CITY
The City of Cocoa is putting on two community events this month: The Spring Craft Fair March 6-7 in downtown Cocoa Village, and a Spring Praise Fest Concert from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. in Riverfront Park. To find out more, visit www.cocoafl.com.
Beginning Friday, March 5, the Cape Canaveral Recreation Department will be hosting “Friday Fest” on the first Friday of every month. Activities will include a variety of food vendors, an assortment of novelty and craft vendors, children’s activities, including bounce houses, a giant slide and a rock climbing wall, and live entertainment along with beer and wine. The fun will take place on Taylor Avenue between A1A and Pointsetta Avenue from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Also, Opening Day Ceremonies for the Space Coast Little League are scheduled for Saturday, March 6 at 10 a.m. at the Cape Canaveral Ball Fields. To find out more, visit www.cityofcapecanaveral.org or call the Parks and Recreation Department at 868-1226.
On Tuesday, March 2, at 6 p.m., Cocoa Beach Mayor Skip Beeler will host a Town Hall Meeting at the Cocoa Beach Country Club. Mayor Beeler will present a briefing on the state of the City and will answer the public’s questions. Free refreshments will be served.
Trained AARP volunteers will be on hand at the Cocoa Beach Public Library on weekdays to offer tax preparation assistance from until April 15. Hours will be Monday, Thursday, and Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Tuesday and Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Also, Brevard County Commissioner Chuck Nelson, who represents District 2, has scheduled his “Open House” for Friday, March 5 from 10 a.m. to Noon at the Library. Other Cocoa Beach Library events for March: “People in Print” presents mystery writer Kay Williamson on Monday, March 1 at 2 p.m. in the Jane von Thron Room. She will be signing her newest novel, “The Mysterious Woman on the Train,” which deals with ADC (After Death Communication), a phenomenon she has personally experienced. Enjoy an informative presentation entitled “Inshore and Backcountry Fishing” with Capt. Shawn Foster on Tuesday, March 2 at 6 p.m. Capt. Foster is a U.S. Coast Guard approved Captain. Learn about tackle, lures, and techniques from this professional fishing guide. The Friends of the Library Travel Film Series concludes this month with films on the first and third Wednesdays at 7 p.m. March 3: Ireland; March 17: Thailand. Look forward to a “Double Header Sunday” on March 14 with bestselling author Randy Wayne White at 1 p.m. Randy will be on hand to autograph and discuss his latest Doc Ford Novel “Deep Shadow.” Copies will be on sale for $25.95. Also, enjoy Music on a Sunday Afternoon with Acoustic Alliance at 3 p.m., one hour later than usual. The group will play swing and gypsy jazz. The music program welcomes back Good Time’N on Sunday, March 21 at 2 p.m. Enjoy Bluegrass, Folk and Pop Music. Florida author Tom Lowe, whose writing style has been compared to John D. MacDonald, will have a book signing on Wednesday, March 31 at 6 p.m. He will introduce his second mystery, “The 24th Letter,” featuring retired investigator Sean O’Brien. Copies will be available for purchase. Lastly, kids can look forward to an Easter Puppet Show on Tuesday, March 30 at 6:30 p.m. The Library is located at 550 N. Brevard Ave. in Cocoa Beach. Call 868-1104 or visit www.cocoabeachpubliclibrary.org.
