Editor’s Letter
Once upon a time,
the beginning of a
new year was met with
dewey-eyed optimism,
with New Year’s
resolutions and with a
kiss.
For many that has changed a bit – we
are contemplating a new calendar to hang
on the wall with a leery and guarded utterance of, “Wonder what’s coming next.”
Many of us have been subconsciously petting our proverbial rabbit’s feet, looking for four-leaf clovers and wishing upon a
star that we will be able to fi nd some semblance of normalcy in the upcoming year of 2022. Most people in the medical fi eld
might tell you that isn’t even remotely possible, to fi nd a cure or an ultimate salvation so quickly, but maybe we can at least
assimilate to the situation at hand. Right?
One thing that you can count on is a great day on the beach, or in the backyard for that matter, in the beautiful Florida
“winter” weather, where masks don’t have to be worn and the vitamin D is plentiful. Hopefully that’s where you are now as you
read this.
We have some great stories for you in this edition. Writer T Michele Walker brings you tales from the Lemon Bay Golf Club,
where the “Better Shot” program is helping to teach local children not only how to golf, but a little about manners, etiquette
and their maximum potential. We ran a short piece on this in our newspaper, the Boca Beacon, but we couldn’t even begin to
cover what we needed to there, so she has incorporated much more into this article.
Michele also toured the Edison Ford Winter Estate, where she made some interesting discoveries about what kind of
experiences one can have there, not to mention what there is to be learned. Known for its fantastic Christmas display, this is the
time of year to visit.
We also take a look at a clamming project just off the coast of Gasparilla Island that could change the ecosystem of our local
water for the better. A Little Gasparilla Island resident named Barry, as well as some local fi shermen and clammers, are trying
to make a difference in our water quality by cleaning it with clams … the way Mother Nature intended it to happen. When the
big clamming corporations came through decades ago we lost most of our clam population and they have been unable to
replenish themselves without a little help from these farmers of the sea.
If you’ve ever wondered about Rotonda West and its history, we cover some of that as well in this edition. It is a very
interesting tale from beginning to end, to say the least, and you’re guaranteed to learn something you never knew about the
little community down the road.
Writer Tonya Bramlage contributed two interesting stories – one about Celery Fields of Sarasota (where bird watching is
spectacular) and one about aerial yoga in Englewood (a serious exercise where you can fl y through the air like a bird). She also
served our readers up with a story about the extreme benefi ts of consuming fermented foods.
Cheers to the end of another year. I hope the holidays are peaceful for you.
Take care of each other, and the planet, but most importantly, take care of your heart and soul.
Marcy Shortuse
Editor-in-Chief, Gasparilla Magazine
14 GASPARILLA MAGAZINE • November/December • 2021