National Parkinson Leader Comes to Sarasota

Dr. Michael Okun, MD, Medical Director for the National Parkinson Foundation, will visit Sarasota this weekend to tour the Neuro Challenge Foundation (NCF) Parkinson Comprehensive Care Center and to meet with NCF leaders. Dr. Okun has taken a special interest in the Sarasota based foundation, where more than 1,300 Parkinson patients annually receive counseling and recommendations on a broad array of treatments designed specifically for Parkinson Diesease. The Care Center is part of an elite group of Parkinson Disease centers, due to its large caseload and its geographic location outside of a university setting.

Dr. Okun will also participate in the first annual Neuro Challenge Foundation Charity Golf Tournament this Saturday at the Heritage Oaks Golf and Country Club. All proceeds from the scramble format tournament will benefit Neuro Challenge Foundation, a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to improving the quality of life of people struggling with Parkinson Disease and other neurodegenerative disorders.

Dr. Okun will be the guest of Neuro Challenge Foundation Medical Advisor Dr. Dean Sutherland, MD, PhD and will speak to NCF Foundation supporters at a dinner following the golf tournament. Both doctors are at the forefront of Parkinson research and support services. The mission of Sarasota’s Neuro Challenge Foundation is unique and local, yet consistent with the message of the National Parkinson Foundation: to improve the quality of care for people with Parkinson’s disease through research, education and outreach.

Check-in for the tournament is at 11:00 am, followed by a putting contest and driving practice. Golfers have the chance to win cash and prizes on the course including $5,000 on a par 3 hole. The tournament begins at 1:00 pm and will end with a cocktail hour, dinner, raffle and the announcement of prizes, including a 42” flat screen TV, golf clubs, gift certificates and more. Registration for the tournament is $95 per player, and may be reserved by calling Mark Bisgeier at (941) 400-7867 or emailing golf@neurochallenge.org. Tickets for the dinner only are $35. “Bring your friends and enjoy an excellent day of play,” says Bisgeier. “And create some hope along the way.”About The Neuro Challenge Foundation: The Neuro Challenge Foundation is advised by Sarasota physicians Dean P. Sutherland, M.D., Ph.D., Bernard Feinberg, M..D. and Donald Negroski, M.D., and is dedicated to the fight against Parkinson Disease, MS and related neurodegenerative diseases. The Foundation, operated entirely through volunteer time and charitable donations, maintains a Parkinson Comprehensive Care Center in Sarasota, Florida. At the Center, patients and families receive advice on surgical and non-surgical treatments, counseling, health and fitness, home services and more. The Center offers a level of care that rivals major university medical centers. Patients seen at the Parkinson Disease Center have access to the latest information, medications, surgeries, diagnostic tests, rehabilitation services and alternative therapies. As a result, the reputation of the Center has grown by leaps and bounds, extending to the entire state of Florida and beyond.

About the National Parkinson Foundation: The mission of the National Parkinson Foundation is to improve the quality of care for people with Parkinson’s disease through research, education and outreach. Founded in 1957, NPF is a leading national organization with an extensive grassroots network of Centers of Excellence, chapters and support groups in the United States, Canada and internationally. Unique among the national Parkinson’s organizations, NPF is the only organization with a singular focus on improving the quality of care in Parkinson’s disease. Since 1982, NPF has funded more than $150 million in care, research and support services.

About Dr. Michael Okun, MD: Michael S. Okun, MD is Co-director of the Movement Disorders Center located within the McKnight Brain Institute and the University of Florida College of Medicine. Dr. Okun is dedicated to an interdisciplinary care concept, and since his appointment as the National Medical Director for the National Parkinson Foundation in 2006, he has worked with the 64 NPF Centers to help foster the best possible environments for care, research and outreach in Parkinson disease. Dr. Okun has published over 100 peer-reviewed articles, and has served as a reviewer for more than 25 major medical journals. He has been invited to speak about Parkinson disease and movement disorders in various regions throughout the world, and he is currently a faculty and founding member for SUPPORT-PD, which aims to bring functional Parkinson and Movement Disorders Surgery to “countries in need” around the globe.

Michael A. Gilkey, Jr. in AIA's 10 x 10

Sarasota Landscape Architect Michael A. Gilkey is excited to join a cast of ten designers as they present "10 x 10: Ten Slides by Ten Designers," and answer the question: What Inspires You?
Each designer will present 10 slides illustrating their inspirational sources. Each slide will be presented for no longer than 30 seconds, creating a fun, fast atmosphere for creative dialogue.

