Bay Magazine - February, 2017

A MAGAZINE OF THE TAMPA BAY TIMES

FEBRUARY 2017

LOVE

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Wise Fool New Mexico, SeeSaw, photos courtesy of the artist

Institute for Psychogeographic Adventure, photo by Plate3Photography

Motionhouse, Captive, photo by Katja Ogrin

SEESAW by Wise Fool New Mexico FEB 17 & 18, 7:30 & 9:00 PM, Museum of Art Courtyard Doors will open at 6:30 PM

Acrobatic theater artists in the air and on stilts inhabit an ever-changing environment of kinetic sculpture—drawing in, disarming, and instilling audiences with wonder and compassion as they open the door for new ideas in movement and performance.

Create your own experience—one ticket covers the entire night!

With an array of activities throughout the evening, a cash bar, and food available for purchase, this is one event you won’t want to miss.

TICKETS: Courtyard Admission: $20 / $18 for Members (free to roam, no guaranteed seating)

Stage-side Seating: $30 / $27 for Members

NEW STAGES: NEW SINCERITY With the Historic Asolo Theater under renovation, we move into “alternative venues” with these extraordinary works of art that promise to transform your traditional role as a spectator into that of an active participant. Plan now to join us for three provocative and engaging performance events.

Supported in part by Sarasota County Tourist Development Tax revenues.

EXPERIMENT #42.000 (RINGLING)

by the Institute for Psychogeographic Adventure MAR 16, during Art After 5, MAR 18 & 19, throughout the day By yourself—or in the company of a friend—you will be led through a series of performance encounters ranging from the intimate to the spectacular—each an elaborate experiment that will uncover the psychogeographic qualities of The Ringling galleries and gardens.

TICKETS: On sale February 14, 2017, limited availability.

CAPTIVE by Motionhouse APR 7 & 8, 2:00 & 7:00 PM, Bolger Campiello near Ca’ d’Zan Inspired by Rilke’s The Panther, four dancers in a large cage blend dance and aerial work in a provocative consideration of how a human, like an animal, can be plucked from normal life and plunged into captivity.

TICKETS: 2:00 PM, Free with Museum Admission

7:00 PM, $15 (This sunset performance includes seating, activities, and cash bar.)

INFORMATION + TICKETS

ringling.org or 941.360.7399

February WELCOME TO THE LOVE ISSUE

on the cover

24

76

NOT JUST FOR THE BEDROOM ANYMORE

52

Loungewear and other outfits with the same flow and feel are going out for the afternoon and evening.

Page 62

RELAXING WITH A PURPOSE

Black satin robe ($44), Cabernet.

Silver Satire metallic strappy sandals ($90), Steve Madden.

Both from Dillard’s International Plaza, Tampa. Chalcedony and rubellite silver ring handmade by Mo Anderson ($450). Hollow form earrings in sterling silver and pearls handmade by Mary Day ($140).

Both from Florida CraftArt, St. Petersburg.

Wounded special operations forces bond and heal on retreats at donated luxury homes and yachts.

76 STAMP IT WITH LOVE A renaissance of handwritten letters is in the works.

Cover photograph by Scott Keeler

83

24

FACES

APHRODISIAFACT

A dancer finds her rhythm on a variety of stages.

Do oysters, chocolate and pomegranates really increase desire?

52

34 AW, SHUCKS Actually, no one will be disappointed with oysters and the best of accessories for enjoying them.

41 AND THE REST IS HISTORY Twists of fate that lead to “I do.”

8 bay

FEBRUARY 2017

34

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A MAGAZINE OF THE TAMPA BAY TIMES

EDITOR Katherine Snow Smith kssmith@tampabay.com

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Pegie Stark pstark@tampabay.com

PHOTO EDITOR Patty Yablonski COPY EDITOR Joyce Pink

+ + &+ '+

CONTRIBUTORS James Borchuck, Lara Cerri, Whitney Cohen, Sandra Davila, Jerrod Douse, Eve Edelheit, Loren Elliott, Monica Herndon, Scott Keeler, Andres Leiva, Jay Nolan, John Pendygraft, Monique McLaughlin, Amy Scherzer.

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Bay is published eight times a year by Times Publishing Co. and delivered to Tampa Bay Times subscribers in select neighborhoods in Pinellas, Hillsborough and Pasco counties.

Copyright 2017. Vol. 10, No. 4.

THE TAMPA BAY TIMES CHAIRMAN AND CEO Paul C. Tash EDITOR AND VICE PRESIDENT Neil Brown MANAGING EDITOR Jennifer Orsi VICE PRESIDENT OF SALES AND MARKETING ADVERTISING MANAGER

Bruce Faulmann

Mark Shurman

TAMPA ADVERTISING MANAGER

Dawn Philips

National / Major Retail Advertising Manager Kelly Spamer St. Petersburg Retail Advertising Manager Andi Gordon Clearwater Retail Advertising Manager Jennifer Bonin Brandon Advertising Sales Manager Tony Del Castillo Classified Real Estate Manager Larry West Pasco Retail Manager Luby Sidoff Automotive Advertising Manager Larry West

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MARKETING MANAGER

Christopher Galbraith

FULFILLMENT MANAGER Gerald Gifford IMAGING AND PRODUCTION Gary Zolg, Brian J. Baracani Jr., Ralph W. Morningstar, Patsy Boatright, Greg Kennicutt DISTRIBUTION MANAGER Jim Thompson REGIONAL HOME DELIVERY MANAGERS Diann Bates, David Maxam

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10 bay

FEBRUARY 2017

To view the magazine online, visit www.tampabay.com/bay To order photo reprints, visit www.tampabay.com/photosales To advertise in Bay magazine: (727) 893-8535

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ST. PETERSBURG

SNELL ISLE

OLD NE

BEACHES

Love

TAMPA

L uxuryL iving

Luxury is as easy as YES. www.YES-Homes.com Marian Yon Maguire 727.204.1904

Rhonda Sanderford 727.643.7346

K E L L E R W I L L I A M S S T P E T E R E A LT Y

Alicia Warburton 201.424.3042

Julie Maguire 727.698.7444

Jenny Reese 727.420.7661

Jill Dunn 727.430.1293

Stephanie Ellis 727.278.5600

Leslie Trevathan-Ritch 727.492.5234

Carol Burquette 727.410.8888

Julia Brazier 727.403.2237

Carole McGurk 727.510.9593

GULFPORT MASTERS FINE ARTS FESTIVAL

February 18 and 19, 2017 | 10am to 5pm Veteran’s Park | 5350 31st Ave. S. | Gulfport, Florida www.boulderbrook.net 239-293-9448

from the editor

LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE In honor of St. Valentine, this issue of Bay carries a theme of love. We give a nod to the romantic love between two people, of course, but there are salutes to other kinds of love. There’s a story on the love of dance and a piece on the love that goes into handwritten letters.

A story on Operation Healing Forces highlights numerous kinds of love. The Clearwater-based nonprofit organizes weeklong retreats on yachts and in vacation homes for wounded Special Operations troops and their spouses or significant others.

Four to five couples begin the week as strangers and end it with the promise of enduring friendships. The retreats strengthen and sometimes even save marriages. Those dealing with the emotional and physical wounds of war

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14 bay

FEBRUARY 2017

find support among one another. Their spouses and partners connect with others who can really relate to the challenges of being the one at home while these service members work in danger around the world.

This issue also features several couples who met in interesting ways and chance occurrences that led them down the aisle.

I enjoyed asking, “Now, how did you two meet?� as research for this piece. This is a great question for anyone, not just nosy reporters, to get conversations going. Even if a couple met through the more usual ways like a blind date, at work, or online dating, people enjoy recounting the turn of events.

One of the best stories I heard came from Tampa Bay Times assistant managing editor

Graham Brink. His grandparents met in a stalled elevator in England. There was a third passenger with them, the brother of Boris Karloff, the actor who played Frankenstein’s monster in movies throughout the 1930s.

Perhaps the brothers had a similar look, because the lone female spoke mostly to the other man, Brink’s grandfather, while the elevator was stuck. When it was fixed, the couple exchanged numbers. The rest is history.

My own parents have a pretty good tale. My father stepped into a clothing boutique with a friend who was looking for a Christmas present for his wife. He decided on a tailored red coat but wasn’t sure what size to buy.

My mother was shopping in the same store so the saleswoman asked how his wife’s stature compared to hers.

They were about the same. The woman asked my mother to model the coat just to make sure.

“Now, any woman would be thrilled to find that coat under her Christmas tree,” the saleswoman said.

“I’d be thrilled to find the model under my Christmas tree,” my father commented.

My mother assures me she didn’t fall for him from that line, but it started a conversation. She learned he was a reporter and asked him to come talk to the high school journalism class she was teaching. Sixty years later the story of the red coat is family lore.

I’m wearing a red dress in my column picture this month.

It works for our Love issue, but was actually for a holiday party at the White House late last year. I went with my husband, who is the Tampa Bay Times political editor.

My father warned me as a child not to become a journalist or marry one, noting the long hours and low end of the pay scale. I did both. Sometimes there’s no accounting for love.

Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy the many kinds of love in your life.

—Katherine Snow Smith Have comments, questions? Let us know. Contact Katherine Snow Smith at (727) 893-8785 or kssmith@tampabay.com.

FEBRUARY 2017

bay

15

R E / M A X

M E T R O SUE & NED HANDS

The Hands Team ned@handsonrealtors.com 727-239-5650 sue@handsonrealtors.com 727-460-8435

CONGRATULATIONS RE/MAX METRO AGENTS

OVER $600 MILLION SOLD IN 2016!

PATTI HALPIN

patti@pattihalpin.com 727-434-0933

JERILYN & REBEKAH RUSH The Rush Group jerilynrush@remax.net 813-927-6795 rebekahrush@remax.net 813-917-4544

PAUL TRAXLER

paultraxler@remax.net 727-418-8072

JULIE JONES & KATHRYN KRAYER ZIMRING JJ and The Z homes@JJandtheZ.com 727-344-9191

WE DOMINATE THE TAMPA BAY LUXURY MARKET!

REBECCA STEWART specialagentrebecca@ gmail.com 727-365-1007

TYLER JONES & KAITLYN KELLIN

JJ and The Z tyler@jjandthez.com kaitlyn@jjandthez.com 727-344-9191

JUDY HOLLAND & CARYN RIGHTMYER Holland & Rightmyer

ESTELIA MESIMER

CHRIS EWING

esteliamesimer@gmail.com 727-686-2859

chris@ewingteam.com 727-871-3300

jsholland01@gmail.com 727-401-1771 carynrightmyer@gmail.com

ALEX MALAGON

alexmrealty@gmail.com 727-647-4509

SANDY BOZEMAN

AL BENNATI

J. DAVID VANN

sandywbozeman@gmail.com 727-459-4142

al@bennatisbest.com 813-309-2400

The Vann Team vannteam@gmail.com 727-510-0265

LIBBY & RON SALAMONE libbysoldit@aol.com 727-560-6676 ronremax@aol.com 727-709-1800

DAVE & MAGGIE SMITH

727-896-1800

Erickson & Associates leisa@eteamsp.com matt@eteamsp.com 727-580-4043

Visit our new website at:

Call us, and get the attention – and the results you deserve.

