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Charlotte • DeSoto • Sarasota

SUNThe Sunday

SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2020 | YOURSUN.COM | AN EDITION OF THE SUN | $3.00

Charlotte County Meals on Wheels needs help PAGE 1C

Do’s and don’ts while on the pathways in

a pandemic PAGE 1C

Ready to get back to normal?The overwhelming answer

from most of us is ...YES!Are we ready? Probably

not, but we’re getting close, according to most of our leadership, and some experts.

Of course, the questions we’re all wondering ...

When?What will it

look like?I’m by no

means an expert in this area but I’ve been paying very close attention to meetings at the national, state and local levels.

Here are some of my specula-tions on what we could expect as we transition to normal:

Social distancing is here to stay — for a long time. It may become the new normal if this virus continues to wreak havoc on our world. Especially, if there’s a resurgence in the fall as some are predicting.

Handshaking is over. I can’t see society going back to it. I think we’ve all learned the

importance of not touching each other, surfaces and our face. I still haven’t got used to not touching my face.

Events like concerts, sports, theaters, restaurants and anything that has large crowds in close proximity to each other will have to be very limited in some way. I can’t see anyone recommending large crowds gathering until this virus has stopped spreading naturally or by vaccine. In order to maintain proper distancing, venues would have to seat people every other row with spacing

between guests.I’m guessing that gives

these venues about one-third capacity. The concern with this change is profitability. Can events, venues and restaurants survive with limited seating capacity?

I think beaches and parks will get back to normal op-erations without restrictions beyond social distancing and no large gatherings. The beaches may not have closed if spring break wasn’t going on when everything was shutting down. Of course, if people don’t follow

CDC guidelines, our counties will be forced to close the beaches again.

The social distancing police will continue to be on the lookout for violators.

Masks will become more common. Probably more fashionable, too.

Many people will not buy toilet paper for a very long time. Not me. I was late to the TP hoarding game.

Our smallest businesses in our communities will probably

Getting back to normal will require adjustments

GLEN NICKERSON

Publisher and Editor

By LIZ HARDAWAYSTAFF WRITER

Local small businesses have found their federal loans in limbo.

Particularly, the Paycheck Protection Program, or PPP, loans that many small

businesses have relied on to keep their workers on payroll or just pay rent during the economic downturn caused by the coro-navirus pandemic in the recent weeks.

As of April 16, the U.S. Small Business Administration reported more than $342.2 billion in PPP loans going to more than 1.66 million entities nationwide.

Applications for loans were processed as early as April 3, and the program was supposed to be available through June 30.

Since then, though, the PPP fund has run dry, and many more businesses are struggling to figure out how to stay afloat.

“There basically isn’t enough,” said Teri Ashley, the executive director of the Charlotte County Chamber of Commerce.

However, an amendment to H.R. 266 was signed into law Friday by President Donald Trump, adding $310 billion to this fund.

Some local business owners, such as June Amara with

Creative Window Treatments, Melanie Markel with Array of Cabinets and Rick Barone with Pioneer Pizza, applied for the loans and were in the process of getting approved, but have not received their funds.

“(The program) ran out of money when it got to ours,” Markel said. She is hopeful, though, that she’ll get the money. But it didn’t come soon enough.

WHERE’S THE MONEY?

Small businesses

waiting for their

PPP loans

AP FILE PHOTO

President Donald Trump signs a coronavirus aid package to direct funds to small businesses, hospitals and testing in the Oval Office of the White House on Friday. Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., left, and Jovita Carranza, administrator of the Small Business Administration, look on.

SEE GLEN, 4A

SEE LOANS, 4A

By BOBBY CAINA CALVAN and ADRIANA GOMEZ LICON

ASSOCIATED PRESS

TALLAHASSEE — Florida officials opened an online portal Saturday for the public to weigh in on reopening the state amid the coronavirus outbreak

that has now shuttered schools and businesses for more than a month.

In making the announce-ment, the governor’s office said “public feedback will be a critical component” in the work of the Re-Open Florida Task Force, a panel charged by Gov. Ron DeSantis to help guide him in deciding whether to lift certain restrictions put in place to limit the spread of the virus.

As of Saturday, the state reported more than 30,800 known infections and said about 1,050 Floridians have died from COVID-19.

DeSantis on Saturday visited a clinic in Weston, Florida, and said the rate of positive tests was declining as the state continued to ramp up testing.

The governor said the state will allow pharmacies to administer COVID-19 tests

and announced state labs will be receiving new equipment in late May to significantly increase the number of daily samples tested. DeSantis also said officials would receive a shipment with antibodies tests on May 1.

The state has 40% of regular bed and ICU bed availability, DeSantis said, which he said was leading him to likely restart elective procedures and

surgeries soon.The governor and his task

force are attempting to strike a balance between public health and reviving the state’s damaged economy. The public portal is sure to draw opinions that will further stoke the debate about when might be the right time to reopen the state.

The governor’s stay-at-home

Florida weighs reopeningPublic invited

to chime in

SEE REOPENING, 4A

PAGE 2A SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2020 | The Sun | www.yoursun.com N/E/P/C

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Member of Alliance for Audited Media

ALMANACToday is Sunday, April 26, the

117th day of 2020. There are

249 days left in the year.

South Africa has first all-race elections

On April 26, 1994, voting

began in South Africa’s first

all-race elections, resulting

in victory for the African

National Congress and the

inauguration of Nelson

Mandela as president.

On this date

In 1607, English colonists

went ashore at present-day

Cape Henry, Virginia, on an

expedition to establish the first

permanent English settlement

in the Western Hemisphere.

In 1865, John Wilkes Booth,

the assassin of President

Abraham Lincoln, was

surrounded by federal troops

near Port Royal, Virginia, and

killed.

In 1986, an explosion and

fire at the Chernobyl nuclear

power plant in Ukraine caused

radioactive fallout to begin

spewing into the atmosphere.

(Dozens of people were killed

in the immediate aftermath

of the disaster while the long-

term death toll from radiation

poisoning is believed to

number in the thousands.)

Today’s birthdays

Actress-comedian Carol

Burnett is 87. Singer Bobby

Rydell is 78. Rock musician

Gary Wright is 77. Actress

Nancy Lenehan is 67. Rock

musician Roger Taylor (Duran

Duran) is 60. Actor Jet Li is

57. Actor-comedian Kevin

James is 55. Former U.S. Poet

Laureate Natasha Trethewey

is 54. Rapper T-Boz (TLC) is

50. First lady Melania Trump

is 50. Actress Simbi Kali is 49.

Actor Tom Welling is 43. Actor

Nyambi Nyambi is 41. Actor

Channing Tatum is 40.

Bible verse

“And I looked, and rose up,

and said unto the nobles, and

to the rulers, and to the rest

of the people, Be not ye afraid

of them: remember the Lord,

which is great and terrible, and

fight for your brethren, your

sons, and your daughters,

your wives, and your houses.”’

—NEHEMIAH 4:14.

We need not fear if God is on our side. Instead of focusing on the problem, remember the Lord.

Florida COVID-19 by the numbers(As of 8 p.m. April 25)

• Global cases: 2,892,508

• U.S. cases: 936,293

• Florida tests: 334,974

• Florida cases: 30,839

• Florida deaths: 1,055

• Charlotte County cases: 202

• Charlotte County deaths: 14

• DeSoto County cases: 24

• DeSoto County deaths: 4

• Lee County cases: 944

• Lee County deaths: 36

• Sarasota County cases: 318

• Sarasota County deaths: 32

Most cases in Florida: Dade County (11,005);

Broward County (4,659); Palm Beach County (2,614)

SOURCE: FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

If I have recovered from COVID-19, will I be immune to it?

CDC and partners are investigating to determine if you

can get sick with COVID-19 more than once. At this

time, we are not sure if you can become re-infected.

Until we know more, continue to take steps to protect

yourself and others.

SOURCE: WWW.CDC.GOV/CORONAVIRUS/2019-NCOV/FAQ.HTML

By SHAMIM ADAMBLOOMBERG NEWS (TNS)

The head of the Korean Friendship Association, a group that says it receives official information from North Korea, called news reports that Kim Jong Un is gravely ill untrue.

Alejandro Cao de Benos said “information about the serious state of health of our Marshal Kim Jong Un is false and malicious,” according to a post on Twitter. Cao did not say where he got the informa-tion and declined further comment when contacted by Bloomberg.

Kim has been reported to be in critical condition after undergoing cardio-vascular surgery. U.S. officials said Monday they were told Kim’s condition

was critical after the operation, though they were unsure of his current health. President Donald Trump on Thursday cast doubt about a CNN report saying the North Korean leader was gravely ill.

Kim was conspicuously absent from the April 15 birthday celebration for his grandfather, Kim Il Sung, who founded the nation. He has not been seen since he reportedly visited a military unit on April 12, raising speculation about his condition.

The Korean Friendship Association was founded in November 2000 with the intention of building international ties with North Korea, it said on its website.

North Korean sympathizer calls

news on Kim’s health ‘false’

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N/E/P/C www.yoursun.com | The Sun | SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2020 PAGE 3A

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Thursday, Markel had to lay off her only other employee. “It’s temporary,” she said. “If I get the PPP money, that will help. If I don’t, I don’t know. It’ll depend on how much business comes through the door after all this is over. I haven’t seen a single customer in a week.”

As of April 16, there were 88,997 loans approved for over $17.8 billion in Florida, with each loan averaging $200,716. Florida had the third-largest amount of approved loan recip-ients and fourth-largest amount of approved funds.

Nationwide, 1.2 million approved loans were for $150,000 and under, accounting for 74% of the approved loans but only 17% of the total allocated funds. These loans averaged a little over $47,420, as of April 16.

“Our small businesses are definitely the priority and desperately need funding,” Ashley said. “But I also realize that many in our local work-force are employed by larger companies and chains. I want to see all businesses succeed and everyone remain employed, no matter where they work.”

The highest portion of the funds, almost 28%, went to 1.5% of loan recipients, or almost 26,000 recipients. Each received at least $2 million for their loans, but on average, these businesses received over $3.6 million each, according to data available from the SBA April 16.

Markel was shocked that larger businesses were able to get these loans.

“I’m pretty sure it was meant for small businesses,” she said. “I’m sure they need the money, too, it’s just hard.”

“Those were not intended for those companies,” Barone said, talking about businesses with more than 500 employees receiving these loans. “Those are not small businesses.”

The construction industry received the largest amount of funds nationwide at 13%, with professional, scientific and technical services being the runner-up at 12.6%. The food services industry was granted 161,876 loans at the amount of $30.5 billion, the fifth-most funded industry from the PPP.

“I think most of our mem-bers have attempted to make a claim,” said John Wright, the president of the Punta Gorda Chamber of Commerce. However, he’s only heard of one

business that may have been granted funding.

Markel and Barone have only heard of a few businesses who received loans.

But Barone said his business, Pioneer Pizza in Port Charlotte, is not going to “go down” due to the state limiting restaurants to take-out and delivery. He did, however, have to temporarily lay off approximately 25 of his 35 staff members.

“If I had that extra payroll money, I could bring them back,” Barone said.

But for companies like Creative Window Treatments, Amara is worried that even if she does get that money and can bring employees back to work, she won’t have work for them to do.

“There are not a lot of people coming in,” Amara said, receiv-ing roughly 10% of the business she’s used to. “We’re not getting new business at this point. The future for the next eight weeks are the concerning part of it ... We want our employees busy, we want them doing work. The ideal situation is that there is work for them to do so that there’s a business to come back to.”

Amara warns that businesses can’t rely solely on their PPP loans. “It’s one small Godsend that keeps you going in a forward direction,” she said. “It’s not what happens right now, it’s what’s going to happen in the future.”

Another route small busi-nesses have taken to attempt to get loans is through the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity’s Small Business Emergency Loan program, which received more than 38,000 applications since March 17, according to the Florida SBDC Network.

As of April 14, the bridge loan program approved 1,000 loans, using up the full $50 million of funding appropriated to the program.

Markel is hopeful that this next round of PPP funds will stretch to more businesses.

“If they’re doing it the same way, they’re going to run into some problems again,” she said.

Markel is also worried that if businesses aren’t allowed to open up soon, “we’re going to have a lot of small businesses closing down.”

Amara thinks even when businesses are allowed to open up, “I don’t think a light switch is going to flip everything back to normal.”

“So, give some thought to how the next two to three months

are going to work for your business,” she suggests, and hopes residents opt to spend their money locally. “Stimulate your local economy.”

Barone is a little more optimistic.

He thinks after businesses are allowed to open up again, “people are going to come out.”

Even if they are still worried about social distancing, Barone

has knocked down a wall in his restaurant to spread out more people who want to dine-in.

“Time will heal everything,” Barone said. “By season, I think we’ll be back in full force. This is America and we’re going to bounce back stronger than ever.”

Email: [email protected]

SUN FILE PHOTO BY SUE WADE

On the delayed opening of his second Pioneers Pizza, Rick Barone said, “I have my one store now and I’m doing pretty good, considering. I just have to adapt and keep going.”

Small Business ResourcesIf you are a small business and need help, feel free to call or visit the

websites of these entities:

Charlotte County Chamber of Commerce

941-627-2222

www.CharlotteCountyChamber.

org

Punta Gorda Chamber of Commerce

941-639-3720

www.PuntaGordaChamber.com

Englewood Chamber of Commerce

941-474-5511

www.englewoodchamber.com

North Port Area Chamber of Commerce

941-564-3040

www.northportareachamber.

com

Charlotte County Economic Development Office

941-764-4941

www.Cleared4Takeoff.com

Career Source Southwest Florida

1-800-557-3242

www.

CareerSourceSouthwestFlorida.

com

Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan

For appointments, call the

Charlotte County Chamber of

Commerce at 941-627-2222

www.FloridaDisasterLoan.org

Small Business Administration

1-800-659-2955

www.SBA.gov/Disaster

DeSoto County Chamber of Commerce

863-494-4033

www.facebook.com/

desotochamberfl

suffer the most during this crisis. Many may not make it to the opening. Many may not survive the year. We spent decades trying to rebuild our downtowns and shopping areas after large box stores and Amazon decimated small retail-ers. We cannot let the work we did to rebuild downtowns and communities go to waste.

We cannot let small business-es become victims of COVID-19. Our local leaders and the community need to help our small businesses. We should include all restaurants in this

small business group that need more help.

Shopping may be much different, too. Stores will reopen, but they may operate differently. Curbside pickup is already growing, so that should continue. There may be limitations on the number of shoppers based on the square footage of stores.

Technologies for some businesses will have to im-prove. Some businesses had to quickly adapt to working from home. Some had to move their technologies to the cloud to allow remote workers. Businesses are adapting to the new needs of their customers. People reducing their contact

with others will try to do more online from home.

The businesses will have to embrace technologies to meet customer needs. This includes better websites, mobile apps and delivery services. But, this requires a lot of money that our small businesses do not have right now. We need a better plan to help our smallest businesses survive.

Schools present a unique challenge to our state and local leaders. How the heck do we socially distance kids in the classroom, hallways, cafeteria and buses? Space is already an issue at many schools. We’ve all seen the portable classrooms over the years. Some kids may

not be able to go back due to vulnerable parents or grand-parents at home.

Virtual schooling may help alleviate the classroom sizing, but it may not be enough. The cafeterias might have to adjust to one-third capacity. Kids might have to eat in their class-rooms. Schools may function in shifts, but that creates a busing issue. What about sports? There’s just too many issues for schools to address here. Thankfully, they did not reopen this school year.

Our state and counties have a lot of issues to deal with as we work to reopen our commu-nities. The travel and tourism industry is one of the biggest

hurdles. Florida relies heavily on tourism revenue and the tax dollars it brings us. Theme parks, hotels, airlines and the cruise industry are a signif-icant challenge. Agriculture is another crucial industry in Florida that is suffering due to closed schools, hotels, theme parks and cruise ships.

In summary, there is no transition to normal. Not at this point.

We have a ways to go, but we’ll get there, everyone.

Glen Nickerson is the publisher and editor of The Daily Sun. You can reach him at [email protected]

GLENFROM PAGE 1A

By LISA MASCAROASSOCIATED PRESS

WASHINGTON — They long for what’s being lost: the ability to publicly question officials at committee hearings, to chat across the aisle, to speak from the House and Senate floor for all of America, and history, to hear.

Congress wants its voice back.

With no real plan to reopen Capitol Hill any time soon, the coronavirus shutdown poses an existential crisis that’s pushing Congress ever so reluctantly toward the 21st century option of remote legislating from home.

“It’s the ability to be an equal branch of government,” said Rep. Katie Porter, a freshman Democrat from California.

Divisions are fierce, but so too is the sense of what is being lost. Every day lawmakers shel-ter at home, their public role is being visibly diminished. While they are approving record sums

of virus aid, they are ceding authority to oversee the effort and tackle next steps.

It’s an imbalance of power for all to see: President Donald Trump’s daily public briefings without a robust response from Capitol Hill, though there have been discussions within the White House about changing the format of the briefings to curtail his role.

“This is a time where over-sight is really important,” said Rep. Derek Kilmer, D-Wash., a leader of the moderate New Democrats caucus.

The pandemic “begs for Congress’s engagement, virtual or otherwise,” he said.

Changing the rules to allow lawmakers to cast votes or hold hearings from home would be unprecedented in House and Senate history. The Constitution requires law-makers be “present” for most action.

The simmering debate cuts across political fault lines. Some lawmakers want to

stick with tradition; others are tech-savvy and ready for change. A vocal band of conservatives insists Congress must reopen now, despite public health warnings, echoing Trump’s push to end the shut-down. Others have no interest in returning to the crowded Capitol complex until it’s safe.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., shelved a proposal for proxy voting this past week af-ter Republicans objected. Once resistant to what she called “Congress by Zoom” meeting, she tapped a bipartisan task force to present fresh ideas.

In the Senate, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., rejected a GOP remote vote proposal. He expects Congress to return May 4, as planned.

The reluctance to change is leaving the legislative branch behind after even the tradition-bound Supreme Court announced it would hear oral arguments by teleconference as stay-home rules reorder civic life.

“It’s a huge can of worms,” said Sarah Binder, a profes-sor at George Washington University.

She said the pandemic pro-vokes a set of issues far beyond the logistics of working remote-ly. Among them: Is it safe to return to Capitol Hill? Can you be “present” if you appear on a computer screen?

But she said, “They need a solution if they’re not going to be able to come back.”

Lawmakers say they can only do so much on conference calls and virtual town hall meetings as they assess $3 trillion in coronavirus aid and consider annual spending, defense and other bills.

While the 100 senators can usually command attention on their own, the 435 rank-and-file House members have a harder time being heard.

One prime opportunity is time allotted to lawmakers at committee hearings.

It may be just five minutes on C-SPAN. But for members of

Congress, the committee means everything. It’s their chance to make a difference.

Porter knows firsthand what’s being lost with Congress away.

As the pandemic emerged, she wrote a letter asking the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to provide free virus testing as country scrambled to slow the spread of COVID-19.

“They blew us off,” she said.But when CDC Director

Dr. Robert Redfield appeared before the House Oversight and Reform Committee, Porter had her moment.

In a video that went viral, she grilled Redfield on whether he would commit to invoking authority under federal law to declare pandemic testing free.

He said yes.“It wasn’t until we got Dr.

Redfield in front on me, and I had my five minutes with the cameras on him, in front of the American people, that I was able to get an answer,” she said.

Congress-at-home eyes reboot during virus

LOANSFROM PAGE 1A

order expires May 8, and he said he would provide an update on that directive this weekend. He said he thought it would be safe to restart cer-tain sporting events without an audience, and hinted that restaurants with limited out-door seating could lift some of the stress at supermarkets. DeSantis said he wasn’t ready to allow movie theaters or bars to open up.

“The prudent way to do it is to be very methodical about it. Be very data driven. I am not in a rush to do anything. I would rather do it right,” DeSantis said. “People should just know that we are in uncharted waters here. Nobody knows really what’s specifically been effective or not.”

The economy is the central focus of the governor’s task force.

School and business closures, as well as the governor’s “safer-at-home” edicts, have strained the economy and left hundreds of thousands of people without paychecks.

It has also led to countless frustrations among the newly jobless, who continued to have difficulty getting unem-ployment benefits — with much of the difficulty tied to the state’s glitch-prone unemployment system. That frustration mounted when state officials said its site would not be available for the weekend to people checking on the status of their claims.

As of Saturday, the state’s online unemployment dashboard reported that more than 785,000 Floridians had submitted claims since mid-March for unemployment benefits, with less than half processed. Of those, about 166,000 have gotten paid.

Florida has struggled more than other states to clear its backlog of claims.

Small business owners, especially those in smaller counties that have not seen the surge of coronavirus cases experienced in hard-hit South Florida, have been ant-sy to reopen for business. But some cautioned that lifting restrictions too early could be dangerous to public health and prolong the crisis.

REOPENINGFROM PAGE 1A

2020_04_26_ota_enc_04.pdf 1 26-Apr-20 01:00:43


By MICHAEL TACKETT and JOSH BOAK

ASSOCIATED PRESS

WASHINGTON — The New Deal was really a series of new deals, spread out over more than six years during the Great Depression — a menu of nation-ally scaled projects that were one part make-work and many parts lasting impact. They delivered a broad-shouldered expression of presidential authority whose overall benefits were both economic and psychological.

Not all of them worked. Some failed badly. But it was a try-any-thing moment by Franklin D. Roosevelt at a time of national despair. And it remade the role of the federal government in American life.

Men were hired to plant trees in Oklahoma after the Dust Bowl and to build roads, bridges and schools. Writers and artists were dispatched to chronicle the hardship, employing authors like Saul Bellow and Ralph Ellison. In most every state, you can still see murals or read local histories or walk into enduring projects like LaGuardia Airport and Dealey Plaza in Dallas.

These programs were designed to provide get-by wages in exchange for work. But others were crafted to remake society. Social Security was instituted to save the elderly from poverty, federal insurance on banks to renew trust in the financial system, minimum wage and labor rights to redistribute the balance of power between employer and employee.

Now, nearly 90 years later, the United States is fighting a disease that presents the country with wrenching life-and-death chal-lenges. Yet at the same time, it has served up something else as well: a rare opportunity to galvanize Americans for change.

And as the U.S. confronts its most profound financial crisis since the Depression, brought on by the most deadly pandemic in a century, there are early soundings of a larger question: What would a “new” New Deal look like?

For the historian Doris Kearns Goodwin, whose latest book is “Leadership in Turbulent Times,” the very act of discussing such a possibility is productive in itself. “It at least allows you to think of something that could come out of this that could be positive.”

• • •The New Deal’s legacy

still provides support today. Unemployment insurance. Retirement and disability income. Transparency in the stock mar-kets. Infrastructure that ensures a steady flow of electricity and supply of water.

Yet the coronavirus outbreak has also revealed how ill-equipped the government was to address the rapidly escalating fallout of 26 million job losses, overwhelmed hospitals and mil-lions of shuttered businesses only weeks away from failure.

“We basically have a 21st-cen-tury economy wobbling on a 20th-century foundation,” said Rahm Emanuel, the former mayor of Chicago and chief of staff to President Barack Obama. “We need to upgrade the system to have a 21st-century economy in all respects.”

Among the questions at hand:• How can Americans have

greater access to savings for retirement and financial emer-gencies? There are fewer workers than a generation ago, and many face higher costs for housing and school.

• How can the government ensure greater resources for medical care in a crisis? This would mean that mission-critical workers, from nurses to gro-cery-store clerks, have stockpiles of equipment to stay safe. It would mean people could get test-ed and treated without crippling hospital bills. And it would mean researchers have incentives to develop vaccines and bring them to market faster.

President Donald Trump has talked up infrastructure programs and affordable health-care but offered few details.

Democratic lawmakers must work with a president their base of voters distrusts and despises. The likely consequence: Any mandate for change will come from the ballot boxes this November.

Just this past week, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), leaned hard on programs of the New Deal to offer legislation to create a federal “health force” to employ workers “for future pub-lic health care needs, and build skills for new workers to enter the public health and health care workforce.” It is unlikely the Republican-controlled Senate would consider such legislation, but it also shows what Democrats might have in mind as voters contemplate upcoming elections.

Both parties have an uneasy relationship with how states and the federal government should share their power, and any reprise of the New Deal would likely enhance Washington’s authority.

Trump has yet to offer a systemic solution to the crisis. though he has approved record levels of direct assistance to businesses and individuals. Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee, has talked more about combating the pandemic than he has about re-imagining what kind of country might emerge from it.

So far, Congress has com-mitted more than $2 trillion to sustaining the economy during the outbreak. But most econo-mists see that unprecedented sum as relief, not recovery or reform — just one of the “three Rs” of the New Deal.

Any recovery will rely on gov-ernment programs to catalyze the economy so that hiring and commerce can flow again. The public will also expect reforms that make the nation more resilient against future emergen-cies, so people feel comfortable enough to take the risks that lead to innovation and prosperity.

Investing in infrastructure holds bipartisan appeal. Trump has repeatedly called for up-grades to roads, bridges and pipelines. Democrats would like to ensure that internet connec-tivity, including next-generation 5G, exists in rural and poorer communities.

But other options have existed mainly in the white papers of think tanks, academics and advocacy groups. There is a new-found appetite for them, which could overpower even the highly polarized politics of this moment.

“The question people always ask is, what would it take to break through that extreme partisanship?” Goodwin said.

A WILLINGNESS TO WORK TOGETHER?After 9/11, much of the criti-

cism of the federal government focused on a collective “failure of imagination.”

Nineteen years later, that phrase has a new context as Washington tries to fashion a response to the coronavirus. It’s a challenge at a scale the nation has not seen since 1932, when Roosevelt, a Democrat, defeated Republican President Herbert Hoover with a promise of better days ahead — a “new deal” for the “forgotten man.”

When New Deal programs were unveiled, no one definitively knew what had caused the U.S. econo-my to collapse, unlike now, when the culprit and the vulnerabilities are clearer.

The political climate was fundamentally different then. Roosevelt, celebrated for his optimism and empathy, had muscular Democratic majorities in Congress. But he also sought to unite the country. His first radio “fireside chat” in 1933 was devot-ed to asking Americans to trust the banking system again. “He promised them that they could get their money back,” Goodwin said. The next fireside chat called for systemic change that Roosevelt argued would regulate capitalism’s extremes and provide a safety net.

“Roosevelt was very concerned with the idea of one body politic,” said Allan Winkler, a professor emeritus at Miami University of Ohio, who testified before Congress about the New Deal in 2009 during the height of the financial crisis. “I worry about that in the current situation, that we don’t have a willingness to work together.”

But the New Deal programs stemmed from bold visions that could be implemented by political leaders, he cautioned. “In our fragmented body politic, it would take an extraordinary politician to do what is necessary.”

This is why a debate is starting among policy thinkers about the components needed for recovery and reform: so that leaders can feel empowered to take action.

Emanuel sees two needed chapters — one to provide imme-diate aid and a second with more lasting change.

“We need another bill to jump start the economy,” Emanuel said. He says it should be followed by investments in infrastructure to improve online connectivity so that learning, medicine and work can get through stay-at-home orders.

The case for a major rebuilding may become clear if dire forecasts of a second-quarter decline in annual economic output ranging from 30% to 50% come true.

“I think we are going to see an epic lockup in the mortgage markets as people are going to be unable to make their payments,” said Louis Hyman, a historian at Cornell University.

This same cascade of defaults existed in the Great Depression. The New Deal swung to the rescue with the Home Owners’ Loan Corporation, which bought past-due mortgages with govern-ment bonds and blocked a wave of foreclosures. Government officials also developed what would become 30-year mortgages.

The loan’s stable interest rates helped spur new construction.

But now, Hyman says, there’s a “painful truth”: The bulk of most people’s wealth is tied up in their homes — and inaccessible in a crisis.

“The policy that would undo that is to enable people to accu-mulate wealth in other ways,” he wrote in an email. Those include better pay, capital market invest-ment incentives and, especially, “building lots of houses for the under-housed.”

THE IDEOLOGICAL SPLITAny attempt at updating a

New Deal will reflect ideological differences between Democrats and Republicans.

Framing this divide is a simple choice: Is it better to establish a government firewall that can pro-tect the economy during future downturns? Or should the tax code and regulations be re-engi-neered so that private companies and individuals can more easily adapt to pandemics?

Heather Boushey, president of the Washington Center for Equitable Growth, says allowing government aid to automatically increase as the economy began to fall would have been one of “our best defenses so that the coronavi-rus recession does not turn into a full-scale economic depression.”

“Responding to the crisis without also making our econo-my more resilient against future shocks would be a mistake,” she said. Automatic triggers for ex-panded jobless benefits, increased medical aid and new construction spending would ease the pain of a downturn and speed recovery.

More conservative economists believe adjustments to the tax code and regulations will improve growth and resilience.

Price Fishback, an economist at the University of Arizona known for his work studying the Depression era, proposes another, more abstract notion as a key to fashioning a New Deal for the 21st century: humility.

Even New Deal programs that improved lives did not insulate the American people. There was stagflation in the 1970s. Untamed financial markets fueled a housing bubble during the 2000s. And at the end of 2019, no major economist forecasting this year envisioned that a pandemic would throw the world into turmoil.

The United States would be stronger with improved internet connectivity, more housing, government programs that can cushion a downturn and a health care system that can handle cri-ses and emergencies. Life would be better. But the nation would be far from impervious.

So stay humble, Fishback urges.

Out of a pandemic crisis, what could a new New Deal look like?

Looking back at

history could help

provide a glimpse

to our future

In this March 1933 file photo, President Franklin D. Roosevelt delivers his first radio “fireside chat” in Washington.

FILE PHOTOS

In this March 26, 1937 file photo, Works Progress Administration (WPA) workers make copper uten-sils for Pima County Hospital in Texas. The New Deal was a try-anything moment during the Great Depression that remade the role of the federal government in American life.

To view today’s legal notices and more visit,

www.floridapublicnotices.com

To view today’s legal notices and more visit,

www.floridapublicnotices.com

3000

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By TONY CAPACCIOBLOOMBERG NEWS (TNS)

WASHINGTON — Even before President Donald Trump’s vow to “shoot down” Iranian speedboats if they harass American ships in international waters, the U.S. Navy was bolstering its ability to call in AC-130 gunships and Apache attack helicopters to defend its presence in the Persian Gulf.

A practice run for the new tactics on April 15 drew 11 gunboats from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps that crossed the bows and sterns of American vessels at close range. And that prompted

Trump’s tweet on April 22 saying he’d “instructed the United States Navy to shoot down and destroy any and all Iranian gunboats if they harass our ships at sea.”

Going back to the Obama administration, Revolutionary Guard members in small but agile speedboats have harassed U.S. ships, but the encounters usually have ended with warnings from the Americans to back off. As far back as 2007, the Office of Naval Intelligence estimated Iran had a fleet of 1,000 small boats that was growing. In early January 2017 a U.S. Navy guid-ed-missile naval destroyer fired warning shots at

four Iranian rapid-attack craft in the Strait of Hormuz.

While attention has turned on the latest con-frontation at sea between Iran and the U.S. — and on Trump’s vow to stop such close encounters — there’s been little focus on the recent moves by the U.S. Central Command to come better-armed with joint Navy, Air Force and Army systems for spotting targets and transferring data.

The live-fire gunship exercises began in March as a first-time effort at coordination between Navy patrol coastal ships, the service’s P-8A Poseidon reconnaissance aircraft and the Air

Force’s special operations AC-130 gunships, which are capable of nighttime attacks. Armed with a 30mm Gatling gun and precision-guided muni-tions, the famed gunships have been used to attack ground targets — but not naval targets — from Vietnam to Grenada, Panama, Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan.

Then on April 15, Navy vessels were practicing coordinated operations with Army AH-64E Apache tank-busting attack helicopters when the U.S. says Iranian boats came within 50 yards of the USS Lewis B. Puller and within 10 yards of the bow of the Coast Guard cutter Maui.

Under the new ap-proach, the Apaches can be stationed on the Puller, the Navy’s first specially designed floating sea base. The Puller, a destroyer and other, smaller U.S. vessels were practicing spotting targets for the Apaches and transmitting the information. The exer-cises continued through April 19.

The Apache exercise shows how the Army “can use naval platforms as lily pads to expand their operational range along with providing security in its region of operation,” Cmdr. Rebecca Rebarich, the spokeswoman for the Navy’s 5th Fleet, said in an email. “The security acts as a deterrent for any threats against the U.S. and allied watercraft.”

Helicopters have been used occasionally to escort vessels into the Persian Gulf, including in September 1987 when U.S. special operations choppers based on a frig-ate shadowed and struck an Iranian vessel laying mines during “Operation Earnest Will,” an effort by U.S. and allies to guard oil tankers against attack in the Persian Gulf.

“These exercises show U.S. forces can go on the offensive against Iranian small boats, rather than simply defending against them,” said Bryan Clark, a former special assistant to the chief of naval operations who’s now a naval analyst for the Hudson Institute. The Navy previously relied on “deck guns and onboard helicopters, which can be overwhelmed by a large boat swarm.”

The Apaches can fire Hellfire laser-guided missiles or shoot guns, he said. “Since the helicopter can move fast and is shooting down at the boats, they have an easier time hitting than surface ships trying to hit a fast boat that is bouncing on the water.” The AC-130 “essentially can strafe the boats,” he said.

Now the question is whether Trump’s warning to Iran will deter conflict with Iran or escalate that prospect. What Trump described as an instruction to fire in all cases of harassment has been portrayed by military officials more as an option if captains feel their crews are in danger.

US gunships ready to deliver on warning to Iran

By CLAUDIA THALERDPA (TNS)

MOSCOW — The World Health Organization is doing its job properly in the midst of the novel coronavirus crisis, said Russia on Saturday, bat-ting back U.S. criticism of the international agency.

“I think the WHO is living up to its role as the leading and coordinating agency,” said Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, in comments to Russian media. “Yes, it’s not ideal. But nobody is perfect.”

Earlier this month, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that his country would end its contributions to the WHO budget, arguing that lives had been lost because the WHO had mismanaged the health crisis and put too much faith in information from China, where the disease first transferred from animals to humans.

Trump argued that the WHO’s mistakes have allowed the virus to grow into a pandemic that has infected millions worldwide and led nearly 200,000 to die of COVID-19, the respiratory disease

that the virus can cause.But Lavrov said he

thinks such criticism has little to do with the WHO’s performance.

“In my opinion, people want to use such attacks to justify one’s own approach, which came too late and wasn’t adequate.”

Trump has been roundly criticized for not taking the spread of the virus seriously until it had spread widely in America, as well as for leaving federal health agencies unprepared for such an outbreak.

Lavrov said the pan-demic’s spread has also revealed problems in the European Union, weaken-ing the bloc.

“Nation states are expressing the wish to be more reliant on themselves,” he said, adding that this was not a problem specific to the virus.

“It probably reflects a certain exhaustion. It’s absolutely obvious in the EU how stubborn and coercive the multina-tional and supranational bureaucracy can be.”

But he added that the virus can only be fought with cooperation.

Russia comes to WHO’s defense as it slams US

for virus response

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PUBLIC NOTICE - CITY OF NORTH PORTNOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

ORDINANCE NO. 2020-20 NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the North Port, Florida City Commission will meet on May 7, 2020

at 1:00 P.M. utilizing communication media technology to meet via video conferencing, to conduct

a public hearing and consider adoption of the following ordinance. Due to the ongoing Coronavirus/

COVID-19 pandemic, City Hall is closed to the public. In accordance with the Governor’s Executive Order

No. 20-69 and the City Manager’s Emergency Order No. 2020-06, a live stream of the meeting will be

broadcast on the internet. Information about ways to watch the live stream and provide public comment will be posted on the

city’s website at www.cityofnorthport.com/onlinemeetings. The agenda, ordinance(s), and meeting

information will be posted on the front windows of City Hall and on the agenda management

website at https://cityofnorthport.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx.

ACCESS THE MEETING - This virtual meeting will be broadcast live for members of the public to view:

(1) On the City’s website at https://cityofnorthport.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx; (2) on the City’s

YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/northportfl ; and (3) online via Zoom at www.zoom.us or via the

Zoom app; meeting ID 973 2433 4631. The public may listen to the audio only via phone by dialing one

of the following numbers: (646) 558-8656; (312) 626-6799; or (301) 715-8592 or (346) 248-7799. When

the meeting ID is requested, enter 966 0062 2842 and then press the # key.

PUBLIC COMMENT - Properly submitted comments will be accepted and included in the offi cial record

of the meeting. Any comment received that does not meet the public comment requirements will be

rejected and will not be included in the offi cial record of the meeting. Those wishing to address the City

Commission relative to the following ordinance(s) may:

• Submit a written comment via the online public comment form on the City’s Online Public Comment

webpage at www.cityofnorthport.com/publiccomment. The form will become active at 9:00

a.m. the day before the meeting and deactivated at the end of public comment during the

meeting. The commenter must complete the fi elds marked as “required” and the comment cannot

exceed 3000 characters.

• Leave a voicemail message via telephone at 941-429-1032. Voicemail messages will be accepted

the day before the meeting from 8:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. The commenter must leave all information

identifi ed as “required” in the City’s outgoing message and must not exceed two minutes, fi fteen

seconds.

In the event communications media technologies are implemented to also accept live public comment

(via telephone or video conferencing), instructions will be posted in advance of the meeting to the

cityofnorthport.com website and the agenda management website. For those needing assistance, please

contact the City Clerk’s Offi ce at 941-429-7064 for assistance by 9:00 AM on the day of the meeting.

ORDINANCE NO. 2020-20An Ordinance of the City of North Port, Florida, Amending the Non-District Budget for Fiscal Year 2019-20 by Transferring $2,860,218 from the Park Impact Fee Fund Balance, $24,842 from the Fire/Rescue Impact Fee Fund Balance and $85,947 from the Law Enforcement Impact Fee Fund Balance and Increasing the Estimated Revenues for the Park Impact Fee Fund for Reimbursement of Costs as Outlined in the West Villages Developer Agreement (Post Annexation); Providing for Findings; Providing for Confl icts; Providing for Severability; and Providing an Effective DateIf a person decides to appeal any decision made by the City Commission with respect to any matter

considered at such meeting, they will need a record of the proceedings and should ensure that a verbatim

record of the proceedings is made, which record includes the testimony and evidence upon which the

appeal is to be based.