The 10 x 10 event is held quarterly by the Florida Gulf Coast Chapter of the American Institute of Architects. The show will take place at the Art Center of Sarasota this Friday, October 23 at 5:30 pm. Admission is $5 for AIA members and $10 for the public.

Marcy Chapman Featured in Style Magazine

Sarasota water media artist Marcy Chapman was featured in the October issue of Style Magazine, a Herald-Tribune Media Group publication. Writer Su Byron's interview with Marcy follows in its entirety.

Marcy Chapman began painting nearly 30 years ago as the result of a "happy accident," when she enrolled in a watercolor class because a guitar class was canceled. "The second I picked up my paintbrush, I knew I had found my thing," she says. After taking a variety of college art courses and workshops taught by noted artists, the former English teacher blossomed as a visual artist. Chapman went on to create a large body of work in a continually evolving style. She and her husband moved to Sarasota three years ago. "I couldn't be happier," she says. Her work can be seen at www.marcychapman.com.

How do you describe your recent work?
I call it contemporary impressionism or mixed water media presented without the visual interference of glass.

What's the advantage of leaving off the glass?
Clarity. Without the visual barrier of glass, the vivid colors of the painted surface are fully exposed. You can see the transparency and expression of light. You can also avoid those annoying reflections.

What landscapes inspire you the most?
I've always been an avid gardener and observer of nature. The tropical environment in Florida constantly inspires me. Gardens, individual plants and flowers, water scenes and birds all fascinate me and end up in my work.

Other than the natural world, what inspires you?
I'm interested in architectural structures and details: cottages, gates and fountains, especially.

Who are your principal artistic influences?
I love to paint the emotion I feel without being tied to a particular school or influence.

What's your take on Sarasota's visual arts scene?
A strong artistic presence enhances so many facets of this community. It's wonderful, positive and supportive. So many places call themselves an arts community. Sarasota is truly deserving of that name.

New Release: Ina May's Guide to Breastfeeding

On October 31st, Ina May Gaskin, the mother of the modern American midwifery movement, will sign her latest release Ina May’s Guide to Breastfeeding at the Selby Public Library. The signing will take place immediately following Ms. Gaskin’s 11:00 am presentation of The Safe Motherhood Quilt, her project intended to raise awareness about the hidden problem of maternal mortality in the United States. The quilt will be displayed in the library’s atrium from October 26th-31st. Ms. Gaskin’s two earlier books, Spiritual Midwifery and Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth, which currently rank first and second on Amazon’s Women’s Health, Obstetrics and Gynecology bestseller list, will also be available for purchase and signing. Proceeds from the sale will benefit The Safe Motherhood Quilt Project and Florida Friends of Midwives, a non-profit grassroots organization dedicated to promoting and preserving midwifery access in Florida.

Ina May’s Guide to Breastfeeding is filled with helpful advice, medical facts, and real-life stories to help mothers understand how and why breastfeeding works, and how to use it to more deeply connect with their babies and their own bodies. Whether you’re a mother planning to nurse for the first time or are looking for the latest, most up-to-date expert advice available, you couldn’t hope to find a better guide than Ina May.

Drawing on her decades of experience in caring for pregnant women, mothers, and babies, Ina May Gaskin explores the health and psychological benefits of breastfeeding and gives invaluable practical advice intended to help mothers nurse their babies in the most fulfilling way possible. Answers to virtually every question on breastfeeding can be found in this book, including topics such as:

•the benefits of breastfeeding
•nursing challenges
•pumps and other nursing products
•sleeping arrangements
•nursing and work
•medications
•nursing multiples
•weaning
•sick babies
•nipplephobia, and much more.

Praise for Ina May’s Guide to Breastfeeding

“Ina May Gaskin is an international treasure. Her new guide to breastfeeding is the best thing ever written on the subject. A must-have for all pregnant women interested in the best start for their babies.” —Christiane Northrup, M.D., Author of Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom and The Wisdom of Menopause

"This book is all we've come to expect of Ina May Gaskin—warm, wise, solidly based in real experiences, and sensitive to the needs and lives of women in all their complexity. It's the only breastfeeding book you'll need."—Barbara Katz Rothman and Wendy Simonds, authors of Laboring On

“Simply put, midwife Ina May Gaskin is the most important person in maternity care in North America, bar none.”—Marsden Wagner, M.D., M.S., former Director of Women’s and Children’s Health, World Health Organization