Satellite Beach is sponsoring Go Go Green!, an event based around recycling, reducing, and reusing on Saturday, March 13. The event will be held in the parking lot of the DRS Community Center at 1089 S Patrick Dr. in Satellite Beach from 8 a.m. to 12 Noon. The folks at the Satellite Beach Recreation Department have been long time advocates of recycling and this is the first of what will be a number of annual events. The day will offer a silent Auction of City Surplus property held in conjunction with a rummage sale, and will see loads of educational opportunities on recycling by Waste Management. Support local reuse efforts and bring your used eyeglasses to be collected by SB Lions Club; coffee mugs to serve soup at Daily Bread; baseball caps for a mission trip Guatemala; cell phones for Phone for Soldiers; wall calendars with pictures and greeting cards for local crafters and classes. Donate your old blankets, towels or sheets for injured wildlife. You can also bring your used batteries for recycling and Astro Too of Melbourne will be on location to take old electronics. People can bring their used bars of soap (not liquid) for collection by Global Soap. They will be sent to their plant where it’s boiled down for sanitation and reformed into larger bars and donated to areas of need. Please be reminded that this event is NOT a hazardous waste roundup. Things like pesticides, paints, etc. will NOT be collected. Refreshments and food will be sold by SB’s Police Athletic League for a nominal fee. For more information, contact Recreation Programmer Louise Stevenson at 773-6458.
Satellite Beach’s David R. Schechter Community Center events for March: 3/25: Community for a Lifetime Seminars at 12:30 p.m. The City of Satellite Beach has been moving forward with the State of Florida initiative, “Communities for a Lifetime” for our elder residents. The City, in conjunction with Wuesthoff Health System, is providing a series of lectures by local experts. The programs are open to all seniors and other adults. Held in the DRS Meeting Room. Free, but please RSVP to 773-6458. A light lunch is provided. 3/13: Whole City Garage Sale and City Surplus Silent Auction from 8 a.m. to 12 Noon. City surplus will be on display and sold via a silent auction. Clubs and organizations who wish to reserve a space in the DRS Parking lot to sell items to benefit their club functions, can contact 773-6458 for event details. This is a great event for groups to join who are trying to earn money for their Relay for Life cause. If you want to sell from your home, call 773-6458 and provide your garage sale location and they will distribute a master “Whole City Garage Sale” flyer listing your home location prior to and day of the event. 3/27: Samsons Island Open House from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Explore the island’s trails in hopes of seeing some of the abundant wildlife and stay for a light picnic lunch. Demonstrations will be ongoing, and visitors can view or participate in river seining, exotic and native plant identification, primitive camping, wildlife exhibits, and bird watching programs. Visitors are welcome to bring their fishing pole, binoculars for bird watching and camera for nature photography. To reserve boat transportation, call 773-6458 and to schedule transport time from the SB Fire Dept. dock. Location: 1390 S. Patrick Dr. in Satellite Beach. 3/31: Anglers for Conservation meeting from 12 Noon to 2 p.m. Cost: $20 per class. The group will be conducting a two-hour intermediate fishing class, geared toward both kids and adults who are interested in improving their skills in knot tying, spin casting, rigging plastic baits, and handling and using shrimp and finger mullet for bait all while becoming a more conservation-minded angler. All tackle (soft plastic baits, hook, weights, rattles, and fishing line) is included in the class cost and can be taken home after the class. Location: the DRS Community Center. The Community Center is located at 1089 S. Patrick Dr. in Satellite Beach. Call 773-6458 for more information, or visit www.satellitebeach.org.
Registration underway for Melbourne’s Citizens Academy. Registrations are being accepted for participation in a Citizen’s Academy to be offered by the City of Melbourne at the Melbourne Auditorium from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. over three evenings, March 16, 24, and 25. There is no cost to participants and a light dinner is to be provided each evening. The registration deadline is March 8. The academy is designed to foster citizen involvement in the community and to provide a wealth of information about city government with speakers and activities that include a K-9 demonstration, a fire truck display, and a simulation of the City’s water treatment process. Topics include the fundamentals of local government, information about municipal services and resources, and insights into opportunities for citizen involvement in city government. Those interested in joining the academy should contact the City Clerk’s Office at 608-7220 or send an e-mail message to cityclerk@melbourneflorida.org with information including names, addresses, and telephone numbers of all persons who would like to attend.
Melbourne’s Henegar Center will be presenting a Red Carpet Production of “The Producers” this month. Performances will be held on March 5 through 28 on Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and on Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets are $22 for adults and $20 for seniors (there is a $2 service charge for each ticket). Call the Henegar box office at 723-8698 or visit www.henegar.org for more details. The Henegar Center for the Arts is located at 625 E. New Haven Ave. in downtown Melbourne.
