/OurTown-Autumn2011

GAINESVILLE CYCLING FESTIVAL | DALÍ MUSEUM | THE FEST

Autumn 2011

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ALBERT E. 62 GATOR pg.62 A brief history y of UF’s beloved mascot, cot, Albert

GATOR GROWL pg.108 A UF tradition that began as “Dad’s Day” is now a massive annual event

GROW RADIO pg.28 Internet radio station’s unique programming for Gainesville music lovers

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The majority of Dr. Reddy’s patients have the convenience of traveling to only one location for consultation as well as any procedure that may be needed. Dr. Reddy’s experience makes him one of the leading xperts in physician experts Gastroenterology rology and Hepatology logy and is frequently ently consulted on n difficult cases. es.

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Dr. Paivi Samant M.A., D.D.S. Prosthodontist Autumn 2011 | 13

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CONTENTS AUTUMN 2011 • VOL. 02 ISSUE 03 >> ST PETERSBURG

Salvador Dalí Museum One Dali Blvd., St. Petersburg, FL Single Admission Price: $21 $ 10 after 5 pm on Thursdays Annual Pass: $60

That’s a Trip Visitors to the museum hit the

S

200,000 mark on June 25th, and since then have been averaging about 1,100 visitors a day. For

alvador Dalí, the Spanish artist known for his

complex paintings with heavy symbolism and his quirky mannerisms, was famous around the world by artists and collectors.

But to delve into his work, a resident of Florida would not even have to leave the state.

Approaching St. Pete from the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, a billboard appropriately advises visitors to “Feast your eyes,” along with an image of an eyeball between two giant red lips.

The newly renovated Dalí museum is up ahead.

Dalí Boulevard leads to the parking lot, which may be full.

those who have seen it before, it is nothing like it once was. The exterior of building is pocked with symmetrical holes, and infinity pools run next to the walkway to the entrance, with a rock holding up one side of the building. The other side resembles a glass cave.

Inside, visitors will see blacksuited guards with red ties. Walk up the elliptical staircase to the third floor, or take the elevator, to the gallery.

The museum holds the largest collection of his work outside of Spain, featuring 96 oil paintings and more than 1,000 other Dalí works

By Desiree Farnum

Dali Museum

Salvador Dalí Museum

BY DESIREE FARNUM

34

PHOTO ©2011 BOB HORN. USED WITH PERMISSION

of art. The reason this museum exists in St. Petersburg is because of one couple, Reynolds and Eleanor Morse, who became friends with the artist after collecting many of his pieces. Their private collection grew and grew until they decided to share it with the public.

Although his most famous surrealist painting, “The Persistence of Memory” — which is of soft melting watches — is not at the

34 | Autumn 2011

View of the eastern side of the museum overlooking the garden. Within its walls reside the world’s most comprehensive collection of works by the late Spanish surrealist including 7 of his 18 masterwork paintings. The building was designed by architectural firm HOK and features a large glass entryway and skylight. The new museum opened on 1-11-11 at 11:11 am.

museum, a similar piece, “The Disintegration of the Persistence of Memory” can be found there. In this painting the images are broken up by blocks and bullets.

Docent Kay Chiesa explained that all the paintings in the collection are ones that Eleanor

loved. If she did not love it, the couple did not purchase it.

But his paintings express the darkness of his childhood, war, fears of venereal diseases and his religious conflicts. Viewing his paintings require some attention and imagination to figure out, but it

www.VisitOurTowns.com

is very possible to see the way his mind works after spending time in the museum.

For example, grasshoppers represent terror, because as a child his peers would taunt him over his fear of grasshoppers by holding him down and crushing them

Autumn 2011 | 35

Many of the works of Salvador Dalí, considered one of the greatest surrealists of our time, can be experienced first-hand at the Dalí museum in St. Petersburg, Florida.

The museum boasts the largest collection of Dalí’s works of art outside of Spain, and is just a hop, skip and jump from Gainesville.

>> IT’S GREAT TO BE A FLORIDA GATOR! OR!

62

Albert E. Gator

It’s Great, To Be...

A Brief History of UF’s F’s Beloved Mascot STUDIO PHOTOGRAPHY BY TJ MORRISSEY for LOTUS STUDIOS

BY ALBERT ISAAC

A

lbert the Alligator walks down University Avenue and car horns blare. People cheer and call out his name, “Albert!

Hey Albert!” “Go Gators!”

A family visiting from Indiana for volleyball camp pulls to the curb on University and Lemerand Drive and a 9-year-old boy hops out.

“Can we get a picture?” the mom asks from inside the car.

Albert happily obliges, putting his arm around the youngster while the mom snaps a picture through the window of the car.

“Thanks!” The boy hops back in the car and off they go.

Strolling across campus this scene plays out time and time again. A young athlete calls out. “Yo, Albert!” Shirtless, fit and ripped, he poses with Albert while his

By Albert Isaac

girlfriend snaps a picture.

These days Albert the Alligator can be found practically ractically everywhere, it seems. But it was not always so.

Imagine the University of Florida without female students. Without

Athletics Director and Historian Norm Carlson.

the orange and blue. And without ator.

Albert the Alligator.

Not easy to do. Albert and Alberta, those ubiquitous reptilians ow be seen at UF mascots, can now sporting events,, birthday parties, on television and at a myriad of other out Gainesville and events throughout n. the Gator Nation. rly 1900s this was But in the early

Carlson said in a recent interview. “Miller’s son went nt to the University of Virginia a

not the case. In those days, the orida had a fledgling University of Florida o school colors football team, no he advent of Albert and no Gator. The ed in the mall on E. Gator occurred nue directly across University Avenue us, when UF was from the campus, only two years old, said UF Assistant

“’What should it look ok like?’” Miller’s son asked. d. “’What’s the mascot?’”

“A man named Phillip Miller had a sundry shop — today we’d ’d call it a pharmacy — and he was looking to sell pennants,” ,”

and knew of the Michie factory that made pennan nts ts, pennants, so Phillip Miller asked his son to have Michie make a University of Florida pennant that he could sell in his store.

“Alligator,” Miller replied, instinctively referencing the reptiles that hang out on the UF campus around Lake Alic ice, Alice,

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA DIGITAL COLLECTIONS

A very young Albert E. Gator, decked out in ribbons and bows, sits in front of a Florida megaphone.

62 | Autumn 2011

www.VisitOurTowns.com

Autumn 2011 | 63

Take a peek into the history of UF’s beloved mascot Albert, from his humble beginnings as an authentic American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) who lived in a cage on campus to his current incarnation.

Since 1911, Albert 1 through 5 could be found at pep rallies, football games, and the occasional dormitory.

>> MUSIC

126

The Fest

This Mystic Decade

Celebrating 10 Years of turning Gainesville into a Punk Mecca — at least for one weekend

BY BRIAN “KRASH” KRUGER

E

very year, for the past decade, ‘round about

had suddenly gone very wrong), and wide open round eyes with a swirly

Halloween when most of Gainesville vacates the town for the friendly environs of Jax and The

pattern inside.

For a long upcoming weekend, Gainesville will be host to an

World’s Largest Cocktail Party, a strange thing happens. For the time immediately prior, there seems to

infestation. Or perhaps the correct capitalization would be inFestation.

Whatever the spelling, most of

be a bit more traffic in and out of an otherwise innocuous-looking brick two-story a bit east of campus,

“normal” Gainesville (except maybe that tiny part not transfixed by the annual Florida-Georgia football

unremarkable except for a sign with no letters in its front yard, featuring a cartoon visage which is sort of a psychotic take on the infamous

game in Jacksonville) will probably be oblivious to the change. But the sharp-eyed will see it. The sharpeared will hear it. They will notice.

“smiley face” — bit of short hair atop an almost perfectly round

Hogtowners left in town for the weekend, by chance or design, may

head, a down-turned grin bordering on a grimace (as if a planned party

notice a few more leather jackets than usual on the streets. A few

126 | Autumn 2011

16 | Autumn 2011

By Brian “Krash” Kruger

SUICIDE MACHINES www.VisitOurTowns.com

PHOTO BY GENNA HOWARD

Autumn 2011 | 127

It began in 2001 as a local celebration of live punk rock performance known simply as the Fest. This event now features hundreds of punk rock bands from throughout the country — and other countries — that descend upon Gainesville venues for a weekend of live punk music.

98 PHOTO BY TJ MORRISSEY for LOTUS STUDIOS

>> FEATURES

ON THE COVER

28

Piano man Brad Heron, the owner and founder of Rockeys Dueling Piano Bar, poses for the camera on a recent Friday night just prior to show time. At Rockeys, two performers on back-to-back pianos battle for the affection of the audience, playing and singing crowd requests and accepting tips that come their way.

Grow Radio Local Radio Station Works to Bring the Community Together

BY AMANDA WILLIAMSON

46

Etiquette It’s Not As Stuffy As You Might Think

BY VICTORIA LASAVATH

50

Novel Idea Write a 50,000 Word Novel in 30 Days

BY AMANDA WILLIAMSON

56

Parent Guide to College Prep Time-Tested Advice on Sending Your Child Off to School

72

BY JANICE C. KAPLAN

COLUMNISTS

Extra Point

44 Crystal Henry NAKED SALSA 116 Albert Isaac DIFFERENT NOTE

All American Kicking Coaches Gainesville-area Athletes

BY JANICE C. KAPLAN

96

One of a Kind Rockeys Dueling Piano Bar Serves up a Unique Nightlife Experience

BY CAROLYN TILLO

108 Let the Gator Growl A UF Tradition that Began as “Dad’s Day” is now the Massive Annual Event

INFORMATION 78 82 112 160

Taste of the Town Community Calendar Fall Festivals Advertiser Index

The articles printed in Our Town Magazine™ do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Tower Publications, Inc. or their editorial staff. Our Town Magazine endeavors to accept reliable advertising; however, we can not be held responsible by the public for advertising claims. Our Town Magazine reserves the right to refuse or discontinue any advertisement. All rights reserved. © 2011 Tower Publications, Inc.

www.VisitOurTowns.com

Autumn 2011 | 17

Published quarterly by Tower Publications, Inc. www.towerpublications.com

PUBLISHER Charlie Delatorre charlie@towerpublications.com EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Albert Isaac editor@towerpublications.com fax: 1-800-967-7382 OFFICE MANAGER Bonita Delatorre bonita@towerpublications.com

loc Ro an

ART DIRECTOR Hank McAfee hank@towerpublications.com

Al ch

SENIOR DESIGNER Tom Reno tom@towerpublications.com

62 PHOTO COURTESY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA DIGITAL COLLECTIONS

Up until the mid to late ‘60s, UF’s mascot, Albert E. Gator was an actual alligator.

Albert can be seen here, circa 1950, with six women in a swimming pool.

>> FEATURES 120 Cycling Festival Over the River and Through the Woods...

BY JANICE C. KAPLAN

134 Buy Local Putting Your Money Where Your Town Is

BY CAROLYN TILLO

140 Stargazing North Central Florida’s Starry Nights

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Desiree Farnum Janice Kaplan Brian “Krash” Kruger Mary Kypreos Victoria Lasavath Carolyn Tillo Amanda Williamson INTERN Desiree Farnum ADVERTISING SALES 352-215-2833 Nancy Short nancy@towerpublications.com Helen Stalnaker 352-416-0209 helen@towerpublications.com Jenni Bennett 352-416-0210 jenni@towerpublications.com Larkin Kieffer 352-416-0212 larkin@towerpublications.com Pam Sapp 352-416-0213 pam@towerpublications.com Annie Waite 352-416-0204 annie@towerpublications.com

BY JANICE C. KAPLAN

146 ¡Hola Barcelona!

Unmasking this Remarkable Spanish City, One Site at a Time

BY MARY KYPREOS

18 | Autumn 2011

A E

ADVERTISING OFFICE 4400 NW 36th Avenue Gainesville, FL 32606 352-372-5468 352-373-9178 fax

C

W of me Ce ing cu tio fro eig

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Charter Schools are part of the Florida Alternative System of Public School Choice and charge no tuition.

While having the benefits of a “small-school” environment the Alachua Learning Center provides a challenging and fulfilling academic, cultural and physical educational program for students from kindergarten through eighth grade.

The Alachua Learning Center has consistently been rated an “A” school by the State of Florida.

Our varied physical education curriculum includes on-campus rock climbing and subscribes to the “President’s Fitness Program”.

The Alachua Learning Center offers inspiring classes on a variety of subjects: Science, Social Studies, Language Arts, Math, P.E. Sports, Rock Climbing, Drama, Music, Clay Sculpting, Computer Graphics, individual Student Book Publishing (writing, design, illustrating), Drawing, Painting, Crafts, Community Service Display Projects, and exciting Field Trips.

Alachua Learning Center 386-418-2080

www.VisitOurTowns.com Autumn 2011 alachualearningcenter.com

| 19

SPECIAL >> GATOR GROWL

American rockers, the Goo Goo Dolls will perform at the 2011 Gator Growl on November 4th.

Gator Growl Memories They all have to do with the UF Jazz Band playing for Bob Hope, Rodney Dangerfield, Ramsey Lewis, GARY and George Burns, LANGFORD all on different Growls, of course. The other things that I remember were when the band would go to the front of the stage to provide a closer audience for the headliner. One that stands out is Robin Williams, who was not totally PC that night. He kept talking about “Mr. Happy.”

When there was turf we would lay down on the 50-yard line and look up at the fireworks. After a while it seemed like you were being drawn up into the sky by them.

One final memory is Bob Hope announcing to the audience that it was my birthday on that particular November 19th.

20 | Autumn 2011

Oh, I have so many memories I could share with you about Growl, but I have to admit that most just shouldn’t CHARLIE be. Always a great DELATORRE time, I would have to say that my favorite was Robin Williams in 1982. Yes, that was a while ago, but he was just about the funniest thing I had ever heard.

I distinctly remember thinking to myself that night on the drive home, “that was probably something my dad should not have taken me to!”

BRAD HERON

My favorite Gator Growl memory was definitely the fireworks they did after the show.

(I can’t remember if it was 2002 or 2003). But the show

seemed like it was a full fireworks show of a grand finale! It lasted a long time and was very impressive!

Growl was fun.

Kourtney and I “hosted” the year Dane Cook and Bill Engvall were there.

It is a lot of fun. It BRIAN & puts the swamp in KOURTNEY a whole different LAPLANT light. It’s a little different because there are some technical thinking that needs to be done. It is also one of the few times that Albert has a voice. Karl Kaufmann has been the voice of Albert for a while. It was very cool.

You can read more about Brian and Kourtney LaPlant and they’re time at UF as Albert and Alberta on page 161.

Turn to page 108 for even more about some of the amazing performers that have been to Gator Growl over the years!

MESSAGE >> FROM THE EDITOR

What comes to mind when you think of fall?

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For me, it’s cooler temperatures, the changing of the leaves, football season and the beginning of a new school year.

It’s also about stargazing and festivals, music and travel (although, truth be told, these things are certainly not limited to the fall).

In this edition of Our Town Magazine we try to touch on many of these topics —and more.

And speaking of football season, I had the honor of attending UF and had three great years marching in the Gator Band. In this edition of Our Town, I have the honor of writing about Albert and Alberta Alligator, UF’s dynamic duo that can be found all over Gainesville and throughout the Gator Nation. And just to put the whole citizenship matter to rest once and for all, in this edition you can see Albert the Alligator’s birth certificate proving he is indeed a Florida Gator.

We also take a peek at some of the acts that have graced the stage at the Gator Growl through the years.

Additionally, you can read all about an organization that focuses on improving the technique of young kickers. Former Gator punter Nick Fleming started the All American Kicking clinic in 2006.

Want an alternative for local radio programming?

Then read about Grow Radio, and use your computer to tune in to a diverse selection of music and local information.

Are you an aspiring novelist? Think you can you write a book in one month? If so, you should check out NaNoWriMo. November is National Novel Writing Month, and this group challenges members to write a novel and upload it to the website in thirty days.

From the Gator Growl to dueling pianos, from the planetarium to Salvador Dalí, there is something for everyone in this edition of Our Town Magazine. s

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STAFF >> CONTRIBUTORS Desiree Farnum

Carolyn Tillo

is an intern at Tower Publications, a senior in UF’s College of Journalism and a freelance writer. Born in Trinidad and raised in Queens, NY, she enjoys spontaneous road trips and visits from outof-town friends.

wanted to go to law school until she realized she hated arguing. She plans to attend graduate school for public relations and pursue a career as a communications coordinator for a nonprofit or philanthropic organization.

desireefarnum@ufl.edu

carolyntillo@gmail.com

Crystal Henry

Victoria Lasavath

is a freelance writer and columnist born and raised in West Texas. She received her B.S. in Journalism in 2006 from the University of Florida. She is in love with the Florida landscape.

is a proud Florida Gator studying journalism at the University of Florida. In her free time she loves to read, write, re-write, cook, shop and spend time with her family and friends.

ces03k@gmail.com

victorialasavath@yahoo.com

Brian “Krash” Kruger

Amanda Williamson

is writer, musician and a graduate of the UF College of Law. He has played in some 17 or so local bands, playing most every Gainesville venue friendly to original music (and some not so friendly).

is a student in UF’s College of Journalism and Communications. She has been writing for as long as she can remember. She enjoys spending time with her friends, family and animals.

bkrashpad@yahoo.com

awilliamson@ufl.edu

Mary Kypreos

Janice Kaplan

is a freelance writer and editor who enjoys discovering tidbits of knowledge about Florida from those who know it best.

She is a proud Gator alumna and is currently working toward a Master’s in English language and literature.

has been a freelance writer since 2005. In her spare time Janice loves cooking, Gator sports, Jimmy Buffett anything and spending time with her husband and kids. kaplan_ janice@yahoo.com

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Autumn 2011 | 27

>> STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS

Grow Radio Local Radio Station Works to Bring the Community Together

BY AMANDA WILLIAMSON ill Bryson has always noticed a void in local FM-radio stations.

Popular Gainesville radio plays only mainstream songs, leaving the local and ‘unsung’ artists no place, outside of the venues, to showcase their talent.

Grow Radio is a local free-form Internet radio station that wants to help build the community. And it is changing the way Gainesville hears music — one program at a time.

The disc jockeys at most music stations have little say in what songs are played. The songs are determined by Program Directors, who decide what to put on a playlist by popularity and by name

B

28 | Autumn 2011

recognition. So, it is way more likely to hear Beyonce belting out the chorus of “Single Ladies” than to hear any local bands at all.

But at Grow Radio, the DJs and Bryson get to pick what songs are heard, regardless of music genre and commercial powers.

“It’s basically programmed by people who love music,” Bryson said. “All of the DJs here are music lovers, music fans.”

Bryson feels having people who are passionate and educated about the music they are playing allows that passion and knowledge to pass on to the listener.

But it is not just Bryson who feels there is an entire world of music being underrepresented in Gainesville. Natalie Teer, volunteer

DJ for “The Barefoot Sessions,” said Grow Radio provides music that listeners will not hear anywhere else.

“There is a ton of music out there that people would love, and should be listening to, but they’ll never hear it,” she said.

Grow Radio, a non-profit company, provides “the opportunity for community members to create and manage unique, engaging, educational, informative, locally generated programming to promote the fine, musical and visual arts...” states its website. Grow Radio was

PHOTO BY AMANDA WILLIAMSON

Natalie Teer, DJ for “The Barefoot Sessions,” sits inside the studio. “People can learn a lot about the community by tuning in,” she said. “Not only can they find new music [and] new people in their area but they can learn about events and projects in Gainesville. Grow is making moves to unite the area.”

designed to help ‘grow’ the community through the radio by bringing people together.

Part of No. 9 Productions, Grow Radio aims to be a community and a college radio, which Gainesville has never had.

“We’ve got two overlapping populations in the town, and that’s sort of where we landed,” Bryson said. The overlapping populations

he is referring to are the students at the local university and college, as well as the community at large.

Bryson wants to provide a radio station with enough diversity so that both populations feel right at home. With forty or more programs, it is safe to say he has accomplished that feat.

Like a college radio station, Grow Radio plays a wide variety of

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music, from hip-hop to screamo, from locals-only shows to jam bands. Teer said that once a month listeners can tune into “Home Brew Talk,” where they can learn how to brew beer at home.

Bryson finds it shocking that UF has never had a student-run radio, but at Grow Radio — with an all-volunteer staff — the students at UF and Santa Fe get a chance

Autumn 2011 | 29

PHOTO BY AMANDA WILLIAMSON

Bryson moved to Gainesville in 1992. For as long as he has been here, he said he has heard complaints about the lack of satisfying radio in Gainesville. “The void represents a need in the community, and Grow is trying to address that need by providing radio programming that satisfies that longstanding, yet not always clearly defined desire for “better” radio,” he said.

to participate. They select the songs for their programs, they go on air as DJs, and they provide the community with public service announcements.

“It’s another way that we are plugged into the community,” Bryson said.

Every hour, each show is required to announce a local event.

“One thing that sets us apart on the Internet is that we are essentially operating a local station, but anyone can listen.”

But it is not just students participating and volunteering, the community helps keep Grow Radio up and running. Apart from volunteering to help promote the radio, providing donations or working on the website, as IT director does, the community also sends in public service announcements.

30 | Autumn 2011

These events are e-mailed to Grow Radio and then placed inside a box that the DJs draw from.

Teer said she discovers events inside the Public Service Announcement box that she had no idea were going on, and then she shares them with her friends.

For example, they announce

every farmers market in the area.

There are six, Teer said. They also mention the Gainesville Art Walk, which is the last Friday of every month. They bring up content that is not so local, such as thehungersite.com, where people can purchase items or donate food for free. For the food, all website visitors have to do is click a button, and then the equivalent of 1.1 cup food is given to the hungry.

But Grow Radio is educational in more ways that just providing public service announcements.

Bryson and Teer both said the DJs provide stories and information about the songs they choose to play during their program.

While visiting the San Francisco area, Teer and a friend saw a band unloading music equipment and guys dressed like rock

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stars. Nervous, In the future, he they walked past. plans to set up an But after feeling account at kickstarter. silly for being com. Kickstarter. so nervous, they com, a new way to turned around and “fund and follow asked one of the creativity,” states guys who the band that it is the largest walking into the funding platform for hotel was. It was creative projects in Phoenix. When Teer the world. According played the song, “If to its website, “tens of I Ever Feel Better,” thousands of amazby Phoenix, she ing people pledge told her listeners millions of dollars to about her close projects...” encounter.

Hollowpaw, a local Bryson said band, raised money that he started through kickstarter Grow Radio with to produce its most only four or five recent album. programs, but that Bryson and Grow over the years it Radio will soon be has grown into on the lookout for what it is today. local businesses to A couple of years sponsor the station. ago, Bryson said he But before then, the felt the time was radio station is at the right to begin his Downtown Farmers PHOTO BY AMANDA WILLIAMSON project. Starting up Market on the second an FM radio station Wednesday of every Grow Radio provides more than forty radio programs, each with a different involved a lot of month.