“Breastfeeding is one of life’s greatest joys. And there is no better guide to have at your side than the legendary Ina May!”—Harvey Karp, M.D., author of The Happiest Baby on the Block and creator of the DVD

“Ina May Gaskin’s words of wisdom are a gift to all women. Ina May’s Guide to Breastfeeding is the perfect informative companion to Spiritual Midwifery and Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth. All of them hold a treasured place in my library and should, no doubt, be part of yours.”—Ricki Lake, coauthor of Your Best Birth and cocreator of the documentary The Business of Being Born

Michael A. Gilkey, Inc. : Ornamental Outlook

Sarasota landscape architecture studio Michael A. Gilkey, Inc. was the cover story of this month’s Ornamental Outlook magazine, a horticultural trade publication with a wide readership in Florida.

Magazine editor Paul Rusnak visited Sarasota to interview Gilkey in July. He spent several hours with Michael, discussing the landscape design industry and touring several finished projects. The complete interview and photo slideshow are available on www.ornamentaloutlook.com.

An excerpt from the cover story: "According to Gilkey, an award-winning design begins with positive working relationships among the owner, architect, landscape architect, and all other subcontractors and suppliers. 'Because of these relationships and open lines of communication, we see a true collaborative process that benefits the project through expertise and commitment of everyone involved,' Gilkey says. While winning awards is nice, Gilkey says there’s no higher compliment than one from his father. 'Dad still critiques every job I do,” he says. “I got a B+ a couple weeks ago, which is the highest grade I’ve ever gotten from him. So, I’m doing pretty well,' he chuckles."

For more information about Michael A. Gilkey, Inc., please visit www.magilkey.com or call the studio at 941.924.0132.

ABOUT MICHAEL A. GILKEY, INC.: Michael A. Gilkey, Inc. is a landscape architecture studio in Sarasota, Florida, established in 1981. Through a passion for pure design and personal relationships with architects, contractors and homeowners, Gilkey creates expressions of outdoor space that are direct translations of their clients’ visions. For more information, please visit www.magilkey.com or call (941) 924-0132.

ABOUT ORNAMENTAL OUTLOOK: Ornamental Outlook reaches out to Florida nursery and landscape professionals by reporting on the latest news, trends, events, and products making an impact on the Florida marketplace. An experienced and dedicated staff strives to deliver timely and useful information to help sustain success and bolster business. For more information, please visit www.ornamentaloutlook.com or call (407) 539-6552.

Ashley's Delivers Dinner from Two Local Favorites

Ashley’s Food Delivery, the area’s only multi-restaurant delivery service, is offering free delivery* when you place a dinner** order from Simon’s Coffee House or Word of Mouth (Osprey Ave.), through September 30.

“Simon’s and Word of Mouth, local favorites for breakfast and lunch, now offer dinner - and we’ll deliver it right to your door,” says co-owner Liz Sniegocki. “We post nightly dinner options and dinner specials from each café on our website every day to make ordering easy.”

Simon’s Coffee House offers over 15 different dinner items every night, updated daily on Ashley’s website (www.ashleysfood.com). The restaurant strives to use organic, sustainable products on the menu, which features eclectic, whole food entrees such as: Roasted Salmon, Black Bean Cakes, Mushroom Ravioli and Pork Tenderloin.

Word of Mouth, located on Osprey Avenue, has a variety of homemade dinner entrees to choose from, as well nightly dinner specials. Dinners are served with soup or salad, vegetable of the day and choice of potato, rice or pasta. Home-style favorites offered include: Thanksgiving Dinner, Gourmet Meatloaf, Chicken Picatta and Eggplant Parmesan.

To redeem free delivery on dinner orders from Word of Mouth and Simon’s Coffee House, place your order online at www.AshleysFood.com and use the coupon code “dinner” at checkout. Or mention the “dinner special” when you call 953-FOOD.

*Promotion is valid on dinner orders from Simon’s and Word of Mouth only, through 9/30/09. A minimum $25 food order is required. Free delivery value is $3.75.

**Simon’s dinner delivery hours: Mon.-Sat., 4:30-7:30pm. Word of Mouth dinner delivery hours: Tues.-Sat., 4:30-8:00pm.

About Ashley’s Food Delivery: The area’s only multi-restaurant delivery service, Ashley’s Food Delivery partners with over 35 restaurants in Sarasota and Bradenton to deliver everything from home-cooked, comfort food to elegant, gourmet dining. Ashley’s Food offers residential & corporate meal delivery, drop-off catering services and gift basket delivery. The service is open for lunch delivery Monday through Friday (Sarasota only) and dinner delivery every day. For more information, call 953-FOOD or visit www.AshleysFood.com.