ST PETERSBURG •

LEISA & MATT ERICKSON

dave@daveandmaggie.com 727-573-2727 maggie@daveandmaggie.com 727-385-2688

Metroagents.com TREASURE ISLAND •

727-397-1800

TIERRA VERDE •

727-867-3100

L U X E L I S T

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F E AT U R E D

P R O P E RT I E S

W G! E N TIN LIS

1841 OCEANVIEW DRIVE, TIERRA VERDE OFFERED AT $3,400,000 With sweeping views of the Gulf of Mexico, this stunning custom Key West 4 bed / 6 bath / 6,141 sq ft home situated on 136 ft of natural shoreline is a nature lover’s island paradise.

Contact Holland and Rightmyer at 727-401-1771 Judyy H Holland & Caryn Rightmyer

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NETING LIS

J UDY DY H OLLAND OL jsholland01@gmail.com and01@gma gmail.com

C ARYN R IGHTMYE IGHTMYER YE carynrightmyer@gmail.com com

1359 MONTEREY BLVD NE, SNELL ISLE OFFERED FOR $799,000 Completely remodeled Mediterranean home situated on an oversized lot on prestigious Snell Isle. This open concept 4 bed / 2 bath 2,800+ sq. ft. home features a gourmet chef’s kitchen, master suite with spa-like bath and lush, tropical landscaping.

Contact Holland and Rightmyer at 727-401-1771 Judy Holland & Caryn Rightmyer

W !

NETING LIS

340 1ST STREET N, UNIT #C, DOWNTOWN ST PETERSBURG OFFERED FOR $675,000 Located one block from Beach Dr in downtown St Pete, this 3 bed / 2 bath Spanish Palms townhouse boasts soaring ceilings throughout this light-filled corner unit.

Contact Holland and Rightmyer at 727-401-1771 Judy Holland & Caryn Rightmyer

SOLD $46 MILLION SINCE 2014

L U X E L I S T

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F E AT U R E D

P R O P E RT I E S

E ILL R -G -A S S PA

D AST L O HE RT O N

2050 COFFEE POT BLVD NE, ST PETERSBURG Offered at $1,990,000 6 bed / 5.5 bath /4,700+ sq ft / 4 water lots.

Contact Holland and Rightmyer at 727-401-1771 Judy Holland & Caryn Rightmyer

E AL D N LE L A

3214 EL CENTRO STREET, ST PETE BEACH Offered at $2,400,000 Build your beachfront dream home on Pass-A-Grille Beach!

Property being sold for land value.

Contact Holland and Rightmyer at 727-401-1771 Judyy Holland H & Caryn Rightmyer

D AST L O HE RT O N

944 39TH AVE N, ST PETERSBURG Offered at $889,00 4 bed / 3.5 bath / 3,800+ sq ft / Allendale Contact Holland and Rightmyer at 727-401-1771 Judy Holland & Caryn Rightmyer

565 21ST AVE NE, ST PETERSBURG Offered at $999,000 5 bed / 5 bath / 3,400+ sq ft / Attached 2-car garage Contact Holland and Rightmyer at 727-401-1771 Judy Holland & Caryn Rightmyer

E LL I GR ASS PA

A RRDE E TI ER V

1933 OCEANVIEW DRIVE, TIERRA VERDE OFFERED AT $6,400,000 5 bed / 6+ bath / 12,000+ sq ft / 2-story library / Gulf of Mexico Contact Holland and Rightmyer at 727-401-1771 Judy Holland & Caryn Rightmyer

2209 SUNSET WAY, ST PETE BEACH Offered at $1,179,000 4 bed / 3.5 bath / 3600+ sq ft / 4-car garage / Steps from the beach Contact Holland and Rightmyer at 727-401-1771 Judy Holland & Caryn Rightmyer

ST PETERSBURG

TREASURE ISLAND

TIERRA VERDE

727-896-1800

727-397-1800

727-867-3100

luxelist – featured properties

7931 ELBOW LANE N. TROPICAL PARADISE FAMILY STYLE! The whole gang is welcome in this 6-bedroom, 4-bath, 2-car garage POOL home with nearly 3,200 sq ft. The privately hedged front “park” is perfect for outside games or gatherings.

Enter through the custom front door and be WOWED by the soaring 2-story great room that opens to the pool and lanai. The kitchen is an entertainer’s dream. All located in intriguing Jungle Prada.

OFFERED AT $639,000.

Contact Sandy Bozeman at 727-459-4142.

SANDY BOZEMAN @GMAIL.COM 727-459-4142

SANDYBOZEMAN

THIS STUNNING 2014 CUSTOM-BUILT MEDITERRANEAN HOME offers spacious one-level living on a double lot with 3 bedrooms, a den, 3 baths and a 3-car garage. Home features saltwater pool, heated spa, tray ceilings, crown molding, a dream kitchen and much more. Located on beautiful Snell Isle, just minutes from downtown St. Pete.

OFFERED AT $1,375,000.

Contact Patti Halpin at 727-434-0933.

EXTRAORDINARY AGENTS...

EXTRAORDINARY RESULTS...

THIS GORGEOUS HOME IS SITUATED ON A RARE 1/3-acre lot with majestic oak trees, beautiful landscaping, brick drive and pathways. It is located in a quiet, tucked-away Northeast St. Petersburg neighborhood.

Custom designed by the current owners, it features 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, a 2-car oversized garage, gourmet kitchen, family room with fireplace, vaulted ceilings, wood floors, crown molding and more.

OFFERED AT $779,000.

Contact Patti Halpin at 727-434-0 727-434-0933.

BEAUTIFUL WATERFRONT PROPERTY with only one bridge to Tampa Bay. You will love this Northeast St. Petersburg neighborhood nestled between Smacks Bayou and the Vinoy Golf Course. This 1968-built home is situated on a ¼-acre lot covered with beautiful oak trees overlooking a wide canal. Remodel this home (3 bedroom/2 bath/2-car garage) or build your dream home in this “off the beaten path” neighborhood.

OFFERED AT $849,000.

Contact Patti Halpin at 727-434-0933.

P AT T I H A L P I N @ P A T T I H A L P I N. C O M 727-434-0933

PAT T I

S T P E T E R S B U R G ....................727-896-1800 T I E R R A V E R D E ........................727-867-3100 T R E A S U R E I S L A N D ...............727-397-1800

L U X E L I S T

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G IN !

M ON O C SO

F E AT U R E D

P R O P E RT I E S

SUNSET BEACH DREAM!!!!

Live life they way you have always wanted.

Live in the place you always dreamed. Watch sunsets on the Gulf of Mexico every night and never leave home. 4 or 5 great restaurants within walking distance. Built in 2007 this 3 bedroom & 2 baths has great insurance rates because the home is built above base flood elevation. Can you believe you get this view for $600,000.

You snooze you loose. Better hurry this one will not last.

BENNATII’S BEST AL BEN ENNATI N 813-309-2400 813-309 9 AL@BennatisBest.com AL@BennatisB AL sB

Renovated style, comfort and location are waiting for you in this amazing 3 bedroom 3 bath, waterfront pool home. This home has 3000 square feet. Salt water heated pool with fountain and Jacuzzi and a custom lighting system you can control from your computer. A pergola with custom sunshades and misting system will keep you cool on the hottest of days. Renovated Kitchen and a master suite that occupies the entire 2nd floor.

This is the best boating in the county with the Gulf of Mexico only 5 minutes from your dock. Be the first to see it! Offered for $799,900

Enjoy amazing sunset views from your back yard on the BEST beach in the county.

St Pete Beach has the best restaurants, best beach bars and has easy access to down town St Pete. The unique waterfall, courtyard entry leads to a comfortable, remodeled paradise. The master suite boasts his and her walk-in closets and enormous bathroom.

The 4th bedroom can also be an extra family room. The dock has a 12,000 lb. boat lift and the Gulf of Mexico is around the corner. Offered for $900,000

S T P E T E R S B U R G ....................727-896-1800 T I E R R A V E R D E ........................727-867-3100 T R E A S U R E I S L A N D ...............727-397-1800

– JJ

AND THE

Z

F E AT U R E D P R O P E R T I E S

AC TI

VE

LUXELIST

Love wher e You Live Call 727-344-9191

601 11th Ave NE New Construction in Desirable Old NE, Steps From Downtown St Pete!

Spectacular End Unit With Many Upgrades. Open Floor Plan, Gourmet Chef’s Kitchen With Views of the Courtyard Patio and Waterfall Pool.

10.5 Foot Ceilings, Expansive Master Suite, Downtown and Water Views.

Spacious 1 Bedroom Guest Apartment.

4 BR, 3.5 BA, 3,338 Sq Ft, 2 CG, Pool Offered for $1,295,000 Contact JJ and the Z at 727-344-9191 Julie Jones or Kathryn Krayer-Zimring

JJ and the Z

AC

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We Know Real Estate

in SO 5 LD Da ys !

1939 Hawaii Ave NE Beautifully Updated Venetian Isles Mediterranean Home With View of Downtown St Pete. Expansive Master Suite Encompasses Entire Second Floor. Large Covered Patio With Pool and Spa. Private Dock With Boat Lift.

Many Upgrades.

3 BR, 3 BA, 2,854 Sq Ft, 2 CG Offered for $1,034,710 Contact JJ and the Z at 727-344-9191 Julie Jones or Kathryn Krayer-Zimring

LUXELIST JULIE

–

F E AT U R E D

JONES

,

HOMES

ST PETERSBURG

727-896-1800

AGENTS

K AT H RY N

-

JJ

KRAYER

AND

THE

Z

ZIMRING

@JJANDTHEZ.COM

TREASURE ISLAND

727-397-1800

TIERRA VERDE

727-867-3100

1937 Michigan Ave NE Completely Updated and Meticulously Maintained Venetian Isles Home.

Open Floor Plan. Oversized Family Room with Wood Burning Fireplace, Spacious Kitchen, Double Master Bedroom. Wide Sun Porch Overlooking Deep-Water Canal. Oversized Dock, Boat Lift and Davits.