They set up feel. Some programs play hip hop and rap, while others play only locals or difficult hoops an information table, rock jams. “We get to broadcast information; it’s powerful,” Teer said. to jump through, provide promotional so the Internet items, answer quesprovided the perfect platform. not stop anyone in the world with tions, and, of course, play music.

“One thing that sets us apart an Internet connection from tuning Bryson wants to raise awareness on the Internet is that we are in to listen to the music. for the station and its cause. And essentially operating a local station, Grow Radio relies on donations because Grow Radio, as the website but anyone can listen,” he said. from community members. Bryson states, is awesome. s Grow Radio focuses on Gainesville said that the job of maintaining the To tune in or for more information, visit events and artists, but that does radio station is a full-time gig. www.growradio.org.

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>> ST PETERSBURG

That’s a Trip Salvador Dalí Museum

BY DESIREE FARNUM alvador Dalí, the Spanish artist known for his complex paintings with heavy symbolism and his quirky mannerisms, was famous around the world by artists and collectors.

But to delve into his work, a resident of Florida would not even have to leave the state.

Approaching St. Pete from the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, a billboard appropriately advises visitors to “Feast your eyes,” along with an image of an eyeball between two giant red lips.

The newly renovated Dalí museum is up ahead.

Dalí Boulevard leads to the parking lot, which may be full.

S

34 | Autumn 2011

Visitors to the museum hit the 200,000 mark on June 25th, and since then have been averaging about 1,100 visitors a day. For those who have seen it before, it is nothing like it once was. The exterior of building is pocked with symmetrical holes, and infinity pools run next to the walkway to the entrance, with a rock holding up one side of the building. The other side resembles a glass cave.

Inside, visitors will see blacksuited guards with red ties. Walk up the elliptical staircase to the third floor, or take the elevator, to the gallery.

The museum holds the largest collection of his work outside of Spain, featuring 96 oil paintings and more than 1,000 other Dalí works

of art. The reason this museum exists in St. Petersburg is because of one couple, Reynolds and Eleanor Morse, who became friends with the artist after collecting many of his pieces. Their private collection grew and grew until they decided to share it with the public.

Although his most famous surrealist painting, “The Persistence of Memory” — which is of soft melting watches — is not at the

Salvador Dalí Museum One Dali Blvd., St. Petersburg, FL Single Admission Price: $21 $ 10 after 5 pm on Thursdays Annual Pass: $60

PHOTO ©2011 BOB HORN. USED WITH PERMISSION

View of the eastern side of the museum overlooking the garden. Within its walls reside the world’s most comprehensive collection of works by the late Spanish surrealist including 7 of his 18 masterwork paintings. The building was designed by architectural firm HOK and features a large glass entryway and skylight. The new museum opened on 1-11-11 at 11:11 am.

museum, a similar piece, “The Disintegration of the Persistence of Memory” can be found there. In this painting the images are broken up by blocks and bullets.

Docent Kay Chiesa explained that all the paintings in the collection are ones that Eleanor

loved. If she did not love it, the couple did not purchase it.

But his paintings express the darkness of his childhood, war, fears of venereal diseases and his religious conflicts. Viewing his paintings require some attention and imagination to figure out, but it

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is very possible to see the way his mind works after spending time in the museum.

For example, grasshoppers represent terror, because as a child his peers would taunt him over his fear of grasshoppers by holding him down and crushing them

Autumn 2011 | 35

36 | Autumn 2011

PENCIL ILLUSTRATION OF SALVADOR DALÍ by MARIUS MILLAR

Millar is a young artist living in San Francisco, California.

Artwork used with permission.

against his skin.

Docent-led tours are offered every hour to help beginners navigate the complex labyrinth of Dalí’s meaning behind the paintings. Even those seasoned Dalí enthusiasts might learn a thing or two, but imagination is welcome as a guide too.

To “feast your eyes” on all of the collection may lead to a momentary understanding of insanity. Many of the paintings contain strange juxtaposition of imagery and inconsistent logic. The artist claimed that he was saved from madness, however, by the love of his life, Gala.

Elena Diakonova, better known as Gala, was a major inspiration in Dalí’s life. To not know of Gala is to not know of the artist himself. She was the muse and model for many of Dalí’s works. He even signed her name on some of his paintings, Chiesa said, to pay his thanks to the woman who left her husband and married Salvador, 10 years her junior.

Prior to Gala, Dalí’s sister was his model.

Another inspiration for many of his paintings were the rock formations in the city of Cadaqués, Spain, where he spent time in his

PHOTOS BY DANA HOFF, COURTESY OF THE DALÍ MUSEUM

youth. He remembered shapes and was inspired by form — many paintings contain the rocks somewhere in the scene.

It was not only paintings that the artist created.

“Dalí wrote as much as he painted in his lifetime,” Chiesa said.

At 27, he wrote his autobiography, which was very negative toward his childhood. He wrote screenplays and appeared on television.

“Generally Dalí doesn’t write about his paintings, he writes about himself,” she said.

He also explored many styles of art, exploring cubism very briefly.

He was particularly interested in impressionism. He also created many objets d’art, including a sofa designed after a pair of lips, a lobster phone and jewelry. The museum has a separate gallery for his nonpaintings, which is also upstairs.

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It is his dream-like otherworldly paintings, though, for which he is best known. In “Eggs on a Plate Without the Plate,” Dalí depicts what he claimed were his own intra-uterine memories from before birth. There is a little saggy body hanging by the neck above two eggs, sunny-side-up. A little man looks out of a window in the upper left side.

Many of his paintings contain long titles describing what he tried to show. “Galacidalacidesoxyribonucleicacid,” one of his larger paintings, describes DNA, which is desoxyribonucleic acid.

In “The Average Bureaucrat,” Chiesa explained the person in the painting represented Dalí’s father.

He is painted with no ears, since he did not listen, and his head is filled with seashells — Dalí did not think his father was very smart. His

Autumn 2011 | 37

PHOTO BY DANA HOFF, COURTESY OF THE DALÍ MUSEUM

The Progress Energy Helical Staircase, an impressive spiral of concrete rising over 60 feet in the air and finishing above the third floor of the museum.

father had kicked Dalí out of the family house.

One of his more complex paintings, “The Hallucinogenic Toreador,” has a little section to itself with a bench. The painting is huge, and Dalí had created a pulley system to move the canvas up and down when he was working on it. There are many layers to the imagery, and new images may appear when looking at it from different distances or by looking at it in another way.

Other paintings reveal Dalí’s feelings about war, politics and religion. He oscillated between atheism and Catholicism his entire life, which can be seen when walking through the eras of his paintings.

Dalí was haunted by the fact he had a brother that died before he was born, and then he was given the same name He felt that he was just a replacement. One reason for his strange behavior is because he did not want to be anything like that brother, who he was told was always a good boy. The painting “Portrait of my Dead Brother” shows a boy’s face made up of black and red colored orbs, with soldiers around the bottom of the face.

Using double imagery, surrealism and impressionism, Dalí plays with form, making things normally solid as melting, and expressing moments in his life with symbolism.

Though “The Persistence of Memory” is a more famous painting, Dalí claimed that he created it in four hours and was inspired by soft cheese. Consider exploring some of his lesser-known works that are more complex and probe into Dalí’s mind more personally. The museum even has a few of Dalí’s earliest works, with one done when he was 7 years old. s

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Autumn 2011 | 43

COLUMN >> CRYSTAL HENRY

Naked Salsa The Mother of all Father’s Days ince I was a kid, Father’s Day has been to me what Valentine’s Day is to single people: just a bitter reminder of a void in my life. My dad passed away when I was 9 years old leaving me to spend every Father’s Day loathing those lucky children who got to make macaroni ties and ugly coffee mugs. Sure I had my grandfathers to think of. I gave them an obligatory call and a card. Some years I even made them pasta pictures. But I always had to write “I love you Grandpa” or “I love you Papaw.”

I never got to write, “I love you Dad.” That third Sunday in June was always a sad one for me, and it was one I never expected to enjoy again.

I did get a little glimmer of hope back when I got married. I inherited a pretty rad father-in-law who absolutely adores me. Over the years we’ve become so close, and he’s helped to fill that fatherly gap by treating me like the daughter he never had. With three

S

sons and no daughters, I am quite the commodity.

And that first year we were married, I got to write “I love you Dad” in a Father’s Day card for the first time in 11 years.

Since my husband has a severe allergy to greeting cards, the special occasion cards and gift responsibilities fall completely to me. So when Father’s Day rolls around, I’m out looking for just the right frame for a family picture or a cheesy tie that his dad will think is hilarious. And it’s all for the better because I, more than anyone, can appreciate the privilege of having someone to buy a silly tie for.

Two years ago, I bought the Mack Daddy of all Father’s Day presents. I waddled my 10-month-pregnant self to the store and got the manliest meat smoker I could find. I couldn’t wait to present it to the coolest father-to-be I knew: my husband.

He was so stoked he went out and bought a pork

As he opened the dorkiest present ever bestowed upon a man, I thought I felt something odd. It felt a bit like my water had broken.

Sure enough, I was in labor.

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butt to smoke. We put the butt in the smoker as he opened his first Father’s Day card.

I told him how excited I was for him to be a father and how great I knew he would be. I even did the cheesiest thing I could think of and bought him a snazzy calculator watch he’d been eyeing and said it was “from the baby.”

As he opened the dorkiest present ever bestowed upon a man, I thought I felt something odd. It felt a bit like my water had broken. Sure enough, I was in labor.

Our daughter was all about timing, calculator watch present and all. I gave birth to our baby girl and brought a new father into my life as well. It was another sweet gift to remind me to smile on that special Sunday in June.

Well, just a few weeks ago was my baby’s second birthday party. Our family was here, including some of the special fathers in my life. Since her birthday falls so close to Father’s Day, and the family was all here anyway, we celebrated Father’s Day along the weekend of her birthday.

The next day I was completely exhausted from the extravaganza that masqueraded as a toddler’s birthday party. I guess all the late nights of cleaning, cooking and decorating finally caught up with me. At one point, for no apparent reason, I got pretty snippy with my husband. And it escalated into a knockdown drag-out with the most important father in my life right in front of our entire family.

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My father-in-law hated to see us fighting and he told my husband to try to smooth things out. The last time he remembers us having a big fight like this was right before I found out I was pregnant with our daughter.

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And we just cracked up thinking about my ridiculous mood swings that apparently just crop up when I get preggers. s

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>> SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY

Etiquette It’s not as stuffy as you might think

46 | Autumn 2011

BY VICTORIA LASAVATH t happened at her middle school banquet — the first time Robin Steele can remember feeling not assured about herself around others. She was comfortable when her parents entertained guests at the house for dinner but she did not feel confident around her own peers.

Building confidence in children and adults is Steele’s goal at the Florida Academy of Etiquette and Protocol. Steele is the founder and executive director of the academy.

Steele became a certified etiquette instructor in fall 2004 through the Academy of Etiquette and Protocol in Orlando and opened her academy in 2005 with her first etiquette camp.

Steele said etiquette is not as stuffy as most people would imagine, and it is more about making others feel comfortable in the way people interact with each other, whether it is in the work place or social meetings.

“We live such fast-paced lives that we don’t even have time to sit down with our families for dinners,” Steele said.

Growing up in Orlando, Steele remembers her parents constantly entertaining guests at the house, which she said is a big reason she enjoys it so much now. Being accustomed to adult guests at a young age, Steele grew comfortable talking to others early on. Her mother stressed sitting down for every meal, looking people in the eyes while talking to them and acquiring general conversation skills.

She said fewer families are doing that now, and dinner could be a time where children foster manners and etiquette. Etiquette is not necessarily dead, she said,

I

because she has seen it come back, especially locally. Steele teaches etiquette courses for children, teens, adults, and a business etiquette class. Social, dining schools and business schools have all reached out to Steele and her etiquette classes because, she said, they want their students to have good social skills with their future clients.

“Our college stresses professionalism, and it’s not the first time etiquette has been presented to us,” said Courtney Dolfi, professional development vice president of Florida Women in Business. Dolfi and other executive board members voted to have Steele come and teach an etiquette class.

“Having proper etiquette is beneficial because you meet employers at dinner, or dinner is part of the interview and you’re being observed; how you behave at dinner is important and having basic etiquette is vital,” Dolfi said.

One of the things Dolfi said she and other members took away from the class is to dress professionally when going for a job interview.

“I have to keep in mind this is how I’m being perceived and that future employers are always watching you,” she said. She said etiquette is important not just in the business world but is also applicable to everyone.

Steele said the etiquette classes can help build one’s confidence, social and conversational skills.

One of the most overlooked forms of correspondence is the thank you note, Steele said.

“Thank you notes are a sign of consideration,” she said. “It’s the small things like that that make people feel appreciated and important.”

Some of her younger students take part in the summer etiquette

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PHOTOS BY VICTORIA LASAVATH

TOP: “I’m a southern belle; they exude friendliness. Southerners are an icon for hospitality,” Steele said.

MIDDLE: Going over etiquette, Steele teaches her students the proper way to shake someone’s hand.

ABOVE: In Robin Steele’s etiquette courses, she demonstrates a formal place setting of a dining table.

Autumn 2011 | 47

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camps that run for a week.

“I want my students, young and old, to step out there with a newfound confidence in themselves and apply what we learn in class,” Steele said.

Parents want their children to understand the importance of etiquette because sometimes children listen better to anyone but their own parents, especially with Steele as their teacher, said Bridget Fleming, whose child took the etiquette summer camp.

“Etiquette is dying in our culture, and it is very invaluable to instill it in our kids,” said Fleming, whose son Evan took the course summer 2010.

She said she and her family already teach Evan manners but children are more receptive to other adults. She noticed the class helped to build Evan’s confidence, and he still practices what he learned.

“He even corrected us at dinner one night with the way we were using our spoons; he told us you’re supposed to let the spoon ‘sail’ away from your mouth while eating soup rather than to slurp up the soup,” Fleming recalled.

The etiquette summer camps for children involve interactive role playing, proper introductions, shaking hands, 65 table manners, and on the last day the class goes to a local restaurant where the students go over all they have learned, Steele said.

The teens’ etiquette courses are geared more toward interview skills, wardrobe, business-card etiquette, job

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skills, social and different levels of conversation, Steele said. A common misconception about etiquette classes is that most people think it is more for girls than boys but that is not true, Steele said.

Barbara Cusumano, another parent of a student of the etiquette class, said she wanted her then-11-yearold daughter to take the class because a lot of children are not learning about manners and social graces.

“Everybody needs polishing up on their manners, no matter their age, and I wanted my daughter to gain insight in social interaction, like how to greet others,” Cusumano said.

The class did not just open eyes for her daughter but for her as well. After the course, Cusumano and other mothers in her daughter’s classes want to get a group of adults together to take the etiquette classes themselves.

Steele’s 17-year-old daughter Morgan also helps with the classes.

“She can teach the class herself,” Steele said. “She’s been my right hand in the etiquette courses since 2006.”

Morgan also wants to become a certified etiquette teacher, Steele said.

Steele graduated with a bachelor’s degree in music education from the University of Florida and soon after founded a local piano studio. She spent a lot of time with students’ stage performance, which she said ties together with etiquette.

She would teach her students the right way to bow after a performance. She said the professor who had the biggest impact on her own stage performance was

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her piano professor at the Daytona Community College, where she studied before transferring to Florida.

At the junior college, she met her future husband Brad in music class. Her husband is an ordained worship pastor at the First Baptist Church of Alachua.

Steele said she enjoys what she is doing, teaching her students whether it is etiquette or piano.

“Etiquette gives you confidence to step out and achieve your dreams,” she said. “I want students who

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When she is not teaching her etiquette courses, Steele is the receptionist at Cornerstone Academy three days a week, teaches private piano lessons one day a week, handles visitations at Forrest Meadows Funeral Home, takes a business class online through St. Petersburg College and is very involved in her husband’s ministry.

“I love what I do,” she said. “You should have a passion, and I have a passion for teaching and human services. This is my way of giving back to the community, and I love making a difference in other people’s lives.

“I’m a southern belle; they exude friendliness.

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>> NONPROFIT

Novel Idea Motivation for Future Novelists

50 | Autumn 2011

With the 30-day deadline, people realize that they can stop analyzing every sentence and make writing a priority.

BY AMANDA WILLIAMSON ike many potential novelists, Gainesville-resident Christy Shorey struggled to find the motivation to turn her ideas into full-length stories.

But that was before National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo, a 30-day challenge in which the participants — or Wrimos — work to write a 50,000-word novel. The task begins on November 1, and by midnight on November 30 the goal is to have finished around 175 pages. That breaks down to about 1,667 words a day.

Now, Shorey has finished six novels.

Her Wrimo days began in 2001 when she had an idea, but could never find the time to sit down and write. After hearing about NaNoWriMo on a college buddy’s website, she decided to give it a try.

In 2002, she started fresh, as the guidelines of the challenge suggest.

And by the end of the month, she could proudly call herself a ‘winner,’ a title given by NaNoWriMo to participants who pass the 50,000word mark. It also happens to come with a fancy badge displayed on the Wrimos’ profile. Shorey has seven winner badges.

Chris Baty, a freelance journalist, started NaNoWriMo in 1999 in the San Francisco Bay Area. For the first NaNo experience, Baty managed to convince 20 of his friends to participate in a “July noveling binge,”

L

PHOTO BY AMANDA WILLIAMSON

Christy Shorey and Amanda Aubuchon, Gainesville’s NaNoWriMo Municipal Liaisons, pose at Books Inc. with Chris Baty’s book for Wrimos. Shorey said she tried to read the book, but by week 3 she was simply writing. “Because you have that deadline, you have to go with the momentum,” she said.

as he called it. Only six reached the 50,000-word goal.

The next year, the number of participants rose to around 140. A website was built to create a way to communicate between Wrimos.

After all, at this point Baty’s idea included people from Canada. The last big change was that Baty and his friends decided to move the event to November to get away from the summer distractions.

But over the years it has evolved.

Last year, 200,500 writers took on

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the challenge, and 37,500 reached the goal to gain the title of winner.

Baty continues to participate each year in the competition.

“I’ve written a novel every year since 1999, and I am looking forward to writing my 12th mediocre manuscript this November,” he said in an online interview.

NaNo is not about churning out the next Great American Novel. Baty said that the event is about quantity, not quality.

“Because of the limited writing

Autumn 2011 | 51

PHOTO BY AMANDA WILLIAMSON

Christy Shorey and Amanda Aubuchon, Gainesville’s NaNoWriMo Municipal Liaisons, write in their notebooks at Books Inc., where during November the NaNoWriMo writing group gathers to have write-ins and Word Wars. Aubuchon said she normally writes historical fiction during NaNo, while Shorey said that she writes a variety of genres.

window, the ONLY thing that matters in NaNoWriMo is output,” Baty states on the website. “This approach forces you to lower your expectations, take risks, and write on the fly.”

Even if a participant does not know what he or she will be writing about, he said, the story tends to take care of itself if the Wrimo just starts writing and keeps writing. He even suggests that all editing on a novel be left until December. The most important part of the process is about getting a beginning, middle

and end to the story before the month is out, he said.

“Make no mistake: You will be writing a lot of crap,” states the NaNoWriMo website. “And that’s a good thing. By forcing yourself to write so intensely, you are giving yourself permission to make mistakes. To forgo the endless tweaking and editing and just create.”

As a veteran with nine years under her belt, Shorey agrees. She has taken on the challenge with a full-time job and her education distracting her from her NaNo duties.

But she managed to win regardless.

“It is too easy to fall into the trap of making things right or perfect,” she said. “You end up in a loop of re-writing the same scene, trying to get it right, and never finishing the story. That’s kind of what happens to me the rest of the year when I try to write, actually.”

NaNo is an unbeatable way to get the first draft of a novel written, Baty said. With the 30-day deadline, people realize that they can stop analyzing every sentence and make writing a priority.

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More than 60 published novels have been born out of NaNoWriMo, including Sara Gruen’s best-selling “Water For Elephants” and youngadult author Amelia At-Water Rhodes’ “Persistence of Memory.”

While Baty thinks that it is great for a participant to have his or her book published, publication is not the goal of NaNo. The goal, he said, is to give the creative imagination a chance to make something meaningful and satisfying for the creator. After all, he said writing a novel gives adult Wrimos time to connect to the “spirit of play” that they had when they were younger. Especially since most adults are too wrapped up in their day-to-day lives to sit down and flex their creative muscles.

Shorey has not decided what she will do with her finished novels. She has gone back and tried to edit several, as well as finishing up a story that was not done when November ended. One novel she would like to go back and re-write.

“If I ever get around to re-writing that one, or finishing a second that I think has merit, I may pursue publication at some point, but I’m just not there yet,” she said.

Shorey is not just a Gainesville writer; she is also the NaNoWriMo Municipal Liaison for the area.

Along with a partner, she arranges meet-ups, write-ins and other related events. During the meet-ups, the group competes in Word Wars, where the goal is to write the most words in a set time.

These groups help keep the Wrimos on track, and Shorey feels that most of her motivation comes from keeping everyone else motivated. She said she has local Wrimo buddies, but also those that she has met in the online community.

Everyone encourages each other to keep on going.

During the Gainesville meet-ups, Shorey and Amanda Aubuchon, coMunicipal Liaison, organize events where published authors will give Wrimos writing advice. In the past,

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Jeaniene Frost and Mur Lafferty, through online chat, have talked to Wrimos. Sandra Lambert, a local author, came in person.

But Shorey and Aubuchon also provide “The Jar,” a jar full of index cards that the Wrimos themselves fill out on the first meet and greet.

The participants put three different ideas on the cards that may help themselves or others when they encounter writer’s block.

Aubuchon used the jar herself, pulling out a card that read, “Everybody needs an emergency turtle.” The card actually helped her find a location for the hidden key in her story. She placed it inside a lawn ornament.

In addition to the jar, they have a collection of business cards at the events to help the writers if they cannot think of a name on their own. They also have a jar of fortunes from fortune cookies, as well as a collection of candy for the sugar boost.

Last year, there were around 500

Autumn 2011 | 53

regional volunteers working in 90 countries to provide write-ins for their local writers. “Write-ins offer a supportive environment and surprisingly effective peer pressure, turning the usually solitary act of writing into a community experience,� states the 2010 press release. But the community experience goes beyond the book. Baty said one of the best reasons to join NaNoWriMo is the social connections. Aside from friendships, there have been at least a dozen marriages and around four babies born out of NaNo. But other than babies and friendships, what might keep a Wrimo enticed by the idea of finishing his or her 50,000 words?

Other than the bragging rights that come with the purple winner’s badge, winners also get a winner’s certificate and a free paperback copy of their book made by CreateSpace.

For Shorey, it is not so much the purple badge that keeps her writing

through the month of November.

It is the fact that, as a Municipal Liaison, she serves as an example to others in the community who are trying to reach their goals. “Some days are harder than others,� Shorey said. “But I think the energy of the month helps keep me going.�

NaNoWriMo is a part of The Office of Letters and Light, an international nonprofit organization. Its programs are the largest literary events in the world.