BUSINESS
Welcome the Happy Healthy Human organic raw vegan cafe to Indian Harbour Beach. The cafe, located at 1869 S. Patrick Dr., offers a wide range of smoothies, soups and salads, healthy treats and desserts, a choice of five meal platters served with salad, and revolving daily menu specials. Their hours of operation are Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Tuesdays (their produce box day) from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturdays from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. HHH also provides catering and party services as well as delivery within their area. To find out more, call 779-0077, or log on to: www.happyhealthyhuman.com.
Cape Canaveral has a new pizza joint in the form of Rocco’s New Jersey Boardwalk Pizza Express. They’re located at 7000 N. Atlantic Ave., 1.5 miles north of Ron Jon’s. Tracy and Micky Giokas serve up all your Italian favorites every day from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Call 784-3433 for more details.
At long last, The Music Rooms are open at 7095 Turner Rd. in Rockledge. The Music Rooms offer the ultimate acoustically engineered, climate controlled practice rooms designed for the serious musician with monthly or yearly leases available. They are large and can accommodate a wide range of instruments and musical styles, and are ideal for practicing, jamming, recording or teaching. They are also kept under 24/7 security camera surveillance and give room specific access control. To learn more, call Carl at 777-5936, or visit www.brevardmusicrooms.com.
EVENTS
March 13 sees the inaugural Cocoa Beach Wine & Food Festival held from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. in Lori Wilson Park. The festival will feature an international Tasting Village comprised of over 20 local chefs preparing dishes from their respective countries to be paired with some specially selected wines. Enjoy live music from Three Dog Nigh and MoGeetz, food vendors, a beer truck, raffles, local artisans, a “Wine 101″ class, and much more. Tickets are $75 and are available for purchase through Ticket Web (www.ticketweb.com), a link for which is also supplied on the Festival’s website: www.cocoabeachwinefooodfestival.com. Find out more in this issue’s Restaurant section.
Mark your calendars for the 48th Easter Surf Fest to be held April 2-3 at the Cocoa Beach Pier. Check next month’s issue for more details.
Get ready for the Cocoa Beach Pier’s annual Reggae Beach Splash on March 27. Look forward to performances by UB40’s Ali Campbell, Maxi Priest, Julian Marley, and the Supervillians. Tickets are on sale now at the Pier and through Ticketmaster. To learn more, check this issue’s Local Amp section or visit www.cocoabeachpier.com.
Join students from Cocoa Beach High School on Friday, March 12 for An Evening of the Arts. The event, to be held in the CBHS auditorium, will feature performances and exhibitions by students, and Indian Harbour Beach’s Taste of Thai will host a pre-show light dinner available for purchase from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the school cafeteria. Desserts will be provided by Perkins Bakery. Visual art exhibitions begin at 6 p.m. and performing arts begin at 7:15 p.m. Admission is $5; $10 for dinner. Tickets may be purchased at the door or reserved through the Rotary Interact Club. Email them at cocoabeachinteract@gmail.com for ticket locations. Evening attire is suggested.
Local Artist Jane Hodges, Ph.D., will be the Guest Speaker at the Cocoa Beach Women’s Club Meeting on March 4. The public is invited to attend this event at the Cocoa Beach Country Club. Jane will be displaying her international photographs and will begin speaking at 11:30 a.m., following a “meet and greet” at 9:30 a.m. and the business meeting at 10 a.m. For more information, please contact Julia George at 868-7393 or email cbwcjuliageorge@yahoo.com.