Copies of said ordinances may be obtained by contacting the Offi ce of the City Clerk, City Hall, 4970 City

Hall Blvd., North Port, Fl 34286 (941) 429-7064 in writing or by phone.

Heather Taylor

City Clerk

Publish: April 26, 2020

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Deputies: Man made bomb threat

to avoid workWELLINGTON (AP) —

A Florida construction worker called in a bomb threat to a water treat-ment facility to get a day off work, authorities said.

Richard Hamilton, 36, was arrested Thursday and charged with making a bomb threat, the Palm Beach Post reported.

More than 20 people evacuated Wellington’s water treatment plant shortly after the threaten-ing 911 call around 7 a.m. Thursday, according to the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office. Hamilton had been working with a construction crew at the facility and later told deputies that he made the threat because he was having a bad day and didn’t want to work.

The sheriff’s bomb squad, a bomb dog and drones searched Hamilton’s vehicle and the surrounding area and found no evidence of a bomb, the sheriff’s office said. Wellington’s water service was not affected, village officials said.

Hamilton was being held on $10,000 bond.

$7M to improve land and water in Florida,

GeorgiaTALLAHASSEE (AP)

— A land conservation group is getting $7 mil-lion in federal money to improve land and water in parts of the Florida Panhandle and south Georgia.

Tallahassee-based Tall Timbers says it’s getting the money from the National Resources Conservation Service under part of the 2018 federal farm bill that calls for the U.S. Department of Agriculture to work with private partners.

Tall Timbers says it will use the money to improve water quality, wildlife habitat and economic opportunities in the watersheds of the Aucilla and St. Marks rivers.

The project will buy conservation easements, help with habitat man-agement on public and private lands, and share costs to improve farm-land. The project will also hold community events to raise awareness and un-dertake an experimental project to benefit oyster fisheries.

Tall Timbers, which promotes land steward-ship in in the longleaf pine regions of south Georgia and the Florida panhandle, says it will work with other groups and private landowners beginning this fall

Man guilty of threatening, sending dead rat to ex-wife

TAMPA (AP) — An Indiana man faces up to fives years in federal prison for threatening his ex-wife over several years and mailing a dead rat to her Florida home.

Romney Christopher Ellis, 55, of Indianapolis, Indiana, pleaded guilty Thursday in Tampa federal court to making interstate threats and mailing injurious arti-cles, according to court records.

According to a criminal complaint, Ellis had engaged in a four-year-long campaign of harass-ment against his ex-wife, who lives in Tampa, through text messages, photographs, videos and mailings. He threatened to decapitate and set her on fire, investigators said. He routinely made racially and sexually charged statements in the text messages, including sending sexually explicit images of himself. Ellis sent text messages stating that he had traveled from Indiana to Florida to see his ex-wife. On one occasion, Ellis mailed a

package to the victim’s home containing a dead rat and black rose.

Postal inspectors exe-cuted a search warrant at Ellis’s Indianapolis home in February. Prosecutors said they recovered a handwritten note con-taining the names and addresses of his ex-wife, as well as her family and friends.

Supersonic jet company plans to relocate to Florida

MELBOURNE (AP) — A company that hopes to make supersonic business jets is coming to Florida.

Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Friday that Aerion Supersonic has agreed to relocate its headquarters to Melbourne, Florida, not far from Kennedy Space Center. The company is currently based in Reno, Nevada.

Company president Tom Vice said Aerion plans to break ground

at Orlando Melbourne International Airport by the end of the year and employ 675 people at the plant by 2026. The company says the average salary will be $105,000.

“We are building the next generation of high-speed transportation networks that will revo-lutionize global mobility without leaving a carbon footprint on our world,” Vice said in a statement. “Our AS2 business jet — the world’s first privately built supersonic aircraft — is the first stage in that exciting endeavor.”

The company’s website says the AS2 will be able to travel at 1000 miles per hour, but no sonic boom will be heard on the ground. The company says the plane would be able to fly from New York to Los Angeles in just over three hours, about 90 minutes faster than currently possible.

The company says it is the first aircraft manu-facturer to set a goal of

carbon neutrality and that the jet will be able to fly on 100% biofuel.

Authorities warn of road rage among

mating gatorsBRADENTON (AP)

— Around this time of year, Floridians don’t just have to worry about aggressive drivers on the road — they should be on the lookout for aggressive alligators, too, according to officials who on Friday had to remove a 9-foot gator from a county road.

The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office warned motorists that it’s that time of year when alligators, um, fall in love but might not always be so affectionate.

“It’s gator mating season. This means they could be more mobile and aggressive than usual,” the sheriff’s office wrote in a Facebook post.

A male gator measuring 9 feet, 2 inches had to be removed from a roadway

after it was spotted “being aggressive with traffic.” Sheriff’s deputies captured the reptile and relocated him to an alligator farm.

Wildlife officials say mating season in Florida begins in early April and could continue into June.

Ex-US Rep Brown out of prison early amid

virus concernsJACKSONVILLE

(AP) — Former U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown, once a powerful Florida Democrat, has been released from federal prison over coronavirus concerns after serving just over two years of a five-year sentence for fraud and other crimes related to a purported charity for poor students that she used as a person-al slush fund.

Brown, 73, left the central Florida facility recently, according to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons website. The BOP

provided no other details.Brown’s attorney,

William Mallory Kent, asked a judge earlier this month to release Brown to protect her from the coronavirus pandemic, which has been spread-ing through the prison system. He withdrew the request the next day, saying she planned to refile a request for release with the BOP. Kent didn’t immediately respond to messages from The Associated Press.

Court documents said Brown suffers from sev-eral ailments, including diabetes and high blood pressure.

Brown, who in 1992 became one of the first three African-Americans elected to Congress from Florida since Reconstruction, was convicted by a federal jury in May 2017 on 18 of the 22 charges against her. The charges included fraud and lying on her tax returns and congressional financial disclosures.

STATE NEWS BRIEFS

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NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING FOR ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING MATTERS: PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE FUTURE

LAND USE MAP AND COMPREHENSIVE PLAN ELEMENTS, DEVELOPMENTS OF REGIONAL IMPACT OR CHANGES THERETO, REZONINGS, PRELIMINARY PLATS, DRC FINAL DETAIL PLANS OR CHANGES THERETO, TEXT AMENDMENTS AND STREET NAMING

A PUBLIC HEARING ON PROPOSALS AND PETITIONS AS DESCRIBED BELOW WILL BE CONDUCTED BY THE PLANNING AND ZONING BOARD ON MONDAY, MAY 11, 2020, at 1:30 P.M. OR AS SOON THEREAFTER AS THE MATTER MAY BE HEARD DURING THE COURSE OF ACTION. THE HEARING WILL BE HELD IN COMMISSION CHAMBERS, ROOM 119, FIRST FLOOR, BUILDING A, THE CHARLOTTE COUNTY ADMINISTRATION CENTER, 18500 MURDOCK CIRCLE, PORT CHARLOTTE, FLORIDA. THE PLANNING AND ZONING BOARD IS NOT BOUND TO CONSIDER THE PETITIONS IN THE ORDER LISTED IN THIS NOTICE. ANY OF THESE PETITIONS MAY BE CONSIDERED AS SOON AS THE MEETING COMMENCES.COPIES OF SAID PETITIONS WITH COMPLETE LEGAL DESCRIPTIONS AND SUBSEQUENT STAFF REPORTS WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR REVIEW AT THE CHARLOTTE COUNTY COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT (18400 MURDOCK CIRCLE) AND ALL CHARLOTTE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARIES. ADOBE PORTABLE DOCUMENT FORMAT (.pdf) FILES OF ALL PETITION PACKETS AND AN AGENDA WILL BE PLACED AT THE FOLLOWING INTERNET ADDRESS: http://www.charlottecountyfl .gov/boards-committees/pz/Pages/Meeting-Agendas.aspx

ALL INTERESTED PERSONS ARE URGED TO ATTEND THESE PUBLIC HEARINGS. THE PUBLIC IS WELCOME TO SPEAK; THERE WILL BE A FIVE-MINUTE TIME LIMIT FOR EACH CITIZEN’S PRESENTATION ON AN AGENDA ITEM. IF YOU HAVE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, YOU ARE ENCOURAGED TO CONTACT A STAFF PERSON AT ANY TIME IN ADVANCE OF THE PUBLIC HEARING(S). PLEASE CALL 941-764-4903 AND MENTION THE PETITION NUMBER OF THE MATTER YOU WISH TO DISCUSS.

PETITION

PAL-20-00003 Legislative Commission District IIIPursuant to Section 163.3184(3), Florida Statutes, transmit a Large Scale Plan Amendment to the Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) and other State agencies for review and comment; the amendment request is to add an annotation to Charlotte County FLUM Series Map #1: 2030 Future Land Use to limit the overall density of the subject property to fi ve units; for property located at 6530, 6600, 6640, and 6650 San Casa Drive, in the Englewood area; containing 19.9± acres; Commission District III; Petition No. PAL-20-00003; Applicants: Casa Sand, LLC, Lake Hurst Holdings, LLC, and San Casa Investments, LLC; providing an effective date.

Z-20-46-17 Quasi-Judicial Commission District IIIAn Ordinance pursuant to Section 125.66, Florida Statutes, amending the Charlotte County Zoning Atlas from Planned Development (PD) to Residential Estate 1 (RE-1), increasing density from one unit to fi ve units (the existing PD allows for up to 41 single-family homes); for property located at 6530, 6600, 6640, and 6650 San Casa Drive, in the Englewood area; containing 19.9± acres; Commission District III; Petition No. Z-20-46-17; Applicants: Casa Sand, LLC, Lake Hurst Holdings, LLC, and San Casa Investments, LLC; providing an effective date.

TCP-20-01 Legislative Commission Districts IV and VPursuant to Section 163.3184(3), Florida Statutes, transmit a Large Scale Plan Amendment to the Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) and other State agencies for review and comment; this request is to revise Future Land Use (FLU) Appendix VI: Developments of Regional Impact by adding a Land Use Equivalency Matrix to Increment IV of the Murdock Center Development of Regional Impact (DRI) which will allow the conversion of approved commercial square footage to other uses within the DRI; and by amending the Murdock Center DRI development rights to 1) reduce the range of square footage for Retail/offi ce from 2,714,000 - 2,729,924 square feet to 2,699,000 - 2,685,591 square feet; 2) increase the hotel rooms from 100 to 150 within Increment IV; 3) add 150 units of Senior Adult Housing within Increment IV; and 4) add 125 beds of Assisted Living within Increment IV; Petition No. TCP-20-01; Applicant: Cherrywood Pointe Investment, LLC; providing an effective date.

NOPC-20-49-18 Quasi-Judicial Commission Districts IV and VA Resolution pursuant to Section 380.06(7), Florida Statutes (F.S.) and Section 3-9-10.1, Development of Regional Impact (DRI) Development Order (DO) Amendment Process and Procedure under Chapter 3-9, Zoning, the County’s Land Development Regulation, amending Development Order, Resolution Number 2009-167, for Increment IV of the Murdock Center Development of Regional Impact (DRI) to revise Exhibit C: Murdock Center Increment IV Land Uses Table 10-1A-1 Project Description by adding an Land Use Equivalency Matrix; to use the proposed Land Use Equivalency Matrix 1) to exchange 9,581 square feet of approved retail uses for 50 hotel rooms; 2) to exchange 10,237 square feet of approved retail uses for 150 dwelling units of senior adult housing; and 3) to exchange 9,515 square feet of approved retail uses for 125 beds of assisted living, on Parcel 2 within Increment IV of the Murdock Center DRI; to amend Land Uses Table 10-1A-1 Project Description to refl ect changes of development rights; and to refl ect the extension of the buildout date and expiration date of this Development Order per Governor’s Executive Orders; for property generally northeast of Tamiami Trail (U.S.41), southeast of Veterans Boulevard, and west of Cochran Boulevard, containing 98.36± acres, in the Port Charlotte area; Commission District IV, Petition No. NOPC-20-49-18; applicant: Cherrywood Pointe Investment, LLC; providing an effective date.

PA-20-01-02-LS Legislative Commission District IPursuant to Section 163.3184(3), Florida Statutes, transmit a Large Scale Plan Amendment to the Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) and other State agencies for review and comment; the amendment request is to change Charlotte County FLUM Series Map #1: 2030 Future Land Use, from Agriculture (AG) to Mineral Resource Extraction (MRE); for property located at 2351 State Road (SR) 31, in the East County area, containing 53.59± acres; Commission District I; Petition No. PA-20-01-02-LS; Applicant: Probitas Enterprises LLC; providing an effective date.

Z-20-01-03 Quasi-Judicial Commission District IAn Ordinance pursuant to Section 125.66, Florida Statutes, amending the Charlotte County Zoning Atlas from Agriculture (AG) to Excavation and Mining (EM); for property located at 2351 State Road (SR) 31, in the East County area, containing 53.59± acres; Commission District I; Petition No. Z-20-01-03; Applicant: Probitas Enterprises LLC; providing an effective date.

Z-18-10-40 Quasi-Judicial Commission District IIAn Ordinance pursuant to Section 125.66, Florida Statutes, amending the Charlotte County Zoning Atlas from Industrial General (IG) to Planned Development (PD); for property located at 3539, 3589, 3609 and 3649 Acline Road, in the Punta Gorda area; containing 13.38± acres; Commission District II; Petition No. Z-18-10-40; Applicant: TNT Southern Holdings LLC; providing an effective date.

PP-20-03-10 Quasi-judicial Commission District IILennar Homes, LLC has requested Preliminary Plat approval for a subdivision to be named, Heritage Landing Phase II, consisting of 256 residential lots. The site is 386.35 acres, more or less, and is located east of the Peace River, north and west of Burnt Store Road, and south of the City of Punta Gorda, in Sections 17, 19 and 20, Township 42, Range 23, in Commission District II.

PP-20-03-11 Quasi-judicial Commission District IIIRichard Lake has requested Preliminary Plat approval for a two-lot subdivision to be named, Not Point of Pines. The site is 0.58 acres, more or less, and is located south of McCall Road, west of Homestead Street, north of Deer Creek Drive, and east of Redfi sh Cove, in Section 06, Township 41S, Range 20E, in Commission District III.

SHOULD ANY AGENCY OR PERSON DECIDE TO APPEAL ANY DECISION MADE BY THE BOARD WITH RESPECT TO ANY MATTER CONSIDERED AT SUCH MEETING, A RECORD OF THE PROCEEDING, AND FOR SUCH PURPOSE, A VERBATIM RECORD OF THE PROCEEDING IS REQUIRED, WHICH RECORD INCLUDES THE TESTIMONY AND EVIDENCE UPON WHICH THE APPEAL IS TO BE BASED.

Charlotte County Board of County Commissioners does not discriminate on the basis of disability. This nondiscrimination policy involves every aspect of the County’s functions, including access to and participation in meetings, programs and activities. FM Sound Enhancement Units for the Hearing Impaired are available at the Front Security Desk, Building A of the Murdock Administration Complex. Anyone needing other reasonable accommodation or auxiliary aids and services please contact our offi ce at 941.764.4191, TDD/TTY 941.743.1234, or by email to [email protected] Publish: April 26, 2020


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By TOM KRISHERAP AUTO WRITER

DETROIT — Cindy Parkhurst could have stayed home collecting most of her pay while the Ford plant where she normally works remains closed due to coronavirus fears.

Instead, she along with hundreds of workers at Ford, General Motors, Toyota and other com-panies has gone back to work to make face shields, surgical masks and ven-tilators in a wartime-like effort to stem shortages of protective gear and equipment.

“I didn’t give it a second thought,” said Parkhurst, 55, a tow motor driver who is now helping Ford and its partner 3M manufacture and ship res-pirators. “It’s a neat thing to do for the community, for the first responders who definitely need this kind of protective gear.”

All over the country, blue-collar and salaried workers have raised their hands to make medical equipment as companies repurpose factories to answer calls for help from beleaguered nurses, doc-tors and paramedics who are treating patients with the highly contagious virus. Workers also are making soap and hand sanitizer, which early in the crisis were in short supply.

At Ford, over 800 people returned to work at four Detroit-area sites. General Motors, which President Donald Trump had alternately criticized and praised for its work, has about 400 at a now-closed transmission plant in suburban Detroit and an electronics factory in Kokomo, Indiana, working on shields and ventilators. About 60

Toyota workers, both salaried and blue-collar, are making protective equipment in Kentucky, Texas, Michigan and Alabama.

Most automakers in the U.S. temporarily stopped making vehicles about a month ago after workers complained about the risks of infection at the factories. Many white-col-lar workers are being paid to work remotely but members of the United Auto Workers who don’t have that option are still collecting pay and unemployment benefits that equal about 95% of regular take-home wages.

Those workers making medical gear will get their full base pay, but that’s not what’s motivating them to keep coming to the factories. Many simply want to help.

Jody Barrowman has been making face masks at a repurposed former General Motors transmis-sion factory near Detroit since early April.

“Instead of being home and not helpful, I thought I’d be productive here,” she said.

She jumped at the chance to work because GM is donating the masks to hospitals and first re-sponders “which is where it needs to go,” she said.

Barrowman said that the operation has been so efficient that workers have been allowed to take masks home for family members.

“I dropped some off at my grandparents. My parents took a full packet of masks at my house. So, it’s not just helping the first responders. It’s helping me and my family feel safe,” she said.

Inside a building on Toyota’s giant factory complex in Georgetown, Kentucky, mechanical

engineer Kirk Barber helps to ship thousands of face shields that workers are making while plants are shut down. Sometimes he personally delivers boxes to hospitals or the state government, which is distributing them.

All of the workers, he said, had to undergo a cultural change to make sure they stay more than 6 feet apart to protect themselves from possible contagion.

“It’s a hard habit to break when you’re typically up and talking to someone, pointing to a document,” Barber said. “People are very quick to point out ‘hey, you guys need to keep your distance.’”

Twenty-four UAW members have already died from COVID-19 but it’s unclear when or where they contracted the disease. Ford, GM and Toyota said they aren’t

aware of any infections among workers who returned to make medical gear. Still, there’s no de-nying the risks are likely higher at the factories than in the safety of one’s home.

Joseph Holt, associate professor at Notre Dame’s business school who specializes in ethics and leadership, said the work-ers and their companies are examples of business doing its best to quickly fill a critical unmet need.

“Courage is doing what you think is right even when it might cost you,” Holt said. “Those workers

being willing to go in to work to produce the medical equipment and personal protective gear, even at personal risk — that is moral courage in action.”

The Detroit automakers are trying to restart pro-duction on their vehicles, perhaps as soon as early May, but both Ford and GM say medical gear production will continue. Ford says it has enough workers to do both while GM says it won’t need all factory workers right away because it plans a gradual restart.

Back at the Ford

complex in Flat Rock, Michigan, where Parkhurst works, she’s hoping the respirators she’s helping to ship make their way to the hospital in nearby Dearborn, where nurses treated her mother with compassion before she died of a stroke about a year ago. She knows they must be “going through hell” now because the Detroit area one of the national hotspots for the virus.

“When I compared that to taking maybe a small risk and going in and making respirators, I feel all right,” she said.

Auto workers to make medical gearHundreds of workers offered to

work in a wartime-like effort

AP PHOTOS

Bill Merkle works on making protective masks Thursday in Warren, Michigan. General Motors has about 400 workers at the now-closed transmission plant in suburban Detroit.

All over the country, blue-collar and salaried workers have raised their hands to make medical equipment as companies repurpose factories to answer calls for help from beleaguered nurses, doctors and paramedics who are treating patients with the highly contagious coronavirus.

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PAGE 2B SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2020 | The Sun | www.yoursun.com N/E/P/Cadno

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Ursella Kay Riley

Ursella Kay Riley, 74 of Port Charlotte, Fla. passed on 3-21-2020 following

a lengthy illness.

Ursella was born 12-18-1945 in Cincinnati, Ohio to Tom & Gladys Meador

of Bethel, Ohio.

She attended the University Miami of Ohio and earned her special

education degree.

She relocated to Port Charlotte in 1978. Teaching in Port Charlotte schools

briefl y before an interest in Real Estate brought her to her recent vocation

as Broker/Owner of A-Team Realty of Port Charlotte which she led for 35

years.

Ursella was active in her church, Peace River Baptist of Punta Gorda. She

loved music and especially singing in the sanctuary choir. She enjoyed

ballroom dancing and leaves behind many friends and acquaintances.

She is survived by sons, Robert Thomas Riley, Todd Douglas Peal.

Daughter Lucinda Dee Rempala. Sister Delores Duncan. Life partner Larry

Bartlett and many grand and great-grandchildren.

Memorial service by Peace River Baptist of Punta Gorda at a later date.


By SYLVIE CORBETASSOCIATED PRESS

PARIS — Weeks into France’s strict coronavirus lockdown, Mohammed, a 14-year-old with autism, took a pickax and started hitting the wall of his family’s house.

His explanation: “Too long at home, too hard to wait.”

The disruptions in daily life caused by the virus pandemic are a particularly trying ordeal for children with disabilities and the people who love and are caring for them confined at home while special-needs schools and support programs remain closed.

Mohammed hasn’t picked up the ax again since the incident last month, his father, Salah, says with relief. But the boy still gets frustrated being stuck inside and says, “I want to break the house down.”

The family, like others who spoke to The Associated Press about what their experiences, spoke on the condition of being identified by first name only out of concern for the privacy of their children.

Making matters worse, Mohammed’s mother, who works in a nursing home, has been on sick leave after testing positive for COVID-19. She had to live for weeks isolated on the top floor of their house in the Paris suburb of Mantes-la-Jolie. Her health has since improved.

The physical distance from her family was particularly hard for Mohammed, who has a close relationship with his mother.

“We kept telling him that there’s the disease. He took note. Then he tried again to go up and see her,” Salah said.

Violent outbursts, incom-prehension, disputes, panic attacks: Life under lockdown has been a shock to many children with special needs who suddenly lost their reassuring routines, cut off from friends

and teachers. And France’s virus lockdown measures — now in their second month and set to run until at least May 11 — are among Europe’s strictest.

At home, Mohammed requires constant attention so he won’t injure or endanger himself.

“That’s tough on him. We reprimand him, saying no. ... We need to repeat and repeat,” Salah said. The father admits to his own fatigue, working at home as a telecoms engineer while caring for Mohammed and his two brothers, ages 12 and 8.

Salah knows how to detect signs on Mohammed’s face when he is under too much pressure and may get angry: “I don’t let things get heated.”

Mohammed normally attends the Bel-Air Institute near Versailles, which provides specialized educational and therapeutic services for dozens of children with different types of disabilities. His teacher. Corentin Sainte Fare Garnot, is doing his best to help.

“If you remove crutches from someone who needs them from one day to the next, it gets very complicated,” he said.

“The feeling of loneliness and lack of activity can be very deep” for people with autism, the teacher said. Mohammed calls him several times a day.

Aurelie Collet, a manager at the Bel-Air Institute, said some teenagers at first didn’t understand the lockdown rules keeping them stuck at home and kept going out. Others who had been well-integrated in their classes turned inward, isolating themselves in their bedrooms.

The staff developed creative tools to keep communicating and working with the children, including through social networks, she said.

Thomas, 17, and Pierre, 14, brothers with intellectual disabilities who also go to the

Bel-Air, are similarly destabi-lized by lockdown restrictions.

“I feel worried about how long the lockdown will last, what’s going to happen next”, Thomas said. The teenager has lots of questions about “how many people will get the virus, when the epidemic will stop?”

Another big concern for Thomas is his future; an internship he planned to do this summer is likely to be postponed.

Pierre says he’s having more nightmares than usual, adding that the lockdown is also prompting more family quarrels.

At first, their parents re-called, the boys acted as if they were on vacation, playing all day and calling their friends. The parents organized activi-ties to give Pierre and Thomas more structure amid the public health crisis.

Pierre especially misses the gardening he used to do at the Bel-Air, so he planted seeds in pots to grow radishes.

Under nationwide restric-tions, the French can only leave home for essential services, like buying food or going to the doctor, and must stay close

to home. Physical activity in public is strictly limited to one hour and within a nearby radius. Police routinely fine violators.

Recognizing the burden the regulations place on people with autism, French President Emmanuel Macron announced announced an exception that al-lows them to go out to custom-ary places without having to observe time or distance limits.

The new challenges the pandemic presents to children with special needs are familiar to millions of families around the world. Across the U.S., teachers are exploring new ways to deliver customized lessons from afar, and parents of children with disabilities are not only home-schooling but also adding therapy, hands-on lessons and behavioral manage-ment to their responsibilities.

Salah has started taking Mohammed out again for bike riding, an activity his eldest son enjoyed before the pandemic.

“This is like a safety valve to him. He needs it. ... We’re having a hard time following him, he’s going ahead, happily shouting,” Salah said with a smile in his voice.

Sainte Fare Garnot is helping the family to find concrete solutions. Because playing soccer with his brothers in the garden has proven difficult for Mohammed because the rules of team games are too complex for him, he suggested that the three boys instead take shots at goal in turn.

France is still playing catch-up with some develop-ing-country peers in terms of educational opportunities for children with autism spectrum disorders, and teachers fear that some will also have to spend months relearning skills they may have lost during the lockdown period.

The president has announced that schools will be “progres-sively” reopened starting from May 11, but authorities have not provided details yet about special-needs children. France counts more than 350,000 school students with disabilities, including 70,000 in the special education system that includes the Bel-Air.

The uncertainty is specially hard for young people like Mohammed. “I know he will ask me again,” his teacher said. “’When is it ending?’”

Lockdowns an ordeal for special-needs childrenCoronavirus lockdown is proving tough

for families with disabilities

AP PHOTO

Jerome, second left, Nadege and their children Thomas, 17, left and Pierre, 14, both with intellec-tual disabilities pose at the window of their apartment in Montigny-le-Bretonneux, near Paris.

By SHLOMO MORASSOCIATED PRESS

TEL AVIV, Israel — Several thousand Israelis rallied Saturday to demonstrate against a unity government deal reached last week that leaves Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in power as he prepares to go on trial for corruption charges.

The protesters oppose having Netanyahu as prime minister as long as he is a criminal suspect. The protesters say the unity government agreement, which gives Netanyahu influence over the appointment of judges and legal officials, “crushes democracy” and is meant to rescue Netanyahu from his legal troubles.

Netanyahu is scheduled to face trial next month on charges of fraud, breach

of trust and accepting bribes. He denies the charges.

The protest filled central Tel Aviv’s Rabin Square, although dem-onstrators maintained distance from each other in line with health regulations in place for weeks meant to halt the spread of the coronavirus. Protesters, wearing face masks, waved Israeli flags and signs calling out Netanyahu for corruption.

Netanyahu and former military chief Benny Gantz, leader of the Blue and White party, signed the power-sharing agreement after weeks of negotiations for what they termed a “national emergency” government meant to steer the country through the coronavirus outbreak.

The agreement deliv-ered Netanyahu a signif-icant boost as he fought

to hold on to power while fending off the corruption charges. His party will gain influence over judi-cial appointments, which could help Netanyahu if his case reaches the Supreme Court.

The deal requires the approval of both parties on key appointments, including the attorney general and the state prosecutor, granting Netanyahu veto power over the officials who hold sway over his legal fate.

Thousands demonstrate against Israeli deal

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SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2020 | YOURSUN.COM | facebook.com/SunPreps | @Sun_Preps | SECTION B

OPEN FOR BUSINESS: NBA begins opening facilities, starting Friday SEE PAGE 5B

INDEX | Lottery 5 | NFL 5 | NBA 5 | Weather 6

SUN PREPS ALL-DECADE GIRLS BASKETBALL TEAM

NFL COMMENTARY

By VINNIE PORTELLSUN SPORTS WRITER

The past decade saw basket-ball players in our area break records, win championships, and go on to play at the next level.

The Sun sports staff polled local coaches and athletic directors, looked at stats and accomplishments and compiled a list of the best 15 girls bas-ketball players from the 2010-11 season to this past year — out of Charlotte, Port Charlotte, Imagine School, Lemon Bay, DeSoto County, North Port and Venice high schools.

Players such as North Port’s Emani Jefferson took their school to new heights — setting the scoring record, winning a district title and becoming the first D-I commit from the girls basketball team.

Other players such as Venice’s Maggie Flynn excelled at both the high school and col-lege levels, scoring 1,000 points and winning a district title with the Indians before setting every 3-point record at Flagler.

Jefferson, Flynn and several others highlight the athletic talent this area has to offer.

LAURA HACKETT, VENICE, CENTER (2008-12)

A 1,000-point scorer and a dis-trict champion, Hackett did it all in her time with Venice. As a senior, she averaged nearly 20 points per game while making over 60% of her shots.

She was also the team’s top rebounder, coming down with nearly 13 per game. She went on to play for Florida Southern.

MALLORY BURTON, CHARLOTTE, FORWARD (2009-13)

Burton became the first 1,000-plus point scorer in over a decade — scoring 1,235 as she averaged roughly 20 points and 5 rebounds per game. She then went on to play for Ave Maria before returning to coach the Lady Tarpons.

DARMESHA WASHINGTON, NORTH PORT, FORWARD (2009-13)

Washington was one of the few players to record over 1,000 points (1,008) and rebounds (1,014) as a four-time team MVP for North Port. She won two district titles and has since been named to the school’s hall of fame for her performance.

MAGGIE FLYNN, VENICE, GUARD (2010-14)

One of the few Lady Indians to eclipse the 1,000-point mark, Flynn was Venice’s leading scorer and helped her team win a district title. She then went on to have even more success at Flagler, where she set the school record for 3-pointers made in a single game, 3-point percentage and 3-pointers made in a season.

LE’KYRA SMITH, NORTH PORT, GUARD (2010-14)

Smith was the first of many good basketball players to come through North Port. She set the tone with 927 career points and was also a fierce defender, averaging more than 3 steals per game her senior season.

COURTNEY ROBERTSON, PORT CHARLOTTE, FORWARD (2010-14)

A versatile player who could play down low or shoot the 3, Robertson was one of the key players on a team that went to four straight district champi-onships — winning three. She played all four years, becoming a 1,000-point scorer as a senior.

TAYLOR LINDSEY, PORT CHARLOTTE, GUARD (2010-14)

A four-year letterman for the Pirates, Lindsey helped her

Champions, record-breakers lead all-decade teamPlayers of all kinds represent our region

for the past decade of girls basketball

SUN FILE PHOTO

Port Charlotte’s Taylor Lindsey led the Pirates to the district final in each of her four years, winning three.

We all heard it about a million times in the last week or so, but the 2020 NFL Draft really was like no other before it.

Well, yes and no.Yes, obviously the social distancing

necessitated by the global pandemic changed it from a huge speculator event in Las Vegas to a small, kind of odd one in commissioner Roger Goodell’s basement.

But despite fears about technical glitches and the loss of players and fans on site to offer

unfiltered reactions, things went pretty smoothly. I know I didn’t miss seeing Goodell receive man hugs from players and, with all due respect to ESPN’s Suzy Kolber, I didn’t miss those awkward interviews on the side of the stage after each first round pick.

On the second and certainly on the third day, drafting remotely actually worked in the favor of the TV audience, as the action seemed to move a bit quicker than normal. And with no other sports to distract fans, TV ratings were through the roof on the first night.

But enough about the presentation of the draft, here are a few takeaways from how the Florida teams did in the draft itself:

Let’s start closest to home with the Tampa Bay Bucs. The Bucs didn’t have the most exciting draft, but they hit most of their objectives over the first few rounds. They entered Thursday night knowing they needed to get an offensive tackle to protect their new 75-year-old franchise quarterback Tom Brady. The Bucs knew there were four quality tackles to pick from and traded up a little bit to get one. A lot of people projected Iowa’s Tristian Wirfs as the Bucs’ guy and they got their man.

On Day 2 they were looking for a defensive playmaker and they found one in Minnesota’s Antoine Winfield Jr., easily one of the top safeties. In the third round, they addressed their ques-tionable running back situation with Vanderbilt’s Ke’Shawn Vaughn. There may have been better backs available, but at least they addressed the need.

By BARRY WILNERAP PRO FOOTBALL WRITER

Maybe the Southeastern Conference should simply hold onto its players and become part of the NFL.

The home of national champion LSU and perennial contenders Alabama, Georgia and Auburn, the SEC dominated the first four rounds of the NFL draft before the flow of talent slowed to a trickle. Or the conference finally began running out of top prospects.

The top four rounds are where the vast majority of pro starters are found. So beginning with LSU quarterback Joe Burrow, who went first overall to the Bengals, the SEC provided the mother lode. And by the time this virtual/remote/digital draft — make your own choice — was over, 63 players had come from its 14 teams — well, 13, because Ole Miss was ignored. LSU sent 14, tying the most in a seven-round draft, followed

by Alabama with nine. Not quite a record, because the SEC had 64 select-ees a year ago. But this grab bag was further proof of its place atop college football.

“I think it’s really easy to see NFL players when you watch as many players get drafted from the SEC and from that conference,” Titans coach Mike Vrabel said after his team grabbed Georgia tackle Isaiah Wilson and LSU cornerback Kristian Fulton. “But there’s great players in every conference. It’s just you don’t have to look too far to see them play against some really talented players.”

The Lions noticed. They took Georgia running back D’Andre Swift and Kentucky guard Logan Stenberg.

“The SEC, I would argue, is one of the top one or two conferences in college football. I think a lot of people say it is the best conference,” Detroit general manager Bob Quinn said. “The competition that’s in that conference — from LSU to Alabama to Auburn to Georgia to all those schools — and some of the other teams have really, really good players. So the level of competition, they get the high recruits, they really do.”

Nearly every NFL club will have an LSU Tiger or member of the Crimson Tide on its roster by next week.

As the third day of this unusual draft concluded, it became clear

SEE DECADE, 6B

Remotely interesting takeaways

from the draft

SEE ZUCKER, 6B

SCOTT ZUCKERSports Editor

SEC dominates draftSoutheastern

Conference flood

first four rounds

UGC

Commissioner Roger Goodell hosts the NFL draft this year from his house.

SEE DRAFT, 5B

From Panther to Panther: Carolina drafts Stan Thomas-Oliver IIIThe Carolina Panthers picked

Stan Thomas-Oliver III, 21, who played high school football for Charlotte and North Port, in the seventh round of the NFL Draft Saturday.

Thomas-Oliver III, selected 221st overall, switched from wide receiver to defensive back during his junior year at Florida International

University, also known as the Panthers.

Thomas-Oliver III, at 6-foot-2, 195-pounds, received invites this year to the East-West Shrine Game, Tropical Bowl and NFL Combine.

THOMAS-OLIVER III


By FRED GOODALL AP SPORTS WRITER

TAMPA — If the Tampa Bay Buccaneers called it right, Tom Brady was a big winner in the NFL draft.

The Bucs bolstered protection for the six-time Super Bowl champion, ac-quired a ball-hawking safety to improve an ascending defense, and even added a couple of more playmakers to an already potent offense.

The team feels Iowa tackle Tristan Wirfs, Minnesota safety Antoine Winfield, Jr., Vanderbilt running back Ke’Shawn Vaughn and Minnesota receiver Tyler Johnson are capable of contributing as rookies on a roster with high expectations after signing Brady and trading for tight end Rob Gronkowski this offseason.

“I think one thing that stands out to me is each and every one of these guys love to play football. They’re ballers,” coach Bruce Arians said of a sev-en-player draft class that included four late-round picks on Saturday.

“They’re going to go out, have fun. They’re gym rats, and they’re smart, aggressive-type players,” Arians added. “When you have that type of draft, each and every guy brings a redeeming quality that’s going to give him a chance to make it.”

First-round pick Wirfs fills the need for a right tackle to shore up an offen-sive line that yielded 47 sacks in 2019.

Second-rounder Winfield is a ver-satile defender who lined up all over the secondary in college. Vaughn and Johnson are third- and fifth-rounders, respectively, who are eager to do what-ever asked to earn supporting roles.

The Bucs are coming off a 7-9 finish and haven’t made the playoffs since 2007, a 12-year hiatus that’s the second-longest active drought in the league.

Bringing in Brady and adding Gronkowski to an offense featuring Pro Bowl receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, as well as a pair of productive tight ends in O.J. Howard and Cameron Brate, has the Bucs thinking Super Bowl.

Arians welcomes heightened expectations.

“I love ’em. I embrace it. I want our guys to feel that we are a team to beat,” the coach said Saturday.

“Everybody that left our locker room in that last meeting knew we should have been playing in the playoffs — that we beat ourselves, and if we could correct the turnover ratio, we would have a chance,” Arians added. “So, yeah, I think everybody who walks in our building is expecting to win.”

IN TRISTAN WE TRUSTThe 6-foot-5, 320-pound Wirfs is an ex-

ceptional athlete who ran a 4.85-second 40-yard dash at the scouting combine, where his 36 1/2-inch vertical jump and 10-foot, 1 inch broad jump also were best among offensive linemen.

He’s expected to become an im-mediate starter at right tackle, but Arians and general manager Jason Licht stressed they won’t rush his development.

“He hasn’t played a game yet in the NFL, so we’ll have to see how it goes,” Licht said. “We’re not anointing him as a future Hall of Famer yet, but we’re just very excited to work with him. ... I’m sure he’s going to come in and know he’s got to earn his keep.”

WELCOME GRONKThe Bucs didn’t have a pick in the

fourth round after parting with one in the pre-draft trade that brought Gronkowski to Tampa Bay from New England and using another fourth-rounder (No. 117) to move up one spot in the first round to select Wirfs

13th overall. In both cases, Arians and Licht felt the price was worth it.

“A proven winner. Great passion for the game,” Arians said of what Gronkowski brings to the locker room. “History of really taking care of his room, making sure if any young player needs help he’s going to help them. ... A guy that knows what it takes. For he and Tom (Brady) to be together, I think it will be great for our culture.”

