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May 2011 | Judy Brentano, Editor |
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 | Continue the Journey . . . |
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. . . Brought to You By [Your Name Here]
TEAM Punta Gorda is pleased to recognize in this issue, the many sponsors who signed on to support our "Continue the Journey" campaign to date. Without individual, community and business support, our ongoing efforts would come to an end. And we don't want that to happen, do we?!
We'll feature a major donor [$750 to $2000] in each issue of TEAM Talk, so be sure to read below about Smuggler's Enterprises, Inc., and plan to patronize their establishments.
Sun-Herald, Punta Gorda Self-Storage and Charlotte Regional Medical Center, our other major sponsors, will be spotlighted in upcoming issues.
So drum roll, please, and a big shout out to the following donors in each category:
$500 - Calusa National Bank, Don Gasgarth Charlotte County Ford, Mike Martin State Farm Insurance, and The MC Group.
$250 - Comet Dry Cleaners, Cayo Costa Dental, Boyette & Miller Construction, Design Accent Interiors, Gene Gorman Auto Sales, McCory Law Firm and Webb, Lorah & Company, P.L.
In-kind donation - Acme Bicycle Shop, Bicycle Center, Bike Sag, Wyvern Hotel, Charlotte Stone Crabs, Peach River Distributing, Beef O'Brady's, Charlotte Symphony, Diane Jense, Elena's Restaurant, Giuditta's, Jack's Cafe, Phil's on 41, River City Grill and YMCA.
Golf courses: Bobcat Trail, Heron's Creek, Kingsway, Magnolia Landing, Port Charlotte, Riverwood, Rotonda and St. Andrews South Golf Club. |
| Community Gardens, a Winner . . . |
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. . . Receives National Grant
 Heleen Schouten, Chair of our Community Garden Committee, sent us great news! The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company, selected our organization to receive a $500 GRO1000 Grassroots Grant. The Grassroots Grants are part of Scotts Miracle-Gro's commitment to develop 1,000 gardens and green spaces in the United States, Canada and Europe by 2018. That's the company's 150th anniversary! Their announcement said: "In partnership with Keep America Beautiful, the Garden Writers Association, Plant a Row for the Hungry, the National Gardening Association and Franklin Park Conservatory, Scotts Miracle-Gro applauds your efforts to enhance your community." That's a big WOW! If you have a green thumb or just like to watch someone else's garden grow, consider being a sponsor of Punta Gorda's very first community garden. You can sponsor a whole plot for $500 or half a plot for $250. It's another way to see your green grow! |
| Pave the Way to A Beautiful City |
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Commemorative Paver Drive Kicks Off
The City of Punta Gorda has asked TPG's Beautification Committee for support in completely overhauling and improving the streetscape on Marion Avenue. Since this is our "Main Street," we want it to look as attractive as possible. Drawing attention away from the white elephant that never became City Marketplace is a great idea!
Another project in the planning stages is in partnership with the Punta Gorda Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Merchants Association to enhance City Center during the holiday season. Additional lights, a Candy Cane Lane and seasonal plants would adorn our streets as carolers walk about filling the air with holiday music. We might even have a jolly old St. Nick holding court at Herald Court.
To fund these projects, we are offering our really cool commemorative pavers for purchase. You can dedicate one to someone special, to your pet or to yourselves! Or put your company name on it.
Visit the TPG website at www.teampuntagorda.org Click on DONATE then PAVER PROGRAM. The donation is $100 for one paver, $250 for three and $400 for five. |
| Think Outrageously! |
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Think Tank Forming Now
The Charlotte County Visitor and Convention Bureau is seeking public input on tourism. You can participate with one of 14 teams discussing such topics as signage for tourists, water sports, ecotourism, internet marketing, and community relations and sustainability, among other things.
Lorah Steiner, Director of CHVCB, is encouraging teams to think outrageously.
"Put every idea on the table, no matter how outrageous and regardless of whether it can or cannot be implemented. An idea so far out as to be completely implausible could spark another idea that just might solve a problem or create a new avenue for tourism," she said.
Be sure to include your name, email address and phone number.
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| Housekeeping |
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LOST & FOUND: Someone left a navy jacket at the Volunteer appreciation event held at the Punta Gorda Train Depot. It can b  e claimed at the TPG office on Marion Avenue.
LOANER BIKES: We need two more bright yellow bicycles for our latest loaner site. If you are interested in helping expand this very popular program, please contact our office.
VOLUNTEERS: We have some very interesting volunteer opportunities within TPG. If you can donate some time, please contact the office at 637-8326 or email team@teampuntagorda.org
ATELIER SPACE: We now have six artists in the Artisans' Atelier. Remember, there is a two-for one rent special going on throughout the year, so contact Jerry Presseller if you are looking for a great downtown location. 391-4856 or email jerry@pgdowntownmerchants.com
HERALD COURT CENTRE: Subway is now open for business in the Herald Court parking garage retail center. Creative Circle Studio/Gallery got their certificate of occupancy and is ready to serve you. |
| Yachting Magazine Picks Its Top 50 |
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Punta Gorda Needs Your Vote!
