Superhero Saturday, Free Food

This Saturday April 4th will prove to be an epic event for Panama City as a one-day event unlike any other happens: Superhero Saturday. Hosted by the 23rd Street restaurants Taco Casa, Gyro Cafe & Marble Slab Creamery in the Wal-Mart Plaza, Superhero Saturday will be a one-stop shop for superheroes in all sorts of ways.

From 12-4pm, there will be various free “super” activities to enjoy while dining at these three restaurants owned by English Enterprises. There will be live costume superheroes including Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman. In additional, local cartoonist Jayson Kretzer will be giving away free sketches of your favorite superhero, and next door the video game store Play & Trade will be hosting a free video game tournament. To top it off, Taco Casa & Gyro Cafe will be be offering a free meal for children with a paid adult entree.

“With the recent movies, television shows and video games, superheroes are a big part of our culture,” said store owner Geoff English. “Following a recent appearance by these costumed superheroes at our restaurant, we decided to base an event around them. We hope the kids and adults will enjoy it.”

The event will be held on Saturday, April 4th from 12-4pm at the Taco Casa, Gyro Cafe & Marble Slab Creamery in the 23rd Street Walmart Plaza across from Big Ten Tires.

16th Annual Business Expo in Panama City Beach

The Panama City Beach Chamber’s 16th Annual Business Expo is Tuesday, April 21, 2009 at Edgewater Beach Resort, from 3:00 to 7:00 pm. Business Expo 2009 is presented by Pier Park and sponsored by Comcast, Knology, the News Herald, Edgewater Beach Resort, Barefoot Beach Club/By the Sea Resorts, Innovations Federal Credit Union, Waste Management and Regions Bank. Media sponsors include Beach TV, WMBB News 13, WJHG News 7, Magic Broadcasting, Beach 95.1 Radio, Clear Channel, Viamedia, Panama City Radio Group and Lamar Advertising.

Business Expo serves the business community with a comprehensive B2B tradeshow displaying wide-ranging trades and industries. It entertains thousands of locals and families with a fun theme (“The Nature of Business”), decor, costumes, music, a “Best Booth” competition, food and a cash bar. It’s an opportunity for consumers to get out and take note of hundreds of area businesses showcasing their newest, most innovative products and services. Over three thousand people attended the last Business Expo.

This year the Chamber is proud to present four Green workshops. These “mini-presentations” will run every 45 minutes throughout the event and take place in the Green Room, a specially designated area set aside for businesses showcasing their green/sustainable products and services.

3:15 – 4:00 “What is LEED?”
John Toppe, Founding President of U.S. Green Building Council, Florida Gulf Coast Chapter

4:15 – 5:00 “Green Overview: What Footprint will YOU Leave?”
Tammy McDaniel, Fort Walton Beach Chamber

5:15 – 6:00 “Energy Efficient Home Performance”
Tim Welch, Peaden Air Conditioning, Heating & Plumbing

6:15 – 7:00 “Introduction to Ecotourism in Bay County”
John D. Tobe, Ph.D., Director of Ecological Restoration and Conservation,
Ecological Resource Consultants, Inc.

More information on these workshop topics will be available at Thirty Days of Green and the Bay Green Expo on May 16th at Gulf Coast Community College (www.baygreenexpo.com).

This year the Expo is charging a $1-per-person Admission Fee, which will go to the Chamber’s Education Foundation helping local schools. For more information call the Panama City Beach Chamber at (850) 235-1159.

Canadian Pianist Tops Pops Season Finale on May 2

In regular concerto engagements and recitals in major halls around the world, Canadian pianist Christine Mari Yoshikawa has quickly established herself as one of Canada’s most sought-after young pianists.

She will be the featured soloist during “Music of the Night,” the final concert of the season by The Panama City POPS, Saturday, May 2, 2009, 7:30 pm at the Arnold High School Auditorium.

Building on its best season yet, which has featured world premiers and guest composer appearances, The POPS will finish the schedule with a night replete with romantic overtones.

The evening’s highlight will be a twenty-minute POPS medley entitled, “A Tribute to Gershwin.” The arrangement, by composer Jack Jarrett of the Berklee College of Music, has been performed internationally.

“Gershwin’s music remains as some of the most popular work of the Twentieth Century,” comments Maestro Eddie Rackley. “What set Gershwin apart was his ability to manipulate forms of music into his own unique voice, and what makes this medley really special is Jack Jarrett’s masterful interpretation.” The POPS Chorale will accompany the orchestra for the ambitious finale.