3 BR, 3 BA, 2,349 Sq Ft, 2 CG Last Offered for $650,000 Contact JJ and the Z at 727-344-9191 Julie Jones or Kathryn Krayer-Zimring

A MENU

BY KATHERINE SNOW SMITH PHOTOGRAPHS BY EVE EDELHEIT

L

ike so much of our language, we have the Greeks to thank for the term “aphrodisiac.” Ancient Greeks celebrated Aphrodite, the goddess of love, with festivals called “aphrodisia.” Somehow after that, food and drink thought to stimulate desire became known as “aphrodisiacs.”

Oysters are perhaps the best known, though the list is long.

Honey, figs, chili peppers, avocados, arugula, pine nuts, artichokes, pumpkin seeds and on and on. It seems countless foods contain certain vitamins or nutrients that are believed to stimulate production of estrogen or testosterone, increase blood flow or spike dopamine, a chemical in the brain that induces feelings of pleasure.

Alcohol, as well, is often associated with lowering inhibitions and promoting intimacy. Shakespeare, however, was not so sure.

He pointed out in Macbeth: “It provokes the desire, but it takes away the performance.”

Regardless of the medical proof or mythological lore, certain foods are simply beautiful, interesting and delicious. So this February issue of Bay salutes three supposed aphrodisiacs: oysters, chocolate and pomegranates.

OF DESIRE 24 bay

FEBRUARY 2017

A Kumamoto oyster, right, and a Royal Miyagi oyster, served at Sea Salt in St. Petersburg.

POM M

A Scarlet Daisy cocktail served at Mise en Place in Tampa. The cocktail has crushed pomegranate grenadine, fresh lime juice, Carpano Bianco vermouth, Stolichnaya vodka and dry sparkling wine.

26 bay

FEBRUARY 2017

M MEGRANAT Pomegranates are celebrated for their beauty and crownlike stem in art dating to 800 B.C.

There are numerous statues of Artemis, the goddess of fertility, depicted with multiple pomegranates for breasts.

The red-seeded fruit is painted on the walls of the House of the Orchard in Pompeii.

Fast forward 3,000 years to the modern, mainstream purveyor of art and beauty, Pinterest, and pomegranates are celebrated on phone cases, in garnet and gold earrings and hundreds of other ways.

There seems to be some validity to the fruit’s aphrodisiac status. The International Journal of Impotence Research published findings last year that a daily dose of pomegranate juice helped men with mild to moderate erectile dysfunction improve their condition.

The pomegranate is the reason winter comes each year, according to Greek mythology. When Persephone was kidnapped by Hades and taken to the underworld, if she ate anything there, she would have to stay forever. Her father Zeus negotiated her release, but just before she left she ate six pomegranate seeds. So it was deemed she would have to return to the underworld for six months every year. During this time, her mother Demeter, goddess of the harvest, is broken hearted and living plants and trees die.

The pomegranate is as versatile as it is beautiful.

The seeds are scattered over salads, cooked into sauces, chopped in smoothies and concocted into cocktails.

Mise en Place serves a seared duck breast with a huckleberry pomegranate port gastrique as well as a fresh pomegranate cocktail. And Hades has no claim on you no matter how much you enjoy.

Katie Povey makes a Scarlet Daisy cocktail served at Mise en Place in Tampa.

FEBRUARY 2017

bay 27

Above, Nathan Henninger, an oyster sommelier, shucks oysters at the raw bar at Sea Salt in St. Petersburg.

Opposite page, Compass Point oysters from Washington.

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FEBRUARY 2017

OYSTER

Just as every pearl is unique, so is every oyster. They are personalized by the waters in which they live, the food they eat and even the flow of the tide.

“You’re getting a little bit of saltwater from Wellfleet, Mass.,” Kenny Tufo, executive chef at Sea Salt, said as a guest tasted a Wellfleet oyster. It’s one of the dozen or so varieties the restaurant has on hand at any given time.

There are more than 150 different kinds of oysters sold in the United States, and the mix is always changing at Sea Salt. The Wellfleet, for example, falls within the species known as Eastern or Atlantic oysters, which are salty and briny, but still a little sweet. Pacific oysters, found along the West Coast of the United States, have hints of watermelon and cucumber, Tufo said, because of the types of seaweed in the water there.

Sea Salt is starting an “oyster club” to encourage patrons to sample different varieties. Guests are given a booklet called a “passport” with 32 pages. When they try 32 different oysters, jotting opinions of them on each page, they receive a $50 gift card to the restaurant.

“I think we carry a lot of things you’re not going to find anywhere else,” Tufo said. He and Sea Salt’s other oyster sommelier are on hand to educate diners about the intricacies of oysters. They start with teaching how to shuck an oyster.

“Everything you are doing is tactile,” Tufo said, as he gingerly opened the shell, adding that’s another reason he thinks they deserve their notoriety as aphrodisiacs.

There is some science backing the seafood’s sexual reputation. Oysters are high in zinc, which is found to aid in the development of healthy sperm, according to a recent study in the Reproductive BioMedicine journal.

Whether one consumes male or female oysters isn’t a factor. They are hermaphrodites.

EVE EDELHEIT | Times William Dean Brown, founder and Chief Chocolate Officer (CCO) of William Dean Chocolates works in the kitchen at Wil-

EVE EDELHEIT | Times An assortment of chocolate hearts filled with different flavors for sale at William Dean Chocolates in Belleair Bluffs on

C

Montezuma, emperor of the Aztecs in the 1400s, is said to have consumed cocoa beans before romantic trysts because they were believed to increase his stamina.

In the 1600s, various religious leaders questioned if cocoa inspired lustful passion, and some sought to ban it. So it’s understandable why chocolate is rumored to be an aphrodisiac.

A study published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine several years ago, however, found consumption of chocolate in test groups of women didn’t stimulate increased sexual desire.

But there’s no excuse needed to enjoy chocolate.

Especially chocolates from William Dean, the artisan candy maker in Belleair Bluffs.

For the past decade, his hand-painted chocolates have turned heads and sparked taste buds. Owner Bill Brown left his corporate job at Ceridian, the employee benefits company, to make chocolates. Soon Dean & DeLuca started carrying his creations. Whoopi Goldberg shared them with the women of The View and declared them her favorite chocolate in 2008. Four years later William Dean’s colorful chocolates scored a cameo in the blockbuster Hunger Games movie. They were part of the spectacular spread of food on the train Katniss, Peeta and Haymitch took to the Capitol.

Brown, who named his business after his father, (William) and grandfather, (Dean) is always changing designs and flavors, the same as any artist.

Times senior news researcher Caryn Baird contributed to this report.

Above, William Dean Brown, founder and chief chocolate officer of William Dean Chocolates, works in the kitchen at William Dean Chocolates in Belleair Bluffs.

At left, an assortment of hand-painted chocolate hearts filled with different flavors ($45).

CHOCOLA

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14275 Siesta Road, Largo

This 2010 magnificent Italianate-style gated waterfront property features four bedrooms, five full and four half baths fronting the Intracoastal Waterway. Incredible architectural design and extraordinary custom features fill the 17,599 square feet of living area. Amenities include a dock, heated infinity pool, 900 square foot guest apartment and oversized garages for five vehicles. 14275SiestaRoad.com Offered at $14,500,000

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Over Half a Billion Sold So Far! The Thorn Collection

| 727.432.9019

| www.TheThornCollection.com

©2016 Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Operated by a subsidiary of NRT LLC. Coldwell Banker, the Coldwell Banker logo, Coldwell Banker Previews International and the Previews logo are registered and unregistered service marks owned by Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. The property information herein is derived from various sources that may include, but not be limited to, county records and the Multiple Listing Service and it may include approximations. Although the information is believed to be accurate, it is not warranted and you should not rely upon it without personal verification.

943 South Bayshore Blvd., Safety Harbor

This Mediterranean custom home with 5 bedrooms, 5 full and 3 half baths features Tampa Bay panoramas and an incredible infinity pool overlooking a pristine lake. Spectacular architectural features are coupled with exceptional quality materials to provide the home of your dreams. Your family and guests will appreciate the many refined amenities. 943SBayshoreBlvd.com Offered at $2,699,000

205 Poinciana Lane, Harbor Bluffs

This waterfront five bedroom, 5.5 bath exquisite Mediterranean home boasts elegant architectural details, stunning special amenities and high-end materials in addition to a dock with boat lift and striking travertine pool and spa. 205PoincianaLn.com Offered at $1,897,000

132 Aleta Drive, Belleair Beach

Overlook the water through the window wall of the spacious great room with updated kitchen or enjoy the outdoor fireplace and spa features.

132AletaDrive.com Offered at $1,149,000

1574 Druid Road S, Belleair

1880 Woodlands Blvd., Oldsmar

This historic residence features 4 bedrooms, 3.5 baths, outdoor pool, detached apartment, two-car garage, three carports and a sprawling front lawn overlooking the Belleair Country Club Golf Course.

1574DruidRoad.com Offered at $950,000

This gated 5 bedroom, 5 bath estate features a screened pool, outdoor kitchen, guest house with two-story workshop and canopied RV parking.

1880WoodlandsBlvd.com Reduced to $1,025,000

Over $96 Million Sold in 2016. We consistently sell a home every 2.3 days ~ yours could be next.

Martha Thorn

| 727.432.9019

| www.TheThornCollection.com

found it!

AW, SHUCKS!

Whether eaten as a delicacy on fine china or shucked over newspaper around a campfire, oysters are delicious and spark good conversation. In the Victorian era, especially through 1870, hostesses served oysters (usually out of the shell) on decorative plates. Few were produced after that era, so they are sought by collectors. Depending on the pattern and intricacy, plates can range from $70 to upwards of $3,000.

FOUND IT COORDINATOR: Whitney Cohen

This Laurel oyster knife ($75).

Murphyknives.com.

Photograph by Kevin Joseph

The official White House china of President Rutherford B. Hayes and wife, Lucy, included oyster plates of Limoges porcelain manufactured by Haviland & Co. They entertained with the plates at the White House between 1877 and 1881. Replicas surface from time to time at auctions and antique stores.

Photograph courtesy of the White House

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FEBRUARY 2017

Roast your own oysters over a patio fire pit with this 12-cavity cast iron oyster pan ($40). Sur La Table, 711 S Dakota Ave., Hyde Park Village, Tampa.

Revive the past with floral vintage oyster plates ($85 each). Andrea & Friends Antiques, 2400 Martin Luther King Jr. St. N, St. Petersburg.

Photograph by Scott Keeler

This quartz slab brings natural wonder into your home as a decorative piece on its own, or layer it with books or picture frames. It’s also a stunning charcuterie board ($915). Gilded edge agate coasters will bring distinction to wherever you place your glass from dining room to poolside ($28 each). All from Texture Design Studio, 1029 Central Ave., St. Petersburg.

