The art of peace
Last Modified: Saturday, September 22, 2007 at 4:48 a.m.
People greeted each other warmly and earnestly in typical church fashion, yet something seemed different, special.
Organizers hosted an Interfaith Vigil for Peace in Iraq last Sunday at the Venice United Church for Christ, amid a week of nationwide protests against the war in Iraq.
The UCC has been circulating a letter and petition, signed by conference ministers and presidents of Seminaries of the United Church of Christ, advocating the end to the war in Iraq as well as "an end to our reliance on violence as the first, rather than the last resort, and an end to the arrogant unilateralism of pre-emptive war." The Revs. Don Wilson and Gene Simpson took turns reading the letter several times during the vigil.
Nelson Hay, a Venice resident, coordinated the event. Inspired by the letter and by the churches' bold statement, Hay said, "The church has been surprisingly silent. It's nice to see them taking a stand."
The church hopes to get 100,000 signatures on the petition, which is available on its Web site, www.ucc.org.
Along with the UCC, representatives from an array of faiths were present. Muslim, Quaker, Catholic, Baha'i, Lutheran, Episcopalian and Santo Daimerepresentatives prepared speeches addressing subjects ranging from the current situation in Iraq and the history of the conflicts in the Middle East to the basic foundation of morality in each respective religion.
Nancyrose Logan, a Quaker from Venice, recently returned from an international Quaker meeting in Ireland, where she represented the U.S. along with 308 Quakers from around the world. She said it was "difficult representing the United States considering our actions in Iraq."
The vigil closed as local folk singer Mindy Simmons led the congregation in songs of faith and protest, ending with "I Wish You Peace" by John Miller.
A chorus echoed from the building as the vigil came to a close: "Peace and Amen, Shalom to You, Namaste, until we meet again."
Sounds of the holidays fill Summerville
Last Modified: Wednesday, December 12, 2007 at 12:00 a.m.
"We wanted to do something for the community," said Dominic Baiamonte, a 16 year old violinist and choir member from Pine View. "We decided that we should do something with our music, and bring it to people who would not normally hear it."
The group began the concert with carols, and encouraged the residents to sing along. Dominic's mother, Kathy Baiamonte, organized the concert and sang with the group. The pre-World War II building provided a beautiful setting and lovely acoustics for the event.
After the carols, Dominic was joined by his cousin Angelo Grauel, 17 of Barron Collier High School, for a number of violin duets including "Silent Night" and "Holly Jolly Christmas." Grauel plays in the BCHS orchestra as well as the Youth Philharmonic Orchestra in North Port.
Dominic's brother Vincent, 18, and Vera Higgs, 16, followed with several piano pieces; both attend Pine View School. Vincent wowed the residents with Holst's "In the Bleak Midwinter" and Vera performed a lively rendition of Tchaikovsky's "Nutcracker Suite." Higgs, a junior, has been playing piano for more than 10 years. She won the Tampa Bay Young Artist Concerto competition in April.
Vera's mother, Shigemi Higgs, a talented pianist as well, joined Vera during the concert for a duet.
"Our grandmother lived here for a while," said Vincent. "We wanted to do something fun for them." This is the fourth year that the group has performed for the residents.
By ASHTON GOGGANS CORRESPONDENT
Last Modified: Wednesday, December 5, 2007 at 12:00 a.m.
Manasota BUDS (Bringing Up Down Syndrome) south county meet. From 6 to 8 p.m. the first Monday of each month at Galleria Plaza, 2097 S. Tamiami Trail, Venice. Meetings include educational topics, informal sharing and networking. Refreshments and supervised playgroup for children and siblings. Call 493-8907 or go to the Web site at www.ManasotaBUDS.com.
More than 75 people took part in the event, which included a one mile walk and activities such as face painting, arts and crafts, games, and a dunk tank.
Sarah Gentry, a freshman English teacher at North Port High School, helped organize the event and was pleased with the turnout.
"This event is more about raising awareness than money. It's good to get the high school kids out here volunteering, and they get to meet the children with Down syndrome. They're kids, just like them," Gentry said.
Many of Gentry's students volunteered at the event. Some helped design games for the children, others helped youngsters customize T-shirts with markers and paint. Arielle Masucci, 8, painted swirls, hearts, flowers, and a smiley face.
Even though there were plenty of activities, the dunk tank area had the longest line. Several teachers volunteered to take their place in the tank and students came running at the opportunity to send there teachers into the depths, for a good cause, of course.
The Manasota BUDS, which stands for "Bringing Up Down Syndrome," organizes several events throughout the year to help families who are raising children with Down syndrome. The group offers a variety of art and music therapies as well as courses in sign language, which has proven to be immeasurably beneficial in aiding communication skills for children with Down syndrome.
Mike Feduccia, a BUDS board member, said, "It is really stressful for the children, not being able to communicate their emotions well. The sign language is incredibly effective at helping them express themselves: whether they are hungry, thirsty, etc."
Along with the services to children and families, the group provides information packets and DVDs and it offers scholarships for families in need. The group now has more than 150 families throughout Sarasota County.
