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Rock the Park in New Port Richey

New Port Richey will “Rock the Park”, for the second year in a row, at the Sims Park Amphitheater.  Presented by the Tampa Bay Times, on Saturday May 19, this free concert will feature se

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Rock the Park in New Port Richey

Real Estate Advice – Suze Orman or

Florida’s real estate market, being what it is, I thought it was a good time to revisit this article.  Our unemployment rate is falling, and, according to UF’s Kelly A. Bergstrom Center for Real

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Real Estate Advice – Suze Orman or Warren Buffett?

Get “Soaked” at Lake Eola

Orlando’s iconic lake to host extreme water sports festival Water skiing in Orlando’s Lake Eola is not something you expect to see!  In September, however, the City Beautiful will be host

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Get “Soaked” at Lake Eola

Festival of Chocolate

The Festival of Chocolate Returns to Orlando Greetings Chocolatiers and Chocolate Lovers alike!  I bid you good news.  The Festival of Chocolate returns to Orlando this weekend at the UCF Arena.  T

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Festival of Chocolate

Orlando Mayor’s Job Fair in May 2012

Job Fair in Central Florida The CFEC and the Orlando Mayor’s office is hosting another Job Fair in May.  This is open to all job seekers, so don’t let this opportunity slip away.  Dress

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Orlando Mayor’s Job Fair in May 2012

17th Annual Key West Festival 2012

by on April 12, 2012 at 10:02 pm

Savoring the Taste of Key West!

You don’t want to miss the Taste of Key West, Monday, April 23rd from 6pm to 9pm!!  Fifty of Key West’s most popular restaurants will be at the Truman Waterfront Pier sharing samplings from their menus, accompanied by the offerings from more than 100 vineyards and wineries.

This is one of the best festivals in the state for many reasons, one of which is the location – right where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Gulf of Mexico.  Imagine watching the sun set on the horizon while you enjoy a glass of wine, the cool breeze, and the aroma of food sizzling on a grill nearby.  This event has captured the attention of people near and far as attendance, each year, continues to grow!  Over the years, the wine choices have also become more and more eclectic, coming from all over the country, including organic vineyards.  The food has been diverse as well.  Chefs offer local seafood choices; European, Italian and Asian dishes; tropical and Caribbean foods; vegetarian cuisine and more.  …and by “more” I mean desserts, especially those of the key lime variety!

Admission to the 17th annual event is free.  Food and wine tickets are only $1, and it’s just $3-$8 for a “taste” at any one of the restaurants’ booths.  There is also a 2012 Commemorative Event wine glass for $6.  The proceeds go to the organization, AIDS Help (another great reason for attending!).  It’s their biggest fundraiser of the year.  AIDS Help is a non-profit organization that assists residents who are HIV positive in the Florida Keys with affordable housing, food, counseling,  and other support services.  AIDS Help was founded in 1986 by a group of people looking for ways to help those living with HIV and AIDS deal with the issues they had related to the disease. The agency also conducts health education and outreach programs aimed at reducing the impact of HIV throughout Monroe County.

While the gala doesn’t start until 6pm, tickets and the commemorative glasses can be purchased prior to the event.  Coupons are available online, at several locations on the island, and for those who arrive an hour early (5pm) at the Truman Waterfront.  Coupons are $25 for 20 food and beverage tickets, plus a collectable Taste of Key West wine glass. 

For more info, call 305-296-6196 or go to http://aidshelp.ticketbud.com/taste-of-key-west

Taste of Key West 2012

Monday, April 23, 6pm to 9pm

Truman Waterfront Pier at the end of Southard Street

 

 

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Think Like A Man

by on April 11, 2012 at 11:20 pm

 

Think Like A Man Is Probably the Funniest Movie of the Year

TLAM Movie Poster  “Think Like A Man” is a Sony Pictures release based on comedian/actor Steve Harvey’s bestselling book, Act Like A Lady, Think Like A Man.  The romantic comedy follows the relationships of four couples as they navigate the modern dating scene.  The ladies, played by Regina Hill of the Scary Movie franchise; Gabrielle Union, Good Deeds; Meagan “Goodie Good” Good; and Academy Award winner, Taraji P. Henson are fed up with unsatisfactory relationships and soon learn the error of their ways (from author by Steve Harvey) and begin to tip the dating scales in their favor.  And just when it seems all is lost for the fellas, Micheal Ealy, Barbershop; Jerry Ferrara, Entourage; Terrance J. 106&Park; and Romany Malco, 40 Year Old Virgin and The Showtime Original Series Weeds, they discover the source of their problems and attempt to set things back in their proper order only to get tangled up in their own web of lies.  Oh, what a tangled web– you know the rest.  What happens next is sort of the whole point of the movie so I’ll leave it to you to go see.

