Tallahassee Magazine- March/April 2015

4 GREAT GETAWAYS: new adventures close to home

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Make Your Blow Dry Last Healthful Meals Made for You at Home Grab Ahold of Tallahassee’s Best Sandwiches

From March through May, there’s plenty to see and do in Tallahassee. For this issue, we gathered some of our city’s movers and shakers to help us spread the word.

Look for stories on each of these events inside:

Page 203 Springtime Tallahassee Festival & Grand Parade

Page 225 Word of South Festival

Page 230 Southern Shakespeare Festival

Page 242 Red Hills International Horse Trials Be sure to save the date for these upcoming events:

March 2

March 3

March 5–8

March 7–8

March 8

March 14

March 16

March 19

March 26

March 27–28

April 6

April 8

April 10

April 11

April 11

April 11

April 11–12

April 11–18

April 17–19

April 18–19

April 25–26

April 26

May 9 & 20

May 14–26

May 15

May 16

Opening Nights: Danú Pink Floyd Experience AT CAPITAL CITY AMPHITHEATER Red Hills International Horse Trials Battle of Natural Bridge Reenactment 150th Anniversary Jewish Food Festival 17th Century Military Muster Opening Nights: Miloš Karadaglic Opening Nights: Itzhak Perlman, Violin & Rohan De Silva, Piano Opening Nights: Raisin’ Cane, A Harlem Renaissance Odyssey Starring Jasmine Guy & The Avery Sharpe Trio Springtime Tallahassee Festival & Grand Parade Opening Nights: Steep Canyon Rangers and Della Mae Opening Nights: Diana Krall, Wallflower World Tour The Avett Brothers AT CAPITAL CITY AMPHITHEATER FSU Garnet & Gold Spring Game FAMU Orange & Green Spring Game Sublime with Rome AT CAPITAL CITY AMPHITHEATER Word of South Festival Pridefest Southern Shakespeare Festival LeMoyne Chain of Parks Arts Festival Jazz & Blues Festival & Pioneer Breakfast Wilco AT CAPITAL CITY AMPHITHEATER Emancipation Celebration, 150th Anniversary Capital Cuisine Restaurant Week The Beach Boys AT CAPITAL CITY AMPHITHEATER Tour of Gardens

For more information, go to VisitTallahassee.com

PHOTOGRAPHER Matt Burke HAIR AND MAKEUP Fuel Salon and Store LOCATION Ruby Diamond Auditorium SPECIAL THANKS Lee Daniel and Lauren Pace of Leon County Tourism Development; Heather Mayo of FSU’s School of Music

FROM LEFT TO RIGHT Kelly Dozier, LeMoyne Chain of Parks Art Festival; Jackie Johnson, Emancipation Celebration; Mallory Miedema, FSU’s Garnet & Gold Spring Football Game; Tim Jansen, Springtime Tallahassee; Laura Johnson, Southern Shakespeare Festival; Jane Barron, Red Hills International Horse Trials; Mark Mustain, Word of South Festival; Daren Williams, FAMU’s Orange & Green Spring Football Game; Sharon Dennard, Capital Cuisine Restaurant Week

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»contents VOLUME 38, number 2

features 97 Great Getaways Enjoy Atlantic coast resort family fun, immerse yourself in some of Florida’s earliest history, marvel at botanic beauty or relax in luxury at a historic hotel. Head for any of the four points of the compass, and we’ve got a getaway for you. Best of all, these mini-vacations are less than a tank of gas away!

106 Grandparents as Parents

Courtesy The Vinoy Renaissance Resort

The travel and free time of retirement are put on hold for families who have taken on the responsibilities of raising their grandchildren. In this story, local couples share the myriad emotions — and joys — of parenting the second time around.

Pink, proud and beautifully preserved, The Vinoy Renaissance Resort seeks to give guests a unique and elegant experience.

tallahasseeMagazine.com March–April 2015

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»contents VOLUME 38, number 2

departments

life 26

SNAPSHOT Set a spell on front porch swings.

29

68

235

266

style

culture

food

68

225

CHAT Honoring women at the top of their game.

HABITAT Tallahassee classic home gets a SoCal redo.

SPOTLIGHT A first-time festival of writing and music.

75

230

31

THE NUMERATOR All about the legislature.

TRENDS Haute looks in bracelets.

THE ARTS Shakespeare returns at Cascades Park.

79

235

33

CLICK The perils of our plugged-in life.

A BETTER YOU Indulge in a salon blow dry, or DIY.

83

36

DECONSTRUCTION What’s in your basket?

DÉCOR The look is rustic, but chic.

ON THE TOWN So many ways to get out on the dance floor.

240

39

PARENTHOOD Lessons learned from “Frozen.”

MS. GROW-IT-ALL Flower, or weed? It’s up to you.

257

43

PERSONALITY Chou’s dynasty is Japanese cuisine.

47

HERE TO HELP Summer camp for disabled kids.

52

GREAT OUTDOORS Natural wonders and ancient history.

56

LIFE FEATURE So much to study under the sea.

63

LOOKING BACK Remembering Natural Bridge, 150 years later.

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tallahasseeMagazine.com

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85

266

FLAVOR Searching for good things between bread.

273

ON THE MENU Home cooked, just not by you.

277

ON YOUR TABLE Flavorful, good-for-you vinegar.

278

CALENDAR Springtime

good times.

SOCIAL STUDIES Smile

for the camera!

THE BUZZ Did we see you at the party?

DINING GUIDE

Suggestions for dining around town.

in every issue 18 Publisher’s Letter 20 Editor’s Letter 22 Contributors 24 Feedback 219 Agenda 282 The Last Word

On the Cover

Southern Shakespeare Festival Executive Director Laura Johnson ham(let)s it up at Ruby Diamond Concert Hall. Photo by Matt Burke. Hair and makeup by Fuel Salon.

Ann Shuck (52), Blake Greene (68), Austin Roberts (235), Matt Burke (266)

52

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1 The initial rate will remain in effect for 12 months and is not based on the index and margin used for later rate adjustments. Credit and other qualifications apply. After the initial 12-month period, your annual percentage rate will adjust to the Wall Street Journal Prime Rate (3.25% and has been since 2009) plus or minus a Margin. The Margin may be as low as -.75%. There will be an additional margin reduction of .25% if loan payments are set up on auto-payment. The Margin and therefore your rate may vary based upon individual credit history, combined loan to value (CLTV) and payment method. A Minimum floor rate of 3.50% applies after the initial 12 month period. The annual percentage rate can change on the first day of each month. There is no limit on the amount by which the annual percentage rate can change during any one year period. The maximum annual rate that can apply is 18% or the maximum permitted by law, whichever is less. Rates are subject to change daily and without notice.

2 In order to open, use and maintain a line of credit plan, you may have to pay a Flood Zone Determination Fee: $25.00 (Due at closing). You may have to pay certain fees to third parties to open the plan. These fees generally total between $350.00 and $1,200.00. If you ask, we will provide you with an itemization of the fees you will have to pay third parties. You must carry insurance on the property that secures your HELOC. If the property is located in a Special Flood Hazard Area, we will require you to obtain flood insurance if it is available. tallahasseeMagazine.com March–April 2015

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»contents VOLUME 38, number 2

WAVE GOODBYE TO FRUSTRATION.

special sections

78 Uptown Map

Check out what’s exciting in Tallahassee’s newest “it” place.

88 Deal Estate A look behind the gates of Golden Eagle, one of the area’s premier neighborhoods.

113 Northwest Florida Weddings and Honeymoon Destinations

Michael Allen Photography

Are there wedding bells in your future? Be sure to consult our annual guide to planning the day of your dreams, featuring venues in the city, country or by the sea, as well as an introduction to professionals who can help you create an unforgettable nuptial event.

197 Women in Business

As we celebrate women in March, this special section highlights some of Tallahassee’s best and brightest businesswomen.

Your Guide to the 47th AnnuAl

Springtime tallahaSSee FeStival & parade

203

We’ve never seen anyone make the pains of outdated technology disappear by waving one of these. One call to us, on the other hand, and we’ll show you a kind of magic that no one spell could ever do.

Springtime Tallahassee

A Grand Parade, Southern belles, breakfast, music, food and so much more … it’s Springtime Tallahassee’s 47th year, and you’re invited to join the celebration!

2015

Springtime Tallahassee 2015 1

For technology that powers your business, call your local RJ Young representative at 800.347.1955 or visit us online at RJYoung.com.

Your productivity is our mission.

222 Forgotten Coast Map and Story

249

Places of interest along the coastline and learn more about Carrabelle Junction.

New playroom honors FSU Baseball Coach Mike Martin and his family for their continued contributions to hospitalized kids.

SPECIAL PROMOTION

12 March–April 2015

tallahasseeMagazine.com

TMH Foundation Newsletter

Growing up, my dad was a CPA. From him, I learned the importance of being a BUSINESS AND COMMUNITY PARTNER and not just a number cruncher.

JEFF BARBACCI, CPA

THF Shareholder

Chair, Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants Industry Specialties: Government and Not-for-Profit

When your business is ready to grow, you can count on us to see beyond the bottom line.

850.668.8100

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tallahasseeMagazine.com March–April 2015

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»all access ONLINE

tallahasseemagazine.com

JS Hair Lounge Wins Top Salon

Jennifer Ireland

Top Salon 2015 was a night of excitement and anticipation as 13 deserving models took the runway with their brand-new looks. The models were given headto-toe makeovers by 13 of Tallahassee’s top salons, and one lucky winner — JS Hair Lounge and their model, Danielle Hay — was chosen. A portion of the proceeds from the event were donated to Hospice House by the winning salon. The night included food, drinks, music, an extravagant runway show and recognition of Tallahassee’s most talented hairstylists. Take a look at our Top Salon Recap to relive the night.

Join the Club!

Text TMAG to 20673. Or visit tallahasseemagazine.com and look for the Top of the Town logo to sign up for special promotions, events and exclusive offers. (Text STOP any time to opt out.)

Check our website to see how you can sign up for promotions and offers from these local businesses:

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tallahasseeMagazine.com March–April 2015

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y Spa Da

tallahasseemagazine President/Publisher

Brian E. Rowland Na

i l Salo N

EDITORIAL Director of Editorial Services Linda Kleindienst

SALES, MARKETING AND EVENTS Director of Sales and Marketing Mckenzie Burleigh

Editor Rosanne Dunkelberger

Director of New Business Daniel Parisi

Senior Staff Writer Jason Dehart

Advertising Services Coordinator Lisa Sostre

Staff Writer chay D. baxley

Account Executives Bess Grasswick Tanya Heath Lori Magee Linda Powell Paula Sconiers Chuck Simpson Alice watts Drew Gregg westling

Contributing Writers Lazaro Aleman Rebecca Beitsch Lauren Gillespie Cherie Graves Tisha Crews Keller Robert W. McKnight Rebecca Padgett Audrey Post Kati Schardl Florence Snyder Zandra Wolfgram Full Service Salon & Spa

850.224-2222 | MillenniuMAtMidtown.coM 1817 Thomasville Road, sTe. 230 850.894-4772 | MillenniuMnAilAnddAySpA.coM 2915 KeRRy FoResT PaRKway, sTe. 606

Editorial Interns Brianna Dixon Alexia Gonzalez Production Specialist MElinda lanigan CREATIVE Creative Director Lawrence Davidson Production Manager/ Network Administrator Daniel Vitter

OPERATIONS Staff Accountant Josh Faulds Accounting Assistant Tabby Hamilton Administrative Assistant Caryn Nelson

Art Director Jennifer Ekrut

WEB Digital Services Manager carlin trammel

Staff Photographer Matt Burke Contributing Photographers David Barfield Meredith Geddings Blake Greene Scott Holstein Tisha Crews Keller Harley Means Sylvie Et Pierrot Mary A. Roth Bob Trapp

tallahasseeMagazine.com

Special Projects Corporate Client Liason Sara Goldfarb

Receptionist Lisa Snell

Advertising Designers Jillian Fry Amanda Hartsfield

16 March–April 2015

Events and Special Projects Coordinator Leigha Inman

Senior Art Director Saige Roberts

Publication Designers Shruti Shah Rebecca Sumerall

850-385-7363 blossomsflowers.com 541 N. Monroe St., Tallahassee (Walker Building)

Sales and Marketing Assistant Christie Green

Digital Services Coordinators Jennifer Ireland Rebecca Padgett Digital Services Producer Chelsea Moore SUBSCRIPTIONS One Year (6 issues) is $30 Call (850) 878-0554 or go online to Tallahasseemagazine.Com Single copies are $3.95 purchase at Barnes & Noble, Costco, Books-A-Million, Walgreens and at our Miccosukee Road office

Tallahassee Magazine is published bimonthly by Rowland Publishing, Inc. 1932 Miccosukee Road, Tallahassee, FL 32308. 850/878-0554. Tallahassee Magazine and Rowland Publishing, Inc. are not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, photography or artwork. Editorial contributions are welcomed and encouraged but will not be returned. Tallahassee Magazine reserves the right to publish any letters to the editor. Copyright March 2015 Tallahassee Magazine, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without written permission is prohibited. Partners of Visit Tallahassee and Member, Greater Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce.

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tallahasseeMagazine.com March–April 2015

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»from the publisher

Over the past several years, I have heard plenty about the death of the print industry and how the world of media and advertising will shift totally to the digital world — basically saying to a publisher: “Fold your tent and throw in the towel.” I’m sorry, but that memo never made it to the desks of the employees at Rowland Publishing.

Our team successfully navigated the Great Recession and the second tsunami of economic turmoil that hit our footprint — the perceived deluge of BP oil on Gulf Coast beaches.

Although the impact was more like a drizzle, it devastated the region’s tourism industry and made it even more challenging for our sales team to meet its goals and the business community to maintain stability. But our team of publishing professionals made the necessary adjustments to our company and their personal playbooks to stay focused, keeping their eye on the horizon and not complaining, just doing their absolute best job every day. Taking on a negative attitude was definitely NOT an option for this squad.

The media world has drastically changed since I became publisher of Tallahassee Magazine 25 years ago. At that time, the Internet had not been invented. The car phone industry was just developing, and words like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and blog had not been spoken. Newspapers, radio and TV were still the primary source of breaking news, and there was no such thing as a “smart” phone. All we could do then with a phone was make telephone calls.

When the recession arrived, “traditional” media, with its high operational costs, was hit hard when advertising dollars dried up.

Digital news outlets grew, and predictions of the death of print were widespread. Yet at Rowland Publishing, we were deaf to that death knell.

Since the economy began to tank in 2008, we have launched five new titles, including 850, Northwest Florida Weddings and Honeymoon Destinations, Sandestin Living and the Tallahassee Medical Resource Directory. We now have a department that plans and runs six annual events, and we have committed ourselves to the digital era with a three-member digital media department. And all the while, we have grown the page counts of our magazines — Tallahassee Magazine by 38 percent and our other titles by between 8 and 10 percent. The company, meanwhile, has grown from 24 to 36 employees strong.

During the recession, we were often tempted to accept advertising revenue in exchange for a “puff” story about an advertiser.

But we simply said, “No.” That is not our business model. Our editorial team maintained high journalistic standards, and I feel today that is one of the major contributing factors to our ongoing growth and excellent brand reputation in Northwest Florida.

We have and will continue to stick to our publishing mission to be “Current, Quotable and Well Read.”

18 March–April 2015

tallahasseeMagazine.com

Matt Burke

Our Winning Team

We believe our local and regional titles are a critical communications link The Rowland between people in the region. They Publishing team keep people informed and help create gathered at the Florida a sense of community, keeping it strong State University Challenge Course at and giving those who live here a sense the FSU Reservation of pride in the place where they work for a team-building and live. event as part of the Of course we have dealt with the nat- company’s annual ural attrition and transitions that every meeting in December. company must face, but I can proudly say that the RPI team that stepped out on the Northwest Florida publishing field on Jan. 5, 2015, is without question the finest all-around team of media professionals that Rowland Publishing has ever assembled. We are deep in talent, combining youth and experience, and everyone has a fire in the belly and a winning attitude.

I also would like to acknowledge and salute those who, over the past decade and a half, made positive contributions and helped lay the foundation this company is building on today.

I salute the team as together we forge through 2015 and beyond. I am so proud and honored to work with the 36 professionals we have here at Rowland Publishing.

Brian Rowland, Publisher browland@rowlandpublishing.com

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»from the editor editor’s pick

Parenting, the Second Time Around

Matt Burke

In general, I’m an optimistic person who tries to look on the bright side of things. But there are times (usually in the wee hours) when my mind wanders into dark places with those “what if” scenarios.

My kids are now adults. My child-rearing days are over. I enjoyed their growing-up years immensely, but now my husband and I are happy empty-nesters, and we enjoy time to ourselves and the extra dollars in our bank account now that we’re not responsible for expenses that started with diapers and ended with college tuition and a wedding.

I sometimes speculate about what would happen if, for some reason, my children left me with the responsibility of raising their children.

Of course I would do it. But I wonder how I would feel. Would I have the energy to go through parenting again? Would I be sad that my long-awaited retirement wasn’t going to happen on schedule?

Would I resent having to devote money I thought was going to be spent on world travel to Big Wheels and braces? Would the grandchildren be traumatized and need special therapeutic care?

And I imagine I would be very, very angry with my adult child for making me take care of business.

While I don’t think grand-parenting is in my future, I do know that it happens. A lot.

Even in “good” families. I pondered how people cope when faced with this life-changing dilemma. Lucky for me, I’m a magazine editor. When I wonder about things, I just assign a story and get my answers.

In a feature story in this issue, writer Rebecca Beitsch spent time with grandparents who have embraced the heavy lifting of raising their young grandchildren. Their stories, while not always sweetness and light, are eye-opening and inspirational. I hope you’ll take the time to give it a read and send these folks a prayer or good thought.

Our other feature is one of my favorite annual stories — the Great Getaways. I rarely can muster up the time or the cash to take a long, leisurely vacation in a faraway place.

But I’m always game for a nice long weekend that only takes a tank of gas to get to. In fact, I think I prefer the short trip. When I burn up my vacation a week or two at a time, it seems like a very long time between breaks.

This year, no matter what direction you head, we’ve found four spots with a variety of getaway experiences. Take the time to enjoy one or more.

Rosanne Dunkelberger rdunkelberger@rowlandpublishing.com

20 March–April 2015

tallahasseeMagazine.com

Sunscreen to Go For months, I had been following the Facebook feeds of my friends Samantha Strickland and Amanda Broadfoot with interest and sadness.

The sisters shared the progress of their younger brother, Victor Finch, as he bravely fought melanoma. Sadly, he died Oct. 25. But within days, the duo had announced the formation of the Victor Over Cancer Foundation, pledging to dedicate their formidable communications talents to getting the word out about the dangers of sun exposure — especially in Florida — and just how preventable melanoma can be. They’re starting small, with an effort to get sunscreen dispensers installed in Washington County schools. Sam tells me her goal is to have sunscreen just as available to youngsters as those ubiquitous hand sanitizer squirts. And knowing these two women, I don’t doubt that’s just what will happen. victorovercancer.org Picture-Perfect Pets Now through March 22 is the time to go online and cast a vote (or two, or 20!) for your favorite dog, cat or “li’l critter.” Each $1 vote benefits Be the Solution (BTS), a local nonprofit dedicated to ending pet overpopulation by offering free and low-cost spay/neuters to pet owners who cannot afford the cost. The pet popularity contest is the major annual fundraiser for BTS, which was able to provide 3,200 surgeries for local companion animals last year. BTS was started by Gerry Phipps eight years ago and, since 2009, intakes at the Tallahassee-Leon Community Animal Service Center dropped from more than 10,000 annually to about 6,000. Euthanizations fell from about 6,000 to around 2,000 during the same time period.

Contest winners will ride aboard the BTS float in the Springtime Tallahassee Grand Parade. To view all the nominees and cast your ballot, visit tallytoppet.com.

Goodwill’s Answer to eBay My girlfriend Gayla had purchased oodles of old silver plate for her daughter’s wedding reception, and we spent a happy evening yakking while polishing the tarnish off coffee pots, trays, pitchers and dozens of forks, knives and spoons. Much of her haul came from shopgoodwill.com, an online auction site similar to eBay featuring goodies from Goodwill stores nationwide. Who knew?

And she let me in on another little secret: You can narrow the search to only those items posted in Tallahassee and save the shipping fee if you pick them up at the warehouse.

tallahasseeMagazine.com March–April 2015

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»contributors Rebecca Beitsch Rebecca is a journalist and Tallahassee native. She has covered news in Florida, Missouri, Washington, D.C. and North Dakota and served in the Peace Corps in Panama. She primarily writes about politics but has also covered floods, exotic snake escapes and wagon train reenactments. She plans to continue covering all kinds of stories in all kinds of climates.

▪ In this issue, Rebecca wrote an illuminating feature story about people who are raising their grandchildren during what they thought would be their retirement years.

Courtesy Rebecca Beitsch

writer

Cherie Graves Cherie enjoys the challenge of writing, but not fiction. With fiction, writers have to make things up, which is hard work.

With articles and essays, writers just have to figure out what happened and what it means. The hard part there is finding the logic, which is almost as tricky as inventing plot. In addition to local newspapers, Cherie has had articles published in the English Journal and Bartender Magazine. The topics were unrelated.

▪ In this issue, Cherie unearths the ancient history and natural features (found nowhere else in the world!) located in three Florida parks — all within a short drive of Tallahassee.

Ann Shuck

writer

Lisa Sostre

Every advertisement that appears in Tallahassee Magazine — or any other publication produced by Rowland Publishing — has been touched by Lisa.

She’s responsible for making sure each ad sold appears in the magazine, is correct, the right size and in the right place. In many cases, Lisa is also our liaison when advertisers are fine-tuning their ads. Lisa’s three daughters and two grandchildren keep her busy, but for fun she cheers on her girls at their softball and gymnastics events, roots for the University of Miami and considers herself a “huge” hockey fan.

▪ In this issue, Lisa shepherded nearly 200 advertisements through Rowland Publishing’s production process.

22 March–April 2015

tallahasseeMagazine.com

Matt Burke

advertising service coordinator

TIC KE TS

ON

SA LE NO W !

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The Village of Baytowne Wharf is always open to the public.

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» from our readers

feedback

We want to hear from you.

Thank you so much for publishing the wonderful article, “How More Americans With Hearing Loss Get to Hear Again” in your January/ February 2015 magazine. This information is so beneficial to the hearing impaired in our community. I wanted to make you aware that there was an error in spelling Melissa Corson’s name. She truly has been a champion of this technology in Tallahassee. Your readers might also like to know that the Senior Center is now looped, and all of their classes and events held in the upstairs auditorium offer the benefit of the hearing loop. Ms. Corson is responsible for making that a reality for our community.

Many people who already have hearing aids may have a tele-coil (necessary for accessing the loop) already built inside — even older technology hearing aids. They just need to be activated in order to enjoy the loop’s benefits.

Lisa Myrick, Au.D. Audiology Manager Audiology Associates of North Florida A division of Tallahassee Ear, Nose & Throat Your article in the January issue about hearing loops was very interesting to read. There are many people out there that could benefit from reading this article. My father is 92, and we both wear hearing aids and both of us have loops in our home and at some of our favorite places to go. I love being able to hear what hasn’t been heard in years. I was so impressed with the technology we added the installation of hearing loops to the list of things we do at Intech Systems of Tallahassee, Inc. We can offer price quotes and even do a working demonstration.

Mark Caster Intech Systems caster@intechsystems.com

Brian Barnard’s

Science on the Go

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Aimee and I just want to say THANK YOU for the awesome article on MoLab (“Rolling for Science,” January/February issue) in the latest edition of Tallahassee Magazine. Brianna did a fantastic job.

We are SO grateful for the exposure and for your willingness to include us in your prestigious magazine.

Thanks, and here’s to an awesome 2015!

Trish A. Hanson Have a thought? Write to us at editor@tallahasseemagazine.com, facebook.com/tallahassee or through twitter @tallahasseemag.

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Rebecca Sumerall

A Service for the Hearing Impaired

the 2015

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People » places » info

CHAT / THE NUMERATOR / CLICK DECONSTRUCTION / PARENTHOOD Personality / HERE TO HELP GREAT OUTDOORS / feature / LOOKING BACK

Snapshot Swinging, Tallahassee Style

Many symbols represent Tallahassee, from the Capitol complex to Doak Campbell Stadium. Now, the Knight Creative Communities Institute (KCCI) is in the process of developing a new Tallahassee icon, one porch swing at a time.

The lazy back-and-forth of a porch swing perfectly represents Tallahassee’s slower-paced, hometown appeal, and KCCI organizers have located them in public places around town, from downtown to Lake Ella.

“The porch swing represents Tallahassee’s way of life, that we are welcoming new people to the neighborhood,” said Betsy Couch, KCCI’s executive director.

The porch swings’ introduction began two years ago with the EllaVate project, a KCCI initiative designed to make Lake Ella more inviting with the addition of a new entrance, new signs — and its very own porch swing.

The prototype swing at Lake Ella was designed and constructed by workers from the City of Tallahassee’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Affairs. KCCI’s Downtown Sense of Place Team soon recognized the swing’s popularity and sought to spread others around town through the Tallahassee Porch Swing project.

Porch swings now dot downtown; 13 more, sponsored by local businesses and other groups, will be added in 2015. Those interested in becoming a porch swing patron — the cost is $1,200 — can contact Chris Lisenby of Tallahassee’s Parks and Recreation department at (850) 891-5176.

KCCI has been helping Tallahassee through cultural improvement projects since 2007, launching several successful ventures, such as the Tallahassee Film Festival, Sustainable Tallahassee and Discovery at Cascades Park. KCCI projects seek to create a “sense of place” in the community while encouraging creative professionals to make their home here. A new group of “catalysts,” as the volunteers chosen to develop these year-long efforts are called, is now working on “wayfinding” in Tallahassee. The goal, said Couch, is to take all of the “unique places of Jay Revell of Tallahassee’s interest” here — such as Downtown Improvement Midtown, Gaines Street and District and Allen the art alleys — and create Thompson, director of the Downtown Experience, ways to “further define and enjoy a moment on a connect the different areas.” // Brianna Dickson

Matt Burke

downtown swing.

tallahasseeMagazine.com March–April 2015

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»life Chat

At the Pinnacle

Couch, Lee Have Shown Their Mettle in Life, Business and the Community In its October/November 2014 issue, 850 — The Business Magazine of Northwest Florida, honored 10 women from throughout the region with its inaugural Pinnacle Award. It was created to shine the spotlight on those who have set high standards for themselves and exceeded them, and who are a moving force in private business and nonprofit organizations that help the needy in our society or promote community interests.

“These women from our 18-county circulation region are driving forces in business and community, A-listers with A-plus personalities who face challenges head-on and are determined to make their world a better place,” says 850 Editor Linda Kleindienst. “They were from urban, suburban and rural areas. Yet when asked to describe themselves in one word, nearly every one said she was either ‘determined’ or ‘dedicated.’ ” That 10-person list of honorees included two accomplished women from Tallahassee, Betsy Couch and Melanie Lee. Here’s a quick look at their successes and what makes them tick. // Linda Kleindienst

The Other Eight Other 2014 Pinnacle Award winners from throughout Northwest Florida include:

» Kitty Whitney,

executive director, Sandestin Real Estate president of customer service and sales, Gulf Power

David Barfield

David Barfield

» Bentina Terry, vice

BETSY COUCH

When Betsy Couch was offered the job as executive director of the Knight Creative Communities Institute (KCCI), she said it was the job she had been waiting for. Now she gets to work on projects designed to improve her hometown.

The premise of KCCI is to bring community volunteers together to work on projects to improve where they live. Couch, 36, was one of those volunteers in Leadership Tallahassee when her team got behind the project to cultivate Cascades Park. They advocated enhancement of the planned amphitheater and helped develop an area specifically for children’s activities.

Not long after the project was completed, KCCI approached her to become director. She works there part time and gets to spend part of her week with her children, “providing that perfect work-life balance,” she says. Before landing at KCCI, Couch worked for Moore Communications, Visit Florida and the Florida Chamber Foundation and taught at Florida State University. She even did a stint writing speeches for the governor’s office. But her heart is in the world of nonprofits: “I grew up volunteering and love our community.”

» Lisa Barnes, special MELANIE LEE

projects manager, Eastern Shipbuilding

Today, Melanie Lee is vice president and general manager of Kia AutoSport in Tallahassee, but her first job there was at the age of 12, cutting grass and washing cars.

Her dad, she says, “raised us to work for everything.”

Every Tuesday, Lee delivers hot meals to her elderly clients in the Meals on Wheels program. It’s a great experience, she says, but also a way of paying back the help others once gave her family.

“My family went through some hard times, but my dad experienced a lot of success,” she says. “I always remember my parents saying we should help others because others helped us once.”

Lee, 33, says her family got the Kia dealership when she was 16 years old. She worked her way up in the business, including time in the repair shop and selling cars. She went to dealership school and, at age 22, came back to run the business.

“I’ve been doing this my whole life,” she says. “The people I was washing cars for, I became their boss. But respect is what you earn. I used to come to work every day in a suit, because I just wanted to give that appearance of confidence.” After 12 years, she doesn’t wear that suit every day any more. n

» Valerie Mincey,

president and CEO, BASIC NWFL Inc.

» Jennifer Jenkins,

executive director, Gulf Coast Tourism Development Council

» Alice Collins,

president of Collins Realty and Collins Vacation Rentals

» Angie Hill,

entrepreneur in Blountstown

» Cindy Eade,

co-owner of Cindale Farms; and president, Jackson County Chamber of Commerce

Watch scenes from the Photo Shoot at tallahasseemagazine.com. tallahasseeMagazine.com March–April 2015

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»life The Numerator

120/156,677

Members of the Florida House and the approximate number of people each one represents

The Session

Meredith Geddings

Nothing says spring in Tallahassee like the legislative session. From the flower-filled opening day to the sine die hanky drop, downtown will be awash in legislators attending to Florida’s business and power-suited lobbyists vying for time to advocate for their clients. Here are a few facts and stats relating to this annual juggernaut that descends on Florida’s capital city. // Rosanne Dunkelberger Supreme Court Justice Charles Canady administers the oath of office to newly elected House members on the House floor Nov. 18, 2014. From the left are: Kristin Jacobs, D-Coconut Creek; Bobby Dubose, D-Ft. Lauderdale; Julio Gonzalez, R-Venice; Chris Latvala, R-Clearwater; Chris Sprowls, R-Clearwater.

3/3–5/1

Beginning and end dates for the 2015 legislative session

60 Days in the

annual session

264 Bills approved by the Legislature in the 2014 session

40/470,032 Members of the Florida Senate and the approximate number of people each one represents

$50

Cost to register as a lobbyist in Florida

8

Maximum consecutive years a person can serve in Florida’s House or Senate

18 Years Republicans have held the majority in the House and Senate

26

Number of freshman House members

30

Percentage of women in the Florida Senate

1,980

Number of people registered to lobby the Legislature

$77 billion Florida’s 2014–2015 state budget

1 Bills vetoed by Gov.

Rick Scott in 2014 (does not include line-item budget vetoes)

$2,000,000+ The Legislature’s weekly impact to the local economy, as estimated by the Greater Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce

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»life Click

Collective Consciousness Forget ‘The Matrix.’ We Live in ‘The Loop.’

And There May Be No Way Out.

You can’t deny it. The Loop is here. And people want to be “in The Loop” all the time. Being out of The Loop is unthinkable. That’s why we have allowed ourselves to be instantly and electronically connected to friends, family and work 24/7 via smartphones and tablets that give us access to the Internet and social media. We check Facebook first thing in the morning, during the day, at work, at parties, at night when we get home and as we go to bed. We even keep our smartphones by our pillows because we may miss something in the two precious, extra seconds it takes to reach for them on the nightstand. And “something” is just too important to miss these days.

Nobody coerced us to do this. We volunteered for it. We are free from the disconnectedness of the past.

But at what price? The irony abounds at our newfound technological “freedom.”

“We have this ability to connect under any circumstances. Does that come with a price? Absolutely.

Because now we’ve lost all our privacy,” laments Tallahassee ActionCOACH Mark Raciappa, who makes a living helping business clients get the most out of their employees. “By volunteering to carry that (smartphone) around, you basically have given a GPS signal for wherever you are all the time. If your phone is on, you can be tracked by cellphone towers. And yet, if the government had said to every one of us, ‘We’re going to require each one of you to carry one of these around so we’ll know where you are,’ we would have revolted beyond the scale of the Boston Tea Party.’”

And what exactly do we do whenever that phone rings or that app pings for our attention when our focus is supposed to be somewhere else? We stop what we’re doing and answer it. We put whatever we’re doing on hold. This includes interviews, meetings and conversations. This automatic and annoying tendency to bow to the machine bugs the stew out of Raciappa.

“The thing that bugs me is that the manners are gone with regard to those things now,” he said. “In the old days, if two people were engaged in a conversation, you would give your full attention to that person, whether they were a customer or client or a family member — whatever — and nothing would interrupt you because that would be rude. I think it’s horrible right now that two people can be in a meeting, again whether it’s business or social, and somebody’s phone rings and that automatically takes precedence.”

Simon Anderson, a “futurist” and technology consultant and FSU graduate who talks about emerging trends in technology, said the “Fear Of Missing Out” (FOMO) is to blame for why adults are always in The Loop.

“You can go to any restaurant on a Friday night and see two adults sitting at the table together, presumably on a date, or a married couple on a date night, and they’re both just staring at their phones, hardly saying a word to each other,” Anderson said. “It’s not really so much about efficiency as it is FOMO. I think that’s why people are constantly checking their devices and using them to communicate. People don’t want to feel like they’re missing out on something — at any age — and now they have this constant ‘window’ into each other’s lives via their smartphone.”

Raciappa said that even with the unintended cultural consequences caused by social media technology, certain applications such as video chat are indeed useful for business and personal relationships. For example, he uses Skype all the time to work with clients across Florida. But the important thing is to establish relationships in person, and then use technology to maintain that relationship.

“Once we’ve met, we can maintain the relationship via the long distance,” he said. “And again, with

Matt Bu rke

By Jason Dehart

“We have this ability to connect under any circumstances.

Does that come with a price?

Absolutely.

Because now we’ve lost all our privacy.”

— Tallahassee ActionCOACH Mark Raciappa

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»life Click

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the meeting capabilities that are on the Internet, we can do that nowadays. So I think initially we want to be able to develop a relationship face to face and then, once it’s at least set, we can harness the technology to make it more efficient.”

“Email, if you think about it, is largely expressionless,” Raciappa said. “You would think, ‘Well it’s just pure words on paper, so consequently, there should be less danger there.’ The opposite is actually true. There’s more danger there because of the way we as human beings interpret words. So I do think it is important that we communicate face to face. You can pick up facial expressions, which obviously are important; you can pick up tone of voice, you can pick up inflection, and you can pick up the furrow of the brow. I would say that that certainly makes it easy for two people to communicate without “The challenge having to travel.” will be keeping But harnessing the power of an ever-evolving techup in an nology is difficult at best.

Anderson said it’s hard to exponentially gauge exactly what we’ve advancing gained, or lost, because things are happening so world — which fast that we don’t have the is why we’re proper perspective to define these advances or their handing off effect on our lives. more and more He added that the jury is still out regarding the of our decision notion that our brains are making to physiologically changing due to our ever-increasing machines and exposure and interaction software.” with technology. But one thing is certain: The skills needed to live in today’s — Simon world are different in many Anderson, ways from the skills needed “futurist” and even a decade ago.

“I don’t know that we can technology intentionally ‘retrain our consultant brains,’ but we can choose what to focus on and what tools we use to enhance our abilities,” Anderson said. “The challenge will be keeping up in an exponentially advancing world — which is why we’re handing off more and more of our decision making to machines and software.

“It’s literally too much for the human mind to retain and maintain,” he continued. “I think we’ll see far more of this in the coming years as our technology becomes more intuitive and contextual.

“For example, I no longer need to remember when I have a flight or how to get there. Based on where I am, where I need to be, the traffic and construction in between, if my flight is delayed and a host of other information I couldn’t keep track of, my phone notifies me — proactively — when I need to leave, with a preset amount of time as a buffer. This is amazing, and it already exists today. And it’s just the beginning.” n

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»life Deconstruction

A Tisket, A Tasket Figuring Out What’s Inside a Favorite Easter Tradition

On the morning of Sunday, April 5, millions of children will bounce out of bed to see what the Easter Bunny has left them. Usually, the hare leaves candy in colorful wicker baskets lined with grass that cats love and vacuums hate. Americans will spend $2.1 billion on 120 million pounds of Easter candy this year — but few know why they’re doing it (a fact that will occur most strongly to parents watching their sugar-high children throw jelly beans at their siblings). Let’s explore the history behind the rabbit madness.

Full of Beans The earliest approximation of the jellybean was the Biblical-era Turkish Delight, a treat made famous in modern times by C.S. Lewis’ “The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe.” According to the National Confectioners’ Association, today over 16 billion jellybeans are made for Easter annually in the United States.

To Make an Omelet …

The tradition of dyeing Easter eggs has been around since the 1200s; scholars believe it originated as a celebration of the return of eggs to people’s diets after Lent. The largest Easter egg ever made was 25 feet high and weighed more than 4 tons. Its chocolate shell was filled with marshmallow and supported by a steel frame.

Fresh or Stale, They’re Still Good When Russian immigrant Sam Born purchased a candy company in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, it took 27 hours to make one marshmallow chick. After Born automated the process, it took six minutes. Today, the Just Born company makes enough Peeps per year to circle the Earth twice, for Easter as well as for a host of other holidays and seasons.

Faith and Fun Two-thirds of American adults describe Easter as a religious holiday, with 40 percent relating it directly to the resurrection of Jesus.

Practitioners of neo-pagan religions do not recognize Easter per se, but they may still participate in bunny-related fun in honor of Ostara, or the spring equinox. The White House holds a public, nonreligiously affiliated Easter Egg Roll on its lawn for children every year. // Shelby Bouck

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The Bunny Behind It All Rabbits might have become an Easter symbol because of their association with springtime and abundant fertility — a quality any owner of two opposite-sex rabbits will be intimately familiar with. The character of the Easter Bunny, like many of America’s greatest holiday traditions, first came to the New World by way of German immigrants to Pennsylvania, whose children made nests for the traveling hare with hats, baskets and real grass (which then evolved into the much-loved and often-cursed plastic incarnation we know today). When the basket includes a chocolate bunny, 76 percent of Americans say they eat the ears first.

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»life Parenthood

The ‘Frozen’ Effect The opportunity was perfect, I suppose. It was 7 a.m. on my November birthday.

My daughter, with all the self-control her tiny, 5-year-old body could muster, was leading me out the back door of the house. As my feet hit the freezing concrete of the walkway, she motioned to the frost-covered lawn and burst out with glee, “Mama, see it Mama? I gave you FROZEN twinkles everywhere for your birthday!”

Welcome to the perfectly sparkling, eternally glittering world of Disney’s “Frozen.”

For elementary and preschool-age girls worldwide, it’s the source of a never-ending obsession with ice queens and crystal palace fantasies.

And if you haven’t heard Idina Menzel’s Oscar-winning, certified-Platinum theme song, “Let It Go,” by now, then you’ve been living in a world without sound. Every girl child who can hold a tune knows the lyrics by heart, and sings it with the gusto of Luciano Pavarotti. Fortunately for parents like me, the song is, well, intoxicating.

Which is wonderful, because I made the mistake of downloading it onto my iPhone, and my kids start asking for it as soon as I even so much as pick up my keys. I’ve become a remote-controlled DJ for their Menzel (aka Elsa) obsession.

This year, I’ve endured no fewer than seven “Frozen” birthday parties, two custommade (by me, of course), “Frozen”-inspired Halloween costumes, daily operatic impersonations of Elsa’s ballad nearly nonstop, and countless view-on-repeat screenings of the movie itself.

You may ask yourself why, then, am I not ranting about this $1 billion-plus Disney juggernaut? Why not bash it for traditional “princess syndrome,” mildly sexual tension and vanilla friend bullying? Because this, my friends, is no traditional princess movie.

Astonishingly, Disney’s biggest animated picture ever has received both critical and financial success. Two Academy Awards, a

Tisha Crews Keller

No Need to ‘Let It Go,’ This Disney Juggernaut Offers a Great Message of Girl Power and Sisterly Love By Tisha Crews Keller

Golden Globe and countless other nods are only feathers in its cap, as far as I’m concerned. What this film can really be proud of is how the studio transformed not only itself but also the young, impressionable minds of millions of little girls toward girl power — but not in a Miley Cyrus, “Wrecking Ball” kind of way.

Forget “Tangled,” with its passiveaggressive foster mother. Never mind the I’m-just-fine-on-my-own lessons of “The Princess and the Frog.” Shun “Brave’s” mother-daughter love/hate relationship.

Instead, when my two daughters watch Real-life sisters Leah this movie, they don’t and Amery re-enact fight over who gets to their favorite scenes be “the pretty one.” featuring Anna and There’s no tension Elsa from Disney’s “Frozen.” over who is being mean to whom. The roles are automatically assigned because there’s the older sister and the younger sister … and the movie’s central theme comes down to the way these two are attached to each other. It’s the irresistible pull between

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»life Parenthood

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two young girls who grow up separately but are still entwined because they are, above all, sisters.

When my girls reenact “Frozen,” I don’t see them talking about falling in love or planning their wedding. Even with movies like “How To Train Your Dragon,” they take on the tomboy role, because that’s what the plot prescribes.

However, in the Elsa and Anna saga, these two little girls fight against forces of woe together — as a unified team — because that’s what sisters do. Elsa is the one who struggles with fear and the burden of responsibility. Anna is the spontaneous, playful one, the dreamer who can imagine no world where she and her sister are not together.

One of my favorite lines of the film is Kristoff ’s. When he incredulously asks Anna if she really intends to “marry a guy she just met today,” he echoes my own concern. This is what I want my girls to really know and understand about themselves: that even when you want something to be true and you want someone to be the answer to your prayers, things usually don’t work out that way in real life.

Of course, I’ve used this line as an entrée to discussions with my girls about taking the time to know what they want in life. Don’t plan to get married until you find someone worthy of you, I warn.

I tell them to dream about everything they want to be and make a plan to get there. But I know that when they start maturing into the women they will become, my words will be lost.

So I don’t mind the “Frozen” craze. Finally, I am encouraged to have role models for my children’s impressionable young minds that show them they can persevere, they can do the right thing and they have each other no matter what. If it’s going to take Elsa dolls and Anna costumes and Olaf slippers to pay forward this debt, then here’s my Visa.

Even when my girls watch the movie for the hundredth time, I am still moved almost to tears when we understand that the “act of true love” that will save Anna isn’t going to be any of the kisses she seeks from the eligible bachelors. Instead, it’s the selfless way she gives up her own life to save her older sister Elsa. That is the act of true love — sisterly love — that puts the world right again and breaks the spell.

Outside, I hear my children screaming with delight as they run from imaginary snow monsters and build their snow castles in the bushes. I look out and see a flash of turquoise — the overly expensive silk taffeta I used for one daughter’s Elsa costume. I know it’s getting muddied and bruised from the grass and dirt. Even as the second dress passes by in a blur — yes, I even used green velvet to dress my Anna — I listen to the roster of characters being used: Olaf, Sven, Hans, Kristoff, the Duke of Weselton. How they can keep them straight, I don’t know.

