WORDS: Kara Chalmers
On a recent Wednesday evening, in the Sunday School room at Trinity United Methodist Church in Bradenton, eight little girls danced. Matched by height and ability in groups of two, the girls kicked, tapped, and spun, sometimes holding hands, always smiling.
This was a typical Irish dancing class at the O’Reilly School of Dance. These younger girls ages four to 10 practice from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. …
WORDS: Bre Jones Mulock
PICTURES: Whitney Patton
To a symphony of humming vacuums, strawberry, leather, and jasmine air freshener scents floated among the soap bubbles at American Car Center, an iconic car wash perched along the main artery of West Bradenton and luring in A-list residents like former Florida State Senator Bill Galvano, Bradenton Mayor Gene Brown and Manatee County Sheriff Rick Wells since the mid-90s.
Many loyal customers would …
WORDS: Bre Jones Mulock
PICTURES: Whitney Patton
A hollow silence replaced screeching basketball shoes, whistles, and hollers from cheering parents and booming coaches that usually trumpet the commencement of basketball season at the Police Athletic League’s gymnasium in Bradenton. Lights dimmed, bleachers emptied, and the rhythmic dribble of the basketball hushed as COVID-19 – the pandemic that shocked the world and shuttered businesses, schools, and sports on a pivot – …
WORDS: Jenny Miller
Families are saying hello to a new year, but with the coronavirus pandemic still hanging around, things continue to look way different than we’re used to. Some students are back in the classroom every day, others are still doing modified or virtual schedules, and some are still being home-schooled.
Whatever your family is doing, we’re all left with time on our hands where the kids are stuck …
WORDS & PICTURES: Carlee Colonneso
2020 was an interesting year, needless to say, but my family still has plenty of enthusiasm for the upcoming holidays, even with all the ups and downs.
Embracing the traditions this year has been vital towards maintaining our kids’ well-being, plus my husband and I have been open to trying new ideas to help limit activities outside of the home.
Speaking of traditions, whether …
INTERVIEW: Kara Chalmers
One Thanksgiving, years ago, when he worked in the financial industry in Manhattan, Thomas Mantz decided he’d like to volunteer at a food bank for the holiday.
He called a local bank and asked if he could help. The man who answered the phone said thanks, but no.
“He said, ‘We don’t need you. Everyone and their brother want to give out food on Thanksgiving. People are …
WORDS: Bre Jones Mulock
PICTURES: Whitney Patton
To the heart-tugging rhythm of his mother sobbing, Dr. Charles Tomeo – stoic and stone-faced – listened to searing words drop in painful slow motion from the frowning mouth of his high school senior guidance counselor. Tucked in a tiny office inside the school, the counselor’s opinion slammed down as final as a guillotine: You will never amount to anything in life.
The …
WORDS: Kara Chalmers
PICTURES: Whitney Patton
When asked what she likes about Golf, Phoenix Scanlan said: “I love the winning part.”
This simple statement demonstrates two important things about Phoenix. For one, she has a great deal of confidence – something that’s absolutely necessary to succeed in golf. Also, she wins—a lot.
“It’s basically like a mystery,” Phoenix said, explaining that no two rounds of golf are ever the same. …
WORDS: healthychildren.org
While kids may be staying home more during the pandemic, keeping them safe when you need to travel is important. Using the right car seat, booster seat, or seat belt for every ride can save your child’s life. Preventing the spread of COVID-19 during travel is also an important part of safe transportation.
It may be tempting to clean and …
WORDS: Bre Jones Mulock
PICTURES: Whitney Patton
The requests rolled in rapid-fire, pinging Carl Reynolds’ inbox like unexpected raindrops on a tin roof with tearful, heart-grabbing messages. The words laced together despairing narratives: A single mom juggling four kids – one with special needs – all sharing a cell phone for online school.
A dad furloughed with no means to buy a computer for his third grader to tap into …
WORDS: Kristin Louis
The holidays are supposed to be about enjoying time off with the ones you love. But for many parents, holiday cheer gets overshadowed by the financial stress of affording gifts for the whole family. As much as you don’t want to disappoint your children, you also don’t want to be paying off holiday debt well into the new year.
There’s no need to choose between a great …
WORDS: Bre Jones Mulock
Frank DiGiovanni and his daughter joined a long line meandering out the door of Blaze Pizza back in 2017 for a fundraiser benefiting Willis Elementary. Hungry parents and kids halted the mid-week tornado of soccer matches, ballet classes, and math homework to pool together and raise money for their school. While hot pizzas bubbled in ovens and dutiful parents continued to arrive in droves, DiGiovanni – …
WORDS: Christa Hardin, MA
It’s not every day that families get to eat together anymore, but should it be? While some families manage to dine around the table together for everyday grub, so many more are finding the attempts to eat together all but futile. One parent is working late, perhaps both, there are complicated schedules in the week when one child visits another parent, or perhaps there’s a sport …
WORDS: Amy Bell
PICTURES: Whitney Patton
Dan and Betty Callaghan may be retired from their business, but they have no plans to retire from philanthropy. If the name sounds familiar, it’s because Callaghan Tire has been a mainstay in the Bradenton area for more than four decades.
Dan and Betty, both Chicago area natives, moved to Florida from Iowa in the late 70s when their daughters were teenagers. On February …
WORDS: Kara Chalmers
PICTURES: Whitney Patton
In Major League Baseball today, African Americans represent just 7.5 percent of players. This is the lowest percentage ever recorded in the 29-year history of the Racial and Gender Report Card for the MLB, which The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport release every year.
But two Palmetto natives, one a former Major Leaguer, want to reverse this trend, by helping to expose …