STRONG BLOODLINESWinfield’s father, Antoine Winfield,

was a first-round draft pick of the Buffalo Bills in 1999 — the year before Brady entered the NFL with New England. Antoine Sr., who also played for the Vikings during a 14-year career, had an interception off the Bucs quar-terback in 2001 — Brady’s first season as a full-time starter with the Patriots.

The Bucs were attracted to Antoine Jr.’s versatility and envision him filling a number of roles for defensive coordi-nator Todd Bowles, much like Tyrann Mathieu and Budda Baker were used in Arizona while Arians was coaching the Cardinals.

“I can play pretty much anywhere. I can play on tight ends, I can play on slot receivers, I can blitz, I can play in the post,” Winfield said. “Versatility is my biggest asset, and I feel like Tampa Bay is going to use me well that way.”

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April 25D ...................... 4-9-6-8-7

April 24N ......................0-0-9-8-9

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April 23N ...................... 2-4-0-6-7

April 23D ...................... 8-9-8-8-3

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7,329 3-digit winners ..............$11

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ESTIMATED JACKPOT $3.25 million

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What if another QB walked into the

wrong home ...By CHRISTY FEINBERG

STAFF WRITER

Not everyone is as lucky as Tom Brady.

Earlier this week, we learned Brady tried to visit his new offen-sive coordinator Byron Leftwich. Instead, he walked into the wrong house and announced his arrival in Tampa to a stranger.

But not everyone can walk into a stranger’s house and walk away without handcuffs ... or worse (this is the South, Tom).

Here’s how it might have gone for some other notable quarterbacks:

Jameis Winston walks in ... squints hard at the homeowner and then coughs up his keys.

Peyton Manning walks in ... sits down, starts talking, keeps talking, films a commercial, records a podcast, films another commercial, and continues talking.

Aaron Rodgers walks in ... and the homeowner looks up, glances over Rodgers’ shoulder and asks, “Is there a younger one behind you?”

Tua Tagovailoa walks in ... and immediately gets hurt.

Andy Dalton walks in ... and everyone pretends not to notice him (Shh ... maybe he’ll go away).

Jay Cutler walks in ... and gets sacked by the homeowner’s Roomba.

Gardner Minshew walks in ... and the homeowner leads him to the backyard and shows him where the tiles need to be replaced in the pool.

One of the McCowns walks in ... and it doesn’t really matter which one because you know someone else must have come in before him.

Kirk Cousins walks in and shouts, “You like that!” It does not have the same impact.


that concerns about communication problems cropping up were vastly overblown. Clunky at times, poignant at others, and exceptionally entertain-ing in spots, the draft has done what Commissioner Roger Goodell hoped.

Sure, there were awkward moments, but those come even when the draft is a mega-event drawing hundreds of thousands of fans to the “Rocky Steps” in Philadelphia or lower Broadway in Nashville.

Goodell has insisted the sporting world needed the draft to be held on time. And the amount of eyeballs watching has been, well, an eye-open-ing number. Late in Saturday’s final round, the league said it had gone over $100 million in total funds raised in all its efforts to battle the coronavirus. The telethon accompanying the draft raised more than $6.6 million for six organizations involved in coronavirus

relief.NFL general managers also put

together donations, initiated by the Eagles’ Howie Roseman, with each giving at least $8,000 for every selection in this draft.

The NFL matched every telethon donation on Friday and Saturday.

“We’re forced to adapt here and change and do this differently, but it’s actually been a lot of great learning,” Goodell said. “We’ve seen some things that we’ve maybe called ‘stumbled on’ that really, I think, will be elements of drafts going into the future. The ability to use the virtual platforms in a way that we really didn’t think about until we were forced to.

“And so I think we’re really going to able to make future drafts even better because we’re going to be able to combine it with the core elements that we’ve had. But I think that’s one of the things about the draft, it just keeps evolving and it keeps getting better because we keep learning.”

DRAFTFROM PAGE 4B

By TIM REYNOLDSAP BASKETBALL WRITER

MIAMI — NBA players will be allowed to return to team training facilities starting Friday, provided that their local governments do not have a stay-at-home order prohibiting such movement still in place as part of the response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Any workouts that take place would be voluntary and be limited to individual sessions only, according to a person familiar with the league’s decision. The person spoke to The Associated Press on Saturday on condition of anonymity because the directives from the league were not released publicly.

Group practices would not be allowed yet, and teams will not yet be permitted to organize in-person workouts.

But as certain states and municipalities began loosening restrictions on personal movement, the NBA decided it was time to let players return to their practice courts — if only on a limited basis. Georgia and Oklahoma are among the states that have allowed some businesses to reopen and some cities in Florida are expected to loosen their stay-at-home policies in the coming days, even though health officials are warning that such moves are being made too quickly.

For those teams in cities where stay-at-home orders still make such a return impossible, the NBA said it would work to find “alternative arrangements,” the person with knowledge of the matter said.

This move does not mean that a resumption of games is imminent. Still, the decision to let teams back into facilities is a significant step.

ESPN first reported details of the NBA’s decision.Many players have said they haven’t even had

access to a basket since the league ordered teams to close their practice facilities on March 19. All-Star Jimmy Butler sent baskets to his Miami Heat team-mates earlier this month, but some other players around the league said they haven’t even touched a basketball during the shutdown.

If they’re so inclined, that can now change. There remains no indicator about when a full-fledged return to organized team workouts will resume, however.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has said on several occasions that the league does not anticipate being able to decide until sometime in May — at the earliest — if a resumption of the season is possible.

The NBA suspended the season March 11. It ordered teams to shutter their facilities eight days later, saying at the time it was doing so “in light of the rapidly-developing coronavirus situation, and consis-tent with evolving advice from health experts regard-ing how to promote individual and public health while minimizing the spread of the virus.”

Johns Hopkins University, which tracks the numbers of those affected or killed by the virus based off official government figures, said the COVID-19 worldwide death toll surpassed 200,000 on Saturday. And the World Health Organization said “there is currently no evidence” that people who have recov-ered from the virus cannot fall sick again.

NBA facilities will begin to

reopen Friday

NBANFL

Bucs draft support for Brady

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PAGE 6B SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2020 | The Sun | www.yoursun.com N/E/P/C

GULF WATER TEMPERATURE

Monterrey79/65

Chihuahua91/60

Los Angeles86/62

Washington65/48

New York50/43

Miami86/70

Atlanta66/48

Detroit59/37

Houston85/59

Kansas City69/54

Chicago58/37

Minneapolis66/52

El Paso94/68

Denver71/45

Billings71/44

San Francisco65/51

Seattle64/49

Toronto53/36

Montreal54/36

Winnipeg63/40

Ottawa54/35

1 2 36 4

1

TreesGrassWeedsMolds

absent low moderate high very high

absent

0 50 100 150 200 300 500

75

0-50 Good; 51-100 Moderate; 101-150 Unhealthy

for sensitive groups; 151-200 Unhealthy; 201-300 Very Unhealthy; 301-500 Hazardous

Source: scgov.net

8 a.m. 10 a.m. Noon 2 p.m. 4 p.m. 6 p.m.

The higher the AccuWeather.com UV Index™ number,

the greater the need for eye and skin protection. 0-2 Low;

3-5 Moderate; 6-7 High; 8-10 Very High; 11+ Extreme.

The AccuWeather.com RealFeel Temperature is an

exclusive index of eff ective temperature based on eight

weather factors.

UV Index and RealFeel Temperature®

Precipitation (in inches)

Temperatures

Source: National Allergy Bureau


AIR QUALITY INDEX

CONDITIONS TODAY

Temperatures


POLLEN INDEX

PORT CHARLOTTE

Temperatures

MONTHLY RAINFALL

SEBRING

Totals are from a 24-hour period ending at 5 p.m.

City Hi Lo W Hi Lo WPossible weather-related delays today. Check

with your airline for the most updated schedules.

Hi/Lo Outlook Delays

AIRPORT City Hi Lo W Hi Lo W

FLORIDA CITIES

WEATHER HISTORY

VENICE

WEATHER TRIVIA™

Punta Gorda

Englewood

Boca Grande

El Jobean

Venice

Cape Sable to Tarpon Springs

Tarpon Springs to Apalachicola

Wind Speed Seas Bay/Inland direction in knots in feet chop

High Low High Low

MARINE

TIDES

Cold Warm Stationary Showers T-storms Rain Flurries Snow Ice

Shown are noon positions of weather systems and precipitation. Temperature bands are highs for the day.

Fronts Precipitation

The Sun Rise Set

The Moon Rise Set

SUN AND MOON

-10s -0s 0s 10s 20s 30s 40s 50s 60s 70s 80s 90s 100s 110s

U.S. Extremes

Minor Major Minor Major

The solunar period schedule allows planning

days so you will be fi shing in good territory or

hunting in good cover during those times. Major

periods begin at the times shown and last for 1.5

to 2 hours. The minor periods are shorter.

City Hi Lo W Hi Lo W

SOLUNAR TABLE

City Hi Lo W Hi Lo W

Weather (W): s-sunny, pc-partly cloudy, c-cloudy, sh-showers, t-thunderstorms, r-rain, sf-snow fl urries, sn-snow, i-ice.

Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures

are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

City Hi Lo W Hi Lo W City Hi Lo W Hi Lo W

Port Charlotte

Englewood

Fort Myers

Myakka City

Punta Gorda

Lehigh Acres

HullArcadia

Longboat Key

Placida

Osprey

Limestone

Venice

Sarasota

Boca GrandeCape Coral

SanibelBonita Springs

North Port

Tampa

Bradenton

Bartow

Brandon

St. Petersburg

Wauchula

Lake Wales

FrostproofApollo Beach

Clearwater

Ft. Meade

THE NATIONTODAY / TONIGHT

A strong p.m.

t-storm

Mainly clear and

cooler

HIGH 85° LOW 62°40% chance

of rain10% chance

of rain

Nice with sunshine

82° / 54°0% chance of rain

MONDAY

Comfortable with

sunshine and some

clouds


TUESDAY

Partly to mostly

sunny and nice


WEDNESDAY

Brilliant sunshine

and nice


FRIDAY

Partly sunny

with a shower or

thunderstorm


THURSDAY

82 85 88 89 87 81

Air Quality Index readings as of Saturday

Main pollutant: Particulates

Punta Gorda through 2 p.m. Saturday

24 hours through 2 p.m. Sat. 0.75”

Month to date 2.50”

Normal month to date 1.73”

Year to date 5.84”

Normal year to date 9.33”

Record 1.74” (1979)

High/Low 82°/68°

Normal High/Low 86°/62°

Record High 93° (2011)

Record Low 45° (2012)

Sebring through 2 p.m. Saturday


High/Low 77°/67°

Venice through 2 p.m. Saturday


Month to date 3.70”

Normal month to date 2.19”

Year to date 5.31”

Normal year to date 10.78”

Record 1.74” (1991)

High/Low 82°/70°

Normal High/Low 82°/63°

Record High 91° (2002)

Record Low 52° (2005)

Pollen Index readings as of Saturday

Month 2020 2019 Avg. Record/YearJan. 1.23 3.77 1.80 9.93/2016

Feb. 2.11 2.89 2.43 11.05/1983

Mar. trace 1.01 3.28 9.26/1970

Apr. 2.50 2.21 2.03 5.80/1994

May 5.80 2.50 15.98/2018

Jun. 11.31 8.92 23.99/1974

Jul. 13.64 8.22 14.22/1995

Aug. 7.92 8.01 15.60/1995

Sep. 0.92 6.84 14.03/1979

Oct. 6.60 2.93 10.88/1995

Nov. 2.35 1.91 5.53/2002

Dec. 3.41 1.78 6.83/2002

Year 5.84 61.83 50.65 (since 1931)

Today Mon.

Apalachicola 78 55 s 78 56 s

Clearwater 81 65 pc 75 62 s

Daytona Beach 87 57 pc 75 60 s

Fort Lauderdale 86 68 t 84 67 pc

Gainesville 82 52 s 77 49 s

Jacksonville 83 52 s 78 53 s

Key Largo 85 75 pc 83 72 pc

Key West 86 79 pc 83 73 pc

Lakeland 86 59 pc 80 56 s

Melbourne 84 61 t 76 64 s

Miami 86 70 t 86 68 pc

Naples 86 68 t 84 64 s

Ocala 85 54 pc 78 51 s

Okeechobee 83 61 t 80 55 s

Orlando 88 62 pc 79 57 s

Panama City 78 55 s 76 58 s

Pensacola 80 53 s 79 57 s

St. Augustine 83 55 s 74 58 s

St. Petersburg 84 65 pc 77 61 s

Tallahassee 80 52 s 78 51 s

Vero Beach 84 63 t 77 63 s

West Palm Beach 86 65 t 82 66 pc

Today 6:53a 12:24a 4:50p 10:45a

Mon. 8:01a 1:11a 5:26p 10:58a

Today 5:30a 9:01a 3:27p 11:27p

Mon. 6:38a 9:14a 4:03p ---

Today 5:22a 7:42a 1:46p 10:20p

Mon. 2:20p 11:18p --- ---

Today 7:25a 12:53a 5:22p 11:14a

Mon. 8:33a 1:40a 5:58p 11:27a

Today 3:45a 7:40a 1:42p 10:06p

Mon. 4:53a 7:53a 2:18p 11:01p

WSW 6-12 1-2 Light

NW 8-16 2-4 Light

Ft. Myers 86/63 storms all day

Punta Gorda 85/62 storms all day

Sarasota 82/65 storms all day

First

Apr 30

Full

May 7

Last

May 14

New

May 22

Today 9:20 a.m. 11:23 p.m.

Monday 10:07 a.m. none

Today 6:54 a.m. 7:59 p.m.

Monday 6:53 a.m. 7:59 p.m.

Today 8:53a 2:40a 9:18p 3:05p

Mon. 9:49a 3:36a 10:15p 4:02p

Tue. 10:47a 4:34a 11:14p 5:01p

PUBLICATION DATE: 04/26/20

WORLD CITIES Today Mon. Today Mon.

Amsterdam 61 42 s 65 48 pc

Baghdad 81 59 s 87 64 pc

Beijing 73 42 c 79 48 s

Berlin 66 41 pc 73 49 pc

Buenos Aires 68 64 c 67 63 r

Cairo 79 64 s 85 64 pc

Calgary 59 38 s 62 38 sh

Cancun 88 78 pc 88 77 pc

Cape Town 75 59 pc 72 51 s

Caracas 85 74 s 84 74 pc

Dublin 52 38 c 54 37 c

Halifax 51 35 c 42 35 r

Kiev 55 37 sh 59 37 sh

London 68 46 c 66 49 sh

Madrid 69 48 c 64 47 r

Mexico City 75 54 t 76 55 t

Montreal 54 36 c 49 35 c

Moscow 50 31 c 50 31 c

New Delhi 88 74 t 91 73 t

Paris 72 50 s 74 54 r

Rio de Janeiro 82 70 s 79 70 s

Rome 66 50 pc 68 53 s

St. John’s 46 28 s 42 27 pc

San Juan 86 76 pc 86 74 s

Sydney 80 63 pc 71 64 c

Tokyo 71 54 pc 60 50 sh

Toronto 53 36 r 50 37 s

Vancouver 59 45 c 59 43 r

High 97° at Yuma, AZ Low 17° at Antero Reservoir, CO

(For the 48 contiguous states yesterday)

78°

On April 26, 1963, 6 inches of snow fell in

Flagstaff , Ariz.

Q: Should you open or close windows

during a tornado?

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Forecasts and graphics provided by

AccuWeather, Inc. ©2020

Today Mon.

Today Mon. Today Mon.

Knoxville 55 43 sh 67 47 s

Las Vegas 95 70 pc 96 73 s

Little Rock 73 49 pc 71 58 c

Los Angeles 86 62 pc 82 61 s

Louisville 57 41 sh 68 55 pc

Memphis 68 47 s 70 57 pc

Milwaukee 53 37 pc 56 44 sh

Minneapolis 66 52 sh 72 50 c

Montgomery 75 45 s 75 50 s

Nashville 56 42 sh 71 52 pc

New Orleans 82 61 s 79 61 s

New York City 50 43 r 50 41 sh

Norfolk, VA 80 54 pc 65 49 pc

Oklahoma City 77 58 pc 77 62 pc

Omaha 72 54 pc 82 59 pc

Philadelphia 57 45 r 52 40 sh

Phoenix 103 73 s 102 71 s

Pittsburgh 51 40 r 57 41 pc

Portland, ME 51 37 r 42 35 r

Portland, OR 68 50 pc 66 49 r

Providence 51 40 r 46 37 r

Raleigh 76 51 pc 71 46 s

Rapid City, SD 72 42 pc 76 45 pc

Salt Lake City 75 53 pc 78 53 c

St. Louis 65 45 pc 71 58 pc

San Antonio 86 59 s 87 69 pc

San Diego 80 63 pc 77 61 s

San Francisco 65 51 s 67 53 pc

Seattle 64 49 pc 62 46 r

Washington, DC 65 48 r 61 46 pc

Albuquerque 85 57 pc 85 57 pc

Anchorage 49 34 s 47 35 pc

Atlanta 66 48 s 71 50 s

Baltimore 63 44 r 59 41 pc

Birmingham 67 45 s 72 52 pc

Boise 72 50 pc 72 48 c

Boston 50 39 r 43 37 r

Buff alo 48 39 r 48 33 pc

Burlington, VT 53 40 r 49 36 c

Charleston, WV 57 42 r 62 45 pc

Charlotte 72 49 pc 73 47 s

Chicago 58 37 pc 61 48 t

Cincinnati 55 39 r 65 52 pc

Cleveland 50 38 r 56 44 pc

Columbia, SC 75 50 s 75 49 s

Columbus, OH 55 37 r 61 47 pc

Concord, NH 55 36 r 42 35 sn

Dallas 83 61 s 84 67 pc

Denver 71 45 pc 80 47 pc

Des Moines 68 52 pc 75 56 pc

Detroit 59 37 pc 60 45 pc

Duluth 51 37 pc 61 37 r

Fargo 67 45 pc 71 48 pc

Hartford 50 38 r 45 37 r

Helena 69 43 pc 67 45 pc

Honolulu 84 72 s 84 71 pc

Houston 85 59 s 85 70 s

Indianapolis 58 37 pc 65 53 pc

Jackson, MS 73 46 s 76 50 pc

Kansas City 69 54 pc 75 58 pc

A: Neither. Go to a basement or in a fi rst-

fl oor interior room

teams win three district titles. A potent scorer who could shoot and drive, she became a 1,000-point scorer before going on to play for Ave Maria.

KELYN MOSES, CHARLOTTE, GUARD (2013-17)

A tough scorer to stop, Moses could make it from deep or drive to the hoop. She became another 1,000-point scorer for the Tarpons before going on to play for Lamar College

ALEXIS FRANCAVILLA, NORTH PORT, FORWARD (2014-18)

One of the best post players to come out of North Port, Francavilla took over some games as she scored 1,326 points across a four-year career.

Along with her scoring, Francavilla was also dominant on defense. She holds the school record in career blocks (62) and career rebounds (1,147) while earning team MVP honors in each of her four seasons.

ARYANA HOUGH, NORTH PORT, FORWARD (2014-18)

Hough was part of a trio of players that formed one of, if not the best, team in school history. Alongside Francavilla and Jefferson, she led the Bobcats to a 22-7 season her

senior year — averaging nearly 20 points per game.

KACYN SHIRLEY, LEMON BAY, GUARD (2011-15)

A two-time district champion, Shirley set the school record for steals in a season and a career

and is also fourth all-time in assists. Shirley went on to play for Graceland College.

EMANI JEFFERSON, NORTH PORT, GUARD (2016-20)

Jefferson, a Wright State commit, became the school’s

scoring leader this year — with 1,819 career points as a Bobcat. She’s been a 3-time team MVP, a two-time Sun Player of the Year and finally broke through to win her team a district championship in her senior season.

KATIE KLEIN, IMAGINE SCHOOL, GUARD (2016-20)

The best player to come out of Imagine School so far, Klein led the team with 19.1 points per game this season — taking the Sharks to the regional championship game with a core group of seniors. She was also a tough defender, averag-ing 5 rebounds and nearly 3 steals per game.

TA’NYAH SMITH, DESOTO COUNTY, GUARD (2016-20)

The MVP of the best team of the decade for the Bulldogs, Smith scored over 16 points per game as she led DeSoto County to a winning record and a district championship appear-ance. But Smith did more than just score, averaging over 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals per game.

ARY HICKS, CHARLOTTE, GUARD (2019-22)

The sophomore has been an all-around player for Charlotte, averaging over 12 points, 4 rebounds, 7 assists and 3 steals per game. In her freshman season, the Tarpons won their first district title in 16 years and finished in the regional final. This past season, Charlotte went 21-4 and made it to another regional champi-onship game.

DECADEFROM PAGE 4B

SUN FILE PHOTO

North Port’s Emani Jefferson set the school record for career points as she became the first Lady Bobcat to commit to a Division-I school in Wright State.

The other box Tampa Bay was looking to check was a replacement for departed free agent Breshad Perriman. The Bucs found their slot receiver in the fifth round when they selected Winfield’s Minnesota teammate Tyler Johnson. As far as the sixth and seventh round picks, I’m not gonna lie here, it’s a

total crap shoot at that point, especially in a year with limited scouting opportunities.

Moving south, the Miami Dolphins had approximate 137 selec-tions in this draft, which tends to happen when you trade away nearly your entire team in one season. But if they were indeed “tanking for Tua,” the strategy worked.

The Dolphins used the fifth overall pick to select Alabama’s brilliant, but

brittle, quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa. If he can get and stay healthy it’s a great pick. To that end, Miami used three of its next six picks (I told you they had a lot) to select offensive linemen to protect Tua.

USC’s Austin Jackson came later in the first and Louisiana Lafayette’s Robert Hunt in the sec-ond — both could start this season. Georgia’s Solomon Kindley ar-rived in the fourth. In

between and around they addressed needs in the secondary and defensive line.

Oh, and in the sixth round they took LSU’s Blake Ferguson. Not familiar with him? That’s because he’s a long snapper. That’s right, the Dolphins had so many picks, they drafted a long snapper ... in the sixth round.

Finally we come to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Why are they last? Two

reasons, first that’s probably their projected finish in the division and second, and I mean this as nicely as possible, who really cares?

After dealing away most of their defense in the last year or so, the Jaguars addressed that side of the ball with six of their first eight picks including two first rounders in Florida corner CJ Henderson and LSU edge rusher K’Lavon Chaisson.

For fun they drafted a quarterback in the sixth round. Less fun for Jags’ fans, it was Oregon State’s Jake Luton.

Well at least he’s not a long snapper.

Email Sun Sports Editor Scott Zucker at [email protected] and follow on Twitter @scottzucker.

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SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2020 | YOURSUN.COM | SECTION C

By ANNE EASKERSTAFF WRITER

Adoptions and fostering are still continuing in Southwest Florida, even in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Children’s Network of Southwest Florida, the lead agency for foster care for Charlotte, Lee, Hendry, Glades, and Collier counties recently said they had 16 children adopted in March and are planning on nine in April.

“We are committed to serving our families and moving children to permanency safely and expeditiously,” said Chief Executive Officer Nadereh Salim. “To that end, we will do all we can to ensure families get the services, supports and extra encour-agement to stay on track to achieving permanency.”

At the onset of the pandemic, Salim said the agency reached out to all caregivers, including foster parents, relative and non-relative caregivers, to inquire about their health and ask the COVID-19 screening questions. Since then, they’ve been getting daily updates from anyone whose status has changed.

Foster parents are still needed, so the agency is continuing to recruit, even if that must be done digitally.

“We are always in need of additional foster parents despite the COVID-19 dilemma,” Salim said. “So we are continuing with foster parent training through webinar and online classes.”

So far, Salim said there haven’t been any significant fluctuation in kids entering care, but it’s too early to tell the full impact of the pandemic. Courts are still holding dependency hearings through Zoom and other video modes.

Case managers are continuing in-person visits when it’s safe for all involved, and if not, they do virtual visits.

“Virtual visits must be approved by a supervisor and are occurring more frequently to ensure we address the needs of the child and family and stay connected as they go through this challenging time,” Salim said.

Drug screenings are still being done, and services are being delivered through telehealth as much as possible.

The agency has weekly calls with the Department of Children and Families to discuss and address issued related to COVID-19 and is following its policy and pro-cedures on Viral Outbreak Emergency.

For information on becoming a foster parent, visit childnetswfl.org/how-get-started.


Foster parents needed during

pandemic By BETSY CALVERTSTAFF WRITER

Even before Gov. Ron DeSantis ordered non-essential businesses closed, Meals on Wheels of Charlotte County knew they had to close their thrift store at 3082 N. Tamiami Trail.

The pandemic makes it too

risky to keep the store open, but the main operation, delivering meals to the home bound, continues.

For 50 years, the local nonprofit has served a hot meal once a weekday to shut-ins or to people just out of the hospital. They charge $5 or waive the fee to 30% of people who are low income.

Almost everyone working for the program is a volunteer, including all of the drivers who deliver the meals to 180 households daily. They have a paid chef and office manager. The store managers have been laid off.

Most of the drivers are retirees, and at one point earlier in the pandemic, some of those elderly volunteers had to withdraw out of precaution. The county’s Director of Human Services Carrie Walsh put out a call for younger volunteers who were not as vulnerable to the virus.

But it was mostly more retirees who responded to the call, Meals on Wheels Board Chairman Teresa Desguin said. They came from area churches to help fill in, Desguin said.

In normal times, the purpose of the delivery is only partly food. It’s also to check in on

people who may live alone and need social contact. Now, however, the program has given its participants cooler bags to leave outside so the driver, wearing gloves and a mask, can leave the meal without close contact.

The local Meals on Wheels has another problem, however. Without the income from the thrift store, they will soon run out of money to buy the food they need. They are not eligible to take from the area food bank, because they charge a fee. They buy food in bulk from local

The nonprofit

runs mostly on

volunteers and its

thrift store

Charlotte Meals on Wheels seeks donations

SEE HELP, 4C

By DANIEL SUTPHINSTAFF WRITER

PUNTA GORDA — City officials are asking walkers and cyclists using Punta Gorda’s pathway trails to be respectful of one another in this era of social distancing.

The Punta Gorda Pathways is a trail system that stretches around 18 miles for bicycles and pedestrians in the city, connecting neighborhoods,

parks and commercial areas.“A concern was raised by a

resident about social distancing and people standing in the middle of the Harborwalk,” said City Communications Manager Melissa Reichert.

The trails are broken up into three segments: Harborwalk, Linear Park and shared-use paths.

The city recently released a “friendly reminder” as part of its April 17 weekly highlights report to encourage people to distance themselves.

The Sun broke that reminder up into a list of do’s and don’ts:

Do use the proper side of the path. The unwritten rule is to

Are people keeping a safe distance when walking, cycling?Punta Gorda gives

tips for social

distancing on

pathways

SUN PHOTO BY DANIEL SUTPHIN

Al and Debbie Harmen, of Cape Coral, and their daughter Jessica Lease, of North Port, walk the Gilchrist Park section of the Haborwalk along West Retta Esplanade in Punta Gorda. Lease, who often runs the Punta Gorda Pathways, said it seemed like people were keeping safe distances from one another in light of the coronavirus pandemic.SEE PATHWAYS, 4C

By ELAINE ALLEN-EMRICHENGLEWOOD COMMUNITY EDITOR

Florida’s “new normal” could include continued social distancing, no concerts or other large gatherings for months.

Servers wearing masks and gloves may greet customers with disposable paper menus, even at classy restaurants, when they eventually reopen.

The Sun asked residents what lessons were learned and how COVID-19 may change life, at least for a while.

Laurie Dysart believes people will remain aware of hand-washing and germs.

“Handshakes and hugs won’t happen casually anymore,” she said. “I think it will be quite a while before sports or Disney are open again.”

Jonathan Varner, president of the Englewood Chamber of Commerce and an insurance agent, agrees handshakes will be gone for many for a while.

“We may see movie theaters go out of business and people take in new releases from home,” he said. “People will be more willing to socialize and work through technology. We will most likely see some big re-tail go out of business forever.”

Attorney Alan Tannenbaum says he may adopt a “Japanese-style bow instead of a handshake.”

But Robin SanVicente thinks things will become more extreme.

“Gone is the way people will be greeting one another. It will

drastically change to no-direct contact,” she said. “Maybe they will raise minimum wage for all those who have been in the front lines helping us all get through this, and that includes grocery and food workers.”

Laurie File, program director

at North Port Drug-Free Youth, appreciates people more now. Her husband is a Charlotte County first responder who iso-lated himself from her for three weeks. For Easter, they enjoyed seeing each other online via

What will stick after the pandemic?

SUN PHOTO BY ELAINE ALLEN-EMRICH

As fears of COVID-19 hit the area, shoppers at Project Phoenix in Englewood bought industrial-sized rills of toilet paper. Some say having additional toilet paper will be a regular way of life.

More CoverageCoronavirus outbreak

making touch-free shopping

a necessity now and in the

future. See today’s Sunday

Break.

Readers say some

things we’re doing

now may stay with

us as a society

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By SUE ERWINSTAFF WRITER

Music can be a soothing outlet during stressful times, and leaders at the Punta Gorda Symphony are working to grow the Hope Academy of Music in Charlotte County schools.

The program experi-enced promising growth in early 2020, prior to current coronavirus social-distancing cir-cumstances. Instructors are eager for a return to school, and are currently exploring virtual classes to augment in-person music education offerings.

Beth Morrison is an ed-ucator at Neil Armstrong Elementary School as well as a musician. She’s been a member of the Punta Gorda Symphony for the past five years, and she’s served as the music summer camp director as well as an instructor.

Morrison is partnering with Craig Badinger, executive director of the Punta Gorda Symphony. Together, they are putting together a program to teach virtual music classes.

“The classes have not started yet, but we are ex-cited,” Badinger said. “We are in the early stages and still in the exploratory zone.”

The Hope Academy of Music was founded by Ennis “Buz” Bisbano in 2015. The program is driv-en by passionate, enthu-siastic music instructors who have visited local schools weekly to lend music instruments and to provide music instruction to interested students in an after-school group setting. Hope Academy at its peak has employed 10 instructors serving 140

students in four partici-pating schools.

Badinger and Morrison are working on growing the Hope Academy of Music virtual programs in Charlotte County schools.

The organization received a grant last fall from the Florida Division of Cultural Affairs to focus on growth.

“We hired more instruc-tors and enlisted school employees to coordinate the expansion,” Badinger said.

Morrison added that in just a few months, more than 70 students were added at Neil Armstrong Elementary to the Hope Academy of Music program. She’s currently using video conferencing programs like Zoom and giving lessons through the app.

“We can also do group lessons that way,” she said. “The kids really love it. As we’ve moved online with our education, we’ve found more ways to adapt to the new format and now we’re looking at how to interact and connect students with live and prerecorded music.”

Assignments are given via Google Classroom. Students can record videos of their work and send recordings to the teachers.

Badinger hopes to incorporate the platforms Morrison is using in her online classes for the symphony summer camp if it gets pushed to a virtual camp.

“Whatever we’ll be us-ing for Hope Academy we hope to use in the summer camp in June which is likely to be virtual,” he said.

Hope Academy of Music owns close to 50 instruments that it lends

to interested students with a nominal deposit fee, and provides weekly group instruction in after-school classes. The students return the instruments at the end of the school year, and Hope Academy uses the sum-mer to clean, repair and maintain the instruments. The program is run on a lean annual budget of less than $25,000. When the opportunity arose in late summer 2019, Punta Gorda Symphony agreed to adopt the program, overseeing operations and administration.

Longtime instructor Mike Parmelee is particu-larly proud of a program at the Punta Gorda Middle School.

“Band director Scott Courtney welcomed our teachers to a once-weekly visit with his students,” Parmelee said. “While band rehearsals were in progress our instructors took individual students aside to teach them one-on-one or in small groups. Gratification has come from seeing a number of these students being rewarded with a place in the county honors band.”

Ellen Harvey, cur-riculum specialist for Charlotte County Schools and board director emer-itus for Hope Academy of Music, helped guide the transition.

“These are great music education programs, and they all feed into each other,” she said. “Third-graders playing recorder in the Symphony’s annual Young Person’s Concert get a taste of music, then they go on to the Symphony’s summer camp. Now there’s more opportunity for them to continue with an expand-ed Hope Academy. We’re proud to be making this happen, and we’ll find a way despite restrictions on in-person gatherings.”

“Hope Academy is the perfect addition to our youth educa-tion programs,” said Morrison, who plays flute and piccolo in the Punta Gorda Symphony. “There’s a real desire for more music exposure and music instruction.”

Parents of interested students may inquire by contacting coordinator Patricia Pasca through the Punta Gorda Symphony office. For more informa-tion visit PGSymphony.org or email [email protected] or call 941-205-5996.


Hope Academy of Music to keep beat

in virtual classes

PHOTO PROVIDED

The instructor team (from left): Ellen Harvey, Patricia Pasca, Craig Badinger, Ennis “Buz” Bisbano, Aaron Lucas, Maestro Raffaele Ponti, Ed Toscano and Beth Morrison during a pre-pandemic photo.

By SUE ERWINSTAFF WRITER

Attention Port Charlotte High School students — the 2020 yearbooks are in and will be distributed in a drive-thru fashion at the school this week.

Theresa Chandler, English IV College Prep teacher and Yearbook

Advisor at Port Charlotte High School, took it upon herself to coordinate a process for parents and students to pick up the books in a safe manner.

Three distribution days are scheduled from 9 a.m. to noon Monday through Wednesday at the parent pickup up line near the front of the school.

Those who pre-ordered will need to sign for the book and provide a student identification card.

Those who wish to purchase a yearbook should bring $80 cash.

For more information, send an email to [email protected].

Drive-by distribution times set for Port Charlotte

High School yearbooks

The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office reported the following arrests:

Thomas Pete Diodorou, 42, 11000 block of Battelo Drive, Venice. Charges: possession of a con-trolled substance without prescription and posses-sion of drug parapherna-lia. Bond: none.

Elizabeth Faith Spittler, 28, 24000 block of Beatrix Blvd., Port Charlotte. Charges: battery. Bond: none.

Jason Clifford Wardally, 66, 22000 block of Midway Blvd., Port Charlotte. Charges: two counts of off bond/forfeiture/revocations, possession of a controlled substance without a prescription, and possession of drug paraphernalia. Bond: $12,000.

Bridget Ann Wellenc, 54, 13000 block of Overton Ave., Port Charlotte. Charges: battery. Bond: $1,500.

Cynthia Lee Jones, 51, 4400 block of Hennemann St., Port Charlotte. Charges: two counts of possession of

a controlled substance without a prescription, and possession of drug paraphernalia. Bond: $8,000.

Randy Steven White, 52, 22000 block of Hernando Ave., Port Charlotte. Charges: two counts of possession of a controlled substance without a prescription, and possession of drug paraphernalia. Bond: $8,000.

Jennifer Motta Guedes, 38, 300 block of Greneda St., Port Charlotte. Charges: violation of probation. Bond: none.

Gwendalinda Marie Brown, 57, 19000 block of Lauzon Ave., Port Charlotte. Charges: battery. Bond: $1,000.

Catherine Joy, 62, 13000 block of Drivesdale Ave., Port Charlotte. Charges: battery and resisting an officer without violence. Bond: $2,000.

Isaac Jenkins, 28, 200 block of Bamboo Drive, Port Charlotte. Charges: fleeing or attempting to elude a law enforcement officer, operating a motor vehicle without a valid

license, failure to register a motor vehicle, DUI and resisting an officer without violence. Bond: $5,000.

David Alexander Berry, 18, Fort Lauderdale. Charges: failure to register motor vehicle, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of not more than 20 grams of mari-juana. Bond: $3,000.

Yirmyah Johnson, 18, Hollywood, Florida. Charges: possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of not more than 20 grams of mari-juana. Bond: $3,000.

Clinton Samuel Forbes, 18, Hollywood, Florida. Charges: failure to register a motor vehicle, out-of-county warrant, possession of drug para-phernalia, possession of marijuana not more than 20 grams, and knowingly driving while license is suspended or revoked. Bond: $10,000.

Compiled by Sue Erwin

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By ELAINE ALLEN-EMRICHENGLEWOOD COMMUNITY EDITOR

ENGLEWOOD — With 7,000 members, the closing of Englewood Moose Lodge means the 30 employees are not working.

“We were following the social distance guidelines inside the lodge last month,” said Debbie Boudreaux, administrative as-sistant. “We pulled some chairs out of the bar to create the proper space and moved tables apart. Then, two days later on St. Paddy’s Day, we were shut down.

“Our employees used this time to do some deep cleaning, sanitizing and disinfecting the building. We’ve added land-scaping and done painting for several weeks.”

In order to help these workers bring home a paycheck, the lodge developed a new menu for curbside pickup and delivery within a 10-mile radius.

Available from 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily, the menu includes starters like fried calamari, egg rolls, chili nachos and chicken quesadillas. The salads are Greek, Caesar, blackened fish summer salad, Caribbean

seafood and fruit, which includes jumbo shrimp and real crab meat. Salads range from $6.99 to $13.99.

They have the Memphis Burger, Nantucket Burger, a breaded pork tenderloin sandwich and Pasadena chicken sandwich. The burgers and sandwiches range from $8.99 to $10.99.

There’s also Whitey’s famous chili and dockside stone crab chowder soups, which are $4.99 for a cup and $5.99 for a bowl. They have a Philly cheesesteak sub, blackened fish sub. Dinners include a half or full rack of barbecued ribs, blackened fish dinner, fried fish dinner and a fried shrimp dinner. Dinners range from $6.99 to 13.99.

“We are doing all we can to keep each of our employees working,” Boudreaux said. “We have had to postpone events or reschedule for next year. We missed out on saying goodbye to members who go up north. Our busy season literally ended overnight when the governor shut restaurants down. We all understand why. We want everyone to be safe so they can return to the lodge.”

Boudreaux said once the

Moose reopens, she hopes all of the musicians who play live at the lodge will be able to return. Some are booked a year in advance.

“We will open with a new menu which will include gyro sandwiches, aloha chicken and steak and lobster,” she said. “We will keep our Friday fish fry because people absolutely love them.”