“The entire evening will have the feeling of romance,” states Rackley, “even in the classical sections.” Concert-goers may expect to hear everything from Tchaikovsky to Kevin Kaska, whose “Golden Falcon Prelude” was premiered by The POPS in its season opener.

Mr. Kaska also wrote a commissioned piece for the Panama City Centennial concert entitled “Emerald Jubilee.” The piece received a rousing ovation. For the final concert Rackley decided
to include another arrangement by Kaska, “I’m Glad There is You,” the Sinatra standard whose new arrangement was commissioned by The Boston Pops as an encore to one of its concerts. The composition is a jazz/Latin fusion piece featuring jazz piano and trumpet with full symphonic orchestra.

“This has been a wonderful year for The Panama City POPS,” remarks Victoria Williams, President of the organization’s Board of Directors. “The musicians have never sounded better and our community has recognized just how talented our local orchestra truly is. We look forward to another outstanding season.”

Established as a mentoring orchestra, The Panama City POPS invites advanced student musicians of all ages to audition. If qualified, they are mentored by current POPS musicians who help guide and teach them while giving them the opportunity to play and perform with an orchestra.

Also that evening, The Panama City POPS will conduct its second annual silent auction in collaboration with the Visual Arts Center. The painting, “Nature’s Symphony” by local artist, Kim Griffin, is the featured work of art on this season’s Panama City POPS Orchestra brochure, program covers and television commercials. The original artwork will be on display at the Visual Arts Center in downtown Panama City until the final POPS concert on May 2. More info on the artwork and auction is available at http://www.panamacitypops.org.

Individual tickets for the May 2 concert are $25 for adults, $18 for over age 65 or active military, and $10 for ages under 12, and are on sale now at http://www.panamacitypops.org or by calling
(850) 785-POPS (7677).

Local Filmmaker Makes Sweet Vid, Enters Big Contest

A local filmmaker and friend, Eric Darnell has created a rather sweet video for entrance into an international film competition. “Reset” is a 3 minute video referencing Memento, staring Guy Pierce. The premise is of a man who’s memory resets everynight when he sleeps, waking the next morning with no recollection of the previous day.

This is a must see.

http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=3598829&server=vimeo.com&show_title=0&show_byline=0&show_portrait=0&color=00ADEF&fullscreen=1
Reset: from Eric Darnell on Vimeo.

The story of Leonard Shelby in the 2K film Memento is with out a doubt one of the most innovative films ever made as well as the inspiration for the Bloom Fest 3 entry entitled RESET.

Autoweek brings New 2010 Mustang to Panama City Beach

Now, I’m not as much into the car scene as I was when I was younger, but I recognized it when I saw it. The new 2010 Mustang was spotted all over Panama City Beach yesterday, and I personally had a sighting on the main boardwalk area of Pier Park around 3 pm.

When I was younger, I could tell you the make and model of a car at night by seeing the headlights a couple hundred feet away, almost 100% of the time. I knew approximate year, make and model of almost any car, it was weird, kinda like an encyclopedia. In many cases I could tell you all about the car too. I always new the new cars coming out and I can attribute that knowledge to all of my dad’s old Autoweek magazines that held their permanent home on the mantle until they became a few weeks old.

I have since become somewhat disinterested in cars as my kids occupy all my free time, but I thought something was fishy when I saw a Mustang yesterday that I hadn’t seen before. Since Autoweek’s not been in my life, a few new models have snuck out on me over the years, but, this would have been pretty big. I didn’t think of it much more than that.

Fast forward to this morning, when I get a google alert that Autoweek is here in Panama City Beach driving the new Mustang, furthermore, the drivers had to stay in the Mariott because they were “too young” to stay in a beachfront condo, as they all required renters to be 25. So, what are a couple of pre-25 people doing driving a 2010 Mustang down to Panama City Beach? Writing about their experience of course!

AutoWeek spring break: The Mustang gets noticed in Panama City

Celebrity Chef Tim Creehan to Host Destination Chef Show in PCB

Appearing now on a computer screen near you is a virtual cooking show offering valuable cooking, travel, dining tips from attractive hot spots such as Key West, Myrtle Beach and New Orleans. Think of it as taking a delicious trip to your favorite location before your actual vacation or next business trip.

