grey hair had a slight wave and was always neatly combed. GeeGee and Bubby, my grandparents, escaped the pogroms in Russia. They never spoke of those days. My grandfather was an American now and proud of it. Back in the late ’40s and the early ’50s, the American flag flew […]

Taking a snapshot of the man behind the camera




A ubiquitous presence in Punta Gorda and points north these days is Peter Aratari, a young man with a camera. At almost any public event, one can find the videographer recording for posterity the sublime and the outrageous. Mr. Aratari, 24, is a throwback to a time when men and women took matters into their own hands to make their […]

Wedding cake topper fashions changed with the times

KOVELS: ANTIQUES


The bride and groom topper on a contemporary wedding cake often is made of plastic or sugar. But the traditions of wedding-cake toppers and even wedding cakes do not go back very far. The sweets served at weddings centuries ago included barley bread, sweet rolls or pies. Later, fruit cakes were served, and, by the 1600s, dessert cakes. In the […]

THIS WEEK ON WGCU-TV



¦ THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 8 P.M.Use Your Brain to Change YourAge with Dr. Daniel AmenDo you want to feel more fit, energized and mentally sharp? The fountainof youth is literally between your ears.A healthy brain is the key. Clinicalneuroscientist and best-selling authorDr. Daniel Amen shares simple steps toboost your brain to help you live longer,look younger and decrease your risk […]

COMING UP ATTHE RENAISSANCE ACADEMY



The Renaissance Academy of FGCU offers lifelong learning classes to enrich life experiences at any age. The following sessions will be held at Herald Court Centre in downtown Punta Gorda. Success Camp for Writers: Selling One’s Work ¦ 1-2:30 p.m.¦ Thursday, June 7¦ Fee: $20¦ Instructor: JamesAbrahamThe best incentive for writing ismaking money fromyour words. In thissession, you’ll learn different […]

Pets of the Week



To adopt or foster a pet — These animals are available for adoption at the Animal Welfare League, 3519 Drance St., Port Charlotte. All animals are neutered and current with their shots. The shelter is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day. To view adoptable pets, visit www.awlshelter.org. To adopt or foster a pet — For more information, […]