Each year the Moose lodge, auxiliary and Moose Riders group give thousands of dollars in scholarships to Lemon Bay High School students, local non-profit organizations including F.A.M.E., which donates new musical instruments to schools, the Sheriff’s Youth Ranch, the Moose Haven and more.

“We can’t wait to be given the all-clear to open,” Boudreaux

said. “We miss everyone.”Anyone can order online at

www.Englewoodmoose.org or by phone at 941-474-4100. or pick up at 55 W. Dearborn St., Englewood.


Englewood Moose launches curbside meals, delivery

SUN PHOTO BY ELAINE ALLEN-EMRICH

Glen Kolberg, Moose officer and volunteer, makes sure everything is on the level before the lodge reopens to the public.

By STEVE REILLYSTAFF WRITER

ENGLEWOOD — After a successful day of selling their dairy products in Englewood on Saturday, owners of the family-owned Dakin Dairy made a second trip to the community this week, and found hundreds more eager customers.

On Saturday, Jennifer Osterling sold nearly all the 3,500 gallons of milk and other products she hauled in a Ryder refrigerated truck from the dairy in Manatee County’s Myakka City to the parking lot of the A&B Restaurant in Englewood.

The dairy, like many other businesses, is struggling to survive the pandemic. Demand from their commercial customers — restaurants, schools and other businesses — has dried up. Despite the lower demand, dairy cows still need to be milked every day — so if the milk isn’t sold, it is wasted.

On Thursday, the dairy truck arrived in Placida with 5,000 gallons of milk and other fresh dairy products, setting up shop in the parking lot of the Cape Haze Convenience Store at Placida Road and Esther Street.

Like the customers Saturday, people lined up, with most practicing safe social distancing. The line extended around the parking lot and down Esther Street.

To keep things moving, Dakin sold everything with cash only. Milk is $2.50 a gallon, and chocolate milk is $3.50 for a half-gallon.

“Englewood rocks,” Osterling said Thursday afternoon. “People have been very supportive.”

The Dakin family has been milking cows in Manatee County since 1973. It is among fewer than 150 commercial dairies operating today throughout Florida. Before the onset of the pandemic, the Dakins offered public tours of the dairy. Now, they’re struggling to stay in

business.Artist Caroll Swayze

has helped the dairy farm find places in Englewood to park and sell their products, and has also promoted their sales through her Facebook page.

The response has been encouraging, as the dairy has found a market for their milk.

“I wanted to help out,” said Englewood resident Lee Roberts, who was already familiar with Dakin Farms and its products.

Cape Haze Convenience Store owner Theresa Falcone also wanted to help those in need, not only to the family-run dairy, but Englewood’s charitable food pantries.

She distributed 50 gallons of milk between the pantries.

Dakin Farm owners have yet to decide whether they’ll be coming to Englewood on a regular basis, Osterling said. This week they’ve also sold milk in Sebring, Sarasota and St. Petersburg. To learn more about the farm,

visit dakindairyfarms.com or check out their Dakin Dairy Farm page on Facebook for updated schedules.


Dakin Farms milk truck back in Englewood

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By DANIEL SUTPHINSTAFF WRITER

PUNTA GORDA — Work has been scheduled by the Florida Department of Transportation for U.S. 41 from Carmalita Street to Marion Avenue in the Punta Gorda area.

Construction is set to begin before the end of April. Lane closures may occur.

FDOT contracted Highway Safety Devices to install new signals, among other work, at the intersections in the area.

The work will take place Monday through Friday during daytime and nighttime hours, weather permitting.

“The project will replace the existing poles and mast arms at the intersections of U.S. 41 with Olympia Ave., Marion Ave. and Virginia Ave.,” said Communications Manager Zachary Burch. “Replacing these mast arms is part of routine maintenance.”

At Taylor Street, Burch said that they will be adding new pedestrian crossing signals to improve safety for pedestrians in the area.

“We will also be replacing some ADA mats as part of the project,” Burch said.

The mats are used to warn

blind pedestrians of street crossings and other safety hazards.

Burch said the work should be completed by early fall. The estimated cost for the project is $1.3 million.


New signals coming to US 41 in Punta GordaLane closures

may occur during

construction

The Florida Department of Transportation’s contractor has scheduled work to begin late April to install new signals on U.S. 41 from Carmalita Street to Marion Avenue in the Punta Gorda area. The project area is noted on the project location map.GRAPHIC PROVIDED

distributors like Cheney Brothers.“That little store brought in $12,000-

$15,000 a month,” Desguin said. Board members were good at rounding up the best donations, she said.

How are they managing now?

“On a wing and a prayer,” Desguin said. “By the seat of our pants.”

They got a grant from the Tampa Bay Rays, she said, and some other assistance that will soon run out.

Anyone interested in finding out more about the program, or donating, can visit the website at www.mowofcc.org.


HELPFROM PAGE 1C

use the same side of the path a car would use on the street in whichever direction you’re heading.

Don’t use the wrong side of the path. If you need to use the other side, stick near the edge of the path as much as possible.

Do keep moving. If you need to stop, move off the path if it’s safe to do so, or as close to the edge of the path as possible.

Don’t stop in the middle of the path or walk in the

middle of the path.Do walk single file if

there’s not enough room to do otherwise along the path.

Don’t walk in large groups. If with a group of two or more people, be careful of encroaching on the opposite side of the path.

City staff also asks for people to look ahead and behind them when passing other pedestrians. If walking a dog, keep it on a short leash.

Reichert did say that most people seem to

be honoring the social distancing requests.

“Overwhelmingly, the majority of people using the Harborwalk and Linear Pathways are being responsible and practicing physical distancing,” Reichert said.

Jessica Lease, of North Port, often runs sections of the trail system. Lease said from what she has seen, people were keeping safe distances from one another.

Wednesday morning, Lease, along with her parents Debbie and Al Harmen, of Cape Coral, were walking with Lease’s two young children in the Harborwalk section of Gilchrist Park along West Retta Esplanade.

Al said from what they saw that morning, trail users seemed to be keeping their distance from one another.


PATHWAYSFROM PAGE 1C

Zoom video conferencing.“It’s not just the people in my family,

but the people I work with and interact with that I appreciate more,” she said. “I’m loving all my Zoom meetings so I can actually see people. I have always done my best to be kind to all workers, but I think now, more than ever, the takeaway here is it’s not just healthcare workers that are sacrificing themselves for the greater good. There are so many unsung heroes and kindness goes a long way.”

Retiree Laura Loete Rummans says people will be less likely to show physi-cal contact, but express their emotions more freely since so many were impact-ed at the same time. She said debt will likely run hand in hand with people who crave shopping, especially after receiving a stimulus check.

Rummans believes there will be “a lot of mistrust between voters and elected leaders.”

“I pray that strict pandemic policies will become law and that our stockpile of medical supplies will be built to pandemic needs,” she said.

Englewood small business owner Shane Whitmore agreed, adding distrust for government will grow.

“Conspiracy theorists will gain

traction,” he said.Retired Charlotte County Sheriff’s

Office employee Donna Hensley-Roguska said she wishes America would become “self-reliant as a country” and not dependent on others for pharmaceu-tical and other products.

Michaelene Bracken Klotz agreed.“I hope we will all look at the labels

of where things are manufactured and try to do right by our own companies and workers in the USA because the economy will definitely need the help,” she said.

Ivan Moya, a self-employed contrac-tor, isn’t sure anything will stick long term.

“I would hope that people have learned that when times are plentiful, they should build a stockpile of es-sentials to avoid the chaos if times get tough,” he said.

Brittney Adams is a mobile massage therapist, who says when she can finally get back to work, she’s going to ask more questions about where clients have traveled, any recent hospital visits and pre-existing conditions.

“Other than that, I don’t think things will change that much for my business, because I don’t have an office to con-stantly sanitize, I make house calls,” she said.

Barbara Ann Ruppert-Kipp, a Sarasota County Schools substitute teacher, said she hopes families will be

nicer to one another.“Also, people are becoming more

creative and I hope that continues,” she said.

School Board employee Ann Marie Seay Ricardi believes having reserves will become a new normal.

“I bet most people will remember the toilet paper shortage and never want to find themselves below six rolls in reserve at any time,” she said.

Jodee Miller-Armstrong said she’s learned that being an essential worker helps keep the economy going.

“I explained to my kids when looking for a career, to think about being an essential worker,” she said. “This pandemic also made me long to hug my mom and grandkids. I also learned that politics are ruining our nation.”

North Porter John Farrand hopes workers won’t have healthcare tied to their employers in the future.

“I hope essential low-wage workers are treated with more respect and are paid living wages,” he said. “Working from home is more of a thing that’s

causing less traffic and pollution. I was hoping to see my son receiving his high school diploma in person with his other classmates.”

Kat Obendorf of Venice believes the floor markings at stores that are 6 feet apart will stay in place.

Englewood businessman Alfred Current believes Zoom meetings will continue.

“I was asked to be on a surprise Zoom meeting for my daughter’s 30th birthday,” Current said. “Her sorority sisters were also on the meeting. It was good to see everyone, even if it was from a distance.”

Stacy McIntosh says more people may watch church online in the future. She said others may be more mindful of first responders.

“I see God in so many people like doctors, nurses who are praying on hospital rooftops and having prayer time on morning news shows.”


STICKFROM PAGE 1C

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Englewood businessman Alfred Current recently celebrated on Zoom with his daughter who turned 30 and her friends. They all surprised her online. Current believes Zoom meetings will continue after the pandemic.

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Notice of Potential Data BreachThis notice provides information regarding a potential inappropriate disclosure of personal information due to a tornado that struck a building leased by STAT Informatics Solutions, LLC (“STAT”) in Lebanon, Tennessee on March 3, 2020. STAT is based in Waupaca, Wisconsin and provides various secure record services to healthcare entities. Bayfront Health Port Charlotte contracts with STAT to scan paper documents into the hospital’s electronic medical record system and for secure destruction of records.

Regrettably, the records stored in the building damaged by the tornado contained medical records, which may have included personal information such as a patient’s full name, Social Security number, address, date of birth, medical record number, account number, images, diagnoses, nursing and physician documentation, test results, medications, and/or other types of information typically found in a medical record. As a result of the tornado, personal information may have been potentially exposed to others.

STAT immediately notifi ed Bayfront Health Port Charlotte on March 3, 2020 of this incident. Hospital representatives visited the site right away and began working with STAT in the aftermath of the tornado to locate medical records, and to secure the remaining records on the site.

Bayfront Health Port Charlotte was able to confi rm the majority of records remained in the remnants of the building. In an effort to prevent unauthorized access and disclosure of records involved, a tall fence was erected around the property and two security guards were posted 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The contents of the building remained secure while the recovery of records was assessed. All records that remained in the building were deemed unsalvageable and the records were securely destroyed.

At this time, Bayfront Health Port Charlotte has no evidence the information has been or will be used in a way that would cause fi nancial harm. A letter will be mailed to individuals whose information may have been involved in the breach with information about how to enroll in credit monitoring services provided by Bayfront Health Port Charlotte free of charge to potentially affected individuals.

We sincerely apologize for this incident and regret any inconvenience it may cause. Should you have questions or concerns regarding this matter, please do not hesitate to contact us at (855) 465-5157. For information on preventing identity theft or to report suspicious activity, contact the Federal Trade Commission at 1(877) 438-4338 or get free information at www.ftc.gov.


PORT CHARLOTTE

Leonard Brauchle Leonard Brauchle, 74,

of Port Charlotte, Florida, passed away on Sunday, April 19, 2020.

He was born on October 10, 1945, in Queens, New York, to the late Frank and Priscilla

(Smith) Brauchle.

Leonard was a U.S. Air Force Veteran who served during the Vietnam War as an airplane mechanic for the F4 Phantom jets. He spent his career as an auto mechanic, even while he worked for the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office, he continued to help friends and family with their car repair needs.

He is survived by his wife, Lola Charlene Brauchle; two children from a previous marriage, daughter, Linda Cignarale of Port Charlotte, Florida, son, Leonard P. Brauchle of Sarasota, Floirda, step-son, Charles Mendler of Orlando, Florida, and step-son Zachary (Audrey) Langford of Decatur, Alabama; grand-son, Xander Cignarale of Port Charlotte, Florida, and a step-granddaughter, Lola Langford.

Due to the Coronavirus restrictions, a memorial service will be scheduled at the Sarasota National Cemetery once the restrictions are lifted.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in memory of Leonard Brauchle may be donated to the Gary Sinise Foundation, PO Box 368 Woodland Hills, CA 91365.

Martha J. Hojnacki March 27, 1940 –

April 12, 2020On April 12, 2020, at

6 a.m., heaven was sent an angel. Martha Joan Hojnacki (Nihill), 80, passed away peace-fully in

hospice after a long and courageous battle with Alzheimer’s disease in Port Charlotte, Florida, with family at her side.

Martha is reunited with her daughter, Jaclene Hojnacki; a sister, MaryLou Bruhn; her brother, John “Jack” Nihill; and her parents, John Sr. and Mary Nihill.

Martha was born on March 27, 1940, moving from Chicago to McHenry during late childhood. She was a graduate of McHenry East High School, class of 1958, and worked for McHenry State Bank, later First Midwest Bank, for 39 years. She was a dedicated wife, loving mother and proud grandmother (Nana), spending the majority of her time caring for her family. She was kind and self-less, beautiful inside and out. Martha was known for her witty sense of humor and resilience. She survived breast cancer, the loss of her daughter Jaclene, and gal-lantly fought Alzheimer’s disease for many years.

The past several years, she and her husband were fortunate to become “snowbirds,” living in Lake Suzy, Florida, during the colder months and McHenry, Illinois, during the warmer months. She enjoyed

traveling, cruises, and spending time with family.

She is survived by her loving husband of 60 years, Donald Hojnacki; her devoted children, Dale Hojnacki and Jennifer (Thomas) Beyer; her wonderful grandchildren, Hannah and Noah Beyer; her sisters, Nancy Andrle and Margaret Lies; as well as numerous nieces, nephews, and friends. She will be missed by many, but never forgotten.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Cure Alzheimer’s Fund (cureALZ.org).

A public memorial service will be held on a future date in McHenry, Illinois.

PUNTA GORDA

Marilyn Gregory Marilyn (nee Gabor)

Gregory, 64, of Punta Gorda, Florida, passed away April 20, 2020. She was born Aug. 8, 1955, to

Edward H. and Anita (nee Ford) Gabor in Madison, Ohio.

She attended Madison

High School and graduated from Lake Erie College. Marilyn married Joe L. Gregory on October 3, 1992, in Madison. She had resided in Punta Gorda with her husband since 1997. Marilyn was em-ployed by the Perfection Corporation, Things Remembered, Marriott Management Services and the Area Agency on Aging for Southwest Florida where she served as Health and Wellness Coordinator. She volun-teered as a SHIP SHINE Medicare Advocate and served on the Board of Directors for the Senior Friendship Centers. She was a member of the First United Methodist Church of Punta Gorda.

She is survived by her husband, Joe; her mother, Anita Gabor; brothers, Terry (Fran) Gabor and David (Tammy) Gabor; many nieces and neph-ews, as well as extended family, Kelly, Doak, Kayla and Stephanie Pfaff and Scott and Kristin Gregory.

At her request, there will be no services. Donations in memory of Marilyn may be made to a charity of your choice. Internment will take place at the Madison Memorial Cemetery in Madison, Ohio, at a later date.

Please visit kays-pong-er.com to leave the family your thoughts, memories and condolences on the online guestbook.

Anne T. St. George Anne T. (McCabe)

St. George, 100, of Punta Gorda, Florida, formerly of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, passed

away peacefully in her home with family at her side on Good Friday, April 10,

2020. Anne was born on Nov. 21, 1919, to Charles M. and Helen (Tighe) McCabe of Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Anne was the devoted wife of the late Leslie F. St. George; and the beloved mother, of Robert L. St. George of Hermosa Beach, California, Anne St. George (Michael

Wigglesworth) of Punta Gorda, Florida, Leslie P. (Cindy) St. George of Sagamore Beach, Massachusetts, Mary Ellen St. George (and her late husband Stephen F. Pickul, Jr.) of Centerville, Massachusetts, and Jean Marie St. George (Robert Kellogg) of Cotuit, Massachusetts. She was predeceased by her son William C. E. St. George. Anne was beloved by her seven grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. She will be greatly missed by her extended family and many, many friends.

Anne was a 1937 graduate of Cambridge High and Latin School. She lived her life as a devout Catholic with a firm belief in God. Anne “lived” her faith each day as evidenced by the kindness and generosity she presented to those close to her as well as to strangers. Her family was the joy of her life. The legacy of her wit, humor, charitable spirit, love of nature, passion for music and lifelong devotion to the Boston Red Sox will live on through them.

In her memory, Anne requested that we love one another. A memorial service will be held at a later date. Interment: Massachusetts National Cemetery, Bourne, Massachusetts.

Memorial contribu-tions may be made to the Maryknoll Sisters of St. Dominic, P.O. Box 310, Maryknoll, N.Y. 10545. www.MaryknollSisters.org

ENGLEWOOD

John T. BuckmanJohn T. Buckman, 73

of Englewood, Florida, died April 21, 2020, at Englewood Community Hospital.

Lemon Bay Funeral Home & Cremation Service is in charge of cremation arrangements.

Eleanore Louise Lempke

Eleanore Louise Lempke, 94, of Englewood, Florida,

passed away on Saturday, April 18, 2020, at the Inglenook Home for Ladies.

Born on May 27, 1925, in Bloomington, Minnesota, to the late Eugene and Julia Kornder Layman.

A loving wife, mother and homemaker for her family, she was an avid golfer and attended the Englewood United Methodist Church.

She is pre-deceased by her husband, David; and a son, James.

Survivors include two children: Katherine Swart of Cranston, Rhode Island, and David Lempke of Lakeville, Minnesota; several grandchildren; and great-grandchildren.

Inurnment will be in the family plot in Bloomington Cemetery, Minnesota.

Englewood Community Funeral Home with Private Crematory has been selected to handle arrangements. You may share a memory with the family at www.englewoodfh.com.

Marc N. Vadenais Marc N. Vadenais

passed away at home in Englewood, Florida, on April 6, 2020, at the age

of 70, after living with ALS (better known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease) for the past six-plus

years. His light shined bright even through the harsh realities of this disease, and he lived every day with dignity, grace and courage.

Marc was born on Aug. 7, 1949, in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, to Normand and Suzanne (Guerin) Vadenais. He graduated from Mount St. Charles Academy and Providence College, class of 1971, with a degree in Business Administration. He spent many happy years living in North Smithfield, Rhode Island, moving to Peterborough, New Hampshire, in 2004, and his last six years as a Floridian.

Marc was an avid outdoorsman, spending summers of his youth on the family farm in Canada and in scouting, where he became an Eagle Scout. He enjoyed being outdoors all seasons of the year with his beloved dogs. His true passions were hiking, snowshoe-ing with his dogs, bass fishing, and driving and tinkering with his MG. Marc spent many years employed in sales with the A.T. Cross Company in Lincoln, Rhode Island. He also spent time in the Providence Chamber of Commerce as the Membership Director. Marc’s other passion was timber-framing and construction which he practiced in Rhode Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Hampshire. He lovingly built and restored numer-ous barns, homes, and other structures across New England, and passed his love of working with his hands on to his sons.

Marc was fortunate and grateful to spend the last years of his life in his home with family, visiting friends, wonderful care-givers, and the compas-sionate and competent care of his team from Tidewell Hospice and the ALS Society.

Marc is survived by his daughter, Heather Vadenais Langley of Lakewood Ranch, Florida, and her daughter Haleigh Guilbert, who is a student at Florida State University; son, Matthew and wife, Katie, of Woonsocket, Rhode Island, and their daugh-ters Rowan and Quinnlyn ; son, James of North Smithfield, Rhode Island. Marc is also survived by two sisters; Michelle Vadenais, of Manchester, Connecticut, and Andree Jacobson of Morristown, New Jersey, as well as his first wife and mother of his children, Carol Provencal Bercaw, and his second wife, Laura Pate. He also leaves behind a wide, loving network of extended family and friends, as he had very special and engaging way with people and never met a stranger.

There will be a Celebration of Life at a future date to be announced. In lieu of flowers, honorary dona-tions can be made via TidewellHospice.org.

OBITUARIES

OBITUARY POLICYObituaries are accepted from funeral homes and

crematories, and from families if accompanied by a death certificate. Full obituaries, notices of services, remembrances and death notices are subject to charges. Email the item for publication to [email protected]; it must be accompanied by a phone number. For more information, call 941-206-1028.

Despite the deadly threat to our community, many of our local non-profits continue to find ways to do their jobs, running point on keep-ing us safe. Right now TEAM Punta Gorda, like many non-essential non-profits, has tailored our operations in response to the virus.

Our offices are closed, free loaner bikes are grounded, and other activities are on hold. No one knows what the new normal will look like, but we are proud to be part of protecting our community by staying put. It is clear that budgets and resources will be stretched to the limits in coming months and we will all need to adjust accordingly.

It’s hard, however, to keep us down! We’re still working via video conference sites such as Zoom on a number of community improve-ment projects including the following:

• Community Gardening: Our community garden at the History Park on Shreve is looking good. The garden team meets by Zoom, but each person tends their individual gardens. Soon they will solarize their plots for the summer. The garden is fully subscribed at 92 plots with a waiting list.

• American In Bloom: We are working with the city, the Punta Gorda Chamber of Commerce and the Punta Gorda Garden Club on a new project to landscape the downtown with decorative planters. It’s called America In Bloom and is part of a national initiative to help commu-nities use landscaping to make themselves more inviting and vibrant. I think it will be a very splashy and exciting way to give Punta Gorda a boost. We’re in the early planning stage right now.

• TEAM Builds: We were in the middle of our annual home build with Charlotte Habitat for Humanity when

this crisis began. We were able to complete much of the house on which we were working before volunteers had to stay sheltered. Habitat contractors and staff moved things along and are hoping to complete it by the end of May.

• Green TEAM-Water Quality Initiative: We have a group working on water quality in Punta Gorda. We have begun testing water in the canals, working with Sunseeker Waterkeepers, and we are planning to do demonstration gardens on sustainable landscaping, should that be possible in the Fall. We are also working on a webinar series to increase public aware-ness about the issues surrounding clean water.

Our volunteers continue to work toward Fall events despite the uncertainties we are all facing. Our next event is the City Managers Bicycle Ride scheduled for Sept. 26 (postponed from March) that we hope will be a tribute to retiring City Manager Howard Kunik.

All local nonprofits are getting ready for the Giving Challenge, noon to noon on April 28-29. We are hoping the public continues to remember that your nonprofit organizations are still out there, and must pay staff and rent.

Nancy Johnson is the CEO of TEAM Punta Gorda. TEAM Punta Gorda is a 501©(3) nonprofit organization. Ideas or questions can be addressed to [email protected] or visit our website, www.teampuntagorda.org.

Coming together while staying apart

TEAM PUNTA GORDA

NANCY JOHNSONTeam Punta Gorda

COMMUNITY NEWS BRIEFS

Spinnaker, Sunnybrook

sidewalks underwayConstruction of

the Spinnaker and Sunnybrook Boulevard sidewalk project has begun and will continue through mid-Novem-ber. This project will construct sidewalks on Spinnaker and Sunnybrook boulevards from the North Access Road to Wilmington Boulevard. Travelers may experience lane closures, slow moving traffic and/or temporary delays within the project

limits and should allow extra time when plan-ning to travel through this area. For informa-tion on this project, visit www.charlottecountyfl.gov.

Punta Gorda’s gazebos, pavilions

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Trump is right. We need to get back to workEditor:

The facts are right in front of us. We need to get back to work. Just look at Walmart — many shoppers buying everything not just food, same for Home Depot, Lowes, Publix, and other food stores. We appear to not have any issue keeping our distance? So why not apply this in workplace? We would all take our precautions as we do now shopping.

Our president is worried about our economy for good reasons. What will happen if we run out of food? You think things are bad now, but no food and everyone would start to fare for themselves and most likely internal wars will erupt. Farmers must be back to work.

The stimulus package will do no good if no food is for sale. The stimulus package should have been only for small businesses and unemployed, who were laid off, not for us who are retired and on Social Security with other retirement money and not for the welfare already getting all the entitlement. Why increase the food stamps 15% for the ones already getting this? Why do we keep adding pork to this bill? Keep it for the unemployed period. Why send money to the employed?

I am retired and do not expect the government to send me more money than my retirement, nor should anyone else who is working or already receiving benefits. Save this for unemployed or businesses that have stopped due to COVID-19.

Cliff BeverlyNorth Port

No need to trim our state budgetEditor:

As a candidate for House District 75 seat, I am responding to “Legislators prep for some budget cutting.”

A person truly representing the best interest of the people of Charlotte County would have taken a different stance.

I argue that not cutting the budget in the wake of coronavirus is an option. Taxpayers of Charlotte County should not be responsible for the missteps of our federal and state governments.

Our District 75 representative says, “We don’t know how much federal aid we will be getting.”

Here is your demand, Mr. Grant.

“We will demand 100% of the loss of revenue. This horrific virus is no fault of our own. Our strategic political importance allows us to demand full compensation for all losses incurred here in the great state of Florida. I will be

teleconferencing with Sens. Scott and Rubio along with U.S. Representative Steube early next week. If they do not come through for us, I fully expect them to be voted out in their next election.

“I am sorry we did not expand Medicaid when we had our chance. It would have saved us a ton of money and we would not have to be begging for it now, in our time of need.

“Next time we have a $543 million surplus, instead of giving it to big business, as the lobbyists in Tallahassee suggested, I will divert that money to the essential workers that I now know we depend on for life itself.”

David G. JonesEnglewood

Some companies I would recommendEditor:

The learning curve on house and appliance repairs has been very expensive in this our new city and state. We have now been here over five years and are on our third home in Punta Gorda.

I have a degree in commercial and residential wiring and was an electrician in the U.S. Army. I remodeled several houses and was very involved in building my own two houses from the ground up. I also was the president of seven different corporations that required my knowledge in maintenance. I know what it takes and how much it should cost to get a job done.

When you hire big name contractors, part of your bill will include paying for

their expensive ads. Ask your Realtor to suggest someone. The Rolland’s at Keller Williams were very helpful to us.

For auto services and/or RV repairs, Mr. Front End is the place to go. Ask for Dave and he will have Shawn repair all electric and electronics problem you have. Scotty is great with mechanical issues. I used another RV repair shop in this area and spent thousands of dollars only to find out (through Mr. Front End) that the other guys wired things wrong at my expense.

True Blue Pools next to Publix are as good as it gets in the pool business. With another company we spent thousands of dollars on new equipment that never did work despite my numerous complaints. Ask for Cassie in the office and Mark, their service tech.

Phil BakerPunta Gorda

Biden is no leader. Trump has a visionEditor:

Bernie Sanders has ended his campaign for president. But he’s promised he’ll stay around to infect Biden’s campaign with his radical socialist agenda.

Some people like Biden, saying he has 43 years of experience in Washington. Actually he’s had one year of experience 43 times. There’s a big difference. One only has to look at his undistinguished academic record followed by his moribund record in office. His biggest accomplishment was getting reelected.

Biden is nothing more than a political hack and a third-rate ward healer. The esteem in which he is held is demonstrated by the fact that Obama avoided giving him his endorsement until there was no other candidate left standing.

It’s doubtful that Biden has ever had an original thought. He certainly has no vision for the country. He’ll fall for whatever idea will get him elected. He also appears to be losing what little mental capacity he’s had. Without his cue cards he has trouble coming up with a declarative sentence. Witness his comments on COVID-19.

We are now in a fight for our lives of world war proportions. We need a real leader not some nasty befuddled dope. Trump has his faults. But, at least, he’s a leader and has a coherent vision for the country.

Bill DahmsCape Haze

Every supermarket employee needs maskEditor:

Our local supermarket chains are spending mucho bucks on advertisements alleviating our fears about shopping in these establishments by telling us how they are having special hours for seniors, spending lots of time cleaning and sanitizing to make us all feel safer.

Here’s my question: I have been shopping on multiple occasions and each time I see approximately 20% of our store employees wearing masks. Can anyone explain to me why masks are not a requirement of

all store employees? These “feel good” ads are giving us a false sense of security!

Bonnie MacphersonNorth Port

Our youth need more promising futureEditor:

As a soon-to-be graduate of FGCU, within the next year, it is alarming to see the job market crash. In this coming recession, how are we going to make sure that the next generation of workers will have jobs and not just repeat the part-time job boom of the post-Great-Recession?

Here are some solutions. In November there’s a $15 minimum wage on the ballot as Amendment 2, which would increase the minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2026. This ensures that at the basic level Floridian workers have a sizable amount of income that they can spend on their families, food, and bills; even decreasing the level of poverty in a given city. As an undergrad who will graduate with about $26,000 in debt, finding a job to pay off that debt is important. But with the cost of living in the state of Florida for example, with rent in North Port only going as low as $900 a month without other utilities, it is no wonder why the American dream feels dead.

Secondly, we need to repeal the right to work in the state of Florida and make the unions strong again. This COVID-19 pandemic has shown us what we need more than ever now is guaranteed job security. Among that, essential workers in retail, Walmart and even Publix need to become active and demand a fair wage for being essential.

Brendan NymanNorth Port

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COMMENTARY EDITORJohn Hackworth

D uring this coronavirus pandemic, access to accurate and trustworthy

information in your community is as critical to life under quarantine and as sought after as hand sanitizer and face masks.

Your local newspaper provides the news and information unique to your community. Where are the testing sites and who’s eligible, which businesses are open, what is the local online unemployment benefit application process, and much more. But your access to local news and information is gravely threatened by the economic carnage COVID-19 has wrought.

While local newspapers continue to field reporters and bring news and advice from public health authorities in print and online — at considerable cost

— their revenues have all but disappeared as the businesses that were their most important advertisers were shuttered.

That’s why America’s Newspapers and other organizations representing local news providers are asking Congress to take urgent action to ensure you don’t lose your vital sources of timely and trustworthy information.

First, we’re asking that Congress expand and clarify the Payroll Protection Program to ensure it covers all local newspapers and news broadcasters. While some of these outlets may be owned by large organizations, they must survive on their own. It’s only fair that they should be included in any expansion of the program. These loans will keep the newspaper employees — your neighbors — on their payrolls and help get the news to you

in print as well as online. We appreciate the bipartisan letter of April 19 from U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA), John Kennedy (R-LA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and John Boozman (R-AR) that requested waiving the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) affiliation rule to allow local media outlets to access funding, pointing to the critical role these outlets play in keeping communities healthy and informed.

Second, we are asking that the Trump Administration direct current federal government advertising funds to local news and media outlets. These public service and informative ads could be similar to the ones running right now about the U.S. Census. They could carry critical government information about data from the CDC, access to small

business loans, medical resources for families and other important topics. We’re asking for a commitment that would be spent in an equitable manner across all local news providers.

We also believe that there should be an immediate relief package that is based on total newsroom employees. Some local news organizations won’t survive without some type of immediate grant or infusion that is tied to the organization’s employees who directly work in the newsroom.

This is not a demand for an industry bailout of local news providers. Instead, these measures recognize that local news publishers are on the information front line of the coronavirus pandemic, providing a public service vital to keeping our communities safe, secure and sustained during this unprecedented

public health crisis.Please contact the offices

of your senators and representatives in the U.S. Congress and tell them you support expanding the Payroll Protection Program to include your local news source and that the federal government should use your local newspapers or news broadcaster to convey important information through public service ads. And finally, let them know that a grant based on newsroom employees is critical at this time. Visit www.usa.gov/elected-officials for their contact information.

Take this easy action to ensure that your access to local information doesn’t become another victim to the COVID-19 pandemic. Thank you and may you and your family remain safe and informed during this difficult time.

AMERICA’S NEWSPAPERS

Congress should support local news sources


Cyber attacks should be our biggest worryEditor:

Covid-19 has raised havoc in our lives and devastated our economy. Residents are in lockdown, keeping 6 foot distance apart and ceasing social activity. There’s $9 trillion lost in wealth and a recession/ depression is imminent.

If you think this is bad, imagine cell services ceasing. Internet is gone. No water/sewer operating. Gas pumps not functioning. TV’s are all dead. Cars won’t start. This is a jarring scenario if a nuclear or solar attack detonated (EMP) over our country and would be much worse than the Covid-19 we’re experiencing today. It would lead to an electric Armageddon.

Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran have incorporated an EMP strategy in their planning and openly describe making high altitude nuclear attacks against the United States. They have the technology to do it today. Accompanying this with a physical terrorist’s attack would create hysteria, havoc and loss of life. Future pandemics will happen; electric grid attacks can happen.

An older estimate to harden our grid is $2B and total cost is $10-20B to protect us from cyber-attacks, sabotage, and natural disasters. This is modest compared to remediating a loss of our electric grid and destroyed economy. Yet, little has been done. Congress is more concerned with expanding entitlements and politically correct ideology while amassing a $27T national debt.

During the 2020 campaign cycle we should question Congressional candidates about what they will do to protect us from cyber-attacks. The threat continues to evolve; there’s no excuse for inaction.

Frank MazurPunta Gorda

Scott, DeSantis don’t deserve our votesEditor:

How can WWE be “essential” but putting unemployment

funds in the hands of once hardworking Floridians is not? The fact that these people are not currently working is not their fault but “the state of Florida” has made it impossible for them to even put food on the table and keep a roof over their heads.

This is all on the former and present governors since the system supposedly “broke” in 2015. The failure to respond when this showed up in a 2019 audit is totally on Gov. DeSantis and everyone in his administration who just chose to ignore the situation! The fact that it has been over a month and the problem still is not fixed just proves that while these governors flaunt “this tourist based economy”, they have no concern for those who truly make it work!

All of these unemployed workers and their families must remember this when both Scott and DeSantis need their votes in 2022 and put them both out of work!

Marilyn A. FoleyPunta Gorda

Do you choose faith, liberty or fear, panic?Editor:

Should we take worldwide, drastic, harmful actions over something for which we have very little understanding or knowledge?

What if salaries of government employees were cut in half or stopped, like the rest of us, and the savings given back to us or, at least, used for testing to gain more understanding of how to help the people stay healthy?

What if representatives had followed the Constitution allowing for the blessings of liberty and there were huge amounts of private resources to help us stay healthy?

What if those more vulnerable to death from virus self-quarantined and those that chose otherwise were free to reap their own blessings or consequences?

What if giving up every single right we have for what many perceive as safety is the wrong decision and our children and grandchildren will suffer the consequences?

Many fought and died for our liberty. Liberty is a gift from God. Should we give it up so easily?

What if it’s not the government that will help, but decent, free individuals with the moral compass that comes from a loving creator?

What if our loving Creator knows what’s right for our lives instead of the government, media, parties or other “leaders” that so many choose as their God?

Do good things come from God or government?

What if you humbled yourselves and prayed instead of putting your trust in a corrupt civil government?

What if the people chose faith and love over fear and panic?

David KesselringPort Charlotte

All Americans must stand together nowEditor:

My thoughts on COVID-19:On Easter Sunday 2020, I

really feel sorry for the family’s of the lives lost.

As I have watched every day on all of the news channels, and the daily briefings from the White House, and the Covid-19 Team I understand the severity of the virus.

An excerpt we all know: under God and liberty for all!

Would somebody please tell some people in politics that pointing fingers and trying to blame or twisting words for a news headline is just not what this country stands for. Americans have gone through a lot, from our ancestors to current day, we have conquered wars, gone through a depression, attacks on our country, and have come out better and stronger and all willing to do what ever it took.

I don’t care if you’re a Democrat, Republican or Independent, or whatever, as an American we need to stand together (6 feet apart) and band together, if not I’m in fear that we will lose what we’ve got. Our country cannot survive without us!

So on this Easter Sunday,

my prayers were for those who have suffered but most of all our leaders making some very hard decisions. No matter what they may be, we still are Americans!

Bob LerschEnglewood

AP knows all? Thankful for TrumpEditor:

The end to the shutdown has been written by the Associated Press — Trump was wrong and incompetent. It doesn’t matter the time of the end of the shutdown. The AP knows Trump was wrong. The stories will be fleshed out with personal stories of women and minorities hardest hit.

Thank God for President Donald Trump.

Kirk BodwellNorth Port

SCORE helping business owners in crisisEditor:

Thank you Sun for keeping us up to date on the latest news of this crisis.

it was was heartening to read Our View on Tuesday and see all the good that “people, businesses, organizations” have brought out.

I would like to take this opportunity to point to the Port Charlotte SCORE Chapter and the work they have done to get up to speed on SBA loans for their clients and any business that needs help in filling out the forms and obtaining information.

Michael HantmanPunta Gorda

Millennium Lab did great job for meEditor:

I would like to give a big thank you out to the staff at Millennium Physician Group Lab on Cochran Boulevard. When my husband and I went there on Thursday, May 9, the staff was very well organized, right down to the ladies out front at the registration tables. Especially Lisa, who drew my blood. She did an excellent job.

I have tiny veins that roll and

they have to use a butterfly needle. There was no pain (I liked that) and very little bruising. We wish to thank all of the nurses and doctors on the front line. We appreciate all they do.

Sharon CoadPort Charlotte

Teens deserve right to vote at 18Editor:

In this morning’s paper, a writer maintains that young people should not be allowed to vote. He bases his argument on this year’s spring break in Florida. He should not paint all young people with the same brush.

My 19-year-old grandson came home when his college closed. Shortly after arriving home, he told his mother he was going to see some friends. My daughter, a hospital nurse, told him that was not going to happen. He listened and now plays computer games with them after finishing his classwork. This young man was the high school quarterback, basketball team captain, ran track, played baseball, and belongs to Future Farmers of America.

While his politics differ from mine, he knows what is going on and can defend his position with decorum.

His 17-year-old sister also does her school work at home. She is involved in high school sports and student government. She takes care of her other grandfather’s hundred horses while he recuperates from surgery. When done feeding them, she rides her horse. Both had the consideration to call me on Easter.