Nor do I care. For me, the mystery of “Frozen” is simple. Like all Disney films, it’s a story that my children connect to with heart and mind. But this time, I’m grateful that the story they are reinventing is unique in its central theme. The bond between sisters is one of the strongest known to the human race. “Frozen” celebrates this and, in my mind, teaches my girls valuable lessons about the strength of character and the possibilities of true (sisterly) love.

So we crank up Idina in the car, and we impersonate Olaf in the bathtub. We obsess over the first frost on the lawn and marvel like groupies at real girls lucky enough to be named Elsa. I stop short of agreeing to a platinum-blonde streak in my third-grader’s hair, but I do have to think about it first. For just a moment. n

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»life Personality

Bringing Osaka to

Tallahassee The Cuisines Changed, but for Restaurateur Michael Chou, Quality is Always on the Menu Tallahassee and Destin diners know Osaka Japanese Steakhouse for its fresh sushi and tasty hibachi, but there is more to this restaurant than meets the eye.

Owner Michael Chou has been bringing his high standards to Asian cuisine in Northwest Florida for more than two decades.

Though happy with the success of his restaurants, Chou had never thought he would work in food service for very long. He emigrated from Taiwan in order to get a university education in the U.S. — and that is when his career began … by chance.

“In San Francisco, I worked part-time at a restaurant. Then when I graduated and couldn’t find a good job, I decided to go into the restaurant business,” Chou said.

With a large Chinese population, San Francisco has a famous collection of restaurants representing every region in China.

Chou was working for talented chefs, making lifelong friends and learning the tricks of the trade. Before long, he was looking for a place to build his own restaurant.

“One of my friends told me that there were Chinese restaurants in Tallahassee, but no one was cooking Szechuan style,” Chou explained.

So he decided to bring variety to Florida, buying property in the Market Square district and opening Chou’s Dynasty in 1990 (The building now houses consignment shops).

But while the restaurant was a success, after a few years he felt the need to change. The problem? Chou looked around and realized that all he saw was Chinese buffets.

After evaluating other businesses in Tallahassee he decided to try something new — a Japanese steakhouse he thought “would

Matt Burke

By Lauren Gillespie

be better for the market.”

Thus was Osaka born Michael Chou, and still sits near the shown here with intersection of Capital his wife, Annie, Circle and Interstate 10. admits he’s “stubTurning to Japanese- born” about maintaining food quality inspired cuisine wasn’t in his restaurants. a stretch for Chou, who grew up in Taiwan where his father landed after following a junket ship from China. Indeed, Taiwan’s unique history allowed him to dabble in both Chinese and Japanese cuisine.

“Japan occupied Taiwan for 50 years,” he explained. “Most of the older generation all

speak Japanese, and there are many Japanese restaurants in Taiwan. That is why I am able to say ‘this is good’ or ‘this is not good.’”

Over the years, Chou built Osaka into more than just a restaurant; he believes the name is a brand that represents fresh ingredients and quality service. His Japanese restaurant became so popular that soon he was ready to expand again — to the Emerald Coast.

“When I was in Tallahassee, I liked to go to Destin and to the seaside. I like the area and all of the restaurants,” Chou said. On one visit, he noticed something. “I looked around and there were no Asian restaurants.”

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»life Looking Back

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As an astute businessman, he immediately recognized the vacation mecca of Destin as the perfect location for his second steakhouse.

“Destin does good business,” Chou said, adding, “In the summer, there are a lot of tourists.”

In 2003, Osaka Destin opened its doors and has since seen success similar to that of its sister sushi spot in Tallahassee.

Chou firmly believes his three principles of business have propelled his ventures to financial success.

First, keep it clean. “That means inside and outside,” he said.

Next comes “actual service,” which requires a dedicated staff.

“I look for loyalty and hard work in employees,” Chou said. The goal is to ensure the best experience for customers.

L astly, consistently deliver quality food. He has worked with all his chefs for “When you a long time, bringing some care about your from Tallahassee to the Destin Osaka. boss, basically “When Osaka opened everything you do in 1998 it was very successful. But the market goes back to the has changed,” Chou said. house. He’s very “Everyone is looking for the bargain, for the prices. well organized and I’m stubborn. Our food people respect him quality has never dropped.

We serve fresh sushi, never for that. He cares frozen, so we can’t do Buy about every aspect One Get One.” There is another aspect of the restaurant.” that makes Osaka unique.

The restaurant is managed — Gregory Chou,

by Chou’s son, Gregory, which makes fine dining a manager of family affair.

Tallahassee’s Osaka “We’re a team, a unit,” said Gregory Chou, manager of Tallahassee’s Osaka.

“When you care about your boss, basically everything you do goes back to the house. He’s very well organized and people respect him for that. He cares about every aspect of the restaurant.”

Gregory Chou, who has been working at Osaka since its opening day, describes his father as very demanding and strict. Michael Chou agrees.

“People like him. He’s nicer than me,” Michael Chou said with a laugh. “I’m very straight and tight. He’s more relaxed.” Still he credits his son with helping the business evolve. “He said to me, ‘Dad, times change. The younger generation will take over. We do business in a different style.’”

Michael Chou has moved to Destin with his wife to manage the restaurant there. Still, every week, he makes the journey from Destin to Tallahassee’s Osaka to make sure the restaurant is keeping to his high standards.

“Osaka has our style, no matter what,” Michael Chou said. “Not only for profit, not only for sales. This is for our reputation.”

A third Osaka in Panama City Beach’s Pier Park is slated to open soon. No doubt, the blend of diligence and family love will yield the same success as his other ventures. n

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»life Here to Help

Matt Burke

Happy Campers

Kids with Limitations Enjoy Summertime Fun at Rotary Youth Camp

Matt Burke

By Jason Dehart

Each of the campers at the summer Rotary Youth Camp is assigned a counselor to help with activities including archery (top of page) and swimming (above).

Being confined to a wheelchair doesn’t mean you have to give up scuba diving, or boating, or fishing or horseback riding. With the right helping hands and the right facility, kids and young adults with physical or developmental limitations can leave their cares behind and enjoy summer camp.

Every year in July, the Rotary Youth Camp, a nonprofit organization based in Tallahassee, hosts a set of three week-long summer camps at Wallwood Boy Scout Reservation, a 600-acre facility located

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Rotary Youth Camp

»life Here to Help

“They love fishing and riding around a lake in a boat.

It’s not something their parents would probably attempt with them. For most parents with a child who is disabled, it’s too much. But for us, since we’re dealing with disabled children all the time, it’s a matter of course.”

Rotary Youth Camp

in Quincy on the shores of Lake Talquin. The camp accepts young people from ages 7 to 21 with limitations that would preclude them from attending a summer camp, and each camper has his or her own counselor to watch over them.

It’s a big challenge, but one that coordinator Joyce Dove relishes. And after 20 years of running the summer camp, her volunteers and staff have it down to a science.

“The kids go to camp for seven days and six nights. Their parents or guardians leave them with us for the whole period,” Dove said. “They have a one-to-one counselor relationship and are never left by themselves. In addition, we have a full-time nurse, a supervisor, and then we have specialists in areas like arts and crafts and at the pool, where we have lifeguards.”

Camp Wallwood is the perfect place for the camp, Dove said. It’s a major expense to rent the facility, but it’s well worth the money because the site is ADA-compliant and certified by the Camper’s Association. Even so, some extra things have been added to the infrastructure, such as additional wheelchair ramps.

“We’re able to give the full camping experience,” she said. “They swim, they fish, they go

The free, week-long camp for young people with limitations allows them to enjoy outdoor experiences they couldn’t usually participate in.

— Joyce Dove, Rotary Youth Camp Coordinator

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»life Here to Help

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out on boats, they have arts and crafts, horseback riding, rifle and archery range, and even scuba lessons.”

Diving under the water may not be a normal activity for many of these kids, but it can actually be quite a liberating experience for someone who spends most of his or her time in a wheelchair, Dove said. A scuba mask and air supply alleviates any fears they might have. A feeding tube would be about the only limiting factor here, but generally speaking, the camp features a lot of devices and extraordinary helpers who will figure out how each kid can enjoy every activity.

“For example, they love fishing and riding around a lake in a boat. It’s not something their parents would probably attempt with them,” Dove said. “For most parents with a child who is disabled, it’s too much. But for us, since we’re dealing with disabled children all the time, it’s a matter of course. If they want to go, they’ll go. I think there’s a feeling with most of these activities of freedom for the kids. They’re being treated like everybody else.”

Activities aren’t limited to outdoor fun. In the evening, there are song contests and a dance. And for the young adult campers, a special program allows them to become “counselors in training.”

“So rather than just be purely campers, they become part of our infrastructure, and Rotary funded us for a couple of years and now we’re hoping to get a grant this year where this could be a formal program,” Dove said.

“We shoot for Dove said she is ever 120 campers thankful for the contributions Rotary Club has made but not all at one over the years to keep the time. In the last camp going. It’s an expensive undertaking; it costs few years, we’ve $1,500 per camper to come.

(It’s free for the parents.) been able to fund “We shoot for 120 campthree weeks of ers but not all at one time,” Dove said. “In the last few approximately years, we’ve been able to 40 each week.” fund three weeks of approximately 40 each week. We — Joyce Dove, raise the rest of the money through donations and Rotary Youth we write grants. Rotary Camp Coordinator International has a grant program that has been very generous to us over the past few years.”

The North Florida Rotary district runs from Pensacola east to Lake City down to Levy County and has 57 member organizations.

Twenty-four have made generous donations to the youth camp program. Of these, the Rotary Club of Quincy and the Rotary Club of Tallahassee Northside are two of the biggest contributors. Even the clubs that aren’t able to contribute as much in terms of money can still help out a great deal. Every night, a different Rotary club puts on the camp dinner, and it’s a way for them to see the good works being done and motivates them to raise the bar for next year.

For more information, or to register your child for the summer camp, go to nfryc.org or call (850) 328-0302. n

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»life Great Outdoors

Florida’s

Ancient History Look Closely and Find Unique Natural Wonders Close to Home

Wakulla Springs

One of the largest and deepest springs in Florida — the spring bowl covers nearly 4 acres — Wakulla Springs is an isolated freshwater ecosystem rich in aquatic vegetation, fish, turtles, alligators and birds. The spring is 185 feet deep where the cave system begins.

Life is also present in the extensive underwater cave system. Troglobitic amphipods, isopods and crayfish, creatures adapted to life in total darkness, are found throughout the caves. American eel, spring chub and catfish have been seen as far back into the caves as 3,000 feet and at depths of 300 feet.

Pleistocene mammal bone deposits have been found in the caves and in the river. Though no fossil evidence of the “Creature from the Black Lagoon” exists (the 1954 horror movie was filmed at Wakulla Springs), Florida Geological Survey researchers have found fossils of extinct megafauna such as mastodon, giant ground sloth, giant armadillo, tapir and mammoth. Other extinct Pleistocene species fossils — horse, bison and camel

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— indicate that wildlife was quite different in the area thousands of years ago, when Florida was chilly.

As for the current landscape, the park’s upland hardwood forest contains some of the oldest and biggest American beech, magnolia, basswood and sassafras trees in the South. Virgin bald cypress shade the floodplain and river. Based on growth ring analysis, many of these cypress trees were casting shadows when the Spaniards stepped ashore 500 years ago.

There are no other Wakulla Springs in the world.

Nothing anywhere else is like it.

Torreya State Park

Torreya is older than the hills. Several geological features within Torreya State Park show its age and serve as “snapshots” of young Florida.

The bedrock exposed in Torreya State Park is largely limestone. Marine fossils, including dugong, a large marine mammal of the same order (Sirenia) as the manatee, are found in the limestone formations exposed along the Apalachicola River and in the streambeds within the park.

The flow of the Apalachicola River, tributary streams and Some of Florida’s steepheads have worn away unique natural feaenough surface landscape to tures are located near Tallahassee, including reveal even older formations. (clockwise from top) At the bottom of some steepthe high bluffs of Torhead streams, the Torreya reya State Park, the Formation of the Hawthorn underwater wonders Group is exposed. The Torreya of Wakulla Springs and Formation, named from the the fascinating formaexposure at Rock Bluff, is about tions to be found at Florida Caverns.

18 million years old.

Mary A. Roth

Environmentalist and journalist Marjory Stoneman Douglas wrote: “There are no other Everglades in the world … . Nothing anywhere else is like them.”

But there’s no need to drive to South Florida to see a peerless natural phenomenon. Three are located just a short drive away from Tallahassee.

These places — selected as National Natural Landmarks for their outstanding illustrative value, rarity and diversity of biological and geological resources — exist quietly, ancient acres of earth keeping records of a distant past. Those records might also foretell our distant future.

Harley Means

By Cherie Graves

Sylvie Et Pierrot

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»life Great Outdoors When You Go

» Wakulla Springs

State Park (18 miles

Snapshots of young Florida aren’t the only thing that makes Torreya a peerless natural phenomenon.

In contrast to other Florida landscapes, Torreya is extreme, with elevations ranging from 50 to 262 feet above mean sea level. Though the dugong moved out of Florida several million or so years ago, the area still contains a high level of biodiversity. The park supports more than 90 threatened or endangered plant and animal species.

One of the endangered species is the Florida torreya tree (Torreya taxifolia). The tree’s only habitat on the whole planet is along a 20-mile segment of the Apalachicola River. A fungal infection wiped out the area’s mature torreya trees and today, the species exists in the wild only as sprouts and saplings regenerated from surviving rootstock.

If you hurry, you might see a tree that’s on its way to extinction — in your lifetime, not ages and ages hence. In your home state, not in a deep, dark jungle on the other side of the globe.

There are no other Florida torreya trees in the world. Nothing anywhere else is like them.

Florida Caverns

If Florida wanted to show off its underground features, then Florida Caverns State Park would be the place to do so. The area contains sinkholes, springs, subterranean rivers, aquatic caves, a bat cave and the only dry cave in Florida open for public tours. An example of just about every kind of karst feature known in Florida can be found within the boundaries of the park.

The bat cave is a hangout for one of the state’s most imperiled mammals — the gray bat (Myotis

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grisescens). At last count, the gray bat hibernates in In the Pleistocene only two caves in Florida; epoch, you might have one cave is located in the found mammals like park, while the second is the mammoth wanderless than 200 feet south of ing around what is now Wakulla Springs. the park’s boundary.

The big draw is Florida Caverns. Its natural artwork, in the form of stalactites, stalagmites, soda straws, columns, rimstones, flowstones and draperies, were tens of thousands of years in the making. The area contains evidence that human habitation has persisted for as long ago as 5,000 years.

At 72 degrees year-round, the cavern provided A/C, BC style, for early inhabitants.

A remnant upland glade can also be found at the park, one of only two examples of this natural community type found on Florida’s public lands.

The upland glade is one of three Critically Globally Imperiled terrestrial natural communities in Florida.

Upland glades are species-rich meadows that occur on small islands of chalky limestone outcrops, usually smaller than 3 acres. The few remaining examples in Florida — smaller than 40 acres — support rare species found nowhere else in the state.

So next time you stand beside Wakulla Spring, atop a bluff overlooking the Apalachicola River or inside Florida Caverns, remember that you are standing on remnants of a seabed, an ice age, a Florida grown old, but also on a Florida as fresh and as new as summer corn, tomorrow’s sunrise and our children.

There is no other Florida in the world. Nothing anywhere else is like it. n

» Torreya State Park

(47 miles from Tallahassee): parking, restrooms, picnic areas, hiking trails, historic home tour, camping. floridastateparks.org/ torreya/default.cfm

» Florida Caverns

(68 miles from Tallahassee): parking, restrooms, picnic areas, hiking trails, cave tour, camping, equestrian camping, golf course, fishing, canoeing, restrooms, gift shop, playground. floridastateparks.org/ floridacaverns/default.cfm

» Learn more about

Florida’s 171 state parks and trails

at floridastateparks.org.

» Learn more about the

Florida Geological Survey at dep.state.fl.us/

geology.

Courtesy Florida Department of Environmental Protection

Florida Geological Survey/Andrew Janson

from Tallahassee): parking, restrooms, picnic areas, hiking trails, overnight lodging, gift shop, restaurant, swimming area, playground, boat tours. floridastateparks.org/ wakullasprings/default.cfm

Only smaller Torreya trees remain after a fungal infection wiped out the mature trees in the 1950s.

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»life Feature

Studying Seas and Shorelines FSU’s Coastal and Marine Laboratory Uses Socially Conscious, But Practical, Science

By Florence Snyder

Courtesy FSU’s Coastal and Marine Laboratory

Courtesy FSU’s Coastal and Marine Laboratory

Florida State University research faculty member Felicia Coleman loves the smell of fish and seawater.

“That,” she tells a visitor to the university’s Coastal and Marine Laboratory in St. Teresa, “is the smell of research.”

Coleman grew up “hanging out on salt marshes” with her father and brothers. “My dad was a banker — and a really good naturalist,” she said. Wandering the wetlands near Charleston, South Carolina, Coleman soaked up her father’s love of nature along with his instincts for business. It all came together in 2006, when she was named the lab’s director.

Easy to miss, the Marine Lab is located on Florida’s Forgotten Coast, hidden behind a fence draped with honeysuckle on the scenic

The Marine Lab’s Dr. Chris Koenig with a red grouper (left). He’s an internationally renowned expert on the grouper species. Felicia Coleman, (above), releases red grouper at Pulley Ridge.

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Coastal Highway 98. Behind the peaceful façade however, hides a thriving research community working on topics as diverse as oil-spill effects on deep-sea sharks and coral reef ecology.

The lab opened in the late 1960s and has since expanded to encompass offices, lecture rooms, dormitories, laboratories, outdoor tank systems, an academic dive program and a fleet of research vessels including a 65-foot-long aluminum catamaran named the R/V Apalachee.

Under Coleman’s leadership, the lab has grown steadily in international reputation and recognition. It is developing a master plan for the 21st century and hopes to double in size to eight resident faculty members, each supported by a team of graduate students and staff.

Dr. Stephen Gosnell, now an assistant professor at Baruch College who served as a postdoc at the Marine Lab (above), talks about marine life with a young student. Dr. Sandra Brooke (right) prepares to take a research dive in a submersible craft.

Courtesy FSU’s Coastal and Marine Laboratory

Courtesy FSU’s Coastal and Marine Laboratory

»life Feature

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Grant Johnson

»life Feature

Dr. Dean Grubbs, whose area of study is sharks, gets up close and personal with one of his subjects.

“Yes, it’s a constant battle and not everybody listens … but the truth is out there, and today’s students want to do science, not just for science’s sake, but also in a socially conscious context.”

— Florida State University research faculty member Felicia Coleman

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The lab is also home to the Coleman-Koenig Research Laboratory, whose work on Goliath grouper was featured in National Geographic magazine last July. As their name suggests, Goliaths are massive fish, which used to number in the thousands but were so heavily exploited in the past that fishing them has been banned since 1990. Chris Koenig, a rock star among reef ecologists, has spent decades studying this species and is using his research to fight for continued protection for the vulnerable, slow-growing fish.

The biology and ecology of fishes is an important part of the research conducted at the Marine Lab. Dr. Dean Grubbs works on sharks and their relatives, including those that live in the shallows such as the endangered sawfish, as well as sharks that live thousands of feet below the ocean surface. Very little is known of these elusive creatures, and his research is critical for their conservation and management.

Fisheries ecologist Chip Cotton focuses on life histories and age and growth of a wide range of fish species, from estuaries to the deep sea. This important information for fisheries management is not available for many species, including some of commercial value.

Sandra Brooke, currently the Marine Lab’s only invertebrate biologist, works on corals and their associates. Her recent work has focused on deep sea corals in the southeastern United States, where her research helped define

boundaries for deep coral protected areas. Since moving to the Marine Lab, she has begun working on the shallow hard-grounds in the northern Gulf, areas that support much of the local seafood industry but are relatively unexplored.

Researchers don’t have to go far offshore into deep water to find areas that are understudied.

The Marine Lab is also busy training and teaching the next generation of scientists, with 10 graduate students working with the Marine Lab faculty, and undergraduates regularly visiting to work on projects and internships.

Marine scientists are happiest doing hands-on research at sea and on the seashore trying to find out “how the natural world ticks,” said Coleman, but they also spend lots of time holed up in conference rooms with peers, writing proposals for limited pools of public and private funding.

The lab maintains regular communication with policymakers in government and industry, as well as with state and federal agencies involved in protecting the ocean and coastlines.

“We finish a study and call up and say, ‘We’d like to come give a talk,’” Coleman said. In addition, the lab has stepped up its public outreach, welcoming tour groups and hosting public lectures. The lab also hosts the Saturday-at-the-Sea program for area middle school students.

“Science is at the core of how we will survive on this planet … clean air, clean water, and a sustainable food supply,” Coleman said. While attaining these goals is often a struggle and not always popular, “everyone here is fearless,” she said with pride. “We don’t mind controversy, and there’s been a lot of it.”

Researchers are often challenged to communicate scientific findings in a way that shows the value of preserving natural resources, particularly when exploitation is much more profitable.

This is particularly difficult for the deep sea, which most people will never visit. Scientists recognize however, that the only way to change a situation is to present their data in a clear, concise manner, and try to create public understanding of the importance of the creatures or ecosystems they study.

Coleman and her colleagues are driven by a need to better understand how animals, plants and humans “make a living in the ecosystem.”

Although the seas and shorelines are under unprecedented pressure, she remains optimistic and focused on the future.

“Yes, it’s a constant battle and not everybody listens … but the truth is out there, and today’s students want to do science, not just for science’s sake, but also in a socially conscious context.” n To learn more about the Marine Lab and its programs, visit marinelab.fsu.edu.

Sandra Brooke also contributed to this article.

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»life Looking Back

Up with the Eagle A Monumental Icon Returns for the 150th Anniversary of the Battle of Natural Bridge By Jason Dehart The deadly shots that rang out in the early-morning hours of March 6, 1865, have long since faded into the history books, but the Battle of Natural Bridge remains a legendary and revered incident in Tallahassee history. With each retelling over the years, and the passing of the original witnesses, the Civil War story became a campfire tale of “old men and boys” facing off against a mighty Union invader bent on destruction.

“Generations of Florida schoolchildren learned of the heroic march of the young cadets from the West Florida Seminary to join the Confederate defenders at Natural Bridge,” wrote historian Dale Cox in his 2010 book, “The Battle of Natural Bridge, Florida: The Confederate Defense of Tallahassee.” “Viewed through the prism of time, the size of the attacking Union force was magnified. The ranks of the Southern defenders shrank.”

The truth is, about 1,000 men on each side confronted each other in the early-morning hours that day, and the defenders weren’t all a last-minute collection of old men and boys. The fighting force consisted of local reserves, home guards, West Florida Seminary cadets, regular army infantry, cavalry and artillery, and even some local physicians. These men repulsed three brave charges made by two regiments of United States Colored Troops but were repulsed themselves when they attempted a counterattack. Shot, shells and bullets smacked into men, trees and breastworks. At the end of the day, though, the Union forces had gotten their fill of Southern artillery and retreated south to the protection of their gunboats off the St. Marks lighthouse.

The Southern victory saved Tallahassee from capture and prevented Fort Ward (in St. Workers remove Marks) from being attacked from the rear. For an old, timeworn the locals, it was a savory last hurrah. Tallahassee copper eagle would remain the only Confederate capital east (above left and of the Mississippi River not to fall into Union above top) from the hands, but that distinction would last for only top of the Natural Bridge monument, two months. The war ended in April, and Union which will be occupation troops arrived in Tallahassee in May. replaced with a This year, the 150th anniversary of the battle bronze replica. will be commemorated on March 8 when a crowning portion of the Natural Bridge battlefield monument — the eagle — is dedicated during a ceremony hosted by the United Daughters of the Confederacy.

If the eagle looks shiny and new, that’s because it’s really a bronze replica of the original, which underwent restoration and preservation at the Florida Department of State’s Archaeology and Conservation Lab, located in the Museum of Florida History. The original eagle was made of copper plates in a fashion similar to how the Statue of Liberty was built, according to Buzz Gifford, president of the Natural Bridge Historical Society. That makes it an especially precious historical artifact.

“There are only three other known sculptures of this type in the United States of that era,” Gifford said.

To construct the replica, a three-dimensional image of the original eagle was scanned and a mold patterned from that image. Once

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Jason Dehart

»life Looking Back

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cast, the replica was installed at the top of the monument in January and will be This year’s reenactment of the Battle dedicated during the 150th anniversary of Natural Bridge is reenactment on March 8. The cost of the expected to attract “eagle project” is valued at $30,000, Gifford more than 100 adsaid. The Florida Park Service contributed ditional “soldiers” and the lion’s share of that amount, while the other living history Natural Bridge Historical Society donated participants as part $7,500 and the United Daughters of the of the battle’s 150th anniversary.

Confederacy gave $1,200.

The eagle isn’t the only monumental item making an appearance for the 150th anniversary, Gifford said. A 40-foot-long wall of honor, sponsored by the Sons of Confederate Veterans, is slated for display as well. The wall lists the names of some 5,000 Confederate soldiers from Florida who died during the war. At the Battle of Natural Bridge and other actions leading up to it, the Confederates lost 11 killed (six soldiers and five civilians), 39 wounded and two captured.

The eagle and the traveling wall are just two of the more notable features of this year’s reenactment. Gifford said that 100 more soldiers are expected to be on hand for the battle reenactment this week, bringing the total number of living-history presenters (military and civilian) to around 350. On Sutler Row there will be more vendors and shops, and a family band of period-correct musicians will entertain throughout the weekend. In addition, the John G. Riley Center and Museum of African American History and Culture will be on hand to talk about the deeds and sacrifices of the two African-American U.S. regiments that were in the vanguard of the attack. The 2nd Infantry Regiment United States Colored Troops, a living-history association, will present its perspective of the battle. Both the 2nd and the 99th United States Colored Troops suffered heavy casualties during the fighting. Total Union losses amounted to 22 killed, 109 wounded and 38 missing.

Battlefield Relics

Natural Bridge Battlefield Historic State Park is a peaceful, green and shady place through which the St. Marks River flows on its way to the Gulf of Mexico. The “natural bridge” itself is a narrow strip of land formed where the river goes underground for several yards and then reemerges.

It’s something that casual visitors unfamiliar with the terrain — or the history — wouldn’t notice right away. But on this

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»life Looking Back

unassuming geologic feature the entire battle would turn. It was the only location where Union forces (driving north on the east side of the St. Marks River) could cross the river in their attempt to attack Fort Ward in St. Marks or threaten Tallahassee. Confederates had denied them the use of the Newport bridge in an earlier skirmish.

At the natural bridge, a semicircle of artillery commanded the approach to the bridge and riflemen were dug in behind mounds of dirt. A weeklong archaeological survey conducted in 2009 turned up artifacts that indicated the bridge and adjacent areas were, indeed, a kill zone of shot and shells. One hundred or more metal finds were discovered, including a canteen chain found on the Union side of the river. (Many other artifacts were doubtlessly taken off the field as souvenirs in the decades after the war.)

“We found numerous spent Minié balls and a number of dropped Minié balls that had not been fired, which in the confusion of battle is going to happen quite often,” Gifford said.

“There were some unique ones that were made specifically for the Confederacy that were found, and some unique ones that were cleaning rounds and various rounds from the Union. There were also fragments of exploded spherical case shot, and a fair amount of grapeshot was found.”

Survey teams recorded the location of every object, and this information was used to create a map. Natural Bridge Historical Society Secretary/Treasurer Bob Trapp said it’s clear from the map that the action was focused primarily at the bridge, although a lot of fighting happened on the adjacent land formerly owned by the Rakestraw family.

“There’s one mound near the Rakestraw property that we concluded was spoil dirt from the canal (built in the 1830s) where we found a bunch of stuff, and we concluded somebody was hiding behind that mound,” Trapp said.

The “stuff” in question happened to be bullets. Lots of bullets, Gifford said.

“The Union was behind that mound, and there were tons of Confederate Minié balls in that mound, plus grapeshot,” he said. n

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Bridge is March 7–8. Military and civilian camps will open to the public at 9 a.m. Saturday and living history presentations will be held throughout the day, including a dramatization of Frederick Douglass presented by the John G. Riley Center at noon.

At 1 p.m., the Ladies Soldiers’ Friend Sewing Society will host a ladies tea and a talk about Florida salt works. A skirmish will take place at 3 p.m. followed immediately by a Civil War field surgery demonstration next to the Rakestraw house. On Sunday, camps again open at 9 a.m. and a period church service will be held at 10 a.m. At 1 p.m., the Anna Jackson Chapter 224 United Daughters of the Confederacy will host the 150th anniversary memorial service, which will feature the dedication of the restored eagle sculpture atop the Natural Bridge monument. The full-scale reenactment of the Battle of Natural Bridge will be held at 2:30 p.m. followed by a conclusion and salute at 3:30 p.m.

» Natural Bridge Battlefield Historic State Park is located at 7502 Natural Bridge Road, about six miles east of Woodville. For more information, call (850) 922-6007.

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style

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FASHION » HOME » ESCAPES

DÉCOR A BETTER YOU MIND AND BODY TRAVEL GARDENING

Habitat

West Coast Living A Tallahassee Traditional Transforms Into a Laid-Back SoCal Style

By Rosanne Dunkelberger Photos by Blake Greene

A

lthough she was raised here, after spending two years living in the coastal town of Del Mar, California, Hollee Bollman knew she wanted to bring a West Coast sensibility to the home where her family would live when they returned to Tallahassee in 2013.

“We so loved the indoor/outdoor living in Southern California,” Bollman explained. “We wanted to bring as much of that as possible to our new home in Florida.”

It took more than six months and several bicoastal consultations with designer Terra Palmer, but she’s gotten her wish with a completely remodeled Rosehill Plantation manse that eschews the traditional for a more “transitional” look.

“Transitional — it used Removing a wall to be called eclectic — feaopened the kitchen tures more modern, clean into the family room.

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»style Habitat

lines,” Palmer said. “Not a lot of accessories.

Not a lot of knickknacks. You can mix modern pieces with traditional pieces.” As an example, she points out the lighting fixture in the master bedroom that starts with a classic chandelier, surrounded by a more modern-looking curtain of silver beads. In the same room, the designer combined graphic bed linens, mirrored nightstands and a black tufted leather headboard with a distressed black bureau and wooden barn doors.

“What we tried to do throughout the house was bring in the old,” she said, “but twist it a little bit with something modern.”

Built in 1984, the Italianate house is located on a 3-acre lot that fronts onto Lake Elizabeth.

With five bedrooms, four and a half baths and 5,295 square feet, it was plenty big for the family, which includes husband Kyle, college students Cole and Hanna, and son Miles. While it had good “bones,” said Palmer, the original house was dated and “choppy.” By knocking down walls and expanding doorways, the Bollmans were able to take advantage of the light that shone through the home’s abundant windows, the designer said.

Much of the color palette used throughout the house was based on the shades found in an oyster shell — pearlescent whites, grays and blacks — along with accents of blue, turquoise and other

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Turquoise was the dominant hue in one daughter’s bedroom (top). Knocking down a few walls left the master bath (above) looking light and spacious. Designer Terra Palmer and homeowner Hollee Bollman (facing page) in the eclectic dining room, which showcases antique glass subway tiles and a painting by Palmer.

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»style Habitat

Both the living room (top) and home office (above) illustrate the mixing of old and new, modern and rustic that characterize the transitional look found throughout the Bollman’s home.

shades. The goal, said Palmer, was to evoke the spirit of the oceanfront without making the home look too “beachy.”

Most of the walls are white.

“The family collects amazing artwork, and white is probably the best background,” Palmer said. “We just let their artwork throughout the house stand on its own.” That artwork includes two colorful contemporary paintings by Palmer using acrylics and “other stuff” to give them a dimensional and translucent look. A large, free-form canvas hangs in the dining room on a wall covered with eye-catching subway tiles crafted from beveled and antiqued glass.

The exterior got a major makeover too. The house was re-stuccoed, changing the color from salmon to white, and the concrete motor court was replaced with custom pavers. In the back, the pool deck was expanded and covered with travertine, and an outdoor fireplace and covered outdoor kitchen were added.

“The house is much more open and flows better for entertaining inside and out,” Hollee Bollman said. “It now has an amazing kitchen open to the living room, much better and larger master closets, and a much more open and updated master bath. Transforming the screened porch off the master bedroom into an office for Kyle works much better for his busy schedule and lifestyle.” n

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www.se-plasticsurgery.com 74 March–April 2015

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Arm Candy As the weather warms back up, bold bracelets and watches are once again turning into a delicious craze.

Pieces featuring metallics, neutrals and bursts of color are popping up in all of Tallahassee’s locally owned boutiques, artisan gift shops and jewelry stores. Looking for a reason to indulge? This trend enhances just about any ensemble.

From the workweek to week’s end, it’s one of the most versatile accessories to date. “Lets say you have a white, crisp, collared shirt on,” imagined Michelle Hart, store manager at Fab’rik. “That little edge (of arm candy) is just going to give you that pop of color.” To achieve this style, layer bracelets, bangles and watches for a custom boho-chic look. “Bracelets look best in threes,” instructed Dorothy Vodica, owner of The Gem Collection. “Pretty, feminine bracelets can be layered with a sporty watch for a casual, daytime look.” // Chay D. Baxley

Photos: Matt Burke Model: Leigha Inman Nails: Millineum Nail and Day Spa

»style Trends

Luxe looks from The Gem Collection. From top: sterling silver/blue enameled bangle with diamonds by Soho ($1,390); sterling silver and gold diamond bangle by Alwand Vahan ($895); sterling silver, golden and black speckled enameled bangle by Soho ($1,590); sterling silver and yellow gold diamond cuff band

by Alwand Vahan ($1,495); sterling silver enameled hinged bangle with diamonds by Soho ($1,390); 18 and 22 karat yellow gold and oxidized silver bar cuff with tourmaline, turquoise and amazonite by Sydney Lynch ($2,990).

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»style Trends

Handmade Lily and Laura glass beaded bracelets (small beads) $12 each or three for $30. One third of their total income is returned to Nepal; Fabulina Designs (larger beads) $29–$39. All from Fab’rik.

Online Video Watch some sweet Scenes from our photo shoot at tallahasseemagazine.com.

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»style A Better You

Secrets of the

Stylists’ BlowDry Favorites

Blow-Dry

1 Bumble and Bumble Does It All Styling Spray Use it as a light-hold hairspray or before using heat tools such as curling and flat irons. Available at Haute Headz $30

2 Kevin Murphy Fresh.Hair This aerosol dry cleaner gives body and texture, removes odors and excess oil — and it smells divine!

Available at amazon.com

How Salons Get That Long-Lasting Style, and How You Can Do it Yourself By Rosanne Dunkelberger

or put some on your brush to dry-shampoo your hair and give it a lift. Available at Haute Headz $28

4 Aveda Be Curly Style-Prep Apply to your wet locks and scrunch as you’re drying to put more curl into your hair while taming frizz.

Available at So Pure Salon $24 5 Kevin Murphy Session.Spray Say goodbye to heavy, stiff and flaky hairspray.

This aerosol provides intense hold, but you can still run a brush through it. Available at amazon.com 6 Redken Pillow Proof Blow Dry Express Primer A primer (it’s the first

product you should put on your hair after washing) and heat protectant, Pillow Proof cuts drying time and provides long-lasting volume. Available at Fuel Salon $22

7 Aveda Pure Abundance Hair Potion Apply a little of this magic powder on the roots and your hair will pump up to give you the look of teasing without the knots. Available at So Pure Salon $24 8 Moroccanoil Smoothing Lotion Good for turning curly hair into straight styles or smoothing out the frizzies. Available at Fuel Salon $32

Matt Burke

Once upon a time, your grandmother used to have a standing weekly appointment for a “shampoo and set,” using satin pillows and scarves to make those curls last between visits to the beauty parlor.

With the advent of the blow dryer in the 1970s — followed by innovations such as hot rollers, curling irons and flat irons — most women began doing their hair at home. Salons were reserved for cuts, color and perhaps the special occasion.

But like so many things, what’s old is new again, and the salon visit and long-lasting hairstyle is back in vogue.

With proper shampooing, products and care, a blow dry can can last three, four and even five days to a week between shampoos. Many salons in town are jumping on the blow-dry bandwagon, offering no-appointment-needed convenience. Haute Headz salon has a blow dry “menu” with hairstyles starting at $35, says co-owner Monique Wood.

The important first step is using a clarifying shampoo that will break down dirt, oil and hair products and wash them away. Once the residue out of the products is washed away, you can start with a clean slate. The trick then is to use products — treatments, protectants, mousses and hairsprays — that will help hold the style without weighing down your hair.

One of the biggest “secrets” to prolonging a style is dry shampoo, which essentially soaks

3 Bumble and Bumble Pret-aPowder Shake it on your roots and rub it in,

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Matt Burke

up oil on the scalp and refreshes the smell of The modern “pincurl” adds volume your hair. All salon lines, to a hairstyle using such as Redken, Bumble a blow dryer and and Bumble and Paul a vented metalMitchell, have some barreled brush. version of dry shampoo — usually in a powder or spray form — and it’s popping up in store brands like Dove, Tresemme and L’Oreal too.

Finding the right kind of dry shampoo for your hair type is key to prolonging any style.

Depending on how oily your scalp is, on day two or three you can refresh your blowout with dry shampoo and a hair dryer.

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3 7

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“I can’t make my hair look as good as when it’s done by the hairdresser” is a common lament among women, and in some ways, it is true. Stylists are always refining their techniques and tools and can hold the dryer at angles that are impossible to do yourself.

But, says Wood, your hairdresser should be showing you how to best work with your hair’s type (thick, fine, curly, straight, coarse, etc.) and style. And she’s willing to share a few tips to help you get a salon look at home.

Start with a “rough dry,” she says. For some women, this can mean getting the hair about 80 percent dry just by blowing hot air on the roots while working the hair with the fingers.

Another salon technique you should be doing at home is “sectioning.”

If you’re not putting sections of your hair up and blow-drying one section at a time, your drying isn’t that effective because you’ll be heating the top of your head over and over while the bottom part’s not getting styled. That’s directing heat right to the top of your head that’s already affected by the sun’s UV rays, essentially frying your hair.

The blow-drying technique is also important. Basically, you should pull hair taut with Stylist Kendall Maxwell a brush, aim at the roots first to give lift, and tells her client, Rebecca Padgett, how to keep her blow air from above and below. hair looking salon fresh.

Wood says it is also important to work on sections of hair no wider than your brush and to move the airflow from the roots to the ends. “It helps close the hair’s cuticle and make it smooth and shiny,” she says.

Brushes are also important and a popular and easy-to-use option is brushes with metal, vented barrels. You can create curls and your style will hold better because the metal is heated up by the hair dryer, an effect similar to a curling iron. Boar bristle brushes are another favorite, although drying will take longer if you use them.

Even the best techniques and brushes can be negated if you don’t use a nozzle on the end of your blow dryer to concentrate the airflow and keep the hair smooth as you direct the air on a smaller path.

Another key to a long-lasting style is to make sure your hair is completely dry. “There should be no dampness,” Wood advises.

“When you think your hair is dry, keep on going for three to five minutes longer.” n

Manor at Midtown 1108 Thomasville road 850.591.0074 sparklebymadison.com 80 March–April 2015

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Online Video Take a look at the Complete blow out process at tallahasseemagazine.com.

Matt Burke

»style A Better You

CMS Foundation thanks those who helped make the 2014 Holiday Auction a success.

Proceeds enable our foundation to increase access to healthcare in our community through the We Care Network and provide scholarships to medical students.

Title Sponsor

Presenting Sponsors

Florida State University College of Medicine Southeastern Center for Infectious Diseases, P.A. Supporting Sponsors Carroll and Company, CPA’s Dr. Walter E. Colón & Marybeth Colón Louie & Avon Doll Florida Cancer Specialists: Bhanderi, Patel, Tetreault

Florida Medical Association Grossman, Furlow & Bayó, LLC Hancock Bank Henry, Buchanan, Hudson, Suber, & Carter, P.A. Hopping Green & Sams, P.A.

Messer Caparello, P.A. Pathology Associates Patients First Radiology Associates of Tallahassee Southern Medical Group

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Event Sponsors Ameris Bank Anesthesiology Associates of Tallahassee Capital City Bank Capital Medical Society Alliance Centennial Bank Danna-Gracey

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First Commerce Credit Union HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Tallahassee MagMutual Charlotte E. Maguire, M.D. Dr. Al McCully, In Memory of Jean McCully

North Florida Women’s Care Prime Meridian Bank Select Specialty Hospital Southeastern Urological Center Southern Vitreoretinal Associates Tallahassee Neurological Clinic

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Individual Sponsors Jonathan S. Appelbaum, M.D. Dr. & Mrs. Efren Baltazar Timothy & René Bolek Robert & Carolyne Bradford Robert & Andrea Chapman Dr. Walter E. Colón & Marybeth Colón Sue Conte & Gary Sherman

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Item Donors AAA Tallahassee Ability 1 on 1 Training At Home in Thomasville John Bailey, D.O. Ballet Arts Conservatory of Tallahassee and Company Etudes Youth Ensemble Ballet Keith Baxter Bedfellows Fine Linens, Gifts & Accessories Betsy Barfield Photography Ed Blizzard – Purple Martin Outpost Blossoms Flowers Andrew H. Borom, M.D. Michael & Shannon Boyle Browns Kitchen Center Michelle Butler, LMT Capital Medical Society Alliance Capital Regional Medical Center Rosalie Carlin

Carrie Ann & Co., Inc. Jim Corriveau – Helzberg Diamonds Costco Wholesale Coton Colors Mark & Debbie Dent Diane Dove, Silpada Design Jewelry Diane’s 2202 Divas & Devils House of Style Prissy Elrod Etcetera Eye Associates of Tallahassee, P.A. The Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Center, a Division of Tallahassee Ear, Nose & Throat Marc & Carol Fisher Dr. Michael Forsthoefel & Dr. Jana Bures-Forsthoefel The Fresh Market The Gem Collection

The Grey Fox Gynecology & Obstetrics Associates Suzanne & Scott Harrison HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Tallahassee Tracey E. Hellgren, M.D. Anne Hempel HIE Networks Mollie H. Hill Lucy Ho Jan Soto Realty David & Dottie Jones Dan & Rita Kaelin Bill & Sharon Kepper Killearn Country Club Nelson Kraeft, M.D. Learning-Curved Tutoring, Matthew Draper Lenny’s Subs

Terry P. Lewis Peter Loeb, M.D. Dr. Nancy Loeffler & Mr. Duane Pickel Loli & the Bean John & Barbara Mahoney Chuck & Mert Manning MoJo’s Backyard Momo’s Pizza Bert & Tracy Morales My Favorite Things Native Nurseries Nic’s Toggery North Florida Women’s Care Outerwall (Redbox) Pathology Associates Periodontal Associates of North Florida Premier Health & Fitness Center Publix

Radiology Associates of Tallahassee The Refinery Mr. & Mrs. James Ryan Scott & Jinger Sellinger Frank & Karen Skilling Dr. & Mrs. David Smith Southeastern Center for Infectious Diseases, P.A. Southeastern Urological Center Spriggs Stein Mart The Tallahassee Ballet Tallahassee Ear, Nose & Throat Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare Tallahassee Museum Tallahassee Nurseries Tallahassee Plastic Surgery Clinic Tallahassee State Bank

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Matt Burke

»style Décor

Rustic

Reimagined Vintage-Inspired Décor for a Creative Home Rustic touches — pallet wood walls, bead board in the hutch, a distressed table, blue ticking fabric on the chairs and a mix of new and antique treasures on the shelves at Wanderings Décor & More in Havana — are the “new” trend in home décor.