“Think Like A Man” is a very balanced film, delivering something for both it’s male and female audience.  Rainforest Films did a great job with this.  The pairings work well and the cameos just don’t quit.  I don’t think there was anyone who was not in this film.  I even believe they snuck in a Boondocks cameo in the opening sequence.  It’s like a movie version of Jazz In The Gardens, providing punches all the way through.  Funny man Kevin Hart will have you laughing out loud and leaving with a smile on your face.  You’ll definitely get your money’s worth here.  Enjoy the ride, I certainly did. This is easily the funniest movie of the season.  In theaters April 20, 2012

 

in Entertainment, Featured Articles, Film & TV
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The Sarasota Open 2012

by on April 6, 2012 at 8:02 pm

Clay court season begins at the Tennis Gardens at Longboat Key Club

As clay court season gets under way, the Sarasota Open, the preeminent tennis tournament in Southwest Florida, starts on April 14 and goes til April 22.  Now in its fifth year, it is the most prestigious clay court event prior to the French Open.  The clay court season is the most challenging for some players, however, because the clay diminishes the effect of a powerful serve and requires greater patience to win points. 

On clay courts, balls bounce relatively high and more slowly, making it difficult to hit an outright winner.  This makes it hard for serve-based players to dominate on this surface.  The slower bounce, however, allows for bigger back swings which can generate extra power and the higher bounce calls for a more skillful forehand.  In addition, because clay is slippery, playing on it often involves the ability to slide into the ball during the stroke, as opposed to running and stopping like on a hard or grass court.  This means the clay court player must exercise patience and control, and develop a great deal of lower body strength in order to avoid all the leg strains and injuries that could be caused as they slide.

It’s unfortunate that the American tennis players struggle on clay.  Almost all European and South American players grow up playing on it which puts the Americans at a disadvantage.  Clay courts are making a comeback, however, and Florida is the perfect place for this type of court.  The prevalence of clay courts tends to coincide with the warmth and humidity of the climate.  Clay is also much cooler under a hot sun than a hard court.  In some hot, dry climates, the difficulty of keeping clay courts watered makes them rare, but where heat and water are both plentiful, such as in Florida, clay is especially popular.

The Sarasota Open is scheduled to return to the Tennis Gardens at Longboat Key Club, and this year there is an increased prize purse of 100K for the Men’s Invitational Tournament and the addition of a Ladies Invitational Tournament.  The weeklong event will include qualifying rounds for men’s and women’s tournaments, finals rounds and a final championship tournament.  Tickets to the Sarasota Open range from $5 for Qualifying Round general admission tickets to $100 (Finals Round) Box Seats.  Finals will be held on April 22, 2012.

There is still a need for ball persons to work the tournament. Ball persons receive free tickets for two family members for the first three days of the tournament — April 14-16.

Call (941) 809-8996 or visit sarasotaopen.org for more tournament information.

in Featured Articles, Sports, Things To Do

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Florida Catfish Festival

by on April 6, 2012 at 9:43 am

The 34th Annual St. John’s River Catfish Festival Catfish Festival Arts & Crafts Show

Presented by the Rotary Club of Crescent City, FL the Florida Catfish Festival is hosted at Eva Lyon’s Park the first Saturday of April in downtown Crescent City.  This event has been a Crescent City tradition since 1978.  And though Catfish is the main attraction of this festival it is filled with activities the whole family will enjoy.  Everything from live music to a 5k Catfish Run.  There will be plenty of vendors on hand with unique arts and crafts in addition to all kinds of delicious food to satisfy whatever craving you might have.  Including any hankering you might have for swamp cabbage. Hmmm…good?