A lot of people on the beaches were not young people. On St. Patrick’s Day, there was a bar in Fort Myers that held a bash attended by an overflow crowd of people all 21 or older. On Easter Sunday, there was a huge throng of worshippers at a church in Orlando — well over 21.

My grandchildren should have the right to vote. They didn’t go to Florida for spring break.

Donald Van Den BergheRotonda West

There has been a lot of talk recently about the Multi-

use Corridors of Regional Economic Significance (M-CORES) program — about how it’s not needed — and I want to speak up and bring some rural perspective to the discussion.

The district I represent is largely rural, and I live in a rural area. It is an area that does not have a consistent speed of at least 10 megs of download and 1 meg of upload. I’ve also regularly heard from those in my area, and experienced myself, inconsistencies in this speed, or that some don’t even have access to it at all.

The M-CORES program would change this. It would improve different types of infrastructure, such as broadband, water and sewer services, so communities, like the ones that make up my district and similar ones like it throughout the State of Florida, can have critical access to these

needed services.The COVID-19 pandemic

brought many unexpected challenges. Before, many probably looked at Internet access as the means to be able to stream your favorite TV show or listen to your music from a streaming service. However, with the pandemic, as we’ve seen schools move to at-home online classes and work becoming remote for those who are non-essential, access to broadband has become even more important. Instead of it being viewed as a luxury, it has become a necessity, a means to critical education and earning a living.

Even before the pandemic,

the Internet gave those with reliable access to it many more opportunities than those without or limited access to it in rural areas. It enabled people to have a profession from home and cut down on business overhead by running a business from their residence. It also allowed people to learn new skills or seek new work opportunities. It even gave a working parent the opportunity to also go to school online and get their degree.

For those of us who are in these rural areas and are struggling more so now with lack of access and inconsistencies in broadband strength, expanded access

through the M-CORES program is needed. It’s something I think has become more clear now than ever.

I believe the M-CORES plan, especially the Southwest-Central Florida Connector, is the best thing to happen to rural Florida and our community. For us, our need for broadband access hasn’t changed with the pandemic. It has only become stronger.

State Senator Ben Albritton represents Senate District 26, which includes DeSoto, Glades, Hardee, Highlands and Okeechobee counties and parts of Charlotte, Lee and Polk counties.

Broadband access needed in rural Florida

BEN ALBRITTONState Senator, District 26

COVID-19 has certainly changed the way we’re all

living our lives and conducting business. During these difficult times, as your clerk of court, I wanted to update you on how our office has adapted in order to safely provide the services you need.

When determining how best to conduct business under unparalleled circumstances, the overriding factor will always be the health and safety of my staff, their families, and all citizens who use our services. We have, and will continue to follow all CDC recommendations. The clerk’s office continually works and communicates with our local government and community partners, including the court system (local judiciary, Office of the State Attorney, Public Defender’s Office, and law enforcement), local chambers of commerce, and county government officials. Rest assured, your local officials are all working together to protect

the health and safety of this community.

Both Governor Ron DeSantis and the Florida Supreme Court have confirmed our office provides essential services, which requires the clerk’s office to remain open to the public. Our doors remain open to people who need help in the following areas specifically listed by our governor and the Florida Supreme Court: Domestic violence, Baker Acts, vulnerable adult injunctions, payment obligations, shelter hearings, and appointment of emergency temporary

guardians. If you need help in one of these areas, our doors remain open to you, and we have staff ready to assist.

As for other services not specifically deemed essential by Gov. DeSantis and the Florida Supreme Court, we are not open to the public at the Justice Center or Murdock Administrative Center. However, many of our services can be handled online by visiting CharlotteClerk.com from the comfort of your home on your smart phone or computer.

Over the last three years, my office has focused on using innovative technology to provide local residents immediate and easy access to our office and its resources. This three-year goal was intended to provide a more efficient user experience, while also cutting unnecessary spending, thus resulting in overall taxpayer savings. Nonetheless, in light of our current circumstances,

convenience and efficiency have now turned into necessity in many instances. Thankfully, we were already prepared, in large part, for what has recently occurred. In the last three years, we created the following online services for you: jury electronic notification and online check-in, online court payments, electronic recording of deeds and other records, electronic certification, and fraud alert.

Since the emergence of COVID-19, my office, like many others in the community, has had to “reinvent” the way we do business. Thankfully, our experience and skill with using technology was up to the task. We’ve partnered with TurboCourt, which works similar to TurboTax, to offer solutions to citizens involved in court cases who do not have attorneys. TurboCourt can assist residents with filing legal pleadings in an efficient, easy to understand manner.

Additionally, we have teamed with another community partner, the Tax Collector’s Office, which allows citizens to drop clerk’s office related materials in one of five drop boxes located throughout Charlotte County for efficient processing. Information for all of these online services can be easily found at CharlotteClerk.com.

This is certainly a difficult time for everyone, but I know our community is up to the challenge. When problems present themselves, we solve them. Thankfully, your clerk’s office began creating online solutions three years ago, which will serve us all well during this unprecedented time. Please call our office at 941-637-2329 or go online to CharlotteClerk.com to see how we can help you. Please stay healthy everyone!

Roger Eaton is clerk of courts for Charlotte County.

Clerk of Court’s office adapts to challenge

ROGER EATONCharlotte County Clerk


CHARLOTTE COUNTY MARRIAGESNone received.

CHARLOTTE COUNTY DIVORCESJoseph Robert Bernabi v.

Corinne Mae BernabiJason Bolte v. Jeany Ruan-BolteTaylyn Marie Feldpausch v.

Arnold McDowell

Linda Louise Hash v. Craig Eugene Hash

Andrea Katherine Hill v. Kelvin Hill

Zachary D. Jones v. Amanda Sexton

Mystic Ann Karetski v. Daniel John Karetski

Shelby McIntosh v. Michael Dennis McIntosh

Ingrid Morse v. Jason E. MorseEvette Robinson v. Joshua

TollefsonChad Richard Shingledecker v.

Tara Ann ShingledeckerMark Kevin Sullivan v. Alice

Marie SullivanMary Louvina Wilson v. Adam

WilsonDeborah Wood v. Gary Wood

WEEKLY RECORD

We run birthday announcements with a photo in Sunday’s Sun. Email your photo, along with the name, age, and birth date, to [email protected].

Happy Birthday to Stana Barron, who turned 8 on April 24.

Happy Birthday to Marilyn Thompson, who turns 77 on April 30.

Happy birthday to Braden Morse, who turned 13 on April 17

Happy birthday to Archie Bennett, who turned 4 on April 23.

Happy birthday to Liam Sanders, who turned 5 on April 24.

Happy birthday to Kaiden Gardner, who turned 8 on Feb. 24.

Happy birthday to Olga C. Nagel, who turns 100 on May 1.

Happy birthday to Dee Campbell, who turned 80 on April 20.

Happy birthday to John McCarthy, who turns 79 today.

Happy birthday to Maddox Heinis, who turns 5 on April 30.

BIRTHDAYS

COMMUNITY NEWS BRIEFSHeritage Landing water

service interruptionA water service inter-

ruption is scheduled for Tuesday and May 6 from approximately 10 p.m.-6 a.m. This is required work for the Burnt Store Road widening project. Customers affected include all addresses within Heritage Landing. Customers should plan on being without water service during this time. For future emergency notices, visit www.CharlotteCountyFL.gov and click Utility Emergency Notices under Popular Links. For infor-mation, contact Stephen Kipfinger at 941-764-4300 or [email protected].

Charlotte Tax Collector appointments

The Charlotte County Tax Collector’s Punta Gorda location is tak-ing a first step toward reopening to the public in a limited capacity by appointment only. The Punta Gorda location is offering appointments for services that cannot be done online, by telephone, drop box, or by mail. Appointments may be made at TaxCollector.CharlotteCountyFL.gov or by calling 941-743-1350.

South Gulf Cove Waterway Levels

The South Gulf Cove lock is scheduled to be open during high tide through Monday, April 27. This is required to raise water within the South Gulf Cove Waterway system to normal levels as well as improve water quality during annual droughts. Staff will be on-site and boaters will have access to the lock. For in-formation, contact Patrick Ferriter at 941-681-3776 or [email protected].

Watch out for stimulus money scams

With stimulus payment deposits starting to flow in, Attorney General Ashley Moody issued a Consumer Alert to warn Floridians that scammers will try to take advantage of the unprecedented injection of cash into the U.S. economy. Millions of Americans with banking information on file with the Internal Revenue Service are beginning to receive direct deposits, and Floridians should take steps now to avoid falling prey to scams de-signed to steal payments, banking account numbers or other sensitive person-al information.

Floridians who al-ready provided banking

information to the IRS by virtue of filing their taxes have now begun to receive direct deposits and do not need to take action. The IRS will follow up by mail-ing confirmation notices to beneficiaries within a few weeks after payments are made. Anyone who receives a notice, but does not receive a payment, should contact the IRS immediately.

The IRS will not initiate contact with anyone by email, phone call, text messages or social media to request personal or financial information. The IRS emphasizes on its website that there is no sign-up requirement to receive a payment.

Shortly after President Donald J. Trump signed the coronavirus stim-ulus package into law, Attorney General Moody issued a Consumer Alert with the following tips:

• Never respond to text messages, emails or ads directing you to click on a link;

• Never provide any personal or financial information in response to an unsolicited message;

• Do not trust Caller ID displays claiming a call is from the IRS — spoofing technology allows scam-mers to change phone displays to impersonate government agencies; and

• Never make an ad-vance payment in order to

secure or expedite access to a benefit.

Anyone who en-counters a coronavirus stimulus package scam or any other types of COVID-19 fraud, should contact the Florida Attorney General’s Office at 1(866) 9NO-SCAM or MyFloridaLegal.com.

Charlotte Behavioral offers free therapy

hotlineCharlotte Behavioral

Health Care (CBHC) set up a free, confidential hotline where individuals can speak one-on-one with a master level therapist to help you deal with the stressors that are so prevalent right now in business, home, and personal issues.

“We are available to all members of our community as we nav-igate this difficult time, said Rachael Meadows Rachael L. Meadows. “We want to encourage people to feel free to use this service even if they aren’t in crisis, as we can provide some support and coping mechanisms that might be helpful at this time. We recognize how important community is right now and we are here to help.”

The hours are 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Thursday and from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday. Call the Therapy Hotline at 941-979-0796.

For existing and new patients, CBHC is acting as a virtual community mental health center for the time being. CBHS offers one-on-one tele-health services. For more information, call 941-639-8300, and press 4 for the scheduling department.

Charlotte County orders burn ban

Charlotte County re-cently issued an emergen-cy order banning outdoor burning (including yard waste and recreational fires) and the private use and discharge of fire-works and sparklers.This prohibition does not affect attended barbecue/cook-ing equipment or burn permits issued by the Florida Forest Service.

The ban will remain in effect until the threat of wildfires no longer exists.

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SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2020 | YOURSUN.COM | SECTION D

BY CNET.COM

Burger King has started airing ads about making its drive-thrus contactless for

both payments and pickups. Publix, the Florida-based grocery chain, this month said it completed its rollout of tap-to-pay registers at its more than 1,200 locations across the Southeast. And Walmart, the largest retailer in the world, late last month said it will provide no-contact pickup, delivery and in-store checkout.

There are many uncertainties about how the coronavirus will impact people’s health, their jobs and the economy, but some consumer trends have already become so obvious that they suggest a long-lasting shift in people’s behavior when the COVID-19 crisis finally departs. One of them is the move toward con-tactless transactions in the US getting supercharged, as shoppers try to restrict what they touch in stores — if they go out at all — to avoid catching the virus. Studies have shown that the coronavirus can live for 24 hours on cardboard and several days on hard surfaces.

Now retailers that remain open are scrambling to respond to this new consumer need. When thousands of other merchants reopen following the pandemic, they will have to reevaluate how they operate their stores to coax shoppers back. Where backers once pitched contactless technologies for their convenience, retailers will give them new consideration for their health and safety benefits.

These technologies range from the mundane, with payment terminals at your local grocer enabling contactless payment services like Apple Pay, to the futuristic, with Amazon Go stores, delivery drones and sidewalk robots getting more enthusiastic support from the public because they enable social distancing.

“I do believe this is an opportunity,” said Oz Alon, co-founder and CEO of HoneyBook, a financial tech startup in

San Francisco. “This is a huge event in the world, people are going to change their behaviors and a lot of things that have struggled for adoption will get a new push.”

The expected shift to contactless tech comes as the retail world has faced enor-mous challenges during the outbreak. Grocery stores and online retailers that have stayed open are dealing with a flood of new shoppers. Other retailers face an uncertain future, with iconic brands including Apple and Nike closing their retail locations. Consumers, too, will be forced to reconsider every aspect of their shopping, even things that were second nature: Is it OK for me to pick up a piece of fruit at a grocery store and put it back? Should I sign my receipt after payment? Do I sanitize my boxes of cereal?

As the federal and state governments start to discuss what reopening the econ-omy will look like, contactless technolo-gies are going to be part of the equation, especially in busy places like transit systems and stadiums. It’s important to note, though, that all this sophisticated tech still won’t replace health profession-als’ recommendations to wash hands and wear a mask in public.

MORE APPLE PAY, LESS CASHPeople reading this story in other

countries might find it strange that the US is so far behind in contactless payments. After all, places including Canada, England, Australia and Poland have already made contactless the default form of in-store payment when using plastic.

Visa and Mastercard have been working to convince consumers to make the switch, seeing tap-to-pay as an easier and faster way to conduct a transaction compared with cash, magnetic stripes and chip card payments. If you have a more enjoyable experience using your card, you’re more likely to use it again and again — and that’s good for these payment processors.

This work has been slow going, as retailers have replaced old payment terminals with contactless ones and as banks mail out new contactless cards to their millions of customers. These efforts are now getting ramped up as consumer interest increases. Mastercard said it’s reinforcing its messaging on contactless methods during the crisis.

Coronavirus outbreak is changing the way we shop

SHUTTERSTOCK IMAGES

Delivery drones, which are limited in the U.S. by strict regulations, already have experienced an increase in demand during the pandemic. It’s possible this mode of delivery could continue to grow in a touch-free retail market.

More smartphones may be used in drive-thrus to pay for purchases at pharmacies, restaurants and even retail stores.

CAN’T TOUCH THIS!

SEE SHOP, 2D

PAGE 2D SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2020 | The Sun | www.yoursun.com N/E/P/C

Transit authorities have already been introducing contactless payments, and that should make it a little easier for people to ven-ture outside again. New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority turned on contactless payments in some subway stations last May, allowing people to tap and pay at turnstiles. That helps people avoid waiting in line, tapping a pay-station touchscreen and dipping a card — all activities commuters likely want to avoid these days.

Last year, the payment industry widely believed these types of tap-to-pay transit terminals, which also accept Apple Pay and Google Pay in phones, would spark the move to contactless transactions in the US. It appears it will likely be the corona-virus instead.

“I can see consumer behaviors changing for sure from the situation we’re in,” said Linda Kirkpatrick, president of US issuers for Mastercard. “When those consumer behaviors change over several months, they tend to stick.”

While Mastercard declined to offer recent data on contactless transac-tions, Kirkpatrick said she’s already seen several merchants put up signs directing shoppers to use that form of payment. To cut down on touching shared objects, she added, her company is also encouraging retailers to stop requesting signa-tures for transactions, something Mastercard, Discover, American Express and Visa stopped requiring two years ago.

DRONES, ROBOTS AND OTHER TECHThere are a wide variety of newer

retail technologies that are likely to get a push in adoption due to the pandemic.

Delivery drones, which are limited

in the US by strict regulations, have already experienced this increase in demand. Alphabet, Google’s parent company, has seen orders using its Wing drones in rural Virginia, where it’s running a pilot program, more than double.

“The technology is particularly useful at a time when people are homebound in many cases and the need to limit human-to-human contact is important,” Wing spokes-man Jonathan Bass told Bloomberg this month.

Starship, whose sidewalk robots deliver snacks and breakfast, said it’s seeing a surge in demand too.

“We are working as quickly as possible to expand our robot de-livery service so we can help more people and we’ve had grocery stores, restaurants and other delivery companies get in touch to ask for assistance,” the company said in a statement. “We have gone from a convenience to an essential service

for many people. The community is asking us to expand quickly.”

Another concept is Amazon Go’s Just Walk Out system, which lets you check in at a turnstile at the front of a store using your phone, pick up whatever you want to buy, then leave without stopping at a cashier.

Amazon has created about two dozen of these stores so far, and only its Seattle locations remain open during the pandemic. Early last month, Amazon started offering this technology to other retailers, a con-cept that may have seemed unlikely at first since competing stores are loath to work closely with a major ri-val. Now it would surprise no one if Amazon is getting more requests for the tech than it can handle. Amazon declined to comment for this story.

MOVING TO DIGITAL MONEYThe growth in cashless services

is likely to weaken the oldest lasting

form of payment: cash.Kickfin, which essentially op-

erates as Venmo for businesses, said it’s seeing a surge in interest from restaurants during the crisis. Kickfin’s service allows restaurants to pay out tips to their workers digitally, instead of in cash.

“No one’s touching cash; no one’s paying with cash,” co-founder Brian Hassan said.

While plenty of people are likely to avoid banknotes, the World Health Organization last month said there’s nothing wrong with handling cash these days, so long as you wash your hands, especially before handling or eating food.

CASHLESS SOCIETY?Also, the concept of a cashless

society has been criticized as discriminatory against people without bank accounts and cards and creating the potential of tech companies vacuuming up too much personal data. Those concerns about getting rid of cash will persist even after this health emergency.

Jane Barratt, chief advocacy officer at financial tech company MX, said the move to contactless transactions is part of a much broader trend, with people being more careful with their money during a financially unstable time. Consumers are now digging more deeply into their banking apps and finding new tools like touchless payments.

With this added interest in contactless methods, she said, a lot more companies will likely pitch new payment technologies for a post-coronavirus world.

“I think there will be an explosion of services and functionalities that will come out in the next few months,” Barratt said. “Necessity is the mother of invention, and there’s a whole lot of necessity right now.”

SHOPFROM PAGE 1D

By MACKENZIE CULLENTRAVELPULSE

GoUSA TV has unveiled its spring lineup that will allow people to travel through the U.S. from the comfort of their own homes while they self-quarantine during the coronavirus pandemic. The new content includes three original shows — “Trails & Trailblazers,” “California Pop” and “Lucky in Love” — as well as a licensed series, “Atlas Obscura,” and a curated U.S. se-lection of Anthony Bourdain’s “No Reservations” series.

Currently streaming are the series “Trails & Trailblazers” and “No Reservations.”

“Trails & Trailblazers” is a docuseries following pilot Ariel Tweto as she explores new and unexpected places across the U.S., from uncharted Alaskan territories to the Appalachian Trail in Florida. “No Reservations,” is the

much-beloved series following the late Bourdain as he visits culinary hot spots and obscure food stands around the world in an effort to find the ultimate dining experience.

“Atlas Obscura,” a short-form video series, takes viewers to 15 of America’s most un-usual destinations, including O’ahu’s majestic Koko Crater Trail, the surfing culture of Alaska’s bore tide and a ghost town in Virginia City, Nev.

“California Pop,” is an original five-episode docuseries welcoming audiences on a road trip through California, visiting the state’s lesser-known pop culture landmarks with hosts Anthony and Shikira. Viewers will follow the pair as they ex-plore Gold Country, the Central Valley and the California coastline as they meet creators, purveyors and stewards of pop culture.

“Lucky In Love” will be available for streaming on April

30. The three-part series sends three couples from different areas around the world on an American adventure that is determined by the flip of the coin. The coin decides each partner’s activities for the day in different destinations across the United States, pushing the couples out of their comfort zones as they try new things for the first time.

The best part is that GoUSA TV is available for free, without any subscriptions, fees or logins. GoUSA TV is available for streaming on YouTube, Roku, Amazon Fire and Apple TV, or via the Apple iOS store and Google Play on smartphone devices.

TravelPulse is a leading travel authority on the web, providing consumer travel news and insider tips and advice for an ev-er-changing travel world. Read more stories at travelpulse.com

Explore America through GoUSA TV’s spring lineup

ERIC SEALS/DETROIT FREE PRESS

Anthony Bourdain in Detroit in January 2009. GoUSA TV will be showing some of Bourdain’s “No Reservations” series.

Visa and Mastercard have been working to convince consumers to make the switch, seeing tap-to-pay as an easier and faster way to conduct a transaction compared with cash, magnetic stripes and chip card payments.

SHUTTERSTOCK PHOTOS

Kiwibot displays its autonomous robots at the Tech Crunch TC Sessions: Robotics + AI. Event on the University of Berkeley campus in 2019. Currently, Starship, whose sidewalk robots deliver snacks and breakfast, said its gone from a convenience to an essential service.

N/E/P/C www.yoursun.com | The Sun | SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2020 PAGE 3D

BARISTA TRAINING DAYBY JOEL FAGLIANO / EDITED BY WILL SHORTZ

ACROSS

1 Book that’s out of this world?

6 Illuminating point12 Gilda Radner

character on ‘‘S.N.L.’’

20 Took the plunge21 Ladies’ men22 April 2223 Gray with a tinge of

brown24 Things got off to

a bad start when one trainee tripped and . . .

26 ____ on the side of27 Father on ‘‘The

Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’’

29 Doctor Zhivago, in ‘‘Doctor Zhivago’’

30 Flock31 Part of a Parisian

address32 Roofed patio35 1099-____ (I.R.S.

form)37 Company with a

Gigafactory40 The carton leaked

milk everywhere when another trainee accidentally . . .

45 ____ sci, college major related to psych

46 Kitchen bulb47 Put back in place, as

measures

50 Overly sentimental53 The drip coffee tasted

grainy because they . . .

57 Company whose Nasdaq symbol is its name

58 Having colors in blotches

61 Steinbrenner who took over the Yankees in 2010

62 Moves like Jagger63 Box-score stat64 It follows more or less65 Draft choice67 Nonkosher meat68 In fact, every cup

they served was . . .75 Writer Rand76 ‘‘This is the worst’’77 Flier for a magic show78 Internet address, in

brief79 Lifesavers82 Headed up83 ‘‘Oh, so that’s how it’s

going to be’’84 Comfort85 To make matters

worse, the espresso machine . . .

88 Some TVs and cameras

89 Fully90 Home to many

Berbers94 ‘‘Surely you don’t

mean me!?’’95 They worried about

their jobs — these mistakes were . . .

102 Snitches105 Attendee

106 Stereotypical dogs107 Weak ____

(unconvincing argument)

108 ‘‘Give it ____!’’111 Polite title113 Either weekend day,

symbolically114 Sound from a fan115 Sure enough, when

the boss showed up, everyone . . .

120 Speak grandly122 Bit of contingency

planning123 Pal of Pooh124 Soap Box Derby

entrant125 Reporter’s vantage

point126 Adult127 Critics’ awards

DOWN

1 Makes fit2 Get misty3 Source of bay leaves4 Offering in the Google

Play store5 Like ninjas6 Premier League

rival of Tottenham Hotspur

7 Really stand out8 Onetime label for

Radiohead9 Depend10 Spreadsheet part11 Log-in need12 Make things

interesting, so to speak

13 Sounds of satisfaction14 Be in the works

15 When you might run away from home

16 Info on an invitation17 Player of Ben Wyatt

on ‘‘Parks and Recreation’’

18 Unnaturally pale19 Shakespearean

affirmatives25 Trade gossip28 ____ Men (‘‘Who

Let the Dogs Out’’ group)

33 Purely34 ‘‘You win this hand’’36 Valentine’s Day

purchase38 Takes an ‘‘L’’39 Constant stress or

heavy drinking41 Popular children’s-

book series with hidden objects

42 ____ glance43 Grazing spots44 N.Y.C. shopping

mecca48 Optical illusion49 Showy feather50 Drudge51 So-called ‘‘enclosed’’

rhyme scheme52 It beats nothing54 Absurd pretense55 Justice nominated by

Obama56 Your highness?: Abbr.58 Series of missed calls59 ‘‘Do you know who

____?’’60 Singer born Eithne Ní

Bhraonáin64 Team-building

activity?

65 ‘‘The Wiz’’ director Sidney

66 N.L. Central team

69 ____ Islands, archipelago between Iceland and Norway

70 They give a hoot

71 Kind of deer

72 Explorer Ponce de León

73 Nail polish brand

74 Trees that line the National Mall

79 Asian city with a monument to John McCain

80 Finish 0-0, say81 Matin’s opposite83 ‘‘See you later’’84 Crass, classless sort85 Custom auto

accessories86 Excessively promote87 Pro-____88 They usually make

the cut91 French chess piece

92 Got takeout, say93 Ones concerned with

cash flow, for short96 Man, in Italian97 More nifty98 Part of a cash register99 Destination in the

‘‘Odyssey’’100 Render ineffective101 Many Twitch

streamers103 D and ), in texts104 Ships109 Sharp pain

110 Escapee from Miss Gulch’s bicycle basket

112 Moore whom Sports Illustrated called the ‘‘greatest winner in the history of women’s basketball’’

115 Org.116 Dinghy thingy117 Spell the wrong way?118 Small fry119 Lead-in to long121 Snitch

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19

20 21 22

23 24 25

26 27 28 29 30

31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39

40 41 42 43 44 45

46 47 48 49

50 51 52 53 54 55 56

57 58 59 60 61 62

63 64 65 66 67

68 69 70 71 72 73 74

75 76 77 78

79 80 81 82 83 84

85 86 87 88

89 90 91 92 93

94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101

102 103 104 105 106 107

108 109 110 111 112 113 114

115 116 117 118 119 120 121

122 123 124

125 126 127

Online subscriptions: Today’s puzzle and more than 4,000 past puzzles, nytimes.com/crosswords ($39.95 a year).

Joel Fagliano is the digital puzzles editor for The New York Times and creator of the daily Mini. He sold his first crossword to the paper when he was 17. He graduated from Pomona College in 2014 with a double major in linguistics and 45-Across. Joel says this puzzle is a result of having some extra time at home recently . . . and of drinking lots of coffee. — W.S.

FOR ANSWERS TURN TO PAGE 6D

NEW YORK TIMES CROSSWORD No. 419

By MARY FORGIONELOS ANGELES TIMES

Every April the National Park Service reminds us about the beauty and value of America’s national parks. With most parks in the West and elsewhere closed to visitors, what’s there to celebrate during this year’s National Park Week?

Plenty.Will Shafroth, president

of the National Park Foundation, is taking time “to revisit places I have been in the past and explore new places to go.”

Shafroth, who once lived in Colorado, has been listening to the sounds of Rocky Mountain National Park posted online. “Most fascinating are the bird calls … red-wing blackbirds, crows, magpies,” he said.

Right now only a handful of national parks are open. So that leaves virtual visits. The national park “week” started April 18 and ends today.

The National Park Foundation, which raises money to support national parks, posted a Parks at Home page to encourage people to “travel” to their favorite park through real-time webcams, photo galleries, online tours and recorded soundscapes. There are lots of ways to connect online to the more than 400 national park sites across the country.

Here are some of the best places to visit from home.

Yosemite, Northern California: The park closed March 20 but that doesn’t mean you can’t see what’s happening as spring emerges. The park’s High Sierra webcam on Monday showed foggy views of Half Dome and snow clinging to high-el-evation spots. Instead of taking the park shuttle, just click over to watch real-time webcams of El Capitan and still snowy Badger Pass Ski Area.

Then go to the dark side. Switch over to a curated nighttime tour of Yosemite’s starry skies with time-lapse photos over some of the park’s landmarks.

Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado: There are a bunch of dazzling sound-scapes recorded inside the park at different times of the day in different locations. I listened to an evening track that captures the call of red-winged black-birds, the buzz of humming-birds and even the sound of Western chorus frogs.

Check out the Sound Library for more choices, including howls of coyote and elk. And you can take a look at the Continental Divide and the park’s popular high point, Long’s Peak, on webcams.

Yellowstone National Park, Montana and Wyoming: You can watch Old Faithful erupt in real time on a webcam pointed at the park’s most famous geyser. Also, take a listen to spring (and winter) on the Audio Postcard page. You’ll hear sounds of the park set to music as well as wildlife howling in the night.

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, California: This is home to some of the biggest sequoia trees in California. Take a nature break by watching and hearing some of the park’s soundscapes, which is defined as “the human perception of the acoustic environment.” Put simply, it’s everything you would hear if you were there: a quail calling, the gushing of river water. You can choose soundscapes of different areas of the park.

Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, California: The park’s website has some pretty cool photos and videos of mountain lions that call the Southern California habitat home.

Also, kids can sign up to be Junior Rangers and stream activities on the park’s Facebook Live page.

All the cool things you can see on national park webcams

Geyser eruptions, mountain lions, giant trees and more are waiting for you to enjoy remotely

MARK RALSTON/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES

A view of the Sunset Lake hot spring with its unique colors caused by brown, orange and yellow algae-like bacteria called thermophiles, that thrive in the cooling water turning the vivid aqua-blues to a murkier greenish brown, in the Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming.

SHUTTERSTOCK

Summit of Sandstone Peak with views of the Pacific Ocean and grassy hills in Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.

SHUTTERSTOCK

Giant trees closeup in Sequoia National Park.

U.S. National Park ServiceFind out more about what the service has to offer

virtually at www.nps.gov

Did you know Big Cypress National Preserve in Florida is

recognized as a Dark Sky Park? Find out more at www.

darksky.org


ROMANTIC FRUITS BY MYLES MELLOR

1 . Z F Y Z I Y N U V O A J I D U Z K F T I T

J A U I Z U S C . Z P T G N I O V Z U V T X P Y Z

N U V R - D N A U S T K . Y S T K B U A T X O S X

C O U A G A U A Z T X : “ U Z Z O R T K Z F Y Z Y

B O S C Y ! ”

2 . Z I S A H W X F U H V K Y Y O H C , Y M H

W X F U R Y V Z M Q H G Z I T X F N N F U Z K

G A H M A H V O Z S H Q K Z C K R U A Y V S K H C :

“ R Y X ’ V H O R O Z F M I T X H H N H ! ”

3 . X B B G Z W T O M B A X T B I , B G Z K U X T L

L M R P O R R Z L B G Z B X T B P U D D Z F B R

W T U D Q Z D U F R . B G Z I R X M L B G Z I

R G U O Q L T Z R A Z P B B G Z M T

Z Q L Z T - K Z T T M Z R !

4 . U B R H F D T X B F T F A C Z R I F V W U

U G F A T H D T F C U X B F T F C ’ U G D H H E .

U G F E V R Z Q Z E D O T F F Q C R U U R O A I F

A C U R H F D T H T F X X W T F .

LOS ANGELES TIMES DAILY CROSSWORD EDITED BY RICH NORRIS AND JOYCE NICHOLS LEWIS

GOREN BRIDGE WITH BOB JONES

© 2020 Tribune Content Agency, LLC

DEAR ABBY: My fiance has a friend who is, for lack of a better word, a train wreck. When I started dating my fiance, I heard about this guy, “Al,” from my fiance’s other friends even before I met him.

The group of friends has an on-again, off-again relationship with Al, and he has made a scene at each of their weddings. He has gotten obnoxiously drunk, gotten into huge arguments with his girlfriend (now wife), or done something rude like bring his own fast food to the head table at the reception. I tried to keep an open mind when I met him, but he has made us uncomfortable at every get-together.

We recently attended Al’s wedding, and he became aggressive with my fiance after drinking too much. We have now decided we don’t want him or his new wife at our wedding next year. Unfortunately, Al has realized that he hasn’t received a Save the Date and repeatedly texts my fiance that he wants to “go out” with him to talk.

We know he’s going to ask about his invite, and he’ll probably expect one because he invited us to his wedding. Are we justified in excluding him? How would you handle this? — Tough Spots in Illinois DEAR TOUGH SPOT: Your fiance should handle it by giving Al a straight answer. He doesn’t have to see him. A phone call will do. Your fiance should state clearly that Al isn’t being in-vited to the wedding because he can’t hold his liquor and has made a scene at each wedding he has attended. He should also be told that until he gets help for his alcohol problem, the two of you no longer wish to maintain the friendship. It’s the truth, and the truth will set you free.DEAR ABBY: My husband, “Howard,” and I have been married 42 years. A couple of years ago, his father asked me to divorce Howard, which I did not do. His father died recently, and we

learned he had disin-herited Howard. My husband is crushed, and now I don’t know how to handle this.

Howard’s brother yelled at my husband and said, “If your wife got her hands on that money, you would not see a penny of it!” I don’t understand why he

would think that. Howard and I have a good relationship and do not live above our means.

That said, my husband’s brother and sister have never liked me, and I do not understand why. I have never done anything to harm them.

I feel like the bottom line is, had I divorced Howard when his father asked me to, this might not have happened. My husband is hurt, not only by his father’s death, but also by being disinherited, and I do not know what to do. —Hurting For HimDEAR HURTING FOR HIM: The one thing you should NOT do is blame yourself for any of this. The only “winner” in this scenario appears to be the brother. Whether he poisoned your father-in-law’s perception of you or vice-versa, I cannot guess. But the dy-namics in Howard’s family are so tox-ic, it may take the help of a licensed therapist to cleanse the wounds you and your husband are left with. The slightly tarnished silver lining in this is you have each other, which is more precious than money. Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phil-lips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.

For an excellent guide to becom-ing a better conversationalist and a more sociable person, order “How to Be Popular.” Send your name and mailing address, plus check or money order for $8 (U.S. funds) to: Dear Abby, Popularity Booklet, P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris, IL 61054-0447. (Shipping and handling are included in the price.)

Obnoxious drunk is off guest list to his friend’s wedding day

DEAR ABBYAdvice Columnist

CRYPTOGRAMS

JANRIC CLASSIC SUDOKU

Fill in the blank cells using numbers 1 to 9. Each num-ber can appear only once in each row, column and 3x3 block. Use logic and the pro-cess of elimination to solve the puzzle. The difficulty level ranges from Bronze (easiest) to Silver (medium) to Gold (hardest).

Rating: BRONZE

UNDERCOVER WORKBy Hoang-Kim Vu and Jessica Zetzman

N/E/P/C www.yoursun.com | The Sun | SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2020 PAGE 5D

ARIES (MARCH 21-APRIL 19).

Rebellion produces action, often erratic. Obedience produces action, often consistent. People obeying orders look reasonable and systematic, even while carry-ing out unreasonable orders.

TAURUS (APRIL 20-MAY 20).

People like to have someone to blame. In fact, they need it. Otherwise, how is anyone to go on as though they know what they’re doing and haven’t made significant errors?

GEMINI (MAY 21-JUNE 21). You understand the world by understanding yourself. The creed you follow, the values you uphold and the products you use are indicators of an identity that still doesn’t even come close to repre-senting the whole of you.

CANCER (JUNE 22-JULY 22).

Having something to tell and not being able to tell it — that’s an agony! You won’t break anyone’s trust if you create a locked document or diary to spill your fascinating information into.

LEO (JULY 23-AUG. 22). Your emotions have a way of showing up in your body. You’ll experience that today — interesting physical reac-tions that tell you something specific and personal.

VIRGO (AUG. 23-SEPT. 22).

You are rich because you give richly. Don’t refuse the bounty that comes your way. Say “yes,” and let people heap help and other beauti-ful contributions on you.

LIBRA (SEPT. 23-OCT. 23). The problems you solve today will give you something you can use later. You’ll build on these solutions. They’ll become the rules by which you solve future problems.

SCORPIO (OCT. 24-NOV. 21).

It will be supremely satisfy-ing to use your creativity. You’ll bring things into being that no one else could. They might be able to do some-thing similar, but no one can do exactly what you can do.

SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22-DEC.

21). Thinking something doesn’t make it true. It’s useless to argue with untrue things. Say to yourself: “How interesting that I think that. I could also think something else.”

CAPRICORN (DEC. 22-JAN. 19).

As much as you’d like some assistance from loved ones, this is one of those days when the hand that will help you the most is at the end of your own arm.

AQUARIUS (JAN. 20-FEB. 18).

Being hard on yourself is silly and pointless. Sometimes the only way to know your limits is to go over them. You’ll do some excellent learning today.

PISCES (FEB. 19-MARCH 20).

You’re not one to shy away from a challenge. You’ll dare to take on a difficult task and because of this, you’ll get a reward that is afforded to very few.

TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (APRIL

26). Your work ethic is stellar, and you are using your time better and better. You make sure to do what you love as much and as regularly as possible and this makes your life feel meaningful and wonderful. You’re able to be more tolerant of people’s quirks, so the days go smoothly and your horizons open to a large view. Libra and Gemini adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 8, 11, 32, 28 and 15.

HOROSCOPE

DEAR READERS: After a wedding, you want to keep that beautiful dress in good condi-tion. If you are going to store it at home, here’s how to best preserve it. First, have the dress cleaned right away after the wedding events. Check for spots and stains. Then take these steps:

Remove any sponge or foam padding, because those materials will deteriorate with age and could stain the fabric. All fabric-covered buttons or pins should be removed and stored separately. Metal but-tons can oxidize or rust and stain the gown. Head pieces, veils and shoes should be stored separately.

Wrap the clean gown carefully in white tissue paper. Place the gown in a brown cardboard dress box lined with white tissue paper. Tape the box closed to keep dust out. Store it in a dark, dry place, because light can damage textiles. Check on it periodically to be sure it’s in good condition. — HeloiseDEAR HELOISE: My grandmother keeps talking about making a war cake, but she can’t find her recipe for it. Can you help us? — Tiffany In LouisianaDEAR TIFFANY: Yes! This type of cake was developed around 1918 dur-ing World War I to compensate for shortages of milk, butter and eggs. So it’s milkless, butterless and egg-less. Substitute ingredients were used, such as shortening, raisins and spices. It makes a dark, heavy cake.

Here’s what you’ll need:2 cups brown sugar2 cups hot water2 teaspoons shortening1/2 to 3/4 cup raisins1 teaspoon salt1 teaspoon cinnamon1 teaspoon cloves3 cups flour1 teaspoon baking soda, dissolved

in 2 teaspoons hot waterMix brown sugar, 2 cups of hot

water and shortening in a medium-

size saucepan. Add raisins, salt, cinna-mon and cloves. Mix and boil for 5 minutes after it first bubbles. Remove from the stove. Let cool com-pletely.

