Tech entrepreneur inspired by patriotism, community activism, grandma

A vivid sense of patriotism, successful community activism, and a lifelong drive to be in business are behind Andrea Torkelson's commitment to her new political app, VoterBuzz, which hit iTunes for iPhones Thursday and will be available for Androids next week.

Torkelson (pictured at left touting VoterBuzz at the CampaignTech Conference in Washington, D.C., this week) served in the military for six years as an Army Reservist and was a pharmacy specialist with the 73rd Field Hospital in St. Petersburg.

In 2007, she led a successful fight against a proposed 150-foot high, 137-acre wide landfill -- which Torkelson dubbed "Trash Mountain" -- by going door-to-door to inform her north Manatee neighbors.

And Torkelson's first interest in entrepreneurship emerged when she was a young child, playing "store" with her grandmother, Frances Cardinale, by "driving" her on the back of the family's stationary bicycle and then "selling" her grandmother items from the family pantry.

Cardinale is among the investors in Torkelson's new company, VoterBuzz Inc., which created what Torkelson is calling the "nation's very first social networking app geared specifically toward politics." Click here to find VoterBuzz on iTunes' App Store, and be sure and check out Saturday's Bradenton Herald to learn more about the app and Torkelson.

Some more fun questions and answers from Tiger Bay's downtown talk

Is the downtown library really moving to DeSoto Square Mall?

Will the traffic lights on Manatee Avenue be better synchronized once road construction is finished in December?

Why isn't there more classical music being highlighted by downtown leaders?

Will the so-called "pink palace" still be pink when it is converted into a Hampton Inn & Suites?

And what will it take to get people to stop using the phrase "pink palace" and say "Manatee River Hotel" instead?

Thursday's Tiger Bay Club discussion about downtown revitalization was just chock-full of interesting questions and answers. Friday's story in the Bradenton Herald business section captured the highlights; now here's a rundown of the questions above:

-- No, Vice Mayor Patrick Roff told the audience, there are no plans to move the library to the mall. That was just an idea that someone "threw out" at a committee meeting.

-- The unsynchronized lights on Manatee Avenue are actually by design, and a good thing for the city, Roff said along with Dave Gustafson, executive director of the Downtown Development Authority. "The problem with downtown is that people want to blow through and head out to the beach," Gustafson said. "We need to remind people that they need to slow down, and that downtown is something they need to discover." Roff added, that "it's going to take an extra two minutes to get through downtown, and that's to our favor."

-- The music involved in Realize Bradenton's ongoing efforts, is based on surveys filled out by residents, said Realize Bradenton's leader, Johnette Isham. People who want more of an emphasis on classical music -- or any other form of music -- can start filling out the surveys, which are available at Realize Bradenton's website.

-- No, the so-called "pink palace" will no longer be pink when it is restored, City Planner Tim Polk told the crowd. The building's historic color was "off-white," so under the guidelines of historic preservation, that's the color to which it will be returned.

-- Doing away with the Pepto-Bismol pink exterior color may be the most effective way to end use of the term "pink palace" and start showing a little historical respect by using "Manatee River Hotel." Until the restoration, which is likely to start next spring, city officials might just want to be patient and let the community enjoy the kitschy term while we still can!

For anyone thinking of drinking Halloween weekend: 1-800-AAA-HELP

There's truly no excuse whatsoever for driving drunk this Halloween weekend, thanks to a local businessman.

John Saputo, owner of Gold Coast Eagle Distributing, created Tow to Go 13 years ago, a program that provides free towing and a ride home to anyone who calls 1-800-AAA-HELP. That's right: a FREE ride home, AND your car comes with you. The thing is, most people aren't thinking too straight once they've drank too much. So lock your brain around this concept now, while you're sober: 1-800-AAA-HELP. Free ride home. Free tow. No excuses.

Saputo first created this collaboration locally with AAA South in 1998 for the New Year holiday. Now, Tow to Go is happening in three states and is an official program of Anheuser-Busch. You can call 1-800-AAA-HELP 24 hours a day, from Friday through Monday this weekend. The service should come in especially handy Saturday at Lakewood Ranch's first-ever beer festival, which will offer unlimited beer samples for four hours to thousands of people who pay $25 to $35 for admission.

Tow to Go will kick in again for the entire winter holiday season, from Thanksgiving to New Year's. Gold Coast Eagle donates $4,500 annually to the effort, which Anheuser-Busch matches.

