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TEAM Punta Gorda
April 2012 Judy Brentano, Editor |
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COME FLY WITH ME . . . | | . . . TO PUNTA GORDA | |
 With the demise of Direct Air, Allegiant Air stepped up last week announcing that they are adding new routes to and from Punta Gorda.
Ft. Wayne, IN; Niagara Falls, NY; Peoria, IL; and South Bend, IN will soon be up and running, in addition to their current routes, which are Lexington, KY; Greenville/Spartanburg, SC and Knoxville, TN.
Not only that, Allegiant Air will be providing twice weekly service all year round! They like Punta Gorda so much, they plan to make it a base of operations, and that means employment opportunities.
Keep a lookout for their low introductory airfaires as they inaugurate the routes the end of June 2012. Word has it they will be adding addtional cities in the Fall.
So fasten your seatbelt, put your seats and tray tables in the upright position and welcome aboard! |
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AND THE WHEELS. . . | | . . . GO ROUND AND ROUND |
 | | The Highland Pedalers from Sebring, FL enjoy Pedal and Play |
You may have wondered if Punta Gorda was being invaded by bicycles and Mummies on Saturday, March 31. Well, it was!
Thanks to the Isles Yacht Club and TEAM, the annual Pedal and Play in Paradise was a huge hit with 438 entrants. Riders battled a very strong headwind on the 30- and 60-mile journeys, as did those of us on the 10-mile Mystery Tour, but all made it back to the launch pad to enjoy free beer courtesy of Smugglers and fabulous food provided by Jack's.
The City Manager's Tour, chaperoned by two of Punta Gorda's finest, one on a type of Segway, was a sellout. It even included a stop for ice cream. The culmination of the day was visiting the newly expanded Celtic Ray for a free draft beer!
If you want to see what you missed, or relive what you experienced, visit http;//www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nd6aly_WFF8 for a fun slide show of the day's activities.
Plans are already under way for next year's event, which is tentatively scheduled for April 6, 2013. If you would like to join the committee, please contact TPG and volunteer. It takes a village to put on this event.
Besides being so much fun, Pedal and Play in Paradise is a fundraiser for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, as well as TPG to help in their efforts to promote bicycle-friendly activities for the community.
And about those Mummies? They performed that evening in full mummy regalia before a sellout crowd at FunkFest! Not to be missed. |
| DO YOU KNOW . . . | |
. . . THE BICYCLE RULES OF THE ROAD?
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 The City recently published the rules of the road for bicyclists, and since we are on the subject, we're posting them for you here.
Bicycles are considered vehicles under Florida Law and must operate as such on roadways. You are also permitted to ride on sidewalks, but you must yield the right-of-way to pedestrians. You must give an audible warning before passing a walker. Ringing your bell or saying "on the left" to pass them on the left, will help share the walkway in a safe manner.
In a car, you should give a bicyclist respect as well, giving them a wide berth when passing of at least three feet between your car and the rider as you pass them.
Remember Share the Road, and the walkways as well!
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| YELLOW BIKE ALERT! | | USAGE SOARS IN SEASON | |
Our ever-popular Yellow Loaner Bikes have grown in importance, especially during Season.
 | | The Yellow Bikes at the Isles Yacht Club. |
Gene Pawloski, TPG's busy bicycle manager, reports we had 373 usages during the month of March.
The stats are very impressive. Laishly Park Marina 103, Sheraton Four Points 53, Wyven Hotel 89, Wellness Center of Charlotte Regional Medical Center 28, Isles Yacht Club 28 and Fishermen's Village Marina 92.
Visitors who enjoyed the free transportation hailed from: PA, MA, MI, OH, TN, NY, CT, GA, NC, ME, WI, CO, UT, OK, AK, and Nova Scotia. All bicycles were donated by local businesses and individuals. |
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A SELLOUT! | GOLFERS FILL TOURNAMENT
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The 7th Annual TPG Golf Tournament held at St. Andrews
 | | Tom Kerr, chair of the tournament with his foursome |
Golf Course recently was one huge success thanks to the many sponsors, volunteers and players that participated. A hundred players teed off for a great morning of golf, followed by lunch and terrific raffles.
We'd like to thank our sponsors Brian Mariash/Merrill Lynch, Gene Gorman Auto Sales, Smugglers Foundation, Waste Management, Amberg Insurance, Charlotte Sun, Don Gasgarth Charlotte County Ford and Mike Martin/State Farm Insurance for their support in making this important event happen.
TPG raised $11,000 which will enable us to continue on with our all-volunteer efforts and continued service to the community, which by the way, has been a key player in the city's recovery since 2005.
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| MOTE MARINE UPDATE | |
PUNTA GORDA COUNCIL ANNOUNCES SUPPORT | |
 Efforts are under way to make Mote Marine a reality in downtown Punta Gorda now that the City Marketplace property has been purchased by local developers. 1.4 acres has been allocated for the Mote site.
City Council has approved funds for start-up costs associated with business planning, fundraising and architect selection for the much-anticipated facility. NO funds are being appropriated for construction.
The Mote/City partnership will be a springboard for future contributions from Charlotte County, Enterprise Charlotte Economic Council and others. The Charlotte County Bureau of Tourism estimates this project could have an economic impact of $43.7 million in spending for the County. And that's great news!
Be sure to sign up for Mote updates on the TEAM Punta Gorda website.
www.teampuntagorda.org Click on the Mote logo and follow the prompts to update your profile to add the Mote newsletter to your email. |
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ARTS & HUMANITIES . . . | | . . . PLAN AHEAD | |
The Arts and Humanities Council, the Visual Arts Center, artists, and all who love creative works unite! That is the mantra for the recently launched Cultural Planning Initiative which had a preliminary meeting this month in association with the Charlotte Community Foundation.
Nancy Johnson, our grants writer and facilitator extraordinaire said, "The goal is to build an effective arts collaborative that will set a common vision for the future of the arts in Charlotte County." This massive effort will include other county departments, many community partners as well as TEAM Punta Gorda. |
| DID YOU KNOW. . . | | |
 An interesting tidbit crossed my desk coutesy of Alison Layne, our Punta Gorda Librarian, that answers a rather common question: Why can I not get e-books from my library? And why do I have to place a hold and wait so long to get them for my Nook/Kindle/iPad or other device?
Well, it turns out that the cost to the library for one e-book is five times more than a copy in hardcover but can only be circulated 26 times! |
| HAPPENIN'S ON THE HARBOR | | |
April 21: Annual Punta Gorda Block Party! Gates open at noon, closes at
10 p.m. Admission $5. Headliner, Chuck Negron of Three Dog Night fame.
May 6: Animal Welfare League, "Live, Love & Bark, mon!" Caribbean-style fundraiser, Twin Isles Country Club. Tickets $50 available at the shelter, 3519 Drance Street in Port Charlotte.
May 12: Swingin' into Spring, Octagon Wildlife Sanctuary golf tournament fundraiser
co-hosted by the Punta Gorda Chamber of Commerce and St. Andrews South Golf Club. For information call the chamber at 639-3720 or Sue at St. Andrews 639-5261 ext.3. All proceeds benefit the animals.
May 19-20: 7th Annual Hibiscus Festival, Laishley Park. Children's beauty contest, music, food, tours, fun.
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Judy Brentano, Editor
jbrentano@mindspring.com
TEAM Punta Gorda
941-637-8326 |  |
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