Discount Degrees




SOMETIMES IVAN GUERRERO LOOKS AT the big picture in which, after earning a bachelor’s degree at Edison State College, and then  going on to finish a master’s somewhere else, he may be “fortunate to walk out of there underneath the $80,000 debt bracket.But that’s an overwhelming and  discouragingly large figure, so mostly he just concentrates on saving money  where he […]

Under the domes

South of Marco Island, sinking sentinels are housing new life


It is a spectacle. The sort that makes you rub your eyes and look again. Jutting from the water, a hundred feet off an isolated strip of beach, a cluster of white domes rise absurdly from the Gulf of Mexico a few miles south of Marco Island. Published descriptions have called them igloos, Pac Man figures, something out of Star […]

The Four Freedoms from our own fields rise




They finally made the big time, and right out of the Sunshine State’s tomato mud, too: the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, a few thousand strong. En masse, the tough little bunch of field hands with eyes, brains and heart won a Roosevelt Institute “Four Freedoms” award last week in New York City — the less-famous equivalent of a Nobel Prize […]

The Obamacare rollout train wreck




Nancy Pelosi infamously said that we had to pass Obamacare to find out what’s in it. The then-House speaker erroneously assumed, evidently, that people would be able to get onto the government-run exchanges created by the law. So far the law’s implementation has been as ugly as its passage. The rollout of Obamacare has been so disastrous that even “Daily […]

Oil, Azerbaijan and the strange case of Rick Bourke




Oil is the source of so much pain in the world. Around the globe, wherever oil is extracted, people suffer a constellation of injuries, from coups and dictatorship to pollution, displacement and death. Pipelines leak, refineries explode, tankers break up and deep-sea drill rigs explode. The thirst for oil disrupts democracies and the climate. Not far from the burgeoning fracking […]

Foggy weather: Perfect for the spook-tacular outdoors




Southwest Florida is unique in its seasonal weather. Our summers seem hot, but compared to other areas in the country, it’s not as hot or stifling, because we get our share of afternoon thunderstorms and the rain cools our temperatures. Springtime in Southwest Florida is pleasant, but it seems to last only a few weeks. But now, as we approach […]

Stress less

A trip to the veterinary ER is never easy, but these tips can help you get through it


Taking a pet to the emergency hospital is something none of us wants to do. It’s scary and stressful for you and your dog or cat. We’ve been there more times than we like to think about, and we have some tips to help you cope. We hope you won’t ever need to use them, but tuck them away in […]

Pets of the Week



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. EARS is located at 145 W. Dearborn in Englewood. For more information, call Deva at 681-3877. To […]

COMMUNITY NEWS



Prafke invites city residents to coffee and conversation The Nancy Prafke for Punta Gorda City Council campaign committee welcomes city residents, especially those from District 5, to have coffee with candidate Prafke at 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 26. The event will be held at Twin Isles Country Club, 301 Madrid Blvd., Punta Gorda. Mrs. Prafke, former volunteer CEO of TEAM […]

GIVING

Nonprofits must cultivate media relationships, too


Getting our message to the community is a challenge for most nonprofits since our tight budgets are focused mostly on our programs and an making impact. If we do good work, we will be noticed, right? Unfortunately, the answer to that question is no. We are in the business of growing relationships — with volunteers, clients and donors. We are […]