If there’s one thing interiordecorating professionals can agree on, it’s that design trends are cyclical.

Over the last several years, home-goods traffickers have seen a sharp increase in requests for “shabby chic,” French country-inspired décor. While those same white washed woods and bleached linens are still very much a part of today’s decorating scene, savvy stylists are starting to gravitate toward rustic items with a little more grit.

Buyers want something comfortable yet unexpected — and international suppliers have had to raise the ante. As a result, articles of everyday life from yesteryear are popping up in new and inventive ways.

“This year, the difference that I saw was

mixing the vintage with the industrial,” said Terri Paul, owner of Wanderings Décor & More in Havana. Paul recently returned from a buying trip to stock her shop; she said she was impressed by the “back to basics” and “simplistic” vibe radiating from the bustling marketplace.

Expect to see exposed tacks, repurposed fabric (such as old burlap or sail canvas), refurbished items and salvaged, lightly stripped wood. For a sustainable look, Paul recommends blending these elements into existing styles.

“You don’t want to go whole hog because it’ll start to look like your grandmother’s house,” joked Paul ... kind of.

“Look for a few accent and staple pieces.” // Chay D. Baxley

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Perennial Harmony

850.385.2162 | www.tallahasseenurseries.com 84 March–April 2015

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»style Gardening

8 Common Spring and Summer Weeds in North Florida 1. Bidens alba, aka Spanish needles and common beggar’s tick 2. Florida pusley 3. Carolina geranium 4. Chamberbitter 5. Florida betony, aka rattlesnake weed 6. Jimson weed 7. Yellow nutsedge

st, Ms. Grow-I t-A y Po ll dre Au

Weed or Wildflower?

It’s Really Up to You

By Audrey Post

stick to everything, in addition to small white flowers. Having fought with it over the past several years, I consider it a weed; it simply won’t behave. It does go dormant in winter, which gives me hope that I can get an ® early start on it for next year.

Meanwhile, one of my neighbors ® Ms. Grow-It-All A: Some people, including me, lovingly waters her Bidens and define a weed as any plant that’s enjoys the butterflies it attracts. in the wrong place. If you have a In many ways, it simply comes daisy pop up in the middle of your rose bed, it’s down to how much time you have to devote to a weed in that context. That said, some people weed control. Using pre-emergent weed killer admire the look of certain plants that others in fall to stop spring and summer weeds from consider weeds. Case in point: Bidens alba, also sprouting is one method, but you’ll probably known as Spanish needles, which spreads aggreshave to handpick a few stragglers in spring anysively and produces small brown “needles” that way. But you have to remember to apply the Q: I have quite a few weeds in my lawn and in my flowerbeds, and I try to keep them under control by pulling them. I worry, though, that some of the seedlings and small plants I’m removing aren’t weeds at all but wildflowers. How can I tell the difference?

Ms. Grow-It-All

®

University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences

8. Garden spurge

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This is by no means an exhaustive list, but merely a list of some of the most common in our area. For each of these, the best way to get rid of them is to pull up the entire plant by the roots. Don’t put them in your compost pile, because it might not heat up enough to kill them. Don’t put them with yard waste to be picked up by the public works department, because they’ll end up in the free mulch. Put them in a plastic trash bag, tie the bag securely and dispose of it with your household garbage.

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herbicide at the right time, and in the right quantities. Frankly, I often forget until it’s too late, so getting control of weeds in early spring becomes a priority. Granted, most of them will die out when cool weather returns, but then you have to deal with the coolweather weeds — if you didn’t apply the pre-emergent herbicide at the right time for them. It’s an ongoing cycle, the price we pay for living and gardening where winters tend to be mild.

I suggest you pick your battles. While Bidens remains on my hit list, Florida betony has nice little purple flowers, and I have convinced myself it’s not that bad — rationalization, perhaps, but it’s almost impossible to eradicate once it’s established. This is especially so if you try to limit the use of chemicals in your lawn and garden.

If you happen to like the look of what some of us consider a weed, let it stay. It’s your garden, and you can label it a wildflower if you want to. Just realize you likely will still have to work to keep it from taking over. n © 2015 Postscript Publishing, all rights reserved. Audrey Post is a certified Advanced Master Gardener volunteer with the University of Florida IFAS Extension in Leon County. Email her at Questions@MsGrowItAll. com or visit her website at msgrowitall.com. Ms. Grow-It-All® is a registered trademark of Postscript Publishing.

Ben Vasilinda 850.228.7208 Landscaping & Lawncare, LLC. Licensed & Insured - Commercial & Residential Lawn Maintenance . Tree Trimming Debris Removal . Roof & Gutter Clean-outs Pressure Washing . Overgrown Lot Clean-ups

Garden Events for March/April March 2, April 6: Tallahassee Edible Garden Club meets at 6 p.m. at the Pavilion at Winthrop Park, behind the tennis courts, 1601 Mitchell Ave. March 3, April 7: The Tallahassee Camellia Society will meet in Jubilee Cottage at Goodwood Museum & Gardens, 1600 Miccosukee Road. Social begins at 6:30 p.m. and dinner

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at 7, followed by the business meeting and a program.

March 5, April 2: The Magnolia Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society meets in Room 1024 of the King Building at FSU, 319 Stadium Drive. Social time begins at 7 p.m., chapter meeting at 7:15 and program at 7:45.

Free parking evenings at the parking garage just south of the

Mike OLiveLLA

King Building. Go to magnolia. fnpschapters.org for more information.

and click on “Old-Timey Plants” at top right for a description of available plants.

March 6: First Friday Brown Bag Lecture Series, noon at the Jubilee Cottage, Goodwood Museum & Gardens, 1600 Miccosukee Road. Garden writer and Master Gardener Audrey Post, aka Ms. Grow-It-All®, will present a program on edible landscaping.

March 22: The Tallahassee Daylily Club meets at 2 p.m. at the Leon County Extension Center, 615 Paul Russell Road.

Guest speakers are Jeff and Elizabeth Salter of Rollingwood Gardens in Gainesville. Go to thsgardens.org for more information.

March 7: Heirloom tomato plant sale presented by the Goodwood Garden Volunteers, 9 a.m. to noon, Virginia McKee Greenhouse at Goodwood Museum & Gardens, 1600 Miccosukee Road.

March 27: Goodwood Annual Garden Symposium, Carriage House Conference Center, Goodwood Museum & Gardens, 1600 Miccosukee Road. Amy Stewart will speak about her book, “Wicked Plants,” at noon.

Friday evening, a cocktail party will precede Stewart’s talk about her book “The Drunken Botanist,” which explores common plants that have contributed to the world’s great spirits. Attendees will learn to “muddle” vodka with flavorful plants. Tickets for the noon program, which includes lunch, are $20 for Goodwood members and $25 for non-members. Tickets for the evening program, which includes heavy hors d’oeuvres, are $45 for members and $50 for non-members. Combo tickets are $60 and $70, respectively.

Go to goodwoodmuseum.org for more information.

March 10, April 14: Apalachee Beekeepers meet at 6:30 p.m. at the Leon County Extension Center, 615 Paul Russell Road.

Go to sites.google.com/ site/apalacheebee for more information.

March 12, April 9: Tallahassee Orchid Society meets at 7 p.m. at Jubilee Cottage at Goodwood Museum & Gardens, 1600 Miccosukee Road. Go to tallyorchid.org for more information.

March 15, April 19: Tallahassee Area Rose Society meets at 3 p.m. in the Laundry Cottage at Goodwood Museum & Gardens, 1600 Miccosukee Road. Go to tallahasseearearosesociety.org for more information.

March 19, April 16: Tallahassee Garden Club Plant Exchange and Horticulture Program. Plant exchange begins at 9:30 a.m., horticulture program at 10:15 a.m. Fun with Flowers runs from 1 to 3 p.m. All at The Garden Center, 507 N. Calhoun St. Go to tallahasseegardenclub.com for more information.

March 21: The annual Old Timey Plant Sale will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Birdsong Nature Center, 2106 Meridian Road, seven miles north of the Georgia state line. Heirloom and rare plants, all with a history of growing successfully in our area, as well as native trees, basic landscape plants and wild azaleas.

Go to birdsongnaturecenter.org

Robby Ginepri Winner of the 2014 French Open Wild Card

Meet Your Match April 25–MAy 2, 2015

Forestmeadows Tennis Center, Tallahassee, FL Attend the final tournament of the Har-Tru USTA Pro Circuit Wild Card Challenge and see the greatest tennis stars face off for a chance to earn a Main Draw Wild Card into the French Open. Bring your family, and watch the action.

tall ahasseechallenger.com

April 3: First Friday Brown Bag Lecture Series, noon at Jubilee Cottage, Goodwood Museum & Gardens, 1600 Miccosukee Road. Dr. Jim Marois will discuss diseases to look for and avoid when buying plants. Go to goodwoodmuseum.org for more information.

April 25: Tallahassee Garden Club Spring Flower Show and Garden Bazaar, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at The Garden Center, 507 N. Calhoun St. Go to tallahasseegardenclub.com for more information.

April 26: The Tallahassee Daylily Club meets at 2 p.m. at the Leon County Extension Center, 615 Paul Russell Road. Plans for the upcoming annual daylily show on May 16 will be discussed.

For more information about tickets, sponsorships or volunteer opportunities, visit our website or call the TMH Foundation at 431-5389. tallahasseeMagazine.com March–April 2015

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In the Neighborhood

Regal Golden Eagle

Dan Parisi

Luxury, Privacy are Hallmarks of this Prestigious Community By Jason Dehart

There are golf cart communities, and then there is Golden Eagle.

Located near Lake Iamonia in the wilds of northern Leon County, the community of Golden Eagle has enjoyed a reputation as Tallahassee’s premier gated community since developer J.T. Williams of Killearn Properties began developing it in the mid-1980s.

It’s not hard to understand the community’s appeal. It has, for starters, a challenging 18-hole championship golf course designed

by Tom Fazio that basically wraps around the community. The golf course was ranked among the Top 50 real estate development courses in the Southeast by Golfweek Magazine, which praised its playability for golfers of any level.

But there’s more to the community than that.

It’s private, safe and a great place to spend retirement or raise a family.

“Golden Eagle is the largest gated community in Tallahassee,” said Molly Papania, manager of the Golden Eagle Homes Association. “Our common areas and green

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spaces are professionally designed, the roads are beautifully paved and we’re surrounded by a number of sparkling lakes. We’re also a part of the Killearn Lakes Plantation HOA, so we enjoy all their community events as well as all the amenities of the Killearn Lakes community.”

Golden Eagle attracts a wide variety of property owners, from single retirees to young families looking for great schools for their kids. There is something for everyone in Golden Eagle. The neighborhood is zoned for Killearn Lakes Elementary, Deerlake Middle School and Chiles High School. There are also a number of preschools and private schools nearby. Golden Eagle kids enjoy “A”-rated schools at every academic level, Papania said.

“Golden Eagle residents are looking for what almost every buyer desires — low crime, a secure HOA, beautiful surroundings and lovely established homes,” she said.

Speaking of scenery and amenities, the community features serene riparian views of sparkling waters, a natural, park-like setting,

sw imming pools for adults and kids, two types Many of Golden of tennis courts (clay Eagle’s upscale and hard surfaces) and, homes front onto lakes or the Tom as a nod to its Southern Fazio-designed roots, a plantation-style golf course. clubhouse. Right in the middle of it all sits the Golden Eagle Country Club. Not only does it offer tennis, swimming and great golf but fine dining as well, and outdoors enthusiasts can go boating and fishing on Lake Diane, Papania said. The Golden Eagle Homes Association, which runs all of the community’s amenities and safety programs, levies an annual fee on homeowners that is used primarily to pay for roads, maintenance, security and common areas. The 2014 fee was $617.

Golden Eagle homes range in price from $270,000 to more than $1 million. On average, they are a comfy 3,000 square feet in size. They range from 1,600 square feet to more than 8,000 square feet and are mostly very stately and traditional in style with all-brick construction, Papania said. Inside, they feature upscale amenities, and some even have enough garage space to park golf carts. There are 948 lots with about 30 currently undeveloped. The community is almost completely built out, and 12 homes are currently under construction.

There’s something else about Golden Eagle.

The residents don’t really have to go far for anything. Drive back out to Thomasville Road and there’s Publix, Target, Hurricane Grill, Kohl’s, SunTrust Bank, Walgreens, Chick-fil-A and other eating, shopping and business establishments. Thirty years ago, those opportunities didn’t really exist; over time, though, the city expanded to the north and brought development with it, which Golden Eagle residents can readily enjoy today.

“I would imagine northeast Tallahassee was probably mostly undeveloped and rural back in 1985,” Papania said. “I hear Thomasville Road was only two lanes. Today it’s one of the most desirable areas to live in Tallahassee. We enjoy great restaurants and shopping, exceptional schools and very low crime.” n

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Courtesy Lindsay Elliott, Hill, Spooner & Elliott

Just Listed

Scenic Hillside Home has a ‘Top-of-the-World’ View “Room with a view” is a completely accurate statement when talking about the hillside home at 5000 Brill Point. Every room in this house has a stunning view — and not just any view, but a wide look at Lake Jackson. Any window has a panoramic view of live oak trees and over three acres of sprawling waterfront land. Realtor Lindsay Elliott said, “This is an absolutely breathtaking hilltop property.”

If you can pull yourself away from a window you will notice the interior of the house is just as beautiful. The house feels limitlessly spacious with its open floor plan and 9-foot ceilings. Details such as hardwood floors, gas fireplaces and floor-to-ceiling bookshelves give it the cozy, lived-in feel.

The main floor features the master suite and home office, both with custom built-ins. The formal dining room connects to the kitchen and adjacent breakfast nook. The kitchen boasts all

stainless steel appliances including a gas range and double ovens. The dining area is completed by a well-appointed wet bar.

Downstairs consists of three additional bedrooms, two full bathrooms and a family room. The upper floor opens up onto a balcony complete with glorious view. The lower level features a patio ideal for backyard barbeque or lakeside fun. Other amenities include a tennis court, storage shed, walk-in closets and a basement.

“It is a spacious and open floor plan with soaring ceilings, expansive rooms and floor-to-ceiling windows, all designed to allow for maximizing views and light. The upper and lower patio allow for plenty of outside living space to take in the serene setting,” Elliott said.

With an exquisite view both inside and out it would be hard to say no to this property. So, say yes! // Rebecca Padgett

Quick Look Address: 5000 Brill Point List Price: $950,000 Square feet: 5,040 Bedrooms: 4 Bathrooms: 3 Contact: Lindsay Elliott, Hill, Spooner & Elliott (850) 509-4337

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Thinking about buying or selling?

Just Sold

Tallahassee home sales are up, and so are prices.

courtesy Joan H. Raley

Call or email me for my free report “How to sell your home for Top Dollar”

Southern Charm Nets a Quick Sale For years, Many have marveled at the beauty of the elegant brick home that sits at 2550 N. Meridian Road near John Knox Road.

Set upon 2.9 acres of lush land, this French country home offers countless desirable amenities that recently resulted in a speedy sale.

Despite the overall beauty of the home, Realtor Joan Raley chalks the fast sale up to three key elements — a listQuick Look ing appraisal conducted to determine an Address: 2550 N. appropriate selling price, a home inspection and the power of networking with Meridian Road local Realtors.

List Price: $595,000 “This property sold so quickly because the buyer liked its location,” Raley said.

Sold Price: $580,000 “It is in town but has the privacy of Square feet: 4,330 almost 3 acres. It is an elegant and large home at just the right price.”

Bedrooms: 3 The home’s brick and marble-colBathrooms: 4 umned entryway leads into a stunning foyer that opens up into a massive living room perfect for entertaining. The living room reaches skyward with a two-story ceiling ideal for hanging an art collection. A cozy parlor and formal dining room are off to the side. The three-bedroom, fourbathroom home provides a spacious master suite and plenty of room for guests.

The previous owner, Marion Whatley, was an artist and author who had an art studio built in the backyard. The studio now serves as a guest home, offering a full bathroom and kitchenette.

The home itself sets the stage for entertaining, but the patio and private courtyard steal the show. Opening from the house through a set of French doors, the patio provides a plethora of space to cater to guests for parties, holidays or other celebrations.

It is also multifunctional, serving as a nature-watching station while sipping your morning coffee. Wildlife such as deer, foxes and birds dart through the century-old oak and magnolia trees. If the weather keeps you inside, large windows in every room of the house provide scenic views. // Rebecca Padgett

GaryBartlettRealEstate.com

850.443.5887

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Have you always dreamed of owning a Gulf-front oasis? If you dream big, this newly constructed, luxurious four-level home will most certainly fill the bill.

For starters, it’s located in a private, gated enclave of just four homes off Highway 30A in Santa Rosa Beach. The views of the Gulf of Mexico are magnificent, and there are many luxe appointments one would expect of a showplace, as well as a few delightful surprises.

The six-bedroom home has an expansive 4, 588 square feet of indoor living space complemented by another 1,30 0 square feet of livable outdoor porches.

The home’s striki n g a r c h i t e c t u r e, combining the dramatic simplicity of contemporary design with Quick Look luxurious materials, was designed Address: 58 S. Spooky Lane

by Tyler Doin. It was built by Regal Stephens, with interior List Price: $3,995,000 selections by Jennifer Suddes of Square feet: 4,588 Magnolia House Atlanta. Interior design services and a furnishings Bedrooms: 6 allowance are included in the Bathrooms: 6.5 purchase price.

Multiple living/family rooms Year Built: New will entice impromptu gatherings Construction (2014) to enjoy the company of family and friends as you bask in the glow of Contact: Hilary Farnum, the beautiful Gulf sunsets or are Beachy Beach 30A Real mesmerized by the flames from Estate, (850) 685-0171 the pecky cypress-framed fireplace.

The master suites feature floorto-ceiling windows facing the Gulf as well as spa-worthy bathrooms.

Features include Grohe plumbing fixtures, Bevelo lighting, Boral Spanish concrete barrel tile roof, custom stone and hardwood flooring, an interior elevator serving all four floors, Randolph Morris freestanding tubs, an interior fire sprinkler system and a second- and fourth-floor outdoor summer kitchen and barbecue. The impressive list also includes a designer kitchen with oversized appliances to easily accommodate large gatherings.

Those “extras” mentioned earlier include a second-level heated, LED-lit pool with wireless controls and therapy jets and a fourth-floor sundeck with a Marbella Artisan fire bowl. // Rebecca Padgett

Photo Courtesy Beachy Beach

Newly Constructed Four-Story Home Offers Luxury Amenities and Spectacular Views

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It’s Just Business

Recently Opened ▪ The new 4 Rivers Smokehouse restaurant in Tallahassee opens in March at 1817 Thomasville Road, in Miracle Plaza. Based in Winter Park, Florida, 4 Rivers is famous for its Texas smoked beef brisket and barbecue. The Miracle Plaza location boasts a Sweet Shop bakery selling “made from scratch” desserts.

Recently Moved ▪ The Asian fusion restaurant Masa is working toward a March re-opening at its new location across the street from Lake Ella, in the

space formerly occupied by the On the Border restaurant.

Known for its delicious sushi and beautiful interior, Best of Tallahassee winner Masa will continue to blend Eastern and Western cuisine in its new home.

of its project to rebrand it as a boutique hotel. Other external changes to the 16-story building and its surrounding area include metered parking, outdoor seating, a covered driveway for drop-offs and a plaza for pedestrians.

Improvements Underway

CollegeTown, Continued

▪ The DoubleTree By Hilton Hotel on North Adams Street is undergoing major renovations, inside and out. IB Tallahassee LLC, whose principal representatives previously bought and rejuvenated the Hotel Duval, is refurbishing the hotel’s marble façade as part

The second phase of CollegeTown is underway and plans call for a lot more of the same things that have made the original project, located a stone’s throw from Doak Campbell Stadium, so popular.

Plans for the nearly twoacre parcel at the corner of South Woodward Avenue and West Madison Street include 89 apartments, more than 21,000 square feet of retail

and restaurants and 3,300 square feet of office space.

Construction is slated to begin in May. Also on the drawing board is a 600-car garage, to be built just to the east of Urban Outfitters on what is currently used as surface parking for CollegeTown residents.

What Tallahassee Wants Urbantallahassee.com, the goto website for what’s up-andcoming in local development, created a list of “10 Businesses Tallahasseans Really Want.”

In no particular order, they are Anthropologie, Brooks Brothers, J Crew, IKEA, Lexus, Crate + Barrel, The Cheesecake Factory, P.F. Changs, Chase Bank and The Apple Store.

To Find the Right Realtor ... Just Look for a Sign. ®

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feature

Great Adventures

It’s Easy to Discover a Whole New World That’s Close to Home

I

t’s wonderful to be adventurous and head out for places unknown. But most of us don’t have the spare time of Marco Polo, the royal bankroll of Christopher Columbus or the fortitude of Lewis and Clark.

Instead, we’d rather enjoy a long weekend someplace that’s away (but not too far away) and a different experience from the everyday with all the comforts — and maybe even more — of home.

This year, we’re striking out toward all four points on the compass — North, to the beauty of Georgia’s Callaway Gardens, South to St. Petersburg’s luxurious Vinoy Renaissance Resort, East to the family-friendly Hammock Beach Resort in Palm Coast and West to Historic Pensacola — to find the best kind of adventures that are not too far from home. // Rosanne Dunkelberger

Fabulous pools, challenging golf and Atlantic waves can all be found at the Hammock Beach Resort in Palm Coast.

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Great Adventures

Palm Coast

Kick Back and Relax at Hammock Beach A Resort Celebrating Florida’s Wild Natural Beauty on the Atlantic Coast

W

hen we think of a visit to “the beach,” visions of sun, sand and surf come to mind. But with nearly 1,200 miles of coastline — from Jacksonville to tropical Miami and around the bend from Tampa Bay and across the Panhandle — the reality can be many different things. I’ve lived in the Sunshine State for more than 40 years, and this year found another different and enjoyable experience at Hammock Beach Resort, located on the Atlantic in Palm Coast, about 30 miles south of St. Augustine.

For starters, those used to visiting Panama City and Destin are going to be pleasantly surprised to find that while driving along the coast on A1A, you are pretty much driving “on the coast.” For long stretches, hotels and houses are on the landward side of the street — with nothing but palmettos and sand dunes between you and the Atlantic waves.

Because of a little user error while inputting our destination, we ended up overshooting the resort and had to backtrack about 20 miles up A1A to get to Hammock Beach.

I’ve never had such an enjoyable detour.

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And the Hammock Beach Resort was definitely worth the extra miles, an oasis of luxury surrounded by Florida’s natural beauty. While it might be nice to while away an afternoon napping on a bed slung between two trees, the “hammock” referred to in the resort’s name refers to a different kind — an ecological phenomenon particular to Florida, slightly raised areas near water that are home to mini-forests of trees and other vegetation.

There is, of course, the beach. Not the snowy white version found along Northwest Florida, but more of a cinnamon color and full of coquina and other shells, where the eagle-eyed might just find sharks’ teeth, too.

The beach is very undeveloped as far as the eye can see in both directions, so you can easily enjoy the natural beauty of the coast.

With more wave action than you’ll find on the Gulf coast, it’s great for body surfing and other surf sports.

And then there’s the property itself, featuring 329 guest rooms in 11-story towers and the full complement of amenities you’d expect from a AAA Four-Diamond-rated resort. The rooms range from traditional hotel rooms to fully equipped four-bedroom condos, making it the perfect spot for any sized family’s vacation. There are oodles of activities going on around the property — everything from fitness classes to yacht cruises — and Hammock Beach Resort prints a comprehensive weekly guide to all the resort has to offer each day. There are also supervised recreational activities for youngsters at the Kids Crew.

The recreational amenities are superb, particularly the Fantasy Pool Complex, with

There’s a family-friendly shallow pool (far left and top) for the kids at Hammock Beach. Rooms suitable for two (above) — or an extended family — are available at the resort, and most have spectacular views (right).

Photos courtesy Hammock Beach

By Rosanne Dunkelberger

two levels of outdoor fun. On the first is a kid-friendly shallow pool with a water slide and a lazy river. The upper level has a pool geared toward the grownups. As one attendant said, “You don’t have to be an adult, you just have to act like one” to enjoy it. Nearby is a whacking big 32-person whirlpool spa.

Yet another pool features a “beach” as well as a sand volleyball court. And another full-size pool can be found indoors for cold and rainy days. You’ll never have to leave your lounge with poolside food and beverage service from Ocean Bar & Café.

Hammock Beach Resort is home to two golf courses. The Ocean Course, designed

by Jack Nicklaus, is the more player-friendly of the two, with six holes offering breathtaking views of the Atlantic Ocean. The Tom Watson-designed Conservatory Course is a British links-style course with challenging water hazards and more than 140 bunkers.

Tennis is also available on lighted courts.

For those who seek to take it very slow, The Spa offers a full complement of relaxation and beautification services, including facials, massages, mani/pedis, body therapies, waxing and hair design. Can’t decide what service to enjoy? No worries: Sign up for a spa package such as the $479 Relaxation as Far as the Eye Can Sea, which includes a Green Tea and Ginger body wrap, custom facial, Warm Coconut Stone Massage and 75-minute Hammock Beach Pedicure.

The Hammock community prides itself on keeping its hometown, nestled between the ocean and the Intracoastal Waterway, as natural and inviting as possible. There are miles of bike paths and trails, and the immediate area around the resort includes several state parks and nature preserves that can be explored by foot, bike, kayak and boat.

Just a few miles north on A1A is Marineland, which offers dolphin encounters and eco-tours, and a 30-mile drive will take you to all of St. Augustine’s history and tourist attractions.

AT A GLANCE Travel Time: 3½ hours. Take Interstate 10 east to Jacksonville and take Interstate 95 South to Exit 289 east toward Palm Coast. Take Palm Coast Parkway to A1A (there is a $2 toll bridge) and travel north to 16th Road East.

Hammock Beach A Salamander Golf & Spa Resort 200 Ocean Crest Drive Palm Coast, FL 32137 (855) 342-3602 hammockbeach.com

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Great Adventures

St. Petersburg

The Vibrant Vinoy 1920s Panache Meets Modern-Day Fun in the Sun in Downtown St. Petersburg

By Chay D. Baxley

I

can see them all now.

Those wonderfully sassy flappers jiving to the Charleston, sipping on their forbidden libations and making googly-eyes at the dreamy band members. The Lost Generation penning and painting what was left of their souls. Coco Chanel taking names, kicking butt and looking fierce all the while.

Call me a romantic, but the roaring ’20s have always possessed a certain level of charisma and intrigue for me. And however misinformed it may be, to me, these flashy faces represent an entire, enthralling decade.

It hasn’t been easy, but I finally found something that can satisfy my time-traveling wanderlust. My perfect fix? The Vinoy Renaissance St. Petersburg Resort and Golf Club.

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Photos courtesy The Vinoy

It’s the real deal.

In 1925, when the original Vinoy Park Hotel opened its doors, the luxurious retreat boasted attractions such as the Pompeii Dining Room — the discovery of Pompeii was a very recent and exciting news event at the time — and the charming, bricklined Tea Garden. Then, as now, the resort made its niche offering patrons an ideal blend of Old World charm and modern amenities.

“It was built during the years of the boom era during the 1920s,” said Elaine Normile, the resort’s resident historian. “It was the first luxury hotel that was built in downtown St. Petersburg. It really is an icon.”

Today, the corridors of the Vinoy are as alive as ever. Perfectly positioned at the water’s edge on downtown St. Petersburg’s desirable 1 Beach Drive, the towering structure was erected under the umbrella of “Mediterranean revival architecture” — a style as palatable in contemporary times as it was on New Year’s Eve 1925, the night of the Vinoy’s grand debut.

From the very start, the hotel was destined to be a hit. Beyond the grandeur and Spanish-influenced elegance, over the years part of the Vinoy’s pull has been its strong ties to the community of St. Petersburg. Veiled by nearly a century of legends, tales and ghost stories, the peachhued gem has been branded as much by its physical and historical character as it has by the friendly faces of the staff members who populate it.

During our stay, I was endlessly entertained by the darling accounts of guests who came before us. Over the years, everyone from former President Calvin Coolidge to acting legends Marilyn Monroe and Brad Pitt have made a point of visiting the property during their treks to St. Petersburg. My favorite tale, though, was the story of the resort’s origin.

It all began with a bet, locals will tell you, between wealthy businessman Aymer Vinoy Laughner and celebrity golfer Walter Hagen.

Legend says that Hagen, having had his fill of the lackluster accommodations in the area, wagered his pal that if he drove a series of golf balls off the face of his host’s prized pocket watch without so much as cracking the crystal surface, and they landed squarely across the waterway on the next lot, Laughner would be obliged to commission a resort.

Luckily for us, Hagen won that bet.

Of course, it wasn’t always sunny skies for the Vinoy. Prohibition presented a challenge, albeit minor, during the hotel’s initial phase. Later, in July 1942, the Vinoy ceased operation as a hotel and was leased to the U.S. military as a housing and training

center for military cooks and bakers — the scratches from their metal-toed combat boots permanently scathed the hotel’s stairwells. By the early ’70s, the Vinoy declined into a low-rent boardinghouse, and in 1974 (and for the 18 years that followed) the hotel ceased to exist. But all was not lost.

In 1992, following a two-year, $93 million reconstruction project, the Vinoy Renaissance St. Petersburg Resort & Golf Club emerged.

I think it’s a nice tale, full of fame and fortune, love and loss, with an even nicer ending. Not surprisingly, today the Vinoy is chock-full of amenities: a fantastic pool area, an indulgent spa, multiple restaurants, several watering holes, a garden to wander, workout facilities, a golf course and adjoining clubhouse that would impress any avid player, and views of sapphire waterways.

It’s the history, though, that you won’t be finding anywhere else.

“Every person I meet with that is somehow involved in local events, they feel they own the Vinoy — or at least a little piece of it,” shared Vibeke Sansone, director of sales and marketing at the Vinoy.

“Because they have seen it rise from being abandoned to what it is today.”

AT A GLANCE Travel Time: 4½ hours.

Take Interstate 10 east and then Interstate 75 South for 107 miles, exiting onto Interstate 275 South at Exit 274 toward Tampa/St. Petersburg. Then merge onto Interstate 375 east via Exit 23A toward BayWalk/The Pier. The road becomes 4th Avenue North; you will turn onto 5th Street North and then onto 5th Avenue North.

The Vinoy Renaissance St. Petersburg Resort & Golf Club 501 5th Ave. Northeast St. Petersburg, FL 33701 (727) 894-1000 marriott.com/hotels/ travel/tpasr-the-vinoyrenaissance-st-petersburgresort-and-golf-club Take a Stroll Check out these dining and entertainment venues near the Vinoy: Cassis American Brasserie 170 Beach Drive Northeast (727) 827-2927 cassisab.com Chihuly Collection – Morean Arts Center 400 Beach Drive Northeast (727) 896-4527 moreanartscenter.org Fred’s Steakhouse Located inside the Vinoy Renaissance (reservations recommended) 501 5th Ave. Northeast (727) 894-1000 Museum of Fine Art, St. Petersburg 255 Beach Drive Northeast (727) 896-2667 fine-arts.org

The Vinoy has been restored to its Roaring ’20s grandeur (facing page) but with totally updated amenities like its pool and waterfall (above, top) and beautifully appointed guest rooms (above).

Saturday Morning Market 230 1st St. Southeast (727) 455-4921 Runs from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., October through May saturdaymorningmarket. com

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feature

Great Adventures

Pine Mountain, Georgia

The Lodge and Spa at Callaway Prepare to Relax at the Gardens’ Mountain Retreat

By Chay D. Baxley

A

massive stone fireplace and elegantly vaulted ceilings greet you as you enter the alpine-inspired Lodge and Spa at Callaway Gardens. As you set your bags down, you recognize the clinking sounds of fine dining. Hints of Prunifolia Azalea, the spa’s signature scent, linger in the air. Through the lobby’s oversized glass doors, you can sneak a glimpse of the bubbling, twinkling courtyard that awaits.

If you believe in the power of first impressions, the Lodge and Spa won’t disappoint.

It’s hard to believe this resort is less than a four-hour drive from Tallahassee, located on the edge of the famed Callaway Gardens’ 6,500 acres of environmentally sound, family friendly fun.

The Lodge and Spa could be just the excuse Tallahassee residents need to take a scenic drive through the South Georgia countryside to visit Callaway’s prized gardens, the beautiful stained glass chapel and the unique butterfly sanctuary. The newly renovated facility is now a member of Marriot’s prestigious Autograph Collection.

“It has a distinct calmness to it,” said the property’s sales manager, Josh Baker, on the overall personality of the Lodge and Spa. “It’s laid back and has a very fluid environment. It’s non-stressful. It’s a great place for Tallahasseeans to come up and just get away for the weekend.”

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Photos courtesy Callaway Gardens

The Lodge and Spa (shown on this and the facing page) offers guests a rustic, peaceful retreat as well as all the fun activities Callaway Gardens and the town of Pine Mountain have to offer.

On the resort’s ground floor, adjacent to the 24-hour fitness center, is Spa Prunifolia, a luxurious full-service spa found exclusively at Callaway Gardens.

Specializing in natural treatments and soothing remedies, the spa’s highly trained, professional staff is focused on providing relaxation, restoration and inspiration to vacationing clientele. The décor is tastefully rustic, with tranquility infused throughout — and the amenities are next-level divine. With a list of spa services as imaginative as they are extensive (including the classic Pine Mountain Stone Massage, the Botanical Body and the Espresso Mud Body Scrub), visitors are well within their vacationing rights to spend an entire day devoted to pampered bliss.

Guests arriving on Friday evening have an added bonus to their stay — an all-you-can-eat, deliciously fresh seafood buffet at the resort’s esteemed Piedmont Grille. For one flat fee, patrons can feast on crab legs, shrimp, mussels, oysters and the most savory grits ever concocted.

It’s a seafood lovers dream and just another reason (that, let’s be honest, you didn’t really need) for taking an extended weekend.

If the resort’s heated saltwater pool, outdoor fireplaces, salon and spa, and two upscale dining options aren’t enough temptation, perhaps the quaintness of the downtown area will inspire your next weekend trek. For Floridians, Pine Mountain — the town where Callaway is situated — might as well be in the heart of the Appalachian Mountains. Rolling hills, wildlife and pristine vegetation abound, making this spot any outdoor enthusiast’s ideal getaway.

While you’re there, spend a day exploring antique shops and indulging in the local flavors on Main Street, home to the delectable Bon-Vivant Café, which offers an impressive French-infused cuisine.

After lunch, take a drive along the picturesque Pine Mountain Highway, venturing up to take in the vistas at Dowdell Knob, the city’s highest point. You can enjoy the panoramic vista there, which includes a monument to Franklin D. Roosevelt at his favorite picnic spot during his final years.

At A Glance Travel Time: 3½ hours.

There’s no interstate way to get to Pine Mountain, so relax and enjoy the northerly trek through small-town Georgia. One route takes you through Bainbridge, Colquitt and Blakely; the other through Thomasville and Albany. Either way, you’ll end up in Columbus.

You’ll be heading north on U.S. 27, which merges with Interstate 185. Take Exit 34 to Ga. 18 East.

Bon Vivant Deli & Café (706) 663-4509 bonvivantcafe.moonfruit.com Butts Mill Farm (706) 663-7400 buttsmillfarm.com Spa Prunifolia (706) 489-3305 callawaylodgeandspa.com/spa The Lodge and Spa at Callaway (706) 489-3300 callawaylodgeandspa.com The Piedmont Grille (706) 489-3341 callawaylodgeandspa.com/ dining

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feature

Great Adventures

Pensacola

Bringing History Alive Historic Pensacola Village Brings Visitors Back to 19th-Century Colonial Days

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Zandra Wolfgram

Zandra Wolfgram

E

ver fantasized about leaving the trappings of modern day life and slipping back in time to the “olden days and old ways”? Dozens do it every day at Historic Pensacola Village — a quaint collection of historic homes, sites, churches and museums clustered in the town’s historic district. The Village unabashedly celebrates the 450-year history and culture of the “City of Five Flags” with exhibits, demonstrations, tours and an interpretive living history experience brought to life by costumed characters re-enacting early 19th-century Colonial life.

After getting involved in advocacy work for nonprofits and the preservation community in Northwest Florida, 35-year-old Ryan Arvay was thrilled to plumb the depths of the local history he “fell in love with” as part of his current job role, overseeing the Living History aspect of the Historic Pensacola Village. A background in media and arts coupled with a passion for history make Arvay a natural for his unique position, which he confesses is “a lot like theater.”

When Arvay comes to work each day, he could be dressed as a French Colonist laborer, a Victorian gentleman or an 18th-century Spanish soldier. Instead of going to a desk, he heads to a family garden situated next to the 1890 LearRocheblave House that is filled with corn, sweet potatoes, leeks, collards, okra and other crops likely harvested here during the 1800s. Most days you will find him outside under the Florida sun alongside 10 enthusiastic University of West Florida students — also clothed in period garb — cooking, cleaning, weaving or working in the garden to prepare an authentic meal of the times. The day we visited, a black iron pot placed over a roaring fire in the “kitchen house” waited to be filled with fresh ingredients for a hearty rabbit stew made with vegetables plucked that morning from the garden, which Arvay says “would be essential to a family like the produce aisle in the grocery store is today.”

Zandra Wolfgram

By Zandra Wolfgram

Zandra Wolfgram

Clockwise from top left: Living History Coordinator Ryan Arvay dressed in Colonial “day clothes” gathers fire wood. Ashley Goethe and Miriam Hoover, two of 10 local graduate students who work as living history interpreters in Pensacola Historic Village, prepare a 18th-century rabbit stew recipe in a replica of an outdoor “kitchen house.” Exterior of the Lear-Rocheblave House (1890).

Bass Gray, a history buff and volunteer, challenged himself with carving a flint rifle.

This history buff relishes a center-stage part that allows him to journey into the pages of the past — and bring visitors along with him.

“When you have a tangible connection to the past it comes alive a lot more and is more present in your mind and in your life,” he says.

“There is no better way to experience history than with your five senses — to feel the heat, smell the food, see the steam rising off the boiling water as they do the dishes and get a real sense of what it was like to live back then,” he insists. “You can’t get that from television or even the best history books.”

A guided history tour from Avray or one of his student staffers is an ideal way to immerse yourself in 19th-century life in America’s “first city.” Or simply enjoy a self-guided stroll by 21 historic houses, buildings and sites all located within about four blocks. Tickets are $6 for

AT A GLANCE Travel Time: 3 hours. Take Interstate 10 west toward Pensacola and travel 186 miles, Merge onto Interstate 110 at Exit 12 and travel south toward Pensacola/Pensacola Beach for six miles. Take U.S. 98 Business West (East Garden Street) toward the Historical District.

adults, $5 for seniors and military and $3 for ages 4 to 16.

Tuesday through Saturday at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. you can stroll through four historic buildings, beginning with an 1805 Creole cottage called the LaValle House and ending with the Lear-Rocheblave House — a Victorian home built in 1890. Each of the historic spaces is filled with artifacts original to the home and the time period. Or you can explore the Village on your own anytime between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. If you visit the Village on Friday or Saturday you are most likely to come upon a 19th-century woman knitting, weaving, shelling beans or perhaps a working craftsman carefully carving a flint rifle.

Other must-see stops in the Village are the TT Wentworth Museum, the Museum of Industry, the Museum of Commerce and the recently renovated Pensacola Children’s Museum, which includes a fort, trading post and sailing ship circa 1882 to engage curious young minds. n

A costumed guide interprets customs and traditions pertaining to tea and entertaining during the Victorian era. Learn how to properly present your calling card and find out what it was like to socialize at the Barkley House. Learn about proper social customs of the time.

hear about the tradition of the Christmas tree, how it was decorated during the Victorian era and how the current perception of Santa Claus was formed by this period.

Historic Pensacola Village 205 E. Zarragossa St. Pensacola, FL 32502 (850) 595-5985 historicpensacola.org

Victorian Leisure (Fall) A new program that focuses on the emergence of the middle class and how its expansion influenced recreational games of the period and how one spent leisure time. Croquet anyone?

Death and Mourning (October) The 1871 Dorr House is the perfect place for a fascinating discussion of the traditions and superstitions surrounding death and mourning during the Victorian period. Find out how Queen Victoria started many of these customs.

Sample a Little Local History Take Victorian Tea (2 p.m. on Tuesdays)

Victorian Holiday (November-December) Gather at the holly-decked Lear House circa the 1890s to

For a complete list of programs, tours and times, call (850) 595-5985, ext. 100, or visit historicpensacola.org.

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‘Raised by Dinosaurs’ The Challenges and Joys of Grandparents as Parents

By Rebecca Beitsch // Photos by Matt Burke

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ike many couples in their 60s, Ron and Grace Mathis were looking forward to an active retirement, full of adventure and traveling.

And then, suddenly, they became responsible for raising their two grandchildren. The Mathises took charge of a baby and a toddler, and their lives and their plans were upended.

“It’s hard. A lot of life changes had to be made,” Ron Mathis said. “We had gotten to the point where our three children were out of the house, and we were by ourselves. We could go where we wanted to go and do what we wanted to do, and when these two kids came along, it changed everything,” Now that their grandchildren are 12 and 13, the family of four has a lot more independence. While raising grandchildren can mean a big change for both grandparents and the kids, it’s becoming increasingly common. More than 150,000 grandparents in Florida are raising over 160,000 grandchildren, according to the 2010 U.S. Census.

The Mathises said they are lucky to have custody of the grandkids. They had become estranged from the man who “used to be” their son because of his struggles with addiction as well as his high-stress marriage. But they went looking for their grandchildren, and when they

Grandparents face many challenges — emotional, physical, legal and more — when the task of parenting their grandchildren falls on them.

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“It changes the relationship. We have no time to be grandparents because we’re their parents.”

— Grace Mathis

“We had gotten to the point where our three children were out of the house, and we were by ourselves. We could go where we wanted to go and do what we wanted to do, and when these two kids came along, it changed everything.”

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showed up in the midst of his legal battles, he agreed to sign over custody. Despite a tough transition, both grandparents and grandchildren feel this is the best place for them to be.

Van and Donna Poole are in a similar situation, raising their 5-year-old great-granddaughter, Jasmine. The couple had already adopted and raised his grandchildren from children of his previous marriage.

Once they were grown, the lobbyist (him) and Public Employees Relations Committee commissioner (her) were planning to spend this part of their lives traveling more as empty nesters. Raising their great-granddaughter has had a huge effect on their lives — not only because they are responsible for a young child but because they are learning how to approach her autism.

“If I had to do it all over again, I might go into child development instead of law,” said Donna Poole.

“It makes me appreciate this organ up here and how they’re all so different,” the 59-year-old said, pointing to her head. “Right now this consumes me. It’s so fascinating.”

“She doesn’t sleep,” said Van Poole, 79, referring not only to his wife’s care of Jasmine but her constant research into autism. “You’ve got to put the little one first — her problems with autism and PTSD. It’s a real strain on my wife, but she never complains. To me, she’s a saint,” he added later.

“More grandparents are raising kids with special needs because they’re more difficult,” Donna Poole said.