That's a big'un

Festivities kick off Friday April 6, 2012 at 5pm and continue through Saturday, April 7, 2012, 5pm.  Don’t be surprised if a crowd is already there ahead of you.  This two day event is expected to attract some 12,000 attendees.  They’ve even provided guests with a Catfish shuttle to get you in and out without too much hassle.  You can visit their homepage and download a PDF file of the shuttle route to find out where to park and ride.  You will also find a schedule of events there with time for the Catfish Run, Catfish Car Show, and the 34th Annual Catfish Parade.  Who knew catfish had such an active lifestyle?

Anyone interested can register for the 12th Annual Catfish Car Show on site for $25.  If you love classic cars you don’t want to miss this.  Proceeds from the Florida Catfish Festival go towards scholarships for high school students in the Crescent City community.  They ask that you come on out for a day of food and fun while supporting a great cause.

 

 

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A Stress free Passover Dinner in Florida

by on April 4, 2012 at 8:06 am

Where will you have Passover dinner? 

Preparing Passover’s seder meal can be tough for any cook.  Today, trying to keep up with everyone’s tastes, lifestyles and dietary needs makes it even more difficult – remembering the vegetarian or diabetic, who needs gluten-free or heart healthy options.  Additionally, with the advent of so many cooking shows, we’ve become more discriminating, necessitating changes to many traditional recipes.  Bottom line, making the holiday dinner can be a daunting task! 

Having said that, there’s no need to go it alone!  If you are looking for a place to enjoy the Passover feast but don’t feel like cooking at home, you may opt to join others in your community at your local Jewish center.  Furthermore, there are a few restaurants offering special Passover menus during the holiday week.  Some require reservations so you may want to call ahead. 

Whether you choose to cook or dine out, remember Passover is a wonderful time to celebrate with family and friends.  Shalom!

 PattiGeorges, 4120 Gulf of Mexico Drive, Longboat Key. Call 941-383-5111

The special menu includes matzo with cherry and pecan charoset; salmon gefilte fish with horseradish sauce; matzo ball soup; braised beef brisket or chicken marsala; and flourless chocolate cake or tropical sorbet for dessert. The regular menu also will be available.  For prices see http://pattigeorges.com/docs/Passover%202012.pdf.

Rosa Mexicano, 900 S. Miami Ave., Miami, OR  1111 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach     Call  786-425-1001 OR 305-695-1005

This restaurant offers a Mexican-themed Passover menu starting with charoset, almonds, and rose apples with crispy parsley and matzo meal tortillas; choice of entrees (crispy chicken breast, braised lamb shank, and beef brisket); and dessert (date, lemon and piñon cake with honey topped with whipped cream and a drizzle of lemon syrup).

Pavilion Grille, 301 Yamato Rd., Boca Raton. Call 561-912-0000.

A traditional four-course Passover meal will be offered Saturday, April 7, through Thursday, April 12. Dinner is served nightly at 6 p.m. Mazto ball soup, salad, choice of entree (braised brisket, roast chicken, or salmon), and dessert included. The cost is $29.95 per person, plus tax and tip.

Cafe Boulud, 301 Australian Ave., Palm Beach. Call 561-655-6060.

Find a new take on classic Passover fare from Friday, April 6, to Saturday, April 14, with a three-course prix fixe menu with appetizers like matzo ball soup with chicken confit and hen-of-the-woods mushrooms or pike gefilte fish with baby beet salad with horseradish creme fraiche.  Entrees are matzo-crusted Arctic char with parsley root puree; spring lamb shank, or braised beef short rib tzimmes with dried fruit compote and baby root vegetables.  Dessert choices are a flourless chocolate cake or raspberry pavolva.  The cost is $59 per person.

Josef’s Table, 5030 Champion Blvd., Boca Raton. Call 954-290-3521.

This restaurant will host a casual, non-religious dinner from 5 p.m to close Friday, April 6, and Saturday, April 7. The special menu includes matzo with apple and walnut charoset; salmon and whitefish gefilte fish with horseradish sauce and green salad; matzo ball soup; braised beef brisket or roasted lemon thyme chicken with vegetables and potato kugel; and flourless chocolate cake or fresh berries with chocolate macaroons for dessert. The cost is $39.95 per person, plus tax and tip. The regular menu also will be available. Reservations are required.  

Le Bistro, 4626 N. Federal Highway, Lighthouse Point. Call 954-946-9240.