In addition to NaNoWriMo in November, The Office of Letters and Light brings that creative abandon to the screenplays and TV scripts with Script Frenzy during April.

The participants are expected to produce their own 100-page blockbuster hit. In 2009, Script Frenzy’s third year, more than 12,000 people participated.

In March, Script Frenzy’s Young Writers Program prepares children and teens for the fast-paced month of April when they will take on

their own scripts. The program is a fun, four-week online course on plot, characters and scriptwriting conventions.

NaNoWriMo also provides a Young Writers Program, which takes place in November along with NaNo. “In addition to motivation-raising goodies for the young writers, NaNoWriMo provides teachers, youth librarians, and homeschooling parents with free curriculum and lesson plans to help get kids and teens excited about writing,� states the Office of Letters and Light website.

Last year, 50,000 students participated in the National Novel Writing Month’s Young Writers Program.

And now, Wrimos do not have to wait until November to get their novel started. In 2011, the Office of Letters and Light established Camp NaNoWriMo, a 30-day challenge to write a novel during the months of July and August.

So, get out there and start writing. s

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>> TIME-TESTED ADVICE

Parent Guide to College Prep

BY JANICE C. KAPLAN reparing for college often involves a move for students. Last minute details are sure to sneak up and surprise even the most prepared parents.

Henry and Patricia Wihnyk of Gainesville recently sent their youngest daughter, Marykate, to college in California. Having already seen two children through college, the Wihnyks have sage advice on final preparations and how to survive those first few months.

P

Check with the college for packing checklists “You can go to their website and they’ll have lists available,” Henry said.

Marykate also recommended checking with the college about learning technology, such as computers or certain computer programs.

Getting student’s belongings from Point A to Point B Shipping is an option for some items such as clothing, but not for larger belongings such as microwaves.

“We found that for those things, it’s cheaper to replace them,” Patricia said.

Take care of health, financial and other arrangements Get doctor and dentist checkups well before leaving

56 | Autumn 2011

home. Situations that could pose problems (wisdom teeth) can sometimes be resolved beforehand.

Establish a bank account for the student and check property insurance policies to determine whether additional coverage is needed.

If a student is 18 years old, parents need authorization to see grades or have access to medical information. Most colleges offer paperwork granting access.

Even just a weekend flight out to see the campus for a day can ease most parents’ concerns.

Brush up on social technology Texting, Facebook and Skype are great ways for parents to touch base with their college-bound kids. Today’s students use social networking sites to post pictures and announce their whereabouts.

Parents can do the same to show off the latest family photos and share important news.

Open the lines of communication “If you haven’t talked to them

openly before, you have to start talking to them really openly now,” Patricia said.

College students often face new choices regarding alcohol, sex and ethics, and it is important to sit back and listen as well as to speak.

For some things, it is never too late While many financial aid applications require advance filing, there are places to find last-minute assistance and scholarships.

“There are a lot of scholarship options out there,” Marykate said, “and a lot of websites where you can get scholarships for things like writing essays.”

Don’t let children come home for the first couple of months Patricia explained that it helps a child get over homesickness because she will have to rely on her new friends for security.

“We didn’t let her come home for a couple of months, and she quickly made lifelong friends,” she said.

Expect the unexpected Be ready to purchase items that have been forgotten or sign forms that were missed. But also be ready for the flood of emotions at goodbye.

“Parents don’t think about how hard it will be,” Henry said as he recalled the time when he dropped Claire off at FSU. “I sobbed the twohour drive home. Your emotions may surprise you.” s

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Quality Health Care FOR ADULTS, CHILDRENS & FAMILIES Health services included at Archer Family Health Care: • Diagnosis and treatment of illness and injuries • Monitoring of chronic diseases • Prescriptions • Ordering, performing and interpreting diagnostic studies, such as lab work and x-rays

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Autumn 2011 | 61

>> IT’S GREAT TO BE A FLORIDA GATOR! OR!

Albert E. Gator A Brief History of UF’s Beloved Mascot STUDIO PHOTOGRAPHY BY TJ MORRISSEY for LOTUS STUDIOS

BY ALBERT ISAAC lbert the Alligator walks down University Avenue and car horns blare. People cheer and call out his name, “Albert!

Hey Albert!” “Go Gators!”

A family visiting from Indiana for volleyball camp pulls to the curb on University and Lemerand Drive and a 9-year-old boy hops out.

“Can we get a picture?” the mom asks from inside the car.

Albert happily obliges, putting his arm around the youngster while the mom snaps a picture through the window of the car.

“Thanks!” The boy hops back in the car and off they go.

Strolling across campus this scene plays out time and time again. A young athlete calls out. “Yo, Albert!” Shirtless, fit and ripped, he poses with Albert while his

A

girlfriend snaps a picture.

These days Albert the Alligator can be found practically ractically everywhere, it seems. But it was not always so.

Imagine the University of Florida without female students. Without the orange and blue. And without Albert the Alligator. ator.

Not easy to do. Albert and Alberta, those ubiquitous reptilians mascots, can now ow be seen at UF sporting events,, birthday parties, on television and at a myriad of other events throughout out Gainesville and the Gator Nation. n.

But in the early rly 1900s this was not the case. In those days, the University of Florida orida had a fledgling football team, no o school colors and no Gator. The he advent of Albert E. Gator occurred ed in the mall on University Avenue nue directly across from the campus, us, when UF was only two years old, said UF Assistant

Athletics Director and Historian Norm Carlson.

“A man named Phillip Miller had a sundry shop — today we’d d call it a pharmacy — and he was looking to sell pennants,”” Carlson said in a recent interview. “Miller’s son wentt to the University of Virginia a and knew of the Michie factory that made pennants, ts, so Phillip Miller asked his son to have Michie make a University of Florida pennant that he could sell in his store. “’What should it look k like?’” Miller’s son asked. d. “’What’s the mascot?’”

“Alligator,” Miller replied, instinctively referencing the reptiles that hang out on the UF campus around Lake Alice, Alice ice,

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA DIGITAL COLLECTIONS

A very young Albert E. Gator, decked out in ribbons and bows, sits in front of a Florida megaphone.

62 | Autumn 2011

www.VisitOurTowns.com

Autumn 2011 | 63

and in the Payne’s Prairie swamp wamp that extends well into Gainesville’s city limits.

“They didn’t know what an alligator looked like,” Carlson recalled, “so the people ople at Michie went to the Yale library and researched it.”

Thus, UF acquired one of the most famous mascots in the nation.

“Several different live alligators gators assumed the role off Albert over the years, and even ven a robotic, motorized d reptile held the role,” states the UF website.

Steve Orlando, UF’s News Bureau director, said the alligator ass a mascot possibly made its first print appearance pearance in a football program in 1911.

1.

“From what I understand,, the first printed reference in relation n to a game of an alligator as a mascot was the e UF/Clemson game in October 25, 1911,” Orlando said.

There may event be a connection nnection between Albert E. Gator and an early comic strip character, he said.

“It wasn’t until 1970 that Albert became personified on the field as a full-body vinyl costume. Alberta the Alligator was introduced in 1986 as Albert’s sidekick and friend.”

“You may remember the comic strip “Pogo” back in the ‘50s and ‘60s,” Orlando said.. Around the time Albert the Alligator appeared in the comic omic strip, UF acquired Albert the Alligator.

“So there may be a connection ection there,” he said. “We don’t know. Somebody might remember ember but we don’t know.”

In the late ‘40s or ‘50s, the e alligator was made from various homemade items, including ncluding wood.

“The mascot that you see e on the field now has evolved from that wooden thing, through rough home-made looking paper-mache kind of skinny y Alberts to cartoon-looking Alberts to the one we know and love today,” Orlando said.

In the early 1950s, two live ve alligators were actually kept on campus. Ross Allen, founder nder of the Ross Allen’s Reptile Institute at Silver Springs, provided rovided these gators to UF, Orlando said. The gators resided ided on campus within a chain link fence.

“There was a pen at the base of Century Tower,” Orlando said. “There was an Albert and nd an Albert II, all the way up p to Albert V sometime in the mid- to late-’60s.”

Keeping live gators in a pen en on campus eventual eventually ually ly fell out of favor and the reptiles iles were removed.

But Albert and his sidekick Alberta continue on..

64 | Autumn 2011

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA DIGITAL COLLECTIONS

In the 1960s, Albert was a live alligator who lived on campus. In this 1960s era photograph, three women in bathing suits hold tight to the

www.VisitOurTowns.com

Autumn 2011 look | 65 Gator while students on.

1

2

The popular couple may make anywhere between 500-700 personal appearances a year.

Now, nearly 100 years since Albert E. Gator made his debut, the University of Florida Gators are recognized as one of the premium college football empires in the country.

“Today, Albert and Alberta can be seen around the world on clothes, cars, and even on television,” states the UF website.

“They have come to represent one of the finest universities in the world, and are symbols of the entire Gator Ga ator Na Nation.” Go Gators! s

3

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA DIGITAL COLLECTIONS

1) Two UF students hold Albert and Alberta on campus in 1962.

2) An odd scene of Albert the Alligator in a 1950’s dorm.

3) An early mascot made of wood moves across the field in 1940s or ‘50s.

4) In this 1960 photo, Albert the Alligator rings 4

66 | A Autumn uttum u utum umn 20 2 2011 011 11

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Autumn 2011 | 71

>> LACES OUT

Extra Point All American Kicking Coaches Gainesville-area Athletes

BY JANICE C. KAPLAN othing echoes across an open field quite like the thump of a well-kicked football. With that sound the crowd cheers in anticipation of what comes next — a booming kickoff that makes a statement, a punt that pins the opposing team deep in its own territory, or perhaps three points from 55 yards out to win the game.

What many people might not know, however, is the amount of work that goes into such a kick.

Proper mechanics, strength and conditioning, dedication to practicing again and again... all of these and more are important factors in building a great kicker. It is a mission that All American Kicking

N

72 | Autumn 2011

takes seriously.

“We train kids not only on how to be great kickers but how to be great athletes,” said Matt Leach, All American Kicking’s Gainesville coach and Florida Gator placekicker from 2000-2004. “Kickers are pretty athletic guys now. It’s a very competitive sport these days, and it takes a lot of conditioning and athleticism to play this position.”

All American Kicking was started in 2006 by Nick Fleming. A former Gator punter himself, Fleming was assisting punters and place kickers at his alma mater when then-coach Urban Meyer told him he could help even more people if he went out and coached on his own.

Fleming started his new venture in Orlando where he was already working full time, and All American

Kicking was born. Two years later his longtime friend and former teammate Leach signed on to coach children in the Gainesville area. The pair put together a basic website and worked to provide students with less expensive, more personal kicking camp options than those they had as young athletes.

“It’s all about one-on-one, individual attention,” Fleming said.

“Before there were only big time, 50-60 person camps where you get to kick one or two balls and then go stand in the back of a ten-person line to wait for your next time to kick. As kickers we’ve experienced those camps, and there wasn’t too much instruction involved. It was just a meat market of finding the best two or three kickers to recruit.

We try to operate small so that the

one-on-one attention stays plentiful. That’s how kickers get better.”

Today, All American Kicking has expanded to include coaches in Miami, Columbus, Ga. and Terre Haute, Ind., and to offer events throughout the United States. And although many other kicking clinics can be found with an Internet search, All American Kicking is the only company with a constant Gainesville presence.

Lessons are offered in small weekly groups and in private sessions, and camps are generally kept

below 30 student athletes. Sessions include kicking-specific stretching and conditioning, kicking instruction and cool-down stretches. Video analysis is taken and replayed on the field, so students can get immediate feedback on their technique.

The knowledge and expertise the coaches pass on to their students was earned from years of their own experiences.

“I’ve always told people that to be able to coach this position, you have to have played it,” Leach said. “For the most part kicking is a science.

TOP: PHOTO COURTESY OF ALL AMERICAN KICKING

All American Kicking owner and coach Nick Fleming explains the finer points of placekicking at a recent clinic.

LEFT: PHOTO BY JANICE KAPLAN

Proper form is emphasized along with stretching and conditioning.

www.VisitOurTowns.com

Autumn 2011 | 73

PHOTO COURTESY OF NICK FLEMING

Nick Fleming during his kicking days at UF. Fleming served as the team’s holder on special teams for every game of the 2005 campaign and recorded a career-best 42-yard punt during the third quarter against Kentucky.

We’ve studied it, played it, coached it and broken down film. We know it like the back of our hand.”

It is an approach that seems to be working. All American Kicking students can often be found winning competitions at such prestigious kicking camps as the University of Alabama and the University of Miami. More than 40 kickers coached by the group have joined the rosters at colleges such as Wake Forest, Miami, UF, UCF and the United States Military Academy.

Recent Gainesville High School graduate and multi-year All State kicker Dallas Stubbs started sessions with Leach when he was in ninth grade.

“The biggest improvement I saw was in the height of my field goals and kickoffs,” Stubbs said, who finished his high school career with a .755 field goal percentage and will be kicking for Jacksonville University this fall. “Matt taught me a lot to get ready for college, and to be confident about my kicks and to keep my head down. It’s a great environment with Nick and Matt and everybody else involved. I liked the fact that Matt was local, so it was easy to get in touch with him.”

“We have a close connection with our kickers,” Leach added. “My guys call me constantly, asking questions or asking for tips. We treat our kids like family rather than just clients.”

The All American Kicking coaches teach student athletes on a part-time basis, often balancing full-time work in other careers with their coaching duties. With passion for the kicking game as their motivation they can be as truthful as possible with prospective students and their parents, making “success” a relative term.

“We’re honest about our evaluation, and that helps the athletes determine what they’re going to do when they start recruiting,” said Fleming, who explained that goals for each student are set depending on individual abilities. “We direct them in the right area. If they’re not a UF kicker, maybe they are a Delaware State kicker. So they’re going to the Delaware State camp. It’s a great passion of ours to make sure that everything they’re doing is done in the right suit for them. They’re not just shooting for the stars and then left with an empty bag.”

With dozens of success stories and many more in the works, the coaches with All American Kicking find their biggest joy in watching their students succeed on the field.

“On Saturday morning I get to open up the paper and see how [my students] did,” Fleming said. “Then I turn on the TV and watch the older students and see how they’re doing. Remembering back when they were a seventh grader, ninth grader or whenever they came to us and seeing how far they’ve come now, it’s a good feeling.” s

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A DVE RTI S E M E N T

DON’T LEAVE YOURSELF

High and Dry KNOWING THE SIGNS OF DEHYDRATION CAN SAVE YOUR LIFE

T

he hot summer months can take their toll on anyone, but for seniors the threat is especially dangerous.

“Dehydration is a significant issue with the elderly,” said Jami Proctor, a clinical manager at Mederi Caretenders of Gainesville. “It can occur in less than eight hours and it’s a significant reason for hospitalization. Approximately 18 percent of seniors admitted to a hospital for dehydration die within 30 days.”

Seniors often have a decreased level of perspiration, a delayed sense of thirst or decreased senses of taste and smell.

Medications can suppress hunger or thirst.

And even in hot weather many seniors choose not to use air conditioning, opting instead to open windows or turn on fans to avoid high energy bills or a house that feels too cold for them.

Caretenders personnel educate seniors and caregivers on the signs of dehydration and ways to avoid it. Some obvious symptoms may include increased confusion or disorientation, fainting, headaches and dryness of the nose and mouth.

“The tongue can get sticky or tacky, and the skin loses elasticity,” Proctor explained. “If you pinch the skin up and it very slowly goes back down, that is a 76 | Autumn 2011

sign of dehydration.”

Left unchecked, dehydration can lead to complications such as stroke or heart failure. Yet the danger can be averted with simple planning. Proctor suggests providing attractive containers such as colorful glasses and pitchers to entice clients to drink fluids, or adding a little fruit to water to give variety in appearance and flavor.

“Have things prepared ahead of time and placed where seniors can easily reach them,” said Proctor. “Call them through the day and monitor their eating and drinking habits.”

Water does not have to be the only option; liquids that are low in sugar can help keep dehydration at bay. Incorporate plenty of fruit, vegetables and other foods with high water content into the diet. Sugar-free popsicles and smoothies are also good ways to get fluids into a senior’s diet.

Save outdoor activities for the early morning or evening when temperatures are lower, and wear a hat and loose fitting, cotton clothes that allow skin to breathe. If a senior shows signs of heat stroke – high body temperature, rapid pulse and vomiting – get him or her to a hospital immediately.

With a little knowledge and some preventive measures, independent seniors can still enjoy “the good old summertime!”

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Autumn 2011 | 77

Taste of the Town

SPECIAL RESTAURANT ADVERTISING SECTION. CALL 352.372-5468 FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION.

Adam’s Rib Co. 211 NW 13th Street, Gainesville, Florida 32609 Monday - Saturday: 7am to 9pm Sunday: 9am to 9pm 2nd Location coming soon on SW 13th Street! Visit website for full info.

352-373-8882

www.AdamsRibCo.com

BARBECUE — Looking for the best BBQ in Gainesville? Then look no further than Adam’s Rib Company. Adam’s Rib is North Florida’s Premier Barbecue restaurant, serving North Florida’s finest beef brisket, pulled pork, bbq spare ribs and slow smoked chicken and turkey. Choose from over 20 sauces – from honey sweet to habanero hot – and everything in between. Don’t forget dessert, like their scrumptious “Banana Pudding” and their famous Peach Cobbler. Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, Adam’s can cater any event locally. Give Adam a call for your next tailgate party 352-514-8692!

Bagel Bakery 4113 NW 16th Blvd., Gainesville (In the Millhoper Plaza) Mon-Fri: 6:30am to 5pm • Saturday 7:30am to 4pm Sunday: 8am to 4pm

352-384-9110 BAKERY & EATERY — From freshly made bagels to scrumptious breakfast and lunch sandwiches, the friendly staff is always eager to help in any way. Menu options include bagels, bagel sandwiches, salads, melts, flavored cream cheeses, fair trade coffee roasted onsite and coffee drinks, smoothies, fruit bowls/cups, danish, huge muffins, cookies, brownies and more! A popular choice for either breakfast or lunch, why not have them cater your next office or staff meeting? Locally owned and operated, the Bagel Bakery is perfect way to start your day!

Ballyhoo Grill 3700 Newberry Road, Gainesville Mon-Thu: 10am to 10pm • Fri & Sat: 10am to 11pm Sun 10am to 10pm

352-373-0059 Looking for the freshest seafood? — The Ballyhoo Grill is the place for you! With fresh seafood arriving daily, Try the amazing North Atlantic Cedar Plank Salmon, grilled on a cedar plank for a rich, smoky flavor. Other great eats include fresh sushi and hand-cut choice steaks. We’re serving up everything from salads and pastas to delicious burgers and sandwiches. make sure you try the incredible Bananas Fosters. Dine in or outdoors on their patio.

Happy hour is 2-7pm daily with extended happy hour until 10pm on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

D’Lites Emporium 5218 SW 34th Street - Publix plaza on Williston Road 4216 NW 16th Blvd. - Fresh Market Plaza on 43rd Street Mon-Thurs: 11am-9pm • Fri-Sat: 11am-10pm • Sun: 12-9pm

352-378-2969 34th St. 352-375-4484 16th Blvd.

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DESSERT — Everyone deserves a D’lite-ful break everyday and now with two locations in Gainesville it’s easier than ever to treat yourself and stay healthy. D’lites’ delicious low-sugar, low-fat, cholesterol-free, soft-serve ice cream has no artificial sweeteners and only 50 calories per half-cup serving, to make dieting d’liteful and satisfy that craving for the extravagant without the sinful remorse. Also find cookies, baking mixes, drink mixes, muffins and more — that meet most diet requirements, and are endlessly d’liteful. We are locally owned and operated and you’ll love our attentive and friendly service. Come weigh your options at D’Lites Emporium!

Flying Biscuit Café 4150 NW 16th Blvd., Gainesville, FL 32605 Located in the Fresh Market Center Mon - Thurs: 7am - 3pm • Fri - Sun: 7am - 4pm

352-373-9500

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BREAKFAST — The Flying Biscuit is out to reinvent breakfast in Gainesville! Maybe you’ve tried their soon-to-be-famous creamy, dreamy grits or their “moon dusted” breakfast potatoes, but did you know you can have them at anytime? With a unique open menu, all the items that appear are available throughout the day. With a variety of healthy and hearty dishes, The Flying Biscuit caters to a variety of tastes. With options ranging from the Smoked Salmon Scramble, the Bacon Cheddar Chicken Sandwich or the Tofu and Tater Salad, there’s something for everyone.

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386-454-9823

www.GatorQ.com

BARBECUE — Gator Q is a neighborhood BBQ joint using local black jack oak soaked in apple cider for smoking pork, turkey, St. Louis ribs, split chickens, and chicken wings, with the occasional beef brisket thrown in for good measure.

Brette and Bob ‘Yogi’ Liebler serve made from scratch collards with attitude, bold BBQ beans, gourmet Mac-n-cheese, and a dill and ranch potato salad that will get in your craw and leave you craving more. They’re open Monday through Saturday from 11:30 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. Check them out online at www.gatorq.com or follow them on Facebook. Ask your friends — the food really is that good!

Taste of the Town

SPECIAL RESTAURANT ADVERTISING SECTION. CALL 352.372-5468 FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION.

Joe’s Place 5109 NW 39th Ave, Gainesville, Fl 32606 Monday to Saturday 11:00am - 2:00pm Sunday 1:00pm to 11:00pm

352-377-7665

www.panamajoesplace.com

BAR & GRILL — Founded in 2004 on the principles of quality food, exceptional value and family fun, Joe’s Place operates in Timberwood Village on the Northwest side of Gainesville. Joe’s draws people of all ages and lifestyles with its signature bar and grill menu items and family-friendly atmosphere. Since 2004, we have built a local following of salad bar lovers with our award-winning, homemade soups and salad bar. Meat eaters will enjoy our steaks and famous burgers, while vegetarians will love our locally produced tempeh options.

Kids eat free every Wednesday with any adult meal of $8.99 or more – featuring healthy options and entertainment by “The Magic Man”.

Mark’s Prime Steakhouse & Seafood 201 SE 2nd Avenue, Gainesville, FL (Historic Downtown) Monday: 5:00pm - 9:00pm • Tues-Sat: 5:00pm to 10:00pm Happy Hour: 5:00pm - 7:00pm

352-336-0077

marksprimesteakhouse.com

STEAK & SEAFOOD — Mark’s Prime Steakhouse and Seafood has a goal to create a unique dining experience that will please the palate and soothe the soul. We serve the finest beef, the freshest seafood, and naturally fresh vegetables. Recipient of Wine Spectator’s Award of Excellence 2004-2011. Join us for Primetime Happy Hour featuring drink and appetizer specials Monday thru Saturday 5-7 pm. We are pleased to feature our full service, private dining facilities. It would be our pleasure to help plan your next reception, banquet, business meeting, or social gathering. Complimentary valet service.