So .... be smart about your booze this holiday weekend. Say this phone number three times out loud, write it on a piece of paper in your wallet or purse, program it into your phone, write it on the palm of your hand, do whatever you must to prepare for a smart decision during this weekend of partying: 1-800-AAA-HELP.

Indie movie features music from Sarasota Guitar Company owner



Scott "Marshall" Cook, co-owner of the new
Bradenton branch of the Sarasota Guitar Company.



A Bradenton branch of the Sarasota Guitar Company isn't the only new thing Scott Cook has happening.

Cook has also written a song to be featured in the independent film "Catch of a Lifetime," about a radio personality from Austin, Tex., whose carefully planned life is turned upside down when she has a one-night stand and becomes pregnant. Click here here to learn more about the film.

Cook met the film's director, Nick Miller, at his Sarasota store. The two became friends, and Miller decided he liked Cook's music enough to feature one of his songs in the film. "Time's Man of  the Year," about dreams unfulfilled, is the song Miller chose for his film.

Cook also has a CD titled "The Music is Moving" available on ITunes and Amazon -- only in the music world, he goes by his middle name of Marshall.

Chuckles over Benderson's megamall plans

Thursday's big meeting over Benderson Development's revived megamall plans for just south of the Manatee/Sarasota county line ended with a couple of chuckles between the developer's leaders and Sarasota county officials.

Paula Wiggins, transportation planning manager, triggered a round of laughs when she pressed Benderson's Derek Watts on when she'd see plans for "my theater" (Wiggins is especially eager to see a boutique movie theater as part of the proposed 276-acre University Town Center, to be located at University Parkway and I-75). Watts said he's still working on it.

Their comments inspired Tom Polk, the county's planning director, to chime in on one of the most popular tenants at Benderson's Shoppes at University Center, which are located on the Manatee County side of University Parkway.

"I'm still mad that World of Beer isn't on our side!" Polk joked, referring to the franchise that carries 500 brands of beer.

Watch the Bradenton Herald to see how University Town Center progresses.

Snaith revisits "audacity of scope"

Back in September 2009, when the Obama presidency was not even a year old, economist Sean Snaith captured lots of attention when he coined the phrase "audacity of scope." The play on President Barack Obama's best-selling book title was Snaith's trademark clever way of describing how Obama was taking on too much at once, trying to tackle too many big problems simultaneously.

Snaith revisited the phrase Friday when talking about the snail's pace economic recovery that the country and state are undergoing. He says the country is still suffering from the Obama administration's decision to take on too much at once.

Specifically, Snaith said, the administration created a long-lingering cloud of uncertainty over the economy when it simultaneously tackled health care reform (the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, disaffectionately labeled by Republicans as Obamacare) and financial services reform (the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act).

The former has health care businesses and insurance companies unsure of what lies ahead; the latter has done the same for banks, Snaith says. "All of this stuff goes into uncertainty," Snaith says. And, as many an economist has said this year, uncertainty is one of the biggest reasons why corporations aren't moving forward with hiring. Hiring, Snaith says, is one of the two "siamese twins" of the economy (the other being the housing market) that need to improve in order for the other to improve.

To read more of Snaith's comments, see Saturday's Bradenton Herald business section.

Port Manatee candidate's champion past

Steve Tyndal, one of six finalists to become executive director of Port Manatee, is already known for fostering international trade agreements and leading the creation of award-winning publications during 18 years as a senior director at the port.

But Tyndal has another impressive element to his past: a 16-year career as a competitive bicycle racer that included a national championship. Tyndal has raced with two-time Olympian Frankie Andreu, former USA Cycling champion Chris Horner, and regular Tour de France presence George Hincapie. He even left his career at Port Manatee for four years to focus on his racing career.

Tyndal first became interested in bicycle racing while attending Austin Peay State University on a track scholarship. He had purchased a bike to travel to and from campus. "I had a really competitive nature about me and so I would time myself each day to see if I could make it faster," he recalls.

But his father discouraged racing, concerned that Tyndal would injure himself and endanger his track scholarship. So Tyndal waited until he was an adult, raced part-time for years, and finally began focusing full-time on the sport when he was 41. He became so devoted that he left his post at Port Manatee for four years, and that's when he won the 1994 Masters National Championship medal and trophy with which he's pictured here.