After cooling, add flour and baking soda (dissolved in hot water). Mix well. Pour

into a greased tube pan and bake for 1 hour at 350 to 375 F. — HeloiseDEAR READERS: Yes, your feather duster can accumulate dust and debris. Here’s how you can get rid of all that stuff so you don’t spread it around.

Place the feather duster in a plas-tic bag, pour in a healthy amount of salt and hold the bag closed tightly. Take the bag outside and shake it really well. Then remove the duster from the bag and shake out all the salt. — HeloiseDEAR READERS: After you slice apples, don’t you hate it when they begin to turn brown? They don’t look so appetizing. To prevent this from happening, squeeze orange, lemon or grapefruit juice on the cut slices. Or you can dip the slices in lightly salted water. I like to eat apple slices by mixing a teaspoon of sugar with a bit of lemon juice and then tossing the apples in it. I top off the slices with a sprinkle of cinnamon on top. — HeloiseDEAR HELOISE: I hate doing laun-dry. It’s such a chore. Can you give me some hints on how to make it easier? — Mary In FloridaDEAR MARY: Yes, I can! Try to organize your laundry and teach your children how to do it so they can help you. Then set up a weekly schedule for doing laundry and fol-low these Heloise Hints:

1. Separate light clothes from dark.

2. Sort out delicate garments from heavier fabrics.

3. Clean out pockets, and close zippers and hooks.

4. Pretreat spots and stains.5. Choose the right washing cycle

and measure detergent. — Heloise

How to properly clean and store a pretty wedding gown

HINTS FROM HELOISEAdvice Columnist

KEN KEN THE LOGIC PUZZLE THAT MAKES YOU SMARTER

must contain the numbers 1 through 4 (easy) or 1 through 6 (challenging) without repeating.

heavily outlined boxes, called cages, must combine using the given operation (in any order) to produce the target numbers in the top-left corners.

cages with the number in the top-left corner.

©2020 KenKen Puzzle LLC www.kenken.comKenKen is a registered trademark of KenKen Puzzle LLC. ©2020 KenKen Puzzle LLC. All rights reserved. Dist. by Andrews McMeel Syndication 4-26-20

©2020 KenKen Puzzle LLC www.kenken.com

TODAY’S ANSWERS

7 LITTLE WORDS

JUMBLE BY DAVID L. HOYT AND JEFF KNUREL

1. Two tropical fruits were flirting. They practiced

hot pick-up lines. One smiled and gaily lilted: “it

takes two to mango!”

2. As the juicer loomed, one juicy orange was quiz-

zical when her mate gladly chortled: “you’re my

main squeeze!”

3. At the fruit party, the board discussed the tart

comments from lemons. They said they should

respect their elder-berries!

4. Two pears were in love but their parents weren’t

happy. They boldly agreed not to give in to pear

pressure.

PUZZLE ANSWERS

LOS ANGELES TIMES DAILY CROSSWORD

JUMBLE

CRYPTOGRAMS

Saturday’s Challenger Answers

CHALLENGER

EASY CHALLENGING

SUN NewspaperSUBSCRIBER?

ARE YOU A

Do you know your print subscription

includes access to SUN digital editions?

Call 941-206-1300

to set up your

Digital Access Today.


By HILLEL ITALIEAP NATIONAL WRITER

NEW YORK — Mary Parker is a nurse from St. Louis so caught up in the beach novels of Elin Hilderbrand that she makes an annual trip to Nantucket, the Massachusetts island com-munity where Hilderbrand sets her stories.

Because of the corona-virus pandemic, Parker isn’t sure she’ll make it to Nantucket this year. But she will continue to make the journey in her mind, through books by Hilderbrand and others.

“We don’t have anything that compares to a place like Nantucket where I’m from,” Parker says. “So writers like Elin Hilderbrand are all we have now if those are the kinds of places you dream of being. You just need that escape.”

The coronavirus pandemic has shut down most of the country’s bookstores, led to the can-cellation of the industry’s annual national conven-tion, BookExpo, and driven publishers to postpone many releases to the fall or next year. It now challeng-es another publishing and cultural tradition — beach reads. While beach reads can include any kind of light fiction, many of these romances, thrillers and family dramas are actually set on beaches and summer resorts from Nantucket to the South Carolina coast to Florida.

Government officials in New York and California already have warned that beaches are likely to be closed this summer and travel restricted. Book festi-vals will be online and pro-motional tours for books likely will remain limited to virtual discussions.

NO REAL BEACH REQUIREDAuthors and booksellers

contend, and hope, that you don’t need a beach to read a beach book. Hilderbrand re-members a painful summer growing up when her father had died and the family’s traditional summer outing was called off. Instead, she worked at a factory making Halloween costumes.

“What I could have used that summer was a book to replace my summer beach vacation, something that would have let me escape,” says Hildebrand, whose bestsellers include “The Summer of ’69” and “The Perfect Couple.”

Fellow author Mary Alice Monroe says readers tell her something similar about this summer.

“They’re hoping I can take them to a place they can’t get to themselves,” says Monroe, whose books include “The Summer Guests” and “Beach House for Rent.”

Beach reads are as care-fully timed as Christmas books, so new novels by Hilderbrand, Monroe, Nancy Thayer and others remain scheduled for May and June. Hildebrand’s “28 Summers,” inspired in

part by the film “Same Time, Next Year,” traces a long-term affair that began in Nantucket in 1993. Monroe’s “On Ocean Boulevard” continues her “Beach House” series set in South Carolina.

In Barbara Delinsky’s “A Week at the Shore,” a New Yorker confronts family issues during a visit to the Rhode Island beach house where she spent summers as a child. Nancy Thayer’s “Girls of Summer,” like Hilderbrand’s new book, is set in Nantucket, while Mary Kay Andrews’ “Hello, Summer” finds a journalist returning to her home in Silver Bay, Florida, where her family runs local newspapers.

“This year, maybe the beach read will be on somebody’s back porch or hammock or in the corner of an apartment of wher-ever they’re sheltering at home,” Andrews says. “What I hope to do is take them to the beach in their imagination.”

PANDEMIC A 2021 THEME?Authors already are

looking to summer 2021 and considering whether their next books will mention the pandemic. Monroe says she is working on a story that will have her characters living through “this virus saga,” and will bring back the Rutledge family of her “Beach House” series in the hope that readers “will connect with them.” Hilderbrand worked in a reference to the virus short-ly before completing “28 Summers,” and says that while it won’t be a major plot point in her upcoming work, she might find it “unavoidable to mention.”

Other writers expect to avoid it, at least in the short term. Delinsky says she might refer to it in a book in a few years, when there’s a better sense of perspective. Brooke Lea Foster has no need to include it. Her upcoming novel, “Summer Darlings,” takes place on Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, in the 1960s. She’s current-ly writing a story set in the Hamptons in the 1950s.

“I’m sure the books that come out of this moment will be incredible, but I like to go back and escape in time,” Foster said.

A T L A S A P E R C U B A B A W A W AL E A P T R O M E O S E A R T H D A YT A U P E S P I L L E D T H E B E A N SE R R A B E Y U R I S W A R MR U E L A N A I M I S C T E S L AS P L I T H A L F A N D H A L F C O G

S H A L L O T R E I M P O S ES A P P Y L A C K E D A F I L T E RE B A Y P I E D H A L S T R U T SR B I T H A N L A G E R H A MF A R F R O M Y O U R A V E R A G E J O E

A Y N A W M A N D O V E U R LH E R O E S L E D I S E E B A L M

R A N O U T O F S T E A M S O N Y SI N D E T A I L M O R O C C O

M O I G R O U N D S F O R F I R I N GS I N G S G O E R F I D O S T E A

A R E S T M A A M E S S H U MG O T I N T O H O T W A T E R O R A T ER A I N D A T E E E Y O R E R A C E RP R E S S B O X R R A T E D S T A R S

CROSSWORD ANSWERS FROM PAGE 3D

By K.L. ROMOBOOKTRIB

Alexander McCall Smith makes the irrelevant relevant in “The Talented Mr. Varg” (Pantheon), a satirical social commentary on the mundane.

Ulf Varg is not your average police inspector — a Scandinavian art enthusiast who loves books about cooking, travel, art and the krimis crime novels he reads for pure entertainment. He’s a sensi-tive man in a perfectly sensible job — a detective with the Department of Sensitive Crimes — in Malmö, Sweden. Of course, he routinely corrects people after introductions when they mistake it for The Department of Sensible Crimes, or The Department of Strange Affairs. But such is life.

Varg listens to “the same old com-plaints of humanity.” Isn’t that the job of a detective? But too often, he catches himself contemplating the meaning of life, sometimes fearing he might just be too sensitive for the work he must do.

DEPARTMENT OF SENSITIVE CRIMES

It’s the job of Sensitive Crimes to “assess the social and personal harm, and if it’s serious, … take action.” It is the department’s duty “to look into unusual examples of criminality,” many times the obscure and irrelevant. “It’s all very polite Stuff. Very Swedish.” The only department like it in the world.

But others in the police depart-ment aren’t so sure about it. “All crime is sensitive,” they argue. Their resentment causes them to devise special rules for the Sensitive Crimes unit, such as different and more complicated procedures for the ordering of supplies — a passive-aggressive method to inform Sensitive Crimes they aren’t so special.

Varg tries not to concern himself with such pettiness. He thinks, as he’s often thought, “there was a time for childishness, just as there was a time for being adult. The important thing was to know which time was which.”

A divorcee, Varg combats his loneliness with his dog, Martin. Deaf and depressed, Martin is the only dog in Sweden who can lip-read. Although the vet treats him for depression, more likely than not, Martin is cheered up by going to Pilates class with his dog sitter, Mrs. Högfors.

Varg’s brother, Björn, is the lead-er of Sweden’s Moderate Extremist Party, not to be confused with the

Extreme Moderate Party. Varg isn’t much for politics, deciding the most effective political message might be something as simple as “Free sandwiches for all, for life.” Who could resist voting for that?

SEEMINGLY UNRELATED CASESWhen Varg attends a Saturday

group therapy session recommend-ed by his psychoanalyst, a woman in the group asks him to investigate the blackmail of her renowned novelist husband. At the same time, Anna — his fellow investigator whom he secretly loves — asks Varg to verify whether her husband is having an affair.

As Varg investigates both cases, he makes some unusual discover-ies, reminding him that sometimes things aren’t what they seem at all. Frequently, reality is the opposite of what we first assume, and, more often than not, innocent explana-tions resolve the situation.

Amid dealing with mundane discussions with colleagues — suf-fering from prickly heat and how to rid oneself from toenail fungal infections — to the persistent angst embedded within all Swedish souls, Varg admits that often all one can do is sigh. He acknowledges that sighing is “sometimes the only reaction one could muster to the world. That was what the world provoked in us — a sigh; for all the things we had to do that we did not want to do; for all the things that we had not done but that we would have liked to have done; for all that and more.”

This witty tongue-in-cheek exam-ination of the routine is a reminder that none of us — even those with wealth and power — should take ourselves too seriously.

BookTrib.com is the lifestyle destina-tion for book lovers, where articles and books are paired together to create dynamic content that goes beyond traditional book reviews.

A droll detective and a lip-reading dog in

‘The Talented Mr. Varg’It’s a satirical social

commentary on the mundane

PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE

Our beaches are closed to hanging out, but ‘beach reads’ are still on the way

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APRIL 26, 2020AN EDITION OF THE SUN

YOURSUN.COM

HOW TO KEEP YOUR DISTANCE WHILE ENJOYING THE OUTDOORS SEE 3F

By SETH BOSTERTHE COLORADO SPRINGS GAZETTE

I t’s hard to make friends when a pandemic keeps you in. And yet, I’ve

managed to make a new best friend.

He emerges on my TV screen with an obnoxious blast of hair that belies his demeanor, calm like a trickling stream.

“Hi there,” he often starts with that hushed voice, chuck-ling, as if bashful or surprised, as if he wasn’t expecting you, or is rather excited to see you. “Ready to do a painting with me?”

These days I am always ready to do a painting with Bob Ross. Never in my life have I been more ready to do a painting with Bob Ross.

Actually, I don’t paint. I’d venture to guess the majority of Ross’ PBS viewers didn’t actually paint along with him and still don’t today when they pull him up on Netfl ix.

Which would probably make Ross sad. After all, his stated purpose with “The Joy of Painting” was to get people to paint, to introduce them to the simple pleasure of something he considered very simple.

“We don’t make mistakes. We just have happy accidents,” he famously assured viewers.

It should all be happy, he said. Happy like his “happy little trees,” those evergreens he’d bring to life with the fl ick of his brush. Happy like his “happy little clouds,” which he’d dabble and whisk across his multicolored skies.

Everything happy. “That’s why I paint,” Ross explained during one episode. “It’s because I can create the kind of world that I want, and I can

make this world as happy as I want it.”

No pressure, Ross often told watchers as he went. “Absolutely no pressure,” he whispers now as I watch him, softly applying titanium white on snowy mountainsides.

Pft, pft, pft, goes his dancing instrument. “Let it fl oat,” he whispers. “Juuust let it fl oat …”

This is an unusual kind of episode. Usually Ross starts with a blank canvas. Now it’s black. He’s inviting me into a dark forest.

Then he swirls paint on his trusty palette, mixing green and yellow and brown. And the result is this moss that he starts brushing at the base of the forest, a lime carpet suddenly appearing in the shadows.

Pft, pft, pft. “Juuust beauti-ful,” Ross whispers. “Juuust beautiful …”

And then he mixes some white and blue. And then be-tween the mossy walls he forms water. He strokes his brush downward with the cascade.

“Now we have water that’s just coming along and falling right over there,” he whispers.

“Just having a fantastic day …”Maybe you’re not having a

fantastic day. Maybe you need Bob Ross.

Maybe it’s no wonder there’s been a Bob Ross resurgence decades after “The Joy of Painting” ended. If you’re not seeing that fuzzy, smiling face on Netfl ix, then you’ve seen it on T-shirts, mugs, coloring books and afro-growing Chia Pets.

We needed Bob Ross then — back when America was recovering from Vietnam and Watergate and crack was laying waste to the streets — just like we need Bob Ross now.

This is the age of anxiety, and we didn’t need a virus to remind us of that. These are days of political division, of technological takeover, of empathy’s greatest test. It’s no wonder Ross has returned, taking pop culture’s center stage with fellow quiet TV star Fred Rogers.

Yes, some quiet and kindness would do us good. As would some painting.

In the documentary “The Happy Painter,” actress and

artist Jane Seymour refl ected on Ross’ show. “You just got swept into this magical world,” she said, “where you’re taken into a fantasy reality. It’s his, but it becomes your own.”

And along with happy trees and happy clouds, there are happy animals in this world. If Ross loved anything more than painting, it was animals. It was Peapod the squirrel, who we saw being bottle fed by Ross as his thumb rubbed the little friend’s back.

We saw Peapod fall asleep in the man’s palm. “I like to just watch him sleep,” he whispered.

We also watched Ross bottle feed a baby raccoon, cradle a baby deer and comfort a pair of baby robins he named Richard and Cathy. There was also Hoot the owl, who Ross showed before releasing the bird.

“By the time you see this, he’ll probably have a little condo in Miami and house payments, a BMW in the driveway,” Ross said of Hoot. “He’ll be like the rest

Everything happySome quiet and

kindness would do

us good. As would

some painting.

TNS PHOTO

Everything happy. “That’s why I paint,” Bob Ross explained during one episode. “It’s because I can create the kind of world that I want, and I can make this world as happy as I want it.”

SEE BOB, 2F

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PAGE 2F SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2020 | The Sun | www.yoursun.com N/E/P/C

of us, all trapped with responsibilities.”

Before the show, Ross’ responsibilities were with the military. He spent 20 years in the Air Force, rising to the rank of master sergeant.

“I was the guy who makes you scrub the la-trine, the guy who makes you make your bed, the guy who screams at you for being late to work,” he told The Orlando Sentinel in 1990. “The job requires you to be a mean, tough person. … I promised my-self that if I ever got away from it, it wasn’t going to be that way anymore.”

He took on the opposite persona in “The Joy of Painting,” re-creating the peaceful landscapes that inspired him while stationed in Alaska. His late-life orders were not barked but instead

whispered, suggested. And sometimes the suggestions had nothing to do with painting.

“Don’t forget to tell the special people in your life just how special they are to you,” he once said.

So here I am telling Bob Ross how special he is to

me now. I can’t actually tell him that, because he died far too soon in 1995.

He was 52 when he succumbed to complica-tions from lymphoma. Of course, he never told fans about the disease. He only wanted them to be happy.

And happy he makes

me now, as I sit on the couch after another long day and watch him fi nish up this waterfall, the canvas no longer dark but bright.

“Just let go,” he whispers, “and fall like a waterfall …”

BOBFROM PAGE 1F

SHUTTERSTOCK

A piece from the Bob Ross board game, The Art of Chill, is pictured July 2019 in St. Petersburg, Florida.

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Deadlines: Support groups and news briefs are published as space

permits. To be included, send the information to feelingfit@sun-herald.

com. Deadlines for listings are the Monday prior to publication.

Feeling fit

By MARY FORGIONELOS ANGELES TIMES

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends taking deep breaths to improve your emotional health during the coronavirus outbreak. There’s a technique to making the most of your deep, cleansing breaths — and it’s pretty easy to learn.

Here are steps to shed stress and anxiety, and fi nd that oh-so soothing comfort in every breath.

GET READYI looked around online and downloaded the free

XPT wellness and fi tness app designed by Malibu surfer Laird Hamilton and his former pro-athlete wife Gabrielle Reece. The Breathwork Introduction program takes four minutes to learn the basics of breathing.

Here are my takeaways:• Breathe through your nose, not your mouth.• Breathe from the belly, not the upper chest.

“Keeping one hand on your chest and one hand on your bellybutton” is an easy way to make sure you are doing it right, the app says.

• Open your nasal passages by placing two fi ngers on the bridge of your nose, and pushing up and back.

• Best positions are lying down on your back with knees bent and lying on the fl oor, or sitting up with legs straight or crossed, making sure your spine is straight.

START BREATHINGI used the same app’s Belly Breathing lesson (still

free) that takes about seven minutes. Lying on your back, you place a weighted item on your stomach. As you breathe, you can watch the object rise and fall — an easy way to keep breathing on track. I found this lesson totally doable, and relaxing in a focused way.

GO FARTHERNow you’ll be ready to take on the world, and it’s

(virtually) waiting for you.Lindblad Expeditions has a number of compelling

“Ahhhh Moments” with which you can take a quick trip to Costa Rica, Alaska and Antarctica. I found even just listening to the sound of the water during my Alaska “visit” helped me breathe and relax.

It’s pretty easy to integrate a place into your breathing soundtrack. I selected a trip to Katherine’s Gorge in Nitmiluk National Park in Northern Australia. Find your own dream destina-tion, and breathe.

Try deep breathing

to stay calm

By KEVIN BAXTERLOS ANGELES TIMES

The rocks started appearing around a Santa Clarita neigh-borhood weeks ago, early in the COVID-19 lockdown. Smooth stones, brightly painted, with images of a ladybug, the American fl ag, a rainbow.

Many had messages. “Bee Nice,” beneath a black-and-yellow bum-blebee. “Love,” next to a yellow heart. “Be Kind.”

As the boredom of hunkering down at home set in, the number of people walking the area — and the length of their strolls — grew. So did the number of rocks along the way. They were hidden on fence posts, under trees and bushes, and along stone walls.

For some, the expeditions began taking on the feel of an Easter egg hunt, each tour of the neighbor-hood bringing new discoveries.

The rock pile swelled each night, the anonymous artist, like the Easter Bunny, planting the surpris-es under cover of darkness to be discovered the next morning. Some were smaller than a quarter, others larger than your hand.

The colors, the positive mes-sages, the whimsy, lit up the neighborhood.

“They’re great. We’ve enjoyed seeing the rocks pop up and have made some friends,” one woman said cheerily as she set off a walk with her dog and two young children.

No one was happier than her rescue dog Billy, a 3-year-old Labrador-chihuahua mix (really) who rarely got out of the house before the rocks began to appear. The search to leave no new stone unturned became reason enough to take Billy on a walk.

A similar phenomenon is taking place 50 miles away in Thousand Oaks, where tiles with inspirational messages have begin appearing along Calle Yucca, a residential stretch fl anked by $1 million homes that is popular with pedestrians.

The large, thin brown tiles, each about a foot square and spaced

roughly a quarter-mile apart, are placed on the ground or propped against trees with messages like “After Every Storm Comes a Rainbow” and “The Comeback is Always Stronger Than the Setback,” alongside drawings of rainbows and other colorful things.

In Santa Clarita, the rocks at fi rst were all of a kind — the same paint, the writing in the same childish scrawl — and located in one corner of the neighborhood. But it wasn’t long before they began spreading into something of a community art project.

That diff erent artists had joined was obvious from the varied styles, paint and themes — even the size and shape of the stones were becoming more eclectic. They had spread geographically as well.

Some of the rocks had designs that were creative and cheeky: a sea turtle, two tiny Easter Island moai, yellow happy faces with long black smiles. The most elaborate sprang up last weekend: a long, thin, dark stone to which two other round stones, representing huge googly eyes, had been attached. A piece of wood, fl ared to represent a shock of auburn hair, sprouted from the top.

That was the work of Robert Clarke, the former president of Honda Performance Development and architect of the carmaker’s transition from CART to IndyCar, a racing series it came to dominate.

Clarke, 70, a legend in open-wheel racing circles, was inspired by the rocks he found on twice-daily walks with his 13-year-old rescue dalma-tian, Bia, named after Brazilian driver Bia Figueiredo, one of two

— the other being Indianapolis 500 champion Tony Kanaan — Clarke once managed.

“We enjoyed seeing them,” he said of the stones.

Now retired, with time on his hands and a backyard full of smooth landscaping stones perfect for painting, Clarke decided to join the movement. And he had a willing group of accomplices.

“We started suggesting some of the local kids in our neighborhood start doing some of their own,” he said of the project he and his wife Ann worked on. “Right next door there’s a little girl and boy that both did some. And there might be some others.

“There’s quite a few in our little neighborhood.”

The dead-end street where the Clarkes have lived for three years was soon decorated by so many tiny, brightly colored stones it appeared lined with Christmas lights.

“Then I decided to try it myself,” he said.

With a bachelor’s in architecture from Texas Tech and master’s in both art and industrial design from Notre Dame, he was a natural.

“I was just bored, you know?” said Clarke, whose resume includes 22 years at Honda, where he started Honda Performance Development; separate stints as president and chief executive of Sports Car Club of America Pro Racing and vice-president of new business for the SCCA; and a short stay as chief executive of De Ferran Motorsports. “I decided I was going to start doing one (rock) a day until this thing is over.”

More than a week later, his creations dot a brick wall beneath the entrance to a pedestrian paseo above Valencia High. He intends to continue adding to the collection until the stay-at-home order is lifted or the small landscaping rocks in his yard are gone.

“It’s just fun, you know,” he said. “It’s positive. To do something like that latest one with the hair on it, it just puts a smile on your face in a diffi cult time.”

Smiley faces

and words of hope

TNS PHOTOS

Robert Clarke and his wife, Ann, in Santa Clarita, California.

One of the rocks with a message of encouragement.

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N/E/P/C www.yoursun.com | The Sun | SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2020 PAGE 3F

Remember, in all activities you should be at least six feet away from other people. That being said, try to avoid people entirely, if possible.

GO OUTSIDE AT ODD HOURSAvoid the outdoor space when

it’s likely to be most crowded — on the

weekends and during the middle of the day. By visiting a natural space when there are fewer

people there, social distancing

will be easier.

AVOID USING ON-SITE FACILITIES

While you might be social distancing yourself from other people, you should also social dis-tance yourself from their germs. Avoid spots that people would be touching things, including bathrooms, gates, trailheads and parking lots.

PARK FARTHER AWAYSocial distancing can be di� cult

in crowded parking lots with only a couple feet between vehicles. Consider fi nding a spot that might be a little further away to avoid this closeness.

TAKE THE TRAIL LESS TRAVELED

Consider a “boring” footpath and urban routes (provided you’re easily able to remain less than six feet others). Do not enter the backcountry seeking ‘social distance’ and put yourself in a situation that may require search and rescue assistance.

SANITIZEDon’t forget to

thoroughly wash your hands following any sort of outdoor recreation. Bring hand sanitizer while on your adventure for the times that a sink isn’t nearby.

GO OUTSIDE LESSThis recommendation might

be a hard one to swallow, but every time you leave your house, you’re risking catching COVID-19 or passing it along unknowingly. Limit the risk to yourself and others by going outside a fewer number of times throughout the week.

LIMIT THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE YOU’RE WITH

In times like these, enjoying na-ture by yourself is the most ideal situation. If you must recreate in a group, keep it small and keep your distance. One alternative to group workouts is to use an application like Strava to track your times and still compete.

— SPENCER MCKEE, THE COLORADO SPRINGS GAZETTE

Practice social distancing in the great outdoors

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By LEILA MILLERLOS ANGELES TIMES

A nurse at Health Central Hospital in Ocoee, Florida, activated a video screen with an internet link to connect Jennylee Bruno to an American sign language interpreter. Minutes later, Bruno’s worst fear was confirmed: The shortness of breath, sense of fire in her lungs, and dry cough were a case of the coronavirus.

The doctor told Bruno, a deaf author and mother of five, that they could only help ease the pain. Then the video feed froze, unfroze and froze again. Bruno sobbed from her bed.

“I felt like they were giving me a death sen-tence,” she said of that day in March. “I wanted to ask, am I going to die,

what can we do, is there a cure, what about medica-tions, what’s the plan?”

As some hospitals are overwhelmed with coro-navirus cases, deaf and hard of hearing patients across the country face greater barriers access-ing accommodations that allow them to understand what doctors and nurses are saying.

The increased use of masks has hindered those who rely on lip reading and facial expressions to communicate. Many hospitals have restricted interpreters and visitors, and are instead offering patients video conferenc-ing with remote inter-preters, an aid that may run into technical issues.

“The calls and emails that we have received reflect deaf and hard of hearing people being alone in hospitals without

ways to communicate with the hospital doctors or staff or even to make calls to family outside of the hospital,” wrote Howard A. Rosenblum, the CEO of the National Association of the Deaf, in an email.

Nearly 4% of the U.S. population identifies as either deaf or having difficulty hearing. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, hospitals must facilitate effective communication with services like in-person or video remote interpreting, captioning, written notes or speech-to-text apps.

Before the pandemic, many deaf patients complained about the use of video interpreting in emergency rooms. The feed can be blurry or freeze, and patients may be unable to focus on a small screen in a crowded room. Nurses may also not know how to operate the equipment.

“When you have a new staff member who hasn’t been able to be trained to use the system, they’ll be overlooked,” said Kavita Pipalia, the president of the California Association of the Deaf. “The one who ends up suffering is the patient.”

Bruno spent almost two weeks isolated in a coronavirus ward. The 51-year-old can read lips, but everyone around her wore a mask.

Nurses during the day wrote short notes to her on a white board. The video interpreting feed would freeze constantly, so staff gradually stopped using it, she said.

“There’s a lot of people there and they have no time to wait for an interpreter,” said Bruno.

Orlando Health — Health Central Hospital noted that all patients who require commu-nication assistance are provided access to qualified interpreters. “When infection preven-tion protocols prohibit person to person contact, interpreters are made

available to patients via phone or video remote,” it said in a statement.

The National Association of the Deaf and other advocates have published guidelines on communication access in hospitals during the pan-demic, advising patients to bring their own tools, like a printed page that says they are deaf, hard of hearing or deaf-blind, or to download video interpreting or speech-to-text smartphone apps.

Hospitals, the guidance said, should at least have white boards or yellow pads on hand. For some deaf-blind patients, tracing alphabetic letters on palms with a finger may be an option.

In Austin, Texas, Lore Kinast, 51, has a plan should she, her husband or their 21-year-old daughter — all of whom are deaf — go to a hospital with coronavirus symptoms.

Lip reading would be impossible with masks. Passing a paper back and forth requires close proximity. So they would bring an iPad and type in extra-large font to communicate with staff from a safe distance.

Kinast, who works at the National Deaf Center on Postsecondary Outcomes in Austin, hopes there would be a white board for nurses to respond back but recog-nizes resources might be stretched.

“Most people don’t know how to deal with deaf people on a good day,” said Kinast. “With so much turnover with staff at facilities, it may be that they don’t know what to do if a deaf person arrives on scene.”

Some patients, like Jennifer Dotson of Puyallup, Wash., have commended efforts to find accommodations. Dotson, 44, spent several nights at the University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle in March after experiencing shortness of breath.

Dotson has severe hearing loss, so the hos-pital initially allowed her husband to stay with her so that he could speak in a loud voice and help her understand what was happening.

Once she was diag-nosed with the virus, she said, staff limited their time in her room because of a shortage of masks. Doctors communicated with her over FaceTime, positioning themselves close to the camera so she could watch their lips.

“They still had to really simplify their words/information they were sharing for me to figure out what they were saying, but this solution was the best situation to get their point across to me,” Dotson wrote in an email.

Interpreters allowed on site face challenges too because masks hide their expressions. Demand for masks with a transparent window has increased, according to Anne McIntosh, the president of Safe’N’Clear, a company that in recent years partnered with the manufacturer Prestige Ameritech to develop a mask of this kind.

Some interpreting agencies say that in-terpreters must supply their own protective gear. Patricia Hughes, the CEO of Lifesigns, an interpret-ing agency that operates in Southern California, said that hospitals are not making protective equipment available.

Acquiring equipment for interpreters has been challenging, said Joshua Pennise, who oversees on-site and video remote sign languages inter-preting for Sorenson Communications, an agency that employs more than 4,000 inter-preters. The company has told interpreters they will be reimbursed for equipment they purchase.

“They are able to opt out no penalty on any specific assignment,” said Pennise.

Coronavirus poses added challenges for deaf and hard of hearing patients

By SOPHIE SHERRYCHICAGO TRIBUNE

Each day, 98-year-old Lorraine Kozak sits at a table in her nursing home and carefully cuts out swatches of fabric and places them into plastic bags with elastic and instructions on how to turn them into face masks.

Then these kits are placed outside The Birches Assisted Living in Clarendon Hills, Illinois, near Chicago, for someone to pick up and distribute to neighbors who need them during the coronavirus out-break. Each kit can make up to 10 masks.

“I feel like I’m helping,” Kozak said by phone. “I can’t be out there with the health care workers, but at least I feel like I’m doing something.”

The executive director of The Birches, Jackie Sander, said she knew hospitals were not accepting homemade fabric masks but thought other nursing homes in the area could use them. Sander said she put a call out for donations of materials for residents to make masks and was overwhelmed by the response.

She had originally

planned on residents making the masks, but the facility received so many donations they couldn’t sew fast enough. So they decided instead to create the kits.

“It’s been a wonderful response,” Kozak said. “There’s a lot of people involved in the Clarendon Hills area, donating the material and then picking up the kits to make the

masks with.”Those picking up the

kits are encouraged to distribute them to elderly neighbors and at nearby assisted living centers. “People have been

religiously coming by to pick up kits every night,” Sander said.

With the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now encour-aging everyone to wear a mask while outside, Sander said she has seen many more people picking up kits to sew for their own family and children. The residents can put together 10 to 15 kits a day.

There are no cases of coronavirus at The Birches, but the outbreak still weighs on residents, Sander said. Visitors are no longer allowed inside, so the center is doing what it can to keep residents connected with friends and family.

“They are concerned for what’s going on in the world,” Sander said. “This has been giving them some sort of purpose to keep them positive.”

Kozak has been a res-ident at The Birches for three years, and before that lived in the Hinsdale area. “I’ve always done a lot of volunteering when I was younger, and I feel like I have to keep doing that,” she said. “I’m 98 years old, so I’m trying to do my best.”

Residents of assisted living home make mask kits for neighbors

TNS PHOTO

Jacqueline Sander, executive director, and Lorraine Kozak, resident, of The Birches Assisted Living in Clarendon Hills, Illinois, have been cutting fabric and assembling mask kits for the community to pick up and sew.

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By KRISTIN M. HALLASSOCIATED PRESS

During World War I, posters proclaiming “Food will win the war” encouraged Americans to grow victory gardens. A century later, home gardeners are return-ing to that idea in the fight against a global pandemic.

Backyard gardeners are coming together, virtually, to learn and share stories on how to grow vegetables, fruits and flowers as the novel coronavirus raises fears about disruptions in food supplies and the cost of food in a down economy.

Creating a victory garden now can be, as it was during World Wars I and II, a shared experi-ence during hardship and uncertainty.

“World War I, to me, is a pretty stark parallel,” said Rose Hayden-Smith, a historian and author of “Sowing the Seeds of Victory: American Gardening Programs of World War I.” “Not only was there a war, but there was an influenza pandemic.”

Now, gardeners new and old are getting online and on social media to post pictures of freshly tilled backyards, raised garden beds, seeds germinating under grow lights or flocks of chick-ens. Facebook groups like Victory Garden 2020 or Victory Garden Over COVID-19 are filling up.

Some of these gardeners are newly unemployed, or working parents stuck at home with bored kids. Others are gardening enthusiasts who never had the time before to delve deep into the hobby. Urban community gardeners are ramping up production to feed families who have lost income and kids who no longer get meals at school.

Jennifer McShane had to close her bar in Brooklyn due to the COVID-19 spread in New York City. She’s been eating mostly frozen vegetables and is wary

of buying fresh produce from a grocery store. But she knew how to plant herbs in containers on her brownstone’s patio, so she picked up some tomato seeds, sowed them indoors and labeled them “Seeds of Hope.”

“I can’t wait for the plants to come in because I am desperate,” said McShane. “The things I am missing are the fresh things.”

Emanuel Sferios of Las Cruces, New Mexico, was a self-employed contract worker before the virus, but his work has dried up.

So he borrowed a tiller from a neighbor and dug a 30-by-30-foot garden in his backyard. He filled it

with compost and planted lettuce, beets, kale and broccoli. He plans to grow squash, melons, tomatoes and peppers, too. He and his girlfriend found a friend on Facebook who was giving out seedlings.

“It’s not like we needed this in order to get gro-ceries,” said Sferios. “It’s more like, wow, what do I do now? I don’t have work and I have all this time on my hands.”

A common reason to grow vegetables during WWI was limited food supply. America was sending food to European allies and American troops, explained Hayden-Smith. Victory gardens also were a way

to assimilate America’s many new immigrants through a patriotic and community-building effort.

“So these gardening posters and food pres-ervation posters would appear in literally dozens of languages,” said Hayden-Smith.

By WWII, the federal government started encouraging gardening as good economics after the Depression. And as it looked for healthy young men to draft, the govern-ment promoted nutrition as part of the national defense, Hayden-Smith said.

Hayden-Smith sees social-media posts about

gardening during the pandemic as a 21st centu-ry version of the victory garden poster.

“We don’t have poster art, but we have Instagram,” she said.

In Chicago, a nonprofit called Urban Growers Collective teaches kids and others to grow vegetables at eight urban farms around the city. While their spring educational programs are on hold due to rules on social distancing, co-founder Laurell Sims said they are still focus-ing on food production and getting produce to families that need it. The group is selling bags of homegrown vegetables like kale, spinach and scallions.

“We’re starting to see prices spike here in Chicago for certain kinds of produce just because it’s harder to get it,” Sims said.

She said most commu-nity gardens right now are closed, but her group is hoping to get them reopened with limits on the number of people allowed to work in them at one time.

“The whole heart of a community garden is a community,” said Sims. “When we know that our neighbors are sick, when we know our neighbors are compromised, we’re able to help them out.”

Gardening skills were once passed on from generation to generation, but farming became more industrialized and people moved away from rural areas. Now there’s nostalgia for a connection to the land, including gardening, preserving and cooking at home.

Across the country, stores are selling out of flowers, vegetable plants, seeds, and garden soil and compost. At Burpee Seeds, an online, catalog and retail supplier, busi-ness has doubled during the pandemic. George Ball, chairman of Burpee, said this cyclical interest in gardening is tied to the national economy.

“We do really well when the economy is stressed

or sort of knocked side-ways,” Ball said, adding that Burpee also saw an uptick in seed pur-chases during the Great Recession and the stock market crash in 1987.

Brenda Flowers, in Crystal River, Florida, built a tall raised garden for her 96-year-old moth-er, Lorraine, who grew up in the Great Depression and was among the many women who went to work in factories during World War II to replace the men who were fighting overseas.

“Wouldn’t that be so cool if she could go out and just rip off some lettuce leaves and pull up some radishes and some carrots and kale, just like she did when she was younger?” said Flowers.

Before the coronovirus, Bettie Egerton wanted to revive victory gardens in her community of McMinnville, Oregon, to address climate change. She handed out victory garden signs for people to put in their gardens, and encouraged people to avoid buying produce that was trucked in from thousands of miles away. Now, Egerton says the idea of a victory garden has added resonance.

“It’s like victory over all kinds of things,” she said.

A century later, victory gardens connect Americans again

In World War I, the slogan ‘Food will win the war’ prompted people to garden at home or in communities

AP PHOTOS

Brenda Flowers, left, and 96-year-old Lorraine Tyree water their plants in Crystal River, Florida. Backyard gardeners are coming together, virtually, to learn and share stories on how to grow vegetables, fruits and flowers as the coronavirus raises fears about disruptions in food supplies and the cost of food.

Marshall Mitchell, urban farm assistant at the Urban Growers Collective farm in Chicago. The nonprofit group teaches young kids and others to grow vegetables at eight urban farms around the city. While their spring educational programs are on hold because of rules on social distancing, Laurell Sims, the co-founder, said they are still focusing on food production and getting produce to families that need it.

Gardeners new and old are getting online and on social media to post pictures of freshly tilled backyards, raised

garden beds, seeds germinating under grow lights or flocks of chickens. Facebook groups like Victory Garden

2020 or Victory Garden Over COVID-19 are filling up.

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By AMINA KHANLOS ANGELES TIMES

They disinfect hospital corridors with ultraviolet light to eliminate traces of the novel coronavirus. They help nurses manage routine tasks so they can spend more time with sick patients. They deliver meals to people heeding public health orders to stay at home and help police deliver warnings to those who aren’t.