Hand-painted, gold leafed oyster shells can hold salt and pepper, rings or other small treasures ($24) Marketplace Interiors, 301 N Willow Ave., Tampa Photograph by Scott Keeler

FEBRUARY 2017

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found it!

CHAMPAGNE + CANDY COMBO There’s no need to pop a cork to enjoy Dom Perignon vintage champagne. A touch of it goes into these gummy bears, chocolates and sugary “bubbles.” Perfect for any little occasion.

FOUND IT COORDINATOR: Whitney Cohen

Individual cubes ($8.50), Jonathan Adler Bento Box of three, ($28). Plain Jane, 1104 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. Gold rimmed champagne flute, set of four, ($52), Being, 1575 Fourth St. N, St. Petersburg.

Photograph by Scott Keeler

36 bay

FEBRUARY 2017

CATALINA

EXCLUSIVE BILLIARD DESIGNS 13501 ICOT BOULEVARD, SUITE 112 | CLEARWATER, FLORIDA 33760 (727) 539-6212 | E-MAIL: MITCUSTOM@AOL.COM | WWW.MITCHELLEBD.COM MADE IN THE USA

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Howthey met A last-minute decision to go to a party.

Switching lines at the grocery store.

Taking a new job.

Small to big choices in life can alter the outcome, especially when they influence meeting oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s soul mate.

Most people like telling the story of how they crossed paths with a future partner.

Enjoy reading about the chance occurrences that led these couples down the aisle.

SARA AND MORT RICHTER

She fell for the trumpet player after all.

Pennies in a stream Falling leaves of a sycamore Moonlight in Vermont Icy finger waves Ski trails on a mountain side Snowlight in Vermont Hearing Frank Sinatra croon Moonlight in Vermont transports Sara and Mort Richter back to the first dance at their wedding. Now you’ll know why.

The end of 1965 saw Sara Lubitz boarding a bus in Manhattan with her best friend, Patty, bound for Dorset, Vt. A bunch of guys, Patty’s boyfriend among them, were throwing a formal New Year’s Eve party at a big house they had rented.

“They’d hired a cook and a local band,” said Sara, who was 22 that year. “On the way up, Patty described all the single men who would be there.”

The prospects were promising, with a caveat. “She said the one I’d like the most wasn’t one of the rich ones,” Sara recounted recently. She still remembered her memorable reply. “I don’t do poor.”

Mort Richter, then 35, was a fairly new arrival to a Wall Street brokerage, after nearly 10 years as a security analyst in San Francisco, augmenting his income playing trumpet on the club circuit.

Patty’s beau, Michael, head of investment banking at Mort’s firm, invited him to bring his horn and join them for New Year’s.

42 bay

FEBRUARY 2017

Sara and Mort Richter, standing in front of their heart sculpture by Maria Saraceno in their Tampa backyard, “never lacked for conversation” on a journey from Dorset, Vt., to New York. They had just met.

Photograph by James Borchuck

The tempo picks up there.

“We locked eyes at breakfast the first morning he arrived,” Sara said.

“We all went skiing and then later, as predicted, he was the most interesting person to talk to at the party.”

And when he sat in with the band that night?

“Well, that just did it,” she said.

Mort drove them back to the city the next day, since the snow wasn’t deep enough for skiing.

“We never lacked for conversation,” Sara said, all the way home and over pizza and the New York Times crossword puzzle at his apartment.

Patty and Michael were one of the topics. Did he foresee wedding bells for them, Sara wondered?

“Of course not,” Mort replied.

“Any guy over 30 who hasn’t made up his mind after three months isn’t going to.” (PS: He was right.)

Duly noted, Sara filed that insight away until one night, after a movie date.

“Well,” she said. “It’s three months.”

Mort proposed in her living room the next day, April 1. That evening, the couple danced at a black-tie business affair at the Waldorf Astoria. They ended the night at Reuben’s Restaurant eating the legendary apple pancakes.

Between bites, Mort casually inquired, had his fiancee of less than a day given any consideration to a wedding date?

“June 20,” she answered instantly.

“But that’s a Monday,” he said.

“You must mean the 19th.”

They both laugh at Sara’s confidence. Friends of her parents had offered their restaurant for the reception on the weeknight that it was closed.

“There I am,” recounted Mort years later, “with a surprise proposal and she already has the room arranged.”

Last year on June 20, the Richters celebrated their 50th anniversary, surrounded by three sons, three daughters-in-law and four grandsons.

Mort played the horn.

— Amy Scherzer

JACKIE AND HARRY PIPER

Engine trouble parlayed their paths to cross at the right time.

The whole thing really hangs by a thread if you think about it.

How people end up together.”

HARRY PIPER

Retired and now living in downtown St. Petersburg, Harry and Jackie Piper, who knew each other at Duke University, met again in Jacksonville under unusual circumstances.

Photograph by Lara Cerri

It was a last-minute trip to Cuba in 1959 that brought Jackie and Harry Piper together.

Jackie and a friend traveled from St. Petersburg to the Naval Air Station in Jacksonville to see her friend’s boyfriend. Jackie was fixed up with the boyfriend’s friend, but he had to fly to the Naval Station at Guantanamo Bay the morning of their date. Engine trouble prevented the plane from returning to Jacksonville in time for the double date.

Enter Harry Piper. Jackie knew him from their days at Duke University.

He was a senior when she was a freshman. Since he graduated, Harry had been in Officers Candidate School and on a ship in the Mediterranean Sea for two and a half years. But he’d recently been sent back to the air station in Jacksonville and written a letter to Jackie in St. Petersburg saying he was living in Florida.

So when Jackie’s date was stuck in Cuba, she called Harry to see if he could step in.

Needless to say, the date at Jacksonville Beach went well.

“That was in October. We were engaged in January,” Harry recently recounted from their St. Petersburg home. “We burned up the road from Jacksonville to St. Petersburg.”

“I kept telling my parents I’d known him for four years,” Jackie said, referring to the fast courtship.

He finished with the Navy in May and they were married in June. The two are now retired and living in St. Petersburg.

Before the pivotal date, Jackie was planning to take the Federal Service Exam and get a job overseas.

Had she not gone out with Harry that weekend, she would have been out of the country soon and their paths may not have crossed again.

“The whole thing really hangs by a thread if you think about it,” Harry said. “How people end up together.”

Fifty-six years later their thread holds strong.

— Katherine Snow Smith

FEBRUARY 2017

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43

JIM WALTERS AND DAVID SHARPE

They score true love.

It was those ”gorgeous hairy legs,” said Tampa real estate agent Jim Walters, still picturing his husband, David Sharpe, climbing up the bleachers on a sunny afternoon at the Gay and Lesbian Tennis Alliance 2009 Florida Cup. David, a Miami real estate lawyer, came to Tampa to compete in the tournament; Jim’s friend had twisted his arm to get him to come watch his singles match.

“I had very little interest in tennis, plus it was Halloween and there was the big, crazy All Hallows’ Eve party that night,” said Jim, 59. “But I was so bored and lonely… two years after losing my partner of 23 years to lung cancer.”

As David tells it, Jim “absolutely crashed” the players’ party that night. Jim insists “the hosts were friends who made me promise to come to look for David.”

In either version, the two men easily talked for two hours, until David announced the team’s midnight curfew and left.

“I didn’t believe it for a minute,” Jim said. “Why would adults have a curfew? I just knew he must be in a relationship with someone.”

Real estate agent Jim Walters, left, and attorney David Sharpe couldn’t help noticing each other at a tennis tournament in Tampa in 2009.

Family photo

He left immediately, too depressed to go to the Halloween party. Nor did he return to the second day of the tournament.

Then his phone rang a few days later.

Would he like to meet again, David asked? There was so much more to talk about.

Within six months the couple was modernizing a 1920s house on Bayshore Boulevard.

Jim is a top agent at Smith & Associates and David joined a small law firm in Tampa. They also began planning their wedding at the Park Hyatt in Toronto.

“It was the first gay wedding for most of the 80 guests, including me,” said David, 41, who performed two classical works on piano during the service.

— Amy Scherzer

Then his phone rang a few days later. Would he like to meet again, David asked?

There was so much more to talk about.

44 bay

FEBRUARY 2017

TERRI AND TODD MONKEN

Will Ferrell has nothing on him …

Todd Monken calls himself the original funeral crasher, frequently borrowing the line — “grief is nature’s most powerful aphrodisiac”— from the movie Wedding Crashers. It always gets the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ offensive coordinator a laugh.

“We joke about it,” he said, “but the Lord works in mysterious ways.

We would not have met if not for losing a loved one.”

Todd and his future wife both were plugged into the sports community in 1985 at the College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, Ill. “Todd was on the baseball team, and I was a pom-pom girl,” Terri Monken said. “So we knew of each other, but had never actually met.”

They were brought together when three young men working as summer camp counselors died in a car accident.

“One of the boys was a friend of mine and one was on Todd’s baseball team,” Terri recounted.

In Wedding Crashers, actor Will Ferrell plays a guy who goes to funerals just to meet women who are likely to be receptive to some comforting.

In the Monkens’ story, “we were waiting in line at the wake and I backed into him,” said Terri.

Today, shared happiness replaces the sadness Terri and Todd Monken of Davis Islands faced when they were bought together through the deaths of college friends in Illinois.

Photograph by Monica Herndon

A little later, Todd sat across from her at a restaurant where friends gathered.

“This was the first time I had lost someone my age,” she said. “My emotions were raw.”

Todd and Terri, now 51, connected again at the funeral and began dating soon after.

That fall, Todd enrolled in Knox College in Galesburg, Ill., where he lettered in baseball and football, a gifted quarterback who set eight Knox records.

Terri, meanwhile, went to work as a health insurance plan administrator. “We talked almost daily,” she said, “and that was before cellphones.”

They were married in 1991 and have lived in nine cities, all moves for Todd’s coaching career.

They now own a home on Davis Islands and would be happy to stay put.

“Life is a roller coaster, filled with excitement and disappointments,” Todd said. “You don’t think that a funeral will turn into the greatest moment of your life where you meet your soul mate.”

— Amy Scherzer

We joke about it,” he said, “but the Lord works in mysterious ways.

TODD MONKEN We would not have met if not for losing a loved one.”

FEBRUARY 2017

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45

LISA AND CARL BRODY

Walking in the wrong door opened up another one.

Carl and Lisa Brody visited St. Petersburg when her parents moved to the city. Now, it’s their town, too.

Photograph by Jay Nolan

Many people have done it. Walked into the wrong classroom.

You can still remember that awkward feeling years later. You sit down and then a few minutes in, realize this professor or this topic isn’t on your schedule. You ponder, is it worth wasting 50 minutes of your life to stick it out, save face and act like you’re in the right place? Or do you bolt for the door?