The Pooles say their lives have changed a great deal since Jasmine came to live with them. Her complicated schedule gets her the different types of therapy she needs and helps keep her disciplined.

“I had all these great plans to travel more and visit the house in Montana. Then this happened, and Boom!, it all just stopped,” Van Poole said. “It’s something that’s laid at your doorstep, and you have to deal with it,” he said later.

“I don’t socialize as much with my friends.

I’ve lost touch with a lot of them, and that makes me sad,” Donna Poole said.

She said it was hard for her brother to understand why she had been so unavailable, but when Jasmine “lost it” at a family event, she said he finally understood.

“We didn’t think it would be this long,” Donna Poole said of Jasmine’s time with them. “But you play the hand you’re dealt.”

Many factors can lead children to live with their grandparents. While some are coping

with the death of one or both parents, many have seen their parents struggle with addiction, mental health and legal issues.

“There are so many cases of people raising their grandkids,” Van Poole said. “The sad part is a lot of it is a drug situation. Some get through it and some don’t, but grandparents step up. As many as there are, it’s just a few compared to what’s being dumped in the system today.”

Poole said it’s hard to deal with a family member on drugs, and it’s tough to raise their child, but he didn’t want to wonder what would happen to his great-granddaughter if she wasn’t in his home.

“Something that is hard to handle is to remember we’re not dealing with the same person we raised. You have to separate that,” he said, referring to the granddaughter he raised.

While grandparents face a huge change in lifestyle, so do the children coming to live with them. Many have been in unstable situations and exposed to violence, whether directly or indirectly.

Both the Mathises’ and Pooles’ grandchildren have struggled with night terrors and required a little more discipline about expressing their anger.

“We had to teach her; we don’t hit, we don’t bite and we don’t throw,” Donna Poole said.

Grace Mathis said that even when children come into the home very young, they’re still confused, hurt and angry.

“If they were being raised by their parents, they wouldn’t stand a chance,” she said. “But your mother is your mother, regardless of whether they are what they should be. There’s still a loss.”

When the Mathises went looking for their grandchildren, they were already part of a family-services case. While the grandchildren now refer to the Mathises as Mom and Dad, they went through their own grieving cycle. Wanting to acknowledge their parents after their mother died and their father gave up custody, she made a photo album of them that later disappeared. A year later, Grace Mathis found that one of the kids had stuffed it under a mattress.

“A lot of these kids are very angry,” she said. “They’re hurt. You’re taking on something you’re really not ready to do, that you’re a little old to do, that you’re not prepared to do, and they’re angry.

“You’re numb,” she added later. “You’re adjusting to this mess you didn’t know would happen to you while the kids are dealing with their own issues.”

Both Noah and Autumn Mathis say they know they’re being raised by the best possible

people. They also know plenty of kids in the same situation. The only difference, they say, is their grandparents are a little more tired and forgetful than the average parent.

Autumn wrote her Tropicana Speech contest entry about what it’s like being “raised by dinosaurs”; Grace Mathis carries a laminated copy of it in her purse. The speech details, in the way that only a fourth-grader can, that any lack of energy from her grandparents is more than made up for by their devotion. She says her grandmother taught her a love of reading, and they have tons of books. When she lived with her parents, they only had a few.

Grace Mathis says that in some ways she feels a little more out of touch as a parent this time.

Schools communicate less, technology habits are hard to discipline and the world just doesn’t seem as safe anymore.

“It’s a scary world to be raising children in. How do you get them to understand those dangers, without making them phobic?” she asked. Making sure the kids only get age-appropriate content on the Internet is a huge concern for her, but technology is not her forte.

Mathis also mourns her chance to be a typical grandparent, both to Noah and Autumn and to the other grandchildren she has in town.

“It changes the relationship. We have no time to be grandparents because we’re their parents,” she said.

While there are new challenges, many grandparents say they think they’re doing a better job this time around.

Grace and Ron Mathis (right) have been “parents” to grandchildren Autumn and Noah since they were small. A proud Grace Mathis carries a laminated newspaper article (above) about a loving speech given by Autumn about her “dinosaur” grandparents.

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“I don’t stress those things I did with my children or stress her by being nitpicky. I let her wear what she wants to wear, as long as it’s appropriate for school,” said Geneva Vaughn, a member of the Grandparents as Parents group.

Started by the city, the monthly support group gives local grandparents a place to talk, as well as access to legal advice, health screenings and seminars pertinent to their situation.

Vaughn’s granddaughter came to live with her at a pivotal time in her life. Her husband had just passed away when her daughter, a college freshman on a basketball scholarship, became pregnant.

“In the back of my mind, I was kind of happy when she was pregnant,” Vaughn said.

She absolutely wanted her daughter to finish school but said her granddaughter filled a gap for her in a very lonely, empty time in her life.

“With the death of my husband and my daughter leaving for college, it was a blessing.

She really is a blessing to me,” Vaughn said.

Vaughn said that before she got involved with Grandparents as Parents, she didn’t know other people in the same situation.

“I don’t really have other family here. I don’t have a support system,” she said.

The group meets for monthly luncheons, giving the grandparents a chance to talk and vent “without it going any further,” Vaughn said.

The group includes people of all demographics and backgrounds, with grandparents from ages 40 to 90. There are even some great-grandparents in the group who are raising children for the third time. In addition to lunch, they also have local nonprofit groups come to each meeting to offer their resources, such as legal aid and elder care.

Many grandparents have to deal with issues relating to guardianship and public benefits.

“A lot of people are under the impression that to leave a child with a person, you can just leave a note or power of attorney — but it’s not as simple as that,” said Jimmy Midyette, an attorney with Florida Legal Services Inc. He said that many times, grandparents don’t have issues until the child is enrolled in school or when they realize they can’t legally make health decisions for their grandchildren.

While the Mathises say they are lucky to “hold all they keys” with their grandc h i l d r e n , m a n y The Mathises and their grandparents do not. grandchildren enjoy Some must fight the some old-school board parents or the state games. Grace Mathis says ever-changing for custody. One technology she doesn’t member of the group understand can make it has been lobbying difficult to know how to legislators to give keep youngsters safe.

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grandparents more rights over the welfare of their grandchildren.

Money is another issue. The group sent another attorney to do a presentation on the downsides of reverse mortgages, as finances can be tight in a group where many are retired but still supporting a family.

“I’m already retired. I need a job, though, with all of them in the house. I’m really in a hole, you know,” said Rosa Martin, 79, a member of the group raising a total of six grandchildren.

Sid Jenkins, 68, another member of the group, delayed his retirement when his grandchildren came to live with him and his wife, Suzanne Parke.

Parke, 67, said they’ve had to become a little more financially conscious, but seeing a huge transformation in their granddaughters in just a few years has made it all worth it.

She said they’ve gone from living in a chaotic situation, with almost no guidance as to how they should treat people or property, to becoming responsible, helpful girls working their way through the International Baccalaureate program and involved in ROTC. “It’s very rewarding. It’s tiring and more than we were expecting, but it’s rewarding watching them grow, change and thrive,” Parke said.

Van and Donna Poole say they also feel positive about the difference they’re making in their great-granddaughter’s life, as well as the ones she’s making in theirs.

“One of my friends said to me, ‘You’re the only guy I know that’s managed to have a child in every generation,’” Van Poole said with a laugh.

While raising Jasmine is tough, she always makes him laugh.

“There are very basic things about life that we’re all so busy that we forget about the real world. They force you to slow down and see these things,” Poole said. n

Raising a Grandchild?

Need Support?

Grandparents as Parents meets the last Wednesday of every month from noon to 1:30 p.m. in Meeting Room A of the downtown Leon County Public Library.

Reservations must be made with Karen Boebinger at (850) 891-4027 or karen. boebinger@talgov.com. tallahasseeMagazine.com March–April 2015

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contents

issue 2

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coastal weddings

16 DIY: The Coastal Crown 19 ResortQuest 24 Emerald Coast Convention & Visitors Bureau 26 Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa 28 Sunquest Cruises

31

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country weddings

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49 Mari Darr~Welch

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On the Cover

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FROM COAST TO CITY TO COUNTRY

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2015

2009 - 2014

For our 2015 cover image, we made an open call to all of our talented contributors and were flooded by absolutely gorgeous imagery from across the region. In the end, this black and white shot from Black and Hue Photography (one of our most trusted resources) simply couldn’t be out-done. Dripping with romance, oldHollywood glamour and genuine happiness, it was a picture-perfect match for what Northwest Florida Weddings & Honeymoon Destinations has to offer. Fun 10 fact? You might recognize our cover groom, Travis Clark, as the lead singer from the chart-topping band We The Kings and his stunning bride, Jenny, as one of Hollywood’s favorite up-and-comers.

The

Northwest Florida Bride’s Guide to Everything

COME AND GET IT, Y’ALL! Infusing your menu with some Southern hospitality

50 Top Tips to Wedded Bliss 52 Vocelles

54 Klassic Katering 56 John Gandy Events 60 Bijoux 62 Dream Gowns

64 Fisher’s Flowers 66 A ndrew’s Catering/ Andrew’s 228 82 Advertiser Index

essential rules from Etiquette Experts

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from the editor

weddings

NORTHWEST FLORIDA

And Honeymoon Destinations

President/Publisher

From Ours to Yours, With Love First things first — Congratulations!

This is such an exciting time in your life, and I’m thrilled to be ringing in this fresh season of wedding planning with you.

Rowland Publishing’s headquarters in Tallahassee has seen a lot of engagements this past year — myself included! It’s been quite the whirlwind, with plenty of giddy moments around the office coffee maker.

Since so many of us are embarking on this journey simultaneously, I try to make a point of checking in on the others’ statuses every once in awhile — to show a little support and maybe gain some inspiration along the way. It’s so much fun to see my colleagues progress in their own unique wedding planning process, and I love having an extended circle of gal pals to Sean Hughes proposed to me this past November during my birthday trip to Charleston, South Carolina. It didn’t go off gush to. without a hitch, but it was absolutely perfect for us. This shot Rebecca, the lead designer for this was taken seconds after by a kind passerby. Planning on taking beautiful publication and a thoughtful our sweet time, we’ve set our date for February 2016. bride-to-be herself, refers to those first few magical, post-proposal weeks as “the bubble.” If you’re further along in your engagement, you’ll know exactly what she’s talking about. It’s the tearful phone calls, fiddling with your new accessory and blushing (even if it’s ever so slightly) at the word “fiancé.”

Those initial weeks are kind of like being in a dream. Pinning down actual dates and centerpieces can feel like a world away. Bask in it, sister. Because about two months in, when those champagne toasts flow just a tad slower and the heart-shaped dust starts to settle, your world is bound to get hectic. Just know, Northwest Florida Weddings & Honeymoon Destinations is here for you every step of the way.

From gorgeous venues to extraordinarily talented planners and true gourmets, we are constantly in awe of the dedicated and creative trendsetters who call this region home. Scattered throughout the coast, city and country, these individuals know the ins-and-outs of wedding planning — and do it with style.

Flipping through the magazine, you’ll notice all our showcase and Making it Happen pages feature top-tier photography. For our second issue, once again we were fortunate enough to team up with the best lenses in the South to bring you these incredible shots. Our contributors are highlighted on pages 12­–13, with full contact information provided in the index on page 82.

The 2015 issue features an increase in our editorial content, with stories on food, fashion and so much more. We’ve also expanded our “Making it Happen” section to highlight even more outstanding industry professionals.

We know you’ll find just what you’re looking for in these 84 pages of wedding-planning gospel.

I’d wish you luck, but with Northwest Florida Weddings & Honeymoon Destinations in hand you won’t be needing it much.

Cheers to you and yours. Know that I’m wishing you all the love and happiness in the world — now and always.

Yours,

Chay D. Baxley, Editor

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NORTHWEST FLORIDA WEDDINGS & Honeymoon Destinations

Brian E. Rowland

EDITORIAL Director of Editorial Services Linda Kleindienst Editor Chay D. Baxley Contributing Writers Shelby Bouck, Leanne Castro Proofreader Melinda Lanigan CREATIVE Creative Director Lawrence Davidson Production Manager/ Network Administrator Daniel Vitter Publication Designers Shruti Shah, Rebecca Sumerall Advertising Designers Jillian Fry, Amanda Hartsfield SALES AND MARKETING Director of Sales and Marketing Mckenzie Burleigh Director of New Business Daniel Parisi Advertising Services Coordinator Lisa Sostre Account Executives Drew Gregg Westling, Darla Harrison Tim Hughes, Lori Magee, Tracy Mulligan Rhonda Lynn Murray, Linda Powell Paula Sconiers, Chuck Simpson Sales and Marketing Assistant Christie Green Special Projects Events and Special Projects Coordinator Leigha Inman OPERATIONS Accounting Specialists Josh Faulds, Tabby Hamilton WEB Social Media/ Systems Management Specialist Carlin Trammel Northwest Florida Weddings and Honeymoon Destinations Magazine is published annually by Rowland Publishing, Inc. 1932 Miccosukee Road, Tallahassee, FL 32308. 850/878-0554. Northwest Florida Weddings Magazine and Rowland Publishing, Inc. are not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, photography or artwork. Editorial contributions are welcomed and encouraged but will not be returned.

Northwest Florida Weddings Magazine reserves the right to publish any letters to the editor. Copyright March 2015 Northwest Florida Weddings and Honeymoon Destinations Magazine, Inc. All rights reserved.

Reproduction in whole or part without written permission is prohibited.

Partners of Visit Tallahassee and Member, Greater Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce and Florida Magazine Association.

Picture your

FOREVER

THE PERFECT PLACE TO SAY I DO FROM THE BEACH TO THE BAY Love and cherish every moment of your wedding, from romantic white sand beaches to venues overlooking Choctawhatchee Bay. Sandestin offers the perfect location for an unforgettable wedding at the #1 Resort on Florida’s Emerald Coast.

The #1 Resort on Florida’s Emerald Coast 866.748.7863 • www.Sandestin.com/flwed Photo Credit: Amanda Suanne Photography

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contributing photographers capturing raw emotion in dynamic, powerful images.

Specializing in bridal and model portfolios, she combines her love for people, beauty and fashion into a very personal and distinct style.

Alena BAkUtis Photography

Hi. I’m a professional wedding photographer and member of Professional Photographers of America, PPA, serving the Florida Panhandle. My passion is to capture the most important moments of your life. I would love to shoot your love story with the person of your dreams, sharing your magical first kiss and capturing the intimacy of the first dance at the wedding!

Amy Little Photography

Hello lovelies! Welcome to the beautiful world of wedding planning. I’m Amy, destination wedding photographer and cake addict. I travel the world documenting the unions of fabulously fun clients who adore art and travel. I’m also a plant killer, but that’s only because I’m never home.

of real-life, even ordinary, moments. She prefers candid shots over posed and values authenticity of both moments and people. She currently lives in Tallahassee with her wonderful husband, Josh.

Amy Susi Photography

Amy Susi specializes in family portraits that reveal clients’ joy, beauty and honesty of the moment. She holds a BFA in painting and graphic design.

Susi creates breathtaking art worthy of display in the most stunning of homes by capturing the emotions and emotional connections that define our lives. Her work has appeared in multiple publications, including Vogue London.

Callie Gardiner Photography

“Amazing photos.” “Adapted to our style.” “Very calming.”

“Our family LOVED her.”

“Photo booth was a BLAST.” These are client quotes from renowned Florida Panhandle photographer Callie Gardiner.

Erin Nicole Photography

I grew up with a fascination of photography and the story an image can tell. Eventually, I got my own camera and began capturing my own story. After college, I married the love of my life and started my business. Now, having seven years of shooting weddings under my belt, all I can think is “thank you.”

12 2015

HELLo MISS LOVELY

I’m Autumn, a wedding and portrait photographer in Northwest Florida. I am not your ordinary wedding photographer; my concept of shooting is about capturing the relationship between two people … the laughter, the tears, the emotions. I believe that even closed eyes can speak to the soul, which is why I focus on creating stunning imagery that moves you.

BLACK & HUE PHOTOGRAPHY

Bryan and Kelly Honhart are a husband and wife wedding photography team that launched in 2011 and quickly attracted national attention. With a modern photojournalistic approach, Bryan tries to pull creativity from his past as a professional touring musician. Incorporating a laid-back approach, their brides and grooms always become their great friends by the end of the wedding day.

Elizabeth Birdwell Photography

Elizabeth Birdwell specializes in family, child and wedding photography. Her motto is simple: Forget your matching white shirts and jeans, studio lights and stiff poses! When you’re in front of my camera, we will laugh together, have an adventure and document your memorable moments. My images will capture genuine and heartfelt moments that represent the best part of you.

Footstone Photography

While Paul and Kristin Privette have the honor of traveling all over the country to photograph weddings, the Footstone studio is based in North Central Florida. Their individual styles combine to create a story of your wedding day that goes beyond traditional and becomes pure artwork.

Amy Riley Photography

Hi, I’m Amy. I am passionate about chasing light and documenting amazing love stories. I love everything about shooting weddings, and my goal is to give my clients something they will enjoy for many years to come.

I call the beautiful Emerald Coast home along with my husband, John, and our doodle, Parker.

offers wedding, family beach and glamour/ boudoir portraits as well as commercial photography.

A unique combination of vintage flair with modern fashion makes these two stand out in a local market saturated with hundreds of photographers.

Brittnay Therese Photography

Brittnay Dawson, owner of Brittnay Therese Photography, is a young and ambitious photographer and makeup artist with a unique way of

J&J Weddings

This dazzling duo shares a passion for expansion and the talent to make it happen.

Combining Jennifer Powell Photography and Jenna Reichert Photography to make j&j weddings proved that not only are they talented in capturing wondrous wedding moments, but that they were gifted with the power to bring life to the moments as well.

GWYNEMARK PHOTOGRAPHY Elizabeth Davis Photography

Award-winning photographer Elizabeth Davis describes her style as a celebration

NORTHWEST FLORIDA WEDDINGS & Honeymoon Destinations

Gwyne and Mark are a husband and wife wedding and portrait photography team based in Santa Rosa Beach. With 14 years of professional experience, GwyneMark Photography

Jacqueline Ward Images With a background and education in the fine arts,

acclaimed photographer Jacqueline Ward captures the everyday moment. She resides in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, with her husband and three young children.

“blessing” that allows her to share special days with clients throughout the Southeast.

photography and art. “There is no better feeling than picking up my camera and capturing exactly what I see in my head. I love what I do and I can’t imagine doing anything else,” she says. “I try to only work with people who share the same love and vision as I do for their images.”

Leah Langley Photography Jan Ethridge Photography

Being a Florida Panhandle native, I have a little white beach sand and emerald green Gulf water in my veins.

I never take for granted the breathtaking backdrop of these gorgeous beaches and moss-draped trees that result in the most spectacular wedding shots. My philosophy is to translate the joy and love of a wedding day into stunning photography.

From beautiful portraits to heartfelt candid moments, Leah Langley creatively photographs in a way that will be timeless and cherished for generations. Growing up in the Panhandle, she’s inspired by the natural beauty that only Florida offers. After graduating from FSU with two degrees in accounting and finance, Leah decided to fully pursue her photography career. With professionalism and creativity, Leah Langley’s fine art style has been locally and internationally published in fashion and wedding publications.

Kansas Pitts Photography

A lifelong resident of Northwest Florida, Kansas specializes in fresh, bold, chic photography. When not pursuing her addiction to photography, she loves to create, read and go to the beach with her husband and their four crazy kids.

Michael Allen offers his beautiful style of photography that strikes a cord in every viewer. Michael’s awardwinning photos have graced the pages of many wedding publications, so you can trust that he will make your wedding day look amazing. Michael’s second photographer and wife, Janice, is also an awardwinning hairstylist. This dynamic duo has traveled to photo shoots in Mexico, the Caribbean, Seaside and all across the South.

Mari darr~Welch

Mari is a fun-loving photographer who documents real emotions while creating stunning art from your candid, fleeting moments in a style she calls modern photojournalism. Her work has appeared in books and magazines around the world, and she is available for worldwide travel.

Kay Meyer Photography

With a passion for life and a talent for photography, Kay Meyer of Tallahassee creates collections of images that capture the story of life’s most significant moments.

Her vocation, she says, is a

Michael Allen Photography

Mi Amore Foto

Shannon calls herself a simple girl with a HUGE love for

Pure 7 Studios

Pure 7 Studios specializes in nostalgic, sentimental wedding photography. Their work has been described as vintageinspired, joyful and timeless.

Using a combination of film and digital cameras, their goal is to create images that will evoke an emotional reaction.

They invest their spirit, creativity and skill into every wedding, desiring to give their clients images worthy of passing on to future generations.

Impeccable image quality, dramatic composition and magazine-quality shooting style are his hallmarks.

Steve puts quality and a commitment to excellence into every subject and event.

Red Stone Photos

Alexis Rubenstein of Red Stone Photography currently lives and works on the Emerald Coast in Navarre, Florida. She photographs weddings and portraits and has seen her work published in many magazines, blogs, advertising campaigns and books. She loves to mentor new photographers and has been fortunate to photograph beautiful weddings all over the U.S., as well as in Japan, Thailand and Greece.

SONJA REVELLs PHOTOGRAPHY When I was 21 years old, I began working as a news photographer for a small daily paper, and over the years I developed my talent as a photojournalist, covering any type of assignment imaginable. As a photojournalist, I learned how to capture a story from start to end through photographs, without posing my subjects — a skill I use while photographing weddings.

Terri Smith Photography

Photographer Terri Smith graduated with two degrees from Florida State University’s College of Business. While pursuing these degrees, she also enrolled in photography classes to keep her sanity.

After graduation, she went on to work for a software company but continued her love of capturing a great image. She realized photography was her calling and went full time shortly thereafter.

Woodland Fields Photography

Catherine Taylor’s inspirations come from so many different places. She blends photojournalism and portrait photography, calling it portrait-journalism. She chooses locations carefully, and during your portraits she strives to find romantic lighting and incredible backgrounds — never posing situations that are already magical.

Steve Corbett Photography

Steve Corbett is a Tallahassee event, portrait and commercial photographer who specializes in creative portraiture, dynamic lighting and a fun, relaxed attitude.

For contact information, please see page 82.

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from coast to city to country

Private dining rooms and outdoor courtyard spaces accommodate anything from an intimate meal to an extravagant event. Our bar features an exclusive menu and drink specials. Looking for something even more unique? Our private wine room can be reserved for your next event.

Flowers by Milk & Honey, decor detailed to perfection, and an award winning chef to create the perfect wedding destination. Bijoux Catering can accommodate private parties, weddings and corporate events off-site or at the restaurant. From hors d’oeuvres to buffets and plated dinners, we customize each event to your specific needs.

(850) 622-0760 · bijouxdestin.com 14 2015

NORTHWEST FLORIDA WEDDINGS & Honeymoon Destinations

from coast to city to country

Kansas Pitts Photography

The Coast is Calling.

Uniquely upscale while retaining every drop of authenticity, the eclectic ambiance of coastal Northwest Florida makes for a dream destination.

NORTHWEST FLORIDA WEDDINGS NORTHWEST & Honeymoon FLORIDADestinations WEDDINGS 2014 2015 15

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DIY:

The Coastal Crown Be coastal-chic on your wedding day in this beautiful beach-ready tiara

By Chay D. Baxley // Photos by Matt Burke

It’s one of the most relaxing yet romantic things a couple can do: a simple stroll on the beach, hand-in-hand, plucking seashells from the sugary sand. No muss or fuss required.

Just a day to remember. And though it’s a little nonsensical, in a way hanging on to those once-buried treasures keeps the memories of vacations-past alive. So you do, filling mason jar after mason jar, until the house starts to resemble a roadside shell shack.

It’s quite the conundrum. But if you fancy yourself a DIY bridal maven, plan to put those beautiful mementos on center stage during your upcoming seaside soiree by creating your very own coastal-inspired crown.

A swoon-worthy headdress, this piece is flawlessly nautical and totally authentic to the region without being over the top. Customizable to be ideal for flower girls, bridesmaids or the star of the show herself, this accessory can lend your beach goddess look a genuine air of natural glamour.

Estimated to take no more than an hour of your day, for such a simple project this coastal crown is full of character and creative, local flair. A quick trip to any nearby arts and crafts store will get you started. After that, it’s nothin’ but clear skies, smooth sailing and seashell dreams. n

You’ll Need…

•A n inexpensive dress-up tiara (easily found at dollar stores as well as arts and crafts supply shops) • Twine or rope in a neutral hue • A hot glue gun • Seashells of varying shapes and sizes • Store-bought accessories for added dimension • A good soundtrack and a glass of champagne (optional)

Model: Margaret Wallis, bride Hair & Makeup: Veronica Dunkelberger (facebook.com/cosmobyveronica) Venue: SouthWood House & Cottages, Tallahassee (southwoodgolf.com) NORTHWEST FLORIDA WEDDINGS & Honeymoon Destinations 2015

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from coast to city to country

Directions

1

Gather supplies. Arrange shells by shape and then by color, for easy accessibility during assembly.

2

Remove any feathers or fabric from your tiara and begin wrapping with choice color of twine or rope, periodically gluing in place with a hot glue gun. No need to get every nook and cranny — just the big stuff. The seashells will adhere better to the material than the smooth surface of your tiara.

3

Before you get started gluing, come up with an overall design for how you’d like the tiara to flow. Begin in the center of the crown, largest items first, and work your way out — securing each item with the hot glue gun.

4

Fill in extra space with smaller shells until your crown looks full and symmetrical. Ensure all shells have been securely fastened to the tiara.

Then, it’s time to don your crown.

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NORTHWEST FLORIDA WEDDINGS & Honeymoon Destinations

Try incorporating storebought pieces for added glitz and glamour. You may also want to consider amping up your already existing seashell collection with hand-selected shells from the store for a more polished look.

ResortQuest gulf place

Celebrate life and love under twinkling cafÊ lighting on the Green at Gulf Place or by the sheen of a glowing sunset over the Gulf of Mexico. Neighboring Destin’s bustling shopping and attractions scene, Gulf Place is nestled within quiet and eclectic Santa Rosa Beach, known for its Southern charm and vibrant local flavors. This resort-style venue brims with unique amenities, a vast assortment of accommodations to suit nearly every budget and endless natural beauty. An ideal location for an unforgettable beach wedding, Gulf Place offers an abundance of gorgeous, natural backdrops to choose from for that big day. Photos by PURE 7 STUDIOS NORTHWEST FLORIDA WEDDINGS & Honeymoon Destinations 2015

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ResortQuest

Callie Gardiner Photography

Tops'l

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NORTHWEST FLORIDA WEDDINGS & Honeymoon Destinations

Callie Gardiner Photography

Red Stone Photos

Red Stone Photos

Red Stone Photos

from coast to city to country

ResortQuest TOPS’L Beach & Racquet Resort is a tranquil resort located just east of Destin, offering the peace of a location off the beaten path paired with the conveniences of city attractions just a few minutes away. Situated on 52 private acres, this full-service resort is bordered by beautiful white sand beaches and a nature preserve. Guests have the luxury of staying onsite in a variety of fully furnished condominiums and the pleasure of experiencing this unique region without ever stepping foot off of the property. A beach wedding is simpler — ­ and sweeter — when you let the experts of this awardwinning resort venue take the reins. Photos by Callie Gardiner Photography, Red Stone Photos

Tops'l

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ResortQuest Sundestin

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ResortQuest For the couple that likes to be a stone’s throw away from the area’s best shopping and restaurants, SunDestin’s breathtaking views of the Gulf of Mexico and close proximity to all of downtown Destin’s activities are sure to impress.

Here, attendees have limitless possibilities when it comes to leisurely exploration and onsite amenities, while the bridal party will experience the finest in ceremonial services. At SunDestin, it’s guaranteed to be an unforgettable event. Photos

Sundestin

by Jan Ethridge Photography

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Barefoot Beach Weddings

Dex Designs Photography

from coast to city to country

Emerald Coast Convention & Visitors Bureau

One of the world’s most vibrant and enchanting settings, the Heart of Florida’s Emerald Coast encompasses Destin, Fort Walton Beach and Okaloosa Island. Every year happy couples from across the globe recite their vows on the shores of this precious strip of coastline. Selecting the predestined romance of this dreamy region to become the backdrop for your event and with the experts at the Emerald Coast Convention & Visitors Bureau your guide, love will take center stage. So close and yet a world away, it’s as ideal a spot to say, “I do,” as it is to whisper, “Remember when we did.”

Photos by Barefoot Beach Weddings, DEX Designs Photography

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Dex Designs Photography

Emerald Coast Convention & Visitors Bureau

Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa

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NORTHWEST FLORIDA WEDDINGS & Honeymoon Destinations

from coast to city to country

Set against sugar-white beaches, emerald-green waters and breathtaking vistas sits Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa. In addition to its pristine beaches, this venue features three spacious, indoor ballrooms along with multiple smaller rooms and three perfectly situated sundecks right on the Gulf of Mexico. Possibilities are endless as receptions, ceremonies, private meals or farewell brunches of all shapes and sizes will find an ideal setting within the many venues offered by the hotel. Whether your vision calls for a true destination experience or a more traditional approach, there is no desire too intimate, no vision too impressive for Hilton Sandestin. Photos by Michael Allen Photography

Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa

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from coast to city to country

Sunquest Cruises

After crossing the threshold of SunQuest Cruise’s award-winning, 125-foot SOLARIS, it’s easy to see that this Destinbased yacht was designed with weddings in mind. An experience that starts at the moment of booking, couples work closely with the yachtvs in-house wedding planner throughout the entire process. Interested? Then prepare for incredible menus featuring the Gulf Coast’s freshest ingredients, a background of natural nautical beauty and an air of extraordinary client service. On board the SOLARIS, there’s a package ready to accommodate nearly every budget.

Photos by Amy Susi Photography

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Sunquest Cruises

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Kay Meyer Photography

A City Worth Celebrating.

A gorgeous, contemporary blend of minimalism and Southern hospitality, the city vista is polished, cultured and vivacious.

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Jacqueline Ward Images

from coast to city to country

Way Off White More modern brides are adding a splash of color to their special day — here’s how you can, too

By Shelby Bouck

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NORTHWEST FLORIDA WEDDINGS & Honeymoon Destinations

When it comes to finding that perfect dress, every bride is looking for her own, unique version of — wait for it — the exact same thing.

They want the “wow factor.”

Brides on reality TV use the phrase to denote a desire to stand out, to be memorable, and hey, maybe even to startle a little. And what better way to do that than to choose a gown with a hue that’s a bit truer to your own colors than the gleaming whites of yesteryear? For fearless brides whose weddings don’t need to be too traditional, colorful gowns are among this year’s most coveted trends.

There are as many reasons to pick a colorful wedding gown as there are brides who choose them.

Some want to look like their favorite celebrities: Jessica Biel’s bright pink wedding dress caused a stir at her 2013 nuptials with Justin Timberlake. Sex and the City alums Sarah Jessica Parker and Cynthia Nixon got married in black and green, respectively, and glamour queen Elizabeth Taylor wore a yellow dress at one of her many wedding ceremonies. Others just think they look best in rainbow hues.

Experts say there’s not a thing wrong with that, either.

Courtesy Dream Gowns

“Our brides want to look and feel their absolute best on their wedding dress on an orange background and it will Expert Tip Worried day,” shared Kristen Barstow, owner of Tallahassee’s Vocelles | The Bridal ruin everything.” that ivory and eggshell Shoppe, “and sometimes that means opting for a gown in a color that will With that in mind, while celebrities in really aren’t your color?

Don’t be. “When a bride flatter their complexion, exemplify the season of their wedding or be just New York and Los Angeles pick bright, infinds a gown that fits her plain different and fun.” your-face colors for their personality it is always the These vibrant brides wouldn’t be the first ladies to wedding dresses, bridal most flattering.” – Lindsey Mathews, Dream Gowns start new traditions at their weddings. For many years expert Barstow notes that British practice dictated that upper-class brides wore even the most daring silver on their wedding day. White only became the Northwest Florida brides don’t stray too far from norm after Queen Victoria married Prince Albert in a traditional colors. white lace dress.

“We are seeing many brides do shades of champagne, Many cultures outside of the West don’t see white and a few even go with very pale shades of pink,” she as a traditional wedding color at all. In Asian societies, shared. for example, brides have chosen for generations to Don’t worry, there are a wide range of choices even wear bright red dresses in keeping with family and within those two hues. national customs.

“Our designers at Vocelles are giving brides the When it comes to Northwest Florida, the number of options of colors that range from café to bronze in the brides who deviate from all-white ceremonies has been champagne family and pinks that range from moscato growing slowly but surely over the past few years. to blush,” noted Barstowe. “We love it when brides “It started out slow, as in ‘we’ll do a little splash of combine traditional fashion with modern taste — and color,’” remarked Destin-based photographer Mari this could mean having a beautiful ivory lace over a Darr-Welch. “Or jewels. The most (common thing) soft champagne underlay.

Expert Tip “Non-traditional gowns I’ve seen is a split back, or the belt, or different-color For brides who have already had a white wedding, like this one can pull an entire theme beading on the dress.” a different color on the second time around might be or idea together and turn a typical ceremony into the wedding of A word of caution on this colorful trend. From a something to consider. your dreams.” – Lindsey Mathews, photographic perspective, Darr-Welch shared that “Brides who are getting married at a more mature manager of Dream Gowns brides who are choosing to wear rich colors should be stage in life will consider finding a dress that is not a careful about their venue’s décor. traditional white or ivory color,” explained Barstow.

“If you’re going with a bold dress, then you really need to make sure Traditionalists, meanwhile, have no need to fear. For Northwest Florida your wedding colors blend with that dress,” she warned. “You can’t weddings, white and ivory gowns are here to stay. However, brides willing have opposing colors, because at some point you’ll be walking by (your to take the sartorial road less traveled will be rewarded with memories and décor), and maybe you’ll be kissing your grandma, but you’ll have a red unique photographs that will last a lifetime. n Courtesy Dream Gowns

Brittnay Therese Photography

from coast to city to country

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KAY MEYER PHOTOGRAPHY

J&J Weddings

KAY MEYER PHOTOGRAPHY

Courtesy FSU ALUMNI CENTER

FSU Alumni Center

KAY MEYER PHOTOGRAPHY

J&J Weddings

J&J Weddings

KAY MEYER PHOTOGRAPHY

from coast to city to country

Adjacent to Florida State’s campus, under a lush, fragrant canopy of blooming magnolias and live oaks, sits the Alumni Center. Teeming with charm, this property presents the perfect opportunity to have a fresh, outdoor-inspired wedding in the heart of Tallahassee. A beautiful backdrop for rehearsal dinners, wedding ceremonies and receptions, the Alumni Center’s classic design blends well with any wedding motif. For indoor events, the ballroom’s light and airy ambiance is unparalleled. As an affiliate of Andrew’s Catering, one of Tallahassee’s premier catering services, dining patrons will be treated to the highest quality in artistic cuisine. In other words, it’s the total package.

FSU Alumni Center

Photos by J&J Weddings, Kay Meyer Photography, Courtesy FSU Alumni Center NORTHWEST FLORIDA WEDDINGS & Honeymoon Destinations 2015

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Tallahassee Downtown

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Tallahassee’s Downtown is as unique a wedding destination as you’ll find in Northwest Florida. Somehow, this vibrant, historic corridor of Florida’s Capital City has managed to encapsulate the grace of a quaint Southern destination, with the grit of one of America’s great cities. Boasting a variety of intimate vignettes, there’s no doubt that beauty and diversity are Downtown Tallahassee’s defining characteristics — it’s where lush green spaces, classic charm and urbanpanache coexist in an unprecedented way. Photos by Elizabeth Davis Photography, Kay Meyer Photography

NORTHWEST FLORIDA WEDDINGS & Honeymoon Destinations

Elizabeth Davis Photography Elizabeth Davis Photography

Kay Meyer Photography

Elizabeth Davis Photography

Elizabeth Davis Photography

Courtesy Downtown Improvement Authority

from coast to city to country

Courtesy Downtown Improvement Authority

Elizabeth Davis Photography

Courtesy Downtown Improvement Authority

from coast to city to country

In the heart of the South it can be rare to find sleek, contemporary options for that special day. For the couple in search of an urban backdrop with an added allure of convenience, Tallahassee’s Downtown is the place to be.

Here, betrotheds are invited to vibe on the city’s chic metropolitan setting and accommodations, while guests are endlessly entertained by the areas many museums, boutique storefronts, gourmet dining options and lively nightlife.

Tallahassee Downtown urban

Photos by Elizabeth Davis Photography, Courtesy Downtown Improvement Authority

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Courtesy Downtown Improvement Authority

Elizabeth Davis Photography

Elizabeth Davis Photography

from coast to city to country

Tallahassee Downtown Classic

Tallahassee, renowned for its Southern charm and endless hospitality, is the ideal locale to host a true, classically inspired soiree. Sprinkled between downtown’s ancient oak trees and cozy park benches, visitors will find a plethora of stately churches unparalleled in beauty to choose from for the ceremony — and all are well within walking distance of the most delicious dining and reception locales the Capital City has to offer. Photos by Elizabeth Davis Photography, Courtesy DOWNTOWN IMPROVEMENT AUTHORITY

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Elizabeth Davis Photography

Courtesy Downtown Improvement Authority

Kay Meyer Photography

from coast to city to country

In Tallahassee, anything is possible — even a waterside ceremony with a little extra edge, like those hosted at Cascades Park, with its 24-acres of open, urban space, two ponds and gushing waterfall. Hearing the call of the wild? Tallahassee’s beloved downtown is stitched together by lush green spaces more akin to an outdoor oasis than any conventional venue in today’s wedding market. If natural beauty is tickling your wedding planning fancy, choose from one of the historic Chain of Parks so perfectly cocooned by Park Avenue you’ll almost forget you’re in Northwest Florida’s epicenters of cultural enlightenment.

Tallahassee Downtown Natural

Photos by Elizabeth Davis Photography, Kay Meyer Photography, Courtesy Downtown Improvement Authority, CITY OF TALLAHASSEE NORTHWEST FLORIDA WEDDINGS & Honeymoon Destinations 2015

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Four Points

Courtesyy Four Points Sheraton

Sheraton

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NORTHWEST FLORIDA WEDDINGS & Honeymoon Destinations

Lewis JOHNSON photography

Lewis JOHNSON photography

Courtesyy Four Points Sheraton

Courtesyy Four Points Sheraton

Courtesyy Four Points Sheraton

from coast to city to country

Four Points Spiraling up from the heart of Tallahassee into the city skyline, Four Points by Sheraton has created a reputation for itself as both a glimmering sapphire landmark and Tallahassee’s newest luxury hotel. By day, you and your guests will be able to relax by the cool, refreshing pool — and by night, you’ll enjoy exquisite onsite catering in the resort’s impressive ballroom. Your entire guest list will marvel at the beauty and accommodations of the more than 150 rooms of the hotel, making Four Points by Sheraton a perfect wedding destination. Photos by Lewis Johnson

Sheraton

Photography, Courtesy Four points Sheraton NORTHWEST FLORIDA WEDDINGS & Honeymoon Destinations 2015

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Shiloh Farm

WELCOME TO SHILOH . . . one of the South's most unique and memorable venues!

Shiloh Farm is an enchanting event venue nestled in the charming Southern countryside near Tallahassee.

With 65 acres of open fields, majestic oaks and charming outbuildings, it is the perfect setting for outdoor or chapel weddings and numerous other events. From the Grand Ol’ Barn (heated and cooled with charming restrooms!) and the 200-year-old Shiloh Chapel, to the quaint Rose Cottage and its beautiful Tea Room, there is a picturesque spot at Shiloh for any size celebration. weddings · fundraisers · corporate events · sorority/fraternity gatherings · festivals & concerts

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1500 Benjamin Chaires Road, Tallahassee, Florida – just 7 minutes from I-10 850-766-5902 · ShilohEvents.com · BookShilohEvents@gmail.com NORTHWEST FLORIDA WEDDINGS & Honeymoon Destinations

from coast to city to country

Escape to the Country

ELIZABETH DAVIS Photography

Elegant estates lined with giant oaks.

Gorgeous rustic barns set atop lush, rolling hills. Getting away from it all has never been so elegant.

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Courtesy Andrew's Catering

from coast to city to country

Menu Inspiration:

The Soul of the South Southern comfort food leaves a delicious impression — even at the most sophisticated soirées

By Chay D. Baxley

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NORTHWEST FLORIDA WEDDINGS & Honeymoon Destinations

Somewhere, likely lost Expert Tip “Once, forever in the vaults of the brides figure out Pinterest, an idea so the theme they want to run with, it just deliciously unexpected works.” – Andrew was hatched that it Reiss, owner of sparked an entirely new Andrew’s Catering generation of wedding planning connoisseurs.

The notion? To add a dash of Southern hospitality and panache to reception fare by reinventing traditional menus in surprisingly savory ways.

Imagine — serving food at a wedding that people actually want to eat. It was a breakthrough. And the wedding game, for all intents and purposes, was forever changed.

Once word was out that Southern comfort food was the new caviar — anything (literally, anything) was on the table. Cornbread, fried

chicken, alligator tail and gourmet shrimp-andgrit stations were seamlessly incorporated into the finest of place settings. Nationwide, skilled catering professionals began pouring themselves into mastering the art of hors d’oeuvres like fried green tomatoes and gourmet mac-n-cheese bites while pastry chefs and bakers concentrated on the sweeter points of Southern cookery, like the disheveled perfection of a deconstructed multi-tiered cake.

Though imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, according to locals in Northwest Florida there’s simply no substitute for the real thing.

And when it comes to Old South cuisine, this region’s offerings are authentic.

“Southern-inspired menus are consistent with the look and feel of (our) venues,” emphasized Andy Reiss, owner of Andrew’s Catering as well as Tallahassee’s two iconic restaurants, Andrew’s Capital Grill & Bar and Andrew’s 228.

“I love running with a theme,” he continued.

“If you’re going to get married under a big oak tree with Spanish moss hanging from it, don’t you think that a good fit would be to have a Southern-inspired, plantation-type menu?”

On that point, countless brides couldn’t agree more. As a result, the uptick in requests for Southern-styled menus is undeniable and has coaxed many service providers, including Andrew’s, to embrace this trend with open arms and conveniently customizable menu options.

“We’ve developed an entire Southern-inspired menu,” shared Reiss. “As soon as we hear (a buzz

word) or about a venue where these menus work so well, it’s not really a problem finding food that fits the bill.”

Along the Gulf Coast, the same rules apply.

“We’ve definitely seen an increase,” agreed Rachel Forman, event coordinator at Bud & Alley’s Waterfront Restaurants & Catering in Seaside. “People have been adding collard greens to their menus and gumbos. I think it gives guests coming from out of state a taste for our food down here and just a chance to try something new.”

While partygoers are sure to love the flavor, making mama’s favorites fit for a fantastic evening can be a bit of a challenge. Experts say the right amount of modernization mixed with some sassy verbiage on the menu front is crucial to making this cuisine taste and feel current.

“There’s a number of ways people can bring that Southern flair into their menu — especially being down here in the South,” said Sarah Ennis, lead event coordinator with Klassic Katering in Tallahassee.

“Southern weddings are definitely the trend,” she added. “But more than that, we want to incorporate our heritage and our upbringing into the event and to give it that true Southern charm.

“One way to do that is by incorporating some modern ingredients into Southern favorites.