As medical researchers rush to develop treatments and vaccines to deploy against the coronavirus, scientists and en-gineers are working on another type of weapon that could play an instrumental role in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic: robots.

“As epidemics escalate, the potential roles of robotics are becoming increasingly clear,” an international group of researchers wrote last month in the journal Science Robotics.

And there’s much more robots could do if engineers concentrated their efforts on the greatest needs, researchers said.

“At this time, we really need to ensure that we have a global orchestrated sustainable ap-proach to (robotics) research,” said Guang-Zhong Yang, dean of the Institute of Medical Robotics at Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

Here’s a closer look at how robots could play a larger role in the pandemic.

ROBOTS ON THE FRONT LINESA big concern in any in-

fectious disease outbreak is minimizing risk to the doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers who are in direct contact with sick patients. If those caregivers also become ill, it means less treatment for

patients.“When health workers are

at risk, we are all at risk,” said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization.

Robots could take their place in certain circumstances, such as administering tests to see

whether people have been infected with the coronavirus, Yang said. That’s crucial because people who seem to be perfectly healthy may in fact be infected and could spread the disease to others.

“Silent infection is the biggest problem,” Yang said.

It helps that robots don’t get sick, and — unless they run out of power — they don’t need to sleep.

Russell Taylor, a roboticist at Johns Hopkins University whose work led to the develop-ment of Da Vinci surgical ro-bots, said medical robots could be useful in intensive care units where risk of contamination was a major worry.

For example, a health worker needing to tend to an Ebola patient might need to put on heavy personal protective equipment before entering a high-risk area, then remove and discard that equipment during the decontamination process at the end of their shift. That’s time-consuming, tiring and potentially dangerous.

Sending a remotely operated robot to interact with the pa-tient instead could dramatically reduce that risk, Taylor said. After all, robots are immune to biological pathogens and can be efficiently disinfected with harsh chemicals. Not so for human beings.

ROBOTS BEHIND THE SCENESBut doctors and health

workers don’t necessarily want to stop having contact with their patients, even with the risks involved, said Bill Smart, a roboticist at Oregon State University.

“The human contact part (of the job) is really important,” he said.

Robotics is still a develop-ing field, and patient care is complex. If robots remain in supporting rather than starring roles, Smart explained, “you’re not directly interacting with the patients where it could go re-ally wrong if the robot breaks, and you’re also not denying the patient human contact.”

That said, robots could still help minimize the risk for these front-line medical staffers by taking on more menial tasks in order to reduce the time a nurse or doctor has to spend in a dangerous environment.

That could mean using drones to transport medicine to and within hospitals, or using robots to deliver meals. Round-the-clock disinfection by wandering robots — something akin to a Roomba on steroids — could also minimize contam-ination risk.

ROBOTS IN THE PASTDuring the Ebola outbreak

that began in 2014, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and the National Science Foundation organized workshops to identify ways in which robots could make a difference.

But once the epidemic came under control, interest in (and funding for) the project dried up.

“As a species we tend to be a bit ADD,” said Robin Murphy, a roboticist at Texas A&M University.

This feast-or-famine approach to funding means scientists, engineers and medical emergency personnel aren’t likely to have robotic tools ready for when the next pandemic hits, scientists said.

Meet humanity’s new ally in the coronavirus fight: robots

TNS PHOTO

A robot is on service at Xiaotangshan Hospital on March 30 in Beijing, China.

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Q: As a result of “stay at home” rules, my team is working remotely. Some people are used to it while it’s new to others. But everyone is being a bit inconsistent in how they’re working together, managing their time and generally adjust-ing to the new normal. I’m not looking for ways to have them “perform better.” My goal is to be an effective and compassion-ate leader during this traumatic time. What should I be doing?

—Trey, 38, director of finan-cial analysis

A: You nailed it by knowing that compassion is the key.

We all need that now. We need it from our family and friends, from our co-workers and bosses, and from the broad-er community. And most of all, we need it from ourselves.

As an aware leader, you are laying the foundation for your

team to experience compassion and then be able to share it.

It happens that just this week I attended a webinar from the University of Minnesota Alumni Association. At this session, Dr. Kaz Nelson offered a practical structure for coping with our current situation based on Maslow’s Hierarchy

of Needs.As a refresher, Maslow

outlined five levels of human needs. At the foundation is the body — the basic requirements of physical existence. Next are safety, connection and mind. At the top is self-actualization — the place where creativity resides.

Now imagine these applied to our lives within the pandemic. Some days we may be just struggling to get by, coping with loss of appetite or inability to sleep. Other days we may shine, seeing life’s potential, develop-ing new skills and able to be really present for others.

We don’t remain at one level. Rather, this framework offers a new level of insight as well as ideas on actions that support people regardless of the level they’re at.

To apply this as a leader, have a look at the framework Dr. Nathalie Martinek provides. You can find it here: hdrnath-aliemartinek.com/gettinghelp. In one example, if a person is at Level 2, safety, self-soothing behaviors and boundary setting will be best. If they are at Level 3, connection, community, empathy and humor may be available to them.

Simply sharing this with your team and discussing how everyone will be moving among these levels may be enough to

help people feel supported. You may even find yourselves using the levels as a common lan-guage, as in, “Heads up, folks, it’s a Level 1 day!”

Moreover, it will give you the ability to assess where people are on a given day and offer the appropriate type of support. Look for subtle ways to connect the dots; the last thing you wantas their boss is to violate their privacy.

The key is connecting as humans all facing the same challenge. Let it be uniting. When people are under stress, their instinctive response may be to withdraw or lash out. By understanding this and speak-ing to their real needs, you will build trust that transcends the situation.

Liz Reyer is a credentialed coach with more than 20 years of experience. Submit questions or comments about this column at www.deliverchange.com/coachscorner or email her at [email protected].

Millions of Americans are drinking on the job as they work from home during the COVID-19 outbreak, according to multiple worker surveys.

Beer is their drink of choice over cocktails, according to Alcohol.org, but that’s probably little consolation to corporate bigwigs.

One survey, released Monday, found 42% of nearly 13,000 workers were drinking on the clock at home, according to Fishbowl, a social network “for

verified employees.”“Advertising and marketing

agency employees had the highest percentage of employ-ees answering with ‘Yes’, with 49.14%,” Fishbowl reported.

More than half of those surveyed said they feared layoffs due to the pandemic and 60% said COVID-19 “had caused clients to pause or cancel work,” the survey said.

None of the surveys reported asking how much people were drinking, but Americans began stockpiling alcohol as cities, counties and states started announcing stay-at-home orders and restricting travel for

the virus.A 55% spike in alcoholic

sales was reported in the third week of March, when panicked shoppers began hoarding alcoholic and other necessities, MarketWatch.com reports.

“Spirits like tequila, gin and pre-mixed cocktails led the way, with sales jumping 75% compared to the same period last year. Wine sales were up 66% while beer sales rose 42%. And online sales far outpaced in-store sales,” Marketwatch said.

The Alcohol.org study of 3,000 workers broke the drink-ing down by state, revealing

where most of the drinking was taking place. It found half those surveyed in Virginia and New Hampshire were drinking on the job, while 60% admitted to it in Rhode Island.

“One-fifth of respondents stockpiled alcohol for self-isola-tion,” the survey added.

The larger Fishbowl survey showed workers in North Carolina, Oregon and Connecticut were the biggest drinkers, each with 47% partak-ing on the job.

Economist Nicholas Bloom of the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research believes the “work-from-home

movement … could actually generate a worldwide pro-ductivity slump and threaten economic growth for many years,” according to a March 30 report.

“We are home working along-side our kids, in unsuitable spaces, with no choice and no in-office days. This will create a productivity disaster for firms,” he said in the report.

“I fear this collapse in office face time will lead to a slump in innovation. The new ideas we are losing today could show up as fewer new products in 2021 and beyond, lowering long-run growth.”

Getting your far-flung team to adjust amid the virus

All-day happy hour? Drinking while working at home in pandemic

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PAGE 2 SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2020 | The Sun | www.yoursun.com

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Tammy Hoyt941-613-0919 X 2006

Online:https://peoplefirst.myflorida.com

www.HorizonTechInstitute.com“ADVANCE YOUR CAREER”

Licensed & Accredited School Murdock Town

Center on 41 1032 Tamiami Tr Unit 3 PHLEBOTOMY, EKG,

LPN-wkds, CNA, Med. Asst. Classes - CALL FOR DATES

YOU can become a LPN within 11 months.

Enrollment ongoing. Start Working In 2-5 wks! Classes Start Each Month

Call For Class DatesNursing Assistant (120hrs)Home Health Aide (75hrs) Phlebotomy Tech (165hrs) EKG Tech (165hrs) Patient

Care Tech (600hrs)Job Assist. & Pymt. Plans

Call Now to Register! 941-889-7506

Skilled trades

WESTCOAST ELECTRIC SERVICES

A large Commercial Contractor is NOW HIRING for: Commercial Electrical

Helpers & Electricians. We offer an apprenticeship program. Great Benefits & Competitive Pay. Please Submit your resume to:

[email protected] or Call 941-429-4900

Sales SECRETARIAL Part-time/Full-time, Real Estate Sales entry level no license necessary to apply. For interview call Mr. Eat 201-953-1309.

General

CAPTAINS AND MATESFULL & PART TIME

MANDATORY DRUG TEST-ING

APPLY IN PERSON10 A.M. - 2 P.M. (M-F)7075 PLACIDA ROAD

ENGLEWOOD, FL 33946

POOL SERVICE TECHNICIANNEEDED. PC/PG, Rotonda,Englewood Areas. Willing to train, exp preferred, good pay. Call (941)-223-1399

General

CARRIERSNEEDED

The Venice Gondolier Sun is now taking applications for carriers in Venice and

surrounding areas. Must have dependable vehicle, a valid Florida

Drivers License and proof of insurance.

APPLY IN PERSON: 200 E. Venice Ave. Venice, FL 34285

No Phone Calls Please.

ENTRY LEVEL POSITION FOR PRINTING AT

THE VENICE GONDOLIERWe are currently seeking

a full time entry level manufacturing position.

This position includes the opportunity to learn the

printing process from the entry level position and

advance in a progressive environment. In this

position you will assist in the creation of various well

known newspapers and other related products on

our Press.DUTIES AND

RESPONSIBILITIES

•Remove product from the end of the printing press or finishing machine. •Move skids of product with a hand jackComply with all quality, safety and work rules and regulations.•Day and Evening shifts available.•QualificationsEffectively communicate with other members of the staff.•Assist other crew members with various duties including webbing up of the press and/or special handwork in order to meet customer requests.•Follow all clean-up and housekeeping procedures.•The ability to take stacks (average 10-30 lbs) using repetitive hand/wrist movement, off of the end of a machine (2-4 feet high) and stack product on skids from floor level to 5 feet high using repetitive bend-ing and twisting.•The ability to remove skids (weighing up to 2400 lbs) by using a pallet jackThe ability to use a computer.•At least 18-years of age or older•Ability to work well in a team environment•Ability to follow instructions and work independently•The ability to read and write; possess good verbal and written comprehension.

Please call Jon at 941 207 1411

for an interview

MAILROOMTHE CHARLOTTE SUN

NEWSPAPER

Part-time positions available. No Experience necessary.

Be able to lift at least20 lbs., willing to train

Late afternoons & evenings.

E-mail to:mblubaugh@

suncoastpress.com

Please, No Phone Calls

We are a drug free workplacePre-employment drug testing

required

SALES REPRESENTATIVE(Punta Gorda, Pt Charlotte,

North Port, Venice)

BUSINESS IS GOOD! WE`RE ALSO LOOKING FOR

A SALES MANAGER!LOOKING FOR A PART-TIME JOB?

Make $1,000. - $1,500. and Up in Your Spare Time.

Weekends a Plus.

Kiosk SalesNo Experience Necessary

Full Training ProvidedCell Phone Required

Our Team is Growing Not Laying Off.

We Work in Retail Locations, Events and

Shows Where Customers Come to Us.

KIOSK SALES Working with Sun Newspapers.

Reply to: [email protected]

or Call 321-299-2020Please Include Phone

Number Where You Can be Reached For an Interview.

A Resume Would be a plus!SIMPLE - EASY - GOOD MONEY

Real Estate Open house

04/26/20

Houses for sale

★★★ WOW $199,900!!!!★★★from $199,900 COMPLETE ON LOT! Biscayne Breeze- PORT CHARLOTTE NEW 3/2/2, with huge lanai/ oversized 2 car garage

with CITY water, located in “X” Flood Zone on 80 x

125 home site! Call for floor plans and your tour TODAY!

Reliance Project Management, LLC CGC #1512533 941-468-8300

SELLING YOUR HOME, CONDO, or LOT?We can help you.

Advertise your home, condo, or lot with us and

reach over 150,000 readers in Charlotte, Sarasota, &

DeSoto Counties and online everyday.

Ask about our 30 day special.Call one of our

classified experts for all the details at

866-463-1638 Realtors Welcome!

8217 Alam Ave. North Port FLLowest Priced Pool Home

in all of North Port! Move-in Ready & Fully Furnished on a Freshwater Canal - 2/2/1

Beautiful Home with Fenced Backyard. City Water and Sewer Connected. Close

to Shops, Restaurants and Beaches! Listed $179,000

Call Brady McGuire Remax Palm 941-204-5840

EAST ENGLEWOODSpring Delivery! $239,900. New 3/2/2, 1600+ sf., Split Layout, Open Floor Plan, Oversized 2 Car Garage,

Located In “X” Flood Zone, with City Water, 80’ x 125’ Home Site. Call For Floor Plans and Your Personal

Tour TODAY! Reliance Project Management, LLC

CGC# 1512533 941-468-8300

LAKE VIEWSLg 2B/2BA/3-car gar. Pool. Repeat seasonal renter in

place. Rent out garages too! Great income. 941-769-0200

NORTH PORT 8159 Coco Solo, ECONOMICAL STARTER OR INVESTMENT! NEEDS SOME TLC, BUT GREAT POTENTIAL!

UNIQUE FLOOR PLAN. 1700 SF 3-bedroom, 2-bath with spacious living/dining

area + separate 22x20’ open spacious paneled family/

game room, laundry room, storage room and workshop

on large lot. Low taxes! Perfect way to own a home for almost what you pay for

rent! MAKE AN OFFER! QUICK POSSESSION POSSIBLE!

$149,900 Patty Gillespie Remax Anchor

941-875-2755

PORT CHARLOTTE 15352 Mille Fiore Blvd.

HOW HAVE YOU MISSED this spacious, wide open 1800 SF 3-bedroom + den/office with

huge 21x28’ garage/work-shop, tile roof, brick paver driveway, 9’4” volume ceil-

ings, 42” cabinets and gran-ite countertops in kitchen

and baths, extensive ceramic tile flooring, SS appliances, and lots more!?? It’s perfect

- front to back, top to bot-tom, inside and out! MAKE MY DAY .. Call now to see

this lovely property! PRICED FOR QUICK SALE!

Patty Gillespie Remax Anchor 941-875-2755

PUNTA GORDA- Waterford Estates. 7860 Mikasa Dr.

2015, 4BA/2BA/2CG, 2339 sf $264,900.

Immaculately maintainedLarry Keller, 941-391-3940KW Peace River Partners

Houses for sale

PORT CHARLOTTE 501 Fairview Ave.,

THE PERFECT BLEND OF COMFORTABLE LIVING AND CHOICE LOCATION! SITTING

PRETTY ON OVERSIZED, LUSHLY LANDSCAPED

CORNER LOT. Gorgeous gran-ite countertops and center

island in kitchen. Wide open floor plan with designer tile throughout all living living/dining rooms as well as the

bedrooms and baths. Freshly painted. Great curb appeal!

$199,900 Patty Gillespie Remax Anchor 941-875-2755

PORT CHARLOTTE 6340 Thorman Rd.,

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION! Move-in-ready

2001 1500 SF 3/2/2 pool home on oversized fenced lot in beautiful Gardens of Gulf

Cove, a deed restricted com-munity with underground utilities, public water and

sewer and sidewalks. Freshly painted! Roof replaced

2 years ago! AC replaced 4 years ago (with blue light

for allergens)! Custom plywood hurricane shutters!

Available for immediate possession! Immaculate!

Nothing to do but move in! $279,900

Patty Gillespie Remax Anchor 941-875-2755

Waterfront homes

HARBOUR HEIGHTS Rebuilt & Redesigned this

Stunning 4/3/2 POOL Home Offers a New Roof in 2019,

A/C, & MORE! Porcelain Tile, Lanai, Office, Great Room, Storage, Boat Lift, 2 Docks on The Whidden Bay Direct

Access to Peace River, Charlotte Harbor & the Gulf

of Mexico from Your Own Dock! $595,000. Sharon Kerr

941-286-7315 Coldwell Banker Sunstar

Realty

Condos/villasfor sale

PUNTA GORDA 8963 Tuscany Isles

Tuscany Isles, a gated villa community, with huge lake

view. Two bedroom plus den and 2 car garage almost new 1500+ sq ft. Terrific location, beautiful tile flooring, carpet

in bedrooms, immaculate, granite counters, screened

lanai. Perfection! Call for pri-vate showing today. $249,000.

Pat Walker 941-276-4674 REMAX Anchor Realty

PUNTA GORDA ISLES, Windjammer Point, 3 bdrm

end unit condo! Terrific Views, elevator building,

superb lanai, carport, guest parking, boat dock, com-

munity pool, beautifully and totally updated!. This is a spectacularly redone 1830

sq ft beauty that should not be missed! $349,000. Call for your private showing today!!

Pat Walker 941-276-4674 REMAX Anchor Realty

TO ADVERTISE IN THE SHOWCASE OF HOMES

Please Call 866-463-1638

or Email; [email protected]

Mobile homesfor sale

VENICE RANCH Mobile Home Estates

BEAUTIFUL LOT RENTAL & 55 + Community.

New & Pre-owned Homes No Dogs. Cats Ok Call 941-488-5672

www.VeniceRanch.com

Manufacturedhomes for sale

NEW 3/2 DOUBLE WIDEDelivered & Set-Up on

Your Lot w/ Steps, Air & Skirting! $60,445. + Tax.

Prestige Homes, Punta Gorda 941-637-1122

Homes for rent

AWARD WINNINGSUNBELT MGT.

SERVICESRENTALS

★ 2/2 Lanai, Oaks III, 1st Floor, Comm. Pool,

Quesada Ave., P.C. $900/Mo

★ 3/1 Tile Floors, Screened Front Porch, Waltham St.,

P.C., $925/Mo

★ 4/2/2 Tile & Carpet, Lanai, Spacious, Hawthorne Ave.,

P.C. $1,500/Mo

*We Welcome NEW Listings*COMPLETE LISTINGS

(941) 764-7777sunbeltmgtservices.com

ENGLEWOOD Like new 3/2/2 w/ lanai, fenced, vaultedceilings, close to beach, etc.. $1530/mo 941-504-8083

* NEED A RENTAL * Paradise Properties &

Rentals, Inc 941-625-RENT

Condos/villasfor rent

PUNTA GORDA ISLES 3/2/1 Annual, unfurnished, P.G.I.,pool, tennis, 1 car garage, gat-ed, $1,500 941-639-4922

Apartments for rent VENICE ISLAND Efficiency- 1 & 2 br, Call for Details. NoPets, 1 Year Lease 941-416-5757or 323-6466

Efficienciesfor rent

HARBOUR HEIGHTS close toriver, newly renovated effi-ciencies w cable & internet,SunnybrookMotel 941-625-6400

Rooms for rent PORT CHARLOTTE 1BR/1BA Private, Quiet, Clean, Pool, $750 Mo Util. Incl 772-261-1827

PUNTA GORDA 1BR/1BA,Furnished, New Flooring and Ceiling. W & D, Kitchen Priv. $500/ Mo 941-666-1757

Rentals to share ENGLEWOOD share 2bd/1balarge yard. $400/mo plus util-ities. TEXT ONLY 941-883-1483

Lots & acreage

SELLING YOUR HOME, CONDO, or LOT?We can help you.

Advertise your home, condo, or lot with us and

reach over 150,000 readers in Charlotte, Sarasota, &

DeSoto Counties and online everyday.

Ask about our 30 day special.Call one of our

classified experts for all the details at

866-463-1638 Realtors Welcome!

DEVELOPMENT LOT 1599 Placida Rd (Rt #775)

1+/- Acre across from Mer-chant’s Crossing.

Water, sewer, & turning lane already in place.

Close to beach. Up to 8+ units possible. $299,900.

Don’t let this one slip away! You can never find another

at this price.3.79% financing possible.

941-769-0200

Waterfront lots

LEMON BAY LOT1860 WINSTAN AVE.

1/4 AC ONLY $179,900Direct gulf access, deep wa-ter, no bridges, bay views,

new seawall. 3 min to ICW, 5 min to Gulf.

Lowest priced bay lot to be found. Two to choose from.

DON’T MISS THE BOAT!941-769-0200

OYSTER CREEK Waterfront lot. 8097 Weyers Ct. Hidden

Waters Gated $ $159,900 1/2 acre. Tall Pines Realty

Mary Sprague 941-504-0899

YYou Saou SaveveBig BucBig BucksksShoppingShopping

Classifieds!Classifieds!

Notices Announcements

$1000 REWARD for the apprehension of a Hit

& Run accident on 4/02/20 at approximately 4pm on

Birchcrest Between Midway & Quasar. Driver is a young

light haired kid driving a dark green FORD F-150 1988-1999.

Call 941-456-9855

NEED TO PLACE ACLASSIFIED AD?

FREE MERCHANDISE ADS!

WELCOME TO OUR WEBSITE!

To Place a FREE Merchandise Ad

please go to: yoursun.com/classifiedsand click “Place an Ad”New users will need to

register with their email address & create

a password

FREE ads are for Merchandise UNDER $500,

The ad must be placed online by you.

One item per ad.Ad must be 3 lines or less

and the price must appear in the ad. Pets,

plants, trees, fruits, vegetables, flowers, firearms and firearm

accessories are excluded from this offer.

Your ad will appear online for 7 days and will show in print Wednesday through

Sunday. LIMIT 5 FREE ADS PER WEEK

Enter Your Classified Ad 24 Hours a Day,

7 Days a Week.

Bible study& churches

BEGIN YOUR DAY IN BIBLE STUDY

Christ the King Lutheran Church, 23456 Olean Blvd.

Tuesdays 10AM-11AM. For more info 941-766-9357

Port Charlotte

CALVARY BIBLE CHURCH 1936 E. Venice Ave.

Venice Friday at 9am. Study features video teach-ings of noted Bible Schol-ars on various subjects.

For more info. Call Rev. Jones at: 941-485-7070 or visit www.CBCVenice.com

CHARLOTTE COUNTY HOUSE OF PRAYER

Night Watch Fridays 7pm-9pm

Worship-Word-PrayerOne River-One Stream

1435 Collingswood Blvd Unit CPort Charlotte941 249-8946

Check us out on Facebook

COMMUNITY CENTER 4PM - 7PM each Wednesday.

Christ the King Lutheran Church, 23456 Olean Blvd. PC,

Open to All Ages. For more info 941-766-9357

FAITH BUILDERSA Basic Study to Build your Christian Faith. Call PastorGumm at Christ the King

Lutheran Church for times. 941-766-9357 Port Charlotte

FAITH LUTHERAN CHURCH4005 Palm Drive, Punta GordaVarious Days & Times Confirmation/Bible Study Adult Infomational Class941-639-6309

FREE Bible study at s t u d y i n g . f o r . s a l va t i o n @gmail.com

GATEWAY WORSHIP PRAYER& Healing Rooms If you need healing, we want to pray withyou! Our prayer teams are available to minister to you every Thursday 7:30 pm-8:30pm. For information call 863-832-4418 5377 Dunkin Rd.,Punta Gorda 33982Jesus Still Heals Today!

LUTHERAN CHURCH OF THECROSS 2300 Luther Rd., Deep Creek Bible Study - Thursdays 10-11:30 & Sunday’s @ 9 AMQuestions and/or Info 941-627-6060

New Season Full Gospel Minis-tries Meets Every Wednesdayat 3320 Loveland Blvd PortCharlotte, Fl (Held at Boardof Realtors Building Near Visani’s Restaurant)Food at 6:30PM and Fellow-ship Starts at 7:00PM Every-one Welcome!! Pamela Sams 941-268-3589

Proverbs Verse by Verse Study - Wednesdays at 6:30 PM - Study Guide Provided. New Hope Baptist Church

2100 Englewood Road (SR776) Englewood 941-474-7647

([email protected])

START YOUR DAY RIGHT Bible Study Thursdays

10:00-11:30Lutheran Church of the Cross2300 Luther Rd., Deep Creek

and Sundays at 9:00 a.m.Questions and/or Info

(941) 627-6060

UNIQUE AND INFORMATIVEDVD Every Sunday @ 6pm. Disussion After at El JobeanBaptist 941-769-6291

Lost & found FOUND: CAT Male Orange & white long hair, Name is Buffy,10 yrs old declawed. found in Warm Mineral Springs area.Please call 941-445-0950


Lost & found LOST MAN`S DIAMOND RING:Gold with 3 Diamonds in the Vicinty of North Port or Harley Shop on 776. Call 941-235-2203

Exercise classes GULF COAST ACUPUNTURE 151 Center Rd. Wednesdays5:30pm Thursdays 9:00 amSaturdays 8:30am YOGAfor Beginners Proceeds to Venice Wildlife Center Call Rick or Mary 941-488-1769

TO ANNOUNCE YOUR CLASS Information

Call 866-463-1638or Email;

[email protected]

Business Services

AN OCCUPATIONAL LLC. may be required by the City and/orCounty. Please call the appro-priate occupational licensingbureau to verify.

Aluminum

ALL AMERICAN RENOVATIONS

Family owned & operatedSpecializing in

Full Pool cage restoration, rescreening & Painting & Rusty Screw changeouts,

painting pool cages, lanais, front entry way, etc...

941-915-3381Serving Sarasota County

Free Estimates lic/insured

ALL AMERICAN RENOVATIONS Lic & Insured



painting pool cages, lanais, front entry ways etc...

941-915-3381 Serving Sarasota County

Free Estimates

GULF COAST RESCREENLic & Insured

Family owned & operatedPAINTING &

RESCREENING POOL CAGES IS OUR SPECIALITY!

941-536-7529Serving Sarasota County Free

Estimates

PRECISION Aluminum & Remodeling Lanai’s, Kitchens,

Bathrooms, Windows, Doors, Floors.

941-276-8449

Applianceservice/repair GARY DRAKE

DRYER VENT CLEANING & INSPECTION.

30 yrs. Exp. (941)-889-7596

Child care ALL CHILDCARE FACILITIES

MUST INCLUDE, WITH ADVERTISEMENT, STATE OR

LOCAL AGENCY LICENSE NUMBER.

FLORIDA STATE LAW requires all child care centers andday care businesses to regis-ter with the State of Florida.The Sun Newspapers will not knowingly accept advertisingwhich is in violation of the law

Contractors BLUE PARROT

CONSTRUCTION Commercial & Residential

Renovations941-662-0366

[email protected]

BlueParrotConstruction.comCBC1258748/Fully Insured

EDWARD ROSS CONSTRUCTION

SERVICES, INC. 941-408-8500pool cages, Scr. lanais, etc...

TEDDY`S HANDYMAN & REMODELING, INC.

No Job Too Big or Too Small! (941)-629-4966 Lic./Ins. Serving NP, Charlotte & PG

CRC 1327653

Concrete CONCRETE CRACKS

REPAIREDPool Decks & Driveways. All Repairs Guaranteed. FREE ESTIMATES. 941-639-4520

FLORIDA CONCRETE Driveways - Sidewalks AdditionsResidential & Commerical New Construction 941-628-5965 Ins/Lic CG034909

PRO PATH CONCRETE Driveways, Patios, Sidewalks

Pads, Free Estimates941-286-6415

Lic #AAA-11-00081

RICH LANDERS STUCCO, INC.

Honest, Reliable work!LIC/INS New Const &

Remodels. Rusted bands & wire lathe repair.

spraycrete & more (941)-497-4553

THE CONCRETE GUY941-716-0872

Driveways, Walkways, Patio All flat work Demo &

Removal & permiting. Ch Lic AAA14-100088

LEE 14-02339SRQ SWC 44

Domesticcleaning service

A&R PRO WINDOW CLEANERSIn/Out, Tracks & Screens, Mirror Walls, Ceiling Fans, Also Vinyls, Clean & Polish, H/W Team. Lic#25014 & Ins.

941-441-8658

PEACEFUL EASY CLEANINGPROFESSIONAL RESIDENTIAL

AND OFFICE CLEANING SPECIALIZING IN MOVE IN AND MOVE OUTS. SERVIC-

ING ALL OF SARASOTA AND CHARLOTTE COUNTY.

(973)-876-6995

Drywall COMPLETE DRYWALL

Hang, Finish, Patchwork, All Textures, Popcorn Removal, and Paint.

Matt Potter 941-232-8667Lic.& Ins CRC1328482

DEPENDABLE DRYWALL & REMODELING • Patch Repairs •• New Homes •941-235-4440

Lic.# SCC131150207 Insured

Electrical DRM ELECTRICAL SERVICE,

“Plug Into Personalized Service”

Electrical, Maintenance, Repairs, Troubleshooting. 941-480-0761 941-366-3646

Excavating/Bush Hog

ORRSLANDCLEARING.COMUnderbrush Pepper Tree

Removal Fence Line Clearing Stump Grinding, Bush Hog Services. Free Estimates!

Lic/Ins. (941)-875-4198

Handyman/general repair

A CARPENTER AROUND THE HOUSE for all your carpen-try needs! James M. Okell 941-270-1693

DAVID J SHEPARD, JR., Over 20 years

in Charlotte County, Handyman Svcs, Wood Rot,

Windows & doors, Dry Wall & Stucco Repair,

Painting, etc. 941-627-6954 or 941456-6953

Lic # RR282811062

Heating & air

S.O.S.A/C & HEAT

941-468-4956

Air Conditioning Systems

Cooling Made Affordable!Installed 10 yr Warranty

st. lic #CAC1816023sosairfl.com

Home inspections HOME INSPECTIONS

Wind Mitigation, Full Inspections

Buyer, Seller, OwnerGreat rates! Lic HI 8261

941-623-8623 Home inspector classes also

Home & commercialimprovement

A & R QUALITY HOMES INC.

Customer Satisfaction is our goal.

Kitchen/bath remodelsPressure cleaning,

Interior & exterior paintingConcrete/driveways/

walkways/slabsStucco/repairs/fascia/

soffitPool deck resurfacing

Doors/WindowsFully licensed and insured

941-429-1285 941-626-0315License # CRC1329404

CARPENTER, INC Handyman Rotten wood, doors, soffit, facia and much more. Phil 941-626-9021 lic/ ins.

COMPLETE CLEAN PRESSURE WASHING

EXCELLENT RATES20+ YEARS EXPERIENCE

941-468-2744 LIC/INSwww.completecleanpw.com

DO YOU HAVE LOOSE, HOLLOW OR BUCKLING TILES? Inject-A-Floor-System canhelp. Grout Cleaning/Staining,Marble Cleaning, Tile Repair. 941-893-8475

FIRST CHOICE CUSTOM CABINETS Kitchen, Baths, Closets, Countertops etc.

Commercial & Residential. 941-505-5570

GARAGE FLOORS DONERIGHT! Epoxy Flakes, Quartz,Silica. In Charlotte Countyover 30 yrs! 941-628-0251

GUTTERS, 6” Seamless. Ken Violette, Inc.

(941) 240-6699 Lic.CGC#060662/Ins.

HANDYMANHome repairs. 30+ yrs Exp.

Call 941-539-1694

MORRIS SANDEFUR’S HANDYMAN SERVICE

Gutter cleaning, Rescreening, Mobile home repairs and

more. 941-485-2172

NEED IT FIXED? CALL MR FIX IT MAN WE FIX, WE BUILD IT,

WE REPAIR IT. 941-587-3044

Home & commercialimprovement

J & J HANDYMANPainting, Pressure

Washing & Much More!

Over 40 Years Experience & Satisified Customers

Service with YOU in Mind.Reasonable, Reliable &

Honest.

Serving Englewood, Venice & Sarasota Areas

Larger or Smaller Projects, Commercial & Residential

licensed & fully insured

Call Joe Chiminiello(941) 525-7967

OCEAN AIR CONDITIONING of SWFL Inc.

Proudly in business since 1978. Prompt & Courteous

service on all brands! We offer LENNOX, BOSCH

and others!Call Today for your FREE

quote! 941-625-8900

ROOF CLEANING LOW PRESSURE LOW CHEMICAL

941-460-4936www.completecleanpw.comAll work performed by State

Cert. Roofing Contractor

$75.00 per panel

SLIDINGGLASS DOOR

REPAIRS

Wheels Tracks &

LocksCall Bob

LOW OVERHEAD = LOW PRICES!

941-706-6445Affordable

MaintenanceOwned and oper-ated by Local Fire

fighter.

STORMTWISTERS - Hurricane ShuttersShuttersUp.Today

* Roll Down Shutters* Accordian Shutters

* Clear Hurricane Panels* Hurricane Screens* Bahama Shutters

941-626-8200*A Division of Bay Bridge Homes Lic#CBC1254261

TILE - Remodel, Baths, Floors. Your Tile or Mine.

941-625-5186 Lic.#AAA006387

Home watch

ALL SEASONS PRO HOME WATCH

WE ARE HERE FOR YOU!Professionally trained, insured and bonded.

941-766-0877

Lawn/garden & tree AN OCCUPATIONAL LICENSEmay be required by the City and/or County. Please call the appropriate occupational licensing bureau to verify

A JAMISON TREE SERVICE,INC.

Complete & Professional15% Sr Discount!

Free Est. Lic. & Insured Engl 941-475-6611

N. Port 941-423-0020Serving Charlotte and

Sarasota for over 20 years.jamisontreeservice.com

ALTMAN TREE SERVICE Tree Trimming, Removal,

Stump Grinding. Lic & Ins. Call Mike Altman 941-268-7582

AMERICAN IRRIGATIONCall 941-587-2027

FREE ESTIMATES!!!Licensed & Insured

Charlotte Co. lic#AAA-11-00010.

Serving Charlotte and Sarasota Counties

DP`s ABILITY TREE SERVICERemovals, Stump Grinding, Palm Trimming, Shaping,

Oaks Thinned & Raised Up. Over 20 Yrs. Exp.Free Estimates!

941-889-8147 Lic#00000192 & Insured.

EXACT LAWN MOWING LLCNOW ACCEPTING

New Accounts in South Gulf Cove, Gulf Cove

Englewood, Rotonda, Grove City, Placida &

Pt. Charlotte, Punta Gorda WE TAKE PRIDE

IN ALL OUR LAWNS!Reliable & Dependable.

Lic & insured.

Call 303-475-8300

NOW ACCEPTING NEW LAWN ACCOUNTS!

941-468-4372ISA Certified Arborist

John Cannon FL-6444A South Sarasota & Charlotte County

RAINSCAPE INC, Irrigation, Maintenance, Re-pair, Installation. Monthly Maintenance starts at $40.

FREE ESTIMATES941-888-2988

Lawn/garden & tree

RIZZO`S TREE SERVICE•Tree Trimming•

•Tree Removal• Hedging• •Pruning• Affordable & Free

Estimates. Serving Charlotte & Sarasota County 941-306-7532

SANDEFURS-HOME & TREEMaintenance Tree trimming,removal. We do it all! License/Insured 941-484-6042

SPM TREE TRIMMIMG & LANDSCAPING

Specializing in tree removal. Call Today for

your FREE Estimate.***QUICK RESPONSE!***

(941)-412-5273 Lic/Insured

THOMAS MILAZZO Residential Landscaping

All phases, beautiful plantings, No job too big

or small. Also lawn care. 2 Generations of experience. All work guaranteed. Free Estimates. (941)-830-1005

TREEMENDOUS TREE, INC.NURSERY

• Pineapple Plants fruiting $30/ea

• Snow Queen Hibiscus 7 gal $20.00 NICE

• MANY OTHER SHRUBS AVAILABLE

STOP IN TO SEE US SATURDAY ONLY

8AM-2PM 6068 RUFF ST. NORTH PORT

OR CALL 941-426-8983FL-6444 A

WENDELL ALBRITTON TREE Service

VERY AFFORDABLEWill Work with you!!

941-763-5042 Lic & Insured!

Marine construction MARINE CONTRACTING

GROUP• Docks • Seawalls •

• Boat Lifts • 941-505-0221 Free Estimates

25+ Years. Exp! Lic. SCC131151730

Moving/hauling ALL TYPES OF CLEAN-UPS!

Same Day Service! 24 Hrs. a Day!

941-764-0982 or 941-883-1231

ROB’S ON THE MOVE, INC. Moving and Delivery Honest,Reliable, Courteous! GreatRates! 941-237-1823

Painting/wallpapering

Best Prices -- Quality JobBest Coast Painting

and Pressure Washing Residential/Commercial

10% Off With Ad!941-815-8184 AAA00101254

LARRY ESPOSITO PAINTING INC “It’s Not What We Do,

It’s How We Do It!”Free Estimates, 941-764-1171

Lic & Insured AAA007825

MARTINI’S PAINTINGExterior, Interior,

Driveways, Tile Roofs$500 OFF WITH AD

40 Years Local Family Owned & Operated.

941-766-0331Lic#CBC1261010

Nathan Dewey Painting Co Commercial & Residental

Interior & ExteriorPressure washing

Handyman Services Free Estimates Prompt Service

941-484-4576nathandeweypainting.com

PAINTING UNLIMITED Where Quality & Value Meet!