The advisory board and co-directors of Breast Friends of Florida will be holding their first annual “Joy for Life” luncheon on Friday, March 19 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Crown Plaza Hotel in Indialantic. Reservations are available by calling Kristi at 729-9559 or by emailing conniecooke@breastfriends.com or sherrypalmer@breastfriends.com. Each year more than 200,000 American women learn they have cancer. This is an unwelcome “sisterhood,” but they find strength in the numbers and the sisterhood. Breast Friends was founded in Oregon in 2000 by co-founders Becky Olson and Sharon Heiflen. Both had been diagnosed with breast cancer. Breast Friends mission: “Until a cure is found… is to provide emotional support for women dealing with the trauma of cancer… one friend at a time.” Breast Friends of Florida, an affiliate of the national non-profit, was founded in July 2009 by breast cancer survivors Connie Chiles-Cooke and Sherry Palmer. Sherry and Connie met while receiving chemotherapy together and as a result a friendship was forged which resulted in the desire to assist other women through their diagnoses and treatments. For more information on Breast Friends visit the national website at: www.breastfriends.com. Click on “Resources,” “Florida,” and then the affiliate site.
The Brevard Art Museum presents “Navel Gazing: Artists Visions of Florida” through April 11. Sixteen artists were selected for this national juried exhibition, and eight Florida artists and eight artists from outside the state were selected to reconstitute existing ideas or make fresh-squeezed interpretations of Florida. “Navel Gazing” is sponsored in part through a $25,000 award for the Culture Builds Florida grant by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs, the Florida Arts Council, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Also this month, the Brevard Art Museum celebrates its 20th anniversary of the Annual Brevard County Student Art exhibition. Culled from art programs throughout the county’s public and private schools, this exhibition celebrates the creative talents of students and the teachers who guide them. Teachers selected 10 works of art from their school. The Museum provides a high profile, prestigious venue for the multitude of talented youth in the county. The student exhibition runs through March 14 in conjunction with the “Navel Gazing” exhibition. Local favorite Rich Abrahams will perform at the Brevard Art Museum on Friday, March 5 at 5:30. Enjoy some delightful piano jazz in their galleries. Jazz Fridays are the first Friday of each month from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Admission is $10 and Museum members are free. Tours of the Museum are offered Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and take approximately one hour. Tours cost $2 per student and chaperones are admitted free of charge at a ratio of one adult to six children. Tours must be scheduled at least two weeks in advance. To schedule a tour, please call the Museum at 242-0737. The Brevard Art Museum is located in the heart of the Eau Gallie Arts Disctrict, at 1463 Highland Ave. Call 242-0737, or go to: www.brevardartmuseum.org.
On March 5, the Eau Gallie Arts District will hold its monthly First Friday Art Walk Event from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Art studios, galleries, shops, boutiques and restaurants in the Eau Gallie Arts District will remain open late for a free gallery walk featuring: exhibition openings, artisans, demonstrations, refreshments, and live-music. In conjunction with First Friday Art Walk, EGAD will host the National Art Honor Society of Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy’s third annual “Empty Bowls” fundraising event in Eau Gallie Square. Attendees of the event will be served a cup of soup and bread in handmade ceramic bowls in exchange for a cash donation of $10 to help provide support for the South Brevard Sharing Center and Candlelighters of Brevard. Attendees will keep the bowl that they selected as a reminder of the meal’s purpose to raise awareness about the issues of hunger in our community. First Friday Art Walk is free and open to the public. The “Empty Bowls” event will begin at 5 p.m. in Eau Gallie Square on Highland Avenue. The X-Band will provide musical entertainment.
Eau Gallie’s Fifth Avenue Art Gallery invites you to view Donne Bitner’s “Painting by Discovery,” a collection of mixed media works of acrylic, pastel and graphite. Works begin with Bitner layering thin washes of acrylic, watercolor and gesso on paper, canvas, or wood. Initially there is no definite image in mind with Bitner following a more intuitive approach, resulting in magnificent surprises so unlike their beginning. Oil pastel, charcoal, and graphite add texture and line to the surface. Interesting shapes come from stamps, stencils, textured paper, and wood blocks. This is truly painting by discovery and will be exhibited in the Gallery throughout the month of March. Come join them at the opening reception on Eau Gallie’s First Friday Art Walk on March 5th, from 5:30 to 8:00 p.m. Talk with Donne, see her artwork and enjoy light refreshments with wine. The reception is free and open to the public. Afterwards continue your stroll down the street to enjoy dinner and other shops, galleries as well as the museum in beautiful Eau Gallie. The gallery is located in the Eau Gallie Arts District of Melbourne, across the street from the Brevard Museum of Art at 1470 Highland Ave. Call 259-8261 or visit them www.fifthavenueartgallery.com.
