STAYCATION getaway

It’s summer Floridians— time to get out and play


GET OUTSIDE, OPEN YOUR ARMS wide and scream it at the top of your lungs: “This land is my land!” Say it proudly as you reclaim, between winter season and school’s-out, the wondrous sights, sounds and scents of Southwest Florida. Folks travel for hours and days to get here. All you need do is step out the door for your […]

WWII pilot, 97, to receive national museum award



Many a nonagenarian blessed to live so long likely has a story to tell about the days of old. But few can say they flew military aircraft during World War II as a member of the Women Airforce Service Pilots. Bernice “Bee” Falk Haydu did. The Singer Island senior who flight-tested UC-78s and AT-11s from 1942 to 1944 will receive […]

Judgment Day



This will be the easiest column I ever wrote because I intend to dole out judgments, punishments and recriminations. Typically a column takes me six or eight hours to write, and for very good reasons: First, I don’t know what I’m talking about when I begin. Second, I observe the orthodox tradition in journalism, even in opinion writing, that insists […]

Watch for manatees on Memorial Day — and every day



Although Save the Manatee Club works in almost all areas of manatee protection, we focus on the prevention of manatee injuries and deaths from human activity. This includes manatee deaths from boat collisions, which have been record-setting in recent years. Even though I can’t imagine that any boater would want to intentionally harm a manatee, collisions with boats continue to […]

North Korea is acting up because Trump has it cornered



North Korea’s recent temper tantrum over U.S.-South Korean military exercises and its threat to pull out of its upcoming summit with President Trump are signs that Trump’s North Korea strategy is working. Over the past several months, Trump has boxed in Kim Jong Un. First, he ramped up economic pressure on Pyongyang while making clear that, unlike his predecessors, he […]

Donald Trump’s Jerusalem triumph



In the second century A.D., Jewish rebels who had stunned the Romans and liberated a portion of Judea overstruck imperial coins with images and a message of their own, “Year One of the Redemption of Jerusalem.” The leader of the Jewish rebellion, Bar Kokhba, was fired by a vision of a united Israel with Jerusalem as its capital, which had […]

Getting too close to nature can be a crappy idea



This is the time of year for all of nature to be renewed with a new generation. Birds are hatching, animals are being weaned and sea creatures are being born and hatched. For those of you who are nature lovers and get out into the wild on a regular basis, this is a repetitive cycle. Nonetheless, it is still exciting […]

Top pet traumas



Our dogs and cats hate to let us know when they’re not feeling well. It’s instinctive for them to hide illness and even injuries if possible. Some emergencies are obvious, though, and an emergency, by definition, requires immediate treatment. Any time your pet experiences one of the following conditions, you need to get him to the veterinarian on the double, […]

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 microchipped, neutered and current with their shots. The shelter is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day. To view adoptable pets, visit www.awlshelter.org. To adopt or foster a pet These pets are available […]

Charlotte County Memorial Day-related events

Downtown Spring Bash NOTE: This event has been cancelled due to the threat of inclement weather. 4-9 p.m. Saturday, May 26, in front of the old courthouse at Taylor Street and Olympia Avenue, Punta Gorda Food and drink (including beer and wine) vendors will be on tap. Live music by Gotta Luv It Band from 5-7 p.m., and American Made […]