Englewood, Florida. September 2009

A warm welcome to Mike and Dawn Kennedy and their daughter Nicole, who have moved to Englewood from the "windy city", Chicago. Mike is a graduate of Kendall College of Culinary Arts and he and Dawn own and operate the Cafe de la Bay on Dearborn Street. Their food is self-described as "American, with a French flair -especially the sauces" and they are open for breakfast and lunch. In addition they will be open in the evening when there are special events occurring on Dearborn Street, such as the 1st Saturday of the month which is a "Cruizin on Dearborn Street" event and the "Halloween Safe Walk on Dearborn Street". Stop on by and enjoy breakfast or lunch on the outdoor patio under the huge oak tree.

Pioneer Days 2009 is now behind us as the town celebrated the early pioneers of the area. Two events of the week-long festivities that stood out was the popular Great American Cardboard Race and the Pioneer Days Parade. This event almost did not take place this year until Erick Phelps, of Corin Bay Realty, took the initiative and gathered together an army of volunteers to put on the events. The consensus of opinions were that this was the best Pioneer Days Parade in memory, which speaks volumes for the commitment of the community to continue with this tradition. Some of the organizations represented in the parade were:
The Shriners, Elks Club, Sarasota Sheriff's Department, Lemon Bay High School, Lions Club, Englewood Fire Department, Knights of Columbus, Coast Guard Auxiliary, Real Estate Agents, Politicians, John Deere Farm Equipment, Bit of Hope Ranch and EARS Animal Rescue amongst others.

Brandon Anderson, Lil "B", gets ready for his haircut from Tammy Still. New Wave Hair Salon, on Dearborn Street, offered its annual "hair cut-a-thon" day, with specials for the whole family. With kids haircuts only costing $5.00, the Andersons took advantage of the situation. Mary Matthews, owner, along with Flo Harms, Kristy Ogryzek and Tammy Still were kept really busy for a Sunday afternoon. 100% of the "hair cuttery" day's proceeds, $500.00 went to the Englewood Elementary School's "Book for Reading" night. Our congratulations go out to the New Wave Salon's staff for donating their time and skill for this worthy cause.

Sassy Snapper Restaurant & Lounge, on Indiana Ave, has recently reopened after a few years hiatus. Location and phone number can be found in the Business Directory.