Carl Brody decided to awkwardly get up and leave when he found himself in wrong class at the University of Oregon Law School in Eugene.

But the mistake changed the course of his life.

“He walked into the wrong class and I noticed him,” Lisa Brody, 46, recently recounted.

“There weren’t many AfricanAmerican students at the University of Oregon.”

Lisa decided she was going to track him down. After class, she glanced around the building and then went outside, hoping she could find the mysterious student who walked out of her classroom. She did and introduced herself. He was a second-year law student. She was in her first year.

It didn’t take long for them to know they had much more in common than race. The two started dating and were married about five years later.

When her parents moved to St. Petersburg, Lisa and Carl visited and decided to move here as well.

Carl, 49, is a senior assistant Pinellas County attorney in Clearwater and Lisa is a lawyer for Bay Area Legal Services in St. Petersburg.

— Katherine Snow Smith

He walked into the wrong class and I noticed him. There weren’t many African-American students at the University of Oregon.”

LISA BRODY

46 bay

FEBRUARY 2017

HOPE AND MILES GREEN

A second hand futon led to true love.

Miles and Hope Green are still sitting pretty, but now on a bench in the backyard of their St. Petersburg home.

Photograph by John Pendygraft

Long before the days of Craigslist, a co-worker at the Washington, D.C., congressional office where Hope Green worked spread the word that he had a futon to sell. Hope and her boyfriend, who was visiting from out of town, went to her co-worker’s house to check it out.

He wasn’t there, but had left his roommate Miles Green to greet the interested buyer.

“I liked it. I said ‘Okay.’ I wrote him a check and gave it to Miles to give to (the co-worker). I wrote my number on the check,” Hope, who now lives in St. Petersburg, recalled 29 years later.

Miles, now a senior vice president with RBC Wealth Management, took notice of that number and copied it down to call her later.

The fact that she had a boyfriend didn’t thwart him.

“I knew he didn’t live in D.C. I had the home-field advantage,” Miles, 54, recalled with a laugh. “I was studying business, and I knew me being in D.C. was a clear competitive advantage.”

There were several phone calls before Miles asked Hope to go out for an afternoon of beer and pool.

Hope was interested, but also not sure she wanted it to be an “official” date, so she took her four roommates with her.

He was a good sport about it and they had a great afternoon.

Soon after, she wrote a letter to a college roommate.

“I said, ‘I’ve met my husband, and his name is Miles Green,’ ” Hope, 52, remembered. “I was in love.”

— Katherine Snow Smith

I said, ‘I’ve met my husband, and his name is Miles Green.’ I was in love.”

HOPE GREEN

FEBRUARY 2017

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47

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T H E S I G N AT U R E H O M E S O F

Campbell-Plummer & Merritt

Carole Merritt

Carole@CPMSignatureHomes.com

Christopher Plummer

Tammy Campbell-Plummer

727.434.0376

727.455.2351

Christopher@CPMSignatureHomes.com

727.580.4447

Tammy@CPMSignatureHomes.com

It’s a great start to 2017! Call us today!

REMODELED PASADENA YACHT AND COUNTRY CLUB Spectacular home in PYCC offering “SMART” electronics both inside and out! 4BR, 2BA with 2,433 SF of living space.

Offered for $749,900

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Offered for $749,000

Considering a Move?

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Single-story 4BR, 3BA and 2,589 SF ranch-style home located on the prestigious island of Tierra Verde. Offered for $650,000

TIERRA VERDE WATERFRONT TOWNHOUSE Freshly painted and spacious 2BR, 2BA townhouse with a loft for an extra room is just one of 8 units in the Stillwater Complex on the Grand Canal. Offered for $479,000

PASADENA YACHT AND COUNTRY CLUB

Fabulous 4BR, 3.5BA Key West-inspired home offers a brand-new roof in 2016 and lives larger than its 2,748 SF. Offered for $599,000

GULF FRONT CONDO ON ST. PETE BEACH Direct views of the Gulf of Mexico and the beach from the 8th floor.

Spacious 2 BD, 2BA and 1,500 SF. Offered for $499,000

TIERRA VERDE WATERFRONT CORNER UNIT

Incredibly spacious townhome with views of the Grand Canal and the Gulf of Mexico. 2BR, 2.5BA, extra-large boat slip and 12,000 lb lift. Offered for $589,000

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To view ALL our listings, visit www.CPMSignatureHomes.com 6505 Gulf Blvd., St. Pete Beach, FL 33706

One More Toy, a 155-foot yacht, is a place of comfort for wounded special operations troops and their significant others.

Photograph courtesy of Gary Markel

A place to heal and bond

THE LOVE BOAT 52 bay

FEBRUARY 2017

BY KATHERINE SNOW SMITH

The double amputee Navy SEAL pulled himself with his arms along the beach into the teal waters off St. Thomas where he could move freely. More than a thousand miles away, Clearwater insurance executive Gary Markel watched the scene play out on the Military History channel. It prompted him to pause during his late night channel surfing and watch the program on wounded veterans. He got an idea.

Wouldn’t it be easier for these soldiers to dive or snorkel right off of a boat? Markel had a boat. A 155-foot yacht to be exact.

He made some calls and ended up talking with Gen. Doug Brown, at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa. At the time in 2010, Brown oversaw MacDill’s U.S. Special Operations Command. Brown referred him to Jim Lorraine, who oversaw the Care Coalition, which offers support to wounded special ops troops “I told him, ‘I have a boat, and if you’d like to use it you are more than welcome to use it.’ I gave him the name of the boat and hung up,” Markel recounted.

His phone rang within minutes. It was Lorraine.

“We get people calling us, willing to donate time on a 30or 35-foot boat but nobody has ever called with a 150-foot yacht. You bet we’d like to use it,” he said.

That was the spark that started Operation Healing Forces. Markel and his brother, Anthony Markel of Richmond, oversee the nonprofit organization that hosts groups of wounded special operations troops and their spouses on weeklong retreats aboard yachts and in luxurious vacation homes. They started with five trips in 2015, 12 last year and a goal of 100 over the next three years.

The special operations troops relax and reconnect with their significant others. They share their stories and advice, their disappointments and their triumphs with the group.

There are no formal therapy sessions.

Above, a breathtaking view in St. Thomas welcomes those on One More Toy. Photograph courtesy of Operation Healing Forces

Elegant accommodations on One More Toy. Photograph courtesy of Gary Markel

FEBRUARY 2017

bay

53

These kids go through so much. They are always thanking us (for the retreats) and we’re like, ‘No. Wait a minute. You are the ones to thank.’ ” GARY MARKEL

Gary Markel and wife Denise.

Photograph by Eve Edelheit

The living room and bar area on One More Toy.

54 bay

FEBRUARY 2017

Lori and Richard Weltz, both veterans, have been on one of the trips provided by Operation Healing Forces.

Photograph by Eve Edelheit

Photograph courtesy of Gary Markel

Guests at a home in Lake Charlevoix, Mich.

But along the way between parasailing, yoga on the beach, gourmet meals prepared by local chefs and late nights around a fire, they lean in. They really talk.

They find love and support they didn’t know they needed or desperately yearned for.

“We’re still in touch with two couples from our trip,” said Lori Weltz, who went with her husband, Richard, on a retreat to Virginia Beach, Va. “It was just so relaxing to connect with the other wives. We’ve all gotten those phone calls that nobody wants to get.”

Those are the calls that bring news of a serious injury in a foreign land. The calls are followed by months and years of rehabilitation. And, in 70 percent of injured special operations members, redeployment.

“These kids go through so much. They are always thanking us (for the retreats) and we’re like, ‘No. Wait a minute.

You are the ones to thank,’ ” Markel said. “My boat is called One More Toy. I say to these kids, ‘If it wasn’t for them, we wouldn’t have our toys and our houses. You allow us to enjoy the lifestyle we have.’ ”

Photograph courtesy of Operation Healing Forces

MORE THAN A VACATION Markel and his brother are retired from Markel Corp., the insurance company their grandfather started in 1930 in Richmond, Va. It went public in 1986 at $8 a share and now trades around $900 a share. The company saw $5.4 billion in sales last year. The Markels are involved in a lot of philanthropy, but Gary Markel said Operation Healing Forces is closest to his heart.

In 2015 he called on his friends to help him offer more retreats in more venues.

“We went to the Greenbrier and met with friends of mine who were fairly well off. One of the couples said they didn’t know anybody with a yacht, but they had a gorgeous vacation home on Virginia Beach,” Markel said.

Friends called friends and the collection of retreat locations grew. It includes homes in Naples; Marathon; Vail, Colo.; Lake Charlevoix, Mich.; Hilton Head, S.C.; and the Hamptons in New York. The Greenbrier historic resort in West Virginia also donates a large house.

The Highlander, a 160-foot yacht that can be chartered for $150,000 a week, just hosted a retreat along the coast of Belize in January.

FEBRUARY 2017

bay

55

A luxurious vacation house in St. Croix, USVI.

“It just keeps snowballing,” Markel said. Yet the group needs more homes to continue to grow.

“We need a minimum of five bedrooms and five bathrooms so each couple can have their own bathroom,” he said.

Billy DeLong, Operation Healing Forces’ program director, doesn’t use the word vacation when talking about the special trips. Yes, they are luxurious, fun and relaxing. But the participants always say they gain much more from the company than the venue, said the former Army Ranger who has had multiple deployments.

Either DeLong, or Jeff Hudson, another wounded Ranger, go on each trip to lead discussions and help the couples cope. Markel had licensed therapists on the first few trips but found the participants felt more comfortable with someone who had been in the same trenches they’ve been in.

“I was on one trip, and there was one guy who had been pretty quiet the whole time,” DeLong recounted. “Then the last day he really opened up and said, ‘I’ve been needing to talk about this for so long.’ ” Lori and Richard Weltz have been married 24 years.

“A lot of special ops couples don’t get past 10 years,” she said. “(Troops) are gone so much. They get hurt. They come back different.”

She called the retreat at Virginia Beach a “safe place” to talk about everything.

“With no distractions from kids,” she added.

56 bay

FEBRUARY 2017

Photograph courtesy of Operation Healing Forces

“It’s good for the younger guys to see what they are going to have to deal with later on,” said Richard Weltz. “We can tell them ‘This is what you are going to have to deal with the VA.’ We can advise them on things to do before their next deployment.”

Richard Weltz is the commander of the Military Order of the Purple Heart chapter in Dunedin where the couple live. Lori Weltz also served in the military for a number of years and was in the Gulf War. “We love supporting this to raise money so other couples can have the same experience,” he said.

Two wounded female special operations troops are scheduled to attend retreats with their husbands this year, according to DeLong.

