2018 Best Half

Green is Florida’s new Orange

Alliance of farmers, scientists and promoters share cautious optimism in fight to save Florida’s citrus crop.


WAYNE SIMMONS PARKED his Ford truck sporting a “Drink Orange Juice” tag on a dirt track near a 60-acre Hendry County grove of members of the Rue family (Rutaceae), which could appear in a hospital soap opera if they were human. But they aren’t. The most prominent and troubled family member is citrus, but the Rues include such relatives as roses, […]

Tesla Model 3 Performance whispers into warp-drive



Hollywood has teased us with views of optimistic futures, filled with vehicles that quickly hum down the streets. So while it seems a cliché to call electric cars space age, the Tesla Model 3 really is that whisper-quiet machine, and the new Performance model is like a warp-drive upgrade. This is intended to be the most mainstream of the company’s […]

The broadside harvest



The broadside harvest is coming in this year as robustly as the citrus harvest should, stuffed with political promises and attacks. Broadsides, like oranges, are the culmination of an elaborate process: Trees make the paper that form the broadsides that hold the print that tout the claims that fill the trucks that transport all that political flatulence to the local […]

The Trumpettes face a bleak future



Networking in Washington is even more important than it is elsewhere. One would never go to a party here inadequately dressed, which is to say without carrying a resume, ready to hand out at a moment’s notice. Socializing is not personal; it’s hard work. Ambition is a good thing, and we’re swarming with those who have brought their principled beliefs […]

The Turkish hostage crisis



It’s never a good idea to negotiate with a hostage-taker, but when it’s a NATO ally, there isn’t much choice. The Trump administration has been trying to get back a Christian pastor detained in Turkey since October 2016, and when a possible deal at the sidelines of the NATO summit fell through, decided to drop the hammer. The administration sanctioned […]

Enjoying the sounds of silence



NOTE: Capt. Kirk is off this week, so we are offering the following gem from our archives. The early mornings on Charlotte Harbor are extraordinary. Calm water, light breezes and ichthyological and avian aerobatics. With the light winds, the angle of heel for our 30-foot sailboat was about 10 degrees. Nancy and I sat in the cockpit and as I […]

This has been a tough year for the Florida manatee

C OMMENTARY


Manatees are imperiled from all sides. In downlisting manatees from “endangered” to “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service asserted that threats are under control. As this summer has sadly demonstrated, nothing could be further from the truth. The biggest threats manatees continue to face are the result of human impacts. As of Aug. 12, […]

Pet prosthetics

Artificial limbs and other assistive devices can make a difference in pet mobility and quality of life


One of the patients who sticks in Dr. Denis Marcellin-Little’s memory is a golden retriever who was able to hike 6 miles a day after being fitted with a prosthetic device. His owner was an athletic trainer, skilled in wrapping and taping athletes. That came in handy during his dog’s adaptation to the new limb. “He improved on the process, […]

Pets of the Week

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 learn more, visit EARS at 145 W. Dearborn St., Englewood, visit www.earsanimalrescue.com or call 681-3877. […]