Eau Gallie’s historic Rossetter House and Museum will host a Murder Mystery Tour called “Time Traveler” Sunday, March 21. From 1 to 4 p.m., the Rossetter House is the scene of the crime and you play the sleuth in this “Clue”-based game tour. Use the clues to figure out the murderer. Guess right and enter the drawing for the grand prize. Tours begin every half hour. Call 254-9855 for reservations. Admission is $7.50 per person, $12 per family. The House will also host an “Egg Hunt With Easter Bunny & Friends” on Saturday, April 3, from 10:30 a.m. to 11: 30 a.m. Wear your Easter bonnet and bring your basket to hunt for eggs on the Rossetter grounds. Can you find the Golden Egg? The morning will feature candy, prizes and loads of fun. Parents should bring their cameras for children’s pictures with the Easter Bunny in his Garden Gazebo. Free for children ages 2-12. The Historic Rossetter House Museum is located at 1320 Highland Ave. in the Eau Gallie Arts District of Melbourne. Call 254-9855, or visit www.rossetterhousemuseum.org.
The Art Gallery Viera and The Home Center are proud to present “Digital Directions,” a digital workshop for artists by digital artist Jerry Hanzl on Saturday, March 6. Participants will learn all of the skills a working artist needs to compete in today’s digital world. Featured artist Jerry Hanzl will cover techniques on using the digital camera to capture subjects and photograph artwork; using the file system in Windows to save and locate images; and using Photoshop for color correction, resizing, and print preparation. Join the fun and informative workshop and get answers to all your questions from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Cost is $75 and pre-registration is required. The maximum class size is 20 participants. For more information, contact Jerry at 633-4075. The Art Gallery of Viera is a Fine Art Gallery and Educational Center, offering a wide variety of mediums and day and evening classes. Classes are added often, so visit their web site at www.artgalleryofviera.com. They are located in the Home Center, Suite 135, 5410 Murrell Road, in Viera.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Wynfield’s Sports Bar in Satellite Beach hosted a benefit for Haiti on February 21, 2010, which raised $1,700. The benefit was planned by Amy Pastorius of Sharp 5 Entertainment and included performances by the ever-generous Pat Travers, Mary Pastorius, Over the Void, and Johnny Shameless Project. Thank you to everyone for coming out to support a great cause with great music. Special thanks to Russ Kellum for giving his time and hard work.
Art Scholarship Available: The Melbourne Art Festival will award one $1,500 scholarship to a graduating senior or alumnus from a Brevard County high school (or home-schooled senior). Applicants will be judged on the basis of his/her artistic and academic abilities, as well as performance, character, and extracurricular activities. The application is downloadable at www.melbournearts.org and must be completed and submitted to the Melbourne Art Festival office, together with all required supporting documentation, by Friday, March 19. Incomplete or late applications will NOT be considered. Inquiries should be made to info@melbournearts.org or by calling 722-1964.
WEGO Ministries (Worldwide Evangelical Gospel Outreach), a not-for-profit ministry, has started a Food Outreach Ministry. Bags of ready-to-eat foods will be handed out to the homeless and others in need between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday at their office, located at 163 Minutemen Cswy. in Cocoa Beach. Monetary donations for this outreach ministry may be sent to WEGO Ministries: P.O. Box 320735, Cocoa Beach, FL 32932. For more information, please contact Coordinator Shenna Wilson (Coordinator) 536-4201 or the WEGO office at 799-9445.