Family Owned and Operated. Call Now for a

FREE Estimate941-979-7947

Lic. & Ins. AAA-12-00015

SWEENEY`S PAINTING INC.• Pressure Cleaning •• Mildew Treatment •

• Painting/Commercial •• Interior & Exterior •

• Committed to Excellence •• Attention to Quality •

941-916-1024 Lic# AAA0010702

Plumbing LARRY`S PLUMBING,

Re-Pipes (Most in 1 Day) Beat Any Estimate Complete

Service 941-484-5796 Lic.#CFC1425943

Pressure cleaning BAILEY’S PRESSURE

CLEANING Complete Exterior

House Painting! Call 941-497-1736

Screening

A TIP TOP Rescreen LLC

A quality rescreen at a fast and affordable price.

Call us today for your free estimate at

239-440-6857 licensed and insured

ALL ABOUT ALUMINUM & SCREEN: Rescreen & New.

941-876-4779 wescreenflorida.com - Lic# SA37, AL0511993X

Screening






Free Estimates






Free Estimates

BREEZE THRU RESCREEN LLC Full Rescreen Panel Repair

Power Washing Pool Cage Painting

FREE POWER WASH WITH FULL RESCREEN

We have you covered! Call Today for your

FREE Estimate. 941-661-7897 Lic./Ins.

Visa/MC/Discover/Amex Apple/Android Pay

Roofing CALL US TODAY

TOM JOYCE ROOFING for prompt roof

replacement and repairs!

45 Years of Quality Work and Experience

941-484-9804 941-429-1800 lic#1325725

COMPLETE ROOFING SOLUTIONS OF FLORIDAReroofing and Repairs

Commercial and Residential Flat and Metal Roof

Restoration Free Estimates All Work Guaranteed

George M. Schwartz Jr. Owner 941-961-8263

Lic # CCC1325750

LEONARD’S ROOFING &INSULATION INC.family owned &

operated since 1969

Shingle, Tile, Built-Up, Single-Ply, Metal, Full

Carpentry,Service Available

SARASOTA COUNTY ONLY!Reagan Leonard

941-488-7478lic # rc 0066574

ROOF LEAK PATROL, INC. Residential/Commercial

REPAIRS, REROOF, CARPENTRY, ETC...

35 YRS EXP. LIC/INSURED#CCC1330779

941-474-ROOF (7663) www.RoofLeakPatrol.com

STEVE`S ROOFING & REPAIRS

Preferred Contractor! Voted Best of the Best

Since 2010!Free Est. 941-625-1894 Lic. CCC1326838/Ins.

Sod

LAWN REPLACEMENTMaloney’s SOD

Charlotte 941-637-1333Sarasota 941-955-8327

“No Job Too Big or Too Small”

www.maloneysod.com

Window cleaning

Window Cleaning, •Residential Window Cleaning

•Pressure WashingP: 941-952-0903

lic/insured

MerchandiseEstate sales

ESTATE SALE LIQUIDATOR Services - NOW BOOKING SALES FOR MAY, JUNE, &

JULY for Homes, Apartments and Condos. FLAT RATE FEE

Call 513-519-6434

Household goods 6FT ALUMINUM LADDER, Excellen condition. $30 941-743-0582

AREA RUGS Liz Claibourne, 8’x11’, w/runner, exc. $150 941-235-2203

AREA-RUG, 4’X6’, Red, shaggy as new. Can text pics $29 941-246-1548

BED COMFORTERS & Quilted Pads. Full & Twin. Excellent & clean. $10 Ea. 941-743-2656

CANDLES NEW Tapers 6”-12”, red, wht, pink, grn, yel, orng. 50 @ $1. Ea. OBO 941-743-2656

COOLERS 2 SIZES + bev new +2 bch twls, etc. 7pc Can Text pics $25 941-246-1548

CRYSTAL GLASSES *Like NEW* 8 oz stemmed. 24% lead crstl. 6 for $30, OBO 941-743-2656

DIRT DEVIL portable vac for car &crumbs, new in box $25, OBO 941-875-1757

Household goods FLOOR SCALES White 32” high, very accurate $45 716-374-2950

GAS CAN 5 gal. good old ones $10 941-743-0582

MATTRESS, INFLATABLE, Blue, Queen size, built-in pump + cover $20 941-716-5507







a password










7 Days a Week.

PICTURE FRAMES assortment (50) wood, metal, ceramic with glass $45 941-585-8149

SHEER DRAPES white 60Wx72L 7 pr like new + tan pr 25Wx42L$15 ea. pr. 941-743-2656

SHOWER CURTAIN “Samoa” hooks, dark wicker access, rugs, etc. $55 941-246-1548.

STEAM CLEANER, ORECK Hard floors. Pure steam. Uses NO chemicals. $50 941-740-0357

TABLECLOTH, ROUND 70” solid rose pink. Damask silky cloth. *LIKE NEW* $20 941-740-0357

TWIN BED Luxor folding. New in Box. Memory foam Mattress $100 260-463-1071

Furniture ACCENT TABLE, Round, antique wood. $50 941-456-0125

ARMOIRE and two night stands, cherry finish, excel-lent $275 845-544-1425

ARMOUR DREXEL HERITAGE 6’5”H, 53”W,22”D. Fits 48” TV. South Gulf Cove/Purchased from Bacon Furniture. $450 814-279-1406

BAR CHAIRS, 3 iron swivel, tan cushions, 33”. $75 914-739-7028

BED Double, Ethan Allen, like new! $150, OBO 941-505-4228

BED FRAME King, metal, New in box. $60 941-575-6856

BEDROOM SET Queen with white wicker like headboard, $100. OBO. COMPUTER DESK,

fits in corner. $100. COFFEE TABLE, Glass Top,

Brass like. $50 606-594-8935

BREAKFRONT, Stanley light wood/rattan with lights. $200 941-456-0125

BUNK BEDS dresser & night-stand, mattresses, Cherry col-or. $450 for all or can be split.941-257-5500

CHINA HUTCH Beautiful cherry wood. Very nice. Solid wood. $325 942-423-6655

COFFEE TABLE & 3 matchg side lamp tables, medium Maple, nice. $50,ea OBO 941-740-0357

COFFEE TABLE, all oak, 52X28X20 bottom shelf 2 glass top inserts $36 941-307-9211

CORNER FIREPLACE uses real flame nontoxic gel fuel cans. $115 845-544-1425

CORNER TABLE Vintage, off white, all wood, 33X33X30. $36 941-307-9211

DINETTE SET, like new, 24” round table, two chairs, all wood. $100 941-716-5507

DINING CHAIRS, (4) uphol-stery seat w/ arms. Perfect Condition. $80 941-626-3427

DINING SET 54” glass top on column plus 4 fabric chairs $150 941-307-9211

DINING SET with 18” leaf, all wood, 4 chairs, 40X40-68X29 $150 941-307-9211

DINING TABE solid wood 65.5lx44wx29h + 2-14.5” leaves. $115 845-544-1425

DINING TABLE 6 Chairs Purchased from Bacon Furniture/In South Gulf Cove $500 814-279-1406

DIRECTOR CHAIR, PAIR burgundy fabric, 23X16X36, 18” tall seat $40 941-716-5507

I BUY FURNITUREOr anything of value!941-485-4964


Furniture KITCHEN SET with 2 chairs. Ikea style, White, Solid Woodtop. $75 941-257-5500

LIFT CHAIR Medium green cloth excellent, works good $220 716-374-2950

LIGHTED DISPLAY CURIO Cabinets, Broyhill Bacon Furniture/South Gulf Cove Location. I Have 2 cabinets 275 each $275 814-279-1406

LOUNGE CHAIR, 2-piece. off white. $50 941-456-0125

LOUNGE CHAIR, Leather, off-white. $75 941-456-0125

LOVE SEAT unique, reversible animal & embroidered print sides $415 845-544-1425

POWER LIFT CHAIR by qualitybrand, Green, great condition. $300 941-484-4149

RECLINER, LA-Z-BOY, Light brown, nice $150 404-376-5041

RECLINING SOFA, Lamp, rug, framed prints, end tbl. Can text pics $249 941-246-1548

SIDE TABLE. curved metal frame + glass top, 31X22X24/ $20 941-716-5507

SLEEPER SOFA, QUEEN, White unused sleeper. Can text pics $325 941-246-1548

SOFA, BASSETT *Like new* 90” beige w/pastel green & mauve 3 cushions. $250 941-740-0357

SWIVEL ROCKER + Footstool set, A+ rose uphol. 2 sets avail $120 Ea 941-740-0357

SWIVEL ROCKER, LA-Z-BOY, recliner beige $125 941-743-0582

TABLES SIDE & PLANT Stands. Wood, var styles & sizes, nice cond. From $10 941-743-2656

Electronics MINI FLASHLIGHTS All work 100%, text msg pics, Nokomis $6 714-599-2137

PORTABLE HEAD PHONE, all cords, perfect. $25, OBO 941-875-1757

TV/stereo/radio C/D ASSORTMENT some never open, 80 $1 941-200-5718

HEAD PHONES, PORTABLE , all cords, perfect. $25, OBO 941-875-1757

SATELLITE SPEAKERS (4) Polk Audio Small speakers Big sound $75 954-642-6599

SPEAKERS 4.5” 45ohm (8) speakers + grills. $25 941-585-8149

SPEAKERS 8” 45ohm (6)speakers + grills. $50 941-585-8149

STEREO EQUIPMENT All Kinds Speakers, receivers, etc. Starting @ $10 954-642-6599

SURROUND RECEIVER, DENON w/remote high end 1350 retail in 2008 $325 954-642-6599

TECHNIES RECEIVER Needs a new volume control. $20, OBO 941-255-0489

TV, MAGNAVOX w/converter, 14 inch, new in box, exc. $35 941-235-2203

Computer equipment COMPUTER MONITOR Dell computer monitor $25 941-456-0125

Clothing/jewelry LEATHER JACKET Women’s sz 18, nice biker jacket, smoke free home $69 941-493-3851

RAIN COAT & PANTS, LL Bean, large-med black, good cond., both sets $50 941-914-6945

Antiquescollectibles

1884 MS64 MORGAN. Collector also buying. $90 941-223-8718

90% SILVER US COINS Selling at $18.00 per $1.00 face value. $18 941-223-8718

ALWAYS BUYINGANTIQUES, ART, SILVER

NEW ENGLAND ANTIQUES941-639-9338 941-740-2449

BEAMS CHOICE Bourbon the Jewish Bride, 50 yr. old never open $25 941-200-5718

BINOCULARS Very old must see. Still work. $15 941-200-5718

BUYING SILVER COINS DIMES THRU SILVER DOLLARS. 941-626-7785

COCA COLA CAN Telephone 1980’s $25 941-423-2585

DRESSER, walnut, 5 drawers,2 hanky drawers, exc. $125 941-235-2203

ELVIS POSTER PICTURE 3’x2’, framed,”Return to Sender”. Exc. $45 941-235-2203

FRAMED PICTURES (2) 3 Stooges, b&w $10 941-423-2585

HESS TRUCKS 1984-2014 set of 32, very good cond, never played with $475 941-914-6945

KENNEDY ASSASSINATION TELEGRAPH sent to White House $250 941-475-1379

LITHOGRAPH STONES 2 @ 5X6 & 1 @ 6X8. 2 1/4 thick. $200 941-255-0489

MERCEDES BENZ 300S (1955) special edition 1:18 in box $30 914-739-7028

Antiquescollectibles

SAN FRANCISCO Music boxes. Gone with the Wind series, new $30 716-374-2950

TOMMY MARA OF THE CRESTS Large color poster $20 941-423-2585

VINTAGE CONSOLE STEREO, Includes Record Player,

Radio, Speakers. Storage. Beautiful! $350. 941-257-5500

Fruits &vegetables

THE LAW REQUIRES all Florida nurserymen, stock dealers, agents or plant brokers who advertise nursery stock for sale to provide the publisher of the advertisement with a copy of their certificate of registration. Also, the registration number issued by the Fla. Department of Ag. and printed on the certificate of registration must be included in the advertisement.

Musical LOWERY EZ1 Virtual Orchestra, playbook. Like new. Save hundreds. $895, OBO 941-408-9512

PIANO FREE, Must pick up.Call 941-681-3160

Medical ADULT WALKER, 4 wheel, Brakes, seat, back rest, basket~Nice $75 941-493-3851

FACE MASK Reversible.Washable. 100% Cotton. String ties. $13 941-387-5870

FACE MASKS Cotton, 2 ply, washable, handmade. Elastic or Ties. $6 706-466-5122

FACE MASKS Handmade, washable, cotton. $5 815-298-8509

FACE MASKS POLYPROPYLENE USED IN OUR B-SIZE POOL FILTERS & HOSP CLOTHING. WASHABLE, RE-USABLE. OVER1000 GIVEN TO CARETAKERS AND HOSP. Rinz N Reuz Filters, LLC $4 941-483-6867

HOVEROUND CHAIR Like new with extra seat and back packs. Will deliver locally. $495 941-740-1985

MASKS - protect yourself from Viruses. 100% Cotton, Homemade Masks. $4 each

407-484-1529 Venice

PLANTAR FASCIITIS Walking boot, R or L foot. Pics avail-able $20, OBO 714-599-2137

POWER CHAIR QUANTUM Q6 EDGE 2.0/2.0X/3, Swing joystick, exp controller, tilt & recline, pwr artic foot rest. Used 6 months. For Avg size female. $499 207-266-8920

Trees & plants

THE LAW REQUIRES all Florida nurserymen, stock dealers, agents or plant brokers who advertise nursery stock for sale to provide the publisher of the advertisement with a copy of their certificate of registration. Also, the registration number issued by the Fla. Department of Ag. and printed on the certificate of registration must be included in the advertisement.

Baby items CHILDS SROLLER good cond. w/ cup holders. $20, OBO 518-813-2909

Golf accessories COBRA 3WD GRAPHITE Reg shaft, vgc w/hc $25, OBO 941-423-5701

GOLF BALLS New in boxes, $8.00 per dozen 941-830-8403

YELLOW JACKET4G BATTERY CABLESCorrosion Resistant

Best Golf Cart Cables$129.95/set. Visit

DarsGolfCarts.com941-769-1431

NO TEXT PLEASE

Golf carts

2017 CLUB CAR PRECEDENT $3995

Sandstone4 passenger Golf Cart

2019 BatteriesNew LED Head & Taillights

Folding Windshield48 volt E.R.I.C. Charger

OEM upholsteryRear View MirrorLow battery lightReverse buzzer4 drink holders

Tires, Mirror, Top941-769-1431

Delivery Inc. (25 Mi.)Visit Darsgolfcarts.com

2017 CLUB CAR Precedent$3795

Sandstone2 passenger Golf Cart

2017 BatteriesFolding Windshield

48 volt E.R.I.C. Charger OEM upholsteryLow battery lightReverse buzzer4 drink holders

Tires, Top941-769-1431

Delivery Inc. (25 Mi.)Visit Darsgolfcarts.com

2017 CLUB CAR PRECEDENT$3995

BOB-CAT GreenBRAND NEW BATTERIES

Yellow Jacket CablesMonsoon Roof

Matching Club Cover48 volt ERIC ChargerFactory UpholsteryFolding Windshield

Factory spoke HubcapsCooler, SandbucketExcellent DOT Tires Wide Angle Mirror

STK# 1824 941-769-1431

Visit DarsGolfCarts.comWE DELIVER FREE (25 MI.)

$429GOLF CART BATTERIES

Set of six-6 voltBrand New Factory “Blems”

LIMITED QUANTITIESUS Made in Freemont, Ohio

Sold in sets of 6 onlyMight be a scratch or a scuff

Factory WarrantyCash Only-Pick up onlyYou Load and Unload or

we do it $2/batteryCore exchange required

taxes additional941-769-1431

Visit Darsgolfcarts.com

CLUB CAR PRECEDENT $3595

RECONDITIONED4 Passenger Golf Cart

Tan w/Tan TopFlip Down Rear Seat

BRAND NEW BATTERIES $New Yellow Jacket Cables$

Battery MeterFactory UpholsteryHead & Taillights

Flip Down WindshieldChrome SS wheel caps

All New BushingsFresh Tires, Brakes, Mirror48 Volt Charger, STK#R8

Call: 941-769-1431Free Delivery (25 miles)

Visit – Darsgolfcarts.comNO TEXT PLEASE

Exercise/fitness TEETER Never been used, Port Charlotte $200 941-629-3462

TREADMILL PROFORM Digital crosswalk 2.5hp. $250 941-661-2168

Sporting goods BIRD SPOTTING SCOPE Kowa TSN2 w/ 30x magnify. 77mm lens. $275 941-223-8718

DAIWA R&R’S Sealine 47H bnib & 2 pc 8 ft Walleye rods. Text msg for pics $50 714-599-2137

FLYFISHING LANDING NET Collectors, text pix. $20 714-599-2137

PROFILE TENNIS RACQUET with cover $15 941-473-4828

Firearms NOTICE: Seller AcknowledgesCompliance With All Exisiting Federal, State and Local Fire-arms Regulations and Laws in Regards to Sale and Transferof Advertised Firearms.

Hunting &fishing supplies

GUNNEL MOUNT Triple outrigger & gator grip ruler $69 845-544-1425

Bicycles/tricycles

ADULT TRICYCLE basket in back, med seat. Great con. $140, OBO 941-586-6885

BIKE RACK, Double hitch, Thule $75 435-260-9035

HIS & HERS bikes Nice, $60/ea (941)763-4818

Toys/games HESS TRUCKS 1984-2014, set of 32, very good cond, never played with $475 941-914-6945

Photography/video

VHS, RCA shoulder style rec. carry case, batt., ac, CD, tripod $40 617-460-2341

Pool/spa/& supplies

INTEX POOL 9’x18’ liner & ladder. New In Box $300 941-202-8658

Lawn & garden BLOWER, TROYBUILT Handheld Gas. $90, OBO 941-485-0681

PATIO SET, PVC, 6 chairs, 2 chaise, 8 cushions, table. Exc. cond $300, OBO 941-914-6945

PATIO SET, PVC, 6 chairs, 2 chaise, 8 cushions, table. Exc. cond $300, OBO 941-914-6945

PRESSURE WASHER, Troy Built, New pump complete. $220, OBO 941-485-0681

PUSH MOWER Bolen 20” $125, OBO 941-485-0681

PUSH MOWER, Honda HR216 21” cut. $120 941-485-0681

Outdoor living CHARCOAL GRILL Used once, med size w/ charcoal. $20, OBO 518-813-2909

CHARCOAL SMOKER, Brinkman Gourmet. Excellent. $75 941-473-4828

TREEMENDOUS TREE, INC. NURSERY

PROFESSIONALLANDSCAPE DESIGN

SERVICES AVAILABLE!STOP IN TO SEE US SATURDAY ONLY

9AM-2PM 6068 RUFF ST. NORTH PORT

OR CALL 941-426-8983FL-6444 A

WEBER GRILL kettle type, lg burner, w/cover. Exc. $55 941-235-2203

Tools/machinery LADDER, 8 FT aluminum, excellent condition $50 941-743-0582

RECIPRACATING SAW, Plug in, electric. $25 941-473-4828

SAW CRAFTMANS full size band saw $100 941-764-0929

SKILL ELECTRIC SAW 7 1/4 Circular. $20, OBO 941-485-0681

SMALL GAS ENGINES 3 engines, $100 each, 35cc-41cc, Wico. $100 941-223-8718

STEP LADDER Alum. 6’ Werner Ladder. Good shape. $27 941-456-1385

Office/businessequip./supplie

COPIER PRINTER SCANNER FAX wireless HP Photosmart B210 $36 941-307-9211

Cats NOTICE:Statute 585.195 statesthat all dogs and cats sold in Florida must be at least eight weeks old, have an official health certificate and proper shots, and be free of intestinal and external parasites.

Dogs NOTICE:Statute 585.195 statesthat all dogs and cats sold in Florida must be at least eight weeks old, have an official health certificate and proper shots, and be free of intestinal and external parasites.

Appliances APPLIANCES Frigidare, Micro-wave, Oven, Fridge, all match-ing, white, used less than 30 days. $950 248-721-0045

BREAD/DESSERT MACHINES in perfect working condition each $20 941-716-5507

DISHWASHER Black, G.E. Profile, Stainless Steel tub, VGC $125 941-629-0326

DOUBLE WALL OVEN 24w x 42”H Clean, $200 941-485-6909

REFRIGERATOR SIDE BY SIDE,lt. bisque, Fridgidair, water &ice, $265 (941)763-4818

ROTARY FRYER, DELONGHI White, cool touch, never used. $35, OBO 914-739-7028

WASHER & DRYER Nice, White, $325. (941)763-4818 delivery avail.

WASHER-WHITE TOP of the Line LG WT5070CW. Works perfectly EXCEPT bleacher dispenser has rusted out. Deep Creek $75, OBO 941-815-8262

Miscellaneousfor sale

DIRT DEVIL VACUUM portable vac, for cars & crumbs, new in box $25, OBO 941-875-1757

Miscellaneousfor sale

EXT LADDER Aluminum, 20 Ft $65 419-560-5054

MAGAZINES 8 volumes, mint cond. History of WWII each volume $80 617-460-2341

METRONOME WOOD CASE windup $25 941-423-2585

MILDRED SANDS EBBTIDE At Kennebunk Port $179 941-200-5718

ROPE JUTE used 3/4”(286ft.) 1/2”(211ft.) $40 941-585-8149

SHELVING 30 FT. 12” wide with wall mount adj. brackets incl. $60 617-460-2341

SHOE POLISHER KIT, Electric Still in org. BX. EX. $10 941-200-5718

$75.00 PER PANEL

SLIDINGGLASS DOOR

REPAIRS

Wheels Tracks & Locks

CALL BOB 941-706-6445

Affordable MaintenanceOwned and operated by

Local Fire fighter.

WOOD, blk walnut 3 slabs unfinished 2 are bookmatched $375, OBO 914-739-7028

Free merchandise MULCH Shredded pine needles & leaves. You Haul. FREE. 941-613-6644

Wanted tobuy/trade

BUYING SILVER COINS DIMES THRU SILVER DOLLARS. 941-626-7785

WANTED: Elastic Bands to make Masks. PLEASE Call

407-484-1529 Venice

Bargain buys FLEA MARKET ITEMS Misc mostly new very nice stuff $150 716-374-2950

Transportation Cadillac

CADILLAC XT5-SUVOne Price Delivered

Save NO Dealer feesSave NO Title or tag fees

Save NO Cash fees3,500 Surplus 2016-2019

Low miles, Fact warr@Bargain prices-Now!Call for details, prices

Justin 941 350-7544Factory Off Lease

Auto Brokers1041 US 41 Bypass S

Venice Fl 34285

Chevy 2010 CHEVY IMPALA

$6,990. SILVER, 44K MI. 855-280-4707 DLR

2016 CHEVY SUBURBAN $24,990. WHITE,

30K MI. 855-280-4707 DLR

2007 CHEVY CORVETTE Z-06$27,911. YELLOW, COUPE, 34K MI. 855-280-4707 DLR

2016 CHEVY CORVETTE ZO6 Only 12,700 Miles! Dayto-na Sunrise Metallic Orange. $59,500. 941-575-8207

Dodge 2018 DODGE CHALLENGER

$33,990. BLUE,30K MI. 855-280-4707 DLR

Ford







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7 Days a Week.

Ford

2014 ROUSH RS1 MUSTANGGT Premium w/ Track Pack. Has Stage 2 Suspension w. Roush Factory Tune. #2 of 75 Made! Less than 21K Miles!$28,000 260-402-6470

Honda 2015 HONDA CR-V

$13,990. GRAY, 116K MI. 855-280-4707 DLR

Hyundai

2016-2019 Hyundai ModelsFull Factory Warranty

No Dealer Fees No plate transfer feesNo fees if paying cash

10-2017 Elantra $12,000 up15-2017 Sonata $14,000 up18-2017 Tucson SUV $15K up18-2017 Santa Fe SUV $16K up

Call Justin 941 350-7544FACTORY OFF LEASE

AUTO BROKERS1041 US 41 Bypass S, Venice

Kia 2015 KIA OPTIMA $9,911. RED, LX,

70K MI. 855-280-4707 DLR

2019 KIA OPTIMA $17,990. WHITE, NAV,

39K MI. 855-280-4707 DLR

Lexus 2013 LEXUS RX-350

$16,911. SILVER69K MI 855-280-4707 DLR

2013 LEXUS RX-350$17,911. BROWN,

66K MI 855-280-4707 DLR

2015 LEXUS RX-350$18,911. WHITE, CERT, NAV,

79K MI 855-280-4707 DLR

2015 LEXUS ES-350$19,911. BLACK, CERT,

51K MI 855-280-4707 DLR

2017 LEXUS IS-200T$21,911. WHITE, NAV,

42K MI 855-280-4707 DLR

2014 LEXUS ES-350$21,990. BLACK, CERT, NAV,

44K MI 855-280-4707 DLR

2013 LEXUS RX-350$21,990. BLACK,

51K MI 855-280-4707 DLR

2017 LEXUS NX-300$25,911. WHITE, NAV,

32K MI 855-280-4707 DLR

2017 LEXUS NX-300$25,911. RED, NAV,

26K MI 855-280-4707 DLR

2019 LEXUS UX-200$27,911. SILVER, NAV,,

5,779 MI 855-280-4707 DLR

2019 LEXUS UX-200$27,911. GREEN, NAV,,

6,971 MI 855-280-4707 DLR

2019 LEXUS UX-200$27,911. GRAY, NAV,,

8,211 MI 855-280-4707 DLR

2019 LEXUS UX-200$27,911. BLACK, NAV,

5,711 MI 855-280-4707 DLR

2019 LEXUS UX-200$27,911. BLACK, NAV

8,759 MI 855-280-4707 DLR

2019 LEXUS UX-200$27,911. ATOMIC, NAV,

8,469 MI 855-280-4707 DLR

2019 LEXUS UX-200$27,911. ATOMIC, NAV,

6,968 MI 855-280-4707 DLR

2017 LEXUS RX-350$30,363. SATIN, NAV,

44K MI 855-280-4707 DLR

2018 LEXUS NX-300$31,911. WHITE, CERT, NAV,

15K MI 855-280-4707 DLR

2019 LEXUS NX-300$32,911. ATOMIC, CERT, NAV,

28K MI 855-280-4707 DLR

2016 LEXUS RX-350$32,990. SATIN, NAV,

46K MI 855-280-4707 DLR

2016 LEXUS RX-350$32,990. GRAY, CERT, NAV,39K MI 855-280-4707 DLR

Mercedes 2016 MERCEDES GLA $21,990. GRAY, NAV,

36K MI 855-280-4707 DLR

Toyota 2011 TOYOTA RAV 4 LTD$9,800. 91K Mi. 1 Owner, New Tires, Exc. Cond! 941-218-6888

2017 TOYOTA CAMRY$18,990. GRAY,

22K MI. 855-280-4707 DLR

2016-2019 Toyota’s50 off Factory Lease Weekly

No Dealer or Plate FeesFact warranty-low miles

2016 Corolla from $12,5002018 Corolla from $14,5002016 Camry from $14,5002018 Camry from $18,5002016 Rav 4 from $15,5002018 Rav 4 from $19,500

Please call for details-appt.Justin 941 350-7544

Factory Off Lease Auto Brokers

1041 US 41 Bypass S, Venice


adno=3747274-1

Interested candidates should forward their resume and cover letter to Lissa Craig Ford

at [email protected]

Sun Coast Media Group is an Equal Opportunity Employer. No phone calls. ad

no=37

4727

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JOB: Print & Digital Automotive Consultant

Sun Coast Media Group and SUN Newspapers, a division of Adams Publishing Group, are seeking an experienced sales professional To Sell Print and Digital products to Automotive Professionals throughout Charlotte & Lee Counties. We are a growing company and offer strong benefi t package of health, dental and vision insurance, paid holidays, paid vacation and 401K.

JOB SUMMARY: Sell multimedia products and services to an established client base and develop new business. Conduct customer needs analysis and create presentations and proposals to provide clients with customized solutions. Utilize traditional methods and social media to prospect for new business. The Advertising Account Executive sells advertising space for publication in print, vast array of digital products, as well as Print and Deliver Products for Adams Publishing Group. Adams Publishing Group is committed to providing superior quality customer service to businesses and individuals. JOB FUNCTIONS: The successful candidate must be a fl exible, organized, self-starter with a hunter mentality, attentive to details, diplomatic, able to provide and give direction, as well as able to multi-task. This position will work with different personality types and across a number of publications. Candidates for this position should have strong interpersonal skills and client orientation and exhibit an ability to work effectively with internal and external contacts as a team member as well as a team leader. ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:• Perform job duties and conduct self in accordance with company core values• Initiate and nurture professional relationships with internal and external contacts• Achieve individual and company goals• Acquire, retain and up-sell new and existing client base• Make collection calls• Attend departmental/company meetings as scheduled• Maintain daily sales call log and submit to Advertising Manager• Correspond through email, telephone and meeting with clients• Utilize various Social Networking tools for company business• Learn and sell online products as they are introduced by the company MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS: The successful candidate will have a minimum of 2 years of sales experience preferably in the print and multi-media industry.Reliable transportation required. Must maintain a valid driver’s license and proof of vehicle liability insurance. TECHNOLOGY SKILLS: Profi ciency in Microsoft Offi ce, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook is required. Experience with CRM system preferred. EDUCATION: Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience preferred

Technology has changed the world in numerous ways, including creating entirely new industries and a vast array of career options that didn’t exist as recently as two decades ago.

In its CyberstatesTM report, CompTIA, which publishes a steady stream of new research on IT topics, recently shared some key fi ndings that’s news for those who work in tech.

• Around 11.8 million people are employed in tech in the Unites States, and 261,000 new jobs were added in the past year.

• Software and web developers make up the largest and fastest-growing segment of tech jobs.

• The estimated direct economic output of the tech industry equals $1.8 trillion.

• The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts technology careers are on the rise, with expected growth of 12 percent between 2014 and 2024. Specifi c fi elds within the tech industry are expected to experience even stronger growth, as high as 27 percent.

• There’s never been a better time to work in tech, particularly for those who have a knack or affi nity for computer operations and networks. Here’s a look at some of the promising tech careers, including some of the more lucrative, courtesy of U.S. News’ “Best Technology Jobs of 2019” report. These jobs boast low employment rates and high salaries.

5. Database administrator: A database administrator sets up databases. These highly trained individuals use specialized software to store and organize data. Some key roles include planning, installation, confi guration, design, as well as migration. DBAs also will troubleshoot and enhance database security.

4. Information security analyst: Concerns about security breaches continue to grow as criminals become ever more savvy. Information security analysts fi nd the best security solutions and carry out measures to protect a company’s networks and systems. The professionals maintain systems by updating software and recommending security updates to management.

3. IT manager: IT managers are in high demand thanks to increasingly digital workplaces. These individuals coordinate all computer-related activities for an organization. Some jobs include recommending software and hardware needs, securing networks, and searching for new technologies.

2. Computer systems analyst: A computer systems analyst helps organizations utilize computer technology effi ciently and effectively. They make suggestions on new technology. Sometimes called systems architects, computer systems analysts often study existing computer systems and design more effi cient options. There are 54,400 projected jobs in this area.

1. Software developer: A software developer has the highest rate of projected new jobs, it can be a secure career in the tech fi eld. These developers write new code, fi x software bugs, fi nd solutions to outdated programs, and must be both creative and technical. Some developers may specialize in one area of computers or serve as generalists who write code for various types of software.

No matter the position, working with tecnology involves fi nding creative solutions in a fast-paced, ever-growing environment.

Tech careers continue TO BOOM


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SUN CASH PRIZE PUZZLE RULES 1. Solve the SUN CASH PRIZE PUZZLE by fi lling in the missing letters to make the words you think best fi t the clues. Read the clue

carefully, for you must think them out and give every word its true meaning.

2. Check the word list given. It has all the correct answers and some you will need to eliminate.

3. You may submit as many entries as you wish on the entry form published in SUN Newspapers. Mechanically produced or carbon

duplicate facsimiles of any type will be rejected. There will be 1 free entry available per household available at the Port Charlotte

SUN offi ce at 23170 Harborview Road in Charlotte Harbor, FL. 33980.

4. The contest is open to residents of the SUN Newspapers daily circulation area. Sun Coast Media Group employees and their

immediate relatives are ineligible to win. Family members of SUN Newspaper carriers may enter.

5. All entries must be received by mail at SUN Newspapers 23170 Harborview Road in Charlotte Harbor, FL 33980, or dropped

off during regular business hours (8 a.m. to 5 p.m. - M-F) no later than noon the Wednesday following Sunday of the puzzle’s

publication. SUN Newspapers will award the prize money to the player who sends in an all-correct solution. In the event of

multiple all-correct puzzle solutions, the prize will be divided equally among the winners. If no all-correct puzzle solution is

received, the weekly grand prize will be increased by $50 and added to the following week’s SUN CASH PUZZLE PRIZE.

6. There is only one (1) correct solution and only the correct answer can win. The decision of the judges is fi nal, and all contestants

agree to abide by the judges’ decision. As a condition of entry, all entries become the property of Sun Coast Media Group. Only

one prize will be awarded to a family unit.

7. The SUN CASH PRIZE PUZZLE and clues will be published every Sunday in SUN Newspapers. The winner and answers will be

published in the following Friday’s SUN Newspapers. Every entry will be checked. No claiming is necessary.

8. SUN Newspapers reserves the right to correct any typographical errors, which may appear during the SUN CASH PRIZE PUZZLE

game. Erasures, cross-outs and strike-throughs will void any entry.

9. SUN CASH PRIZE PUZZLE clues may be abbreviated and such words as AN, THE & A omitted.

10. In fairness to all, SUN Newspapers’ staff cannot answer questions in person, or respond to phone calls, emails or letters regarding

the SUN CASH PRIZE PUZZLE.

11. When you have completed your SUN CASH PRIZE PUZZLE, mail it to the address listed: SUN Newspapers, ATTN: Prize Puzzle,

23170 Harbor View Road, Charlotte Harbor, FL, 33980 or drop it off at the customer service desk at the same address.

RETURN WEDNESDAY BY NOON FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN!

CURRENT JACKPOT: $2200LOOK FOR PUZZLE ANSWERS IN NEXT FRIDAY’S SUN NEWSPAPERS

Think you know crossword puzzles? PROVE IT!

UN CA HPRIZE PUZZLE

Autos wanted We BUY CARS & TRUCKS

RUNNING OR NOT!$400 CASH + UP

Frank 941-249-7522

WE BUY & PICK UP JUNK CARS

941-661-1928

AUTO BUYERS WANTED• 1500 Vehicles Weekly fresh

Florida Factory off Lease• House calls by appointment• FACTORY WARRANTY• No dealer add on fees save up to $3000• Avoid 30/40% depreciation Factory Off Lease Auto Brokers

CALL KEN, VENICE 518-577-3177

BEST $$ For JUNKERS24/7, Fast Pickup, Cash Paid Since 2004. Jim 941-286-3122

NO TITLE NO PROBLEM, RUNNING OR NOT! 7 DAYS FREE PICK UP 941-623-5550

Auto parts/accessories

NEW GAS PUMP Hoses 2 each $25 941-380-1406

MOTOR MOUNT, New for 1954-1958 Ford/Mercury V8 engines $20 941-380-1406

HEADLIGHT SWITCH, New for 1950-1954 Ford/Mercury $30 941-380-1406

GUARDIAN 1-1/2 TON Heavy Duty Floor Jack $150 941-916-9424

GM WHEEL BEARING hub assy. New in box WH513187 $40 941-380-1406

DODGE RAM HEADLIGHTS OEMused great cond. for both $30, OBO 941-204-3274

DODGE RAM GRILL inserts chrome used OEM great cond both sides $20 941-204-3274

CHROME HUBCAPS 17 in. 15 spoke all 4 like new easy install $20 941-204-3274

CHEVY RALLY RIMS (4) with tires. 5 bolt pattern. Year 72-87. $75, OBO 941-456-9622

CAR TIRE 40-50% Tread left size 205 50 R17 $30 714-599-2137

1984 CORVETTE HOOD Text Msg or Email Only: [email protected]. $400 941-661-4404

1984 CORVETTE BUMPERS Text Msg./Email [email protected] Only. $499 941-661-4404

Vans

2016-2019 FORD VANS 20 off Factory Lease weekly!

NO Dealer feesFinance@ 2.9%

8-2019 Cargo transit $21,5006-2019 T-250 Cargo $24,500

SPECIAL-ONE OWNER TRADE! E-250 3/4 V8 Heavy Duty

25,000 miles-$15,900call for others via email

FACTORY OFF LEASE AUTO BROKERS

1041 US 41 Bypass S, VeniceJustin 941 350-7544

2016 DODGE Grand CaravanWheelchair Van, 10” lowered floor & ramp. 941-870-4325

Trucks/pick-Ups

Drive Free & Have IncomePurchase @

wholesale required.1500 GM vehicles 2016-2020Sell w/profit-Avg $2k @sale

Earn up to $10,000 yr.Free training, great opp.

Save-no depreciationCall Justin 941 350-7544

Factory Off Lease Auto Brokers

1041 US 41 Bypass S

2004 CHEVY 3500 BOX TRUCK Rejuvinated 12,500mi/year

6.0L, Air, Auto, PS, PB Advertise your virus Recovery

Ken @ 518-577-3177 Venice

Trailer& accessories

TRAILER HITCH w/ receiver & ball. Max Gr. Tow Wt. 3,500 lbs. $60 941-456-1385

“120” TRAILERSCargo Enclosed

Dump Utility Equipment Skid Steer. Parts-Service

Trades welcome. Financing Available.

We Buy Trailers, Cars & Trucks.

Roy’s Trailer Country2851 Taylor Rd., P.G.

941-575-2214

Motor homes/RVs WANTED - All Motor Homes,

TT’s, 5th wheels, & Diesel trucks. Cash paid on the spot

for quick sale. Any Condition! Low or High

Value. 954-595-0093

RV FOR SALEHAVE YOU EVER DREAMED OF TRAVELING TO SEE THIS GREAT COUNTRY? NOW IS

THE TIME RV FOR SALE 36’ Diesel Pusher.

Come See. Make offer. [email protected]

I BUY TRAVEL TRAILERS, 5th Wheels, Motor Homes & Trucks. I Come to You! Call

Dave Anytime. 813-713-3217

April 26, 2020

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