DCS by Fisher & Paykel has partnered up with the Tourist Network to bring this impressive multi-media experience to travelers and dining and cooking connoisseurs with the TV show Destination Chefs and its new Web site DestinationChefs.com.

DCS by Fisher & Paykel’s high-end cooking appliances are showcased in Destination Chefs, a celebrity chef TV series hosted by celebrity chef Tim Creehan. The show travels to attractive resort and cultural destinations and features the top chefs in hot markets, including Atlanta, New Orleans, Key West, Myrtle Beach, the Florida Coast (Panama City, Pensacola, Destin) and the Hamptons.

The partnership with Destination Chefs will enable DCS to further expand its reach in the Southern market, which is already a strong region for the brand, said Laurence Mawhinney, VP for sales and marketing for Fisher & Paykel Appliances.

“We see our participation in this venture as a great opportunity to continue to showcase the performance of our high-end professionally styled cooking equipment both online and in these specific regional TV markets,” said Mawhinney.

DCS indoor studio kitchens and outdoor grills are put to the test by Destination Chefs’ guest celebrity chefs who display their cooking techniques and expertise in an entertaining way for a home audience. The 30-minute episodes are colorful, upbeat and also educational. Food and wine enthusiasts can savor expert instruction in the preparation of classic and adventurous dishes and wine selection. Viewers are also afforded a rare behind the scenes look at restaurants located in their favorite resorts and destinations. More than a cooking show, Destination Chefs also explores local flavor and area hot spots, presenting a colorful look at what truly defines the essence of “The Good Life” in each destination featured.

Viewers never have to miss an episode, as each show is permanently archived and available on demand at http://www.destinationchefs.com. The show’s Web site, which went live in mid November, also provides detailed recipes, chef bios, and cooking tips from Creehan and the guest chefs in the forums. Visitors to the site can ask their favorite chef questions, upload their own recipes, rate the shows and share tips with a community of fellow food enthusiasts. The site also features a special section devoted to outdoor grilling that encourages visitors to upload photos of their custom DCS outdoor kitchens.

The chef shows were already a popular feature on DestinationChef.com’s affiliate site TripSmarter.com receiving more than 100,000 views per year.

To find out more about the DCS by Fisher & Paykel brands, please call 888-936-7872 or you can also get more information at http://www.dcsappliances.com.

The Panama City POPS Orchestra Coming to Arnold High School

Saturday, March 7, 7:30 pm, it’s back to the Beach for more Panama City POPS musical fun at the Arnold High School Auditorium.

The program will be the combination of classical and pops selections that The POPS audiences have come to expect.

“With every concert we try to inject a surprise or two,” states Maestro Eddie Rackley. “A Splash of POPS will be no exception, and the audience will be in for a real treat.”

Mounting the program for the first half of the evening will be a selection of classical pieces. “Espana,” completed in 1883 by French composer, Emmanuel Chabrier, is said to be the perfect musical description of 19th-century Spain.

“Dance of the Hours,” a ballet from La Giconda by Ponchielli, will delight listeners when they realize its influence on many modern musical works.

“He Watching Over Israel,” from Mendelssohn’s oratio, “Elijah,” long considered his greatest work, will feature vocals by The POPS Chorale.

Finally, “The Merry Wives of Windsor,” by Otto Nikolai, will round out the classical program with a musical discussion of Shakespeare’s comedic oeuvre.

The second half of the program will feature an array of popular medleys and two selected vocal performances.

The orchestra will premier “Sky Dive” by composer Jack Jarrett of the Berklee School of Music.

“It’s a special honor for The POPS to debut yet another piece this season,” says Rackley, “and this work will give our audience a taste of what’s to come with the Jarrett-arranged finale we’ll perform on May 2.” That composition, entitled “A Tribute to Gershwin,” has been played and sung internationally.

“Medley from the Sound of Music” will highlight Rodgers and Hammerstein’s perennial favorite from Broadway. Another Broadway favorite, “Evita,” will be featured with the performance of “Don’t Cry for Me, Argentina,” sung by local vocalist, Ann Melancon. A second piece featuring vocals, “The Prayer,” will be sung by Carissa Hosea, Ron Bramblett and The POPS Chorale.