People get health help at LDS fair
Last Modified: Wednesday, November 28, 2007 at 12:00 a.m.
Participating organizations included the Venice Police and Fire Department, the Hearing Center of South Florida, the Red Cross, the Bloodmobile and the Alzheimer's Association, among others.
Henry Cancel, president of the Gulf Coast chapter of the Alzheimer's Association, and a former New York City police officer and EMT, organized the event.
Cancel now works with law enforcement units throughout the state, training officers to recognize and handle individuals suffering from Alzheimer's using the "Safe Return" program.
In order to help people understand how Alzheimer's and other types of dementia affect the brain, Cancel had participants sit in a chair, hold a mirror with one hand and try to write their names or draw stick figures.
The participants were amazed at the level of difficulty involved in the task.
"It's really an incredibly difficult thing," said Jack Alexander after he tried to draw a house and write his name using the mirror.
Joe Whitehead, of the Venice Police Department, raved about Cancel's program.
"Any organization should have it. I have three people in my neighborhood alone who suffer from Alzheimer's. In this community it is a huge problem and the program has helped us deal with it accordingly."
Whitehead said the information has helped people not only return home safe but also become aware of their disease for the first time.
The Hearing Center of Southwest Florida performed free hearing tests and in the first two hours of the event had diagnosed nine people with hearing impairment and made appointments for them to be treated.
Don Heath, a licensed massage therapist, certainly had the longest waiting line for his free services.
"You should really sit down and try it, it's wonderful," said Jim Walker after a quick massage.
While the parents enjoyed the Health Fair, the children got tours of the fire engines from Rick Hornberger, Chris Mathews and Lt. Jay Del Castillo.
Stefania Dettorre got to wear a fire suit, while Brandon Guera got behind the wheel and played with the different tools.
Cancel hopes the event will grow and that more people will hear about it.
"A lot of these people need these services. It's free, in a relaxed atmosphere, and they get a lot of information," he said.
For more information about the Alzheimer's Association and the "Safe Return" program, visit www.alz-tbc.org.
Musical 'Salute' draws crowd
Last Modified: Wednesday, November 14, 2007 at 12:00 a.m.
Douglas Renfroe, baritone, joined the orchestra for several pieces such as "Hoe Down," from Aaron Copland's 1942 ballet Rodeo, and George Gershwin's "I got Plenty O' Nuttin."
The crowd cheered between songs as Dassow and Renfroe discussed the significance of each piece.
"You probably recognized 'Hoe Down' from the 'Beef: it's what's for dinner' commercials," Dassow joked.
The North Port Orchestra was formed in 1983 and performs at the NPPAC regularly. Led by Dassow, who serves as musical director, the orchestra consists of musicians of all ages and backgrounds. The theater, on the North Port High School campus, holds over 1,000 people, making it the second-largest theater in Sarasota County.
"It's wonderful that we have this theater here," said Rosalynd Drier of North Port. "It's beautiful, and the sound is amazing."
The Veterans Day celebration is one of dozens held throughout the year. Proceeds from the concerts go to North Port High School's music program.
More information on the group and upcoming events can be found at the Web site, www.NorthPortOrchestra.com.
This story appeared in print on page BV4
Park stroll highlights visually impaired
Last Modified: Sunday, October 21, 2007 at 12:00 a.m.
The stroll, sponsored by the Venice Council of the Blind, the Venice Lions and the Lighthouse of Manasota, was intended to raise awareness for visually impaired and legally blind individuals.
More than 60 people took part in the leisurely stroll through the park.
Janice Felski, executive director of the Lighthouse of Manasota, said, "we are here in hopes of ensuring the safety of the visually impaired individuals of the community." Lighthouse helps visually impaired individuals become as independent as possible.
The group teaches cooking, cleaning and computer skills and "everything except driving, pretty much," Felski said.
To ensure the members' safety as well as independence, the walk hoped to encourage drivers to stay aware of the visually impaired and the blind.
Sheri Moehling, a member of the Venice Council of the Blind, who specializes in computer training, said, "We use special software to teach them how to use the keyboard and mouse." In the 22 years the organization has been around, it has helped more than 5,000 individuals become almost entirely independent.
The Lighthouse has even formed social clubs for its members, such as a bridge club, craft club and book club. The services, which usually consist of 60 to 80 hours of courses, are free.
Donning shirts that read: "Close your eyes. Now cross the street," members of the three groups took to the Venice streets under a clear blue sky, handing out literature on the respective organizations and their mission statements.
Participants smiled and talked, soaking up the warmth of the mild fall sun. Onlookers met the walkers with friendly greetings.
"It's important for people to realize that there are people out there who are visually impaired who, in something as simple as crossing the street, are doing something courageous," Felski said.
The event proceeded to the Jacaranda Country Club for a luncheon where The Venice Council for the Blind presented The Venice Lions, The Lighthouse of Manasota, and Patti Wilburn, a member of the Venice Council for the Blind, with the "Dina Doris Community Service Award" for their work with the visually impaired community.
This story appeared in print on page BV4
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