In light of problems with lavish spending at some charities, Markel notes he and his brother pay 100 percent of the administrative and fundraising costs of their organization. They’ve also footed the bill for the cost of all trips until recently. But now, the Markels are trying to raise $2 million to help finance airfare, food, activities, van rentals and other costs associated with the retreats.

Even though the homes and yachts are donated, the price of retreats averages $15,000.

Markel believes it’s well worth the cost if the retreats save a marriage or even a life.

“The military, according to various sources, has 22 suicides a day,” he said. “This gentleman told me that in an email he sent after going on a retreat. But he said ‘Tomorrow it’s now only going to be 21.’ ” For more information go to operationhealingforces.org.

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L VE is in the kitchen.

Bright Wood Works’ custom kitchens with Miele’s built-in appliances flawlessly complement one another in terms of form, function and fit. Discover the options available to enhance any kitchen design.

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Life with Style © Belleview Place, LLC 2016

Fill in your bucket list or laze on the private terrace of your Belleview Place home and

wait for inspiration. The choices begin at your doorstep: Belleair Country Club and its two world-class golf courses. A historic boutique inn. Fine and casual dining. Fitness center, pool, spa and walking paths. Sparkling calm waters. All within an arm’s reach of your large, luxurious, light-filled condominium residence.

Add a quick drive to the white sugar sands of award-winning Clearwater Beach, lively entertainment in downtown Clearwater, shopping and © Belleview Place, LLC 2015 businesses just blocks away.

Four artfully designed mid-rise condominium buildings feature stunning So much to do and experience. light-filled homes.

© Belleview Place, LLC 2015

Each spacious two-story carriage home includes an elevator and a two-car garage.

Yet this brand-new community of luxury homes is tucked away on a quiet street, across a quaint bridge and through an attended gate. A hidden haven that basks in the long and distinguished history of the Belleview Biltmore Hotel.

Come celebrate your one-of-a-kind life in this one-of-a-kind community. Now that’s style!

Stunning Mid-rise residences and Carriage Homes from the mid-$600s to $1.7 million 275 Belleview Boulevard Q Belleair, FL 33756 Q BelleviewPlace.com Q 727-469-7070

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Wharfâ&#x20AC;? dress, 100 percent cotton ($170), Dody Boutique, St. Pete Beach. Blissful Druzy and Ivory necklace handmade by Patricia Lafaye, Safety Harbor ($155). Ocean jasper and brass cuff bracelet handmade by La Fernweh Designs, St. Petersburg ($86). All from Florida CraftArt, St. Petersburg.

Multicolor scarf worn as a belt ($20), Nordstrom, International Plaza, Tampa.

Lounge in it

Live in it

BY KATHRYN VARN PHOTOGRAPHS BY SCOTT KEELER

Leaving the house in pajamas may seem taboo. But designers have found ways over the years to transition slips, robes, wide-leg pants and satin camisoles into dreamy outfits stylish enough for a cocktail party or night out. Dolce & Gabbana has floated the looks on the runway since the brand was founded in the 1980s. Milan designer Francesca Ruffini has dedicated an entire label to the look called F.R.S. For Restless Sleepers. Try bright, bold patterns from head to toe. Or a scarf to cinch the waist.

Glossy bags and strappy heels make perfect finishing touches. This look is as comfortable as it is elegant.

An earthy maxi dress like this one from Dody Boutique in St. Pete Beach feels and looks serene. A scarf as a belt maintains the flow of the dress, and the moon face pendant and stone cuff give it an ambiance of twilight, or those sweet moments just before sleep.

T

he loungewear style doesn’t always need pajama pieces to fit the bill.

A wide-leg jumpsuit is just as easy and breezy with the same head-to-toe elegance. Pair with thick color-block heels, like these by Karl Lagerfeld Paris, to elongate the slimming vertical stripes.

Navy hues and plush velvet are what dreams are made of. This dress from Buffalo David Bitton flows to the ankle with a red tint where the burgundy lining underneath shows through.

Stripe jumpsuit ($198), Lovers & Friends.

Suede snakeskin color-block sandals ($149), Karl Lagerfeld Paris. Black bag ($228), Karl Lagerfeld Paris. All from Dillard’s, International Plaza, Tampa. Velvet choker with gold tassels ($29), Zara, International Plaza, Tampa. “Bella” bracelet with Swarovski pearls and crystals handmade by Joyce Eaton Brady, Mount Dora ($85). Florida CraftArt, St. Petersburg.

Blue velvet slip “Lexy” maxi dress ($118), Buffalo David Bitton. Dillard’s, International Plaza, Tampa. ”Queen of Hearts” Swarovski pearls and crystals with raku piece handmade by Joyce Eaton Brady, Mount Dora ($260). Florida CraftArt, St. Petersburg.

R

eign in a flowing satin nightgown with bold accessories like these Steve Madden metallic heels and Sugar + Lips faux fur jacket. The BCBG choker gives an edge to the look in line with a trending â&#x20AC;&#x2122;90s revival.

Patterned pajama bottoms can look as glamorous for the day as they feel comfortable in bed. A white linen top with a bow and dangly earrings dress up the look. The splash of color from this Ted Baker tote adds pizzazz to a monochromatic color scheme.

Above, white “Cool Breeze” 100 percent linen top ($130), Island Company, Dody Beach Boutique, St. Pete Beach. Black suede bow/crystal pin ($34), Cara, Nordstrom, International Plaza, Tampa. Black mandala cotton sateen pajama bottoms ($140), Bedhead. “LOVE” bag ($59), Ted Baker. Both from Dillard’s, International Plaza, Tampa.

At left, white satin nightgown lace-trimmed and handkerchief hem ($79), “In Bloom”

by Jonquil. Faux fur jacket ($99), Sugar + Lips. Silver Satire metallic strappy sandals ($90), Steve Madden. Stone plate collar necklace ($128), BCBG. Stone cuff bracelet ($98), BCBG. All from Dillard’s, International Plaza, Tampa. Chalcedony, rubellite and silver ring handmade by Mo Anderson, Bonita Springs ($450) Florida CraftArt, St. Petersburg.

FEBRUARY 2017

bay 67

L

acey camisoles make the perfect base for layers. The lace neckline softens the bomber jacket and neutral tones in this Vince Camuto suit. For a more daring look, pair with the camiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s racier and recently revived cousin, the bralette.

Kimonos have already pushed their way out of the house and into the bohemian styles seen at music festivals and beaches. But this wrap from Flora Nikrooz demands an elegant vintage look. Pair with white trousers and a contrasting heel to let the intricate lace and bold color shine.

Wide-leg trousers ($109) and bomber jacket ($179), Vince Camuto. Satin cami ($24), Cabernet. Chain-link necklace ($68), BCBG. Lambskin leather bag ($465), Brahmin.

All from Dillardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, International Plaza, Tampa.

68 bay

FEBRUARY 2017

Lace-trimmed charmeuse “Gabby” kimono wrap robe ($88), Flora Nikrooz. Wide-leg trousers ($300), Nicole Miller. Blue suede “Joline” sandals ($100), Steve Madden. All from Dillard’s, International Plaza, Tampa. Blue star-studded choker ($29), Zara, International Plaza, Tampa.

L

ike the timeless Little Black Dress, sometimes all it takes is a black satin robe to make the biggest statement.

While a backdrop of falling rose petals is hard to come by, you can dress up the look with sleek jewelry, like this blue ring and a pair of silver earrings from Florida CraftArt.

A full pajama getup is perhaps one of the harder looks to pull off if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not Selena Gomez or Rihanna, who have their own variations on the style. But thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no mistaking that these pajamas are ready for a day out with a fun bag like this one from Betsey Johnson.

FASHION STYLIST: Sandra Davila MAKEUP AND HAIR: Monique McLaughlin MODEL: Jacqueline Hoag

Above, black mandala cotton sateen pajama top ($140), Bedhead. Satin pajama bottoms ($58), Cabernet. Robot cross-body bag ($275), Betsey Johnson. Red suede hot-fix stone “Becky” sandals ($145), Michael Kors. All from Dillard’s, International Plaza, Tampa. Suede choker ($29), Zara, International Plaza, Tampa.

Opposite page, black satin robe ($44), Cabernet. Silver Satire metallic sandals ($90), Steve Madden, both from Dillard’s, International Plaza, Tampa. Hollow form earrings in sterling silver and pearls handmade by Mary Day, St. Petersburg ($140) Florida CraftArt, St. Petersburg.

Chalcedony, rubellite and silver ring handmade by Mo Anderson, Bonita Springs ($450). Both from Florida CraftArt, St. Petersburg.

FEBRUARY 2017

bay 71

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Selling Extraordinary Properties for Over 30 Years!

Beachfront Luxury

2200 Sunset Way, St. Pete Beach

5BR/4.5BA/Den/11-Car Garage $5,499,000

Offered for sale for the first time since it was built by the homeowner in 2004, the “Shangri La at Pass-aGrille” is one of the most iconic luxury beachfront residences in Tampa Bay. With over 6,000 sq ft of living space and 11,000 sq ft under the roof, this custom-built home radiates timeless touches inside and out.

Notable features include a commercial-rated elevator, an 11-car garage, dual master suites, crown molding, stunning oceanfront balconies on each level, and wide-open beach and ocean views as far as Redington Beach and beyond. A truly spectacular home.

Award-Winning Member of Keller Williams Luxury Homes International. Over $62 Million Sold in 2016.

Properties@SandysOffice.com • (727) 398-2310 • www.SandyHartmannHomes.com

Signed, sealed, delivered

BY KATHERINE SNOW SMITH

F

or centuries, writing letters by hand was as natural as breathing. Even after Ma Bell swept the country, long distance calls came at a price, so letters were still commonplace.

It was the proliferation of email, of course, that put handwritten letters on the endangered species list. Texting didn’t help matters.

But now there’s a grass-roots movement to revive the art of letter writing, taking place in a 100-year-old blue bungalow in Hyde Park.

A handful of people, mostly older than 40 but a few in their 20s, are gathering at the Paper Seahorse to simply sit around a wooden table and write letters. The sessions are organized by the newly formed Tampa Letter Writers Club.

It’s no coincidence that the club was co-founded by Tona Bell, who as owner of the Paper Seahorse, sells an eclectic mix of paper, vintage postcards, pens, stamps and more. But she welcomes anyone to bring their own supplies. Her passion goes beyond promoting her small shop.

“I feel like people have just forgotten how to do it. When I get letters, I love to see the all the different handwriting,” she said. “The benefits for the person sending the letter are phenomenal.”

“You’re pausing. You’re reflecting. It’s a wonderful way to practice mindfulness,” Peggy Martin, who attended a recent letter writing session, chimed in. She’s been writing letters for seven decades and applauds all efforts to encourage others. “You are using different neurological pathways when you have pen in hand. And the slightest thing written by hand, people will save.”