Piesanos Stone Fired Pizza (Tower Square) 5757 SW 75th St. #101 — Gainesville (Hunter’s Crossing) 5200 NW 43rd St. #302 — Gainesville Mon-Thurs: 11am-10pm Fri-Sat: 11am-11pm Sun: 11am-10pm

352-371-TOGO (8646)

352-371-PIES (7437)

Piesanos family friendly restaurant is proud to use only the finest ingredients available, including Grande® brand premium mozzarella, provolone & romano cheeses. Dough is made fresh daily & all pizzas are baked in our unique Granite Stone Fired Pizza Oven. Specialty pizzas, calzones, and fresh salads complete a large selection of Italian cuisine. An excellent choice for lunch, specials start at only $6.99.

Their full service bar compliments any meal. Call ahead for pick-up for those busy nights. Delivery is also available through GatorFood.com Full menu available online at www.PiesanosToGo.com

Saga 14960 Main Street, Alachua, FL 32615 Open Mon-Fri for Lunch 11am to 2:30pm, Tues-Sat for Dinner 5pm to 10pm Friday & Saturday ‘till midnight

386-518-6063

website coming soon!

FINE DINING — Buttery Sweet Bakery Cafe has expanded! We have moved just down the street and now serve lunch and dinner. We still make all of our fabulous desserts like Chocolate Decadence and Truffle Cookies as well as our breads. Now you can experience all of those unique flavors for dinner as well as lunch. Come join us in our formal dining room and enjoy such entrees as Seared Salmon with Plum Balsamic Glaze, Dueling Filet Mignon, or Gorgonzola Chicken.

Sit in our bar dining room and enjoy our live entertainment nights or visit us on Wells Wednesday for $2.50 wells. Happy Hour features two for one drinks from 5:00-6:00 every night.

Saboré 13005 SW 1st Road, Tioga, FL 32669 (Tioga Town Center) DINNER Sun – Thurs: 5pm - 10pm, Fri & Sat: 5pm - 11pm LUNCH Mon – Fri: 11am - 3pm BRUNCH - Sat & Sun: 9am - 3pm

352-332-2727

www.saborerestaurant.com

FUSION — Saboré [sa-bohr-ay] is a world-fusion restaurant featuring a variety of European, South American, Mediterranean and Asianinspired tastes. Saboré’s namesake is from the word “sabor,” meaning “flavor.” Executive Chef and Co-Owner William “Willy” Hernandez’s menu features mouth-watering dishes that takes guests on a trip around the world, highlighting exotic flavors and ingredients from countries such as Argentina, Japan, Greece and Italy. Be sure to try their custom plates, desserts and signature cocktails you won’t find anywhere else in Gainesville. Chef Willy has been heralded for his innovative culinary skills at famed establishments such as Caramelo Restaurant, Giacosa, Casa Rolandi and Café Vialetto.

Tasty Buddha 25 NW 16th Ave., Gainesville 32601 Second location now open! 2410 NW 43rd St. Mon-Sat: 11am to 10pm • Sunday 12noon to 8pm

377-0287 16th Ave. • 872-5755 43rd St.

www.TastyBuddha.com

FUSION — Enlighten Your Belly. This is our motto and we are serious about it. We want to change the way you think about food. Food is not something you shove in your mouth to keep your stomach from growling. Food is a gift from the Earth; It is community; It is life.

Tasty Buddha, formerly known as the Buddha Belly, is about real, tasty, affordable food. Our newest location is tucked behind Garden Gate Nursery off NW 43rd Street! With flavors from around the world, we have a variety for everyone. From fresh, delicious burgers, curries, and fried rice, to a huge selection of beer and wine and the occasional indulgence. Come in, and let us enlighten you!

CALENDAR If you would like to have an event considered for publication in this calendar, please submit information directly. post 4400 NW 36th Ave., Gainesville, FL 32606 | e-mail editor@towerpublications.com | fax 352-373-9178

THE MIND’S EYE: 50 YEARS OF PHOTOGRAPHY

BY JERRY UELSMANN

YOU KNOW I CAN’T HEAR YOU WHEN THE WATER’S RUNNING

Through Sept. 11 11:00am - 5:00pm

Aug. 19 - Sept. 4 Date and Times vary

HARN MUSEUM OF ART - The first major retrospective exhibition to consider the full range of the artist’s works. Uelsmann, known for his iconic and surreal style, has spent more than 50 years challenging and advocating for the acceptance of photography as an experimental art form.

Viewers will gain a new understanding of the artist’s creative process and the evolution of Uelsmann’s ideas throughout his career.

This exhibition runs from June 14 to Sept. 11.

352-392-9826

ACROSSTOWN REPERTORY THEATRE - The smash-hit Broadway production that won a Tony Award for Martin Balsam features four short plays on a common theme of the comic side of human sexuality.

Individually and together they present a collage of aspects of this subject that are both funny and deeply serious. Age Suitability: 18 and up.

352-378-8858

www.harn.ufl.edu

Saturday, Aug. 20 11:00am - 3:00pm

CARILLON RECITAL UF CAMPUS, CENTURY TOWER - A carillon concert will be presented by the UF carillon studio.

The concert will be performed on the 61-bell Eijsbouts instrument housed in Century Tower on the University of Florida campus. Free and open to the public. Programs will be available on the south side of the tower.

Bring your lawn chair or blanket.

PETCO, 6869 WEST NEWBERRY ROAD - Gold Coast Greyhound Adoptions is a nonprofit organization dedicated to finding loving, permanent homes for retired racing greyhounds.

Come out to meet rescued racing greyhounds. These wonderful hounds are available to pet, hug and adopt. Literature is provided as well as one-on-one discussions about the care and feeding of these funny, loyal, tender and highly intelligent hounds. 352443-3633.

www.arts.ufl.edu/carillon

goldcoastgreyhoundsgainesville.com

Sunday, Aug. 14 3:00pm - 4:00pm

82 | Autumn 2011

GOLD COAST GREYHOUND ADOPTION MEET AND GREET

UF FOOTBALL & VOLLEYBALL FAN DAY Saturday, Aug. 20 3:00pm - 6:00pm O’CONNELL CENTER Event brings the 2011 UF volleyball and football teams together to create a festive Fan Day for the entire public. Come and meet these amazing UF student athletes and show your support for the Gator Nation. www.

oconnellcenter.ufl.edu

a special collaboration, HippieFest features a five-member powerhouse, comprised of seasoned performers from the 1970s and 1990s. The five members all have their own story of how they reached the top of the Billboard charts along with touring and recordings with their respective bands.

Now, as these diverse artists combine their talents, HippieFest is sure to bring audience members to their feet.

NEFARIOUS: MERCHANT OF SOULS BENEFIT SCREENING

www.hippiefest.net

Saturday, Aug. 20 7:00pm

Saturday, Aug. 27 7:30pm - to 10:30pm

HIPPODROME CINEMA A special regional premiere of Nefarious: Merchant of Souls. A journey of exploration that Exodus Cry founder Benjamin Nolot began in 2007 has taken him to nineteen different countries on four continents documenting the horrors of the worldwide commercial sex industry. Nefarious: Merchant of Souls is the first of three hardhitting, feature-length documentaries that expose the disturbing trends of modern sex slavery and offer hope for its abolition.

352-375-4477

UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST FELLOWSHIP OF GAINESVILLE, 4225 NW 34TH ST. - Easter Seals at Altrusa House will present its 2nd Annual Silence Is Golden, an informal evening featuring a Harold Lloyd silent comedy about a freshman in college and his hope to become popular by playing football. Experience the wonder of silent films as they were featured in the 1920’s with Jonathan Gill, the evening’s featured pianist. The showing will be accompanied

by Jonathan Gill’s musical improvisation throughout both films. Contact Melixa Carbonell, Director of Special Events at 407629-7881 or mcarbonell@ fl.easterseals.com for more information.

HIPPIEFEST Wednesday, Aug. 24 7:30pm PHILLIPS CENTER - Part of the Chords of Color for a Cause Festival. In

SILENCE IS GOLDEN

GOOSEPOCKETS COMEDY SHOW Saturday, Aug. 27 7:00pm

Sandra Day O’Connor Monday 9/12

OCALA. CIRCLE SQUARE CULTURAL CENTER Goosepockets is a funny name and a hilarious comedy show featuring three of the nation’s top comedians, instrumentalists and funny song singers.

Utilizing their distinctive down-home humor, they deliver a barrage of one-liners, ad-libs, jokes and songs while presenting a hard driving, laugh a minute show. Y’all don’t want to miss this show, y’hear?

352-854-3670

GALLERY TALK: THE MIND’S EYE

6:00pm UF Campus, Graham Center - Former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor will join former Sen. Bob Graham to discuss the Justice Sandra Day O’Connor Civics Education Act and iCivics, a web-based education project designed to teach students civics and inspire them to be active participants in U.S. democracy. 352-392-3261.

Reduced Shakespeare Co. 9/16

Sunday, Aug. 28 3:00pm

7:30pm

HARN MUSEUM OF ART - Richard Heipp, Professor of Painting and Drawing and Interim Director at the School of Art + Art History, will discuss Uelsmann’s imagery and influence in the history of photography.

PHILLIPS CENTER - Experience the ESPN-type broadcast on stage without searching for it on TV, as a three-man comedy troupe teases America’s obsession with sports while impersonating its celebrities and bestknown announcers.

352-392-ARTS.

www.harn.ufl.edu

PETER YARROW Thursday, Sept. 1 7:30pm PHILLIPS CENTER - A legendary American artist who first found fame as a member of the music trio Peter, Paul and Mary, Peter Yarrow has written some of the most moving songs ever recorded. As a member of the renowned musical trio, he has earned many gold and platinum albums, has been awarded numerous Grammys, and nominated for several more. As a performer and humanitarian, he uses music as an instrument for social change. 352-392-ARTS.

RELATIONSHIPS THAT WORK! WORKSHOP Sunday, Sept. 4 5:00pm to 8:00pm SACRED EARTH CENTER. 3131 NW 13 STREET #41 Join us in this unforgettable experience, focusing on relationships, communication and personal development.

You will receive coaching on key life areas and powerful tools to achieve greater balance and enhance your communication effectiveness. You will have an opportunity to deepen your commitment to

your well-being on all dimensions, including interpersonal, emotional, spiritual, financial and physical. Seating limited.

To reserve your seat visit www.satvatove.com.

352-505-2959

FINANCIAL CRISIS INQUIRY COMMISSION Thursday, Sept. 8 6:00pm UF CAMPUS, PUGH HALL Moderated by Florida’s Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater, Phil Angelides, chairman of the Financial Crisis

www.VisitOurTowns.com

Inquiry Commission, and former Sen. Bob Graham will discuss the commission’s work and resulting report.

352-846-1575.

LATINO FILM FESTIVAL Thursday, Sept. 8 7:00pm HARN MUSEUM OF ART - In celebration of Latino/ Hispanic Heritage Month, the Latina Women’s League is pleased to present six extraordinary films that reflect upon Latino culture: Cinco Dias

Autumn 2011 | 83

Alachua County Heart Walk Saturday 9/24 7:30-11:00am NFRMC DUCK POND The 2011 Alachua Heart Walk encourages people to take steps toward a heart healthy lifestyle while raising funds to fight heart disease and stroke in our community.

This event is open to the public, so please join us and invite your family and friends!

1-800-257-6941 x8024.

Sin Nora (Nora’s Will), NEGRO SOY: Voces Negras del Pacifico Peruano (I am Black: Black Voices from the Peruvian Pacific), From Prada to Nada, El Regalo (The Gift), Pueblos Hermanos (Brother Towns) and Chance. Festival is from Sept. 8 to Oct. 15. Visit www.harn.ufl.edu for more information.

352-392-9826.

OPENING MIXER: ANY NOUN CAN BE VERBED BY JUDY RUSHIN Friday, Sept. 9 7:00pm - 9:00pm SANTA FE COLLEGE - This event is free! There will be live entertainment

by Blue Water Bay and more! This project blurs the boundaries between architecture, sculpture, and painting.

This exhibit runs thru Oct. 27. To learn more visit: www.judyrushin.com.

For more information, contact the art gallery manager, Jayné Grant, at 352-395-5464.

GAINESVILLE BIRD FANCIERS Sept. 11, Oct. 9, Nov. 13 1:00pm UNITED WAY OF NORTH CENTRAL FLORIDA, 6031 NW 1ST PL. - Enjoy Parrots?

Join your local bird club. We meet monthly with educational and social programs for both the pet lover

ardd affordable residential design + drafting PLANS FOR PERMIT New • Additions • Remodels • Pole Barns Maximize Your Space • Call for an estimate

Steven Bayer 352-472-9778 < Home 305-299-3485 < Cell sbayer28@cox.net

84 | Autumn 2011

and parrot breeder.

Meetings are often the 2nd Sunday of the month, but can change, so please contact us for details. 352-331-2800.

COMMEMORATIVE CONCERT OF RENE CLAUSEN’S “MEMORIAL” Sunday, Sept. 11 4:00pm FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, 106 SOUTHWEST 3RD ST. - Memorial was composed for chorus, orchestra, and soloist based on material reflecting the horrific events of 9/11. Although one continuous movement, it comprises four sections “Sept.

Morning,” “The Attack,”

“Prayers,” and “Petitions.”

The first sections reflect the chain of events leading to and including the attacks upon the towers. The music of destruction is kept to a minimum to emphasize a possible spiritual response. Healing, cleansing and hope are the main themes of the work. www.1stpc.org. Phone: 352-378-1527.

LANGUAGE CLASSES Sept. 12 - May 20 Saturdays Noon 5:00pm WEEKDAYS 4:00PM - 6:00PM ÉCOLE FRANÇAISE, 8520 NW 2 PL. - Sharpen your brain and mind!

Register now to enjoy Croissant, Crêpes, Chocolat, songs, games, prizes, cinéma, drama, with a relaxed non-pressured ageappropriate curriculum in French, Spanish, Chinese, German, Hebrew,Japanese orTamil for adults teens and children. Reading, writing, listening and speaking skills encouraged to improve pronunciation and conversation. $10/class. Join any time and progress in this individualized program where learning is a pleasure!

Call Judy Charudattan 352-332-8198 or

www.frenchfunfood.com

FRUIT TREES, SEEDS & EDIBLES SALE! Wednesday, Sept. 14, Oct. 12, Nov. 9 4:00pm - 7:00pm 111 EAST UNIVERSITY AVE. - On the 2nd Wednesdays each month, The Edible Plant Project’s fundraiser sale is at the Union St Farmers’ Market near the Bo Diddly Community Plaza downtown. An eclectic selection of edible plants, fruit trees, & seeds will be available. The project is a grassroots, all volunteer non-profit that promotes edible landscaping and local food abundance in our area. Volunteers are now wanted at our nursery. 561-236-2262

ARLAN ROSENBLOOM: DISTINGUISHED PROFESSOR LECTURE SERIES Thursday, Sept. 15 6:00pm - 8:00pm UF CAMPUS, HOUGH HALL, ROOM 120 A/B Distinguished Professor Arlan Rosenbloom, department of pediatrics, will lead the lecture “Insights & Conundrums about the Growth Hormone Action Pathway.”

Refreshments will be served. RSVP by Sept. 13th by email: mccrayi@ufl.edu. For more information contact: 352-392-2404.

DELFOS DANZA COMTEMPORANEA

Mexican choreographers and dancers, Victor Manuel Ruiz and Claudia Lavista, the company uses an introspective focus to create the images and movements of every work produced.

Delfos believes the power of dance in art gives balance to the community, society and world we all live in. The award-winning company shares this united vision and can be seen in each of their works through its fluency, physicality and instilled poetry. 352-392-ARTS.

DAXUN ZHANG, DOUBLE BASS Thursday, Sept. 18 2:00pm PHILLIPS CENTER - DaXun Zhang is the first double bass player to win the Young Concert Artists International Auditions, and only the second double bassist in history to win an Avery Fisher Career Grant. He has performed extensively with the Silk Road Project, including concerts with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at Carnegie Hall and in Japan and California. As a soloist, he has appeared with a number of orchestras, including the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra and Orange County’s Pacific Symphony.

Zhang has also given recitals at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston and the Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C. 352-392-ARTS.

Thursday, Sept. 15 7:30pm

BISEXUAL PRIDE COCKTAIL PARTY

PHILLIPS CENTER - Delfos Danza Contemporánea has raised the bar for interpretation and delivery of contemporary dance to date.

Founded in 1992 by

Friday, Sept. 23 7:00pm - 9:00pm PRIDE COMMUNITY CENTER, 3131 NW 13TH ST., #62 “Celebrate Bisexuality Day” is observed on Sept. 23 by members of

www.VisitOurTowns.com

Autumn 2011 | 85

the bisexual community and their supporters.

This day is a call for bisexual, pansexual, friends and supporters to recognize and celebrate bisexuality, bisexual history, bisexual community and culture, and the bi/pansexual people in their lives.

This event is free and ALL are invited. Drinks & hors d’oeuvres will be served. www.gainesvillepride. org. 352-377-8915.

BARBARA PADILLA Friday, Sept. 23 7:30pm PHILLIPS CENTER - First runner-up of the biggest talent competition in the world, America’s Got Talent, soprano Barbara Padilla is back with Viviendo, her outstanding debut album dedicated to the sounds of Latin Bolero music and other international favorites, as well as three original songs. 352-392-ARTS.

GFAA ART FESTIVAL AT THORNEBROOK Sept. 24 10:00am THORNEBROOK VILLAGE There are 140 spaces for fine art and fine craft. Walk through the connecting breezeways and stroll through this open-air village.

Thornebrook Village Shopping Center is billed as shopping in a park. 352-377-0996.

confident, strong and independent. Price: $50 per person.

352-373-4475.

HARVEST HOEDOWN

FOURTH ANNUAL QUILT SHOW

Sunday, Sept. 25 5:00pm PRAIRIE CREEK LODGE. 7204 SE CR 234 - Attend this knee-slapping hoedown to benefit Florida Organic Growers, a Gainesville-based non-profit promoting and supporting organic agriculture and healthy and just food systems since 1987. Music, food, art and a silent auction amongst the beautiful woods at Prairie Creek Lodge in the Paynes Prairie. The Price is $45.

352-377-6345.

www.foginfo.org.

SECOND ANNUAL SWAMP CHOMP Friday, Sept. 30 7:00pm WHITEHURST HORSE PRAIRIE RANCH. 9820 SW CR 346, ARCHER - Support Girls Place, Inc. at this casual tailgate party. Listen to live music while dining on barbeque. Games, a silent auction, and more makes this a fun way to help provide girls a safe, nurturing environment where they can grow

Saturday, Oct. 1 10:00am - 3:00pm DUDLEY FARM. 18730 W. NEWBERRY RD., NEWBERRY - Traditional, appliquéd, vintage, art quilts and quilted wearing apparel.

Our skilled crafters would love to see your quilt and hear its story.

At 11:00am there will be a “Bed Turning.”

Quilt experts will look at each quilt and discuss age, condition, colors and patterns.

Enjoy traditional music throughout the day. Admission is $5.00 per vehicle up to 8 occupants.

352-472-1142. Visit: www. friendsofdudleyfarm.org or www.

floridastateparks.org/dudleyfarm

JANE MCGONIGAL Tuesday, Oct. 4 6:00pm UF CAMPUS, PUGH HALL - Jane McGonigal, PhD, is an expert on alternate reality games and renowned game developer. She is the New York Times bestselling author of “Reality is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better

and How They Can Change the World.” She has appeared at TED, the New Yorker, and the Web 2.0 summit, among others. Business Week has named her “one of the top 10 innovators to watch.

352-846-1575.

GO NATIVE PLANT SALE Saturday Oct. 8 Times TBA MORNINGSIDE NATURE CENTER - Take advantage of the largest offering of native plants in North Florida during the 2011 Fall Native Plant sale. An exclusive member’s sale is on Friday, Oct. 7, 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm, and is open to members of the Florida Native Plant Society (FNPS), and Friends of Nature Parks (FNP) only.

Memberships are available at the gate.

Only cash and checks are accepted.

HENSON ALTERNATIVE STUFFED AND UNSTRUNG Friday, Oct. 7 7:30pm PHILLIPS CENTER - Prepare for an unpredictable evening as six expert puppeteers translate audience suggestions into an unforgettable variety show of

AN OLD GAINESVILLE FAVORITE NOW OPEN IN ALACHUA TOO! POPULAR MEXICAN FAVORITES AWARD-WINNING SALSA • SEAFOOD • WINGS • STEAK • FAMILY FRIENDLY • KIDS MENU ROLLING OAKS PLAZA • ALACHUA

15202 NW 147 Drive, Suite 1100

386-418-1039 www.ELTOROGAINESVILLE.com

86 | Autumn 2011

Any Purchase of $20.00 or more!

Recieve $5 off the sub total of any meal ticket priced $20 or More. Limited to one coupon per ticket per visit. Can not be combined with other offers. Our Town - Exp. 11/15/11

www.VisitOurTowns.com

Autumn 2011 | 87

ELECTRICAL SERVICE, INC.

Let us empower you!

PHONE: 386-418-2199 CELL: 352-256-6949 Richard Pfuntner, Owner Licensed & Insured: Lic. #ER00015344

BLADE & CHAIN SALE

Buy one, GET ONE FREE! AVAILABLE FOR MOST MAKES AND MODELS Special offer available through the month of October

JaALcL ENkGI’sNE 386-462-2882 SM

REPAIR

HIGHWAY 441 NORTH BETWEEN HIGH SPRINGS AND ALACHUA

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hilarious songs and sketches in “Stuffed and Unstrung.” Under the direction of The Jim Henson Company, the world-renowned puppeteers are visible throughout, allowing the audiences to see the rare mechanics of their craft. This innovative experience is certain to leave viewers with an enjoyable experience of live puppetry more than ever before.

These performances contain adult content that is not suitable for children. Watch hilarious clips by visiting the company’s website: www.

stuffedandunstrung.com/home. html. 352-392-ARTS.

NEW YORK CHAMBER SOLOISTS WITH RACHEL BARTON PINE, VIOLIN Friday, Oct. 9 2:00pm

10% OFF

Up to 6 people admission, camping.

COUPON NOT VALID ON MAJOR HOLIDAYS

• Covered pavilions • Concession stand • Large tiled bath house • Canoe & tube rentals • Nature trail • Volleyball courts • Horseshoe pits

Located in beautiful High Springs

386-454-1369 www.bluespringspark.com 88 | Autumn 2011

• Playground • Picnic tables & grills • Campsites w/ electric and water • Primitive wooded campsites • Dump station

OTGV mag. Exp 11-15-11

PARK

PHILLIPS CENTER - The New York Chamber Soloists have a history of proven virtuosi that spans more than five decades. Since 1957, this 12-member ensemble of strings, winds and piano has maintained a rare niche in the chamber music world. Renowned for their creative programming and veteran musicianship, the New York Chamber Soloists have added substantially to the catalog of 20th-century chamber works, with more than 25 compositions written for them by such significant composers as Gunther Schuller, Mario Davidovsky, Ezra Laderman and Mel Pow. 352-392-ARTS.