The evening will conclude with another medley entitled, “When Bossa Was King.” Antonio Carlos Jobim’s medley, arranged by nationally renowned composer and friend of The POPS, Kevin Kaska, was the first piece commissioned of Kaska by the Boston POPS in 1995. Translated, bossa nova is Portuguese for ‘new trend.’ Despite its rather short-lived movement (1958-1963), the trend contributed a number of songs to today’s standard jazz repertoire. The music is rhythmic at its core, and the genre will be best illustrated by Kaska’s medley featuring four classic Bossa Nova pieces including the first Bossa Nova single and possibly the most successful of all time, “The Girl from Ipanema.”

Individual tickets for the March 7 concert are $25 for adults, $18 for over age 65 or active military, and $10 for ages under 12, and are on sale now at Paul Brent Gallery, Cher’s Hallmark in Lynn Haven and Panama City Beach, The Associates Architects in Panama City and at http://www.panamacitypops.org. For more information see http://www.panamacitypops.org or call (850) 785-POPS (7677).

Resort Collection – New Community Service Program

Junior Executive Committee (Jr. EC) of Edgewater Beach and Golf Resort, a property of The Resort Collection of Panama City Beach, announces a new community service program to involve all resort staff.

The Jr. EC is a new committee of management staff at Edgewater Beach and Golf Resort, comprised of eight individuals each representing a department of the resort. The committee has taken on the roll of community awareness and support by engaging the more than 300 employees to participate.

The committee’s first endeavor was a food and clothing drive for the Panama City Rescue Mission. The committee organized a companywide drive encouraging each department to compete for the largest donation.

“We are thrilled at the leadership and initiative of this group,” said Tom Sparks, general manager of The Resort Collection. “We hope this will be the beginning to more community involvement on behalf of our staff.”

The food and clothing drive produced more than $1000 dollars of non-perishable food items and 14 articles of clothing for the Mission. The donations were picked up by the Panama City Rescue Mission last Friday February 6.

The Jr. EC is working on several projects for the remainder of the year, planning to complete one community service project each quarter.

2009 Business Expo at Edgewater Beach Resort

It’s that time again…for the Panama City Beach Chamber’s Annual Business Expo, and this year Panama City Beach’s first family entertainment complex, Pier Park, is presenting the event. On Tuesday, April 21, 2009 the 16th Annual Business Expo will be held at Edgewater Beach Resort, from 3:00 to 7:00 pm. Hundreds of area businesses will be showcasing their newest, most innovative products and services. Over three thousand people attended the last Business Expo.

For 2009, Business Expo explores the world of GREEN, with “The Nature of Business” as its central theme. While not distinctively a “save the planet” event, the Panama City Beach Chamber hopes to engage in ‘sustainability’ and ‘going green’ increasingly, and promote those practices in all of its events. Exhibitor Booths cost $250 for Chamber members and $450 for non-members. Double and Triple Booths are also available.

Coastal Vision 3000 Hits Membership Milestone

Coastal Vision 3000, the private, non-profit regional membership organization for THE Beach, has hit a membership milestone celebrating its 100th member. The organization encompasses Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, Bay, Gulf and Franklin Counties and was established to create a consistent, branded identity for the region known as “THE Beach.”

Since its start in late 2007, Coastal Vision 3000 has grown from a group of regional visionaries to over 100 businesses, organizations and individuals representing over 150 companies, working together in a unified front to present THE Beach to new markets both nationally and internationally. The aim is to promote the work of local tourism and economic development professionals and to grow the market to its fullest potential.

“Membership in Coastal Vision 3000/THE Beach is open to all businesses and organizations in our seven-county region,” said Mel Ponder, executive director for Coastal Vision 3000. “Members benefit in many ways, not only for themselves, but for the Northwest Florida Gulf Coast region as a whole.”

Ponder said that marketing the entire region under one “halo” brand means businesses and organizations not only strengthen and enhance their own marketing efforts, but also help ensure long-term economic growth and create a tourist destination that is identifiable throughout the world.

Coastal Vision 3000 offers five Membership levels; Advocates $100, Champions $500, Stewards $2,500, Trustees $5,000, and Founders $15,000. Each level offers Members a variety of benefits, including a twice-monthly informational e-newsletter, a listing on THE Beach’s award winning website (www.thebeachfla.com), use of THE Beach’s standardized graphics and logos, membership meetings, and the opportunity to participate in THE Beach’s national and international marketing efforts.

For more information about membership in or goals and initiatives of Coastal Vision 3000 and THE Beach, visit http://www.thebeachfla.com or call Coastal Vision 3000 at 850-337-3469