In 1997, Tyndal broke his arm, scapula and four clavicles during a training accident. While recovering, he received a call from the port asking him to come back. Thus ended his bicycling career and began his career at the port as senior director of trade and special projects.

Since then, Tyndal has completely left behind bicycling. "I only rode a half-dozen times since my last race, and then I've never ridden since. To go from a racer with focus, to bicycling for fitness, just didn't work for me." He still follows the sport intensely from afar, monitoring big races as they are televised or in the newspaper. "It gets in your blood."

"More People, More Buzz, More Money" courtesy of Skateboarders

It's hard for some people -- especially those from an earlier generation -- to see skateboarding as an important business matter for our county. But the experiences of Chris Cantwell, who has become the informal spokesperson for Manatee County's skateboarders, helps illustrate how skateboarding has both economic potential and regional community relevance.

Before he became involved in design plans for the Riverwalk Skate Park, which is part of Bradenton's $6.2 million Riverwalk development, Cantwell was lobbying on behalf of Sarasota's Payne Skate Park. He's pictured here (in white T-shirt) along with Dan Giguere, a schoolteacher who founded the nonprofit Sk8Skool, which uses skateboarding to teach kids about accountability and responsibility.

Cantwell's role at Payne Park was to help lead a group of parents to take over the skate park, which had been run (at a significant loss) by the city of Sarasota for years. Since the parents took over last year, traffic at Payne Park has more than doubled, Cantwell says, and user fees have dropped from $8 a day to $5 a day. Skateboards are for sale there now, concessions are sold, free wi-fi is available, and after-school programs are now being offered courtesy of Sk8Skool.

A handful of local businesses have signed on as sponsors, although Cantwell and other parents are still looking for a big investor who can really liven up the park.

Why did Cantwell originally become so involved in Sarasota's skate park? Because Bradenton doesn't have a high-quality park that satisfies experienced skateboarders. Rather, it has "modular" parks that Cantwell refers to as "rinky-dink." He oughtta know; Cantwell, 35, grew up in Manatee County and has been skateboarding since he was 13.

He's now optimistic that Bradenton's new skate park will draw families and adult skateboarders from Sarasota to Bradenton, rather than the "vice versa" that has been going on for the past decade. And that means "more people, more buzz, more money" for Bradenton (to coin a favorite phrase from Johnette Isham, executive director of Realize Bradenton).

Here's one of many YouTube vides of the Sarasota skate park, which give us a glimpse at the possible future of the Riverwalk Skate Park:

Luigi's return gives glimpse at deep friendship

If the tale of Luigi doesn't charm the be-"cheese"-us out of you, perhaps the back story of the friendship between the Rizzos and the Perrys will.

Steve Perry is the loyal Carmen's Italian Cafe customer who spent hours fixing up Luigi, the restaurant's mascot, who was stolen in April and recovered in July. Carmen Rizzo is the owner of Carmen's, where a "Welcome home, Luigi" party takes place at 6:30 p.m. today.

Steve and his wife Rosie (pictured at left, at a restaurant in Rome) just finished their dream vacation to Italy, where they celebrated their 38th wedding anniversary. They loved the country so much that they're returning in September, accompanied by Carmen and his wife Kay, who will celebrate their fifth wedding anniversary during the trip.

Sweeter yet, the trip provides Carmen a chance to visit his birthplace of Sicily, which he hasn't returned since the age of four.

To top it all off, Steve and his wife made an important discovery following their weeks of travel and dining in Italy. "Of all the places we went in Italy and all the food we ate, none of it was as good or better than what we have right here at Carmen's," Steve said. "It's surprising that we have some of the best Italian food you can find right here within a few miles of our home."

Be sure and see Wednesday's business section of the Bradenton Herald for more on Carmen, Steve, and Luigi.

More about being tall

As the founders of ilovemyheight.com tell it, maintaining lofty self-esteem isn't the only challenge that comes with being a tall woman. As 17-year-old Jessica McCord mentions in Wednesday's Bradenton Herald, finding the right guy also can be a challenge.

Her aunt and fellow ilovemyheight.com co-founder Kristin Carde turned to the Bradenton Herald 20 years ago to find her 6-foot, 5-inch husband: Carde remembers attracting him with a classified ad in the paper.

Jessica also mentioned the challenge of finding jeans that are long enough. She and her fellow tall female relatives (6-foot, 1-inch tall aunt Kristin, 6-foot, 3-inch tall mother Debbie and 6-foot, 1-inch tall sister Anna) have some online recommendations: Long Tall Sally, the Tall Girl Shop at Loft, and (for tall teens) Alloy.