Since the farm-to-table concept is really, really popular right now, it allows us to source the freshest local ingredients in order to modernize

Gwynemark Photography

Mari Darr~Welch

Courtesy Andrew's Catering

from coast to city to country

those Southern faExpert Tip “Outside vorites that a bride or of using the freshest couple might have had ingredients that you can find, presentation in their childhood. For is key.” – Robert example, chicken and Bulgarella, owner of waffles is something we Bistro Catering can do with a great local rosemary-infused honey.”

For styles that vary from the traditional (the plated or buffet), industry professionals are always finding fresh, creative ideas for food service the day of the event. Considering serving an appetizer of tomato soup and petite grilled cheese sandwiches? Have your catering company present them in champagne flutes for an interesting and sexy twist on an old-school favorite.

The options for this trend are endless and, thus far, it appears to be anything but fleeting. n

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Elizabeth Birdwell Photography

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NORTHWEST FLORIDA WEDDINGS & Honeymoon Destinations Footstone Photography

Elizabeth Birdwell Photography

Elizabeth Birdwell Photography

Shiloh Farm Chapel and Barn 


Amy Little Photography

Courtesy Shiloh Farm

Elizabeth Birdwell Photography

Courtesy Shiloh Farm

from coast to city to country

Shiloh Farm, Chapel and Barn is a beautiful, 65-acre venue on the outskirts of Tallahassee ideally situated where town meets country. A true storybook setting, this gem is perfectly equipped to create timeless memories. No matter the occasion, the charm of Shiloh’s climate-controlled barn, canopy oaks and open meadows, as well as the antique elegance of the 18th-century chapel, is sure to delight. And don’t miss the fairytale extras at the Rose Cottage!

Shiloh Farm Chapel and Barn

PHOTOS BY Amy Little Photography, Elizabeth Birdwell Photography, Footstone Photography

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Augusta Jones Blue by Enzoani Blush by Hayley Paige Casablanca Bridal Essense of Australia Love Marley Maggie Sottero Pronovias Watters Wtoo

Gowns start at $800.

Samples range from size 2 - 28. w w w.voc elle sbridal. c o m 1240 Thomasville Road Tallahassee, Florida (850) 841-7663

Photo credit: Blush by Hayley Paige

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making it happen

Sonja Revells Photography

In Northwest Florida, We Know Who’s Who

Hosting a beautiful wedding is a process greater than just the sum of its parts. When fate introduces a bride to vendors who understand the ins-and-outs of this industry, and are as eager about the big day as she is, then the stars have truly aligned.

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Terri Smith Photography

making it happen

Top Tips to Wedded Bliss Northwest Florida’s etiquette experts offer up their most utilized rules for wedding planning

By Leanne Castro // Illustration by Rebecca Sumerall

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You know it’s true — from the moment the two of you shared the news of your pending nuptials with family and friends you’ve been showered with all the love and light they could muster.

An unparalleled celebration, this season of romance, joy and laughter is perfectly designed to bring old friends together to create new, unforgettable memories. It’s a beautiful, once-in-alifetime kind of thing.

But remember, the wedding planning process is a delicate dichotomy. Along with all that love and bliss bestowed on you comes quite a bit of responsibility. When logistics come into play, there’s a lot of pressure and expectations thrust upon the happy couple. And the last thing you want is to offend someone dear to you.

Fear not, though. Professional etiquette experts like Elizabeth Redfearn of Redfearn Etiquette and John Gandy of John Gandy Events, have dedicated their lives to helping ease any sort of self-doubt that might be creeping into your mind right about now.

Here are their top 10 favorite tips for couples in the thick of planning.

making it happen

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When putting together seating arrangements for the reception dinner, try to be thoughtful in your assignments. Sure, your guests are there for you — but they’ll really enjoy themselves if you take the time to seat them next to someone you know they’ll hit it off with. For an added personal touch and to help conversations flow, try putting a fun fact on everyone’s place card. Write quick notes like, “The fellow on your right served in the Peace Corps,” or “Aunt Lou, the woman to your left, is famous for her apple pie.”

“You have to be concerned with making sure the people who are sitting next to each other will get along,” instructed Redfearn.

envelope. Ipso facto, if the child is invited to the wedding, his or her name will be included on the envelope. If it is not, well then, you get the idea. Gandy also noted the possibility of offering a babysitting service onsite for those attendees with children too young to be left alone.

can’t come at all, the gracious thing for the bride to do is to be understanding and not make them feel bad.”

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Another cost that accumulates during the wedding planning process is that of sending invitations. There are certain people in the bride and groom’s life — such as grandparents who live far away and are unable to travel — who you think it’s futile to send an invitation, knowing quite well they will not be able to attend. But experts urge couples to send out invitations as a courtesy to anyone they know would be honored to receive the memento as a keepsake.

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Erring on the side of inclusiveness with invitations is true when it comes to deciding who in the office to invite, as well. “My rule of thumb is that if you would go out to dinner with them, include them. If you’re inviting everyone but one person, that’s the sort of slight that you might not want to have,” Gandy said.

There are several options for who can walk the bride’s mother down the aisle. It could be her spouse, son or even the groom. Or it could be the head usher. The bride’s mother should be the last person to be seated before the ceremony starts.

3

A bride should give her guests until two weeks before the wedding to RSVP. Any time after that will risk complicating the catering company’s final head count.

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4

In this modern age, anybody can walk the bride down the aisle, be it her father, uncle or girlfriend.

“A lot of independent women,” explained Gandy, “want that to be their moment and they don’t want to be ‘given away.’ There are no rules now.”

5

Deciding whether to allow children to attend the ceremony and reception is a touchy subject. Both Redfearn and Gandy have encountered countless instances involving wedding guests who took little heed to the wedding party’s request for no children.

To avoid coming off as abrasive by writing “no children allowed” on the invitation, Redfearn recommends including the names of every person invited on the invitation

6

Being a bridesmaid can get pretty expensive. Eventually, the costs of the luncheons, bridal showers and dresses start to add up. Due to this, Gandy shared, brides encounter bridesmaids backing out of their duties more often than one might think.

“A lot of people accept in the excitement of the moment and then they realize the expenses involved,” Gandy disclosed. “They can’t necessarily afford to do it. If somebody can’t afford to participate in your wedding but they’d still like to be a guest or if they

More and more women are getting married later in life or for a second or third time. With this change, some of the wedding traditions alter slightly. “Typically, the attire and bridal party size would change with a second or third wedding, or an older couple — but, to each his own,” Gandy said. He added that it is probably not appropriate to have a wedding registry for a second or third wedding. Redfearn echoed those sentiments as well. For these types of ceremonies, simplicity is often key.

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During the planning process, don’t rely exclusively on social media. For the millennial bride this can be a particular challenge, but in years to come you’ll be thrilled to have a physical copy of your wedding announcement instead of a link to a Facebook post. n

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making it happen

Vocelles The Bridal Shoppe

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A welcoming air of laid-back luxury fills the walls of Vocelles | The Bridal Shoppe. Crystal chandeliers and rows of exquisite bridal gowns give the boutique a feel of elegance — while the shop’s caring and compassionate stylists make sure each bride’s visit is always personal and fun. Expect an experience characterized by individual service, where brides and their guests are encouraged to peruse the shop’s collection of gowns from the industry’s most sought-after designers. Prices begin in the $800s and samples vary in size from 2 through 28. Conveniently set in the center of Tallahassee’s bustling Midtown district, Vocelles Bridal is the area’s leader in bridal fashion. PHOTOS BY Mi Amore Foto

NORTHWEST FLORIDA WEDDINGS & Honeymoon Destinations

Vocelles The Bridal Shoppe

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NORTHWEST FLORIDA WEDDINGS & Honeymoon Destinations

Steve Corbett Photography

Steve Corbett Photography

Courtesy of Klassic Katering

Terri Smith Photography

Klassic Katering

John Gallino Photography

Steve Corbett Photography John Gallino Photography

John Gallino Photography

Steve Corbett Photography

John Gallino Photography

making it happen

Taste can create powerful memories ­— and mastering the flavor of love is Karen Chapman’s specialty. The proprietor and heart behind Klassic Katering, Chapman and her crew of brilliant gourmets are known for creating mouthwatering fare, seasoned to perfection with equal parts experience, passion and sass. Always clued-in on the latest in culinary delights, there’s no event too grand nor too intimate for this capable company. From contract signing to days-end, Chapman’s chief concern is making sure the happy couple stays just that way — “I make the bride, my bride,” she says with a smile.

Klassic Katering

PHOTOS BY John Gallino Photography, Steve Corbett Photography, Terri Smith Photography, Courtesy Klassic Katering NORTHWEST FLORIDA WEDDINGS & Honeymoon Destinations 2015

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making it happen

john gandy events

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Attention to the details is what makes an already special wedding day truly magical. With an undeniable flair for bringing romance to life, John Gandy Events is perfectly poised to coordinate all of your matrimonial activities — leaving you free to delight in the day’s loving festivities completely worry free. Whether you’re aiming for rustic chic, Southern elegance or coastal charm, Gandy’s dedication to authentic style is unprecedented and his knowledge of a constantly evolving industry is utterly unmatched. PHOTOS BY Woodland Fields Photography

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john gandy events

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making it happen

john gandy events

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From lighting to seating, signage to silverware, every aspect of your wedding day warrants thought and care. Lucky for you, there’s already someone out there who has all the answers — John Gandy Events. Gandy’s team has curated thousands of hand-picked design elements from which to choose. With their eye for style and on-trend mindset, you’ll be sure to find exactly what you’re searching for, ensuring a beautiful, memorable day for not only you, but for your guests. PHOTOS BY Kay Meyer Photography

NORTHWEST FLORIDA WEDDINGS & Honeymoon Destinations

john gandy events

NORTHWEST FLORIDA WEDDINGS & Honeymoon Destinations 2015

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Bijoux

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Bijoux is one of the Emerald Coast’s most deliciously upscale dining and catering experiences. Appropriately nestled in the The Market Shops of Sandestin, the restaurant’s fresh, lush location makes it as well suited for a lively rehearsal dinner as it is an unforgettably elegant ceremony and reception destination. A truly one-of-a-kind venue, Bijoux is renowned for pairing Southern hospitality with fine French cuisine in a fun and intimate, yet sophisticated, atmosphere. And have you seen their wine list? Photos by Pure 7 Studios, Courtesy Flowers by Milk and Honey

NORTHWEST FLORIDA WEDDINGS & Honeymoon Destinations

Pure 7 Studios

Pure 7 Studios

Pure 7 Studios

Pure 7 Studios

Courtesy Flowers by Milk and Honey

making it happen

Pure 7 Studios

Courtesy Flowers by Milk and Honey

Pure 7 Studios

Bijoux

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Amy Riley Photography

Dream Gowns

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NORTHWEST FLORIDA WEDDINGS & Honeymoon Destinations

Amy Riley Photography

Leah Langely Photography

Leah Langely Photography

making it happen

There are few mementos of your special day that will last the test of time — your dress is one of them. In years to come, tangible items such as this will become symbols of love to you and your family. At Dream Gowns, located in sunny Panama City, they’re skilled in selecting timeless silhouettes for brides and bridesmaids that complement the individual, instead of blindly adhering to fleeting trends. The staff’s eye for fit and flair and the vastness of their collection — with over 1,500 gowns to choose from — lands Dream Gowns in a league that is very much all its own. PHOTOS BY Leah Langley Photography,

Dream Gowns

Amy Riley Photography NORTHWEST FLORIDA WEDDINGS & Honeymoon Destinations 2015

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NORTHWEST FLORIDA WEDDINGS & Honeymoon Destinations

Paul Johnson Photography

Pure 7 Studios

Hello Miss lovely

Hello Miss lovely

Fisher’s Flowers & Events

Hello Miss lovely

Erin Nicole Photography

Hello Miss lovely& Events

Paul Johnson Photography

making it happen

Twinkling lights and natural, ethereal style is the cornerstone for one of the region’s most-loved event companies — Fisher’s Flowers and Events. What started as a dream of a roadside flower cart for the Santa Rosa Beach-based creative geniuses quickly blossomed into something much, much more. An innovative and exciting floral and event design firm, Fisher’s Flowers is described by clients as “organic, fresh and perfect for the space.” PHOTOS BY Erin Nicole Photography,

Fisher’s Flowers & Events

Hello Miss lovely, Paul Johnson Photography, Pure 7 Studios

NORTHWEST FLORIDA WEDDINGS & Honeymoon Destinations 2015

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Courtesy ANDREW'S CATERING

Andrew’s Catering

Restaurateur Andy Reiss’ mouthwatering menus have been a hallmark in downtown Tallahassee for over 40 years. Bringing decades of culinary experience to Andrew’s Catering, Andy and his professional staff are constantly developing new and exciting menus that seamlessly fuse the richness of flavor and texture to complement the overall spirit of any event. With a fulltime event planner and catering director on staff, the Andrew’s team will make sure every detail of the big day is planned and executed to perfection. As a full-service caterer serving North Florida, Andrew’s Catering is well versed in handling any size group and menu style, from fun, casual finger fare to gourmet plated dinners served with élan.

Photos By J&J WEddings, COURTESY ANDREW’S Catering

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NORTHWEST FLORIDA WEDDINGS & Honeymoon Destinations

Courtesy ANDREW'S CATERING

Courtesy ANDREW'S CATERING

Courtesy ANDREW'S CATERING

J & J WEddings

Courtesy ANDREW'S CATERING

making it happen

making it happen

Nestled in the shadows of Florida’s Capitol sits Andrew’s 228, an avant-garde dining option with a tasteful, metro vibe.

Perfect for rehearsal dinners and small receptions — and, when you need to sneak away, a romantic dinner for two — this venue specializes in Modern Southern Cuisine. Designed to accentuate intimate conversation, Andrew’s 228 offers several dining areas that allow private events to enjoy the celebration at hand. Cheers. Photos COURTESY ANDREW’S 228

Andrew’s 228

NORTHWEST FLORIDA WEDDINGS & Honeymoon Destinations 2015

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making it happen Andrews & Arnsdorff Realty The perfect post-wedding adventure is waiting for you on the shores of the Emerald Coast — and the real estate gurus at Andrews & Arnsdorff Realty Inc. can help you capture it. With a firm understanding of the market, a love of the local culture and a keen eye for beachfront beauty, these experienced brokers, agents and managers pride themselves on “selling a lifestyle, not just a property.” Of course, they’ll let you rent one, too. aaflrealty.com

Realty & Rentals

Stacy’s Makeup and More When the biggest day of your life rolls around, make sure you’re putting your best face forward. Stacy’s Makeup and More boasts 18 years of professional experience and brings to the region a dedication to making each client look and feel utterly beautiful.

With an artistic approach to hair and makeup, a bride can be assured she will feel “naturally glamorous.” After all, looking good and feeling good aren’t really all that different. stacysmakeupandmore.com

Makeup Artistry

VIP Star Spotlight The bridal party and honored guests can arrive in style with the help of VIP Star Spotlight, a limousine service in Tallahassee.

With 15 years of trusted experience in the industry, Spotlight’s gorgeous fleet of Rolls-Royce luxury vehicles will facilitate the perfect entrance to your city or country wedding, or any other special event. bit.ly/vipstar

Limo Service

Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort Make memories to cherish for a lifetime at Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort. Offering the largest selection of luxurious venues on Northwest Florida’s Emerald Coast, Sandestin is the perfect backdrop for that special day. From sugary white sand beaches and lush green lawns, to elegant stately ballrooms and serene bayfront terraces, Sandestin can make your perfect wedding a dream come true. sandestin.com/flwed

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Resort & Venue

NORTHWEST FLORIDA WEDDINGS & Honeymoon Destinations

making it happen Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa Kissed by the warm salty breezes of the Gulf, Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa is the perfect choice for the couple in search of a timeless beach ceremony and an overall experience highlighted by unprecedented customer service on the beautiful Emerald Coast. Wedding guests will adore this spot for its understated glamour, convivial atmosphere and gorgeous amenities. This resort can deliver it all, from pre-wedding rituals to post-nuptial relaxation.

HiltonSandestinBeach.com

Resort & Venue

Serenity by the sea Spa Be sure to include a visit to Serenity by the sea Spa when planning your wedding weekend activities. The full-service spa at Hilton Sandestin Beach is the perfect place to relax away those pre-wedding jitters with a menu of massage, facial and body treatments. And a recent expansion to the Image Center allows the entire wedding party to enjoy a spa-style bridesmaid’s lunch as well as beautifying together with hair services, manicures and pedicures.

SerenitybytheseaSpa.com

Beauty & Spa

The Coastal Ballroom The newest addition to the event spaces at Hilton Sandestin Beach is the Coastal Ballroom, completed in spring 2015. The 7,500-square-foot space, which can be divided into three smaller sections, features an open-ceiling concept — it’s black with “clouds” that can give the appearance of a romantic starry night during your wedding festivities. The resort has 60,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor venues, so you’re sure to find the perfect spot for your ceremony, reception and other wedding gatherings.

HiltonSandestinBeach.com

Venue

Seagar’s Prime Steaks and Seafood When only the best will do, treat your guests to an event at Seagar’s, the only AAA-Four Diamond-rated steakhouse on the Emerald Coast. Private rooms are available for groups of all sizes, making the New York-style steakhouse perfect for everything from small family gatherings to elegant rehearsal dinners. Chef Dan Vargo will create a menu to suit your style, featuring Prime beef and fresh-from-the-Gulf seafood.

Seagar’s also features the largest wine list on the coast, with more than 600 labels to choose from.

Seagars.com

Restaurant & Catering

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making it happen Madison Social We all know that wedding celebrations extend far beyond The Big Day. Madison Social offers brides a unique and modern setting for engagement parties, bridal showers, rehearsal dinners and post-wedding brunches. With private event space for up to 100 and full offsite catering and bartending services, our professional event planning staff will help you with every detail on your way to “I Do.” madisonsocial.com

Restaurant & Catering

Bijoux The fresh, eclectic flavor of Destin’s award-winning restaurant Bijoux is a delightful way to move any event to the next level. With catering for all styles of special soirees, the culinary masterminds at Bijoux can customize their exquisite Gulf and French-inspired menu to fit any ambiance and taste preference.

Plus, their extensive wine lists and pairing expertise provide the final touch to already delicious occasions. bijouxdestin.com

Venue & Catering

Russell Rainey, DMD You’ve heard the saying, “a picture’s worth a thousand words.”

On your wedding day, it may as well be worth a million. Make sure your smile is at its brightest with the help of the skilled professionals at Dr. Rainey’s office in Tallahassee. Your smile — and the smiles of your entire wedding party — can be camera ready with their gentle whitening techniques. And don’t forget about Invisalign, the clear alternative to braces! drrainey.com

Cosmetic Dentistry

Zuutto Delight in the moments of your wedding every day by transforming your favorite photos into works of art that will last a lifetime. Simply upload a photo and Zuutto will create gallery wrap edged, canvas-style pieces beautifully printed in full-color archival inks. Each canvas will include readyto-hang hardware and will be shipped to your door — all at an extremely agreeable price point designed to fit every budget. zuutto.com

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Keepsakes

NORTHWEST FLORIDA WEDDINGS & Honeymoon Destinations

making it happen Bud & Alley's Overlooking the Gulf of Mexico in Seaside, Bud & Alley’s Waterfront Restaurant set the standard for culinary excellence along Scenic 30A since its founding in 1986. Bud & Alley’s has recently established Bud & Alley’s Catering Company in Grayton Beach, and is now offering on-site and off-site catering for all occasions, special events, corporate events and weddings. budandalleys.com

Restaurant & Catering

Governors inn Timeless elegance, expert service and an impressive address await guests at The Governors Inn. A premier, boutique hotel in Tallahassee’s downtown district, the Inn — along with its 41 stately rooms and ample gathering spaces — is as seamlessly matched for bridal party accommodations when the entire family is involved as it is a historic honeymoon for two. Posh, preppy and full of Southern-style hospitality, this gem is a favorite of socialites and dignitaries alike. thegovinn.org

D D

Hotel & Venue

Mike’s Limousine Service

Double Decker Bus Florida Largest

charter

bus in t

We have a limousine for every special occasion!

he USA

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Prevos

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doubledeckerbusflorida.com | 850-251-6453 Tallahassee • Gainesville • Jacksonville • Miami • Naples • Orlando • Panama City • Pensacola • Tampa • West Palm Beach • Southern Alabama NORTHWEST FLORIDA WEDDINGS & Honeymoon Destinations 2015

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Love

ceremonies • receptions • rehearsal dinners golf outings • bridal parties 4801 Highway 30A W | Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459 850.267.2305 | Vueon30a.com

All Photos Courtesy of Jubilee Photography or The Red Fly Studio

Bridal Registry • Gifts Wine • Furniture • Table Top Linens • Lamps • Fine Art Design Consultation • Shipping Available

Create your own oasis and surround yourself with what you

Love

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Distinctive, Timeless, Coastal Elegance for the Home

NORTHWEST FLORIDA WEDDINGS & Honeymoon Destinations

542 Harrison Avenue | Historic Downtown Panama City, FL 850.215.7542 | AvenueSea.com | avenueseapc@knology.net

Fisher’s Flowers is a boutique floral design firm specializing in weddings and special events. Our team tailors each design specific to the style and vibe of our clients. We have been grateful members of the 30A community since 2008.

fishersflowersandevents.com . 850.622.0056 416 S. County Hwy 393, Santa Rosa Beach . owners: Adam and Grove Fisher NORTHWEST FLORIDA WEDDINGS & Honeymoon Destinations 2015

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Follow your heart ... to the Emerald Coast.

Beach Dreaming? We can help.

We understand the market. Regardless of whether you are buying, selling, relocating, vacationing or just looking, our experienced brokers, agents and managers live here and work here for the same reason you are looking: the beautiful beaches and wonderful service by people who really care. The Emerald Coast is not just a spectacular location, it’s a long forgotten lifestyle.

Andrews & Arnsdorff Realty, Inc. is a full service real estate brokerage firm established to provide the Northwest Florida community a fresh positive approach to real estate services with experienced brokers, agents and managers dedicated to accomplishing success concerning all your real estate needs.

74 2015

NORTHWEST FLORIDA WEDDINGS & Honeymoon Destinations

aaflrealty.com Main Office

Vacation Office - Seagrove on the Beach

850.267.0050

800.732.4768

2129 S. Co. Hwy 83, Unit B Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459

5311 E. Co. Hwy 30-A, Ste. 4 Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459

850.422.0071

Your Happier Ever After...Our Pleasure

Start your ever after with the unique style and expertise this day truly deserves.

Relax at our poolside bar, savor delicious flavors at Juicy Blue bistro and sleep soundly in one of our luxurious, Four Comfort Beds.

-Free Parking -Free Wi-Fi -Fitness Center

-Free shuttle service downtown, to all university campuses and airport

- Heated pool -Breakfast, lunch, and dinner served daily

-7,000+ sq. ft. of meeting space -Fully renovated in 2012

Four Points by Sheraton Tallahassee Downtown | www.FourPointsTallahasseeDowntown.com

316 W. Tennessee Street, Tallahassee Florida 32301

NORTHWEST FLORIDA WEDDINGS & Honeymoon Destinations 2015

75

The SouthWood House

BEST GOLF COURSE

AN EXTRAORDINARY SETTING FOR YOUR SPECIAL DAY! Offering expansive amenities without sacrificing intimacy. We would love to share with you how our facilities, caring attitude and attention to detail align with your dreams.

3750 Grove Park Drive, Tallahassee, Florida 32311 • 850.942. GOLF (4653) • southwoodgolf.com

Welcomed like a friend, pampered like a guest Enjoy traditional Southern hospitality and personalized service just steps from the Capitol. The Governors Inn provides elegant rooms and suites with privacy and luxury located in the center of Tallahassee’s vibrant and historic downtown.

209 S. Adams St. | (850) 681-6855 | thegovinn.com 76 2015

NORTHWEST FLORIDA WEDDINGS & Honeymoon Destinations

Where amazing is unforgettable.

There’s nothing more romantic, more memorable or more private than a wedding aboard a gorgeous yacht on the Emerald Coast. The SOLARIS offers unparalleled value with in-house event planners, an award-winning culinary team and a variety of tailored wedding packages, beginning at $46 per person. Experience the best wedding venue in North Florida, six years running from the Knot, and the best wedding venue on the Emerald Coast, four years running as voted by the readers of Emerald Coast Magazine.

su n qu estcrui ses.com

|

850.650.2519

NORTHWEST FLORIDA WEDDINGS & Honeymoon Destinations 2015

77

C

reating weddings & events of your dreams

overlooking the beach or anywhere!

~

A legendary tradition in Seaside, FL for 29 years

C AT E R I N G

B ud & Alley’s Catering is happy to book your rehearsal dinner, wedding, corporate event or party of any kind.

Choose from one of our beautiful beachfront locations in Seaside, FL – Bud & Alley’s or the Pizza Bar. We also specialize in offsite catering at any place of your choosing.

To design the event of your dreams, contact Rachel Forman at rachel@budandalleys.com or call 850.460.5802

Your Chariot 0 Awaits!

A Picture Perfect Wedding Venue

On your day of magical moments, let Capital City Pedicabs provide our fun + unique Marriage Carriage — a charming twist on wedding transportation!

Bridal Party Transportion Shuttle Service for Guests Transport from Wedding to Reception a Newlywed Ride to Honeymoon Suite Serving Tallahassee + the Emerald Coast 850.597.2276 · capitalcitypedicabs.com events@capitalcitypedicabs.com @ccpedicabsllc 78 2015

NORTHWEST FLORIDA WEDDINGS & Honeymoon Destinations

Fort Walton Beach, Florida • 850-243-9161 • ramadafwb.com

Celebrate in Salty Florida!

Franklin County scenic beaches · landmark churches · idyllic parks · historic bed & breakfasts beachfront accommodations · championship golf · catering and photography fresh seafood · fishing · boating · hiking · unique shops · restaurants

Beach photos by Rollstad Photography

Discover more at SaltyFlorida.com/wed

Inn photos by Mari’s Paradise Images

Apalachicola · St. George Island · Carrabelle · Alligator Point

NORTHWEST FLORIDA WEDDINGS & Honeymoon Destinations 2015

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80 2015

NORTHWEST FLORIDA WEDDINGS & Honeymoon Destinations

Making her dreams come true

1355 Market Street | (850) 906-9213 | tallahaSSeediaMondS.coM NORTHWEST FLORIDA WEDDINGS & Honeymoon Destinations 2015

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resource guide Advertiser Index Andrews & Arnsdorff ������������������������������������������������������p. 68, 74 1732 W. County Rd. 30A, Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459 aaflrealty.com, (850) 267-0050 Andrew’s Catering �������������������������������������������������������������������p. 4, 5 228 S. Adams St., Tallahassee, FL 32301 andrewsdowntown.com, (850) 222-3444 Avenue Sea ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ p. 72 542 Harrison Ave., Panama City, FL 32401 avenuesea.com, (850) 215-7542 B-Boy Productions ����������������������������������������������������������������������p. 80 bboyproductions.com, (888) 825-0655 Bijoux ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������p. 14, 70 9375 Emerald Coast Pkwy., #22, Miramar Beach, FL 32550 bijouxdestin.com, (850) 622-0760 Bud and Alley’s Catering Company �������������������������������������������������������������p. 71, 78 2236 E. County Rd. 30A, Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459 budandalleys.com, (850) 460-5802 Capital City Pedicabs ���������������������������������������������������������������p. 78 capitalcitypedicabs.com, (850) 597-2276 Downtown Improvement Authority �����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������p. 30 106 E. Jefferson St., Tallahassee, FL 32301 sayidodowntown.com, (850) 224-3252 Dream Gowns ������������������������������������������� Inside Back Cover 619 Hwy 231, Panama City, FL 32405 shopdreamgowns.com, (850) 747-1362 Emerald Coast Convention & Visitors Bureau ������������������������������������������������������������������������������p. 3 1540 Miracle Strip Pkwy. SE Fort Walton Beach, FL 32548 emeraldcoastfl.com, (850) 651-7131 Fisher’s Flowers ����������������������������������������������������������������������������� p. 73 416 S. Hwy 393, Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459 fishersflowersandevents.com, (850) 622-0056 Four Points by Sheraton ��������������������������������������������������������p. 75 316 W. Tennessee St., Tallahassee, FL 32301 fourpointstallahasseedowntown.com, (850) 422-0071 Franklin County Tourist Development Council ��������������������������������������������������������������p. 79 SaltyFlorida.com/wed, (866) 914-2068 Governors Inn ��������������������������������������������������������������������������p. 71, 76 209 S. Adams St., Tallahassee, FL 32301 thegovinn.com, (850) 681-6855 Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa ������������������������������������������������������������������p. 8, 69 4000 Sandestin Blvd. S, Miramar Beach, FL 32550 sandestinbeachhilton.com, (850) 267-9604 John Gandy Events ����������������������������Inside Front Cover 3463 Garber Dr., Tallahassee, FL 32303 johngandyevents.com, (850) 570-5999 Klassic Katering �������������������������������������������������������������������������� p. 6, 7 2207 Bannerman Road, Tallahassee, FL 32312 klassickatering.com, (850) 894-0423 Madison Social ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������p. 70 705 S. Woodward Ave., #101, Tallahassee, FL 32304 madisonsocial.com, (850) 894-6276 Mike’s Limo & Charter Bus ���������������������������������������������������p. 71 3109 W. Tennessee St., Tallahassee, FL 32304 doubledeckerbusflorida.com, (850) 251-6453 82 2015

Rainey, Russell B, DMD �������������������������������������������������p. 70, 74 221 E. 7th Ave, Tallahassee, FL 32303 drrainey.com, (850) 385-3700 Ramada Plaza Beach Resort ��������������������������������������������p. 78 1500 Miracle Strip Pkwy. SE Fort Walton Beach, FL 32548 ramadafwb.com, (850) 243-9161 ResortQuest by Wyndham Vacation Rentals �������������������������Back Cover 546 Mary Esther Cut-Off NW, #3 Fort Walton Beach, FL 32548 nwflweddings.com, (888) 412-6408 Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort ���������������������������������������������������������������� p. 11, 68 9300 Emerald Coast Pkwy.

Miramar Beach, FL 32550 sandestin.com/flwed, (850) 267-6736 Shiloh Farm Chapel and Barn �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������p. 42 1500 Benjamin Chaires Rd., Tallahassee, FL 32317 shilohevents.com, (850) 766-5902 SouthWood Golf Club ��������������������������������������������������������������p. 76 3750 Grove Park Dr., Tallahassee, FL 32311 southwoodgolf.com, (850) 942-4653 Sunquest Cruises/Solaris ���������������������������������������������������� p. 77 P.O. Box 6948, Miramar Beach, FL 32550 sunquestcruises.com, (850) 650-2519 Stacy’s Makeup & More ����������������������������������������������������������p. 68 stacysmakeupandmore.com, (469) 867-0852 Tallahassee Diamond Center �������������������������������������������p. 81 1355 Market St, Tallahassee, FL 32312 tallahasseediamonds.com, (850) 906-9213 VIP Star Spotlight �������������������������������������������������������������������������p. 68 215 W. College Ave., Tallahassee, FL 32301 bit.ly/vipstar, (850) 345-7440 Vocelles | The Bridal Shoppe �������������������������������������������p. 48 1355 Market Street, Tallahassee, FL 32312 vocellesbridal.com, (850) 906-9213 Vue on 30a ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� p. 72 334 Golf Club Drive, Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459 santarosaclub.com, (850) 267-2229 Zuutto ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������p. 70 zuutto.com

Photographer Index Alena Bakutis Photography ��������������������������������������������������p. 9 alenabakutis.com, (850) 778-5370 Amy Little Photography ���������������������������������������������������������p. 47 amylittlephotography.com, (850) 625-8670 Amy Riley Photography �����������������������������������������������p. 62, 63 amyrileyphotography.com, (850) 819-9037 Amy Susi Photography ������������������������������������������������ p. 28, 29 susiphotography.com, (850) 797-5144 Barefoot Beach Weddings ��������������������������������������������������p. 24 barefootweddings.net, (850) 244-9277 Black & Hue Photography ������������������������������������������������Cover blackandhueproject.com, (850) 443-4796 Brittnay Therese Photography ��������������������������������������p. 33 brittnaytherese.com, (850) 461-6327 Callie Gardiner Photography �������������������������������� p. 20, 21 calliegardiner.com, (850) 259-5841

NORTHWEST FLORIDA WEDDINGS & Honeymoon Destinations

DEX Designs Photography ��������������������������������������������������p. 25 dexdesignsphotography.com, (850) 687-9575 Elizabeth Birdwell Photography ����������������������������������������������������������������������������p. 46, 47 elizabethbirdwell.com, (850) 544-1554 Elizabeth Davis Photography ������������������������������������������������������������������ p. 36-39, 43 elizabethdavisphoto.com, (850) 443-2956 Erin Nicole Photography ������������������������������������������������������p. 65 byerinnicole.com, (904) 345-0595 Footstone Photography ��������������������������������������������������������p. 46 footstonephotography.com, (352) 562-3066 Gwynemark Photography ���������������������������������������������������p. 45 gwynemarkphotography.com, (850) 376-3066 Hello Miss Lovely ������������������������������������������������������������������p. 64, 65 hellomisslovely.com, (850) 774-3041 J & J Weddings �����������������������������������������������������������p. 34, 35, 66 jandjweddings.com, (850) 933-6033 Jacqueline Ward Images ������������������������������������������������������p. 32 jacquelinewardimages.com, (850) 527-1205 Jan Ethridge Photography ���������������������������������������p. 22, 23 jcethridgephotography.com, (850) 758-0873 John Gallino Photography ��������������������������������������������������p. 55 johngallino.com, (201) 647-9161 Kansas Pitts Photography �����������������������������������������������������p. 15 kansaspitts.com, (850) 387-6016 Kay Meyer Photography ������������������������������������p. 31, 34-36, 39, 58, 59 kaymeyerphotography.com, (850) 894-4529 Leah Langley Photography ������������������������������������������������p. 63 leahlangley.com, (407) 506-8660 Lewis Johnson Photography ���������������������������������������������p. 41 lejphotography.com, (850) 583-0040 Mari Darr~Welch, Modern Photojournalist ��������������������������������������������������p. 9, 45 maridarrwelch.com, (850) 699-3403 Mi Amore Foto ������������������������������������������������������������������������p. 52, 53 miamorefoto.com, (904) 545-0432 Michael Allen Photography �������������������������������������p. 26, 27 michaelallenphotography.com, (931) 674-1115 Paul Johnson Photography ��������������������������������������������������������������������������� p. 64, 65 pauljohnsonphoto.com, (850) 832-4309 Pure 7 Studios ��������������������������������������������p. 9, 19, 60, 61, 64, pure7studios.com, (877) 865-PURE (7873) Red Stone Photos ��������������������������������������������������������������������������p. 21 redstonephotos.com, (850) 585-5535 Sonja Revells Photography ��������������������������������������������������p. 49 sonyarevellsphotography.com, (415) 913-9597 Steve Corbett Photography ������������������������������������p. 54, 55 stevecorbett.com, (850) 443-5980 Terri Smith Photography ��������������������������������������������p. 50, 54 terrismithphoto.com, (850) 321-5609 Woodland Fields Photography ����������������������������������������������������������������������������p. 56, 57 woodlandfieldsphotography.com, (850) 559-1095

850.747.1362 619 hwy. 231 Panama City, FL shoPdreamgowns.Com

Your perfect day, your way...

Have you been dreaming of a beach wedding with sugar-white sand and emerald green water as your backdrop? ResortQuest by Wyndham Vacation RentalsÂŽ is here to turn that dream into a reality! From private beach homes to luxurious Gulf-front condos, we provide beautiful accommodations, plus a variety of event space along Northwest Florida beaches. We even have partnerships with experienced wedding planners to make planning your special day stress-free.

What are you waiting for? Call us or visit our website today to book the wedding of your dreams on our Emerald Coast!

Call or visit us online for more information!

(888) 412-6408 \ NWFLWeddings.com Best Property Management Company

Best Vacation Rental Firm

Š2014 Wyndham Vacation Rentals North America, LLC. 14 Sylvan Way, Parsippany, NJ 07054. Wyndham Vacation Rentals and related marks are registered trademarks and/or service marks in the United States and internationally. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA.

#FollowUsToTheBeach 2009 - 2014

2013 & 2014

spo n so r ed r epo r t

WOMEN’S

PROFESSIONAL

PROFILES

Women at Work What better time than March’s Women’s History Month to shine the spotlight on some of Tallahassee’s most accomplished female professionals? The U.S. Department of Labor reports that women comprise 47 percent of the national workforce — and more than 50 percent in the skilled professions. In this special section, we’re honoring the contributions of women in the workforce by sharing the career highlights of talented professionals from our area. Prepare to be impressed. tallahasseeMagazine.com March–April 2015

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WOMEN’S

PROFESSIONAL

PROFILES

Sarah Henning { I am a native Tallahassean having graduated from Leon High School and Florida State University. After graduating I worked for several years in politics. It was only after a friend spoke with me about a career in real estate that it all came together. I joined a boutique brokerage in 2005 and then set off to form my own real estate team in 2009. Best Move Home Sales was born out of a desire to help my customers achieve their goals with the best and most consistent customer service experience possible.

My partner and I were named the No. 3 Real Estate Team by the Tallahassee Board of Realtors in 2014.

Best Move Home Sales’ philosophy is perfecting our “One Thing.”

After collectively selling more than $65 million in real estate, my partner and I realized that to do the best for our customers, we each had to stick to what we did best. Best Move Home Sales

Best Move Home Sales

has expanded over the years to consist of a Listing Specialist, Buyers Specialist, Marketing & Listing Coordinator, Executive Assistant, Short Sale Coordinator, Listings Manager, Professional Photographer and Closing Coordinator. With each of us focusing on our “One Thing,” we can offer consistent systems and communication for both buyers and sellers, which is the key to a successful transaction.

In addition to my passion for real estate, my husband and I have 7-year-old twins, Harper and Granger. I also serve as PTO Secretary, Business Partner at Killearn Lakes Elementary, District Team Member for Alpha Delta Pi sorority and most recently as “Cookie Mom” for my daughter’s Girl Scout troop. Being an active member in the life of my family and the community I grew up in are so important to me.

Contact (850) 668-5333 | BestMoveHomeSales.com | Sarah@BestMoveHomeSales.com | 1520 Killearn Center Blvd.

198 March–April 2015

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spo n so r ed r epo r t

WOMEN’S

PROFESSIONAL

PROFILES

Hill, Spooner & Elliott Real Estate The process of selling or buying a home in today’s real estate market can be a challenge — and finding the right agent(s) can be even more challenging. Here’s an inside look at what makes The Hill Spooner & Elliott Team the right choice for you.

The unique advantage offered to those who choose to work with The Hill Spooner & Elliott Team is evident right from the start.

This dynamic group of women is composed of three individually talented agents with combined 50-plus years of experience, who bring a broad range of perspective and knowledge to the sales and marketing experience. Collectively working for you, this trio really outshines the competition.

Calynne Hill brings to this group a wealth of expertise gained from her 26 years selling real estate in the Tallahassee market.

Calynne’s sphere of influence is vast given the client relationships she has cultivated over time and is only further enriched by her consistent involvement within the community. Maintaining excellent communication is one of the most imperative things you can do to be successful in this business today, and our team strives to exemplify the value added to our customer relationships.

Calynne utilizes her network to ensure our company and our

listings are always well exposed, leading to a continuous stream of satisfied customers.

Hettie Spooner is the Broker/Owner at Hill Spooner & Elliott, Inc. and she brings boundless ambition and energy to the group, which has propelled our team to be consistently innovative in all phases of our business. She drives our team to discover new and progressive practices which have taken us to the forefront of the market when it comes to technology and marketing, two key components that allow us to remain a sales leader among Tallahassee agents. Hettie has played a key role in cultivating these skills at a pace that allows us to stay ahead of the curve and retain a high level of success in an ever-changing business.

Lindsay Elliott, another Tallahassee native, worked with Hill Spooner & Elliott as an assistant for years before becoming a partner. She communicates well with clients and is particularly adept at explaining the ins and outs of real estate contracts and the process. Her intelligence, coupled with a vivacious personality, makes her a pleasure to work with, both as partner and as an agent. Her experience and knowledge is greatly valued among her team and her peers.

Contact (850) 907-2051 | HillSpooner.com | webmail@hillspooner.com | 2001 Thomasville Road

tallahasseeMagazine.com March–April 2015

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sponsored report

WOMEN’S

PROFESSIONAL

PROFILES

FIT Weight Loss & More Stephanie Jansen & K. Glenda Cato

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST BUSINESS SUCCESS? “No doubt,” says Stephanie, “it is seeing life back in the faces of men and women who have shed unwanted pounds — pounds that have prevented them from living the full lives they so deserve.” Glenda says, “I love seeing their waists getting smaller and their smiles getting bigger.”

AS WOMEN, HAS IT BEEN A CHALLENGE TO GROW A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS? Actually, we get so much support from this community, it has been great. In fact, we do everything we can to give back to our community. Sure, there are the realities of being business owners, but the rewards of our clients’ successes far outweigh the challenges.

HOW DOES YOUR BUSINESS AFFECT YOUR PERSONAL LIVES? We certainly have to practice what we preach. It doesn’t look good if someone sees us out gorging on pizza and nachos. Seriously, though, being healthy means being mindful for a lifetime. This is how we live and what we share with our clients. Our motto is “Inspiration Starts Here,” and this is true. However, much of the inspiration comes from the phenomenal people who walk through our doors each and every day.

Contact (850) 385-1105 | FITWeightLossAndMore.com | 1909 Capital Circle N.E.

Diana Cureton Hancock Bank

As a child, growing up in a military family, I moved many times and learned to adapt easily to new locations. Now, as an adult, I’ve put down roots in Tallahassee and claim this as my cherished home.

I am honored to be a part of this vibrant city and I appreciate the unique business community and the nonprofit organizations that support Tallahassee. I enjoy giving back to my home community in my professional role as Vice President of Private Banking at Hancock Bank, as well as through volunteerism. I currently serve on the board of the March of Dimes and actively volunteer for the American Heart Association’s Heart Walk and Heart Ball, and the United Way of the Big Bend. For me, giving back to the community is rewarding.

I’ve been in banking for over 20 years, and I’m especially proud that Hancock Bank takes its role in the community as seriously as I do. In addition to the bank’s many philanthropies, we recently began hosting quarterly health care roundtables. We brought together city governance, hospitals, insurance agencies and local private practices to work toward our goal of creating a healthier Tallahassee. Our partnerships with these organizations, as well as with the United Way of the Big Bend and the Greater Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce, help strengthen our community. At Hancock Bank we embrace a Commitment to Service, and I am so proud to be a part of the team.

Contact (850) 325-3159 | hancockbank.com | 2453 Mahan Dr. 200 March–April 2015

tallahasseeMagazine.com

100+ musicians

35+ authors

4 stages

1 unforgettable weekend

View Artists and Schedule at: www.WordofSouthFestival.com

/WordOfSouthFestival /WordOfSouthFest tallahasseeMagazine.com March–April 2015

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&

Thank you for making us Tally’s Top ChoiCe!

elegant creative unique d istinctive

eclectic home & couture 850-727-4834 2030-5 Thomasville Road

info@klassickatering.com | klassic-katering.com 850.894.0423 | 850.509.5005 (mobile)

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$48

Melody Steck

Gameday to Everyday 850.727.5758

815 W. Madison St. B110

1st Place - Overall Winner of

2013 & 2014

PRESENTING SPONSOR: RUSSELL B. RAINEY, D.M.D.