Friday, April 6, and Saturday, April 7, Le Bistro will offer a four-course prix fixe meal that includes a Seder plate, matzo, and a complimentary glass of sweet wine. Appetizer choices include whitefish and salmon terrine; apple, walnut, and blue cheese salad; and rillette of duck. The second course is chicken soup with matzo balls. Entree choices include braised beef brisket; roasted spring baby chicken; or baked cod. Each main dish is served with a candied vegetable medley and potato cake. Dessert choices are a French vanilla gelato sundae or chocolate mousse. The cost is $39 for adults and $15 for children ages 12 years and younger.

 

 Find a Seder near you:

Jewish Federations of Florida — http://www.jewishfederations.org/ir_LL_category.html?state=fl

Miami — http://jewishmiami.org/resources/community_directory/events/

Orlando — http://www.orlandojewishfed.org/seders2012.aspx

Sarasota — http://www.jfedsrq.org/calendar/

in Dining & Desserts, Events, Lifestyle, Seasonal, Things To Do

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The 48th Annual Ron Jon Easter Surfing Festival

by on April 3, 2012 at 1:49 pm

Celebrate Easter at Cocoa Beach with Ron Jon

For four decades Ron Jon has held their annual Surfing Festival on Easter weekend.  It’s billed as the second oldest surfing competition in the United States.  It’s also expected to draw more than 300 amateur and professional, male and female surfers of all ages, as well as thousands of spectators to the Cocoa Beach area.  This year, in addition to the classic surfing and boarding competitions, the festival will award trophies to the winners of the Men and Women’s Amateur Short Board competitions (age 25-45), as well as the Future 6 Vertical Skateboard Challenge.

This promises to be a really fun weekend for everyone!!  Not only are there the typical festival type of activities, Ron Jon has done a really great job of offering all attendees and their families the opportunity to take part in traditional surfing events as well as traditional Easter events.  This weekend, spectators don’t have to be just spectators!  Beginners can attend surfing and boarding clinics while foodies enter the wing eating contest and enjoy the variety of musical acts!  On Sunday, families can join an Easter egg hunt, go to one of the Easter sunrise services, or take part any of the other festivities!

As titans in the industry, Ron Jon continues to bring major surfing events to the east coast of the U.S.  The 2012 Ron Jon Easter Surfing Festival will take place from Friday, April 6 to Sunday, April 8 at both the Cocoa Beach Pier and Shepard Park Beach. The festival is free and open to all, water sports enthusiast or not, regardless of age and gender.

Ron Jon Surf Shop is an American retail surfing supply chain that originally opened on Long Beach Island on the Jersey Shore, and is currently headquartered in Cocoa Beach, Florida.

For details, go to: http://www.eastersurffest.com/esf12/

in Beaches, Entertainment, Events, Lifestyle, Seasonal, Sports, Things To Do
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The Smallest Post Office in the U.S.

by on April 2, 2012 at 11:35 pm

The smallest, freestanding post office in the United States is nestled in the Naples–Marco Island area, just east of US 41 and State Road 29.  It’s located in the town of Ochopee, an unincorporated community in Collier County, Florida.  Ochopee sits on the edge of the Everglades and reportedly has a population of 11.

The Ochopee Post Office is actually a tiny shed on US 41 (Tamiami Trail) near Ochopee, Florida, 34141-9998.  The 7×8-foot building used to be a storage facility for the irrigation pipes of the adjacent J.T. Gaunt Company’s tomato farm.  In 1953, it was turned into a post office after a fire destroyed the general store which housed Ochopee’s previous post office.

This post office is still fully functional and the daily route services the residents across three counties, 132 miles long, in addition to the surrounding populations of Miccosukee and Seminole Native Americans.  It’s also become quite the tourist spot for both local and long distance travelers!  The postal clerk is often asked for the famous Ochopee post mark, and so a stack of Ochopee Post Office postcards are kept on the counter for when the tour busses arrive.  Postcards, ready for both domestic and international mailing, are pre-stamped and available for purchase!

So, take some time this summer!  On your way to the beach, stop by to visit the folks at the Ochopee P.O.  Maybe you’ll see the skunk-ape while you’re there!

For more information, see:  http://www.florida-everglades.com/postoffice.htm

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