Photograph by Andres Leiva

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FEBRUARY 2017

Letter writing is the only device for combining solitude with good company.â&#x20AC;?

LORD BYRON

A postcard kit that contains vintage postcards, glassine envelopes and stamps ($10).

The Paper Seahorse, Tampa.

Photograph by Scott Keeler

At right, a collection of letters addressed to Martin that she displayed on a wooden desk during a letter writing session at the Paper Seahorse.

Photograph by Andres Leiva

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FEBRUARY 2017

You’re nurturing yourself when you’re writing to somebody. You’re connecting your hand to your heart.”

That’s a benefit to the letter writer, to be remembered time and again when that letter resurfaces in a dresser drawer. But Randy Rosenthal can attest to the benefits that handwritten letters give a recipient.

“My mother wrote me a lot of letters,” he said of the woman who died 20 years ago. “Now when I read them, I still actually have a piece of her because her hand touched a pen that laid that ink on that paper.”

Martin likes hearing this. When her grandson was born in 2005 in Arizona, she lived in St. Louis. She started writing him a letter and poem once a month. When Martin moved to Southeast Asia as a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer for five years, she kept up her monthly letters until he turned 12.

Rosenthal and Tammy Wright, the letter writing club’s other co-founder, both work in digital media, so they are quick to say they aren’t disparaging communicating online.

Ironically, they use social media such as Meetup and Facebook to organize events for writing by hand. Wright also finds other letter writers who transform envelopes into art with illustrations, unique handwriting and vintage stamps by searching the hashtag “happymail.”

But there are times when nondigital communicating makes a difference.

“We generate so much mindless text. When you take a pen to paper, you’re almost putting a piece of yourself in the letter,” Rosenthal said. “It’s effortless to text. Writing a letter is a deliberate effort. It’s making time to do something and giving that gift of time.”

PEGGY MARTIN

Tampa resident Peggy Martin, 77, reads a letter a friend wrote to her some years ago during a letter writing session at the Paper Seahorse in Tampa. Martin said she first started writing letters over seven decades ago; nowadays, she still uses letters to correspond with friends and family.

Photograph by Andres Leiva

Clearly one can write a letter without communing with others at an organized event. Wright settles down at night after working on a computer all day to write to friends.

Rosenthal keeps postcards and stamps in a pocket of his laptop case so he can jot a note to a friend while sitting in a coffee shop.

“Digital is our world and it’s very convenient. But people are starting to choose ‘what do I want to do digitally and what do I want to do offline?’ ” Rosenthal said.

Wright referred to a popular documentary that came out last year called Offline is the New Luxury as evidence that unplugging sometimes is seen as a reward.

“Everyone is going a mile a minute,” Martin said. “When they write a letter, they can sit down and slow down and really think about what they are saying to someone.”

FEBRUARY 2017

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Now Accepting Reservations. Call us today! 727-789-5588 • Evenings & Weekends Call 727-403-6970 ORAL REPRESENTATIONS CANNOT BE RELIED UPON AS CORRECTLY STATING REPRESENTATIONS FOR THE SELLER. FOR CORRECT REPRESENTATIONS, MAKE REFERENCE TO THIS BROCHURE AND TO THE DOCUMENTS REQUIRED BY SECTION 718.503, FLORIDA STATUTES, TO BE FURNISHED BY A SELLER TO A BUYER OR LESSEE. This project has been filed by the state of Florida and no other state. Views shown cannot be relied upon as the actual view from a particular unit within the condominium. Prospective purchasers should be aware that any view from the condominium property may be limited or eliminated. Please see the declaration of condominium for more information when they become available.

A DANCER ON MANY STAGES Caption for big photo goes here.

Photograph by Tom Kramer

Paula Kramer dances professionally as well as at hospitals, museums, summer camp and elementary school classrooms.

PAGE 84

Paula Kramer in the 2016 Beacon performance of When in the Within, choreographed by Helen Hansen French at the Palladium Theater in St. Petersburg.

Photograph by Tom Kramer

‘HIDDEN FIGURES’ PREMIERE Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority hosted members, mentors and students.

Page 86

GIRLS IN WHITE DRESSES Friends and family celebrate 23 St. Petersburg debutantes. Page 88

HISTORY CENTER GALA The Tampa museum saluted early explorers and U.S. Special Operations forces. Page 90

POYNTER INSTITUTE’S BOWTIE BALL Guest speaker Tom Brokaw joined a packed house. Page 94

FEBRUARY 2017

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All the world’s a dance f loor

BY KATHERINE SNOW SMITH PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF TOM KRAMER

Paula Kramer is a dancer. Professionally trained, she’s been dancing for at least 55 years. Though she’s been on the stage a number of times, including at the Palladium Theater and Studio 620, it’s not her usual venue.

In fact, her stages are anything but usual.

She’s in a classroom teaching fourth-graders adverbs and verbs by leading them as they “jump quickly” or “crawl quietly.”

She’s at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital dressed in scrubs teaching kids to mirror her moves as she dances the letters that spell their names.

She’s choreographing performances at the University of Tampa, Hillsborough Community College or St. Petersburg College.

She’s at the Dalí dancing with summer campers.

She’s showing those who teach students with different abilities how to incorporate dance into their curriculum.

“Dancers can dance, choreograph, direct and teach. I’m more interested in (the latter three) than performance,” Kramer said recently from her home near St. Pete Beach.

Her mother was a competitive ballroom dancer. Her cousin danced on Broadway.

So Kramer took the obligatory tap and ballet classes growing up in Cleveland. It wasn’t until she tried modern dance in high school gym class that her interest and talent thrived.

“I started later than most dancers. I didn’t become very serious until the age of 22,” Kramer said. She majored in education and minored in dance at Wayne State University in Detroit. “Because you couldn’t major in dance then,” Kramer laughed. “Now it has one of the largest dance departments in the Midwest.”

While in Michigan, Kramer helped found the Detroit Dance Collective to teach ballet, jazz, modern and creative dance. She also created and taught a curriculum for schools throughout the Midwest that added dance to tradi-

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Paula Kramer considers dance therapy done with patients some of her most meaningful work.

Photograph by Tom Kramer

tional academics. Her work in dance and education earned her Wayne State’s Arts Achievement Award, which has also been bestowed on alumni Lily Tomlin and Jeffrey Tambor.

Along the way, she met and married Tom Kramer. They have three children.

Anyone who could get out of bed danced with me. These kids are tethered to their machines, but we did it anyway.â&#x20AC;?

PAULA KRAMER reflecting on her experience teaching children at Johns Hopkins All Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hospital

He was a fashion photographer but because his wife exposed him to dance, he changed his focus to that art form.

Tom Kramer is known among photographers and dancers for how he captures the graceful movement of strong bodies. His photographs of various dancers are in the Museum of Fine Artsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; collection and have been exhibited at the Leepa-Rattner Museum as well as Articles Gallery on Central Avenue.

The Kramers wintered in St. Pete Beach two years before deciding to move permanently to Tampa Bay in 1999. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When we came here, I wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t sure what I wanted to do.

After a year I met people in the dance community and, of course, I wanted to continue dancing,â&#x20AC;? Kramer recounted.

Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s one of the founders of the St. Petersburg Dance Alliance, which promotes dance throughout the area. Cofounder Helen Hansen French produces performances that Kramer helps choreograph.

Kramer considers the dance therapy she led with patients at All Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and St. Anthonyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hospitals in recent years some of the most meaningful applications of her art. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Anyone who could get out of bed danced with me,â&#x20AC;? she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;These kids are tethered to their machines, but we did it anyway.â&#x20AC;? Those who couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t move from their beds danced while sitting under blankets and sheets.

At All Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, she encouraged parents to dance as well because it was such a good stress reliever. For the patients, it got them moving muscles they needed to stretch and was a highlight of their day. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s extremely rewarding,â&#x20AC;? Kramer said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not unusual to have someone come up and say to me â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;You danced with my child,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; or â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;I danced with you at St. Anthonyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; â&#x20AC;?

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community ST. PETERSBURG

2

ALPHA KAPPA ALPHA SORORITY Almost 300 people attended an early screening of Hidden Figures at Muvico Theatre at Sundial, hosted by St. Petersburgâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Zeta Upsilon Omega chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. The three NASA mathematicians featured in the movie were also members of the sorority founded by black women in 1908. The special audience included about 115 middle and high school students who were exposed to careers in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) and met sorority members who have such careers.

1

1. Sorority members Sandra J. Gibson, from left, Dr. Sherrisse Bryant, Manitia Moultrie and Dr. Marilyn W. Fudge take a selfie. All have STEM-related careers.

2. Zeta Upsilon Omega chapter members check in participants for the screening.

Photographs by Jerrod Douse

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community

ST. PETERSBURG

1

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ST. PETERSBURG DEBUTANTE BALL

6

Twenty-three young women in long white dresses carried red roses and smiled in the spotlight as the St. Petersburg Debutante Club recognized them at its time-honored holiday ball.

1. Carolyn Cureton is presented with her father, Kevin.

2. Sarah Green laughs with other debs while waiting to be presented.

3. Natalee Biddison and Caroline Skidmore keep their gloves close at hand backstage.

4. Sarah Greenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s shoes hit the floor while she rests her feet backstage before the presentation.

5. Debutantes and their fathers dance at the Coliseum.

6. Tatum Llewellyn walks with her father, Todd, as she is presented.

Photographs by Eve Edelheit

FEBRUARY 2017

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community TAMPA

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TAMPA BAY HISTORY CENTER GALA “Charting the Future” at the Tampa Bay History Center tapped Sandra and Steve Gardner and family to lead the Veterans Day gala Nov. 11, saluting Florida’s bravest, from the earliest explorers to current MacDill Air Force Base commanders. Classic Spanish specialities from the Columbia Cafe — paella, snapper, jambon serrano and much more — kept 450 guests circling two buffets; plantanos flambe awaited on the breezy terrace. Gala proceeds of $150,000 will advance education and outreach programs.

1. Steve and Ginny McGucken, from left, Mike and Elizabeth Carrere.

2. Peg and Jim Davis, from left, Barbara and Les Ryals.

3. June Annis, left, and Bob Bolt.

4. Lisa Rohatiner, left, Rebecca Carlson and Amy Stoll.

5. Gala chairmen Sandra and Steve Gardner, from left, P. J. and Ashlie Gardner and Truett and Leigh Gardner.

6. The Columbia restaurant catered the lavish buffet.

Photographs by Amy Scherzer

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SUNDIAL STYLE FASHION SHOW

5

The catwalk was alive with more than 60 looks composed of clothing and accessories from Sundial retailers in the annual Sundial Style Fashion Show. Models were styled by the Marilyn Monroe Glamour Room and the Shave Cave.

