L. Paul Mann
Article Category: Get Out Of Town
Mammoth Mountain, California: Four Seasons of Outdoor Fun About 110, 000 years ago, a series of volcanic eruptions created a massive lava dome known today as Mammoth Mountain. Towering above the Central California landscape, the mountain continues to be an active geological site. Best known as the tallest ski area in California, it is actually a gateway to outdoor adventures of all kind, throughout four distinct seasons. Centrally located no more than a seven-hour drive from almost every major... [Read more...]
Tobin Bennison
Article Category: Skilled Labor
Many local artists look to the water for inspiration, but few have gone to the lengths — or indeed, depths — Monique Richter has in search of creative guidance. Born and raised on the beaches of Ft. Lauderdale, Monique moved to Melbourne five years ago, and now, at the young age of 26, she’s already spent more time on the water than many salts twice her age. A seasoned traveler and lifelong water worshipper, Monique prefers plunging headfirst into the ocean where others seem content... [Read more...]
By: Tobin Bennison
Article Category: 20 Questions
TWENTY QUESTIONS with Lamothe Lormier, President of The Global Family, Inc. Any current discussion of Haiti is bound to include mention of the recent earthquake and its impact on the nation’s long-beleaguered history. But in interviewing Haitian-born Satellite Beach resident Lamothe Lormier, president of the Global Family, Inc., a non-profit whose aim is to construct an eye clinic in the Haitian countryside, we feared talk of the tragedy would overshadow his organization’s goals. What... [Read more...]
By: Tobin Bennison
Article Category: Restaurant Review
THE 1st ANNUAL COCOA BEACH WINE & FOOD FESTIVAL On March 13, Lori Wilson Park will be transformed into an international tasting village as part of the inaugural Cocoa Beach Wine & Food Festival. Conceived by Cocoa Beach attorney Tony Hernandez III, the Festival has been three years in the making, and the result of his, Event Manager Matt Gunter and countless others’ tireless work to help showcase the best and most eclectic selection of food Brevard has to offer while helping fill local... [Read more...]
By: Tobin Bennison
Article Category: Skilled Labor
Drawing and painting have always come naturally to Jessie Sibert. You might even say that his artistic talent is God-given. At least that’s how the self-taught Merritt Island artist sees it. “I truly believe that whatever talent I have comes from God,” he tells me. “In many ways, He’s been pushing me to paint throughout my whole life. I think that 90% of it is Him and the other 10% of it is just me getting up in the morning to pick up my brushes.” Sibert says... [Read more...]
By: Tobin Bennison
Article Category: Restaurant Review
Coconuts on the Beach By: Tobin Bennison When Punxsutawney Phil pokes his head out of his burrow this February 2 — Groundhog Day — there’s no telling whether he’ll see his shadow or not. You’d think that the recent frigid weather would suggest a protracted winter, but we’re talking about weather — and we all know what a slave to certainty the climate is, much less to the whims of a somnolent varmint. Portentous rodents and tricks of the light aside, one... [Read more...]
By Vern Hobbs
Article Category: Get Out Of Town
Wilmington: The Overlooked Sister By Vern Hobbs Though often overshadowed by her flashier sisters, Charleston and Savannah, Wilmington, North Carolina is a sparkling jewel among the historic port cities of the American South. Located along the banks of the Cape Fear River, Wilmington beckons to the curious traveler with three centuries of history, vibrant nightlife, a robust arts community, and pristine beaches. “Historic,” has become an overworked adjective, too often used to embellish... [Read more...]
By: Tobin Bennison
Article Category: 20 Questions
TWENTY QUESTIONS with Aaron Collins, Conductor of the Space Coast Symphony Orchestra Within the profound realm of classical music, conductors are some of the most caricatured personages of the lot. The mere mention of them conjures images of gloweringly imperious white-maned figures gesticulating wildly from their symbolically heightened perches. But along with a clutch of up-and-coming younger maestros throughout the country — and the world — conductors like 27-year-old Cocoa Beach native... [Read more...]
By: L. Paul Mann
Article Category: Get Out Of Town
Several years ago, a friend suggested we spend New Year’s Eve in Salt Lake City, Utah. My first concern was whether or not we’d be able to find a place to enjoy a glass or two of champagne to celebrate the occasion. I am not a heavy drinker, but I do enjoy a couple of cocktails once in a while, especially on New Year’s Eve. I was under the impression that the famously Mormon capital city was a dry town. But I was persuaded to go along with the idea after being informed of the terrific vacation... [Read more...]
By: Tobin Bennison
Article Category: Skilled Labor
Surf artist Phil Goodrich, an Indialantic native now based in Fork, SC, began drawing in high school to express his frustration with the status quo. During the late ’80s, Melbourne High was focused almost completely on its football program, Goodrich remembers. “We tried to start a surf club and the school wouldn’t help us out at all,” he says. “Instead of fighting them, I made little cartoons and caricatures of the people who were working against us.” Starting... [Read more...]