THE TURN OF THE SCREW Wednesday, Oct. 12 Nov. 6 Times Vary HIPPODROME THEATRE Based on the classic ghost story, this psychological thriller is a spectacular tourde-force. A young governess journeys to a lonely English manor house to care for two orphaned children in what she considers a dream job.

But her dream turns into a nightmare as the house’s spectral inhabitants soon reveal themselves. www.thehipp. org. 352-375-4477.

CNN SECURITY ANALYST PETER BERGEN Wednesday, Oct. 12 6:00pm UF CAMPUS, PUGH HALL The Awakening: How Revolutionaries, Barack Obama and Ordinary Muslims are Remaking the Middle East.

Journalist, author, and CNN national security analyst Peter Bergen will speak at the Bob Graham Center.

For more than 15 years, Peter Bergen has traveled throughout Afghanistan, Pakistan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and more recently Iraq to report on national security and the al Qaeda network.

He is one of the few Westerners to have met the world’s mostwanted man, Osama bin Laden, face to face.

352-846-1575.

FIRE & ICE SOCIAL Friday, Oct. 14 6:00pm and 7:30pm PHILLIPS CENTER - Join friends in meeting Olympic Champion Bob Beamon, AOTO board members, Olympian/

Artist Liston Bochette III, and Cathy Oerter.

Delicious hot & cold hors d’oevres will be provided and fine wine by Blue Water Bay. Meander into the theatre to watch pre-show company class on the mainstage.

Return during the first intermission to the Foyer for desserts

by Jenny Cakes. Held in the Fackler Foyer East, FIRE & ICE presents a platinum series- performance & event combined for $75.00 per person.

352-371-2986.

GAINESVILLE PRIDE PICNIC Sunday, Oct. 16 Noon - 3:00pm WESTSIDE PARK, 1001 NW 34TH ST. - This community event celebrates our diversity and unity. Lunch and beverages will be available for a small donation. People may also bring picnic baskets and join us for fun and games.

There will be some organized games such as frisbee, horseshoes, and volleyball.

352-377-8915.

PANEL DISCUSSION ON SOARING VOICES Sunday, Oct. 16 1:30pm - 2:30pm HARN MUSEUM OF ART - Perspectives on collecting contemporary Japanese ceramics.

Noted collectors Jeffrey and Carol Horvitz along with renowned art dealer, Joan Mirviss, will offer keen insights into their passion for Contemporary Japanese Ceramics, especially those by artists represented in the Soaring Voices exhibition. 352-392-9826.

Inagural Florida Monarch Festival Saturday 9/24 10:00am - 3:00pm GREATHOUSE BUTTERFLY FARM, 20329 NE State Rte 26, Earleton “We Preserve What We Know” features a two-hour educational program with national Monarch experts. There will be a Monarch butterfly tagging and release. Learn about certified Monarch Gardens and Way Stations, or participate in the Most Beautiful Butterfly Wings contest. There are also poster and T-shirt design contests, local arts and crafts, games, Bungee Jump, a bounce house, a children’s program, face painting, live music and local food. 352-475-2088.

NITTY GRITTY DIRT BAND Friday, Oct. 16 7:30pm PHILLIPS CENTER - When the “scruffy, young jug-band” band from Southern California released Will the Circle Be Unbroken in 1972, they solidified their mark in music history recording with some of their heroes, legends that included Earl Scruggs, Doc Watson and Mother Maybelle Carter. The album not only tied together two generations of musicians - at a time when the country was tearing itself apart - it also became a part of the American musical landscape.

Ultimately Will the Circle Be Unbroken was named one of the 50 Greatest Albums of All-Time and is only one of 50 recordings to be honored and preserved by the Library of Congress.

352-392-ARTS.

ANDA UNION Friday, Oct. 20 7:30pm PHILLIPS CENTER Unearthing musical magic from the depths of Mongolian culture, AnDa Union is bringing new life to an all-butforgotten art. Rooted in the culture of tribes unified by Ghengis Khan, this group of young musicians is dedicated to preserving

www.VisitOurTowns.com

and promoting the essence of true Mongol music to the world.

Members of AnDa Union employ khoomi throat singing to replicate the sounds of nature, and play many instruments including the morin huur, the maodun chaoer, a three-holed flute, as well as Mongolian versions of the lute, and mouth harp. The musicians combine different traditions and styles of music from all over Inner and Outer Mongolia, developing an innovation previously unheard of.

352-392-ARTS.

Autumn 2011 | 89

Where Great Musicians Begin!

We Service All Schools with Rentals & Repairs

Lessons For: Kindermusik • Guitar • Piano • Drums • Trumpet Violin • Vocal • Woodwinds • French Horn • Trombone

6787 W. Newberry Rd. (Oaks Mall Plaza)

352-505-5440

www.GreatSouthernMusic.net

Lessons • Repairs • Rentals • Sales F A M I L Y

O W N E D

&

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NOCHE DE GALA Saturday, Oct. 22 7:00pm - Midnight BESILU COLLECTION, LOCATED IN MICANOPY The Sebastian Ferrero Foundation’s annual fundraising event, Noche de Gala, has become a standalone event. Following last year’s sold-out event of more than 1,000 guests, the Noche de Gala promises to be an evening packed with live entertainment, a silent auction featuring unique and extraordinary items, a Champion Paso Fino horse show, live cigar rolling, exquisite dining and much more! The theme of Noche de Gala 2011 is “Enchanted.” This 642acre farm is home to a dynasty of Paso Fino Champions. Guests are encouraged to dress black tie.

www.nochedegala.org

A FAMILYFRIENDLY GHOST WALK Oct. 22 Times TBA

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MORNINGSIDE NATURE CENTER - Come with family and friends for a night hike to the Morningside Living History Farm where you will meet ghosts from 1870 and hear about their lives in rural Florida.

URBAN DARE GAINESVILLE Saturday, Oct. 22 Noon CITY HALL - It’s like a one-day Amazing Race.

Take the dare! Check-in begins at 11:00 till the start of the race. Look for people in the light blue t-shirts. Bring a cell phone and a digital camera to show your pictures at the end of the race. Maps

are handy and you should have someone to call to help look up clues. There will be multiple choice trivia questions and you will move into A, B, C or D areas depending on your answer. Get a few answers correct and you are on your way. Bring a pencil and paper to take notes.

This is a team race. You may walk, run or use public transportation to get to checkpoints.

At checkpoints with dares, you must accomplish a task and get your passport stamped to move on to the next checkpoint.

Dares range from throwing a bulls-eye, doing a climbing wall, completing a puzzle or eating something (things people like, not bugs). Winners should finish the race in about 2 hours and many will finish under 4 hours. Price: $80.

202-285-4510.

HEART OF FLORIDA ASIAN FESTIVAL Saturday, Oct. 22 10:00am THOMAS CENTER - The Heart of Florida Asian Festival is the region’s only Asian cultural event. Featuring top entertainment, a large food court, vendors and cultural exhibits. 8,000 attendees expected.

352-334-5064.

GAINESVILLE PRIDE PARADE & FESTIVAL Saturday, Oct. 22 1:00pm - 9:00pm BO DIDDLEY COMMUNITY PLAZA - Preceding the Festival is the Pride Parade, which steps off at 1:00pm at 7th Street and West University Avenue and proceeds down University

Avenue to the downtown Bo Diddley Community Plaza.

Celebrate your PRIDE at the Pride Festival at Bo Diddley Plaza.

The Festival, which is co-sponsored by the City of Gainesville, will have dozens of local musical acts and vendors lining the plaza from 2 to 9pm. A “Kids Space” will also be available. The event is free and open to the public. 352-377-8915.

GAINESVILLE CYCLING CLUB’S HORSE FARM HUNDRED Sunday, Oct. 23 8:30am LOFTEN HIGH SCHOOL. 3000 E. UNIVERSITY AVE. - Held annually by the Gainesville Cycling Club, the Horse Farm Hundred winds southward from Gainesville to Marion

County and back, leading riders past the fenced horse farms and sprawling pastures of the area. gccfla.org/gcf

REGINA CARTER’S “REVERSE THREAD” Friday, Oct. 23 4:00pm PHILLIPS CENTER Preeminent jazz violinist Regina Carter combines traditional African folk tunes with a contemporary flavor in her latest album, Reverse Thread. Carter exhibits her talents on the violin in addition to an accordion and kora, which is a West African harp, to create an uplifting and stirring result. Carter has grown into a distinct musical personality through her extensive background in international tours and performances with renowned artists such

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as Aretha Franklin, Billy Joel and Mary K. Blige.

During this intimate performance, Reverse Thread exemplifies the enriching music of the African Diaspora while complementing Carter’s magnificent art of the violin. 352-392-ARTS.

award-winning pianist’s repertoire includes more than 30 piano concertos and a wide spectrum of chamber music and solo literature ranging from the 17th century to contemporary artists.

352-392-ARTS.

MARTINA FILJAK, CLEVELAND PIANO COMPETITION WINNER

THE ARC OF ALACHUA COUNTY ANNUAL MEETING

Friday, Oct. 25 7:30pm PHILLIPS CENTER - One of the brightest instrumental talents to emerge from Croatia today, Martina Filjak is garnering international praise not only for her poetic passion and galvanizing strength at the keyboard, but also for her charismatic personality and magnetic stage presence. The

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Thursday, Oct. 27 11:00am UF HILTON, 1714 SW 34TH ST. - A guest speaker, who will be determined, and information about The Arc of Alachua County will be presented.

Please contact Bryan Harned, Development & Design Director, for more information at 352-334-4060 ext. 127 or by e-mail at bharned@ arcalachua.org. 352-3344060 ext. 127.

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Autumn 2011 | 91

a musician was never called into question.

352-392-ARTS.

THE FEST Oct. 28 - 30 TIMES TBA GAINESVILLE CLUBS - Punk music event, featuring Less Than Jake, Hot Water Music, Against Me! and hundreds more. www.thefestfl.com

THE JOHN OATES BAND Friday, Oct. 28 7:30pm PHILLIPS CENTER - Best known as half of the most successful duo in rock history, Hall & Oates, John Oates has recorded 21 albums, sold more than 80 million units, scored 10 number-one records, toured the world for decades and was inducted into the American Songwriters Hall of Fame, among other honors. Singing from the time he could talk and playing the guitar since the age of five, his destiny as

GARDENS OF GAINESVILLE TOUR Saturday, Oct. 29 9:00am MATHESON MUSEUM - The Keep Alachua County Beautiful tour will feature both public and private gardens in Gainesville and Alachua County. For garden locations, email kristin. kacb@gmail.com after purchasing your ticket.

The last stop on the tour will be a luncheon reception and guided walk at the Matheson House Gardens Hope to see you there!

JEFF PETERSON Friday, Oct. 30 2:00pm PHILLIPS CENTER Originally from the island of Maui, guitar

maestro Jeff Peterson grew up with a passion for the rich heritage of Hawaiian music introduced to him by his father. Today, he is recognized as one of the most gifted slack key guitarists.

He has worked with many artists including Eric Clapton, Ledward Ka’apana, James Galway, Michael Feinstein, the Honolulu Symphony and many other Hawaiian, classical and jazz musicians.

352-392-ARTS.

GATOR GROWL 2011 Friday, Nov. 4 7:00pm BEN HILL GRIFFIN STADIUM - The largest studentrun pep rally in the world, this year’s event features The Goo Goo Dolls, and — with a newly relocated stage

— a fireworks show, occurring throughout the event.

www.gatorgrowl.org

GATOR MUD RUN Sunday, Nov. 6 10:00am CANTERBURY SHOWPLACE, NEWBERRY - A 5K Mud Run in Alachua County with an obstacle course, cash prizes, music and free T-shirts! A kids’ course will provide fun for whole family.

Registration begins soon.

Email gatormudrun@gmail.com for more information.

Price: $50.

INTERPRETI VENEZIANI Friday, Nov. 6 7:30pm PHILLIPS CENTER Experience the all-Italian brio and musical mastership of Interpreti Veneziani.

This ensemble of

A celebration of wings & backyard things!

Fun takes flight 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Exciting Presentations

Family-Oriented Activities

Plant Sale

Behind-the-Scenes Tours

Live Entertainment

Butterfly Releases

Presentations and activities are free. Butterfly Rainforest admission is $10.50 for adults ($9 for Fla. residents) and $6 for ages 3-17. Some vendors may charge for their services. Behind-the-scenes tours require pre-registration.

Visit www.flmnh.ufl.edu/butterflyfest for more information.

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352-846-2000 Q www.flmnh.ufl.edu Mon.- Sat. 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Q Sun. 1- 5 p.m.

92 | Autumn 2011

virtuosic musicians is famed for delivering the romanticism and exuberance of Venice, Italy, and the city’s classic Baroque music to audiences all around the world.

352-392-ARTS.

Dralion by Cirque du Soleil 11/11 - 11/13 7:30 pm O’CONNEL CENTER - Fusing the 3000 year-old tradition of Chinese acrobatic arts with the multidisciplinary approach of Cirque du Soleil, Dralion draws its inspiration from Eastern philosophy and its never-ending quest for harmony between humans and nature. The show’s name is derived from its two emblematic creatures: the dragon, symbolizing the East, and the lion, symbolizing the West.

In Dralion, the four elements that govern the natural order take on a human form. Thus embodied, each element is represented by its own evocative colour: air is blue; water is green; fire is red; earth is ochre.

In the world of Dralion, cultures blend, Man and Nature are one, and balance is achieved. 352-392-5500.

AUDRA MCDONALD Friday, Nov. 8 7:30pm PHILLIPS CENTER - Winner of four Tony Awards, Broadway legend Audra McDonald returns to the concert stage to enlighten audiences with her unique, classically trained soprano voice.

The two-time Grammy award winner and star of the ABC television hit series Private Practice will perform an intimate evening of favorite show tunes, cinema classics and original pieces written specifically for this extraordinary artist who is at the height of her expressive powers.

352-392-ARTS.

BUCHHOLZ HIGH SCHOOL BAND CONCERT Friday, Nov. 10 7:00pm PHILLIPS CENTER - The Buchholz High School Band is proud to present this year’s Veterans

Day Musical Salute in honor of those who have served in the armed forces. With Master of Ceremonies, Richard Drake (Florida’s 89.1 Morning Edition Host), the Veterans Day Program will include performances by the Buchholz High School Golden Regiment Marching Band, Wind Symphony, Jazz Band, and patriotic dance features by Aviance Dance Ensemble. Please plan to attend and join in

honoring those who have served our nation.

352-392-ARTS.

ÓRLA FALLON Nov. 10 and 11 7:30pm PHILLIPS CENTER - After four adventurous years of appearances and recording projects as a member of Celtic Woman, Orla Fallon embarks on a novel journey, touring and performing works from her new solo

album, Distant Shore.

Originally from Ireland, Fallon has toured internationally, selling out well-known venues across the United States, including New York’s Radio City Music Hall, Carnegie Hall, Boston’s Opera House and the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles. Now, the singer/harpist shares her talents exhibiting her solo album in this intimate concert experience.

352-392-ARTS.

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FRIDAY NIGHT BLUES CONCERT Friday, Nov. 11 7:00pm to 11:00pm BO DIDDLEY COMMUNITY PLAZA - Friday night kicks off the Downtown Festival and Art show with a blues concert presented by the North Central Florida Blues Society. Come enjoy musical entertainment made for the entire family. 352-393-8536.

DOWNTOWN FESTIVAL & ART SHOW Saturday, Nov. 12 - 13 10:00am - 5:00pm GAINESVILLE - North Central Florida’s premier fall festival of the arts. A juried fine art show with 250 of the nation’s best artists, three stages of entertainment, blues concert and free

children’s hands-on art activity area. www.

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TWENTY PEARLS 4TH ANNUAL CHARITABLE GOLF SCRAMBLE Saturday, Nov. 12 8:30am IRONWOOD GOLF COURSE, 2100 NW 39TH AVE - The Hole-In-One Sponsor is sponsored

by Mercedes-Benz of Gainesville. In 2010, the event raised an estimated $26,000 for breast cancer awareness & community service programs. Without the support from the community, there would not be as much success in giving back.

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YOUNG CONCERT ARTIST: CAROLINE GOULDING, VIOLIN Friday, Nov. 13 2:00pm PHILLIPS CENTER Another Young Concert Artist discovery brings Caroline Goulding’s technical polish and thoughtful interpretation center stage. At age 13, she won the Concerto Competition at the Aspen Festival, soon embarking on an orchestral career with engagements alongside the Detroit

Symphony, the Buffalo Philharmonic, the Cleveland Orchestra, and the Louisville Youth Orchestra.

352-392-ARTS.

DEMAND DOCUMENTARY Sunday, Nov. 13 5:00pm - 10:00pm NADINE MCGUIRE PAVILION - FIGHT and the UF Chapter of Free the Slaves are partnering to bring awareness about sex trafficking and the link between pornography and the commercial sex industry. There will be a showing of the documentary “Demand” produced by Shared Hope International.

This documentary investigates the role that the commercial sex industry plays in the

business of trafficking women and children to become sexual slaves.

Human trafficking is viewed from a business perspective — in order for any market to survive it needs buyers.

In the human trafficking market, women and children are considered a product and it is the buyer that creates the demand and thus causes the sexual exploitation of millions of people every year.

352-392-1649.

THE MILES DAVIS EXPERIENCE: 1949-1959 Friday, Nov. 18 7:30pm PHILLIPS CENTER - A collaboration with Blue Note Records(tm).

Miles Davis was a jazz legend. But what

made him so great?

This multimedia collaboration explores his musical development against the background of post-war America.

With a beat-style poet serving as narrator, the music of the era fuses with photos and film to depict the sounds, sights and cultural contexts of mid-20thcentury America. From the challenges and optimism following World War II to the Civil Rights Movement and other historical milestones, The Miles Davis Experience is not just for jazz aficionados, but for those who have an interest in exploring the rich and diverse history of the United States.

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One of a Kind Rockeys Dueling Piano Bar Serves up a Unique Nightlife Experience

WRITTEN BY CAROLYN TILLO PHOTOGRAPHY BY TJ MORRISSEY efore drinks start flowing and music starts playing, Rockeys Dueling Piano Bar is quiet, caught in the calm before the storm. Servers place song request cards on tables and catch the last few minutes of a basketball game on TV. Bartenders take their places behind the counter of the brick-walled bar, where a spotlight shines on the piano keys of the Rockeys Logo. Performers Brad Heron and Tim Buie catch up and swap jokes.

As the 8 p.m. show time approaches, couples and groups of friends start trickling in, and performers Heron and Buie make their

B

way to the stageâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s back-to-back pianos to introduce each other.

Then, the storm of music begins.

In this moment when hands strike piano keys and voices echo from the PA loudspeakers, Rockeys becomes more than a bar on South Main Street. It becomes a place where music brings people together, where students celebrate their 21st birthdays and retirees celebrate their 71st birthdays.

Heron, the owner and founder of Rockeys, said the bar is clean and comfortable enough to make anyone feel at home. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think the music does the rest of it because it kind of bridges any

A third generation Gator, Brad Heron has always felt closely connected to the University of Florida, and to Gainesville. After graduating from UF in 2004 and traveling the country playing the piano, he opened Rockeys last December.

96 | Autumn 2011

>> TICKLIN’ THE IVORIES

Autumn 2011 | 97

TOP: Marty Richardson, owner of Savannah Smiles Dueling Pianos, joined Heron and Buie for a performance at Rockeys last summer. Buie is good friends with Richardson, who he worked with at Savannah Smiles before moving to Gainesville.

age gap,” Heron said.

The sounds of hip hop or pop or classic rock melt away any boundaries between customers. Named for the two pianos and the two piano players on stage, a dueling piano bar hosts shows fueled by audience requests. Customers hand tips to the piano players to encourage them to play and sing their songs before the other requested pieces. At Rockeys, one half of the room usually supports one piano player, and the other half supports the second player. Buie and Heron

98 | Autumn 2011

may collaborate on some pieces, and, every half hour, the show changes as performers shift from working on stage to walking around the bar and meeting its patrons.

A trip to Rockeys is not a onenight stand. In this bar, which is open Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m., people get to know each other’s names and enjoy good music. It is a place where people see what kind of musicians they could have been if they had stuck with those piano lessons and listened to their mom when she

told them to practice every day.

Owner and founder Brad Heron entered the world of music at the age of 2. He watched “The Wizard of Oz,” and, at the end of the movie, he started playing a recognizable version of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” on the piano. At age 3 he performed at his first concert. He has been playing and performing ever since, winning a state competition for high school piano players at the age of 12 and going on to dual enroll as a music student at Florida Atlantic University while in high school.

TOP: Rockeys performer Tim Buie has quite a resume. The father of five set a Guinness World Record in 2005 for a marathon keyboard performance of 61 hours and 3 minutes. “We get paid to make people happy,” Buie said. “That’s not a bad job, is it?”

At the University of Florida, he put music on the back burner as he studied for his degree in business, but he rediscovered the piano during his junior and senior year when he started performing at Alligator Rocks, a Gainesville piano bar that has since closed.

After graduating from UF in 2004, Heron performed with Disney Cruise Line and traveled across the country as a dueling piano bar performer before deciding to return to Gainesville. A third generation Gator, his connection

to the university and to its athletic programs is strong.

Heron opened Rockeys last December, using the contacts he made with his booking agency, Brad Heron Entertainment, to bring in fresh talent each week. He and Buie are the regular performers at Rockeys, but another member of the dueling piano bar circuit joins them each weekend, ensuring that Rockeys serves up different acts every night.

As songs varying from “Bennie and the Jets” to Justin Bieber’s

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“Baby” echo through the bar, Rockeys starts packing in a crowd.

Seating space gets tight, and the people who arrive early enough to grab a table do not want to let it go.

Staff members squeeze through the pack of bodies, delivering kegs to and from the bar, while the living jukeboxes on stage spit out song after song, no sheet music required.

Buie, who met Heron in 2003 when Heron was training as a dueling piano player in Portland, Ore., said he and Heron work well together because they have

Autumn 2011 | 99

TOP: Sometimes members of the crowd, like Brad’s friend Lydia Gillespie, help him multitask during his performance. (she’s holding a harmonica in place for him). The musicians often invite audience members onto the stage or serenade them with a song.

different tastes in music. Buie prefers old school rock ‘n’ roll, while Heron said he is unsure if he really has a preferred genre, since he will tackle anything from hip hop to Disney music.

Throughout his life, Buie’s only job has been playing the piano.

The native of Wilmington, N.C. started taking piano and organ lessons when he was 8 years old.

After high school, he attended the United States Armed Forces School of Music in Virginia, now known as the United States Navy School of

100 | Autumn 2011

Music, a school for military band members. He played in the United States Army Band for three years before embarking on 22 years of worldwide touring, where he played at dueling piano bars everywhere from Las Vegas to Japan. He met his wife at a piano bar in Norway.