1. Former Tampa Mayor Dick Greco and his wife, Dr. Linda McClintock.

2. Tampa Bay Rowdies defender Neill Collins wearing fashion from John Craig Clothier, St. Petersburg.

3. Fashion from Tracy Negoshian, St. Petersburg.

4. Crystal Culbertson, Jeanna Damkoehler and Diamonds Direct owner Cheryl Sanchez.

5. State Rep. Kathleen Peters and Elaine Mikurak.

6. WTSP News Anchor Dion Lim and St. Petersburg Deputy Mayor Kanika Tomalin.

7. Fashion from Juxtapose Apparel & Studio, St. Petersburg.

8. Roger Dow, president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association, Jose Bello, Joe Jimenez from the Edwards Group and Linda Dow. 9. Fashion from Florida Jeans Company, St. Petersburg.

6

Photographs courtesy of the Edwards Group

9 8

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7

Catered Excellence Celebrate the Season with a Holiday Gathering Whether a corporate celebration for your associates, or an intimate Holiday Party in the privacy of your own home, let Café Ponte customize your menu with our exquisite entrees, paired with the perfect wines, and delectable Chefs desserts.

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13505 Icot Blvd. Suite 214 | Clearwater | 727-538-5768 | Cafeponte.com

community

ST. PETERSBURG

2

1

POYNTER INSTITUTE BOWTIE BALL

3

There wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t a necktie in sight at the packed Poynter Institute Bowtie Ball. The suggested dress code was in honor of the trademark bowties of Nelson Poynter, former publisher of the St. Petersburg Times and founder of the media institution that became the Poynter Institute. The evening was a major fundraiser for the Poynter Institute. The non-profit organization instructs and inspires journalists around the globe.

1. Paul Tash (left), chairman and CEO of the Tampa Bay Times and Times Publishing Co., along with Poynter president Tim Franklin (right), present Tom Brokaw with the Poynter Medal for Lifetime Achievement in Journalism.

2. Angie Geml (left) and Ron Sacino.

3. Tampa Bay Lightning owner Jeff Vinik (center) and his wife Penny at left.

4. Tom Brokaw.

5. Michael Pehanich (center), senior manager of public relations for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Photographs by Loren Elliott

4

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FEBRUARY 2017

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calendar FEBRUARY

MARCH

APRIL

MAY

JUNE

JULY

AUGUST

SEPTEMBER

DECEMBER

JANUARY

2.25

JAZZ BRUNCH: Enjoy jazz by the TomKats as you feast on shrimp and grits. Benefits causes of the Stuart Society.

10 a.m., Museum of Fine Arts, 255 Beach Drive NE, St. Petersburg. $125. (727) 894-7982. mfastpete.org

HATS OFF TO CANCER RESEARCH: The 24th annual lunch and fashion show features designs by LaBoutique, raffles and door prizes. Benefits cancer research grants. 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m., Banquet Masters, 13355 49th St. N, Clearwater. $30.

(727) 368-2980.

COCKTAILS ON THE COURTS: A casual night of shuffleboard with unlimited drinks, Florida-style food, visits with a mermaid and dancing to music by the Black Honkeys.

Benefits the St. Petersburg Museum of History. 6-10 p.m., St. Petersburg Shuffleboard Club, 559 Mirror Lake Drive N, $75. (727) 894-1052. spmoh.org TWELFTH ANNUAL WEDU BE MORE AWARDS LUNCHEON: Celebrates community volunteers and nonprofit organizations. 11 a.m.; Glazer Family JCC; $65, includes WEDU annual membership. (813) 739-2949. wedu.org/bemore.

EQUALITY FLORIDA TAMPA GALA: 7:30 p.m.; TPepin’s Hospitality Centre; $125. (813) 870-3735. eqfl.org.

25TH ANNIVERSARY TO LIFE CELEBRATION: Benefits Florida Holocaust Museum; guest speaker David Eisenhower, 6 p.m.; Vinoy Renaissance; $250 and up. (727) 820-0100. flholocaustmuseum.org

A NIGHT AT THE BREWSEUM: Adults take over the museum for a craft beer-infused night of adult games, tic-tac-toe, beer pong, elbow can stacking and live music. 7-11 p.m., Great Explorations Children’s Museum, 1925 Fourth St. N, St. Petersburg. $45 advance, $55 day of. (727) 821-8992. greatex.org

2.18 1,000 POINTS OF WINE GOURMET DINNER: This blacktie dinner includes a five-course meal paired with samples of 10 wines with 100-point ratings. Benefits the Museum of Fine Arts. 7-11 p.m., Rolls-Royce Tampa Bay, 3255 Gandy Blvd., Pinellas Park. $1,800. (727) 894-7982.

CATTLE BARON’S BALL OF TAMPA BAY: Benefits American Cancer Society; 5-10 p.m.; Water Works Park; $500 and up; (813) 319-5926. cattlebaronsballtampa.org.

2.21 FASHION SHOW: Largo Woman’s Club members hit the runway showing off fashions they’ve selected from Bon Worth Fashions. Benefits Largo Woman’s Club. 11:30 a.m., Royal Palms, 200 Lake Ave. NE, Largo. $20. (727) 584-8314.

2.23 ST. ANTHONY’S HOSPITAL FOUNDATION LEGACY DINNER AND AWARDS: Annual donor appreciation and awards banquet with dinner and cocktails features guest speaker Gilbert Welch of Dartmouth. 5:30 p.m., Hilton St. Petersburg Carillon Parkway, 950 Lake Carillon Drive, St. Petersburg. $75. (727) 825-1086. stanthonysfoundation.org.

2.24 ATHLETES & CAUSES: Benefits several charities including Ryan Callahan Foundation (pediatric cancer), Lance McCullers Foundations (dog rescue), 5:30 p.m.; location to be advised; sponsor-only event. athletesandcauses.org.

FEBRUARY 2017

NOVEMBER

2.12

2.17

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OCTOBER

3.2 JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT HALL OF FAME ANNUAL DINNER: 6:30 p.m.; Busch Gardens Dragon Fire Grill; $500; (813) 382-6487. jatampabay.org.

3.4 DREAM KEEPERS BALL: Benefits Champions for Children; 6:30 p.m.; Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay; $150. (813) 673-4646, ext. 1113. cfctb.org/dream-keepers.

SPURS & BLING GALA: Benefits Firehouse Cultural Center, 5 p.m.; Diehl’s Farm and Ranch Estate, 16801 Balm Wimauma Road, Wimauma; $175 or $250 per couple; (813) 645-7651. firehouseculturalcenter.org.

3.4 EMPTY BOWLS BENEFIT: Guests enjoy a simple meal of soup and bread (donated by restaurants) in bowls created by local potters and crafts people. Benefits Society of St. Vincent de Paul homeless shelter. 1-5 p.m., Clay Center of St. Petersburg, 2010 First Ave. S, $10, includes handcrafted bowl.

(727) 439-8522.

Calendar continues on page 102

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calendar

Continued from page 100 BATTLE OF THE MINDS: See if your team can survive the Master Mind Challenge electronic trivia game. Enjoy cocktails, dinner and auctions. Benefits St. Petersburg Free Clinic. 6 p.m., Tradewinds Island Grand Resort, 5500 Gulf Blvd., St. Pete Beach. $250. (727) 821-1200.

3.10 WAVES OF CHANGE LUNCHEON: Helen Gordon Davis Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Leadership Award. Honoree is Sheila Johnson; 11:30 a.m.; Hilton Tampa Downtown, $75 - $100; (813) 251-8437. thecentre.org.

THE CHISELERS MARKET: AUCTION PREVIEW PARTY. 6:30 p.m.; Plant Hall, University of Tampa; $75; (813) 254-2530 or chiselersinc.org.

3.11

Times archives

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Shoppers gather at the Chiselers Market in historic Plant Hall at the University of Tampa in 2016.

THE CHISELERS MARKET: Known as Tampaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;ultimate garage sale.â&#x20AC;? 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Plant Hall, University of Tampa.

INSPIRE WITH ATTIRE: A fashion show with a boutique, lunch and drawings. Benefits the Homeless Empowerment Program in Clearwater and St. Alfredâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Episcopal Church in Palm Harbor. 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m., Dunedin Golf and Country Club, 1050 Palm Blvd., Dunedin. $25-$30. (727) 785-1601. stalfred.org.

EVENING OF DREAMS: The annual gala includes auctions, dinner and the presentation of the Jeffrey L. Fortune Dream Maker Award. Benefits Academy Prep Center St. Petersburg for student scholarships. 6 p.m., Tradewinds Island Grand Resort, 5500 Gulf Blvd., St. Pete Beach. $200.

(727) 322-0800. academyprep.org.

3.16 FLAMINGO FLING: Patchington teaches you to â&#x20AC;&#x153;accessorize and glamorizeâ&#x20AC;? at this luncheon with a silent auction and a raffle. A card party follows. Benefits Boyd Hill Nature Preserve, Creative Clay, Vincent House and the Waterfront Parks Foundation. 11 a.m., Isla Del Sol Yacht and Country Club, 6000 Sun Blvd., St. Petersburg. $50. (727) 448-7119.

Hosted by St. Petersburg Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Chamber of Commerce. wccstpete.com.

3.18 SPRING FASHION SHOW: Enjoy lunch, a silent auction and prizes as you check out the latest fashions. Benefits beautification projects in the city of Treasure Island.

11 a.m.-3 p.m., Treasure Island Community Center, One Park Place & 106th Ave. $25. (727) 360-9181.

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next time COMING MARCH 19

SET YOUR COURSE In March, Bay will take you to far away places. Whether you are ready to book your next adventure or are an armchair traveler who enjoys learning about interesting destinations, this issue will offer you plenty of ideas.

The Homestead in the mountains of Virginia is one of the oldest and most luxurious places to stay in America. After all, 23 presidents can’t be wrong. Since opening in 1766, presidents including Thomas Jefferson and Franklin Roosevelt, as well as other guests from around the world, have made the trek to this resort marked with history and grandeur.

The Devil’s Thumb Ranch & Spa, 100 miles west of Denver, is where nature meets luxury. Guests staying in private cabins or at one of the two lodges can fly fish, mountain bike, ride horses and hike in Colorado’s Fraser Valley as well as enjoy massages, body scrubs and high altitude facials at the Ranch Creek Spa. A little closer to home, the JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort rang in the year as the newest luxury hotel in Florida after a $320 million update. The original Polynesian look and feel have been maintained at the 726-room resort that caters to individual requests. These include a seaside table built out of sand and classes with a rum sommelier.

So be sure you’ve got a few travel windows in mind before the next Bay arrives.

— Katherine Snow Smith

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110 bay

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