Toy Drive Article and My Memory

Call it old age, fading memory, failing synapses...I don't know why, but I have been absent minded lately. My friend, Janine, calls me forgetful because I only retain bits and pieces of her stories. Well, I haven't posted any of my news articles lately because I haven't had access to a scanner. DUH! I could have been taking photos, like the one below, the whole time. Now, I have quite a backlog to post. I'll get right on that (note my sarcasm)!

Pertaining to the news article, below, that appeared in today's Island Sand Paper, my father recently attended his high school reunion, where he learned that one of his classmates co-owns The Beach Pub right here on Fort Myers Beach. Talk about your small world coincidences. My father grew up in a small town that is just a spot on Old U.S. 41 in Southwest Indiana. His classmate, Tim Miller, is mentioned in the article. I interviewed co-owner Lou Caleca for the article, never remembering that Miller was Dad's classmate until my father called and reminded me Wednesday night, mere hours after the article had been submitted to my editor.

I'm such a dolt sometimes! Anyway, you can click on the image below to get a full-sized version of the article to read. I hope to get down to The Beach Pub this weekend to introduce myself to Mr. Miller...if I don't forget all about it before then.

Game, Set, Match!

Here is my latest article from the May18th Island Sand Paper...it is about the Beach Volleyball League...happy reading!!!

...CLICK ON IMAGES FOR LARGE PRINT VIEW...

Beach PTO Teeing off for Education

CLICK ON IMAGES FOR LARGER PRINT VERSION

Here is my article on Earth Day activities from the Friday, April 20th, edition of the Island Sand Paper...

CLICK ON IMAGES FOR A LARGER VERSION YOU CAN ACTUALLY READ!!!

Jack Mascola, 93, Renaissance Man of FMB!

The photo of Jack Mascola, below, graced the front page of today's Island Sand Paper, a weekly newspaper serving Fort Myers Beach, Florida. It served as a teaser for a personal interest story I wrote this week. The story is linked below.

...be sure to click on images for a large print version...

The New Deck at Surf Club

I had the pleasure of meeting Surf Club owner Bruce Cermak last Tuesday for the first time. Nice guy, loves what he does and loves where he lives. I have to say, it's not a bad gig...and neither is writing for the Island Sand Paper on Fort Myers Beach. Love it here! (click on the image, below, for a large-print version of the article)

This island is full of Midwesterners!

Latest Sand Paper Articles!

I'm a little behind on posting my articles. Here's the latest one on some helpful spring breakers who came not to party on our beach, but to help clean it up! This one ran last Friday, March 16, in the Island Sand Paper:

(click on images for larger, readable version)

This is my article on the Beach Elementary's production of Peter Pan, which ran in the February 17th edition of the Island Sand Paper (I replaced the photo of school kids with a black-and-white of the logo designed by their art teacher for the play):

NOTE: My daughter played one of the mermaids! She performed perfectly!!! (says the proud Dad).

Blue Marlin Tag Frames Creator, Jon Cudzik

My latest submission to the Sand Paper appears on page 20 of today's edition...

(click on image for large print version)

7-Year-Old Blog: A Retrospective, Part 1

My blog will be seven years old in April of this year! As a way to celebrate my commitment to writing, I'm taking a few months to look back over the seven years of intermittent blogging. I haven't always submitted my best work to the Great Blogosphere of the Ethernet, so I hope the gods will forgive, but at least I've been a loyal subject and beat the six-month average lifespan of most blogs. Maybe the blog is a dying art in the world of tweets and status updates, but it is more of a long-form tweet for me. Note, I don't even have a Twitter account. Enough with the prefacing, and onto the looking back! First, have a look back at the last six months, which is laden with posts about my freelance work at the Island Sand Paper here on Fort Myers Beach.

I am grateful for the chance to earn a little dough doing the thing I love--writing--and also for the chance to display some of my photography in newsprint. I wish to say thank you to Missy and Bob Layfield and Keri Hendry for the chance to work in journalism. Now to the writing samples...Enjoy! (NOTE: When you click the links, this blog post still shows at the top spot, so SCROLL DOWN!)

Holy Vettes, Batman!!!

Here is my latest offering from the Island Sand Paper, a Fort Myers Beach weekly. Page 12 features my article about the Corvette Cruise-in at Parrot Key Caribbean Grill...

sorry my scanner couldn't handle this one very well...be sure to click on the image above for a full-sized view, easier to read!

Salty Dog and CRAB articles

I have TWO articles in this week's Island Sand Paper. Check them out, below, but don't strain your eyes. You can click on either image to get the large print version...Enjoy!

(when the jpeg loads in your browser, be sure to click on it for full-sized viewing)

Hoboken Frank, the other...

click on images for larger, original versions

Flipper's On The Bay Expands Offerings

Cat Crusader Article from Dec 9th Island Sand Paper

If you can help Jo Ann out by donating food, money or time, please call her directly at (239) 463-6118. Thank you!

Local Adopt-A-Troop Benefit

After a few weeks absence from the Island Sand Paper, I have a new article in today's edition all about the Nov 17th benefit for Adopt-A-Troop Foundation...

Painting the Beach (Island Sand Paper)

My latest submission to the Island Sand Paper about an art celebration called Paint the Beach, Nov. 14-20, on Fort Myers Beach, which ran on the front page and pg. 19...

FLOWSTIVAL Benefit Celebration takes place the weekend of November 18-20 in Bonita Springs, Florida. Join us for a weekend of camping, rhythm and flow arts! Or as Dino likes to say, "Feel the rhythm; release the fear!" Online prices the next two weeks will save you money, so don't delay in getting your 3-day passes. Hope to see you there.

Living History at Matanzas Pass Preserve

The Island Sand Paper ran my story today about the upcoming Visions of the Past event on pages 1 and 19...

I took the two photos with my digital camera. I think they translated pretty well on newsprint.

A day at the beach for Beach Elementary 4th Graders

CLICK ON PICTURE FOR FULL-SIZE IMAGE

First Feature Article Published!

Well, I am officially a freelance writer in Fort Myers Beach!