Because he can play any style of music, Buie said he could have chosen to live and perform anywhere in the world, but, in 2004, he and his wife decided it was time to settle down. With young children, traveling was no longer easy. They

moved to Wilmington so he could be close to his parents.

Buie said he has lived by his dad’s favorite saying: “You cannot ride the bus until you buy the ticket.” In other words, he never let someone tell him that he could not achieve his goals. He wanted to set a world record, and he did, right in the town where he grew up. Buie made three attempts to set the record for the longest marathon keyboard, earning an official Guinness World Record after a non-stop piano performance of

TOP: Drummer R.J. Aguon joined the regular performers at Rockeys Dueling Piano Bar, adding even more musical variety to a show that is constantly changing. The vibe at the piano bar is always a little bit different — the show adjusts to the crowd.

“It’s not really a bar atmosphere. It’s more like you’re there to enjoy each other and enjoy the great music.”

61 hours and 3 minutes on Feb. 10 through Feb. 12, 2005.

After spending time in Wilmington, the father of five lived with his wife and three youngest children in Savannah for a little under two years because he was recruited to work for Savannah Smiles Dueling Pianos. Although

he enjoyed working at Savannah Smiles, Buie did not hesitate to come to Gainesville when Heron asked him to join him at Rockeys.

“I believe in Brad, you know, and my family believes in Brad,” Buie said.

Since moving to Gainesville in December, Buie said he and his

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family have fallen in love with the community and the school system.

On stage, he may cough up a curse word or tease a member of the crowd, but, at home, he is a dad who listens to his daughter as she sings “You are my sunshine.”

Like any other working parent, he works hard for his money, and he said he believes the performers at Rockeys always give 100 percent.

Performers are not the only ones working hard at Rockeys.

While they punch at the keys of the dueling pianos, server Jae Young

Autumn 2011 | 101

moves from customer to customer, carrying beer and wine, making small talk, and taking frequent trips to the register.

Young, a microbiology senior at the University of Florida, is not new to the bar scene. Before Rockeys, she worked at TD’s Sports Bar and Grill and Rain Ultra Lounge, both in Orlando. But, Young said, Rockeys has a different vibe.

“It’s not really a bar atmosphere,” she said. “It’s more like you’re there to enjoy each other and enjoy the great music.”

Young sees her fellow staff members as a family, a family that

Q &A

dances and sings along when their favorite songs start playing. She tries to treat customers like family, too.

“I really just try to be myself and treat them like they’re my best friend,” Young said.

Laura Milton, 22, an occupational therapy graduate student at UF, is just one of Rockeys’ many fans. She learned about the bar last spring from her friend who plays piano in a jazz band. Although Milton does not play the piano, she loves listening to live music, and she was ready to try a new Gainesville hangout.

“I just needed to do something different than going to Midtown,

and I wanted to do something a little more fun,” Milton said.

Milton and her friends listened to Cee Lo Green, Lady Gaga and Billy Joel and watched as the piano players invited members of the audience onto the stage.

While Milton was the most excited of her friends to try Rockeys, it was her friends who could not wait to go back a second time.

Each weekend, the crowd and the performers and the songs may change, but the storm of music thunders on, showering guests of Rockeys with a show they will not find anywhere else in town. s

backstage pass How many songs do you know?

Easily over 5,000, from Gospel to rock to jazz to hip hop to country.

I’m sorry, say again? 5,000?

When you do this for a living and provide for your family, it’s your job to learn songs

Do you have a favorite song to play?

“How sweet it is (to be loved by you)”

by James Taylor.

Is there a song that you hate playing?

“November Rain” by Guns N’ Roses What’s the most you’ve been paid to play (or not play) a song?

During one of my world record attempts for marathon keyboard performance in Wilmington, N.C., a housing developer and business owner named Ward Manning asked my wife what would put a smile on my face.

She jokingly responded that a $5,000 tip would help. Manning gave me $5,000. He also matched roughly $10,000 in donations to the American Red Cross Cape Fear Chapter, which other members of the audience had donated to during the marathon.

What’s the biggest crowd you’ve played for?

In 1999, I played two halftime shows at University of Alabama football games against Louisiana State University and Tennessee. The crowd at the games was about 87,000.

102 | Aut Autumn utum mn 2011 201

How many songs do you know?

I think I stopped counting around 1,000, so more than a thousand!

How have you come to know all of these songs?

It really is years of practice.

There is no shortcut to learning that many songs with all the chords, nuances and words. Just time behind a piano memorizing.

What’s your favorite song to play?

I don’t have one favorite song in particular, but I love playing Billy Joel music.

Is there a song that you hate playing?

I really don’t have a song I hate playing. It’s fun to meet the challenge of playing requests.

What’s the most you’ve been paid to play (or not play) a song? $ 120 from audience members wanting to hear Michael Jackson music.

What’s the biggest crowd you’ve played for?

I performed at a Fourth of July celebration in St. Louis underneath the arch on the Budweiser Main Stage. Organizers blocked off about 13 square blocks in the city and put the show up on big screens and speakers. I’ve heard about 300,000 people showed up for the event, but I was on stage in the middle of the acts. Still, there were more than 100,000 people in the audience during my performance.

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At Palms Medical Group, we make it easy for you to get the healthcare you need: Convenient locations A wide range of services— from well-baby exams to senior care Same day appointments through Open Access Scheduling Private insurance, Medicare and Medicaid accepted; sliding fee scale for those who qualify

Palms Medical Group Trenton. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 352-463-2374 Palms Pharmacy Palms Chiropractic Palms Massage Therapy Palms Medical Group Williston . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 352-528-0587 Palms Medical Group facilities dedicated exclusively to Pediatric care: Chiefland . . . . . . . . . . . . . 352-493-7274 Trenton. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 352-463-6292 Behavioral HealthCare offered through Meridian Behavioral Healthcare, Inc. Available at: Bell, Gainesville, Starke, Trenton, and Williston

1-888-730-2374 www.palmsmg.org 104 | Autumn 2011

a m m

liv d h sa

a th a n th p th

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Area Families Get a

“Clean Start” L

ast year, in an effort to provide relief to families undergoing economic or personal hardships in our community, Mini Maid of Alachua County created Clean Start Day. For this program, our clients nominated

A nursing instructor who teaches at Rasmussen College, Ellen Audet, was the first to receive a Clean Start.

Ellen’s daughter, Ashley, has cystic fibrosis. She became critically ill last year and received a double lung

“We wanted to find families whose lives we could genuinely impact…”

– Carol Doak, Mini Maid owner any neighbor, friend or family member whom they believed would most benefit from a free cleaning.

“We wanted to find families whose lives we could genuinely impact by doing what we do best, making their homes cleaner, healthier, happier,” says Mini Maid owner, Carol Doak.

Last year’s families were so appreciative and Mini Maid enjoyed the project so much, they did it again! Mini Maid opened online nominations in May and selected three families whose stories were perfectly in-line with the mission of the initiative.

transplant. Ellen has been at Ashley’s side for numerous hospitalizations and treatments and her need for support has greatly increased.

The next stop on Clean Start Day was Verna Williams. Verna was employed by North Florida Regional Medical Center for nearly 30 years.

Her tenure ended when she had a seizure on the job.

Verna was diagnosed with renal failure and learned her right kidney needed to be removed due to a cancerous tumor.

Remarkably, she is now home but must

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self-administer dialysis treatments three times a day.

Despite all the recent challenges she has faced, Verna maintains a great spirit and determination to enjoy time with her children and grandchildren.

The final family selected was the Smiths. Son, Drew, made an inspirational walk across the stage to receive his Buchholz High School diploma this past June following several weeks of hospitalization.

Fighting off aggressive leukemia, he is currently recovering from a bone marrow transplant. Drew’s little sister has Downs’ Syndrome, so parents, Alma and Steve, work extra hard juggling jobs and care for their children.

For more information on Clean Start Day and this year’s families, visit www.minimaidgainesville.com.

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Autumn 2011 | 105

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Dana Carvey 2009 SNL legend and popular stand-up comedian Dana Carvey graced the Growl stage in 2009. Well known for his Church Lady character and as “Wayne’s World” sidekick Garth, Carvey placed second among comedians in about 175 ballots that were returned.

108 | Autumn 2011

Let the Gator Growl!

PHOTOS COURTESY OF UF PHOTOGRAPHY

hat had begun at UF as “Dad’s Day” (a tradition in which fathers of the then-all-male student body were invited to visit the new campus) has evolved into today’s gigantic Gator Growl. Billed as the largest student-run pep rally in the world, the Gator Growl is produced by more than 500 student volunteers. Held annually in “The Swamp” on the eve of the Homecoming game, this event has featured such entertainment legends as Bob Hope and Bill Cosby as well as cameo appearances by Presidents H. Bush and Clinton. Here is a look at the Gator Growl through the decades.

W

Bob Hope 1979 & 1983 On the eve of the homecoming game, according to an article on associatedcontent.com, legendary performer Bob Hope entered the Florida Stadium to the roar of fifty-six thousand screaming students and their families.

Playing on UF’s party school persona Hope upset alumni and organizers so much that Hope later apologized.

He was brought back four years later,

Robin Williams 1982

and during his second appearance, he

Much of Williams’ routine focused on

remained conservative in his routine.

“Mr. Happy” (use your imagination) and

One of his jokes from 1979: “I love

led to much laughter — and controversy.

your graduation ceremonies. Instead

Gainesville resident Laura Hurt said of the

of mortarboards, party hats. I met a

crowd that night. “We were laughing, but

student who’s majoring in Mixed Drinks.”

there were a ton of people who were not.”

George Burns 1980 The late great actor and comedian, George Burns, was born in 1896. At age 79, Burns’ career was resurrected as an amiable, beloved and unusually active comedian, continuing to work until shortly before his death, in 1996, at the age of 100. With a career spanning vaudeville, radio, film and television, he would perform with and without his wife Gracie Allen until her death in 1964. With his trademark cigar, Burns did a comedy routine and sang at the 1980 Gator Growl.

www.VisitOurTowns.com

Autumn 2011 | 109

Smothers Brothers 1985 In the 1960s, the brothers Smothers frequently appeared on television variety shows and issued several popular record albums of their stage performances. However, their controversial television show, which was critical of the political mainstream and Vietnam War, led to their firing by CBS in 1969. The brothers performed their trademark act of humor and folk songs at the Growl with straight man Dick on upright bass and funnyman Tommy on acoustic guitar.

Lynyrd Skynyrd 2007 Returning the show to music, organizers chose the rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd to star in the 2007 Gator Growl. Originally formed in Jacksonville the band leans toward American-themed lyrics. According to a 2007 press release, the decision to bring Skynyrd was part of a greater effort to return the show to its family-friendly, pep rally beginnings. “Not only are they one of the biggest names to ever perform at Growl,” spokeswoman Anna Murphy said, “but their act also fits very well within what we are trying to do with the show - a Gator Growl that appeals to everyone, not just students.” Headlining for them that year was the comedian and impressionist Frank Caliendo, known for his impersonation of George W. Bush and his roles on MADtv.

110 | Autumn 2011

Jerry Seinfeld 1988 Jerry Seinfeld, the creator, star and eventual producer of the popular ‘90s NBC sitcom “Seinfeld,” pleased the crowds with his everyday humor. In 2008, Seinfeld again returned to Gainesville to perform at the Phillips Center in 2008.

A Timeline of Gator Growl Performers 1978 Helen Reddy 1979 Bob Hope 1980 George Burns 1981

Rodney Dangerfield

1982 Robin Williams 1983 Bob Hope, Irene Cara 1984 Bill Cosby, Herbie Hancock 1985 The Smothers Brothers 1986 Billy Crystal 1987 Jay Leno 1988 Steven Wright, Jerry Seinfeld 1989 Richard Jeni, Paula Poundstone 1990 Paul Provenza Jeff Foxworthy 1991

Brian Regan, Tom Parks

1992 David Alan Grier, Larry Miller 1993 Gary Shandling Dennis Miller 1994 Sinbad, Bobby Slayton 1995 Kevin Pollak, Anthony Clark 1996 Paul Rodriguez Craig Shoemaker 1997 Howie Mandel Jeremy Hotz, Michael Buffer 1998 Ray Romano Dave Chappelle, Carlos Mencia, Larry the Cable Guy 1999 Pablo Francisco, Carrot Top Craig Shoemaker 2000 Mitch Hedberg John Pinette, D. L. Hughley 2001 Daniel Tosh, Dave Attell Jim Breuer 2002 Bill Cosby, Harland Williams 2003 Sugar Ray, Christopher Titus Arnez J 2004 Bill Engvall, Dane Cook 2005 Greg Giraldo, Wayne Brady

Howie Mandel 1997

Sinbad 1994

Stand-up comedian, actor and game

at Gator Growl on November 4,

show host Howie Mandel, perhaps

1994. Opening for him was stand-

best known for his role on the NBC

up comedian Bobby Slayton.

medical drama St. Elsewhere and the

Sinbad kept his humor clean and

game show Deal or No Deal.

the house packed.

Sinbad made his appearance

www.VisitOurTowns.com

2006 Jim Gaffigan, Gabriel Iglesias 2007 Lynyrd Skynyrd Frank Caliendo, 2008 Jon Reep, Steve Miller Band 2009 Dana Carvey, O.A.R. JabbaWockeeZ 2010 Aziz Ansari, Kevin Hart Dan Levy

Autumn 2011 | 111

FALL FESTIVALS Fall is finally upon us, and as North Central Florida slowly (very slowly) slips into winter and the weather gets cooler, festivals abound. Here are some of the things happening in the area.

demonstrations and

GFAA Art Festival at Thornebrook

The Abbey Horse Festival

Thornebrook Village,

Southeastern Livestock

Gainesville

Pavilion, Ocala

Sept. 24 10 a.m.

Oct. 1 - 2

There are 140 spaces for

10 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Jazz Up Dunnellon!

fine art and fine craft.

A multifaceted specta-

E & W Pennsylvania Ave.,

The Heart of Florida

Walk through the connect-

tor event for the whole

Dunnellon

Asian Festival is the

ing breezeways and stroll

family. There will be many

Oct. 15

region’s only Asian

through this open-air vil-

different horse exhibi-

10 a.m.

cultural event. Featuring

lage. Thornebrook Village

tions, vendors, clowns,

There are all types of jazz

top entertainment, a

Shopping Center is billed

continuous live entertain-

styles spaced along the

large food court, vendors

as shopping in a park.

ment and food. Buy a

tree-lined main street,

and cultural exhibits.

ticket one day and get in

and Cajun/creole street.

gvlculturalaffairs.org

the next day free. Children

Food vendors add to

under 12 and servicemen

excitement.

Florida Monarch Festival Greathouse Butterfly Farm, Earleton Sept. 24 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.

“We Preserve What We Know,” presented by Greathouse Butterfly Farm, features a two-hour educational program with national Monarch experts.

There will be a Monarch butterfly tagging and release. Learn about certified Monarch Gardens and Way Stations, or participate in the Most Beautiful

with ID get in free. theabbeyhorsefestival. com

workshops. 352-357-8555 lakecountyfolkfest.com

Town of Orange Park Arts & Crafts Show

Heart of Florida Asian Festival The Thomas Center, Gainesville Oct. 22 10 a.m.

Sacred Earth Bazaar Sacred Earth Center, Gainesville Oct. 22

Fall Palatka Bluegrass Festival

Orange Park Town Hall,

10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Orange Park

Healers, vendors, food

Rodeheaver Boys’ Ranch,

Oct. 15

and fun - stones and

Palatka

10 a.m.

crystals, gemstone

Oct. 6 - 8

This year will be the

jewelry, handmade

Noon - 10 p.m.

29th Annual Event, and

soap, fairies, dragons,

The festival is a three-day

it will be bigger and

mystical arts, Aline

outdoor event under

better than ever. Two full

Harris art, Kat Harris

a covered pavilion,

days filled with food,

art, psychic readers,

featuring the top names

fun, crafts, vendors and

Quantum Biofeedback,

in bluegrass music.

entertainment.

Reiki with stones and

Tickets at the gate are $35

crystals, energy healing

per day; the three-day

Magnoliafest

There are also poster and

special is $85.

Spirit of the Suwannee

chair massage and more.

T-shirt design contests,

www.aandabluegrass.com

Music Park and

Openings for Vendors.

Campground, Live Oak

3131 NW 13th St. #41.

Oct. 20

352-275-8537

bounce house, a children’s

Lake County Folk Festival

program, face painting,

Ferran Park, Eustis

A festival of American

live music and local food.

Oct. 8 - 9

roots music featuring

Ocala Arts Festival

Located in North Central

10 a.m.

over 40 national, regional,

McPherson Governmental

Florida just 15 miles east

A two-day folk music

and local performers on

Complex, Ocala

of Gainesville. 20329 NE

event with folk arts and

8 stages in a beautiful

Oct. 22

State Road 26, Earleton.

food vendors in historic

setting with onsite

10 a.m.

866-475-2088, 352-475-

downtown Eustis.

camping, a great festival

A fun weekend of fine

2088, e-mail: butterflies@

Up to seven stages of

vending village and a

art in an artist friendly

butterflyfarm.com

continuous music, contra

great family event.

environment. 601 SE 25th

www.butterflyfarm.com

dance, a children’s area,

www.musicliveshere.com

Ave. 352-671-8465

Butterfly Wings contest.

local arts and crafts, games, Bungee Jump, a

112 | Autumn 2011

with stones and crystals,

10 a.m.

Gainesville Pride Parade & Festival

enthusiasts and spectators will enjoy 3 days

Bo Diddley Community

of amazing classic cars.

Plaza, Gainesville

Saturday 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.,

Oct. 22

join CHS for a day of fun,

1 p.m. - 9 p.m.

family-friendly activities.

Preceding the festival is

Bring your kids over for

the Pride Parade, which

arts and crafts, games,

steps off at 1 p.m. at

and more! A portion of

7th Street and West

the proceeds will benefit

University Avenue and

CHS. Price: $12/day for

proceeds down University

adults; children 11 and

Avenue to the downtown

under are free.

Bo Diddley Community

ocalapumpkinrun.com

Plaza. The Festival,

will have dozens of

9th Annual Alachua Harvest Festival

local musical acts and

Nov. 6

vendors lining the plaza

11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

from 2 p.m. To 9 p.m. A

A nice way to relax

“Kids Space” will also

after Saturday’s UF

be available. The event

Homecoming Football

is free and open to the

Game. Great family

public. 352-377-8915

Sunday afternoon! Stroll

which is co-sponsored by the City of Gainesville,

Downtown Historic

Bear Creek Music & Art Festival

two days, visitors can

Spirit of the Suwannee

historic downtown and

Music Park and

marvel at works from

Campground, Live Oak

more than 250 of the

Nov. 11 - 13

nation’s most talented

The Bear Creek Music

artists, who display their

and Art Festival proudly

original oils and acrylics,

returns to the magical

vibrant watercolors,

Spirit of the Suwannee

captivating sculptures,

Music Park in Live Oak,

dazzling jewelry, decora-

Florida. Please Join us for

tive ceramics and vivid

three days of music, art,

photography. Guests at

camping and community

the show can interact

as we gather along the

with artists while getting

banks of the famous Suwannee River. PreParty Information for 11/9 and 11/10 will be available soon. www.musicliveshere.com

Downtown Festival & Art Show

leisurely stroll through

a head start on holiday shopping by purchasing one-of-a-kind artwork.

They can also savor local and international cuisine and listen to live music performed on three stages. Downtown Festival & Art Show has

Downtown Gainesville

risen dramatically in

Nov. 12

national rankings. For

10 a.m.

the past three years,

The nationally recognized

Sunshine Artist magazine

benches & bricks, tower-

Festival transforms down-

has recognized the

of Florida is honored

ing trees, wafting music,

town Gainesville into a

festival as one of the top

be part of the inaugural

and friendly shopkeepers

venue for award-winning

30 fairs and festivals in

Ocala Pumpkin Run

and vendors. Local musi-

artists and draws a crowd

the country, naming it No.

cians entertain while

of more than 100,000.

30 in 2009. Greg Lawler’s

visitors check out local

Presented by the City of

Art Fair SourceBook also

arts and crafts vendors

Gainesville Department

ranked the festival as

lining the street. For more

of Parks, Recreation and

one of the top 100 fine art

car shows hosting an

information contact the

Cultural Affairs, the

festivals in the nation.

estimated 3,000 vehicles

Alachua Business League.

festival celebrates its 30th

352-393-8536.

on Castro Farms. Car

visitalachua.org

anniversary in 2011. For

www.gvlculturalaffairs.org

Pumpkin Run

winding Main Street, City

Castro Farms, Ocala

of Alachua, lined with

Oct. 28 - 30

original Victorian homes

8 a.m. - 4 p.m.

and businesses, lanterns,

Children’s Home Society

Classic Car Show, October 28-30! The Pumpkin Run is positioned to be one of Florida’s premier

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Autumn 2011 | 113

ADVERTISEMENT

Home of the Brave The Veterans Administration’s Aid & Attendance Benefit helps veterans and spouses enjoy their golden years at The Atrium

T

here are more than 11 million veterans or surviving spouses over the age of 65 living in the United States today.

After serving their country with valor and sacrifice, these heroes deserve to live their golden years with a distinct sense of comfort and freedom.

At The Atrium in Gainesville, they can find exactly that when they take advantage of the Veterans Administration’s Aid & Attendance Benefit.

“Wartime-serving veterans gave to their country,” said Prem Paul Murrhee, Director of Sales and Marketing for The Atrium.

“Now it’s time for their country to give back to them.”

The Aid & Attendance Benefit is a generous federal program that provides financial aid to veterans or surviving spouses who require services for any number of daily activities. These benefits are $1,632 per month for a veteran, $1,055 per month for a deceased veteran’s surviving spouse, or $1,945 per month for a veteran and spouse together.

These amounts could cover as much as 75% of the all-inclusive monthly rent at The Atrium.

“It’s a great program from the federal government,” said Murrhee. “This benefit is for

114 | Autumn 2011

wartime-serving veterans and it’s very inclusive. I’ve been moving people in on this program for three years and have helped more than 100 people apply for Aid and Attendance benefits.

(The government) really wants to help people get the benefits that they deserve.”

Eligibility for the benefit is based on three criteria. You must be a veteran or the surviving spouse of a veteran with 90 consecutive days of active duty and one day of service during a declared war. A doctor must indicate your need for aid and attendance (because The Atrium provides meal service, transportation and 24-hour attendance, the benefit can be used for rent). There are also financial qualifications to be met, with each application considered on a case-by-case basis. Local veterans advocates can help you evaluate your financial situation to see if you qualify, and The Atrium hosts a veterans benefit talk at noon on the last Thursday of every month.

The approval process takes anywhere from four to nine months, but that does not have to delay your move. The Atrium will defer the portion of your rent that would be covered by the

benefit until the Aid & Attendance funds are granted.

