HOME Living In the Heart of Florida
From the Publisher
Publisher/Editor: Scott Costello Associate Editor: Victoria Phillips
Ahh-choo! Yes, Spring is in the air. The azaleas are blooming, the grass is growing and allergies are taking control. That being said, weather is still comfortable to go for walks or ride bikes in the morning or at night. Spring in the Heart of Florida is one of the best-kept secrets about where we live. One of the great things about Spring is our annual tease of Gator football – the Orange and Blue Game. The Heart of Florida is football-crazed 12-months out of the year, and this is the official kickoff to the new year’s campaign. We wanted to have a cover story related to Gator football, but with a different twist. Shelley Meyer, Kathy Addazio and Vicki Strong are indeed the first ladies of Florida football. Their husbands – Head Coach Urban Meyer, Offensive Coordinator Steve Addazio and Defensive Coordinator Charlie Strong – may get the headlines, but these ladies are the glue that holds family and football together. It was wonderful to get to know them and to bring their story to you during this season when we celebrate Mother’s Day. Sticking with the theme of Gator Football with a different spin, one of our lead Community Stories this issue is on Tim Tebow and his First and 15 Event. This is a week-long event, culminating with a spring Powder Puff football tournament. Everyone knows that Tim is one of the greatest college football players in the history of the game. Part of what makes him so special is his passion. Tebow’s number one goal in life though is not to be a successful football player, it is to be someone who cares about and serves others. This philanthropy helps Shands hospital patients and local underprivileged children. We feel honored that we were chosen to showcase this event. Our Community Impact Story is another of those cutting-edge programs going on at Shands. This time it is Robotics. This technology brings surgical advances that allow doctors to do things that could only be imagined previously. And it drastically reduces recovery time. That gets people healthier more quickly. In the Around the Home section of this issue we look at the new color of pools: green. Our story focuses on how to make pools more energy efficient. In our Landscape Calendar, Jon George introduces us to some of the heartier plants and flowers for this time of year when we traditionally see less rain. In Business we include spotlights on Gateway Bank, 4 Marta, and CampusUSA, as well as a Chamber feature about Facebook for Business. In Lifestyle we celebrate Mother’s Day in our fashion corner and with some shopping tips for pampering mom. We also take you to the best beaches in Florida and one of our hottest new restaurants – Oceans. In Health & Fitness, we take you on a biking tour of Gainesville and offer a feature about protecting against diabetes. In Sports & Recreation, we introduce you to UF’s newest sport – lacrosse. Our community section includes some great stories, including a feature on five women who make a difference in the Heart of Florida. We also have a feature on another of my favorite aspects of Spring – the BANCF Parade of Homes™. With historically low interest rates and first-time homebuyer tax credits, this could be an active parade. For the last three years, this section has been showcased in our sister publication Building Trends. We are excited to now bring it to you here, profiling the tterrific builders who are bringing to you their newest homes in this year’s Parade. We conclude with our Get to Know on Gainesville Police Cpl. Jaime Kurnick, one of North Central Florida’s best kept secrets, who clearly is working for the greater good of the community. As always, I look forward to your input and ideas. If you have any story ideas or suggestions, please let me know.
Advertising Sales: Kyle Lindsey Dillon McLean Jamie Milanese Sarah Sander Public Relations: Brittany Ferguson Faith Reaves Staci Wilkenson Web Development: Advantage Ad Agency Senior Writer: David Greenberg Staff Writers: Mary Manchess Mary Mancone Molly Bruce Sara Horn Tawna Danger-Soeldner Erica Blake Contributing Writer: Jon George Editorial Consultant: Holly Christensen Copy Editor: Sarah Wears-Garcia Editorial Cartoonist Jake Fuller Contributing Photography: David Johnston E-News Brief Anja Majcen
Scott Costello scott@advantagepublishinginc.com
Art Director Brad Palmer
Advantage Publishing, Inc. 4140 NW 37th PL Suite D Gainesville FL 32606 (352) 372-5854 in Gainesville (352) 368-1707 in Ocala
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