While we're speaking about the tall among us, turns out our area is the home base for Tall Clubs International, a worldwide online gathering place for 50 clubs and 2,000 tall members. Among its missions: to raise money for scholarships, to advocate for tall-relevant topics like more legroom on airplanes, and to raise money for Marfan Syndrome, a connective tissue defect that strikes tall people more often than, as Tall Clubs International calls most of us, "the less vertically gifted."

The group also selects a Miss Tall International every year. This year's honoree is 6-foot, 2-inch Talisha Tolliver, a high school math teacher from Moreno Valley, Calif.

Don't forget to see Wednesday's article about ilovemyheight.com at Bradenton.com

Beyond S&P's debt rating downgrade: the deficit

While we all teeter on the edge of our seats watching for more ramifications of Friday's debt rating downgrade, the debate continues over the big issues that preceded Standard and Poor's historic move to drop the U.S. from AAA status to AA+.

For example, two economists quoted in Tuesday's Bradenton Herald are bold in their views about what's really needed to tackle the country's deficit problem.

"The president's debt commission: therein lies the solution to our problems," says Sean Snaith, director of the Institute for Economic Competitiveness at the University of Central Florida. In addition to reform of Medicare and Social Security, the commission recommends tax reform that creates three income levels and eliminates all exemptions.

Snaith says following the commission's recommendations will not only solve the long-term deficit issue; it will reverse the rating agency's downgrade. "We get more revenue, and we address the long-term problem with entitlements that we have to. We make a credible move and a commitment that would have S&P changing its mind."

Richard Coe, an economics professor at Sarasota's New College, points out that even if the country somehow reaches "full employment," we'll still have a $600 billion deficit. His answer: repeal the Bush tax cuts and enact minor reforms to Social Security and Medicare spending.

Coe also echoes other economists' concerns about the constant push -- generally led by Tea Party Republicans -- to drastically cut government spending at a time when the private sector doesn't appear capable of fueling the economy. "We've got to get growth, and I don't see where growth's going to come from without more government stimulus." To take in more of Coe's views on government stimulus, click here.

Be sure and check out Tuesday's Bradenton Herald to read about the local (non) impact of S&P's downgrade.

It's stock market craziness!

Have you seen the numbers today?

The stock market is in the midst of its biggest retreat since the financial crisis.
The Dow Jones industrial average plunged as many as 440 points today. The Standard & Poor's 500 index is down 3 percent, many believe headed toward a market correction.

Local financial advisers are taking a proactive approach and calling their clients with suggestions.

For Griffin Dalrymple with Opinicus Wealth Management in Bradenton that means taking a good look at companies whose stock is being oversold.

"Our eyes and ears perk up when we see some that are less expensive," he said. "There is a lot of irrational selling going on."

He is looking at companies with low debt and a high cash content along with stable earnings.

Tom Breiter of Breiter Capital thinks the market is in the middle of a natural correction and admits "there are some good buys out there."

"This is not an abnormal event, but it is a little disconcerting since for the last four months we've had very little good news."

Stay tuned.

Jennifer Rich, business editor

The latest "green" idea from Bunker Hill

I've promised this blog will provide a sometimes quirky look, with a different "lens," at Manatee's business happenings. You can't get much more quirky than the picture below: the wedding arch at Duette's Bunker Hill Vineyard and Winery, made entirely of recycled bottles.

As I wrote in this earlier article about Bunker Hill, owners Larry and Lenora Woodham take "green" to new levels. Their bottles, their buildings, their irrigation system, even how they cook dinner is all about reducing their carbon footprint.

Not a drop of their wine goes into a new bottle; it all goes into recycled bottles, brought to the Woodhams by their customers. And if they can't use the bottles for wine, they'll use them for masterpieces like the wedding arch!

Now, the Woodhams are taking things even further. They're encouraging customers to keep their 12- and 24-can soda cartons and reuse them as wine carriers -- or to bring them to Larry and Lenora, so they can be sure the cartons are recycled.

For any business that's decided being "green" requires too much of that other green (money), talk to the Woodhams. They're ready and waiting to share creative, affordable tips on how to be environmentally responsible.

Click here for more on Bunker Hill.

New Blog: Manatee Money Matters

Manatee Money Matters blog coming soon!