The
Summer's here and the time is right for ..........ohhh, you know the ending.
I love Summer. This may come as surprise, but with the mercury maintaining
around '95 degrees in the daytime, South Florida is actually cooler than
New York City, and Madrid Spain. Don’t feel bad if you weren't able
to get away this Summer. The bottom line is we live in a geographical
paradise almost all 365 days of the year. Compared to a few million other
of earth’s inhabitants we are very fortunate for our grandparents,
parents or ourselves to have found this little slice of nirvana. Perhaps
it is because the days are longer that time seems to stand as still as
the humid air. Everything and everyone seems to get a little bit more
relaxed. It's a dog's life, as I observe usually reserved and stodgy people
shedding inhibitions and letting their hair down (well most). This is
a time when it's possible to turn a mere acquaintance into a friend, and
to cultivate that periodic hello & handshake into a beneficial business
relationship. I love Summer because it's the time of the year when I get
a chance to catch up on things. I've been working-out a lot, fishing (on
a calm ocean) , and reading something other than email & faxes. It's
a beautiful thing to you just loaf around and not think about anything,
if just for a few moments. This has become my time to evaluate where I've
been and where I want to go. During the frenetic pace of high-season it's
easy to get sucked into the whirlwind of social events, thus it's easy
to become neglectful and complacent in spending quality time with those
near and dear, and unfortunately without even realizing it. The most fulfilling
aspect of my Summer, is tracking down old friends and relatives and engaging
in meaningful, in-depth conversations, making that extra call to my Aunt
June in Chicago, my Uncle John ( Herb ) in Michigan, my childhood friends
in Dallas. I find this to be most rewarding as it renews their confidence
in me as a true friend. These are the relationships that will always be
there to carry me through hard times. It's an exciting time be living
in here. Much is happening in the way of growth and progress in our county.
The transformation and rebirth of our downtown is unparalleled in terms
of national urban renewal. Commissioners Jim Exline and Al Zucaro are
doing a tremendous job working the Mayor on reshaping downtown. It's interesting
to sit on the sidelines and witness the evolution and merging of CITYPLACE
and CLEMATIS Street. With the trolley system up and running, it is the
current catalyst for creating a symbiotic economy both entities are benefiting
from. Looking forward we have a new Convention Center, new hotels, and
a Publix shopping center. Imagine that, an actual grocery store in downtown,
how 21st Century. If you turn to Page 22 you can read much more of what’s
going on in and around our county. With this issue we launch into our
third year of publishing. In this issue you may notice some subtle changes
in the aesthetic content. With the departure of founding Art Director
Ben Butler to Tennessee, we are very fortunate to have acquired the phenomenal
graphics skills of Jim Nicholas. With Jim's sense of style he is creating
a very modern and uniformed editorial layout.
The
Summer's here and the time is right for ..........ohhh, you know the ending.
I love Summer. This may come as surprise, but with the mercury maintaining
around '95 degrees in the daytime, South Florida is actually cooler than
New York City, and Madrid Spain. Don’t feel bad if you weren't able
to get away this Summer. The bottom line is we live in a geographical
paradise almost all 365 days of the year. Compared to a few million other
of earth’s inhabitants we are very fortunate for our grandparents,
parents or ourselves to have found this little slice of nirvana. Perhaps
it is because the days are longer that time seems to stand as still as
the humid air. Everything and everyone seems to get a little bit more
relaxed. It's a dog's life, as I observe usually reserved and stodgy people
shedding inhibitions and letting their hair down (well most). This is
a time when it's possible to turn a mere acquaintance into a friend, and
to cultivate that periodic hello & handshake into a beneficial business
relationship. I love Summer because it's the time of the year when I get
a chance to catch up on things. I've been working-out a lot, fishing (on
a calm ocean) , and reading something other than email & faxes. It's
a beautiful thing to you just loaf around and not think about anything,
if just for a few moments. This has become my time to evaluate where I've
been and where I want to go. During the frenetic pace of high-season it's
easy to get sucked into the whirlwind of social events, thus it's easy
to become neglectful and complacent in spending quality time with those
near and dear, and unfortunately without even realizing it. The most fulfilling
aspect of my Summer, is tracking down old friends and relatives and engaging
in meaningful, in-depth conversations, making that extra call to my Aunt
June in Chicago, my Uncle John ( Herb ) in Michigan, my childhood friends
in Dallas. I find this to be most rewarding as it renews their confidence
in me as a true friend. These are the relationships that will always be
there to carry me through hard times. It's an exciting time be living
in here. Much is happening in the way of growth and progress in our county.
The transformation and rebirth of our downtown is unparalleled in terms
of national urban renewal. Commissioners Jim Exline and Al Zucaro are
doing a tremendous job working the Mayor on reshaping downtown. It's interesting
to sit on the sidelines and witness the evolution and merging of CITYPLACE
and CLEMATIS Street. With the trolley system up and running, it is the
current catalyst for creating a symbiotic economy both entities are benefiting
from. Looking forward we have a new Convention Center, new hotels, and
a Publix shopping center. Imagine that, an actual grocery store in downtown,
how 21st Century. If you turn to Page 22 you can read much more of what’s
going on in and around our county. With this issue we launch into our
third year of publishing. In this issue you may notice some subtle changes
in the aesthetic content. With the departure of founding Art Director
Ben Butler to Tennessee, we are very fortunate to have acquired the phenomenal
graphics skills of Jim Nicholas. With Jim's sense of style he is creating
a very modern and uniformed editorial layout.