The good doctor

After a life of giving to others, Dr. Mark Asperilla is getting some love back himself


ABOUT 200 PEOPLE packed into the Cultural Center of Charlotte County recently for a long overdue event: a recognition dinner in honor of infectious disease specialist Dr. Mark Asperilla. The Sept. 6 evening was initially supposed to be on his behalf — but in true Dr. Asperilla fashion, he turned it around and insisted it be used as a fundraiser for the Virginia […]

AARP needs volunteers for Tax-Aide

AARP Foundation Tax-Aide — which offers free in-person preparation and assistance to anyone (especially those 50 and older) who can’t afford a tax preparation service — is looking to expand its team of volunteers for the upcoming tax season. Volunteers make a difference in their communities by assisting many older, lower income taxpayers, and their families, who might otherwise miss […]

Reviler-in-Chief



When I stepped out of the graduate school of journalism at Columbia University on 116th Street and Broadway in New York City in 1993 with a master’s degree in one hand and an honorary lifetime membership at Cannon’s Bar on 107th in the other, I didn’t have a clue — even though I’d learned a thing or two up there […]

Good grief, bad grief

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” Arguably these are even worse times than the mid-19th century, when Charles Dickens wrote his “Tale of Two Cities.” In the 21st century, we have effectively divided into two countries, separated by impenetrable fortifications. President Donald Trump heads up the hordes on the right. Those on the left […]

Neil Armstrong didn’t forget the flag



History is usually airbrushed to remove a figure who has fallen out of favor with a dictatorship, or to hide away an episode of national shame. Leave it to Hollywood to erase from a national triumph its most iconic moment. The new movie “First Man,” a biopic about the Apollo 11 astronaut Neil Armstrong, omits the planting of the American […]

R-E-S-P-E-C-T, find out what it means to me

THE GREAT OUTDOORS


“All I’m askin’ is for a little respect,” sang the late Aretha Franklin. Well, I’m asking for some, too — but not for myself. My generation was taught to respect elders, not to interrupt, help others and be mindful of each other and all living things. Those days are gone. Our society has cultivated generations of disrespect — people with […]

11th annual Peace Day set for Sept. 23 at Arts Alliance

The 11th annual Southwest Florida Peace Day theme is “Expansion of Peace.” Since International Peace Day was set in motion in 2001 by the United Nations, a Peace Spiral has been created around the world. Each year, more countries become involved in a day of cease-fire, a day of peace, with celebrations in towns and cities around the world. This […]

Mystery of the heart

What’s causing unusual cases of dilated cardiomyopathy in dogs? Dietary ingredients, lack of taurine are potential culprits, but the answer remains elusive


For several months, the United States Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Veterinary Medicine, in partnership with independent diagnostic laboratories and veterinary cardiologists and nutritionists, has been investigating reports of a trend that began at least two years ago: Some 150 or more dogs (and at least seven cats) that ate pet foods containing plant-based sources of protein among their […]

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. […]

CROW animal ambassador gets new lease on life in the wild


Shelldon the gopher tortoise, and animal ambassador at the Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife for the past three years, has been returned to the wild at Perico Preserve in Manatee County after being deemed rehabilitated and capable of survival by state officials. The adult male gopher tortoise arrived at CROW’s wildlife hospital on July 4, 2015, after being struck […]