Sarasota Community Acupuncture Supports WSLR

Sarasota Community Acupuncture celebrated its first anniversary on Saturday, August 29, with an open house at their Towles Court practice, located at 200 South Washington Boulevard, Suite 1. The all-day celebration featured entertainment from local artists, food and refreshments, teas from Deja Brew, and acupuncture treatments. In gratitude for the support of their community, practitioners Gene Burgess, Melonie Burgess and Nate Mohler donated all proceeds from the day’s treatments to WSLR 96.5, Sarasota’s community-supported local radio station.

Guests at the event enjoyed acupuncture in a community setting, sitting in a quiet, soothing room with several recliners clustered in small groups. While most American acupuncturists treat patients on tables in individual cubicles, Sarasota Community Acupuncture feels the community setting has many benefits. “It’s easy for friends and family members to come in for treatment together,” says co-owner Gene Burgess, A.P. “Many patients find it comforting, and a collective energetic field becomes established which actually makes individual treatments more powerful.”
The clinic also sets itself apart with a unique sliding scale, reflective of the Asian method of practice. Most American acupuncturists see only one patient per hour, and charge $65 to $125 per treatment. The Sarasota Community Acupuncture philosophy is that acupuncture needs to be consistent, not expensive, to be effective. “The only way we can make acupuncture affordable and still make a living ourselves is to streamline our treatments and see multiple patients in an hour,” says co-owner Melonie Burgess, A.P. “This is the way acupuncture is practiced traditionally in Asia -- many patients per hour and very little talking.”

Saturday’s anniversary celebration at Sarasota Community Acupuncture embodied the spirit of community that makes this clinic unique, with local music, food, and support of WSLR 96.5. “We believe acupuncture can really make a difference in people's lives-it is really an untapped resource for many,” says Burgess. “It just needs to be more available and affordable and that is why we are here.”

The clients of Sarasota Community Acupuncture couldn’t be more satisfied. “The acupuncture I have been receiving has improved my sleep, digestion, energy and stamina,” says one client. “I feel so much better.” Says another regular customer, “(Sarasota Community Acupuncture) makes it possible for myself and others to afford acupuncture. Coming here makes a big difference with my health and wellbeing. What a difference in my life.”

About Sarasota Community Acupuncture: Sarasota Community Acupuncture is a famly practice committed to cultivating healthwith the practitioner and the patient in partnership. The mission of SCA is to provide the community with high quality and affordable acupuncture, and to create a treatment space that connects people and builds community. For more information, please visit www.sarasotacommunityacupuncture.com.

A Community Treat: The Hukilau Hut

The Hukilau Hut is an icon around Sarasota and Bradenton, its custom-made vehicles and delicious shave ices causing smiles and turning heads wherever they go. Juan Gutierrez, proprieter of the original Hukilau Hut based in Sarasota, drives the small RV shaped like one of his delicious shave ice treats, with custom hand-carved Hawaiian-inspired embellishments on nearly every part of the vehicle. Gutierrez's son-in-law, Luis Trujillo, has recently established a presence in Bradenton with his smaller modern version, also 100% hand-carved and custom designed. In addition to the original Hukilau Hut, there is now the Tropical Bamboo Bar, the Wild Island Truckster, the Huki-Huki Golf Cart and the Carribean Transport.It is not only their unique rides that make the Hukilau Hut's shave ices special, it's the more than twenty-five rich flavors. For $3, Juan or Luis will fill a giant cone with shave ice, and add one of many custom blends, including Hawaiian originals like Lulo, Mora, Curuba, and Tamarind. When your flavor is chosen you can then add their incredible sweet cream or marshmallow topping. Their flavors can also be mixed with spirits (provided by their clients) to create delicious mimosas, mojitos, margaritas and daiquiries.

So what's so special about shave ice, it's just like a sno-cone, right? Not hardly. Shave ice is a large block of ice spinning on a sharp blade. Just a fraction of the ice is shaved off to produce a fluffy, light 'snow' that captures and locks in the flavors within the snow flakes, and keeps them from draining to the bottom of the cup. "This method produces a much more fulfilling treat than the typical snow cone," says Gutierrez. "Those leave you with a load of syrup and ice at the bottom of your cup."