“In the past people have had to dip into their savings to pay their rent, and then they would be paid back,” said Murrhee.

“We will defer the rent by the benefit amount, so they’re effectively receiving benefits immediately. When they get that retroactive payment, they just pay it back. We don’t charge interest, and there are no extra fees for the service.”

Nestled in a quiet yet central location in Gainesville, The Atrium is an all-inclusive retirement community of 240 residents enjoying their golden years in style. Its namesake five-story atrium has a glass ceiling, baby grand pianos and plenty of trees and foliage.

Apartment residences range in size from 400-1600 square feet and all include a full kitchen.

Monthly rent includes all utilities except personal phone service, three meals a day, weekly housecleaning, activities and entertainment, transportation, 24/7 live-in management and more. A post office, a branch of Wise’s Pharmacy and a hair salon are just a few of the other conveniences provided all under one roof.

Freedom of choice is a central theme at The Atrium.

Leases are month to month so residents aren’t bound to longterm contracts and there are no entrance fees. And because the facility is not owned by a medical company (as many such facilities are), residents can choose the amount of medical care they want and the company that provides it. If you move into an apartment and later your abilities

change (for example, you need more regular in-home care), you don’t have to move apartments; that’s your home, and you can stay as long as you want.”

As a property of the Holiday Retirement Corporation, The Atrium shares visiting privileges with over 300 Holiday locations across the US and Canada.

All Holiday properties include a fully furnished guest suite that is just like a hotel suite.

Normally rented at a nominal fee for guests visiting property residents, these suites are also perfect for traveling Atrium residents to stay in at no charge.

Modern retired veterans are more active than ever, and The Atrium strives to match it with unprecedented freedom and flexibility. Said Murrhee, “You’re in complete control every step of the way.”

Call Prem Paul Murrhee today to find out how soon you may qualify for Aid & Attendance all with no longer-term

Serving seniors since 1971

commitment and no entrance fees ever.

© 2011 Holiday Retirement Corp.

www.VisitOurTowns.com

2431 NW 41St St., Gainesville

352-378-0773 Autumn 2011 | 115

COLUMN >> ALBERT ISAAC

Different Note So have you ever sat in a hammock only to have it fall to pieces? efore you know it you’re on the ground in a tangle of rope with a look of profound humiliation on your face.

Well, that’s not what this story is about. Not entirely, at any rate.

As most of us know, hammocks come in a variety of colors, shapes and fabrics, and even the most expensive ones can prove to be total pieces of — excuse my French — la excrement that will indeed fall to ribbons in very short order, especially if exposed to the elements.

Our second hammock sat in the backyard, and while it had to endure the sun and rain it should not have rotted in less than a year, should it? But alas it did. And when me and my dear wife (the self-proclaimed Voice of Reason) sat down together that hammock gave up the ghost, each rope popping in rapid succession, leaving us no time for escape as we fell to the ground in a heap.

But our first hammock — a wedding gift — was the most amazing hammock ever designed by human

B

hands. We had it for less than a year when Lucky, our red retriever-chow-mutt puppy, got his paw tangled in the weave. I looked out the window to see him sitting under the hammock, a profound look of humiliation upon his face, one paw held high above his head entwined in a tangled knot of white rope.

I ran out with the scissors, the fancy ones that will cut a penny in half. Those things are amazing and worked very well at snipping off Lucky’s paw.

I am KIDDING. I hacked quickly through those ropes, freeing the playful pup but leaving a gaping hole in our new hammock. I tied the cut ends back together as best a Cub Scout could (OK, maybe not even that good). My efforts left gaping holes and knots in one quadrant, but it worked.

In fact, it worked fine for many years and was still in use when we got the afore-mentioned new one. We had only one hammock stand and no available trees, so that old hammock sat outside exposed to the elements, rolled up next to the shed, while we callously lounged about in the new one.

Weeds grew up through that neglected hammock. It turned green in some areas. Vermin took up residence.

The new hammock was just fine — for nearly a year — and eventually the old, cut and tied, mildewed and fried, ratty-looking hammock was retired to the inside of the shed.

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And then one day while cleaning the shed, the Voice of Reason spotted it in the corner and insisted that I throw it out. I steadfastly refused (meaning I relocated it somewhere else in the shed where she couldn’t see it).

I knew it was good, I just knew it.

So when the new hammock fell to ruin — and it didn’t take long — we just went without for a while.

Like a decade. So much time had passed that we bought a new home. While we were moving our stuff she saw me packing up that rolled up, green, black and white rope hammock. She told me to throw out that piece of crap. Only she didn’t use that word.

So when the new hammock fell to ruin — and it didn’t take long — we just went without for a while. Like a decade.

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I stood firm. It’s good, I insisted. And when she wasn’t looking, I loaded it myself, ensuring safe passage to our new abode where it might enjoy the shelter of yet another shed.

It wasn’t long before winter passed and spring arrived and everything went into bloom and my sinus cavities became filled to capacity with head-pounding congestion (but that’s another story).

At any rate, the weather got nice, and I dragged out that old hammock and hung it on the stand and voila!

It held fast.

It now resides in our front yard, as strong as the day we got it nearly 25 years ago — well, maybe not that strong - but strong enough to support my wife and our 9-year-old son who loves to play Rock the Boat.

And although I have great faith in the hardiness of this hammock I dare not join them, even as they peacefully sway back and forth.

I wouldn’t want to prove the Voice of Reason right when those ropes snap throwing us to the ground in a tangle of rope, wearing looks of profound humiliation on our faces. s

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>> CHARITY

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE GAINESVILLE CYCLING CLUB

The rides of the Gainesville Cycling Festival attract hundreds of riders from throughout the state every year.

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Cycling Festival Over the River and Through the Woods...

BY JANICE C. KAPLAN ood? Gazing at the rambling hills, enchanting woodlands and graceful horse farms of North Central Florida.

Better? Gazing at the rambling hills, enchanting woodlands and graceful horse farms of North Central Florida while riding a bicycle on a bright autumn day.

Best? Gazing at the rambling hills, enchanting woodlands and graceful horse farms of North Central Florida while riding a bicycle on a bright autumn day and helping a charity in need.

Which can be done every October, thanks to the Gainesville Cycling Festival.

Held annually by the Gainesville Cycling Club (GCC), the Gainesville Cycling Festival consists of two 100mile rides, called century rides, held back-to-back over one weekend. The

G

www.VisitOurTowns.com

Nationwide Santa Fe Century kicks off the festival on Saturday, October 22, while the Horse Farm Hundred concludes the event on Sunday, October 23.

The festival brings in riders from all over Florida and beyond.

But in addition to providing fresh air and splendid landscapes, the festival has a higher purpose: much of the weekend’s net proceeds are donated to the Boys & Girls Club of Alachua County.

“We’ve been bringing in about $10,000 each year for the past several years,” said Roger Pierce, who has served as the group’s membership secretary since joining in 1991. “Participation has grown considerably. There were probably 20-30 riders on the first ride, but now the Horse Farm Hundred alone has about 700 riders.”

The festival begins with the Nationwide Santa Fe Century, a

Autumn 2011 | 121

tour of the forests and pastures north of Gainesville through the Santa Fe River Valley. Beginning at the Boys & Girls Club in Gainesville, riders make their way to downtown High Springs and a refreshment break. The ride then continues through Columbia and Union counties to Worthington Springs before concluding at a roadside park.

The Horse Farm Hundred concludes the weekend and starts at Loften High School in Gainesville, where pre-ride bagels and muffins are served. The route winds southward from Gainesville to Marion County, leading riders past the fenced horse farms and sprawling pastures of the area. Scenic portions of the GainesvilleHawthorne State Trail are up next, taking riders back to Gainesville for the rideâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s conclusion.

The century rides are meant to be a challenge for the average cyclist, but more casual riders can participate in other events of the festival. Each century ride has a companion ride with a shorter route to allow a variety of cyclists to join the fun. If the Santa Fe Century is too much, riders can sign up for the Millhopper Ramble instead. Ramble riders can choose either an 18-mile or 27-mile tour that runs from the Boys & Girls Club to Millhopper Road and the San Felasco Preserve.

122 | Autumn 2011

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE GAINESVILLE CYCLING CLUB

Oak-shaded country roads are perfect for solitude or competition â&#x20AC;&#x201C; whichever a rider prefers. Scheduled rest stops allow for a more relaxed pace for those who want it.

Those looking for an alternative to the Horse Farm Hundred have several shorter options to choose. The Rush 55 starts with the HFH riders in Gainesville, but returns to town before reaching the horse farms. The Horse Farm Tours offer 25, 30 and 40-mile routes that start in Marion County and wind through the horse farm portion of the HFH. Regardless of the route chosen, all riders receive breakfast before the start and lunch during or after the ride. Participants are encouraged to take the rides at their own pace. Some cyclists push their physical limits to match personal best times, while others take leisurely rides or stop and enjoy the view from time to time.

While cyclists do not have to be members of the Gainesville Cycling Club to participate in the festival, membership in the group provides an opportunity for people of all ages, professions and abilities to share their passion for cycling.

“The average age of our club is around 48 years old, but we have several members in their 80s and we have teenagers,” Pierce said. “We have a vice president at UF, a county attorney, housepainters, nurses... there are over 950 members so you get virtually everything.”

The GCC was founded to promote the safe and lawful use of bicycles for fitness, recreation and transportation, to provide a social outlet for cyclists, and to represent the bicycling community to the government and press. It began as the UF Cycling Club in the 1970s before adopting its current name in 1981. That same year the GCC’s first century ride, the Gainesville Century, was held with a handful of riders braving a cold front and thunderstorms. Two years later the ride was renamed the Horse Farm Hundred and was eventually paired with the Santa Fe Century to form the festival as it is known today.

The club is loosely organized into several riding groups based on member preferences, fitness and skill levels. Each group stages rides befitting its participants; the Hokey Pokey group takes shorter routes at slower speeds, while the A Riders focus on more challenging distances and swift speed to maintain a high level of fitness. Additional riding groups include riders on recumbent bikes, tandem riders and commuters.

GCC members receive a number of benefits including a discount of $5 on the ride fees for the Gainesville Cycling Festival. They also receive discounts at most Gainesville bike shops, a bimonthly newsletter, insurance when cycling with the club and access to several non-cycling events each year.

Yearly club membership fees are $15 for individuals, $20 for families and $10 for students; however, there are no other restrictions.

“That’s it! No specific requirement, except that if you go to ride with us, we require that you have a helmet,” Pierce said. “And something with two or three wheels — we even have people riding on tricycles.”

Regardless of GCC membership, anyone with a bicycle and an enthusiasm for riding is invited to participate in the Gainesville Cycling Festival. A picturesque ride in glorious weather and an opportunity to help area children is a winning combination for everyone. s

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>> MUSIC

The Fest Celebrating 10 Years of turning Gainesville into a Punk Mecca — at least for one weekend

BY BRIAN “KRASH” KRUGER very year, for the past decade, ‘round about Halloween when most of Gainesville vacates the town for the friendly environs of Jax and The World’s Largest Cocktail Party, a strange thing happens. For the time immediately prior, there seems to be a bit more traffic in and out of an otherwise innocuous-looking brick two-story a bit east of campus, unremarkable except for a sign with no letters in its front yard, featuring a cartoon visage which is sort of a psychotic take on the infamous “smiley face” — bit of short hair atop an almost perfectly round head, a down-turned grin bordering on a grimace (as if a planned party

E

126 | Autumn 2011

had suddenly gone very wrong), and wide open round eyes with a swirly pattern inside.

For a long upcoming weekend, Gainesville will be host to an infestation. Or perhaps the correct capitalization would be inFestation.

Whatever the spelling, most of “normal” Gainesville (except maybe that tiny part not transfixed by the annual Florida-Georgia football game in Jacksonville) will probably be oblivious to the change. But the sharp-eyed will see it. The sharpeared will hear it. They will notice.

Hogtowners left in town for the weekend, by chance or design, may notice a few more leather jackets than usual on the streets. A few

SUICIDE MACHINES www.VisitOurTowns.com

PHOTO BY GENNA HOWARD

Autumn 2011 | 127

PROTAGONIST PHOTO BY PARIS VISONE

more pairs of boots, or Converse All-Stars. They may notice music of a bit different genre coming out of some of their local venues, or live bands playing in clubs better known as discos featuring only recorded music. If they listen closely, they may even hear foreign accents, or more foreign accents than usual, on the streets of the Midtown to Downtown entertainment district.

The hip, however, will not need to look or listen. They will have been planning for that weekend. Because that weekend is the Fest. It is big time. For that

128 | Autumn 2011

weekend, the punk rock world has an undisputed capital.

And that capital is Gainesville.

On the lapels of some of the aforementioned leather jackets will be that same psychotic un-smiley face as appears on the sign in front of that innocuous brick two-story.

On some motor vehicles, from all round Florida and many other states of our great Union, the same cartoon face will also appear.

What sort of conspiracy is behind this influx of strange strangers, and what is the meaning of the ubiquitous un-smiley face?

No Idea.

Not an acknowledgement of ignorance, but an answer to the riddle: No Idea. No Idea is the brainchild of a close group of friends back in the depths of time — the 1980s.

Headed by locals Ken Coffelt and another kid with the unlikely reallife moniker of Var Thelin, No Idea began as a “zine,” an underground magazine run on a shoestring where the rock faithful could read about tomorrow’s stars before they became famous, not that they cared who became famous or not.

Filled with ads for the latest 7” vinyl

PHOTO BY NICOLE C. KIBERT

This year’s Fest will include the Gainesville triumvirate of Less Than Jake, Hot Water Music, and Against Me!

records and “scene reports” from various cities (including Gainesville, of course), No Idea was a way for locals, and, increasingly, people all across the USA, to find out the very latest about punk rock.

The zine eventually began including its own 7” records with each publication, and in 1994 Thelin quit his day job, and No Idea morphed into a record label. After years of championing Gainesville bands that have since become household names to punk fans, in 2001 No Idea staffer Tony Weinbender, still with the label to this day, began the local

www.VisitOurTowns.com

celebration of live punk rock performance known simply as the Fest.

In its 10th Anniversary year, the Fest has a roster of literally hundreds of bands, many on the No Idea label, but many more not. Reading the official online history of the Fest presents an unusual dichotomy.

Between the expected debauchery of beer, sweat, mosh pits, unofficial house parties, and partial nudity (it being almost expected that a goodly portion if not most of the males at any given venue will be shirtless by the end of the night anyhow), and the seemingly almost incongruous

Autumn 2011 | 129

TWELVE HOUR TURN PHOTO BY NICOLE C. KIBERT

statement halfway through: “Five years of still no fights or arrests.”

By the Fest 8, the history describes it as “this amazing thing we all had come together from 50 states and 14 countries to share.”

Of course, with larger crowds inevitably come some knuckleheads — ask UPD officials after any home Gator game. During the Fest 8 there was a small confrontation between the police and a couple Festers, outside an unofficial house party not directly connected to the Fest. However, such conflicts are

130 | Autumn 2011

by far the exception. P.J. Fancher, a No Idea employee who is also a member of a No Idea band that has performed at every single Fest, said, “Tony [Weinbender] meets with the city and GPD every year to communicate how many people are expected and what the schedule is. There are police out on the streets, but no more so than any typical Friday or Saturday night in downtown Gainesville. I’ve never seen or heard anything about the GPD giving any Fest goer an unjust hard time. We ask people in the

guidebook to please respect our city: don’t litter, no open containers, tip at the places you eat, etc. And aside from a few... most everyone behaves nicely and just wants to have a good time.”

Of course, the Fest brings many benefits to Gainesville, both monetary and otherwise. This year, the annual fall event was officially sold out as of May 31. One of the larger usual Fest venues, Common Grounds, closed this summer, which potentially decreased the number of bands that could play

CHRIS WOLLARD AND THE SHIP THIEVES PHOTO BY NICOLE C. KIBERT

and the number of tickets that could be sold. However, it was subsequently announced that the new owners of the same venue, to be renamed the Double Down Live, would step into Common Grounds’ shoes and become a Fest venue once again. Thus, Tony and the No Idea staffers regrouped and brought more bands in, made another schedule revision (at least the fourth at that point), and made another five hundred weekend passes available.

They sold out in seven minutes.

Seven minutes. In many areas of the nation and the world, Gainesville has a legitimate claim to being a rock and roll mecca.

The Fest hwas official connections with two local hotels, the Holiday Inn and the Paramount Plaza Hotel Suites, and if past Fests are any indication, every hotel room in Gainesville will be booked for this “non-home game” weekend.

And, as P.J. Fancher noted, “virtually every food business between The Holiday Inn and The Sun Center has a stellar weekend during the

www.VisitOurTowns.com

Fest. Five thousand people are stuck in that little bubble for three days and they all have to eat. We include an eating guide in the Fest guidebook to help attendees choose a good place (veggie/vegan food, price, beer specials, etc.).”

This year’s Fest will include the Gainesville triumvirate of Less Than Jake, Hot Water Music, and Against Me! Plus hundreds more.

It will take place at venues around town on October 28, 29, and 30. Visit www.thefestfl.com for more info, and rock on, Gainesville. s

Autumn 2011 | 131

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>> COMMUNITY

Buy Local Putting Your Money Where Your Town Is

BY CAROLYN TILLO hen Gary Anglin goes to Central Builder Supplies in Gainesville on Saturday morning, he likes knowing that the people at the counter are the same employees he sees year after year.

One glimpse of their familiar faces and he knows that they can tell him about the lumberyard material they sell. He knows he is buying quality, locally produced goods from a locally owned and operated business.

“Those kinds of businesses are what make Gainesville,” Anglin said.

As president of OurTown Gainesville and Alachua County, it comes as no surprise that Anglin is devoted to supporting local businesses. OurTown is a local advocacy group that works to help local businesses grow and expand as they compete with chain stores and regional marketers, Anglin said.

Helping local businesses and stimulating the local economy pays off. According to the American Independent Business Alliance, studies have shown that each dollar spent at local independent businesses on average generates at least three times more direct local economic benefit than money spent at a chain store owned by someone from out of town.

OurTown Gainesville and Alachua County, which has about 30 to 40 members and about 70 supporters

W

receiving their e-mail updates, is not the only advocate for businesses around Gainesville. Buy Local North Central Florida, an initiative of Blue Oven Kitchens and Slow Food Gainesville, as well as efforts by Sustainable Alachua County, have fueled the drive to buy local goods.

Although all of these organizations and initiatives share the goal of helping local businesses, their approaches to achieving their missions differ.

OURTOWN GAINESVILLE AND ALACHUA COUNTY OurTown Gainesville and Alachua County acts as a voice for independent, local businesses by speaking on their behalf before the Gainesville City Commission, government entities and the media.

After working with OurTown Vice President John Hudson, the City of Gainesville revised the City’s Professional Services Handbook in March 2011 so that the city considers the location of a design professional’s firm when it plans to hire the firm for a project, said City Auditor Brent Godshalk in a memo. In other words, when the city needs the help of an architect, engineer or surveyor, it will take into consideration the fact that local professionals understand local development procedures and may have an easier time meeting time and budget requirements, Godshalk said.

For Hudson, rewording the guidelines made sense because he said professionals with an office near the project site will be more likely to visit the site and check on the progress of the work being done there. By

PHOTO BY TJ MORRISSEY FOR LOTUS STUDIOS

Gary Anglin, president of OurTown Gainesville and Alachua County, said OurTown serves as a voice for independent businesses through its relationships with the media, the Gainesville City Commission, and other government entities. “Too often it’s big business or the big store that gets a break from local governments,” Anglin said. OurTown members speak up for small businesses that may not be able to speak up for themselves.

134 | Autumn 2011

www.VisitOurTowns.com

Autumn 2011 | 135

PHOTO BY TJ MORRISSEY FOR LOTUS STUDIOS

As the vice president of OurTown, John Hudson serves as an advocate for small, local businesses in the Gainesville area. He is also the president and founder of Hudson & Co., a construction administration and management organization.

hiring local professionals, tax dollars will stay in the local economy rather than landing in the pockets of architects, engineers and surveyors from out-of-town.

Hudson also serves as a member of the City of Gainesville Community Development Review Committee. The committee is working to make it easier for small businesses to understand Gainesville’s land development regulations, which Hudson said have been obscured over the years by numerous edits. While chain stores and big businesses can afford the extra staff needed to meet with the City and interpret the guidelines, small businesses lack this advantage, Hudson said.

Erik Bredfeldt, planning and development services director for the City of Gainesville, said the city is in the process of making the guidelines both more transparent and user friendly, as they have not been revised in at least 20 years.

In addition to acting as a voice for local businesses, Hudson and Anglin spoke against the opening of the Wal-Mart Supercenter on Northeast 12th Avenue in

136 | Autumn 2011

Gainesville. Hudson brought an urban planning expert from the University of Florida and hired an attorney to speak at meetings of the Gainesville City Commission and the Alachua County Development Review Committee, which reviews and approves development projects.

“We want to keep OurTown [Gainesville] from becoming ‘anytown USA,’” Anglin said in an e-mail.

“Neighborhoods have character. The architecture and history of the buildings and people that inhabit them, the streets and street grid, and public sidewalks and places all go together to create a local flavor. Chain stores can change this.”

As a local business owner himself, Anglin can relate to the people and the businesses for which he advocates.

After graduating from the University of Florida, he started Anglin Construction 30 years ago and serves as its president. Since then, he has worked on projects throughout town, from the Hippodrome to the Reitz Union Colonnade on the University of Florida campus.

The Anglin Construction office is located downtown on Southeast Second Street. Nearby is the warehouse for Anglin’s second business, ReUser Building Products, which sells salvaged products, from doors to sinks, as well as new products like ceramic tile and wood floors.

In the past 30 years, Anglin has watched downtown Gainesville transform from a ghost town to a weekend hangout, and more changes are likely to come as OurTown Gainesville and Alachua County continue to grow. He wants to develop a Neighborhood and Places Committee, which would enhance neighborhood signage and wayfinding in Gainesville, make West University Avenue more pedestrian friendly, and strive to protect the heritage and history of Gainesville’s neighborhoods.

In addition, Anglin is working with the University of Florida to develop a student chapter of OurTown.

BUY LOCAL NORTH CENTRAL FLORIDA On another front of the buy local movement is Buy Local North Central Florida, an initiative launched in April 2011 by two local nonprofits: Blue Oven Kitchens and Slow Food Gainesville. While these organizations support sustainable food production, celebrate food traditions and support local, food-based entrepreneurs, Buy Local NCF has a broader mission. It serves to educate the community about the important roles any local and independent businesses — not just foodbased organizations — play in our local economy and community infrastructure, said Val Leitner, president of Blue Oven Kitchens.

Buy Local NCF helps to brand and market local and independent businesses and encourages community members to visit them, thereby increasing community wealth and prosperity, Leitner said.

To participate, the business must be independent (not part of a franchise) and privately owned. At least 51 percent of the ownership of the business must reside in the geographical region of North Central Florida, which includes Alachua County, all counties touching Alachua County and Suwannee County.