919 North Monroe Street, Tallahassee, Florida 32303 850.224.3917 ArdansSalon.com GIFT CERTIFICATES AVAILABLE JoIn uS on FACEBook 202 March–April 2015

tallahasseeMagazine.com

Your Guide to the 47th Annual

Springtime Tallahassee Festival & Parade

2015

Springtime Tallahassee 2015 1

WELCOME

INSIDE YOUR GUIDE Springtime Tallahassee Partners................5 Schedule of Events...........................................6 Rosemary Wampler, General Chairman & Tim Jansen, President

Music Festival......................................................9 Krewes.................................................................... 11

Tim Jansen and Rosemary Wampler

W

elcome to the 47th Springtime Tallahassee festival! This year’s theme is “Sweet Home Tallahassee” in honor of the many people, past and present, who made a commitment to establish, and save, Tallahassee as the Capitol of Florida.

We want to thank each of you for your participation in the past and invite you to join us this year in our Springtime Tallahassee Festival. We welcome our community members and out-of-town visitors and hope you enjoy our city and our event as much as we enjoy celebrating springtime in Tallahassee.

The festival includes a lot of fun for families and friends. New this year, the weekend celebration will kick off Friday night with a Music Festival on Kleman Plaza. The inaugural free Music Festival will feature one of country music’s hottest tours, the Eli Young Band and two opening acts. A beer garden and food vending will be available for purchase. On Saturday, our Jubilee in the Park winds its way through downtown Tallahassee offering a variety of sights, sounds and activities. There is music, food, arts and crafts, a children’s park and community entertainment. The Grand Parade steps off at 10:30 a.m. and is one of the largest and most celebrated parades in the Southeast.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank our many sponsors as well as our Springtime members, whose hundreds of volunteer hours help to make the Festival weekend a huge success. Please honor our sponsors by visiting their booths and appreciating their services. We thank all of you who have given your time and financial support to make Springtime Tallahassee one of the top 20 events in the 12 Southeastern states and 2014 Best Community Event by the readers of Tallahassee Magazine.

Please join us this year to experience true Southern hospitality and take advantage of all the charm our city has to offer. Celebrate Sweet Home Tallahassee, in the “city where Spring begins.”

2 Springtime Tallahassee 2015

Andrew Jackson............................................... 12 Title Sponsor...................................................... 13 Belles and Gents.............................................. 15

“Sweet Home Tallahassee” Logo Design:

Tricia Wilham, Springtime Tallahassee Member Published By:

Rowland Publishing, Inc. Portrait Photography:

Long’s Photography Title Sponsor:

Tobacco Free Florida

Springtime Tallahassee would like to thank Tallahassee Magazine for their time and effort while putting together this year’s Festival Guide. Thank you for your hard work!

Photo by Long’s Photography

President and General Chairman’s Welcome

next you’ll be saying #IHEARTTALLY too.

March 6-8th Red Hills Horse Trials • March 28th Springtime Tallahassee April 11-12th Word of South Festival • April 11th FSU Spring Game • April 11 FAMU Spring Game April 17-19th Southern Shakespeare Festival • April 18-19th LeMoyne Chain of Parks Art Festival

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Springtime Tallahassee 2015 3

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Springtime Tallahassee 2015 5

Schedule of Springtime Tallahassee Festival Events 2015 March 11 Breakfast in the Park

6:30–10:00 a.m., Downtown Tallahassee, Bloxham Park Join us for a delicious old-fashioned breakfast downtown while mingling with old friends.

Tickets are $8 and can be purchased in advance or at the event.

March 27 Music Festival on Kleman Plaza 6:00–10:30 p.m., Kleman Plaza Join us on Kleman Plaza for an exciting musical lineup featuring country music’s Eli Young Band. Unwind under the night sky, savoring the juicy treats of food vendors while awaiting an evening of entertainment and enjoying the beer garden.

March

28

March 28 Grand Parade

Musical Guests

10:30 a.m.–noon, Monroe Street Being one of the largest parades in the Southeast, the Springtime Tallahassee Grand Parade needs no introduction. Come see over 100 colorful units and floats, marching bands, dance groups, Springtime Krewe floats and much more!

March 28

Community Stage Noon–5 p.m.

The Tallahassee Ballet 12:00–12:25 p.m.

Young Actors Theatre 12:35–1 p.m.

Killearn Kids Dance Troupe 1:10–1:35 p.m.

Trousdell Dance Team 1:45–2:10 p.m.

Excellence Dance Studio 2:20–2:30 p.m.

The Women’s Bellydance Center 2:40–3:05 p.m.

The Bardlings–Southern Shakespeare Festival 3:15–3:40 p.m.

Good Sam Arts Dance Team & Show Choir 3:50–4:15 p.m.

The Mobile Dance Co 4:25–4:50 p.m.

March 28 Jubilee in the Park

9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., Downtown Tallahassee With more than 200 arts, craft and food vendors from around the country this event is represented by some of the best.

You can expect artists displaying original, handmade masterpieces, and find cuisine with international flavors to ignite anyone’s taste buds!

Rock/Jazz/Blues Stage 11:30 a.m.–5 p.m.

Second Time Arounders 11:30 a.m.–12:00 p.m.

Swingin Harpoon Blues Band 12:00–12:50 p.m.

Michael Miller Band 1:20–2:10 p.m.

Wanderfoot 2:40–3:30 p.m.

Shiner’s Moon 4:00–5:00 p.m.

March 28 Children’s Park

9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., Downtown Tallahassee This fantastic day of fun-filled activities includes face painting, clowns, sirens and a host of other magical experiences that provide culture, education and recreation for the whole family!

This magical area will be sure to unleash the imagination of all ages. Springtime Tallahassee and Tobacco Free Florida are working together to reduce your child’s exposure to secondhand smoke.

The Children’s Park is designated a TOBACCO-FREE ZONE.

6 Springtime Tallahassee 2015

march

28

Grand Parade Reviewing Stands

9:30 a.m.

Tallahassee Community College’s Capital City Band

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Friday, March 27 @ 6:00 p.m.

Music Festival & BEer Garden

Eli Young Band

March 27, 6:00–10:30 P.M., KLEMAN PLAZA

Join us on Kleman Plaza at the Music Festival for an exciting musical lineup featuring country music’s Eli Young Band. Unwind at the Beer Garden as we ROCK the plaza for this free festival event!

6:00 p.m. – Beer Garden Opens (wine available) 6:00 p.m. – Opening Acts

9:00 p.m. – Eli Young Band • Best known for numerous No. 1 hits such as “Dust,” “Drunk Last Night,” “Even If It Breaks Your Heart” and “Crazy Girl”

• Nominated for CMA Vocal Group of the Year • Academy of County Music Winner for Song of the Year for hit song “Crazy Girl”

• CMA and AMC nominees for Single of the Year and Song of the Year for hit song “Even It If Breaks Your Heart”

• Grammy Nominees for Best Duo/Group Performance and Best Song of the Year

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Springtime Tallahassee 2015 9

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PRESENTS

MEET THE

KREWE CHIEFS

2015: Women of Interest Please join our spring luncheon speaker series Featured speakers are accomplished women who have answered the call of leadership in their personal and professional lives who will inspire us with their insight and stories.

Thursday, February 26 Elmira Mangum, Ph.D. President Florida A&M University SOLD OUT

Spanish Krewe Krewe Chief Sean and Whitney Marston

American Territorial Krewe Chief John and Sherry Gatlin

Wednesday, March 11 Nancy Carter, Ph.D. Senior Advisor Catalyst, Inc.

PhotoS COURTESY Long’s Photography

Friday, March 27 Sierra Bender Women’s Empowerment Coach and Consultant

Antebellum Krewe

War and Reconstruction

Krewe Chief Fred and Lori Varn

Cristy and Krewe Chief Jon Stout

Friday, April 10 Representative Gwen Graham 2nd District of Florida, U.S. House of Representatives Friday, May 15 Kim Rivers Principal Inkbridge Moderator: Cheryl Rowland Benefitting the Women’s Programs at Oasis Center for Women & Girls Pre-registration Required To purchase tickets or tables go to tallahasseemagazine.com/A-Day-of-Dialogue/ ALSO SPONSORED BY

20th Century Krewe Karen and Krewe Chief Brian Flynn

Springtime Tallahassee 2015 11

ANDREW AND RACHEL JACKSON ANDREW & RACHEL

JACKSON

Manny Gonzalez, Andrew Jackson XLIII & Pat Greene, Rachel Jackson

12 Springtime Tallahassee 2015

Andrew Jackson’s Staff

Rachel Jackson’s Staff

Photos by Long’s Photography

Andrew Jackson History To promote the rich history of our community, Springtime Tallahassee annually selects two members to portray Andrew Jackson and his wife, Rachel. They serve, together with the President and the General Chairman, as representatives of the organization. Andrew Jackson was chosen as a representative of Springtime Tallahassee because of his service to Florida as the first provisional governor in 1821. He later became the seventh president of the United States.

The Andrew Jackson Staff is composed of members of the five Krewes, selected by each Krewe for a five-year active term. The Staff is a marching unit and participates not only in the Springtime Parade, but also in a number of festivals throughout Florida and other states.

TOBACCO FREE FLORIDA: Free Services that May Double Your Chances of Quitting for Good

T

here are plenty of reasons to quit tobacco. Smoking is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States. It harms nearly every organ of the body. But the good news is that if you quit now you can help reverse the damage. You can even add up to 10 years to your life expectancy if you quit smoking.

Here are some of the health benefits of quitting: §§ Three months after you quit smoking, your lung function improves up to 30 percent. §§ One year after you quit smoking, your risk of a heart attack is cut in half. §§ Five years after you quit smoking, your risk of mouth, throat, esophagus, and bladder cancer is cut in half. Your risk of cervical cancer falls to that of a nonsmoker’s. §§ Ten years after you quit smoking, your risk of dying from lung cancer is about half that of a smoker’s. §§ Fifteen years after you quit smoking, your risk of coronary heart disease is that of a nonsmoker’s.

Quitting tobacco can be difficult; but it is not impossible. In fact, there are more

people in Florida who have quit smoking than there are current smokers.

The Florida Department of Health’s Tobacco Free Florida program offers residents free and proven-effective services that can double your chances of quitting. These services can help you make a quit plan and see it through. Free nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) is available while supplies last and if medically appropriate.

Those who have tried to quit in the past but have relapsed are encouraged to try again. Most former smokers make several attempts before quitting permanently.

Having a comprehensive and personalized quit plan increases your chance of success.

A successful quit plan should also include consultation with a health care provider.

Tobacco Free Florida’s Team Up to Quit initiative encourages health care providers to support patients who need help quitting and to refer them to the free resources available in the state. Tobacco users who discuss ways to quit with their health care providers are ultimately more successful in their quit attempts.

If you are a health care provider and would like to learn more, please visit tobaccofreeflorida.com/healthcare.

Tobacco Free Florida offers 3 Free & Easy Ways to Quit:

CALL: Call the Florida Quitline at 1-877-U-CANNOW to speak with a Quit Coach® who will help you assess your addiction and help you create a personalized quit plan.

CLICK: Tobacco Free Florida’s online cessation tool can be accessed at tobaccofreeflorida.com/ webcoach.

COME IN: Local faceto-face help is available through the Area Health Education Centers.

Find one near you at tobaccofreeflorida.com/ ahec.

For more information about these free resources, visit tobaccofreeflorida.com.

Springtime Tallahassee 2015 13

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BELLES AND GENTS OF SPRINGTIME TALLAHASSEE 2015 MEET THE

SPRINGTIME COURT

Photos by Long’s Photography

Clockwise from top left: Miss Springtime, Lauren Cramer, and Mr. Springtime, Ryan McQuaig; Springtime Tallahassee Jr. Belles and Gents Group; Springtime Tallahassee Belles and Gents Group; Miss Congeniality, Hannah Mahdavi, and Mr. Congeniality, Jake Murray

Belles and Gents Springtime Tallahassee’s Belles and Gents program is made up of young men and women from grades 9 through 12.

Throughout the year, the Belles and Gents develop poise, proper etiquette and self confidence while studying the history and traditions of Florida, Springtime Tallahassee and the city of Tallahassee. Along with learning about our history, the Belles and Gents participate in several community projects that give back to our community. Springtime Tallahassee is very proud of the Belles and Gents and the wonderful way they care about our community.

Springtime Tallahassee 2015 15

Saturday, March 21 9 aM–3 pM At proctor SubAru • 1707 cApitAl circle Ne preSenting SponSor All Pets (and their people) are invited to Tallahassee Magazine’s 11th annual Pets and Their People event. Have your photo taken by Tallahassee Magazine with an opportunity to be featured in the July/August issue!

But that’s not all...

Enjoy the build-your-own bloody mary bar, mimosa bar, brunch, live music, local vendors, art, hands-on activities, giveaways and more!

SponSored By

16 Springtime Tallahassee 2015

» Agenda Awards and Accolades

▪ Gov. Rick Scott and Volunteer Florida CEO Chester Spellman recently recognized Tallahassee’s Debra Trent and Stefon Gavin of 50 Large with the Champions of Service Award. Trent and Gavin are tutors with the 50 Large program, a Leon County Schools effort to match at-risk youth with coaching and support mentors. The purpose is to break the cycle of multiple discipline referrals, suspensions and truancy.

Gavin is a peer tutor and mentor to the young men in 50 Large and helps them make healthy choices as they face the challenges of daily life. Trent works with 50 Large students to provide academic support, focused mentoring, character development and life skills.

▪ For the third year in a row, Dan Parisi, director of new business development at Rowland Publishing Inc. has been named Top Producer in overall advertising sales at the regional publishing house. In 2014, he sold the highest dollar volume Parisi for two of the company’s flagship publications, Tallahassee Magazine and 850 — The Business Magazine of Northwest Florida.

▪ E. Edward Murray, Jr., CCIM at NAI TALCOR, has achieved the prestigious SIOR Office designation from the Society of Industrial and Office Realtors, a Washington, D.C.-based international professional organization of more than 3,000 commercial real estate professionals, 2,800 of whom have earned the coveted SIOR designation. Individuals who hold the SIOR designation are top producers in the commercial real estate field and are represented in more than 630 cities in 29 countries around the world. To achieve the SIOR designation, Murray completed at least five years of creditable experience in the highly specialized field of real estate leasing at NAI TALCOR; met stringent education requirements; and demonstrated professional ability, competency, ethical conduct and personal integrity.

Photos courtesy individuals pictured

Economy ▪ U.S. Rep. Gwen Graham and the Greater Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce recently sat down to talk about issues affecting local businesses and the community at large in the capital city. The roundtable discussion took place during a meeting of the Chamber’s Business Advocacy Committee and covered topics such as health care, enhancing research and training programs, the importance of local highereducation institutions and federal support for projects that will create jobs.

Nick Williams/Greater Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce

Aegis

▪ Aegis Business Technologies took home several honors at Tallahassee Society of Association Executives’ annual event, including Supporting Organization of the Year; and Aegis Account Manager Garrett Lucas took home the trophy for Associate of the Year.

U.S. Rep. Gwen Graham addresses the Greater Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce’s Business Advocacy Committee.

▪ Silver Airways is now offering service between Tallahassee Regional Airport and Fort Lauderdale International Airport, and an additional flight to Orlando International Airport as well. “Fort Lauderdale is one of our top three destinations. We are happy to work with our partner, Silver Airways, as we continue to enhance the intrastate services offered at TLH,” Director of Aviation Chris Curry said. “Nonstop, daily flights between Fort Lauderdale and Orlando will provide the residents in our community with greater connectivity within the state.” Silver Airways is one of three major commercial air carriers servicing the Tallahassee market, along with American Airlines and Delta Air Lines.

Appointments and Transitions ▪ Jeremy L. Susac, a partner with the Florida business law firm Berger Singerman, is now a member of the Florida Energy System Consortium advisory board.

Susac is a member of Berger Singerman’s Government and Regulatory Team, and his practice focuses on energy and environmental law and water/wastewater regulation. Based in the firm’s Tallahassee office, Susac has extensive experience with regulations governing entities subject to the jurisdiction of the Florida Public Service Commission, Florida Department of Environmental Protection and Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

▪ Leon County Administrator Vincent S. Long is now president-elect of the newly formed Florida Association of County Managers Inc. The FACM is a professional association of chief executive officers created to address common challenges and opportunities that affect county governments. County managers from throughout the state recently attended the Florida Association of Counties (FAC) Legislative Conference in Tampa to formally establish the FACM as an affiliate of the FAC.

▪ Heather Mitchell, formerly president and CEO of United Way of the Big Bend, is now vice president for resource development at Tallahassee Community College and executive director of the TCC Foundation.

▪ Shannon Wood is now a mortgage loan consultant for Gulf Winds Federal Credit Union. Wood’s job is to work with Realtors and business leaders throughout the community to promote the mortgage division’s loan products and services. Wood has Wood more than 10 years of experience in the credit union industry. Before joining Gulf Winds, Wood worked for nearly five years as assistant vice president of the Home Loan Department at Envision Credit Union.

▪ Brett Cyphers of Tallahassee has been named the new executive director of the Northwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board. Cyphers previously served as the assistant executive director since June 2012 and replaced Jon Steverson, who has been appointed as secretary of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Cyphers is a veteran of the U.S. Army and Florida National Guard and holds a degree from Florida State University.

▪ The Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association’s Tallahassee Chapter recently installed new officers for 2015. The installation took place at the Versi Lounge in the 101 Restaurant in December. The new officers are President Sam McKay of Staybridge Suites; Vice President of Restaurants Mike Schmidt of The Egg Café & Eatery; Vice President of Lodging Michelle Wilson of Hampton Inn & Suites; Treasurer Emily Johnson-Truitt of Springhill Suites; and Secretary Russell Daws of Tallahassee Museum. The chapter also swore in a new board of directors: Adam Corey of 101 Restaurant,

tallahasseeMagazine.com March–April 2015

219

» Agenda Clint Brewer of Republic National Distributing, Ernie Moses of Candlewood Suites, Wade Shapiro of Legacy Insurance Solutions, Steve Adams of ClubCorp of America, Jon Sweede of 101 Restaurant, Bo Schmitz of Four Points by Sheraton Tallahassee Downtown, Jonathan Brashier of Aloft Tallahassee Downtown and Amanda Morrison of Madison Social.

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▪ Congratulations to the 2015 Knight Creative Communities Institute Community Catalyst Class: Paige Carter-Smith, Fran Conaway, Ashley Daniels, Brad Johnson, Stefanie Kiedrowski, Jack Levine, Lucas Lindsey, Joseph Lowder, Christine Nieves, the Rev. Robert Streater, Alana Taylor, Krishnan Viswanathan and Gayle Webb. KCCI brings together a diverse group of visionaries who implement “sense of place” projects to retain, attract and harness talent, increase entrepreneurship and enhance Tallahassee’s economic mobility.

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▪ Michael Anway, former Health and Human Services policy coordinator for Gov. Rick Scott, has joined Holland & Knight’s Florida Government Advocacy Team as senior policy adviser in Tallahassee. Anway will advise health-care industry clients, including Medicaid vendors and providers; pharmaceutical, medical device and biotechnology companies; hospitals and research institutions; and technology companies on government relations strategies.

▪ Rachel Luoma, MS, CAE and John Ricco, MPA, CAE are two of the newest vice presidents of Partners in Association Management. Each vice president is responsible for specific strategic endeavors that assist partners with business development and workforce infrastructure. The company provides full-service management to over 16 state, regional and national not-for-profit organizations and also provides consulting/project management services to a similar clientele.

▪ Thomas Howell Ferguson P.A. welcomes manager Lori Martin, CPA, and staff member Taylor Harmon to the Assurance Services Department.

Martin has almost 10 years of experience with assurance, consulting, tax and other accounting services.

Martin Harmon Martin is also a certified anti-money laundering specialist, a member of the Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists. Harmon is experienced in tax preparation for corporations, partnerships, individuals and not-for-profit organizations, as well as audit procedures for government agencies, not-for-profit organizations and construction companies.

Good Works ▪ Sweat Therapy Fitness hosted a “Super SweatFest” at its Midtown studio in Tallahassee to raise money for the local Big Bend chapter of Girls on the Run. More than 40 people participated and raised a total of $550.

Girls on the Run of the Big Bend is part of a network of more than 200 nonprofit councils across the country. Kim and Brian Bibeau, owners of Sweat Therapy Fitness, presented the donation check to Ericka McKibbin of Girls on the Run. In other Sweat Therapy news, Kim Bibeau was named as an ambassador for PTontheNet, a website devoted to the international community of fitness professionals. She will serve as the personal trainer’s voice via PTontheNet blogs, social media and forums throughout 2015.

▪ Gulf Winds Federal Credit Union donated $20,000 to America’s Second Harvest of the Big Bend this past Christmas season to help put groceries on the table for folks during a tough time of year. America’s Second Harvest has worked for more than 30 years serving those in need.

220 March–April 2015

tallahasseeMagazine.com

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Report unlicensed individuals to DBPR by calling the Unlicensed Activity Hotline at 1.866.532.1440, online or on the DBPR Mobile app.

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VISIT The

Forgotten Coast Play • ShoP • Dine • Stay

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pringtime on the Forgotten Coast has a lot to offer anyone who just wants to escape city life for a day, a weekend or longer. Along the bays, beaches and byways there are many opportunities to slow down and take it easy. While there, we Mexico recommend visiting the following locations:

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Seafood market and raw bar. Family owned and operated. Serving fresh locally caught seafood.

Open Tuesday through Saturday.

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The best nautical and maritime collection east of the Mississippi.

A distinctive upscale atmosphere for the 21+ crowd with quiet dining, extensive martini and wine lists, signature cocktails and a variety of bottled craft beers.

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(850) 653-3635 | tinshednautical.com 170 Water St., Historic Apalachicola

» Forgotten Coast

Head to the Coast for a Trip to the Past A San Francisco Transplant ‘Preserves’ Midcentury Memories in his Carrabelle Eatery

By Lazaro Aleman

Scott Holstein

If you’re a foodie, coffee connoisseur, memorabilia junkie or simply someone who enjoys sampling local flavors when traveling, the Carrabelle Junction may be just your kind of place.

Located a half block north of coastal U.S. 98 on Tallahassee Street in the heart of historic Carrabelle, the Junction — as locals call it — is a combination coffee shop/ice cream parlor/sandwich deli and neighborhood hangout, overlaid with a funky mid-century vintage motif.

To say the Junction’s fare is atypical of small-town eateries is an understatement. Here you’ll find a fry-free menu largely consisting of hot and cold deli sandwiches, garnished with the likes of basil mayonnaise, horseradish, avocados and sprouts. You find also a selection of fresh-baked goods and gourmet coffees, not to mention old-timey treats like soda floats, milk shakes, glass-bottled soda pop and egg cream. The last is an East Coast concoction originally made with egg whites, but today made with milk, chocolate syrup and seltzer.

“It’s like carbonated chocolate milk,” explains Junction proprietor Ron Gempel, adding that anyone familiar with the drink will respond with joy to its availability.

Stepping into the Junction is like entering a time warp, with its black/white checkerboard floor, its eclectic assortment of castoff, if authentic, furnishings (including two church pews and a high-top table with a fake palm tree rising almost to the ceiling from its center), and its hodgepodge of bric-a-brac, collectibles and other popular culture detritus from the ’40s, ’50s and ’60s, including classic pop icons, vintage bottles, signature souvenirs and relic equipment.

Look around and you see an ancient Coke machine in a corner, a pay telephone against the wall, a genuine traffic light hanging from the ceiling, a hand-turned coffee grinder on a shelf and a juke box in front of the counter sporting a selection of songs straight from the Hit Parade. Don’t be surprised either to hear playing over

the restaurant’s sound system the likes of Ella Fitzgerald, Louie Armstrong, Elvis Presley or the Beatles.

A lifetime collector who considers himself more a preservationist, Gempel derives pleasure from customers’ reaction to his treasures.

“I enjoy when people go, ‘My gosh! I haven’t seen that in years,’ ” Gempel says. “That’s a big part of it. People like it because it reminds them of a time when there were just as many problems in the world, but we didn’t know it.” n

Ron Gempel opened his eclectic Carrabelle eatery 12 years ago. The atypical menu, which includes sprouts — but not fries — and vintage collectibles, draw customer raves and loyalty.

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The Arts On the Town Calendar Social Studies The Buzz

Spotlight

Word of [South] Tallahassee’s Newest Festival Celebrates Writers and Music

By Tisha Crews Keller

A

Best known as a songwriter, guitarist and human rights activist, Canadian Bruce Cockburn is also the author of a memoir released in 2014, “Rumours of Glory.”

Kevinkellyphotography.com

ustin has one. Washington, D.C. does, too. Vancouver, Los Angeles and Nashville have them.

Welcome to the world of the literary festival, Tallahassee.

Tallahassee’s Word of [South] — “a festival of literature and music” — will take place on four stages at the award-winning Cascades Park on April 11–12.

Local author, businessman and public servant Mark Mustian was the brains behind this new Tallahassee tradition. He says he has wanted to do something like this for a long time, ever since he was invited to speak at several literary festivals after his book, “The Gendarme,” was published. When visiting Decatur, Georgia, St. Petersburg and Los Angeles, he kept asking himself why this couldn’t be done in his hometown.

In true Tallahassee style, though, Mustian, along with his 25-member steering committee, wanted to make this an event all its own.

“Instead of just making it the Tallahassee version of the South Carolina Literary Festival,” he said, “we decided to try and do something different and host a festival devoted to both music and literature.”

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Courtesy universal Music Group

»culture Spotlight

“Our hope is that after the first festival, people come to Tallahassee to try and figure out how we got this done. The sky is the limit in terms of making something this big. The response from artists we’ve asked to participate in the festival has been fantastic.”

— Local author, businessman and public servant Mark Mustian

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Mustian explains that it’s the relationship between music and literature that the event is mainly interested in exploring.

“Clearly, a lot of musicians write and care about literature, and a lot of writers love (and write about) music,” he explains. “It’s fascinating to see the two blended together, and the enthusiasm generated in connection with it.”

Organizers are particularly excited about some of the unique book and music pairings at the festival, including Pulitzer Prize winner Robert Olen Butler and activist/singer/songwriter Bruce Cockburn; best-selling novelist Jeff Vandermeer and guitarist Vernon Reid; author Mary Gaitskill and musical storyteller Peg Simone; Irish writer Clare Lynch and Irish singer Brendan Nolan.

In addition, they wanted the event to have a distinctly family feel. Children of all ages will find something to love at the event, with performers and writers dedicated to the art of children’s storytelling front and center.

A “Young People’s Tent” will be up all weekend, with musical and book-related events to

capture the imaginations of Tallahassee’s children The Avett Brothers and adolescents. Emmy are bringing their Award-winning actor unique roots sound Tony Hale will read to the Capital City from his children’s book Amphitheater on April 10. to kick off the event on Saturday, and kid-centric — but decidedly adult-friendly — bands such as Gustafer Yellowgold and Lunch Money will perform.

For older kids, the author and New York musician Michael Hearst will present a “slightly edgier show,” while Ramona King will show how stories can be put to music.

There will be plenty of musical and literary diversity, so everyone in the Tallahassee community will find something to love.

“We’ve deliberately tried to not be pegged as only providing a specific musical (or literary) genre,” Mustian said.

From jazz to gospel, alt-country to folk, Word of [South] will have it all. Organizers hope to appeal to Tallahassee’s unique

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»culture Spotlight

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“creative class,” people ages 25-45 that the area has spent considerable resources trying to involve in the community culture.

While the festival schedule is still evolving, some things are already in place.

PEN/Faulkner Award-winning author Ann Patchett headlines the festival on Saturday afternoon, while the Marcus Roberts Trio plays at brunch on Sunday. The gospel group Sweet Honey Organizers in the Rock performs Sunday afternoon, hope to appeal and the Tallahassee to Tallahassee’s Symphony Orchestra w ill play — w ith unique “creative special guests — on class,” people Sunday evening. The Avett Brothers will ages 25-45 perform at the Capital that the area City Amphitheater the Friday night before the has spent official festival kickoff.

Organizers want to considerable showcase local artists, resources trying too, and an exciting synergy was developed to involve in with Tallahassee Music the community We e k , a K CCI sponsored initiative culture. designed both to encourage local venues to host local musicians and to put local musicians in unusual places during one week — all leading up to the Word of [South] kickoff. Ultimately, more local performers will also be involved in the festival itself.

Mustian and the Word of [South] steering committee recently hired Amanda Stringer, the director of the Tallahassee Symphony, to be its director, too. An investment like this in the planning and structure of the festival is a key element to its future success. And success is exactly what they have planned.

The overall goals are to expand the event to national prominence, both in terms of footprint and talent. Geographically, organizers want to incorporate the Capitol facilities and also grow down Gaines Street as the festival gets momentum.

“We’ll be doing significant advertising — even for the first festival — outside of Tallahassee,” Mustian said. “To achieve some national publicity and make this a festival that’s known throughout the Southeast, if not the nation.”

In addition to great opportunities for cultural exposure and pure entertainment, there are countless ways to become involved in the festival experience.

“We need tons of volunteers,” Mustian says. “To work at the park the weekend of the festival, to help with artists, to help with transportation,” the list goes on.

There’s also a great opportunity for vendors. Organizers will have up to 50 spots for those wanting to sell music or book-related items. Application forms for vendors are available online at the festival’s website, wordofsouthfestival.com. Tallahasseeans who want to help as volunteers may also contact the organizers via the website.

The vision is large, but the commitment is substantial, too.

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To help bring this vision to fruition, Word of [South] is supported by many sponsors already: Tallahassee Community College is the presenting sponsor of the event, and a broad array of public and private participants are also helping, including the Leon County Tourist Development Agency, the city of Tallahassee, the Tallahassee-Leon County Community Redevelopment Agency, the state of Florida Division of Cultural Affairs, Talcor, Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare, the Florida League of Cities, Demont Insurance Agency, CenturyLink, the Knight Foundation, Figg Engineering, AARP, Walmart, Mike and Judy Sheridan and others.

“Our hope is that after the first festival, people come to Tallahassee to try and figure out how we got this done,” Mustian says. “The sky is the limit in terms of making something this big.

The response from artists we’ve asked to participate in the festival has been fantastic.”

“If we can’t do this at a national level [of quality], then I don’t want to do it,” he told his colleagues. National quality is definitely what they’ve achieved for this inaugural event. n When award-winning novelist Ann Patchett couldn’t find a good independent bookstore in her Nashville hometown, she opened one of her own, Parnassus Books.

The Details

» Other than the Avett Brothers and TSO concerts (and perhaps a show Saturday night), events will be free to the public.

» Reserve vendor space and get more information about the program and volunteer opportunities online at wordofsouthfestival.com.

BOB HOBSON

WWW.HOBSONCHEVROLET.COM • 800-217-8955 • CAIRO GA tallahasseeMagazine.com March–April 2015

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Photo by Matt Burke

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»culture The Arts

Tallahassee’s

Shakespeare Revival The Southern Shakespeare Festival Rekindles the Bard in a New Park After a long hiatus, the Southern Shakespeare Festival is bringing the Bard back to the park with free performances of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” April 17–19 at the Capital City Amphitheater in Cascades Park.

The Southern Shakespeare Festival began in 1995 as a touring company but later made Tallahassee its home after forming a partnership with Florida State University.

Shakespeare in the Park drew crowds from all over the community for four years. But the performances ended in 2000 when construction began on Kleman Plaza’s grassy outdoor venue and the troupe was left with no other spacious outdoor area to hold performances. Now, after 14 years, things have changed. The Bard is being reintroduced to Tallahassee thanks to the efforts of some new blood.

“We have been in the making for the past two years to bring the Southern Shakespeare Festival back to Tallahassee, or as we say, bringing the Bard back to the Big Bend,” said Laura Johnson, executive director of Southern Shakespeare.

Both Kevin Carr, education and outreach director of the nonprofit Southern Shakespeare, and associate Brent Griffin have doctorates in Renaissance literature. They reached out to Johnson and Lanny Thomas, the troupe’s artistic director, to make it happen.

Tallahassee Democrat

By Brianna Dickson

(Facing page, left to right) Kevin Carr, Lanny Thomas and Laura Johnson give a little preview of the “Summer of Love” version of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” to be presented at the Capital City Amphitheater in April. Fencing demonstrations (above) were also part of the original Southern Shakespeare Festival, held on Kleman Plaza.

“Most of it is about couples who are in love or not in love or fighting and then coming together at the end. So what we decided to do is set the play in San Francisco 1967, which is considered the ‘Summer of Love.’ There will be a lot of tie-dye, wild costumes and a live rock band.”

– Artistic Director Lanny Thomas

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“Southern Shakespeare today looks a lot different than it did back then,” Johnson said. “As a professional theater program, our primary mission is education. It’s a year-round education program, and it culminates in this spring festival.”

This process of educating the public about Shakespeare’s works is being achieved through community workshops and outreach to Leon County schools. Southern Shakespeare is in the process of creating more relationships in the community, and the company hopes to get the community excited by creating as many relationships as possible before the event. They have already connected with Leon County Schools, the Senior Center, faculty members of all three local colleges and others.

“My job is to coordinate programs to get the community interested in Shakespeare and to educate, as well as find the best way to allow audiences to connect with his works,” Carr said. “We want to reach as many different segments of the community as possible.”

“A Midsummer Night’s Dream” was the first play performed in Tallahassee in 1996, and as a tribute to its origins, it will be used to reintroduce Shakespeare in the Park.

The play is about love, but this particular version will have a modern twist while using most of the original text.

“Most of it is about couples who are in love or not in love or fighting and then coming together at the end,” Thomas said. “So what we decided to do is set the play in San Francisco 1967, which is considered the Young Actor’s Theatre alumnus ‘Summer of Love.’ There will Jef Canter returns to Tallahassee be a lot of tie-dye, wild cos- to play Bottom, the unfortunate weaver with the donkey’s head in tumes and a live rock band.”

Southern Shakespeare tries the Shakespeare play. to cast local actors and also encourages college actors to audition and participate behind the scenes. The play will feature special guest actor Jef Canter, playing the part of Bottom. A professional actor, Canter is from Tallahassee and has been acting since he was a child. His character, the weaver who unknowingly has his head transformed into that of a donkey, is considered the comic lead of the play.

Devon Glover, a New York City hip-hop artist known as Sonnet Man, will be the opening act, taking Shakespeare’s words and transforming them into rap lyrics. The festival will offer food vendors, merchandise, fencing demonstrations, face painting and more. A Kickstarter campaign helped raise money to put on the festival.

Meanwhile, the company is working on joining the Actors Equity Association, a stage actors union that allows actors to gain credibility points. This will be a first for a Tallahassee stage company.

“The most visible part of the festival is the production,” Thomas said. “It’s what gets people excited.”

The Southern Shakespeare Festival will also join forces with the LeMoyne Chain of Parks Art Festival. A bus will shuttle crowds from downtown to Cascades Park. n

Courtesy Jef Canter

»culture The Arts

Come visit our new guest animal exhibit:

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Tallahassee Jazz & Blues Festival Saturday April 25 & Sunday April 26 One of the region’s best two-day jazz, swing, rhythm and blues music festivals! Line-up and ticket info at tallahasseemuseum.org

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our mission is: HIGH STYLE with heart, no attitude orSTIckEr SHock

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»culture On The Town

Move, Groove, Swing, Sway, Shimmy and Stomp Whatever Style Suits, Here’s Your Chance to Get Out and Dance

By Kati Schardl

The Sensuous Art of Argentine Tango

It takes two to tango, the saying goes, and in Tallahassee, you can multiply that number to include a group of dancers passionate about the elegant, sinuous art of Argentine tango. On any given Tuesday night, you’ll find Gordon Erlebacher, a founding member of the Argentine Tango Society of Tallahassee, at Fifth Avenue Taproom, where

Scott Holstein

Humans are hard-wired to respond to rhythmic movement — dancing is in our DNA, you might say.

When we dance, we are tapping into our primal roots.

Some scientific studies suggest that dancing gave our prehistoric ancestors an evolutionary edge. Moving together to a beat is a way to bond and a wonderful, wordless way to express feelings. We dance for joy, we dance for exercise, we dance for the sheer fun of it — it feels good to let loose, get in the groove and move!

Tallahasseeans certainly love to shake their tailfeathers.

There are local groups devoted to a wide array of dance forms at nightspots, studios and dance halls around town, and you can contra dance, tango, swing dance, salsa, belly dance or free-form it practically any night of the week.

Here’s a look at some of the ways you can trip the light fantastic in Tallahassee. It’s more of a sampler than a comprehensive overview — just a taste to whet your appetite to get out there and dance like no one’s watching.

There are many opportunities to learn Latin dancing, including FSU’s Corazon Dancers, shown in this photo from 2007.

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»culture On The Town the group hosts weekly milongas. Erlebacher serves as faculty adviser for Florida State University’s tango group, Anhelo Tango, and also offers free lessons on Sundays at his home studio, El Laguito. Anhelo Tango also offers lessons.

To find the schedule of milongas, visit the Argentine Tango Society of Tallahassee website at tangotallahassee.com. You can also connect to the group by emailing gerlebacher@fsu.edu or visiting facebook. com/groups/tango.fsu.

The African Dance Extravaganza

Each June, Tallahassee becomes the epicenter of an explosion of vibrant African-Caribbean dance and music, thanks to the African Caribbean Dance Theatre, an organization that has dedicated itself to the preservation of African dance and drumming traditions for the past 21 years. ACDT hosts the annual Florida African Dance Festival, which draws top dancers and musicians from around the globe to Tallahassee Community College for workshops, classes and a fest-ending performance. ACDT also offers classes year-round in African drumming, dance and aerobic exercise. Call (850) 539-4087 or email acdt93@aol.com for more information, and visit fadf.org to find out more about the 2015 Florida African Dance Festival, scheduled for June 11–13.

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Clog dancing is another dance form that originated in England.

It’s similar to Irish step dancing but is much more percussive. The dance form migrated to the United States with English, Scottish, Irish and Dutch immigrants who settled in the Appalachians. Here in Tallahassee, two clogging groups keep the rhythms African dance and alive, and both welcome newcomers and drumming are showcased (facing page) at offer lessons. the African Caribbean The Hot Pepper Steppers group has Dance Theatre’s annual been around since 1989 and is a regular dance festival. The Hot performer at the annual Florida Folk Pepper Steppers show Festival, as well as community events in off their clogging style Tallahassee. Find out more by visiting (below) at the 2014 facebook.com/HotPepperSteppers.

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Brian Moore

Fully Accredited By:

Will Joshua Photography

The Mountain Dew Cloggers was founded by Jeff Wood when he was 17 years old. If you’ve ever been to the annual Bradley’s Country Store Old Fashioned Fun Day, you’ve probably seen the Dews do their thing. The Mountain Dews — and yes, the group has permission to use the soft drink logo — offer beginner and intermediate classes. Visit mountaindewcloggers.com or call (850) 339-1561.

Sinuous Belly Dance

Want to get some shimmy in your hips and center your mind, body and spirit while you’re at it? Check out one of Tallahassee’s belly dance groups. The Women’s Bellydance Center was founded in 2005 and has expanded its class offerings to include a variety of belly dance and tribal dance forms. The Dendera Dancers is the home troupe for WBC — you can see them in their colorful, jangly costumes at local events such as the Winter Festival and Springtime Tallahassee. The class schedule, pricing and other information can be found at thewbcenter.com.

Arabian Flair Belly Dance offers weekly beginning classes at the Bubble Room in The Collection at Southside on Palmer Avenue and intermediate classes at Studio D behind the Olive Garden restaurant.

The group hosts annual haflas, or dance gatherings, and workshops featuring teachers of various styles from around the country. Visit arabianflair.com or call (850) 445-7462 to find out more.

The Belly Dancers of Florida State started in 2005 and has three sub-groups — a performance troupe, a class for beginners and an intermediate class. Classes are held every fall and spring semester and are taught and led by students. Get the lowdown by visiting facebook.com/FSUBellyDancers.

Old-Time Contra Dance

The roots of contra dance lie in English country dance, which made its way across the pond with settlers in the New World and became an established community social tradition in New England. The Tallahassee Community Friends of Old Time Dance hosts dances on the second and fourth Fridays of the month at the Senior Center. The dances draw folks of all ages and experience levels, and no partner is necessary. Wallflowers will be gently encouraged

Southern Shakespeare Festival presents

A Midsummer Night’s Dream (with a ‘60s twist)

Capital City Amphitheater at Cascades Park April 17-19, 2015 SOUTHERNSHAKES.ORG

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»culture On The Town The Best Maritime Collection by more experienced dancers, and lessons are offered before each The Best Nautical & Nautical Maritime&Collection evening’s dancing commences. Dances feature a live band — either East of the Mississippi!

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Beautiful Ballroom Dancing

Ballroom dance can include a number of different forms of couple dancing, but most people associate it with the smooth and graceful type of dancing made famous by such stars as Ginger Rogers and NauticalCollectibles Antiques, Collectibles & Gifts Fred Astaire. John and Karen Burns have been teaching ballroom Nautical Antiques, & Gifts and other dance forms in Tallahassee for more than 15 years at their Dance ’Til It Burns studio. Check out their course offerings at dancetilitburns.com.

USA Dance 6010 hosts regular themed dances at the Senior Center. The organization’s website at usadance6010.org has a comprehensive list of local ballroom dance instructors.

The FSU Ballroom Dance Club offers classes and hosts dances at the FSU State Ballroom. Check facebook.com/fsuballroom to find out more.

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Swing with the Big Band

It don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that swing — and it’s all about swing band music and dancing every Tuesday night at the American Legion Hall at Lake Ella. That’s when the renowned Tallahassee Swing Band mixes classics from the Big Band era with polka, jazz, rock, Motown and more to keep dancers moving across one of the best dance floors in town. All ages and experience levels are welcome, and it’s one of the best places to just sit and watch the swirl of dancing people. Get the lowdown at tallahasseeswing.com.

Latin Dancing is Hot, Hot, Hot

Latin dance is fast, fun and sexy, and can include salsa, meringue, cha-cha, mambo, cumbia, guaguancó and other Latin dance forms. Several local groups bring the heat at regular dance sessions throughout town. Tallahassee Salsa Dancers offers classes and workshops and hosts Latin dance events and performances. Go to tallahasseesalsa.com for more information. Miriam Watkins of Studio D organized the inaugural Tallahassee Latin Dance Festival and hosts regular Latin dance events and gatherings. Her website is studiotally.com. FSU has two Latin dance groups — the Corazon Dancers of Tallahassee at corazondancers.webs.com and Azucar Dance Company at facebook.com/Azucar.fsu. Most local dance studios also offer lessons in most Latin dance styles.

Do Your Own Thing

If the Material Girl is your jam, you can dance yourself sweaty every Saturday night at The Institution at Waterworks, an ’80s dance night presided over by DJ Evol Eno. Midtown’s Waterworks also hosts the Solid Gold Dance Party every Friday night, with DJ Kim McShane digging a deep and funky groove in the booth. Get details on The Institution at facebook.com/ groups/242790032412945 and keep up with Solid Gold news at facebook.com/waterworkstallahassee.