The Hukilau Hut was inspired by the famous North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii. A 'Hukilau' is a gathering of people to have fun and share food, refreshment, and fellowship. The Hukilau Hut is available for luaus, parties, birthdays, grand openings, fundraisers or any celebration where fun is the objective!

In Sarasota, you can find Juan in front of the SwimMart on Tamiami Trail every Friday, Saturday and Sunday afternoon. In Bradenton, Luis serves his treats on Sunday afternoon in front of Mattress Firm on US41. The Hukilau Hut is available for rental at your event by calling 941-350-2029 in Sarasota, or 941-914-3597 in Bradenton. You can also email Juan at rgsteno@aol.com. For more information, please visit www.hukilauhut.com.

Michael A. Gilkey: Butterfly Gardening in Style

The September edition of the Herald-Tribune's Style Magazine included a section on 'green' wedding gifts, and featured butterfly gardens by Sarasota landscape architecture studio Michael A. Gilkey, Inc.

An excerpt: "Butterflies symbolize the cycle of life," says landscape architect Michael Gilkey. "A butterfly garden is a great gift for a new couple starting their lives together." For your newlywed couple, Gilkey will create a butterfly garden that is aesthetically pleasing and long-lasting. But Gilkey stresses there are deeper benefits. "Butterfly habitats are disappearing. The couple's new home can be their home too."

Ina May Gaskin to be Honored in Sarasota

Ina May Gaskin, the world’s leading midwife, is coming to Sarasota to participate in a panel discussion entitled Maternal Health Care in the 21st Century: Sarasota and Beyond, taking place at 3:00 pm on November 1st in the Sarasota Ballroom of the Hyatt Regency Hotel. Immediately following the program, Florida Friends of Midwives will host An Evening with Ina May Gaskin at the Hyatt Regency’s waterfront Boathouse, to begin at about 5:30 pm. Tickets for this event, going on sale in September, will cost $35 and will include dinner and live music from Radio-Free Carmela and the Transmitters. Guests will view a tribute to Ms. Gaskin’s work, enjoy a cash bar, and participate in a silent auction and raffle. All proceeds will benefit Florida Friends of Midwives, a non-profit grassroots organization dedicated to promoting and preserving midwifery access in Florida.

Ina May Gaskin is internationally recognized as the mother of modern midwifery, and has been credited with the re-emergence of direct-entry midwifery in the United States since the early 1970's. Ms. Gaskin is founder and director of the Farm Midwifery Center, founded in 1971 and located near Summertown, Tennessee. By 1996, the Farm Midwifery Center had handled more than 2200 births, with remarkably good outcomes, noted for low rates of intervention, morbidity and mortality. Ms. Gaskin herself has attended more than 1200 births. She is author of Spiritual Midwifery, Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth, and Ina May's Guide to Breastfeeding, to be released October 1st. She was President of Midwives' Alliance of North America from 1996 to 2002. The Gaskin maneuver, a low-interventive effective method for dealing with shoulder dystocia, is the first obstetrical procedure to be named for a midwife. Ms. Gaskin is also the originator and coordinator of The Safe Motherhood Quilt Project, a national effort developed to draw public attention to the current U.S. maternal death rates. Three panels of The Safe Motherhood Quilt will be on display at the Selby Public Library from October 26 – October 31. For more information about the Quilt Project, please visit www.rememberthemothers.org.

In addition to participating on the panel and being honored at the tribute dinner, during her stay in Sarasota, Ms. Gaskin will be presenting a Clinical Conference to the medical staff at Sarasota Memorial Hospital on Friday, October 30th, and presenting the Safe Motherhood Quilt Project at the Selby Public Library on Saturday, October 31st at 11 am. For more information about any of these events, please contact Laura Gilkey at laura@kangaroopromotions.net.

ABOUT FLORIDA FRIENDS OF MIDWIVES: Florida Friends of Midwives (FFOM) is a nonprofit grassroots organization dedicated to promoting the Midwives Model of Care and supporting the practice of midwifery in Florida. Florida Friends of Midwives was formed to support midwives who offer safe, cost-effective, evidence based care to Florida's Families. FFOM members are consumers and birth advocates with a common goal: to preserve the legal protection afforded to Florida's midwives and birth centers. They are committed to organizing the community to support midwives and to assure the continued availability of midwifery care in the State of Florida. For more information, please visit www.flmidwifery.org.