Leitner said these requirements are necessary to maximize the amount of money that re-circulates within the community.

Businesses who choose to take part in the initiative have two options: they can purchase a window cling with the Buy Local North Central Florida logo to display at their office, or they can purchase the cling while also offering discounts to their customers who present them with Buy Local NCF discount cards.

The businesses dictate the type of discounts they offer, and the cards can be picked up at the Alachua County Manager and Growth Management offices or downloaded from buylocalncf.org, Leitner said.

Nadav Mer, owner of Tree City Coffee Roasters, said Buy Local North Central Florida helped him find a kitchen space for his business. The company delivers fresh, made-to-order organic coffee around Gainesville

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and also sells its brews at the Haile Village Farmers Market on Saturdays.

Mer, who offers discounts for people with Buy Local NCF cards, said he does not know what future benefits will come from his membership with Buy Local NCF, but he does know it is a good idea to join a network of local businesses.

“Economically, it’s important for small businesses to ban together in the community,” Mer said.

Anna Prizzia, director of the University of Florida’s Office of Sustainability and the leader of Slow Food Gainesville, worked with Leitner to found Buy Local North Central Florida. Prizzia said the initiative’s main focus right now is spreading the word about its campaign and encouraging more businesses to join.

In June, Leitner and Prizzia said they were working on a TV public service announcement to educate people about the campaign and to show examples of local and independent business in the area.

Prizzia said she hopes the Buy Local North Central Florida website, with its list of local and independent businesses, can serve as a resource for consumers interested in buying locally. Eventually, she would like to add an interactive component to the website, in which customers can review the local businesses listed on the site and provide feedback about their experiences there.

Through her work with both Buy Local North Central Florida and Slow Food Gainesville, Prizzia said she

wants to help people to reengage in and learn more about their local communities.

SUSTAINABLE ALACHUA COUNTY Another local organization, Sustainable Alachua County, is working to unite the efforts of buy local and sustainability-based organizations in the area, said Board President Mike Amish.

The latest goal of this nonprofit is to establish a Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE) network in Alachua County, which would create a support network among local businesses, while also allowing them to sponsor sustainability workshops using educational resources from the national BALLE organization, Amish said.

Amish said he would like for the network to be launched this fall, but it is still in the planning stages of its development. UF NetImpact, a group of graduate business students, is helping to get the network started.

While OurTown, Buy Local North Central Florida and Sustainable Alachua County may differ in their approaches to achieving their missions, they share a common goal. In addition to working with city and county politicians, educating residents and businesses about buying locally, and establishing networks of local businesses, they hope to ensure that, in good and bad economic times, residents of Gainesville have a closeknit community to lean on. s

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>> SHINE A LIGHT

Stargazing North Central Floridaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Starry Nights

140 | Autumn 2011

“It is clear to everyone that astronomy at all events compels the soul to look upwards, and draws it from the things of this world to the other.” — PLATO

BY JANICE C. KAPLAN

the Kanapaha Botanical Gardens offer wide-open vistas away from city lights. There is also the newly opened Newberry Star Park, a facility at the Easton Newberry Sports Complex designed specifically for stargazing.

Complete with eight observation pads, room for additional telescopes, a sizeable storage building, benches and restrooms, the Star Park is an ideal place for astronomers of every caliber to converge and compare notes.

rom the earliest of documented times, humankind has been curious about the cosmos. Many past civilizations, such as the Mayans and the ancient Chinese, used astronomy to track time, plan cities and predict future events. Cultures transferred images of gods, animals and other beloved figures to the stars above. Even today, countries look beyond the galaxy to search for answers about the universe, from the origins of Earth to the possibilities of life elsewhere.

In North Central Florida, a thriving astronomy community continues to look upward for inspiration. The balmy evenings, academic resources and natural setting of the region make it a great place to enjoy the heavens, and there is no shortage of those willing to share their enthusiasm with others. Be it in the open fields of outlying towns or the air-conditioned comfort of a planetarium, there are countless ways to indulge the celestial curiosity of minds young and old.

PHOTO BY JANICE KAPLAN “The nice thing about Gainesville The Kika Silva Pla Planetarium is located on the campus of Santa Fe College in is that if you really want to see the Gainesville. There are over 19.5 million tiny perforations across the dome’s surface Milky Way, all you have to do is drive to prevent sound from wrapping around the theater and becoming distorted. to Paynes Prairie, and you can see it,” said James Albury, planetarium coordinator at the Kika Silva Pla Planetarium at Santa Fe For a little more guidance when observing the College. “Where I grew up in Miami, the light pollution heavens, Gainesville has no short supply of people is so horrible that you can barely see the Big Dipper. In willing to help. The Alachua Astronomy Club (AAC) is Gainesville, we’re blessed because, for one, we have a lot a group of about 60 people with a common interest of trees. That prevents a lot of light from the streetlights in astronomy that loves to share their passion and from going up into the sky. Plus it’s relatively dark in excitement with others. The group meets every month nearby towns. People who live in surrounding areas like to discuss observations and listen to guest speakers in Interlachen can see the Milky Way from there; I can see the field. But meetings are only the tip of the iceberg as it from my backyard in Green Cove Springs.” to the purpose of the AAC. Paynes Prairie is one of many places where one can “This is our 24th year, and we are very active in the observe constellations, planets, nebulae and other community,” said club president Bob Lightner. “We do astronomical delights. Parks such as Poe Springs Park and star parties for various places in the area. Volunteers

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Autumn 2011 | 141

PHOTOS BY JANICE KAPLAN

LEFT: Alachua Astronomy Club member Chuck Broward and president Bob Lightner stand by a homemade telescope built by Broward.

ABOVE: The Gainesville Solar Walk, located just south of Westside Park, gives visitors perspective on the vastness of the Earth’s solar system.

bring instruments, and we decide what individual stars or planets or constellation interests we’ll look at it.

Guests come up, and we tell them what they’re about to see, and then they look through the telescope.”

While some star parties are for dues-paying AAC members, many are also held for area schools or the general public in places like Dudley Farm and the Florida Museum of Natural History. Club member Chuck Broward enjoys creating a welcoming atmosphere that inspires visitors to explore the telescopes for themselves.

“One thing I like to do at star parties is find a newcomer to the hobby and say, ‘Take it — play with it, learn how to use it,’” he said. “I’ll show them how to use the telescope, but then I’ll walk away.”

The AAC also teamed up with the City of Gainesville to set up the Gainesville Solar Walk in 2002. Located along Northwest Eighth Avenue just east of Northwest 34th Street, the walk consists of ten monuments representing the sun and planets in Earth’s solar system (Pluto was still designated as a planet at that time) arranged in a 4 billion-toone scale to simulate the relative distance between them. Each monument has a plaque detailing the represented planet’s symbol, nickname, relative size compared to the sun, rotational and orbital period and other astronomical information. Two Comet Halley sculptures were added to the walk in 2008.

The University of Florida is also a valuable resource for budding stargazers. The Department of Astronomy hosts public viewings every Friday night from 8:30 to 10:30 at its teaching observatory while school is in session. Visitors can observe the moon, planets, star clusters and more through 8-inch and 12-inch telescopes. Observatory staff members sometimes offer

142 | Autumn 2011

demonstrations for children and help guests record digital images of celestial objects and view images from the Hubble Space Telescope.

Of course, astronomy is subject to the forces of nature. If the skies refuse to cooperate and the treasures of space are hidden by cloud cover — or if one simply does not want to wait until nighttime — the Kika Silva Pla Planetarium provides spectacular views that are never hampered by weather or daylight. Open since 2006, the planetarium has an 1,816 square-foot domed screen that measures 34 feet in diameter. Using both a digital projection system and a Chronos optical-mechanical projector, the facility operates programs usually reserved for bigger planetariums in larger cities.

“You can see a simulation of the night sky using our Chronos projector, which gives a very high definition view of the night sky,” Albury said. “The stars are crystal clear pinpoints. And with the digital projection system, we can show planetarium shows that are produced by larger planetariums, like Passport to the Universe, which was narrated by Tom Hanks and produced by the Hayden Planetarium in New York City.”

The facility offers several public shows on weekends, including its popular Florida Skies show every Friday night at 7:00.

“People like it because for the whole hour we’re just sitting under the stars, and I’m telling stories from different cultures about the constellations,” Albury said.

“If we have time at the end of the show, I take special requests if anybody wants to see where the planets are going to be on a certain date.”

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on various planets and moons throughout the solar system. The planetarium is also available for private bookings by schools, businesses and other organizations.

With helpful people and top-notch facilities, starting an astronomy hobby in Gainesville is anything but complicated. The AAC’s website is a great place to start with pages devoted to informational links as well as meeting and star party dates.

AAC members also have their own recommendations. “There’s a lot of free, well-made astronomy software on the Internet that you can get,” Lightner said. “It will teach you about what you’re looking for in your particular area.”

Lightner also suggested joining the AAC for camaraderie and other benefits, including an alternative to spending a large chunk of money on a new telescope.

“We have a number of telescopes we loan as part of our membership. That way if they come to star parties, they can see the various types of telescopes. And a lot of current members have upgraded telescopes, so there might be some great bargains.”

Albury encourages people to expand their knowledge of the night skies by building upon what they already know.

“You can find some of the more obscure constellations by using the bigger ones,” he said. “The Big Dipper is easy to find, so you can use that to find a whole bunch of other constellations. That’s how I learned when I was a kid.”

Building on this knowledge can be overwhelming as the vastness of the universe is realized. But Albury sees it a bit differently.

“A lot of people are intrigued by how small we seem compared to the size and distances of everything in the universe,” he said. “But I like to think of it not so much as we are insignificant but that we are special and unique. Of all the planets in our solar system, ours is just the right distance from the sun where water can be liquid, solid and gas. The Earth is such a special place. It gives you a sense of wonder as to how the universe is put together.” s

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ยก Hola Barcelona!

Unmasking this remarkable Spanish city, one site at a time 146 | Autumn 2011

>> EUROPEAN VACATION

BY MARY KYPREOS never envisioned myself vacationing in Barcelona.

It is not that I had an aversion to Barcelona or Spain but as my husband Nick always says: “Hey Mary, there is something really, really old. Do you want to touch it?”

The answer to the question is always a resounding “Yes. Yes, yes, yes, yes. Yes.” Call it stereotypical, and as it turns out inherently incorrect, but Barcelona never made it on my “citieswith-ancient-ruins” list, at least not compared to Greece and Italy, and consequently never held real interest for me.

As it turns out, all it took to pique my interest in Barcelona was one e-mail from a traveling buddy and we were in, no convincing necessary.

Unlike other trips we have taken, we did very little research on Barcelona aside from finding a hotel and checking to see if it had an aquarium (I always halfjoke that a love for aquariums is the only thing Nick and I have in common).

After meeting up with our friends the first night in Barcelona, we kicked off the next morning with a free, 2.5-hour tour of the old town guided by Gorka of Runner Bean Tours. Although this option seems to be available in every European destination (and most people love it), Nick and I had never participated in one as we were always more inclined to ramble around on our own.

It seems, however, that randomly walking and getting lost in a city contradicts actually getting to know a city, and although 2.5 hours was a long time to stay

I

PHOTO BY MARY KYPREOS

Built for the Exposición Universal de Barcelona in 1888, the Arc de Triomf features reddish bricks, Moorish Revival style and of course, a palm-tree lined walk-up.

Autumn 2011 | 147

focused in any situation, our guide was informative and entertaining.

Gorka taught us quite a bit about Barcelona’s political history. And the advantage of the tour, as compared to sitting in a classroom, was that Gorka showed us, too.

Barcelona is not only one of the largest cities in Spain, it’s also the capital of Catalonia, which has a rich and ancient history (which meant I endured a lot of Nick’s teasing, and yes, I touched a lot of ancient objects).

We saw (touched!) Roman pillars and architecture surrounded by modern apartments; we stood in the same street where the Catedral La Seu’s namesake was tortured for not renouncing her faith; we witnessed the damage at Plaça Sant Felip Neri from a bomb

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Tió is very simplistic. All one needs is a small log, two sticks to serve as front legs, a cute smiling face, a traditional red Catalan hat called the Barretina and Voila! Meet Tió!

Tió officially appears on Dec. 8 and is fed and kept warm every night until Christmas Eve, at which point Catalan children hit Tió with sticks while singing

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ABOVE: Sunset turned out to be the best time to visit the Palau Nacional de Montjuïc, which is on a hill overlooking the city.

RIGHT: Catedral La Seu’s namesake, Santa Eulalia, was a Roman girl who was tortured and murdered for refusing to renounce her faith. Thirteen white geese reside within the cloister of the cathedral, representing each year of her life.

his song and encouraging him to, well... to poop out presents for everybody.

I am excited to say that Nick and I purchased our own Tió at a very large Christmas market in town, and he was present in our Christmas celebration; however, we did not hit him with sticks.

After the free tour and painstakingly searching through hundreds of Tiós for our very own, we headed to the Hard Rock Cafe for lunch (Some of you might be thinking, “The Hard Rock Cafe?! What about Spanish food?” But don’t worry; we’ll get there). After living in Europe for over a year, Nick and I found a Hard Rock Cafe in Rome and discovered heaven. Not only could we get free drink refills, but my coke came with ice!

And the spare ribs! I never knew I would miss those.

Frankly, if you find yourself missing American food on vacation, I would recommend the Hard Rock Cafe over McDonalds any day. Not only is it tasty, but I like my Barcelona souvenir cup.

Naturally, after eating our fill of appetizers, spare

Autumn 2011 | 149

PHOTO BY MARY KYPREOS

This difficult-to-find place, the Plaça Sant Felip Neri, was no match for our guide Gorka. Notice the damage from a bomb set-off during the Spanish Civil War.

ribs and unending soda, we needed to burn it off, and we discovered no better way to accomplish this then to skip the Telefèric de Montjuïc Cable Car to the Palau Nacional de Montjuïc and hike up the hill instead.

Walking provided not only a chance to work off our vacation fat but also many panoramic views of the city from which to rest and take pictures. After many fauxpromises of retribution from our friends, we finally reached the Montjuïc Fortress at dusk.

I highly recommend not only visiting the fortress (and not just because it dates back to the 1640s) but trying to visit during dusk or dawn. Watching the sun go down over a panorama of Barcelona was a flat-out, hands-down

gorgeous sight to take in. Plus, the fortress also featured gardens and very large weaponry on which to play.

After climbing up to the Montjuïc, it was decided (notice it was not we who decided, as I am terrified of heights) that the only way to make it to our dinner reservations on time was to take the cable car down. Fear of heights and shaking hands aside, we made it to solid ground without incident, and I was even able to register a few seconds more of the breath-taking Barcelona scenery from above.

One of the biggest things I was looking forward to in Barcelona was taking in a Flamenco y Olé show, and I was not disappointed. We attended the dinner and show at the Palacio del Flamenco where I enjoyed my first taste of Paella Mariscos, or Seafood Paella, and Sangría before settling in for the show. We watched as dancers sung, twirled, stomped, clapped and generally made their bodies do things in a way that both amazed me and shamed me for my inflexibility.

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Our second full-day in Barcelona started with a visit to the L’Aquarium Barcelona. Nick and I share a love of aquariums and together have visited aquariums in Atlanta, New Orleans and Berlin. Although Atlanta is our favorite over-all aquarium, Barcelona is the best we’ve visited in Europe thus far.

“A series of 35 tanks, 11,000 animals and 450 different species, an underwater tunnel 80 metres long, six million litres of water and an immense Oceanarium, the only one in Europe, turn this centre into a unique, reference leisure show,” says its website.

Admittedly, Atlanta is our favorite aquarium for their “oceanarium,” and so we throughly enjoyed Barcelona’s, which featured very large sharks and a myriad of ocean life. We loved to sit on the benches and just watch as the animals swam by.

I was looking forward to taking in a Flamenco y Olé show, and I was not disappointed.

We ended our last night on La Rambla, a tree-lined touristy street in Central Barcelona to find ourselves some tapas. Perhaps we did this too late, or perhaps it caters too much to tourists, but I would not recommend eating on La Rambla. Our tapas were not very good and after looking at a number of menus, it seemed that each restaurant served the same items.

However, La Rambla was an excellent place to stroll and buy local art for our “places we’ve seen” collection.

After such a disappointing dinner, we wanted to end our trip on a high note so we headed back to what is now our favorite bar in Barcelona: Margarita Blue (not to be confused with Rita Blue, a different Barcelona bar).

Margarita Blue has an excellent Spanish atmosphere and an extremely friendly, bilingual wait staff, but most importantly, they had the best nachos and tacos.

Unfortunately, Nick played the logic card and convinced me not to order food that night as we just had dinner, and although his reasoning was sound, I regret not getting a final order of those delicious nachos.

It was an excellent end to an amazing trip as Margarita Blue was not only good for food, but also had a great selection of drinks, both familiar (margaritas, piña coladas, tequila sunrise) and exotic (megroni, origen’ale, gimlet).

No, Barcelona never made it onto my must-see European tour, but it should have. The city was beautiful and the most culturally rich city I have been to thus far. It was a great place to relax and enjoy the sites and cuisine, and a place Nick and I plan to visit again as there was too much to see and experience over one long weekend. s

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PETS and VETS Bed & Biscuit Inn ...................................31 Bob’s Compassionate Pet Sitting....152 Eager Pup ...............................................152 Earth Pets ................................................55 Earth Pets Feed & Garden .............. 138 Flying Fish Pets & Aquatics ........... 154 House Call Vet ......................................152 Pampered Paws .................................. 154 Vacation Station Pet Resort ...........152 Wild Birds Unlimited ...........................55

EDUCATION & CHILD CARE Alachua Learning Center ...................18 American Academy........................... 145 Gainesville Country Day School .....52 Great Southern Music ........................ 90 Queen of Peace Academy .................41 St. Francis High School .......................41 St. Patrick Interparish School ...........41

RETAIL / RECREATION Alachua Pawn & Jewelry ................. 143 Beacher’s Lodge ...................................93 Blue Springs ...........................................88 City of Gainesville Arts Festival .....85 Coin & Jewelry Gallery .....................144 Colleen’s Kloset ......................................10 Cootie Coo Creations ....................... 154 Dirty Bar ...................................................70 Especially for Women .........................31 Gainesville Civic Chorus .................. 132 Hippodrome Theatre ..........................87 Hugs & Kisses Consignment .......... 155 Jeannie’s Attic ........................................ 71 Jewelry Designs by Donna ............. 154 Klaus Fine Jewelry ................................. 11 Lentz House of Time, LLC.................45 Meadowbrook Golf Club ....................61 Miracles Maternity ................................. 71 Museum of Natural History ..............92 New Smyrna Beach .............................69 Paddywhack ...........................................58 Pawn Pro ................................................ 156 Renaissance Jewelers ........................ 118 Sanders Jewelers............................ 3, 40 Sapps Pawn, Gun and Archery .......94 Scrubs by Design ................................ 44 Simply Gorgeous Gifts .......................32 TB Goods ....................................... 60, 145 Valerie’s Loft Consignment ..............49 Wood You Furniture........................... 60

MISCELLANEOUS Cash for Cars ........................................ 133 Europe Import Grocery...................... 74 Flex Frac Logistic ............................... 153 Holy Trinity Episcopal Church.........151 Outreach for Kids ............................... 153

SERVICE Action ChemDry ..................................... 8 Affordable Residential Design ........84 Alachua County EPD ..........................55 Alma Mater Screen Printing .............85 AllState Mechanical, Inc................... 133 BBI Construction Management ......93 Big Blue .....................................................91 COX Business ........................................137 COX Communications ...........................2 Creekside Outdoor .....................90, 157 DirecTV ...................................................150 Everything Goes ................................. 124 Gainesville Regional Airport .......... 156 InTouch America ...................................33 Jack’s Small Engine Repair .....88, 158 Kristen Kozelsky Photographer....144 Kurt Johnsen Energy Systems ...... 156 Lotus Studios Photography .............26 Mini Maid ..........................................15, 105 Pasteuria Bioscience ............................. 9 Pro Lawn Grounds Maint........... 55, 118 Ram Jack ............................................... 132 Rosenboom Construction.................33 3-Way Electrical Service Inc. ...........88

HOME IMPROVEMENT Carson’s Cabinetry & Design ...........39 Fences & Gates by IMI ...................... 153 Griffis Lumber ........................................84 Heckard Door ....................................... 125 Indigo Green Building Solutions .. 124 Mike Hill Construction ........................48 Overhead Door.................................... 159 United Rent-All ......................................95 Whitfield Window & Door ................. 12

RESTAURANT Adams Rib Company ..........................78 Ballyhoo Grill ..........................................78 Bagel Bakery ..........................................78 D’lites Emporium ..................................79 Domino’s Pizza ................................21, 23 El Toro .......................................................86 Flying Biscuit Café ........................ 14, 79 Gator Q .....................................................79 Joe’s Place .............................................. 80 Mad Hatters Café................................ 155 Mark’s Prime Steak & Seafood ....... 80 Northwest Grille .....................................41 Piesano’s Stone Fired Pizza ............ 80 Saboré ........................................................81 Saga ............................................................81 Take Away Gourmet ............................48 Tasty Buddha ..........................................81

SPECIAL >> GATORS FOR LIFE

BY ALBERT ISAAC hen Brian LaPlant and his nowwife Kourtney were college students at the University of Florida during the early part of 2000, they were not always exactly recognizable — at least not as Brian and Kourtney. However, as their alter egos, they were immediately familiar to all they encountered; they were, in fact, Albert and Alberta.

In a recent interview, Brian LaPlant said that Kourtney was first to portray the popular mascot Alberta after landing the honor during an open audition.

“I helped her out, carrying the suits, going to appearances,” LaPlant said. “And after a while, I thought, ‘why don’t I give it a try?’ I knew some people. I went into it ahead of the game and had a fun audition.”

He got the role. After that, he said the two were often paired up.

“We worked out well together,” he said.

In all, there were five girls and five guys playing the role in those days. At home games, he said they would do a half a game, and then somebody else swapped it.

“We’d make five or six appearances... or two before the game started,” he said. “The big appearance on game day was Alumni Hall, so we would try to have the person who did Alumni Hall do the second half of the game.”

He said some of those 3:30 games were just ridiculously hot.

In those days, he said, Alberta did not travel to away games, nor did first-year mascots. But he eventually went on the road.

“I ended up going to a handful of away games, and you did the whole game,” he said. “Every game is hot when you are a mascot. LSU was probably the worst one. It was hot. I just remember drinking electrolytes. We were out of the Gatorade mix so I drank water with electrolytes. Basically salt water. And that was by far the hottest game I’d ever done. It was rough.”

The high school sweethearts married arried after graduating from UF and now w Brian B i and d Kourtney are expecting their own little l gator. And when is the baby due?

“Between Tennessee and Kentucky,” he replied in true Gator Fan form. s

W

You can read more about the history of UF’s UF F’s amazing crocodilian mascot on page 62.

Autumn 2011 | 161

162 | Autumn 2011

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