 "Punta Gorda has esprit de corps!" "PG has rebounded thanks to a dedicated and passionate boating community!" Comments like that got us into the Top 50. Now we need to get out the vote to become numero uno! Right now, South Haven, MI is in the lead with 168 votes with Oxford coming in second at 133. Punta Gorda has 11! Ouch! We have year-round boating [MI does not] and the Chesapeake gets blue crabs from our Charlotte Harbor, so let's not let them run away with this thing. We know we're tops. |
| Tidbits from City Hall |
| by Article Author | |
Safe City, Mooring Field & Ordinance 273
Punta Gorda is one of the safest cities in Florida. According to a 2010 crime report, we were listed as the second safest city in the state in its population class, and third safest overall. Our detectives have one of the highest clearance rates in the state.
Good news is that the East Mooring Field construction is finally under way off the Laishley Park Marina. The City reports that 14 of 42 helical anchors have been installed. Exercise caution when navigating in that area.
And not quite news of the weird, but it is unusual . . . City Ordinance 273 prohibits more than one elephant within the city limits at one time. Why? "When two or more elephants get together, their trumpeting back and forth is way too noisy!" Thanks to our Mayor Harvey Goldberg for pointing that out to the students of Sallie Jones Elementary during a City Hall tour. And now we get to share it with you!
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| "Continue the Journey" Sponsor Spotlight |
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Smugglers Enterprises, Inc.
 You may remember entering Fishermen's Village and seeing a sign with a huge pirate on it. It's gone now, but I admit I always wondered where or what Smuggler's was. I learned that pirate was a sign of great food. . . and a very diverse operation! After you passed that Pirate and journeyed to the end of a long row of retail stores and restaurants, you'd dead-end at Harpoon Harry's, a vibrant sports bar. Or you may have veered off to the right and walked up the stairs to the Captain's Table. Either venue greeted you with a magnificent view of Charlotte Harbor. After Laishley Park and the Marina was built, these entrepreneurs set out to be a part of this destination with the creation of a unique dining experience at the Crab House where they offered a scrumptious array of fine seafood and sushi. Again with breathtaking views of Charlotte Harbor. And the antique truck bar is a must-see! The Smuggler's experience expanded to John Hall's Goal Post and Sports Bar in Port Charlotte and then Muscle Car City & Diner housed in the old Walmart on U.S. 41 south of the city. If you love vintage Corvettes like I do, this is the place to go! Sponsorships became a big part of their business. . . like the 4th of July fireworks display and other festivities in Laishley Park. They decided to form a non-profit foundation to contribute in other ways. If you visit their website you will see the following: Smuggler's Enterprises, Inc. Foundation's commitment to Charlotte County is based on a simple principle: It's our corporate responsibility to help prepare tomorrow's leaders. Contributing to the community matters to every resident who longs to see it prosper and grow. It matters to a country eager to succeed on an increasingly competitive world stage. And it matters to companies faced with the challenge of maintaining a knowledgeable and skilled workforce. They also deliver food to Charlotte County's needy through their Foundation. Another avenue is entertainment. Smuggler's sponsors the Punta Gorda BBQ & Music Festival, the Flatmasters Series, the 4th Fest celebration, and the Haunting on the Harbor at Halloween. So who are these guys? Ron Evans, his son Chris Evans, Rick Treworgy and former NFL football player John Hall are all behind that commanding pirate. TEAM Punta Gorda greatly appreciates being in such good company and thanks Smuggler's Enterprises for their generous donation and support. |
| Volunteer Spotlight |
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Meet Ryan Rupert
Since we have devoted this edition to our new "Continue the Journey" donors, it seemed fitting to spotlight our fundraising chairman, Ryan Rupert, who pulled it all together.
Ryan attended Ohio University in Athens, OH, graduating with a BBA in Finance and Business Economics. Upon graduation, he went to work in Japan, where he met his lovely wife, Megumi. When they relocated back to the U.S., he visited his parents in Ft. Myers, toured the area and loved it. They moved to Punta Gorda in 2006.
Ryan is a Financial Advisor at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney. His interest in TEAM Punta Gorda was piqued when he met Nancy Prafke, our CEO, in the Leadership Charlotte class of 2009. He joined the TPG Board of Directors in 2010 and took on the huge task of chairing TPG's fundraising activities.
Why did he choose to volunteer with TPG? "I feel like one of the luckiest people around. With so much to be thankful for, I feel it is my duty to give back. TEAM Punta Gorda is one way to contribute to the beautiful community in which we live," he said.
Rupert is a great addition to a winning TEAM! |
| Happenin's on the Harbor |
| | |  May 19: The Punta Gorda Historic Mural Society will dedicate the recreated Charlotte Harbor mural painted by Charles Peck. The mural is on the south end of the Charlevoi Condos. Time is 4:30 p.m. Come see this work of art up close. It is fantastic! Gallery Walk kicks off at 5 p.m. May 20-21: Annual Hibiscus Festival opens on Friday from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Festivities will continue on Saturday starting at 9 a.m. and ending at 4 p.m. Music, food, beauty pageants, and the guest of honor, the Hibiscus, will be featured. May 21: Charlotte County Homeless Coalition is hosting its second Driving Out Hunger Golf Scramble at Kingsway Country Club. Registration begins at 7 a.m., with a shotgun start at 8:30 a.m. Cost is $75 per player which includes a continental breakfast, Florida BBQ lunch, cart and awards. For information call 941-627-4313. July 3-4: Annual Independence Day celebration at Laishley Park featuring 12 water slides, battle of the bands, food, and drink. Entertainment by the Boogiemen on July 4, followed by the best fireworks display on the water. |
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