And if you want to really get down old-school style, drive out to Tallahassee’s historic juke joint, the Bradfordville Blues Club, where chitlin’ circuit veterans and up-and-coming blues, zydeco and rock artists keep the postage-stamp-size dance floor packed every weekend. The schedule is posted at bradfordvilleblues.com. n

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»culture best bets

Shake up those winter doldrums and gear up for good times! // compiled by Jennifer Ireland and Rosanne Dunkelberger

» music

Diana Krall Wallflower World Tour April 8 The Opening Nights Performing Arts Series and Festival welcomes five-time Grammy Award winner Diana Krall as she stops in Tallahassee on her Wallflower World Tour. The jazz pianist and world-renowned singer will be performing pop classics such as the Eagles’ “Desperado” and Bob Dylan’s “Wallflower.”

Opening Nights is an annual series of performances from October through April and includes musical guests, theater performances and dances. Tickets for Diana Krall range from $65 to $85 and are available at openingnights.fsu.edu or by calling (850) 644-6500.

» save the date

Big Bend Hospice

Spring Fling May 14 Save the

date and relax under the stars for Big Bend Hospice’s annual Spring Fling event at Tallahassee Nurseries. This year’s event theme is “Under the Hollywood Moon” where you can take your taste buds on a tasty journey while sampling local restaurants’ menus.

Spring Fling runs from 7–9:30 p.m. Purchase your tickets at bigbendhospice.org and get ready for a star-studded night.

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Courtesy Opening Nights Performing Arts

» events

» events

Kitty Glitter

Pets & Their People

April 21 While every dog might have its day, felines are the stars of this fabulous fundraiser for the Leon County Humane Society. The highlight of the event is a silent auction, featuring dozens of items from local stores and celebrities, including fashion, accessories, restaurants and health and beauty services. There’ll also be a “Man Cave” with refreshments and auction items that appeal to the guys. The evening’s entertainment will also include a fashion show, hors d’oeuvres, signature cocktails and special appearances by LCHS adoptable animals.

March 21 Grab a leash and your

Kitty Glitter will be held from 5:30 to 9 p.m. at Goodwood Museum & Gardens, 1600 Miccosukee Road. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased by visiting lchs.info/kitty_glitter.

The event takes place between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. The dealership is located at 1707 Capital Circle N.E.

» events

» events

Women of Interest

Have a Heart for Horses March 14 Put on your dancing boots

March though May

at the Second Chance Dance — Triple R Horse Rescue’s fourth annual Have A Heart For Horses fundraiser. The 100 percent volunteer nonprofit is dedicated to saving the lives of neglected and abused equines in the Tallahassee area.

Proceeds from the event — which will include a riding demonstration, live music, food and a silent auction — provide medical care, food and safe homes to horses before they can be adopted out.

In 2015, a Day of Dialogue Gwen Graham Kim Rivers has evolved into several days of inspiration for women.

The springtime lecture series features accomplished women who have become leaders in their personal and professional lives. Florida A&M University President Elmira Mangum kicked Sierra Bender Nancy Carter, Ph.D. off the series in February and the March speakers are Nancy Carter, a senior advisor at Catalyst, Inc. on March 11 and Women’s Empowerment Coach and Consultant Sierra Bender on March 27. Newly elected Congresswomen Gwen Graham will speak April 11 and Kim Rivers, principal of the Tallahassee investment company Inkbridge, will appear May 15.

The lectures will begin at 11:30 a.m. at Capital City Country Club, 1601 Golf Terrace Drive. Tickets are $40 and can be purchased by visiting tallahasseemagazine.com/A-Day-of-Dialogue.

critters and head over to Proctor Subaru for a day of pet-centric fun. You can have your picture taken with your companion animal — it may just appear in the July/August issue of Tallahassee Magazine! You’ll also find adoptable animals from the Leon County Humane Society, entertainment, giveaways and brunch, complete with Bloody Marys and Mimosas!

Have a Heart for Horses will be held 5 to 10 p.m. at Dover Farm in Havana.

Tickets are $40 and can be purchased online at triplerhorserescue.org or at the door.

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»culture CALENDAR

Earn More Interest

Compiled by Brianna Dickson and Max Greenwood

March 3

‘BLUE MAN GROUP’ BLUE MAN GROUP is perhaps one of the most iconic stage performances of the modern day, and with their outlandish stage presence and unusual mix of sounds, it’s sure to be a show to remember. $58.75–$78.75.

Donald L. Tucker Civic Center, 505 W. Pensacola St. 7:30 p.m.

(850) 222-0400, tuckerciviccenter.com

March 6–8

Red Hills International Horse Trials Riders and horses will take their places in one of the world’s top equestrian competitions. Horse enthusiasts and riders from around the world will take part in the three-day trial, making it one of the area’s must-see events.

FREE, $15 suggested donation per day. Elinor Klapp-Phipps Park, 4000 N. Meridian Road. (850) 580-4020, rhht.org

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March 7

Tallahassee Downtown Market Local farmers, artists, musicians and more gather to offer marketplace attendees both a literal and figurative taste of Tallahassee and North Florida Culture. March 7 marks the beginning of the marketplace season, which will continue through November. FREE, 115 E. Park Ave. 9 a.m. (850) 567-9419, downtownmarket.com

March 7–8

Battle of Natural Bridge Reenactment, 150th Anniversary Fought on March 6, 1865, the Battle of Natural Bridge proved to be one of the most decisive battles of the Civil War for Florida. The Natural Bridge Historical Society will reenact the battle 150 years later that made Tallahassee the only Confederate capital east of the Mississippi River to avoid capture by Union forces. FREE, Natural Bridge Battlefield Historic State Park,

7502 Natural Bridge Road. Sat 9 a.m.–8 p.m., Sun 9 a.m.– 3:30 p.m. Contact Captain Chris Ellrich at cellrich@hotmail.com, nbhscso.com

March 8

Tallahassee Jewish Food and Cultural Festival You’re invited to Temple Israel for a free, day-long cultural event celebrating all things Jewish. Food (available for purchase) is at the heart of the festival, with a mouthwatering menu that includes pastrami, corned beef, matzo ball soup, kosher hot dogs, knishes and sweet treats. Entertainment as well as crafts and family fun, are also on the agenda. FREE. 2215 Mahan Drive. 10:30 a.m.–4 p.m. tallahasseejewishfoodfestival.com.

March 10

‘Musical Mixology’ Put on by the Tallahassee chapter of Classical Revolution, an organization that aims to bring classical music to modern settings, “Musical Mixology” allows music lovers to hear classical music while sipping on classic drinks. FREE, Waterworks, 1133 Thomasville Road.

8 p.m. (850) 224-1887, classicalrevolution.org

March 20

125 Years of Florida Public Health Curator’s Tour Celebrating the 125th anniversary of the establishment Florida Department of Health, the Curator’s Tour offers visitors a look into the evolution of the department and how it affects the daily lives of Floridians.

FREE, Florida Historic Capitol Museum, 400 S. Monroe St. 11 a.m.–noon. (850) 487-1902, flhistoriccapitol.gov

March 22

Tallahassee Bach Parley Winter Concert The Tallahassee Bach Parley aims to generate interest in Baroque music through performances of such compositions using period instruments. It’s both a musical experience and a history lesson.

FREE, $10 suggested donation.

» visual arts

‘Abandoned Pittsburgh’ April 3–25 Chuck Beard, who lived and worked in Tallahassee for several years, moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 2008 and turned his camera lens toward the Steel City’s forgotten industrial and community sites.

His photographs illustrate the haunting beauty that can be found in decay. Ann Kemp and Denise Murphy will also be exhibiting at LeMoyne in April.

For their best Interest

The show opens Friday, April 3 from 6 to 9 p.m. Beard, who held a variety of creative positions when he lived here, including a stint as art director for Tallahassee Magazine, will speak during a gallery talk April 4 at LeMoyne from 1 to 3 p.m. LeMoyne gallery hours are 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Donations are welcomed. For more information on Chuck Beard, visit abandonedpittsburgh.com and beardfoto.com.

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St. John’s Episcopal Church, 211 N. Monroe St. 3 p.m. (850) 6444774, tallahasseebachparley.org

April 1–5

Sibling Rivalry,

by James Webb Webb, an assistant professor of theater at Florida A&M University, tells the comedic story of a family trying to maintain its composure after the death of a family member. $8. Charles Winter Wood Theatre, 515 S. Orr Drive.

8 p.m. (850) 561-2425, famu.edu/ essentialtheatre

April 3–12

Tallahassee Music Week For 10 days, music will be popping up at venues all over Tallahassee.

You might find a string quartet in a coffee shop, a student recital in a grocery store or an internationally renowned artist at Ruby Diamond Concert Hall. This first-ever festival is an initiative of KCCI and most events are FREE. For performance schedules and other details, visit tlhmusicweek.com.

April 10–12

‘Free to Be … You and Me’ A theatrical adaptation of Marlo Thomas’ classic children’s book encourages kids to be themselves by mixing humor with important life lessons that both children and adults can enjoy.

Young Actors Theatre, 609 Glenview Drive. (850) 386-6602, youngactorstheatre.com

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*To qualify for $75 bonus, open an iEarn!50+ checking account between 1/20/15 and 3/31/15. Member must have either a qualifying direct deposit of regular income of $750+/month or complete 10+ debit card transactions in April 2015. Members with current FCCU checking accounts are not eligible for $75 bonus. Minimum opening deposit and average daily balance to receive interest and other benefits is $5,000 for iEarn!50+Checking. FCCU members who refer a friend who qualifies to receive the $75 bonus will receive a $25 referral bonus in May 2015 if your friend provides your name at time of account opening (no exceptions). $25 bonus will be paid on each qualifying referral a member generates; no cap applies. You may not receive a referral bonus on your own account or a spouse’s account. Bonus will be included in the Annual Percentage Yield, which will vary based on actual balances and will be reported as interest. To receive bonus, account must be open and in good standing on the day the bonus is posted in May 2015. For complete terms & conditions, visit FirstCommerceCU.org or call 850.488.0035. Ask a Financial Services Officer for complete details on the iEarn!50+ Checking Account.

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»culture CALENDAR

» regional events pRESENTED bY THE CApITAL AREA CHApTER OF THE AMERICAN RED CROSS

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T IN U O D CKE ATTIRE E D E COM R CAMteOed Murrayh&airs For YOU as wesstaolnu, honorvaernytc! e g k lan his year’s t

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tickets: 850.402.5611

SpONSORED bY

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Join us for an artful evening

Paint Around Gala & Auction

April 25, 2015 Beginning at 7:00 p.m.

Florida State University Presented by

Friends of Dance & Allies4Art

to support Florida State University’s School of Dance, Department of Art and Department of Art Education For more information and to purchase tickets, please call 850.645.2449

Photography courtesy of Rick McCullough

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South Walton Beaches Food & Wine Festival April 23–26 Wine isn’t just a thing, it’s everything

at the South Walton Beaches Food and Wine Festival.

The festival features a stunning showcase of the world’s best wines. Celebrity wine producers and chefs present food tastings and fine wines from the world’s bestknown appellations. The Savor South Walton Culinary Village offers a sumptuous array of foods to taste, wines to pair, as well as wine and food seminars and cooking demonstrations. Celebrity winemakers and special guests include Marc Perrin of Chateau du Beaucastel and JeanCharles Boisset of Boisset Family Estates. Along with offering more than 800 wines and tastings, the festival also has special features including Champagne Lane and live entertainment. All proceeds from this charity festival benefit Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation.

Grand Boulevard at Sandestin hosts the festival, which takes place on Saturday, April 25, and includes bidding on luxury travel packages, collectable wines and other fine living lots. All proceeds from the auction benefit children in need in Northwest Florida. Tickets can be purchased on their website, sowalwine. com, and sales end April 24 and 25.

April 10

The Avett Brothers The folk and indie rock quartet are known for their high-energy shows, while addressing serious and often melancholy themes, making the Avett Brothers one of the most enjoyable acts to come through North Florida this spring. $45–$55, Capital City Amphitheater, 1001 S. Gadsden St. 8 p.m. (850) 671-4700, capitalcityamphitheater.com

April 11

Big Bend Community Orchestra Concert Through its concerts, the Big Bend Community Orchestra seeks to share orchestral music with the public. Don’t miss the opportunity to hear one of the orchestra’s three concerts of the season. FREE. Lee Hall at Florida A&M University, 1601 S. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. 3:30–5:30 p.m. info@bbcorch.org, bbcorch.org

April 11

Great Strides Walk to Cure Cystic Fibrosis Enjoy food, activities and a fun 5K walk to benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Participants can join the walk as individuals or as part of a team. Money raised through the walk goes to cystic fibrosis research and drug development.

FREE. Maclay Gardens State Park, 540 Thomasville Road. 9 a.m. fightcf.cff.org

April 11–18

Tallahassee PRIDEFEST 2015 An annual celebration of diversity, Tallahassee PRIDEFEST is put on by The Family Tree Community Center and aims to increase tolerance and understanding of different cultural, racial, gender and sexual identities. FREE. (850) 222-8555, pridefest. familytreecenter.org

April 16

Pablo Picasso ‘Still Life With Pitcher and Apples’ Learn to paint like Picasso at the LeMoyne Center for the Visual Arts. The price of the workshop includes materials, including paints and canvases. $45. 125 N. Gadsden St. 6–8:30 p.m. (850) 222-7622, lemoyne.org

April 18

Divine Sisterhood of the Costume Closet Get your girlfriends together for Tallahassee’s most hotly anticipated girl party of the year hosted by The Tallahassee Ballet.

Enjoy a festive ladies night benefiting The Tallahassee Ballet’s costume and set production. $100. Located at Old Fields Plantation. (850) 224-6917 ext. 21 tallahasseeballet.org

April 18–19

LeMoyne Chain of Parks Art Festival More than 150 artists from across the nation are gathering under the live oaks in Tallahassee’s downtown parks to display and offer their works for sale as well as be judged by a juried panel. The 14th annual event also includes an educational Children’s Festival,

musical entertainment and food from local restaurants and caterers. FREE. 10 a.m.–5 p.m. chainofparks.com

April 19

Jazz for Justice Jazz for Justice is taking over the Adams Street Commons in Downtown Tallahassee during the annual fundraiser for Legal Services of North Florida.

Complete with live music and a silent auction, Jazz for Justice is a great (and charitable) way to spend an evening. $20–$25, Adams Street Commons, 228 S. Adams St. 4–7 p.m.

(850) 701-3313, jazzforjustice.org

MARCH

APRIL 4 27 , 2015 @ THE LA B THEA TRE

April 19

American Red Cross Cocktails & Camo Break out your hunting gear and face paint. Cocktails and Camo will feature live music, a silent auction and food, all to raise money for the Capital Area Chapter of the American Red Cross. $125–$1,000, Goodwood Museum and Gardens, 1600 Miccosukee Road.

6:30–10 p.m. (850) 402-5613

April 24

Spirit of Youth Gala One of the most elegant charity events of the year, the 2015 gala benefiting Boys Town North Florida has been dubbed “A Royal Celebration.” The night will include a sumptuous dinner with spectacularly decorated tables as well as live and silent auctions. University Center Club, Doak Campbell Stadium. (850) 504-5007, boystown. org/north-florida

April 25

Paint-Around Gala and Auction Friends of Dance and Allies of Art will host the second annual gala benefitting FSU School of Dance and FSU Department of Art Education. This year’s artists include Carrie Ann Baade, Marina Brown, Mark Messersmith and many more. $60. William Johnston Building, 143 Honors Way, FSU, 7 p.m. (850) 645-2449 or email Joyce Fausone at jfausone@fsu.edu.

850.644.6500 | tickets.fsu.edu Almost, Maine is presented by special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service, Inc., New York.

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Start Small.

THINK BIG! Through hands-on learning, integrated technology, and STEM exploration, our students have a distinct advantage in today’s ever-changing world.

STEM Building (K - 8th Grade) • Chapel 21st Century Skills • Character Education Foreign Languages (PK - 8th Grade) • Fine Arts Athletics • Apple Distinguished Program Award 1:1 Technology Program

4 PK -16 15

20

2XU VWXGHQWV JUDGXDWH ZLWK FRQÂżGHQFH prepared to Be the Difference as they move through high school and beyond.

PK3 - 8TH GRADE • 850-383-I007 • WWW.HOLY-COMFORTER.ORG 246 March–April 2015

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»culture CALENDAR

dance

» save the date

Dinner & Dancing Riding Demonstrations Silent Auction

Saturday, March 14 Dover Farm, Havana Courtesy Leadercast

May 8 Tallahassee Community College will once again host Leadercast, a one-day live streaming event Rudy Giuliani simultaneously broadcast from Atlanta to more than 100,000 leaders around the globe. Leadercast features a nonstop lineup of worldrenowned leaders speaking straight to local leaders about issues that impact their organizations and their local communities. This year’s Malala Yousafzai event will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The Leadercast Tallahassee location will be TCC’s Ghazvini Center for Healthcare Education. The theme of this year’s program is “The Brave Ones,” and speakers have been chosen to exemplify bravery in both personal and public spheres, including Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai (the “Bravest Girl in the World”); Rudy Giuliani, 107th mayor of New York City; Aja Brown, mayor of the City of Compton (California); Cmdr. Rorke Denver, Navy SEAL Commander and author, and more.

Courtesy Leadercast

Leadercast

eRescue.org

Tix/Info: TripleRHors

Benefitting Triple R Horse Rescue

To see the full speaker lineup and additional information, go to leadercast.com/live. Individual tickets are $89 and group rates are available. To purchase tickets, go to www.xorbia.com/e/ lc454/Leadercast-2015

April 26

The Artist Series of Tallahassee Presents Bella Hristova Renowned violinist Bella Hristova will perform pieces from composers including Bach, Ysaye and Beethoven. Whether you like classical music or not, Hristova’s performance promises to be masterful. $5–$23, FREE for children 12 and under, Opperman Music Hall, 114 N. Copeland St. 1:30–3:30 p.m. (850) 224-9934, theartistseries.org

May 2

Derby Day at Dover You’ll feel like part of the party at Churchill Downs at this YMCA fundraiser and watch party during the “Run for the Roses.”

The dress code is big hats and bow ties for this fun event, which includes a Southern-style dinner, mint juleps, a silent auction, live Bluegrass music, a bit of gaming and a bourbon bar. WC Dover Farm, 534 Dover Road, Havana. 4–9 p.m. derbydayatdover.com n

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COPY PRINT SCAN FAX

850-671-6663

www.copyfax2000.com

Betton Hills Preparatory School Advanced Early Childhood Center Pre-K2/3, VPK 4, PK4 Kindergarten and First Grade

Summer Camp 2015 June 8-August 7 PK2/3 P PK4

Free Summer VPK4 Kindergarten Readiness Summer Fun 1st-3rd Grade P One of the Top-rated Schools in Tallahassee P Over 25 Years of Academic Excellence P High Academics P Qualifying students who miss the September

1st cut off date may start our program early P Art, Music, Movement, Theatre, Spanish 1815 N. Meridian Rd. Tallahassee, FL 32303

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March / April 2015

THE MIKE MARTIN FAMILY PLAYROOM Tallahassee Memorial Children’s Center Dedication Ceremony The Mike Martin Family Playroom in the Tallahassee Memorial Children’s Center was formally dedicated on January 20 with a celebration in the hospital’s Laurie L. Dozier, Jr., MD Atrium. A capacity audience of guests from the Tallahassee Memorial family, the community and Florida State University, including FSU President John Thrasher and members of the FSU Baseball team, joined in the salute to Coach Mike Martin, Mrs. Carol Martin and their family represented at the event by Litzie and Mike (son) Martin, Jr. and their children Tyler and T.J. along with Mary Beth (daughter) a n d To m B u c h a n a n a n d t h e i r children Hannah and Lexi. Melanie (daughter) Jarvis, who is a teacher in St. Petersburg, and her spouse Adam were present in spirit and sent greetings to one and all.

According to Paula Fortunas, President and C E O of the T M H Foundation, “The naming of the playroom in honor of the Martin Family will stand and serve as a lasting tribute to the family’s values and its profoundly generous support of Tallahassee Memorial and its services and programs focused on the well being of children.” The Martin Family’s most recent gift is directed to funding the Creating

O p p o r t u n i t i e s fo r P a r e n t Empowerment (COPE) Program, an evidence-based initiative to benefit both the Tallahassee Memorial Children’s Center and the hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

Mike and Carol Martin, surrounded by their family: Mike, Jr. and Litzie and their children Trevor and T.J.; Mary Beth Martin Buchanan and her husband Tom and their children Hannah and Lexi.

Not pictured are Melanie Martin Jarvis and her husband Adam.

It is a joy for our family to give “ back to the community and help

the children and families served

by TMH. We consider it a blessing for the Martin Family to help the parents and their children by making their road to recovery a little bit easier.

”

CAROL AND MIKE MARTIN

Connie Styons, TMH Women’s and Children’s Service Line Administrator, described COPE for the assembled guests, “The Children’s Center b ecame the first Pediatric Unit in the United States to implement COPE for patients and their families . The program has been enormously beneficial by offering parents the education and tools needed to use me dical play as a form of therapy during their child’s hospital stay and by training them to support their child with play therapy post hospitalization. By teaching parents how to continue this type of play at home, there are long-term positive outcomes for many of the 4,000 children annually served by TMH.” Mark O’Bryant, President and CEO of Tallahassee Memorial, added, “The Martin Family’s history of giving to the TMH

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The Mike Martin Family Playroom continued Foundation is phenomenal. It began with funding of the “Sleeping Lamb” room in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit and generously continues to this day, including Carol and Mary Beth’s volunteer service in both the Children’s Center and the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.”

Carol and Mike Martin’s response to these accolades was typical of their character, their passion for children and their philanthropic spirit, “It is a joy for our family to give back to the community and help the children and families served

by TMH. We consider it a blessing for the Martin Family to help the parents and their children by making their road to recovery a little bit easier.”

Please join the Martin Family in supporting the life-saving work of the Tallahassee Memorial Children’s Center through the TMH Foundation by contacting Judi Wills, Development Officer, 850.431.5904 – judi.wills@tmh.org or by visiting www.tmh.org/foundation to make a secure online donation.

Mike Martin, FSU Baseball Head Coach; Paula Fortunas, TMH Foundation President/CEO; John Thrasher, FSU President; DeVoe Moore, TMH Foundation Trustee; Mark O’Bryant, TMH President/CEO.

CURTAINS for a CAUSE

Smash Hit on Valentine’s Day Valentine’s Day 2015 was very special as the cast of the hit musical “Are We There Yet?” wowed a packed crowd of enthusiastic patrons.

With an elegant dinner created by the University Center Club’s award-winning Chef Tim Drown, the event raised over $120,000 for the Florida State University College of Medicine’s Brian Jackson Dystonia Research and Discovery Program and its clinical partner, Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare. The FSU College of Medicine and TMH are developing a comprehensive research, clinical and education program with the ultimate goal of discovering effective treatments, therapies and – ultimately – a cure for Dystonia.

Presenting Sponsor Jackson Properties

Website Sponsor Ron Sachs Communications

Wine & Spirit Sponsor Electrotech

Gold Sponsors ABC Carpets The Florida State University College of Medicine Keith Kratofil’s Heating and Air Conditioning Mays-Munroe & the Sleep Center Prime Meridian Bank Tallahassee Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep, RAM

Special Thanks The Gem Collection Lamar Advertising The University Center Club WCTV The cast of “Are We There Yet?” pictured here in the “Baby Rap” scene: At front is Ryan Akers; from left to right are Emily Pfender, Bradley Johnson, Megan Rochford, Jonathan Bottisti and Sarah Fuhrman.

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MARK YOUR CALENDAR

For more information, contact the Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare Foundation at 850.431.5389

Proceeds are divided equally between the Proctor Endowment for Children with Diabetes and the Tallahassee Memorial Children’s Center Current Use Fund.

DINNER CARNIVAL

Sunday, October 18, 2015, 6 p.m., Proctor Honda

GOLF TOURNAMENT

Monday, October 19, 2015 Double Shot Gun Start: 8 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.

Golden Eagle Country Club Rain Date: Thursday, October 22, 2015

www.tmh.org/foundation or call the TMH Foundation at 850.431.5389

Lincoln High School’s

5TH ANNUAL

Battle Bands of the

10TH ANNUAL THE RIDE FOR HOPE IN MEMORY OF ITS FOUNDER LOUIS T. FARRAH

RIDE • HEALTH FAIR FAMILY FUN JUNE 12 & 13, 2015 North Florida Fair Grounds

TheRideForHope.com or contact the TMH Foundation at foundation@tmh.org or 850.431.5389.

Friday, April 3, 2015 at 7 p.m.

Jimmy Everett Track, Lincoln High School Admission is $5 pre-sale, $8 at the door and open to the public Band Competition, Vendor Booths and Games Student bands from area high schools are invited to apply for entry in the competition.

Up to 12 bands will be selected.

LincolnBattleoftheBands.com or contact the TMH Foundation at foundation@tmh.org or 850.431.5389.

All proceeds from the Battle of the Bands will benefit the Tallahassee Memorial Heart & Vascular Center, which specializes in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease.

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USTA TALLAHASSEE

USTA TALLAHASSEE A USTA Pro Circuit Event

TENNIS CHALLENGER

APRIL 25 – MAY 2 — FORESTMEADOWS TENNIS COMPLEX

Benefiting the D. Mark Vogter, M.D. Neuro-Intensive Care Unit at Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare

The 2015 USTA Tallahassee Tennis Challenger marks its sixteenth year of philanthropic support for Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare.

All Challenger proceeds are placed in the D. Mark Vogter, MD Memorial Endowment to advance the leading edge care provisions of the hospital’s Vogter Neuro-Intensive Care Unit. Patients of all ages are treated in the Vogter Unit for neurological trauma and other head injuries, stroke and for life threatening illnesses; such as brain tumors and aneurysms.

“The Vogter Endowment was created as a memorial tribute to Dr. Vogter following his untimely death in 1998,” said Paula Fortunas, President and CEO of the TMH Foundation. “Dr. Vogter loved his family, his patients, his colleagues and tennis. The Challenger is the perfect way to honor him and his life’s work and loves.”

The USTA Tallahassee Tennis Challenger is the only professional Men’s tournament in North Florida and South Georgia, and features players ranked 100-200 in the world. The field of players at the Tallahassee Challenger is one of the highest ranked in the country. At the Tallahassee Challenger, players compete not only for $50,000 in prize money, but also for valuable Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) points that increase their respective world rankings toward

acceptance into major tennis events; such as the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open.

This year, the Challenger will again host the Har-Tru USTA Pro Circuit Wild Card Challenge. The Wild Card Challenge is a series of three men’s clay court tournaments held consecutively in April and May. The American player who wins the most ATP points at these tournaments will earn a Main Draw Wild Card into the French Open.

The 2015 Tallahassee Challenger will be the final tournament of this very exciting event.

Karen Vogter, widow of Dr. Vogter and Tournament Director, said, “There are less than 25 of these Men’s Pro Circuit events in the country and most are in much larger cities. The Tallahassee community is very supportive of the tournament and makes it possible for us to have extremely high quality tennis year-after-year. The tournament has a positive impact on the community through its involvement with children, schools and the tennis community.”

Other activities throughout the week include the Boys Town/Boys & Girls’ Club Tennis Jamboree, Ten and Under Tennis Events for second graders in Leon County, the Community Tennis Spectacular and a Special Olympics Tennis Carnival along with other features for the community.

Photo left to right: Row 1: Janet Borneman, Lori Willyoung, Linda Vannoy, Karen Vogter Row 2: Anne Davis, Carol Bahorski, Nan Nagy, Denean Sykes, Kelly Tucker, Sandy Layne, Eunice Rho Row 3: Libby Thompson, Else Smith, Lyn Baggett, Lenin Mongerie, Steve LeRoy, Alison Harte

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: KAREN VOGTER, 850.545.8740 – ALIAGE1755@AOL.COM JANET BORNEMAN, TMH FOUNDATION, 850.431.4048 – JANET.BORNEMAN@TMH.ORG 4 | tallahassee memorial healthcare foundation advertorial 252 March–April 2015

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The TMH Auxiliary Tea Service, The Cake Shop and Tasty Pastry Bakery Sweeten the TMH Patient Experience On any given day, enjoying a warm drink along with a cupcake or cookie is pleasant. Now, imagine you are a cancer patient, receiving outpatient treatment in the Tallahassee Memorial Cancer Center or inpatient care in the hospital’s Angie Deeb Unit, and you are offered a delicious treat from either The Cake Shop or the Tasty Pastry Bakery. And, oh, what a sweet diversion it proves to be – graciously served by members of the TMH Auxiliary Tea Cart Committee.

For 15 years, the 20-member TMH Auxiliary Tea Cart Committee, sponsored by the TMH Foundation, has offered tea service, with all the trimmings, to TMH cancer patients. The Cake Shop provides delicacies for the Monday service and Tasty Pastry Bakery donates its delicious goods for Tuesday of each week.

“These bakery donations add an exceptionally delicious and appealing touch to the Tea Cart -- they are, in fact, the service’s wow factor,” said Amy McDaniel, Director of TMH Volunteer and Guest Services.

It all began when Judy Meggs stopped by The Cake Shop to pick up cookies for her Monday shift. When Linda Richards, owner of The Cake Shop, asked Judy about her TMH Auxiliary frock, Judy barely uttered, “I do the tea cart,” when Linda said, “May I donate?”

Linda Richards, owner of The Cake Shop, donates pastry to Judy Meggs of the TMH Auxiliary Tea Cart Committee.

Betty Sprouse-McCoy receives cookies from Debbie Cross, owner of the Tasty Pastry Bakery, and Debbie Ingram.

That first encounter, more than eight years ago, has become a Monday tradition.

Over the years, Linda, who Judy describes as a “lovely, lovely lady” has graciously donated countless cupcakes, cookies, and cakes for cancer patients. She has also contributed items for the TMH Rehabilitation Center. Her generosity is boundless.

When Tasty Pastry Bakery was initially contacted, more than six years ago, by Auxiliary tea ladies Gail O’Kelly and Rosa Strickland, owner Debbie Cross was excited to offer her wonderful treats. Tasty Pastry delights are now served by the Auxiliary’s Tuesday tea ladies, Betty Sprouse-McCoy and Cheri West. “ Week after week, Debbie Cross has kindly donated her endless variety of scrumptious cookies for our most appreciative patients,” said Cheri McCoy. Betty Sprouse-McCoy added, “One patient who unfortunately requires frequent admissions to the Angie Deeb Cancer Unit voiced her love of Debbie’s wedding cookies. After hearing this, D.J. at the bakery arranged a special bowed box full of the cookies just for her. They just go above and beyond.”

It is not uncommon for patients to voice sentiments of appreciation, and those who are involved in regular treatment modalities frequently say, “ I really look forward to this” as they peruse the offerings of the day.

The TMH Foundation and the TMH Auxiliary Tea Cart Committee extend to Linda Richards, owner, and Megan Pietrodangelo, manager of The Cake Shop, and Debbie Cross and the Cross family, owners of Tasty Pastry Bakery, heartfelt thanks and appreciation for their continued support of the TMH patients they so deliciously serve.

2015 ROCK THE PINK LIP SYNC The fourth annual Rock the Pink Lip Sync, hosted by the Rock the Pink Committee and the TMH Foundation, is scheduled for Sunday, April 12, at the American Legion Hall on Lake Ella from 6 to 8 p.m. with doors opening at 5 p.m. All proceeds stay local and benefit the Tallahassee Memorial Sharon Ewing Walker Breast Health Center.

The 2015 Rock the Pink will honor Tallahassee personality Anna Johnson, a breast cancer survivor, for her many contributions to the community. Rock the Pink is a family-friendly occasion that includes local leaders lending their style, sass and humor to lip sync performances of favorite songs. Lip Sync performers will include Gil and Gail Ziffer, Curtis Richardson, the Seminole Women’s Rugby Club, the Chrome Divas, Rabbi Jack Romberg, Stefanie Posner, and many, many more. Admission is free with donations accepted at the door.

“The Sharon Ewing Walker Breast Health Center is dedicated to providing leading-edge technology with a full array of diagnostic and support services for the detection and treatment of breast cancer. The Center’s services and guidance are offered in a warm, caring and comfortable environment,” explained Matt Sherer, TMH Oncology Service Line Administrator.

If you would like to perform in the Rock the Pink Lip Sync or become a sponsor, please contact Janet Borneman, TMH Foundation Director of Planned Giving, at either janet. borneman@tmh.org or 850.431.4048 or visit www.rockthepinklipsync.com.

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PROTOCOLS FOR PHILANTHROPY What Tax Changes Mean for You in 2015

More than 40 tax provisions will change in 2015 based on inflation rates. Here is a brief summary of the changes and how they may affect you.

Income Tax The ordinary income tax rates are the same this year: 10 percent, 15 percent, 25 percent, Paula S. Fortunas President/CEO TMH Foundation

28 percent, 33 percent, 35 percent and 39.6 percent. The income limits, however, for all brackets and all filers, will be adjusted for inflation. Please consult with your financial advisor to determine how these new income tax brackets affect you.

Standard Deduction Most taxpayers claim the standard deduction. In 2015, that amount, which is different for each filing status, also will increase. The standard deduction rises to $6,300 for singles and married persons filing separate returns, and $12,600 for married couples filing jointly. It increases to $9,250 for heads of household.

Personal Exemption In 2015, personal exemptions increase to $4,000. However, the exemption is subject to a phase-out that begins with individuals who have adjusted gross incomes of $258,250 or more, and for married couples filing jointly who have adjusted gross incomes of $309,900 or more.

Itemized Deductions Itemized deductions, including charitable deductions, are reduced for individuals

who have adjusted gross incomes of $258,250 or more and for married couples filing jointly who have adjusted gross incomes of $309,900 or more. This does not apply to deductions for medical expenses, investment interest, casualty, theft and gambling losses.

Estate, Gift and Generation-Skipping Taxes In 2015, the basic exclusion amount for estate, gift

and generation-skipping taxes is now $5,430,000. The top estate and gift tax rate is 40 percent. The annual gift tax exclusion, the amount you can give to anyone gift tax–free each year, is $14,000 individuals and $28,000 for married couples.

Healthcare Flexible Spending Arrangements The annual dollar limit on employee contributions to employer-sponsored healthcare flexible spending arrangements increases to $2,550.

Contact Your Professional Advisors The contents of this article and any materials you request

or receive from the TMH Foundation are general in nature and are not intended as legal, financial or tax advice. Please consult your own qualified professional advisors before making a decision to proceed with any gift arrangements.

Please Support the Mission and Vision of Tallahassee Memorial The TMH Foundation champions the TMH mission, “Transforming Care. Advancing Health. Improving Lives.” and illuminates its vision, “Leading our community to be the healthiest in the nation.” by fostering and strengthening philanthropic initiatives and by offering a variety of gift planning opportunities and options.

Please contact the TMH Foundation either to request complimentary gift planning materials or to make a contribution — contact and online contribution information appear below.

1331 East Sixth Avenue, Tallahassee, Florida 32303 Telephone: 850.431.5389 Facsimile: 850.431.4483 E-Mail: paula.fortunas@tmh.org Website: www.tmh.org/foundation

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To Make a Secure Online Donation: Please visit www.tmh.org/foundation.

Click on Make a Donation and then Click on Donate Now.

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Adventure Awaits...

The All -New 2015 Acura Now Available at

Proctor Acura (850) 574-6600

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»culture SOCIAL STUDIES Aim for a Cure September 26-27, 2014 Family and friends of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation kicked off its annual event at the Wells Fargo “Boots & Shoot” at Honey Lake Plantation. The Friday night banquet included music by the Michael Miller Band, a silent auction and inspirational talks from former FSU Coach Mickey Andrews, Dr. Pamela Schuler from Shands Hospital and young adults with cystic fibrosis.

Saturday’s event included a sporting clays tournament, live auction and awards ceremony luncheon. Funds raised went to research for a cure for cystic fibrosis. // Photos by Cystic Fibrosis Foundation

Mickey Andrews, Jennifer Hagenbuch, Bill Chesney and Greg Hagenbuch

Tallahassee Women Lawyers’ 32nd Annual Judicial Reception October 9, 2014 Tallahassee Women Lawyers celebrated its 32nd Annual Judicial Reception at Florida’s Historic Capitol. A favorite Tallahassee event each year that honors the judiciary for their public service, this year’s event attracted more than 400 members of Tallahassee’s legal and professional community.

Shannon Novey, Christian Cutillo, Jerome Novey, Christin Gonzalez

Rosa Kasweek, Dana Brooks, Mark Phelps, Katherine Viker

// Photos courtesy of Field & Marsh Productions

Kris Knab, Nikki Ann Clark, Nina Ashenafi-Richardson, Jessica Leigh, Curtis Richardson tallahasseeMagazine.com March–April 2015

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Experience Gadsden Arts

Godzilla by O.L. Samuels., Gadsden Arts permanent collection, gift of Lou and Calunne Hill. On view in the Bates Gallery - come take your selfie with her!

The 26th Art in Gadsden: Regional Exhibition of Fine Art, Sara May Love Gallery, Gadsden Arts Center, December 2014

William H. McKeown, The Ship Doctor, American Society of Marine Artists exhibition

Visit the Gadsden Arts Center

Fine Art Exhibitions - c.1912 Bell & Bates Building - Guided Tours (by appointment) - Original Gifts Master Artist Workshops - Art Classes - Art Camp - Fine Art Trips - and more...

On View April 10–June 20, 2015 American Society of Marine Artists: 2015 Juried Exhibition - Arthur Dillard: Remember When Selections from the Gadsden Arts Center Permanent Collection - Gadsden Arts Center Artists Guild Information: www.gadsdenarts.org / (850) 875-4866 Tuesday–Saturday 10am–5pm / 13 N. Madison Street, Quincy, Florida

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»culture SOCIAL STUDIES Stone Crab Fest October 24, 2014 Guests cracked a lot of claws at the 16th Annual Stone Crab Fest. Cocktails, appetizers, dancing and all-you-caneat stone crab claws were just a few of the highlights from the charity event which raises funds for Ronald McDonald House in Tallahassee.

Attendees were also able to enjoy live and silent auctions and entertainment

by The ENCORE.

Angelo Crowell, Kim Crowell, Joan Stout, Gary Stout, Melode Smelko

Paul Arnaldo, Laurie Arnaldo, Bill Weldon, Bill King, Hilda King, Brad Maxwell, Missy Maxwell

// Photos by Chuck Simpson

Vinse Barrett, Carlene Barrett, Brandee Whitfield, Ron Brafford, Janet Brafford, Don Freeman, Allison Dudley

Women of Distinction Awards November 12, 2014 The Women of Distinction awards, sponsored by the Girl Scouts of the Florida Panhandle, honors leaders and influential women in the region each year. Special honors go to women who work in business, arts, education, the media and many more professions for their achievements at work and in the community. The 2014 award ceremony was held at the Florida State University Alumni Center.

Tomica Archie Smith, Roberta Rideout, Honorable Simone Marstiller, Dana “Boots” Bryan, Virginia Glass, Nan Hillis, Kristin Dozier, Mayda Williams, Linda Kleindienst, Lisa Sheryle Phipps, Audra Pittman, Michelle Ubben, Debra Austin

// Photos courtesy of Girl Scouts of the Florida Panhandle

Sara Bibby, Irene Field, Maya King

Back: David Bruns, Jason Dehart, McKenzie Burleigh, Chay D. Baxley, Dan Parisi. Front: Rosanne Dunkelberger, Linda Kleindienst, Melinda Lanigan tallahasseeMagazine.com March–April 2015

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Discover The Fountain Of Youth For Denture Wearers Look 10-20 Years Younger Discover the difference with the new Strickland TM Facelift Dentures . You can look 10 - 20 years younger with a tighter fitting, more beautiful looking denture. We can lessen wrinkles and reduce deep lines on your face while creating a beautiful smile.

Custom designed to the highest neuromuscular TM standards, Strickland Facelift Dentures are unlike any other denture you may have heard of or run across on the market.

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»culture SOCIAL STUDIES Boys Town Royal Tea January 20, 2015 The women behind one of Tallahassee’s most elegant fundraisers gathered at the home of Stacy Chick to kick off planning the Spirit of Youth Gala, which will be held April 24, 2015. Tea, coffee and abundant sweets and savories were served as committee chairs were introduced and attendees signed up to help for the event, which benefits the work of Boys Town North Florida. // photos by Rosanne Dunkelberger

Jennifer Larson Birkmeier, Angie Sipple, Gina Proctor and Laura Ervin

Lisa Phipps and Jenny Bush Wright

Beth Desloge and Joy Watkins

Pam Higdon, Drew Westling, Dena Strickland and Tracey Grant

Chantelle Yandow and Shea Atkin

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The All-New 2015 Honda

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Community advocates created a hometown hospice on 1983.

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Big Bend Hospice • 1723 Mahan Center Boulevard, Tallahassee, FL 32308 • 850-878-5310 • www.bigbendhospice.org 262 March–April 2013 2015

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»culture THE BUZZ

Saddle Up, Kids!

Horseback Riding Camp

Summer Camp · Lessons · Birthday Parties

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Buzz

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Welcome to The Buzz, Tallahassee Magazine’s column created to share who’s where and what they’re doing. While we try to flit around with all of Tallahassee’s social butterflies, the Buzz can’t be everywhere. Send the skinny on your next soiree to buzz@tallahasseemagazine.com. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

To include the public in his swearing-in ceremony as Tallahassee’s new mayor, Andrew Gillum, took his oath of office during the most public of events, the Downtown Getdown. In a comic moment, Gillum had to transfer his new twin baby boy, Jackson, from his right hand to his left to take the oath of office. Wife and Tallahassee’s new first lady, R Jai Gillum, stood next to him holding daughter Caroline while numerous members of Andrew’s family watched from the VIP section along with newly installed president of Florida State University, John Thrasher, and congresswoman-elect Gwen Graham as well as state Rep. Alan Williams and former state Sen. Al Lawson. After a moment of silence recognizing the courageous efforts of the FSU and Tallahassee police departments during the shooting at FSU’s Strozier Library the night before; the evening was picture perfect. Festivities continued at a celebratory community event at the Tallahassee Centre, hosted by various businesses on behalf of the newly elected members of the city commission. Hot Beef Wellington puff pastries greeted guest entering the room while an array of hummus, salad and chicken skewers lined the buffet table. Judge Nikki Clark, who swore in the new Mayor as well as new City Commissioner Curtis Richardson, mingled with campaign chairman Jay Landers and his wife, Pam Forrester. Guests who came out the

Don’t let pain slow you down.

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»culture THE BUZZ

HoMe FurNiSHiNgS aND Décor

celebrate also included Mayor Pro Tem Scott Maddox, City Manager Anita Favors Thompson, Jon and Serena Moyle and many others.

aS ha

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Anhinga Press celebrated 40 years of bringing fine literature to readers around the world with a special event held at Aloft Tallahassee Nov. 23. Event Co-Chairs Donna Decker and Jeff G. Peters planned an occasion that brought together writers, musicians and friends of Anhinga Press for a unique literary evening. The night featured readings of poetry, prose, live music and a special appearance by the Java Girls: (Lynne Knight, Mary Jane Ryals, Melanie Rawls and Decker) . Award-winning writers gave spirited readings to an adoring crowd. The program included Ryals, David Kirby, Michael Trammel, Kristine and Jay Snodgrass, Bucky McMahon, Rick Campbell, Agnes Furey, Herb Donaldson, Erin Hoover and Alex Quinlan. The crowd was entertained by some of Tallahassee’s finest musicians — Hal Shows, Susan David and Mershell Sherman. Rick Campbell was presented with commemorative Anhinga Press beer mugs in honor of his long and excellent stewardship of Anhinga Press.

Anhinga Press continues to publish beautiful books under the direction of Kristine and Jay Snodgrass, Lynne Knight and its board of trustees. Photography for the evening was provided by Bob O’Lary. Additional celebratory events will be happening in the spring. Information about them will be posted at anhinga.org. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

More than 350 physicians, Junior League members and patients attended the annual Holiday Open House at Southeastern Plastic Surgery in Tallahassee. Board certified physicians Doctors Ben Kirbo, Laurence Rosenberg, Chris DeRosier and staff took the opportunity to say “thank you” to patients, family and friends. In addition to having an opportunity to speak with physicians and spa experts about new techniques and technologies, guests received paraffin hand treatments, mini spa facials and complimentary eyebrow shaping. Guests also received discount vouchers for spa services and complimentary consultations and discounts on all skin care products. As is the tradition, each year a local charity is a benefactor of the Open House. This year, Tallahassee’s Brehon House received a special donation from the staff of Southeastern Plastic Surgery to celebrate the season. n

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3.812

DINING » FEASTING » ZESTY BITES

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ON THE MENU ON YOUR TABLE DINING GUIDE

Flavor

Sensational Sandwiches We Tried Them. We Loved Them.

We’ve Listed Them So You Can, Too

By Chay D. Baxley and Zandra Wolfgram Photos by Matt Burke

I

t’s delightfully convenient. It’s deliciously compact. It’s dynamically creative. It’s decadently carefree. It’s dazzlingly chewy.

It’s a sandwich!

Any way you slice it, it’s pretty much a sacred food around these parts. And why shouldn’t it be? There’s so much to love about a complete meal you can pick up with your fingers.

Ask someone to name their favorite sandwich and they won’t hesitate to tell you exactly how they like theirs. And yet any sandwich survey will surely stack up many different answers. With so many options for sensational sandwiches around Tallahassee, there surely has to be a sandwich to sate everyone.

If you’re not sure which is your favorite, no worries — try one of ours. During the lunch hour, we scoured the city in search of the perfect bite and we can certainly say there was no shortage of great contenders. In the end, we couldn’t deny that the following were among the most sensational sandwiches in Florida’s Capital City.

Smoked Salmon on Ciabatta Roll

Uptown Café Uptown’s signature apricot smoked salmon, garlic dill cream cheese, fresh spinach and tomatoes on a multigrain ciabatta roll. $8.95 Fun Fact: After its initial debut at a private holiday party, Uptown’s famous apricot smoked salmon quickly became a fan favorite. This particular sandwich was developed by Nic Tedio as a once-weekly special. After earning some cred with the patrons, it’s now on the menu year-round.

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Ten women will be selected to receive the 2015 Pinnacle Award — women of character and integrity, our leaders, mentors and community servants.

These honorees will be profiled in the 2015 October/November issue of 850.

Nominees must be a private sector business owner, CEO, primary manager or top executive in their companies. Nominees must have: 1) demonstrated professional excellence and outstanding leadership in her business or profession; 2) actively participated in civic and/or business-related organizations; 3) served as a mentor to others.

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»food Flavor

The ‘Rehwinkel-Vasilinda’ Eggplant Supreme Andrew’s Capital Grill & Bar Fried eggplant, spinach, red onion, tomato, hummus, sprouts and balsamic vinegar served on grilled naan. Served with “Weatherford” crinkle fries. $10.75 Fun Fact: Patrons say this flavorful creation is served in such a generous and unique fashion that even the biggest carnivores out there will fall head over heels. It’s a healthful crowd-pleaser, no doubt about it.

Black Bird

Hopkins’ Eatery Turkey, cream cheese, black olives, celery, green pepper, sunflower seeds, lettuce, tomato, onion, mayonnaise and the house Parmesan dressing served warm on a homemade wheat roll. $6.89 Fun Fact: The Black Bird debuted at Hopkins’ more than 15 years ago to instant patron approval. “People loved it right away,” beamed Hopkins’ owner Debbie Johnston. “It has won awards.” Johnston credits her mother with the creation of the Black Bird.

Portobello Mushroom Sandwich

Juicy Blue Tapas Bar & Bistro Marinated Portobello mushroom, oven-roasted heirloom Florida tomatoes, spinach, fried Parmesan grits, dijonnaise sauce lightened with lemon and mint atop Juicy Blue’s signature croissant bun. $9 Fun Fact: This dish is a crowd pleaser because, according to Chef Kevin Keating, it has the “ability to provide an alternative choice when they do not care for a meat entrée but desire something that is hearty, satisfying and delicious.”

Prosciutto & Green Hill Melt

Cypress Restaurant Warmed homemade fig preserves, thinly sliced prosciutto, Green Hill cheese and fresh basil are stacked on a fresh loaf of homemade French bread. After it’s built, the sandwich is pressed on a flat-topped grill.

Served with white truffle-herbed house-cut fries. $10 Fun Fact: This sandwich has been a favorite for Cypress executive chef and proprietor David Gwynn since his restaurant opened its doors in 2000. Since those early days, it’s been a muchloved feature of every menu.

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»food Flavor

Media Noche

Gordo’s Ham, seasoned pork, pickles, Swiss cheese and mustard layered and pressed into a custom loaf of classic Cuban sweet bread. $5.95 Fun Fact: Nearly identical to the Cuban sandwich, the Media Noche has historically been served on sweetened bread and eaten (as the name would suggest) as a late-night snack.

Boasting a complex flavor combination, you can get this treat around the clock at Gordo’s for a heck of a deal.

Buffalo Blue

Merv’s Melt Shop Fried chicken tenders, spicy buffalo sauce, coleslaw, cheddar, pepper jack and blue cheese served warm.

Served with choice of side. $8.95 Fun Fact: Hailed for its strong flavor profile, this hearty sandwich offers patrons a bite full of interesting. It’s big. It’s bold. And boy, is it beautiful.

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Paisley Chicken Salad Croissant

Paisley Café Grey Poupon, salami, chicken salad, toasted almonds, muscadine preserves on a buttery croissant. Served with choice of soup or side. $14 Fun Fact: For Paisley’s owner Kiersten Lee, this was the sandwich that started it all. The first item to grace her menu, this beautiful chicken salad-filled croissant was originally made as a special afternoon treat for Lee’s four beloved nieces. According to Lee, it’s still made with just as much love.

Gobble Goodie

Goodies Eatery Sliced turkey breast on whole wheat bread, topped with lettuce, tomato, sprouts and veggie spread. $5.69 Fun Fact: The Gobble Goodie is nothing if not a classic. But we say, “Why mess with a good thing?” The Gobble Goodie is for the purists in search of a staple lunch item in the heart of downtown. n

Thank you Tallahassee for voting our wine list the Best in Tallahassee!

Thank you for voting us Tallahassee’s Best Wine List 5 years in a row!

Creative Cocktails, Craft Beers Outstanding Small Plate + Dessert Menu Only Balcony Bar in Tallahassee Great Venue for Celebrations Big & Small

thewinelofttallahassee.net . 850.222.9914 Hours: Mon-Thurs 5pm-2am, Fri & Sat 4pm-2am Located at the Orleans@Midtown 1240 Thomasville Rd. (Corner of 6th Ave & Thomasville Rd.)

16 Fiery Hibachi Tables • Spectacular Seafood Combinations Fresh Sushi Bar • Expert, Experienced Chefs Cocktail Lounge with Exotic & Local Favorites Private Dining for Groups up to 70

Open Daily • Lunch 11am – 2:30pm • Dinner 2:30 – 10:30pm 850-531-0222 • 1690 Raymond Diehl Road tallahasseeMagazine.com March–April 2015

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TED FILET CRAB CRUS ate crab, ed with delic st u cr t le fi f atoes Tender bee red bliss pot ed sh a m ic with garl

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The Egg Express in the R.A. Gray Building 500 South Bronough, Room G-22 | Lite Breakfast Fare Mon–Fri 7:30 am–3 pm | Sat 10 am–3 pm | (850) 907-EGGS (3447)

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»food on the MENU

StressFree Gourmet Cooking at Home Personal Chefs Provide Healthy, RestaurantQuality Meals in Your Own Kitchen Dine at home or go out for a chef’s creation? You no longer have to choose. You can have it both ways.

If cooking a meal at the end of the day simply doesn’t fit your hectic schedule — and who among us hasn’t had days like that? — your choices are no longer limited to either sitting down in a restaurant or grabbing a bag of cholesterol and calories from a fast-food drive-through. Meal options have expanded incredibly in Tallahassee over the past several years, with “healthy” a common theme.

Most dining establishments offer takeout, so you can go home, pull on your comfy sweats and eat a restaurant-prepared meal. But tasty, healthy takeout and gourmet frozen entrees can also be found in many local grocery stores, including New Leaf Market, Earth Fare, Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods and Fresh Market.

Publix supermarkets continue to expand takeout options; the recently remodeled Publix at Centerville Road and Capital Circle Northeast has a gourmet takeout section along with its traditional deli offerings.

But the ultimate in “having it all” when it comes to gourmet convenience meals just might be using the services of a personal chef.

Not to be confused with private chefs, who traditionally tend to work with one client only

Matt Burke

By Audrey Post

and do all the cooking for the client’s family, personal chefs provide personalized cooking services for a number of clients. Personal chefs work with clients to plan meals that suit their tastes and dietary needs, then they do all the work: shopping, chopping, cooking, cooling, freezing and cleaning up. Most personal chefs serve only one client on a given day, preparing multiple meals at a time. Many also will cater dinner parties and special events, as well as offer small-group cooking classes in clients’ homes.

Prices vary according to the number of meals prepared and the cost of the food. Chef services, minus the cost of food, start at about $275 for 12 individual meals or servings of entrées with sides. If the food costs $200, for

example, the total cost comes to $475, or about In her business, $40 for each meal per named Who Cooks person or serving. That’s for You, Chef Paula not much more than eat- Seamon grocery ing out at a mid-range shops, then spends the day in clients’ restaurant. kitchens creating Cindy and Jim Miller palate-pleasing, were the first clients of healthful meals for Who Cooks for You, and her clients — and they’re still thrilled with then cleans up!

Chef Paula Seamon and her meals more than three years later.

“We were both working so hard and neither one of us is a very good cook, so we were pretty desperate for help,” Cindy Miller recalled with a chuckle. “It’s just

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wonderful. The best part about it is that it lowers the stress. It’s so great not to have to worry about dinner.”

Seamon visits their home once a month and prepares 16 meals for them, two servings of each meal. They agree on the menu in advance and, on cooking day, Seamon does the shopping early and spends several hours in the Millers’ kitchen, preparing the meals for the month. Most go into the freezer, but a meal or two is left in the refrigerator for the clients to eat in the next day or two. Among the Millers’ favorites are Seamon’s chicken potpie and her chicken piccata.

“I really like her kale and quinoa casserole, too,” Cindy Miller said. “That would be a good option for vegetarians. She’s incredibly creative.”

Jim Miller was a bit skeptical about using a personal chef at first, but he’s a confirmed fan now.

“Her food is so clean,” he said. “The less you eat of processed food, with all the additives, the more you can taste the difference.”

Because most of the meals are destined for the freezer, certain foods are not good options for a personal-chef service.

“The dishes need to be things that will freeze, thaw, reheat and still taste good,” Seamon said.

“Many fish dishes don’t work. I adapted a lasagna recipe, so it’s made with zucchini instead of pasta in a Bolognese sauce.”

Being a personal chef is a second career for Seamon, who has an academic background in botany and spent 21 years with the Nature Conservancy. Based in Tallahassee, Seamon traveled the country to train firefighters in how to conduct prescribed burns, controlled blazes that remove underbrush and help reduce the chance of wildfires. When she decided it was time for a change, she wanted to combine her knowledge of and interest in nutrition with her love of cooking.

“I absolutely love what I do,” Seamon said. “I was gone so much with the Nature Conservancy, two or three weeks a month, and I’m grateful for the chance to get to know the community.”

Her client list is diverse. In addition to the Millers, she cooks for single parents, families

in which both parents work, and senior citizens, including a couple in their 90s who want to stay in their own home instead of moving to an assisted-living facility.

“The thing my clients have in common is they all want to eat healthy and reduce stress in their lives, while having more time,” she said.

It’s a win-win situation for both client and chef: The client gets great, nutritious food and the chef avoids the exhausting demands of restaurant work.

“I love to cook. I’ve always loved to cook, but I didn’t want to work holidays and every single Sunday,” said Jaime Green of Jaime’s Personal Chef Services. “I make my own schedule, and I can choose who I want to work with.”

Being a personal chef is also a second career for Green, who decided social work wasn’t really for her and went back to her roots in the culinary world. She opened her personal chef business in 2013. She, too, has diverse clients with a variety of dietary needs, and in late 2014 frequently taught classes at Brown’s Kitchen Center.

“So often when you eat, you really don’t know what’s in it,” Green said. “I can guarantee you’ll have a healthy meal and you’ll know everything in it.”

That’s important to Nancy and Bill Brown, who divide their time between Ohio and Maine but come to Tallahassee every year for two or three weeks of plantation hunting. They began using Green’s services in 2013 and are thrilled with her food. Nancy Brown said she prefers nutrient-dense foods such as sweet potatoes and broccoli, and she likes to eat organic and in season. Green can accommodate all her dietary preferences and restrictions, she said.

“I’m gluten-free and my husband is almost dairy-free, and that’s no problem for her,” Nancy Brown said. “He also likes to eat what he kills, and she made quail roasted in parchment, surrounded by vegetables, that was just incredible. We had a dinner party, and people who had been eating quail their whole lives were just amazed. They’d never had anything like it.”

According to the U.S. Personal Chef Association, most clients want healthy meals

For More info » Chef Paula Seamon — Who Cooks for You: whocooksforyou.biz » Jaime Green — Jaime’s Personal Chef Services: personalcheftallahassee.com » Michelle Ross — Chef Chelle: Chefchelles.com

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Matt Burke

»food on the MENU

made from organic and/or regionally grown products that address their individual dietary or medical needs. The focus on organic and regionally grown products parallels the growth in the number of farm-to-table restaurants. The closer food is produced, the less time before it hits the plate and the fresher and more nutritious it is. That also means there’s less need for preservatives or so-called “stabilizers.”

Michelle Ross opened catering and personal chef business Chef Chelle in 2008. While she does cook for individuals who call and request her services, the majority of her work is teaching people how to prepare and eat food that is both nutritious and delicious. She works with clients of the Florida Department of Children and Families and through the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, and many of her clients have serious health problems that require nutrient-dense foods.

“I don’t cook for a month and freeze meals for clients,” she said. “I go once a week and fix meals that can stay in the refrigerator.”

With a bachelor’s degree in social work from Florida State University, a master’s degree in social work from Florida A&M University and a culinary degree from Keiser University, Ross uses her unique combination of skills to educate young and old alike about nutrition. She employs behavior modification techniques to get people to break their bad food habits, and she worked on a three-year project with students at Ruediger Elementary School, Griffin

Matt Burke

Chef Michelle Ross (right) combines her social work and culinary skills to teach clients about how they can add nutrient-dense foods to their diets with appealing menu items such as these (above) raw paper-thin sliced beets topped with kale and mint pesto.

Middle School and SAIL High School to get them to eat a more plant-based diet.

“As far as the students, I’d say it was successful. I got them eating a vegetable sloppy joe, and they loved it,” Ross said. “As for the cafeteria staff, it wasn’t as successful. It’s more labor-intensive to prepare fresh food; there’s a lot more chopping involved in a vegetable sloppy joe than in opening a can.”

All of the schools had gardens, and the produce was available for her meals. They also composted their kitchen scraps. Introducing children to the difference in taste between

freshly picked produce and vegetables out of a can was a joy. As a nutrition consultant, she asks clients what it is that they want, and then shows them how they can get it in a healthier version.

“You take out the butter and cream and you substitute Greek yogurt and herbs. You substitute some of the potatoes with cauliflower for mashed potatoes, but you have to replicate that ‘mouth feel,’” Ross said. “Food can’t just be good for you. It has to taste good and it has to feel good in your mouth for you to want to eat it.” n

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al S k e e r Th e G

a d a t H o p ki n s’ Ea t

e ry

Your favorite restaurant has a new home 1650 N. Monroe St. NEW LOCATION COMING SOON

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Killearn Shopping Center 3491 Thomasville Rd, Suite #12 | 850.222.5458 Ocala Corners 800 Ocala Rd, Suite #370 | 850.575.5458 www.kikufusion.com

»food on YOUR TABLE

Vin Aigre From Ancient Cure-All to Modern-Day Miracle Worker, Vinegar is a Healthful Obsession

By Chay D. Baxley No doubt on more than one occasion you’ve asked yourself, “Self, what could beer, rice, apple cider, wine and plums possibly have in common?”

As it turns out, not a whole lot. Except, of course, that the juices from all are capable of being magically transmuted into a substance so bold and beautiful, it can only be defined by its given name — vinegar.

The happy byproduct of aging alcohol and bubbling bacteria, vinegar (vin aigre means sour wine en français) is produced when fermented liquid is left to its own devices. Boasting a complex, zingy flavor, vinegar has been revered throughout history as a culinary delight, with the added attraction of being a medicinal miracle worker.

One of the earliest wonders of the ancient world, vinegar was first referenced in the texts of Babylon as far back as 5,000 B.C. Ancient homemakers swore vinegar was as skilled at preserving food (indeed, the first step towards pickling) as it was at cleaning scraped knees and soothing scratchy throats. Before long, vinegar had landed in nearly every pantry in Mesopotamia.

Its popularity flourished throughout the ages.

By the late 1340s, when the Black Death had the majority of Europe in its toxic grip, four cunning French thieves reportedly made a vinegar concoction so potent that it could ward off any contagion from the horrible disease — conveniently allowing them to ransack the homes of recently deceased victims.

In a plea for leniency, legend says that the outlaws gave their secret recipe to authorities, who in turn distributed their instructions, posting the formula initially in the city of Marseilles and later throughout the rest of France.

Today, claims of vinegar’s curative powers still sizzle in wholesome foodie and nutritionist circles. Shannon Moore, a registered dietitian and licensed nutritionist at Tallahassee-based F.U.E.L., is big proponent of the stuff.

Plague-Preventive Potion, Compliments of the ‘Four Thieves’ Take 3 pints of strong white wine vinegar and combine the following ingredients: a handful of wormwood, meadowsweet, wild marjoram and sage, 50 cloves, 2 ounces of campanula root, 2 ounces of angelic, rosemary and horehound, and three large measures of camphor.

Place mixture in a container for 15 days.

Strain and extract liquid, then bottle. To use, moisten hands, ears and temples periodically or when approaching a plague victim.

Zingy Vinegar German Potato Salad Yields: 4 Servings Total time: 1 hour

According to Moore, flavoring meats as well as vegetables with vinegar is an ideal way to cut out excess sodium and fat.

“Anybody can use vinegars,” recommended Moore. “Even if you have heart disease, diabetes or kidney disease, you can use it. The one thing that someone might want to be cautious with is that distilled vinegar is gluten free, but some vinegars do have gluten in them.”

The newest trend for getting fit quick is to take a shot of apple cider vinegar in the hopes of curbing one’s appetite or slowing down the digestion process. Experts say it’s simply a fad right now.

“I’m not saying it’s not worth it,” Moore said, “but there’s just not a whole lot of legitimate research to back up those claims in my professional opinion. But at the same time, I think vinegar is a great food to incorporate into your diet.”

While the jury is still largely out on the conclusiveness of vinegar’s health benefits, one thing that doesn’t need quantifying is how delicious it can be. A versatile and readily adaptable ingredient, vinegar (in any of its forms) makes for a tasty addition to nearly any dish.

“I tell people it can start out in your appetizer and go right down through to your dessert,” enthused Patricia Rohling, proprietor of Tallahassee’s first olive oil and vinegar specialty boutique, Smashing Olive. “Balsamic vinegars in particular are great as finishers. If I’m grilling a nice piece of meat, I’ll usually take balsamic vinegar and mix it with oil. It’s just great as a finishing oil.” n

Ingredients: » 3 cups diced, peeled potatoes » 4 slices bacon » 1 small onion, diced » ¼ cup white vinegar » 2 tablespoons water » 3 tablespoons white sugar » 1 teaspoon salt » ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper » 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley Instructions: Bring potatoes to a boil and cook for 10 minutes, or until tender. Drain and allow to cool.

Fry bacon in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Once crispy, remove from pan and set aside.

Utilizing a portion of the bacon’s grease, add onions to pan and cook over medium heat until caramelized.

Add the vinegar, water, sugar, salt and pepper to pan. Bring to a boil.

Combine potatoes and parsley, and top with half of the bacon, crumbled.

Allow to warm thoroughly on stovetop.

Transfer mixture to serving dish or bowl. Crumble remaining bacon over the top. Serve warm or cool.

Recipe courtesy of Sean Hughes.

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NATURAL

»food DINING GUIDE

LOCAL ATTRACTION

Gourmet Specialty Andrew’s 228 American, Italian. A chic urban restaurant serving signature blends of creative American and Italian cuisine in stylish surroundings. Private rooms are available for banquets and meetings.

228 S. Adams St. (850) 222-3444. $$$ d

Avenue Eat & Drink American Fusion. A chic restaurant offering a melting pot of flavors fresh from the South, served in scrumptious dining presentations. Sunday brunch is a not-to-be-missed treat. 115 E. Park Ave. (850) 224-0115. $$$ B l d Cypress Restaurant H New Southern. To make a special evening a cut above the rest, bring the celebration to Cypress. Known for its sophisticated take on Southern cuisine, this restaurant won readers’ votes in 2014 as Best Celebration/Special Occasion and Best Fine Dining restaurant. 320 E. Tennessee St. (850) 513-1100. $$$ d The Front Porch H Southern, Seafood. Located in the heart of Midtown, The Front Porch mixes Southern comfort with fresh seafood to make for one of the finest casual dining experiences in Tallahassee. Stop by for dinner or special Saturday/Sunday brunch. The spacious “front porch” under the oaks earned the restaurant Best Outdoor Dining honors in 2014.

1215 Thomasville Road. (850) 521-5821. $$$ l d Georgio’s American. If George Koikos is in the house, you can count on a visit to your table from him during your meal. His hands-on commitment to quality, food, service and a personal touch have kept his restaurants in business for more than 45 years.

2971 Apalachee Parkway. (850) 877-3211. $$$ d

TALLAHASSEE

MICCOSUKEE ROOT CELLAR Fusion. With its hand-hewn décor, organic menu items and seemingly endless supply of artisan crafted beer and wine, the Miccosukee Root Cellar is the place to go when a fresh twist on tradition is what the taste buds order. 1311 Miccosukee Road.

(850) 597-7419. $$ d

NOW OPEN 1817 Thomasville Rd 850.629.4333

Sage Restaurant American. Fine dining is about both flavors and atmosphere. Sage’s menu masterfully melds regional influences, including Southern and French, to produce some of the finest cuisine in town. The setting is gorgeous but cozy, and the outdoor patio sets a charming, romantic tone for a relaxed evening.

3534 Maclay Blvd. (850) 270-9396. $$$ B l d

BurgerFi.com

Specialty

© 2014 BurgerFi International, LLC. BurgerFi® and the BurgerFi® logo are registered trademarks of Restaurant Development Group, LLC. All rights reserved.

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101 Restaurant H American. Readers say 101 has the Best Happy Hour and cocktails, whether you

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The Key

The restaurants that appear in this guide are included as a service to readers and not as recommendations of the Tallahassee Magazine editorial department, except where noted.

Best of Tallahassee 2014 Winner Breakfast/Brunch Lunch Dinner Outdoor Dining Live Music Bar/Lounge $ Inexpensive $$ Moderately Expensive $$$ Expensive ★ B l d

work 9 to 5 or just want to enjoy a night out with friends. Guests can choose from two happy hours, a selection of delectable martinis and cocktails, two-for-ones and a bevy of other drinks.

215 W. College Ave. (850) 391-1309. $$ B l d Andrew’s Capital Grill and Bar American. A Downtown landmark for 40 years, Andrew’s is an energetic, casual, see and-be-seen spot. House favorites include a popular lunch buffet, hamburgers, sandwiches, salads and pasta dishes.

Downtown delivery. 228 S. Adams St. (850) 222-3444/Fax, (850) 222-2433. $$ B l d AZU — a Lucy Ho’s restaurant Asian. Serving Tallahassee since 1970, Lucy Ho’s offers Japanese-style cooking with Cantonese, Sichuan, Hunan, Peking and Taiwanese influences. Diners also will find a full bar and the freshest sushi. 3220 Apalachee Parkway.

(850) 893-4112. $/$$ l d Bella Bella H Italian. Take your taste buds to Italy with a trip to Bella Bella, voted Best Italian

by Tallahassee Magazine readers in 2014. This locally owned and operated restaurant has a cozy atmosphere with all the classics to satisfy your pasta cravings. 123 E. 5th Ave. (850) 412-1114. $$ l d Brooklyn Water Bagels and Pizza American. Using the freshest ingredients and an exclusive water treatment process, renowned Brooklyn bagels, coffee and pizza made famous in their original location can now be found in Tallahassee. CollegeTown, 815 W. Madison St. (850) 765-1058. $B l d The Cake Shop H Bakery. From your plain vanilla and chocolate to specialties like Snicker’s Candy Bar and Chunky Monkey, The Cake Shop provides delicious cakes, cookies and cupcakes for special occasions or just to satisfy your sweet tooth. It earned honors for Best Bakery and Best Dessert in our 2014 readers’ choice poll. 1908 Capital Circle N.E. (850) 386-2253. $

Carrie Ann & Co. American, Catering. No reservation required for Carrie Ann & Co.’s Tuesday Night Dinners at the Mays House, a charming, historic 1922 residence in Monticello. Or head downtown to their Rosemary Tree Café & Gift Shop for coffee and daily specials on wraps and sandwiches. Custom catering available.

The Mays House, 925 E. Washington St. (850) 544-2427 or (850) 544-1582.

Rosemary Tree Café, 170 N. Jefferson St. (850) 997-2106. $/$$ B l d (Tuesdays Only) (Mays House only) Coosh’s Bayou Rouge H Cajun. This Best Cajun Restaurant winner for 2014 brings the best of the Bayou State right to your table. The menu is jam-packed with Louisiana-style dishes, favorites like jambalaya, crawfish etouffee, po’boys and seafood gumbo.

Not in a Cajun mood? Coosh’s also offers classic hamburgers, salads and chicken wings. 6267 Old Water Oak Road.

(850) 894-4110. $$ B l d The Egg Café And Eatery H American. When you’re looking for breakfast favorites, even if it’s lunchtime, The Egg is the place to be. Made-to-order items use the finest ingredients. Voted Tallahassee’s best 11 times, including the 2014 awards for Best Breakfast and Best Brunch. In Evening Rose at 3740 Austin Davis Ave. (850) 907-3447. Light breakfast fare is available at The Egg Express, a second downtown location in the R.A. Gray building. 500 S. Bronough St. Room G-22 (850) 907-3447. $$ B l EL JALISCO H Mexican. In the mood for sizzling enchiladas and frozen margaritas? Make your way to the 2014 Best Mexican/Latin American Restaurant, El Jalisco, where they do Mexican cuisine to perfection.

2022 N. Monroe St. (850) 878-0800; 2915-301 Kerry Forest Pkwy. (850) 668-1002; and 2481 Crawfordville Hwy, Crawfordville. (850) 926-4329. $ l d HASU Asian. Hasu offers carefully prepared sushi that comes with a great, welcoming atmosphere for those dining in as well as carrying out. Two convenient locations. 3551 Blairstone Road, Suite 132 (850) 671-4278; 1400 Village Square Blvd., Suite 14 (850) 893-4278. $$ l d JOE MAMA’S WOOD FIRED PIZZA Italian. Crisp toppings. Freshly prepared pizza dough. Traditional Tuscan woodfired oven. What more could you ask for? Joe Mama’s offers quintessential casual Italian dining. 307 N. Monroe St. (850) 577-1231. $ l d Kiku Japanese Fusion. With a wide selection of sushi rolls and traditional Japanese dishes, Kiku caters to a variety of tastes. 3491 Thomasville Road Suite 12.

(850) 222-5458. $$ l d Klassic Katering H American, Southern, Italian. The culinary masterminds behind Klassic

Katering know how to transform an event from drab to fab. With a ton of flavor and a pinch of panache, this Best of Tallahassee winner will cater to all of your foodie needs.

2207 Bannerman Road. (850) 894-0423.

Kool Beanz Café H Fusion. This colorful, casual spot has been serving up gourmet dishes so tasty and creative it was named Best Locally Owned Restaurant in 2014.

Diners can expect delicious modern American cuisine, as well as dishes influenced by the worldwide travels of the kitchen staff. Menus change daily.

921 Thomasville Road. (850) 224-2466. $$/$$$ l d Level 8 Nightclub. This modern downtown rooftop bar at the Hotel Duval is the perfect setting for any get together.

The upscale environment sets the bar high, so dress in your best attire.

415 N. Monroe St. (850) 224-6000. $$ Liberty Bar & Restaurant American. No detail is too minute for the chefs and skilled alchemists over at Liberty Bar & Restaurant. A fairly new addition to the Midtown neighborhood, Liberty’s full menu and artisan twists on old favorite cocktails are sure to inspire.

1307 N. Monroe St., (850) 284-7966. $$ B l d Madison Social H American. Whether it’s for a social cocktail, a quick lunch or a place for alumni to gather before home football games, Madison Social offers something for everyone. Madison Social earned Best Bar honors in 2014. CollegeTown, 705 S. Woodward Ave. (850) 894-6276. $$ l d Masa H Asian Fusion. For another year, Masa earned the title as the Best Sushi and Best Asian in town — and with a good reason. This Japanese fusion restaurant packs bold, delicious flavors into each finely crafted, authentic roll.

1001 N. Monroe St. (850) 847-0003. $/$$ l d Morelia’s Mexican. Try delicious house specialties like Quesadilla de Camar’on (shrimp) and Tacos de Carne Asada (grilled steak) at dinner along with all the traditional favorites. Lunch specials daily and a kids’ menu. 1355 Market St. (850) 907-9173. moreliasmexican.com $ l d Old Town Café American. Southern hospitality is embedded throughout this familyowned restaurant. Mom’s meatloaf with mashed potatoes and green beans makes you feel like you’re home, not to mention their world famous prime rib, which slowly roasts all day.

1415 Timberlane Road. (850) 893-5741. $$ l d

Buy Fresh · Buy Wild

BUY SOUTHERN

BEST SEAFOOD MARKET

1415 Timberlane Road in Market Square 850.893.7301 southernseafoodmarket.com tallahasseeMagazine.com March–April 2015

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»food DINING GUIDE OSAka Japanese Steakhouse and Sushi Bar H Japanese. Rated Best Hibachi for 2014, Osaka provides dinner and a show with chefs seasoning and preparing your meal right in front of you. It’s a meal that’s sure to leave you satisfied as well as entertained. 1690 Raymond Diehl Road.

(850) 531-0222. $$$ d

CHICKEN SALAD CHICK H Southern. Chicken Salad Chick exceeds expectations with 15 different chicken salads to choose from served in a bright setting that earned it Best Casual Dining honors in 2014. There are also deli sandwiches, side items and soups, and a cookie of the day. 1410 Market Street, D-3. (850) 894-2502. $ l d

Paisley Café American. Guilt-free lunch has never been easier now that Paisley serves up food with seven natural ingredients or less. This charming Midtown spot boasts a fresh bakery and garden full of wholesome treats. 1123 @ Midtown on Thomasville Road. (850) 385-7268. $l

Hopkins’ Eatery American. This deli provides more than just your average sandwich.

Favorites like the Ultimate Turkey and the Linda Special and a variety of salad meals keep customers coming back for more. And it’s healthful, too!

1660 N. Monroe St. (850) 386-4258; 1415 Market St. (850) 668-0311, and 1208 Capital Circle S.E. (850) 325-6422. hopkinseatery.com $ l

Cantina Tallahassee Mexican. The menu includes all your South of the Border favorites — tacos, burritos, chimichangas, quesadillas and more — along with $5 and less fast food options as well as sharingsized Platos Con Amigos. CollegeTown, 705 S. Woodward Ave. (850) 273-4002. $l d Taco Republik American/Worldwide Fusion. An authentic taqueria, Taco Republik specializes in creating tacos and burritos in abstract and delicious ways.

Located in the heart of Midtown, this restaurant is beloved for bold flavor combinations and wallet-friendly prices.

705 S. Woodward Ave., (850) 559-5464. $l d THE WINE LOFT Wine Bar H American. When it’s part of your name, of course you’re going to be chosen as the Best of in 2014. Midtown’s Wine Loft features a variety of worldly wines and bartenders who love to experiment. The Wine Loft is ready to help you relax and enjoy the evening.

1240 Thomasville Road, Suite 100.

(850) 222-9914. thewinelofttallahassee. net $$ d

Family/Casual BURGERFI American. BurgerFi uses all-natural, free-range beef and is dedicated to sustainable practices. Their menu is packed full of tasty, savory and creative hamburger and hotdog creations as well as fresh-cut french fries and gigantic onion rings. Vegetarian options, frozen custard, beer and wine are also available. 1817 Thomasville Road, No.7.

(850) 629-4333. $ l d CANOPY ROAD CAFÉ American. Combine fresh ingredients, made-to-order dishes and a welcoming staff, and you have the components of a deliciously successful restaurant.

This casual, family-style restaurant proclaims itself a “greasy-spoon diner meets modern Southern cafe.”

1913 N. Monroe St. (850) 668-6600; 2202 Capital Circle N.E. (850) 893-0466. $B l

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Juicy Blue American Tapas. In the new Four Points by Sheraton Downtown this cool newcomer offers breakfast, lunch and dinner. Unique offerings include tapas with a unique twist like the Georgia peaches and caramel. Sandwiches, salads and a nice variety of seafood, pasta and chicken dishes round out the menu. Local coffee bar Redeye is located in the lobby. 316 W. Tennessee St. (850) 422-0071. $ B l d Merv’s Melt Shop American. Welcome Merv to the neighborhood. This new daytime cafe specializes in homemade breakfast and handcrafted sandwich melts. Enjoy one of their gourmet sandwich creations or make your own. Fresh bread is baked daily, and they even make their own chips. 825 Railroad Ave. (850) 320-6287. $B l d Midtown Pass H Sports Bar. Watch the game while you nosh on some of the best wings to be found in town, and wash it down with one of the 32 beers on draft (and 80 bottled varieties). Voted Best Sports Bar in 2014 by the readers of Tallahassee Magazine.

1019 N. Monroe St. (850) 597-9614. $$ l d MOMO’S H Pizza. After devouring a slice “as big as your head” at this 2014 Best Pizza winner, chain pizza simply is not gonna cut it.

From the black-and-white photos to the bathrooms decorated in album covers the restaurant has an unmistakable and enjoyable “hole in the wall” vibe.

1410 Market St. (850) 412-0222; and 1416 W. Tennessee St. (850) 224-9808. $l d Publix Deli H Casual . The delis at Publix Super Markets have a certain reputation around these parts. A 2014 Best of winner, these convenient eateries are beloved not only for their tasty “Pub subs,” cold cuts and grab-and go meals, but also for their exceptional customer service. Multiple locations.

Sonny’s Real Pit Bar-B-Q H Barbecue. Nothing satisfies a rumblin’ stomach quite like a plateful of hot, savory barbeque; and if you’re looking for the tastiest grilled dishes, 2014 Best Barbecue winner Sonny’s has them in spades.

3101 Dick Wilson Blvd. (850) 878-1185; 2707 N. Monroe St. (850) 385-2167; and 1460 Timberlane Road (850) 906-9996. $l d Starbucks H American. Whether you’re craving a Caramel Ribbon Crunch Frappuccino or a simple cup o’ joe, Starbucks provides a wide variety of beverages that will satisfy even the most adventurous caffeine addict. The 2014 Best Coffee Shop winner also offers free Wi-Fi. 2264-1 N. Monroe St. (850) 386-2417; 3425 Thomasville Road. (850) 894-7005; and 2120 Apalachee Pkwy.

(850) 671-2041. $ B l THE LUNCH BOX American. This iconic little café conveniently nestled at the corner of Mahan and Magnolia offers up homestyle breakfasts and plenty of lunch items to choose from. Dine in, take out and outdoor seating is available.

295 N. Magnolia Drive. (850) 942-9766. $B l The Tin Cow American. The Tin Cow boasts an impressive mix of canned craft beer, spiked milkshakes and mammoth build-your-own burgers. A new-toTallahassee bar and eatery, this lively establishment is situated near FSU’s main campus where AJ’s once hailed.

1800 W. Tennessee St. (850) 681-0731. $/$$ d Tucker Duke’s Lunchbox American. An original Emerald Coast, Southern-style lunch counter eatery, Tucker Duke’s is known for dishing out a ton of character served with pure attitude. From quality craft burgers to their signature “blue light special” and gourmet sides, Tucker Duke’s is steaming with delicious home cookin’ in a fun and family-friendly atmosphere.

224 E. College Ave. (850) 765-1554. $/$$ l d UP IN SMOKE PIT BBQ Barbecue. While their barbecue is certainly succulent, Up in Smoke’s other menu options — including fried green tomatoes, meatloaf and grilled salmon — cater to even the pickiest of palates.

402 Tennessee St. (850) 597-7964. $B l d Vertigo Burgers and Fries H American. The No. 1 spot for hamburgers in 2014 went to Vertigo, home to some of the juiciest, funkiest burgers in town.

The modern building provides a no-frills setting to enjoy such favorites as the Vertigo Burger — a beef patty with fried egg, applewood bacon, grilled jalapenos, sharp cheddar and Vertigo sauce.

1395 E. Lafayette St. (850) 878-2020. $$ l d

Wingstop H American. After being voted Best Wings in town for the ninth year in a row, it’s safe to say that this joint is the ultimate source for chicken wings. Wingstop offers a variety of homemade sides and 10 mouthwatering flavors for their wings.

1964 W. Tennessee St. (850) 574-9464; 3111 Mahan Dr. (850) 942-9464; and 6668 Thomasville Road. (850) 219-9464. $l d

Steak/Seafood Bonefish Grill H American. With countless perfectly cooked, succulent seafood items to choose from, in addition to delicious “turf” options for those who do not enjoy their food from the “surf,” it’s no wonder Tallahassee Magazine readers selected Bonefish Grill as its favorite restaurant for seafood and appetizers in 2014.

3491 Thomasville Road. (850) 297-0460. $$$ d Chop House On The Bricks American. This family-owned upscale restaurant serves local organic and sustainable meats, seafood, poultry and produce. Craft beers, fine wines and specialty drinks complement house specialties like Bone-In Ribeye, Plantation Quail and the Chop House Burger. Their Knob Creek Bourbon Bread Pudding is a dessert favorite.

123 N. Broad St., Thomasville, Ga. (229) 236-2467. $$ d Marie Livingston’s Steakhouse H Steak. Dining at Marie Livingston’s is upscale yet comfortable and always a special treat. Not just a restaurant that serves up savory cuts of prime rib or marbled steaks, this 2014 Best Steakhouse winner is a Tallahassee tradition, and newcomers owe it to themselves to make it a priority to visit. 2705 Apalachee Parkway.

(850) 562-2525. $$ l d Shula’s 347 Steak. The legendary Miami Dolphins’ head coach brings the quest for perfection to the dining table at his namesake restaurant, located in Hotel Duval. Keep it light and casual with Premium Black Angus Beef burgers or a gourmet salad or opt for one of their signature entrées — “Shula Cut” steaks Reservations are suggested.

415 N. Monroe St. (850) 224-6005. $$$ l d Southern Seafood H American. Whether you’re looking for fish, shrimp, oysters, scallops, crab or lobster, these guys have you covered. The 2014 Best Seafood Market winner brings the ocean’s freshest choices to Tallahassee’s front door.

1415 Timberlane Road. (850) 668-2203.

Visit our comprehensive, searchable dining guide online attallahasseemagazine.com/ Restaurants

Enjoy a great lunch with our large Craft Beer selection and catch the game on one of our multiple TVs! Miller’s Tallahassee Ale House 1/4 Mile from the State Capitol 722 Apalachee Pkwy. | Tallahassee, FL 32301 850-222-0364 | MillersAleHouse.com /millersalehouse | @millersalehouse | #millersalehouse

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»the last word

Past Becomes Future Memories of Serving in the ‘Real’ Old Capitol

A tour today of the Old Capitol in Tallahassee reflects its condition in 1902, as restoration has left the three-story building in near-pristine condition. The chambers of the House of Representatives and the Senate appear ready to host a rousing debate, and the Supreme Court reflects the somberness currently expected among barristers.

But for those of us who came well after 1902 and before its closure in 1978, the Capitol we remember was quite different.

As one would expect, alterations were made over the years to accommodate offices, committee rooms and other very necessary functions of governing. But many elements remained from 1902, most notably the linoleum flooring and traditional office lettering. The Senate chamber remained on the south end of the Capitol and the House chamber on the north end.

Here’s what I recall from the 1970s in the “real” Old Capitol: Both chambers had the windows covered, creating a very closed feeling. The Senate walls were painted white and appeared more open and expansive. One of the first impressions was the close proximity of the gallery just above the heads of the senators, totally open to visitors who wanted to witness the debates.

The senators were paired by adjoining desks. The flow of the debate was very quiet and cordial. Unlike today, seldom were all members on the floor at the same time.

The House chamber also had the windows covered by the floor-to-ceiling electronic voting board. The gallery area was quieted by see-through plastic that ended at the spouse’s gallery.

The sound system was manually administered and, by far, the busiest area for the members was the enclosed but see-through plastic “bubble” at the back of the chamber. The Speaker’s office was located immediately off the side of the House floor for a quick exit, and at times liquid refreshments.

Perhaps the major difference between the 1902 Old Capitol and the Old Capitol in which I served in the ’70s were the offices built between the Senate and House chambers. Some of the most creative office construction took place within the leaky Capitol dome. As with most legislative bodies, the more senior a member, the larger, more convenient and private the office.

The more senior members would find their larger and betteraccommodated offices in adjacent office buildings, most notably the Holland Building across Monroe Street from the Capitol.

Most of the offices located in the Old Capitol were small, poorly planned and generally inappropriate for important deliberations — primarily occupied by the few Republican legislators.

The offices were crammed into available space on each floor,

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State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory

By Robert W. McKnight

including the basement. To make matters worse, some of the legislators’ offices were Before it was intermingled with those of the executive- restored to its 1902 appearance, the branch employees.

There were no parking garages then, so Historic Capitol during the legislative session, Tallahassee’s boasted a “contemporary” look. This finest roped off and marked parking for photo of the House exactly 120 vehicles, usually within a couple of Representatives blocks of the Capitol. It was said those park- chamber was taken ing spaces were more valuable than some on the first day of session in 1976. freshman members of the House.

So when I take a tour of the well-maintained Old Capitol, it does bring back fond memories. But in many ways, today’s restoration doesn’t include some of the minor nips and tucks in the old building I remember and, of course, the festive feeling of the Legislature in session in the “real” Old Capitol. n Robert W. McKnight served in the Old and New Capitols as a member of the Florida Senate and House of Representatives during the 1970s and ’80s. He wrote two books on Florida politics and provides weekly political commentary in the Tallahassee Democrat called “The Golden Age Quorum Call.” He also presents “Quorum Call” on “Facing Florida” television each week on ABC, CBS and Fox stations.

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